24-02-2012

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 - THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012

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THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

NEWS

Rio dazzles

Huge crowds take part in glittering Carnival > 9

Resort guests gassed First there were sharp cracking noises, unnoticed by many of the happy vacationers around the pool at the Phuket Orchid Resort and Spa in Karon on Saturday (February 18).

A minute or two later some noticed that the air smelled slightly strange – a hint of pepper mixed with pineapple.

The air tasted slightly metallic People’s throats stung.

Their eyes felt sore and their skin, too, began to sting.

Then the fear started.

Some of the guests around the pool began to cough and wheeze, gasping for air.

Some felt physically sick.

The cause: a release of toxic chlorine gas from the resort’s pool filtration system.

The official story is that an employee, noticing that the chlorine levels in the pool were low, went to top up the system.

What the employee did wrong is not exactly clear, but the result was that a chemical reaction occurred in a tank in

Several children, one just a year old, were among the 37 affected by the chlorine gas. the pump room, splitting the tank and releasing the gas.

According to Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Boonlert Onklang, who led the initial investigation into the incident, standard practice when adding granulated chlorine to a swimming pool

system is to mix the chemical with water to dilute it before adding it to the feeder.

The staff member allegedly bypassed this step, adding the chlorine directly to the tank.

This caused pressure inside the tank to build, police said, causing the tank to crack.

However, a Phuket-based pool expert, who preferred to remain unnamed, was dubious.

“The only thing that would make chlorine [expand enough to crack the tank] would be to add acid to it,” he said.

“The pressure would definitely build if you added [undiluted]

powder, but the only thing that would make it [expand that much] is acid.

Thirty seven people out of the 100 or so around the pool were affected by the gas. Staff reacted swiftly, getting all 37 – men women and children, one just a year old – to Patong Hospital for first aid. From there they were transferred to other, larger hospitals.

At time of going to press, the only guest still in hospital was Annika Ober Hrnic, 26, from Sweden, who was rushed into the Intensive Care Unit of the Bangkok Hospital, Phuket.

Ms Hrnic is seven months pregnant, and there were fears about the effect the gas might have had on her baby. The Phuket News understands that she and her baby are now out of the ICU and are recovering.

With none of the resort guests having filed an official complaint, and with the resort covering all medical bills, police consider the case closed.

Underpass solution to Bangkoo traffic jams A plan to build an underpass at the Bangkoo Intersection, where the bypass road meets Thepkrassattri Rd, may be on its way to becoming a reality, after the Department of Highways (DoH) and local people agreed last Friday (February 18) that this was the best solution to current traffic problems.

The DoH is also confident that it has come up with an effective solution to a previous stumbling block – that a subterranean flood drain flows beneath the existing intersection.

At the meeting, the underpass proposal received support

as being a more environmentally-friendly option than an overpass, though it will require the use of more sophisticated engineering techniques and will cost more – around B400 to B500 million.

According to the concept put forward by the DoH, the underpass will carry northbound through-traffic along Thepkrassattri Rd, with two car lanes and a motorbike lane.

At the intersection, one more lane will be added to the seven existing surface lanes to create more traffic space.

Where the underpass dives underground a new landmark and garden will be created.

Tougher Immigration checks at Airport Immigration queues at Phuket International Airport are likely to get longer soon, as officers check passengers from the Middle East more stringently, following the recent bomb blasts in Bangkok.

Pol Capt Danai Chum’apai told The Phuket News on February 16 that his office had received an alert from the Royal Thai Police in Bangkok, asking them to look out for a particular

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Arab man, unconnected with the recent bombings.

More stringent checks for terrorists will focus on passengers arriving on direct flights from Iran and Qatar, Capt Danai explained. These flights average more than 100 passengers each.

In additional, Phuket Airport Immigration will use specialist equipment to check baggage more carefully.

IN BRIEF Mark Robson’s death was suicide

Police have confirmed that the death of British-South African tourist, Mark Robson, 27, was suicide, after discovering where he was staying for the last few nights of his life.

In the room of a hotel in Bang Tao where he was staying they found a diary in which Mr Robson revealed some of the personal problems he was having, which had led to him feeling depressed.

He also wrote about possible ways that he might commit suicide.

Moviegoers flee fire in town

A blaze on the fourth floor of the Coliseum Paradise Multiplex in Phuket City sent around 100 cinemagoers fleeing on Wednesday night (February 22).

