20-04-2012

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MAD SHARKS MAN 100 72 0 32BITE 0 100 100 0 NORWEGIAN CRONULLA KILLER HAS HIS DAY IN COURT P9

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“IT WAS LIKE A BOMB GOING OFF” 100 100 40 50 0 100 100 0 0 35 100 0 Phuket Phuketwas wasrattled rattledagain againatat4.44pm 4.44pmon on Monday Monday(April (April16) 16)bybyaashort shortsharp sharpjolt jolt from fromaanew newearthquake, earthquake,accompanied accompaniedbyby aabooming boomingnoise. noise.The Thequake quakerated rated4.3 4.3on on the theRichter RichterScale, Scale,with withthe thecentre centre10 10km km below belowthe thesurface, surface,ininThalang ThalangDistrict.

District.

QUAKESPECIAL: SPECIAL: QUAKE Facebook post claims possessed ladies

Villagers channel spirit Heroines, declare predicted Phuket willofsink on April 28. P2 Phuket will sink beneath waves.

PXX “Where’s this big wave then?” Local surfer Phuketians share their experiences, fears, turns up for dinner holding his board.

P3 and reactions to the April 11 shock. PXX Phuketians share their experiences, fears, History’s most destructive earthquakes, and reactions to the April 11 shock. and P10 why there was no tsunami this time. PXX History’s most destructive earthquakes, and The Phuket’s tourism whyQuake there Effect: was no Will tsunami this time.

P11 industry suffer severe aftershocks? PXX The Quake Effect: Will Phuket’s tourism “Where’s big severe wave then?”

Surfer turns industrythis suffer aftershocks?

P13 up for dinner holding his board. PXX

FULL STORY ON PAGE 3

Chum Niyompong's house was one of 90 cracked by the quake.

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2

ISLAND NEWS

NEWS

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Mugabe in ill health?

Rumours spread about Zim Pres after trip to Singapore > 9

news@thephuketnews.com

IN BRIEF Australian tourist raped twice One man was arrested April 12, and another is being sought, for the rape of a Australian tourist early the same morning.

The arrested man, Theerasak Bhutrach, 26, told police that he met the woman at the Grabana Grus Nightclub on Soi Bangla in the early morning. The two chatted and drank until 4.30 am when Theerasak took his victim to a hotel close by.

T here, he raped her and then called a friend, identified as “Neung”, who came to the hotel and also violated the woman.

Songkran celebrant killed in hit A 23-year-old Thai electrician, Chitnucha Dongluea, was shot dead in the Koh Sirae area last Friday (April 13) while celebrating Songkran on the back of a pickup truck.

Two unidentified men on a motorbike wearing full-face helmets reportedly stopped behind the pickup and the rider on the back of the bike shot Mr Chitnucha in the back with a homemade gun. The bullet found its way to his heart and he died on the way to Vachira Hospital.

Three die in ‘Seven Days of Danger’ Three people died in traffic accidents during the Songkran ‘Seven Days of Danger’, from April 11-17.

Two of the three, Pairoj Wisatesom, 55, and Lamyong Dujpayak, 45, d ie d o n A p r i l 13 i n Thalang District (see also page 4), while Wittaya Piraka, 42, was killed on a road in Rassada the day before.

This year’s road death toll was four fewer than last year, with injuries from traffic accidents also declining from 52 in 2011 to 43 this year.

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

Model’s mum slams scary Facebook tale There has been plenty of inaccurate and downright wrong information about quakes and tsunamis flying around Phuket in the past nine days.

But a post in Thai on Facebook probably takes the prize for the most bizarre and malicious.

The message, posted by “Chany Jane” on Monday (April 16), told a tale about two middle-aged woman who, while in a Phuket hospital, were possessed by the spirits of Phuket’s two Heroines.

The post said that, through the two women, the Heroines warned people to flee the island before April 28, when it would sink under multiple disasters.

The post came in for fierce criticism but, as it spread by word of mouth, it also terrified many of Phuket’s more credulous citizens.

Suwaphat Petchrat, mother of actress and model ‘Poy’: ‘It absolutely was not me.’

According to the post, one of the woman possessed was Suwaphat Petcharat, 44, the mother of famed Miss Tiffany winner, actress and model Treechada “Poy” Petcharat.

On Wednesday a furious Mrs Suwaphat called a press conference to deny

utterly the “facts” as stated in the Facebook post.

She said that she was at home on the morning of April 16, and then out with friends in the afternoon – and went nowhere near a hospital.

“It absolutely was not me,” Mrs Suwaphat fumed.

“I don’t need an apology. But the person who posted that message should apologise to the people of Phuket because her message scared them dreadfully.”

The “Chany Jane” Facebook account appears to have since been suspended.

Casino hunters come away empty-handed While most of Phuket was out in force to welcome Songkran with a watery battle, the new Superintendant of Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTD) Region 5 instead took to the streets for a very different reason – to hunt down casinos.

Pol Col Sitthichai Lelasawad, led officers to inspect the Tiger bar on Saturday afternoon (April 14).

He had made the trip from the nation’s capital in response to recent allegations from outspoken Bangkok politician Chuwit Kamol visit that casinos were operating on the island with impunity, and in some cases with direct police protection.

Mr Chuwit himself was due to visit Phuket on April 12 to reveal the sites of the alleged illegal casinos, but cancelled the trip at the last minute following the April 11 tsunami scare.

The AHTD – a special

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police division dedicated to the suppression and investigation of human trafficking crime, labour exploitation, and social order – became involved after Mr Chuwit also claimed that prostitution rings and pornographic shows had been operating inside the casinos.

The newly opened Tiger bar complex, and Tiger Discotheque, both on Soi Bangla, and Bangkok Residence Hotel in Soi Sansabai, all in Patong, were the targets of inspections by the AHTD over Friday and Saturday.

Film and photographs were taken by the officers as evidence, which they will now pass on to the Royal Thai police.

But what that evidence will show is that casinos were not in operation at those venues, Col Sitthichai said.

He noted the air conditioning and lighting on the upper

floors of the Tiger bar complex – one of the locations alleged

by Mr Chuwit as housing a casino – had still not been completed, making it unlikely that the venue was being used for anything other than the beer bars on the lower level.

Incomplete facilities illustrate unused space, he said.

The inspections of Tiger Discotheque and Bangkok Residence Hotel also found nothing that might indicate casinos were in operation.

In addition, Col Sitthichai and his officers had visited about 50 Phuket bars and nightclubs in Phuket Town and Patong since they had arrived in Phuket on April 12. No casinos were detected.

However, Pol Col Sitthichai said he would continue to send teams of officers at random to continue the investigation, as he said Phuket has a reputation for being a hub of after dark entertainment.

THE PHUKET NEWS

ISLAND NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

RATTLED AGAIN Phuket-centred quake shocks island Paritta Wangkiat reporter3@thephuketnews.com

Phuket was rattled again at 4.44pm on Monday (April 16) by a short sharp jolt from a new earthquake, accompanied by a booming noise.

With memories of the tsunami evacuation of the previous Wednesday (April 11) still sharp in everyone’s minds, many people in Patong and other beach areas did not wait to hear this time whether there was a tsunami alert.

Instead, they dropped everything and streamed out of the town, heading for high ground.

As a precaution, police briefly closed roads into Patong to ensure traffic jams were kept to a minimum.

Initially, the jolt was thought to be from an aftershock recorded off the coast of Sumatra, registering 5.5 on the Richter Scale.

Santhat Panbaanpaew, director of the Phuket Meteorological Office, announced that the Monday t remor was an aftershock, a natural

Inspecting the dam, from left, quake expert Suwith Kosuwan, Phuket Vice Governor Somkiat Sangkhaosutthirak, the Mayor of Sri Soonthorn Worawut Songyod, local MP Rawat Areerob and the village headman of Sri Soonthorn Kittisak Soatraksa. result of a strong quake like that of April 11, and one of dozens since then.

But in the evening came a surprising and – to many rather disturbing – announcement from the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD).

The sharp shock felt in Phuket, the TMD said, had its epicentre much closer to home – in Thalang District.

This quake, the TMD said, rated 4.3 on the Richter Scale.

The center was 10 km below the surface, in Tambon Srisoonthorn.

A TMD spokesperson, Phuwiang Prakammin, said, “We believe the April 11 quake had an impact on the fault lines in or close to Thailand.

“We can’t say what level any future quake will be, but

we can say there has been some disturbance in the equilibrium [of local fault lines],” he added.

The fault system affected is known as the Klong Marui fault, which lies under Surat Thani, Phang Nga, Krabi and Phuket.

Hours later, the US Geological Survey (USGS), normally the prime resource for earthquake information, confirmed

the Phuket quake, though it placed the epicentre in the strait between Koh Yao Yai and Noi, with a strength of 3.9 Richter.

Ninety homes in Mu 2, Tambon Srisoonthorn, in Thalang District, now believed to be the epicentre of the Monday quake, are reported as having suffered cracked walls as a result of the jolt One villager, 56-yearold Chum Niyompong, told The Phuket News that when the quake took place it felt as though something had struck the ground twice.

“It was like a bomb going off,” she said. “I have lived here my entire life, and I’ve never felt anything like this before.”

Phuket Vice Governor Somkiat Sangkhaosutthirak, along with officials of Sri Soonthorn Municipality and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket Office, visited the village later to check damage from the quake.

They also inspected the dam at the nearby Bang Niew Dum Reservoir for damage.

On Tuesday morning it was declared safe and undamaged.

3

Surfer dude Franck Couture.

Seeing the funny side of things For every person who is terrified by a natural disaster, there always seems to be someone else who is ready to see the humour in the situation.

On April 11, just as the all-clear was sounded after the tsunami alert on Phuket’s west coast, Franck Couture turned up for dinner at Le Winch restaurant in Boat Lagoon, carrying a surf board.

“I heard something about a big wave,” he said.

“So where is it?”

‘No geological damage’ Phuket geologist Prof Amnart Tantitamsopon said on Tuesday (April 17) that there appears to be no damage to the island’s geology from the quake the day before, centred in Thalang District.

He also downplayed fears that the quake and aftershocks were likely to trigger more landslides on the island.

“If you consider all the factors that cause landslides, human activity and heavy rain are the major causes,” Prof Amnart said. “So there is no need to panic about the

earthquake this week.”

Last October, landslides occurred at multiple locations around the island after a period of heavy rain.

The most severe damage was at the Adisak Equipment warehouse on the bypass road, which was hit by thousands of tons of earth and rocks that slid from the steep hillside behind the warehouse.

That incident initially led local authorities to consider restrictions on the use of slopes. However, once the rainy season ended,

the matter of landslides was apparently put on the back burner.

The authorities are, however, preparing to launch a programme to educate local people on ways to live with natural disasters. One priority is to relieve people’s fear of earthquakes by teaching them how to react when they happen.

“Lack of the right information is the main reason that people panic,” said Prof Amnart. “Instead of being frightened, we should learn how to live with disasters.”

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FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

Villagers block road after 2 die in smash Paritta Wangkiat reporter3@thephuketnews.com

About 100 enraged villagers of Moo 1 Pa Khlok, east of the Heroines Monument, blocked the road in front of the Pakcheed Mosque last Friday evening (April 13) after two villagers were killed in a road accident.

The two dead were identified as Pairoj Wisetsombat, 55, and Lamyong Dujpayak, 45.

Reportedly riding without a rear light, they were rammed from behind by a speeding pickup truck.

The two died instantly in the smash. The heavily damaged pick-up, out of control, slid off the road, colliding with a building and turning on its side.

Initially the blockade was sparked by fury at staff of the Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation, whom villagers blamed for siding with the pickup driver, helping him to f lee rough justice at the hands of the villagers.

Rescue staff said they arrived at the scene at about 7:30 pm to t ake the t wo bodies to Thalang Hospital.

The pickup driver, who had been struggling to escape the mob, jumped into their vehicle.

The villagers, angry that the rescue staff had “chosen” the welfare of the driver over the

After rear-ending the motorbike, the pickup slid off the road and turned on its side. two dead people, blocked the road to prevent their escape.

Finally, the Kusoldharm driver managed to nudge his way through the mob and get away, while Thalang Police, the Mayor of Pa Khlok and Vice-Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada rushed to the scene to try to damp down the tension.

T he block a de r s t hen turned their fury away from the rescue team, instead voicing frustration at the lack of

street lights along the road, which the villagers said put their community at risk from road accidents.

At about 8.45pm, after V/G Chamroen promised he would urge the Highways Department to install lighting along the road as a matter of urgency, the villagers agreed to end their blockade.

Later, the villagers carried the two bodies to Thalang Hospital.

This is not the first time

people along the road through Pa Khlok have protested at the lack of lighting.

In July last year, 300 villagers blocked a different section of the road and burned tyres in protest after another villager died in a smash.

That blockade was resolved after promises were made that lighting would be installed within a couple of weeks. It was, but not stretching as far as the section of road that saw last Friday’s (April 13) deaths.

Rock slide blocks half Patong Rd Traffic on the southbound lane of the Patong-Kamala road, near Hin Tang restaurant, was blocked for three hours on Saturday night (April 14) after heavy rain triggered a rockslide.

No injuries or damage were reported, but the incident triggered local fears about possible future rockfalls.

One local resident, who asked not to be named, noted that there was a construction site on the hill next to the road, where the ground has been cleared of vegetation.

The Superintendent of Kamala Police Station, Col Nattapakin Kwanchaipeuk, initially said that he had called officials from Natural Resources and Environment Office to inspect the site eight months ago, and remedial action had been taken.

Later, however, he called to say that the rocks on Saturday had in fact come from a piece of natural hillside untouched by development.

In chains, Montree, Anurat and Pramin contemplate spending time behind bars.

Six held over meth, guns Police arrested six Thai men in the early hours of last Friday (April 13), rolling up a local drug distribution network.

Almost 37 grams of crystal methamphetamine (ya-ice), 1,158 methamphetamine (yaba) pills, a 9mm handgun with 12 bullets, a .357 pistol and four bullets, a set of electronic scales, a laptop computer and a Blackberry cellphone were seized.

Police first arrested Pramin Naksuwan, 31, in the park-

ing lot of Sakdidet Mansion in Wichit District. Pramin had been under observation for a while, suspected of being the bagman for the network, his job being to collect cash from small dealers.

He was found in possession of ya-ice and the 9mm gun.

After his arrest, Pramin admitted he was scheduled to meet some of the small dealers in the network to receive payment from them.

Police staked out his apart-

ment and arrested Saman In­ ruang, 31, Anurat Poatong, 29, Montree Sricha-iam, 33, and Sampan Chupon, 43.

A total of 6.5 grams of ya-ice were seized along with the second gun, found in Saman’s possession.

Acting on information from Montree, then arrested Sarut Kanjanakul, 29, a member of another drug network About 30.5 grams of ya-ice and the 1,158 ya-ba pills were found in his room.www

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ISLAND NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

5

Aussies, Kiwis set to mark Anzac Day

Col Arayapan shows off his new epaulettes with the insignia of a full colonel.

Top cop leaves Patong Around 100 Kathu police officers, hotel and taxi representatives, and local people attended a farewell on April 10 for the the Superintendent of Kathu Police, Col Arayapan Pukbuakao, who has been promoted and transferred to Surat Thani province.

Col Arayapan will become Deputy Commander of the Provincial Police Training

Centre for Region 8.

Originally from Samut Sakhon Province, Col Arayapan has spent 23 years working in Chumporn Province and the last four working in Phuket.

In April he was the only policeman from Phuket to receive a prize for being a top police official, donated by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

“I’m really happy I have been promoted,” Col Arayapan said. “I will keep working hard for the people.”

Pol Lt Col Sermpan Siri­ kong, a former Chief Inspector of Phuket Town Police, and most recently Investigation Police Superintendent of Chumporn, replaces Col Arayapan as the new Superintendent of Kathu Police.

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on April 25 every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all those from both countries who died serving in military operations for both countries.

Each year Anzac Day in Thailand is commemorated by a Dawn Service and Gunfire Breakfast at Hellfire Pass and a Memorial Service and Wreath Laying Ceremony at Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery.

The trip from Kanchanaburi town to Hellfire Pass is approximately 80 kilometres and takes about 45 minutes by road. For more information, contact William Slape, Manager, Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum, email hellfirepas soawg@gmail.com.

The Memorial Service and Wreath Laying Ceremony at Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery begins at 10am

This detail from The Taking of Lone Pine, by artist Fred Leist, depicts the attack by the Australian 1st Brigade on Turkish trenches at Lone Pine during the Battle of Gallipoli. and lasts approximately one hour. For more information, contact Rod Beattie, OAM, Manager, Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, email: rbeattie @tbrc.online.com A little closer to home, Anzac Day will be marked at every Aussie bar, pub and restaurant on the island. At Lady Pie in Cherng Talay, for example, the remembrance

will begin at 6pm, and will be open to all Allied servicemen.

Australian Honorary Consul Larry Cunningham will deliver a remembrance ode, after which there will be plenty of Aussie pies, Lamington cakes, Anzac biscuits, VB Beer and, for entertainment, traditional games of 2-up.

For more information, call 076-271-049.

GOMS DOING WHAT GOMS DOES BEST: On April 12, following an invitation from Sister Lakana, Simon O’Herlihy (rear, left) and Roy Beattie from the Grumpy Old Men’s Society – the GOMS – attended the annual prize-giving at Rassada School. The programme for the day included Thai dancing and Burmese dancing, with amazing costumes to match, followed by the awarding of prizes and certificates. They had made a special place in the programme for the GOMS who sponsored school uniforms and shoes, which Simon and Roy presented to the 26 children going to the Thai school next month.

Boost for consumers The Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD), part of the Royal Thai Police, will launch a Consumer Protection Police Provincial Office and Complaints Center (CPP) i n Phu ket at t he end of April, the first such centre outside Bangkok.

The CPPD has the responsibility to accept and investigate any complaints with regard to products or services supplied to Thai and foreign individuals or companies.

There are future plans to also establish similar centres in Pattaya and Chiang Mai. As well as food, drugs and cosmetics, CPP investigations will cover areas such as transport, finance, commerce, agriculture, land, planning, and construction.

As part of its transport remit, it is expected that CPP will handle complaints related to unlicensed taxis and tuk-tuk operators, fraud and violence.

Complaints about Phuket’s ongoing land issues will also come under its auspices. Individuals or companies can con-

tact or visit the CPP to report illegal use of land or property for sale or rent, including faulty and sub-standard construction that violates local or national regulations.

The centre will be located in Rawai, and will have a 24hour phone hotline.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

THE PHUKET NEWS

Thaksin ‘back this year’

Fugitive for mer Premier Thaksin Shinawatra recently told his Red Shirt supporters that he expects to set foot in his homeland again this year, reported AFP. “With all your support, I’m likely to return home this year. You probably think I’ve said often I’ll come home. If I can’t, please come to get me,” he said in video address from neighbouring Laos.

An estimated 2,000 people gathered in Nong Khai, just across the border, to hear the ex-leader speak, police said.

Mr Thaksin was toppled by royalist generals in 2006 and lives in Dubai to avoid a two-year prison sentence for corruption, which he contends is politically-motivated.

“Whether or not I return home, the count r y must move forward.

“If everything is over and I return home, I don’t necessarily have to become prime minister. I can serve people,” Mr Thaksin said in televised remarks.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai Party List MP Sanoh Thienthong advised Mr Thaksin to forfeit his claim on the B46 billion seized from him by the state, in order to receive a legal amnesty in return.

M r Sa noh u rge s t he

IN BRIEF Three Muslims shot in South Gunmen shot and killed three Muslims as they left a mosque after evening prayers in the insurgency-plagued south, police said last week.

Two men and a woman died when attackers opened fire on the Banna Praow mosque in Pattani, one of three southern provinces that have been rocked by eight years of violence, on Wednesday night.

“They were still inside the walls of the mosque when they were shot after evening prayers. We do not know the motive yet,” said police.

Supporters of fugitive former Premier Thaksin Shinawatra hold photos of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Mr Thaksin during a Songkran rally by thousands of Red Shirts in Siem Reap, near the Thai border, on Saturday (April 14). Photo: AFP now sharing an understanding.

But D e mo c r at Pa r t y spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said on Tuesday (April 17) that the Government has failed to meet expectations in all its 16 election policies, due to its misguided focus of rescuing fugitive Mr Thaksin.

“For the past eight months, the Government has abandoned its duty to address the people’s grievances,” and has had no tangi-

Government to move forward the reconciliation bill rega rd less of t he resistance from the Opposition, reported TAN Network.

MP Sanoh said the amnesty bill is likely to be proposed by the Pheu Thai Party, not by the Government.

He said the bill will certainly be introduced as conditions are ripe for national reconciliation with Government and the armed forces

ble achievements since it came to power, he said.

Compensation payments were made to Red Shirts while security forces and people affected by the street protests received lesser help.

Events in the South have seen 1,461 people killed in the past eight months, and the recent car bomb attacks were suspected to have been triggered by the meddling of Mr Thaksin, he said.

Songkran road toll – 282 dead During the six days of the Songkran holidays, 282 deaths and 3,059 injuries caused by road accidents were recorded, with drunk driving the leading cause of death.

Most deaths were reported in Nakhon Si Thammrat and Su rat Thani provinces, at 10 deaths each.

Chiang Rai had the most accidents with 106.

Most accidents, approximately 83 per cent, involved motorcycles.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

UN condemns N Korea over its rocket launch Agence France-Presse

North Korea on Tuesday rejected UN condemnation of its rocket launch and said it would no longer adhere to an agreement with the United States to freeze its nuclear and missile programmes.

“We resolutely and totally reject the unreasonable behaviour of the UN Security Council to violate the DPRK’s (North Korea’s) legitimate right to launch satellites,” the foreign ministry said in a statement carried by state media.

The statement came after the Security Council ordered tightened sanctions on North Korea over its failed rocket launch Friday and warned of new action if the isolated state stages a nuclear test.

The 15-member council – including the North’s closest ally China – “strongly condemned” the launch in a statement that highlighted “grave security concerns” in Asia. North Korea claimed the launch was to put a satellite into orbit as part of celebrations to mark the centenary

the way of (North Korea)’s space development for peaceful purposes.”

It also accused the United States of breaching a February deal in which Washington had promised 240,000 tonnes of food aid for North Korea in exchange for promises that it would suspend enrichment of uranium and cancel nuclear and missile tests. Washington has suspended the deal.

“As the US violated the Leader Kim Jong-un. Photo: February 29 (North Korea)Korean Central News Agency US agreement through its of the birth of the country’s undisguised hostile acts, founder Kim Il-Sung, as his we will no longer be bound young grandson Kim Jong-Un to it. We have thus become takes over the reins of power. able to t a ke necessa r y The United States and retaliatory measures, free its allies, however, said it from the agreement,” it was a disguised long-range said, without specifying ballistic missile test banned exactly what it meant. under UN resolutions.

“The US will be held “We will expand and wholly accountable for all strengthen space develop- the ensuing consequences. ment institutions and con- Peace is very dear for us tinue launching a variety of but the dignity of the nation working satellites needed for and the sovereignty of the economic development of the country are dearer for us.” country,” the North Korean The United States said foreign ministry said.

North Korea remained bound “Nothing can stand in not to conduct a feared third

nuclear test. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said North Korea was still obliged to comply with UN Security Council resolutions that demanded no further nuclear tests after the regime donated atomic bombs in 2006 and 2009.

“We believe that it’s not just the commitments that North Korea made on Leap Day, but also existing Security Council resolutions that hold North Korea to the pledge not to conduct any nuclear tests,” Toner told reporters.

At the meeting in New York on Monday the Security Council ordered a tightening of sanctions imposed after North Korea’s nuclear tests.

The Council said the launch of the rocket, which disintegrated over the Yellow Sea shortly after blast off, was a “serious violation” of UN resolutions and “strongly condemned” the act.

North Korea has been developing missiles for decades both for what it terms self-defence and as a lucrative export commodity.

7

Tokyo to purchase islands: governor Agence France-Presse

Controversial Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara provoked an angry reaction from China on Tuesday after saying taxpayers in Japan’s capital will buy a small chain of uninhabited islands at the centre of a damaging territorial dispute.

Ishihara, an outspoken critic of Beijing who has made a career out of provocative nationalistic remarks, said he has approached the owner of the islands in the East China Sea, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyou in China.

“Tokyo has decided to buy them. Tokyo will defend the Senkaku islands,” he told the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington on Monday.

The remarks sparked an angry response from China, which vigorously claims the islands as its own, with foreign ministry spokesman Liu Wei m i n sayi ng any unilateral action taken by Japan would be illegal.

“The Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands have been part of China’s territory since ancient times and China has indisputable sovereignty over them,” Liu was quoted by state news agency Xinhua as saying.

Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara. Photo: US Navy If realised, the move would mark a new stage in the longrumbling dispute over the islands, which sit around 2 ,0 0 0 k i lom e t r e s f r om Tokyo in rich fishing grounds that may harbour lucrative energy resources.

Ishihara said he had begun negotiations to purchase Uotsurijima, Kitakojima and Minamikojima islands in the uninhabited island chain, which is owned by a Japanese family and leased to the Japanese government.

The islands are owned by the Kurihara family who bought them decades ago from descendants of the previous Japanese owners.

Indonesia sought shorter term for Schapelle Corby Agence France-Presse

The Indonesian justice ministry recommended to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2011 that Australian drug trafficker Schapelle Corby’s jail term be cut by five years, an official told AFP on Tuesday.

Corby, 34, was convicted in 2005 of smuggling more than four kilogrammes of marijuana and is serving a 20-year jail sentence at the overcrowded Kerobokan prison on the resort island of Bali.

She filed for clemency in 2010 and the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights made its recommendation to Yudhoyono the following year, but its details were not disclosed at the time.

But a ministry official told AFP on Tuesday that it had suggested a five-year reduction and that the recommendation still stood.

“We suggested a five-year sentence cut for Corby by the Indonesian president,” the official said, speaking

on condition of anonymity.

Since she was convicted in May 2005, Corby, like many other prisoners, has had her sentence cut by threeto-five months every year.

At the end of 2011 her sentence had been reduced by a total of 22 months, meaning she is currently due to remain in jail until 2023 if her sentence is not further reduced.

