20-01-2012

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

THE PHUKET NEWS

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he ripples from the assassination of Phuket journalist Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwittayaporn on the morning of January 12 continued to spread this week, with the arrest and confession of one member of the two-man hit squad.

As The Phuket News went to press it seemed only a matter of time before the other member of the team, along with the go-between who hired and paid them, would be caught.

Mr Wisut was shot dead as he and his wife waited in their black Honda Jazz to pull out of Soi Srisuchart onto Thepkrassattri Rd in Phuket Town, close to the Nissan showroom and about 500 metres north of Super Cheap.

Continued on page 2

Noppadon Praisri, alleged accomplice in the murder of Ae Inside.

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2

ISLAND NEWS

THE PHUKET NEWS

NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

Women and children last Cruise captain accused of abandoning ship passengers > 8

DEATH OF A MAVERICK WRITER Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwittayaporn, 44, had long been a controversial figure in the Phuket media.

His writing was always straightforward and aggressive, echoing his personality.

Some disliked him for his confrontational style of questioning. Others, out of the firing line, regarded him as a fearless campaigner.

Mr Wisut went straight into journalism from university some 20 years ago. In 2002 he set up his own newspaper, the Thai-language Inside Phuket, to pursue his mission of keeping a close eye on Phuket society.

‘Ae Inside’ (left) pictured here with another controversial He supplemented his income figure – the late Red Shirt military leader Sae Daeng. by stringing stories to the

national media. He wrote and published hundreds of stories on controversial issues, despite being warned by friends and colleagues that he was swimming in dangerous waters.

The issues he covered ranged from corruption to land encroachment, from influential people to scandals of local politicians and bureaucrats.

Close colleagues all agree that he was supremely selfconfident, and this was an essential part of what made him unafraid of the risks he took. The fact that he was never one to let inconvenient facts get in the way of a good story only increased the risks.

On the other hand he also

shone a light into the darker corners of Phuket skullduggery, raising questions others did not dare to ask.

Mr Wisut was also a leading figure in the Phuket Red Shirt community, and led a group of Phuket people to join the Red Shirt protests at Rajprasong in Bangkok in April 2010.

His funeral rites, from January 12 to 19, drew a large and diverse community of mourners, including journalists, bureaucrats, local politicians, police officers, and local Red Shirt activists.

Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit, who arrived in Phuket the day after

the assassination, also took time to pay his respects at Wat Kajornlangsan in the old part of Phuket Town, on January 13.

The death of Mr Wisut was big news, appearing on the front pages of national newspapers and on the news on every Thai TV channel.

Like his writing, which sometimes forced the authorities to examine corrupt people, his death has had a similar effect, putting pressure on the police and others to do their jobs effectively and impartially.

His wife Jiraporn has already said that Inside Phuket will continue to be published and follow his vision, though possibly with a change in style.

THE BIG QUESTION: Who paid for the hit?

From page 1 A motorbike stopped in front of the car. The passenger got off the bike, walked to the front of the Jazz and pumped four shots through the driver’s side of the windscreen.

Three of the 9 mm bullets hit Mr Wisut, one in the right shoulder, one in the chest and one in the throat. He died soon after from loss of blood from a severed carotid artery. Mr Wisut’s wife, Jiraporn Hosa­kul, sitting next to him, was not hurt.

The two on the motorbike then drove off.

Police later received a call from local people to say that a motorbike had been found abandoned in swampy ground next to a tin mine off Soi Tantalum, behind Super Cheap.

Although the licence plates had been removed, the PorRorBor tax disk had been left on the bike. From this the police obtained the licence number, which was sufficiently similar to the number reported by witnesses of the murder to lead police to believe that this was the assassins’ bike.

The police then visited the

A group of bullet holes in the windscreen of Wisut’s car. owner of the bike in Patong. He admitted renting it informally to an old friend, Noppadon

“Pae” Praisri, 41, from Petchburi Province, whom he knew from a decade before when Noppadon had made a living as a fruit vendor in Patong.

Noppadon was swiftly located at his home in Cha’am and surrendered. On Monday (January 16) he was flown by helicopter to Phuket where police called a press conference to let Mr Wisut’s media colleagues take a look at him.

Police said that Noppadon had admitted that he and the gunman, whom he named as Sanya Klinchum, were hired for

the hit by a man named “Boy”.

At the press conference, Noppadon denied any part in the murder and added, “I want justice. I will give my statement in the court only. I did not know [Mr Wisut] and I was not involved in the murder process.”

After the press conference police showed some reporters a statement seemingly signed

by Noppadon, and confessing to his role in the killing.

The following day Noppadon admitted his part in the murder, not in words but by his actions, taking part in a reenactment of the murder and showing police, step by step, how the job was done.

Police learned that Noppadon and Sanya had been following Mr Wisut for a couple of months, waiting for word to carry out the killing.

When it came, they waited in a construction site near the victim’s home in the Srisuchart Grandview housing development. As he drove by, they

followed him. When he stopped at the end of the soi, Noppadon pulled past the car and Sanya did his work.

The duo then rode south along Thepkrassattri Rd, against the traffic until they reached the lights near Super Cheap, where they crossed over to the correct side and drove to Koh Sirae.

In Koh Sirae, they went to the staff residences of the Office of the Rubber Replanting Aid Fund.

There he met with Boy, who paid them for the murder, Noppadon received B50,000 for his part in the job.

The two then went and dumped the bike.

Progress in the case now rests on finding the shooter and the go-between, Boy. Police believe they know who he is, and will be hoping he can be arrested soon and persuaded to reveal the name of the person who ordered and paid for the murder contract.

This story is not over yet.

Plan for more CCTVs Following the assassination of Phuket journalist Wisut ‘Ae Inside’ Tangwittayaporn, 44, on Januar y 12, Pheu Thai Party (PTP) spokesman Prompong Nopparit has said will propose to the Government a plan to install 1,000 more CCTV cameras around Phuket.

His view was reinforced by another shooting murder in Kalim the day after Mr Wisut’s

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murder, while Mr Prompong himself was in Phuket on a trip to inspect a controversial piece of land next to Freedom Beach.

“I think the Government should pay attention to Phuket’s security,” Mr Prompong said at Kathu Police Station last Friday night. “The recent murders are damaging to Phuket’s tourism image.”

Mr Prompong believes

having more comprehensive CCTV coverage will help police solve crimes more quickly and make residents and tourists feel more secure.

In addition, Mr Prompong said he would discuss the issue of murders on the island with Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, to try to find ways to restrict possession of weapons on the island.

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ISLAND NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

3

Freedom land title ‘is suspect’ The spokesman of the ruling Pheu Thai Party (PTP), Prompong Nopparit, inspected a controversial 65-rai plot of land next to Freedom Beach, south of Patong, last Friday (January 13) and branded the paperwork for the land deed “suspicious”.

The land is supposedly owned by Pantong Na Ranong, who applied to the Provincial Land Office for a chanote title deed more than 20 years ago, and finally received it on April 12 last year.

The issuing of the title deed brought a stout reaction from a group of people calling themselves The Phuketians, who believe that the plot is public land.

They reported the matter to the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) last year, alleging that the land title had been obtained through “corrupt processes” involving 11 officials.

The PACC visited the site last month as part of their investigation. They found

suspected false statements and irregular processes in the issuing of the title deed.

They later submitted the names of 10 officials from the Land Office and the Forestry Office who were allegedly involve in issuing the title deed, along with that of former Phuket governor, now Senator Wichai Praisa’ngob, to the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for further investigation.

After inspecting the site yesterday, Mr Prompong – who is also a Vice President of the NACC – said he and his team had found many suspicious aspects to the issuing of the land title, which might indicate corruption and illegal processes.

He listed these: A conflict between statements from the Forestry Department and the Land Office at the time when the title deeds were issued. The Forestry Department insisted the land

Prompong Nopparit (centre) inspects a steep parcel of land next to Freedom Beach. is part of the Nakkerd Forest Reserve, and was therefore government land that no one could occupy. The Land Office stated that the plot was not within the boundaries of the forest reserve.

The land owner claimed to have bought the land in 1989 from Taweep Wutthitham-

maporn, whose father, in turn, had claimed ownership since 1937, 17 years before the forest reserve was established in 1954.

The statement from the Land Office showed that Mr Taweep’s father had used the land. However, Mr Prompong said his team had found no trace of agriculture or the plantation mentioned in the

Land fight blamed for killing The shooting of reporter Wisut Tangwittayaporn was not the only contracted “hit” in the past few days.

The following day (January 13) 43-year-old Nootad was shot dead in Kalim in what his family believed was the result of a land dispute between him and a property developer.

Mr Jakkrit was riding his motorbike from Patong back to his home at Kalim Vorasit Issara (centre) receives the bouquet sent by HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajira­long­ korn and HRH Princess Srirasmi, from Gov Tri. Left is Mr Vorasit’s wife Palawi Bunnag. when another bike came –Photo Phuket Provincial PR up behind him.

The gunman, riding on the back of another bike, fired 11 shots from an 11mm pistol. Seven hit Mr Jakkrit Phuket Governor Tri Aug- Rachada Pub on January 4.

Me a nwh i le , t he l a s t in the back. He died on the karadacha went to the Sri Mr Vorasit was released member of the Rachada Pub way to Patong Hospital.

Panwa Resort on January f rom Ba ng kok Hospit al staff wanted by police in His sister Utumporn 12 to deliver flowers from Phuket the previous day to connection with the attack Noo­tas, 37, said she beHRH Crown Prince Maha convalesce at home. He is surrendered to police on Monlieves Mr Jakkrit was killed Vajiralongkorn and HRH still heavily bandaged and day (January 16). because of a dispute with a Princess Srirasmi to Vorasit his right foot is in plaster, Choodetch Kerdsap, 19, property developer over posIssara, with sympathy for though he is able to walk. was charged with taking part session of the 10-rai plot of the injuries he received in Nurses have been hired to aid in the attack and was sent to land he and his family were Phuket Provincial Prison. a murderous attack at the his recovery at home. living on in Kalim.

But police say they have checked with the developers, and have established that they have legal title, An unidentified body was man between the small Bud- was wearing a dark blue shirt showing the land was transfound on Sunday (January 15) dhist temple of Promthep with long sleeves, long blue ferred from a former owner not far from the romantic sunset and the cape itself. jeans and leather shoes. We are who claimed rights to it He appeared to have died not sure whether he was shot venue of Laem Promthep. before Mr Jakkrit.

Pol Lt Col Boon le r t from a through-and-through or stabbed. We think he died They are also investigatOnklang of Chalong police wound to the chest. at least a week ago,” he added. ing what they believe is a The dead man was about was informed by local peoThe body has been sent more plausible motive; that ple at about 8.30am that they 170 cm in height and had white to Surat Thani for autopsy. he had an outstanding debt had found the body of what skin, Col Boonlert said.

At time of going to press the of B300,000 owed by him. appeared to be a Caucasian “He was well groomed and victim was still not identified.

Plawan goes home

Mystery over dead Caucasian

Land Office statement. Instead, the only human activity found were tourist bungalows.

Most of the land slopes steeply – as much as 20 degrees from horizontal – which bars the land from being occupied by any individual.

No mention of this fact was made in any of the paper-

work amassed to support the issuing of the title deed.

In the application papers for the land title, there was none from the village headman. According to regulations, a paper signed by a village headman is required as a supporting document for the title deed application.

Around 2005, local people were arrested by Chief of Kathu district after they had tried to move onto the land, and charged under the laws on land encroachment. Yet the same land had become private property last year.

Mr Prompong will report the findings of his site inspection to the NACC and the Department of Special Investigation for further investigation.

“If we find out that the title deed was issued properly according to the legal process, the owner will have the right to occupy it,” said Mr Prompong.

“If it wasn’t, then the officials involved must be judged according to the law.”

No elephant eaters in Phuket, says Gov

Following allegations (see page 7) that parts of an elephant killed in the Kaeng Krachan National Park in Petchaburi a week ago were destined for restaurants in Phuket and other tourist centres, Gov Tri Augkaradacha said on January 11 he had never heard of such a thing on the island.

The park chief, Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn, was quoted by media as saying that parts of the elephant must have been

sent to restaurants in main tourist spots such as Phuket.

But Gov Tri told journalists that he never heard of people eating elephant parts in Phuket.

“I had been working here for almost six years, and I never heard of elephanteating in Phuket. There are other animals to eat; elephants here are used in tourism [for rides]. I do not believe that there is a dish made from elephants in Phuket.”

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SIMON OSTHEIMER Managing Editor 08 3922 9265 managingeditor@thephuketnews.com From Hong Kong; nearly a decade’s experience as editor of magazines and newspapers in Shanghai (City Weekend, that’s Shanghai), Beijing (tbjhome, Urbane), Hong Kong (Time Out Hong Kong), Kuala Lumpur (Vision KL), Bangkok (Bangkok 101) and Phuket. Journalist for Esquire, Fah Thai, Vacations & Travel, Travel & Leisure, CNNGo, Surface and Dwell.

ALASDAIR FORBES Executive Editor 08 7884 9964 execeditor@thephuketnews.com From the UK; 40 years as a journalist and editor on magazines and newspapers in the UK, Middle East, Hong Kong and Thailand: Cheshire Observer, Chester Chronicle, Saudi Gazette, Gulf Mirror, Gulf Construction, Gulf News, Hongkong Standard, Asian Business (Editor) and Phuket Gazette (Managing Editor for seven years).

DANE HALPIN Sub Editor editor2@thephuketnews.com From Australia; Degree in Journalism, Charles Sturt University; Four years’ experience at: The Australian, The Central Western Daily, The Leader, The Canberra Times, and The Vientiane Times.

CLAIRE CONNELL Sub Editor editor1@thephuketnews.com From New Zealand; BA (English) from University of Otago; Diploma in Journalism from the University of Canterbury; Five years’ experience at the Gisborne Herald, and the Marlborough Express.

Phuket Town’s second new ladyboy cabaret show, Simon Star Show, was due to hold its grand opening yesterday (January 19).

At a press conference on Tuesday the owner, Virat Rouyrin, said, “The number of tourists in Phuket, from Asia and Europe, is now increasing.

Many tourists stay in Patong, where they can see our shows at Simon Cabaret but there are other tourists staying in town or other parts of Phuket, so they can see the cabaret show in town as well.”

She hopes that at least 30 per cent of those going to the show will be Phuket residents.

Ms Virat stressed that the Simon Star Show is different from every other cabaret show in Phuket, including the company's Simon Cabaret show in Patong.

“We are now doing final checks on the equipment and music, and making the final show preparations.

“I'm confident that the technical aspects of the show are better than anything you will see in Singapore or Malaysia,” Ms Virat said.

Simon Star Show owner Virat Rouyrin (centre), with associates and performers More than B100 million has been spent by the company on renovation of the existing theatre at the Thai Village, near Phuket Rajabhat University.

Renovations, which include expanding the theatre to accommodate 650 people and a bar, began in August last year.

The show, to be performed by 70 ladyboys selected through

contests staged across Thailand, will consist of 16 dance, song and music sets. It will last an hour and 15 minutes, and will be staged three times a night.

For Thais holding ID cards showing they are registered in any southern province (from Chumporn on down to Songkhla) a special regional discount means they can buy tickets

Sub Editor editor3@thephuketnews.com From Thailand: BA, BFA and Master of Fine Art and Design, University of Tasmania, where he worked as a painter and illustrator. Six years’ experience with the Bangkok Post, Pattaya Mail and Fine Art magazine.

SUKUNYA ‘BEAU’ PHOONPONG Reporter 08 1535 8080 reporter2@thephuketnews.com

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at B200 apiece until the end of February.

For all other Thais the prices will be B350 for adults (B400 for VIP seats) and B250 (B300 for VIP seats) for children. For non-Thais the prices are double.

For reservations call 076 -523-196 or write to: info@ simonstarshow.com

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

Suksan’s mother at the police station with the guns and drug paraphernalia seized.

Fired hotel staffer flips A 35-year-old man distressed at having lost his job, combined with his alleged drug abuse, f lipped last Friday (January 13), threatening his mother with a gun and firing shots in the air.

Ten police officers along with local headman Jaruen Thewabhut and Muang District Chief Officer Supachai Photchanakun, rushed to Suksan Salee’s home opposite Wat Chalong after his mother, Sawai Tongyod’in, managed to call for help.

She said that Mr Suksan had used two guns, one a genuine licensed .38 pistol and one a fake gun, to threaten her.

As officials tried to calm him down he fired the .38 three times in the air and put the barrel up under his chin.

Af ter t wo hou rs, M r Supachai managed to calm M r Su ksan dow n to the point where he surrendered and was taken to Chalong police station.

In a search of his house

police found three bars of pressed marijuana, drug paraphernalia and 23 bullets.

Mrs Sawai told police that Mr Suksan had just been fired from his job in a hotel and the stress might have caused him to “overuse drugs”.

He was said by neighbours to be a frequent drug user, even using drugs in front of his wife and child.

Mr Suksan was arrested for discharging a gun in public and with possession of drugs.

Kathu police are searching for a group of around 10 teenagers who allegedly attacked a Swedish tourist at Kalim Beach on Sunday (January 15).

Magnus Johansson, 29, reportedly had his ear, back and stomach slashed with a knife.

Kathu police said Mr Johansson had at tended a birthday party for one of the teenagers in the group, whom he just met.

A quarrel erupted over a girl in the group. Mr Johansson was treated at Patong Hospital and later released.

Music to your ears at free park concerts Free musical concerts will be performed every Friday in February by local students and bands at the Sri Phuwanart Park on Pattana Thongthin Rd, just south of Daorung School.

The concerts are being organised by Vichit Municipality as a way of “increasing family warmth” The first will be on February 3 at 5:30 pm.

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ISLAND NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

LOOK OUT, DAD Patong police warning: ATM skimmers setting sights on the over-60s

Australian artist Christopher Hogan with a donor who has just finished her part of the mural, which has 350 tiles.

Angsana mural coming along The Angsana Laguna Phuket Resort is two thirds of the way to completing a giant mural to raise funds for talented Thai youngsters in schools and universities.

Run by Australian artist Christopher Hogan, the mural will consist of 350 tiles painted by anyone who cares to pay the B1,000 to be part of the project. So far 209 tiles have been bought and painted.

The mural, inspired by the

gardens around the resort and Thailand’s rain forest, was designed by Mr Hogan and is in purple hues, purple being the Angsana’s brand colour.

Tiles will remain on sale until Wednesday (January 25). Those wanting to join in should go to the Angsana any day between 5.30pm and 6.30pm every day.

For more information on the mural, call 076-324-101.

Police have warned foreigners over the age of 60 that they may be targeted by ATM skimmer gangs.

During an investigation over the Christmas-New Year period, when several victims lodged complaints to police, police noticed that most of the skimmers’ victims were over 60 years old.

They also revealed that CCTV camera footage from the banks where skimmer gangs approached their victims, shows that more than one gang has been involved.

Gang members usually wear caps or helmets to conceal their faces from the cameras, but police said they could tell from their body shapes and skin colour that they were not the same people in every case.

Kathu Pol Capt Patapee Srichai, said that one victim’s ATM card information was

used to make withdrawals in several provinces within a short period. This suggests that the gangs may not be based in Phuket, but may move frequently from one place to another.

Capt Patapee explained how the gangs appear to operate.

First, he said, they approach their victim, usually in a group of two or three, and offer their help in using the ATM. One of them may carry a small purse, possibly containing a scanner to get information from the card.

The others will try to see the PIN number the user keys into the machine.

If a victim allows them to help, they will use the scanner to clone the card.

If a victim refuses their help and walks away, Capt Patapee said, the crimi-

nals may use other tricks to lure them back.

One of the victims told Capt Patapee that the gang members ran after him with a B1,000 note they said had just come out of the machine and which must be his. They told him he should try to use the machine again to get the rest of his money.

Capt Patapee warned that if anyone is faced with this situation, they should ignore the gang, walk away and go immediately to the nearest branch of the bank and tell them to block use of the card.

They should then report the incident to the police.

Once a report is made, police will track the thieves as they walk away by looking at footage from CCTV cameras nearby, in the hope that their faces or other identifiers will be revealed at some stage.

5

Purple pee tests find no druggies Police carried out the first “purple pee” tests of the year on January 11, when they took urine samples from 47 employees of the Sure Garden Pub & Restaurant on Sakdidet Rd, Phuket Town, to test for drugs.

Three officers from the Crime Suppression Division took samples from all the pub’s employees and tested for the presence of ya ba, (methamphetamine), ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and marijuana. All the tests were negative.

Pol Sen Sgt Maj Porncharoen Meesai, heading the team, said, “This is our first drug testing session this year.

In December we visited various pubs in Phuket Town to test both staff and customers, but found no one who gave a positive result.”

The tests are referred to as “purple pee” tests because a test kit immersed in urine tainted with methamphetamine turns purple.

Purple pee tests became notorious during the time in power of Thaksin Shinawatra, when his Interior Minister, Purachai Piemsombun, ordered frequent tests across the country during the 2004 War on Drugs.

WHO’S THAT MAN IN RED? The Life Home Project Foundation held an event on January 15 celebrating Thailand Children’s Day, Christmas and New Year all at once. The party, held on Koh Sirae, featured music, a dance performance and other stage shows.

TAT offers CNY temple tours The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) of Phuket will hold day trips to shrines around Phuket next weekend, to celebrate the Chinese New Year, and to help educate tourists and expats about Phuket’s culture.

The tours will run from January 27-29, 9am to 3.30pm,

and start from the TAT office on Thalang Rd in Phuket Town. From there, a local bus with an English-speaking guide will visit the following shrines: Pud Jor, Jui Tui, Sang Dharm, Kathu, Samkong, Jeng Ong, Quan Yin, Bang Niew and Kiw Tien Keng.

At the end of the tour, the

bus will drop passengers back at the TAT office.

Anyone interested in joining should register at the TAT office on Thalang Rd. The trips are B199 a seat. For more information contact the TAT on 076-211-036, 076-212-213 or 076-217-138.

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THE PHUKET NEWS

Holiday Inn staff hold blood drive

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The Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Mai Khao Beach recently joined with the Phuket Regional Blood Centre, run by the Thai Red Cross Society, to take part in a blood donation drive at the hotel’s ballroom, helping to build up the island’s stocks of all blood types.

The event was successful with more than 50 donors participating, including not just staff of the Holiday Inn Resort, but also Mai Khao villagers and local taxi drivers. “We

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S/Lt Pradit, Sue Ultmann and the chocolate birthday cake with the big number ‘6-0’.

Birthday ‘brother’ PR & MARKETING MANAGER

Tamakorn (Boo) Khowpon 088 766 1615 pr@thephuketnews.com

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

The usually frantically busy Phuket Immigration Office turned to party mode at the end of work on Tuesday.

The occasion was a joint birthday celebration for Police Sub-Lieutenant Pradit Buena – a familiar face to all those foreigners doing their 90-day reports – and Sue Ultmann of the Baan Rim Pa restaurant company and the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation.

Sue explained that, several years ago, S/Lt Pradit noticed her birth date in her passport – she was born just 18 days after he was.

“He jokingly commented that I must be his ‘sister’ a s we we r e a l mo s t t he same age,” Sue said.

Every year since then, Sue has taken a cake to the Immigration Office to celebrate their birthdays.

Sadly, however, this year was the final time. Having reached 60 years of age, S/Lt Pradit will retire in September this year.

So Sue (who h a s no plans to retire just yet) decided that something more than a big chocolate cake was needed, and added somtam, fried chicken, pastries and beverages for all the Immigration officers to enjoy.

held the blood donation drive after hearing that the Phuket Regional Blood Centre needed more blood to build up their stocks to supply hospitals in six Andaman Sea provinces, including Phuket.

“This event is just one of the CSR projects under our recently launched ‘Better Life Project’, which allows the resort to work together as a team, as well as to support the local community,” said Annop Petcharoen, Director of Human Resources.

Cyclists pedal back in time

Phuket City Municipality is organizing a bicycle tour from Phuket old town to Kathu Mining Museum on Sunday morning (January 22).

The trip, of 28.9 kilometres, is aimed at promoting cultural tourism in Phuket old town and the old part of Kathu, and also involves the Old Phuket Foundation, Phuket Bicycle Club and Kathu Municipality.

Cyclist should assemble around 6 am at the Chaloem Prakiat 72th Queen Sirikit Park,

next to the TAT offices on Thalang Rd. The riders will set out at 7:19 am and ride along Thalang Rd and Yaowarat Rd, across the Tesco Lotus intersection, along Phra Phuket Kaew Rd to the Kathu Municipality office and then finish at the Kathu Mining Museum.

Anyone interest in joining in should just turn up on the day. Registration is free. All participants will receive food and drink and a souvenir T-shirt. www.foreca.com

Phuket Seven Day Weather Forecast FRI JANUARY 20

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Wind 11 kmh

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During 18-19 Jan, morning fog and thick patch in some places. Cold to very cold in the upper portion, minimum temperature 8-12 oC. Elsewhere cold. Minimum 13-19 oC. Maximum 29-34 oC. Very cold and isolated frost on mountaintops.

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25-31 °C PHUKET

23-30 °C BANDA ACEH

25-33 °C LANGKAWI

22-32 °C HAT YAI

During 18-20 Jan, isolated rain in the lower part.

Minimum temperature 21-25 oC, maximum 32-35 oC. Cold on mountaintops, minimum temperature 14-15 oC. During 21-24 Jan, temperatures from 23-24 oC to maximum 33-35 oC.

EASTERN:

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During 18-21 Jan, morning fog and thick patch in some places. Cool, minimum temperature 16-23 oC. Maximum 32-35 oC. During 22-24 Jan, windy with widely scattered thundershowers with minimum temperature around 14-15 oC.

CENTRAL:

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22-34 °C HO CHI MINH CITY

During 18-21 Jan, cool with morning fog. Widely scattered rain. Minimum temperature 23-25 oC, maximum 30-35 oC. Wave height below 1 metre. During 22-24 Jan, isolated to widely scattered rain. Minimum temperature 24-26 oC.

SOUTHERN (EAST COAST):

Scattered thundershowers mostly in Surat Thani southward throughout of the period and isolated heavy rain. Minimum temperature 21-24 oC, maximum 30-33 oC. Easterly winds 15-30 km./hr. Wave height about 1 metre.