No one was injured in the fire, thought to have been caused by a short-circuit, which sparked staff to evacuate the building.

Three fire trucks took around an hou r to put out the flames .

Snatch thieves target tourist Dutch tourist Monika Van Rossum, 66, reported to Chalong police on Tuesday evening (February 21) that her bag had been snatched by a young couple in Karon.

She told police that while she was walking along the side of Patak Rd, a young Thai woman hopped off a motorbike, grabbed her bag then ran back to the bike which was driven away at speed. .

Is an end to plastic bags in sight?

Phuket will become the first province in Thailand to embark on a major plastic bag reduction campaign with an official launch on Monday (February 27) involving government agencies and SEEK, a locally-based environmental sustainability NGO. The campaign will, also for the first time, include all retailers on the island signing up to the co-ordinated, Phuket-wide initiative.

For information contact Sean Panton at sean@ synergysportsls.com or call him at 083 391 5869; or see the website myseek.org.

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Topics listed for mobile Airline collapse leaves hundreds stuck in Phuket Cabinet talks Sukunya Phoonpong reporter2@thephuketnews.com

Alasdair Forbes execeditor@thephuketnews.com

Hundreds of Australian holidaymakers have now left Phuket after being stranded on the island when their airline, Air Australia, went “into voluntary administration” last Friday (February 17) – accountantspeak for going bust.

Australian paper The Age reported that some 4,000 passengers have been left in various parts of the world with worthless tickets, and 300 staff are already phoning around looking for new jobs.

International flights – from Phuket, Bali and Honolulu – were stuck on the ground after being refused fuel, the airline’s credit having been cancelled.

In Australia, more passengers are scattered in various places after the airline’s domestic services stopped.

The home page of the airline’s website stated, “On 17 February 2012, the Director of Air Australia group of companies appointed John Park and Mark Korda of KordaMentha as Voluntary Administrators.”

Rough time: Air Australia passengers try to get some sleep on the floor of Phuket Airport.

In an FAQ file, the airline (or KordaMentha) explained, “In the short term, the fleet will be grounded. It currently appears that there are no funds available to meet operational expenses so flights will be suspended immediately.

Passengers were naturally far from delighted after a night sleeping rough following the collapse of Air Australia.

Leigh Gallop and his partner Chloe Owens told The Phuket News on Friday, “We’ve been waiting since 4pm yesterday for our flight to Melbourne. They announced delay after delay, and then at about 10.30 pm the announce-

ment came that the flight was cancelled because the airline had gone bust.

“It’s not fair, keeping us waiting like this. They should have told us before we came to the airport that there was a problem. No one from the airline has given us any information or any help. They should have put on a special flight to get us home.”

Doris Tehan, who was on holiday in Phuket with husband Bill, said, “I have a job, and this delay is really damaging for my plans.”

Gioele Spiteri said, “Our holiday here was great, but the ending’s far from perfect,

thanks to Air Australia.”

The airline’s website paints a bleak picture of Air Australia’s future. “For clarity, it … appears highly unlikely there will be any flights in the short to medium term.”

This looks like the final blow for the airline which made negative headlines in June last year when it was known as Strategic Airlines.

A forced landing in Kuala Lumpur rippled through the airline’s small schedule, stranding 300 passengers in Phuket for several days.

In August last year, Strategic was rebranded as Air Australia.

A mobile Cabinet session chaired by the Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is scheduled for Phuket in March, to hear about local people’s needs and to evaluate projects proposed for Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, Chumporn and Ranong provinces.

Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit announced on February 16 that the mobile Cabinet would meet with local authorities, possibly from March 20 to 22, although the date may be shifted slightly.

The Cabinet session will probably be held at Rajabhat Phuket University.

On Friday (February 18), Phuket’s elected senator, Thanyarat Achariyachai, said she would raise the possibility of declaring Phuket a special economic zone.

Phuket, she pointed out, contributes more than B100 billion a year to the Thai economy, yet has received only B6.5 million from the Ministry of Tourism & Sports in the past three years.

Phuket Governor Tri Aug-

karadacha said officials are preparing information on project proposals to be discussed.

These include: • The light rail project. As the cost of this will be very high, the Phuket authorities may need approval from the Cabinet to allow private sector involvement and funding in the project.

• Patong tunnel. Debate continues as to whether this is realistic.