Her lawyer Iskandar Nawing has repeatedly called for Corby to be released immediately on health grounds.

Take the plunge!

Daily Trips to Phuket‘s best dive sites Special packages for Residents Holiday programmes for Kids Unique customer service e-mail: info@sea-bees.com tel: +66 (0)76 381 765

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8

REGIONAL NEWS

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

Widespread panic in Indonesia following quake off Sumatra Agence France-Presse

Indonesia’s tsunami early war ning system, widely praised during last week’s Indian Ocean-wide alert, has been compromised by thieves and vandals in the country’s waters, officials have said.

The $130-million (B4 billion) system of tidal gauges, buoys and seismic monitors sent warnings to Indonesian authorities Wednesday after an 8.6-magnitude quake struck off Sumatra island.

Ten people died in the earthquake, mostly elderly people suffering heart attacks from shock, and little damage was reported to buildings and infrastructure. “ We h ave h a d prob lems with theft and vandalism of our system for a while,” Indonesian National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told AFP. “We got the tsu nami warning from a seismograph but because so many of the buoys are dest royed we can’t tell how big a potential

tsunami would be.”

Nugroho said just three of 25 buoys in Indonesian waters were in operation, mostly because of vandalism.

Since the system was set up in 2008, fishermen have reportedly used the buoys to moor their vessels, at times damaging the instruments.

Indonesian authorities are now working with the United States to try and develop deeper-water equipment to prevent theft and vandalism, officials said.

Experts told AFP the system had functioned well in Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra, where 170,000 people were killed and entire towns were flattened by the massive Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.

They said government agencies sent SMS messages and sounded sirens to warn people to search for higher ground.

But an AFP correspondent in Aceh province said some sirens did not work and the government did not sound the sirens until 45 minutes

after the quake.

Most people began running uphill as soon as they could, many remembering the 2004 tsunami had thrashed Aceh within 15 minutes of the earthquake.

“Only three of the six si r e n s i n Ac eh wor ke d because someone at one of the receiver stations panicked and evacuated the building without activating the sirens,” Nugroho said.

“O t he r s we re poorly maintained, and weren’t loud enough.”

After an oceanwide alert was issued Wednesday, countries such as Thailand, India and Sri Lanka helped spread the word through SMS messages, smartphone apps and social media.

But the time lag and poor maintenance of equipment in Aceh has raised concerns that Indonesians will be unprepared should a tsunami hit.

Geologists have predicted an 8.9-magnitude will in coming years hit the Mentawai Islands of Western Sumatra, where there are no sirens.

Indonesian women hug each other and pray shortly after an 8.6-magnitude quake struck off Sumatra island on April 11.

Photo: AFP

Indonesia revises its quake death toll to 10 Agence France-Presse

Ten people died from the massive earthquake that st r uck of f I ndone sia’s Sumatra island earlier this week, official sources have said, revising an earlier toll of five dead.

“According to the latest data 10 people died,” National Mitigation Agenc y s p o ke s m a n Su t o p o Purwo Nugroho said.

“Eight of the deaths were

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from heart attacks and the cause of the other two deaths is unknown,” he said, adding that all of the casualties were in Aceh province, where 170,000 people died in a 2004 tsunami.

Nugroho said that most of the dead were aged between 60 and 70, and were believed to have died of shock.

He added that four people were seriously injured and hospitalised, including a child who fell from a tree.

Eight others were also hurt.

The quake’s epicentre was much farther offshore than 2004, according to the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency.

Minimal damage was caused this time round because government regulations ensured buildings have better resistance to quakes, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and people were better prepared.

THE PHUKET NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

Norwegian killer claims he was influenced by al-Qaeda Agence France-Presse

The g unman behind the Nor way massacres said Tuesday he was inspired by Al-Qaeda and would repeat the carnage if he could, as he took the stand on the second day of the trial.

Rightwing extremist Anders Behring Breivik said his twin attacks last year that killed 77 people were aimed at defending “ethnic Norwegians” from rising multiculturalism and that he “would have done it again.”

Insisting that “universal human rights” gave him the mandate to carry out his acts, he described himself as a “militant nationalist” and, using the pronoun ‘we’ to suggest he was part of a larger group, added: “We have drawn from al-Qaeda and militant Islamists.”

“You can see al-Qaeda as the most successful militant group in the world,” Br e iv i k t old t h e c o u r t during questioning.

NATO’s bombing of Serbia in 1999 and the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States also played a role in

Anders Behring Breivik is on trial in Norway this week. his radicalisation, he said.

Granted clearance earlier to address the court with a prepared text, Breivik described his July 22 attacks last year as a “preventive” attack to avoid a European culture war with Muslims.

After describing Christ i a n s a s “a p e r s e c u t e d minority,” the 33-year-old asked the court to acquit

him while making clear he had no remorse.

Breivik said that spending his life in prison or dying for his people would be “the biggest honour.”

Breivik had been granted 30 minutes to speak but ended up lecturing for 73 minutes, as Chief Judge Wenche Elizabeth Arntzen repeatedly urged him to wrap up quickly though

the prosecution supported Breivik’s wish to go on.

On July 22 last year, Breivik first killed eight people when he set off a bomb in a van parked outside buildings housing the offices of Labour Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who was not present at the time.

He then travelled to Utoeya island where, dressed as a police officer, he spent more than an hour methodically shooting at hundreds of people attending a ruling Labour Party youth summer camp.

The shooting spree claimed 69 lives, mostly teens trapped on the small island surrounded by icy waters. It was the deadliest massacre ever committed by a lone gunman.

Breivik on Tuesday evoked the idea of accomplices, telling the court during questioning that two other oneperson “cells” existed.

Police have previously said they had not been able to prove he had accomplices.

Tuesday’s proceedings were delayed for around 30 minutes after it emerged one of the five judges had posted a message on a web-

site the day after the killings suggesting Breivik should be sentenced to death.

“The death penalty is the only fair outcome in this case!!!!,” Thomas Indreboe, one of the two lay judges on t he pa nel, w rote on July 23 last year.

Following a submission from both the defence and prosecution teams, Indreboe was deemed unfit and replaced by one of two substitute judges, Anne Elisabeth Wisloeff, already present in court.

The death penalty does not exist in Norway.

If he is found sane, Breivik risks a 21-year jail term, which could then be extended indefinitely if he is still considered a threat to society. If he is found insane he could be sentenced to closed psychiatric care, possibly for life.

Two psychiatric evaluations have drawn contradictory conclusions on his sanity, and ultimately it will be up to the judges to rule on them when they hand down the verdict sometime in mid-July.

Breivik has entered a plea of “not guilty,” saying his acts were “cruel but necessary.”

9

IN BRIEF Mississippi law may force its last surviving abortion clinic to shut Mississippi has become the latest Republican-run US state to bring in tough new anti-abortion legislation, which could shut down its one remaining clinic offering the procedure and thus effectively end abortions in the state.

Under Mississippi’s new law, all doctors at abortion clinics must be state-registered obstetrician-gynaecologists, who can send a patient to a local hospital in the event of complications.

Britain destroyed official records of colonial crimes Thousands of documents detailing some of the most shameful acts committed during the final years of the British empire were systematically destroyed to prevent them falling into the hands of post-independence governments, says a review.

Those papers that survived the purge were f lown discreetly to Britain where they were hidden for 50 years in a secret Foreign Office archive.

Mugabe returns home from Singapore ‘fit as a fiddle’ Agence France-Presse

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe returned home from Singapore on Thursday, after a trip that fuelled rumours the 88-year-old was seriously ill, intensifying concerns about who would succeed him.

Mugabe has made frequent visits to Singapore in recent years, amid reports that the veteran leader is suffering from prostate cancer that has already spread throughout his body. He appeared healthy as he walked off his charter plane

Mugabe. Photo: Jeremy Lock in Harare accompanied by his wife Grace, joking with Vice President Joice Mujuru and military chiefs who welcomed him home.

“The man is fit as a fiddle,” Information Minister Webster Shamu told reporters.

“Why do we wish somebody bad, why do we spread rumours, why do we lie about our head of state?”

Mugabe and other top officials have repeatedly denied the cancer reports, which gained widespread currency following a leaked 2008 US d iplomat ic cable i n which Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono confirmed the health story to the then US ambassador.

Building C1-C2 Premium Outlet-Gallery Zone, Bypass Rd., Phuket 83000, Thailand Tel: (076) 350-465 Fax: (076) 350-465 Email: abfabsales@gmail.com www.abfabphuket.com Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10 am-5.30 pm Closed: Sunday

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10 LETTERS/VIEWPOINT

THE PHUKET NEWS

OPINION

The Quake Files

‘On April 11, the quake was a result of a pressure build-up in a strike-slip fault, where two plates are sliding past each other, rather than one under the other’ > 11

Editor’s Viewpoint

NORACHAI’S WORLD

DISASTROUS INFORMATION The tsunami scare of April 11 in Phuket was a reminder that it’s better to be safe than sorry. Based on the information they had, authorities set off the tsunami alarms and spread the word to evacuate, and those who were not already heading for the hills grabbed their essentials and got away from the sea.

Many on the island still remember vividly the horror of 2004, before the warning systems were established.

The result? Hundreds died in Phu ket, thousands in Thailand, many more were injured, and the catastrophic event was etched in the island’s history books, and in people’s memories.

Eight years later, tsunami warning buoys are in place in deep water, national alerts are issued, warning sirens can be heard in coastal towns and authorities can issue evacuation alerts.

This time around, there was no tsunami, but the right decision was made: Evacuate.

Social media played a huge

Shaken, not stirred.

Letters to the editor More info needed

Yesterday (April 16) the earthquake and the panic hit Phuket again. We can do nothing against the forces of nature – but we can do something how to warn the inhabitants of Phuket.

Nothing is working here.

I got help from my brother in Sweden; I reached him on the phone and he sent an SMS to me every 10 minutes with a status update which I distributed verbally to all the people around. In Sweden he had more information than all of us on the ground in Phuket. It calmed all of us down which is important in a situation like this.

For the sake of the Thai people and the tourists something should be organised immediately for the next disaster to come instead of leaving us all alone and on our own.

Peter Keemss

It’s news to me Well done Phuket News. The only online media source that is available at this time with good, sensible and up-to-date reports. AIS and DTAC should be asked some serious questions as to why their service has stopped at this critical time Its Me

Don’t cry wolf [Re. Phew. No tsunami] Really, the warning system should not have been used, it should be used only when a tsunami is confirmed.

Remember the saying “boy who cried wolf”, otherwise, in the future the warnings will be ignored, with catastrophic consequences.

Laurie Howells

Sound the alarm [Re. Phew. No tsunami] Though some may think twice the next time the alarm sounds,

Laurie Howells, I completely disagree with the thought that the alarm should not have been used. The evacuation of tens or hundreds of thousands of people in less than two hours is a difficult enough task already.

Delaying the warning until a tsunami is confirmed would cost lives.Even safely in my room with internet and TV access, the number of conflicting reports, especially from official sources, was astonishing.

People will respond to the next alarm and warning however they choose, but do not take away the precious minutes from those who would choose to be safe and evacuate early.

Another Tom

A big thanks Just arrived back home in Australia from a fantastic time even though we had a scare with a threat of a tsunami.

We were in Patong at the

time, and were just about to order when a boy behind the counter got a phone call, quickly hung up the phone and with a terrified look on his face, told us we all had to get out as they had just been told a tsunami was coming and would hit in 30 minutes.

I was with my group of friends at the time and we ran into the Millennium Hotel, where staff were kind enough to offer their hotel so we could get to higher ground.

We waited on the roof top looking out onto the horizon with hundreds of others.

All the staff were amazing, offering cold refreshments and food while we waited, and after five hours of standing in the hot sun it was announced that it was safe and the warning had passed.

When you face the possibility of a disaster in your life it makes you realise what’s important – the ones you love.

part in informing people too.

With phone networks jammed, and our own Phuket News website staggering under the load, many people turned to our Facebook and Twitter pages to get details.

In the modern age, along with information, comes misinformation too. Photoshopped tsunami photos and photos from the 2004 wave were reshared.

People’s Facebook statuses talked of the water receding in Patong (not true) and of huge waves offshore (not true). All of this made fact that much harder to sort from fiction.

Reports from news agencies often take a back seat to the highly glamorous, sensational news reports from other outlets that claim to know the facts, but instead only spread fear and panic.

In emergencies people search for information to help them make sense of what’s going on. So if you can’t verify it from a reliable source, don’t spread it or share it. You’ll be doing everyone a big favour.

This week in history I just can’t thank the staff at the Millennium enough for their generosity and reassuring words of comfort.

But you wouldn’t expect anything less of Thai people and the way they just are.

Caring and generous in heart.

Nicky Bratina

Any response?

[Re. USGS confirms Phuket quake] Living just metres from the epicentre, I reported the quake to the USGS within minutes of its occurrence. I also followed up my report with a written request that it be acknowledged.

What response did I get?

Nothing. Nothing at all.

Then when they finally got around to posting the information, the location was shown wrong on their map.

This is worrying considering so many accept as gospel what they report.

Geoff Phuket

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, APRIL 20, 2012

■■ April 20, 1961 – Failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion of US-backed troops against Cuba.

■■ April 21, 1934 – The “Surgeon’s Photograph”, the most famous photo allegedly showing the Loch Ness Monster, is published in the Daily Mail.

■■ April 22, 1993 – Version 1.0 of the Mosaic web browser is released.

■■ April 23, 1985 – CocaCola changes its formula and releases New Coke.

The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market i n less than three months.

■■ April 24, 1990 – The Hubble Space Telescope is launched from the Space Shuttle Discovery.

■■ April 25, 1901 – New York becomes the first US state to require automobile licence plates.

■■ April 26, 1981 – Dr Michael R. Harrison of the San Francisco Medical Center performs the world’s first human open foetal surgery.

THE PHUKET NEWS

HOT TOPIC 11

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

THE QUAKE FILES

MEASURING QUAKES How the Richter Scale works

T

he Richter Scale – the one most commonly used to measure earthquake strength – was devised in 1935 by Charles Richter and Beno Gutenburg of the California Institute of Technology.

Basically, it measures only the amount of energy released by a quake and takes no account of other factors such as depth below the earth’s surface or direction of movement, which can have a significant bearing on the amount of destruction caused.

T he R ichter scale is logarithmic, so a Richter 2 magnitude quake is not twice as strong as a Richter 1 magnitude; it’s roughly 30 times as strong.

The 9.2 quake that caused the 2004 Asian Tsunami was roughly 5.5 times as powerful as the 8.7 quake of April 11 this year.

The largest man-made release of energy was the Tsar Bomba, the world’s most powerful nuclear device, detonated in 1961 in a remote part of the Soviet Union.

The amount of energy released by the bomb, as recorded by seismographs, rated an 8.35 on the Richter scale.

Another method for measuring earthquakes is the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale, based on a 19th Century system of measurement, and revised in 1931. The Mercalli

8.9

RICHTER SCALE

1 GREAT

8 EARTHQUAKE SEISMOGRAPH FROM SAN FRANCISCO 1906

MAJOR

7

2 3 1 -1 0

4

5

6

STRONG MODERATE SMALL MINOR NOT FELT

-1 0 1 measures 2 3 energy 4 5 released 6 7 by 8 a quake.

9 The Richter Scale

measures the effects on the ground, rather than the energy released by a quake.

Nu mbered i n Roman numerals, it runs from I, for a quake that is “generally not felt at all”.

A Mercalli VI quake (Strong), is described as “Felt by all; many frightened and run outdoors, walk unsteadily.

Windows, dishes, glassware broken; books fall off shelves; some heavy furniture moved or overturned; a few instances of fallen plaster. Damage slight.”

The most extreme quake

The world’s most powerful quakes

on the Mercalli scale is a XII (Cataclysmic), described thus: “Total destruction – Everything is destroyed. Lines of sight and level distorted. Objects thrown into the air. The ground moves in waves or ripples.”

The Richter scale, which can be extrapolated from seismog raph measu re ments halfway round the world, is much easier to apply than the Mercalli, which requires first-hand observation on the ground. This is why the Richter scale is much more widely used.

In 1960 the world’s most powerful quake, near Temuco in Chile, registered 9.5 on the Richter scale and killed more than 1,600 people, injured another 3,000, and left two million homeless. It also caused tsunami waves that killed 231 people in Japan, Hawaii and the Philippines.

The 1964 quake in Prince William Sound, Alaska, measured at 9.2, killed just 15 people, though the tsunami it generated killed another 113. It caused devastation in Anchorage, the nearest city, flattening 30 blocks.

Much more deadly was the 9.1 quake off Sumatra, Indonesia on December 26, 2004. This was the one that released the Asian Tsunami, killing a record 228,000 people in 14 countries around the rim of the Indian Ocean.

Last year’s Tohoku 9.0 earthquake, off the coast of Honshu Island, Japan, and the subsequent tsunami, killed at least 15,703 people, and left 130,927 homeless. At Miyako the waves reached a height of almost 38 metres – equivalent to a 13-storey building.

The Kamchatka Quake of 1952 registered 9.0 on the Richter scale. Thanks to the sparseness of the population in Russia’s Far East, no deaths were recorded, but the resulting tsunami caused damage in Hawaii, Alaska, Chile and New Zealand.

In 1868 a 9.0 earthquake centred on the port of Arica, Chile, caused havoc along the coastline and was felt as far away as 1,400 kilometres away. At least 330 people were killed by the three tsunami waves that followed.

The Cascadia earthquake of 1700 – believed to have been around magnitude 9.0 – rattled northern California, Oregon, Washington, and southern British Columbia,

2 3 4 5 6 7

and set off waves that damaged coastal villages in Japan. The death toll was not recorded.

The 2010 Chile quake killed 523 people, injured 12,000, destroyed 370,000 homes and left 800,000 homeless.

More than 300 aftershocks of 5.0 or greater have been recorded since.

In 1906, off the coast of Ecuador, an 8.8-magnitude quake generated tsunami waves that killed as many as 1,500 people in that country and neighbouring Colombia.

Like the Kamchatka quake (No. 5) the 8.8 quake in 1965 among the Rat Islands, off Alaska, caused no casualties, mainly because almost no one lives in the area.

8 9

10

The power of a quake does not necessarily correlate with the damage to society.

In terms of death tolls, even the Sumatra quake of 2004, with 228,000 dead, was by no means the most deadly. The top five are: 1 The Shaanxi Quake of 1556 in China killed an estimated 830,000 people. It is thought to have been around 8.0 Richter.

2 The 7.0 quake of 2010 in Haiti killed 316,000 people and injured some 300,000.

3 The Tangshan Earthquake of 1976, in China, officially killed 242,769 people, though some estimates put the toll as high as 655,000.

4 So long ago it’s almost in prehistory, the Aleppo, Syria, quake of 1138 is estimated to have killed 230,000 people.

5 The 9.1 Sumatra Quake of 2004 (see No. 3 in the list above) is infamous not because of the number of people the quake itself killed, but for the record number of people the subsequent tsunami waves killed – 228,000.

Source: US Geological Survey

Why there was no tsunami this time A

t 8.7 on the Richter scale, with two aftershocks of 6.5 and 8.1, the April 11 quake to the south of Sumatra, Indonesia, was a big one – large enough to set off tsunami alerts all around the Bay of Bengal and even as far away as Kenya.

But in the end, seismologists have explained, the likelihood of it causing a catastrophic tsunami was almost non-existent.

This is because it was a different kind of quake from the quake of 2004 that set off the deadly Asian Tsunami.

In 2004, the quake was caused by subduction along what is known as the Sunda Megathrust. This is where two “protoplates” of the earth’s crust – the Indian and Aus-

tralian plates – are gradually sliding under two smaller ones, the Sunda and Burma plates.

To explain in very simplistic terms, imagine you are holding an eraser with its end against a sheet of glass. Keep the pressure on as you push it across the glass, and the eraser will bend. Eventually it reaches a point where it snaps back into its original shape.

Pressure builds up between the plates until it reaches unsustainable levels – as with the eraser – and a huge amount of energy is released in a very short time.

Usually this results in the surface – in the case of the 2004 quake – snapping upwards or downwards. If it is under the ocean this will cause tsunami waves.

On April 11, however, the quake – although in the same area close to Sumatra– was a result of a pressure build-up in what is known as a strike-slip fault, where two plates are sliding past each other, rather than one under the other.

Such quakes can cause significant damage on the su rface but in this case all the action was more than 30 kilometres below the seabed, and had no effect on the seabed itself.

This is not, of course, to say that we are safe now.

Scientists believe that some parts of the Sunda Megathrust have been the cause of two or more quakes in history, so 2004 could be repeated.

The big question that noone can answer is “When?”

Tsunamis SubductionOccur quake Powerful quake more likely to cause tsunami, Tsunamis Occur as on December 26, 2004

Strike-slip movement

Strike Movement Powerful quakeSlip less likely to cause tsunami, as on April 11, 2012

Strike Slip Movement

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12 BUSINESS/TOURISM

THE PHUKET NEWS

BUSINESS

White’s all right. Right?

Wrong, says Scott Gorsuch; it’s safe but it’s kinda boring.

Go for colour > 14

business@thephuketnews.com

IN BRIEF Hotels fish nearer to bottom of barrel Hotel operators have responded to the government’s policy of setting new graduates’ pay at a minimum of B15,000 a month by lowering the education requirements of staff as a way to reduce operation costs.

According to Thai Hotels Association (THA), increasing numbers of two- and three-star hotels have decided to recruit vocational college graduates on a minimum B300 a day wage instead of degree holders.

Foreign investment jumps in Q1 Foreign investment in Thailand in the first quarter of this year jumped by 72 per cent in value terms compared with the same period of 2011.

BOI Secretary General Atchaka Sibunruang said that 470 investment projects totalling over B231 billion, were submitted.

In the same period of last year there were 312 applications worth B134 billion.

THAI to consider pay rise demands A board meeting of Thai A i r ­w ays I nter nat ional (THAI) is to consider demands by discontented aircrew for a pay hike.

A number of pilots, copilots and cabin crew working for the national carrier deliberately took leave of absence during the busy Songkran holidays, causing many flights delays.

Airline president Piyasvasti Amranand said the pilots’ demands will be discussed at a board meeting due to be held today (April 20).

thephuketnews.com

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

Airlines’ debts threaten Indian airport closures Bleeding airlines have started infecting airport operators, with the managers of Delhi and Hyderabad inter national airports staring at the prospect of downing shutters in two months over mounting dues from Air India and Kingfisher Airlines.

India’s Financial Express newspaper quotes Sidharath Kapur, chief financial officer of Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), saying on Tuesday (April 10): “If payments are not made, there may be a situation after two months that we may not be able to operate and pay our employees.”

Kingfisher and Air India jointly owe about 525 billion rupees (US$10.2 billion or B315 billion) to DIAL that is run by airport developer GMR. The Delhi airport, which handled 35.9 million passengers in 2011-12, is India’s busiest airport.

Mr Kapur said the company is losing 40 billion rupees (B24 billion) every month.

DIAL has asked Air India to pay 300 billion rupees (B180 billion) immediately out of its dues of 450 billion rupees. Kingfisher owes the rest at 75 billion rupees (B45 billion).

“Kingfisher has started paying five million rupees per day. We have asked them to raise it by another two million rupees,” he said. Kingfisher’s dues are not climbing since the airline has reduced operations, but the case of the public sector airline is different.

The DIAL management, led by GMR chairman GM Rao, met reporters on Tuesday to release an NCAER report titled “Economic impact study of Delhi airport”.

The study claims the airport has contributed about 0.5 per cent to the GDP of the country in 2010-11. Mr Rao, however, steered clear of mentioning the financial crisis at Delhi airport, focusing instead on the findings of the study.

Fashion designer Carlos Arturo Zapata (left) at the opening of the new Private Pool Villas with Prakaikaew Na-Ranong.

Delhi Airport: ‘After two months we may not be able to operate and pay our employees.’

According to Kapur, the losses have ballooned so much that banks are wary of extending loans to meet operating needs.

“We have already borrowed 5,300 billion rupees (B3,182 billion) from foreign and domestic banks. No bank will give us more money considering our losses,” he said.

DIAL has also been pitching for an over 600 per cent hike in aeronautical charges with the Airport Economic

Regulatory Authority.

Though a decision in this regard is expected by next week, according to industry officials, the hike may not be more than 334 per cent. And that will benefit the company only from the current fiscal.

“We hope the regulator accepts our proposal. A 600 per cent hike would translate into an average additional cost of 350-450 rupees (B210270) per passenger,” another DIAL official said.

Indigo Pearl unveils Bensley pool villas

Onyx Group promotes PR director

DIAL’s aeronautical revenues rose from 361 rupees in 2008-09 to 459.7 billion rupees in 2010-11 on total revenues of 1,261 billion rupees, Mr Kapur said. But the company is still expected to incur a loss of 450 billion rupees.

The airport developer expects to end 2011-12 with a cumulative loss of about 950 billion rupees. Higher provisioning for depreciation and capitalisation costs have also added to losses, he said.

The Indigo Pearl Resort at Nai Yang Beach welcomed glitterati and media last weekend at a launch party, hosted by the owning Na-Ranong family, to unveil its new Private Pool Villas.

T h e v i l l a s we r e d e signed by the family’s favourite designer, renowned American Bill Bensley.

The pool-side event att racted people f rom the business community and island society who enjoyed an evening of enter tainment culminating in an haute

couture fashion show by Columbian designer Carlos Arturo Zapata.

Guests cong rat ulated the Na-Ranong family and Bensley on the villa design that – to use he words of a subsequent press release – “combined modern industrial design with chic minimalism”.

“Our goal was to create Phuket’s most exclusive high-end private garden and pool residences and set a new benchmark that is unsurpassed in Phuket,” said Mr Bensley.

Thailand-based hotel-management company, Onyx Hospitality Group, has promoted Ha r r is Ku rdt h ip to t he position of Director of Marketing Communications.

Following his promotion, Mr Harris will be responsible for driving marketing and PR activities for Onyx, its brands and properties, including overall management of two corporate teams under marketing at Onyx Headquarters in Bangkok comprising group marketing service and Thailand communications teams.