SOUTHERN (WEST COAST):

Widely scattered to scattered thundershowers mostly in Surat Thani southward throughout of the period. Minimum temperature 23-26 oC, maximum temperature 31-34 oC. Variable winds 15-30 km/hr. Wave height about 1 metre.

THE PHUKET NEWS

NATIONAL NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

7

Bangkok terrorist suspect charged

WELCOMING THE YEAR OF THE GOLDEN DRAGON: Thai schoolchildren look on as scuba divers perform an underwater dragon dance as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations at Siam Ocean World in Bangkok on January 17. The Chinese Lunar New Year, the year of the dragon, falls on January 23.

–Photo AFP

Park staff held in elephant killings An assistant to the chief of the Kaeng Krachan National Park, wanted by police in connection with the burning of a wild elephant carcass early this month, has turned himself in.

Suriyon Pothibandit, assistant to park chief Chaiwat Limlikit-auksorn, surrendered to Kaeng Krachan police, who are probing the elephant killing and burning case, according to the Bangkok Post.

Five elephants were recently found shot dead and their carcasses burnt in the park. Charges have been laid against five park staff, including Mr Suriyon.

Police have been charged them with possession of carcasses of protected wild animals without permission, tampering with evidence and conspiring to hide and sell the

carcasses of protected animals.

Mr Suriyon said he burned one wild elephant carcass after consulting a veterinarian with the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department.

He admitted failing to notify livestock officials or alert the police, who normally come to inspect the carcass before it can be destroyed.

The other four parks staff charged were arrested on Saturday (January 14).

Meanwhile, Director-General of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Damrong Pidech, said his forest patrol team on Tuesday (January 17) was able to save a five-year-old elephant from poachers.

A group of Karen people were taking the elephant

through the Pachi River Wildlife Sanctuary Park in Ratchaburi’s Suan Phung district when the rangers found them. The elephant was being led to be sold at an elephant farm in the district.

His forest patrol team exchanged gunfire with the Karen people, killing one Karenni. Mr Damrong said he suspected the Karenni group might also be involved in the recent elephant killings at the national park.

According to AFP, wildlife officials on Thursday (January 12) said body parts from a dead wild elephant found without its tusks, tail and penis were likely destined for restaurants in tourist areas.

The elephant, discovered in the national park near the Myanmar border, is believed to have died at the hands of

poachers. “They cut its tusks, trunk, sexual organ and tail.

Those parts must be sold to the middleman and will be sent to restaurants in the main tourist spots like Phuket, Surat Thani and Hua Hin,” park chief Chaiwat told AFP. The wildlife department has found five elephant carcasses killed by poachers in the past three years.

Chaiwat blamed ineffective laws for the increase in the crime and putting more than 250 wild elephants and the officers in danger.

Thailand is known as a global hub for the illegal ivory trade, with a dramatic rise in seizures of tusks in recent years as the decimation of the Kingdom’s elephants has seen poachers turn to Africa for their plunder.

Thai police charged a Lebanese man suspected of planning an attack in Bangkok after they raided a property on Monday (January 16) and discovered chemicals that could be used to make a bomb.

The United States has warned of a “serious” threat of a terrorist strike on tourist areas in Bangkok and a manhunt is under way for a second suspect who could be hiding in the capital, prompting extra security.

The Lebanese man is accused of breaking weapons control law, Deputy National Police Chief Pansiri Prapawat said, after a large amount of fertiliser and ammonium nitrate was found at an address rented by the suspect.

Ammonium nitrate is commonly used in agriculture, but mixed with other substances can make a bomb. Possession of the chemical requires a permit in Thailand.

Se c u r it y h a s b e e n stepped up around possible targets in Bangkok, including the Israeli Embassy and the Khao San Rd backpacker district, and at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra again reassured the public that the situation was under control.

“We continue to keep a close watch and we have also increased the security presence,” she told reporters.

Authorities allege the

Lebanese man, who was detained on Thursday, has links to Hezbollah, an Iranian- and Syrian-backed Muslim Shiite group that is blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by Washington.

The suspect, who is also believed to have a Swedish passport, was detained based on intelligence provided

by Israel, according to Thai officials.

Police said Saturday the suspect had admitted during interrogation that a group was planning an attack in Thailand, but that the plot had been called off.

Israel would not confirm or deny a role in the arrest, but has urged its citizens to avoid Bangkok because of “a serious and imminent danger”.

Thai authorities had repeatedly played down the risk and withheld information about any possible plot until after the United States warned Friday of a terrorist threat against tourists in the kingdom.

“Foreign terrorists may be currently looking to conduct attacks against tourist areas in Bangkok in the near future,” the US embassy in Bangkok said in an emergency message posted on its website.

Fo r e ig n M i n i s t e r Surapong Tovichakchaikul has expressed “disappointment” that the United States did not consult Thailand before issuing the alert.

–AFP

Court to rule on compensation The opposition Democrat Party petitioned the Administrative Court on Tuesday (January 17), seeking a repeal of the Cabinet resolution to compensate victims of the political unrest over the past six years.

Democrat MP Satit Pitutecha said that the resolution was unjustified and against the principle of equality, according to The Nation.

“If the Government insists

on providing remedy, the compensation should cover all comparable cases, without preferential treatment.

“It seems the Cabinet resolution is likely to go against the administrative law that beholds the principle of equality for comparable cases,” Mr Satit said.

But Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit said on Tuesday (January 17) the Government

would continue with its plan to pay compensation without waiting for a court ruling.

“Whatever the Constitution Court verdict will be, we will follow that. But we will not wait until the verdict is made,” Mr Yongyuth said.

Mr Yongyuth said people eligible for compensation were “victims of the incidents, and not perpetrators”. He reiterated that the Government would not pay compensation

to lawbreakers.

A group of senators expressed concern yesterday that government compensation mostly to its Red-Shirt supporters would lead to social division, and called for the decision to be reviewed.

Uttaradit Senator Narumon Siriwat said the move to pay compensation to Red Shirts lacked transparency and went against legal principles. “It’s [a] frenzied remedy.”

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8

ASIA NEWS

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

‘N.Korea heading for collapse’

This December 20, 2011 screen capture of North Korean TV footage shows new North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, son of the former ‘Dear Leader’ Kim Jong-Il. –Photo by AFP

The eldest brother of North Korea’s new leader says reforms needed to avert the collapse of the country’s economy will lead to the end of its Stalinist regime, according to a book to be published this week.

Kim Jong-Nam, the half brother of Kim Jong-Un who took control of the hermit state on the death of their father last month, says the military has become so powerful it will step in and take over.

“North Korea is very unstable,” Jong-Nam told author Yoji Gomi. “My father governed the country with the backing of the military, but the power of the military has become too strong,” he said in Korean. “If the succession ends in failure,

the military will wield the real power for sure.” In the book, based on email exchanges and interviews, Jong-Nam says North Korea’s troubled statemanaged economy presented the regime with a dilemma.

“It is obvious that (the) economy will collapse without reforms, but the reforms will lead to a crisis of the collapse of the regime,” Jong-Nam said in the interview carried out before the death of his father. He also claimed that his inexperienced brother Jong-Un was likely to be merely a symbol used by ruling elites to maintain their grip on power.

“Anyone with normal thinking would find it difficult to tolerate three generations of

hereditary succession,” he said an email, which Gomi says was sent on January 3.

“I question how a young heir with two years (of training as a successor) would be able to inherit... absolute power.”

“It is likely that the existing power elites will succeed my father by keeping the young successor as a symbol.” JongNam has lived in virtual exile in China for many years after falling out of favour with his father, who in turn inherited the rule of the impoverished country from his own father.

Two years ago and with his health rapidly deteriorating, Kim Jong-Il moved Jong-Un into the position of designated successor.

–AFP

Myanmar army told ‘no attacks’ in conflict areas Myanmar’s government has told the military to halt all offensives in ethnic minority conflict zones, a top official said Tuesday, as the regime pursues peace deals with guerrillas as part of wider reforms.

The army-backed government, which last year replaced the long-ruling junta, on Thursday signed a ceasefire with Karen rebels in the eastern border region, raising hopes of an end to one of the world’s oldest civil conflicts.

A day later, President Thein Sein ordered the military not to attack any ethnic minority groups except in self-defence, Khin Yi, the minister of immigration and population, told

AFP in an interview in the capital Naypyidaw.

“The order covers the whole country,” added the former national police chief, who was present at the signing of the ceasefire with the Karen National Union.

But Khin Yi admitted that the order was sometimes proving hard to implement on the ground.

“Some of the grassroot level units, when on patrolling duty, unexpectedly met each other and exchanged fire. Sometimes, the order (not to attack) did not reach to the grassroot level,” he said.

An earlier presidential order issued in midDecember for the military to cease attacks

against ethnic Kachin guerillas in the north of the country failed to stop heavy fighting in the region, according to the rebels.

The Kachin guerrillas have not yet taken up the government’s offer of peace talks, Khin Yi said, but added that the authorities aimed to organise a meeting of all the ethnic groups if ceasefires are agreed.

In December, a ceasefire deal was reached between the local government and the Shan State Army-South, another major ethnic militia.

Civil war has gripped parts of Myanmar since independence in 1948. An end to the conflicts and alleged rights abuses involving government troops is a key demand of

Western nations which impose sanctions on the regime. Vast numbers of villagers in Karen state, scene of Myanmar’s oldest insurgency, have been forced to flee, and tens of thousands of these refugees live in camps across the border in Thailand.

Rights groups say the government’s counter-insurgency campaigns over the years have deliberately targeted civilians, driving them from their homes, destroying villages and forcing them to work for the army.

Fighting in northern Kachin state between the army and rebels since June last year has displaced tens of thousands of people.

–AFP

Gay festival to challenge ban UN ‘concerned’ over Khmer Rouge judge’s legal limbo Malaysian gay rights activists mounted a court challenge to a police ban on an annual gay festival in the conservative Muslim-majority nation on Tuesday.

The third “Seksualiti Merdeka” (Sexuality Freedom) festival featuring gay-themed films, concerts and forums on homosexual issues was banned by police before it could go ahead in November last year after Muslims cried foul.

Festival organiser and activist Pang Khee Teik said the

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decision to submit a request for a court review of the ban was to end “the ongoing discrimination in the country”.

“It’s important to make a stand. The police are clearly wrong in this instance and as Malaysians we must challenge any unjust act,” he told AFP. “That’s one of the reasons why Sexuality Merdeka organised this festival because we have realised staying silent has allowed more injustice.

By keeping quiet, we have also condoned the fear we are

living in.” The request was submitted earlier but a judge began hearing it on Tuesday.

However, government prosecutors quickly lodged an objection to the challenge.

The judge is expected to rule on the objection on February 21 before deciding later on the challenge to the police ban, Pang said.

Homosexuality remains a taboo subject in Muslimmajority Malaysia, where sodomy is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. –AFP

The United Nations voiced concern Wednesday over Cambodia’s delay in appointing a foreign judge to the Khmer Rouge tribunal, paralysing probes into two cases strongly opposed by the government.

Sw iss judge Lau rent Kasper-Ansermet arrived in Phnom Penh last month as the UN’s choice to replace a German judge who abruptly quit in October over government opposition to further prosecutions linked to the 1975-1979 regime.

“The United Nations has since made every effort to secure the appointment of the judge,” UN chief Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman Martin Nesirky told AFP, adding Cambodia had “an obligation” to appoint the reserve choice in the case of a vacancy.

But the government body charged with rubber-stamping the nomination has failed to meet in recent weeks, leaving the Swiss judge in a legal impasse, in the latest setback to the court.

“The United Nations is concerned that, more than

Swiss judge Laurent KasperAnsermet is in legal limbo.

–Photo by ECCC three months after the resignation of the international co-investigating judge, the Supreme Council of the Magistracy has not appointed the reserve international coinvestigating judge to replace him,” Nesirky said.

The Cambodian justice ministry confirmed that it had received a letter from the UN requesting the council to discuss the matter.

“We don’t know when the meeting will take place,” cabinet chief Sam Pracheameanith told AFP, declining to elaborate.

Observers from the USbased Open Society Justice Initiative said in a statement that Cambodia was stalling, “effectively leaving the judicial investigations in a state of limbo”.

K a s p e r - A n s e r m e t ’s Cambodian counterpart You Bunleng on Monday publicly refused to work with the Swiss, who he said was not legally accredited.

Kasper-Ansermet, meanwhile, accused You Bunleng of blocking “important” information about the two new cases involving five ex-Khmer Rouge members accused of crimes against humanity.

The tribunal has so far completed just one trial – jailing Kaing Guek Eav, a former Khmer Rouge prison chief, for 30 years in July 2010 for overseeing the deaths of 15,000 people under the brutal regime.

A second trial involving the regime’s four most senior surviving leaders is ongoing but the landmark proceedings risk being overshadowed by the controversy over the possible new cases.

–AFP

THE PHUKET NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

9

‘I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE’ Italian ship captain ignores orders A released recording revealed Italian coastguards pleaded angrily with the captain of a stricken liner to return to his ship, the half-submerged wreck of the Costa Concordia, Reuters reported.

Five more bodies were found overnight in the wreck, bringing the death toll to 11.

This leaves 24 people, including a number of German tourists, unaccounted for nearly four days after the giant cruiser carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew was ripped open by rocks off a Tuscan island.

Captain Francesco Schettino is blamed by his employer for risking thousands of lives and half a billion dollars worth of ship in a reckless display of bravado.

On Tuesday rescuers used explosives to blast through the

maze of luxury cabins, bars and spas, fast losing hope of finding anyone alive. Inside the wreck, heavy floating furniture and pitch-black conditions made conditions extremely dangerous.

Schettino is accused of multiple manslaughter, causing a shipwreck by sailing too close to shore and abandoning ship before all his passengers and crew scrambled off.

Under lengthy questioning Tuesday by Italian prosecutors, Schettino denied he had left the Costa Concordia and said his actions as the boat was going down near the Tuscan island of Giglio had saved many lives.

“The captain defended his role on the direction of the ship after the collision, which in the captain’s opinion saved hundreds if not thousands of lives,” his lawyer Bruno

A helicopter rescues a passenger from the half-submerged wreck.

Leporatti said.

The Corriere della Sera daily said Schettino told prosecutors that he was at the helm when disaster struck, but later fell into the sea and

could not get back on board the tilting vessel.

The newspaper released what it said was a recording of ship-to-shore radio communications in which the enraged

–Photo AFP

coastguards repeatedly order him back on board.

“Listen Schettino, perhaps you have saved yourself from the sea, but I will make you look very bad. I will make you

pay for this. Dammit, go back on board!” one coastguard says during the recording. Speaking by radio, Schettino says: “I’m in a lifeboat. I am not going anywhere.” Later adding, “Do you realise that it is dark and we can’t see anything?”

The coastguard shouts back: “So, what do you want to do, to go home, Schettino?!

It’s dark and you want to go home? Go to the bow of the ship where the ladder is and tell me what needs to be done, how many people there are, and what they need! Now!” Officials did not confirm the tape’s origins but other shouts heard in the background added authenticity.

The Coast Guard official on the tape told a local newspaper he could tell by the “tone of the captain’s voice” that something was very wrong.

–AFP

First class graduates from Oprah’s African school US talk show queen Oprah Winfrey cried on Saturday (January 14) as the first graduates of her South African girls’ academy thanked her for her effort to turn a handful of impoverished girls into elite leaders.

With the 72 graduates sitting behind her in white dresses, Winfrey, who rose to stardom and an estimated fortune of $2.7 billion (B85 billion) from a deprived Students at Oprah Winfrey’s African school childhood in Mississippi, spoke graduated last week. –Photo Alan Light. of why she decided to open the

school with a $40 million (B1.7 billion) investment in 2007.

“I know that education is the door to freedom,” Oprah, clad in an emerald green dress, said at the graduation ceremony.

“So I want to do that for girls who come from backgrounds like my own, who have disadvantaged circumstances but no disadvantaged attitudes or brainpower or spirit. I want to give them the chance that I was given.”

Winfrey, 58, told the story

of how she mentioned to Nelson Mandela over tea at his house one day that she was interested in building a girls’ school in South Africa.

The country’s first black president jumped up and immediately called then-education minister Kader Asmal, she said. By that evening Winfrey was in a planning meeting with him.

Speaking at the idyllic campus of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls near Johhanes-

burg – which boasts computer and science laboratories, a 600-seat theatre, a 10,000-volume library and even a hair salon – Winfrey defended the idea of investing lavishly in a small group of promising young women.

“How do you end poverty?

This is how you do it,” she said.

“This is the beginning of the ending of poverty.

“These girls have now broken the cycle of poverty in their families.”

–AFP

Obama allies blast Romney over taxes Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney drew fierce Democratic fire Tuesday over his tax bill, part of a plan to paint the multi-millionaire as out of touch with middle America.

The former Massachusetts governor bowed to mounting political pressure and said he would release his 2011 tax filings come April.

And Romney, thought to be worth between US$190250 million, said he pays an effective tax rate of about 15 per cent, which would be in line with tax laws that President Barack Obama has denounced as lopsidedly favouring the rich.

“What’s the effective rate I’ve been paying? It’s probably closer to the 15 per cent rate than anything,” he said after a rally in Florence, South Carolina.

Romney noted that his rate is lower than the highest tax bracket on wage income, 35 per cent, because his money “comes overwhelmingly from investments made in the past” and benefits from a tax code meant to encourage investments.

In a rare campaign-related salvo from the White House, spokesman Jay Carney said Romney’s disclosure “illuminates” an ongoing debate about widening US income inequality and that Obama thinks the rich must “pay their fare share.”

Obama, whose 2010 returns showed he paid an effective tax rate of 26 per cent, “believes that we ought to change the law” so that “everybody... gets a fair shot at the American dream,” Carney told reporters.

–AFP

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10 LETTERS/VIEWPOINT

THE PHUKET NEWS

OPINION

Loan rangers

Borrowing from a loan shark can get you out of trouble.

But what follows can be much worse > 11

Editor’s Viewpoint

NORACHAI’S WORLD

SOMETHING’S ROTTEN HERE While the motives for Wisut ‘Ae Inside’ Tangwittayaporn’s murder have yet to be confirmed, there is intense speculation that it is the result of his journalistic investigations.

While every murder that occurs is tragic, there is something deeply chilling when someone is assassinated for attempting to expose injustice.

As well as highlighting the inherent dangers of being a journalist in Thailand, Ae Inside’s murder exposes the deep levels of corruption, and perhaps more pertinently, the very low value in which human life is held in Phuket.

What have we become, as a society, when money is valued more highly than life? When it is “better” to murder a man who exposes your wrongdoing than to stop doing wrong?

When combined with last week’s front page story about a wealthy man hacked with an axe over a minor disagreement, it is clear there is something very wrong in this island “paradise”. Life is cheap.

Greed is king.

Of course, to murder a

A view to a kill.

Letters to the Editor Pump up the volume, [Re. MMA: A good thing for Phuket?]

Firstly, I’d like to wish a happy New Year to you and the staff at The Phuket News.

What an excellent piece on MMA – well-researched, informative and disinterested. Such violent contact sports will always attract physically well-endowed and aggressive men.

Of course, when properly channelled, this testosteronefuelled pugnacity can and does find an outlet in regulated combat.

One danger concerns the well-documented and widespread use of anabolic steroids which, while developing muscle-mass, also heighten levels of testosterone and aggression.

Almost all sports forbid their use, but these substances are widely available here.

Patrick Campbell

Hanging on the telephone Thank you for publicising the reprehensible behaviour of TT&T in your issue of January 6, in which the said company stated that the balance of the B30,745.25 owed to me would be paid on January 7. It was not.

TT&T stated that they are waiting for the other subscriber whose bill I had been paying to repay the money before giving me recompense.

Why? It was TT&T’s mistake, its fault, its incompetence, and it is its responsibility to make amends. What if the other subscriber refuses to cough up? Do I have to get a lawyer involved?

Is there an alternative phone company in the Chalong area?

Keith Marshall

Respect for life [Re. Thailand rescues hundreds of dogs smuggled for dinner] I am not saying cruelty does not happen, but one of the things I like about Thai people is that they have respect in most cases for animals.

The sauna I go to has several dogs who sit with us outside and it often gives

me great pleasure to see a slightly fat dog sleeping in the entrance of a shop etc (in many cases a street dog) with the local business going about their work.

I remember several years ago at a main junction in Phuket Town seeing a cat lying in the road at the opposite side of the junction, I was thinking how I could get to the cat as it was busy and my light was red when a Thai lady stopped her car, scooped up the cat and put it in her car and drove off.

I hope the cat made a full recovery.

The best but not ideal solution is a neutering program as clearly many of the street dogs suffer from very itchy skin infections etc., leading to red skin and much pain for the dog and secondary infection.

AdamLookingForEve

Always honour thy (canine) neighbour [Re. Thailand rescues hundreds of dogs smuggled for dinner] Before attempting to take some sort of moral high ground acting like Vietnam is the bad guy here, there are plenty of places in Thailand that eat dog and

almost everywhere in Thailand dogs are mistreated.

All of the female dogs on my street have suddenly disappeared, including dogs I was taking care of. I put collars on two of them so they would not be ‘rounded up’.

I kept having to put collars on them both as someone kept taking them off. I don’t often go ‘biblical’, but the ‘let he who is without sin cast the first stone’ is very appropriate in this case.

By the way, great job catching some of the bad guys! Keep up the good work, please.

Dave

Keep beaches free [Re. Freedom Beach land title ‘suspicious’] I used to walk to Freedom Beach for exercise, when I got there I would have a swim and walk back. Now they have a barrier and staff preventing access to the beach, unless you pay B100.

I thought no beach front was private in Thailand and access was free for everybody.

Sandy Shores

Letters may be edited for clarity or length. Email editor@thephuketnews.com or fax 076 612 553. Please include your full name, phone number, and email address.

thephuketnews.com

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

high-profile journalist is going to stir up a nest of hornets, and if there’s one positive outcome from this affair, it’s that it may help provoke a serious response from authorities.

The main problems here are widespread disdain for the law and reluctance on the part of some law enforcement agencies to try to prevent crime.

Police are quick to call conferences parading the low-level drug dealer they’ve arrested, yet do little to catch the Mr Bigs.

They arrest people for gun possession, but do little to prevent the illegal firearms trade.

They lock away small-time offenders, while influential figures get away with murder.

In life, Ae was a controversial figure – he was deeply polarising, and many were appalled at his methods – but he was at least willing to stick his neck out and fight for injustice as he saw it.

We can only hope that his death will encourage those in power to do the same, and put a halt to the viciousness plaguing this island.

This week in history ■■ January 20, 1841: China cedes Hong Kong Island in perpetuity to the British.

■■ January 21, 1976: Commercial service of the Concorde begins with the LondonBahrain and Paris-Rio routes.

■■ January 22, 1927: First live radio commentary of a football match anywhere in the world, between Arsenal and Sheffield United at Highbury.

■■ January 23, 1897: Elva Zona Heaster is found dead in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The resulting murder trial of her husband is perhaps the only case in US history where the alleged testimony of a ghost helped secure a conviction.

■■ January 24, 1984: The first ever Apple Macintosh goes on sale.

■■ January 25, 1919: The League of Nations, early forerunner of the United Nations, is founded.

■■ January 26, 1965: Hindi becomes the official language of India.

THE PHUKET NEWS

HOT TOPIC 11

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

SWIMMING WITH SHARKS

Loan sharks are common, and so are their victims

W

hen faced with unforeseen medical expenses, bad financial situations, or simply a shortage of money, by necessity people often find themselves visiting a loan shark for instant cash-in-hand.

While the need might be great, the potential risks are huge, with payback becoming a stressful situation that can easily spiral out of control – as the saying goes, ‘payback’s a bi**ch.’

Government employee Khun Aor found this out the hard way when she borrowed a total of B30,000 from two different loan sharks back in August 2011. Khun Aor’s parents were both sick and unable to work, and her monthly wage of B9,000 wasn’t enough to cover the family’s rising expenses.

Both loans were taken out with just a verbal agreement, and nothing in writing, as is common in many loan shark cases in Thailand, where lenders prefer the lack of a paper trail in a grey industry.

The first loan of B20,000 was chargeable at 15 per cent a month interest. To guarantee this amount, Khun Aor had to give the creditor her ATM card and bank account book as security. The second loan was B10,000, where a slightlyless 10 per cent per month interest was charged.

Thai law states creditors may only ask for a maximum of 15 per cent interest per year, and must register their businesses for tax purposes.

Failure to do so may result in jail, a B1,000 fine, or both.

Khun Aor found herself managing to pay off the interest for both loans every month (a total of B4,000) plus an additional B500 off the capital of the first loan, but nothing off the second.

It’s now a vicious cycle. At this rate, it will take Khun Aor more than three years to pay off the first loan of B20,000 – and that’s only if she keeps up the B500 per month capital repayments.

By conser vative estimates, she could pay an extra B120,000 in interest – six times the value of her original loan – and her loan will be paid off sometime in early 2015, at the earliest. Meanwhile, her second loan will remain until she finds the money to pay off the capital, i.e. indefinitely.

Knowing all this, why did she still borrow from a loan

loan shark told her she had not paid off any of the loan yet. To make matters worse, the written agreement stated that the woman would be charged the legal rate of 15 per cent interest per year, when in fact she was charged 10 per cent per month.

The woman’s son took the matter to court, but lost in both the trial and the appeals court.

However, the five-year long ordeal drew to a close last year when they finally won their case in the supreme court.

Defence lawyer for the family, Ligkasith Omthaison, spoke exclusively to The Phuket News from Bangkok about the case.

“The family had only a very small chance of winning this lawsuit. When a creditor has a government document and shows the court... he has a 90 per cent chance of winning.

“But in this case, the woman could not read or write.

She needed the money and so just signed the papers, even though she didn’t know what she was signing. She never got any receipts so there was no evidence of her payments.

She trusted him.” shark? Khun Aor says, “I didn’t know the regulations about borrowing money from the bank, and it looked very complicated. There were many conditions and details. Borrowing from a loan shark is much easier and more flexible.”