• Klong Koh Phee Rd in Phuket City and Phuket International Conventional and Exhibition Centre (ICEC).

Neither project has yet had its environmental impact assessment (EIA) approved.

• Underpass next to TescoLotus. This project has yet to be approved by the government.

• Expansion of Phuket International Airport. The project budget has been approved by the government but Phuket authorities want to discuss the possibility of increasing the runway surface to allow more aircraft to take off and land.

Suspect in Ae Inside murder surrenders Assadakorn “Pod’ Seedokbuab, 48, suspected of ordering and paying for the murder of Phuket journalist Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwittayaporn on January 12, surrendered at Phuket City Police station on February 16.

He denied any involvement in the murder, stressing that his appearance today was to insist on his innocence.

He told media that he was on a business trip in Myanmar when the murder occurred.

Upon his return to Thailand, he discovered that he had become a suspect in the murder case. Shocked, he decided to stay in Bangkok until he had calmed down.

Assadakorn ‘Pod’ Seedokbuab “I simply cannot understand how I could have been dragged into this murder case,” he said.

He added that he had no connection with the other suspects, apart from Somkuan “Boy” Pandee, 48, who allegedly arranged the hit.

Assadakorn said Somkuan had once worked for him on a construction site, clearing land with a backhoe.

He said he and Ae Inside were the best of friends. “We had a tight relationship. I can’t think of any reason why I would want to kill him.”

However, the Superintendent of Phuket City Police, Col Chote Chitchai, said police have strong evidence pointing to Assadakorn’s involvement in the murder of Ae Inside.

Assadakor n was later brought before the court, which released him on bail of B3.5 million, despite police objections.

Court backs Aldhouse A “Kafkaesque” attempt by the British Home Secretary to block the extradition appeal of Lee Aldhouse has been dismissed by the British High Court.

Aldhouse, who is facing extradition to Thailand to face trial for the murder of US Marine Deshawn Longfellow in Phuket in 2010, is now free

to proceed with his appeal.

Aldhouse claims extradition to Thailand would be a violation of his human rights, due to the allegedly inhumane conditions in Thai prisons.

Home Secretary Theresa May had attempted to block his High Court extradition appeal in December last year, claiming Aldhouse had not

properly informed the Home Office of his decision to appeal the original extradition ruling.

But the judges dismissed Mrs May’s argument, labelling it “Kafkaesque”.

The Home Office told The Phuket News last Friday (February 17) that no date has been set for the conclusion of Aldhouse’s hearing.

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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).

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

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

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

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Prompong Nopparat (centre), on a tour of Soi Bangla, receives a declaration of support from Weerawit Kurasombat (left) and Preechavude “Prab” Keesin.

BIG BROTHER Pheu Thai Party Spokesman Prompong Nopparit was in Phuket again on Saturday (February 18). But this time he was not investigating dubious land deeds.

Instead, he was on the island to push for a Big Brother solution to security problems, with local businesses being urged to install CCTV cameras inside and outside their premises, starting with Patong, and all citizens being encouraged to act as volunteer informers for the police.

There are currently just under 20 police CCTV cameras in Patong, but five of these are

Anti-drug czar outlines new plans The new director of the Region 8 Narcotics Control Office, which oversees narcotics control in Phuket, plans to improve the current system for detecting vehicles transporting drugs into Phuket.

The new director, Chalasin Bodhicharoen, met with Governor Tri Augkaradacha at the Phuket Provincial Hall on February 17 to explain his plans to improve the current system, which consists of recording the licence plate numbers of suspicious vehicles driving through the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint.

broken. Mr Prompong said the security campaign aims to increase numbers of CCTV camera in Patong to ensure greater protection from crime for both locals and tourist.

If 80 per cent of businesses were to join the campaign, he said, this would mean there would be more than 10,000 cameras in Patong, with 160 on Soi Bangla alone.

He also urged local people to become part of the island’s security system, reporting any incidents or suspicious activity to police or other authorities.

Phuket will be a pilot province for what will become a

nationwide campaign, he said.

The goal would be to have 250,000 informers around Phuket – roughly the entire Thai population of the island.

“We have to depend on ourselves,” Mr Prompong said.

“We can’t just rely on support from the government.”

A campaign to get Patong businesses to install CCTV cameras is already underway, started unofficially last year by a group of local businesspeople.