A Thai national, Mr Harris has worked with Onyx Hospitality Group as Director of Public Relations for over two years, amassing experience in hospitality, public relations and marketing before being promoted to the new position.

Before joining Onyx, he worked with hotel management companies including Hy­att, Accor, Raffles and Mi­nor International, where he oversaw PR and communications for the Asia Pacific hospitality market.

THE PHUKET NEWS

BUSINESS/TOURISM 13

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

Sweeping changes at top of Starwood Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced a slew of promotions and changes to its leadership.

The changes follow the decision by three admired senior leaders to retire – Matt Avril, President of the Hotel Group; Denise Coll, President of Starwood North America; and Miguel Ko, Chairman and President of Starwood Asia Pacific.

The planned retirements will take place over the next few months and all of the new leaders are bei ng promoted f rom within the company.

Mr Avril began his career with Starwood in 1989 and became president of the hotel group in 2008.

Under his watch, Starwood’s hotel business experienced its highest ever market share gains.

Ms Coll joined ITT Sheraton (later acquired

by Starwood) in 1976.

Since 2007, she has led Starwood’s largest region, Nor t h A mer ica , w it h more than 500 hotels.

Mr Ko began his career with ITT Sheraton in 1979.

During the past decade under his leadership, the company grew in Asia from 75 to over 360 hotels, becoming the largest five-star hotel company in Asia.

In recognition of another vital part of the business, Starwood will also elevate its leadership in China to reflect that country’s great importance for the company.

As part of the organisational changes, presidents of The Americas; Asia Pacific; and Europe, Africa and Middle East; will now report directly to Frits van Paasschen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Starwood.

New appoi nt ments effective July 1 include: Sergio Rivera, currently president and CEO of Starwood Vacation Ownership, becomes co-president of Starwood Americas.

Stephen Ho, currently senior vice president of acquisitions and development for Starwood China, has been promoted to president of Asia Pacific. He has been with Starwood for 31 years, having begun his career as a pastry chef.

Qian Jin, currently head of Starwood’s operations for China, has been promoted to the title of president of Greater China..

RATTLED

Tourism organisations evaluate quake effect

TAN / MCOT

Tour operators have admitted that some foreign tourists are worried following the Indonesian earthquake of April 11, which sparked a tsunami alert and the evacuation of low-lying areas of west Phuket.

Many tourists have postponed trips to Thailand, and some tourists already on holiday along the Andaman coast have decided to leave ea rl ier t ha n schedu led , operators have reported.

The president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), Sisdivachr Chewaratt a napor n said t hat tou r operators are continuing to monitor the situation.

ATTA believes that confidence among tourists will return to normal within a month and stated that related agencies must be effective and report the facts clearly as the

Tourists and locals wait for the all clear after the tsunami alert of April 11. main problem is unclear reports about the circumstances.

The chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand, Kongkrit Hiranyakit agreed that April 11 had had a psychological impact on tourists who were planning to travel to the

coastal areas of the Andaman Sea, as they are concerned about their safety.

However, he too believes that the impact will be shortlived and that the situation will return to normal fairly fast.

The president of the As-

sociation of Domestic Travel, Maiyarut Pheerayakoses, urged the government not to worry that sounding a warning could cause panic among tourists.

Ms Maiyarut said that giving an early warning was always better than coping with

the loss of lives and assets should a disaster strike without any warning being given.

She said tour operators monitor tsunami warnings closely and will always work to ensure the safety of tourists.

The director of the Economic and Business Forecast Centre (EBFC) of the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce, Thanawat Polwichai said although there was no tsunami on April 11, the incident had made tourists very nervous.

Mr Thanawat said the EBFC will evaluate the impact of the incident to see whether it leads to significant cancellations of travel to areas that received the tsunami alert.

He noted that Thailand’s Andaman coastal provinces attract roughly a million tourists in a month, generating some B20 to B30 billion baht in revenue for the region.

Under new management: Pool villa at the Evason, Rawai.

Sale of Evason, Six Senses confirmed Pegasus Capital Advisors (PCA) and the Soneva Group have confirmed rumours rife on the island in recent weeks: that Soneva has sold its Six Senses Resorts & Spas, which includes the Evason Resort, in Rawai, and the Six Senses Yao Noi, on Koh Yao Noi in Phang Nga Bay. Neither side has disclosed how much the deal is worth, but a number of other details have been revealed.

Under the terms of the

deal, PCA will acquire all of the Six Senses and Evason branded resort and spa management contracts and related intellectual property rights and operate them under a new company managed

by Pegasus and its affiliates.

Bernhard Bohnenberger, currently president of Six Senses, will continue in that role, heading up Six Senses’ Bangkok office.

The deal does not include the Soneva brand and YOUR RIGHTS ARE PRECIOUS

resorts, nor the company’s real estate assets and holdings, all of which will remain in the hands of Sonu Shivdasani, founder of Six Senses, who will serve as chairman, CEO and principal shareholder of the Soneva Group.

The transaction is expected to be completed within three months.

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14 BUSINESS/PROPERTY

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

Wealthy tourists boost villa market Nattha Kahapana business@thephuketnews.com

Despite the impact of the sluggish European economy on some of its core tourist source markets, Phuket continues to attract international visitors and remains a popular choice for holidaymakers.

In recent years a new trend has emerged with more visitors choosing to rent private villas instead of staying in hotels.

A big improvement in rental demand for Phuket villas and condominiums was seen during the high season last year. These tenants are coming from a greater variety of countries, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Russia, Korea and India, as well as

Europe, and are looking into properties on the island from north to south.

The inquiries for the '”Millionaires’ Mile” in Kamala are mostly from Europeans and wealthy Russians. In fact Russians are spread across all areas but they favour the busy Patong and Karon areas the most, for the areas’ restaurants, nightlife and shopping malls.

Koreans prefer to stay in Bang t ao, next to the Laguna area.

More retail community developments are emerging in many parts of island, not only at Patong.

In the Cher ng TalayBangtao area, the Boat Avenue project is a mixed-use

development that integrates commercial and residential functions, creating a new walking and shopping street for the Laguna area.

Visitors looking for rental units are staying for three days to as long as one or two months, depending on nationality. Most Europeans prefer to stay for at least one month, whereas Asians look for places to stay on a weekly basis.

Significant increase in inquiries last year and the growth of the rental market reflect the expansion of tourist arrivals to Phuket – a record number of more than 4.2 million international passengers passed through the city’s airport last year.

The Russian invasion in particular continues to pick up momentum every year, drawing more visitors seeking a warm-weather holiday as well as business investor.

The average length of stay of Russian tourists is two weeks. Koreans make up another growing market but they tend to stay for just four to seven days.

Rental rates vary widely depending on unit type, size and property location. A threebedroom villa with usable area of 242 square metres in the Laguna area costs about B30,900-B38,600 per night during the peak season.

In Kamala, B62,000 per night will get you a four-bed-

room villa with usable area of 950 sq m on a one rai plot of land. Projects located in the Ka­ron and Patong areas are cheaper, with one-bedroom units costing as little as B2,800 a night and two bedrooms for B8,300.

Most of the upmarket villa buyers in Phuket use their residences periodically throughout the year and expect some form of rental management during the time they are not on the island. Some are pure investors and rarely come to Phuket.

The two-bedroom segment is the most promising as it meets the needs of the new groups of visitors now coming to Phuket and seeking affordable rentals.

This year, many budget condominiums are also being launched across the island, and the developers are offering buyers rental returns guaranteed at six years for three years in some projects in Patong and nine years for a project located in Karon.

Selling prices at these developments range from three to five million baht for a studio unit. Units of this type are expected to be able to command rental rates of B3,800 to B4,800 a night in the high season from November to April, and B1,500 a night in the low season.

Nattha Kahapana is a director of Knight Frank Phuket.

Can’t go wrong with white – or can you?

Scott Gorsuch Design Matters

White is the absence of colour, the default choice for many building interiors and exteriors. It’s a safe bet for most people, the common wisdom being that you can’t go wrong with white.

Unfortunately, safe can also be quite boring, and bor i ng is gener ally not what we want when design matters. Too often, the absence of colour reflects an absence of creativity.

Of course there are always exceptions. As a conscious choice, and applied purposefully and uniformly, white can make a powerful statement.

Villa Suksan is a q uie

t seclude

arn 2 Nai H e s a h P now Selling

John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s legendary apartment at the Dakota building in New York comes to mind – the floors, the furniture, the woodwork, their clothes ... even the grand piano was white. It was probably a good thing they had such colourful personalities.

Personally, minimalism makes me nervous. I like the richness, the boldness, the sensuality of colour. Deep jewel tones on the walls, even in small rooms, add intimacy and excitement. Topaz, amethyst, celedon, indigo, bronze – these are the colours that add interest.

Warm brick reds, tobacco, ivory, burnt chocolate, old silver; rich tones such as

d deve lopme nt of bout ique villa s

com bini n

these create an instant aura of timeless luxury. Add a few accents of citrus yellow or deep turquoise, and you are on your way to making a design statement.

These choices are not for the feint of heart. Lose your nerve, and you will end up with pastels or some washed out, watered down version of a good idea. Neither can one afford to be reckless; choosing and combining colours is an art, and if you are not sure, best to get professional help.

The well-trained human eye can differentiate 40,000 shades of blue. If you are not used to working with colour every day, you might want to hire someone who is.

Where to start? First,

g lu xury and affor dabilit y

Villa Suksan is a quiet secluded Boutique Development of Bali Style Pool Villas combining luxury and affordability. Villa Suksan is inspired by the calm and tranquillity of the Balinese lifestyle combined with Thai and modern elements to achieve an elegance that is both comfortable and functional for overseas buyers. Our goal is to build high quality villas at an affordable price that blend well with the tropical environment.

• Full property management • Freehold and Leasehold Ownership Nai Harn Beach & Rawai Bay Tel. 086 686 2389 or 076 384 691 Sales andrew@villasuksan.com

thephuketnews.com

White is a safe bet and, in the case of this stark Scottish castle, a way to stand out. you will need some ideas.

Hint: Visit high-end clothing stores. Fashion designers are experts in choosing and combing colours. It is easy enough to copy their ideas onto your walls and sofa.

Next, you will need access to some beautiful colours from which too choose. If you visit your local paint store, you are likely to find a broad selection of colours that run the gamut from lurid to lifeless. No wonder so many people choose white.

Hint: American and Australian paint brands, like Sher-

win Williams and Porter’s Paints, are now available in Thailand. Pick up some samples and you will be amazed at the difference – the amount of pigment in the paint is roughly triple that of Thai brands.

Nor do you need to limit yourself to standard acrylic house paint: metallic plasters, venetian stucco, tinted clay, and lime paint – the choices are nearly limitless.

Textures, colours, and surface finishes abound.

But we are in Phuket – not London or Milan – you might say? Nowhere to find

such materials or expertise on our sleepy little island?

You would be wrong, I am happy to report.

Please meet Narong Vanavisutra, proprietor of Paint FX. Khun Narong imports – and will apply to your walls – a variety of paint, plaster, and other specialty finishes from Italy, Australia, and America.

He has brought life to walls from Bangkok to Bhutan, LA to Dubai, and he would be happy to do the same for you.

To see samples of his products, visit his showroom – still a work in progress – at 65 Chao Fa West, about two kilometres south of Central Festival. You can’t miss it – it’s the only steel, glass, wire, and plywood sculptural hut on the block. When you see the building that looks like a cross between I. M. Pei and Blade Runner, you’re there.

Scott Gorsuch is Principal, Leisure Design Group, a Phuke t - ba sed de sign development and project ma nage me nt compa ny.

He can be reached at sg@ leisuredesigngroup.com

16 ART

THE PHUKET NEWS

CULTURE

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

BIG LIST: World’s weirdest museums > 20

culture@thephuketnews.com

KNOW WHERE THIS IS? GUESS RIGHT AND WIN!

GERRY’S view

THIS WEEK’S HINT: “This beautifully well preserved Sino-Portugese mansion is about 105 years old and was originally built by Hokkien Chinese who named it Angmor Lao or in English ‘The big house of the red hairs’.

“Located centrally in the island’s capital. It has gone through several transformations, and today it is the home of a noted Thai restaurant also found in Bangkok, Dubai and London”.

–Gerry Cummings

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Congratulations go to Sharon Scott Bennett and Anna Alexeeva, who correctly guessed that last week’s photo was of the Chinese sailing junk located at Jung Ceylon shopping centre in Patong.

PHUKET GALLERIES Designed by Woulfe Studio

Baan Wana Park, 177/22 Moo.4, Srisoonthorn Road, Thalang, 076 620 071, designedbywoulfe.com.

Dream Gallery

Boat Lagoon, 23/122 Thepkasattri Rd, Koh Kaew, 076 273 487, gallery@asiansourcingallery.com, thedreamgallery.asia.

I Mon Art Gallery:

29/2 Phang Nga Rd, Phuket Town, 086 961 8968, montian_29@live.com. Open daily 8am-7.30pm.

Little Monk Gallery:

95/33 Saiyuan Rd, Naiharn, 086 294 3971.

Nakonnai Art Museum: The artist’s abstract images are influenced by the azure sea and verdant tropical landscape.

Fire in his heart Norachai Thavisin editor3@thephuketnews.com

Painter Virat ‘Plerng’ Uttakut comes to meet me at the door to his P. Fire Studio, through which one glimpses a hammock strung up between tree trunks.

His half-finished brickand-cement studio, where he lives on the second floor, is in the pioneering Phuket Art Village in Soi Naya 2, off Saiyuan Rd, as you drive towards Naiharn Beach.

Small, thin and gentle, Virat doesn’t at first display much of the “fire” of his nickname. But the fire he has for his art is clear in the quality

thephuketnews.com

of paintings and drawings he has on show in his open studio.

Virat has always painted and drawn, moving to Phuket from Surat Thani Province many years ago. Like many other artists at that time, he opened a commercial shophouse studio to sell his work on Phang Nga Rd in old Phuket Town, then moved to this art village last year.

His life is both peaceful and productive, with Virat spending long days painting abstract images that are clearly inspired by the azure sea, and the verdant tropical landscape of this isle. On weekends, the artist often takes off on his motorbike to draw

Virat ‘Plerng’ Uttakut small, delicate and detailed work at the beach.

Though a work in progress, the Phuket Art Village

is already home to seven practising artists, who have joined together to create this experimental settlement – one artist (Khun Pui’s Love Art Studio) building a striking house out of recycled timber from disused fishing boats.

Another artist, who makes intricate shadow puppets from leather, plans to erect a large traditional back-it cloth screen to show his work in theatre shows, instead of using a big flat-screen DVD television.

Three working artist studios – Love Art, Red and P. Fire, with contact details on the Gallery Listing on this page – can be visited on most days at the village.

84/34 Moo7, Soi Saiyuan 2, Rawai. 085 974 7218, nakonnaiartmuseum@yahoo.com.

P. Fire Studio

Phuket Art Village, Soi Naya 2, Rawai, 085 591 1587, virat-uttakut@hotmail.co.th. Open daily.

Red Gallery:

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

Sarasil Art Galllery:

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

Open daily 8pm-9pm.

The Love Art Studio

Phuket Art Village, Soi Naya 2, Rawai, 089 471 5653, pui.t.l.a.s.@hotmail.com; theloveartstudio.com. Open daily.

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, 087 890 3722.

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

VR Gallery & Coffee Shop

Next to Mom Tri’s Villa Royale, 12 Kata Noi Rd, Kata Noi, 076 333 568; art@momtriphuket.com, momtriphuket.com.

Watcharin Art Studio:

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

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, APRIL 20, 2012

Reflecting on life Able Wanamakok

TV Host, MC, MD of AWPR & Marketing Tell us about what you do.

I am currently one of the TV hosts for a travel show for the Andaman part of Thailand called Window on Thailand. I get to meet tons of amazing and interesting people from all over.

I also MC events and that is in front of a live audience. If you have stage fright then it would be a hard job. Most important about being an MC is that you must be articulate and quick on your feet. You can’t be mute or skip a beat.

Everything must f low and it helps when you study up beforehand.

Then my other job is that we do PR for businesses. We help enhance a business virtually like Facebook fan page, Twitter and YouTube or a physical store that needs publicity.

What were you doing before you moved to Phuket?

I am originally from Hong Kong and moved to US when I was 10. I grew up in Ohio and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business at Bowling Green State University and got my first job as a CMT at Hyatt Regency Columbus.

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

I have lived in Phuket for six years now and love it here. I moved here because my husband (Best) is Thai and he wants to move back to his home land and we also saw a lot of work opportunities here.

What is the best thing about living in Phuket?

Initially is of course the sun, beach and excellent food; but living anywhere new is about integration into the society.

I grew up with a strong Asian influence because my grandma is the person that I’m very close to but growing up

EVERYDAY PEOPLE

Exposed

tom yum kung. I also love Italian food and once in a while need my burger fix.

in the States made my mentality very foreign (my friends call me a banana – yellow on the outside but white on the inside!) and I find many like-minded people here in Phuket.

What do you do to relax?

I meditate and exercise. These are the only things that really relaxes me. I realise after having two kids that balance in life is very important.

What hobbies or sports are you most interested in?

I love rollerblading. That’s my favourite sport (if it’s considered a sport). But the roads here don’t allow me to rollerblade much, so I run. I also love technology so I’m well-connected online.

What is your favourite childhood memory?

I remembered going to the park with my parents as well as going to Shallow Bay to play sand and swim in HK. But I had to have McDonald’s breakfast beforehand.

Favourite food or dish?

I like different foods from different cultures. I love real Chinese food and

What kind of music are you into?

I like hip hop for dancing and anything contemporary. Currently my favourites are Adele, Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas.

What is the best tip you have for people moving to Phuket?

Keep an open mind and think positive because anywhere you go there is good and bad. You’re bound to have things that’s different from your country.

The person you admire the most?

I always find attributes of different people whom I admire so its not just one person.

But if I have to pick, it would be Oprah Winfrey. Her traumatic past taught her to be who she is today. She used the media and her experience for the greater good of the world. She certainly broadened my mind and those of many others.

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

This is something I haven’t had to think about in a long time. But if I have a first date, I would take him to a theme park to ride roller coasters and then finish the day off being wet at a water park.

If you could come back as any other person who would it be and why?

I chose this life... so I wouldn’t choose to be anyone else.

Favourite place on the island?

I love Nai Harn beach, and being at home with my family because it makes me happy.

What’s your favourite night out?

Having a date with my husband or chilling with my girlfriends with a nice dinner, and then listening to music somewhere in Phuket Town.

Pra Bunrat often visits Phuket Sunshine Village.

Saffron kindness Norachai Thavisin editor3@thephuketnews.com

Pra Bunrat slips in quietly to the reception area of of the Phuket Sunshine Villlage in Koh Sirae, his neat saffron robe shining brightly in the shady space.

From his saffron-coloured cloth pouch, he empties a small pile of toothbrushes, toothpaste, cakes of soap and talcum powder on the little table in the waiting room.

Three young residents of the village – which accommodates orphans of t he 20 0 4 t s u n a m i and other disadvantaged children from the community – sit respectfully on the floor and politely answer his questions.

As he does once every two or three weeks, the small and gentle monk has

travelled from a nearby temple to bring the children toiletries and other goods that have been offered to the monks.

Especially during the Thai New Year (Songkran), town residents have been generous with their offerings to the monks, who h ave mor e t h a n they need for their simple temple living.

A native of Phuket, Pra Bunrat has been a monk for seven years and intends to spend the rest of his life cloistered away learning Buddhist scripture and tending to his spiritual duties for the community that looks after him in return.

He said he joined the monkhood mainly to make merit for his family, because his older brother was not in a position to do so.

FAMILY

Island of surprises MUSINGS

Elizabeth Bradley culture@thephuketnews.com

Phuket takes me by surprise on a daily basis. I went to Patong over Easter and felt transported to a distant city, which was a nice (although chaotic) change; we mostly spend our days in the Old Town, marveling at the architecture and enjoying a non farang-price meal.

Our little 4 year-old got her face painted like a bunny and proceeded to do a dance performance in front of about 50 Chinese and Thai spectators, who snapped pics of her improv skills. Prior to that we had enjoyed a few pints accompanied by onion rings at Full Moon Brewery. Why isn’t this place right next door to us? Good thing it isn’t as I

Proudly tells anyone who asks, that she is a Phuketian. would probably never leave.

The outing reminded me just how much there is to do here, and how often I take the island for granted. Sure, I’m not a fan of the prices in Patong, nor the throngs of tourists. But it was a treat, something different. I remember the first time we went to town and visited the temples.

The quiet, small buildings that have a deep history and place in the community are my favorite part of the island. We are spoiled to have such cultural delicacies on the island, and yet at times I feel myself complaining about what we lack.

My daughter likes to remind us just how lovely the

island is, despite its apparent flaws. She proudly tells anyone who inquires as to where she’s from that she is a Phuketian. She wants to be clear about that. In her mind this is her island, and she is slowly picking up some Thai, to the amusement of our friends and neighbors.

She also happens to have my love of ‘odd’ foods, such as bitter gourd and has thus been adopted by a restaurant close to my husband’s office.

She in fact works there now, so you can stop on over and have some made by a 4 yearold farang. You’ll see her behind the counter, spending at least an hour pouring ice into the cups.

Phuket has a lot to offer in a myriad of senses, and it’s a shame I need reminding of that. Most of us do.

thephuketnews.com

18 EDUCATION

Ray of sunshine

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

Norachai Thavisin editor3@thephuketnews.com

The island of Koh Sirae, in Tambon Rassada east of Phuket Town, was badly hit by the 2004 tsunami.

Years later, some orphan survivors of that natural disaster and other underprivileged children are now able to live a comfortable and normal life in the Phuket Sunshine Village, initially with funding from the Lions Club of Phuket Andaman Sea and French Red Cross.

More than 120 orphans and other disadvantaged children, aged from under one to 16 years old, from Phuket and surrounding provinces, now live in good care in 12 houses in this sunny village, run by the Phuket Sunshine Village Foundation, formed in 2005.

The village is largely funded privately by donations from the Lions Club of Phuket Andaman Sea and other Lions Clubs around the world, especially from Germany.

Most of the children were helped to come to the village by the organisation Childwatch Phuket, which assessed that the parents of some of the children were no longer able

Left: English teacher Peter Davies and Foundation Director Tom Gottchalk (right).

Above: Village resident children relax in front of one of the 12 houses in the village. to care for them. The village is at full capacity now.

Young boys and girls live together in bright, clean accommodation and sleep on bunk beds in dormitory rooms in the houses, under the constant care of live-in house mothers. Adolescent boys and girls live in separate houses and all the children eat together in a big covered outdoor canteen.

There is a big playground in the middle of the village, and more land has just been acquired next door for a sports playground for older kids. The village’s small library has computers for children to use.

Conveniently a local area school is just five-minutes walk away, and the children troop along there each morning. Some older ones now go to vocational college. Plans are being made to help the children study further or join the workforce as they graduate from high school.

On our visit, one of the Foundation directors, Tom Gottchalk, from Germany, who also runs a wedding business, walks through the village with a tiny resident no taller than his knees. His mind is very much on the need for the foundation to raise the five million baht it costs to run

the village each year.

He says as the foundation is entirely privately-run with very little help from the provincial government, donations are crucial to keep the village going.

“We try to make the living arrangement as close as possible to an ordinary family home with children of different ages and the house mothers,” says Mr Gottchalk.

The children have a full life, playing games and attending English classes after a long day at school.

At the weekend, many go sailing, learn archery and go on group excursions.

It’s computing time in the Sunshine Village library.

By his side is Peter Davies, an English teacher who last August moved here from Chiang Mai to teach some 60 children at the home. He says that the children are keen to come to the English lessons he provides at the Phuket Sunshine Village in the new English programme.

The students understand more now and are starting to converse in this new language.

Donations can be made online at phuketsunshinevillage.org.

Contact 076-252-204 and info@phuketsunshinevillage. org. Visits to the village can be made by appointment.

HEALTH

Mainly used for flavour in cooking, aromatic pandan plants grow thickly in gardens.

Fragrant ingredient HEALTHY herbs

Norachai Thavisin editor3@thephuketnews.com

Eating some dishes in the Thai cuisine, such as fried chicken or glutinous rice sweets, one savours a welcome aroma of pandan leaf (Pandanus amaryllifolius), similar to the fragrance of jasmine rice.

The dark-green tough leaves of the pandan are fre-

thephuketnews.com

quently used in cooking across India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Mainly used for flavour, they can be readily bought by the bunch in fresh markets in Phuket.

For instance, pieces of chicken are wrapped up in the leaves and deep-fried, and plain boiled rice is given a wonderful scent when a few pandan leaves are cooked with it.

Leaves are also infused in coconut milk to flavour it or are used as as sweet wrappers. Those sweets that are

pale green in colour have most likely been made with pandan leaves or their essence.

No longer found much in the wild, pandan plants, with their bushes of leaves and aerial roots, can grow vigorously and decoratively in your garden. As the plant hardly ever flowers, it is propagated by division and planting of roots.

In Thai traditional medicine, strong infusion of pandan leaves and roots are used to help with asthma, diabetes and as a tonic for the heart.

THE PHUKET NEWS

ENVIRONMENT 19

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

CORAL REEFS IN DANGER FROM BREAD A

Bangkok-based marine expert has called for increased environmental awareness to help save coral reefs along the Andaman coast, including off Phuket.

Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University, Thorn Thamrongnawasawat, told Bangkok media last Saturday (April 14) that coral has already been severely damaged by tourism.

A minor activity, but one that has an outsized impact on coral, is giving fish bread.

Mr Thorn explained how

tour agencies often prepare bread for tourists to feed fish living in coral reefs.

However, only a few species can eat bread, such as the aggressive Indo-Pacific sergeant fish. In their rush to get to the bread, they chase out the smaller Butterflyfish, Clownfish and Angelfish, which normally help clean algae from coral.

“We have overlooked small details such as these that can have huge impact on the recovery of coral,” said Mr Thorn.

He added that damage to coral also came from waste dis-

Pearly gates MEET

the natives

This seabed shows the stark result of coral bleaching. charged by coastal properties such as hotels and bungalows, which creates sediment that covers the surface of the coral.

