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Dozens of government officials will be involved in tracking down illegally formed or run companies with foreign shareholders, following a meeting chaired by Phuket Governor Maitree Intusut on February 18 FULL STORY ON PAGE 2

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Ceremonies mark shrine reopening Shrine in Phuket Town reopens after years of renovations > 5

execeditor@thephuketnews.com

Card-playing con Examination of ‘foreign’ artists arrested companies under way

POLICE ON MONDAY (FEBruary 18) arrested two members of a gang of con artists who are believed to have cheated people in Phuket and other parts of Thailand out of as much as B20 million.

The pair were tracked down and arrested on Bangla Rd in Patong at about 11 pm.

The two are Wasan Chu­ thong, 30, from Surat Thani, and Tiwalai “Su” Pasut, 59, from Nakorn Sri Thammarat.

Both are members, police said, of a group of con artists who styled themselves Gang Kwai (Buffalo Gang) – a reference to the supposed stupidity of their victims.

Police began to search for the gang after a complaint was made to Phuket City Police.

When police checked against national records they found there were already outstanding warrants for their arrests.

Wasan was wanted for scams involving about B15

million in Bo Phut, in Surat Thani, and in Ranong.

Tiwalai was wanted for her part in conning a victim out of B1.3 million in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

Police said that the gang would target people advertising homes for sale. Pretending to be brokers, members of the gang would contact the house seller.

They would offer to take the victim to meet a “rich person who would pay cash” for the house.

At the meeting place, however, the “buyer” would be “delayed”. The gang would then persuade the victim, with a mixture of cajoling and threats, to play cards “while we wait”.

Consummate card cheats, they would then take all the victim’s money, or put them in a situation where the victim owed large amounts – which would have to be repaid immediately by a visit to the bank, escorted by the con artists.

Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter4@thephuketnews.com

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ozens of government officials will be involved in tracking down illegally formed or run companies with foreign shareholders, following a meeting on Monday (February 18) at Phuket Provincial Hall.

The meeting was chaired

by Phuket Governor Maitree Intusut, and included Vice Governor Somkiat Sangkhaosutthirak, Provincial Employment Office chief Yaowapa Pibulpol, Business Development Office

chief Nimit Mungkajit and many others.

The meeting heard that orders have been received from the Ministry of Commerce’s Department of Business Development to check all businesses with foreign shareholders in tourism provinces, including Chonburi (Pattaya), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin), Surat Thani (Koh Samui), Krabi and Phuket, to see whether Thai shareholders are illegal nominees.

Mr Nimit said, “We have already discovered possible cases involving a total of 82

companies, with multiple businesses registered at the same addresses – the addresses of a number of law companies.

“Between today (February 18) and Wednesday the team will check basic information on these businesses, such as accounts, company history and location.”

There are about 3,000 tourism- and property-related businesses in Phuket, he said, and officials will initially concentrate on these.

“If the officers find that a firm is formed illegally, legal action will be taken. But first

a thorough check of all information must be carried out.”

Gov Maitree said, “Checking individual businesses is a good way to address local people’s complaints about their business rights being damaged.

All relevant officers must work to solve this problem.

“Each of the three districts [Muang, Kathu and Thalang] will have a team that will include the district officer, a vice governor, Tourism Association representatives, and officials from the Tour Guides Association and the Excise Department,” he said.

184 couples wed on V Day PHUKET’S THREE DIS­ trict offices – Muang, Kathu and Thalang – were jammed on February 14 as couples queued to get married on the most romantic day of the year

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– Valentine’s Day. At Muang, District Officer Supachai Pochnukul handed out a small gift to every couple, and had a special romantic backdrop installed for postceremony photos.

A total of 116 couples were married at the Muang office, including an Indonesian and his Thai beloved, and a Thai man and his betrothed from Africa.

In Kathu, District Officer Apisan Sa-Ngasri had the office decked out with balloons.

Every couple, after signing, was given a patongko – the Thai twin breadstick that is also a symbol of togetherness – to eat together, along with a set of chopsticks and two heart-shaped chocolates. Each couple also received another gift, drawn by lot.

Among the 28 couples married at Kathu were Andrey Gorbachev and Olga Novenkova from Russia.

A newlywed couple share their patonko after signing the register at Kathu District Office on February 14.

Deputy District Officer Rashane Songdaeng said “They were the highlight of the day, very impressive. They arrived all dressed up in their wedding clothes, signed the register and exchanged rings.

“They also had friends who came along as witnesses.”

In Thalang, despite the

fact that officials made no particular effort to celebrate Valentine’s Day, 43 couples, all Thai, came along to register their marriages.

People wanting to register divorces at any of the three offices were told, “If it’s not really, really urgent, please come back tomorrow.”

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

PHUKET NEWS

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Myanmar ships in historic visit Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter4@thephuketnews.com

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small but enthusiastic crowd gathered at the Royal Thai Navy’s Pier at Cape Panwa on Wednesday (February 20) to greet two warships from the Myanmar navy – the first time in 201 years that Burmese warships have been seen in Phuket’s waters.

The last time was in 1812 – when what was then Burma made its final attempt to take and hold the island. It failed.

This week’s much friendlier visit marks 65 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Myanmar.

Around 50 people gathered around 9am to welcome the two fast attack gun craft, each displacing 213 tonnes.

Aboard the ships were 68 sailors from the Myanmar Navy, including Captain Aung Zaw Hlaing, Commander of No 1 Fleet; Lieutenant Commander Moe Kyaw Aung, Commanding Officer of UMS-561; and Lieutenant Commander Ye Htun Lin, Commanding Officer of UMS-562.

Captain Aung told local media he was pleased to be in Phuket, and said the navy looked forward to continuing its good relationship with the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) in the future.

Asked what he thinks of the Rohingya boatpeople coming to Thailand, he did not reply.

Thai Navy ships last visited Myanmar seven years ago.

The two warships will return to Myanmar tomorrow (February 23).

The two Myanmar Navy warships arrive at Cape Panwa on Wednesday morning.

DSI picks up ‘bad land’ probes Nattha Thepbamrung reporter2@thephuketnews.com

WITH THE RETIREMENT of Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) Director General Damrong Pidech, it seemed as though the investigation into encroachment in Phuket’s Sirinart Marine National Park had been suspended indefinitely.

Not so. Now the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has picked up the torch.

Pol Lt Col Prawut Wongseenil of the DSI revealed on Sunday (February 17) in Bangkok that the DSI will use the revised Anti-MoneyLaundering Law, which came into effect on February 2, to suppress businesses encroaching on the park.

Col Prawut said that the DSI had been asked by the DNP to check businesses that are suspected to be encroaching or holding illegal land papers for parts of the 60,000-rai park.

“The DNP presented the issue of encroachment in a meeting yesterday at which the Anti-Money-Laundering Office (AMLO) was also present,” he told The Phuket News.

Three thousand rai of the park has already been issued with land papers, he said. 14 hotels and property developments have been built or are in the process of being built in areas believed to be in the park, and there have been applications from business people for land deeds for another 400 plots of land believed to be in the park.

“We have to find out more about who was really involved in the issue of illegal land papers because these papers went through many hands in the past.

“We have to be fair to the current owners of the land papers who were, in effect, cheated,” he said.

He explained that the revised law (which was toughened after the international Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering placed Thailand on its black list) came into force only at the beginning of this month.

However, it can be applied retroactively against people or businesses already found to have encroached on a national park. Civil suits may also be brought against offenders.

He added that the law also

applies to other land regarded as natural resources that cannot be used for personal benefit, such as mangrove forests or forest reserves belonging to the Royal Forest Department.

The Bangkok Post reported on Sunday (February 17) that the DSI would also follow up on cases of illegal encroachment in various parts of Phuket that were initially uncovered by Col Dutsadee Arayawut and his investigators from the Public Anti-Corruption Commission.

That investigation, too, has lain fallow since Col Dutsadee was transferred in October last year to a new job.

The Post quoted Pol Lt Col Somboon Sarasit, chief of the DSI’s Bureau of Special Crime 3, as saying that it is clear that rights documents for at least nine land plots in a forest reserve and a national park in Kathu district of Phuket were issued illegally.

These include large pieces of land annexed by two former vice-governors of Phuket, one of whom later became permanent secretary of the Ministry of Interior.

Large sums are at stake; the land involved, if sold, would fetch billions of baht.

Editorial: Page 14

SPORTING DONATION The Chevrolet dealer in Phuket donated 95 footballs and 700 boxes of milk to the SOS Children’s Village Phuket, the Rajaprajanugroh Foundation, the World Vision Foundation and seven primary schools in Phuket on Tuesday (February 19). Pictured above are two students from Kalim School.

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KODCHANAT THINSEPON Editor

SIMON OSTHEIMER Managing Editor

083 922 9265 managingeditor@thephuketnews.com From Hong Kong; a decade’s experience as editor of magazines and newspapers in Shanghai (City Weekend, that’s Shanghai), Beijing (tbjhome, Urbane), Hong Kong (Time Out Hong Kong), Kuala Lumpur (Vision KL), Bangkok (Bangkok 101) and Phuket. Journalist for Esquire, Fah Thai, Vacations & Travel, Travel & Leisure, CNNGo, Surface and Dwell.

ALASDAIR FORBES Executive Editor

087 884 9964 execeditor@thephuketnews.com From the UK; 40 years as a journalist and editor on magazines and newspapers in the UK, Middle East, Hong Kong and Thailand: Cheshire Observer, Chester Chronicle, Saudi Gazette, Gulf Mirror, Gulf Construction, Gulf News, Hongkong Standard, Asian Business (Editor) and Phuket Gazette (Managing Editor for seven years).

CLAIRE CONNELL

Sub Editor

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

JODY HOUTON Sub Editor

editor3@thephuketnews.com From the UK; Masters Degree in Journalism, Kingston University. Five years’ experience at Groove Magazine, Metropolis, The Western Telegraph, The Mirror and Phuket Post.

TOM METCALFE Sub Editor

editor2@thephuketnews.com From New Zealand; 15 years as a print journalist and television news producer in the UK, NZ and Southeast Asia, including BBC World and Reuters in London, and Al Jazeera in Kuala Lumpur.

TANYALUK ‘MANGO’ SAKOOT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Thailand’s Got Talent auditions in Phuket

ocal auditions for season three of the television show Thailand’s Got Talent will take place in Phuket this weekend.

Auditions are being held from 10am to 6pm tomorrow and Sunday (February 23-24) at the Millennium Patong Phuket hotel, part of the Jungceylon complex in Patong.

Those wishing to audition need to register by 10am on Saturday.

Spots for auditions are limited to 250 people, so would-be stars are encouraged to arrive

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early. The competition is open to both Thai nationals and foreigners.

Contestants should: Come alone; Bring a 4x6-inch photo of themselves; Bring a Thai ID card, passport, driving licence or other photo identification; Bring music and props needed to perform their act; Keep the act between 2 and 3 minutes long.

There is also the option to audition online by submitting a video clip by February 28 at the latest. To do so visit thai-

Dokset ‘has offered money to family’

Tourist dies in pier plunge

THE FAMILY OF RUNGNApa “June” Suktong, whose body was found decomposing in the home of Norwegian Stein Ha­vard Dokset a year ago, has said that Dokset offered millions of baht to the family, according to Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.

“Nirut Rittikul said he had been approached by Dok­set who offered to pay B5 million to the family and B4.3 million for the care of June’s three sons,” Dagbladet reported.

Dokset was in court for the first day of his trial on February 12, when prosecution testimony was heard. The next hearing is due today (February 22), with more prosecution evidence expected.

091 034 2291 reporter4@thephuketnews.com

Reporter

087 353 9382 reporter2@thephuketnews.com

A SWISS TOURIST DIED after he lost control of his car and it plunged onto the beach early on Saturday morning (February 16) next to the Rawai Pier.

A preliminary investigation suggested that Stefan Braunwalder, 47, was driving at high speed and went straight on at the bend where Rawai Pier meets the land.

The car ploughed through two motorbikes and partly demolished a sala at the landward end of the pier before plunging off the sea wall and landing upside down.

Villagers were able to rescue the victim’s Filipina girlfriend, 27-year-old Ronalyn Coralda, from the vehicle, basically unhurt, but Mr Braunwalder is believed

landsgottalent.tv/ or facebook. com/thailandsgottalent?filter=1 (Thai language only).

During season two of Thailand’s Got Talent in September last year, Phuket-based contestants Warunee ‘Gig’ Suwannurak and Romadon Suriyan made it into the final alongside 10 other hopefuls for the grand prize.

Aerial acrobat Leng Rachanikorn Keawdee eventually won the competition and the B5 million cash prize.

Both Gig and Romadon are ineligible to enter again.

However when contacted this

morning Romadon said it was likely he, along with Gig and other finalists, would be guest performers on the season three show.

Gig told The Phuket News she was unable to enter the competition again because of the rules, and also because of her contract with Workpoint Entertainment, a Thai media company.

Her new song is in the process of being composed and would be released by Workpoint. On March 6 she will sing at an event at Boat Lagoon, she added.

The car lies upside down on the sand after the crash. to have died instantly in the crash.

Pol Lt Col Jaruth Ployduang Chalong Police Station told The Phuket News, “They had been drinking in various restaurants. His girlfriend urged him to rest before going back to the hotel in Patong.

“But because it was 5 am he wanted to go back to their hotel in Patong. Instead of going via the Chalong intersection, he decided to drive through Rawai and along the coast road.

“At the bend near the pier he went straight on.”

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IN BRIEF TOT crash wipes out Internet Access to the Internet via TOT – across Thailand – was wiped out for about six hours last Friday (February 15) after the telephone company’s main server in Bangkok crashed.

Internet access was still available through other pathways, such as some other phone and Internet providers, and via 3G services.

TOT technicians gradually restored the system, with Phuket coming back online just before 3pm.

Russian dies of crash injuries The 25-year-old Russian national hit by a truck wheel on February 6 has died of his injuries.

Alexey Babenko was riding his motorbike in Thalang when he was hit by a rolling wheel that had fallen off a 10-wheel truck.

Mr Babenko died in the ICU at Bangkok Hospital Phuket on February 12. The driver of the 10-wheeler, 36-year-old Surachai Ketkaew, was charged with reckless driving causing injury..

One hurt by no-brakes bus An out-of-control but fortunately empty tour bus crashed into a women on a motorbike on the afternoon on February 13 before hitting a power pole on the way down from Patong Hill into Patong, causing traffic chaos.

The brakes on the Pegas Tours bus apparently failed as it went down the hill. Out of control, it hit Suriyawadee U-ma, 55, on her motorcycle.

After hitting Mrs Suriyawadee, the bus careered on down the hill, finally hitting a power pole in front of Wat Suwankiriwong. The driver ran away.

Nasty shock for KFC man A delivery man working for KFC received a nasty surprise when he turned up at a room in Thung Tong on February 12, with a delivery of chicken wings.

His customer produced a knife and robbed him of his motorbike, his Nokia smart phone and B3,000 in cash.

The following morning Thalang police arrested Anupon “Nong” Wetcharat, 23, in Moo 5, Tambon Srisoontorn.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

PHUKET NEWS

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Celebrations mark shrine reopening Naraporn Tuarob reporter1@thephuketnews.com

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fter years of renovations, the Sang T h a m Sh r i ne on Phang Nga Rd, Phuket Town – also known as the Teng Gong Tong – has been opened for public worship.

The foundations for the shrine, originally called the Sin Jia Geng, were laid 122 years ago, in 1891.

Until the renovation, it was a private shrine of the Tan clan, one of Phuket’s largest and richest extended families. Its construction was funded mostly

by Tan Kuad, also known as Luang Amnart Nararak.

To mark the completion

of the renovations, a range of celebrations are currently underway. The forthcoming programme is as follows: Today (Febr uar y 22), 7:30pm – Pai Chid Chae (Worshipping Seven Gods and Goddesses); Tomorrow (February 23), 7:30pm – Po Un (a ceremony to drive out bad fortune); Sunday (February 24), 5:30pm – Nguan Xiao Hoy (Chinese Lantern Festival Celebration); and Ko Gun (Feeding the Soldier Spirits); Monday (February 25), 5pm – Sae Yid Pud Gua Jo Si (Pud Gua Jo Si’s Birthday); Ko Gun (Feeding the Soldier Spirits); and Sang Ti Gong (Farewell to the Spirits).

The renovated Sang Tham Shrine, between Phang Nga Rd and Thalang Rd.

Brit mum’s warning after son’s death A BRITISH MOTHER HAS warned of the dangers of young people hiring motorcycles abroad after her 22-year-old son was killed in a crash in Phuket last year.

An inquest in Reading, England, on February 12 heard how Jack Wilcox, living in Phuket at the time, died after his motorcycle crashed into a roadside power pole early in the

morning of February 6, 2012.

Mr Wilcox had never driven a motorcycle before hiring one 10 days earlier and did not have a UK driving licence, the British newspaper The Reading Post reported.

His mother, Angela Wilcox, was quoted as saying: “I think it is ridiculous that they allowed someone who has never driven a bike or car, had

no UK driving licence and no road experience to rent a bike.”

Mr Wilcox moved to Thailand on January 14 last year, less than four weeks before his crash.

His plan had been to live in a “poker fraternity” for six months during his gap year after graduating in business management from Swansea University.

Mr Wilcox was so well respected in the internet poker circles that he offered coaching sessions to other players and at the time of his death was writing a free e-book to help new players improve.

He used his talents as an internet poker player to fund his travels around the world.

Mrs Wilcox said: “He loved travelling, both on his own and

with friends.”

He had travelled to countries in Europe, South America and South East Asia.

An autopsy was carried out after his body was returned to the United Kingdom. The cause of death was intra-abdominal haemorrhage.

Coroner Peter Bedford recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Pitbull pleads not guilty BRITON LEE ALDHOUSE, accused of murdering a former US Marine in Phuket in August 2010, pleaded not guilty on Monday (February 18) in the Phuket Provincial Court.

Aldhouse, who was brought back to Thailand in December in the first case of extradition from the UK, faces just one charge, that of murdering Dashawn Longfellow.

Asked to plead, Aldhouse answered that he was no guilty.

His trial will begin on a date yet to be set.

Aldhouse made no request for bail and was remanded in custody at Phuket Provincial Prison. The hearing of the case has been delayed because after the killing Aldhouse fled to Britain, where he was arrested on an unrelated charge.

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PHUKET NEWS

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

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wo Australian sisters injured in a speedboat incident in January now face mounting doctor’s bills after what they say was incorrect treatment by Phuket International Hospital – with the tour company responsible yet to pay for expensive additional treatment.

Tegan Larin, 24, and her sister Rahni, 27, were on holiday in Phuket when the speedboat (belonging to local company Andawaree Co Ltd) in which they were travelling was hit by strong waves on January 30, throwing the tourists up to one metre high in the air.

Both suffered back injuries and were taken to Phuket International Hospital.

But in the time since the sisters returned home, they have faced hospital bills amounting to hundreds of Australian dollars. Both sisters had travel insurance with Australian com-

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Wind 22 km/h

Australian Tegan Larin in Phuket International Hospital. pany AAMI while in Phuket, but this does not cover any medical care when they are in Australia.

The company initially covered some care for the girls while they were in hospital, but say the speedboat driver was not at fault, and the incident

was simply “an accident”.

Both Rahni and Tegan visited a doctor upon their return home.

“I had to get more X-rays done at a cost of A$160,” Rhani said. “We went to see the back specialist on Tuesday. Our appointments cost A$220 each.”

“I have another appointment with the doctor in four weeks. That will cost another A$220. Tegan has another appointment in six weeks. That will also cost another A$220.

“After our follow up appointments, if the doctor says we can remove our braces we will need to undergo several sessions of physiotherapy.

Again, this will be at our own cost and we will be looking at paying upward of A$100 per hour,” Rahni said.

“My brace was not the right type and it actually finished where the fracture started.

Therefore it was doing nothing.

“Tegan’s brace was far too small for her and it fitted incorrectly. So for the first two weeks of our injuries, our fractures were unsupported."

Dr Sussana Sakulpipat, the orthopaedic surgeon at the Phuket International Hospital who took care of the sisters, said that the braces he put on

Rahni and Tegan are different because Tegan had more serious injuries, but insisted that in both cases the braces were correctly fitted.

The Phuket News spoke with Omduan Pichetpongsanon, co-owner of Andawaree, who said the company’s insurance covered only treatment, medicine and the stay in the hospital.

The back brace was not covered in the insurance as it was considered “extra”.

On February 14, Mrs Omduan she had already spoken to the sisters in Phuket and they agreed that the company’s insurance would only pay for treatment and medicine.

However Mrs Omduan admits there may have been miscommunication and language problems.

Rahni said payment had only become an issue because their travel insurance does not cover follow-up treatment at home in Australia.

Old Town Fest needs traffic answers Naraporn Tuarob reporter1@thephuketnews.com

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Wind 25 km/h

Speedboat victims face mounting medical costs T

PR & MARKETING MANAGER

Wind 29 km/h

PLANS WILL BE MADE to alleviate the annual traffic headache suffered by residents and visitors who attended the Phuket Old Town Festival on Friday to Sunday (February 15-17), after some people living in the old centre complained that traffic was too congested.

Also to be discussed will be ways to improve the entertainment stage areas to allow more performers to take part as interest in the festival grows.

Apart from the traffic woes, however, the annual festival was one of the best yet in terms of attendance, with around 300,000 people coming to the old town over the three days of the event, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) figures.

The TAT said that the festival injected around B2 billion into the local economy.

Chanchai Duangjit, director of the Phuket branch of the TAT, said that traffic this year was a problem because the five

streets in the Old Town were closed to vehicles. He said he would discuss the issue with organisers before next year’s festival to try to find solutions.

Other negative factors which may have prevented visitors getting to the festival easily included traffic constriction around the Central Festival intersection due to construction of the new underpass, Mr Chanchai said.

He noted that in February there were a lot of events on the island, including Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day, which encouraged many tourists to visit Phuket.

He also said that – traffic apart – the Old Town event was well organised and that Phuket was in an area of political stability, which encouraged tourists to visit.

Chinese – including visitors from mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore – were the largest group of tourists to attend the festival.

The second largest group were Australians, followed by

The festival was full of surprises to amuse and delight the huge crowds.

Germans, British and Russians.

TAT figures, he said, showed around 250,000 people attended the festival last year, but this year the number was up, to 300,000 – and increase of around 50,000 or 20 per cent. The increase was mostly due to more tourists attending

the event, he said.

The Vice-President of the Thai Peranakan Association of Phuket, Assoc Prof Pranee Sakulpipatana, said she was delighted with the festival.

However, she urged local people to get more involved in next year’s event; the festival’s success depended on them and

their willingness to showcase the “diamond” in their hands – their heritage, she said.

“We have a priceless treasure on our hands. It’s preservation doesn’t depend only on the old generations, but also the young generations who will determine the future of our culture."

PHUKET FOCUS

RESPECT AT LAST Ladyboys find happiness inside Phuket Prison THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

“I

am writing to let you know that I am doing great. Even though 10 years sounds like a long time ... I am enjoying every moment of my time here.”

It reads almost like a postcard from a hoilidaymaker, yet it is anything but. It is taken from a letter sent by a ladyboy currently serving time in Phuket Provincial Prison.

Bee (not her real name) is in the prison on drug-related charges.

Prisoners there are not allowed to have direct contact with anyone other than immediate family. But we were shown a revealing set of letters by one of Bee’s good friends on the outside.

Mee, also a ladyboy, used to receive letters from Bee each month. Initially the letters were pessimistic about her future, but after about three months the tone changed dramatically and Bee began writing of how she’d found comfort in her new life behind bars.

“Bee went to prison for a drug-related offence a couple of years ago. She was sentenced to 10 years. At first we [friends and family] were all worried about how she would survive in there; we weren’t sure if she would be safe or be able to adapt to prison life,” Mee said.

“Bee used to write me a long letter once a month telling me how her life was. But I don’t receive them that often any more. The latest one she sent me mentioned how her life had changed, and I was pleased to hear that.”

In the letter, Bee wrote about the happiness she had found in her new life.

“You wouldn’t believe how my world has turned upsidedown. I remember how we [ladyboys] were treated with no respect in the outside world.

But in prison, we’re accepted

For most of its inhabitants, Phuket Provincial Prison is not a pleasant place to be.

But for some of the ladyboys locked up there, it’s the best place they have ever lived. and recognised,” she wrote.

“All the ladyboys here live together with the male prisoners. They don’t separate us ...

I felt intimidated at first, but that’s not the case any more.

“Outside prison, people look at us like we’re part of a freak show and treat us like criminals. They judge us even before they know us. But in here, male prisoners treat us like queens. We get a lot of respect and people want to talk with us.” Andaman Power is a Phuket-based group that works directly with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community on the island. The group helps educate LGBT people who work in Phuket’s night entertainment venues about safe sex, and gives them access to regular health checks and medical treatment.

Sompol ‘Vicky’ Sitthiwatch, the group’s vice-president, said Bee’s case was not unique.

“I have heard many cases of ladyboys who’ve found happiness in prison. Personally, I think many of the ladyboys

who are in prison feel liberated even though they have lost many of their personal freedoms.

“They feel free to be themselves, free to live and free to think, and get more respect from other people,” she said.

Behind bars, love and romance is not unusual between male inmates and ladyboy inmates.

“I know of several cases where transgender inmates have found long-term partners inside prison. I think this is why many ladyboys who have been released try to find a way to be sent back to prison again, because their lives are happier there,” Ms Sompol said.

“I have often asked myself how a person can enjoy being in prison where everything is restricted, and I believe the answer is clear – ladyboys feel they are more respected as human beings in prison.

Jetsada ‘Note’ Taesombat is the coordinator of the Thai Transgender Alliance (Thai TGA), which was established in 2010 to promote the rights of

transgender people in Thailand.

Ms Jetsada said rules and regulations in Thailand are created only to support male and female genders.

“I am not only talking about gender discrimination in prison, but the issue is spread across all institutions in Thailand such as school, the military,

or even hospitals. All places in our society are divided based on sexual organs, not gender preference,” she said.

According to the Foundation for Sogi (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Rights and Justice, transgender people are faced with rates of violence as high as 38.4 per cent, higher than any others in the LGBT group.

“Thai society is like a big prison that is designed for males and females only. This big cage is used for locking away freedom of thought and the right to express one’s individuality,” Ms Jetsada said.