One of them, Patong Entertainment Business Association President Weerawit Kurasombat, said the campaign has been successful in Soi Tan, at the

Still missing Nine months after her disappearance, there is still no sign of a missing elderly Thai woman, who vanished from her home in Kata in May last year.

Kriengkrai Muangkot is still searching for his mother, Boonna Muangkot.

“She has a problem with her memory but she has never lost her way back home before. I am quite worried because she speaks only the Isarn dialect, so can’t communicate with people in Phuket.” Mr Kriengkrai said.

Ms Boonna, 65, originally from Mukdaharn province in north-eastern Thailand, was last seen barefoot, wearing a blue nightgown. She suffered

Boonna Muangkot from gout in her legs, making it hard for her to walk.

Anyone with any information about the whereabouts of Ms Boonna should contact Mr Kriengkrai on 081 592 9212 or 083 905 7013.

southern end of Patong, with most local business people installing CCTV cameras to watch their premises.

However, a lack of budget to promote the campaign had meant it had so far been impossible to raise awareness across all of Patong.

Mr Weerawit said he expected Mr Prompong’s visit would help, focusing local attention on the matter and attracting financial support from the government once Mr Prompong, as he promised, had passed on details of the private campaign to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Four burned by acid drip ‘pranksters’ Police are looking for the perpetrators of a particularly nasty prank on Saturday (February 18) that resulted in four motorbike riders being taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital with acid burns.

The perpetrators took a dishwashing liquid bottle filled with acid, turned it upside down with the cap off, and then hung it with string from the footbridge over the road in front of Kathu Wittaya School, allowing it to drip acid onto people below.

Police said they suspect “irresponsible teenagers”.

April deadline for alien worker renewals Employers wanting to renew their immigrant labourers’ work permits must submit applications and supporting documents by April 12, the Phuket Employment Office (PEO) said on Tuesday (February 21).

This opening round of renewals is for immigrant workers whose work permits expired on January 20, or are due to expire next Tuesday (February 28).

After permit expiration, workers are allowed to stay in Thailand until June 14, which is also the deadline set for

employers to take foreign labourers to verify their nationality at the Nationality Verification Centres (NVCs).

There are currently three of these, in Ranong, Tak and Chiang Rai. Five more NVC offices are due to open on March 15 in Chiang Mai, Samut Sakorn, Samut Prakan, Bangkok and Surat Thani.

A mobile NVC may visit Phuket.

However, no schedule has been set.

Among documents should be evidence that employers are providing immigrant

workers with labour and health insurance.

Labour insurance covers compensation for any illness or injury caused at work or by working conditions, while health insurance covers treatment of non-workrelated medical conditions.

Dhipaya Insurance holds the government contract to supply labour insurance.

It can be reached at 076 238 667-72.

For more information about the working permit renewal process, contact the PEO at 076 219 660-1.

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ISLAND NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

German beaten senseless in Samui A German businessman on Koh Samui is unconscious in hospital after being badly beaten in his room in the Baan Suan Sook Resort, Chaweng, last Friday (February 10).

Police from Bophut Police Station were called to the resort after Peter Stefan Reichwald, 67, was found seriously injured in his room, apparently beaten over the head with a blunt instrument.

In the room police found lying on the bed a loaded .357 revolver, which his wife, who lives in Bangkok, confirmed was his. Some of Mr Reichwald’s valuables, including his iPhone, notebook computer and safe box, were gone. The attacker, however, left behind some gold jewellery belonging to Mr Reichwald.

Mr Reichwald was taken to Bangkok Hospital Samui. The hospital said on Wednesday (February 22) that his condition has been improving.

Police have found that Mr Reichwald was involved in a number of businesses in Koh Samui, and are investigating two possibilities – his moneylending business and a dispute over a wall he built between his land and a neighbour’s.

I QUIT

The President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (OrBorJor), Paiboon Upatising, unexpectedly announced his resignation on February 16, in what he explained was a move to bring about an early election in order to prevent paralysis of the organisation.

Mr Paiboon’s term runs until April 20 but he said that he wanted to avoid problems that would arise if he waited until the end of his term.

He explained that, had he waited until then, it would not have been possible to hold an election until August, with the winner taking office in September, possibly October – resulting in a gap of five or six months, during which no one would be running the OrBorJor. The reason for the delay was that a province-wide population survey is currently being conducted to determine how many representatives each constituency is eligible for.