FRIEND OR FOE? So are loan sharks providing a needed service, or ripping off the desperate? Creditor Khun Kae spoke to The Phuket News about her loan shark business on the condition of anonymity.

“We lend people money at the interest rate of 20 per cent per month, but only to people we know well. For someone to borrow money from us we need to know their job, address, and we need to know they have good character.”

Khun Kae never uses written agreements, and keeps the ATM card of the debtor until the entire debt is repaid.

This means Khun Kae can withdraw the person’s entire salary every month, and deduct the interest owed. The debtor gets the rest of their money in cash, but no access to their ATM card.

(Ac c o r d ing to law, both creditors and debtors must sign a written contract when loans are over B2,000, something almost universally ignored by the already illegal loan sharks. If businesses are not registered to pay tax and are caught, they are then required to pay all back taxes owed, plus additional charges.)

If they don’t have an ATM card, the borrower needs to bring an asset for guarantee, such as a vehicle with registration book, land title deed, or even jewellery, the value of which must not be less than the loan taken out.

“We let the people know before they borrow what payments are required by them to cover interest and pay off the capital. Then we [as the

creditor] are covered, and our principle and interest will end up coming back to us for sure,” says Khun Kae. “If they cannot repay the debt as agreed we will seize the property, or return it when they repay all the debt. If they try to flee or are overdue with their payments, they face a higher interest rate.”

Khun Kae, who says she makes a comfortable profit from her loan shark business, says she knows what she’s doing is illegal.

But she says she never forces anyone into take out a loan. If the borrower doesn’t agree with her conditions then they don’t have to take out the loan. It’s a matter of choice, she says.

However, not every creditor is as straightforward as Khun Kae.

RIP-OFF MERCHANTS: In November 2011, a woman from a poor farming family borrowed B50,000 to cover medical treatment for her husband. As guarantee, she gave the loan shark the title deed to the family’s 12-rai property.

But trouble soon arose.

The family were given only B45,000, with the loan shark saying B5,000 was interest.

The family were still paying off the loan, including both the interest and the capital required each month, when the loan shark came and took around B30,000 worth of rice from their property.

When the woman questioned the increasing amount of the loan, despite her regular and correct payments, plus the additional rice collection, the

YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN: Significantly, a national policy ended two years ago that – up until that point – was significantly helping to reduce the number of loan sharks in Thailand.

The policy said that people, who had evidence they were in trouble with loan sharks, could approach a bank, and, provided they met all the conditions, refinance their debt. This meant the bank would pay off the loan shark debt, and the borrower would repay the bank the money at a lower interest rate.

Around 1,000 debtors in Phuket (with a total debt value of some B300 million) took advantage of this project, which ran for about two years. This bright initiative helped to reduce the number of loan shark operators on the island, because they simply couldn’t compete with the rates offered by the banks.

Today however, there is little help available for those with spiralling debt, made worse by the obscene interest rates charged by illegal loan sharks, particularly for those who are unable for whatever reason unable to borrow money from a bank.

The best idea? To not get involved in the first place.

thephuketnews.com

12 BUSINESS/TOURISM

THE PHUKET NEWS

BUSINESS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

Bad Dreams

When glossy property concepts become mouldy nightmares > 15

Pata appoints Revenue Dept pushes Asia director for revision of taxes The Pacific Area Travel association (Pata) has appointed Ivy Chee to replace Reid Ridgway as Regional DirectorAsia, effective from January 16. Mr Ridgway lasted just four months in the post.

A Malaysian national, Ms Chee will be responsible for promoting Pata’s Next Gen range of membership benefits to travel and tourism industry companies and organisations, and engineering opportunities for the Association and its members in Asia (excluding Greater China).

Before joining Pata, Chee was Regional Senior Business Development Manager at online travel aggregator Wego in Singapore, where she worked with a client list that included Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, IHG, Starwood, Hilton, Accor Hospitality, American Express, Tourism New Zealand and Tourism Western Australia.

Previously, as Digital Ad Sales Manager at Singapore Press Holdings, she worked with a similarly wide range of clients.

“Ivy is an important hire who embodies Pata’s Next

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Gen philosophy,” said Martin Craigs, Pata CEO. “A Malaysian who studied in Australia, has worked in Singapore, with a background in the new media and online travel space, and who speaks a handful of regional languages.”

Chee speaks English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Malay and basic Japanese. She holds a degree in professional communications from RMIT University Melbourne, and has diplomas in mass communications from the Melbourne Institute of Business Technology and Taylor’s College.

She is also a Taekwondo black belt.

info@ayudhya.net Mob: 087 898 8647

The Revenue Department (RD) is seeking government approval for a revision of individual income tax and tax-deductible items.

RD Director-General Satit Rangkasiri, reporting to Finance Minister Thirachai Bhuvanartnaranubala about the progress made in the plan to revise the individual income tax, said that the plan is to have a wider range of tax rates, with the maximum rate being lower than the current one.

Individual income tax rates currently range from 10 to 37 per cent.

Mr Satit added that he has also proposed that the list of 19 tax-deductible ex-

penses be reviewed, and deductions set for each item.

The way they are at present, he said, they arguably benefit only the wealthy and highincome earners.

He said he believes that the changes will result in less tax revenue being lost, and will allow money to be saved up to fund future tax breaks.

Mr Satit also suggested that the Finance Ministry increase the deduction amount for fixed expenses, which is currently B60,000.

He said the ministry will need to look into the state’s overall revenue collection and the potential impacts before making a decision.

Somchai Sajjapongse expressed confidence that the collection for the whole year would reach the B1.98 trillion target.

Tax collected in December 2011 exceeded target, with more more personal income and value-added tax paid than was expected. Car excise tax, however, was lower than projected on account of the floods.

Mr Somchai said he believes that the government’s measures to help flood-affected entrepreneurs will push the economic recovery, and this in turn will result in higher tax revenue.

–TAN/NNT

Confidence index bottoms out

Thailand’s Consumer Confidence Index (CCI), which has been falling since a high in July last year, improved in all categories in December for the first time in five months, according to the Economic and Business Forecasting Center of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC).

The overall confidence index climbed from 61.0 in November to 63.1 in December, Center Director Thanawat Polvichai announced.

Confidence in job opportunities also rose slightly in the same period, from 62.5 to 64.2, while confidence in future income prospects rose from 89.5 to 92.1.

The rise was attributed to the gradual return to normal after last year’s flooding, along

We believe that the success of a project is essentially based on a serious management

liberto@construction-thailand.com

with post-f lood economic rehabilitation measures that are expected to give economic growth a boost to 4-5 per cent in the current year, and more public spending.

However, the overall confidence index remained well below the benchmark of 100, meaning that consumers are still not confident about the overall situation, Dr Thanawat

liberto@construction-thailand.com

explained.

He added that the December index is also lower than the figures reported before the floods because consumers are still concerned about the high cost of living, and the fragile global economy, still affected by the debt crisis in Europe.

Meanwhile, the director predicted that consumption in Thailand will continue at YOUR RIGHTS ARE PRECIOUS

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It will be up to the government when the revised individual taxes will go into effect, he added. It could be postponed should the government decide that its revenue is still sufficient to cover current expenses and the economic condition is still uncertain.

Tax collection seems to be going well, form the government’s point of view, the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) says. It said that taxes collected in the first quarter of the 2012 fiscal year (from October to December 2011) totalled B395 billion, exceeding target by B13.7 billion despite the flood devastation.

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a slow pace until at least halfway through the first quarter.

Dr Thanawat predicted that the acceleration in postflood economic rehabilitation, including large budgets to boost the country’s economy and a flood-prevention plan for this year, should help restore consumer spending and may help the Thai economy to expand by as much as 7 per cent in the coming year.

His growth prediction echoed that of Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Kittirat Na Ranong, who said on Saturday (January 7) that Thailand’s economy remains strong despite the floods, and he was confident GDP could expand more than 7 per cent this year.

M r K it ti rat said that he believed that this year could be a golden year for Thailand despite the flood crisis because there would be investment and development to make up for the damage caused by the floods.

Less optimistic this week was Vice President of Kasikorn Bank, Somkiat Sirichartchai. He predicted that the Thai economy would growth of about 4.3 per cent this year, and he expects Thai exports to grow by only 5 to 6 per cent.

He noted that the European debt crisis coupled with the global economic slowdown will definitely have an impact on Thailand’s exports.

–MCOT/TAN

THE PHUKET NEWS

BUSINESS/TOURISM 13

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

THE GREAT DEPRESSION 1929-1933 1931 Empire State Building, New York.

443 m (plus mast)

THE LONG DEPRESSION 1873-1878 Completed 1873 Equitable Life Building, New York.

42 m

WORLD RECESSION 1890 1890 New York World Building, New York.

94 m

WORLDWIDE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN 1972-1975 1974 Sears Tower, Chicago.

527 m (plus masts)

1894 Manhattan Life Insurance Building, New York.

106 m

1997 Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur.

452 m (plus masts)

2004 Taipei 101, Taipei.

508 m (plus mast)

THE GREAT RECESSION 2007-2010 2010 Burj Khalifa, Dubai.

830 m (plus mast)

EARLY 1990s RECESSION (UK)

US STOCK MARKET CRASH 1901 US PANIC 1893

ASIAN ECONOMIC CRISIS 1997-1998

DOT.COM BUBBLE 2000-2003

EARLY 1980s RECESSION (UK) 1980 Tower 42, London.

183 m

1901 Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia.

155 m

1991 One Canada Sq, London.

244 m

Skyscrapers and financial turmoil in the past 100 years. Will China and India be next?

–Phuket News Graphic by Somchai Kokittirat

Skyscrapers ‘harbinger of crisis’ T

he construction of enormous skyscrapers has an “unhealthy” link with looming financial crises and investors should therefore keep a close eye on China and India, Barclays Capital said on Wednesday.

China is currently the biggest builder of skyscrapers, while booming India is constructing the second largest tower in the world, the investment bank said in its latest ‘Skyscraper Index’ survey.

“Our Skyscraper Index

2012 tourist figures ‘will exceed 20m’ The Department of Tourism has estimated the number of foreign tourists coming to Thailand this year will rise to more than 20 million, an increase of 8-10 per cent over 2011.

Department of Tourism Director-General Supol Sripan said Thailand experienced a 20 per cent rise in the number of foreign visitors from 2010 to 2011. He indicated that there were more than 19 million arrivals last year.

Mr Supol cited the popularity of tourist attractions in the country and the recovery of the world economy as two main factors that drew foreigners to Thailand. In 2011, Thailand generated B730 billion from the tourism industry, a 24 per cent jump from 2010.

Mr Supol referred to the World Tourism Organization’s forecast that the number of travellers around the world will pick up by 3-4 per cent in 2012 as a result of economic expansion in Asia, Europe and South America.

The Director-General said, however, the number of tourists visiting Thailand will grow by 8-10 per cent, which is slower than last year. If there are more than 20 million visitors this year, as targeted, an inflow of revenue of around B780 billion can be expected, he said.

–NNT

continues to show an unhealthy correlation between construction of the next world’s tallest building and an impending financial crisis – New York 1930; Chicago 1974; Kuala Lumpur 1997 and Dubai 2010,” Barclays Capital said in a report.

“Often the world’s tallest buildings are simply the edifice of a broader skyscraper building boom, reflecting a widespread misallocation of capital and an impending economic correction.

“Investors should therefore

pay particular attention to China, today’s biggest builder... and India, which with just two completed skyscrapers, now has 14 [more] under construction.”

Barclays Capital, the investment arm of major British bank Barclays, warned of a “bubble” in China, where the property boom has been powered by cheap liquidity.

“China will complete 53 per cent of the 124 skyscrapers under construction over the next six years, expanding the number in Chinese cities by a

staggering 87 per cent.

“China’s skyscrapers are not only increasing in number – it now has 75 completed skyscrapers above 240 metres in height – but the average height of the skyscrapers that it is building is also increasing as past liquidity fuels the construction boom.”

Barclays Capital meanwhile added that India was set to experience its largest boom in skyscraper construction.

“China is not alone in the growth of its building bubble

... India, it seems, is playing catchup,” said Barclays Capital.

“Today India has only two of the world’s 276 skyscrapers over 240 metres (788 feet) in height, yet over the next five years it intends to complete 14 new skyscrapers, in what will prove to be its largest skyscraper building boom.

“Worryingly as well, India is also constructing the second tallest building in the world, the Tower of India, which should complete by 2016.

“The writing, so to speak,

would seem to be already on the glass curtain walling.

“If history proves right, this building boom in China and India could be a reflection of a misallocation of capital, which may result in an economic correction in the next five years,” Barclays Capital concluded.

In London meanwhile, work on The Shard – a 310metre skyscraper that will become the highest tower in western Europe – is set for completion this year. –AFP

Cabin crew get kung fu training Airline boors beware: China Eastern Airlines is training its cabin crew in kung fu as a measure to deal with unruly passengers and even terrorists.

Over 2,600 flight attendants will be trained in the ancient Chinese fighting technique, with the first group of 20 cabin crew recently completing the course.

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China Eastern is not the only airline taking up training of martial arts.

The much smaller Hong Kong Airlines (it has 15 aircraft but plans to add 100 more over the next few years) said all staff had been invited to undergo training in wing chun – a form of kung fu used in close combat – but that it was only compulsory for cabin crew, the

territory’s Sunday Morning Post reported.

The airline had around three incidents involving disruptive passengers every week, said Eva Chan, the carrier’s deputy general manager of corporate communication.

Two weeks ago a crew member had to put her martial arts training into practice

on a flight from Beijing to Hong Kong.

“One of the passengers was sick but he was probably drunk and felt unwell.

“The crew member attended to him and she realised her fitness was helping her, especially because the guy was quite heavy,” Ms Chan told the newspaper.

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thephuketnews.com

14 BUSINESS/PROPERTY

Knight Frank sees big shift in condo sector

Global property consultancy Knight Frank this week predicted a major shift on condominium trends in Phuket, with the action moving to Kata and Karon, and the emphasis being on single-bedroom condo units.

Nattha Kahapana, director of Knight Frank Phuket, predicted “bright prospects in the Year of the Dragon for condo developers,” with an “enormous number of condominiums mushrooming”.

Previously, he said, Knight Frank Thailand research had shown that almost one third of condo supply was on or close to beaches running from Layan to Kamala, followed closely by Kalim Beach and Patong Beach.

Knight Frank’s Nattha Kahapana: ‘bright prospects’.

Last year, however, there was a major shift with 59 per were from Britain, Germany plained, the majority of supcent of new supply being built and Scandinavia, along with ply was in Kata due to the in Kata and Karon, followed expatriates working in Singa- availability of land as well as the more affordable land

by Patong/Kalim and with pore and Hong Kong.

Recently, however, new prices, which allow cheaper Layan-to-Kamala dwindling markets in the Middle East, condominiums to be built. to just 3 per cent.

Mr Nattha reported that Mr Nattha said he believes Asian and Russia have been developers have adjusted growing fast. These markets the change in demographtheir strategies in order to prefer Patong Beach because ics has affected the average take advantage of a new surge of its reputation for throbbing length of stay and, directly, the nightlife, as well as its two- types of condos being built to in demand. accommodate these markets, Previously, he said, most kilometre-long beach. condominium buyers in Phuket That said, Mr Nattha ex- with people typically spend-

ing only four or five days per visit to Phuket.

The new markets tend to arrive as couples or with friends, rather than as families, which is the case with the traditional European markets.

This has resulted in developers building smaller condo units, with 70 per cent of condos currently being built consisting of studio apartments, and 18 per cent of one-bedroom condos.

In the past, 60 per cent were two- and three-bedroom units, with one-bedroom units accounting for only 27 per cent.

Mr Nattha cited the recently launched 11-unit Eden Oasis Phase 2 in Karon as an example of the new trend, along with the 190-unit Amari Residence Phuket in Patong.

As for the local market, he said that most of the action is in and around Phuket Town, with developments such as the 135-unit Phumandra springing up.

He noted that “many listed developers” are in the process of negotiating for land in Phuket. These include Sansiri, Pruksa and LPN.

Flood-hit firms push for move to northeast Industrial estates in the northeast of Thailand are expected to become popular with investors following the recent flooding in the central region.

The Board of Investment (BOI) is now discussing with the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand plans to establish a new park in the northeast.

The discussion come after companies, including auto parts and electronic appliances manufacturers hit by the recent floods, urged the government to set aside areas in the northeast where they can build new factories that would not be at risk of flooding.

–TAN

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

When ‘common knowledge’ is just plain wrong In our previous article (issue of December 29, page 12), we pointed out that in Thailand there is sometimes a conflict between what the law actually states and what government officials charged with implementing the law believe it means.

We also pointed out that if such a conflict occurs in the course of a potential investor’s transaction and it is not recognised and resolved in favour of legal fact rather than the official’s incorrect legal opinion it can – indeed it almost certainly will – have a negative impact on the potential investor.

This conflict can sometimes lead to legal and commercial pitfalls for the potential investor if the conflict is not recognised and resolved in a manner consistent with the law.

Perhaps nowhere is this conflict more evident than in the taxation of real estate transactions.

One of the most common misconceptions in the real estate market is that individuals are subject to a hefty capital gains tax in Thailand when they sell their property.

T his m isconcept ion might tempt an owner of an immov­able property to try to “mitigate” the tax liability by “under-reporting” the purchase price to the Land Department.

Such an under-declaration of the sale price, however, would break the law on two counts: criminal tax evasion and making a false statement to a government official.

Moreover, it would not be of any meaningful commercial advantage as it would also fail to achieve significant “savings.”

There are two forms of tax payable on a non-commercial transfer of an immovable property by an individual: Specific business tax (SBT) or stamp duty (SD); and personal income tax (PIT). The standard rate (including the local

Jerrold Kippen Tax & Law Expert Duensing Kippen

municipal component) for the SBT is 3.3 per cent.

However, if the seller has owned the property at the time of transfer for more than five years, SD of 0.5 per cent is generally applicable and SBT is not payable.

The basis for the calculation of the SBT or SD payable is the sale price or the Land Office-appraised value, whichever is higher.

To explain the appraised value: Each land plot, condominium unit or villa in Thailand has a price set on it by the government. This price is usually much lower than any actual market value.

So declaring a lower price than was actually paid will indeed most likely result in some savings in SBT or SD tax payable. Some, but not a lot. For example, if the seller knocks B1 million off the price in the declaration to the Land Office, this would bring a tax “saving” of only B33,000 on SBT or a mere B5,000 on SD. With regard to the PIT payable, Thailand does not, in fact, have any capital gains tax on the non-commercial sale of immovable property. In fact, the PIT payable is independent of the sale price and, therefore, independent of any capital gain.

Since the sale price is not a basis for calculating the PIT, an under-declaration of the sale price will have no impact at all on the seller’s tax situation.

In other words, a B1 million reduction of the sale price – or any reduction of the sale price for that matter – will not result in less PIT being payable.

The reason that sellers in Thailand are tempted to risk such violations of the law by under-declaring the sales price at the Land Department for such marginal tax “savings” is their reliance on incorrect common “knowledge” of the law rather than on what the law actually states.

Duensing Kippen is a multiservice boutique law firm specialising in real estate and corporate/commercial transactional matters as well as arbitration proceedings arising. It is the only such firm in Thailand that also compliments its transactional expertise with a core tax law practice. For more information email phuket@ dktaxandlaw.com, or visit dktaxandlaw.com.

thephuketnews.com

THE PHUKET NEWS

PROPERTY 15

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

Power ducts were installed, but there’s no cable.

The grand entrance to The Peninsular. Behind it, frames for uncompleted mansard roofs gradually rust away.

Island views gone wrong

By Alasdair Forbes The Peninsular, Ao Po The site is a stunner: Around 30 rai on the end of a peninsula with views to the east over Ao Po and the islands of Phang Nga Bay, and to the west over the wide water at the entrance to Klong Bang Rong.

Along the other border of this triangular site is a rubber plantation. It’s quiet and isolated.

But The Peninsular, already 60 per cent built, has been abandoned for the past five years. Construction began at the beginning of 2005 and was suspended at the end of the following year.

The owners, The Peninsular Estate Co, are cagey about the

Not every property development, office block or hotel on Phuket ends up being an unqualified success. Some developers end up losing their shirts, or more. The result is large abandoned buildings scattered around the island. In this occasional series, we looks at the stories of some of the ambitious dreams that eventually turned into worst nightmares. reasons it was not finished.

The main shareholder, who would identify herself only as Ms Panisorn, said there was a

lack of interest from foreign buyers, the main target, because of various disasters including the 2004 tsunami and the One-2-Go air crash, and also because the architectural design with its mansard roofs, which did not seem to attract buyers.

Initially the company planned to sell the seven pool villas and 27 apartments, offering the buyers the possibility of putting their units into a pool which would be operated by the company as a hotel.

With little in the way of sales, the company decided simply to sell the whole thing.

The project has all the relevant permits, she says, and even permission to build a marina.

Apart from the homes there is also a club house with a large

pool. The road in is mostly in good repair, though it will need shoring up in a couple of places where the land under it has slipped.

Next to the sea there is a beach – not the glowing white sand of the west coast, but a beach nonetheless.

Considering it’s been left untended for five years, it seems in pretty good condition.

Apart from a few juvenile chalked scribbles, it’s managed to avoid the attentions of vandals and graffiti artists, and some of the paint looks almost new. There’s even glass still in some of the windows.

The whole thing is for sale for B750 million, negotiable.

Interested parties can call Ms Panisorn at 08 1083 8881.

Above, the common swimming pool could do with a little cleaning. Below, the fine view from one of the uncompleted apartments across Phang Nga Bay to Koh Yao Yai.

Nature moves in to reclaim the marble-clad bathroom in one of the planned pool villas at The Peninsular in Ao Po.

thephuketnews.com

16 ART

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

CULTURE

BIG LIST: Rare, crazy conditions > 22

Place in the sun “This is a shot I took on Beach Road in Patong last week. I couldn’t believe what I saw as it reminded me very much of beach congestion I have seen on Italian beaches along the Amalphi coast in

the summers. Who says tourist numbers are down on the island, as this picture shows there isn’t room for another umbrella and the vendors were doing a brisk business.”

–Gerry Cummings

WE’RE LOOKING FOR YOUR PHOTO www.facebook.com/ThePhuketNewspaper twitter.com/thephuketnews managingeditor@thephuketnews.com www.thephuketnews.com/random-view.php

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thephuketnews.com

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Angsana Laguna Phuket is celebrating its recent opening by inviting guests and visitors to make their mark on a charity mural designed

by Australian artist Christopher Hogan.

Taking pride of place in the new luxury property, the 14-square metre mural will be made up of 350 tiles individually painted to create a unique collage in the purple hues of the resort’s logo colours.

Each tile sold to guests and visitors will be painted by them under the watchful guidance of the artist.

They can also sign the finished tiles to leave their permanent mark on the scenic Bang Tao Bay resort.

Each tile costs B1,000 and the B350,000 raised, after a deduction for equipment costs, will be used to fund art scholarships for talented local Thai youngsters in schools and universities.

Each tile purchase also includes a chance to choose the mural’s name.

The winning tile entry also wins three-night’s worth of accommodation at the resort, which opened its doors on December 1, after extensive renovations.

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King Art Studio:

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Lat Design and Art Garden:

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Little Monk Gallery:

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99 Art Studio:

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Phuket Modern Art:

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Australian artist Christopher Hogan, above, designs the fund-raising mural at Angsana Laguna Phuket, while donors paint their own tiles.

Red Gallery:

Phuket Art Village, Soi Naya 2, Rawai, 087 323 321, redgallerythai@yahoo.com; phuketredgallery.com.

Sarasil Art Galllery:

121 Phang Nga Rd, Phuket Town, 076 224 532, somkiatkaewnok@yahoo.com; oilpaintingsphuket.com.

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The Love Art Studio:

28/13 Soi Naya 2, Naiharn, 089 471 5653, pui.t.l.a.s.@hotmail.com; theloveartstudio.com.

The One Gallery:

53 Srisoonthorn Rd, Cherng Talay, 083 634 6840, inone_111@yahoo.com. Open daily 11am-9pm.

Veerachan Usahanun:

110/34 Cherng Talay, Bang Tao Beach Rd, 081 490 4359, usahanun@live.com; veerachanusahanun.com.

Vichen Gallery Bzenter

Behind Da Vinci Restaurant, Saiyuan Rd, Rawai, 087 8903722.

Open daily 3-9 pm. (Telephone to view before 3 pm.)

Watcharin Art Studio:

27 Yaowaraj Rd, Phuket Town, 088 386 1449, watcharintinorodnit@hotmail.com, rindamagicalart.com.

Correction: In our caption on this page last week, the artist’s name for the bottom photo should have read Thai painter Somkiat Kaewnok of Sarasil Gallery.

Wua Gallery and Studio:

1 Phang Nga Rd, Phuket Town, 076 258 208, wua.artgallery@gmail.com; wua-artgallery.blogspot.com.

THE PHUKET NEWS

PEOPLE 17

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

Passing on the art of wellbeing and healing Dorinda Rose Berry Owner of Roseberry New Age Center and personal life guide ■■ What were you doing before you moved here?

Setting up and managing spas in England. I began at The Sanctuary in Covent Garden, London, 25 years ago.

I attended and studied healing, and all aspects of well-being. Before I came to Phuket it was all about spas in city environments. [Then] I visualised living on a warm sunny island and here I am.

Before arriving in Phuket, Dorinda previously worked at The Sanctuary Spa in London.

■■ How long have you lived on the island and why did you move here?

I have lived here since 1994. I originally came to set up the Banyan Tree Spa in Phuket.

I was blessed with such an amazing project that just seemed to grow overnight.

■■ What is the best thing about living here?

Nature, the beaches, the constant growth of vegetation, and the energy of the people of Thailand. I love the energy of Thai people and the great patience they have. Their ability to be so in the moment.

Dorinda and her husband, Nikorn Bandjerdlert, at the Roseberry New Age Center.

Keeping a close eye over residents Kaita Chairaksa is supervisor of the staff of 18 guards who provide 24-hour security for the many large residential houses that make up the large Land and House gated compound in Chalong.