“Our society recognises only male and female as the two genders. Society in Thailand frames us to think people who are different are wrong.

Those who are different have no freedom to express who they are,” she said.

“There are special sections in Klong Prem Central Prison that are reserved for ladyboys.

But still, transgender people there feel like they have been neglected and abandoned.

“On the other hand, many

New Stoc k

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

7

ladyboy inmates in Phuket Provincial Prison feel happy being inside. [But] I don’t believe that there are people truly happy at being in prison. I think what those people try to say is that they feel more accepted and people there value ladyboys as human beings.”

There are 1,798 male inmates in Phuket Provincial Prison. Of those, 87 are pre-op ladyboys, while two have had gender reassignment surgery.

A prison officer said that ladyboys are mixed in with male inmates, sleeping in the same cells and sharing the same common area. Those who have had the surgery are also housed with the men, though they sleep in a separate segregated cell.

Nationwide, the Corrections Department says that as of December 1, 2012, there were 209,776 male and 37,919 female inmates in prisons nationwide.

Ladyboys are counted as men by the department, with only individual prisons distinguishing between them and the rest of the male population.

Bangkok Post

has

arriv ed!!

8

THAILAND NEWS

Driver in British cyclist accident out on bail POLICE SAID ON MONDAY the driver of a pick-up truck who allegedly hit a British couple while they were on a world tour cycling in Chachoengsao last Wednesday has been released on bail, and will face a charge of dangerous driving leading to the death of others.

Peter Root and Mar y Thompson, both 34, were killed when hit by the pickup truck while cycling on the Route 304 Phnom SarakamKabinburi Road in the eastern province.

Police Lt-Col Supachai Loangsukcharoen said the bodies of the couple are being kept at a charity association in the province pending their family’s collection. The British embassy has contacted the local authorities to bring their bodies back to the UK. Col Supachai said driver Worapong Sangkhawat, 25, who was seriously injured in

the crash, has been released on bail after posting B300,000 bail bond.

A police investigation team are collecting evidence to charge him for dangerous driving leading to others’ death. If found guilty, he could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.

The Guernsey couple set off on a round-the-world adventure in July 2011 and had cycled through Europe, the Middle East and China.

The British newspaper the Telegraph quoted a British Foreign Office spokesperson as saying that “We are aware of the deaths of two British nationals in Thailand on February 13 and we are providing consular assistance.”

On their website, Two on Four Wheels, the couple posted a travel journal, photographs and short films from the 23 countries they had visited.

MCOT online news

Lost backpacker found THE FAMILY OF MISSING British tourist Tom Armstrong, 22, has announced that their son is alive and well, after being reported missing while in Koh Tao earlier this year.

The BBC reported this week that Mr Armstrong had been found.

Mr Armstrong, from England, had been on a dive master course on Koh Tao since last April, but was due to return to the UK over Christmas.

However, his mother said he had postponed the

journey back after “running into trouble” in Bangkok, and was instead due to catch a flight home on January 8.

Tom’s disappearance sparked an international hunt – with an online appeal through social networking website Facebook revealing a potential sighting in the centre of Bangkok.

The sighting came almost three weeks after police revealed that money was withdrawn from his bank account in the city. Coconuts Bangkok

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

New appeal to find missing Brit tourist t’s been almost five years since English tourist Daniel Hall went missing while backpacking in Thailand. He was last seen on Koh Phangan in 2008.

Daniel, was 35 years old when he was last seen around midday on February 25, 2008, at a Full Moon after party, in a bar known as ‘Back Yard Bar’.

British media reported Daniel had a history degree from Birmingham University, England, but had been working in Norwich as a labourer before travelling to Thailand for a backpacking holiday.

He arrived in Thailand at the end of January 2008 and initially stayed with a friend in Bangkok. He then went to stay at Lam Son bungalows, on Hat Yao Beach on Koh Phangan on February 16, 2008. Here he met up with a Spanish friend, the Norfolk Eastern Daily Press reported.

Daniel was reportedly seen at the Back Yard Bar by a number of people early on the morning of February 18 (up to 30,000 people were at the Full Moon party earlier).

The last known contact Daniel had was with two friends who rang him later that day.

Daniel has never been heard from or seen since. His

I

IN BRIEF Korean tourist jumps to her death in Pattaya A 57-year-old Korean tourist visiting Thailand with her husband died after jumping from a 2nd floor balcony at a Sattahip beach resort hotel on February 19. The tour guide said the woman began acting strangely and shouting that morning, and may have been mentally ill.

Pakistani man likely murdered brother’s Thai wife

Daniel Hall at his British home. belongings were still at the Lam Son bungalow where he had been staying, and it was later established that no money had been withdrawn from his bank account since February 22, 2008. Daniel’s phone was eventually located.

Despite conducting enquiries and carrying out liaison with the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Thai authorities, no further information has been forthcoming.

Friends and family carried out numerous searches and enquiries looking for him, with some even travelling from the UK to the island.

Appeals by Daniel’s university friends using various social network sites including

Facebook targeted the backpacking community who had been in Thailand and may have visited the island at the relevant times.

This resulted in a photograph being supplied which shows Daniel with two other men, one a topless man with a goatee beard and shaved head.

Officers would like to speak to these two men, who are seen looking towards Daniel in the photograph, as they may be potential witnesses to Daniel’s movements on Koh Phangan. They are thought to be British nationals.

Norfolk Police have also been on UK TV show Crimewatch to try to jog people’s memories.

A Pakistani man who fled Thailand is suspected of killing his Thai sister-in-law because of a dispute over the ownership of a new house.

Her body was found in an East Pattaya luxury home on February 17. The 44-year-old victim operated a restaurant in Switzerland with her husband, who had earlier flown back to Europe.

Russian tour agency rips off American tourists

Three American tourists reported to Pattaya police that a Russian-owned tour agency on Pratumnak Hill, Pattaya had scammed them on February 17.

They had prepaid B10,500 for an overnight tour to Koh Chang island.

But they were never picked up, and were later told no such tour was scheduled.

Angry foreigner assaults Pattaya police truck

WAR IS DIRTY WORK A Thai soldier cleans the suit of a US marine during a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high explosive training drill as part of the annual combined military exercise Cobra Gold 2013 at a Navy base in Sattahip on February 19. Photo: AFP/Pornchai Kittiwongsakul

A tall Caucasian who refused to talk to police or identify himself used a rock to bash a police pickup truck parked near Central Festival in Pattaya on February 16.

He then swam in the sea awhile before returning to surrender himself.

Earlier, he had visited a Thai female in the police station cellblock held on meth-related charges.

The police will investigate and question him further.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

ASIA NEWS

9

Trying to revive the Philippines’ toxic Pasig River for residents B

oys shout in delight as they flip backwards off a bridge. Fishermen quietly cast rods out. They are joyful acts that should belong to an earlier era, before the Philippines’ Pasig River turned toxic.

Yet some slum dwellers in Manila whose shanty homes choke the river and its tributaries have little choice but to live as if the national capital’s most important waterway is clean.

“It’s hot. We have no other place to swim and escape the heat,” 16-year-old Christian Ivanes said as he took a break from jumping off a bridge near the mouth of the river with his friends.

Ivanes, his seven siblings and a few hundred other illegal squatters live under the bridge in stilt houses made of junk wood and plastic, their existence as desperate as any in an Asian megacity infamous for its brutal poverty.

Shopping from the community stall at high tide requires wading ankle-deep through plastic wrappers and other garbage that is floating in black water. A thick stench rises

with strong hints of untreated sewage and industrial waste.

“There have been people who have gone into this with an open wound and died,” said Gina Lopez, a prominent environment campaigner who is leading the latest government drive to clean up the Pasig.

The national government is spending 10 billion pesos (B7 billion) a year to transform the waterway and its 47 tributaries, according to Lopez, chairperson of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission.

Half the money is being spent on trying to relocate about 300,000 squatters who live directly along the banks of the river and tributaries, known locally as esteros.

“As long as there are illegal dwellers living along the estero, using the place as their toilets and dumping garbage, there’s no clean-up that can happen.

So that’s the beginning,” Lopez said.

The commission has cleared and rehabilitated four esteros since 2010, when President Benigno Aquino took power and implemented the programme, according to Lopez.

The Pasig River in 2005. Photo: AFP/Luis Liwanag It is aiming to start work on 16 more this year, then have all the esteros as well as the Pasig transformed by the time Aquino ends his term in 2016.

At Estero de Paco, a 2.9-kilometre tributary that a few

years ago was one of the most polluted in the city, shanty homes have been replaced with tree-lined boardwalks while water-treatment machines now nestle amid plants.

The more than 1,300 fami-

lies, or roughly 6,500 squatters, who lived within three metres of the channel have been relocated, while vendors at a nearby market have stopped dumping garbage into the water.

Programmes with local water companies to improve sewage facilities have also been implemented.

Flooding that regularly hits the area has lessened because drains are not blocked by garbage, according to Lopez, and the residents who have remained beyond the threemetre clearance zone appear much happier.

“It’s like living in a subdivision now,” said Evelyn Quitala, 51, who has called Estero de Paco home all her life and runs a small shop from her two-storey concrete home.

“We can now jog here along the footpath and our children don’t have to go somewhere else to play... and it is no longer smelly.”

Estero de Paco is being used as a template for cleaning up the entire Pasig river system.

Nevertheless, while the estero may look better, the water remains badly polluted,

according to Javier Coloma Brotons, an urban development specialist at the Asian Development Bank who is involved in cleaning up the tributary.

And although the rehabilitation commission is aiming for a major transformation of the entire water system within just three years, Coloma Brotons cautioned the project could take decades to complete.

He said many of the city’s more than 12 million residents polluted the waters.

Among the myriad problems he cited were the lack of sewage treatment plants and trained people to maintain them, countless small businesses that dump waste into the water, and polluting industries upstream.

People are determined to stay in the slums despite the atrocious conditions because they are close to jobs, with relocation sites typically many hours’ commute from Manila.

Nevertheless Lopez insists a firm commitment from the Aquino administration means the latest clean-up campaign will work. AFP

10 WORLD NEWS

Eleventh-hour execution delay in US AN APPEALS COURT IN the US state of Georgia on Tuesday delayed the execution of a mentally disabled man with just minutes to spare, his lawyer said.

The US Supreme Court had earlier rejected a final appeal in the case of Warren Hill, a 52-year-old African American with a reported IQ of 70, who has spent the last 21 years on death row for killing a fellow inmate.

Georgia has the strictest standard of any US state, with courts requiring “proof of retardation beyond a reasonable doubt” – a burden that some mental health professionals say is almost impossible to meet.

A Georgia court earlier agreed with an appeal by Hill’s lawyers, but was then overruled by a higher court in the state, which found that Hill could not prove his retardation beyond a reasonable doubt.

In the latest appeal, Hill’s lawyers had asked the court to grant them another oppor tunity to prove he is ineligible for execution. AFP

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

Icon-writing: a path to recovery for prisoners

B

ehind the bars of a prison on Poland’s eastern fringe, a dozen women serving time are lost in concentration as they learn the intricate art of icon-writing in the Orthodox Christian tradition.

The centuries’ old craft, which typically displays the Virgin with the baby Jesus, saints and Christ in rich strokes of dark red, green and gold, is being used for the first time as part of a social reintegration programme at a major correctional facility in Bialystok.

“It’s my first icon of the Virgin,” Malgorzata ZablockaJaronczyk, 47, says proudly as she paints a golden halo around the head of an unfinished Madonna to whom she says she prays.

“I never learned to paint.

It never really interested me much. And here, I’ve started to make progress, I can see it for myself, I’m pleased with what I’m doing,” says Malgorzata, who has eight years left on a 24-year sentence for financial crimes, reduced by a third for

An inmate of Bialystok prison in eastern Poland “writes” an orthodox icon in December. Photo: AFP/Janek Skarzynski good behaviour.

“You can use two colours to create the halo. It creates a very good effect. It was a technique used in the 1718th centuries in Russia to

write icons,” iconographer Jan Grigoruk, teaching the art at the Bialystok prison, tells his students.

“It’s appropriate to say ‘write,’ because in the formal

terminology we say icons are written, not painted,” explains Grigoruk, who teaches the technique as well as the language, history and symbolism of the icons.

The inmates are learning from the best, as Grigoruk works at the Museum of Icons in an Orthodox monastery in the nearby Suprasl, a stone’s throw from the Belarussian border.

Opened in the 1960s with a collection of nearly 1,200 icons dating from the 18th through the 20th centuries, the museum is a treasure trove for samples of this eastern Orthodox art form with origins almost as old as Christianity itself.

“At first, the women were coming to the studio to kill time. Some came as a reward for good behaviour as prison wardens had to choose from among 70 inmates,” Grigoruk said.

“Everyone who writes an icon undergoes a real spiritual transformation,” he said.

“Icon-writing is already a form of prayer. It can’t be merely a job to earn your living.”

For Orthodox Christian believers, when writing an icon, the artist’s hand is guided

by God. While painting lessons are common in prisons, in iconwriting, art mingles with the spiritual. Inmates also say the lessons bring them inner peace.

Justyna Gierasimiuk, 31, serving a one-year sentence, looks forward to them.

“Oh yes, they do calm me down and God knows I need that! Being aggressive is pretty common inside a prison cell,” she said.

A dozen men in this mixed-gender prison holding more than 700 inmates also took their first lessons last year, including several serving life sentences, says Jaroslaw Andrzejuk, a prison educator.

Their icons were blessed

by Jakub, the Orthodox archbishop of Bialystok, who called the programme “a brilliant idea”.

The most beautiful works will go on display in a small prison chapel. AFP

Children among tourists kidnapped in Cameroon SUSPECTED ISLAMIST militants kidnapped seven French holidaymakers from one family, including four children, in Cameroon on Tuesday, business, diplomatic and security sources said.

GDF Suez confirmed that one of its employees had been kidnapped with his family.

French President Francois Hollande said during a visit to Athens that he was informed of the kidnapping by a Nigerian “terrorist group that we know well”, without naming it.

“What is most probable is they will be taken to Nigeria,” Hollande told reporters, adding that France was doing everything possible to prevent that outcome.

A statement from GDF Suez said the employee was based in the Cameroon capital Yaounde and that the family were vacationing in the north of the west African country.

A Western diplomat in the region said that six armed kidnappers on three motorbikes abducted a couple, their four

children and an uncle in the northern village of Dabanga near the Nigerian border.

The children are aged five, eight, 10 and 12, the diplomat said.

A source close to the French embassy in Yaounde said the family had earlier visited Waza National Park in northern Cameroon.

A Cameroonian security source also said: “We have strong suspicions regarding the Islamist sect Boko Haram”. AFP

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

BUSINESS NEWS 11

2012 bumper year for Thai hotel industry Thai Smile’s fleet of Airbus A320s will grow to 10 this year, and probably to 15 next year. Photo: Jakkrit Prasertwit

Thai Smile gives up on LCC battle

T

hai Smile – launched just seven months ago

by Thai Airways International (THAI) in an attempt to claw back business from low cost carriers (LCCs) such as Air Asia – has given up and will now instead attempt to emulate the the successful models of Singapore’s Silk Air and Hong Kong’s Dragonair.

The airline’s top executives have admitted that the light-premium model with a flexible business class arrangement failed to gain customer acceptance.

The THAI board will consider turning the operation into a separate company fully owned by the national airline but with separate accounts and management structures.

For passengers the most visible change will be the introduction of fixed business

class seating and full on-board service similar to Silk Air. This should happen over the next two months when the new airline’s seventh A320 is delivered.

THAI’s latest fleet plan for its subsidiary has six leased A320s joining the fleet this year giving it 10 aircraft. It will probably lease another five A320s in 2014. All of the new planes will be fitted out with a fixed business class and will used to beef up the airline’s fledging regional network.

By 2015 when the ASEAN Economic Community kicks in the airline should have 20 A320s.

The airline flies to just one international destination, Macau, but that will change mid-March when it adds a service to Mandalay in Myanmar.

The move from the lowcost model to a full-service airline will make it easier for Thai Smile to market to Star Alliance passengers, who need to connect with domestic services to complete their journey.

In terms of network, the airline will fly more services to Phuket and Krabi in southern Thailand.

It wants to make Phuket a hub, starting a service from the island to Singapore and another to Chiang Mai. The arrival of Thai Smile on domestic routes will ultimately lead to the mother company concentrating on major regional and long-haul routes, leaving the subsidiary to compete on the domestic sector and secondary regional routes.

It has already taken over

Survey delves into Price of ‘road warrior’ habits diesel ‘to TODAY’S BUSINESS TRAVelers are surprisingly social on the road, according to a survey

by Four Points by Sheraton.

Aside from sleeping, for instance, survey respondents indicated that enjoying the hotel bar or restaurant with colleagues or business partners was their number one activity during free time.

In addition, business travelers are good networkers, with nearly two-thirds of those surveyed reporting that that they have kept in touch with someone they met on the plane or at the hotel while traveling on business.

In contrast with their hotel habits, however, business travellers draw the line with their own colleagues, with more than 60 per cent indicating that they would prefer to fly alone rather than with a colleague.

These are among the results of a 2012 hotel business travel study commissioned by Four

Points, which polled a total of 6,000 business travelers globally – 1,000 each from the US, the UK, China, India, Germany and Brazil.

“Our survey results reveal that road warriors are social, preferring to network or to relax in the company of colleagues rather than just enjoying solitary pursuits.” said Brian McGuinness, senior vice president.

Other key survey findings: Business travellers confirm they stay in touch with contacts they’ve met on a flight or at a hotel. 64.42 per cent indicated that they had stayed in touch with someone they had met while travelling.

Business travellers prefer separate flights. They may be happy to toss back a brew with a co-worker at their hotel, but the majority of business travellers (61.13 per cent) report that they would rather not share a flight with a colleague.

from THAI on the Krabi route, serving the holiday destination with five daily flights, with plans to add more. In the long run Thai Smile will take over all TG’s domestic routes with the possible exceptions of Bangkok-Phuket and Bangkok-Chiang Mai. Thai Smile’s introduction of a direct Chiang Mai-Phuket route competes with Thai AirAsia. In the past TG attempted to establish the route that cuts out a need to stop and change planes in Bangkok, but without success. – TTR Weekly

IF ANYONE DOUBTS THAT 2012 was a bumper year for tourism in Thailand, the latest figures from STR Global, which tracks hotel performance from 49,000 rooms across Thailand, should dispel those doubts.

STR’s latest figures show that occupancy, average daily rates (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) all grew, Rising demand levels (up by 13.3 per cent) helped boost occupancy 10 points to 69.2 per cent and pushed ADR up by 4.9 per cent to B3,226.

RevPAR grew 15.4 per cent to B2,232 in 2012.

Thailand has been undergoing a strong recovery from recent political turbulence and the flooding of 2010, as Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, Pattaya and Chiang Mai illustrated growth in all three performance metrics, STR said.

“The increase in hotel performance was underlined by the growing numbers of visitors as Thailand welcomed 22.3 million visitors in 2012,” said Elizabeth Randall Winkle, STR’s managing director.

Koh Samui achieved the highest ADR (B6,910) out of all Thai markets, due to its concentration of luxury hotels.

A substantial occupancy growth of 27.1 per cent helped fuel a RevPAR increase of 29.4 per cent to B4,224. This was accelerated by demand growth of 31.3 per cent, while supply saw a comparatively moderate increase of 3.3 per cent.

Hua Hin/Cha-am was the only market to experience a decline in ADR (-2.2 per cent), but even there RevPAR was up 5 per cent and occupancy by 7.3 per cent.

Supply increases were most prominent in Bangkok (+4.3 per cent), where 2,993 rooms were opened in 2012. The capital achieved the second-highest demand increase (+15.6 per cent) behind Koh Samui (+31.3 per cent), followed by Chiang Mai (+14.3), Hua Hin/Cha Am (+11.5), Pattaya (+9.8) and Phuket (+4.4).

After Koh Samui, Chiang Mai exhibited the strongest RevPAR growth (+19.3 per cent to B1,721) and occupancy growth (+13.4 per cent).

WE BELIEVE THAT THE SUCCESS OF A PROJECT IS ESSENTIALLY BASED ON SERIOUS MANAGEMENT

E NC RIE PE EX S AR YE 40 OF MORE THAN 20 YEARS AT YOUR SERVICE IN THAILAND.

be frozen’

THE ENERGY MINISTRY has confirmed that the price of diesel in Thailand will remain stable for the next three to four months, even though the price in oil markets continues to rise.

Energy Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisarn said that Thailand will be able to freeze its diesel price for the coming few months “thanks to the government’s oil fund reserve”.

Although the oil fund has so far seen a deficit of more than B11 billion, the government is “obligated to help reduce people’s living costs” by pegging oil prices However, he said when the Asean Community comes into being at the end of 2015, diesel prices will have to be adjusted in line with the market, meaning the government will abandon existing subsidies and diesel prices will reflect market movements. NNT

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12 BUSINESS NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

Banks put Kingfisher into final, fatal dive

S

Walaiporn Pattamavichitvong and Paul Wilson.

New managers for Laguna Golf Club A NEW MANAGEMENT team has taken over at Laguna Phuket Golf Club following the departure of former Director of Golf Tim Haddon, who now heads up the recently-opened Laguna Lang Co Golf Club in central Vietnam.

Paul Wilson has been appointed Assistant Director of Golf at Laguna Phuket to guide the club through its planned course renovations during the coming two years.

He was previously with Troon Golf, one of the

world’s largest independent golf course management companies, spending four years overseeing the construction, opening and management of Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in Abu Dhabi, UAE. At Laguna Mr Wilson is joined by new Golf Club Manager Walaiporn Pattamavichitvong, who steps into the role after 12 years’ in golf operations, replacing Passakorn Roddej who has moved on to pursue other interests in the golf industry.

hares of India’s debt-laden Kingfisher Airlines plunged on Wednesday last week after banks said they would start recalling loans worth US$1.5 billion (B45 billion), which analysts said spelled the end for the carrier.

The firm, controlled by Indian liquor baron Vijay Mallya, slid five per cent – its daily limit – before clawing back some losses to trade down 4.58 per cent in mid-afternoon.

“The banks’ decision to start the recovery process means the end of the road for Kingfisher” if they carry it through, said Kapil Kaul, regional head of leading aviation consultancy CAPA. The creditor banks’ announcement late Tuesday that they would begin recalling the outstanding loans paves the way for the sale of Kingfisher assets held as collateral.

“We have decided to recall the loans made to Kingfisher Airlines,” said Shymal Acharya, a deputy managing director of the government-owned State Bank of India, which heads the consortium of bank lenders.

A spokesman for Bangalore-based Kingfisher he could

Kingfisher boss Vijay Mallya has been desperately scouting for a foreign airline or other investors, but without success. Photo: Dana Smillie for World Economic Forum not immediately comment on the banks’ decision.

“I am not able to wager a guess [when the airline will be able to comment],” said Prakash Mirpuri, an airline vice president.

The carrier, whose planes have been grounded since October, has never made a profit since it began flying in 2005. In addition to the bank debts, it also owes vast sums to airports, fuel suppliers and its staff.

Kingfisher has a number of real estate assets that it put up as collateral against its loans, including its office in Mumbai,

but analysts said most of its planes were on lease and the lessors have taken them back.

“It is over for Kingfisher – it was over one year ago,” said Sharan Lillaney, aviation analyst at Mumbai’s Angel Broking.

The airline, once India’s second-biggest carrier and known for its red-carpet service, posted a net loss of 7.55 billion rupees (B4.3 billion) in the three months to December.

“We had given them [the airline] many chances to come back with a specific positive action plan about their restart plans. But they could not come

up with any concrete action plan,” Acharya told reporters.

“There is no reason for us to give further time to the company,” he added.

Kingfisher, which made costly acquisitions as it sought to grow its business, was the worst-hit of India’s airlines last year, as the industry fell victim to high aviation fuel costs, a price war and shabby airport infrastructure.

Mallya, who dubs himself “the king of good times”, has been desperately scouting for a foreign airline or other investors to put money into Kingfisher to get it flying again.

But analysts expressed doubts whether any investor would be interested, given a debt load that is estimated by CAPA to total US$2.5 billion (B75 billion).

Mallya is expected to get some funds from the US$2 billion sale of a majority stake in India’s United Spirits but that deal must still clear regulatory hurdles.

The tycoon in the past has insisted he will not use his other businesses to “cross-subsidise” the airline. AFP

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

PROPERTY NEWS 13

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

Nok calendar ruffles feathers THAILAND’S BUDGET airline, Nok Air, has started a new marketing campaign – and a new “cultural” controversy – with its 2013 calendar, featuring a different scantily-clad lovely for each month.

The models pose in front of the smiling “sparrow” aircraft and show off their robust assets, according to the company’s Facebook photo album.

The airline has already received a significant amount of attention, after posting the teaser photos on its Facebook page on last Saturday (February 9).

Most requested copies of

the calendar with one even saying that he was “willing to buy in bulk for a shipment to the USA”.

The Facebook page is also running a competition with calendars as prizes.

Others expressed the opinion that if Nok Air’s hostesses really did look like the ones in the calendar then they would fly with the airline more often, whilst another fan of the Facebook page settled for just having the calendar, saying that such a freebie on a flight would help increase sales.

But while most commentators expressed approval,

there were a few people that didn’t share the excitement and suggested that the calendar “degrades women”, is a terrible idea, and doesn’t show Thailand in a favourable light.

One fan would reconsider flying with the airline ever again.

Although the full ramifications of the campaign have yet to emerge, one thing is certain: at the time of writing, the photo album on Facebook that contained just a trio of pictures from the calendar, had already had over 1,500 shares, 450 comments and almost 6,000 likes. TTR Weekly

Good for Thailand’s image, or bad? One of the models in the Nok Air calendar.

Third green guy Soaring property qualifies at DMG prices ‘are not PHUK ET-BASED CONstruction and development manager company Development Management Group Co (DMG) has three green development staff, now that John Covello, the company’s Sustainability Manager, has earned his LEED accreditation with building design and construction specialisation from the US Green Building Certification Institute (USGBC).

He joins company founder OB Wetzell and David Arell in passing the exams for LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – accreditation, which acknowledges technical competence in green building practices and principles, as well as LEED requirements, resources, and processes.