Pet of the Week

These two beautiful dogs are a perfect example of neighbourly love. Taxi, the female on the left, was rescued from a Karon taxi stand by Sylvie Yaffe’s friend, and Sylvie adopted her. Cliff, on the right, is Sylvie’s neighbour Marc De Vos’s pitbull.Sylvie says, “Although Cliff is is securely confined to his yard, my dog is not confined and is able to get in and out of Cliff’s yard and although we intended to introduce them slowly, one day Marc came home and found Taxi on Cliff’s blanket eating his bone. They have been a couple for nearly a year.

We have both agreed that should Marc or I move, Taxi will stay with Cliff (as she basically lives there anyway).” The photo was taken by Marc.

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

“There are more factors damaging coral than factors helping in its recovery,” said Mr Thorn.

This week’s native, which was actually introduced to Phuket, is much valued by many.

In the estuarine sea near Laem Hin, as well as around islands off the east coast of Phuket, pearl oysters (Pinctada) are carefully seeded and farmed.

For generations, humans have realised that these particular species of oyster, which are not really related to the ones we eat, effectively isolate any bits of potentially-harmful irritant inside their shells by forming beautiful pearly sacks around them.

The pearl oysters make this sack out of iridescent

layers of calcium carbonate and nacre, or mother of pearl, the same substance that coats the inside of their shells. They can live up to a remarkable 14 years, and take from 12 months to two years to make the pearl drops inside them.

They are doing this right now in the relatively clean seas off Phuket, either hung on long lines from rafts or fixed on to growing grates at local pearl oyster farms. Small artificial pearls have been seeded into the oysters for them to coat into pearls in the wondrous way that they do.

The brilliant results of the oysters’ labour can be seen in local jewellery show rooms, with high price tags attached.

Adopt a dog

TIGGER NEEDS A LOVING HOME

Tigger has lived at the Soi dog Shelter since he was a small puppy and he’s anxiously waiting for a new home. He’s a small, very friendly little boy and he’s not enjoying life in our shelter. At a volunteer’s special request, we’re trying to find Tigger a family where he’ll be loved and cared for. Tigger is just 9 months old, sterlised and vaccinated. Tigger can be adopted locally or abroad. Please email cindy@ soidog.org for more information.or phone the Soi Dog shelter on 081-788-4222.

You can also visit their website www.soidog.org or follow them 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.

thephuketnews.com

DANE'S WORLD

20 WEIRD NEWS

THE PHUKET NEWS

Museum has city buzzing San Francisco has a reputation for being a pretty liberalminded city. But its newest museum still created plenty of buzz when it opened last week – it’s devoted to vibrators.

The Antique Vibrator Museum is designed to showcase kinky collectibles from the late 1800s to the 1970s and, in the process, the history of health and sexuality between 1890 and 1970, according to curator Carol Queen.

“The new exhibit contextualises the vibrator’s role in society and highlights how our attitudes around sex and female pleasure have evolved,” Queen said. “It really gives us an appreciation for how far both

society and technology have come.” The museum showcases vibrators collected since 1977 by the proprietors of Good Vibrations, a sex shop with five locations in San Francisco and Oakland, California.

They were donated by the Good Vibrations Corp., “All of the stores have these vintage vibrators on display and we decided we wanted to showcase these better,” Queen told The Huffington Post.

The history of sex toys can be traced back thousands of years to dildos made of stone or wood, but Queen says the museum is pegged strictly toward 20th century erotic instruments.

“We’re not doing ancient sex implements. The oldest we have dates back to 1890,” says Queen, who is one of the founders of International Masturbation Month, celebrated in May.

Smoking is bad, says John Terry?

England footballer John Terry’s conscience may be a little dark after having an affair with his teammates wife, but his lungs are definitely not.

At least, that is, unless you pick up a packet of cigarettes in India, where the public health warning appears to show Terry with a set of blackened respiratory organs.

Terry’s London-based lawyers had threatened to sue over the blurry photograph featuring the head and shoulders of a man closely resembling the former England captain and current Chelsea skipper.

“Some people raised objections to the picture. We have asked the directorate of advertisement and visual publicity to provide new pictures, which they have done,” a health ministry official said.

The ministry has contin-

In case you wanted to know what poo looks like at 10,000x.

ued to deny the picture was of Terry, but it is distinctly similar to an image of him available on the internet.

“The picture could be of any man. It is only the fertile imagination of some who see Terry in it. However, the controversy has been an unseemly one and so we are looking at a fresh set of warnings.”

Ter r y’s management stressed that Ter r y, who has hit the headlines in the past over drinking binges, was a non-smoker.

TRANSPOOSION

Canadian’s life saved There are very few things in the world that can be solved by injecting yourself with someone else’s poo. One of them, however, appears to be life-threatening illness.

When death was knocking on the door of a 66-year-old man from Albert Bridge, Nova Scotia, he took drastic measures to save his own life – with a self-injected faecal transplant.

The poop-injecting patient suffered from a bacterial infection known as Clostridium difficile since undergoing routine surgery 18 months ago, according to the Chronicle Herald.

The man, who spoke to the paper on the condition of anonymity, said he was so

frustrated and ill that he decided to get rid of the infection once and for all by giving himself an enema last Friday (April 6) using faeces belonging to his cousin.

“It’s a nasty topic to discuss, but faecal transplants work, and I was not ready to wait any longer,” the man told the paper.

Want to know how he did it? Basically, he mixed the stool with water and flushed it into his nether regions using an enema.

His doctor, Baroudi Fashir, was originally set to perform the procedure, but, despite it being approved by the hospital, there were no set guidelines for it so it could not go ahead.

GOING GREEN

The Spanish village of Rasquera has taken a far out approach to solving unemployment – renting out a field to grow marijuana.

Rasquera’s village council on February 29 approved the plan to rent seven hectares (43.8 rai) of public land to an association that promotes the legal recreational or therapeutic use of cannabis by its 5,000 members in a 4-3 vote.

Private consumption of cannabis is not outlawed in Spain although it is illegal to sell the drug.

thephuketnews.com

Rasquera, where local produce traditionally includes olives and grapes, is suffering from the country’s severe public financing crisis and hopes income from letting the land will help it pay down its 1.3 million euros (B52 million) of debt.

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

with Dane Halpin editor2@thephuketnews.com

THE BIG LIST

Horror Shows

Museums can be bastions of cultural integrity and historical knowledge. Or they can actually be interesting. Take any of the following, for example.

The mummy returns: El Museo De Las Momias is effectively a house of mummies. But to leave it at that simply wouldn’t do justice to the Brendan Fraser-esque horror that lies within. The Mummies of Guanajuato are naturally preserved bodies from a cholera outbreak that hit the city way back in 1833. Since this is basically just a huge open grave with floodlights, its legality and moral status continues to be the subject of much discussion everywhere – except in Mexico.

Crazy town: The Glore Psychiatric Museum, formally known as Missouri’s State Lunatic Asylum No. 2, is basically the Michael Jackson of art galleries.

The museum takes its name from one George Glore, who in the 1960s put his patients (inmates?) to work building full-size replicas of some of the most horrific psychiatric practices from the last few centuries.

The museum’s prized piece is a magnificent mosaic constructed entirely from the stomach contents of a woman who was a compulsive swallower, made even creepier by the fact that the woman died in surgery, leaving someone else to make art from her guts.

Rags to riches: The fact that this museum is in some random dude’s basement may be a turnoff for some. For others, the idea of a menstruation museum might be a little too much to swallow. But while there genuinely is a long history to menstruation’s imprint on culture (or so we’re told), the Museum of Menstruation and Women’s Health is really just the story of one man with a dream: that man is Harry Finley. Since 1995, this humble, middle-aged American has devoted his life to making his private collection of feminine hygiene products available to the public, because that’s just the generous guy he is. Among the museum’s collections are a dress made out of tampons. But don’t just rock up expecting to be able to view Harry’s tampon trophies at the drop of a hat – all visits to his menstruation mansion are done by appointment and in private.

Dummy spit: Everyone is scared of ventriloquist dummies. Like clowns, and Furbies, they’re the result of a serious miscalculation of what children find entertaining. Most people wouldn’t want to be alone in a room with one. Go to the Vent Haven Museum in Kentucky, though, and you can be alone in a room with 750 of them.

The collection was started by a guy named, no joke, William Shakespeare Berger – an amateur ventriloquist and wealthy tycoon, who wound up blowing his vast fortune acquiring these monsters. Whether Berger was controlling the dolls or vice-versa is a matter for debate, and/or several B-grade horror movie plot-lines.

Well endowed: Okay gents, raise your hands if you think your penis belongs in a museum so the whole world can be in awe of its magnificence? Well, you may be in luck, for the Icelandic Phallological Museum offers you such an opportunity. The lovechild of self-proclaimed “phallologist” Sigurdur Hjartarson, the museum includes the penises of more than 100 mammals. But then there are the optional accessories, like lamps made out of balls, penile paintings, penis phones and plenty of other trinkets suitable for even the wildest bachelorette party. But those who enter this exhibition of erection be warned – its sadistic curator has gone to lengths comparable only to horror movies to expand his vast collection. Let’s just say if a whale washes up on Iceland’s coast, you can bet your balls (so to speak) that Hjartarson will be there with his axe.

THE PHUKET NEWS

TIME OUT 21

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

BOOK

MUSIC

FILM Battleship 131 minutes Rating: 13+

Director: Peter Berg Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Rihanna, Liam Neeson

The Cove

Ron Rash Set in North Carolina during World War I, The Cove follows siblings Laurel and Hank Shelton as they struggle to farm an uncooperative piece of land.

The local townspeople believe the land is cursed and that Laurel is a witch, forcing her to become ostracised. Then, unexpectedly, a stranger appears, carrying nothing but a silver flute and a note explaining that his name is Walter, he is mute, and is bound for New York.

But as America’s involvement in the war escalates and suspicions mount, Laurel and Walter’s relationship exposes the xenophobia that followed the country’s entry into Europe. In doing so, Rash has written a powerful novel whose historical setting speaks volumes about the present.

A Wasteland Companion

M Ward Matthew Ward’s eighth studio album, A Wasteland Companion, belies its foreboding title, moving away from the quiet introspection of his previous work in favour of a sound that’s a little more hopeful.

The album also sounds different, mainly because but Ward recorded in a new way, working in a variety of studios and different musicians while touring around the world.

The result is an album that feels a little more offthe-cuff than anything he has done over the last five years, and yet inherently more interesting. Even the album-opener ‘Clean Slate’ has a demo-ish quality, matching its message about how hard it can be to start over.

Dane Halpin editor2@thephuketnews.com

There are a few things that just don’t translate well into film.

One, for example, is two adolescent boys yelling ‘hit’ and ‘miss’ across the room as they shoot imaginary torpedoes at imaginary battleships.

Of course, nothing livens up an antique board game like a few Halo inspired aliens – in other words, if you found Transformers just a touch too subtle, Battleship might just be your kind of film.

Even dispensing with the ridiculous premise and painfully bloated run time, the movie simply can’t generate enough enough thrills out of its aquatic interplanetary warfare, instead recycling the same blurry effects and busy action through a disappointingly limited number of set pieces.

The first act is dragged out unnecessarily, seemingly intent on establishing what prove to be one-dimensional characters.

Our central protagonist, Alex (Taylor Kitsch), is a hotheaded

rebel loaded with potential but without moral fiber, Liam Neeson is a snarling cartoon, while Brooklyn Decker is little more than a walking pair of breasts.

But even after the 40 minutes it takes to establish that, there is really nothing new being offered. Its alien design steals from Halo and Green Lantern, the script comes straight from Independence Day, and by the time they copy Transformers, Terminator and Predator, it’s just plain sad. When they copy Titanic and Space Cowboys, it’s downright depressing.

There is one scene of combat that admittedly does work, even if only for the sheer hilarity of it all; when the humans realise their radar system is worthless against the aliens, they are forced to draw up a grid – just like the original Hasbro game – to locate and fire at

the invaders. Rihanna even shouts co-ordinates out, and it actually seems intentionally hilarious without being soulcrushingly stupid.

And this is a film that is self-aware of how completely ridiculous the whole thing is. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and offers enough humour to lighten the mood without distracting from the central ‘plot’, i.e. explosive action and gratuitous special effects.

Of course, had Liam Neeson been given the opportunity to say “You sunk my battleship!” this would have earned at least an extra star. But (spoiler alert) he didn’t.

In the end director Peter Berg has given the phrase “a poor man’s Michael Bay” unneeded credibility.

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) Battleship (E): Battleship (E/F): Battleship (T): The Cold Light of Day (E) [13+]: The Hunger Games (E) [15+]: Ma Mha 2 (T) [G]: Plon Naya 2 (T/E.SUB) [15+]: Titanic (E/3D) [13+]: Wrath of the Titans (E/3D) [G]:

14:25, 17:10, 19:55, 22:35 13:00, 15:45, 18:30, 21:15 12:20, 13:45, 15:05, 16:30, 19:15, 20:35, 22:00 13:15, 16:00, 20:00, 22:40 17:50 13:50, 17:45, 20:30 15:20, 18:05, 22:05 14:40, 20:25 12:35, 18:20

SFC JUNGCEYLON PHUKET (PATONG) Battleship (E) [13+]:

12:40, 15:20, 16:50, 18:00, 19:30, 20:40, 22:10

Hunger Games, The (E) [15+]:

14:10, 17:40, 22:35

Ma Mha 2 (T) [G]:

13:20, 16:00, 20:00

Plon Naya 2 (T) [15+]: Titanic (E) [13+]: Wrath of the Titans (E) [G]:

15:30, 18:10 14:00, 20:20 13:50, 17:50, 20:30

BRAIN TEASERS Across

Down

1. Escapades involve the

Right in promontories. (6)

FIVE QUESTIONS 1. Which famed British highwayman had a horse called Black Bess?

2. The world heritage site of Petra is located in what country?

3. What was Frank Sinatra’s middle name?.

4. Which month of the year is named after the twofaced Roman God of doorways?

5. When was Britain’s Football Association formed?

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s quiz: 1. Dick Turpin; 2. Jordan; 3. Albert; 4. January; 5. 1863

SUDOKU

1. See you! Degree of coun

try. (4) 3. Fellow feeling pal’s joint.

(10) 9. Smokin’ bird. (6) 10. Of the French, 100 take

fire remnant to 12th. (8) 12. Lives about the teams.

(7) 14. Short resolution to little

lake: Reply! (7) 16. Cookies for small

Guides. (8) 19. Preserves parts of

castles. (5) 21. Headed for tied up. (5) 22. Tire of pleasant period.

(8) 25. A month in charge. Very

clean. (7) 27. Patricia thanks. Yes, a

city. (7) 30. Reversed photo? No. (8) 32. Take disguise off twisted

evil ’un. (6) 33. Diana’s happy? Quite

the opposite. (10) 34. Use spoon in jail. (4)

2. Polishes aficionados. (5) 4. Race in 500? Yes. (4) 5. Kissed head support for

editor. (6) 6. Center of chubby chap.

(3) 7. Reborn as padre, I get to

heaven. (8) 8. Not strong point, mar

ried and moldy. (8) 11. Pam reverses chart. (3) 13. Gordon Sumner’s con

trick. (5) 15. Watch the last letter. (5) 17. Red French makeup. (5) 18. Nothing in unappetizing

food vessel. (5) 19. Kind of cop who may be

crucial to rock. (8) 20. Got a bit done, strangely.

(8) 23. Idea: Six with love in sin.

(6) 24. Average has left, or re

ception room. (6) 26. Pulse discomfort for

princess. (3) 28. Wide awake for warning.

(5) 29. Surrender offspring, we

hear. (4) 31. Nitrous oxide, for

example, is fun. (3)

thephuketnews.com

22 KIDS PAGE

THE PHUKET NEWS

COLOURING CONTEST

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

E

very week, colour in Sophie's drawing, have a photo taken with your work, and email it to editor@thephuketnews.com The winner will be announced on this page next week.

This week, congratulations go to Jordan Hayward, age 9, BIS.

mail@ sophieillustration.co.uk

Runners-up

Bo n n ie Desmond, age 8

thephuketnews.com

Otoey, Class G2, Phuket Academy Day School

Snow White, age 7, Kajonkiet

Thanks to all the children at Da r a s a m u t h Ph u k e t S c h o o l, Kajonkietsuksa School, HeadStart, British International School Phuket, Phuket International Academy, and Coconut Club for their entries.

Please keep them coming in, remembering to write your name, age and school on your work.

THE PHUKET NEWS

SHOPPING 23

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

LIFE&STYLE

Hidden treasure

Seeking refuge at Rajjaprabha Dam > 27

lifestyle@thephuketnews.com

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

editor@thephuketnews.com

Blue heaven

Lady in black

Maureen Ezendam

Kanthapa Marchbanks

Travel representative Blue d ress ( B70 0) bought at Tesco Lotus.

Zara bag (B2,500) from Central Festival.

Pierre Cardin shoes (B3,000) also from Central Festival.

Marketing manager

Black dress (B3,000) pu rchased at Siam Paragon in Bangkok.

Black purse was a gift from a friend.

Black Nine West Shoes (B5,000) bought at Central Festival.

Selling an eco-friendly future Claire Connell editor1@thephuketnews.com

Q&A with Claire Chiang, managing director of Banyan Tree Gallery in Laguna.

W he n d i d t he s ho p open, and why?

In 1989, I was approached to purchase two traditional Thai maun cushions by women of the Yasathon community in northeast Thailand.

As a means to support the local cottage industry, I decided to commission 500 cushions and other Thai handicrafts and textiles to furnish the interiors of our resorts in Laguna Phuket.

This led to the birth of Banyan Tree Gallery Phuket, our flagship store, in 1994.

Banyan Tree Gallery is a quintessential highlight of the Banyan Tree experience and we seek to bring an element of the resort experience into each of our galleries worldwide.

What types of items are for sale, and where do you source them from?

Banyan Tree Gallery is a socially responsible tourism retailer committed to supporting indigenous artistry and

The shop supports indigenous artistry and conservation.

Banyan MD Claire Chiang. environmental conservation.

We aim to reflect a sense of place and a touch of tradition by featuring merchandise that draws on traditional Asian handicraft techniques reflected in our selection of furnishings, objets d’art, apparel, eco-friendly products and Banyan Tree Spa-inspired collections. Our prices range from B15 to B160,000.

Elements Jewelry By Banyan Tree showcases fine jewellery inspired by ethics and luxury. These exquisite items include fine silver pieces, authentic gemstones and bespoke items inspired by traditional ethnic art forms, natural elements and materi-

als. Our prices range from B1,000 to B299,000.

What are the most interesting and unique items you have for sale?

Year of the Dragon Collection: Inspired by the mythical creature that symbolises good fortune, the new selection of merchandise includes apparel, home and gadget accessories designed to signify prosperity in the coming year.

Ele pha nt Col le ct ion: Showcasing exquisite apparels, ceramic crafts, accessories and stationery. Elegant wood and ceramic crafts, eco-friendly stationery and books featuring the revered

animal are also available.

Colours of Leaves Collection: Lifestyle collection features hand-woven hemp and linen fabric. These two materials were chosen because of their kindness to the environment, with minimal use of pesticide and long-term sustainability.

What are some of the problems your shop has fac e d , and how ha s it overcome them?

Many of our goods are supplied by local craftsmen, so when an item sells quickly we have many customers requesting it after it has run out of stock.

Unlike modern manufacturing, local artisans require time to create the items by hand, so we’ve experienced minor issues with supply not meeting demand.

To overcome this, we’ve made sure to track when an item is very popular and place an additional order with the artisans to make sure we can meet our customers’ needs.

What is your opinion of the Phuket shopping scene?

T he shop pi ng s c e ne i n Phuket is growing. There are many retail shops opening and more brand names coming in. Antique shops and unique home furnishings

are becoming increasingly available as options for tourists.

Courier companies are offering competitive prici ng so it’s more conve nient to shop in Phuket and send goods home.

Our customers who purchase home f u r nishings from our shops and wish to have them delivered home appre ciat e hav i ng such services available nearby.

Banyan Tree Gallery Phuket, 33 Moo 4 Srisoonthorn R o a d , C h e r n g Ta l a y , 076-324-374; banyantreegal lery.com. Opening hours: daily 8am-10pm.

thephuketnews.com

24 DINING

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

Squid stuffed with herbs, coriander, lettuce and bacon, with carrot, onion, pepper and garlic reduction

Breezy

Chef Johnson: ‘When I was a child I used to get up really early and cook breakfast for the whole family’.

treats

Alasdair Forbes execeditor@thephuketnews.com

Wat ch i ng Cher yl Joh nson at work you think, “I could do that. It’s easy.”

It’s not, of course.

She’s swiftly stuffing squid bodies with lettuce, herbs and coriander with a little bit of

SOFT OPENING OF RATRI ITALIAN BAR & GRILL RESTAURANT:

Winfried Hancke, Food and Beverage Operations Manager of Centara Hotels & Resorts recently held the soft opening of the Ratri Italian Bar & Grill Restaurant, formerly the Ratri Jazz Restaurant located on Kata hill. Pictured from left are Denis Thouvard, General Manager at Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket; Mr Hancke; Kanokros Sakdanares, Group Director of Marketing Communications of Centara Hotels & Resorts and Carloalberto Molina, Restaurant Manager of Ratri Restaurant.

thephuketnews.com

Shredded pineapple with vanilla ice cream, cream and meringue.

bacon. Her assistant is doing the same. She murmurs to him, “No, not quite so much...”

How does she know?

Experience, of course.

Cheryl was born in the Philippines where her father was a US military contractor.

“We moved around the world a lot,” she says. But for the past 12 years Canada has been home – I’m a Quebecer at heart,” she says.

“I always loved to cook.

When I was a child I used to get up really early and cook breakfast for the whole family. I always tried to do it before they woke up.”

In the States, while studying engineering, she got a job washing dishes at a Japanese restaurant in San Diego. Kitchen staff were nonplussed when she offered to help them, having washed all the dishes far faster than any dishwasher before.

She ended up dumping the engineering and running the kitchen. Not too much of a disappointment for her father – “He loves to cook, too,” she grins.

She went back to school, this time in New York at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), once described by famed TV chef Julia Child

Fillet of sea bass with lettuce, asparagus, rose apple and granny smith apple, scallion vinaigrette with ginger and butter sauce as the “Harvard of culinary schools”. The college had a system of 18-week “externships” at top restaurants around the world.

Cheryl ended up in Montreal at Toqué restaurant.

The restaurant’s name is a pun, referring to the traditional tall chef’s hat, but with the additional meaning in French of “a little bit crazy”.

The restaurant’s reputation is far from crazy, howeverand while some CIA students found that their externships at other restaurants basically consisted of slave

labour, Cheryl says that at Toqué, Chef Charles-Antoine Crète and others “took time – they taught us.”

She ended up staying there for nine years, and learned an awful lot more.

And now she’s in Phuket, stuffed with that knowledge, and with a kitchen of her own on a hilltop. The place is called Breeze, and it’s in the Cape Yamu complex at the far end of Cape Yamu.

At a food tasting in a private villa in Cape Yamu before the opening, The Phuket News was treated not only to the stuffed squid but also to fillet of sea bass with lettuce, asparagus, rose apple and Granny Smith slices, scallion vinaigrette and butter sauce; and a dessert of shredded pineapple with whipped cream, meringue, sugar, pepper, olive oil and basil tips. And vanilla icecream.

If that feast was anything to go by, Cheryl and Breeze will very quickly become t he new hot – mea n i ng cool – place to go for dinner.

Breeze opens today (April 20). To book, call 081-271- 2320. For more information see the breeze atcapeyamu Facebook page.

THE PHUKET NEWS

DINING 25

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

CORKING IT FINE WINE

Italian wine growers aim for Asian markets Agence France-Presse

Winding his way through the stands at one of the world’s biggest wine fairs, South Korean wine importer SoonChoong Kim says Italy is on the right track in its bid to boost exports to Asia.

“A lot of Korean people like to eat pasta and Italian ingredients,” Kim told AFP-TV as he stopped to congratulate one of the 4,400 exhibitors at the Vinitaly fair in Verona in northeastern Italy late last month.

“Now there are over 700 Italian restaurants operating in the Korean market and demand for Italian wine will automatically increase,” said Kim, who is deputy head of South Korea’s wine importers association.

Faced with the fallout from the economic crisis in their traditional markets, Italy’s wine growers are trying to ramp up their sales to Asia.

Even though Italy was the world’s top wine exporter last year with a 23-per-cent market share globally, in a country like South Korea it is third-placed behind France and Chile, with only 16 per cent of the market.

That is gradually beginning to change as Italian vineyards look beyond their traditional markets in Europe and North America and wine becomes increasingly fashionable in Asia, also as an accompaniment to Italian food.

Wine is part of a list of “Made in Italy” products that are looking to boost their sales in Asian emerging markets – part of Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti’s mission as he visited China, Japan and South Korea this week.

Wine sales are also helped by the continent’s changing

consumer habits.

“I n the past Chinese consumers were more eager to drink strong liquor,” said Benjamin Chau, deputy head of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

“Now they have become more and more health conscious and also the living standard has improved a lot.

So they are going to spend more on wine,” he said.

Mr Chau was visiting to sign an official partnership agreement for Hong Kong’s ow n w i ne fa i r, which this year will number 200 Italian companies.

“French people have

done a lot in the past, so they have been enjoying the first-mover advantage.

I think European countries including Italy have to work harder to make themselves known to the market,” he said.

“Italy is really the centre for fashion and lifestyle. I like their wine very much, with strong character and personality,” he said.

Debra Meiburg, a master of wine who has worked in Asia for 25 years and has her own television show, is a pioneer in educating Asian consumers.

“I think it’s a great time for Italian wines. There’s a real movement towards Italy,”

she said.

“We’ve been very obsessed with Bordeaux and now we’re checking out Burgundy but Italy is certainly the next wave,” she added.

“The trick will be to help people understand the origins of the wines,” she said, pointing out that Asian consumers like to research their wines before buying and want to feel “confident” when serving them to friends or colleagues.

Wine consumption in Asia was 5.5 billion litres last year – a 10 per cent increase from 2010. Experts are forecasting a rise to six billion by 2015.