Had the survey been on schedule, an election could have been held in June. But it is running late, which in turn

Paiboon steps down to force an early vote

Paiboon Upatising speaks with media to explain his early resignation. would have made the election months late.

“If the new election is set for August, the new OrBorJor team will be ready to work only after September,” said Mr

5

Paiboon. “This mean that no one will run the OrBorJor for about six months. I’m sure that will cause some problems.”

He enumerated some of these potential problems:

• The management contract for the OrBorJor Hospital is due to be renewed in June.

But with no one running the OrBorJor, there is the possibility that doctors and

nurses will end up not being paid for months; • There would be no one to open the National Youth Games, due to take place in Phuket in May; • A delayed election would also cause the delay in drawing up and accessing budget for the OrBorJor. Phuket is not the only province to have seen early resignations of OrBorJor members. Provincial leaders in Nakorn Ratchassima and Suphanburi, which are also experiencing delayed population surveys, have also gone for early elections.

Mr Paiboon pointed out that delays in elections at any level can cause crises. The elections of tambon chiefs in Rawai and Chalong, for example, have been suspended since last year. Now residents are facing problems with waste management because no one is running it.

Mr Paiboon was elected to head the OrBorJor in April 2008, after defeating the incumbent, Democrat Par ty heavyweight Anchalee VanichThepabutr.

5 dead in Phang Nga bus crash Five people died and 16 were seriously injured in a road crash in Phang Nga on Saturday night (February 18), while on their way home from a cremation ceremony in Mai Khao, Phuket.

They were travelling in a local songtaew (woodenbody bus) when it was allegedly clipped by a black BMW car, driven by Takuapa resident Danuphol Cham, 22.

The songtaew crashed into a nearby tree and disintegrated.

The BMW also left the road, hitting a power pole.

Both Mr Danuphol and the driver of the songtaew, Venus Siengdang, 49, were charged with careless driving causing death.

Rescue workers raced to transport the injured to Thai Muang, Phang Nga and Vachira Phuket hospitals.

The dead have been named as Chookiet Rakmuaen, 43, Wirote Chaolert, 57, Sanit Janthanu, 64, Thaworn Mukdaeng, 72, Sawatdee Janthanu, 71, all residents of the Thung Maphrao sub-district of Phang Nga Province.

The Mashucon proposal envisages an overhead system in the countryside, similar to the Bangkok BTS (pictured), but diving underground in built-up areas.

China ‘will back light rail system’ The joint venture company between Thai and Chinese interests is the latest to declare an interest in the light rail system proposed for Phuket, and is offering backing from the Chinese government.

Noppol Tansakul, CEO of the JV, Mashucon Co, told The Phuket News that one of the partners in Mashucon is the Shanghai Association of International Economic & Technological Cooperation (SAIETC), which has 150 member companies and coordinates state enterprise investment projects in Shanghai.

Mashucon has been involved in construction of government housing in Thailand,

along with small power plants using trash as fuel, and a musical fountain in Chonburi.

“The Chinese government is ready to lend its support if the authorities in Phuket decide to go ahead with the light rail system,” Mr Noppol said.

After meeting with Governor Tri Augkaradacha on February 15, he said that to build any one of the three proposed routes would cost a further B2 billion or so. Studies and construction would take about five years to complete.

Mashucon’s proposal envisages an overhead system in the countryside, similar to the BTS Skytrain in Bangkok, diving underground in built-up areas.

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THE PHUKET NEWS

GOMS reprise charity car treasure hunt

Following last year’s successful GOMS Rally and car treasure hunt, the organisers have this year widened their net by inviting a number of Phuket’s business, social and community organisations to join them in raising funds for ongoing charitable projects.

The event, on Sunday, March 11, kicks off from Cha­long Pier and follows a 145-kilometre circular route. It is designed to take entrants to some of the more remote areas of Phuket, though all on paved roads.

Not a race, the event is primarily a social event that will also test the navigational, timekeeping and driving skills of the crews.

To ensure entrants stay strictly on the route, photographic evidence of places or buildings passed is required by the officials, so a camera or a mobile with camera is a must.

Entries will be restricted to 50 vehicles, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Application forms are available at Chalong Pier Beer Garden, or may be downloaded online from phuketinvitational.

com. When completed they should be handed in at the Beer Garden, together with the entry fee of B2,000 per team.