“We are seeing more and more owners and building operators in Southeast Asia interested in sustainability simply because of the sound financial return provided by the savings in operating expense that come from a sustainable and green building,” said Arell, announcing Mr Covello’s success.

Mr Wetzell added, “The

a problem’ – BoT P

DMG’s John Covello. prudence of sustainability and environmental sensitivity is axiomatic to DMG’s man­ agement practices.”

LEED is a certification programme for new and renovated buildings that encourages the process of a holistic approach to sustainable construction or renovation.

USGBC’s LEED certification is a voluntary programme that has created a methodical multi-step process for the implementation of strategies for the better energy, environmental, and health performance of buildings.

roperty prices in some parts of Thailand have soared but they will not affect the entire economy, Bank of Thailand governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul said on Sunday (February 17), adding that he does not think any action needs to be taken at present.

However, the bank has moved to curb the continuing strengthening of the Thai baht against other currencies.

“The BoT does not believe rising property prices are being caused by speculative inf lows,” Mr Prasarn said after the private sector called on the central bank to slow foreign capital inflows and tackle a bubble in the bond, stock and property markets.

He said the problem is not at a dangerous level but added that the BoT is still monitoring the situation.

“The BoT has some measures to deal with the inflows but all sides must take responsibility and help out

as well,” the governor said.

He noted that the amount of capital coming in to the country in 2010 was higher than in 2011 or 2012.

Meanwhile, the BoT has revealed three measures to tackle the strong baht, all aimed at encouraging baht holders to use their baht to buy more foreign currencies.

The first measure is to lift the limit on the amount that SMEs and individual investors may invest in foreign properties.

Up to now, SMEs and individual investors have had to ask for authorisation from the BoT for any investment of more than US$50 million (B1.5 billion).

The second measure is to allow those with loans in foreign currencies to buy and deposit foreign currencies in their accounts, in amounts up to the total of their loans.

The third measure is to lift the limit on the amount of money that may be transferred out of the country, pre-

viously capped at US$2,000 (B60 million) per transaction. The measure will allow any amount to be transferred, subject to authorisation by the BoT. The measures came after the Finance Ministry put pressure on the BoT to solve the problems caused by the strong baht, particularly the effect on exports.

Commenting on the current situation, the Assistant to the BoT Governor on Financial Markets, Chantawan Sucharitkul, predicted that there would still be a net inf lux of capital into the country in April, but that it would not be as strong as in March.

As for capital control measures, Ms Chantawan said t he BoT “doe s not consider a capital control measure appropriate at this point”, pointing out that the BoT has different levels of measures suitable for different levels of imbalances.

Bangkok Post, MCOT Online

US ‘likely to upgrade Thailand on watch list’ IT IS LIKELY THAT THE United States will soon upgrade Thailand from the Priority Watch List (PWL) to the ordinary Watch List (WL) after an initial positive response to the kingdom’s handling of intellectual property piracy and violations, a senior official said.

Patchima Tanasanti, director general of the Intellectual Property (IP) Department, said a Thai delegation visited the US last week to submit data on Thailand’s suppression of violations including successive campaigns against buying pirated products, and the approval harsher punishments for IP violators.

The US was satisfied with Thailand’s measures, she said, and initially expressed willingness to upgrade the country from PWL to WL, probably in April.

Ms Patchima said Thailand has been on the Priority Watch List for four to five years, even as the government and private sector “have successfully collaborated in cracking down” on IP violations and piracy. MCOT Online

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14 OPINION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Opinion

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/thephuketnews

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @thephuketnews

editor@thephuketnews.com

Gerry’s View

EDITORIAL

Probing for truth?

L

“These two youngsters are Thai children who have been chosen to display a former way of life in both the rickshaw and clothing, in the annual Old Town Festival in Phuket Town. These children along with several hundred others made up the opening evening’s parade along Thalang Road attended by thousands of Thais and foreigners out to enjoy the food, revelries, shopping and entertainment over a three day period.” Gerry Cummings

If you have a Phuket photo to share, email it with a caption to editor@thephuketnews.com

ast week The Phuket News published a story about the apparent shelving of the two main land title probes that have had Phuket’s developers and hoteliers quivering for the past year.

The first probe, headed

by Damrong ‘Demolisher’ Pidech of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Conservation (DNP), stopped when Mr Damrong retired. It had targeted encroachment into Sirinat Marine National Park.

The second, by the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), headed by Pol Col Dutsadee Arayawut, came to a halt when he was transferred to other duties. It had targeted corrupt provincial officials.

The headline on our story read, “In hibernation – Silence in Phuket ‘Bad Land’ Probes”.

It seems we spoke too soon.

On Sunday (February 17) the much-feared Department of Special Investigations (DSI) announced that it would pursue both campaigns.

This has to be good news, doesn’t it? With the apparent “hibernation” had come sus-

Comments, Facebook & Twitter Death expected [Re. ‘Thailand can be a deadly destination for Australian tourists’] Thailand is not that deadly.

The only reason there are so many deaths is because Thailand is the most popular country to visit for Australians.

And just like one of the other comments, the way Aussies act in Land of Smiles is stupid, driving scooters when drunk, taking drugs etc.

Of course there’s going to be a high death toll.

Joshua John O’Brien

Life for Pitbull

[Re. Will extradition finally resolve Dashawn Longfellow’s death?]

It is clear that Aldhouse is nothing but a punk who got his rear whipped by Longfellows.

Humiliated Aldhouse got a knife and ambushed Longfellows. Put Aldhouse in prison for life.

Guest

Who’s to blame?

[Re. Mother’s warning after British man’s motorcycle death in Phuket] Wait a minute, a guy with no experience and no drivers license decides to get on a motor bike and ride it in foreign country, sadly crashes and dies, and it’s the rental agent’s fault? matt edwards

Give him a medal [Re. Phuket visa run mini-

bus crashes] The driver should get a medal for not fleeing the scene... justaskdan

A crying shame [Re. Phuket: Trade of shame] My heart bleeds for these poor suffering animals. :( Debbie Dunn

Love to Johnny [Re. Phuket: Johnny Depp to star as Tonto, gangster] With love and Kisses to Johnny on Valentines Day! Suzie Walia

That’s hot stuff [Re. Some like it hot] Thank you Phuket News, that’s a great article.

The fast-growing number of Bikram yoga studios and students worldwide prove

Bikram Yoga’s tremendous popularity.

It really works to reshape and balance your body, focus your mind, increase flexibility and feel better in every way.

Come and try it.

Lies (Lisa) Sol Bikram Yoga Phuket studio, Kathu

geted in vandal act]

TV is the answer

[Re. Phuket Film Review: Mama – Fright Blight]

[Re. Phuket speedboat victims face mounting medical costs] These girls should talk to A Current Affair, this programme should do an expose on Phuket.

They would find enough material for at least 12 months of programmes.

Maybe then something might be done.

Laurie Howells

Glass houses...

[Re. Phuket tailor shop tar-

B20,000 for a window? Well, looks like we’re both in the wrong business?

Investigate any nearby glass shop... you know, within throwing distance.

Dave Williams

Scare tactics “Investigating a haunted house in an isolated forest after dark.”

Do they also split up to look around rather than staying together?

Jamie Monk in Phuket

Nap time?

[Re. DSI officials arrive to check ‘Russian’ firms in Phuket] @whistle-blower: yaaaaaaawwwwwwnnnnn... charles

Have a question about Phuket you want answered? Email managingeditor@thephuketnews.com

picion that politics had raised its ugly head. Had the probes accidentally found members of a certain political party involved in land shenanigans?

This suspicion was reinforced by remarks Col Dutsadee made soon after his transfer. “Everyone [who is] affected by politics gets scared and finally stops,” a Bangkok paper quoted him as saying.

(Political interference was denied by Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit.)

Now, however, we have the DSI stepping in to chase down the bad land boys in the private and government sectors, in addition to their duties hunting down “bad Russian” businesses. Hooray.

But there is still a big question mark hanging over all this.

The Democrats were this week due to launch a lawsuit against the DSI’s big boss Tarit Pengdit for filing “false murder charges” against their leaders Abhisit Vejjajiva and Suthep Thaugsuban.

So is the DSI probe straight and honest, or another political play with Phuket as a pawn?

Time will tell.

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Visit thephuketnews.com today for all the latest news

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

An afternoon with Suchart Hirankonokkul, MD of Graceland Resort & Spa

Secret isle: Discovering the joys of Koh Samed

03

10

STANDING TALL

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

Once again, the annual Phuket Old Town Festival rises above it all > 14

Children on stilts were one of the highlights of the parade on Friday, February 15. Photo: Nattha Thepbamrung

2 ARTS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, 22,2013 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 22,

PHUKET GALLERIES

Designed by Woulfe Studio

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

The Seeker finds global fame Jody Houton editor3@thephuketnews.com

Clockwise from above: Nodjadong Boonprasert aka The Seeker; Bright Eyes’ Mural at Bo(ok) hemian Arthouse, Phuket; and The Seeker holds the Giant Clam Fruit aloft.

T

he fabulous Phuket Old Town Festival has unfortunately been and gone.

It saw artists, musicians and creative types from all over the kingdom come to our little island for the weekend, with Phang Nga Road in particular lined with astonishing artistic shows.

Most have left and returned to their little corners of the country, but one Phetchaburi-born artist has remained and will be in Phuket Town until his exhibition at Bo(ok)hemian finishes on February 28.

The exhibition, entitled Lost in Utopia, is a joint effort between the author of ‘Damaged Utopia’ ‘Wiwat Lertwinatwongsa’, and artist Nodjadong Boonprasert, better known as The Seeker, who provided the artwork and several images for Mr Wiwat’s novel.

If you’re familiar with Phuket Town’s myriad of cafes and bars, then it is likely that you have seen The Seeker’s work before. He has a mural in Rom Dee bar on Yaowarat Road, and the – now quite legendary in art circles – Bright Eyes in Bo(ok) hemia, which was his first piece on the island.

The Seeker’s abstract, cartoony and eccentric style is immediately recognisable to all that have seen it. He tells The Phuket News of his rather unusual method of creation.

“A lot of my art is influenced by music. I’ve got to give credit to my cousin, she used to bring us all lots and lots of Western music. I think the first was Boyzone.”

His first music-inspired piece was, thankfully, slightly more credible – a portrait of Kurt Cobain, lead singer of 1990s grunge stars Nirvana.

“I suppose I see music,” says The Seeker in an effort to explain his method, “I relate to more of that type of art I suppose.”

Things are going relatively well for The Seeker now, but a few months ago this definitely wasn’t the case.

“It’s hard to make a living from art in Thailand you know, and a couple of months ago I was thinking ‘Why am I doing this?’

“I was getting quite depressed and then all of a sudden a person from America contacted me and told me that he had made The Seeker Facebook group and wanted to know if I would join.”

The Seeker jumped at the chance of interacting with his fans. “They wanted me to send my logo and some of my pictures – a lot of the work I do is on plate glass windows, which can then be held up using the natural landscape as the real background. They liked that stuff.

“They [The Seeker group] have helped me by posting photos of them holding up the artwork in various scenes around the world. I’ve got fans in America, Korea, Australia. It’s incredible,” The Seeker says.

“Through social networking, The Seeker is trending I suppose.”

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If you would like to see your studio featured on this page, contact: editor3@ thephuketnews.com

PEOPLE 3

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

Going to Graceland Jody Houton editor3@thephuketnews.com

It’s not just about numbers, it’s about quality.

We don’t want to end up like Pattaya,” begins Mr Suchart, talking about his mission to reduce tourist numbers and improve the quality of the Phuket visitor

S

uchart Hirankonokkul, the managing director of Phuket Graceland Resort & Spa, smiles and shakes his head before clarifying that the name of the Patong-based resort actually has nothing to do with the estate of the Mississippi-born ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’.

Mr Suchart has been in the hospitality field all his working life, and will mark 40 years in the industry later this year.

“I studied hospitality in Hong Kong, but as soon as I came back to Thailand I went to work with the Grace hotel chain. I started at the Grace Hotel in Bangkok in 1973,” said Mr Suchart.

“I worked in reception originally, and gradually worked my way up, I also worked at a Pattaya branch.”

But it is in Phuket that Mr Suchart believes he has had the most impact – on both the Grace Hotel chain (hence the name Graceland) and on the province’s tourism, for which

he has been a sort of guardian, in his role as President of the Thai Hotels Association (THA) Southern Chapter.

“It’s not just about numbers, it’s about quality. We don’t want to end up like Pattaya,” begins Mr Suchart, talking about his mission to reduce tourist numbers and improve the quality of visitor.

He believes that the way of doing this is by resisting greed, for the good of the island, “We have to agree with travel agents not to sell cheap tours.”

He added that in order to justify the price increases, Phuket also needed to upgrade the level of service so that it is in line with the higher price point.

Also key to the success and longevity of Phuket as a major holiday destination is tourist safety.

It’s very important,” says Mr Suchart, “This is why we have committees. It’s our duty [as hoteliers] to take care of tourists.”

One of the main duties of the THA is to liaise with the differ-

ent governing bodies, from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, to the Tourism Convention Meeting group, to police and politicians.

“We need to keep on pushing for government help,” Mr Suchart says.

For example, he would like to see increased CCTV camera coverage in Patong, “There should be CCTV footage at all hotels in Patong that can be viewed by police.

“Almost all of the hotels [around 200] in the THA have CCTV, but there are many in Patong who are not members of the THA and few of those have CCTV.” But in general Mr Suchart believes that Patong, where Graceland is located, is still rather a safe place and that it is the actions of a few that is ruining the perception of Phuket for many.

“I’ve been in Phuket for 10 years and been with Graceland every step of the way,” says Mr Suchart.

“It was ready to open, just

before the tsunami, and actually the tsunami delayed the opening because it damaged a lot of the furniture and downstairs area.”

However, the resort has been successful ever since. So what is the secret?

“Well it’s the location,” says Mr Suchart, with a wave of his hand to encompass the stunning sea views.

“Patong is the most popular area in Phuket and our hotel is in a very special place that offers much more [to tourists] than just Bangla Road.

“There are not as many Patong-esque noises in Graceland as in other hotels, no vendors outside, hawkers or many tuktuk drivers. I’ve told the tuktuk drivers that they don’t need to pay me anything to have their tuk-tuks outside, I just want them to be fair and give good rates to the tourists.”

The name of his hotel might not have any connection with Elvis, but there’s no doubting Mr Suchart is the king of Graceland.

4 EDUCATION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, 22,2013 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 22,

Learning modalities are passé TEACH BY DESIGN

Jason Stanley drjasonstanley@gmail.com

What Is Active Brain Based Learning & Teaching?

#1

Teach by Design Jason Stanley

Proven Effective Classroom Methodologies Jason Stanley Ph.D.

This is the fourth excerpt from Dr Jason Stanley’s Teach By Design book.

Y

ou might ask: How can brain-based learning help you understand and use the learning modalities?

I would suggest that a better question might be: Do I still need to be concerned with the learning modalities when Active Brain Based Learning and Teaching (ABBLAT) is now available?

This article will review the shortfalls and difficulties of trying to work with and address the learning modalities. Also it will show how by incorporating ABBLAT you have all of the learning modalities covered with a lot less effort.

The theory of learning modulates is that the learner best receives, stores, and gives information through one of the sensory pathways. Of course that means that while the learner can and does use other sensory pathways, they are marginalised in the learner.

Therefore, each person is primarily either an auditory, visual or kinaesthetic (physical) learner.

Smell and taste are recognised modalities but not generally accepted as viable or popularly useful learning modalities (though chefs and chemists disagree) so have not been incorporated into the general literature or practical use.

Learning modalities came about from the initial research on learning and thinking with the left and right hemisphere of the brain that was very popular in the 1970s. It was developed and popularised throughout the 80s and 90s, and remains a dominate educational theory today.

In general terms there are three fundamental problems with the theory and classroom use of learning modalities:

1. SIMPLISTIC

The brain, and therefore the learning process, is much more complex than is suggested by these very broad

categories. Current brain research clearly shows that the learning modalities, like the focus on left and right hemisphere thinking that preceded them, are not a complete understanding of how the brain learns.

The intrinsic value of the modalities theory is that it led to the understanding that different parts of the brain learn for different modalities.

Therefore to teach each modality required different and specific activities.

Unfortunately the upside is outweighed by the downside.

The greatest problem is that application was directed at a single path rather than integration of all systems.

By focusing on a single modality of teaching the rest of the brain and students not with the primary modality being presented were isolated and essentially abandoned.

2. MISLEADING OR INACCURATE

As it turns out, the basic concept of a single dominant learning style is being increasingly challenged.

Even within the area of modality research the concept of the multiple modalities individual has recently surfaced and gained popularity.

Continued neurophysiology research strongly supports the view that most people use all of their sensory methods of gathering information simultaneously in the learning process.

3. CUMBERSOME APPLICATION

Application not theory is most important for teachers. In the attempt to teach to the modalities, teachers were pressed to develop and execute three distinct lesson plans; one each for auditory, visual, and kinaesthetic learners. This adds a huge effort to an already overloaded workload.

The idea is to teach each type of student in the manner that they are best at learning. In theory that sounds reasonable, even good. In practice it creates many problems.

Theory says students should learn in their dominant style. Teachers are pressed to teach that way.

Reality is classrooms are not segregated that way – they have every modality mixed together in them.

When the teaching is in one modality the rest of the class is tuned out because they are not being taught in their dominant style.

Therefore at any given moment more students are not being taught than who are being taught. Idle students quickly become management problems.

Therefore teaching to one modality causes immediate and ongoing classroom management problems.

The problems don’t stop there. It is relatively easy to build visual references for much of what is taught in school, but it is virtually impossible to develop kinaesthetic lessons for most conceptual issues.

In all my years in and around classrooms I never found or was able to develop a satisfactory method, or met a teacher that had a satisfactory method to fully incorporate kinaesthetic learning in the normal teaching environment.

Fortunately this major problem is solved with new information.

We now know that learning is not a single function process; brains learn in a matrix of multiple modalities and more.

Learners need to be taught in a manner that addresses the complexity and sophistication far greater than implied by the theory and practice of the learning modalities.

Does that mean we should abandon the approach of teaching to each modality? No! It does not mean that at all.

In order to get the most out of each learning moment we should, in fact need to, teach to all the modalities all the time.

The real good news is that the ABBLAT methodology incorporates teaching in all of the modalities, even including kinaesthetic, and more learning systems that modalities theory does not include.

HEALTH 5

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

Weight training for women FIGHT FAT WITH PAT

Patrick du Preez editor3@thephuketnews.com

You might think that working out with weights will cause your muscles to bulk up like male bodybuilders.

This will not happen as the hormone testosterone is much lower in females

Patrick du Preez, MD at Club Asia Fitness, Royal Phuket City Hotel, Phuket Town. www. clubasiaphuket.com

I

t’s a myth that only men should work out with weights and that woman should stick to group classes.

In fact, woman that work out with weights often have firmer and more toned muscles than their counterparts in group classes.

Mind you, I have seen the fairer sex participating in group classes with a tremendous endurance that would make my knees wobble and lungs gasp for fresh air.

If you see how well-toned female gymnasts, sprinters, tennis players, swimmers and triathletes are from constant, hard, intense training, that often includes working out with weights, it’s no wonder that they are in such great shape.

Lifting weights can be as important to your overall health as aerobic exercise.

It can help you build a toned, sculpted, feminine body, and build stronger bones.

In addition, it can boost your metabolism, making you not only look but feel great, too.

Strength training or resistance training will help you reduce your overall body fat, it will help you develop a stronger heart and further slow down osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and muscle wasting as you get older.

Frequent progressive weight training with basic compound exercises will not make a woman big and bulky.

The only thing that gives women the ‘bulky look’ is excessive body fat. If you really want to get that toned look you need to work out with weights to help you lose that excess body fat.

Strength training is not time consuming. If you perform a proper strength routine workout you will achieve more in a shorter period of time than plodding away on a treadmill.

Lean, firm and sexy: don’t wait to weight train.

Weight training is quite safe as long as you have been taught the proper form. As time progresses you need to train heavier to stimulate and strengthen your muscles.

You might think that working out with weights will cause your muscles to bulk up like male bodybuilders. This will not happen as the hormone testosterone is much lower in females.

Female bodybuilders will need to take supplements to increase their testosterone levels if they want to bulk up and increase muscle size.

Ideally a combination of both aerobic and strength training will help you develop the firm, lean and toned muscles that you desire.

A good resistance training session with

A

group of medical specialists has provided an answer to a dilemma that has faced flyers since the Wright brothers took to the air in 1903 – is it okay to fart mid-flight?

The experts’ recommendation is an emphatic yes to airline passengers – but a warning to cockpit crews that breaking wind could distract the pilot and pose a safety risk.

The study concluded that anecdotal evidence that flying increases flatulence is not hot air, finding that changes in air pressure at altitude result in the gut producing more gas.

When Danish gastroenterologist Jacob Rosenberg encountered the malodorous problem first-hand on a flight from Copenhagen to Tokyo, he enlisted some of the finest minds in his field to

address the issue.

The result was an in-depth review of scientific literature on flatulence, looking at issues such as whether women’s farts smell worse than men’s (yes), what causes the odour (sulphur) and how often the average person passes wind every day (10).

The bottom line, according to the 3,000-word study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal on Friday, is that airline passengers should ignore the social embarrassment of breaking wind and “just let it go”. “[Holding back] holds significant drawbacks for the individual, such as discomfort and even pain, bloating, dyspepsia [indigestion], pyrosis [heartburn] just to name but a few resulting abdominal symptoms,” the study found. AFP

FOOD SAFETY TRAINING Educating all food handlers to understand the importance of food safety standards.

Our training is highly interactive.

info@foodhygieneasia.com 076 617 692, 081 862 4439 www.foodhygieneasia.com

BEGINNER’S STRENGTH TRAINING TIPS

Learn proper form – when starting to work out in the gym with weights get an instructor to show and demonstrate the proper and correct technique from the start.

Experts tell flatulent flyers: let rip

weights or bands/straps will help you burn those additional calories. You will burn fat and further improve your metabolism.

The more lean muscles you have the more fat you will burn. A woman who begins lifting weights will soon find out that the benefits and results are amazing.

Cardiovascular exercises by themselves can only do so much – but if you really want to reshape and tone your body, weight training is a must.

You can achieve a great physique and keep your feminine curves by working with a reasonable amount of weight.

Here are five great machines to get started. After three to four weeks do two sets, increase the weight and do 8-10 repetitions.

Cable Tower – Bicep Curls Lat Pull Down – Latissimus (Lats) / Biceps Leg Press – Quads / Glutes Smith Machine – Chest Press (Pectorals, Triceps) Shoulder Press – Deltoids If you’re a beginner, get a personal trainer for the first few sessions so you can learn proper techniques to avoid injuries.

When starting out, aim to work out 2-3 times a week. Beginners should do one set on each machine, with 8-15 repetitions and 3060 second breaks between exercises.

Stick to the basics – five to eight different exercises.

Many fitness centres have selectorised strength machines – these are often set up in a cir-

cuit sequence and are ideal for starting out.

Be consistent and don’t give up Set motivating goals Start today

6 ENVIRONMENT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, 22,2013 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 22,

Enough talk, more action Jody Houton editor3@thephuketnews.com

SEEK is all about creating a buzz by private businesses in order to approach the government,” said founding member of SEEK Sean Panton.

“We can then take that [26 indicators] to the government and be able to say, look, this is who is on-board. This is the help we need, this is what needs to change

Clockwise from above: Richard Welford delivers a speech on Corporate Social Responsibility; concerned Phuket residents at last Friday’s meeting; conference attendees.

P

art shock tactic, part stark warning, environmental organisation SEEK has decided upon artwork for its manifesto of 26 indicators designed to rescue the island – five dystopian images of a Phuket beset with pollution, ruin and devastation. An island in peril, circa 20 years hence.

And the general consensus of the 30 or so attendees at the most recent SEEK meeting on February 13 was that the worst case scenario for Phuket actually wouldn’t take that much imagining...

But enough derision and jokes and literary equivalents of shrugs of shoulders.

Enough “Well what can we, as foreigners, do?” type questions posed in rhetorical manners. The answer is, actually, rather a lot, as long as we work together. Yes, together.

As well as the aforementioned cynicism that seems to affect too many expatriate Phuket gentlemen of a certain age, there was, perhaps for the first time at the SEEK meeting – the eighth since its inception in January, 2012 – lights of comprehension at the end of the tunnel. Or at least an indication of a glimmer.

“SEEK is all about creating a buzz by private businesses in order to approach the government,” said founding member of SEEK, Sean Panton.

“The ultimate aim is that we get these 26 indicators printed out [complete with the dystopian Phuket images], and get logos and signatures and pledges from hotels.

Then we can assign each indicator and each necessary action to individuals who will be responsible for them.

“We can then take that to the government and be able to say, look, this is who is on-board. This is the help we need, this is what needs to change.”

The latest SEEK event, held at JW Marriot Phuket, was billed as an opportunity to showcase the final 26 indicators, or rather 26 elements of Phuket society and infrastructure, which need to be addressed and assigned working models of implemented sustainability.

Before the unveiling of the indicators

by Robert Steele, director of Systainability Asia, Richard Welford, the chairman of Hong Kong-based CSR Asia took to the podium and stated his admiration for SEEK, what it has done and is actually doing.

“Phuket is facing a lot of huge risks at the moment, but there are also a lot of opportunities,” he said.

He added that based on certain unfortu-

nate parallels with southern Spanish seaside tourist areas of the 1990s, unless certain changes were made, and infrastructure was implemented, Phuket too would face a similar fate.

“The problem with Spain 20 years ago was a complete lack of planning. We need to get to grips with how to plan and it needs to be inclusive – a plan that is not only good for the wealthy Westerners or the overcharging taxi driver but everyone, so that everyone benefits. How that is achieved is up to you.

“Mass development in the south of Spain destroyed the tourist industry. This is what we need to be aware of in Phuket,” he said.

Mr Welford also touted the benefits of eco-tourism.

“Biodiversity is very important for the tourist experience, they want to see nature,” he said, adding that there was no reason that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a great tourist experience and environmental sustainability could not be combined, referencing the Mangroves for the Future NGO. Mr Welford, in his capacity as CEO of CSR Asia, provides information, training, research and consultancy services on sustainable business practices in Asia.

As such, he suggests hotels in Phuket should do three things: Develop their own CSR strategies. He said that he recognised global brands are globally driven but that they need to be localised and look at community contexts.