“The big bet for wine growers today is China,” said Ettore Nicoletto, head of the Santa Margherita wine group.

Nicoletto said the key thing was to “understand what wine is, why it is drunk and how to combine it with food.”

Pierangelo Tommasi from the Tommasi vineyard pointed out that Italy is lagging behind France, and does not have the well-established diaspora community that once boosted sales in Europe and North America.

R. James Mullen lifestyle@thephuketnews.com

Cork, Zork, screw cap or crown cap? Take your pick among these and other alternatives as closures for wine bottles.

Since Yalumba winery in South Australia commissioned a screw-cap closure for its riesling wines in 1959, winemakers and consumers continue to question the effectiveness and acceptability of alternatives to corks.

Behind the search for a replacement for the traditional cork stopper is the very real problem of wine spoilage caused by corks tainted with a chemical compound called trichoroanisol (TCA).

Once in the wine, it masks the nor mal fr uit characteristics with a smell descr ibed as moldy or similar to wet cardboard.

Depending on who is asked, TCA affects anywhere from three to 10 per cent of all wines using cork – hardly a small matter considering the price of many fine wines.

Wineries in Bordeaux and California are known to have lost the majority of entire vintages to TCA whether from corks or other winery contamination.

Synthetic corks are problematic in opening and nearly impossible to reinsert. Agglomerate stoppers made from cork particles bound

by polymers have gained acceptance although they also retain the image of use only for cheaper wines.

The Zork, a patented stopper that includes a snap-on seal that provides the traditional pop heard with corks, are useful but expensive option.

The primarily Portuguese cork industry has fought the assault on their near monopoly on wine stoppers with some disingenuous claims, not least that wine can’t age unless it breathes through cork.

Research at leading oenology schools has shown that wines evolve in completely oxygen free, or anaerobic, conditions and that exposure to air in any amount hastens spoilage.

Claims have also maintained that anaerobic screwcaps result in reduction which creates sulfur odours similar to rotten eggs. Further tests showed that while instances of reduction had occurred in some screw-capped wines the problem existed before the wines were bottled.

New Zealand now bottles over 85 per cent of its wines with screw caps. Many wineries now send their best wines to competitions under screwcaps to avoid problems with TCA. A layer of olive oil kept air away from wine a few hundred years ago but gave way to corks, just as they will to innovative new closures.

It’s called progress.

thephuketnews.com

26 TRAVEL

THE PHUKET NEWS

TRAVEL NEWS Singapore Airlines to add third daily A380 service to London Singapore Airlines’ three daily services on the Singapore-London route will all be operated with the Airbus A380 from June 1.

Currently, two of the services are operated with the superjumbo while one is operated with the Boeing 777-300ER. From June 1, 2012, the third daily service, departing Singapore as f light SQ308 and returning from London as SQ319, will be operated with an A380 as well.

The switch to the larger A380 will increase seat capacity on the route by 17 per cent a day.

London was Singapore Airlines’ first destination in Europe to receive the s u p e r ju mb o, i n M a r ch 2008. This was increased t o d o u bl e - d a i l y A 38 0 operations six months later.

Singapore Airlines currently operates the A380 to 10 destinations: Sydney, London, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Zu r ich, Los A ngeles, Frankfurt and New York.

The world’s first carrier to operate the superjumbo

in October 2007, Singapore Airlines has since carried over 7 million customers on the A380 systemwide.

The Airline currently has 17 A380s and two more on firm order. More info: singaporeair.com

Cesar Millan – unleashed in Singapore Oprah Winfrey, Scarlett Johansson, Will Smith and Nicolas Cage, have all had their dogs balanced by TV sensation Cesar M illa n – a nd now you will be able to witness his talents first hand, as he brings his live show to Singapore for the first time.

Best known for his Emmy-nominated series, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan and now directly from his sell out tour of the UK, Canada and Europe, Cesar will wow dog-loving audiences in Si n g a p o r e w it h C e s a r Millan Live in June.

Fr o m Sh e e p d og s t o Sch nauzers, Poodles to Pomeranians, Cesar Millan will share his insights on dog psychology, and how people can inadvertently play a role in their dog’s behavioural issues.

Using his natural gifts

as an educator and as an entertainer, Cesar uses stateof-the-art multimedia illustrating two different settings, accompanied by some dogs and their owners to illustrate his concepts. The first half of the show will be depicted as Cesar’s home, where he teaches the audience about how the everyday things we do in our homes, can grow into behavioural issues, as well as tips and tools for a calm and balanced dog.

The second part of the show will be set in the dog park where Cesar demonstrates the importance of energy and leadership, and how this can transform your dog.

Cesar will have audiences seeing the world through their dog’s eyes and his “fulfillment formula” will change their relationships with their dogs forever.

“What amazing places dogs are taking me to,” Cesar says. “If you had told me when I was growing up in Mexico, that one day I would be travelling the world with my own live show, I don’t think I would have ever believed it. I rehabilitate dogs and train people, so to be given the chance to share my talents to help dog owners become calm and

assertive pack leaders with their dogs really helps me fulfill my vision of making the world a better place... one dog at a time.”

“Great talent makes great performers and Cesar is renowned for the way his TV persona transfers effortlessly to the live stage,” Chugg Entertainment’s Michael Chugg said, “The way he connects with audiences really does have to be seen to be believed as he shares his amazing insights on dog psychology.”

More info: cesarmillanlive. com/singapore

Celebrate the Diamond Jubilee at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong Guests staying at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong be-

FESTIVALS & FAIRS Phuket Bike Week First held in 1991 by Phuket Rider Club, welcomes motorbike riders from around the world.

Date: Late-April.

Location: Loma Park, Patong Beach.

Phuket Otop Fair Promotes food and products made in Phuket.

Date: Mid-May. Location: Centre Stage, Sapan Hin Public Park.

Prisoner Product Fair Sells products made by prisoners across southern Thailand.

Date: Mid-June.

Location: Centre Stage, Sapan Hin Public Park.

Phuket Halal Food Festival Introduces Muslim culture in Phuket, with fashion show, live music and singing.

Date: Late July.

Location: Various.

Seafood Fiesta Celebrates the sea, with a wide range of freshly cooked local seafood, including lobsters, crabs, octopus, squid, clams and all kinds of fish, together with vegetables, fruit and a variety of interetsing juice drinks.

Date: August Location: Rawai Beach.

Por Tor Festival Fair Also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore, ethnic Chinese worldwide believe that during the 7th lunar month, the ghosts of their ancestors visit their home. To make sure their visit is a happy one, offerings of food are made, such as the common local offering of a red cake in the shape of a turtle.

Date: Seven days in late August.

Location: Phuket Road.

Patong Carnival Marks the start of high season.

The highlight is the colourful parade held on the first day.

Date: December 15-20.

Location: Patong Beach Road

thephuketnews.com

tween 27 May and 10 June, will be able to celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 year reign, and the Diamond Jubilee in style, with a quintessentially British Diamond Jubilee ‘Royal Afternoon Tea’ and a rare viewing of a range of royal artwork and photography.

The hotel’s iconic Clipper Lounge will form the backdrop for 27 works of art by HRH The Prince of Wales, HRH Queen Victoria and Prince Albert along with photographs by Lord Snowdon, in conjunction with the Belgravia Gallery in London.

The Royal Collection of A r t will be for sale and buyers will receive a gift certif icate entitling them to a guided tour around HRH The Prince of Wales’s private gardens at Highgrove, followed by a champagne tea.

To complement the lithographs, photographs and etchings by members of the Royal Family in Hong Kong, Mandarin Oriental’s Executive Chef Uwe Opocensky, who cooked for HM The Queen and HRH Prince Philip’s 50th ann ive r s a r y d i n ne r, w i l l offer a truly Royal British Afternoon Tea using the

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

finest of British ingredients.

Offerings will include Rhug Estate Coronation Chicken (created for Her Majesty’s Coronation 60 years ago) and Poached Scottish Salmon Sandwiches; Mini Yorkshire Pudding Roast Beef, Horseradish and Watercress and even Salmon Wellington and Mini Organic Pork Pies, Royal Victoria Sponge (named after Queen Victoria) and Battenberg Cake (rumoured to be one of HM Queen’s favourites) will be part of the sweet treat offerings and no Royal Afternoon Tea would be complete without warm scones, clotted cream, home-made jams and a choice of 17 different teas.

For guests wishing to make the Diamond Jubilee a truly memorable experience, where they too will be treated like Royalty from the moment of arrival at the airport where they will be met, then Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong’s Suite Temptation offers the ideal stay.

With rates from B31,000, guests will also enjoy a complimentary third night, a spa credit, daily breakfast and a VIP gift. More info: manda rinoriental.com/hongkong

PHUKET MUSEUMS Chinpracha House

Seashell Museum

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.

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

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

Thai Hua School Museum

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 , Thai - Chinese 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.

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.

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.

28 Kr abi Rd, Phuket Town, 076 211 224; www.thaihua museum.com. Open daily 9am-5pm.

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. Has archaeological finds such as ancient statues, pre-historic beads and tools.

On 4027 Road (eas t 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, APRIL 20, 2012

Village of the dammed

Gerry Cummings lifestyle@thephuketnews.com

I

swore last year that I would never again experience or endure another Songkran when happy, and in most cases drunken revellers, took sadistic glee in pouring buckets of bone chilling ice water over my ageing frame.

So this year my wife Natty and I decided to leave the island to them, and explore what we had been told was one of Surat Thani’s hidden treasures; that is the wonders of the Rajjaprabha Dam, formerly known as Chieo Lan Dam in the Khao Sok National Park.

Geographically, the dam is approximately equidistant between Koh Samui and Phuket, taking about three hours by car to reach the parking area at the head of a massive reservoir that is used to generate electricity for the Southern provinces.

I would recommend that the drive through Phang Nga and then into Surat Thani be undertaken in the early morning when the mists are still rising, the foliage is at its lushest, and the sun’s intense rays haven’t had a chance to create a blanketing humidity haze that obviates decent picture taking.

Of course this being the Songkran holiday, there were scads of tourists, mainly Thai, gathering at the main parking and boat rental area.

But we were early enough to snag ourselves a long tail boat driver who agreed to take us onto the reservoir for two hours for B1,500.

This seemed a fair price,

More adventurous visitors can rent small hutches on the reservoir for a nominal fee.

The drive should be undertaken in the early morning when the mists are still rising. and turned out to be a good investment as our driver was from one of the villages that was sunken below 300 feet of water when the dam was built in 1982, and his knowledge of the bio-diversity of the land and waters of the dam made

SIGHTINGS Alasdair Forbes execeditor@thephuketnews.com

In the evening, the broad boulevard along the river in central Prachin Buri town lights up with dozens of food and drink stalls, and with big-screen video for football fans.

But if you’re not riveted to the footie, look up into the sky over the river at sundown and witness an extraordinary parade: tens of thousands of fruit bats winging silently along the course of the river,

the experience notable.

For those who have taken boat rides in Phang Nga Bay or Halong Bay in Vietnam, you will have a deja vu experience, as the limestone rock formations soar out of the waters with a similarly

eery appearance.

The reservoir is immense, cover i ng approxi mately 185 sq km and holding about 5,500 million litres of water, so in our two hours we only saw a fraction of it.

More adventurous visi-

tors who wish to stay longer and partake in the myriad of activities on the reservoir, like scuba diving, fishing, swimming or caving, are able to rent small hutches on the reservoir for a nominal fee of B300 per person per night and then have the time to enjoy all that the dam offers.

Or for the golfers, the Rajjaprabae Golf Course is a short drive from the dam, and offers a testing 18 holes over 6,000 plus yards for the incredibly low price of B600.

Although our boat ride on the dam had been brief,

we felt that we had learned enough to whet our appetites to come back at some time, perhaps to do a little fishing.

From what we saw of the tiny rental hutches however, we knew that these were designed and built for smaller, younger, and more active people.

Our guide Taweesak was most engaging, so if you are interested in visiting the Rajjaprabha Dam, it may be useful to call him to arrange any of the activities mentioned above. Taweesak can be reached at 087-0210485 or 089-872-0953.

following it to their nighttime roost.

It takes about 15 minutes for this extraordinary daily parade to pass by.

Locals will tell you that the bats roost during the day at Wat Pho Bangkhla, to the west of town, though no one seemed able to say where they stay at night.

The scene at Wat Pho Bangkhla is extraordinary, with bats filling all the trees, constantly wheeling and flapping around, chittering at one another and bickering over hanging space on the branches. Well worth the side trip, especially for fans of Batman.

thephuketnews.com

28 ISLAND SCENE

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

SONGKRAN 2012!

Parades, cultural shows, beach parties, sports events, and of course copious splashing of water took place last weekend to celebrate the Thai New Year, or Songkran. As well as the usual water battles, Patong Municipality and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) jointly hosted Songkran on the Beach 2012, with parades and shows happening at Loma Public Park and Junceylon Shopping Mall all day long on Thursday

thephuketnews.com

and Friday (April 12-13). Religious ceremonies took place at temples in Phuket Town, including the water blessing of Buddha statues, with monks leading chants at the Buddha Mongkol Nimit Temple on Dibuk Rd. Those looking for full-on watery mayhem, headed to Soi Bangla in Patong, and Saphan Hin in town. Pictured above at 60 Bar in Nai Yang Beach are Robert Palmer, Tommy Heaton and Jiratchaya Thongchat.

30 ENTERTAINMENT

THE TICKET Music in her soul with Claire Connell

Claire Connell editor1@thephuketnews.com

S

inger-songwriter Pjae Stanley has only been living in Phuket for one year but has already established a reputation as one of the island’s top musicians.

The vivacious American specialises in Motown, soul music, plus the occasional jazz and pop tunes and can be found regularly performing at venues and private parties on and around Phuket.

When she was growing up, her father was in the military which meant the family travelled a lot around America and the world. Coming from Dallas, Texas, in the American South meant Pjae’s first introduction to music was in her church’s choir, run by her grandfather.

Her mother would regularly tell her she had a great voice, but Pjae thought she was just being kind. Her friends were more direct, instead telling her they believed she sounded “too white”.

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

THE PHUKET NEWS

Pjae’s first introduction to music was in her church choir.

“What they meant was that I didn’t have that Southern sound in my voice, and I just thought, well my friends say I suck, it must be true.”

It wasn’t until her husband Jason heard her sing for the first time after five years of marriage and told her how talented she was that she really believed her voice had a positive quality, and began to venture into making a career of it.

“I don’t know how good my voice is, but I think there is a quality to it that touches the soul. It has a healing quality.”

After turning professional in the 1990s, aged 35, Pjae performed regularly until the

couple moved to Asia in 2006, based in Vietnam. While living in Ho Chi Minh, Pjae performed regularly, with Jason her backup bass player.

In 2010, on a visa run, the couple came to Phuket. Pjae explored the option of getting regular gigs and within days was contracted by the Indigo Pearl resort to perform at its New Year’s Eve party.

“I thought that was a pretty good indicator, then in 2011 Jason and I discussed me moving to Phuket for a year just to give it a go.”

So Pjae moved to Phuket while Jason remained in Ho Chi Minh working at

editor1@thephuketnews.com

an international school until recently, when he joined her on the island.

The move to Phuket has been a success for Pjae’s already strong career, and she has no plans to relocate any time soon.

“My biggest break was with Benedikt De Bellis from Opus One. He hired me for every Friday for their “Got Soul” nights for eight months, and that was my home – Opus One.” She was at one stage performing five nights a week but is currently down to three nights with her band – Colin Hill on guitar, Milo Reznikoff on sax and her nephew Brandon Dorrough on drums – so she’s free to do private events.

Pjae and her band perform at Trisara on Wednesdays, Bliss Beach Club on Thursdays, and Sala Phuket on Sundays.

“That’s the thing I love ab out Phu ket – p e ople have been so generous and given me a chance.”

She lists her musical influences as soul queens Aretha

Franklin and Gladys Knight, but says she also has huge respect for a new African American artist, Indie Arie.

“She sings such globally positive, uplifting music.”

Despite her church and gospel background, Pjae says she’s not religious, though she is very spiritual, and this comes through in her own songs.

Her second album will be released soon. “It’s about merging [spirituality] in a popular way, and I think Bono (from U2) does that very well.

I think we are meant to be on the planet not to take up space, but to help others. And if I can use my gift to help other people, then my job is done.

“A song is written with its own identity, and if you can capture that, then your voice is the carrier of the song. Music is transforming and transcending, meaning that it changes the way you might be feeling, and can take you to another place.

“I love that part of music, that reach, and the connection with the audience.”

IN BRIEF Concerns grow for ill Bee Gee Concerns are growing about the health of Bee Gee Robin Gibb after family have f low n i nto L ondon to be at his bedside.

It is believed that the 62-year-old singer has developed pneumonia just weeks after announcing he was winning his battle with colon and liver cancer.

Kim ‘to travel with Kanye’ Kim Kardashian is reportedly planning to travel w it h K a nye West t h is summer as she thinks it’ll improve their relationship.

West is travelling to the UK this summer to tour with Jay-Z and it’s thought Kardashian is keen to come along so she can spend some quality time with him.

“Kim’s keen to come to the UK with him. Things are really getting going between them at the moment and she thinks the UK trip will be good,” a source told The Sun.

Grown-up boys make more Pie Agence France-Presse

Thirteen years after American Pie, the adolescents from the worldwide hit movie are back for a fourth helping, still tempted by the juicy bits despite having grown up, somewhat, in the meantime.

Released in 1999, the original was the latest to tap into US movie-goers’ huge appetite for adult-rated comedies, harking back to 1978’s Animal House and more recently demonstrated, arguably, by the Hangover films.

Famous for a scene in which Jason Biggs pleasured himself with an apple pie, the movie and its two sequels went

on to make more than $700 million (B21 billion) at the box office around the world.

Universal, makers of the franchise, have produced American Reunion, released Friday in the United States.

And while the actors remain mostly the same, the studio chose new filmmakers in co-directors Jon Hurvitz and Hayden Schlossberg, whose previous credits include the Harold and Kumar comedies.

The pair insist that taking over an already-huge franchise wasn’t a problem.

“We were just enormous fans of the first American Pie. We were in college when it came out, we watched it over

and over and over again, we knew the franchise very very well,” said Hurvitz.

The original movie’s characters were adolescents, and the decision to bring them

back together for a high school reunion seemed the obvious storyline.

“The reunion concept was just so perfect for us to take everybody in this large ensemble and give each person a storyline and moments to shine,” said Hurvitz, presenting the movie recently in Beverly Hills, before its release.

Each of the characters has grown up, personally professionally, but the reunion throws them up against their adolescent emotions, and lots of the laughs come from that confrontation.

Disney to develop animation productions in China Agence France-Presse

The Walt Disney Co., which is building a theme park in China, said Tuesday it had joined an initiative to develop Chinese animation productions.

The US entertainment giant and the state-backed China Animation Group have launched a project to develop animation content for the

thephuketnews.com

Chinese and other markets, Disney said in a statement.

Chinese Internet giant Tencent would help market the productions, to be developed for television, film and digital platforms, it said.

“Disney’s involvement builds on our expertise and long term commitment to nurture the local original animation industry,” Andy Bird, chair man of Walt

Disney International, said in the statement.

“We look for ward to working with China Animation Group and Tencent in taking Chinese stories to China and the world,” he said.

China Animation Group operates under the government’s Ministry of Culture.

Disney will provide expertise for story writing, screening and market re-

search to create content to an international standard, the statement said.

Disney broke ground on a long-awaited theme park in China’s commercial hub of Shanghai in April, 2011, which will be its third park in Asia after Tokyo and Hong Kong. The first-phase of the $3.7 billion (B108 billion) Shanghai park is scheduled to open in 2015, reports say.

WEEKDAYS The Breakfast Club

non-stop music

7am til 11am

Weekday Hitz Blitz

non-stop music

11am til 3pm

Drive on LIVE

Jason Wilder

3pm til 7pm

The Night Ritual

Sam Clarke

7pm til 10pm

SATURDAY Box Of Neutrals

Rob James, Peter McGinley & Michael Lamonato

9am til 10am

Saturday Morning Glory

Sam Clarke

10am til 12pm

Phuket News Radio Dazed and Confused Phuket News Radio

Jason Wilder & 12pm til 1pm Simon Ostheimer Bongo Bob 1pm til 4pm & Baba Fats Sam Clarke & 4pm til 5pm Alasdair Forbes

Going Green

Nick Anthony

5pm til 7pm

Saturday Night Fever

DJ Burt

7pm til 11pm

SUNDAY Dazed and Confused

Bongo Bob & Baba Fats

1pm til 4pm

Lazy Sunday Afternoons

Jason Wilder

4pm til 7pm

Absolute Jazz

Doug Styles

7pm til 9pm

www.phuketliveradio.com Tel: 076-612-895, 090-490-7895

THE PHUKET NEWS

EVENTS 31

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

WHAT’S ON IN PHUKET

List your event for FREE at thephuketnews.com/events.php APRIL 20-27

Fine Indian Cuisine APRIL 21 • • • •

Finest Indian Food Air-conditioned Restaurant Indian Takeaway / Delivery Service Open Daily From 12 noon Until 10.30pm

For menu and more details visit:

Fine Indian Cuisine www.deepavaliphuket.com • • • •

Finest Indian Food Air-conditioned Restaurant Indian Takeaway / Delivery Service Open Daily From 12 noon Until 10.30pm

• Live Sports on and five 55' TV'sdetails visit: • International And Thai Food For menu more • Food Takeaway / Delivery Service • FREE Wifi www.deepavaliphuket.com • Regular Happy Hour: 4pm-7pm

• Cocktail Happy Hour: 10pm-11pm

• Chilled-out Sounds All Day/Evening • Club/Dance Hits From 10pm

Open Daily: 11am - Last Orders: 12.30am

For menu and more details visit: www.loungephuket.com

• Live Sports on five 55' TV's

• International And Thai Food Deepavali Restaurant / The Lounge

0807 223377

• 123/24 Food Takeaway / Delivery Bangtao Place, Service

• FREE Wifi

Thailand • Phuket, Regular Happy Hour: 4pm-7pm

• Cocktail Happy Hour: 10pm-11pm

• Chilled-out Sounds All Day/Evening • Club/Dance Hits From 10pm

Exquisite Indian Buffet

11am - Last Orders:7pm-10pm.

12.30am ForOpen onlyDaily: B350 per person.

For menu and more details visit: www.loungephuket.com Please book in advance: 080 722 3377.

Deepavali Restaurant / The Lounge

0807 223377 APRIL 23-28

123/24 Bangtao Place, Phuket, Thailand

IB Visual Arts Exhibition

The Patong Beach at Loma Park! Open to the public! for all ages 4 years and up!

Starts April 23 - 28, 10am - 12pm and 4pm till late. We have “Try and Fly” classes and 1 hour. Sessions And don’t miss “The Patong Fanatasy Fly Show” presented early evening, April 27 to 28 at Loma Park Patong Beach. “Extraordinary People doing Extraordinary things!”( Located next to football stadium). Contact: K.Pee 084 837 5726 or K.Gee 086 003 0241, www.KidzSole.com.

Waiting AW-Palazzo

APRIL 25 Lady Pie “ANZAC Night” Hot Pies, Lamingtons, ANZAC Biscuits, VB and local beers, 2 UP. Remembrance Ode

by Larry Cunningham, Phuket Honoray Australian Consul. Open to all Allied servicemen. Come and remembers our Diggers April 25, 2012 from 6pm. www.ladypie.com, 076 271 049.

APRIL 28 - MAY 19

The British International School Phuket Year 13 IB Visual Arts students exhibition will take place in the foyer of the Main Teaching Building of BIS at 4.30pm on Monday, March 19. Public viewing will take place until Friday, April 27. Some great pieces on display from very talented students.

Contact 076 335 555, email: info@ bisphuket.ac.th.

Somrak Maneemai at VR Gallery

APRIL 21 Phuket Pride 2012 Media sponsors :

Central's Men Summer 2012 The latest collections for men by Central Department store are inspired by the theme of fresh scent of the sea during summer.

The “Central Men Summer 2012” collection combines bright colours with the latest in men’s fashion design.

A body combat show will kick off this show to demonstrate the latest fashion design for men, to be modelled in five sets: Boutique: Summer’s elegant style with a colourful presentation by celebrities and expats.

Casual: Presented by new young male model from the Y Club.

Pride Week on April 23 to 28. Events and parties so far planned: - Big stage show party April 27 and 28 at Patong Loma Park.

- Pride Parade through Patong on April 28.

- Mr Gay Phuket competition by Fong Kaew Mansion on April 25 and 26.

- Night out in Thailand party on April 24

by Out in Thailand and Backstage Bar. - Big street parties and fun nights in Soi Paradise throughout the week.

- CC Blooms Hotel Pride pool party on April 22.

- V. Sawana Bar Pride Party in Rawai.

- Gay-day cruise to Racha Island by Time Bar and Sundowners on April 24 and 25.

- Phuket Gay Pride overnight tour by Rainbow Scuba tours on April 23 and 24.

Visit www.phuket-pride.org.

APRIL 23-28

Denim: Don’t miss this if you love the latest in denim jeans, to be modelled by young expats.

Swim wear: A hot new collection to welcome summer, presented by Inter Model.

Underwear.

Learn to Fly - Flying Trapeze “Learn To Fly” Flying Trapeze Lessons on

Somrak Maneemai’s “Lost in the Clouds” collection is his newest work. Somrak has a MFA from Silpakorn University. His Red Gallery was specially mentioned in the New York Times and has recently relocated to the Phuket Art Village in Rawai.

The NYT commended the art village for its originality. The VR Gallery is located adjacent to Mom Tri’s Villa Royale at the entrance of the Baan Kata Estate. Contact 076 333 568. See momtriphuket.com.