When we visit in the morning he is coming to the end of his 12-hour night shift, but the gate is at its busiest as residents leave for work in a series of comfortable sedans. The cars slow down at the automatic gate and the drivers touch their cards to swing up the little gate barrier.

Without fail, Mr Kaita snaps to attention, clicks the heels of his boots together, which have been specially studded with metal to make the noise, and salutes each and every vehicle.

■■ What do you do to relax?

Quiet time. Meditation, settling down with a cup of tea

Exposed and looking out at the trees.

Massage and loads of it. Crystals healing my body as I nap.

■■ What hobbies or sports are you interested in?

I love yoga and daily walks on the beach. I love the gym and cycling.

■■ What is your favourite childhood memory?

Holidays with the family.

■■ Favourite food or dish?

Tomatoes and all vegetables, especially roast vegetables.

■■ What kind of music are you into?

I love music for inspiration, that’s soft and relaxing, like Deva Premal and Dewa Che. ■■ What is the best tip you have for people moving to Phuket?

Know that it takes time to settle in. Go to local markets and supermarkets to find things you need and want. Ask people who have lived here where to source

what you need. Watch the sunset every night!

■■ What is the funniest thing that has happened to you while living on the island?

The thing that comes to mind is coming home on New Year’s Eve 11 years ago, 15 minutes to midnight, dashing in to grab my bag, had a few drinks, on my way to meet friends for the countdown.

As I walked in, there was vomit everywhere on the floor and my cats were pacing around the biggest, hugest snake I have ever seen, coiled on the floor. I took the dustpan and scooped up the snake, which weighed so much, threw it into the rice field and ran to the car, off to meet my friends.

■■ Where in Phuket would you take someone on a first date?

To the beach, to Laem Singh or Promthep for the sunset...

■■ Favourite place on the island, and why?

A beach with trees full of shade. I feel so relaxed and connected to the universe when I can lie down and look at the trees with the sun peeping through.

EVERYDAY PEOPLE

Originally from Nakhon Si Thammarat, Mr Kaita has worked here for two years.

While his staff carry out their regular security checks on bicycles every hour, he himself rides his motorcycle between the three gates of the compound at regular intervals, checking on his team.

The guards write down what they see on their rounds in the report book: noting down unusual activity, such as a front door left open, clothes hanging on the line for days, and a front door light left on.

They keep especially close watch when residents are away – but it’s Mr Kaita’s job to see everything.

–Norachai Thavisin

thephuketnews.com

18 HEALTH

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

Can cosmetic surgery tame its Wild West?

F

rom US ‘Botox parties’ to Asia’s craze for eyelid jobs or Brazilian bum lifts, millions around the world now reshape their bodies through cosmetic surgery each year.

But the booming industry is battling a Wild West of rogue practices, cruelly highlighted by the recent French breast implant scandal.

Until the 1990s, “there was a veil of secrecy around c o s m e t i c p r o c e d u r e s ”, says Sander Gilman, psychiatry professor at Emory University in the US, and author of several books on cosmetic surgery.

In the 21st century world, you can fly to Turkey or India for a cut-price breast job, sign up for a surgical full-body makeover on reality TV, or curl up in front of an episode of the hit plastic surgerythemed series Nip/Tuck.

What happened in between? How did practices until recently seen as shameful, unethical, even taboo, become close to commonplace, in a rapid a nd rema rkable shift in values?

The short answer, by and large, is Botox – or Botulinum toxin – a poisonous substance which when injected in small doses masks wrinkles by temporarily paralysing the facial muscles, and which became widely available in the 1990s.

“Suddenly cosmeticians were doing Botox injections, people were having Botox parties injecting each other,” said Gilman.

“Botox caused a ripple effect where the next stage – having surgical procedures – became more acceptable,” he said.

“A f a c e l i f t b e c a m e something you talked about.

Cosmetic surgery became ordinary.”

Worldwide in 2010, plastic surgeons carried out an estimated 18.5 million operations, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), a non-profit group representing surgeons in 93 countries.

The US tops the list, with 3.3 million operations, followed by Brazil, then China, Japan and India, according to ISAPS projections based on a survey of 698 surgeons worldwide.

Around half are for full surgery, with liposuction and breast augmentation the most

thephuketnews.com

sanitary authority AFSSAPS, between 0.1 and one per cent of patients suffer serious side effects after a skin filler injection.

Because most skin filler products have temporary effects, the likelihood of a full-blown sanitary scandal is limited.

“Most of the fillers are like Botox: by the time you get to court they’ve worn off,” said consultant plastic surgeon Douglas McGeorge, who sits on the council of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, (BAAPS).

But when it comes to surgery there are horror stories – at least half a dozen of them reported in recent years – of people dying following backstreet cosmetic operations, often as a result of complications from anaesthesia.

There are no global f igures on cases of botched cosmetic surgery, but In many countries, including Thailand, cosmetic surgery is commonplace. –Photo by Aimee Heart the unfolding breast implant scandal has popular operations, while in surgery are starting to of- to injections, as part of a push spotlighted how badly things the rest are for non-surgical fer aesthetic surgery,” said for tighter regulation. can go wrong when dishonesty the president of ISAPS, the procedures.

According to the French is thrown into the bargain.

The fastest growth area Swiss-based plastic surgeon for the multi-billion-dollar Jan Poell.

Today general practitiomarket, these non-surgical treatments include injections ners can legally offer breast of Botox, of so-called “skin augmentations or liposuctions, fillers” such as hyaluronic without specific training.

The same applies to beautiacid or body fat, and a dozen procedures from laser hair cians, who can legally perform removal to chemical peeling. non-surgical work such as herbs Thailand ranks 21 on the skin filler injections.

Garlic chive (Allium tuberos“We see catastrophes on a list with 163,000 operations, um) is used by Chinese cooks accounting for 0.9 per cent monthly basis: asymmetries, in a variety of dishes: from of total worldwide cosmetic expulsions of implants, facial soups to delicious chive panpalsy, eyelids that can’t close surgeries. cakes, called jiucai bing, and The most popular was anymore,” resulting from dumplings filled with egg, Botox (29,134 procedures), botched operations performed shrimp and pork. in places such as Taiwan or followed by hyalu ron ic Distinguishable from acid (19,263) and lipoplasty Eastern Europe, Poell said. regular chives by its flat, Skin fillers – which like (17,302). broader leaves and fragrant breast implants are not conwhite flowers, it’s readily sidered to be medicines – are ‘We see catastroavailable in fresh markets a grey area, with Europe lagphes on a monthly and supermarkets across ging behind the United States basis’ Phuket, and is usually three to four years, and can when it comes to regulating sold with little oval white be kept as a permanent crop The true worldwide figures what products can be injected flower bulbs at the end of with individual leaves cut as are probably far higher since and by whom. needed. The pretty flowers vibrant green stalks.

ISAPS only counts work Cosmetic surgeons meetIn your herb garden or can be left to bloom into carried out by registered plas- ing in Paris on January 27 pot, it’s a fast-growing and umbels, like onion flowers, tic surgeons. for the International Master fast-spreading perennial that which produce black seeds “The problem worldwide is Class on Ageing (IMCAS) needs to be divided every that drop into the earth to that a very, very large number congress are set to release a of people who are not educated study on complications linked

Some 300,000 women in 65 countries are estimated to have received implants produced by the now defunct French company, Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), which allegedly used an illegal industrialgrade gel that investigators say has led to abnormally high rupture rates.

France has already advised the removal of the implants, while 13 countries in Europe and in Latin America have urged women to seek regular checkups.

Poell believes we are unlikely to witness another implant scandal: “Everybody will be very, very careful. And if people become more alert, the scandal could even have a positive side effect.”

To combat rogue practice, ISAPS runs public education programmes and offers insurance for consumers who seek surgery aboard, guaranteeing treatment for possible complications so long as they use an ISAPS-approved surgeon.

As a rule of thumb, Poell said, low cost surgery – wherever it is offered – should set off alarm bells.

“Good plastic surgery has the same price everywhere,” he said.

“If you can get a breast augmentation in another country for less than what I pay for an implant, then something is wrong.”

–AFP/The Phuket News

Kitchen helper HEALTHY

grow more plants.

Mainly used in the kitchen than for medicinal purposes, when added as garnishing like spring onion, its mild garlic taste gives a lift to stir-fried meat dishes and livens fresh salads.

THE PHUKET NEWS

ENVIRONMENT 19

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

Resort certified Green Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket has been certified for its sustainable operation and management. The resort achieved a score of 78 per cent of all criteria in its audit and has become the first Green Globe-certified hotel in Phuket.

“We believe that economic growth and the well-being of society are inextricably tied to the health of the environment.

Through collaboration with our team, suppliers, and business partners, we have been actively working to reduce the environmental impact of our business activities, and to continually improve and innovate on practices while at the same time meeting current needs,” said General Manager Hansruedi Frutiger.

Green Globe certification is identified around the world as representing the highest quality in sustainability practices within travel, tourism, and related industries. moevenpick-phuket.com

A small village cleans up For its organisers, the waste management campaign march at Srisoontorn village in Moo 8 in Thalang district last weekend was a small step towards better local environmental awareness. They hope that more Phuket villages will follow in their green footsteps.

The awareness campaign was inspired by the daily routine of villager Wiroj Kerdpon, who usually collects garbage as he does his daily exercise walks.

Inspired by his example, the local residential committee decided to run a village-wide waste management campaign as part of its sustainable village project.

In the new campaign, residents were shown how to separate their daily waste. They also learned

how to use organic waste to produce Effective Microorganisms (EM) balls, which help to chemically balance and improve the soil in an organic way. Most of the villagers earn their living from agriculture.

The village committee plans to establish a recycling market for villagers to exchange or trade in refuse.

“Getting full cooperation from every villager will take time,” said Mr Wiroj. “Lack of cooperation is a barrier in this awareness education campaign.”

Some villagers now collect rubbish around their homes but not yet in public areas.

To encourage greater participation, last Sunday (January 16)

Adopt a dog

the committee marched around in a colourful waste-collecting parade, joined by many villagers, some dressed in bits of refuse.

Children were also encouraged to join, in order to raise aware of what they need to do to achieve a cleaner future.

“Our campaign must be ongoing,” said Mr Wiroj, who believed that with a continuing campaign, more villagers would realise the importance of waste management.

“The practice would then spread from one village to another and another, like a social network. If that happens, then a clean and sustainable Phuket isn’t far out of reach.”

–Paritta Wangkiat

Man on a mission: Srisoontorn villager Wiroj Kerdpon inspired the community-wide clean-up.

Pet of the Week

BIG BOMB NEEDS A NEW HOME!

Big Bomb is a gentle, two year old male. He’s recently arrived at the Soi Dog Shelter after being found abandoned. He has a lovely friendly nature and we’d love to see him placed in a caring home. Big Bomb is sterilised and vaccinated. He enjoys going for walks, loves people and gets on with other dogs. If you can give him a good home please call Soi Dog today on 081 788 4222.

For more information regarding adoptions please email cindy@soidog.org.

You can also visit our website www.soidog.org or follow us on Facebook!

If you are interested in adopting a dog please do not buy from the markets. Soi Dog Foundation has over 200 dogs and puppies available for adoption at any time. For more information on how to adopt visit soidog.org. All animals are fully vaccinated and desexed. Young puppies will be desexed free of charge as soon as old enough.

This seven month old Miniature Pinscher is named Moddum and belongs to Patsorn.

Want to see your pet here? Email your photos to: editor1@thephuketnews.com

thephuketnews.com

20 KIDS PAGE

THE PHUKET NEWS

COLOURING CONTEST

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

Each week, Norachai Thavisin will create a Phuket-inspired illustration to please kids of all ages. Colour the picture, have a photo taken with the finished work, and email it to editor@thephuketnews.com.

The best will be published next Friday.

Children’s Day magic For Childrens’ Day on Saturday January 14, HeadStart International School Phuket took more than 300 of their Year 1 to Year 12 students, as well as 30 children from Phuket Sunshine Village, for a whole day of fun at the Joe Conrad Magic Show in Jungceylon in Patong.

According to Mark Goodman, head of the secondary school, the students enjoyed a fun-filled afternoon, watching the illusionist produce playing cards from thin air, cut a woman in half, and watch an-

thephuketnews.com

other lady disappear altogether.

Teachers and children alike were left wondering how the trick was done.

“It was particularly fantastic

to see the Sunshine Village children’s faces light up with delight,” said Mr Goodman.

See joeconradmagictheatre. com and headstartphuket.com

THE PHUKET NEWS

TIME OUT 21

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

BOOK

MUSIC

FILM 5 Days of War

120 minutes Rating: 18+ Director: Renny Harlin Starring: Andy Garcia, Val Kilmer, Rupert Friend

Running the Rift

Fallen Empires

Running the Rift follows Jean Patrick Nkuba, a gifted Rwandan boy, from the day he knows that running will be his life to the moment he must run to save it – a ten-year span in which his country is torn apart by Hutu-Tutsi tensions.

Born a Tutsi, he is thrust into a world where it’s impossible to stay apolitical – where family friends now spew messages of hatred, where your Hutu coach is secretly training the very soldiers who will hunt down your family.

Yet in an environment increasingly restrictive for the Tutsi, Jean holds fast to his dream of becoming Rwanda’s first Olympic medal contender in track, a feat he believes might deliver him and his people from this violence.

When the killing begins, Jean Patrick is forced to flee, leaving behind the woman, the family, and the country he loves. Finding them again is the race of his life.

Rumours were circulating the blogosphere prior to this album’s release that Snow Patrol were looking to change up their big anthem sound.

To a degree, the rumours were true; the boys apparently got caught up in the recent anniversary of U2’s Achtung Baby, though they haven’t quite reinvented the wheel like their fellow Irish countrymen did two decades ago.

Sure, there’s the steady synth-build opener ‘I’ll Never Let Go’ and the bass-heavy intro and slightly ’80s vibe of lead single ‘Called Out in the Dark’, both of which really do inject something new into the band’s sound and maybe reel in some new fans.

But fans of TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Cold Case, which have banked on the band to soundtrack wistful moments for years, need not fret – there are still enough ‘Chasing Cars’ retreads left to satisfy.

by Naomi Benaron Algonquin, 384 pages

Snow Patrol Interscope

The war correspondent is the unsung hero of modern warfare in 5 Days of War, a highly fictionalised drama set during the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia.

An emphasis must be placed heavily on ‘fictionalised’ though, because Renny Harlin’s (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger) latest film plays more like propaganda than any attempt to accurately portray the complexities of the South Ossetia War. It is unapologetically slanted and sentimental, which is likely to leave the uninformed moviegoer confused as to where the line between fact and fiction lies.

The film stars Rupert Friend (Pride and Prejudice, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) as a talented but

tormented war reporter who ships off to cover the brewing conflict; Emmanuelle Chriqui as his local love interest; an oddly cast but earnest Andy Garcia as the Georgian president; Val Kilmer as a seenit-all veteran correspondent; and Dean Cain (yes, the guy from Lois and Clark), who has a few lines as a US press liaison. Heather Graham also has a cameo, but thankfully gets killed early enough into the fray that we don’t have to endure too much of her.

But despite what can only be described as woeful miscasting and incredibly weak performances from the lead

cast, 5 Days of War is ultimately sunk by the script, attributed to Mikko Alanne (who is also attached to Oliver Stone’s upcoming Vietnam War drama, Pinkville).

Risibly simplistic in its notions of good and evil, and of what conduct constitutes heroism and what defines villainy, the film settles for easy irony instead of complex characterisation.

It complains that CNN and other mainstream news channels unfairly present only one side of the story – and then proceeds to tell only the other side of the story, all the while claiming it as

fact. Not at all surprising considering the film owes its initial funding to the Georgian government and lists a state minister as a producer.

The combat, at least, looks good, with the military equipment reportedly provided by Georgia’s defence ministry. It makes good use of the hand held camera to evoke a more participatory response when watching it – there are moments when you really feel like you’re looking through the lens.

But the rest of the film can’t convert this sense of engagement into delivering a tangible message; it is far more interested in its bland, underdeveloped fictional characters than in giving any sense of the scope of or motivations behind the war, which is shown from such a onesided angle that it seems nonsensical – though Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili would most likely disagree.

–Dane Halpin

As some movies and movie times change every Thursday morning, after The Phuket News has gone to press, the accuracy of the following information cannot be guaranteed. For up-to-date information, visit sfcinemacity.com, or phone the cinemas directly: SFX Coliseum Phuket 076 209 000 and SFC Jungceylon Phuket 076 600 555.

SFX COLISEUM PHUKET (CENTRAL FESTIVAL)

SFC JUNGCEYLON PHUKET (PATONG)

The Adventures of Tintin (E/3D) [G]: 11:30, 15:45 Contraband (E) [18+]: 12:00, 14:20, 16:40, 19:00, 21:15 Contraband (E/F) [18+]: 13:10, 15:30, 17:50, 20:10, 22:30 The Darkest Hour (E) [G]: 13:45, 18:00, 20:10, 22:10 Mueng Gu Puen Gun Jon Wan Taai (T) [15+]: 11:15, 13:20, 15:40, 18:00, 20:15 Rak Woei Hoei (T/E.SUB) [15+]: 11:40, 13:50, 16:00, 18:10, 20:25, 22:30 Real Steel (E) [G]: 12:15, 16:15, 20:00, 22:35 Sor Kor Sor Sweety (T) [15+]: 11:15, 14:50, 18:50, 21:25

5 Days of War (E) [18+]: 12:25, 14:50, 17:15, 19:40, 22:05 The Adventures of Tintin (E) [G]: 11:30, 15:45 The Darkest Hour (E) [G]: 13:45, 18:00, 20:00 M:I: Ghost Protocol (E) [13+]: 17:05 New Year’s Eve (E) [G ]: 12:15, 14:40, 19:50, 22:15 Rak Woei Hoei (T/E.SUB) [15+]: 11:45, 13:50, 16:00, 18:10, 20:25, 22:30 Real Steel (E) [G]: 14:15, 19:25, 22:10 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (E) [13+]: 11:40, 16:50

BRAIN TEASERS Across 1. Cheated, gangster closed an eye. (10) 6. Eastern photo on a grand scale. (4) 9. Ron is back in for violinist’s requirement.

(5) 10. Thanks for the company and the Mexican food. (4) 12. Lower wall – for father, it’s nothing. (4) 13. Commander dons shirt for bed. (3) 15. Is Susan the topic of the discussion? (5) 16. In outdoor area, glue is standard. (9)

Solutions to last week’s puzzles

18. Eagle merit, they say. (4) 20. Oddly, I told Rama, “Awkward.” (9) 23. Discussion group pledge to golf equipment.

(9) 25. Rodents back top actor. (4) 28. Cowboy? No. Man at the wheel. (9) 30. Shakes the Stones.

(5) 32. Resistance is nothing to His Majesty. (3) 33. I’m given afterthought: Little devils! (4) 35. Employ right drugtaker. (4) 36. Excuse as Al and I say “Bye!” (5) 37. Pitcher: “Sheep, right?” (4) 38. Stirring tea in Gabon – that’s self denial. (10) Down 1. Island’s statuesque pair. (8) 2. Ejects and reveals cardinal inside. (5) 3. Entertained, note, in “flinched”. (6) 4. Mr Cole and Mr Cobb. Smart! (5)

5. Twosome do include turn. (3) 7. Quiet for each vegetable seed. (3) 8. Dies as frog sounds off. (6) 11. Destruction of vehicle point era. (7) 14. Mixed 25 up with the emperor. (4) 17. Dostoyevsky’s novel fool. (5) 19. Deadly loop has nothing in nose. (5) 21. Huntress’s record label in arts. (7)

22. Blue German. (8) 24. Damages the planet.

(4) 26. Have ambition to get a church part. (6) 27. The Spaniards are coming! Give Ada a gun!

(6) 29. Right in the nose for Scandinavian. (5) 31. After church I get 51 – hot stuff! (5) 34. Quiet, that is to say, filled pastry. (3) 35. You and me with a country. (1,1,1)

thephuketnews.com

22 WEIRD WORLD

Couple renew vows – after sex change

Like a lot of happy couples, Bar r y and Anne Watson wanted to renew their marriage vows.

But when they went ahead nine years after their wedding, there was a big difference: This time Barry was a woman called Jayne.

And Anne was only too happy to go ahead with the ceremony to show how much she loved her new wife.

“At first Anne was furious when I told her I wanted a sex change,” says Barry, 43, a former bus driver who changed his name to Jayne by deed poll.

“Our marriage had been going through problems and

The British couple first married in 2002, left, but renewed their vows earlier this year after Barry became Jayne. she thought I’d been cheating on her with another woman.

But I just wanted to be one.

“Anne came to accept me for who I wanted to be and love me as Jayne. Renewing our

vows seemed the perfect way to tell the world how happy we are with our new lives.”

Anne, 53, added: “I grieved for the loss of Barry, but there were sides to Jayne I enjoyed

getting to know. Now we sit and giggle and talk about hair, clothes and make-up.

“To me our second wedding was more special than our first as I knew Jayne was finally comfortable with who she was.”

Anne added: “I still love the same person whether they’re called Barry or Jayne... even though she does drive me mad when she steals my clothes without asking me!”

And Jayne thinks she’s the luckiest woman alive to have such a caring and loving wife in Anne. “People might think I’m weird or a freak. But all that matters to me is that my wife loves me.”

British woman 'has 2 vaginas'

A 27-year-old British woman has a rare medical condition that means she has two vaginas side by side.

Hazel Jones was diagnosed with the “one in a million” condition uterus didelphys when she was 18, after suffering with difficulties from when her periods started at 14.

She had to lose her virginity twice, and also has to have two smear tests, but has decided not to have surgery to correct the condition.

The condition means a woman has two separate uteruses, two vaginas and two cervixes. It happens when a septum which usually breaks down between two tubes that form the uterus does not break down, leaving two uteruses.

Speaking on British television, Ms Jones said nobody realised anything was different about her until her periods started when she was 14.

“That wasn’t fun,” she said,

Hazel Jones: “Most of them get one for the rest of their life, my fella has two.” saying she bled from one side then the other.

“It wasn’t nice. I had friends and I would try and explain to them, ‘I’m having a problem,’ but they had no idea what I was doing. They looked even more confused than I did.

“I actually did ask a friend, I said, ‘do you have any problem working out which hole to put them in’ and she thought I was putting it up my bottom.

“I think I pretty much kept

my mouth shut after that for quite a while.”

“If you are not aware that you have got this it can be really uncomfortable, I thought I was having cystitis, I thought I was having urine infections from a young age, when I wasn’t. I was actually tearing the middle septum.”

She was 18 when her first serious boyfriend noticed something was “different”, prompting her to go to hospital where she was diagnosed with the condition.

“They did all the tests and they told me within a couple of hours what it was. But the lady had such a heavy accent I still didn’t understand what she was telling me and I just sat there in the waiting room with these notes going, ‘I have no idea what I have just been told’.

“As soon as I found out what it was I told everybody!

I thought it was amazing. It’s

definitely an ice-breaker at parties. If women want to have a look, I’m quite happy to show them, it’s not something I’m embarrassed by.”

She will also have to be careful about getting pregnant – she said she could get pregnant in one then the other which could lead to problems, and also has an increased risk of breech birth and bleeding.

Ms Jones is now happy to live with the condition, telling the show: “If I had three wishes it wouldn’t be on the list of things to change.”

She said she now has a long-term partner, and her sex life does not suffer because of the condition.

“I have never entered into a relationship without explaining the difference about me anyway, never had a bad reaction about it either. But so long as they are aware of what it is I have no issues whatsoever, I have a great sex life now.”

BKK police expose penis enlargement massage Police in Bangkok arrested a 33-year-old man last week for allegedly providing “penis enlargement massage” services in his own car.

Jakrawuth Praesanom was arrested in a sting operation by officers from the Children, Juveniles and Women Division at a parking lot on the second floor of Central Pinklao department store in Bang Phlat district.

Police charged him with opening a clinic without permission and practicing medicine without a licence.

thephuketnews.com

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

THE BIG LIST Crazy Conditions

Some rare medical conditions have unintended benefits (see left), but many others are just downright awful.

Exploding Head Syndrome: Yes, really – although it’s not as cool as it sounds. Sufferers won’t be cleaning up brain matter off the ceiling, but instead essentially hear a very loud noise (that isn’t actually there), usually when asleep.

Symptoms can include the inability to vocalise any sound, bouts of sleep paralysis and frequent ‘WTF just happened’ moments. It's still not known what causes it.

Walking Corpse Syndrome: Walking corpse syndrome is a neurophyciatric disorder where people are under the false belief that they are dead and rotting. Sufferers basically wander the earth telling people that they’re dead. Just to clarify, they’re not. The illusion can become so real that they can make up elaborate stories of their death.

Alien Hand Syndrome: It’s the plot of a more than a few bad horror movies, but also a very bizarre reality for some: Hands with minds of their own that move and behave seemingly independent of the sufferer’s intentions.

The ‘alien’ hands undo buttons, manipulate tools and even grope people without the awareness of those to whom the hands are attached - that's their excuse anyway.

Human Werewolf Syndrome: For people with severe Hypertrichosis, hair grows profusely in all sorts of unusual places, such as freakin’ everywhere. Sometimes referred to as “human werewolf syndrome”, it involves excessive hair growth all over the body which grows back even after laser treatments. Only about 50 living people are currently known to have this condition, including Thai schoolgirl Supatra Sasuphan, named 'the world's hairiest girl'.

Fish Odour Syndrome: We’ve all sat next to that smelly guy on the bus before. But try multiplying that smell by approximately infinity and you are somewhere in the region of someone suffering from trimethylaminuria. Sometimes called ‘fish odour syndrome’, because there’s no need to be sensitive to someone who smells like rotting fish, people with this condition can’t control the very strong smells that are emitted through their sweat, urine and breath because their bodies don’t properly break down a fishy-smelling organic compound found in food.

Vampire Disease: More commonly known in the medical world as the much less awesome sounding cutaneos porphyria, vampire disease is a disorder where the victim’s skin experiences blisters, necrosis, itching and burning when exposed to sunlight. It also causes excess amounts of hair growth on body parts, particularly the forehead. Perhaps even weirder, and not vampire related, the victim’s urine turns different colours when exposed to sunlight. Doctors are also relatively sure that silver bullets and stakes through the heart will most likely kill sufferers, though this hasn’t been independently verified.