Hotels need to work with partners and NGOs to figure out how changes can happen.

Think beyond business and what is good for Phuket.

Mr Welford admitted that there was only so much that could be done, “A problem obviously is that a lot of guests have certain expectations when it comes to their holiday experience.

“Towels are sometimes changed three times a day and overconsumption at the buffet is part of the holiday experience,” he joked.

He suggested with seriousness however that just because something was environmentally sound and sustainable didn’t mean it wasn’t financially viable. He gave an example of a hotel in Hong Kong that invites divers to come for a week a year and help clean the seabed. They are also paying customers.

Altogether, it was a lively and involved SEEK meeting, with tensions and emotions running high. The necessity to take care of migrants was mentioned and added to the list, as was addressing issues associated with Dengue fever. Taking care of staff, so that they felt like they were gaining an experience and not only a salary, was also added to the list.

Mr Welford said that he was often concerned when hotels played around with ‘picturesque poverty’, for example visiting orphanages, and advised caution upon choosing NGO and other alliances.

In all, much was added to the list of indicators, from the assembled group of concerned residents and business owners, as well as representatives from Tesco-Lotus and Phuket International Hospital.

Cynics will say that it is just a list and question what is actually being done, but the important thing is that there is a list now. A list that will soon make it incredibly useful to track accountability.

The next meeting will be exclusively with prominent Thai members of society in March. The one after that, Sean tells The Phuket News will, hopefully, be with the GM of every 5-star hotel on the island.

“We’ve got to keep momentum,” said Sean, “We’ve got to get logos, sponsorship and signatures and then take it to the government.”

There is a real sense that the SEEK meetings are getting somewhere now. That they have managed to scratch away at the surface of ignorant apathy, marketing showboating and politically-motivated drivel.

Now we know what can be done, there is enough buzz that has blasted away indifference, the indicators have laid out areas that need to be addressed. In sum, it’s now manageable.

The 26 indicators show what needs to be done. What are you going to do about it?

WEIRD WORLD 7

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

THE BIG LIST The sky is falling Although meteor strikes like the one in Russia last week are thankfully rare, hundreds of smaller meteors hit the earth every day. Most are just pieces of rubble that burn up as they enter the atmosphere – but many do get through.

Russian roulette: The Tunguska explosion in 1908 occurred in an isolated part of eastern Siberia. Modern estimates put the size of the object at 100 metres across, with a mass of about 40,000 tonnes – the largest in recorded history. The meteor exploded about five kilometres up, with a force of a typical hydrogen bomb. The blast was heard thousands of miles away, but the impact site was so remote that it was years before a scientific expedition could report that the explosion had flattened 80 million trees, over an area of more than 2000 square kilometres.

Fatal falls: The Chicxulub impact around 65 million years ago, in what is now Yucatan in Mexico, is thought to have wiped out the large dinosaurs. It was caused by a rock about the size of a small city, which crashed to earth with a force of equivalent to 96 million-million tonnes of TNT, killing off anything much larger than a rat.

The only known modern fatality from a meteorite occurred in 1972, at Trujillo in Venezuela. Villagers heard a sonic boom at night, and the next morning found a large meteorite in a field, beside a dead cow with a crushed neck. Photo: Wookies Magic sky metals: The hard extraterrestrial iron found inside some meteorites was used for weapons, armour and sacred objects for thousands of years before humans learned to smelt iron from ore. Sacred objects fashioned by the Phoenicians from meteorites are mention in Old Testament writings, and in Greek and Roman legends. In Tibet, thokcha, or “sky iron” from meteorites was used for magical statues, talismans and ceremonial weapons. Photo: Elmar Buchner Rear-end collision: In October 1992, 18 yearold Michelle Knapp was alone in her family home in Peekskill, when a meteor flashed between two houses and smashed into the back of her car – an red Chevy Malibu – parked in the driveway. The impact crushed the boot, but Miss Knapp was able to sell the car to a meteorite collector for US$10,000 (B300,000) – not a bad deal, considering she only paid US$400 (B12,000) to buy it a few weeks earlier.

Raining rocks: In 1992, hundreds of rocks from an exploding meteor rained down on the Ugandan city of Mbale.

One small meteorite even struck a small boy in the head, after bouncing off a banana tree. Local sages declared the meteorite shower was a cure from God for disease, and so the rocks were collected and ground up to be used in medicines. In a few months, local people collected more than 400 rocks weighing more than 150 kilogrammes in total – the largest weighed more than 20 kilograms. Photo: Dutch Meteor Society

Meteor smacks into Russia

T

he blast from the 7000-tonne meteor that exploded over central Russia was more than 30 times as powerful as the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, say NASA scientists.

The explosion in the skies above the Chelyabinsk region, east of the Ural Mountains, injured more than 1000 people and damaged thousands of buildings – an event unprecedented in modern times.

Scientists say the energy output from the exploding space rock was equivalent to the blast from more than 500 kilotons of TNT – the most powerful meteor explosion since the Tunguska event in 1908 (see The Big List, left).

About 1200 people in the region suffered injuries from the latest blast, and more than 5000 buildings were damaged.

About 950 people were injured in the city of Chelyabinsk, mainly by glass from shattered windows.

About 40 people there needed hospital treatment for cuts, broken bones and concussion, and a special centre has been opened to provide psychological help.

“There was a white streak. We

The meteor explodes over Chelyabinsk in central Russia. Image: YouTube thought it was a burning plane,” said one a patient who was brought to the hospital unconscious.

“Then there was a blast. And then I don’t remember,” she said from her hospital bed, apparently still dazed.

A Russian news website posted video footage of children screaming in the corridor of Chelyabinsk School Number 15, and glass and pieces of wood from blown-out windows lying on the floor.

“First there was an unreal light that lit up all the classrooms on the right side of the school. That kind of light doesn’t happen in life, only at the end of the world, then a trail

appeared like from a plane but only 10 times bigger,” teacher Valentina Nikolayeva told reporters.

“People [of Chelyabinsk] can consider February 15 their second birth date,” the governor of the Chelyabinsk region, Mikhail Yurevich, told reporters, saying “God directed danger away” from the most populated areas, causing injuries but no deaths.

Russian authorities have called off an official search for pieces of the meteor that may have fallen to earth.

But some enterprising locals are already selling what they claim are pieces of the “falling star.” AFP

‘The dead are rising from the grave’

S

hocked US viewers contemplated a zombie apocalypse this week when local television networks broadcast an official warning that armies of hostile undead were stalking the land.

“Civil authorities in your area have reported that the bodies of the dead are rising from the grave and attacking the living,” reported the transmission, which first interrupted a talk show in Montana.

As a voice warned viewers not “to approach or apprehend these bodies as they are extremely dangerous,” a scrolling blue bar on the screen listed the local counties where zombie attacks had been reported.

Confusion spread as the official warning was repeated on other local TV stations around the state, and then in neighbouring Michigan, where police fielded calls from

Brains. Brains. Braaiins. Photo: Daniel Hollister anxious citizens.

But the confusion turned to hilarity when the Montana Television Network reported that computer hackers had broken into its regional Emergency Alert System – and that there was, in fact, no ongoing zombie emergency.

The emergency alert systems are designed to interrupt regular television broadcasts with offi-

cial warnings about genuine civil emergencies, such as tornadoes or hurricanes.

But the hackers who spread the fake zombie warning were no experts – it’s reported that some computer administrators may have failed to change their password from the software defaults, effectively leaving the system open to the simplest online attacks.

A bird? A plane? No: a squirt-powered squid

A

species of oceanic squid can fly through the air for more than 30 metres when it needs to escape predators, say Japanese researchers.

The neon flying squid propels itself into the air by squirting out a jet of water, and then opens its fins to glide at more than 11 metres per second.

“There were always witnesses and rumours that said squid were seen flying, but no one had clarified how they actually do it. We have proved that it really is true,” said Jun Yamamoto of Hokkaido University.

Yamamoto’s team tracked a

shoal of about 100 squid in the northwest Pacific Ocean in July 2011. As their boat neared, the 20 centimetre-long creatures launched into the air on jets of water.

“Once they finish shooting out the water, they glide by spreading out their fins and arms,” the team reported.

“As they land back in the water, the fins are all folded back into place to minimise the impact.”

The squid are in the air for about three seconds and travel more than 30 metres, said Yamamoto, in what he believes is a defence strategy to escape being Neon flying squid take flight. Photo: Kouta Muramatsu/Hokkaido University eaten. AFP

8 DINING

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, 22,2013 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 22,

Phuket’s best Pad Thai?

JAMIE’S PHUKET

Jamie Monk editor@thephuketnews.com

If you buy Pad Thai from a street stall or roadside restaurant you’re normally only going to be paying B30-40 for your lunch – it’s cheap to make and therefore a popular lunch all over Thailand

Read the full version at jamie-monk.blogspot. com. Jamie works at liveaboard dive specialists Sunrise Divers in Karon, 084 626 4646, sunrise-divers.com

P

ad Thai is a very popular Thai dish made from noodles, egg, chilli, tofu, normally some shrimp, maybe some chicken, plus onion, fish sauce, nuts, lime – ingredients can vary.

You can order Pad Thai in 10 different places and get 10 different-tasting meals depending on the amount and variety of sauces added, the size and type of noodles used, type of meat added and so on … Pad Thai can be bland sometimes or it can be spicy, it can be dry or saucy.

You get a lot of variety out of one dish! If you buy it from a street stall or roadside restaurant you’re normally only going to be paying B30-40 for your lunch – it’s a cheap dish to make and therefore a popular lunch all over Thailand, nearly as popular as noodle soup.

Close to where I work in Karon Beach, on the back road near the Baan Karon Resort, there’s one of the most popular little lunchtime restaurants I have ever seen in Phuket.

Every day workers in the local area flock here for lunch, and the most popular dish is Pad Thai.

Left, the chef prepares the Pad Thai.

Above, his creation all ready to eat, and below left, the famous restaurant.

The restaurant does not really have a name except “the Pad Thai restaurant”.

They also do noodle soup with chicken or beef, a good pad krapaow with beef and a popular fried rice with crab. The menu is expanding – when I first ate here a couple of years ago they had only Pad Thai, noodles and beef stew.

It’s only a little place but it can be packed at lunchtime. You can get Pad Thai to eat there or take away – the take-away is wrapped in a banana leaf.

The cooking is all done by one guy, with others helping to serve noodle soup.

The Pad Thai is cooked with quite a bit of chilli, and you have extra bowls of chilli sauce, prik nam pla and dried chilli on the table in case it’s not spicy enough for you.

I ate my Pad Thai in the restaurant today. Bear in mind that by Western standards this is not really a “restaurant” – a collection of tables in the dirt by the road outside someone’s house, but this is real local eating here in Phuket.

If you want to mingle with the people, get on the back roads and get some Pad Thai right here! I tend to get food from here at least once a week as it’s so cheap and close to work … oh, and very tasty!

Location: Just before the Baan Karon Resort on the way from Karon to Kata on Patak Rd. It’s not a big obvious restaurant, folks, just a small local place with no sign outside.

Do try to find it! If in doubt come to see us at Sunrise Divers first.

Only a few minutes away, and a huge condo block is being built behind it, easy to spot!

Domino’s pizza back in Bangkok

A

merican fast food chain Domino’s Pizza returned to Bangkok this January, delighting lovers of the popular pizza brand.

Though Domino’s made a brief, mid-1990s sojourn in Thailand, the chain was eventually forced out by steep competition.

However hotel and restaurant conglomerate Fico Group recently acquired the right to begin distributing the pizza within Thailand once

again, taking on the might of the Minor Group-owned The Pizza Company.

On January 1, the inaugural location of a second generation of Domino’s restaurants opened on Sukhumvit Soi 22. The restaurant was swamped during its opening days.

It has not yet been announced if Domino’s will also come to Phuket.

Coconuts Bangkok

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 List your restaurant here: call 076 612 550 or email sales@thephuketnews.com

DINING GUIDE 9

EUROPEAN

INTERNATIONAL

ITALIAN

SEAFOOD

Bodega & Grill

Weaves Restaurant

Acqua

Trisara Seafood

Bodega & Grill is situated on a picturesque patio by the lagoon. The restaurant serves premium char-grilled steaks and seafood from a wood-fired oven, as well as authentic homemade pastas, risottos and paellas. Bodega’s generous steaks are available in portions of up to 1.2 kilogram. Angsana Laguna Phuket, Cherngtalay; 076 324 101

Watch the evening sunlit ocean in the lavish and contemporary ambient atmosphere that is the Weaves restaurant. With its intimate low lit private dining, Weaves serves a variety of delectable Asian and International fusion cuisine, rich enticing desserts and tropical blended refreshments. Manathai Resort Phuket, Surin Beach, 076 270 900

Connoisseurs of fine cuisine can revel in Acqua’s experiential concept. The Acqua restaurant experience promises to deliver only the freshest of ingredients, sourced from only the best producers both local and international. Taste explosions from the portfolio of Chef Alessandro Frau, of both traditional & contemporary are offered. Kalim Bay-Patong, 076 618 127

The first truly world-class destination seafood dining experience on Phuket. A private entrance leads guests either to an outdoor, beachfront deck or to the cool, relaxed interior. The menu is a balance between local and imported seafood prepared and served in a Mediterranean way.

Lunch 12.30pm-3pm, Dinner 7pm-10.30pm (Closed Sundays). Trisara, 076 310 100

Mom Tri’s Villa Royale

Irish Times

Art Caffè

RE KÁ TA Beach Club

Enjoy fine dining with panoramic sea views in sensually indulgent setting. Delicious Thai and European creations are served on the open-air terrace. Mom Tri’s Villa Royale is the winner of the Wine Spectators Award of Excellence. Situated on the only road into to Kata Noi Beach.

Reservations recommended. momtriphuket .com; 076 333 568

The only Irish owned and managed Irish Pub in Phuket. A real Irish Pub at the heart of Phuket’s world famous nightlife. In this traditionally styled Irish pub you will find a very warm welcome from the Management and their fantastic staff. All your favourite Irish food and beverages. Jungceylon, Patong Beach; irishtimespub-phuket.com

The idea of Art Caffè comes from the need to have a place to stop and enjoy something different. Meet friends, exchange ideas, propose initiatives, organizing events or reflect only reading, watching and perhaps enjoying a good cup of coffee. The exhibition space is an affront to the repetitiveness of the artistic culture of the island. Naiharn-Saiyuan Road, 076 388 546

The beachfront restaurant off­ers modern innovative cuisine with a strong focus on seafood.

In the evening RE KÁ TA transforms with Kata’s magical sunsets and cool sounds along with the delicious drinks and tapas, right on the beach.

Open daily 6.30am-11pm; Kata Beach (next to Boathouse); info@rekataphuket.com, rekata phuket.com, 076 330 421

Tablespoon Salad & Grill

Super Natural

DaVinci

Baan Kalim Restaurant & Seafood

Discover newest stylish restaurant in modern vintage setting. Creative and unique salad and grill menus are served while you experience a delectable dining in romantic and intimate atmosphere with a reasonable price tag.

Open 11am-10pm. 2nd Floor, HomePro Village, Chalong; 076 383 244

Super Food deserves a Super Location. SuperNatural and more. The only waterfront restaurant in Phuket serving exciting raw vegetarian cuisine in addition to our delicious seafood, Thai and International menu. Great selection of fresh to order juices & smoothies, as well as great wines and chilled beers.

Open 365 days a year. Facebook Supernatural -Phuket, 2.5km south of Chalong Circle.

Great food and people you know! Authentic Italian cuisine in Nai Harn area. Three different dining areas, cocktail lounge, children’s play area, Delicatessen, live music....DaVinci is not just a meal, it is an experience of taste, atmosphere and more. Restaurant open daily 5pm-11.30pm; Deli open 11am-6pm; Sunday close; Naiharn 076 289 574. davinciphuket.com

Start your evening with delicious food and fine wine. Pick the perfect spot to take in stunning views of Patong bay, as the evening breeze surrounds you. Relax and enjoy live music to make your evening into that truly wonderful and unforgettable dining experience. Open daily 11am-Midnight. Patong; baankalim.com; baankalimrestaurant@hotmail.com, 076 618 125

FRENCH

Gallery Cafe by Pinky

Diavolo

THAI

Breeze Restaurant

Baan Vijitt Restaurant

Phuket’s most exciting new restaurant is situated on the waterfront at Cape Yamu. Chef Cheryl Johnson is providing diners with her innovative modern French interpretations of local ingredients. Open from Tuesday to Saturday for dinner, and from Wednesday to Saturday for lunch. Our menus change frequently. Cape Yamu, Paklok, 081 271 2320

Gallery Cafe by Pinky proudly present to you cafe food at its best. Whether you’re looking for an excellent breakfast or a quick light lunch or dinner plus an outstanding range of fine wines or cocktails. A homemade cake or freshly roasted premium coffee.

Open everyday from 8am - 10pm. Rassada Road, Phuket Town. Facebook page ‘Gallery cafe by Pinky‘. www.gallerycafe-phuket.com, 089 103 7000

Tre by DoublePool Villas

The Bistro Restaurant

An array of culinary experiences is offered to tempt and intrigue in Tre - the exclusive contemporary French Vietnamese restaurant set among the superb surroundings of the DoublePool Villas. Tre’s signatures dishes include scallops and green apples and tartar with pan-fried foie gras. Banyan Tree Phuket, Cherngtalay; banyantree.com

Savor and experience these real Mama-style dishes serving only the traditional tastes of Italy.

The Bistro is at Impiana Resort Patong Phuket.

Happy Hours 50 per cent off for all standard drinks from 3pm-5pm and 10pm-11pm daily.

Opening hours: 3pm-12 midnight. Patong Beach, 076 340 138; www.impiana.com

A menu of modern Mediterranean influences created by Chef Ryan to tantalize the senses in a modern ambience. Offering everything from fresh seafood pastas to simple good pizzas. An impressive selection of well priced beverages and stunning sea views complete the experience. Open daily for lunch or dinner. Paresa Resort, Kamala Beach; 076 302 000

JAPANESE Tamarind Restaurant

To complement an already distinctive cuisine, Tamarind is bringing to the island high quality authentic Japanese cuisine, courtesy of Master Chef Shiraishi. Gracing our Japanese menu will be fresh sushi, sashimi, healthy salads, yakitori and tempura and much more. Tamarind is your ultimate destination to savour the best Japanese cuisine in Phuket. Cherngtalay; banyantree.com

A half-century old Sino-Portuguese style house at The Vijitt Resort Phuket offers a unique authentic experience of Thai cuisine with a focus on regional specialties. Thai Select Premium Award certifies the quality and standard of product and service here. The Vijitt Resort Phuket, Rawai; fb@vijittresort.com, 076 363 600

Talung Thai

The restaurant has a stunning sunset location, offering views of the Andaman Sea. The menu of southern Thai specialties and true local dishes, are not seen on many other restaurant menus in Phuket. Chill with a cocktail from our award wining mixologist at sunset and then relax with authentic Thai cuisine. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Paresa Resort, Kamala; 076 302 000

10 TRAVEL

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, 22,2013 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 22,

The secret island

Thailand’s famous isles may attract foreign tourists in droves, but the dagger-shaped Koh Samed remains a treasured secret among locals in the know. By Simon Ostheimer The stunning scenery has attracted Thais for centuries – famed poet Sunthorn Phu (1786-1855) used it as the setting for his masterpiece work ‘Phra Apaimanee’, which depicted a romance between a prince and mermaid.

Statues of the lovelorn couple stand on a rocky outcrop halfway down Hat Sai Kaeo beach

Clockwise from top: a family enjoys the crystal clear waters; one of the many quiet beaches that dot the shoreline; the distinctive ‘dagger’ shape of the island can be seen from above; the neighbouring island of Koh Talu.

H

aving jetted up from Phuket the previous day, in the early morning we left Bangkok by taxi and set course for the sun.

As we sped southeast, and the high-rises of the city gave way to gated compounds, factory complexes, and rice fields, our thoughts turned to our destination: Koh Samed.

Measuring just 7km long by 4km wide, Koh Samed is easily reached by a 15 minute speedboat ride from the small port town of Ban Phe, which primarily exists as a launching point for tourists headed to the small island.

Shaped roughly like a dagger, the northern ‘hilt’ is home to a cluster of budget backpacker and family offerings, while increasingly high-end resorts dot the picturesque white sand bays found towards the southern point of the island.

It is in the northeast that you’ll find Koh Samed’s longest beach, Hat Sai Kaeo (Crystal Sand Beach), which is lined by a wall of hotels and hostels, bars and restaurants, souvenir shops and convenience stores.

Meanwhile, the more remote north side has relatively fewer places to stay, but much more in the way of seclusion; while the small, sheltered bay of Ao Prao

on the west coast is home to three popular resorts. However, our particular favourite is the Paradee.

Located on the southernmost tip of the isle – imagine the crooked tip of the blade pointing directly into the Gulf of Thailand – Paradee bills itself as ‘The Sixth Heaven’.

While we’re unfamiliar with the previous five, this certainly idyllic resort has its own prime beachfront and just 40 villas, the majority of which come with attached private plunge pools.

Adding to the allure, guests at Paradee benefit from a slew of complimentary touches, including a bottle of wine upon arrival, poolside ice-cream and fruit, afternoon tea served in your villa, a welcoming cocktail at the Sunset Bar, and a concierge service just a phone call away. There is also a luxury spa on site, with a range of fine Thai and international dining.

Probably the luxury resort’s greatest attraction, however, besides the friendly local staff always willing to indulge in a bit of English chit-chat, is the air of serene privacy – even running at full occupancy, at times it can feel like you have the beach entirely to yourself.

Its high-end resorts aside, the reasons for Koh Samed’s popularity are threefold – accessibility (Bangkok is just two hours drive away), nature (the area is part of a national park), and serenity (the island is one of Thailand’s most unspoiled).

Indeed, it is Koh Samed’s proximity to the Thai capital that has largely saved it from the excesses overwhelming the likes of Koh Chang, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.

Foreign tourists have largely by-

passed it on their way south, attracted instead by elephants, scenery, and full moon parties, respectively. Their loss has been the Bangkokian’s gain, as a regular weekend influx of city slickers head to Samed.

Along with nine neighbouring small islands, Koh Samed has been part of the Khao Laem Ya – Mu Koh Samet National Park since 1981.

The other mostly uninhabited isles have highly colourful names such as Koh Thai Khang Kao (Bat’s Bottom Island), Koh Kudi (Monk’s Chamber Island) and Koh Klet Chalam (Shark Scale Island).

Samed, however, is simply the Thai word for the Cajeput tree that is found all over the isle, an evergreen with red flowers that is a source of essential oils frequently used in aromatherapy and, aptly, Thai massages.

The stunning scenery has attracted Thais for centuries – famed poet Sunthorn Phu (1786-1855) used it as the setting for his masterpiece work Phra Apaimanee, which depicted a romance between a prince and mermaid (statues of the lovelorn couple stand on a rocky outcrop halfway down Hat Sai Kaeo beach; a popular photo-op for romantic honeymooners).

However, as Koh Samed’s fame increased, so did its visitor numbers, leading the government to eventually place restrictions on who could visit, a rule that was to stay in place until its designation as a national park in the 1980s.

Because of this, the island has remained mostly pristine, though its proximity to the mainland does mean that its beaches sometimes rate as four

TRAVEL 11

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

rather than the maximum five stars on the Pollution Control Department’s Beach Index.

The Index was introduced in 2002 as part of a campaign to improve the environmental quality of Thailand’s beaches.

Prominent beachside signage serves as an incentive for local authorities to look after them, as well as a handy at-a-glance guide for tourists and visitors: judging criteria covers the areas of environmental quality; pollution levels; biodiversity and environmental integrity; and effectiveness of environmental and tourism management.

Remarkably, 22 per cent of Thailand’s total land area of 513,120 sq km is either national park or wildlife sanctuary, though this protected status is frequently ignored by developers.

Tourism just adds to the pressure, with 12.9 million tourist arrivals to Thailand during the first eight months of this year alone, a 27.64 per cent in-

crease from 2010.

According to officials, the small Khao Laem Ya-Mu Koh Samet Park, of which Koh Samed is part, can only accommodate 6,800 people a day, yet sees more than 10,000 visitors during the high season.

However, as long as you keep the environment in mind and remember that you are visiting a protected national park, Koh Samed remains a place where all the usual seaside fun can be found. The calm, clear waters are perfect for snorkelling, though you’ll need to swim a ways offshore to find coral due to the shallow, sandy seabed.

If it’s sea life you’re after, then a better bet is to join one of the numerous boat trips to neighbouring Koh Kudi, a diving hotspot due to its sloping solid rock seabed, abundant marine life and visibility of up to 12 metres.

Fish commonly seen here include the comical-looking cowfish (the horns on their head make it difficult for preda-

tors to swallow them) and more common batfish (shiny silver with yellow fins), as well as the endangered treelike black coral.

If you can’t drag yourself away from the colourful scene, the national park office on the island offers tents for rent at B200 per person per night (if you’ve brought one, pitching your own costs just B20 per person).

No matter if you choose to stay on the island or head back to Koh Samed, the boat journey is an enjoyable experience in itself – painted in bright colours and bearing names such as the ‘New Happy Tour’, these converted fishing boats slowly chug through the calm waters of the national park (approx. B600 per person).

If, however, you’re in search of a more personal (and faster) experience, speedboats can be hired for a full day’s outing (approx. B4,000).

For the more active, hotels will be able to arrange the usual variety of water sports, including jet skiing, windsurfing, canoeing and parasailing.

You can also rent bicycles and motorbikes – though be advised the ‘roads’ are mostly unpaved, and can be treacherous following rain.

However, most Bangkokians are simply content to while away the hours by the resort pool, or lying on one of the many sandy beaches, supposedly the whitest in the country.

Following their fine example, that’s exactly where our little party spent a few days relaxing, only leaving for lunch, dinner and sunset drinks.

Who would have thought that in only a few hours easy travel from Bangkok, we could be on Koh Samed – Thailand’s best kept secret.

Getting there From Bangkok, a taxi costs around B4,200 return (better to book ahead), and takes two hours to reach the Jadet ferry pier at the port town of Ban Phe. Boat transfer can be arranged with your hotel, or you can hop on-board the public ferry, which costs B50 one way.