COME JOIN EVERYONE AT THE SOI DOG SOIREE

12TH MAY 2012

XANA BEACH CLUB, LAGUNA

6.30PM TILL LATE COME JOIN EVERYONE AT THE SOI DOG SOIREE 2500 BAHT INCLUDING DINNER , FREE FLOW BEVERAGES AND ENTERTAINMENT

12TH MAY 2012

XANA BEACH CLUB, LAGUNA

DRESS CODE: BLACK6.30PM N WHITE TILL LATE

2500 BAHTNET INCLUDING DINNER , SPECIAL RATE OF 3800 BAHT PER NIGHT FREE FLOW BEVERAGES AND ENTERTAINMENT INCLUDING BREAKFAST @ ANGSANA, LAGUNA

MAY 6

DRESS CODE: BLACK N WHITE

CONTACT CRISTY FOR TICKETS AT 084 054 4367 OR SPECIAL RATE OF 3800 BAHT NET PER NIGHT CRISTY@SOIDOG-FOUNDATION.ORG INCLUDING BREAKFAST @ ANGSANA, LAGUNA For reservations at angsana Phone 076 324 101 or email reservations-lagunaphuket@angsana.com

CONTACT CRISTY FOR TICKETS AT 084 054 4367 OR CRISTY@SOIDOG-FOUNDATION.ORG For reservations at angsana Phone 076 324 101 or email reservations-lagunaphuket@angsana.com

COME JOIN EVERYONE AT THE SOI DOG SOIREE

12TH MAY 2012

XANA BEACH CLUB, LAGUNA

6.30PM TILL LATE

2500 BAHT INCLUDING DINNER , FREE FLOW BEVERAGES AND ENTERTAINMENT DRESS CODE: BLACK N WHITE SPECIAL RATE OF 3800 BAHT NET PER NIGHT INCLUDING BREAKFAST @ ANGSANA, LAGUNA soidog.indd

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CONTACT CRISTY FOR TICKETS AT 084 054 4367 OR CRISTY@SOIDOG-FOUNDATION.ORG

MAY 12 It's Party Time

For reservations at angsana Phone 076 324 101 or email reservations-lagunaphuket@angsana.com

Columbia Trail Masters 2011 Offering exciting routes that travel along scenic trails exploring the mountains, farmlands and greenery of tropical Phuket. The Start and Finish will be at Asia’s leading sports complex Thanyapura Sports & Leisure Club set amongst the majestic scenic view of Khao Phra Taew National Park. Distances: 21.5km Off Road Half Marathon-10km-3km for all and children. www.ama-events.com.

Come join everyone at the Soi Dog Soiree. At Xana Beach Club, Laguna. Time: 6.30 pm till late. B2,500 including dinner, free flow beverages and entertainment.

Dress code: Black and white. Special rate of B3,800 net per night including breakfast at Angsana, Laguna. Contact Cristy for tickets at 084 054 4367 or cristy@soidog-founation.org.

For reservations at Angsana, phone 076 324 101 or email reservation-lagunaphuket@angsana.com . soidog.indd

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thephuketnews.com

32 EVENTS

THE PHUKET NEWS

WHAT’S ON IN PHUKET

List your event for FREE at thephuketnews.com/events.php FRIDAY

SUNDAY

Pool Competition

Church Service English/Thai

Pool Competition at 9pm. Expat Sports Bar, Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. www. expatsportsbar.com.

Every Sunday 10am. Come share in worship unto God, and hear Word of God, followed by fellowship lunch. See phuketchurch.net.

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BBQ Ribs All You Can Eat

Sunday Roast Pork

Only B295 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. For reservations call on 081 891 4381.

Every Sunday 2pm onwards Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong B290 per person.

Please see www.expathotel.com.

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Curry Fridays at Navrang Mahal

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Two Chefs Tex Mex Night

Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations please call 081 891 4381.

At Two Chefs Karon 6pm-1am. Every Wednesday can you enjoy Phukets best Mexican food. Chili con carne, Mexican rice, Mexican springrolls, nachos, pork fillet skewers, salmon quesadillas, grilled corn cob, desserts from our bakery and much more. Our house band will be here to play live music. B495 or B795 include free flow Chang draft / sangria. See www. twochefs.com, call 076 286 479, karon@ twochefs.com.

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Enjoy live music at Kamala’s only live music venue. Every Saturday from 8.30pm with free buffet. Call for more info on 085 655 5127.

Live Music Enjoy live music at Kamala’s only live music venue. Every Saturday from 8.30pm with free buffet. Call for more info on 085 655 5127.

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AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub. Contact 081 895 4763.

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BBQ at Expat Hotel Time 7.30pm, Expat Sports Bar, Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. www.expatsports bar.com.

Open from 5pm, closed Mondays Laguna Phuket

thephuketnews.com

WEDNESDAY

Half-Chicken Spit Roast

Live Music

Draught Guinness at the only Irish Bar in North Phuket

.

SATURDAY

At Two Chefs Kata Center. Every Saturday 12pm-3pm, can you enjoy a big delicious buffet with touch of Scandinavia, and listen to our live music. For example: Our home smoked salmon, smoked prawns, Swedish meatballs, roasted porkloin, home made bread, delicious desserts and much more.

B395 or B695 include free flow of Chang draft / wine / sangria. See www.twochefs. com, 076 330 065, katacenter@twochefs. com.

Bangkok Travellers - Sundays

Pool Competition At 9pm Expat Guesthouse Sports Bar, Patong. See map at www.expatguesthouse. com.

Roast beef, BBQ ham, chicken, pork and Yorkshire pudding. All you can eat B399.

Irish Times, Jungceylon, Patong.

Two Chefs Saturday Brunch

Roaring Bhoys - Tuesdays & Saturdays

................................................................................

Best Sunday Carvery in Phuket

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Sunday Brunch

Live Music every week

Half-Chicken Spit Roast Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations call 081 891 4381.

Every Friday, all-you-can-eat authentic Indian curry buffet, B449 net per person.

Draught beer B50. 7pm-11.30pm. Call 076 286 464.

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The Craíc

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

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All Major Sports Live On the big screen. F1, MotoGP, Tennis, Golf, AFL, NRL. Irish Times Irish Pub, Jungceylon, Patong.

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Half-Chicken Spit Roast Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations call 081 891 4381.

Enjoy the original Sunday brunch in Phuket at Twinpalms, Surin Beach. 12-3pm. Reservations please call 076 316 577.

MONDAY

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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.

Two Chefs Surf Night At Two Chefs Kata Beach. Every Monday from 6pm-12am. Can you enjoy our big BBQ Buffet with Blackened salmon burgers, beef burgers, Chicken Fajitas, Tacos, Chimi-Churri marinated chicken, desserts from our bakery and much more. One member from Our house band will sing pleasant music during the night. Only B495. See www.twochefs.com, 076 284 155, kata@twochefs.com.

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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.

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BBQ Ribs All You Can Eat Only B295 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations call on 081 891 4381.

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THURSDAY

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 Rd, Patong. Reservations 081 891 4381.

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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

AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub, one km from Chalong circle. Contact 081 895 4763.

.

DAILY

AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM

Grizzly’s Sports Bar & Restaurant

All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub, one km from Chalong circle. Call for more details on 081 895 4763.

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.

THE PHUKET NEWS

JOBS 33

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

CLASSIFIEDS classifieds@thephuketnews.com

List your ad for FREE at thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php

Private pool villa for rent Rawai area, 5 minutes to Chalong centre > 35

JOBS IN PHUKET

Swimming Teacher: Chalong are seeking staff B7,000-B10,000, depend- Mon-Fri, 7.30am-4.30pm, Looking for a qualified Thai swim teacher to teach and assist teaching swimming for HeadStart International school and after school classes at FunStart. Salary B15,000 plus good commission. Contact 076 203 185, 087 882 5544.

for the following positions (Thai nationals only): Reception, café staff, housekeeping, por ter, kitchen staff helper, sales staff, sales super visor, warehouse/drivers. Interested candidates please send CV to ian@sde-asiapacif ic.com. Call 076 384 476.

Receptionist: Receptionist needed for FunStart Family Sports Club in Kathu. Should have a working knowledge of cashier duties, a good command of English and good customer relation skills.

Salary at B15,000. Contact Phone : 076 203 185, 087 882 5544.

Looking for Staff: DaVinci Restaurant in Rawai Naiharn is looking for staff.

Waitress and bar tender with experience. Working hours 4.00 pm-11.30 pm, one day off, good salary.

Contact 086 947 5197.

Looking for Thai Sales Lady: G o o d English, with selling exper ienc e, own bike/ car, positive and outgoing personality.Starting B14,0 0 0+fuel+phone+ Excellent commission.

Call 085 782 1200.

Kindergarten Teacher Wanted: We are look-

Collection Officer 2 positions: Qualification: - Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, Filipino welcome.

- Experience in member service is advantage - Good computer literacy is required.

- Fluent in English.

- Salary and great benefits Please contact : Eve. Tel: 081 271 9340 or 076 344 161 #4302. Email: eve @ p a t o n g b ay v a c a tionclub.com.

Tiger Muay Thai Staff Wanted: Assistant Chef: Salary B15,000-B20,000.

Fluent in both English and Thai, must have a culinary background. Advantage to applicants with background in chain food stores. Cooks: salar y B8,0 0 0 - B12,0 0 0 must be able to cook both Thai and Western dishes. Front bar staff: salary

ing on experience. Must be able to speak, read and write English. Staf f will serve customers at the front counter of the restaurant.

Contact Ben 081 832 2519, email ben@tiger muaythai. com.

Vacancy for Cook: Cook wanted. Must be able to cook both Thai and Western Food and be able to speak a little English.

Six- day week. Good salary, negotiable. Contact 089 855 3207.

Salesperson Required: Thai female – good command of English, confident, and highly-motivated for a Design Agency based in Phuket. Basic salary plus commission. Contact: john@cre8-media.net or call 083 502 5552.

Qualified Teacher/Tutor wanted : English-

Chalong. Call 08 0 624 7060.

Administrative assistant: English-speaker

with good Microsoft Office skills and references. CV to info@techworx-projects. com.

M ar ket ing Per son Wanted: Full-time/parttime. Great opportunity with Phuket-based company.

Must speak good English.

Must have good computer skills & internet knowledge. Please send resume to:gary@shadesasia.com.

Sales Executive: We

have an opening for a field sales executive to promote our range of luxury website and print design products.

See our jobs page on lfrasia.com for more info and details on how to apply.

Email sales@lfr-asia.com.

speaking, tutor wanted for Grade 4 student, 2-3 hours per day, 6 days a week, to do extra tutoring (reading, writing, math) in Thalang. At Phuket International Academy School. Contact:Sherin. peace@gmail.com. or call 084 877 3566.

Kindergar ten Secretary: Must have good English and computer skills.

ing for a native English kindergarten teacher to join our team to teach 10-12 children aged 3- 6 years of age. Must have a minimum Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent. Contact Daniel 084 520 4978, email: info@ c ravensnur ser yphuket. com.

Reggae Musicians: Looking for a reggae lead guitarist and keyboardist to help form a reggae band in Phuket. The goal is to create a quality Roots Reggae band that does covers, originals, and dub! Contact: Idren movidaflow@gmail. com.

Staf f Wanted: Siam Diving Enterprises and Pier 42 Boutique Resort in

thephuketnews.com

34 CLASSIFIEDS

THE PHUKET NEWS

BUY & SELL IN PHUKET

List your advert for FREE at thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php Toyota MRS Convertible Year 05: 82,000km, year 2005, big stereo, top condition. B1,350,000. Call 089 932 5175.

CHILDCARE

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Restaurant for Sale: Restaurant for sale farang/ Thai, quality furnishing, terrific potential, ill-health forcing sale. B800,000. Contact 087 978 5804.

BOATS & YACHTS

BUSINESS SERVICES

Refurbished 33 Foot Speed Boat for Sale: 2 X YAMAHA Speedboat Dive/ Snor kelling: Cus tomised speedboat diving, snorkelling, GPS radio, 2x Yamaha engines 200cc.

Also available Bauer compressor 40 tanks regs BC DS boat. 900,000 Baht. Call Joe 087 891 8912, joe@ similan-diving-safaris.com.

OUTBOARD 200 HP 2 STROKE (original Yamaha parts). Wooden keel made of Takian Thong.

New upholstery, scuba tank racks, full registration and insurance.

Contact : Cesare Benelli (Thai/English) 081 891 3937 Bangkok or Ian 087 883 6487 Phuket.

Phuket Consult Services: Insurance, personal assistance, legal assistance, police and emergency assistance, property management, sales and rentals, company registration, visa and work permit and accounting. Call 081 691 9679.

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.

Indo Construction: 40 years’ experience and more than 20 years at your service in Thailand. Main contractor: study project, architecture design and construction and management. Contact 076 381 895.

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.

CARS FOR RENT A1 Car Rentals: Fully-

WRITE YOUR CLASSIFIED FREE ONLINE: 189 CHARACTERS + 1 PICTURE

insured. Starts at B12,000 to B18,000 per month. Please call 089 831 4703. Email for more info: a1carrent@gmail. com.

New Mazda2 & Vios for Rent: First class insurance,

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special price for long term rental. Call 080 521 9888, email sornin_s@yahoo.com.

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189 CHARACTERS

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Online upgrades:

Website link B199

Urgent banner B199

UPGRADE TO PREMIUM

FOR JUST B1,099 GET AN ADDITIONAL 9 PICTURES

PLUS 1 ISSUE IN THE PRINT COPY OF THE PHUKET NEWS Print upgrades:

Box B199

Colour Background B199

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

The car for rent: Car in good condition, shor t and long-term rental with first-class insurance and delivery service. Call 086 690 6007, email: k.niwatt@hotmail.com.

CARS FOR SALE Good Cheap Car for Sale: Toyota Corolla good runaround car, Good starter, Aircon, Power steering needs some love and attention. For sale B95,000 ono. Call 090 071 7270.

Colour Headline B199

Buds Nursery: Phuket’s oldest bilingual international child care facility. High-quality, time-proven schedule and curriculum. Now in brand new purpose-built school.

Experienced native English teachers to teach ages 1 1/28. Mon-Fri 8am.-5pm. Bus service available from Patong, Karon, Kata, Phuket, Rawai and Chalong. Website: www.buds-phuket.com.

Kiddies Home Nursery: Award for top Nursery for Phuket Province 2011.

Ages 3 months to 4 years.

Open 7 days a week and from 6.30 am to 7pm. Rock Garden Village. Call 076 528 862, mobile 082 539 8252, email: kiddieshomenursery@gmail. com.

CLUBS & MEMBERSHIPS

Club Asia Fitness: Royal Phuket City Hotel - Offers Zumba / LesMills Classes / Weight Training/Sauna/Steam/ Swimming pool-all inclusive.

For a free trial workout come along and join the action. Tel 076 354 027, 087 275 3614. www.clubasiaphuket.com.

DIVING All 4 Diving: 5/4 Sawatdirak Road, Patong Beach.

Contact 076 344 611.

EDUCATION Learn Thai at Home: Thai woman 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 practice and home study material. Both at beginner and more advanced levels. Tel:081 797 1497 Email: teacherjoy_phuket@hotmail. com.

Russian Language for Your Kids: Are your children starting to forget Russian? Sign up to our Russian Language For Kids program.

Visit http://PhuketRussian School.com, email us at info@ phuketrussianschool.com or call 082 804 9131.

Want to Practice your Thai?: Thai courses and lessons for daily life (culture and language) with friendly and energised Thai female teacher. Graduated from university. Negotiable prices can be offered. Plus have outdoor activities for your experience.

Call 080 386 5026.

Cooking School: Fire up your creative flair with Food Services Cooking School. Italian, Western and Thai cuisine.

Try our famous pizza school.

082 816 0126, email: info@ foodservicesth.com.

Guitar Lesson By Pro Player: Guitar/bass lessons

Loch Palms Membership for Sale: Membership lifetime, B600,000 include transfer. Call Tantita 081 797 3326.

Laguna Family Membership: 12 years. B500,000

beginner to advanced. Personal one-on-one or by DVD. Diploma of Teaching (Aust) degree. Call 089 777 3063.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS FOR SALE

includes transfer. Call Tantita 081 797 3326.

Funstart: Family sports and leisure club. Swimming/golf/ playcentre/gaming arcade.

Call 076 203 185, 087 882 5544. See funstar tphuket. com.

SK A L I n t e r n a t i o n a l Phuket: Skål is a professional organisation of leaders from all branches of the travel and tourism industry. www. skalphuket.org.

Hotel Closing for Renovation - everything must be sold:

Hotel closing for major renovation, everything must be sold by April 29 - TVs, bedroom furniture - Bed frames, mattresses, side tables, A/C, refrigerators, dining table and chairs, doors, etc. Contact 076 333 222, sales@ ccbloomshotel.com.

Toyota Vigo 2008: Four

DEADLINE: MONDAY 11.59PM (MIDNIGHT) FOR THAT FRIDAY’S ISSUE Hand this in at agent shops, our office or fax: 076 612 553

thephuketnews.com

wheel drive, automatic, diesel, four door, four times 4 ETCi VSC and cruise control, clear blue metallic, excellent condition, one careful owner 65,000 km. B720,000. Call 089 474 0543.

Singapore Club Phuket: Calling all Singaporeans in Phuket to join “Singapore Club Phuket”. Contact Robin on 081 803 7189, 076 303 500.

Health Food : Online health food in Thailand. Good Karma, all natural healthy, natural and organic products. Contact 082 276 1675. www.goodkar mathailand.com.

THE PHUKET NEWS

CLASSIFIEDS 35

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

List your advert for FREE at thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php MOTORBIKES FOR SALE

trainer from the UK. With guaranteed results and over 10 years experience in men and women’s health and fitness.

Pre- and post-natal exercise.

Nutrition and weight management. For a free consultation contact Sarah on 084 985 8161, email: sarah@one2onefitness.net.

Yamaha Serow for Sale: 220cc, year 1996.

Sale B45,000. Please contact Khun Nicolas (farang) 083 176 4265. Khun Ball 081 084 9532 (Thai).

Techworx: Custom design & 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.

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.

Personal Trainer: Fully-qualified female personal

Atmanjai: World’s best natural health programmes to improve health, reduce stress, weight loss, detox, rejuvenation, vitality and overcome disease. See atmanjai.com.

company formation, property transfer etc. Please telephone for advice. Call 084 063 9223.

Kata Gardens Luxury Apartments: Kata Gardens is a gated estate with one, two and three bedroom apartments and pool penthouses all with over-sized terraces. Kata Noi and Kata beach and town are less than five minutes walk away. Two pools and gym. Email info@ katagardens.net.

PET ADOPTION

Dynamic Tyre Balancing: Dynamically balance

PERSONAL SERVICES

month B7,500). Call Michael 087 897 8997.

CCM Complex, call 076 510 111, email info@hhlegaladvi sors.com, www.hhlegaladvi sors.com.

English-Thai Law Off ice: Visa, wor k per mit,

MOTORBIKE SERVICES

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.

Haris & Hawryluck - Attorneys at Law: Unit 6D

BUY & SELL/HOMES IN PHUKET

Why buy a pet?: Soi Dog

Havana Cigar Shop: Opposite HomePro Village Chalong. Contact 081 956 2024, vinoltds@hotmail.com.

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

Kata Luxury Seafront Villa: Three bedroom, 320sq metre villa. 15m above sea, spectacular Andaman Sea view, 6mx15m infinity pool.

Surrounded by dense foliage, spacious balconies, outdoor showers, private and secluded. Excellent Thai cook. www. housephuket.com.

sulting and services on company registration, work permit, visa, accounting, auditor, legal advice. Contact 081 892 9960.

Buon A p p et i to: D e li market and bistro.Number one supplier of Italian Deli in Phuket. Call 076 384 273, info@buonappetitogroup.com, www.buonappetitogroup.com.

8/28–29 Moo 9, Chaofah East Road. Contact 076 283 365.

Condo in Phuket Town for Rent: New condo, 1

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 for more details on 081 823 4627.

PROPERTY CONCIERGE

Furnished 3bed 2bath + Office Near Central for Rent: Furnished house for rent opposite HeadStart International School by Central and Makro. 2 air-con.

ADSL, washer, 2 hideaway sofa, 2 TVs, 3 desks, office with view over shared swimming pool. B17,000. Contact May 089 973 3276.

Pa to n g:Ni c e A p a r tment for Rent: Condo

First floor: entrance, kitchen, dining, living plus games room. Second floor: Two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms.

Master with separate living room/third bedroom. Price: B5,500,000. Sold with 20 year lease (B23,000 per month equivalent). Contact Paul +66 89 586 2959.

One bedroom fully-furnished apartment. 20,000/month for six month or more. Tam 082 271 4487.

POOL TABLES

American Health Clinic: Chiropractic spinal adjustment with an experienced chiropractor can take away the pain almost as quickly as it began.

Call 076 612 707.

Patong Hill Seaview:

bed, fully-furnished, WiFi, maid service, sea view. Call 081 893 5188.

Chaofah Pet Hospital: Phuket Visa: Offers con-

bedrooms, five bathrooms, a working room, a maid room, a modern kitchen, a big space for living area and a nice garden. Safe and comfortable.

For long-term rent. 081 787 2201.

Private Pool Villa: Private pool villa for rent, Rawai area, 5 minutes to Chalong center, fully furnished. Please contact : 089 472 9870, email: dchaibut@gmail.com

6.1 Rai Land for Sale: 6.1 rai (10,000sq metre).

B2,500,000 per rai. Total price: B15,600,000. - 5 minutes to Naithon Beach. -10 minutes to Naiyang Beach.

-10 minutes to Airport. -7 minutes to New Tesco Lotus.

- Roadside land and Chanote title. Call 085 793 2718.

Phuket- Surin Beach Area for Sale: Land for sale, chanote title at Maniktownship. 20x25 metres in natural surrounding, 2.4 million baht. Phone 087 275 9621, email nuttapol_trateng@ya hoo.com.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

with swimming pool, security 24/7, furnished, 46sqm. Daily/ monthly. 089 728 4005, thamad17@ya hoo.com.

Selling or Renting Your Property?: We

Nice One Rai in Chalong: Reduced, just

have buyers for foreign freehold, sea view properties and land. Call 080 143 2929 or visit realestate.phuket. net.

PROPERTY FOR RENT Space for Rent in Patong: Of fice, Busin e s s s p ac e f o r r e nt o n fifth floor of Patong Towe r. C a l l 0 7 6 3 41 3 7 0 .

Room for Rent Above Gym in Phuket Town: Four rooms available for rent! includes electric/water/internet/gymnasium membership/ free personal training (one

Home/Self-Contained Office: Fully-established estate between Patong and Kamala. Ground floor: selfcontained office with own entrance (approx. 70sq metre)

B6 million now. 200m off main road near Chalong temple. Full chanote title.

Call 087 053 6181/089 651 3479. Email philcroker69@ hotmail.com.

The Heights Stunning O c e a n V i e w Pe n thouse: 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 219sq metres of modern luxury. The ultimate in indooroutdoor living. Panoramic ocean/sunset views. Huge balcony. Spectacular common pool and gym. May 1-31, B100,000 per month. Contact 083 833 6863.

Four Bedroom House for Sale/Rent: Two stories single house 126 sq.wha. Four

Pura Vida Villas Phuket Special offer for long term rent

New spacious 3 bedrooms boutique pool villas with private steam room.

Close to Thanyapura International School, Blue Canyon Golf Course.

Between Naithon and Naiyang beach, Ideal for families, 24 hrs security, Daily maid service, Pool cleaning, Gardening.

120,000 baht per month.

Email: rsvn@puravidaphuket.com www.puravidaphuket.com

Tel: 076 510 160, 083 637 6237 short term rental is available

thephuketnews.com

36 CLASSIFIEDS

THE PHUKET NEWS

HOMES IN PHUKET PROPERTY FOR SALE CONT.

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

List your advert for FREE at thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php

office. B4.2m per rai. Call 087 978 5804.

available rental daily and monthy basis. www.awphuket.com.

Kata House For Sale:

1.5 Rai (2 X 0.75 Rai) Chanote at Cape Yamu: 1.5 rai flat land at

Cape Yamu. 2 x 0.75 rai adjoining plots OrBorTor road access to super end of soi private location . Private sale direct from the owner.

Only 3.5 million baht per rai.

Contact 081 087 9237, www. phuketlandforsale.net.

SEAVIEW LAND FOR SALE: Near Chalong pier,

Modern, New Two Storey V illa - sal e: Living space 200 m2, balcony. terraces, three beds, two baths, furnished, ADSL, tropical garden, calmly gated village, Clubhouse Pool/Tenniscourt, near Phuket Town, Shopping, Rawai-Naiharn beach. Call 089 593 8690, ruen_narayan@hotmail.com.

150 metres from the sea.

Three rai and one ngan plot.

Chanote title. Price: B20 million per rai. No agent. Call 087 278 7206

Pa l m a n d Ru b b e r Farm 67 Rai: House

450 sq metre, under roof.

400m of water frontage on river. Income producing.

Two small klongs for holding fish. Close to Rajaprapa Golf Course. English and Thai for details Tantita 081 797 3326.

Condo in Phuket Town for Sale/Rent: New condo, 1 bed, fully-furnished, WiFi, maid service, sea view. Call 081 893 5188.

Discount Rentals Daily / Weekly / Monthly / Lease LUXURY VILLAS NEAR LAGUNA

Info: 089 594 4067 Nice Villa for sale: Three bedroom villa with separate bedroom/office, opposite pool. Khoa Khad Road, two minutes walk to river, four km to Ao Makham beach. Secure parking for two cars, government water, six ring oven, fridge, washing machine, satellite TV, cable TV, Wi-Fi, nature gardens, plot size 104 sq metres.

Asking price B7 million. Call owner 084 304 6723 Thai/ English.

Land for Sale: Land Mission Hills half rai plot, quiet select location, chanote, water, electricity. Price B1.6m. Six rai hilltop, sea/mountain views, chanote, water, electricity and

Allamanda (Laguna) Residences/Phuket: 1 condo unit, half of a deluxe twin house, fully-furnished and equipped, set direct on the picturesque lagoon with balcony right over it. 3 bedrooms each with shower/bathroom, roof terrace with sala, etc. For sale or long-term rent.

Phone (66) 081 737 0365 (English, Thai, German) email: utaipan@yahoo.com.

Single House for Sale: Three bedrooms, two bathrooms at Villa Suanluang for sale, fully-furnished, negotiable. Please call 081 658 2081.

Top Rawai Beach Condo For Sale: Serenity Resort & Residences. Two bed / two bath, 134 sq metre.