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome: When objects appear much small or larger than they should – like dogs the size of mice, or ladybugs as big as a house – you’re either on drugs or experiencing Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (perhaps both), a temporary condition that affects our perception of the world around us. Doctors believe that it may involve the brain’s occipital lobe, which controls visual information.

Or it may just be the drugs.

NO ORDINARY SALE: Presumably a deal you wouldn’t want to miss, or perhaps one that was simply impossible to miss for English speakers, this sign was spotted in a department store in Osaka, Japan. Twenty per cent off is a great f**kin' deal.

Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome: Okay, so this one sounds awesome. But imagine having 200 plus orgasms every day. Still sounds awesome? Now imagine having 200 plus completely uncontrollable orgasms per day in very public places. There’s no known cure, although there are far less pleasurable conditions to be struck down with.

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

LIFE&STYLE

SHOPPING 23 Walk back in time

Hitting the heritage trail in the old town > 26

fashion file Have an outfit to show off? Send a photo to:

editor@thephuketnews.com

Beach Chic Nathawan WongyaI

Colour Queen Ngamsiri Saebang

Her cool second-hand green shirt (B300) was bought at a shop in Samkong, close to Bangkok Hospital.

Her black and blue dress (B599), plus belt, were bought at E-JJ Shopping Mall on the bypass road.

Her vintage skir t (B450) is from Platinum Mall in Bangkok.

Her blue and white wedge shoes (B299) are from the Naka weekend market.

She also picked her vintage shoes (B199) from Platinum Mall.

ACCESSORIES 1

2

3

GEM OF A FIND 4

1. Blue Topaz earrings 2. Amethyst pendant 3. Lemon quartz ring 4. Green amethyst ring

B8,000 B3,000 B3,000 B4,500

Fine jewelery from J&P Gems, 889, 1/F Turtle Village, Mai Khao. 076 314 898. Open daily 8am-10pm.

thephuketnews.com

24 DINING

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

Diners warm to Flame’s chicken

Chef Eak, from Phatthalung province, heads the kitchen.

Flame, on the road into Laguna, opened in June last year but has already developed a solid reputation among expats and tourists for its excellent spit-roasted chicken.

The chicken (B220 half and B380 whole) is marinated in spices for 12 hours, then spends two hours cooking on a German rotisserie.

It’s well worth the wait – it tastes amazing.

Heading the kitchen team Above left, a serving of prized spit-roasted chicken. Above right, Khun Wa at the till. is Chef Eak, from Phatthalung province, but who has called shallots and honey, and is the bar while watching the talay, and is also popular with Phuket home for the past 20 by far the most popular, chefs work their magic on return tourists staying nearby.

The restaurant is owned your meal. years. He started as a kitchen Chef Eak says.

Thai Spiced Chicken (flaWhen it comes to the piz- by Twinpalms and is next hand before making the step to kitchens at the JW Marriott voured with pineapple, mango, zas, Chef Eak expertly twists door to their Bake café. Flame and the Holiday Inn Patong. lemongrass, lime and kaffir and twirls the raw dough. On offers a free delivery service The menu at Flame is by leaves), Arabian Chicken (fla- top of the base go tomato pu- within five km for orders of no means restricted to roast voured with cumin, tumeric, rée, mozzarella, mushrooms, B450 and above.

The environment has a chicken. It covers kebabs coriander, dates prunes and artichokes, ham and olives, (B120 upwards), wraps (B110 raisins), and Indian Spiced and voilà, you have Pizza Phuket summer feel to it, and upwards), boneless lamb, Chicken (flavoured with yo- Capricciosa, one of the popular the chicken, if you haven’t already guessed, is to die for. baby pork ribs and pizza ghurt, massala, garlic, gin- pizzas at the restaurant.

The atmosphere is breezy ■■ Flame, open daily 11am ger and balti paste) are the (starting at B210).

But the stand-out menu other options. The meat is and relaxed, with many regulars to 10pm. 58 Lagoon Rd., option remains the rotisserie flavourful, moist, and cooked popping in and out for a snack Cherngtalay, Thalang, 076or a sit-down meal. It has a 270 707; fax: 076 325 673 chicken. The French-roasted to perfection.

The kitchen is open-air, good name among the expat and email: sales@twinpalmsversion is f lavoured with white wine, thyme, rosemary, which means you can sit at community around Cherng- phuket.com.

Good things come in small packages A vendor frying little balls in a big pan at the market fair in Soi Baan Bor-rae, on Muangthong-Khoa Khad Rd, east of Phuket, has caught my attention. I wonder what these small balls are?

Upon closer inspection,

I discover these interesting snacks are khanom khai nok krata, the Thai name for dough balls. The word khanom means dessert or snack, and the words khai nok krata means quail’s egg. This snack is the same size as a quail’s egg, hence

STREET EATS the name, says local vendor Narin Koombaan.

But the similarity between these fried sweet potato balls and actual quail’s eggs extends beyond the size; the outer shells of the balls, when pressed, collapses and cracks in a similar manner to eggshells.

The snack has been popular since the Sukhothai period, but its exact origins are lost to history. Ms Narin said that the crispness is due to the

Then she carefully mixes the mashed sweet potatoes with tapioca flour, rice flour, wheat flour, sugar, water and limestone water.

After that, she makes a small ball and fries it in hot oil until it turns golden.

When the dough balls hit the oil, they puff up slightly.

The inside becomes light and airy whereas the outside forms a very thin and crispy shell.

Vendor Narin Koombaan serves khanom khai nok krata. The flavor is mildly sweet.

Her stall is at the Mudong limestone water. Everyday Ms to cool off completely and Narin bakes sweet potatoes dry out a little. They must market fair every day from until they are cooked through. be cooled and dried because 3pm to 7pm. This snack is also She peels off the skins, mashes otherwise the balls will be easily found elsewhere. the potatoes, and leaves them sticky, rather than crispy.

–Sukunya Phoonpong

Bake launches hilltribe coffee Bake by Twinpalms has introduced a new Thai coffee to its cafés around the island, and at other Twinpalms outlets.

T he cafés are now stocking Akha Coffee, which comes from the Akha hill tribe in northern Thailand. It comes in two forms, Espresso Premium and Classic, or can be customroasted to suit individual tastes. Wholesale orders are also available.

thephuketnews.com

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

French-trained Chef Christoph Lindner of Opus One.

DINING 25

Surin steak out

If you’re looking for a dinner destination for a group of redblooded males, Opus One in Surin might just be the place.

The restaurant is wellknown for its ‘Cowboy Steak’, a monster 1.2 kilogramme Australian Wagyu steak served with baked potatoes, vegetables, bearnaise sauce and red wine jus. Priced at a mere B3,500, the gargantuan steak meal is designed to be shared between three to four people.

According to General Manager Ben De Bellis, “The guys love it, they just go for it every time.”

The restaurant, situated on the third floor of Surin Plaza, began life as a French bistro but has now been redesigned with a more varied concept, now serving a mix of Asian, European and global dishes.

Besides the ‘Cowboy’, there are several stand out dishes on the menu says Chef Christoph Lindner. The tuna tartar, served with fried wonton noodles, soy sauce, ginger coriander and sesame seeds (B290) is a popular order, as is the Pacific black cod poached in concentrated miso soup (B780).

Resident on the island for

five years, Chef Christoph has worked at Opus One since March last year. Aged just 29, the impressive talent has already spent six years as an executive chef.

Trained in France, he admits to loving the high pressure environment that comes from working in a kitchen, and lists fish as his favourite type

New jazz evening in Patong

La Flora Resort Patong has introduced a jazz and dining evening every Friday from 7pm until 10pm.

Guests at the resort’s The Surface restaurant will be entertained by Phuket musician Amorn Muadsingh, who plays a selection of jazz tunes on his saxophone.

The venue has a great view of Patong Beach at night-time, with the candlelit

open air restaurant offering diners a romantic and relaxed setting.

On the menu for the ‘Jazz & Dine’ evening are Australian beef and lamb dishes, Phuket lobster, salmon steak, Dory fish fillet and pork chop.

Each of these mains includes the salad and dessert buffet (plus western salad, cold cuts, soup, fruit and Thai desserts), and prices range

from B569++ to B1,259++.

Chef Thanasak “Tong” Thipayarok comes from Phetchaburi, near Bangkok.

He has lived in Phuket for 26 years, and has been an executive chef for around three or so years. Prior to La Flora he was the sous chef at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa in Karon.

■■ For more details, see www.laflorapatong.com Chef Thanasak “Tong” Thipayarok prepares dinner.

of cuisine. “There’s lots of variety, and it’s [very] delicate.”

His main motto in the kitchen is to keep the food simple, and not too technical: “Keep the quality, and don’t try to manipulate it too much.”

■■ Opus One Restaurant & Bar, 3/F, The Plaza Surin, 076 386 562; opusonephuket.com

CNY feast at Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Holiday Inn Resort Phuket, Mai Khao Beach will hold a Chinese New Year Reunion Buffet Dinner, featuring a variety of festive dishes from traditional Chinese food to modern cuisine.

Highlights of the menu include festive dishes such as sauté beef fillet Hong Kongstyle, Peking duck rolls, king prawns in XO sauce and more.

Celebrate the year of the Golden Dragon with this buffet dinner on January 23, from 6.30pm-10pm at J’s Café & Restaurant. The meal is priced at B1,295++ per adult and B645++ per child aged 6-12.

Kids aged under six eat free.

■■ For more information and reservations, call 076 603 699 or see: holidayinnresortphuketmaikhaobeach.com, www.facebook.com/maikhao

thephuketnews.com

26 EXPLORE

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

PHUKET MUSEUMS Chinpracha House

This elegant colonial-style mansion was completed in 1907 by wealthy Chinese immigrant Tan Ma Siang. Chinpracha House is one of the most integral ancient remains on the island.

Old photographs, Italian floor tiles, imported furniture from China and old utensils are wellmaintained in the house’s interior.

98 Krabi Rd, Phuket Town, 076 211 281. Open daily 8am4pm. B100.

Heart of the island Phuket Heritage Trails’ Kritchaya “Chaya” Na Takuathung with Khun Dang (left), owner of the Peranakan-style Chinpracha Mansion (above).

If you want to get to know Phuket, the real Phuket, then you have to go to its heart. And no, we don’t mean Patong.

By Simon Ostheimer Many a visitor to the ‘Pearl of the Andaman’ will leave convinced that its overdeveloped west coast bay is some kind of hedonist’s paradise, where the day’s beach-side Speedo and thong parade gives way to a night-time of Bacchanalian excess along Soi Bangla (and its temptress soi sisters Easy, Gonzo and Crocodile).

Admittedly, many tourists come to Phuket precisely to throw away their moral compass, shed their clothing, and indulge in the kind of questionable evening behaviour that would never be possible – or acceptable – back home. But a few come looking for something else, a taste of Phuket’s unique culinary and historical story.

You often see these tourists in Phuket Town, wandering aimlessly under the burning sun, map in hand, walking in continuous circles around the Rassada, Yaowarat, Dibuk, and Phuket Rd circuit, admiring the old architecture, but understanding nothing about how it came to be. I should know, I’ve been one.

However, you need wander (should that be wonder?) no

The historic Phuket Old Town serves up a wealth of tastes, including this delicious roti and curry served at Abdul’s.

Cross-cultural encounters abound along Thalang Road.

longer, for enlightenment is at hand, in the form of Phuket Heritage Trails (PHT).

Specialising in walking tours of the Old Town, the owner and chief guide of the company is local Phuketian Kritchaya Na Takuathung, a former newspaper reporter and hotel PR who is now devoted to introducing visitors to the living history of Phuket Town.

As her website says: “Beneath the postcard paradise attractions of beach umbrellas and Mai Tais, lies an important gem of history developed over the course of centuries”.

Ironically, PHT tours start from the rather modern (and more than a little garish)

flocked here in their thousands hoping to make their fortune – the more successful of them built the shop-houses that still stand on Thalang Road today.

They mixed with Phuket’s existing community of ethnic Thai, Chao Lay, the sea gypsies who still eke out a living in small fishing villages around the island, and Malays, including the ancestors of Abdul, who runs the popular roti shop that bears his name, and which is where we stop for breakfast.

Generations of backpackers are familiar with the distinctive roti dough as the wrapping for banana pancakes, but this distinctive, flaky ‘bread’ is best devoured with a bowl

dragon statue that stands next to the local Tourism Authority of Thailand offices. In our first history lesson of the day, Chaya explains that the Thai-Chinese believe that Phuket island, because of its distinctive shape, is a dragon arisen from the Andaman Sea. Knowledge a little expanded, from here we head west onto Thalang Rd, one of the oldest thoroughfares on the island.

As she goes on to tell us, Phuket Town’s fortune was made on the back of tin mining, a once hugely lucrative industry that led to the creation of a major trade network throughout the region.

C h i ne s e i m m ig r a nt s

of curry. At Abdul’s you can choose between fish, chicken and beef – we highly recommend the latter. They also make an excellent teh tarik, or pulled tea in Malay, a sweet, steaming mug of goodness.

Chaya’s fascinating explanation of history continues with stops at Chinese temples, crumbling mansions, cultural museums, and a nunnery, before heading up nearby Rang Hill for a bird’s eye view of Phuket Town and beyond.

Our tour finished with lunch at the famous Lock Tien food court on the corner of Yaowarat and Dibuk, where Chaya ordered us a feast of wonderful and unique flavours; traits that could just as equally be applied to Phuket Town as a whole. Welcome to the real heart of the island.

For more information on Phuket Heritage Trails, see www.facebook.com/Phuketheritage. Chaya can also be reached at heritage.th@ gmail.com or 085-1589-788.

Tours cost from B1,800B2,100 per person, and are inclusive of hotel pick-up and drop-off, all museum entry fees and meal costs.

Where to mark Chinese New Year Kritchaya Na Takuathung, from Phuket Heritage Trails, picks her Chinese New Year highlights: First, let me say Happy New Year 2012 to all of the readers of The Phuket News – wishing you all the very best in life and a blessed year ahead.

This year Chinese New Year will be on Monday, January 23. The 13th annual three-day event ‘Phuket Old Town Chinese New Year Festival’ will be held from January 28-30.

As in the past 12 years, the performances for the three days will be cultural shows, classical music and dances, acrobats, magicians, among others. Some of them come from China. The area will be surrounded by local Phuket food vendors, so visitors can come for dinner, sampling

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the local cuisine while watching the entertainment.

Another highlight is at midnight on January 30, eight days after Chinese New Year Day, when Phuket people will set up an altar in front of their houses to ‘Worship the Chinese Gods’, considering part of the important tradition/customs of the Chinese New Year. This day is also the birthday of the Supreme Emperor God. The area around the dragon cou r t ya rd w ill be set up a s a huge wor sh ip t able for everyone in town to participate, and will be very colourful as always.

Since it will be the Year of the Dragon – which also happens to coincide with the local belief that Phuket is the location of the South Sea Dragon, one of the four dragons pro-

tecting the Earth according to Chinese mythical beliefs – Phuket City plans to add a few extra events to this year’s festival.

They are now promoting a ‘Clean up to Welcome the New Year’ campaign within the old town area, encouraging locals to clean-up their houses, roads, and public areas in their community.

This is not uncommon for Chinese people; traditionally, local Hokkien residents as well as any Chinese around the world start cleaning their house about one week or at least three days before Chinese New Year to get rid of bad energy and be ready to welcome the fresh start the New Year brings.

The campaign will start from the 13th and run until the 21st of

January, with daily cleaning activities from 1pm to 8pm. The opening ceremony will be on Sunday, January 15, at 8:30am at the park behind the Dragon Courtyard on Thalang Road. The Municipality will on the same day provide a free pick-up service for disposal of electrical or toxic waste. They will be going around houses in Phuket Town.

The other activity is a Photo Contest for ‘Baba Yaya (Nyonya) Traditional Costume’. Submissions must have copy rights for the photo, in .jpg format, not larger than 5MB. If you are interested, send your images to photooldphuket@gmail. com before January 15.

Hope I see you in town!

Kathu Mining Museum

Built according to colonial architecture, imitating a mansion of a tin miner, the museum shows the origins of Phuket’s culture and history especially from the mining era.

Several indoor exhibition rooms display different themes such as Phuket architecture, mining , T h ai - C hin e s e way of life, Chinese immigrants’ life, the Baba’s marriage and the solar system.

The outdoor exhibition displays equipment including a dredge and hydraulic mining gear.

Muang Tor Sung Rd (behind Loch Palm Golf Club), Kathu, 088 766 0962. Open daily 9am4pm. B50 for Thais, B100 for foreigners, children half-price.

Philatelic Museum

The museum is in the old preserved Post Office, housing old equipment such as telegraph tickers, telephones, parcel-weighing machines and collections of Thai stamps issued since 1951.

There are also a small library and a souvenir room.

Phuket Post Office, Montri Rd, Phuket Town, 076 224 883.

Open Mon-Fri 8.30am-4.30pm.

Sat 9am-12pm. Free entrance.

Seashell Museum

Over 2,000 species of sea shells that were collected by the Patamakanthin family are now displayed in the museum.

The collection includes fossils dating back 380 million years, rare golden pearls, giant clams and left-handed Noble Volute shells.

2/2 Moo 2, Viset Rd, Rawai, 076 613 666; www.phuketsea shell.com. Open daily 8.30am5.30pm. B100 for Thais, B200 for foreigners, children half-price.

Thai Hua School Museum

The museum is in what used to be the main Chinese-language school, built in 1934. Classrooms inside were renovated as exhibition rooms, displaying Phuket Thai-Chinese culture and tradition of the past and present.

28 Krabi Rd, Phuket Town, 076 211 224; www.thaihua museum.com. Open daily 9am5pm. B50 for Thai, B200 for foreigners, add extra fee for photograph.

Thalang National Museum

The museum focuses on the history and archaeology of Phuket and nearby provinces. Archaeological finds such as ancient statues, pre-historic beads and tools are on view here.

On 4027 Road (east of the Heroines monument), Thalang, 076 379 895. Open daily except public holiday 9am-4pm. B20 for Thai, B100 for foreigners.

Thavorn Hotel Lobby Museum

Located in the walkway from the lobby to the dining room of the Thavorn Hotel, this small museum corner shows old photographs, posters, ornaments, utensils and mining tools from the Phuket’s mining era and World War II, collected by the owner of the hotel.

74 Rassada Road, Phuket Town, 076 211 333. Open daily 8am5pm. B30.

THE PHUKET NEWS

TRAVEL 27

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

Roof of the Kingdom W

ith the full moon floating brightly in the cold sky, a large crowd of mainly local people, many in striking colourful hilltribe dresses, crowded around the long buffet table.

There they feasted on free sample plates of different northern food: pork-skin salad, very different curries rich in coconut, more salads with jungle vegetables and yet more pork concoctions.

On the bright stage, one beautiful northern hilltribe dance followed the other, accompanied by ethnic music played by a small orchestra seated on the floor, sounds not often heard elsewhere in the country.

As in Pai and Chiang Mai, the main thoroughfares of Mae Hong Son turn into walking streets every evening.

In the ad hoc market stalls that spring up, old hilltribe grandmas sell brilliantly-coloured spreads of stitched cotton handicrafts – little bags, hats and cushion covers.

Stalls by the side of the road are stacked high with large Burmese hand-embroidered dolls used in puppet performances.

By the side of lake in the

Colourful shows are commonplace in northern Thailand.

The haven of Mae Hong Son nestles comfortably among silhouettes of huge peaks. middle of the small mountain town, a couple of folk musicians strummed guitars and sang easy, tuneful songs that they had composed themselves, filled with northern life and sung in the lilting northern dialect. Their CDs were sold wrapped in big dry lotus leaves.

The following morning, with the Burmese border just across the blue ridge of mountains to the west, the ‘City of Mist’, located in the far north of Thailand, woke up to a cool

TRAVEL NEWS AirAsia X cuts European services AirAsia X, Malaysia’s longhaul low-cost carrier will suspend services to London, Paris, Mumbai and Delhi to concentrate on routes to Australia and China.

Citing high fuel prices, exorbitant taxes, and weak travel demand, AirAsia X will end its four weekly Mumbai services, effective February 1, while its daily service to Delhi will be reduced to four weekly services in March and halted 23 March. Services to Paris’ Orly Airport, (four weekly) will be halted March 31 and six weekly service to London’s Gatwick Airport end 1 April.

The move should improve the airline’s balance sheet according to international press reports.

Under its revised plan it will concentrate on “core markets” in Aust ralia, China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.

The carrier will operate a Sydney service from April 1.

It has been operating flights to Perth, Melbourne and Gold Coast in Australia.

Apart from that, mid2011, the airline received government approval to begin

service to five cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Osaka, Jeddah, Istanbul, and Sydney.

AirAsia X also plans to fly to Xi’an, Wuhan and Shenyang in China.

The airline’s CEO Azran Osman-Rani said in a statement: “The continued high jet fuel prices and weakening demand for air travel from Europe, brought about by the current economic situation together with exorbitant government taxes, have placed cost pressures on operating long-haul low-cost flights between Asia and Europe.”

He added that the implementation of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System and the escalating Air Passenger Duty taxes in the UK, which are set to rise again in April, forced the airline’s hand. –TTR Weekly

Jetstar offers special fares to Beijing Australian airline Jetstar is currently offering special fares from Bangkok to Beijing, via Singapore. Economy fares to Beijing (via Singapore) start from B5953 one-way, business from B12,701. Sale ends January 22. See jetstar. com for more details.

winter’s morning. The populace were getting back to normality following the previous night’s feast and culture festival, held right in the centre of town.

Sitting in a café by the water, we admired the old shops, houses, and temples of unique tiered architectural design, all built of solid teak, well-weathered by time.

The aroma of coffee grown in those high lands infuses the cool air everywhere and the hot coffee itself is always strong

and delicious. Towering all around the old Mountain Inn Hotel, where we were staying, are silhouettes of huge peaks in which this haven of a town nestles comfortably.

We’d arrived in Mae Hong Son after driving 100 or so kilometres of windy mountain road from the plateau of Pai in the east. The narrow way had forced us to slow right down at the countless hair-pin bends, but also meant that we took in the breathtaking Alpine-esque

views of mist-shrouded peaks.

That this part of Thailand was so mountainous was a most pleasant discovery. So was the cool and pure air, sought after by many tourists from the hot central plains far to the south – reminiscent of a similarly spectacular route from Vientiane to Luang Prabang in Laos, or perhaps the road through the central mountains of the Auvergne in France.

Steep climbs and descents were usually rewarded by welcoming rest stops, with all-round vistas of the misty blue mountains rolling away in every direction.

The next day we took the picturesque, smaller road back to Chiang Mai, which climbs, twisting and turning, through

field after field of cabbages and other vegetables, and through evergreen pine forests to the very rooftop of Thailand, Doi Inthanon, cold and majestic at almost 2,500 metres high.

–Norachai Thavisin TRAVEL TIPS Direct return flights between Phuket and Chiang Mai cost approx. B5,000 return.

Then, by road from Chiang Mai, there are three choices: some 250 km on the northern loop via Pai; about 370 km by the southern loop; or about 250 km via the peak of Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand. Mountain Inn Hotel costs approx.

B1,200 per night. See: www. mhsmountaininn.com

Where Thais like to travel Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ latest outbound travel statistics show fewer Thais travelled overseas from April to June 2011. The data for the second quarter of 2011 showed Thais made 1,441,433 trips, representing a decline of 4.43 per cent.

The ministry started to collate outbound travel statistics last year to help monitor twoway tourism trends. The data identifies the top destinations visited by Thais and provides some hints on spending and length of stay.

Malaysia was the most popular destination with 501,057 trips, although trips declined 4.04 per cent when compared to the same period in 2010.

Laos was second with Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers. Malaysia was the most 235,690 trips, down by 11.47 popular travel destination for Thais. –Photo by Alasdair Forbes per cent, while Singapore was in third place with 84,634 trips UK (36,611; +8.18 per cent); In the regional category, improving 4.38 per cent.

Germany (25,637; +17.45 per East Asia was the top area China was in fourth place cent); and Austria (11,384; visited (includes Southeast with a 3.30 per cent improve- +10.69 per cent).

Asia in the ministry’s charts) ment and 80,591 trips.

Malaysia continued as the with 1,164,362 trips, but trips Hong Kong ranked fifth most popular destination mainly decreased 6.79 per cent. showing a slight increase of driven by short overland trips Europe ranked second with 0.35 per cent to 53,299 trips, from southern provinces to des- 142,151 trips and recording but it lost ground against keen tinations in northern Malaysia an improvement of 10.40 per rival Singapore in the bid to for shopping and trade. cent, while Oceania (Australia attract Thai visitors.

But a usually strong over- and New Zealand) followed in Other destinations were: land travel flow to second placed third place with 46,394 trips, an Korea (39,414; +8.35 per cent); Laos faltered as trips declined increase of 5.19 per cent.

Japan (37,993; -49.71 per cent); 11.47 per cent.

The Middle East was fourth

attracting 40,618 trips with a slightly growth of 1.58 per cent.

South Asia ranked fifth totalling 27,333 trips, an increase of 4.52 per cent.

The Americas and Africa were sixth and seventh with 18,835 trips to the Americas, a 3.02 per cent increase over 2010. Africa received just 1,740 trips, a decline of 1.47 per cent.

The US continued to lose market share during the period under study. Travel executives blame it on the stringent visa application procedures.

Out of 1,441,433 trips, package tour represented 254,951 trips, while 186,482 trips were independently booked.

In the package tour market, Malaysia was the top destination with 69,246 trips, increasing 38.73 per cent in the second quarter of 2011.

Laos was second with 19,327 trips, improving 53.49 per cent. Third placed China attracted 18,173 package trips, a decline of 3.27 per cent.

Hong Kong followed in fourth place with 14,988 trips, growing 16.27 per cent. Korea in fifth dropped 15.7 per cent to 13,137 trips.

However, the biggest growth in package tours was to Switzerland, up 84.36 per cent on 1,202 trips.