Where to stay

Samed Resorts offers the most luxurious accommodation on the island, with six distinct properties to choose from. Ao Prao and Paradee are particularly recommended for families. See the website for up-to-date package deals. +66-24389771; www.samedresorts.com

When to visit The best weather is between October and May, with clear skies and sunshine.

From June to September there can be light rain during the morning or evening, but little during the sun-blessed days.

12 GAMING

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, 22,2013 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 22,

IN BRIEF ‘Donkey Kong Country Returns’ for Nintendo 3DS Nintendo have announced that they will release Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D on the 3DS handheld system in July.

The game was originally released in 2010 for the Wii and received positive reviews from gamers.

As of April 2011, the game had sold nearly 5 million copies.

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D will be initially released in North America and Europe, with an Asia release soon to follow.

‘The Last of Us’ release delayed The release of a highly anticipated post-apocalyptic title, The Last of Us, has been put back for a month.

The game was originally scheduled to be released May 7 in North America., but Sony now says the game will be available worldwide on June 14.

“Instead of cutting corners or compromising our vision, we came to the tough decision that the game deserved a few extra weeks to ensure every detail of The Last of Us was up to Naughty Dog’s internal high standards,” said a statement by the developers on their website.

‘Angry Birds’ head for Wii and Wii U The three games that make up the Angry Birds Trilogy will now be available for Wii and Wii U starting this May, the developers Rovio have announced.

Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons, and Angry Birds Rio have already been released for the Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 3, selling over one million units worldwide, according to reports.

“The features specific to the Wii U are very intriguing to us, so we’re excited to release this version to fans,” said Rovio vicepresident Petri Jarvilehto.

Local cricket teams chase digital Ashes Jean-Pierre Mestanza editor@thephuketnews.com

U

pcoming cricket video game Ashes Cricket 2013 will not only include the England and Australia teams, but will also offer a chance for a local team from either country to play against the best in the world.

The makers of the game, which is due out in June 21 for the Xbox 360, Wii U, PS3, and PC, are hosting a poll on the

social media website Facebook to see which of 144 local teams will be digitally rendered to line up against superstar players.

With only days left to vote, Oxford Brookes University’s First XI is second only to Bristol.

The winning team will also see their home ground stand alongside the 100,000 capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground.

“We’re really excited, this would be the best thing to happen to any of us,” said Oxford allrounder Tom Ingram last week, “And hopefully when they give us skills they’ll make us better.”

The plan is for 505 Games, the developers of the Ashes Cricket 2013, to take pictures of 11 members of the team, create their likenesses, and assess their competitive skills in various facets of cricket.

“We wanted to give grassroots cricket teams a platform to relish, and compete on a world stage against England and Australia this summer,” said Hannah Ashley, a spokeswoman for 505 Games.

The game will be released just before the England-Australia Test Series at Trent Bridge on July 10.

Station shooter map ordered offline

A

n independent game designer has been ordered to stop work on a new map for Counter Strike Global Offensive modelled on a Metro train station in Montreal.

The game is a popular firstperson online shooter that allows users to create their own maps.

Designer Diego Liatis said he wanted to offer a “new gaming experience representing one of the most famous places in Montreal” – the BerriUQAM Metro train station in the centre of the city.

But after uploading a teaser of the new map to YouTube in mid-January, Liatis was sent a cease-and-desist letter from the city’s public transit authority, Societe de Transport de Montreal (STM), demanding he stop work on the map.

“If I had been Ubisoft or another big company maybe paying for the rights, would they

have changed their minds?” Liatis asked reporters last week.

The independent developer said he spent nine months working on the map in consultation with the STM. A Toronto lawer and game developer, Robert Trists, said the city transport agency may be pur-

suing a case of trademark violation, but political motives might also be a reason for sending the cease-and-desist letter.

The agency said it would not comment on the legal notices that it sends “to third parties to remind them they cannot use its brand without permission.”

TOP VIDEO GAMES THIS WEEK

TOP MOBILE GAMES

1

Aliens: Colonial Marines (18+)

Xbox 360, PS3, PC

6

Assassin’s Creed III (18+)

Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U

1

Best Sneak Bandit

2

Dead Space 3 (18+)

Xbox 360, PS3, PC

7

Need For Speed Most Wanted

PS3, Xbox 360, VITA, PC

2

Pizza vs Skeletons

3

Fifa 13

Xbox 360, PS3, Wii

8

Just Dance 4

Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U

3

Ragdoll Blaster 3

4

Call Of Duty: Black Ops II (18+)

Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii U

9

Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed

Xbox 360, Wii U, PS3, 3DS

4

Legendary Heroes

5

Far Cry 3 (18+)

Xbox 360, PS3, PC

10 Halo 4

Xbox 360

5

Puzzle Prism

Ninja Gaiden BLAST FROM THE PAST Jean-Pierre Mestanza editor@thephuketnews.com

D

o you remember Ninja Gaiden?

T h is was the game that made many gamers throw their controllers at the screen for the first time.

T he d i f f ic u lt y i n jumping around and defeating certain bosses was what gave Ninja Gaiden its reputation as one of the most frustratingly fun titles ever made.

Released in 1988 for the arcade and Nintendo Entertainment System, Ninja Gaiden did what no other title did at the time: truly challenge gamers.

The gameplay allowed users to lead the main character, Ryu Hayabusa, across several challenging situations – most of which proved difficult even after the tenth attempt.

Still, Ninja Gaiden is beloved for two reasons.

The first is the game’s elaborate story about a ninja avenging his father’s death and learning about his dragon ancestry.Gamers are suckers for ninjas.

The second reason is because Ninja Gaiden was the first title to use cinematic cut-scenes to tell the story, therefore making the game feel more like an unfolding, playable novel.

The introduction still holds up as one of the best in gaming history.

The game is consistently in top 10 lists of great Nintendo games, and in recent years has made a comeback across all modern platforms. It now even has a series of novelisations attached.

Do you have a Blast from the Past? Let us know at editor2@ thephuketnews.com

FILM 13

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

IN BRIEF Romanian drama wins in Berlin

A Good Day to Die Hard

Retirement overdue

FILM REVIEW Tom Metcalfe editor2@thephuketnews.com

DIRECTOR John Moore STARRING Bruce Willis Jai Courtney Sebastian Koch RUNNING TIME 110 minutes

W

hen the history of Hollywood is written, will this be known as the Age of Viagra?

It’s now 25 years since Bruce Willis, 58, first saved the day as John McClane in Die Hard, and now he’s back with the fifth installment of the series.

It’s probably no coincidence that A Good Day To Die Hard arrives in the same movie season as new flicks from two of Willis’ equally venerable action rivals: Sylvester Stallone, 66, in Bullet To The Head, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, 65, in The Last Stand.

At least Sly and Arnie came up with some new characters – albeit characters that fit their old familiar formulas. Unfortunately A Good Day to Die Hard is a fairly lame attempt to recapture the success of the earlier movies by changing as little as possible.

If you thought all the (slight) variations on the Die Hard idea were played out by now, think again: this time John McClane’s estranged son is in danger – it was his estranged daughter in the movie before this.

Since McClane, like Willis, is now closing on 60, he might have to save his estranged grandchildren in the next installment.

A Good Day to Die Hard begins with McClane flying to Moscow, to track down wayward son John Junior (Jai Courtney).

Naturally, McClane arrives in the middle of a jail break from a Moscow prison, and helps Junior escape along with a prisoner named Komarov (Sebastian Koch).

Now it turns out – to the surprise of McClane, and in an offence against all reason – that John Junior is a CIA agent on a mission to rescue scientist Komarov from a criminal gang who want to steal an atomic bomb.

(Junior didn’t tell Dad about this because he’s angry at him, natch, for being absent all those years.)

This utterly implausible set up is enough to begin: what follows is a progressively hair-raising car-chase around the street of Moscow, with the bad guys bent on destruction (driving a supercharged armoured truck, equipped with rockets), and with John (and Junior!) McClane bent on obliging them.

Trashing the scenery has always been a key part of the Die Hard franchise – but while the first movie confined itself to a single building, in this one almost every building that McClane walks into gets blasted apart by gunfire a few minutes later.

These full-on action scenes amount to the whole of the rest of the plot. Dad and son swap cynical jokes as they escape each exploding building or car, but there’s nothing very memorable, except McClane pere saying “I’m supposed to be on vacation,” repeatedly.

Hopefully he’ll just take that vacation next time, and A Good Day To Die Hard will be the last of the series: it’s a product of cookie-cutter big-budget film-making, actionpacked but ridiculous, and the weakest Die Hard movie – so far.

Battle of the Beards: ‘Argo’, ‘Lincoln’ vie for top Oscar

S

teven Spielberg goes to this weekend’s Oscars with the most nominations for his movie Lincoln, but the momentum is all with Ben Affleck’s thriller Argo in the Academy Awards home straight.

And while the Hollywood veteran and the young pretender vie for the Oscars best picture crown, other frontrunners remain hard on their heels, in one of the least predictable Oscar races in recent memory.

Taiwan-born Ang Lee’s 3D spectacular Life of Pi, Osama bin Laden manhunt movie Zero Dark Thirty and romcom Silver Linings Playbook might all be in with a chance at the Oscars, the climax of the annual awards season.

Spielberg and Lee are frontrunners for best director, while Lincoln star Daniel Day-Lewis is seen as a shoo-in

Child’s Pose, a mother-son psychodrama set among post-communist Romania’s new ruling class, has won the Golden Bear top prize at the 63rd Berlin film festival.

Director Calin Peter Netzer tells the story of a wealthy and controlling mother who fights to get her son acquitted after he kills a poor teenager with his car.

The Berlinale, the first major European film festival of the year and typically its most politically minded, also handed two prizes to the Bosnian docu-drama “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker”.

Nazif Mujic, the real-life protagonist of the picture about a Roma couple denied life-saving medical treatment, was the surprise winner of the Silver Bear best actor prize. The ultra-low-budget film also took the runner-up jury prize.

Down Under for Brangelina?

Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie may be heading to Australia if the government there succeeds in snaring 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo.

Pitt is wanted for the lead role of Ned Land, and is expected to bring his family with him to shoot in Australia.

Arts Minister Simon Crean said he was meeting with Disney executives on Friday to attempt to secure the blockbuster, which would reportedly be the biggest production ever made in Australia.

The film, based on the Jules Verne novel, is ready to go into pre-production and Disney staff have scouted locations in New South Wales and Queensland.

Latest ‘Die Hard” film tops US box office Bruce Willis’ A Good Day To Die Hard tops the latest the North American box office rankings after earning US$25 million (B750m) in its first weekend.

In second place, the comedy Identity Thief continued to defy tepid reviews and earned US$23.4 million (B700m) in its second weekend on release.

The debut of the animated feature Escape from Planet Earth is in third place with weekend takings of US$16 million (B480m), followed by zombie romcom Warm Bodies, with US$9 million (B270m).

US BOX OFFICE TOP 10 Film

Ben Affleck as an American spy (left) and Daniel-Day Lewis as President Lincoln. for best actor. For best actress, the hot money is on Jessica Chastain for her part in Zero Dark Thirty or “Hunger Games” star Jennifer Lawrence.

But Affleck’s Iran hostage drama, despite only winning seven nominations, has a clear edge for best picture.

It has swept up top prizes at a string of awards shows, including the Golden Globes, and Britain’s BAFTAs. Affleck’s best picture nomination

SFX Coliseum Phuket (Central Festival) A Good Day To Die Hard (E) [15+] 11:40, 13:50, 16:00, 18:10, 20:20, 22:30 A Good Day To Die Hard (E/F) [15+] 12:30, 14:40, 16:50, 19:00, 21:10 A Good Day To Die Hard (T) [15+] 11:00, 13:10, 15:20, 17:30, 19:40, 21:45 Bullet To The Head (E) [15+] 20:50 Hansel And Gretel Witch Hunters (E) [15+] 17:50, 22:00 Jan Dara 2 (T/E Sub) [18+] 12:30, 14:55, 17:20, 19:45, 22:10 Thong Sook 13 (T) [15+] 11:20, 13:30, 15:40, 19:50 Warm Bodies (E) [15+] 11:15, 12:15, 13:25, 14:20, 15:35, 17:45, 18:40, 19:55, 22:00

is as a co-producer of the film – along with George Clooney and Grant Heslov – rather than as a director, a category in which he was not nominated, in a perceived snub.

Snubbed or not, he will be among presenters at the show, along with other Hollywood A-listers including Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Robert Downey Jr, Samuel L. Jackson, and Meryl Streep. AFP

Gross

$25M

$33.2M

1

A Good Day to Die Hard

2

Identity Thief

$23.4M

$70.7M

3

Safe Haven

$21.4M

$30.3M

4

Escape from Planet Earth

$16.1M

$16.1M

5

Warm Bodies

$9M

$50.2M

6

Beautiful Creatures

$7.46M

$10M

7

Side Effects

$6.31M

$19.1M

8

Silver Linings Playbook

$6.09M

$98.5M

9

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

$3.47M

$49.8M

$3.1M

$88M

10 Zero Dark Thirty

SFC Jungceylon Phuket (Patong) A Good Day To Die Hard (E) [15+] Bullet To The Head (E) [15+] Hansel And Gretel Witch Hunters (E) [15+] Jan Dara 2 (T/E Sub) [18+] Parker (E) [15+] Warm Bodies (E) [15+] Zero Dark Thirty (E) [15+]

Weekend gross

11:30, 13:40, 15:50, 18:00, 20:10, 22:15 12:15, 14:15, 16:15, 21:25 15:35, 20:00 12:00, 14:30, 17:00, 19:30, 22:00 12:10, 17:35, 22:05 11:20, 13:20, 15:30, 17:40, 19:50, 22:00 18:15

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 call the cinemas directly: SFX Coliseum Phuket 076-209000 and SFC Jungceylon Phuket 076-600-555.

14 ISLAND SCENE

NEW LIFE, OLD TOWN The streets of the Old Town came alive last weekend for the annual Phuket Old Town Festival, held from February 15-17. The main objectives of the festival were to develop and conserve culture, to promote the area, and to encourage all Phuket residents to contribute to the promotion of the Phuket Old Town. The Phuket News and Live 89.5 were media sponsors of this event.

Somjai Suwannasupana, Mayor of Phuket Town, during the parade.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, 22,2013 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 22,

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

ISLAND SCENE 15

A DAY OF LOVE Couples around Phuket, including at Angsana Laguna Phuket, SALA Phuket Resort and Spa (bottom left) and Kalima Resort & Spa (bottom right), celebrated Valentine’s Day last week.

Minah Ko, Management Trainee at SALA Phuket Resort & Spa.

Top left, clockwise, Managing Director Paponphat Niyomadul; General Manager Somchai Suwannagate; Vice President Piyawan Niyomadul; and Napat Nonnakij at Kalima Resort & Spa in Kalim.

16 ISLAND SCENE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, 22,2013 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 22,

THANK YOU The View Condominium in Kata held its first Agents’ Night of 2013 on February 16 with a special drinks and tapas evening. A great time was had by all guests.

Thatsanee Na Ranong with the new Toyota 86.

TOYOTA HOT WHEELS From left to right, Thatsanee Na Ranong, Prakaikaew Na Ranong, Marsha Wattanapanich, Chaipat Na Ranong and Suwat Chaisaengampai.

Toyota Pearl launched the car company’s new sports car, the Toyota 86, with an extravaganza at the Indigo Pearl Resort at Nai Yang Beach on Sunday (February 17). The entertainment included a mini-concert by Thai-German singing star Marsha Wattanapanich.

HELP FOR ROSS Friends of Phuket expat Ross Robinson, centre front in light blue shirt, held a football tournament fundraiser at HeadStart International School on Saturday (February 16) to raise funds for Mr Robinson’s recent hospital bill after he was diagnosed with acute appendicitis.

More than B20,000 was raised. Photo: Hello Photography

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

Matt Caseli on playing from sunset to sunrise

M

att Caseli has circumnavigated the globe, headphones in hand, playing at some of the finest parties in numerous iconic venues, with his Pacha Ibiza residency possibly most responsible for catapulting him into the international limelight.

Tomorrow (February 23) sees him drop into Phuket and Xana Beach Club with Attica for the launch of Xana With Attica’s Pool Party from 2pm.

The monthly event will combine day and night, bringing a selection of international stars combined with some of the finest talent already on the island.

As well as the party, you will be able to dance in the rain on the beach with their specially constructed rain dance section, while the kids enjoy their own area.

We caught up with Matt as he got set to leave home in Australia to find out how he prepares for a gig like Xana with Attica.

Andaman Motor Show returns to the island

T

he 16th Andaman Motor Show 2013 is back in Phuket, and will be held at Central Festival Phuket from March 7-13.

Organised by ND Productions, the event will include motor companies from Phuket and other provinces with the aim to promote and expand the automobile business on the island.

On display will be plenty of new car-related gadgets and innovations, such as stereos and autoaccessories, as well as a full range of car products,

Having held down an Ibiza residency at Pacha and toured extensively around the world, what does playing in Asia give you that is unique?

I love Asia, I’ve been playing there for about the last eight years. The crowds are always very friendly and up for a big night. Had so many great times in places like Bali, Jakarta, Singapore, Hong Kong and so on.

The people are always very receptive to my music.

We are launching our Pool Party concept with you; do you enjoy the day time party?

Day time parties for me began in Ibiza with the terrace of Space, which as I’m sure you know was an institution for the day time clubbing experience.

Beach and pool parties are always fun, you can drop some groovy beats and watch the sun go down. Sure I love the day and the night too, my last big party like this was at Ku De Ta Bali, which was amazing. Cool grooves into big rocking tunes once the sun was down – that’s the way!

ENTERTAINMENT 17

Matt Caseli will perform at Xana Beach Club tomorrow (February 23).

What does it give you that rooms. So I came up with the idea to re-make Terrance Trent Darby’s the club can’t?

Freedom is the first word that comes to mind, fresh air and no sweaty smoky atmosphere. Also, it’s nice to see the open sky, especially at night DJing under the stars is very cool, and with a full moon even better.

You’ve signed with Axwell’s Axtone label, how did that come about?

I’ve known Ax for a long time; we were both signed to the legendary US House label Soulfuric Records.

Then he started his Swedish House Mafia nights at Pacha a few years back with Steve and Sebastian.

So I just felt a change in my music style was needed after playing house for so long and wanted to do something much more rocking for the big

classic hit Sign Your Name which Ax loved. The rest is then history.

What should we be looking out for from you on the production front?

I’m in the middle of many new projects taking in lots of different genres from tech house to progressive to even a touch of electro. As I’m now based in Australia this is more the sound that works here.

My second single with Marrs TV and Joel Edwards called One Heart comes out this month on top Oz label One Love.

Then look out for more releases with labels Neon, Harem, Milk & Sugar and so on – busy bee at the moment!

including from Lexus, TSL Audio, Volkswagen Hadyai, Proton, Volvo, Nissan, Fuse Valley and many more.

The highlight of the event will be the Fuse Supermodel Contest 2013,

by Fuse Valley Phuket, with a grand prize of up to B100,000. This event will include numerous great activities and feature celebrities and other performances, and will be held on March 10.

The Phuket News and Live 89.5 are media sponsors of this event.

Night of Indian classics at Naiharn Book Cafe

T

he Book Cafe in Naiharn will host an evening of north Indian classical music on Monday (February 25), with Kailash Ray playing the sarode, a 25 string fretless lute.

A familiar face around Rawai, Mr Ray has lived in Phuket for nearly 25 years.

He has been interested in Indian classical music since hearing musician Ali Akbar Khan when he was 16, and has been studying the sarode since 1970.

On Monday evening he will perform two sets,

with a refreshment break in between. The doors will open at 7pm and the concert starts at 8pm. There will be light refreshments available.

Tickets are B100 on the door. Please call to reserve a place.

The sarode is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is among the most popular and prominent instruments in northern Indian classical music.

For more information call 085 794 2371 or email info@bookcafephuket.com

18 EVENTS

22,2013 2013 List your event for FREE at thephuketnews.comTHEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 22,

Shipwrecked!

The Party that will rock your boat... and make a difference for 124 children from the Phuket Sunshine Village - Child Care Center.

Buffet Dinner, Live Entertainment Salsa, Pop & Dance Music DJ Ω, Raffle, Silent Auction Best Costume Award . . .

Venue: The Green Man, Chalong Date: 30.03.2013 - 7:30 pm till late Dress Code: As you were when your ship sank Tickets: 999 THB; includes Buffet Dinner and 3 Drink Coupons - available @ the door

All proceeds will be donated to the PSV foundation

www.phuketsunshinevillage.org

beef, BBQ ham, chicken, pork, fresh vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and a glass of selected beverage. At Irish Times Pub, Junceylon Patong.

FRIDAY FEB 22 Curry Fridays at Navrang Mahal Every Friday, all-you-can-eat authentic Indian curry buffet, B449 net per person.

7pm-11.30pm. Call 076 286 464.

Fish and Chips Friday Night B250 per person. At Irish Times Pub, Jungceylon Patong.

SATURDAY FEB 23 Sunday Chillout at Sunsets Bar Live Music at Underwood Art Factory

Saturday Shopping at The Good Shepherd Charity Shop

Live Music at Underwood Art Factory The home of Phuket’s finest performers, coming together to bring a night of entertainment, delicious food, and great fun.

The Lost Legends: Colin (ILLY) Hill and Pjae Stanley. Every Friday. All performed on a unique built stage at the Underwood Art Factory. For booking call 091 034 3381.

We have a wide and creative range of handicrafts such as toys, greeting cards, ornaments, lanterns, bags, purses and many more. You can also find exquisite arts and craft made by local residents.

Pre-loved items include books, clothes and toys. Handicraft items are handmade by the women from The Good Shepherd centres. All proceeds go directly to The Good Shepherd’s mission of helping those in need as well as empowering them.

Place: Plaza Del Mar, Laguna (Behind Bake). Time: 9am to noon. See thegood shepherd.info.

The home of Phuket’s finest performers, coming together to bring a night of entertainment, delicious food, and great fun.

Every Saturday live music from The Blues Revival. All performed on a unique built stage at the Underwood Art Factory. For booking call 091 034 3381.

SUNDAY FEB 24

Sunday chillout every week. Live music, free BBQ or buffet, free karaoke, free pool table. Happy hour every day midday to 6pm, beverages from B60. Bar open every day midday until late. Farang hospitality, everybody welcome. Sunsets bar and guesthouse, 62 Hasip Pee Road, Patong. For more information call Kiwi on 083 640 1082.

MONDAY FEB 25

Schnitzel Day

Sunday Roast Pork Sunday roast pork or beef dinner every Sunday 2pm onwards at Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. B290 per person. See www.expathotel.com.

Kokosnuss Restaurant - Every Monday, Schnitzel, fried potatoes and salad buffet B190 per person. Starts 5.30pm. For more info please visit phuketkokosnuss.com.

BBQ All You Can Eat

Pool Competition at Expat Hotel Pool Competition at 9pm. Expat Sports Bar, Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. www. expatsportsbar.com.

BBQ at Expat Hotel 8pm, Expat Sports Bar, Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. www.expatsportsbar.com.

Sunday Carvery B399 per person all you can eat. Roast

Mondays and Thursdays. BBQ all you can eat: Pork, Chicken, Beef, Prawns, Fish and Squid with salad buffet, cold and hot sauces, Garlic Bread, baked potatoes, potato salad and more for B325 per person.

7pm-11pm. Located in Patong on Rat-U-Tit 200 Pee Road next to Hotel Mercure.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

TUESDAY FEB 26

List your event for FREE at thephuketnews.com

91.5FM. Bar Tabs: 1 Prize B1,500. 2 Prize B1,000. Every Wednesday Night From 8 pm.

Free entry. Maximum 4 people per team. At Irish Times Pub, Jungceylon Patong.

SATURDAY APR 6 Chakri Day A public holiday to honor the founder of the Chakri Dynasty, King Rama I.

SAT-MON APR 13-15 Pool Competition at Expat Guesthouse Pool Competition every Tuesday 9pm Expat Guesthouse Sports Bar, Patong. See map at www.expatguesthouse.com.

Quiz Night at Grizzly’s

Pork Roast and Roast Chicken

Every Tuesday night. Snacks available.

Registration 7.45pm. 1,000 Baht voucher to winners. Grizzly’s Sports Bar and Restaurant, located between Loch Palm Golf Course and Kathu Waterfall. Contact 086 951 4962.

Every Thursday. Buffet includes salads, soups, mashed potatoes, bread dumplings.

ALL YOU CAN EAT B190. www.phuketko kosnuss.com.

FRIDAY MAR 1

Half Chicken Spit Roast

WEDNESDAY FEB 27

“Our Father Band” Back by popular demand LIVE music from the “Our Father Band” Fri 22nd Feb from 9pm. Opposite Tescos Cherngtalay.

Contact Jamie: 087 898 9160.

WEDNESDAY MAR 13 Thao Thepkrassattri Thao Sri Suntorn Festival

Phuket’s First Audio Video Interactive Pub Quiz B99 per drinks and selected beverages buy 1 get 1 free. Quiz master DJ Doris, from

those who seek a bit more fun after a good meal. Listen to good music, enjoy sport on large TV. Play pool or dart games or just enjoy the unique surroundings. Selected beverages. At 4-8pm and midnight till late.

Plus free pool sponsored by Komodo Bar. From 8-9.30pm. Come on everybody - Let’s party. Call 087 280 3282.

BBQ Ribs All You Can Eat Wednesdays and Fridays. BBQ ribs all you can eat with salad buffet and potato salad for B295 per person. 7pm-11pm. Located in Patong on Rat-U-Tit 200 Pee Road next to Hotel Mercure.

Pool Competition: Meet The Best Players in Town

THURSDAY FEB 28

Tuesdays and Saturdays: Half chicken spit roast with French Fries, Salad buffet, Potato Salad & Gravy sauce for B225 per person. 7pm-11pm. Located in Patong on Rat-U-Tit 200 Pee Road next to Hotel Mercure.

EVENTS 19

The festival celebrates the island’s victory in 1785 over an invading Burmese force.

Anyone travelling from Phuket Airport towards the south part of the island will have seen the famous Heroines Monument, commemorating the two sisters who led the people of Phuket to victory This is an event that will give you a deeper understanding of local culture and history.

Songkran Festival

Designed and built by a Thai-Canadian family in 2011, The Plaza is a very fine sculpture and walled relief garden and entertainment centre. Artists’ pictures can be seen on the plaza walls all year round.