Only B11.9 million. See www. stefan.asia for details.

top, sea/mountain views, chanote, water, electricity and office. B4.2 million per rai , Contact : 087 978 5804.

Ka t a B e a c h Ce n t r e Phuket: Apar tments for

Perfect Land for Villa: Approx three rai, with chanote title, 2 km south of Thai Muang town centre. Just 24 km north of Sarasin Bridge. Good road access and electricity. Very quiet, green area. Urgent sale for just B5 million total, nonnegotiable. 089 652 1951 or email phuket.pn@gmail.com.

828 0972.

New Apartment for Sale Patong: Condo: swimming

pool, security 24/7. Furnished, 46sqm, freehold: B2.9 million.

089 728 4005, thamad17@ yahoo.com.

stairs, walls, 2 bedrooms.

Land 330 sq metre, peaceful location, five minutes to Patong, Chanote title.

B5.5 million. 086 268 8701, email: f430spiderf1@hotmail.com.

B1.9 Million New Condo: New Studio (1 bedroom) condominium in The Point, across from Phuket International Hospital and BigC. Beautiful four-year-old central atrium building with no stuffy hallways. 36 m2, high-speed internet, cable TV, and swimming. Parking under building. Third floor with nice view.

B1.9 m. Contact Walter at wp drake2@yahoo.com, 083 301 3470.

For details please call owner directly 081 343 0777 or 086 475 6060, email: montha _ phuket@yahoo. com.

1,000 sq metre, under roof made from granite rock, salas and walkways, 400m of water frontage on river.

Many types of fruit trees.

Close to Rajaprapa Golf Course. English and Thai for details Tantita 081 797 3326.

Three bedrooms, four bathrooms and pool. B5 million.

Contact 089 469 2897.

Seaview Land for Sale:

Near Chalong pier, 150 metres from the sea. Three rai and one ngan plot. Chanote title. Price: B20 million per rai. No agent.

Call 087 278 7206.

Modern Pool Villa:

Kamala Two Brand New Villas: Two bed-

Condo at Patong Loft for Sale: Condo for sale

Beach Front Land:

Seven rai with 180 metres of ocean frontage opposite of Yacht Haven Marina, for sale. Very peaceful natural environment, water, electricity, access by public road and boat, ready to build.

Price B6.2 million per rai.

Land could be subdivided into small plots.

Gentleman’s Farm 20 Rai Land: House

Great House for Sale:

rent and lease in luxury building with pool. Per day, week, month, year and 30 years. Contact Scott Bolls, email: sbolls@ hot mail.com. Contact +66 81

Thai Style House for Sale: Teak wood floors,

thephuketnews.com

Land For Sale: 6 rai Hill-

5 minutes to beach, large modern house, three floors, furnished, three beds, two full bath, air-con, western k itc hen, spac i ous liv ing room, garage with laundry/ over head storage, large c overed patios, secur it y do or s / windows, garden, company name available.

B5.5 million. Call 081 131 5751, email: seadog5000@ yahoo.com.

r o o m s , t wo b at h r o o m s , Western kitchen, 130 sq metre. Nice garden with large pool in quiet area. Price: B5.5 million or minimum threemonth rental. Call 081 496 9070 (Eng/Swedish) or 081 719 1175 (Thai). Email:diod@ telia.com.

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.

with a tenant. Good for investment!. 86sq metres on fifth floor. Please call 081 432 6587.

Rawai Pool Villa: 4 bed-

room/4 bathroom European style single-storey house with self-contained guesthouse and pool on 736m2 plot. Large master bedroom with en-suite, walk-in wardrobe. Modern western-style kitchen with granite tops, built-ins throughout and 4 air-cons. Electric gate, TV and phone line. Large verandahs, carport, and established garden. Chanote title B11m, 087 891 9349.

Sea View Villa: Luxury seaview Patong-Karon villa, four bedrooms, private pool.

Sell for B22 million, and also

24 Rai Flat Land Cheap:

24 rai flat land close to Phuket zoo. Owner direct, B3.8 million per rai, chanote title. Call 085 789 1773.

New Townhouses in Kamala: This is a development of affordable 3-bedroom townhouses, located in Kamala, approximately 1.5 km from the white sandy beach of Kamala and about 10 minutes drive to Patong. Prices from only B4,900,000. For more info call 087 882 2856 or email luc@ phuket-tropical-realestate.com.

Jindarin Beach Club & Resort: B1.5 million

for one plot, B3.2 million for cottage + plot. Call 080 467 7770 (Thai), 083 520 0020 (English). www.jinda rin.com, Email: eam1008@ me.com.

Fi ve B e d ro o m Th a i St yle Pool Villa for Sale: Near Laguna Phuket on one rai, living space 600 sq metres up. 087 893 4636.

THE PHUKET NEWS

TRADES 37

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

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thephuketnews.com

38 ISLAND SPORT

SAVED! Ailing FC Phuket rescued by owner of Siam Sports Kazira Hans sport@thephuketnews.com

It was probably the best news FC Phuket fans have had in a long time – Rawi Lohthong, the Bangkok-based owner of Siam Sports, has agreed to help the club solve their financial woes.

It comes after accusations a fortnight ago that the club was no longer able to keep up with player payments, and that their demise was imminent.

On April 9, the night after FC Phuket managed a 1-1 draw against Khon Kaen FC, Naruebet ‘Ko Lek’ Aryupong, FC Phuket footballers and a select group of fans went to see Mr Rawi, asking him to step in as the club’s saviour.

After a long talk, Rawi agreed to step in and take over the management of the club. A team of staff that work at his other team, SCG Muang Thong United, will be sent to FC Phuket.

Mr Rawi was originally due to take over the club’s management in December last year, but the deal fell through after a disagreement with the OrBorJor over rent for the

Saviour Rawi Lohthong. use of Surakul Stadium. This issue has now been resolved, though the exact details of the agreement have not been made clear at this stage.

Mr Rawi said that from now on, unlike in the past few months, footballers’ salaries will be paid on time.

He said there will be new footballers sent down from Muang Thong to reinforce the islanders in the second half of the current season.

For fans, the deal puts to rest any doubt over the club’s future after what has been a tumultuous six months.

The only question they have to answer now is how big can FC Phuket get under professional management like that of Siam Sports Group?

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

Batting brilliance buries Patong CRICKET Dane Halpin editor2@thephuketnews.com

Liquid Lounge Lizards recorded only their second win of the Island Furniture Cricket League season last weekend – yet in doing so they delivered one of the finest individual innings played on the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG).

Patong, with their reputation for taking things seriously at the best of times, were particularly focused going into the game, as they needed a win to stay in finals contention. Lizards, meanwhile, were looking to put a disappointing season behind them w it h a consolat ion w i n over their fierce rivals.

Patong won the toss and elected to bat first, but lost opener Dean Noble for a duck in the first over after Neil Culpan beat the bat to shatter his stumps.

Fellow opener Seemant

Raju (8) joined him in the pavilion just three overs later with the Patong score at 23.

Danny Hyams (32) and Neil Quail (23) survived four LBW appeals between them to carry the score to 66, before Quail picked out the safe hands of Nifty Catts off the bowling of Tim Lenton.

Lenton – the self professed “backyard cricketer” – then seemed to become a man possessed, running through the Patong middle order on his way to figures of 6-29 off his eight overs.

Manish Sadarangani and MF Khan ensured the Patong tail had some wag, but they couldn’t stop their side cracking under the pressure to be all out for 169 off 30.3 overs.

After losing opener Ian Lenton in the second over with only seven on the scoreboard, Lizards piled on the biggest and most impressive partnership the ACG has ever seen through Neil Culpan and Shar Syed.

Island Cricket

Team

P W L D NR Pts

1

Village

6 5 1 0 0 30

2

Laguna

5 4 1 0 0 26

3

Patong

6 3 3 0 0 25

4

Island

5 3 2 0 0 19

5

Lizards

6 2 4 0 0 18

6

TNT

5 2 3 0 0 14

7

Leopards 5 0 5 0 0 1

Culpan found the boundary 14 times, and cleared it a further two on his way to a massive 115 not out, the biggest single total recorded to date at the ACG. He brought up his 50 off 54 deliveries, and was given a life on 68 when he was dropped at fine leg by Raju.

He then powered through his next 32 runs to bring up the ton off just 88 balls.

Syed also did his job admirably, holding down the other end to grind out 28 off 72 deliveries, though his job was made easier after being given two extra lives by some sloppy Patong fielding – he was dropped off his first ball

by M Khan at second slip, then again by Khan at first slip while on 2.

Syed eventually fell in the 29th over, but by then Lizards had reached 151 and the damage had already been done.

Patong managed to pick up a couple more wickets as MF Khan snared Tim Lenton and Graham Johnson in the 32nd.

But that would prove the final over as Nifty Catts brought up the winning run just three balls later, ending a legendary game of island cricket.

The result ended defending champions Patong’s finals ambitions for 2011-12, but there is still one spot up for grabs.

With Village already having confirmed their place, Island could still claim the ma x i mu m seve n poi nt s against Leopards this weekend to overtake Laguna in second, though that would still depend on Laguna being soundly beaten by TNT next weekend. As last week’s game showed, anything is possible.

Phuket at sixes and sevens Dane Halpin editor2@thephuketnews.com

Last week saw the f irst ever Kata Group International Cricket 7s, getting

underway on the island.

Twelve teams made the journey to Phuket for the three-day cricket tournament – from Australia, Bangladesh, the Middle East, India and England, as well as two local teams.

But after a successful first two days of cricket, participants arrived at the Kata Group Sports Ground in Chalong for the finals on Monday morning (April 16) to find a soggy pitch and soaking outfield following heavy overnight rain.

After a brief delay, the Cup final got underway in challenging conditions, as NCL hit a total of 3-39, leaving the Chennai Super Sevens 40 to win the match. Chennai responded with a comfortable

Despite heavy rain, play continued on Monday morning.

1-40 to become the inaugural tournament winners.

The Shield Final proved to be one of the closest games of the competition, with the Australian Galahs falling agonisingly short against CBB, while the Mighty Spires of England

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS Run 1363: Saturday April 21 at 4pm Directions: From Central, go south on Chao Fa West and turn right into Jao Fa Soi 69 (Captains Paint is on this corner). Go on through Archway past Wat Luang Pu Supa and Follow HHH signs to the Amazing Bhuket Safari Elephant Camp, Laager is 200 metres up this road.

took out the Bowl final against Lesmurdie/Mazenod.

The Cricket 7s tournament was the beginning of a week of cricket for Phuket. A beach cricket tournament was also played in front of Karon Sea Sands Resort on Tuesday, and yesterday (April 19) saw the start of the Phuket International Cricket Sixes competition, which will run until Sunday (April 22). Spectators welcome.

Over 90 Cities, One Perfect Gateway.

SilkAir and Singapore Airlines Connecting you to Places.

thephuketnews.com

THE PHUKET NEWS

ISLAND SPORT 39

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

Sun-soaked soccer sevens Dane Halpin editor2@thephuketnews.com

If there were sore heads on Saturday morning after Songkran, there were definitely sore bodies on Sunday after the inaugural Songkran International Soccer 7s tournament.

With the mercury edging 35 degrees, it was at least ten degrees hotter on Thanyapura’s synthetic pitch – hot enough to melt football boots and reporters’ flip flops – making for a taxing day of sport for all involved.

Fifteen teams from Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, Australia and Thailand travelled to Phuket for the tournament, with t wo referees f rom Singapore also adding to the international flavour.

Despite a couple of late withdrawals affecting the tournament schedule, the Smart Communications team from Dubai managed to progress through to the Open Cup final undefeated, coming up against the locally-based Phuket Italians.

After a thrilling 15 minutes of football that saw a couple of spectacular goals and a late Phuket fightback, there was nothing to separate the two sides, and so the match entered a five minute golden-

Above: The Phuket Italians celebrate their tournament victory at the Songkran 7s.

Above: Jacopo Jajo scored the tournament winning goal in extra time for the Phuket Italians. Right: Players braved the sweltering heat to compete in the one-day competition at TSLC. goal extra time period. Smart Comm had looked the more attacking side throughout the final, and started extra time strongly with two good chances on goal.

But against the run of play, a well weighted throw from

the Italians’ goalkeeper found forward Jacopo Jajo in clear space, and he casually headed over the keeper to win the tournament for the home side. In the Bowl final, Pulau Ubin defeated Thanyapura 2-0, reversing the result of an earlier pool game

Thanyapura had won 2-1.

In the Master’s (over-35) Cup final, Emirates Color Services also reversed a previous 2-8 loss to Phuket Morning Star to run out 4-0 winners.

Tournament organiser Tim Hodgson said the Songkran

event – a first for Phuket – is likely to be a regular installment on the local sporting calendar.

“This one was basically a test event to see how it would work during Songkran, and we think it will,” he said.

“Being here for Songkran

is just an added bonus, coming to another country to see them celebrate the new year.”

The Phuket International Soccer 7s and Andaman International Soccer 7s tournaments will run as usual in November.

Visit thai7s.com for more info.

Handicap system puts TSLC GETS OFF TRACK wind into ’Star’s sails SAILING Only five boats turned out for the third race in the Irish Times Series on Sunday (April 15), but there was no shortage of spectators at the Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC), who lugged in plenty of beer and sunscreen to survive the intense heat.

Bill Sax on Astraeus, winner of the last race, was keen to get a fast start. He was so fast in fact that he was one minute before the start signal.

Quickly having to do a short loop to guide Astraeus back to the starting line, he gave the other yachts a chance to get away and build a gap that they maintained throughout the race. Astraeus still managed to finish second overall on adjusted time.

Scott Duncason, captain of Som Tam Express, was the fastest of the day being first over the start line, then with what seemed to be perfect sailing from him and his crew, was first over the finishing line.

He could only manage third overall though on adjusted time.

Peter Wood was next to

Photos: James Irvine Allan

follow on Windstar. Even with a little mishap putting up the spinnaker half way round, for which Tim Willis on foredeck claimed innocence, Windstar came first overall with a

little help from the hotly debated handicap system.

Muoy Hin, in her first race with the club, was third over the line, receiving joint third overall with Som Tam Express.

The local sporting calendar continues to grow with the introduction of a new trail running event next month.

The Columbia Trail Masters 2012 Episode 2 will be held at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) Phuket on May 6. It is the second Trail Masters race to be held in Thailand this year, following the inaugural event in Pattaya in January.

The Phuket event is open for all ages and fitness levels, offering three distances; a 21km half marathon, and 10km and 3km fun runs.

The half marathon and

10km run will be broken into various age and sex divisions, while the 3km fun run is open

to all ages, shapes and sizes.

Trail running is growing in popularity around the world due to its health and aesthetic benefits. As well as providing a more pleasant environment in which to exercise, and improving fitness and weight loss, trail running is also better on the joints than running on sealed surfaces such as roads.

To register or for more information on the Columbia Trail Masters event, visit ama-events.com or email info@active-asia.com. Registration can also be done in person at TSLC.

thephuketnews.com

40 INTERNATIONAL SPORT

Afghans to play first rugby match abroad RUGBY Agence France-Presse

War-torn Afghanistan, already impressing the cricketing world with its rapid progress in the game, will play its first rugby match abroad in Dubai this month, the local federation said Sunday.

Afghanistan will play a series of exhibition sevens matches against UAE Shaheen, a development side for the UAE national team, ahead of the Asian Five Nations on April 27, the Afghanistan Rugby Federation said.

“This tour means a lot for Afghan rugby. It’s a big step for development of the game in Afghanistan, and will encourage a lot of Afghan youngsters to play rugby,” said technical vice president, Abdul Khalil Bik. The fledgling federation won affiliation from the Asian Rugby Football Union in November last year, and has so far only played matches against NATO troops in Kabul, but the game is catching on fast.

The British embassy spon-

Rugby has to compete with cricket and buzkashi for the hearts and minds of Afghans.

Photo: Afghan Rugby Federation Facebook page sored Afghanistan’s first official rugby tournament in December, with organisers hoping the game will one day be as popular as buzkashi, a kind of polo played with the carcass of a headless goat.

Cricket has already gained a strong following, with the national side earning one-day status in 2009 and appearing at the World Twenty20

the following year. They have again won a place in this year’s tournament.

But enthusiasts believe Afghans, who have faced decades of conflict and hardship, are even better suited to the rough and tumble of the rugby field, which is more akin to the national sport buzkashi, without the need for horses.

“We’re roug h, toug h

people. We’re physically set for this game, which is very energetic and fast,” Asad Ziar, the ARF’s chief executive officer, said during the December tournament.

But with just 220 players registered with the ARF, rugby has a long way to go before it can claim to be anywhere near as popular as buzkashi, football or cricket.

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

Pakistan celebrate Bangladesh series CRICKET Agence France-Presse

Delighted Pakistani cricket fans, players and politicians on Monday (April 16) welcomed Bangladesh’s decision to tour the troubled country and end its three-year exile from hosting international matches.

Bangladesh on Sunday agreed to a short tour during which they will play one 50over game and a Twenty20 international on April 29 and 30 in Lahore, a move hailed by former captain and current all-rounder Shahid Afridi.

“It’s a major breakthrough and a very good news for the whole nation, for the Pakistan team and millions of fans who have been deprived of international game for the last three years,” he said.

No international matches have been played in Pakistan since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team bus during the Lahore Test in March 2009, leaving eight people dead and seven visiting players and an assistant coach injured.

Foreign teams shunned Pakistan as a cricket venue after the attacks, forcing them

to play their home series on neutral venues, mostly in the United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar praised the efforts of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf to revive internationals.

“PCB’s efforts have finally borne fruit and Bangladesh team’s visit will help bring international cricket back to Pakistan and will motivate more teams to come to our country,” Mr Khar said.

Intikhab Alam, the PCB’s director of international cricket and a former national coach and player, said the Bangladesh tour could open the way for other teams to follow.

“PCB in the leadership of (Zaka) Ashraf was endeavouring to bring cricket back in the country and the Bangladesh tour will be the beginning of a bigger thing in the future,” Mr Alam told AFP. But former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif sounded a note of caution.

“We must not leave any loopholes in security because we cannot afford a minor mistake or any lapse in arrangements.”

Watson faces run-out woes Asians ‘must work CRICKET Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has said he is desperate to kick the habit of being involved in Test match run-outs.

Watson has been at the centre of eight run-outs in his 33 Tests, the latest leading to the dismissal of Ricky Ponting in the first innings of the first Test win over West Indies in Barbados.

“The Ponting r un-out hurt me,” Watson told reporters Queen’s Park Oval prior to the second Test.

“I’ve been involved in too

thephuketnews.com

All-rounder Shane Watson. many run-outs, which is not good enough, but this one especially really did affect me. I’ll be doing everything I possibly can to make sure it

doesn’t happen again.”

Despite a valuable 54 on the final day in Barbados which helped steer his team to a dramatic three-wicket win, Watson recognises he needs to tweak parts of his game.

“I’ve got to have a look at my running between the wickets and my calling, because in the end it hasn’t been compatible with the guys I’ve batted with as well,” he said.

As The Phuket News went to print on Wednesday, West Indies were 9-252 in reply to Australia’s first innings 311 at stumps on day three.

harder to win majors’ GOLF

Agence France-Presse

Asian golfers must work harder if they want to win another major, two of the region’s leading players said on Tuesday (April 17), after the US Masters highlighted a gulf in class.

Three years after South Korea’s Y.E. Yang claimed Asia’s only major title at the 2009 PGA Championship, only three players from the continent survived the cut last week at Augusta.

Despite a golf boom in Asia, which has brought some of the world’s richest events and multiplied the number of courses, regional players are yet to shine consistently against American and European stars.

Bangladesh’s Siddikur and Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand, in Kuala Lumpur for this week’s Malaysian Open, both said the reason was simple: Asian players need to train harder and show more dedication.

“It’s true there’s too much gap between there [the West] and here because I don’t think we Asian players work enough,”

Phuket’s Pinsawat Pariwat is one golfer looking to end Asia’s lean run of majors.

Mr Siddikur said.

Thailand’s Kiradech, 22, also said Asia’s younger generation players had realised they needed to shape up if they want to challenge for the sport’s biggest titles.

“But the new generation is getting better. We have a goal. I think Asian players can win a major event so that’s why they’re training very hard, working on their swings or with their coaches, much harder than before.”

But India’s Digvijay Singh, 40, who claimed his maiden Asian Tour win after 12 years

of trying this month, said Asia has simply not yet had the time or the resources to produce great champions.

“Professional golf in Asia is not as old as it is in the Western world. Barring Japan and Korea, Asian golf is not more than 35 to 40 years old. If you look at the West, it’s hundreds of years old,” said Singh.

“There are not many public courses in Asia,” he added. “In India we have one, in Delhi, so somebody should talk sense into the Indian government’s mind to open up more courses.

“They want you to do well, but they don’t want to extend any kind of support.

“Whereas if you go to America, courses are a dime a dozen everywhere you go.”

Singh also said it was not true players didn’t work hard in Asia, whose challenging heat and high humidity will be exemplified this week at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.

“Thailand has produced some great players, have you seen the kind of conditions these guys practice in? If you hit balls for half an hour you’re absolutely sapped, you need to change your T-shirt.”

THE PHUKET NEWS

INTERNATIONAL SPORT

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

Ferrari face bleak season FORMULA 1

Agence France-Presse

The name is synonymous with Formula One, but Ferrari admit they are well off the pace so far this season and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso is clearly deeply unhappy with his F2012 car.

Then there is team-mate Felipe Massa, whose position with one of the biggest names in the history of the sport is under scrutiny as he is in the last year of his contract, amid rumours he could be replaced next season by Sergio Perez.

It’s not all doom and gloom – Alonso won the second grand prix of the season last month in Malaysia – but even he admitted that was due in part to a sizeable slice of luck after a wet and chaotic race.

The 30-year-old, who needed every ounce of his undoubted talent to get his cumbersome Ferrari fastest around the slippery Sepang circuit, has made no attempt to hide his dissatisfaction with the car.

After finishing ninth in the dry at the Chinese Grand Prix Sunday, he said: “Obviously this does not leave me very optimistic for Bahrain (the next race), on a track where traction

Fernando Alonso is unhappy with his F2012 car, despite his win in Malaysia. Photo: Morio and speed are vital, exactly the areas where we are weakest.

“Once again next week it will be mainly a case of damage limitation. I don’t want to think of the classification because the priority is to improve the performance of the F2012.”

Racing experts say that Ferrari may be struggling because, eager to catch up with the pace-setting McLarens and Red Bulls, the Italian team tried to make too many drastic changes – a move that has so far backfired badly.

The main deficiency appears to be speed, or rather the Ferrari’s lack of it on straights compared with the likes of the improved Mercedes and Lotus cars.

Ferrari technical director

BAHRAIN A TICKING ‘TIME BOMB’

Amnesty International said on Tuesday that Bahrain had failed to deliver on promises of political reform after a deadly crackdown last year, as controversy mounted over the kingdom’s hosting of the Formula One Grand Prix this weekend.

In a 58-page report released just days before the Gulf kingdom is due to host the prestigious race, which was cancelled amid last year’s unrest, the London-based watchdog said authorities “have failed to provide justice for victims of human rights violations.”

“With the world’s eyes on Bahrain as it prepares to host the Grand Prix, no one should be under any

illusions that the country’s human rights crisis is over,” said Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa deputy director, Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

“The authorities are trying to portray the country as being on the road to reform, but we continue to receive reports of torture and use of unnecessary and excessive force against protests,” Sahraoui said, adding that so far, “reforms have only scratched the surface”.

The report came just a day after a prominent international think-tank warned that Bahrain's hosting of motor racing’s premier event was a “time bomb”, amid threats of new protests.

know it, but there is no point in beating ourselves up over it.

Rather, we need to concentrate all our efforts on improving it.”

Fry says Ferrari have “a reasonable understanding” of what the problems are “and the areas we need to be working on”.

Pat Fry is under pressure to deliver a better machine – and sooner rather than later.

“Clearly today, we paid a very heavy price for the lack of a good top speed on a track like this,” he said in Shanghai, referring to the long straights.

“We lack performance, we

Sharks take chunk out of Eels NRL

RUGBY LEAGUE

The Cronulla Sharks won five matches in a row for the first time since 2008 when they beat Parramatta 24-18 in the Australian National Rugby League (NRL) on Sunday (April 15).

The Sharks, who finished last in 2011, moved to third place on the NRL ladder following a compelling battle against the visiting Parramatta Eels.

Cronulla winger Stewart Mills scored the only try of the second half to give the Sharks a well-deserved victory after the teams had gone into halftime locked at 18-all.

Competition leaders Melbourne Storm remained unbeaten after seven rounds but not before surviving a stern challenge from the Canterbury Bulldogs.

The Storm relied on their superb defence to see off Canterbury, who were not helped by a number of unforced errors.

“It was the biggest test we’ve had all year,” Melbourne captain Cameron Smith said.

“They’ve got a big forward pack and they really worked us over through the middle.

“They used the ball really well between their forwards and asked us a lot of questions with our defence.

Todd Carney, right, has been key to the Sharks’ success.

“That’s why we won the game – look how many times we defended our tryline and had repeat sets there but it was a fantastic job defending our line and that’s why we won.”

Brisbane kept up the pressure on the Storm when they beat Canberra 30-6 in Brisbane to record their sixth win of the season, while the North Queensland Cowboys jumped to fourth in the table demolishing the Sydney Roosters 50-0.

Last year’s champions Manly suffered a shock 26-14 home loss to lowly Gold Coast.

However, 2011 runners-up New Zealand Warriors bounced back to form with an entertain-

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

1

Storm

7

7

0

0

0

210

85

14

2

Broncos

7

6

0

1

0

164

96

12

3

Sharks

7

5

0

2

0

110

95

10

4

Cowboys

7

4

0

3

0

174

130

8

5

Bulldogs

7

4

0

3

0

136

108

8

6

Dragons

7

4

0

3

0

104

106

8

7

Roosters

7

4

0

3

0

98

160

8

8

Sea Eagles

7

3

0

4

0

132

127

6

9

Warriors

7

3

0

4

0

164

164

6

10

Knights

7

3

0

4

0

102

103

6

11

Raiders

7

3

0

4

0

125

130

6

12

Rabbitohs

7

3

0

4

0

141

162

6

13

Tigers

7

2

0

5

0

123

139

4

14

Panthers

7

2

0

5

0

109

143

4

15

Titans

7

2

0

5

0

100

142

4

16

Eels

7

1

0

6

0

91

193

2

RESULTS: Warriors Sharks Panthers Storm

44 – 22 24 – 18 0 – 30 12 – 6

Rabbitohs Eels Tigers Bulldogs

ing 44-22 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

In other results, St George

Roosters Sea Eagles Dragons Broncos

12 – 50 14 – 26 12 – 4 30 - 6

BP Pts

Cowboys Titans Knights Raiders

Illawarra beat Newcastle 12-4 and Wests Tigers thumped Penrith 30-0.