–TTR Weekly

thephuketnews.com

28 ISLAND SCENE

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

ON THE MARKET: Pictured at the regular Laguna Phuket Thursday Flea Market are, from top left, Helena Kruger, Lilian Norin and Kerstin Kruger; and Nuch from the Laguna Phuket food and beverage team. The markets are held every Thursday from 3pm to 8pm at Canal Village.

CZECH, MATE: Finalists from the Miss Czech contest spent six days visiting the Kee Resort & Spa last week. The 14 women used the Kee in Patong as their base, while they filmed a photo shoot and television show around Phuket and visiting Phi Phi island.

DESIGN IN BLUME: Hong Kong designer furniture brand Blume Living held its grand opening last Friday (January 13) at the Room Limited showroom on Chalermprakiat Road.

From far left, Kitiyaporn Prapasiri, John Evgeny Parfenov, and Blume founder Grace Carrey; Lori Ashton from Art & Culture magazine with Alaiti Roger; and Grace Carrey surrounded by some of the furniture sold by Blume Living.

thephuketnews.com

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

ISLAND SCENE 29

PHUKET CHILDREN’S DAY Thailand’s National Children’s Day was celebrated around Phuket on January 14.

Events were held at Jungceylon, Laguna Phuket, Central Festival, Phuket Fantasea, Bangkok Hospital Phuket, Koh Naka Yai, the Phuket Provincial Hall and others. Activities included face-painting, games, performances, dress up competitions and more.

Children’s Day is celebrated annually to give kids the opportunity to have fun and to create awareness about their significant future role in the development of Thailand. The day of celebration and fun is held on the second Saturday of January every year.

thephuketnews.com

30 LUXURY

THE PHUKET NEWS

LUXURY PHUKET

The dictionary defines luxury as “a material object, or service conducive to sumptuous living”, while Wikpedia states: “Luxury goods are products and services not considered essential but are associated with affluence. The concept of luxury has been present in various forms since the beginning of civilisation. Its role was just as important in ancient western and eastern empires as it is in modern societies.” On this new page, we’ll promote the very best in luxury living on Phuket, whether it be a yacht, jet, car, watch, fashion, or jewellery – so read on, and enjoy the Phuket luxe life.

Wahoo Luxury Yacht Charters T her e i s no b et ter way to appreciate the Andaman Sea, with its crystal clear waters and some of the most stunning scenery in the world than on a private charter yacht with Wahoo Luxury Yacht Charters.

Wahoo - Phuket’s favorite private yacht charter company offers

thephuketnews.com

an unforgettable cruising, game fishing or diving experience in Phi Phi, Phang Nga, Krabi and beyond Your magical day begins with a warm Thai welcome from their on-board service team, who will ensure you are pampered to the fullest extent throughout the day, leaving you to relax, enjoy a

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

refreshing swim or explore on the Jet Ski and Sea Canoes.

Their sumptuous food menus are all freshly prepared on board, allowing you to dine al fresco in beautiful surroundings, with every possible luxury taken care of.

Email info@wahoo.ws, visit www. wahoo.ws or call 076 281 510,

32 EVENTS

THE PHUKET NEWS

WHAT’S ON IN PHUKET

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

List your events here for as low as B99 per line, or online at www.thephuketnews.com/events.php

FEBRUARY 5

JANUARY 21-22

The Great Rubber Duck Race Celebrate Australia Day At the world famous Aussie Bar, Bangla Road, Patong. www.aussiebarphuket.com

JANUARY 30 Classical Music Concert H.E. Adm. ML Usni Pramoj will perform at Mom Tri’s Villa Royale. ML Usni Pramoj, a Privy Councillor is also an accomplished conductor, composer and violinist. -Accompanying ML Usni will be Tasana Nagavajara- violin. Siripong Tiptan - violin and Kittikhun Sodprasert - violoncello.

-Antonin Dvorak: String Quartet Op.96 in F major “American” M.L.Usni Pramoj: String Quartet No.2. Time 6pm reception, from 7 pm concert. Tickets B500 per person. Contact 076 333 569, pr@villaroyalephuket.com, see villaroyalephuket.com.

Saturday 21st, Sun 22nd January, 2012 @ Thanyapura Mind Center 8.30am opening by the Governor of Phuket SEEK Phuket stands for “Society, Environment, Economy, Knowledge”, which aims to build a sustainable Phuket while enriching lives and communities.

Stakeholders Sunstainbility Envision & Indicator Development Workshop

SEEK was created in 2011 by a diverse group of passionate and committed civic, NGO and business leaders in Phuket and Thailand.

In early 2012, SEEK chose to use the AtKisson Sustainability Compass for helping them to frame, think about and implement an integrative and holistic approach to transforming Phuket to become a model of Sustainability in Thailand and in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Systainability Asia, The atkisson Group, IUCN Southeast Asia and SEEK Phuket will be bringing together the key stakeholders to start writing the Sustainability plan Workshopby fee: 10,000Baht for Phuket. Hosted the Phuket provinFor more Information Please Contact Mr. Sean Panton / Khun Jinatta cial Government.

Workshop E-mail: jinatta@synergysportsls.com Fee : 10,000 Tel: 083 391 5869 / 084 3083433 (Thai) baht For more Information Please Contact Mr. Sean Panton/Khun Jinatta. E-mail: jinatta@synergysportsls.com, call 083 391 5869/084 308 3433 (Thai).

Workshop Overview This 2-day workshop aims at bringing together Phuket stakeholders to collaborate and to build a shared vision of a Sustainable Phuket that has clear, specific and measurable goals and outcomes, along with a draft set of integrated sustainability indicators.

There will also be time for the discussion of projected actions that can be taken forward from the workshop. These will be framed as the Sustainable Phuket Compact: commitment to actions that will guide the groups’ decision-making and actions into the future

Lilly’s Aussie Bar Come and celebrate Australia Day with us - Lilly’s Aussie Bar, at OTOP Patong.

Hosted by Laguna Phuket and organised by the Phuket Community Foundation (PCF), the event will be held at Latitude, Laguna Phuket from 12pm-5pm, with many attractions for the whole family. There will be food stalls inside the tent by some of the best suppliers on the island, many games for children offered and run by the international schools of Phuket, cardboard box races, and dragon boat racing for teams of 12+.

The main attraction of the day is the Great Rubber Duck race, where 2,000 ducks are released into the canal and race to the Lagoon Entrance. The first ducks to cross the line will be collected. Many excellent prizes have been donated to the event. Contact claire@ironkidsphuket.com.

FEBRUARY 14

JANUARY 25-31 JANUARY 26 Australia Day

Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on January 26, the date commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of British settlers at Sydney Cove in 1788.

Happy Australia Day Business Consultation Type Event in Phuket Pease call Khun Lola 080 601 0599 or Khun Ron 082 334 8262 for more information and seat reservation.

Happy Australia Day from THE IRISH PUB! To celebrate, enjoy Aussie beer specials all day long. 089 972 5122.

JANUARY 26

FEBUARY 2-4 Wahoo Thailand 2012 Sport Fishing Tournament Happy Australia Day

This is Thailand’s largest-ever international sport fishing tournament. Prize money totalling over B3,000,000 (US$100,000).

Boats and teams are filling fast. For further information, please contact Warren Crowe on 081 270 4291 or email: info@rawaibeachfishingclub.com.

The island is aiming to break the national record for the biggest mass wedding on Valentine’s Day next year. The Thai traditional style mass wedding for 108 couples will occur at Laem Promthep, the best sunset in Thailand. ������������� Other activities include offering alms to 99 Buddhist monks and planting trees as part of a schedule running from February 12-15, 2012. Contact Suanluang Inter Wedding 076 221 976, email: info@interwedding phuket.com. See interweddingphuket.com.

FEBRUARY 16

Celebrate the Day at the Expat Sports Bar. Free BBQ from 3pm, live band from 7pm.

Eveeryone welcome. Soi Taipan, Patong, Phuket.

Australia Day @ Lady Pie Australia Day special - Pie with mash and peas + lammington + beer, all for just B230. From 6pm. Additional beers at ‘happy hour’ prices. Special Aussie film “RED DOG” at 6:30pm. Call 076 271 049.

JANUARY 29 Thanyapura Fair

A Sunset Soiree

Join us at the Thanyapura Fair! This festive family event showcases fun kids’ games and activities, live music and a delicious brunch for parents. Venue: Thanyapura Sports & Leisure Club. Event includes:

International Opera Star, Julie-Anne Hunter, accompanied by BIS’s very own Merja Makivirta on the piano and supported by talented students from BIS will set the Phuket night aglow with an ensemble of popular operatic arias and classical pieces.

• An organic cookie decorating workshop • Kids’ Fashion show • Kids’ Zumba dance demonstration • Water games and activities • Jewelry making, face painting, and much more!

Aussie Day @ Bondi Beach Bar Cold beer all day long. OTOP Paradise Shopping, Patong. Call 081 187 8380.

thephuketnews.com

Record Breaking Mass Wedding at Promthep Cape

For parents: While the kids join in the fun, settle in for a delicious brunch at DiVine Restaurant. Adult: B750* per person.

Children 12 years and under: B375* per person. *Prices are subject to 10% service charge and 7% applicable government tax.

For reservations, please contact Divine Restaurant, call +66 (0)76 336 000 Email: divine@thanyapura.com www.thanyapura. com.

Julie-Anne has sung many operatic roles in Europe including Susanna in Marriage of Figaro, Musetta in La Boheme and Zerbinnetta in Ariadne auf Naxos.

Donation: B1,500 for the performance, 3 glasses of wine or beer and canapés.

Dress: Cocktail.

Email contact: surangt@bisphuket.ac.th or tina@phukethasbeengoodtous.org. Call 080 143 9554. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Phuket Has Been Good To Us, enabling them to continue to teach English to over 850 Thai students in government schools.

THE PHUKET NEWS

EVENTS 33

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

Buy and sell tickets to events now at: www.phuketticketmaster.com

FRIDAY

in English at The Green Man Pub, one km from Chalong circle. Contact 081 895 4763.

Pool Competition

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Pool Competition at 9pm. Expat Sports Bar, Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. www. expatsportsbar.com.

All Major Sports Live

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On the big screen. F1, MotoGP, Tennis, Golf, AFL, NRL. Irish Times Irish Pub, Jungceylon, Patong.

Chef’s Dinner Wednesday at Surin Gate Kitchen, four-course chef’s menu, B750 per person. Great food with unique flavours by awarded Chef Daniel Isberg and Chef Coki.

Reservations by email suringatekitchen@ gmail.com or call 076 324 4577.

SUNDAY

THURSDAY

Exclusive Dining at Paresa Recipe by Ryan is an innovative culinary dining venture, indulge in intricate dishes created by Paresa’s Executive Chef Ryan Arboleda, featuring a six-course set menu prepared in a live cooking environment.

Time: 6pm to 10pm. Call 076 302 000.

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Special Friday @ Indian Feast Royal Phuket Marina is pleased to introduce you to our new Special Promotion “Come 4 Pay for 3”. This gives you 25% discount on our buffet and 10% on the listed menu. Every Friday night from 7-10 pm.

This Authentic Home-Made Indian Buffet will be prepared and served by our very own in-house Indian Chef Padum Kahtri.

Only B495++ per person.

Reservations are recommended, so please call “Les Anges” on 076 360 803 or call Mr. Murat (Events & Group Manager) on 081 797 3364.

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BBQ Ribs All You Can Eat Only B29 5 per person at Shakers.

Rat-U-Thit Road, Patong. For reservations call on 081 891 4381.

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Curry Fridays at Navrang Mahal Start November 2011-January 2012. Every Friday, all-you-can-eat authentic Indian curry buffet, B449 net per person. Draught beer B50. 7pm-11.30pm. Call 076 286 464.

SATURDAY BBQ at Expat Hotel Time 7.30pm, Expat Sports Bar, Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. www.expatsports bar.com.

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Exclusive Dining at Paresa Recipe by Ryan is an innovative culinary dining venture. Indulge in intricate dishes created by Paresa’s Executive Chef Ryan Arboleda, featuring a six-course set menu prepared in a live cooking environment.

Time: 6pm to 10pm. Call 076 302 000, email: dining@paresaresorts.com.

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Saturday Brunch The B-Lay Tong Saturday brunch will be held every Saturday. From 11.30am to 3pm.

B1,200 net per person. Two people receive one bottle of house wine between them.

For reservations please contact +66(0) 76 344 999 and +66(0) 76 680 666 or e-mail rsvn@b-laytong.com.

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20% Off All Pizzas At Shakers. Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road, Patong. Free pick up Patong and Kalim areas.

Reservations call 081 891 4381.

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Colin Hill Colin Hill performs (duo) now every second Saturday at Legends Bar in Kamala, with local guitarist Florian. 081 079 1069.

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Half-Chicken Spit Roast O nly B2 25 per per son at Shaker s.

Rat-U-Thit Road, Patong. Reservations call 081 891 4381.

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AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM All meetings are one hour long and held

Chef’s Dinner

Sunday Roast Pork or Beef Dinner Every Sunday 2pm onwards Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong B290 per person.

Stilton with Port or Wine Every Sunday 2pm onwards B290. See www.expathotel.com.

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Best Sunday Carvery in Phuket Roast beef, BBQ ham, chicken, pork and Yorkshire pudding. All you can eat B399.

Irish Times, Jungceylon, Patong.

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Half-Chicken Spit Roast

Laguna Phuket “Flea Market”

Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations please call 081 891 4381.

Laguna Phuket’s Canal Shopping Village is transformed into a traditional Thai flea market each Thursday from 3-8pm, creating a fascinating experience for hotel guests and local residents alike. Visitors can browse more than 50 stalls selling a variety of local arts and crafts, clothes, souvenirs, snacks and refreshments.

MONDAY Roaring Bhoys Live Music every Monday night. The largest selection of draught beer in Phuket. Irish Times, Jungceylon, Patong.

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BBQ Buffet All You Can Eat Only B325 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations 081 891 4381.

TUESDAY Pool Competition At 9pm Expat Guesthouse Sports Bar, Patong. See map at www.expatguesthouse. com.

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Lose Weight Now

Vendors are registered under OTOP, the provincial government scheme that encourages local villagers to earn livelihoods through traditional arts and crafts – so visitors can enjoy a traditional Thai experience while providing income to help local communities preserve their skills and livelihoods. The market also features Thai music and entertainment by local children.

For more info please call 076 362 300

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Only B325 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations 081 891 4381.

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All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub, one km from Chalong circle. Contact 081 895 4763.

Half-Chicken Spit Roast

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Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations call 081 891 4381.

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Rotary Club of Patong Beach Weekly meeting in English. Dinner out on first Tuesday of the month. rotarypatong.org.

AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM

Lose Weight Now Ask Thai Weight Loss how! Take advantage of our free weight loss seminar from 7.15pm. Contact Michael 087 897 8997, 076 304 108, www.thailandweightloss.com.

DAILY

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AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub, one km from Chalong circle. 081 895 4763.

.

WEDNESDAY Quiz Night @ Peppers

Quiz Night every Wednesday at Peppers Sports Bar near Laguna. Great food, great music, great beer. Contact 081 728 1010.

Facebook Peppers Sports Bar.

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Interactive Pub Quiz Night Starts from 8pm every Wednesday night.

The largest selection of draught beer in Phuket. Irish Times, Jungceylon, Patong.

................................................................................

BBQ Ribs All You Can Eat Only B295 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations call on 081 891 4381.

Royal Phuket Marina is pleased to introduce you to our new Special Promotion “Come 4 Pay for 3”. This gives you 25% discount on our buffet and 10% on the listed menu. Every Friday night from 7-10 pm. This Authentic Home-Made Indian Buffet will be prepared and served by our very own in-house Indian Chef Padum Kahtri.

Reservations are recommended, so please call “Les Anges” on 076-360803 or call Mr. Murat (Events & Group Manager on 081 797 3364.

Only B495++ per person.

BBQ Buffet All You Can Eat

Ask Thai Weight Loss how! Take advantage of our free weight loss seminar from 7.15pm. Contact Michael 087 897 8997, 076 304 108, www.thailandweightloss.com.

................................................................................

Special Indian Feast Promotion @ Les Anges

Chef’s Dinner Chef Dinner Wednesday at Surin Gate Kitchen, four-course chef’s menu, B750 per person. Great food with unique flavours by awarded Chef Daniel Isberg and Chef Coki.

Reservations by email suringatekitchen @gmail.com or call 076 324 4577.

Brew Great Beer Phuket’s one and only small batch handcraft beer. Open every day for lunch and dinner 11am until midnight. Live music from 7.30pm onwards. Behind the ship, the port zone at Jung­ceylon. Call 076 3667 753.

Facebook.com/fullmoon brewwork.

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Grizzly’s Sports Bar & Restaurant Watch all the sport that is on TV this weekend with us. Located between Loch Palm Golf Course and Kathu Waterfall. Call 087 471 8747.

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Sunset Happy Hours & Ninjazz Don’t miss the Sunset happy hours. Between 5pm and 7pm. “Buy one get the same one free” promotion. The Luna Bar, Centara Grand Beach Resort. 076 201 234.

Wednesday Quiz Night @ Peppers Quiz Night every Wednesday at Peppers Sports Bar near Laguna.

-Great food -Great music -Great beer.

Contact 081 728 1010.

Facebook: Peppers Sports Bar.

thephuketnews.com

34 JOBS

THE PHUKET NEWS

CLASSIFIEDS JOBS IN PHUKET Sales Executive

- Male/Female, 25 - 35 years.

-Bachelor’s degree or higher in marketing or related field. Thai nationality with an excellent command of written and spoken in English. (Being able to speak French is an advantage).

-At least two years sales experience in Phuket’s real estate field.

-Detail oriented, highly organised, multitasking capacity.

-Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point etc.)

-Requires an energetic strategically-focused and creative sales achiever who enjoys the latitude of working independently and effectively using their time management skills.

-Highly motivated and well presented.

-Having own car and valid driving licence.

Please send CV and expected salar y to kate@century21a n d a m a n .c o m . C e n tury 21 Andaman Ltd. Mobile: 080 696 2064.

Massage Shop Staff: R e q u i r e ex p e r i e n c e d staf f for busy, friendly massage shop, Patong Beach,hairdresser, beauty salon experienced, manicure /pedicure, facial, ect.

10am to 11pm. Day off per week. Contact Khun Porn (Thai) 083 176 6475, Email: tammice@live.com. au.

Native English Teacher: Chalong Kindergarten is looking for experienced teacher for class of 10 -12 children ages 3-7 years old. Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm. Start January 4. Call 080 624 7060. Resume to phuketpreschool@ yahoo.com.

Cleaner Part Time: Location Patong behind football ground beach road. Call 089 972 3861.

thephuketnews.com

Professional Sales People Need: New of fice opening in Patong. We need the best sales people positions av a i l a b l e n o w. O n l y hardworking,energetic, friendly, outgoing, sales focused people with great English need apply.

1.Sales Consultant (Full time only).

2.Promotion Ladies (Part-time or full time).

3.Independent Sales Contractors ( Work at your own pace).

Great pay is available for the right people starting at 15,000 a month plus huge commissions.

Call 080 882 0781 or email info@passivecash solutions.com.

Expanding Our Team: Looking for Finnish or Swedish speaking Instructor to join our existing team in secluded but busy location. Please send your CV to office@sea-bees.com or call 076 381 765.

Pool house in Rawai/ Nai Harn Large plot of 825 sqm > 37

To advertise here visit: thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php Please send CV to office@ sea-bees.com or call 076 381 765.

600 0041. Email: tiya@ elitegyms.net.

Companion/Social Secretary: Single fe-

Urgently Seeking Staff Waitress/Food Runner and Cleaner/Housekeeper and Chef/Cook/Cook Helper - Full time/Part-Time Female, age 18 to 35 years old.

- Thai nationality only.

- Presentable and have excellent communication skills in English (waitress only).

- Previous experience and reliable transpor t is important but not essential.

Please apply in person to: Rossovivo – Pasta Pizza Grill, Fisherman Way Business Garden Centre, 5/38 Viset Road, Rawai. 076 38 4 68 6, info@rossovivo.asia.

Employment - Scuba Elite Fitness: Personal Diving: Urgently seek- Trainer – Classes instructor ing two instructors to run a small dive shop in Phuket.

SSI Instr uctor is a big plus, good English a must.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

(Aerobics, Body Combat, Body Pump, Yoga Etc.) Thai or foreigner, Male/ Female. Contact Tiya 089

Email information about yourself to ltnesneg@aol. com.

Massage Shop Staff: New massage

male 20-32. Good English, slim and attractive only. Live in separate high-end condo accommodation. Able to travel internationally. Position requires day-to-day activities of semi-retired English/Canadian businessman. Can be part time. Salary 15 - 40K per month. Photo application to bggvirgo@ gmail.com and call 089 054 4354

Maid: Live in Thai maid To take care of house in Chalong and give daily massage to Farang. Pay B14,000 per month with motorbike to use. Age 35 to 50 and speak English.

ship to the right candidate (male, thai national, basic english) from Open Water Diver all the way to become a PADI Divemaster with the possibility to work for us. Please send email to caroline@aqua-one.net.

shop on Karon needs staff for massage, facial treatment and manicure.

Salary plus commission.

12 a.m to 12 p.m. 6 days a week. 089 128 4783 Pui (Thai).

Talent/Performer for Event company: Event

Apple Mac Support: Apple Mac tech-

JOB WANTED

nical support needed to help with computer issues in Surin area.

Please email admin@ esxoasia.com.

Hotel Type Manager / Marketing: Experi-

Divemaster Internship: Well established diveshop at Nai Yang Beach offer Divemaster Intern-

Company is looking for bands, singers, dancers & any kind of single or group performers. hr@phukete ventcompany.

enced Hotel / Accommodation Manager, with SEO Web design, Real Estate and full marketing / agent skills, searching for work.

Contact: Mark Hopkins, Pho ne: 0 8 8 824 9 5 47, E m a i l : m r. m . h o p k i n s @ gmail.com.

Class Act Media publishes The Phuket News – Phuket’s leading English language newspaper – and broadcasts Phuket's most vibrant and coolest English language radio station – Live 89.5 FM.

We are currently seeking

SALES MANAGER (THAI OR FOREIGNER)

RESPONSIBILITIES: - Reaching sales target - Developing and following up new sales leads - Self discipline in developing and managing sales volumes - Preparing regular sales activities reports to the General Manager - Excellent communication and negotiation skills - Self driven and motivated with a positive attitude - Work well under pressure and achievement oriented Competitive salary, bonuses and travel expenses, Friendly work environment, social security (10%) paid by the company, excellent career progress opportunity INTERESTED APPLICANTS ARE INVITED TO APPLY BY SENDING A FULL RESUMÉ IN ENGLISH WITH A RECENT PHOTO & EXPECTED SALARY TO:

Class Act Media Co., Ltd. 99/7, Moo 1, T. Kathu, Phuket 83120 Tel: 076 612 550-2 Fax: 076 612 553 E-mail: gm@thephuketnews.com www.thephuketnews.com

THE PHUKET NEWS

CLASSIFIEDS 35

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

BUY & SELL IN PHUKET BOATS & YACHTS

To advertise here visit: thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php

BUSINESSES FOR SALE Kamala Bar for SALE!:

Digifox Marine: Marine

inboard engines, hydraulic and mechanical equipment service, repairs and spare parts. MAN, Arneson, ZF, Rolls Royce and others. Professional team of engineers, high quality, personal approach guaranteed. Contact 076 336 221, 083 171 4141. Email info@ digifoxmarine.com.

Very profitable bar on main road. Owner returning to Australia in high season. Has one bedroom with ensuite, three FS TVs, pool table, stock, furniture. etc. Price negotiable. Call Chompoo on 084 844 3504.

B u s i n e s s f o r S a l e:

Phuket slingsshot, Thailand’s only, and bumper cars. Call 082 419 0742.

BUSINESS SERVICES Phuket Consult Ser- A1 Car Rentals: Fullyvices: Insurance, personal insured. Starts at B12,000 to assistance, legal assistance, police and emergency assistance, property management sales and rentals, company registration, visa and work permit and accounting. Call 081 691 9679.

Pegasus 8.2M - Late 2006: SUZUKI 140 HP -

4 strokd - 300 hours. Fully equipped. Location: Boat Lagoon. Price: B700,000.

Contact 086 268 7901, martin@pertinax.asia.

Tile It: Thalang. Wana Park

on Srisoonthorn Rd. Phuket’s quality tile boutique. Tiles for interior, exterior, residential, commercial. Contact 076 620 168 or 081 424 2828. Email info@tile-asia.com.

B18,000 per month. Please call 089 831 4703. Email for more info: a1carrent@gmail.com.

CARS FOR SALE Nissan NV Manual 2000 Carry Boy: New tyres, full service Tax and full insurance June 2012.

Excellent condition. Silver B150,000. Call 089 908 4421.

Private Luxury Yacht Charters: Luxury day

and overnight yacht charters with crew and chef on board. Rates from B49,000 per day. Contact 089 971 0278, Visit our website at www.yacht-char ter-thai land.com.

CLUBS SK A L I nt e r na t i onal Phuket: Skål is a professional organisation of leaders from all branches of the travel and tourism industry. www. skalphuket.org.

COMPUTERS English Computer man:

Calling all Singaporeans in Phuket to join “Singapore Club Phuket”. Contact Robin on 081 803 7189, 076 303 500.

All 4 Diving: 5/4 Sawatdirak Road, Patong Beach. 076 344 611.

Sales (new and used), service and repairs, WLAN a speciality. Free telephone advice.

Call for more info on 0846 257 744 or email computermanphuket@gmail.com.

DIVING Phuket Scuba Club:

Singapore Club Phuket:

Pr o t e c t yo u r h o m e w i t h C C T V: C C T V &

Alarm service. Protect your home with high-quality CCTV camera,and GSM alarm. Free survey and quote. Please call 086 105 8144 or click www. huketechnology.com.

dren 18 months to six years old with experienced native English teachers following the UK EYFS curriculum. Contact 089 971 1813.

PADI 5 Star Centre. Half-day, day-trips, live-aboards and diver education. Contact 076 284 026. Phuket’s only dive club.

Under Water Video Package For Sale:

Sony CX150 HD Vid.Camera with Equinox HD6 housing. B35,000 or best offer Call 084 630 2165.