The art pieces are donated by “The Unique One,” a rare selection of art by Khun Manop and Mike. Pool competition is sponsored by Komodo Bar at 9pm. Entry fee B100 plus one free beverage. Come on everybodylet’s party. Call 087 280 3282.

Songkran is the old Thai New Year, and is an occasion for family reunions. Many Thai people return to their homes and families for the three day festival.

Celebrated each year between the 13th and 15th of April, it was originally a religious holiday. Songkran begins with early morning merit-making, by offering food to the monks.

Paying respect to elders and ancestors is also an important custom of Songkran.

Young people pour scented water over Buddha images and on the hands of elders to show respect, and to seek their blessing.

Another custom of Songkran is to clean houses and anything old and useless must be thrown away. It is believed that anything bad belonging to the old year will be unlucky to the owner if left and carried on to the coming new year.

The most prominent custom of the festival is throwing water. Everybody throws water on each other on the first day. In Phuket, the biggest water-throwing parties are in Patong and Saphan Hin.

EVERY DAY

Double Happy Hours At the end of the Rawai beach strip, Rawai Plaza is the best entertainment venue for

Monday Party, Tue. Party, Wed, Party, Thur. Party, Fri. Party What the Puck Saturday Party, Sunday Party Come on everybody, let’s party At Rawai Plaza, cool atmosphere, unique setting. happy people.

WILL PERFORM JUST FOR ASKING!!!

POLE DANCE BY EMMY THAI DANCE BY NANCY & HIS FRIENDS SO, DON’T BE SHY!!

Shows sponsored by Emmy & Joey Bar Nancy Ni Nancy Bar Rawai Plaza, Rawai Beach, Phuket 087 280 3282

daily event updates on

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

20 TIME OUT

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

This week in history

GOT YOUR NUMBER

■■ February 22, 1958 Egypt and Syria form the United Arab Republic under President Nasser. It lasts for three years, until a coup by Syrian military officers.

13,200

■■ February 23, 1820 The Bow Street Runners – an early London police force – raid a pub in Cato Street where “radicals” are plotting to murder the British cabinet during a dinner party.

Houses destroyed in the Great Fire of London, in 1666 AD.

50,000

■■ February 24, 1989 Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini posts a US$3 million (B90m) bounty for the death of Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie.

Number of muscles in an elephant’s trunk.

■■ February 25, 1964 22-year-old boxer Cassius Clay – now better known as Muhammad Ali – defeats heavyweight world champion Sonny Liston in Miami Beach, Florida.

68

Length in years of the longest recorded attack of hiccups, suffered by Charles Osborne of Iowa.

■■ February 26, 1815 Deposed French dictator Napoleon Bonaparte sneaks away from the Mediterranean island of Elba and returns to France to raise an army.

48.4

Annual road deaths per 100,000 population in Eritrea, the world’s highest rate. (Thailand: 19.6)

■■ February 27, 425 Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II established the Pandidakterion, the first “university” in Constantinople, at the urging of his wife Aelia Eudocia.

February 23, 1820: The Cato Street conspirators fight back when raided by the Bow Street Runners, stabbing to death a constable called Richard Smithers.

The Great Phuket Rubber Duck Quiz

1. In 2007 Charlotte Lee of the USA was recognised as holding the record for the largest personal collection of rubber ducks. How many did she have?

2. What colour were the rubber ducks in the 2008 Great British Rubber Duck Race? Why? 3. Who sang the Rubber Duckie song, and as which Muppet on Sesame Street?

Send your answers to manager@phuketcharity.org for a chance to win 10 ducks in the Phuket Community Foundation’s Great Rubber Duck Race on March 3.

SUDOKU

The Power Hour Lifestyle Drive Non Stop Music

Sam & Natasha Live 89.5

■■ February 28, 1525 Spanish conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés torture and execute the Aztec king Cuauhtémoc, claiming he had plotted to kill them.

Crossword by Myles Mellor Across 1. Santa’s present carrier 5. Physics calculation 9. Goes with Saxon 14. S-shaped molding 15. Chip in?

16. Fabric 17. Part 18. Back of the house 19. Rumba relative 20. Start of a house?

23. In-flight info, for short 24. Consume 25. Jane Eyre, e.g.

28. It’s always sold in mint condition 30. Appear 32. “We __ family” 33. Gas used in welding 35. Wolf, coyote, fox, dog family 37. House plan related 40. Maids 41. Actress Bloom 42. Alter, in a way 43. Not just “a” 44. “Indian Idol,” for example 48. Italian town 51. Absorbed, as a

WEEKDAYS Breakfast

cost 52. Can you dig it?

53. House to love 57. “Home ___” 59. Young salmon 60. Bachchan, for one (var.)

61. Danger 62. HOMES part 63. Whine 64. Add color to 65. Red or whitetail?

66. Potato, slangily Down 1. Cold dessert 2. Short-eared rabbit 3. Abdominal 4. Fall (over) 5. “Besame mucho” singer 6. Concerning 7. For men only 8. Balkan native 9. Knight’s “suit” 10. Civil rights org.

11. Equestrians’ field day 12. Court ploy 13. “Walking on Thin Ice” singer 21. “Six Feet Under” subjects?

22. What a house

stands on 26. Fleshy seed covering 27. “Waking ___ Devine” (1998 film) 29. Microsoft support rep 30. Nee Al (anagram) 31. Gut areas 34. Carve in stone 35. Horse move 36. God of war 37. “The ___ have it” 38. Butting equipment 39. Snigger maker 40. “Bingo!”

43. Backgammon impossibility 45. Attach a hose 46. An alloy 47. Supposed, for Shakespeare 49. Building style 50. Refine, as metal 51. Eagle home 54. Didn’t dillydally 55. Ending with hard or soft 56. Shakira’s don’t lie 57. Appropriate 58. Orchid arrangement

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

SATURDAYS 7am - 11am 11am - 12pm

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

Live 89.5 Got Talent Weekend Brunch

Siobhan McGovern Kirsty Meyer

9am - 10am

Best Of Breakfast

10am - 1pm

Live 89.5 Dance Anthems

SUNDAYS Sam & Natasha

5pm - 7pm

Weekend Brunch

Kirsty Meyer

10am – 1pm

Steve

7pm - 10pm

The Spin

Tim Newton

1pm - 4pm

Jason Wilder

4pm - 7pm

Steve Johnston

12pm - 3pm

Phuket News Radio

Live 89.5

1pm - 2pm

Saturday Night Fever

Live 89.5

10pm – 12am

International Chart Show Top 40

Jason Wilder

3pm - 7pm

Box Of Neutrals

Live 89.5

2pm – 3pm

Non Stop Music

Live 89.5

12am – 10am

Sunday Night Chill

Live 89.5

7pm - 10pm

Live 89.5

7pm - 7am

Going Green

Nick Anthony

3pm – 5pm

Tel: 076 612 895 SMS: 090 490 7895

Non Stop Music

Live 89.5

10pm – 7am

16 CLASSIFIEDS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Jobs

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

Specialized Carbon bike

Stumpjumper FSR Carbon MTB > 23

classifieds@thephuketnews.com

Siam Palm Residence Co., Ltd. is looking for an experienced Accountant/ Financial Controller.

His/her main task will be taking care of all financial matters of Siam Palm Residence companies. Requirements: A few years’ experience in accounting position. Proficient in English (speaking, reading and writing). Good computer skills. Must also be willing to assist in the hotel’s front office/ reception. Service-minded, as he or she will be in direct contact with (potential) guests in the front office. Salary: negotiable (based on education and experience).

Please send your resume with expected salary to: info@ siampalmresidence.com For more information call Khun Joy at 0 816 930 195.

Private Tutor Qualifications:

· Bachelor’s degree plus qualified teacher status. · Accredited qualifications for working with young children. · Native English speaker, plus the ability to teach other language . · Expected to play at least 2 musical instruments. · Preferably European, stay in and willing to travel with the family.

Experience:

· Minimum 7 years’ experience as Private Tutor. · Minimum 3 years’ teaching experience preferably as a qualified teacher. · Between 35 and 47 years old, Female Rationale:

· The purpose is to support the family in personal growth and development of the children.

· The focus will be on the manners, etiquette, wellbeing and educational progress of the children

· The post will have a significant influence on the children’s personality development and will always ensure their wellbeing.

Please contact 081 978 0090 or email carolgarcia729@gmail.com

Sea Bees Diving is looking for a reliable and responsible person, Western or Thai, for our Head Office in Chalong. Applicants should be fluent in English and other languages (German preferred) with good communication, sales skills and willing to work in a highly professional & diverse team. Flexible, able to work under pressure and be service-orientated is a must. This position is long-term & with a full-time contract. Please send your CV & recent photo to: office@sea-bees.com

Native English Teacher: To teac h class of 9-12, children ages 6 - 9. Must have experience and degree.

Start April 22, Chalong, 8am-4pm, Monday - Friday. Mob:080 624 7060, email: buds.span@ yahoo.com.

WRITE YOUR CLASSIFIED

Boomerang Village Resort: Job Opportunities at Boomerang Village Resort Cafe Del Sol Restaurant. Waiter / Waitress (4) Restaurant Captain (1) Bartender / Bartendy (1) Boomerang Village Resort Receptionist (2) Manager, Receptionist (1) Guest Relation (1).

Contact: Email boomerangvillageresor t@ gmail.com, 085 692 3474.

PREMIUM: PAY ONCE UNTIL SOLD B2,799+VAT. PAY ONCE UNTIL SOLD WILL RUN ONLINE AND IN EVERY PRINT EDITION UNTIL YOU HAVE SOLD. INCLUDES ADDITIONAL 9 PICTURES ONLINE.

Headline: ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......

Body:

Nanny: Kamala area family with 2 young boys needs full time nanny for after school and weekends, good English required, prefer Thai national. Excellent salary, leave and meals provided. Call 081 270 2180.

...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......

189 CHARACTERS

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Online upgrades:

Website link B199

Print upgrades:

Extra lines B99

Urgent banner B199 Box B199

Colour Background B199

Colour Headlines B199

INCLUDE NOVOSTI PHUKETA (FREE TRANSLATION TO RUSSIAN) B1,699+VAT.

DEADLINE: MONDAY 11.59PM (MIDNIGHT) FOR THAT WEEKS ISSUE Hand this in at agent shops, our office or fax: 076 612 553

Sala Phuket Jobs Vacancies: -Purchasing Manager: 1 Position -Chief Engineering: 1 Position -Spa Therapist: 4 Positions -Reservations Officer: 1 Position Contact 076 338 888.

Email: pncphuket@sala phuket.com.

Phuket Brasserie Jobs Recuitment: -Waitress -Bartender Salary B9,000. Service charge B4,000. If you worked in hotels before it will be an advantage.

Contact 076 210 511.

Send CV and photo to linkwanjai@me.com.

DaVinci Restaurant in Nai Harn: Thai nationality only. Waitresses 2 positions, Bartender 1 position. Experience and good English will be an advantage. Good salary and benefits. Contact Khun Jana 086 947 5197, jana@davinciphuket. com.

Executive Secretary/Accounts: SecureComm LTD Executive Secretary/Accounts Receivable Secure Comm is a private Hong Kong-based encrypted communication provider.

Director of Operations of SecureComm Limited is looking for a Phuket-based, preferably: - Thai native with an excellent command of spoken and written English. (Foreigners on long term visas may also apply.)

- Background in AR/Accounting and Bookkeeping is a must.

- Experienced in data entry, computer literate, proficient with Excel.

- Smartphone savvy, experienced with using Blackberry devices preferred.

- Experienced as a secretary or executive assistant with strong organizational/detail oriented/administrative skills.

-Must be able to travel, preference will be given to candidates with Passports and Driving Licenses.

If you meet these requirements, submit your CV/ Resume and photo to securecomm@yahoo.com or contact Jesse at 090 916 3460 directly. *Salary will be based on experience and qualifications, bonuses/ benefits and travel expenses will be provided.

T

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 17

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT We believe that the success of a project is essentially based on a serious management liberto@construction-thailand.com

liberto@construction-thailand.com 40 years experience of more than 20 years at your service in Thailand.

Main Contractor:

Study Project Architecture Design Construction & Management

Office 3.L.H & I.C.P. Manufactory 3.L.H & I.C.P.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

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eBlind ilable 28 D t n va eb

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MARINE SERVICES

Specialized in large commercial and small residential cooling & heating systems.

076 319406-8 086 4702026-7 www.choochuay.com

MARINE SERVICES

REMOVALS

STORAGE

SWIMMING POOLS

w w w. e m

p ir e p o o ls p h u k e t . c o m

1,800 baht pool service

for the first 20 customers (standard size pool)

19/43, 19/45 Moo 7,Srisoontorn Rd, T. Srisoontorn, A. Thalang, Phuket 83110.

Tel: 076-620113 or 084-8506140 Fax: 076-620015

18 CLASSIFIEDS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

Property

World class sea views 4 bedroom British colonial-style house > 19

For rent in Patong

RPM Owner Direct Unique luxury condo 2 bed, 2 bath, 155sqm.

Foreign FREE HOLD. Recent architect remodel.

New Jacuzzi. Views to lake, mountain, marina, pool etc.

Phuket Cottages

Near British International School, pool-villas starting from THB 8,800,000.

www.phuket-cottages.com

Completely furnished to V. high standard, toothbrush only required. Owner leaving. 17.5MB. Contact Brian (Owner) 089 054 4354, +632 906 435 7146, Alan 087 999 6174, bggvirgo@gmail.com.

See RoyalPhuketMarinaCondos.com for complete details.

Main road from Karon to Patong-Close to Simon Cabaret.

Multi Functional Building Total 700 sqm (15 metre front) 1-floor 350.sqm with 3 toilets. 2-floor 350.sqm with 2 toilets.

For visit SMS (Frence) 080 035 1626 English 081 788 8280 Email: maurice.phuket@gmail.com For Rusian contact: Oxana: 080 529 0726 Email;phuket.lux@gmail.com

Call: 089-724-7211

PROPERTY FOR RENT Nice House for Long Term Rent: Just a few minute walk to Naiharn beach, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, aircon. B17,000 per month. Call 081 397 1833.

Villa with Pool for Sale: Beach Condo, Beach 3 Min.Walk: Spacious 2-bedNear Beach 3 Bed Pool Villa: Fully equipped holiday home with private garden and pool. Within easy reach of Rawai and Nai Harn beach. For full details and pictures, please contact me. 084 850 1340.

room apartment for rent, long or short term, Fully furnished, kitchen, 2 bathrooms. Pool, large gardens, parking, and a mere 3 minute stroll to scenic Nai harn beach. resortgm@ gmail.com.

The Courtyard - Dance Centre: Located next to Island Furniture, Chaofa Road West, 2 kms. South of Central. Corner unit, on the upper of two floors, 7m x 15 m, plus entrance lobby. Two large mirrors, special flooring, aircons, adequate parking. Rent 25,000B/month.

Security deposit 75,000B (refundable). Lease one to three years. Contact Khun Siriporn Island Furniture. 081 691 0213 or visit thecourtyardphuket.com.

Luxury Ocean View Apartments for Rent in Kata and Karon: 1

Andaman Beach Suite Condo Patong Beach, Phuket: Has kitchenette, terrace, TV, CD player, telephone, WIFI, Has full use of hotel facilities, restaurant, room service, swimming pool, tennis courts, and gym. 120mt to beach, 5 minutes to Patong. email penthouse2102@gmail. com, 089 972 3861, 089 570 1519.

rooms, 2 bathrooms, fully furnished with small garden, quiet area at Paklok. Rent: B15,000 per month. Email: suksavat@hotmail.com or 084 626 5616.

or 2 Bdrm, 2 Bathrm, Kitchen, large balcony, parking, 24 hrs security, gymnasium, swimming pool. Ph: 076 486 624 and 086 281 9311.

Email: bao200@gmail.com.

with 7 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, fully furnished. Located in stunning panoramic hilltop scenery in Takuapa, Phang Nga, covering an area of 127 rai. Surrounded by fertile farmland with fruit trees. Contact K. Peerawat: 084 308 8484.

la, fully furnished and ready to move in, 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms with infinity 10 metre long swimming pool and truly beautiful sea view.

Located in a small development, only 50 metres from the sea and 3 mins from Ao Po Grand Marina. For sale B19.9 million or for long term rent B150,000 per month.

Call 081 343 0777, email: montha_ phuket@yahoo. com.

SPECIAL TWIN VILLAS. 3 OR 4 BEDROOMS, 4 BATHROOMS. POOL, LARGE TERRACE, SMALL GARDEN. LIVING SPACE 400 SQM, LUXURY FURNISHED. PRICE B8,500,000. FREEHOLD. INFO: 081 788 8280. EMAIL; thewhitehousekata@gmail. com.

Guesthouse for Lease in Patong: 12 rooms ,good location Nanai road.9 years lease:ver y low rent,strong starting,easy to manage and good return on investment.

Price 1MLN. Take this opportunity.Thamad17@yahoo.com.

089 728 4005.

Beautiful Villa Rawai: Beautiful 2 bed pool villa with sep maid’s room or 3rd b/ room. Great outdoor entertaining area. 5 minutes to all conveniences. Reduced to B9,500,000. Call 081 270 4291 or thailandmls@gmail. com.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Nai Harn Baan Bua:

do, freehold, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 120sqm. 7.8 million Baht, fully furnished.

For more pictures and information please contact adrian_troy@yahoo.com

When only the best will do!

4 bed/pool villa in Phuket’s best-kept gated community.

410 sq.mtr villa. 812 sq.mtr land. Overlooking lagoon.

Beautiful. Call 081 270 4291.

Email: thailandmls@gmail. com, www.phuketpremiumrealestate.com.

Building 3 storey for sale: THB 26,000,000. Only

3 Bed Pool Villa Pa Khlok: 3 Beds, 2 Bath

300 m. from Kata Beach.

236.25 Sqm. 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. For more information call K.Chavarin 089 911 8833/081 866 9253 or email wkongkeaw@hot mail.com

6x3m pool. Full aircon and funishings. Ready for occupation and rental. Secure estate, private parking. 6km from Heroines monument.

Close to PIA , BCS and shops. 081 737 0722.

Rawai Seaview Condo for sale: Seaview conCondo At The Heights, Kata: Immaculate 2-Bed

Ocean Front Villa for rent: Luxury brand new vil-

The Royal Phuket Yacht Club shop front space for rent 4.34 M. x 4.37 M. Located on the first floor of a great looking area for retail shop, boutique etc. Call 076 380 200 ext.

601 Khun Naphat.

Near Naiyang Beach, 3 bed & 4 bath, jacuzzi, open dining/living room, kitchen, fully furnished, aircon, garden, Sala, swiming pool, car park. Only 8.9MB. 087 091 8331 K. Nah, chiangmaibeltrade@hotmail.com, dreamhousephuket.com.

Villa and farmland for sale: A big beautiful house

FOR SALE RAWAI BEACH

House For Rent: 3 bed-

Shop Front for Rent:

Nice Villa for Sale:

Freehold 3/4 Bedroom Villa.

3 Air Con. 4k. to Ao Makarm Beach. 10x5M. Pool with 4th Bedroom / office on other side.

Plot size 104SqWah. 416Sqm. Reasonable offers. Call 089 831 4703/084 304 6723.

fo rei gn - f re eh o l d unit in award-winning project. 195 sqm, sea view, near gym & pool. Quality furnishing throughout. Designer kitchen with utility-store. phuket.pn@ gmail.com.

Sea View Land for Sale: Ao-Yon, 13.5 rai, chanode title.10m/rai.Call Siri 089 649 9939, email:siri_ phuket@changrunner.com.

Patong Apartment Reduced Price: Condo 4 years old. Swimming pool, security 24/7, cafeteria. Studio 46sqm fully furished. Freehold for foreigners. Price:2.6MLN. Urgent sale, no agent. tel.089 728 4005. Mail:thamad17@ yahoo.com.

Nai Harn Beach Townhouse: 3 story, 2 bed townhouse. Views over Nai Harn lake and only one minute walk to beach.Lease or free hold. Roof top BBQ/ Sala. Buy of the Century.

B6,500,000. Call 081 270 4291. See phuketpremiumrealestate.com.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 19

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

List your advert for FREE at thephuketnews.com PROPERTY FOR SALE CONT.

financing by owner. Down 2MB+13yearly payment of 1MB. Own forever title land 100 metre to Rawai landing pier. 084 242 8914, rawai4@ yahoo.com.

PROPERTY IN PHUKET For Sale Rawai Beach Special Twin Villa.

4 suites/studios, 4 bat hro oms, p o ol, large terrace, small garden, living space 40 0 sqm. Include luxury furnishing

Sea-View ChalongResidence: Dream pool

Best Functional House for Sale: 3 bed + 4 bath, aircon, warm water, 2 aircon for living + dining, 1 laundry, big kitchen + long island 1 front off + aircon. Nice view of club house: big garden, pool, tennis. 300 sqm, B5.9 Million.

Call 089 925 5486.

villa with 5 bedrooms all with ensuite on 1 rai of land. Big hall, office, maid’s room. Brand-new construction opposite Wat Chalong on the way up to the hill.

A huge 685 sq.m of living area, fully furnished. Modern European- designed kitchen. Big sea view pool terraces incl sala and attractive bar area. Security alarm system. Selling price on request. By owner directly. Call 085 654 4011 or 089 404 0737. Email: schulz.th@gmx.de.

House for sale near Loch Palm: Three bedroom pool villa in Kathu close to international schools. Views over Loch Palm. All bedrooms with aircon and en suite bathrooms. Two car garage and secluded garden. Chanote title. Call 084 844 0991

Price B8.5 mllion.

SMS for info: 081 788 8280 Email: thewhitehousekata@gmail.com For Rusian contact Oxana 080 529 0726 or Email: phuket.lux@gmail.com

World Class Sea Views: 4 Bedroom British Colonial style house, Cape Yamu, Phuket. Amazing views spanning over 100km, as far as Krabi. Price reduced from B35 to B28 million. 086 279 6283, email kdesmond59@ yahoo.co.uk.

House for sale Rawai Soi Orchid: 5 sleeping Resort for Sale: Resort 2 rai, with chanote. 22 Double villas with kitchens, large pool and big coconut garden with own well. Restaurant and bar with satellite TV and Adsl.

Opened for 15 years, with lots of repeat customers, parking, quiet. 086 940 1860.

House For Sale In Chalong By Owner: 7.5 M House and Pool Bypass Rd: Very clean 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom house with 5 x 10 metre pool 10 minutes south of Central Festival, walking distance to Kajonkiet Bilingual School.

To see: 083 301 3470, email: wpdrake@hotmail.com.

Chanote title. 412 sq.metre.

2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms.

Extra penthouse with open k itc he n an d sto re r o o m.

Lovely garden, very quiet and cosy place. Access to pool nearby. Price B3.9 mill. negotiable. Telephone 087 881 3062 (After 5/4-13 +47 4739 0581) email: kjellsy vertsen@hotmail.com.

Modern open living villa has it all, fully furnished, private secure estate close to beach.

Enjoy the private salt water pool and undercover parking, 3 large bedrooms freehold investment. 081 719 4688.

LUXURY 1-BEDROOM APARTMENT 60 SQM. PRICE B2,700,000.

LEASEHOLD. INFO: 084 843 8720.

EMAIL; thewhite housekat a @ gmail. com.

Pa tong Towe r fo r Sale: And for rent. Sea view and mountain views.

Freehold from 64 to 448 sq metres. Phone no: 080 692 6114. Email: orsoreal estate@hotmail.com.

205/34 Soi Thamdee Nanai 6: House for sale in a

3 & 4 Bed Pool Villas: Laguna/Layan. Luxury

very good location in the heart of Patong. The house has 3 floors, 3 sleeping rooms, 1 living room, 3 bathrooms and a roof terrace with jacuzzi, garage. Good rental return. Price on request. 084 188 4544.

private pool villas in secure development. Available now.

All beds ensuite. Fully furnished. Rental programme available. B12-20 million.

Contact owner: 085 549 7110.

www.phuket-land-sale.com

rooms 4 toilets. 3 kitchens EUR / Thai/outside. 3 car places Soi Ruam Na Nachat sale by owner 8.7MB. Tel 084 745 4132, private financing by owner down 2.7MB+4 yearly payment of 1.5MB

PATONG condos for sale: Beautiful, modern Condos/Apartments, furnished, best/quiet locations, garden, s-pool, from 36-67sq metre, sea-city-mountian views, from B2,375. Call 087 819 2162 or caltirol@hotmail.com.

2 Pool Villas next to PIA: Ready to move in, villa 1 on 1,100 Sqm. land, for sale 15.9 mill and villa 2 on 2,200 Sqm. land, for sale 19.9MB. Brand new, each with 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 12 metre swimming pool, guest bungalow with 1 bedroom 1 bathroom. Perfectly located in a developement with underground electricity and security, only 800 metres from Mission Hills golf course, less than 10 mins to airport, Phuket International Academy and AoPor Grand Marina. Call 081 343 0777.

Email: montha_ phuket@ yahoo.com.

NEW Studio Apt in Kathu: 30 sqm, 1 bedroom, kitchen, washing machine, aircon, balcony, fully furnished. Condo with gym, 24hr security, car park. 5 mins to Patong, Loch Palm golf.

Good view. B1.25 million. Call 086 947 1273.

Absolute Beachfront - EVA: Set on the beachfront, the ff villa offers uninterrupted sea and island views of the south east coast of Phuket. Situated between t wo 5 star resor ts: Vijitt and EVASON near Laem Kanoi. 081 480 3834, http:// www.facebook.com/Phuket.

Beachfront.

area 500m2, House area 164m2. 3 bed, 4 bath, fully furnished, aircon in all rooms, fans, Internet, satellite TV, swimming pool, independent water supply wells. Finish work December 2012. B10 million. Call 088 838 3242.

Sale Bar, Hotel + 1 Shop Rawai Beach: Land plot 70 0 sqm+building+10 bed+10bath+2 restaurants.

New renovated. Private

LUXURY 1-BEDROOM APARTMENT 60 SQM. PRICE B2,900,000.

LEASEHOLD. INFO: 084 843 8720.

EMAIL; thewhite housekata @ gmail. com.