41

IN BRIEF Blake sets 2012 world best in debut 100 metre race

years past – to watch Tyson take the stage.

Chiefs take seat at head of table

Reigning world 100-metre champion Yohan Blake set the fastest time in the world this year in his 2012 debut at the distance, winning in 9.90 seconds in cold and rainy conditions.

Blake cruised to win in what he dubbed a “surprise” time at the Utech Classic athletics meet on Saturday in Kingston and said he was ahead of last year’s schedule.

The sprinter, who surpassed Dar vis Pat ton’s previous world best this year of 10.04, also joined world 100m record-holder Usain Bolt on the Racers club relay that captured the 4x100 relay in 37.82 seconds, also a 2012 world best.

T he Wai kato Chiefs jumped to the top of the Super 15 table, benefiting from a daring plan by the Canterbury Crusaders that brought down the previously unbeaten Western Stormers at the weekend.

T he u nfash ionable Chiefs, largely written off in New Zealand at the start of the season, beat the Cheetahs 39-33 to move two points clear of the Stormers courtesy of bonus points with both sides recording six wins from seven matches.

The Northern Bulls, who have dropped two matches but amassed five bonus points, drew level with the Stormers.

Tyson trades in his punches for punchlines

Oostie eases Masters misery with Malaysia win

Fighting legend Mike Tyson hit the red carpet Saturday as he swapped the boxing ring for the cabaret stage, in a revealing one-man show about his rollercoaster life.

The 45-year-old pulls few punches in recounting his highs – the fame a nd for t u ne he e a r ne d a s h e av y we ig ht wo rld champion – and shaming lows, infamously being jailed for alleged rape, and battling his own temper and drug addiction.

Fellow fighting veteran Sugar Ray Leonard was among those who turned out at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – scene of some of Tyson’s epic battles in

Louis Oosthuizen bounced back from his US Masters heartbreak in the best possible fashion as he completed a stirring three-shot victory at the Malaysian Open on Sunday.

Oosthuizen cut a miserable figure after last week’s Augusta play-off, but he was all smiles following his win over Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher, who pushed him until the final holes at par-72 Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.

The South African, who soared to prominence when he won the British Open two years ago, shot 66, 68, 69, 68 for a 17 under par total, enough for his first victor y in Asia and his second of the season.

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thephuketnews.com

42 INTERNATIONAL SPORT

THE PHUKET NEWS

THE PHUKET NEWS TIPPING COMPETITION: 32

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

THIS YEAR’S GRAND PRIZE IS SPONSORED BY:

MRB chases down Gafferworld FOOTBALL

Two goals f rom Way ne Rooney, including a controversial penalty won by Ashley Young, helped Manchester United maintain their fivepoint lead in the Premier League following a 4-0 win over Aston Villa on Monday.

With United owners the Glazer family making a rare appearance at Old Trafford, Danny Welbeck and Nani were also on the mark as Sir Alex Ferguson’s team closed in on a 20th English league title.

The result means that should United and secondplaced City achieve the same results in their next fixtures on Sunday, Ferguson’ side could make mathematically certain of that title with victory in the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium on April 30.

Earlier, Carlos Tevez hit a hat-trick to move Manchester Cit y within t wo points of United with a 6-1 drubbing of Norwich.

The striker set City on their way with a swerving shot which bamboozled John Ruddy before combining superbly with Sergio Aguero

Wayne Rooney scored twice against Aston Villa to maintain United’s five point lead at the top of the table. Photo: AFP for his compatriot to lash home an unstoppable effort from outside the box.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, Wolves claimed only their second

point in nine matches under interim manager Terry Connor but their drab draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light means they remain eight points from safety with

just four games remaining.

West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans added to QPR’s growing relegation fears with a superb winner to earn his side a hard-fought 1-0 win at the Hawthorns.

The Scotland international settled the contest midway through the first half with a 30-yard strike. QPR should have picked up at least a point with Bobby Zamora causing plenty of problems but spurning several opportunities.

Blackbu r n were also plunged further into relegation trouble as they were soundly beaten 3-0 by Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.

And Sunderland goalkeeper Si mon Mig nolet denied relegation-haunted Wolves an invaluable victory with a fine late save which saw the match end 0-0.

The Belgium international, who had earlier seen Sylvan Ebanks-Blake fire wastefully wide from close range, clawed away Steven Fletcher’s 81st-minute header to ensure the game ended in stalemate.

In The Phuket News tipping competition, gaffer-

MOMENTOUS WEEK FOR ASIAN FOOTBALL Agence France-Presse

Asian football is facing a potentially momentous week as powerful regional chief Mohamed bin Hammam appeals against a lifetime corruption ban in a case with wide significance.

The hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, will be closely watched in Kuala Lumpur where the Asian Footbal l Con fede r at ion (AFC) has been under interim stewardship for nearly a year.

Bin Hammam, 62, is fighting allegations that he tried to buy FIFA delegates’ votes while

campaigning to unseat the world body’s long-standing president, Sepp Blatter, in a leadership election last year.

Bin Hammam says the cash hand-outs were merely gifts, and he describes the charges and his punishment by FIFA as politically motivated.

The scandal earned him a life ban from football and was followed by the resignation of FIFA’s controversial vice president and Caribbean soccer chief Jack Warner.

The revelations also refocused attention on Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup, in which bin Ham-

mam played a key role, and sparked calls for reform of FIFA’s governance structure.

If bin Hammam wins his appeal, acting AFC president Zhang Jilong will step aside and the wealthy Qatari businessman will resume his leadership of the regional body. He will also want to return to FIFA’s executive committee, a move that CORRUPT? Mohamed bin Hammam. would inevitably cause tensions over – and the AFC would between the world body and its face leadership elections either at an emergency congress biggest confederation.

If he loses, bin Hammam’s or at its next scheduled gatherfootball career is effectively ing in May 2013.

Phone +66 76 270958 abpoffice@yahoo.co.uk www.lcc-albatross.com THIS MONTH'S COMPETITION IS SUPPORTED BY:

DANE’S TIPS ROUND 33 Arsenal v Chelsea Aston Villa v Sunderland Blackburn v Norwich Bolton v Swansea Fulham v Wigan Newcastle v Stoke QPR v Tottenham Man Utd v Everton Liverpool v West Brom Wolves v Man City

away win home win draw draw away win home win away win home win draw away win

TOP 10 PERFORMERS (MARCH): 1. Farang2005 2. scottkip 3. dcoutts 4. Clare Bolzon 5. zestrealestate 6. MRB 7. Mal Kenyon 8. chasman 9. flob 10. toptipster

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world’s lead continues to diminish at the top of the overall leaderboard, with MRB now just 16 points behind. The winner will receive a return flight to the UK, courtesy of Albatross Lufthansa City Center.

For the April competition

TOP 10 (OVERALL): 1. gafferworld 2. MRB 3. scottkip 4. chasman 5. apollo131 6. Farang2005 7. alanphuket 8. toptipster 9. dcoutts 10. Mal Kenyon

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there is another B3,000 voucher to be spent at the Peppers Bar & Restaurant, Phuket’s premier sports bar. At the moment Farang2005 and scottkip are equal at the top, though several others are within striking distance.

Mourinho backs tech calls after Cup howler Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has backed the growing calls for the introduction of goal-line technology after a key mistake in Tottenham Hotspur’s FA Cup semi-final thrashing by Chelsea.

Referee Martin Atkinson controversially ruled an effort

by Chelsea’s Juan Mata crossed the goal-line in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final victory, which put the Blues 2-0 ahead as they went onto record a 5-1 win over their London rivals.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has led renewed calls for video technology to be introduced after replays appeared to show Mata’s second-half shot being blocked on the line.

Both Manchester United striker Michael Owen and former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullitt made comments

FA CUP SEMI FINALS Tottenham 1 – 5 Chelsea Liverpool 2 – 1 Everton calling for the introduction of goal-line technology on their Twitter accounts.

With Real to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final, first-leg, on Tuesday in Munich, Ex-Chelsea boss Mourinho has echoed the calls to introduce goal-line technology as soon as possible. “ My t hou g ht s ab out technology are the same as everyone else,” said the 49-year-old Mourinho at a press conference here.

“I lost a Champions League semi-final with a goal that was not a goal, the ball didn’t cross the line, so I defend the goal-line technology.”

Bayern on course for final Bayern Munich are on course to reach next month’s Champions League final at their Allianz Arena home after Mario Gomez hit a late winner to earn a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in Tuesday’s semi-final first leg.

After France winger Franck Ribery gave Bayern an early

thephuketnews.com

lead, Real’s Mesut Oezil equalised before Germany striker Gomez hit the 90 th-minute winner ahead of next Wednesday’s return leg at Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium.

“We knew Real are capable of scoring lots of goals and it’s a pity we conceded one,” said Bayern’s goal-scorer Ribery.”

INTERNATIONAL SPORT 43

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

THE PHUKET NEWS

Muamba recovers as Italian player dies Reading secures played for second division team Livorno and was on loan from Udinese, died during a match at Pescara.

“You’re in our hearts” and “One of us,” chanted the fans.

The coffin will now be taken to Bergamo in northern Italy, the player’s hometown, before burial later this week.

An autopsy was carried out on Morosini’s body on Monday but the precise causes of the sudden death have not been determined.

The tragic death comes

FOOTBALL

Thousands of fans attended a memorial ceremony on Tuesday at the home stadium in Tuscany of footballer Piermario Morosini, who died suddenly of a heart attack during a game on Saturday.

Morosini’s coffin was driven around the ground in a silvercoloured hearse for one final salute as fans, many wearing his number 25 jersey, cheered.

The 25-year-old, who

English Premier League Team

vived, and was finally discharged from a London hospital on Monday following his recovery from a cardiac arrest.

came just three weeks after the collapse of Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba.

Muamba fortunately sur-

French Ligue 1

Italian Serie A

D

L

F

A

P

D

L

F

A

P

D

L

F

A

P

Manchester United

34

26

4

4

82

28

82

1

Montpellier

32

20

6

6

59

31

66

1

Juventus

32

18

14

0

53

18

68

2

Manchester City

34

24

5

5

85

27

77

2

Paris Saint-Germain

32

18

10

4

57

34

64

2

Milan

32

20

7

5

62

26

67

3

Arsenal

34

20

4

10

67

43

64

3

Lille

32

16

11

5

60

36

59

3

Lazio

32

16

6

10

48

40

54

4

Tottenham Hotspur

33

17

8

8

57

38

59

4

Lyon

31

16

5

10

49

38

53

4

Udinese

32

14

9

9

44

32

51

5

Newcastle United

33

17

8

8

50

42

59

5

Rennes

32

14

9

9

44

36

51

5

Roma

32

15

5

12

52

42

50

6

Chelsea

33

16

9

8

56

38

57

6

Saint-Étienne

32

14

8

10

40

36

50

6

Napoli

32

12

12

8

56

41

48

7

Everton

33

13

8

12

38

34

47

7

Toulouse

31

14

8

9

32

28

50

7

Internazionale

32

14

6

12

47

45

48

8

Liverpool

33

12

10

11

40

36

46

8

Bordeaux

32

10

13

9

38

36

43

8

Catania

32

10

13

9

42

43

43

9

Sunderland

34

11

10

13

42

41

43

9

Evian

32

11

9

12

46

46

42

9

Chievo

32

11

9

12

30

40

42

10

Fulham

33

11

10

12

43

43

43

10

Marseille

31

10

10

11

38

35

40

10

Palermo

32

11

7

14

44

49

40

11

Norwich City

34

11

10

13

47

58

43

11

Nancy

32

10

10

12

33

39

40

11

Atalanta

32

11

13

8

37

34

40

12

Swansea City

34

11

9

14

38

44

42

12

Valenciennes

32

10

7

15

31

39

37

12

Bologna

32

10

10

12

33

38

40

13

West Bromwich Albion

34

12

6

16

40

47

42

13

Lorient

32

8

11

13

30

41

35

13

Siena

32

10

9

13

37

34

39

14

Stoke City

33

11

9

13

32

45

42

14

Nice

32

8

10

14

33

39

34

14

Cagliari

32

9

11

12

33

39

38

15

Aston Villa

33

7

14

12

35

48

35

15

Dijon

32

9

7

16

37

52

34

15

Parma

32

9

11

12

41

50

38

16

Wigan Athletic

34

8

10

16

33

58

34

16

Brest

32

6

15

11

28

32

33

16

Fiorentina

32

9

10

13

32

38

37

17

Queens Park Rangers

34

8

7

19

38

57

31

17

Caen

31

8

9

14

33

44

33

17

Genoa

32

9

9

14

43

58

36

18

Bolton Wanderers

32

9

2

21

36

65

29

18

Sochaux

32

8

9

15

33

48

33

18

Lecce

32

8

10

14

37

48

34

19

Blackburn Rovers

34

7

7

20

45

73

28

19

Ajaccio

32

7

12

13

33

54

33

19

Novara

32

5

10

17

27

54

25

20

Wolves

34

5

8

21

34

73

23

20

Auxerre

32

5

13

14

37

47

28

20

Cesena

32

4

9

19

19

48

21

1-2 4-0 0-0 3-0 1-0

Wigan Aston Villa Wolves Blackburn QPR

Norwich QPR Man City Wigan Wolves

1-6 3-0 4-0 1-0 0-3

Live Sports TV Schedule

CHANNEL GUIDE

1XX - True Visions; 8XX – Astro; 8 – Setanta

*Times may be subject to change

CHANNEL START END Friday, April 20 8, 816, 107

SPORT

Man City Swansea West Brom Man Utd Arsenal

EVENT

16:30

Rugby Union

Super XV

Highlanders v. Blues

16:30

18:30

Rugby Union

Super XV

8

18:30

20:00

Rugby League

815

13:00

17:00

Golf

ANZAC Test Indonesian Masters

Reds v. Stormers New Zealand v.

Australia Jakarta, Day 2

Saturday, April 21 17:50

19:30 Motor Racing

Formula 1

8, 816, 107

14:30

16:30

Rugby Union

Super XV

8, 816

16:35

18:20

Rugby Union

Super XV

Bahrain Qualifying Hurricanes v.

Crusaders Waratahs v. Rebels

21:55

00:00

Rugby Union

Super XV

Sharks v. Chiefs

00:00

02:00

02:00 815

11:30

812, 101

18:45

Rugby Union Super XV Aviva 03:45 Rugby Union Premiership Indonesian 15:30 Golf Masters

Bulls v. Brumbies Harlequins v.

Leicester Jakarta Day 3

20:45

Soccer

EPL

Arsenal v. Chelsea

21:00

23:00

Soccer

EPL

21:55

00:00

Soccer

EPL

103

21:00

23:00

Soccer

EPL

817, 103

23:30

01:30

Soccer

EPL

Newcastle v. Stoke Blackburn v.

Norwich Aston Villa v.

Sunderland QPR v. Tottenham

817

Sunday, April 22 813, 109

18:00

813, 109

16:30

8, 816

12:00

812, 101

18:30

817

22:00

812, 103

22:00

18:45 Motor Racing Formula 1 Raceday, Bahrain SBK World Championship 18:00 Motor Bikes Superbikes NSW Origin: Country Rugby NRL 14:00 v. City League Man United v.

20:30 Soccer EPL Everton 00:00

Soccer

EPL

00:00

Soccer

EPL

Marseille Lille Lorient Nancy Saint-Étienne

Wolves v. Man City Liverpool v. West Bromwich Albion

MP W

1 - 3 4-1 2-1 2-2 2-1

Montpellier Ajaccio Montpellier Bordeaux Brest

Sochaux

1-0

Dijon

Valenciennes

0-3

Evian TG

Auxerre

1-1

PSG

Stade Rennes

3-1

Nice

Spanish Primera Liga

TEAMS / INFO

14:30

813, 109

Team

with the players swamped by joyful Reading fans who swarmed onto the pitch at the final whistle.

With only the top two sides guaranteed promotion, victory gave Championship leaders Reading an unbeatable eight point lead over third-placed West Ham, with only a maximum of six available to the Hammers from their final two regular season league games.

Reading returned to the English Premier League after securing automatic promotion with a 1-0 win at home to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.

Mikele Leigertwood’s goal from an Ian Harte free-kick nine minutes from time was the only goal of the game at the packed Madejski Stadium.

It was enough to take the Royals back to the top flight for the first time since 2008,

1

Arsenal Man Utd Sunderland Swansea West Brom

MP W

return to top flight

Team

Team

Chievo Fiorentina Parma Genoa Napoli

MP W

0 - 1 0 - 0 2 - 0 1 - 1 1 - 3

Milan Palermo Novara Cesena Atalanta

Roma Catania Juventus Internazionale Bologna

3 - 1 1 - 2 2 - 1 2 - 1 1 - 0

Udinese Lecce Lazio Siena Cagliari

German Bundesliga

MP W 27

D

L

F

A

P

4

2

107

29

85

1

Borussia Dortmund

31

24

81

2

Bayern Munich

42

52

3

Schalke 04

46

51

4

47

46

48

37

53

46

44 41

1

Real Madrid

33

2

Barcelona

33

25

6

2

96

3

Valencia

33

14

10

9

50

4

Málaga

33

15

6

12

49

5

Levante

33

14

6

13

6

Osasuna

33

11

13

9

7

Athletic Club

33

11

12

10

48

8

Atlético Madrid

33

12

9

12

44

Team

MP W

D

L

F

A

P

22

6

3

69

23

72

31

20

4

7

69

20

64

31

18

3

10

66

41

57

Mönchengladbach

31

16

8

7

46

22

56

5

VfB Stuttgart

31

14

7

10

59

41

49

6

Bayer Leverkusen

31

12

9

10

46

43

45

45

7

Hannover 96

31

11

11

9

39

43

44

45

8

Werder Bremen

31

11

9

11

45

50

42

9

Sevilla

33

12

9

12

40

38

45

9

1899 Hoffenheim

31

10

11

10

38

40

41

10

Espanyol

33

12

9

12

43

43

45

10

VfL Wolfsburg

31

12

4

15

42

56

40

11

Getafe

33

12

9

12

38

44

45

11

FC Nuremberg

31

11

5

15

33

42

38

12

Real Betis

33

12

6

15

40

45

42

12

FSV Mainz 05

31

9

10

12

47

48

37

13

Mallorca

33

10

10

13

35

41

40

13

SC Freiburg

31

9

9

13

41

56

36

14

Rayo Vallecano

33

12

4

17

49

58

40

14

Hamburger SV

31

8

10

13

34

55

34

15

Real Sociedad

33

10

9

14

40

49

39

15

FC Augsburg

31

7

12

12

34

48

33

16

Villarreal

33

8

12

13

34

47

36

16

FC Köln

31

8

5

18

36

66

29

17

Granada

33

10

6

17

30

49

36

17

Hertha BSC

31

6

10

15

34

57

28

18

Real Zaragoza

33

8

7

18

29

59

31

18

Kaiserslautern

31

3

11

17

19

46

20

19

Sporting Gijón

33

7

7

19

33

63

28

20

Racing Santander

33

4

14

15

24

52

26

Real Madrid Levante Espanyol Real Zaragoza Real Betis

3-1 1-2 4-0 1-0 1-0

Sporting Gijón Barcelona Valencia Granada Osasuna

Málaga Villarreal Athletic Club Rayo Vallecano Getafe

1-1 1-1 1-0 0-1 5-1

Real Sociedad Racing Santander Mallorca Atlético Madrid Sevilla

Stuttgart

4 - 1

Werder Bremen

Bayer Leverkusen 3 - 3

Hertha BSC

Kaiserslautern

0 - 2

Nürnberg

Wolfsburg

1 - 2

Augsburg

Schalke 04

1 - 2 Borussia Dortmund

Bayern München 0 - 0

Mainz 05

Hamburger SV

1 - 0

Mönchengladbach 3 - 0

Köln

Hannover 96

Champions League Relegation

Champions League qualifiers

Premier League promotion

Europa League

Premier League play-off

6 4 Q B B

April 28th,2012 thephuketnews.com

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100 days to go, but is London ready?

2012 Olympic Venues

Agence France-Presse / The Phuket News

I

n just 100 days, Queen Elizabeth II will declare the London Olympics open on July 27. But while the stadiums are ready, question marks still hang over the security of the Games and transport.

When the f lame is lit, London will become the first city in the modern era to host the Olympics three times, having already had the honour in 1908 and 1948.

Last time the event came to London, Britain was still gripped by the effects of World War II, which had ended barely three years earlier, and the makeshift approach earned it the label the “austerity Games”.

With Britain’s economy once again in the doldrums, austerity will leave its mark on these Olympics too, albeit to a far lesser extent than in 1948, when competitors were housed in military barracks and university dormitories.

Despite a budget of £9.3 billion (US$14.8 billion or B456 billion), the Games will be on more modest scale than the spectacular 2008 Beijing Olympics at which China announced its growing global presence.

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OLYMPIC STADIUM

Capacity: 80,000 Spor t : Athletic s (Opening and Closing ceremonies) Venue: Unlike Beijing’s Bird’s Nest, the showpiece stadium, costing £486 million (US$790 million or B24 billion), has a simpler design, drawn up with a view to scaling it down after the Games.

The steel and concrete upper tier can be dismantled, leaving a 25,000 -seater sunken bowl. Construction was completed under budget in March 2011.

AQUATICS CENTRE

BASKETBALL ARENA

Capacity: 12,000 Sports: Basketball, Handball Venue: The four th - largest venue on the park and one of the largest- ever tempo rar y venues built for any Games. The frame of 20 steel arches has been wrapped in fabric to form the canvas for an innovative lighting display. After the Olympics, parts of the arena are expected to be reused or relocated elsewhere in Britain.

COPPER BOX

Capacity: 17,500 Sports: Diving, Swimming, Synchronised Swimming, Modern Pentathlon Venue: The centre contains a 5 0 - metre c ompetition pool, a diving pool, and a warm - up pool. One of the few Olympic-sized pools in Britain, it will be scaled back to 2,500 seats after the Games.

Capacity: 6,500 Sports: Handball, Modern Pentathlon (fencing) Venue: The £43 million (US$68 million or B2 billion) copper-clad arena will host the early handball rounds.

The copper will develop a rich colour as it ages. After the Games, it will be converted into a multi-purpose indoor sports centre for community use.

RIVERBANK ARENA

VELODROME

Capacity: 15,000 Sport: Hockey Venue: The arena will hold 15,000 fans and has a warm-up pitch behind it. The blue and pink pitches have been laid, with the seating to be complete before a test event in May. After the Games, the hockey centre will move to a 3,000 -seater facility north of the park that can be extended to 15,000 for major events.

“We are not coming out as a superpower,” noted Britain’s Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson.

Prime Minister David Cameron is nevertheless promising “the greatest show on Earth” and “a celebration of everything that’s great about Britain”.

The job of putting the stamp of Britishness on the opening ceremony has been handed to Danny Boyle, the director of the multiple O s c a r-w i n n i n g f i l m Slumdog Millionaire.

Capacity: 6,000 Sports: Track Cycling Venue: The lower tier has 3,500 seats, with the rest suspended in two upper tiers under the curved roof. In between, a glass wall will allow people to watch the action from outside. Costing £93 million (US$148 million or B4.6 billion), it was completed in February 2011 and held a leg of the Track Cycling World Cup in February this year.

With the theme ‘Isles of Wonder’, Boyle has promised a fitting curtain raiser before 10,500 competitors from 204 countries do battle.

When the sport begins, one of the big questions is whether China can maintain its performance of four years ago, when on home soil it topped the medals table for the first time.

Two of the stars of those Olympics are set to make a huge impact again, with Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt likely to be the face of the

Games, closely followed by US swimmer Michael Phelps, who won eight golds in China.

London’s bid was based on the promise that hosting the Games would leave a lasting legacy for the city. The International Olympic Committee believes it has achieved its aim so far – the residents’ verdict will only come later.

After a final inspection last month, IOC president Jacques Rogge said London had created “a legacy blueprint” for future Games hosts.

Some of the venues on

the Olympic Park, built in a deprived part of east London, will be maintained after the Games, while others will be retained but scaled down.

The future use of the 80,000-capacity Olympic Stadium has yet to be determined beyond hosting the 2017 world athletics championships, although West Ham United football club are among four bidders to take it over.

The long-neglected East End should continue to benefit from the new ultra-modern Stratford rail station as well as the low-cost housing made from some of the Olympic village accommodation and a nature park along the Lee Valley.

The two unanswered questions though are weighty ones: the ability to get spectators and athletes around an already congested city, and security, 40 years since the the bloody hostage-taking of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Some £6.5 billion (US$10 billion or B319 billion) has been spent on modernising the British capital’s transport system, including the world’s oldest underground train system, and 48 kilometres of Olympic road lanes should help speed

the travel of VIPs. Ordinar y Londoners though are being urged to work from home or spend an extra hour in the pub after work to ease peak-time congestion.

Security has cast a shadow since the day after London was awarded the Games, when suicide bombers killed 52 people on the transport system.

A combined force of more than 40,000 soldiers, police and private security guards will be mobilised for what Cameron called the “biggest and most integrated security operation in mainland Britain in our peacetime history”.

Exercises have been held to prepare for every eventuality, but the possibility of disturbances was underlined by a protest swimmer who halted the traditional Oxford-Cambridge University Boat Race this month.

London Olympics Organising Committee chairman Sebastian Coe is confident of delivering a “safe and secure” event but acknowledges the need to avoid a suffocating security blanket.

“You want people coming to London feeling that they are coming to a city that is celebrating and not overwhelmed by security,” Coe said.