Jeep CJ7 2.0 L Automatic 1989: Stain-

less, disc-brake, powersteering. B450,000.

C a l l 0 8 6 2 6 8 8 7 0 1.

Toursys: Tour operator soft- 1943 Model Jeep (Ford) ware. Presented by Blue D for Sale: Well-maintained, Zine Co., Ltd. See bluedzine. com.

runs well B190,000 or nearest offer. Call 081 728 0140 or email: milou2612@gmail.com.

Farang Food Paradise:

Your specialist of imported food and drinks in Phuket. Visit our shop at the Billion Plaza, opposite Tesco Lotus. Contact 076 612 733, 076 248 900. www.phuketfood.com.

Car for Sale: Teana top model 2010. Travelled 22,000 km. Sell B1,240,000. Please call 087 276 0529.

CHILDCARE

Kiddies Home NursIndo Construction: 40 ery: Award for top Nursery

35ft Bay Liner Motor Yacht: Year 2009, twin

260HP Mercruisers, Aircon. Navigation, TV/DVD/ surround, fridge/freezer, coffee machine, vacuum, flush, full bimini enclosure, many other options. Immaculate condition, a steal at B3.99m. eddyelan@ yahoo.com, call 089 971 0278.

years experience of more than 20 years at your service in Thailand. Main contractor: study project, architecture design and construction and management.

Contact 076 381 895.

Alarms & CCTV Services: Protect your home or

office with an alarm system and CCTV cameras. Call 085 798 9469 or email contact@ alarms-phuket-services.com.

CARS FOR RENT Dinghy Size 2.45 metre:

Inflatable tubes. Rigid hull and cover. Used only in fresh water.

B65,000. (new B100,000) 081 728 0140 or email milou2612@ gmail.com.

Car for Rent: Car in good condition, short and longterm rental with first class insurance and delivery service. 086 690 6007, email: k.niwatt@hotmail. com.

for Phuket Province 2011.

Ages 3 months to 4 years.

Open 7 days a week and from 6.30 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. Rock Garden Village. Call 076 528 862, mobile 082 539 8252, email: kiddieshomenursery@ gmail.com.

Buds Nursery: Phuket’s

oldest bi-lingual international child care facility. High-quality, time-proven schedule and curriculum. Experienced native English teachers to teach ages 1½ -6. Monday to Friday, 8am5pm. Bus service available.

Contact 076 282 232.

ABC International Nursery: Education for chil-

thephuketnews.com

36 CLASSIFIEDS

THE PHUKET NEWS

BUY & SELL/HOMES IN PHUKET EDUCATION Learn Thai at Home: Female Thai teacher with 8-9 years experience gives Thai and English lessons for company/hotel staff and Thai cooking at your home.

Full course with conversation practise and home study material. Both at beginner and more advanced levels. Call 081 797 1497 or Email teacher joy_phuket@hotmail.com.

Guitar Lesson By Pro Player: Guitar/bass lessons beginner to advanced. Personal one-on-one or by DVD. Diploma of Teaching (Aust) degree. Call 089 777 3063.

International Kindegarten: International Kindergarten. Native English teachers, UK and Singapore curriculum, small class sizes. The best choice. Call 082 323 1188.

Services Cooking School. Italian, Western and Thai cuisine.

Try our famous pizza school.

Call 082 816 0126, email: info@foodservicesth.com.

To advertise here visit: thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php

Shop glass front. All going cheap, call 087 276 0529.

MOTORBIKES FOR SALE

Dos & Don’ts of Thai Culture: Learn Thai and

H o n d a Ph a n t o m 200cc 2007: Good condition with green book and insurance. B57,000.

Call 080 700 5560.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS FOR SALE

Native German TEFL teacher is teaching German and English to single students at home or small groups in Chalong. (German/English) 080 778 1220, (Thai) 081 810 9115.

Cooking School: Fire up your creative flare with Food

works! www.katahotyoga.com, Contact 076 605 950.

MOTORBIKE SERVICES

Havana Cigar Shop:

your motorcycle tyres for a smoother ride with DYNA BEADS! Available at West Coast Service Center Phuket.

Your big bike specialist on the bypass road. Contact 085 785 4440.

PERSONAL SERVICES

51 Inch Plasma TV: Samsung PS51D450, 2 weeks old, can see working. Free delivery in Patong. Beautiful picture. Price B20,000 ono.Call 0824231247, graeme_lowe@ hotmail.com.

Atmanjai: World’s best natural health programmes to improve health, reduce stress, weight loss, detox, rejuvenation, vitality and overcome disease. See more info at www. atmanjai.com.

English-Thai Law Office: Visa, work permit, com-

Techworx: Custom design Mali Massage :Mali Mas-

Online health food store in Thailand. Good karma, all natural healthy, natural and organic products. Contact 0822761675. www.goodkarmathailand.com.

Moving Sale: Sign frame and alluminium C slats s i z e, 10 m x 3 m . A i r- c o n .

(1)40,000BTU, (2)20,000BTU.

Opposite HomePro Village Chalong. Contact 081 956 2024. Email: vinoltds@hotmail. com.

pany formation, property transfer etc. Please telephone for advice. Contact 084 063 9223.

H eal t h Fo o d Sto r e: Native German Teacher:

w/ 250 fork, rear. Big 250 rubber, one of a kind motobike.

B30,000. Call 080 530 9555.

Dynamic Tyre Balancing: Dynamically balance

Thai culture that is necessary for enjoying life in Thailand.

Group classes three days per week, learning about the real dos and don’ts of Thailand.

The Genius Language School, call 089 203 9270 (Aooddy).

Visit www.thegeniuslanguag eschool.net.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

Yamaha Serow for Sale: 220cc, year 1996.

Sale B45,000. Please contact Khun Nicolas (farang) 083 176 4265. Khun Ball 081 084 9532 (Thai).

CBR 150 modified 30K: CBR 150 9 years old, modified

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sage,100 9-10 Soi Post Office Patong Beach Phuket Kathu 8 315 0. The most beautiful, serene and tranquil facilities in Patong Beach.

& installation. Professional service and support. Premium service: home cinema, home automation, marine AV and IT, lighting control and multiroom audio-video. Call 084 443 9863.

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Chiropractic spinal adjustment with an experienced chiropractor can take away the pain almost as quickly as it began.

Call 076 612 707.

Bon Café Phuket: A producer of premium coffee blends and powdered mixes as well as selling, maintaining, servicing and repairing all major brands. 076 355 600-1.

PET ADOPTION

This is an all inclusive original Thai massage shop.

Original Thai massage, Deep Thai, Swedish, foot massage and many more. Facial, aroma therapy full service manicure, pedicure including acrylics. Hair-braiding, waxing. Fish spa too.

Live Music By Colin Hill: Popular expat pro musi-

w w w.malimas sage.c om.

Open Daily 10 am - midnight.

Call 081 087 2460.

sulting and services on company registration, work permit, visa, accounting, auditor, legal advice. Contact for details on 081 892 9960.

cian (guitar/vocals) with work permit. Can perform solo, duo or band. www.play-guitar.net, 089 777 3063.

Phuket Visa: Offers con-

Why buy a pet?: Soi Dog Foundation have over 300 beautiful dogs and puppies available for adoption. Fully-vaccinated and sterilised.

Contact 087 050 8688, email: john@soidog.org.

PET HOSPITAL Chaofah Pet Hospital: 8/28–29 Moo 9, Chaofah East Road. Contact 076 283 365.

POOL TABLES Kata Hot Yoga: The most

Heading

American Health Clinic:

popular Yoga for men and women in Phuket. Four classes every day. Kata yoga, it

Phuket Pool Tables: www.phuketpooltables.com.

Your number one billiard and snooker supplier in Phuket.

Sales, rent and profit-sharing.

All accessories and services.

Call 081 823 4627.

PROPERTY CONCIERGE

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have buyers for foreign freehold, sea view properties and land. Call 080 143 2929 or visit realestate.phuket. net.

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Box B200

Colour Background B200

Colour Headline B200

Colour Picture B395

Deadline: Monday 12pm (noon) for that Friday’s issue

Please hand in this form at our office or fax to: 076 612 553

thephuketnews.com

PROPERTY FOR RENT Apartment for Rent in Patong: New condo with swimming pool, security 24/7. 46sq metre, furnished.

Daily/monthly. 089 728 4005 or email: thamad17@yahoo.com.

THE PHUKET NEWS

CLASSIFIEDS 37

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

HOMES IN PHUKET PROPERTY FOR RENT CONT.

To advertise here visit: thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php Cable TV. 19.5 million Thai Baht. +66 (0) 88 381 0012, email: office@palm-beachentertainment.com.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Top Rawai Beach Condo For Sale: Serenitity Resort & Residences. Two Bed / two bath, 134 sq metre.

Only B11.9 million. See www. stefan.asia for details.

Land for Sale: 11 rai,

one kilometre from Naiyang beach. B6.5 millions per rai.

Please call : Siriporn +66 (0) 896 499 939.

J I N DA R I N BE ACH CLUB & R ESO RT:

Rawai Beach Front House: Rawai beach front

house for sale/long term rent. Three beds, three baths with three air-con.

Cable TV, ADSL on area 1600 sq metre. Call 089 649 9939.

Four Beds/Four Baths Villa for Rent: Securely

located in Baan Suan Loch Palm Estate, 10 minutes to golf courses, International schools and Central, 15 mins to Patong. B65,000 per month Include common area pool and gardening service, 6 months minimum.

Available f rom 2 2 A pr il 2012. jenjira555@yahoo. com.au.

Rent Kata One-Three Bed Apartments: Superb apartments and pool penthouses 115-375 sq metre, less than five minutes walk to two beaches (Kata and Kata Noi) Call 081 078 1246.

Apar tment for Rent in Rawai: Business nine

apartments, fully-furnished with swimming pool & office.

Contract 081 893 2165.

House Wi t h Pool Rawai/Nai Harn: Plot

of approx 825 sq metre with enclosed space of approx 220 sq metre. Three bedrooms and three bathrooms with open plan western kitchen. Fully air-con, WiFi and cable TV. Solar hot water. Large approx 70 sq metre free-form pool in large established tropical garden. Sala and covered two-car parking with electric gate. Well-established quiet neighborhood. Chanote title.

For sale by owner at B10.7 million. Call 087 267 1282 or email david_rosa mond@yahoo.com for details and photos.

Modern Pool Villa: Stunning three-bedroom pool villa, five minutes from Laguna 600 sq metre plot in peaceful location. Finished to a very high specification “MUST SEE” Selling price B12.9 million. Please contact 084 994 9303 or email phuketpoolvilla.info@ gmail.com.

Patong Guesthouse: 8

Oceanfront Eco Resort on Coconut Island(3 minutes off shore from Phuket). Private Pier, Private Boat Taxi, Beach, Beach Pool, Spa, Sunset Restaurant,Elegant Cottages. Coconut Island is only 20 minutes from Central Festival Shopping.

Plots: B1.5 million. Cottages and Plot: B3.2 million.

Hurry... 26 Plots already sold. Call 083 520 0020 or 076 238 732 Web: www. jindarin.com.

Kata Beach Centre Phuket: Apartments for

rent and lease in luxury building with pool. Per day, week, month, year and 30 years.

Contact Scott Bolls, email: sbolls@hotmail.com, call +66 81 828 0972.

THE SUNRISE OCEAN VILLAS

After a great success of the first phase, the Sunrise Ocean Villas is now starting to build the 8 other villas of "Phase2". The price of 17.9 million baht makes the project one of the most compettitive on the island for being only 60m from the beach.

Each villa has an living area of over 300 sqm, has 3 spacious bedrooms, all sea views, 5 bathrooms, a 10x4m infinity pool, maid's quarter and a covered 2 car-parking. The houses are specially designed to guarantee a complete privacy, with an open panoramic view of the sea.

rooms, internet cafe and apartment. B1.3 million. Call for details on 0857946530.

Thai Style House for Sale: Teak wood floors,

stairs, walls, 2 bedroom.

Land 330 sq metre, peaceful location, five minutes to Patong, Chanote title. B5.0 million. 086 268 8701, email: f430spiderf1@hotmail.com.

Come visit the villas and you will be wonderfully surprised by the quality of the project as well as the quality of life you can find here.

For appointment or more details, contact the project director Khun Monta at 081 343 0777 (Thai, English & German) Email: thesunrise villas@yahoo.com.

www.thesunrisevillas.com

Kata Phuket Luxury Studio/Apartment: 60

sq metre. Lease hold 30+60 year option. Free furnishing and tranfer. B3.0 million.

Contact Scott Bolls, email: sbolls@hotmail.com, call +66 81 828 0972.

Nice Three Bed House for Sale: Three-bedroom

SEAVIEW LAND FOR SALE: Near Chalong pier, Luxur y Villa, Phuket Loch Palm: Plot: 650 m²,

own water, solar, living area 280 m², furnished, carport, 80 m² pool, four bedrooms, four bathrooms, 5 flat tv, ADSL,

150 metres from the sea.

Three rai and one ngan plot.

Chanote title. Price: B20 million per rai. No agent. Call 087 278 7206

house in Moobaan Tarn Thong Villa opposite Moobaan Chao fa California. B3.1 million. Contact Lee on 081 803 7189.

New Apartment for Sale Patong: Condo: swimming

pool, security 24/7. Furnished, 46sqm, freehold: B2.9 million.

Contact 089 728 4005, tha mad17@yahoo.com.

thephuketnews.com

38 CLASSIFIEDS

THE PHUKET NEWS

TRADES IN PHUKET

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

To advertise here visit: thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php

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For full list of outlets please visit www.thephuketnews.com/distributionlists.php

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thephuketnews.com

THE PHUKET NEWS

ISLAND SPORT 39

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

‘Semtex’ explodes at Tiger MMA

One of the world’s top MMA fighters, Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley, was in Phuket recently preparing for his upcoming fight –and return to the Strikeforce promotion – against Kazuo Misaki on March 3.

Training at Tiger Muay Thai and MMA in Chalong, he took time out from his training schedule to run a session with some aspiring fighters at the gym last Thursday (January 12).

“I’m known for my striking and punching ability. I could show you timing and technique, but you’re in Thailand – you’re in the best place in the world to learn that stuff,” he told the crowd of around 50, before running them through a series of basic drills.

As a powerful fighter who prefers standing toe to toe with his opponents rather than wrestling, Daley focused on striking technique with the students, and was critical of MMA fighters who constantly take to the ground.

“As a fan of the sport, and as a fighter, [wrestling] is boring.”

But a boring fighter Daley is certainly not. Of his 42 ca-

Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley in action during last week’s training session. reer fights, he has won 29, a staggering 22 of which were

by KO thanks largely to his powerful left hook.

“I feel I’m so fortunate to be in a sport that I love to do. It’s like a dream,” he said.

Inspired by his father, who was a martial arts fan, Daley was first introduced to Karate at the age of seven. He has since developed into one of the top

fighters in the world of MMA. “The original draw to it was the mystique of martial arts,” he says. “[Muay Thai is] extremely important to my style. Being in Thailand and being in this gym is amazing. I feel so at peace here.”

Primarily based in the UK, Daley is currently Cage Rage UK and World Welterweight

–Photos by Joey Angeles of Tiger Muay Thai

Champion, FX3 World Welterweight Champion, King of The Ring Muay Thai World Champion, and considered by many commentators to be pound for pound the best British MMA fighter.

This was Daley’s third visit to Thailand, but his first time to Phuket, having trained in Bangkok on the previous two occasions.

“The contrast to Bangkok is so different. There is the rural aspect, which makes it a much more relaxing place to train... and there are so many things to do which helps keep your mind clear when you’re not training.

Ironically enough, Daley’s upcoming opponent, Kazuo Misaki, was also training at the Tiger Muay Thai and MMA

Training Camp just two months ago. But Daley dismissed any advantage that might be given to him by the trainers who have already worked on his opponent’s technique.

“Not really. Nothing that puts me ahead. I like that, because I know that if my opponent comes here in the future, these guys will show respect and not give away my training techniques.”

Wiktor Swensson, an assistant MMA instructor at the gym, said: “This is huge for us. Daley is the best striker in the world at the moment so it’s great to have him here.

“He’s one of the biggest hitters out there. Everyone talks about his striking.”

Daley says he has taken a lot out of being in Phuket, and says he is confident of coming out on top in his next fight.

“The guy’s big [but] if I win this fight, I get another shot at the title. I’m feeling confident.

This [camp] is helping me even more.”

Daley stayed at Tiger for 10 days, returning home early this week, but says he expects to return after his next fight.

More information on Daley can be found at semtex.tv.

–Dane Halpin

Preparations set for the ‘Fun Regatta’ Gay Straits Games SAILING

The provinces of Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi will again provide the backdrop to The Bay Regatta as the event celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.

The regatta, formerly known as the Phang Nga Bay Regatta, takes place from February 1 to 5 and will take yachts on a tour of the bay’s beaches, limestone karsts and cliffs.

This year’s event will see another international field of entrants, including crews from Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, The Philippines, USA, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Russia and Thailand. Many will be returning crews from previous events.

When they are not socialising, they will compete for honours in five classes: Racing, Cruising A, Cruising B, Bareboat Char ter and Multihulls.

The regatta is a unique event in Thailand’s sailing calendar. It is still relatively low-key despite establishing itself as one of the key fixtures on the Southeast Asia yachting calendar, and is renowned as much for its social activities as for its racing.

different destinations and party venues, earning the event the nickname ‘The Fun Regatta’.

This year the registration and opening party will be held at The Village, Coconut Island. The first day of racing will have the fleet on a northeast course to Koh Yao Noi, with presentations and a party at The Paradise Koh Yao Boutique Resort & Spa, followed by two days' sailing off Krabi.

The regatta will finish up at the southeast end of Phuket, with the final awards and party to be held at the Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC), which organises the event.

The Bay Regatta engages casual cruisers as well over the five days, and while the action on the water is a definite drawcard, the action off the

water is perhaps what The Bay Regatta is most famous for.

Most participants sleep on boats throughout the event, and many simply meander to

■■ For more information on The Bay Regatta or for sponsorship details, visit acyc-phuket.com or email bayregatta@acyc-phuket.com.

return to Phuket

The Straits Games (TSG) will return to Phuket this year, offering a chance for gay groups from around Asia to compete in various sports and social events from October 12 to 14.

The games are an annual event first initiated by the Malaysia’s Leadership Programme for Gays (LPG) and Singapore’s Men-AfterWork (MAW).

Over the years is has generated interest from countries around Asia. This year, the 11th anniversary of the TSG, will be hosted by the PLU (People Like Us) Club, and will be organised by volunteers Vickky Sitthiwetch, Daniel See and Voravut Jangjai.

The organisers say it promises to be “a very exciting event with many of our friends from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, the Philippines and China participating”.

It is the third time Phuket will host the games, having staged it previously in both 2006 and 2007.

Participants will compete in a range of sports, including volleyball, bowls, badminton, squash and swimming.

The Games are open to both Thais and foreigners, and anyone interested in competing should contact Vickky on 084 848 7963, or email tsg2012pk@gmail.com.

Thailand ‘No 1’ regatta destination Thailand was voted the favourite sailing venue and best regatta location in Asia in a survey conducted at the recent 2011 Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.

The survey can probably be taken with a grain of salt though – it was undertaken by the Top of the Gulf Regatta (a Thailand event) in cooperation with the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.

The survey found that of the sailors who came to the King’s Cup last year, 53 per cent

were residents of Asia. Over 27 per cent had been sailing in Thailand for more than 10 years.

Of those surveyed, 62 per cent have, at some point, brought their boat to Thailand from another country. The most popular ports of entry were found to be (in order of popularity): Phuket, Samui and Pattaya.

Of the yachts coming from overseas, 60 per cent stayed approximately one month while 40 per cent stayed approximately six months.

31/1/2012

thephuketnews.com

40 ISLAND SPORT

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

Phuket Fans upbeat despite loss FCseason FOOTBALL

FC Phuket played their final game of the season on Saturday, travelling to second placed Chainat FC’s K hao Plong St adiu m in scorching heat.

Chainat was already guaranteed a promotion to the Thai Premier League next season, but they still sent their best side to host the ninth placed Southern Sea Kirin, vowing revenge after their last encounter saw FC Phuket walk away with a 4-1 victory.

FC Phuket were without coach Somphong Wattana, who recently resigned amid the club’s financial turmoil, leaving injured skipper Suphat Ontthong to take over coaching duties for the match.

Chainat FC went on the attack early, with Puwadol Suwannachart’s attempt at goal flying just inches over the crossbar after just one minute of play.

The Kirin couldn’t hold out for long though, and conceded a goal on 18 minutes when Chainat midfielder Narongchai Wachirabal received a short pass and sent the ball deep towards Phuket’s far post, where striker Suradech Saothaisong’s strong leap saw him head the

Phuket striker Poramut Krongborisut goes on the attack. –Photo by Chainat FC Bangkok ball into the back of the net to put the home side up 1-0.

The Kirin kept pushing for an equaliser, but couldn’t crack the solid Chainat defence.

Things got worse for Phuket at the 38 minute mark, when Chainat’s man of the match Narongchai won a free kick outside the away team’s penalty area and curved the ball straight in.

The teams went in at half time with the score reading: Chainat 2 - FC Phuket 0.

Phuket immediately rallied in the second half, and almost scored their first goal of the game just a few minutes after

the break, when Tameezee Hayeeyusoh had a golden opportunity to score.

But, as they did all night, Chainat’s sterling defence cleared the shot comfortably.

Phuket missed another great chance when Poramut Krongborisut won the ball on the left of the Chainat area, but saw his shot hit the goalpost and rebound back into the field of play.

While the away team were left ruing their luck, the home side stretched their lead even further when Michael Burn passed to teammate Puwadol Suwannachart, breaching the

Phuket defence and putting Chainat FC ahead by three.

With less than 20 minutes remaining, the game began to turn ugly. Chainat player Pitak Noykwa was the first to receive a red card for a violent tackle, but instead of cooling the situation down, Chainat seemed more fired up and had a second man sent off when Narongchai Wachirabal threw an elbow at Phuket’s Poramut Krongborisut.

With a two man advantage, FC Phuket desperately tried to score a consolation goal, but were unable to break down a defiant Chainat side.

Phuket fans watching the televised game at Noksanarm Café opposite Surakul Stadium praised temporary coach Suphat Ontthong for his tactics, noting that many of Phuket’s best players were unavailable through injury or contract termination.

“If they play like this, we are happy despite the result,” one fan said.

“Suphat did very well today. Our ground game was good and proven to be working. Too bad we didn’t have our full team. I do hope Suphat will get to work with team like this next year.”

Although at times during the season they raised hopes of promotion to the Premier League, FC Phuket ended the Division 1 season in ninth place, with 11 wins, 12 draws and 11 losses.

They surprised many by making it through to the Toyota League Cup quarter-final, brushing aside Thanyaburi AR United, BBCU FC and Sri Racha FC before having their campaign halted by Phattalung FC. They were knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round (round of 16) after losing to TOT FC. -Kazira Hans

Thai Division 1

17

Team Buriram FC Chainat BBCU PTT Rayong Songkhla Bangkok Utd Saraburi Raj Pracha Phuket Suphanburi Bangkok Chanthaburi Air Force Rangsit JW Customs Chiangmai RBAC

18

Thai Honda

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

P

W

D

L

GF GA Points

33 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 33 34 34 34 34

25 21 18 17 15 15 12 13 11 10 13 11 10 10 10 7 5 6

7 3 9 8 11 6 14 7 12 14 3 8 10 9 6 9 10 6

1 10 7 9 8 13 8 14 11 10 18 15 14 14 18 18 19 22

83 68 39 54 54 54 41 40 45 40 56 39 36 30 41 36 25 33

17 42 25 28 39 49 31 54 47 37 63 48 53 41 55 55 61 69

82 66 63 59 56 51 50 46 45 44 42 41 40 39 36 30 25 24

highlights

FOOTBALL FIRSTS • First game played was on February 13, away to Suphan Buri FC. • First scorer away was Kone Adama.

• First footballer to be sent off was Seksit Srisai.

• First home game was on February 26 against Rajpracha Thailand FC. Final score 1-1.

• First scorer at home was Kone Adama.

• First win was in the fourth match against JW Rangsit FC. Final score 3-1.

• First away win was game 21 against RBAC FC. Final score 0-1.

• First game called off due to heavy rain: game nine against Bangkok FC after 86 minutes, with the score at 5-2. The game was awarded to Bangkok FC without playing extra time.

STARTLING STATS • FC Phuket did not win any of their first 10 away games.

• On May 29, fans ousted coach Su rachai Ji rasirichote after four consecutive losses, including a 0-3 home defeat to Buriram FC. • FC Phuket’s largest winning score was 6-1 v. Thai Honda FC on May 1.

• FC Phuket largest lost of season was 7-0 to Buriram FC. • Largest number of fans at a home game was 12,420 on June 25 against Songkhla FC. Final score 0-0.

• Least number of fans at a home game was 3,000 against BB-CU FC. • Fastest goal was Niran Panthong’s effort on October 2 against Chiang Mai FC after only one minute.

• The only own goal of the season was by Abidal Coulibaly on April 2.

• Top scorers: Nene Bi, Niran Panthong and Sarach Yooyen scored six each.

Fair Play returns to BIS The Fair Play League (FPL) returned to Phuket last Saturday (January 14), kicking off this season’s action at British International School Phuket.

This season the league has been split into an under-14 division and an under-11 division, with boys and girls from each age group separated to make six teams represented by international countries: Argentina, Germany ‘White’, Germany ‘Green’, Thailand,

thephuketnews.com

FOOTBALL

France and Brazil.

The under-14 division kicked things off with a set of double header matches to start what will be an eight week campaign.

Germany Green and Argentina both made strong starts, winning their opening two games, with France not far behind drawing one and winning one.

The under-11’s played just the one match this week, with Germany Green demolishing Germany White 4-0.

The FPL will be taken to all corners of Phuket for its matches this season, including fields at BIS, Youth Football Home, Headstart, QSI and Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club.

This weekend will see the action shift to Youth Football Home in Thalang for both age divisions.