Freehold House for sale: Freehold house for sale in Permsap Villa, Cherng Talay. Land 735 m2, original 4 bedroom house w it h 2 3 0 m2 f l o o r area modified to 3 bedroom, all windows and doors from SUNPARADISE, separate carport from Shades. Very quiet estate. First owner since 2009. Price B10.9 mln o.n.o. Call 083 509 8797 for information.

Makes a good condo deal now.

1-bedroom, fully furnished, 67 sqm living area. Only B2.99 mil. Big swimming pool. Normal price B3.7 mil. Call 089 872 6895. Email: jospeder@live.no.

Rawai Condo Sale/ Rent: Sell 1.1MB, Full ownership forever-beyond the financing plan of 10 years.

Rent 9,000B/Month. Studio room renovated with furniture. A/C, WiFi, kitchen, 200m to beach. 084 242 8914. Rawai4@yahoo.com.

Lovely house with 2 bedrooms or separate SC flat downstairs.Well ventilated with natural light in pristine condition. Distant sea views.

B5,500,000. Call 081 270 4291 or thailandmls@gmail. com. See phuketpremiumre alestate.com

Patong Lof t Condo:

Investment Property for sale!: New, modern waMission Heights: Land

Rawai Great Buying:

F O R S A L E - K ATA BEACH CENTRE

F O R S A L E - K ATA BEACH CENTRE Beautiful Karon Villa:

BEST SEAVIEW LAND-EVER!

Rawai B eachf ront Pool Villa for Sale: Rawai Beach front pool villa for sale. 3 bedrooms, furnished. Contact Siriporn on 089 649 9939.

terfront townhome at the Boat Lagoon for sale. Rented out long term at 570,000 Baht/ year. 3 bed/4 bath, 2 balconies, terrace at canal, 6 m berth in front of house. 250 sqm living space. Top condition. Luxury finishings. Brokers welcome.

B9.9 million. 086 747 9292 (English) or 081 970 5204 (Thai/English).

Opportunity Knocks: B24,500,000. Deceased Estate - Absolute waterfront.

Occupying a stunning location on the east coast of Phuket this five-level villa has panoramic sea views from every level. Renovation work required. 085 793 2667. See exotiqproperty. com. Ref AB-V453, email: dmuir@exotiq.com.

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PROPERTY IN PHUKET PROPERTY FOR SALE CONT. F O R S A L E - K ATA BEACH CENTRE LUXURY 1-BEDROOM APARTMENT 60 SQM. PRICE B3,400,000.

LE ASEHOLD. INCLUDE FURNISHINGS. INFO: 081 788 8280.

EMAIL; thewhite housekata @ gmail. com.

List your advert for FREE at thephuketnews.com

Karon Hill Condo for sale! Foreign Freehold: Seaview over Karon B e ac h. 10 0 s qm. Li v ing area. 1 bedroom, walk in closets, luxury bathroom, terrace, etc. Fully furnished.

Many upgrades. Luxury furnishings. Only 6.9 million baht. Brokers welcome. Call 086 747 9292 (English) or 0 81 970 520 4 (English/ Thai). Email: claudstrey@ gmail.com.

Land for Sale: 400m from Naiyang Beach. 3 Rai 1 Tarangwah. 6.5MB per Rai. Call 087 091 8331 or email chiangmaibeltrade@ hotmail.com for more information.

Patong Fre e Hold Condo: Studio condo on

PATO N G - 2 B E D ROOM TOWNHOUSE: C o m p l ete 18 0 d e g r e e seaviews, 215 metres living area, 2 balconies and 2 huge roof terraces. Quiet location, euro managed develp’t, private swimming pool, car parking and gardens. 087 268 1170, www.phuketrealestatesalesandrentals.com.

Golf View Villa For Sale: Near British International School, state-ofthe-art villa overlooking the Loch Palm Golf Course: 4 bedrooms + maid’s room; 485 m2 built on 1,860 m2 land. B28million. Contact owner 089 724 7211.

4th floor 50s/m. Huge swimming pool, beautiful gardens, completly renovated new tiles, light, painting, new furniture, kitchen, shower and toilet. 2.5 B/T Eng 085 471 9246, Thai 087 621 3405.

and only 500m from the main road. Thepkrasattri, Heroines Monument. 70sqw x 280sqm, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, big living room with open - plan k itc hen (9x9m), 1 separated kitchen, carpark for 3 cars and a small storehouse, 2 aircons, cable TV, 1 phone line TT&T. Price: B3.5 million including furniture. Excl. furniture B2,995,000. Must see! Email: jochenschmitz16@gmail. com. Call 081 607 8000.

Lovely 6 bedroom/office.Inc: 2 bedroom SC disable flat.

Pool, garden, garage, storage. Opp.Tesco in well established area.Priced to sell at B9,000,000. Ph:081 270 4291.Email:thailandmls@ gmail.com.

design villa with a large 9x3 metre pool, 2 floors, nice garden, car park and mountain views, 6 years young, 120 sqm floor, 2 bedrooms, chanote, located close to center & beach. Call 085 473 7812.

Happy Home Apartment for sale: Nice Patong Bangla Building for Sale: B28 mil-

lion, Chanote, 4 floors 6m x 14m. 1st & 2nd tenanted. Flr 3-staff accom, bath, kitchen.

Separate office with access to lower floor. 4th flr private Penthouse one bed. 087 881 7600.

apartment, fully furnished at Rawai. The apartment is set in a private compound with pool. It is located only 5 minutes from beach and convenient to Phuket Town.

Only B15 million. Tel :081 893 2165 www.happyhomeapartmentphuket.webiz. co.th.

Fu r n i s h e d H o u s e for Sale Phuket Villa 5: 3 bedroom furnished house near Kajonkiet School. Secure area, Cul De Sac. Nice gardens, two bathrooms. B3.5M negotiable. Call 081 370 8114 (Thai) 087 889 3838 (Eng), e m a i l:d av i d g e m 9 8 @ h ot mail.com.

Sea-View Contemporary Pool Villla: Locat-

Ocean Front Villa for Sale: Luxury brand new vil-

Pool Villa For Sale Nai Harn: Modern, open

tiful land with Chanote for sale, concrete access road, Land plat, electric & facilities ready to build your home.

Direct contact Thai owner K.Dallas (Poy) 089 472 9870 or dchaibut@gmail.com.

Rawai 6 Bedrooms:

ed near Phuket town. Land: 855sq.m. House: 650sq.m.

Furnished. 3 beds, 2 offices, 2 staff quarters, 1 free room.

2 car parks. Price B54.9 mill.

Tel: 081 895 3628 E-mail: jin_koy@yahoo.com.

la, fully furnished and ready to move in, 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms with infinity 10 metre long swimming pool and truly beautiful sea view.

Located in a small development, only 50 metres from the sea and 3 mins from Ao Po Grand Marina. For sale B19.9 million or for long term rent B150,000 per month.

Call 081 343 0777, email: montha_ phuket@yahoo. com.

1 Rai Land QUICK Sale in Rawai: Beau-

Kathu- Pool Villa for sale: Hillside setting. Luxurious 6 bedroom, 5 bathroom pool villa for sale or rent. Sale 20M Baht. Rent minimum 6 months. High season 90K per month.Twelve months or more 70K PM. 087 078 6379.

Apar tment on Golf Course: Golf View, Kathu.

House on The Corner for Sale: Quiet location

One + Two Homes for Sale with AC, Rawai: Main home: two bed, extended bungalow with outside kitchen, shower and seating salas set in mature, walled, private gardens. Own well, tanks and pumps. Sold, furnished.

Will sleep 8+ can be sold with a 30-year land lease for non-Thai. Price B5.5 nego: Mobile: Eng 082 416 0150. 3BB WiFi internet also.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

Pool Villa in Marina: Ready to move in, single storey pool villa with 3 bedrooms situated in the impressive Park Residence s e c t o r of B o at L a g o o n Marina. Impressively constructed along a modern Asian theme. 076 238 948, email: marketing@phuketproper tytrip.com.

Allamanda (Laguna) Residences/Phuket Sale/Rent: One 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. Long term rent or sale. 0 9 0 487 8 08 4, utaipan@yahoo.com.

F O R S A L E - K ATA BEACH CENTRE 2 BEDROOMS LUXE APARTMENT 13 5 S Q M . PR I C E B7,900,000. LEASEHOLD. INFO: 084 843 8720.

EMAIL; thewhite housekata @ gmail. com.

Double your money in 5 years!: New Year special promotion: Studio in brand new, world class, eastcoast development. Never seen on Phuket; Amazing luxury at real prices. Call 080 882 1377, email: beach projects1@gmail.com.

Townhouse Chalong Bargain!: Town house on 3 levels with mezanine, 112 sqm, fully furnished, 3 BR, 3 bathrooms, 2 kitchens, 3 air con. Tasteful western decoration, MUST see, HP English 0854415115. Thai 081 555 1230.

Tastefully renovated large (83m2) apartment in Phuket Country Club. Golf view. 1 bed but easily converted to 2. Store, large Western kitchen and all furniture included.

Ideal (holiday) home. Contact 081 273 7326, Email: keithmarshall747@gmail. com.

Seaview Townhouse Patong: Between the city and the jungle at the northern edge of Patong. 70m alt.

10mn walk to the beach. 4 storey +/- 290 sqm, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 1 toilet.

4 aircon, partly furnished. andamanhills@gmail.com.

Rawa i So i S a l i g a Land for Sale: Land 1 rai + 81 T/W total 1924 sqm.

Does not need landscaping sale by owner land location on the top of the Soi. Tel 084 745 4132, chanote tiltle.

3-Bed House - Sale or Rent: Sun Palm Village, Chalong. Lounge, dining kitchen, 3 beds and 2 baths.

Private swimming pool and easily maintained grounds.

All furniture with fitted kitchen included. Ideal for small family or as rental investment. Contact 081 273 7326, Email: keithmarshall747@ gmail.com

Single House Special Price B9.5 million: Nice house fully furnished with teakwood furniture, ready to move in. 240 sqm. 4 bed 4 bath, close to Kathu waterfall and market. Near Loch Palm, major stores, BIS and KIS. Call Oranwan 086 883 3169.

Seaview 1 BDRM New Condo Patong: StunPatong Condo: Makes a good condo deal now. 1-bedroom corner condo 56sqm, fully furnished. Only 1.99 mil.

Normal price 2.6 mil. 10mins walk to beach and Bangla Road. Tel: 089 872 6895 or jospeder@live.no.

ning seaview, city view 1 bdrm condo on hill 500m from Patong beach. Fitness centre, roof top pool, security, car park, freehold.

Only B4,400,000. Keith 084 628 3430, keithb025@gmail. com.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 21

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

List your advert for FREE at thephuketnews.com

PROPERTY IN PHUKET

PROPERTY FOR SALE CONT.

Land Closed to Thanyapura /PIA: Half 6.1 Rai Land for Sale: 6.1 rai (10,000sq metre).

- 5 m i nute s to N a i t h o n 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.

Cheapest Seaview land for Sale: Panorama view of sea view golf course view mountain view land for sale.

Near Mission Hills Golf course.

6rai chanote tiltle. B3 million per rai. 087 675 9555, email:pee_ bang56@hotmail.com.

Beachfront land for sale: 2 rai absolute amazing

Seaview Land For Sale: Land located right in the heart of Chalong with panorama view of Chalong pier. Close to number of sandy beaches; Naihan Rawai Kata and Karon.

Easy access to major department stores. Surrounded by public facilities including education institutes and hospitals.

You will benefit from a perfect location that's rapidly increasing in value. 3 rai and 1 Ngan with Chanote title. B22 millions per rai. Call 087 278 7206, 089 215 5041 e-mail: kubesjoy@ hotmail.com.

G o l f Co u r s e L a n d For Sale: Near British Intl School, 17 rai with public road access. Suitable for resort or housing project. Can be divided. Price: B 4. 5 m p e r r ai. C o nt ac t owner 089 724 7211, email: julien@phuketimmo.com.

beachfront, few min boat ride from Phuket, facing west to sunset and views of Phuket.

B13 million per rai +66 (0) 86 278 8300 or izzy.serenitygroup@gmail.com.

Reduced for Quick Sale: Studio condo at The Point near Lotus, Big C, Central. Fully furnished. Great views 6th floor. Cost B2.8M Baht. Reduced to B2.25M. Call 087 889 3838 or 081 370 8114. Email: davidgem98@ hot mail.com

Seaview Land Patong: Prime Location 35M Lake Front: Fantastic

Land for Sale: Mission Hills. One rai. Very quiet and private, close to all services, 10 min to school, airport, beach, golf, Tesco. B3.4M. 087 276 0529 for info.

views over the lake and Loch Palm. Very quiet, secluded plot but with all facilities ready to go. 1551 sqm plot, freehold leasehold with full Chanote title. 081 273 6959.

Absolute Beach Front Land: S o ngk la dist r ic t near new deep sea por t.

4.5 Rai divided into 7 Chanote plots. Reluctant sale.

B4.9M the lot. Email: jmic chia@yahoo.c om or c all 087 276 0529.

club, may split into 3 x 2 rai seperate plots, B4.2 million per rai, full chanote, water/elec. sea/mountain views. 08 797 85804 (Eng).

Opposite Wat Chalong on the way up to the hill, Chanote, ca. 36 m x 45 m, sophisticated hillside project, proratable, B8.5 mil direct to owner: 085 65 44 0 11 or 089 40 40 737.

Pa klok L and O nly B7,999/Sqwah: Only

Donsak Beachfront Land 3 Rai: 67 metres

B7,999/Sq wah at Paklok, Chanote, Mountain View, 200m from main road, 11 km from monument and 4 km to Mission Hill. Interested/ Wanted larger size, CALL 084 305 6667, email: mari sar1978@hotmail.com

absolute beach frontage, fully infrastructured, ready to build. Close to ferry going to Koh Samui. Chanote title.

6.6MB for all. Contact 087 225 8311 (English) John.

Email: nhoj0512@hotmail. com.

Amazing Sea View Penthouse: Panoramic

Luxury Villa in Chalong: Perfect condition, 660 sqm on 3 levels, 1,600 sqm land, 5 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, swimming pool 12.5m x 6m with jacuzzi, large sala, double garage. Top quality construction. Reduced price: B25.5 million www.tamata-phuket.com crishausb@ hotmail.com. 086 271 3260 or 086 273 4149.

Ocean Front Land: 7 rai with 185 metres of sea frontage. Water, electricity, road and boat access, located 800 metres from Yacht Haven marina, perfect site for small beach front development. For quick sale only B5 million per rai. Tel 081 343 0777 Email: mon tha_phuket@yahoo.com.

Land Plot for Sale: Chanode title at Cherng Talay / Pasak7 (Phuket - Surin Beach aerea) Phone 090 487 8084. Email: utaipan@ yahoo.com.

from the beach, large 2-bedroom apartment with communal swimming pool and balcony. FREEHOLD (can be foreign owned). B7.5M. Call owner 089 724 7211 or julien@phuket immo.com.

Land For Sale: Mission Hills. 3/4 of rai in small community, very quiet and private, close to all services, 10 min to school, airport, beach, golf, Tesco B2.5M. 087 276 0529 for info.

3 gorgeous lots, clean titles: For sale or long lease. 2 Lots on IslandBeachfront (Bungalow-/ Housing-Estate) and 1 big Mainland-Mountain property all in very quiet, safe, well maintained locations near Krabi. 089 291 4671.

Two parcels of superior land 11 rai. Inc seaview. Main road frontage. Ideal for resort or condominiums. B150 M. Negotiable. (Thai) 081 370 8114 or (Ger) 081 892 1108. Email: davidgem98@hotmail.com.

Condominium in Patong for Sale: Less than 1 Km

6 rai Hilltop Land for sale: Near Mission Hills golf

1 Rai Sea-View Land:

Rai 1.3MB, 1 Rai is 2.5 MB, total 3 Rai of Land, Mountain View, Chanote, 3 Mins drive to Thanyapura/PIA School, 15 Mins to Airport. Contact Marisa 084 305 6667 or marisar1978@hotmail.com.

sea view, mountain view and Big Buddha. 310 sq metre, 2 beds, 2 baths with option to convert in 3 beds. Contact: Izzy +66(0)86 278 8300 or izzy.serenitygroup@gmail. com.

Patong/Kalim sea view condo: Freehold,

2nd floor, corner unit, stunning sea view, pool, car park, security, best location, ca. 110sqm, 2 bedroom, German kitchen, all new, terrace, only a few metres to beach, B10.6 M 081 824 1385.

Rawai Half Rai for Sale: Land plot 100 metres to Rawai Beach, about 850 sq.metre.

Chanote title deed, private road with sewer, 3 phases electricity and wall around the land. Email: rawai.steen@ gmail.com, call 080 530 6880.

Apartment for sale in Patong: Apartment for SALE in Patong; 50 sqm of the living area, sea-view /mountain view, furnished, Pool, 24hr security, for SALE B2.8M - B3.3M. Contact +66 (0) 83 103 3801, 081 415 7774.

New Condo “Phuket Villa Patong�: Prime

Patong Condo for Sale: My condo is ready

location, deluxe 65 sqm, 1 bed 1 bath apartment, freehold, modern full furnished, pool, gym, sauna, CCTV + security 24hrs, private park. 4.9MB. Call John: 087 225 8311 (English) Email: nhoj0512@hotmail.com.

for immediate sale located at Lotus Residence, a small 3-storey boutique condo of only 12 apartments total.

It is located on a southern hillside above Patong Bay. Call 084 436 2540.

1 Rai Chalong Pier Land Sale: Reduc ed Price. 1,483 sqm (0.927 Rai).

Chanote Title, New Survey.

Public road, electric and well. 450m walk to Chalong Pier. B8.9 million. 085 784 0209. chalong1000@gmail. com. www.sites.google.com/ site/1483meters.

Land At Kathu For Sale: Only 15 min. to Patong and only 10 min. to Phuket Town, located at Kathu, total 141 sqw or 564 sqm with ready public utility.

Call 081 892 0610, 081 472 0770, tan_ohio@hotmail.com.

22 CLASSIFIEDS

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

Buy&Sell COMPANY FOR SALE

Restaurant/ guesthouse for sale Located in Kamala > 22

Sunseeker 58 Manhattan For SWAP or SALE

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Rawai Restaurant For Sale: Popular ex-pat cafe

PHUKET, THAILAND SELF STORAGE, POTRA COM, PRE-FAB 470,000 USD - 345,000 EURO - 450,000 AUD - 300,000 BP

WWW.SAFEWAYASIA.COM

4 cabins 3 bedrooms fully equipped located in Boat lagoon.

With excellent place FREE for 7 years.

Price 12 million or EXCHANGE for a Villa or Apartment in Rawai, Kata, Karon.

For English - Email: maurice.phuket@gmail.com or SMS 081 788 8280.

For Russian - Ms. Oxana Email: phuket.lux@gmail.com or SMS: 080 529 0726.

in excellent location with 2 bedroom ac c ommodation above. 32 seats. Clean, fully equipped, fully operating, high volume, high profit, LOW RENT! Motivated seller looking for quick sale. Family reasons.

Baht 2 million. Call 091 154 3296.

Bangtao Restaurant/ Pub for Sale: Get 10 years contract, great location 50m from Best Western Hotel and Beach, Full furniture and equipment.

Rent B18,500 per month.

C all (G er/ Eng) 0 87 8 9 3 8590, Email: somtom_lan dandhouse@yahoo.de

BOATS & YACHTS

Speed Boat For Sale: A Steal For A Quick Sale: 2007 Italian demo Exceptional Yacht For Sale: Beautifully maintained Wauquiez Yacht 41FT. Specs and photos: w w w.w a u q u i e z f o r s a l e . blogspot.com. Robert: 087 632 8259 or email: camina ta40@hotmail.com. Priced to sell: $199K US. Can be seen in Phuket.

yacht Cranchi 47f t Hard Top. Fully loaded with Tropical air con, genset, Electrical winches, garage, roof, Raymarine Premium Navy, BBQ, Ice Maker, 3 Fridges, “Bose” Sound, Neon light, Twin 570HP with reliable shaft drive, under 300 hours, Brand New Condition. Euro385,000. Call: 089 971 0278, eddyelan@yahoo. com.

Steppa Fiberglass 32 feet Flybridge two 200 hp Yamaha outboard engines. Ideal for diving and tours. B850,000.

Call 081 8942124.

tion, 12.18m Fiberglass Bowrider, 12mm thick hull, 600ltr fuel tank, 150ltr water tank, licensed for 25 passengers, storage area, manual head, 5 years old, B1.4 million o.n.o, contact 076 362 300 Ext.1801.

Restaurant /Guesthouse for sale: Located in Kamala. 40 metres to the beach. 10 rooms with full furnishings. Restaurant 54 seat. Price B8 million. For more information call 081 396 0033.

2 Rai, Cherngtalay: 25 year lease for sale. Well situated in a fast developing and sought after area close to Laguna. Some fixed rent applies. Contact 087 884 0644 for more info.

Business for sale: BusiSpeed boat for sale!

Now 290,000: 6 metre body Bayliner, 200 HP (EFI) Mercury engine, Yamaha 5 HP back up engine. Blue book. Including: trailer, 2 anchors, and cover, Garmin deep sounder and fish finder brand new. Call 081 477 5637 THAI; 086 283 0082 ENG, RUS.

Moonsoon for sale: 28Ft, registered for 15 passengers. 200Hp/ V6 Mercury motor, only 240 hours, totally restored 40 hours ago, perfect for snorkeling, diving trips, island hopping, water taxi navigation system + fishfinder, 5hp spare motor. Boat and motor in very good condition. Located at Boat Lagoon. Priced for quick sale at B330,000.

Contact at : 086 747 9292 or claudstrey@gmail.com.

Speedboat for sale Hull Only: Excellent condi-

4 0F T Steel Cut ter Sloop: Ready to cruise.

Charter Boat: 62ft Hat-

Centrecockpit. Safe, strong German design. New Sails, 44HP Yanmar Engine, 6 Berths, solar, wind generator, BBQ, dinghy&outboard.

AUD$110K. 085 378 0498, yacht.antaia@gmail.com.

teras Style yacht, 35 + 4 crew, large upper deck includes website: www.char terboatsphuket.com, price B5,370,000 or best offer. email: eastcoastefi@aol. com or 087 889 8044.

Exceptional Yacht For Sale: Beautifully maintained Wauquiez Yacht 41FT. Specs and photos: w w w.w a u q u i e z f o r s a l e . blogspot.com. Robert: 087 632 8259 or email: camina ta40@hotmail.com. Priced to sell: $199K US. Can be seen in Phuket.

Ski Boat for Sale: Glastron Carlson design, Thai registered, 120ltr fuel tank, 200hp Yamaha engine in excellent condition. Includes trailer, boat cover, wakeboard pole, ropes and ski equipment. Call 081 894 5822, email: markbreitis@gmail.com.

Guesthouse, Bar & Restaurant For Sale: Baht 2,500,000. Price includes: 5 years left on current lease (key money paid until Feb 2018), Thai registered company (1 work permit), all forward room bookings in baht, web site, all stock, furniture and fittings. Rent baht 28,000 per month. Prime Location Karon Beach, single shop, 4 stories, 5 letting rooms, seating 32 diners, 18 drinkers. Huge stainless steel kitchen, 1 large and 2 small storerooms, 1 staff room, 1 office. If you have the money and intend to buy NOW call me for further information – English only 084 842 0340.

ing and blue cover. On a fiber glass V shaped hull. 240HP Mercury Giving comfortable cruise at 25-30Kts and 40 Kts Max Ideal for family day trips to beach skiing etc. 081 273 6959.

Busy Bar for sale: Very busy Mushroom bar for sale in Soi Bel Air. Wally Bar. All stock, TV sound system, beer boxes and fridges included in sale, rent B10,000 monthly, only 850,000 baht ono. Call 086 725 0771.

Cement Production Plant: Ready Mixed Con-

Restaurant / Guesthouse: Established res-

6.5M RIB: New Hypalon tub-

ness only or business and property. Est 2003. Repeat business from big data base, non tourist related soft furnising manufacturing and retail business. Genuine enquires only, no tyre kickers. For further info email samos1941@ gmail.com.

taurant covering two shop houses with private terrace and owners apartment or 8 room guesthouse. Freehold (no lease/rent). Includes all equipment and newly renovated kitchen. Contact for details. Projected ROI 4 years. Call 081 956 3166.

crete Company’s factory.

446.92 Horse power. Output of workers in the production of 22 people per day at an average yield of about 100 Q/Day (B1,800/Q) average revenue per day for about B180,000. Manufacture of ready-mixed concrete. Can continue immediately. Just buy a cement truck then start delivery. Ready water source to be used for production. Address: Moo. 4 T. Maikhao Thalang Dist.

Phuket 83110. Land Size: 20 rai 2 Ngan and 56 talang wah. Price: B130 Million.

Contact: Mr. Lee, mobile: 081 803 7189.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 23

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

BUY & SELL IN PHUKET

List your advert for FREE at thephuketnews.com motorbike trailer, with tow bar and coupling. Cost B45,000 to build, will sell for B25,000.

Ideal for dog caring or shopping. Very stable. Please ring 084 858 1917.

BUSINESS SERVICES

Clubs & Memberships:

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.

Lady Car for sale: Nissan Tida 2010 model, automatic, as new condition, white, mag wheels, air con, CD stereo controlled from steering wheel, 1 year 1st class insurance.

B550,000 ONO, call 087 276 0529.

CHILDCARE

CAR FOR RENT

New Honda Jazz: New Honda jazz for rent with insurance and delivery service. Call 081 607 8567.

CAR FOR SALE

oldest international childcare facility. High-quality, timeproven schedule and curriculum. Now in brand-new purpose-built school. Experienced native English teachers to teach ages 1 1/2-8.

Mon-Fri 8am-5pm. Bus service available from Patong, Karon, Kata, Phuket, Rawai and Chalong. Tel: 076 384 638, 080 624 7060. Website: www.buds-phuket.com.

CLUBS & MEMBERSHIPS

Baht. Country club 500,000 Baht. Buyer pays for transfer.

083 388 5566. Email borst. jg@gmail.com

worldwide. Perfect condition, 2006, manual, 17,500 km, 218 hp supercharged, high end hifi, Recaro seats, Book Service, Ultimate Mini. Collectors item.1.6m, 089 866 3756 (Eng/ Th) frankdreist@hotmail.com.

Health Food: Online health food in Thailand. Good karma, all natural, healthy, and organic products. Please contact 082 276 1675, www.good karmathailand.com.

Football Table for Sale: Sell Machine 'Bon Café: Sell Machine "Bon Café" "Royal Cappuchino" new still with Bon Café. never used Purchase price of B54,080. Very good deal: Make offer 08 57 98 94 69 Franck.

and baking classes have never been more fun using our top-class professional facilities. With complimentary transport from around the island, head to the best Masterchef kitchen on the island. Learn the tricks of the trade from international award winning Chef, Lionel Raiffort. Learn how to cook, from Thai & European cuisines, to the art of baking. Get involved and make a day of it, groups are welcome. For more information, visit w w w. phuket-cooking-academy. com or call 081 821 4064.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS FOR SALE

Mazda 2 For Sale: One

fect condition 359,000 baht.

Tel 081 125 1873, gordon_ asia@hotmail.com.

Brand new “Heavy duty” Soccer/Football Table for rent and sell. Suitable for bars and hotels. Call us now at 081 823 4627, 085 782 1200.

PET ADOPTION

SPORTING GOODS & EXERCISE

Phuket Cooking A c a d e my: C o o k i n g

Specialized Carbon Full Suss: Stumpjumper FSR VALCUCINE for sale: VA LCUCINE showroom kitchen for sale due to renovation. 3 years old / good condition / Walnut material with Stainless Steel worktop /hob / hood sink and tap.

Please call English (084 240 6688) and Thai (081 484 2565).

PERSONAL SERVICES

Wanted. Tel: 081 577 8443, email: phuketconnection@ yahoo.com

TOYOTA V I O S FO R SALE: 2007 lady owner per-

For serious interest email: thewhitehousekata@gmail.com for RUSSIAN ; Ms. Oxana Email: phuket.lux@gmail.com

POOL TABLES

Backgammon: Players

year old 7,500km. automatic, smart lock, park distance control, air bags, CD stereo, controlled on steering wheel 490,000B moving must sell, contact Thai/English: 090 165 0875.

Price total 38 million Baht (9.50.000.euro) include chanote and Thai company.

Buds Nursery: Phuket’s

Golf Membership for Sale: Loch Palm 500,000

Mini Cooper S JCW GP for sale: Only 2000 made

Kata Beach Center 9 apar tments and a 300 sqm Penthouse on the roof plus fully equipped restaurant and pool with terrace are free of rent and now available.

COOKING CLASS

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 or visit: www.phuketfood.com.

Club Asia Fitness, Royal Phuket City Hotel - Offers Zumba/LesMills/Yoga 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.

7th Floor Suites (Hotel) Building For Sale

Motorbike Trailer with Tow bar: Professionally built Sailboat for Sale/or TRADE

2 mast 17 metre (50 c.v. Yanmar engine) excellent condition Fully equipped located in Chalong. Valuations price B15 million.

Price NOW! 9.8 million ---- OR TO EXCHANGE. For a villa/apartment in Rawai, Kata, Karon Phuket.

Email maurice.phuket@gmail.com or SMS 081 788 8280 For Russian contact Oxana 080 529 0726 or Email: phuket.lux@gmail.com

WE ARE LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME Several rescued dogs, Cute, cuddly & groomed ready to be loved.

For more photos visit www.doggieheaven.net Or contact: Sherin.peace@gmail.com ***Vaccinated & sterilised

Why buy a pet?: Soi Dog Foundation have over 300 beautiful dogs and puppies available for adoption. Fully vaccinated and sterilised. Contact 085 574 4258 or email: cindy@soidog.org.

Carbon MTB, Super top spec - Brain F+R Shocks, SRAM XX drive train, Hope Race brakes, Mavix SLR wheels. Large size (180 cm+). Midlife crisis dream machine. 125,000 Thb. 081 737 0722.

Kite Surf Equipment for Sale: 2 new boards, never used. 2 Kites, used 2-3 times. New price was more then 200,000 Baht.

Sell altogether for 100.000 B a h t . Fo r s i n g l e i t e m s please call. 086 747 9292 (English) or 081 970 520.

Life Fitness Walking Machine: Brand new retail B150,000. Sell for B70,000.

Call 0872760529.

24 PHUKET SPORT

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Super 6 leaders stumble FOOTBALL

T

he Division 1 competition tightened up this round, with top teams Joy Dive and Phuket Condos & Homes both losing their respective games. Now just three points separate the five teams leading the top division.

Division 1 Morning Star v Phuket Condos & Homes: 6 – 3 PC&H went into this game as favourites with only one loss in their five games so far. Title defenders Morning Star, however, were looking to redeem themselves after last week’s disappointing result.

PC&H took an early lead, but Morning Star soon pulled back a few goals to put them in the lead before the break.

PC&H pushed to balance the scoresheet in the second half, but solid teamwork by Morning Star fended off their efforts. Instead, it was Morning Star who increased the score to end the game with a 6 – 3 win, and an upset for the ambitious PC&H team.

Shakers FC v Banana FC A: 4 – 4 Newly promoted Banana FC were looking to continue their

strong form against Shakers, who are still trying to kick start their season with a few wins. The experienced Banana boys were in the lead through most of the game, but Shakers never gave up and delivered a late equaliser to make it a 4 – 4 draw.

Pita Bar Phuketeers v Nanai Boys: 4 – 2 Pita Bar Phuketeers move up to third spot on the table after a solid win against Nanai Boys, who looked strong but were left still chasing their first win.

Joy Dive FC v Holiday Inn FC: 0 – 1 The surprise of the day came in this match between tabletoppers Joy Dive and jumbos Holiday Inn. Joy Dive, who have won all five previous games, were looking to cruise to another victory against the Holiday Inn team. But Holiday Inn managed to keep a clean sheet through the entire game after snatching an early goal – and the final result of 1 – 0 to Holiday Inn has put a serious dent in Joy Dives’ title aspirations.

Division 2 Mr Moo v Irish Times: 0 – 4 Irish Times piled the misery on the under-performing Mr

SUPER SIX SOCCER Division 1

Team

P

W

D

L

F

GD

1

Joy Dive FC

6

4

1

1

29

12

Pts 13

2

Phuket Condos & Homes

6

4

0

2

32

7

12

3

Pita Bar Phuketeers

6

3

2

1

19

4

11

4

Banana FC A

6

3

1

2

29

2

10

5

Morning Star

6

3

1

2

24

2

10

6

Shakers FC

6

1

2

3

21

-3

5

7

Holiday Inn FC

6

1

1

4

11

-15

4

8

Nanai Boys

6

0

2

4

18

-9

2

Team

P

W

D

L

F

GD

Pts

1

Seduction

6

4

1

1

29

5

13

Serenity Villas: 3 – 3 Another close encounter that ended with Big Apple and PSV sharing the points.

2

Irish Times

6

3

1

2

24

7

10

3

Atmanjai

6

3

1

2

20

0

10

4

Phuket Serenity Villas

6

2

3

1

29

3

9

5

Blue D Zine PSU FC

6

1

4

1

24

3

7

Division 3 Fruit Ninjas v Two Chefs: 5–3 Fruit Ninjas continue their winning spree with six wins in six games, this time against the Two Chefs. Although this was a close match, it was Fruit Ninjas who showed clinical finishing in front of goal.

Crown Plaza Panwa FC v Rose United: 3 – 8 Rose United move up to second spot in Division 2 with this 8 – 3 win against struggling Crown Plaza.

FC Raya Group Asia v Banana FC B: 0 – 4 Another surprise result, as

6

Big Apple & Pita

6

1

3

2

18

-3

6

7

Bat Fire

5

1

2

2

22

-2

5

8

Mr. Moo

5

0

1

4

11

-13

1

Pts

Division 2

Morning Star’s James Saunders on the ball against PC&H. Moo team, and they were virtually jumping through hoops when the final whistle sounded.

Bat Fire v Seduction 6 – 7 A very close game between two skilled Thai teams, but it was Seduction who managed to secure a 7 – 6 win to take them top of the table in Division 2.

Blue D Zine PSU FC v Atmanjai: 5 – 0 After a superb start to their campaign, Atmanjai suffered their second consecutive loss and fell from the top of the table. PSU, meanwhile, climbed two spots on the table with this well-deserved 5 – 0 win, taking them out of the relegation zone.

Big Apple & Pita v Phuket

Division 3

Team

P

W

D

L

F

GD

1

Fruit Ninjas

6

5

1

0

29

14

16

2

Rose United

6

4

2

0

33

18

14

3

Russia United

6

4

2

0

27

11

14

4

FC Raya Group Asia

6

3

0

3

23

6

9

5

Banana FC B

6

2

0

4

16

-8

6

6

Two Chefs

5

1

0

4

9

-19

3

7

Gang Junior

5

0

2

3

15

-8

2

8

Crown Plaza Panwa FC

6

0

1

5

10

-14

1

Banana FC ran away with a big win against FC Raya Group, who lost ground on the division’s top three teams.

Gang Junior v Russia United: 4–4

The evening’s most exciting affair, as Gang Junior surprisingly snatched a point from Division 3 favourites Russia United, in a game that ended in a 4 – 4 draw.

Radio

by

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

PHUKET SPORT 25

Laguna edge Jabudays in tight match CRICKET

J

abudays took on the undefeated Laguna side at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) on Sunday, in the final match of the first round of the Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels league and one of the most highly anticipated matches so far this season.

Many pundits thought this match might see the Laguna side capitulate to a very strong Jabudays lineup, the only side to defeat them during 2012.

The match lived up to expectations, and was decided in the final over when Jabudays were bowled out for 197, just short of the 206 run target set

by Laguna.

Laguna elected to bat after winning the toss. But all did not go to plan early on, with Andrew Cole run out in the 2nd over and soon followed

by Sameer Khan, caught at deep mid-on in the 4th over.

At two wickets down for only 11 runs, the Laguna side looked in an uncomfortable position. But Bill Stahmer (76) and Stuart Reading steadied the ship against a very accurate Jabudays attack, going

Laguna’s Bill Stahmer batting against Jubaday’s Imtiyaz Musthaq. back to the clubhouse at the 10 over drinks break with 36 runs on the scoreboard.

They managed to push the run rate along after the break, until their 64 run partnership came to an end when Reading was bowled in the 18th over, with the score on 75.

Stahmer, the league’s oldest player, continued on with gritty determination and a string of handy partnerships, until he was finally dismissed in the 32nd over, with Laguna 9 wickets down for 181 runs.

Jabudays now had their tails up and hoped to bowl out Laguna for less than 200 runs.

However, Darren Shaw and Shah Ullah put on an undefeated last-wicket stand to take the score along to 9 wickets for 205 runs at the end of 35 overs.

The pick of the bowlers for Jabudays were Anand Chand (1 for 8) and Naeem Ul Haq (1 for 30).

Jabudays took to the field after lunch feeling confident they could chase down the Laguna score. But they too suffered an early loss when captain Anand Chand was caught at backward square leg in the 4th over, with only 8 runs on the scoreboard.

Imtiyaz Mushtaq (58) Deepak Mehra (28) took the attack to Laguna, and Jubadays were 1 wicket down for 60 runs at the 10 over drinks break.

Laguna introduced their slower bowlers during the second stanza, which slowed the run rate – but they were in desperate need of a breakthrough.

JLL Hotels Cricket League 2012/2013 Team

P

W

L

Pts

1

Patong

4

3

1

20

2

Laguna

4

3

0

19

3

Jubadays

4

2

2

15

4

TNT

4

1

3

13

5

Village

4

0

3

4

They eventually broke the 86-run partnership when Meehra was dismissed in the 19th over, with the score on 94 runs.

At the 20 over drinks break, Jabudays were only 2 wickets down for 103 runs and Mushtaq looked in formidable form.

Laguna had to pick up wickets in the third stanza to stem the run f low, and achieved immediate success with a wicket in the 21st

over, followed by the scalps of Mushtaq and Ali Khan in the 22nd.

S Nawez (33) and Surender Kumar then put on a 37 run partnership, until Kumar was dismissed with a sharp catch by Stuart Reading at backward point, with the score on 143 in the 27th over.

Val Guiraud then claimed the scalp of Nawez in the 29th over and was on a hat-trick after bowling Balesh Desai for a golden duck.

At 8 wickets down for 164 at the 30-over mark, and with 42 runs to claim victory from 30 balls, it was anyone’s game.

Vi k ra m Sha r ma a nd Paresh Bokari put on a 35 run partnership to take the score within reach of the target, until a match winning run-out by Shoeib Mushtaq from deep mid-wicket with the score on 191 in the 33rd over.

With 15 runs required from 12 balls, the balance had tilted towards Laguna.

But the outcome was still not certain until.Jabudays were bowled out in the final over for 197 runs, just 9 short of their target.

The pick of the bowlers for Laguna were Val Guiraud (3 for 44), Sami Ullha (3 for 48) and Shoeib Mushtaq (2 for 21).

The results leaves Patong on the top of the JLL Hotels Cricket League table at the completion of the round 1 games, edging out Laguna who are just 1 point behind.

This Sunday Village CC will take on Thanyapura News Tigers (TNT) at the ACG, with both sides looking for a morale-boosting victory.

Youth rugby side win capital honours Phuket Cricket Group RUGBY UNION THE PH U K ET LOM AS competed in the Bangkok Lions Youth Rugby 10s tournament this weekend, fielding teams in the Under 12 and Under 16 categories.

Both Loma squads logged strong wins against teams from Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka, and ended the tournament with high honours.

The Lomas U16s were the first to play on a hot and steamy morning at Bangkok Patana School, where the tournament has been held annually, with this being the 9th edition.

The first game was against Nak Sue Tigers from Bangkok.

After a sluggish start the Lomas took control of the game, with three converted tries for a convincing 21 – 0 win.

The Lomas U12s also won their first game against Nak Sue opposition 15 – 0.

In a tight second game, the U16s went down to a last minute try lose to Cobra from Malaysia 7 – 0.

In the last game of the day, the U16s beat AGOL from Sri Lanka 12 – 0, putting them on course for a place in the cup semi-final.

Lomas U12s drew their second game 10 – 10 against Malaysia’s Selangor Club,

RESULTS:

The Phuket Lomas tour party at the Bangkok tournament. before going down 10 – 5 to Hong Hong’s Sandy Bay. The Lomas U16s met their their hosts, Bangkok Lions, in the first game of day 2.

These games have always been close, and the Lomas were the deserved winners in a bruising 5 – 0 encounter.

The next U16 game, against Thailand’s Vajirayud College, was effectively a semi-final to determine who would play in the cup final.

The Lomas struck early to lead 5 – 0 and controlled the game until the final minute, where a slip in defence let in the Vajirayud winger to tie the game. But a draw was enough and a place in the final against Malaysia’s Cobra was assured In the final itself, Cobra raced into a 10 – 0 half-time lead. A change of tactics by the Lomas in the second half saw them fight back to 10 – 5 with a try by captain Lek. But the

strong Cobra defence saw them hang on for a narrow victory.

The Lomas lads were disappointed, but it was a great effort and their best result yet at this tournament.

Next the Lomas U 12s played Sandy Bay of Hong Kong in the semi-finals and avenged the previous day’s defeat, by winning 10 – 5 for a place in the plate final.

Their opposition would be

U 16s: Cup Runners-up 2013 Lomas 21 – 0 Nak Sue Tigers Lomas 0 – 7 Cobra Malaysia Lomas 12 – 0 AGOL Sri Lanka Lomas 5 – 0 BKK Lions Lomas 5 – 5 Vajirayud College Cup Final: Lomas 5 – 10 Cobra Malaysia U 12s: Plate Winners 2013 Lomas 15 – 0 Nak Sue Tigers Lomas 10 – 10 Selangor Club MY Lomas 5 – 10 Sandy Bay HK Lomas 10 – 0 AGOL Sri Lanka Semi Final: Lomas 10 – 5 Sandy Bay Plate Final: Lomas 10 – 5 AGOL Sri Lanka

AGOL of Sri Lanka, who came out firing and scored early for a 5 – 0 lead.

Only great tackling kept the Lomas in the game at half time, but a change of tactics in the second half saw them tie the score with moments to go.

In a tense period of overtime which went into its sixth minute, the Lomas finally got the line break to win 10 – 5 and claim the plate-winners trophy.

plan Singapore tour CRICKET THE PHUKET CRICKET Group (PCG) is planning an end of season tour to Singapore at the end of May – their first overseas tour in more than five years.

The tour will feature two games: the first on Friday, May 24 against the ANZA Champs, who were recently in Phuket, and the second on Saturday, May 25, against the

Singapore Cricket Club (SCG).

The Saturday match will be held at the Padang, the SCG’s prestigious ground in the heart of the Singapore.

Details of the tour arrangements and the costs involved are still being worked out by the PCG organisers. and anyone interested in joining can email Mark Whetton at tours@ phuketcricketgroup.com Registrations for the tour close on May 15.

Hash House Harriers

Run 1407: 4pm on Saturday, February 23 Directions: Ao Po. From Heroines Monument, go east on Route 4027 for approximately 10km towards Ao Po. Turn left in Ao Po at the 7-11 (HHH sign). After 600m turn left at the Hash sign and follow the road for 1.3km then turn into the laager site on the left (HHH sign).

More information: phuket-hhh.com

26 PHUKET SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

Kick-off for Fair Play league FOOTBALL

T

he 5th Annual Fair Play League (FPL) 2013 kicked off its new five-week season at British International School on Sunday, February 17.

The league, run by Phuket Soccer Schools (PSS), is designed to promote fair play in football, and to help players integrate and play with other children from different schools, cultural and social backgrounds.

This year, the league scoring includes a bonus points system that will penalise unfair or foul play like shirtpulling and simulation (diving), with the aim of encouraging fair play in the games.

Under 11 players took part in two friendly games on Sunday to introduce them to

The Fair Play League U14 players at British International School on Sunday. the league, while the Under 14 players were grouped into teams named after top footballing nations, with each U14 team playing two 30-minute games.

Thailand Blue got off to a strong start, beating England 7 – 2. Spain came from be-

hind to grab all three points with a 4 – 2 victory over Thailand Green, and finally just sneaked past Brazil in a close match with a 3 – 2 score line.

The second round of fixtures saw some high scoring and close matches, with Bra-

zil conceding a last second equalizer to tie 3 – 3 with Thailand Blue. Argentina played out a thrilling 6 – 6 tie with Argentina, and Spain scored a 9 – 1 victory over England.

The Under 14s will continue their season on Sunday,

February 24 at BIS from 4.30pm, and the Under 11s will begin their season games at 3pm.

It’s not too late to join the fun: the Fair Play League is still looking for boys and girls players for both the U11 and U14 competitions.

PSS will allocate players to a team where they can make new friends and have a positive footballing experience.

“PSS think it’s important we emphasise and reinforce the importance of ‘fair play’ in football,” said head coach Martin Hill.

“We hope many positives will come out of the FPL league this year for both players and parents” For more information or to register for the Fair Play League, email info@phuketsoccerschools.com

Patong triathlon announced TRIATHLON MORE THAN 300 ATHletes have registered for a major new Phuket triathlon race in November.

The Phuket ITU Long Distance Triathlon Series event will be held at Patong on Saturday, November 9 and Sunday, November 10, as part of a triathlon weekend.

The first day of the competition features a sprint triathlon (750 m swim, 20 km bike ride, 5 km run), an Olympic distance triathlon (1.5 km swim, 40 km bike ride, 10 km run) and relay events.

The headlining Phuket ITU Long Distance race on the second day is comprised of 3 km swim, 80 km bike ride and 20km run.

Held under the International Triathlon Union banner and sponsored by Absolute World Group, the headline race offers world ranking points to athletes and prize money in excess of US$40,000

Missing in action, Buakaw Por Pramuk. Photo: James Goyder

(approximately B1.2 million).

Each event is capped at 500 competitors for 2013, and more than 300 athletes have already registered. Competitors who would like to enter can visit the event website at www.ituphukettriathlon.com “We are delighted Phuket is one of the hosts for the 2013 ITU Long Distance Triathlon Series,” said ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado.

“We are confident the local organising committee, with the support of the Absolute World Group, will host a great event that will generate high interest in both triathlon and

the beautiful island of Phuket.”

ITU is the global authority for the sport of triathlon, and one of their overriding aims is to encourage participation and spectators.

The course will start and finish in Patong, the island’s largest population and tourism centre, and will include a series of loops ensuring that spectators will be able view the action up close.

Organisers are working closely with the Asian Triathlon Confederation (ASTC) and the Thai triathlon community to encourage more local and regional participation.

Over 90 Cities, One Perfect Gateway.

SilkAir and Singapore Airlines Connecting you to Places.

Buakaw missing from Thai Fight MUAY THAI James Goyder editor@thephuketnews.com

THE THAI FIGHT TOURnament returns next week, but without Buakaw Banchamek, aka Buakaw Por Pramuk (above) who seems to be no longer part of the promotion.

Yodsaenklai Fairtex has apparently signed with the tournament but he will not

be in action at the first Thai Fight event of 2013, which is takes place in Ayutthaya on Saturday, February 23.

Instead ,the biggest names involved will be Saiyok Pumphanmuang, who takes on Brazilian Thiago Teixeira, and Sudsakorn Sor Klinmee who goes up against Russian Veselin Veseliov.

The main fights will be broadcast live on Thai channel 3 on Saturday at 11:15 pm. combat-asia.com

Hilltop win Friday darts league DARTS THE HILLTOP TEAM took the season title in Phuket’s Fr iday dar ts league after the final games last week.

Highlights of the final round includee a perfect 180, hit by Dave of the Ting Tong team.

There were no real upsets: Ting Tong turned up at the Hilltop with a strong team, but Hiltop just scraped a 5 – 3 win.

Ting Tong brought nine players on the night, and the last game was played 1,501, which Ting Tong won against the trend.

Sonic Bar beat Mickeys 6 – 2, with the high score of 134 points by Nok from Mickeys.

T he G r i z z ly b oy s played well to get a draw down at the Starfish, and Mangmoom managed to avoided bottom spot this season.

The Friday darts league holds its final party for the season at the Hilltop hotel next Friday, March 1, at 8.30 pm. The new season starts on Friday, March 8. For more information, visit sites.google.com/site/ patongdarts RESULTS: Friday, February 8 Hilltop 5 – 3 Mangmoom 1 – 7 Starfish 4–4 PBH 2–6 Mickeys 2–6

Ting Tong Presley Grizzly Lucky Luke Sonic Bar

FINAL STANDINGS: 1. Hilltop 2. Presley 3. Ting Tong 4. Starfish 5. Grizzly 6. Lucky Luke 7. Sonic Bar 8. Mangmoom/Mickeys 9. Phuket Beer House

112 101 85 76 75 71 66 47 39

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

WORLD SPORT 27

South Africa’s falling star

A

s “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius faces trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, compounded by allegations that illegal sports drugs and “roid rage” may have played a part in her killing, South Africa has been shocked by the fall from grace of its most famous international sporting export.

In a country where headlines are often dominated by corruption, political struggles and violent crime, 26-year-old Pistorius has been a source of inspiration and positive news, and became a beloved – and photogenic – sporting hero.

Pistorius and Steenkamp were dubbed “South Africa’s answer to Posh and Becks,” and the Blade Runner was photographed more than once alongside another national icon, Nelson Mandela.

“Oscar was our good thing,” wrote columnist Sarah Britten in the Johannesburg’s Mail & Guardian.

“He was our story, a hero who, for all his flaws, overcame the odds and exemplified the greatness of the human spirit.

“He was a great South African brand and now his story, and our part of it, lies

in tatters,” Britten wrote.

“I’m just shocked at the moment, like did he really do it? Because the kind of person we thought he was from what we saw on TV was something different,” Lunga Mubuza, 18, told AFP in Pretoria where the runner lives.

“He was one of my role models. I wished one day I could be like him,” Mubuza added. “But now, it’s really a disappointment.”

Pistorius was an inspiration to millions when he became the first double amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes in the Olympics in London last year.

He now faces a charge of premeditated murder, which will likely result in remand without bail and, if convicted, a life sentence.

Pistorius denies murdering Steenkamp, and broke down in tears in court this week as his lawyer read out a statement on his behalf.

“We were deeply in love and couldn’t be more happy,” said the statement. “I had no intention to kill my girlfriend.”

The Johannesburg-born runner had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, after being born without lower leg

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relationship. At this moment, it’s a matter that’s being investigated.

“We’re not speaking about the sponsorship... [There is an] issue at hand here which is much bigger than a sponsorship.”

Of the removal of the advert from the athlete’s website, she added: “It’s Oscar’s website, it’s not a Nike-owned website.”

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Philip Craven insists that the Pistorius murder trial will not affect the future of the Paralympic movement.

Craven said the IPC had a solid platform to build on following the success of the London 2012 Paralympics and their future was not tied to that of Pistorius.

“The profile of our athletes has never been higher, nor has the demand to watch Paralympic sport. Research by LOCOG (London Organising Committee for the Games) post-London 2012 showed the public’s awareness of the leading athletes tripled during the Games.

“Together it is our job to continue building this profile, regardless of the outcome of this terrible case.” AFP

Oscar Pistorius in his first-round 400m race at the London Olympics. Photo: Jim Thurston bones, and his nickname was inspired by his custom-built carbon-fibre running blades.

He has won six Paralympic gold medals, including two in London last year, but his career has been put on hold since his arrest, forcing him to cancel races in Australia, Brazil, Britain and the United States between March and May.

Pistorius has revealed that he earned US$640,000 (B19 million) a year and owned the US$570,000 (B17 million) house in the gated estate where the killing took place, as well as two other homes.

This week two of the athlete’s American sponsors, Nike and sunglasses maker Oakley, have announced they are dropping Pistorius from their

Spanish Primera Liga

English Premier League Team

advertising campaigns, which have earned him millions of dollars in endorsements.

The text of a Nike banner advert that described Pistorius as a “bullet in the chamber” has been pulled from his official website.

Nike South Africa spokeswoman Seruscka Naidoo told AFP: “We’re not commenting on our sponsorship or

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

New triathlon for Phuket

Long Distance ITU event gears up for race through Patong in November > 26

BLADE GUNNER FULL STORY ON PAGE 27

South Africa’s miracle sportsman, “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius, has admitted shooting dead his girlfriend and will go on trial for her murder. Photo: AFP/Olivier Morin