THE PHUKET NEWS

INTERNATIONAL/ISLAND SPORT

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

41

IN BRIEF Rossi talks retirement

England skittled England batsman Eoin Morgan is trapped lbw by Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.

Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took a career-best seven wicket haul to destroy England’s much vaunted batting line-up on the opening day of the first Test on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old, whose claims of a mystery delivery surrounded the lead-up to the three-Test series, had figures of 7-55, which left England all out on 192 on a slow turning pitch at the Dubai Stadium.

In reply Pakistan finished on 42-0 at close on the first day, with openers Mohammad Hafeez (22) and Taufiq Umar (18) unbeaten.

Ajmal, whose previous best of 6-42 came against the West Indies at Guyana last year, bowled with variety, unleashing a straight delivery bowled

CRICKET with a round-arm action which kept low, seemingly his mystery one that he named ‘teesra’ (the third one).

His superb bowling kept rival batsmen guessing and destroyed England’s hopes of a sound start, watched by a paltry crowd of just 1,500.

Only wicket-keeper batsman Matt Prior batted with defiance, scoring a brilliant 70 not out for his 19th half-century. This was England’s lowest total in the last ten tests since Australia bowled them out for 123 at Perth in 2010.

Ajmal dismissed Andrew Strauss (19) with the last delivery of his first over, the 19th of the innings, and then had Ian

Bell (0) out with the first ball of his next, before trapping Kevin Pietersen (2) lbw three balls later.

England went to lunch at a precarious 52-5.

Prior then added 39 for the sixth wicket with Eoin Morgan (24) before Ajmal struck again, dismissing Morgan and then Broad (8) – both lbw off miscued sweeps.

Prior then ensured England reached 130 – their lowest in a Test against Pakistan on two occasions – by adding a fighting 57 for the eighth wicket with Graeme Swann (34) before Ajmal took the last two of the three wickets.

But while Pakistan are enjoying success, their neighbours, India, are in apparent decline.

–Photo by ECB

Less than a year after being hailed as India’s greatest cricket captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni finds his head on the block after another woeful Test series abroad.

After leading India to World Cup glory at home in April last year, he now presides over a disintegrating Test team that has lost seven consecutive Tests on foreign soil.

Dhoni made 220 runs in four Tests in England last year at an average of 31.40 and has managed just 102 runs in three matches in Australia at 20.40.

India, ranked the world’s top Test side until they were blanked 4-0 in England, will slip to fourth place if they lose the fourth and final Test against Australia in Adelaide next week.

Patong easily tame Leopards Both teams had something to play for heading into the eighth match of the Island Furniture League season last Sunday – Patong Cricket Club (PCC) were looking to jump to the top of the table, while the young guns of the competition, Phuket Leopards, sought their first win.

While the Leopards gave an improved performance, the Thai youngsters again failed to bat out the full 40 overs, being bowled out for 95 runs in only 22.5 overs.

The Leopards won the toss and decided to bat, but were left regretting the decision as they slumped to 3-15.

However, TP Suttiprapha (32) and SK Jutamart (16) steadied the innings with an impressive batting display before Jutamart succumbed to a well flighted delivery from Manesh Sadarangani.

There was still hope for the Leopards when Suttiprapha belted Dave Thomas for 16 runs from one over, including three boundaries, however with the

CRICKET score on 67, Suttiprapha was run out due to poor communication with his batting partner, WJ Letingoo (7).

The Leopards lower order failed to show much resistance with the exception of AF Uphama (15), and they eventually capitulated to be bowled out for 95.

Patong captain Richard Folds, meanwhile, would not have been impressed with a less than perfect fielding display which saw several dropped catches throughout the innings.

Patong seemed intent on securing all available bonus points from the match when they sent in big hitting Anthony Van Blerk (21) as opener.

The Leopards, aware of Van Blerk’s propensity to hit straight drives in the air, dropped him when he was on 2. This proved costly, as Van Blerk and Neil Quail (28) took the score to 54 before Van Blerk was caught and bowled by TP Suttiprapha.

This was quickly followed

by the dismissal of Quail who was clean bowled AF Uphama.

Seemant Raju (17) and Dean Noble (11 not out) then entered the fray, and with Patong only requiring one run for victory, Raju was clean bowled by PM Suriya.

However, victory eventually came in the 13th over. Pick of the bowlers were PM Suriya (1-1) and TP Suttiprapha (1-37).

This weekend sees Island Cricket Club take on the Thanyapura News Tigers at the ACG.

The Island Furniture League TEAM

PLAYED WON LOST POINTS

Patong CC

3

2

1

15

Laguna CC

2

2

0

12

The Village

2

2

0

12

Thanyapura News Tigers

2

1

1

7

Island CC

2

1

1

6

Liquid Lounge Lizards

2

0

2

3

Phuket Leopards

3

0

3

1

Italy’s seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi is contemplating retiring after the 2014 season.

Before he quits, the 32-year-old is keen to bring success to his Ducati team and wants to extend his contract before it expires at the end of 2012.

Rossi, who won his last title in 2009, said: “I want a new two-year contract with Ducati, maybe the last, and then I’ll think about how to enjoy myself.”

Last year, Rossi failed to win a MotoGP race for the first time in his career as he finished in seventh place in the championship.

Bolt heading for Oslo appearance

Usain Bolt will make his first international appearance of the year at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway on June 7.

The triple Olympic champion will run in the 100 metres at the event, which takes place six weeks before the 2012 Olympics gets underway.

Before that he plans to run at least three training races in Jamaica starting next month.

F1 driver Sutil to stand trial Former Force India driver Adrian Sutil is to stand trial in Germany over an incident in China which left the owner of another Formula One team injured.

The German driver is charged with causing grievous bodily harm in the inci-

dent involving Renault F1 executive Eric Lux, who suffered cuts.

Mr Sutil has issued an apology over the incident, which happened in a Shanghai nightclub last April.

Prosecutors are requesting a year’s suspended sentence for Mr Sutil.

Abidal signs new Barca deal French international defender Eric Abidal has signed a new deal with Barcelona, the Catalan club said on Monday after some protracted negotiations.

European champions Barca said they had reached agreement with 32-year-old Abidal for an extra year meaning his new deal runs through to June 2013.

“The agreement includes an option to extend it through to 2015,” Barca added on their website.

Abidal’s original deal at the Nou Camp was until 2012 and he was initially offered a one-year extension but based on appearances whereas the player had asked for two years without any appearance strings attached.

Burke remains in coma Freestyle skier Sarah Burke remained sedated on a breathing tube in hospital on Monday as her family cancelled a press conference on her condition six days after she was gravely injured in a training accident.

The 29-year-old Canadian was hurt on January 10 in an accident at Park City, Utah.

Fine Indian Cuisine • • • •

Finest Indian Food Air-conditioned Restaurant Indian Takeaway / Delivery Service Open Daily From 12 noon Until 10.30pm

For menu and more details visit:

www.deepavaliphuket.com

ACG opening next weekend The official opening of the Alan Cooke Ground will take place next weekend (January 28-29).

On Saturday, two Phuket sides will face off in a showcase of local talent, and on Sunday, there will be a match between a Cricket Association of Thailand (CAT) XI and an Asian Cricket Invitational XI. Any member interested in playing in the Saturday match should contact Martin Foster at clubaffairs@ phuketcricketgroup.com, or Anthony Van Blerk at tours@ phuketcricketgroup.com, by tomorrow (January 21) to be considered for selection.

• Live Sports on five 55' TV's

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Deepavali Restaurant / The Lounge 123/24 Bangtao Place, Phuket, Thailand

0807 223377

thephuketnews.com

42 INTERNATIONAL SPORT

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

THE PHUKET NEWS

THIS YEAR’S GRAND PRIZE IS SPONSORED BY:

THE PHUKET NEWS TIPPING COMPETITION: 21

RED FEVER AS SCHOLES LEADS MAN U TO VICTORY FOOTBALL Paul Scholes fired Man United level on points with leaders Manchester City with the opener in their 3-0 home success against Bolton on Saturday.

It was Scholes’ first goal for United since August 2010 in United’s 2-2 draw at Fulham, the only time he found the net for the Red Devils last year, and marked a dream return at Old Trafford after his shock decision to come out of retirement last weekend.

The celebrations were short lived though, as City nudged past Wigan 1-0 two days later to put them once again three points clear atop the ladder.

Meanwhile, Tottenham’s hopes of joining United and City on 48 points were dashed as they were forced to come from behind to take a point against Wolves.

Elsewhere, despite being reduced by two, a 10-man Blackburn climbed out of the relegation zone courtesy of a

Paul Scholes, right, during Saturday’s game. –Photo AFP 3-1 home win against Fulham.

Welsh side Swansea created the upset of the round, downing Arsenal 3-2, while in Sunday’s other match Newcastle were too good for QPR (1-0).

Robbie Keane was unable to achieve the heroics of Scholes and Thierry Henry, making his debut from the bench as Aston Villa drew 1-1 at home to Everton.

Chelsea consolidated their position in fourth with a narrow 1-0 home success against Sunderland, Liverpool could not find a way through against Stoke at Anfield in a 0-0 draw, while Norwich extended West Brom’s poor home run with a 2-1 success at the Hawthorns.

The Phuket News tipping competition is still wide open for this month, with ‘stegee’ in

the lead on 49, closely followed by ‘keefers (46)’, and ‘chasman’ and ‘stefan’, both on 44.

The winner of this month’s competition will score themselves a B3,000 voucher to use at Australia Bar and Grill in Kata, where you can watch all the international sport on 50” plasma screen TVs or on the big screen.

Meanwhile in the overall competition, ‘gafferworld’ is still sitting pretty at the top with 340. The overall winner of the competition will win themselves a return airfare to the UK, courtesy of Albatross Lufthansa City Center.

There’s still a long way to go though, and this week sees another round of Premier League action, boasting two massive top-of-the-table clashes when Tottenham travel to the Etihad Stadium to take on Man City, in a match that could go a long way to deciding Spur’s title chances, while Arsenal will hope to leapfrog Man United in the table when they host the Red Devils at Emirates.

Phone +66 76 270958 abpoffice@yahoo.co.uk www.lcc-albatross.com THIS MONTH'S COMPETITION IS SUPPORTED BY:

ROUND 20 RESULTS: Wigan Swansea Newcastle Aston Villa Blackburn Chelsea Liverpool Man Utd Tottenham West Brom

0-1 3-2 1-0 1-1 3-1 1-0 0-0 3-0 1-1 1-2

DANE’S TIPS ROUND 20

Man City Arsenal QPR Everton Fulham Sunderland Stoke Bolton Wolves Norwich

TOP 10 PERFORMERS (JANUARY): 1. stegee 2. keefers 3. chasman 4. stefan 5. fazza 6. mickyleeds 7. UMSTPN 8. A1CR 9. Farang2005 10. rutherman

49 46 44 44 42 42 42 41 41 41

Norwich v Chelsea away win Everton v Blackburn draw Fulham v Newcastle away win QPR v Wigan draw Stoke v West Brom draw Sunderland v Swansea draw Wolves v Aston Villa away win Bolton v Liverpool away win Man City v Tottenham home win Arsenal v Man Utd away win TOP 10 (OVERALL): 1. gafferworld 2. apollo131 3. chasman 4. alanphuket 5. MRB 6. dcoutts 7. Mal Kenyon 8. scottkip 9. Paul614724 10. Farang2005

340 312 308 301 300 295 285 283 281 276

Tevez looks set for PSG FOOTBALL

Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez looks set to sign for Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint Germain (PSG) after they and his present club Manchester City reached agreement on Tuesday according to sources within PSG and club owners QSI. PSG have offered the Argentinian international – who has been out of favour at City since refusing to go on during a Champions League match – a three-and-a-half year contract though no fee has been announced.

The deal is subject to the 27-year-old striker – who is due in Paris on Wednesday – agreeing to it.

Ironically, Tevez’s move to Italian champions AC Milan fell through last week because of the refusal of their Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato to move to PSG in a reported 28 million euro deal.

PSG’s Brazilian sporting director Leonardo has always been an admirer of the former Lazio, Manchester United and Boca Juniors star and renewed contact with him following his falling out with City manager Roberto Mancini.

However, the arrival of two-time Champions League winning coach Carlo Ancelotti

thephuketnews.com

-Photo by Alfonso Jimenez at the end of December tilted the balance and the Italian has been vociferous in recent days in calling for an experienced world class striker to be signed by the club.

Tevez has enjoyed success at virtually every club he has played for, albeit never overstaying his welcome.

He landed the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup – which is now the World Club Cup – with Argentinian side Boca Juniors in 2003 and earned himself the nickname from the fans of ‘the people’s player’.

He moved onto Brazilian outfit Corinthians and inspired them to the Brazilian championship before transferring to West Ham, whom he

helped stay up in the Premier League on the last day of that season, scoring against Manchester United.

He moved to United from West Ham and collected the 2008 Champions League – a penalty shootout win over Chelsea – before a controversial move to United’s city rivals where he was at first an inspirational influence.

Awarded the captaincy, he went on to score 21 goals last season but his increasingly tense relations with Mancini came to the boil when according to the Italian he refused to go on as a substitute during the Champions League group stage defeat by Bayern Munich last September.

City found Tevez guilty of five breaches of contract for refusing to warm up in that match, which took place in September.

Tevez was then suspended for two weeks and had a fourweek fine halved after the intervention of the PFA (Professional Footballers Association) Tevez has not flourished so much for the national side, never becoming a regular first choice and at last year’s Copa America under then coach Sergio Batista was played on the left wing to little effect.

–AFP

INTERNATIONAL SPORT 43

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

THE PHUKET NEWS

Premier League Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Man City Man United Tottenham Chelsea Arsenal Newcastle Liverpool Stoke Norwich Swansea Everton Sunderland Aston Villa Fulham West Brom Wolves Blackburn QPR Bolton Wigan

Ligue 1

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21

16 15 14 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 7 6 5 5 6 4 4 4 5 3

3 3 4 4 3 6 8 6 7 8 4 6 9 8 4 6 5 5 1 6

2 3 3 5 7 5 4 7 7 7 10 9 7 8 11 11 12 12 15 12

57 52 39 40 38 30 24 22 32 23 21 27 23 23 20 23 32 19 25 18

16 20 21 25 31 25 18 31 36 25 25 24 27 29 30 37 44 36 46 42

51 48 46 40 36 36 35 30 28 26 25 24 24 23 22 18 17 17 16 15

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

Southampton West Ham Utd Cardiff City Middlesbrough Reading Hull City Birmingham Derby County Blackpool Burnley Leeds United Brighton Crystal Palace Barnsley Leicester Peterborough Portsmouth Watford Ipswich Town Bristol City Millwall Nottm Forest Doncaster Coventry City

26 26 26 26 26 26 25 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 25 26

15 15 12 12 12 13 11 12 10 12 11 11 10 10 9 9 8 7

5 5 10 9 6 3 7 4 9 3 6 5 7 6 8 6 7 9

6 6 4 5 8 10 7 10 7 11 9 10 9 10 9 11 10 10

50 41 41 30 34 27 39 31 41 39 40 28 25 37 34 44 27 28

28 23 27 25 26 25 26 33 33 33 37 28 25 39 30 42 26 36

50 50 46 45 42 42 40 40 39 39 39 38 37 36 35 33 31 30 28 27 26 24 23 19

26 26 26 26 26 26

8 7 6 7 6 4

4 6 8 3 5 7

14 13 12 16 15 15

37 23 24 21 22 20

51 36 34 42 43 35

Bundesliga 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

Paris S.Germain 20

Team

13

4

3

34

18

43

2

Montpellier

20

12

4

4

40

23

40

3

Lille

20

9

9

2

33

20

36

4

Lyon

20

11

2

7

31

22

35

5

Rennes

20

10

5

5

31

23

35

6

Marseille

20

9

7

4

29

18

34 33

7

Saint-Étienne

20

9

6

5

24

21

8

Toulouse

20

8

7

5

21

20

31

9

Bordeaux

20

6

8

6

22

23

26

10

Lorient

20

6

7

7

20

23

25

11

Brest

20

4

12

4

20

19

24

12

Evian

20

5

7

8

28

32

22

13

Dijon

20

6

4

10

23

36

22

14

Valenciennes

20

5

5

10

19

23

20

15

Caen

20

5

5

10

24

31

20

16

Auxerre

20

4

7

9

27

32

19

17

Nancy

20

4

7

9

19

28

19

18

Nice

20

4

6

10

21

24

18

19

Sochaux

20

4

6

10

21

35

18

20

Ajaccio

20

4

6

10

22

37

18

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

18 18 18 18 18 18 17 18 18 17 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18

10 11 10 9 10 7 8 7 6 5 6 5 5 6 6 5 4 4 3 2

8 4 5 6 2 7 3 3 5 7 4 6 7 3 8 4 6 3 3 6

0 3 3 3 6 4 6 8 7 5 8 7 6 9 4 9 8 11 12 10

29 37 26 26 28 33 23 22 14 20 24 18 16 19 23 17 20 12 18 19

12 17 13 17 19 20 19 29 20 25 32 16 18 24 23 25 20 25 34 36

38 37 35 33 32 28 27 24 23 22 22 21 22 21 20 19 18 15 12 12

Serie A

The Championship 1

P

1

Team 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

Juventus Milan Udinese Lazio Intern’ale Napoli Roma Genoa Chievo Catania Parma Fiorentina Cagliari Palermo Atalanta Bologna Siena Cesena Lecce Novara

Coming up

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

B Munich Dortmund Schalke Borussia M Bremen B Leverkusen Hannover Stuttgart Hoffenheim Köln Hertha Berlin Wolfsburg Hamburger Mainz Nuremberg K'lautern Augsburg Freiburg

17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17

12 10 11 10 9 7 5 6 6 6 4 6 4 4 5 3 3 3

1 4 1 3 2 5 8 4 4 3 8 2 7 6 3 7 6 4

4 3 5 4 6 5 4 7 7 8 5 9 6 7 9 7 8 10

43 35 38 25 30 22 20 23 19 27 24 23 21 22 17 13 15 21

10 12 22 11 31 22 24 20 19 35 26 34 27 29 28 21 28 39

37 34 34 33 29 26 23 22 22

21 20 20 19 18 18 16 15 13

(Times in Thailand) Sunderland v Swansea 22:00

Saturday January 21

Contador drug decision by ‘end of the month’ CYCLING

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) expects to announce their verdict on three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador's doping case “during the week of January 31,” the organisation said Monday.

A verdict was initially set for mid-January, but CAS opted to delay the ruling, blaming the delay because of media allegat ions of bias against the three-man arbitration panel.

“CAS asked the parties to clarify whether, at this stage in the procedure, any of them wanted to challenge the composition of the arbitration panel. As all answers were negative, the panel will be able to resume its mission,” read a statement issued by sport’s highest court.

“This regrettable incident has slightly delayed the work of the panel and the publication of the final decision should

now take place during the week of 31 January 2012.”

Contador tested positive for the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour de France, but the Spaniard was cleared by the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) in February 2011, prompting the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and International Cycling Union (UCI) to appeal the decision to CAS. The 29-year-old Spaniard claimed he had ingested the banned substance by eating a contaminated steak, an explanation which satisfied the RFEC but which failed to pass muster with the International Cycling Union (UCI) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

If CAS upholds the appeal the Spaniard faces a competition ban and being stripped of his 2010 Tour de France title and the Giro d’Italia, which he won for a second time last year, and any other victories since July 2010.

–AFP

Kiwi call for shearing to become Olympic sport

Barclay’s Premier League

Team

Andy Schleck, Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador (right) competing at a stage on the 2009 Tour de France.

Norwich v Chelsea

19:45

Wolves v Aston Villa

22:00

Everton v Blackburn

22:00

Sunday January 22

Fulham v Newcastle

22:00

Bolton v Liverpool

QPR v Wigan

22:00

Man City v Tottenham 20:30

Stoke v West Brom

22:00

Arsenal v Man Utd

00:30

23:00

Hash House Harriers Run 1350: Saturday January 21 at 3:30pm Hares: Murkury & J.C. Directions: 4.4km north of Thalang traffic signals turn left (HHH). Go 400 metresm, turn right (HHH). Go 2.1km, turn right (HHH). Follow track to laager site.

Bus: Expat Hotel, Patong: 14:00 and Baan Rim Klong, Kamala: 14:30.

The New Zealand Farmers Federation has called for sheep shearing to become an Olympic sport.

With the World Shearing Championships to be held in the North Island town of Masterton in March, federation spokeswoman Jeanette Maxwell said shearing was now a sport that deserved international recognition.

“Surely, time has come to elevate shearing’s sporting status to the ultimate world stage?” she said in a statement.

“One way would be to make shearing a demonstration sport at a Commonwealth Games, if not, the Olympics itself.”

Maxwell said competitive shearers clip up to 700 sheep over an eight-hour period, in a feat that has been likened to running two marathons back-to-back.

The New Zealand’s government's elite sports funding body, SPARC, already recognises shearing as a sport, providing it with grants to help run competitions.

‘Saturday Morning Glory’

Saturdays 9AM - 12PM. thephuketnews.com

44 INTERNATIONAL SPORT

THE PHUKET NEWS

SPORT

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

‘Semtex’ explodes in Phuket > 39

Novak cruises, Stosur loses Novak Djokovic made a dazzling start to his Australian Open defence Tuesday as his close rival Andy Murray struggled and home hope Samantha Stosur became the first big name to fall.

World number one Djokovic powered past Italian Paolo Lorenzi 6-2, 6-0, 6-0, in a victory so comprehensive he even won a point with an audacious trick shot between his legs.

By contrast Murray, runnerup to the Serb last year, was embarrassed by a near-identical party-piece from Ryan Harrison before subduing the American 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in front of his new coach Ivan Lendl.

Spain’s Rafael Nadal bulldozed past Tommy Haas on Wednesday, as Roger Federer reached the third round without even picking up his racquet.

Federer, seeking his first grand slam win in two years, received a boost when Germany’s Andreas Beck withdrew from their match with a back

TENNIS problem, giving the Swiss free passage to the third round.

In the women’s matches, defending champion Kim Clijsters wasted no time in progressing to the third round when she beat Frenchwoman Stephanie Foretz Gacon in straight sets on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old Belgian needed just 47 minutes to see off Foretz Gacon 6-0, 6-1 in the Rod Laver Arena.

But Australia’s US Open champion Stosur became a major casualty as she froze in front of her home fans, allowing Romania’s Sorana Cirstea to record a famous straight-sets win.

Former French Open winner Francesca Schiavone was also stunned, knocked out by 80th-ranked compatriot Romina Oprandi, who won 6-4, 6-3.

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and glamorous Russian Maria Sharapova, the 2008

Novak Djokovic eased through the first round of the Australian Open, dropping only two games in his straight sets win over Italian Paolo Lorenzi.

–Photo AFP Open winner, both started strongly and David Ferrer and Milos Raonic progressed safely in the men’s draw.

However, Djokovic looked the pick of the men’s players as the Wimbledon and US Open

champion launched his pursuit of a third straight grand slam title in style, exemplified by his crowd-pleasing trick shot.

Leading 3-0 in the third and standing on the baseline, Djokovic turned his back to

the court and clipped a shot between his legs to the flummoxed Lorenzi, who embarrassingly netted.

Later, fourth seed Murray, seeking Britain’s first grand slam title since 1936, became

the first top-four man to concede a set and was occasionally troubled by minor injuries in his match against Harrison.

Stosur, who has only won one match in three tournaments this year, all in Australia, put in an error-strewn performance as she became the latest women’s grand slam champion to fail in her very next major.

“There’s not any other word for it but a total disappointment,” she said.

“It’s not through lack of trying or not wanting it or anything like that. I mean, you can’t pick the times that you want to play well,” Stosur added.

“Of course, I wanted to do very well here. You want it to come right now. I’m thankful that everyone was behind me. I’m sure they will stay behind me.”

Meanwhile, second seed Kvitova and Sharapova, the world number four, also made convincing starts at Melbourne Park.

–AFP

Chief admits ‘frustrations’ Men’s tou r chief Brad Drewett Wednesday admitted there were “frustrations” among tennis players but played down swirling talk of a strike after several spoke out over pay and conditions.

The new Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) boss was speaking after an unprecedented groundswell of discontent prompted strike rumours and a brief rift between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Drewett said he heard “loud and clear the other night about their issues” after meeting players on the eve of the Australian Open, which is continuing in Melbourne.

“There are frustrations out there. As I said, I plan to take them on board. I’ve heard them,” he said, adding: “Nothing’s ever perfect in any world, and certainly not in the tennis world.”

"The player meetings are a very rare opportunity for these guys to get into one room. You have 150, 200 players. That only happens once, maybe twice a year," said the Australian.

“Last weekend they were

thephuketnews.com

very vocal about a number of issues, but that is not new.

I mean, I’ve been in plenty of player meetings where the guys get in there and voice frustrations.”

Players have long complained about the tough ten n is calend a r, of ten blaming it for injuries, and they are reportedly unhappy over Davis Cup scheduling and their share of prize money at grand slams, among other issues.

A number of the top men have spoken out this week, including former world number one Andy Roddick, who said there was a strong mood for change after the “passionate” pre-tournament meeting.

To p - r a n ke d Nov a k Djokovic said he also supported improvements and Nadal accused Federer, the ATP Player Council president, of not doing enough to back his fellow players.

When asked about the possibilit y of a st r ike, Drewett said: “I’ve read the articles. I think they’re quite sensational in lots of ways. I’m obviously not going to go there.”

Drewett, who took up his post at the start of the year, refused to be drawn on any initiatives he was planning but highlighted a shorter season in 2012, by two weeks, and a 20 percent increase in prize money over the next three years.

Despite the frustrations, Drewett said the men’s game was riding the crest of a wave and was “in an unbelievable position, arguably the best ever”.

Roddick on Tuesday became the latest top player to speak out, saying the circuit needed “fundamental” change to give more power to the players.

“U2 doesn’t ask to go on tour. They go on tour. So I think that’s the fundamental issue at hand,” he said.

Australian Open top seed Djokovic also spoke of the need for changes but said he preferred to keep talks behind closed doors.

Fe d e r e r a n d Na d a l quickly made up their differences, with the Swiss saying he had “no hard feelings”. Spain’s Nadal said he regretted making his feelings public.