Teams should assemble at the Beer Garden at 9 am, with the first car taking off along the route at 10 am.

The entry fee covers food at the lunch stop and the finish, and T-shirts for driver and navigator.

Additional passengers over 12 years old must pay B250 each but kids 12 and under can join in free, with food included.

The GOMS – the Grumpy Old Men’s Society – are joined this time by the British Business Association of Phuket, the International Business Association Phuket, The Lions Club of Patong Beach, the Australian Chamber of Commerce Thailand (AustCham) and the Tourist Police Volunteers.

The title sponsor for the event is AutoExpress, backed

by Kan Eang@Pier, VSET and DaVinci restaurants and The Flying Hanuman.

For more information call John Devenport at 087 265 8845 or e-mail johndevenport@ hotmail.com

Sandwiched between two dancers, from left: Benjamin and Lindy Russell, Tony Hassini and John Eramanis, whose work was recognised by the International Magicians Society.

Danze team get Merlin awards The new Danze Fantasy Theatre on Soi Bangla, Patong, is already making international waves, with its principals receiving two Merlin Awards from the International Magicians Society (IMS).

On Saturday (February 18), in front of 400 invited guests, tour company representatives and members of the media, Tony Hassini, World President, Chairman and CEO of the IMS, handed out the awards.

The Producer of the Decade award went jointly to John Eramanis and Lindy Russell of Danze Fantasy Production, while the show’s Executive Director, Benjamin Russell, was named Director of the Year.

The ceremony was followed by a show featuring magician Joe Labero, acrobats The Chicagos and comedic juggler Romano Frediani.

Sadly, even with all the magic in the air, no one was

able to wave a magic wand and fix the power cut that descended on Soi Bangla and delayed the entire event by an hour.

Danze Fantasy in Patong is the latest venture launched by the Russells and Mr Eramanis, who manage a dozen or so magic shows in various countries and on cruise ships.

The Merlin awards are named after the mythical magician from the era of King Arthur and his Round Table.

Drive for a ‘greener’ future Chevrolet Phuket will hold an environmentthemed Family Fun Rally on Sunday, April 1.

Those involved will use their own cars to visit various tourist attractions such as the Bang Pae Waterfall and Kathu Mining Museum, finishing up at the Phuket Aquarium at midday.

There they will have lunch and then take a ferry to Koh Maithon, where sea anemones,

seahorses, turtles, sea bass, shrimp and clown fish will be released into the ocean.to help replenish the sea-life of the Andaman Sea. A maximum of 100 cars can take part, and the entry fee is B1,999 for two people.

To enter or for more information contact Khun Sao at Chevrolet Phuket on 076-261-500 or 089-471-2700. www.foreca.com

Phuket Seven Day Weather Forecast FRI FEBRUARY 24

SAT FEBRUARY 25

SUN FEBRUARY 26

MON FEBRUARY 27

TUE FEBRUARY 28

WED FEBRUARY 29

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THE PHUKET NEWS

NATIONAL NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Cabinet mulls huge Isarn plans A joi nt pr ivat e a nd government panel on Wednesday (February 22) put mega projects worth more than B600 billion for the Northeast before a mobile Cabinet meeting in the region.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong said a meeting of the joint panel, chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, has agreed with the proposed projects for the region, the Bangkok Post report­ ed.

The proposed projects include a high-speed train link costing B140-150 billion, a new railway line between Khon Kaen and Roi Et (B33 billion) and a highway development plan along the Mekong River from Nong Khai to Bung Kan (B60 billion).

In addition, B200 billion is sought to develop water sources in the Mekong, Chi and Moon rivers, and a controversial project to build a cable-car in Phu Kradung National Park in Loei Province.

7

Fifth bomber sought Agence France-Presse

A court has issued an arrest warrant for a fifth Iranian suspected of involvement in an alleged plot to kill Israeli diplomats in Bangkok, police said on Monday (February 20).

The suspect, named as 57-year-old Norouzi Shaya Ali Akbar, faces charges of possessing and making explosives, said deputy National Police Chief Pansiri Prapawat.

He was filmed by a closedcircuit television camera leaving a house rented by the bomb suspects shortly before a string of blasts on February 14, and is believed to have fled to Iran the same day, he said.

“Thai authorities will seek him through diplomatic channels,” Mr Pansiri added.

Police said they were also gathering information on a potential sixth suspect.

Last Friday (February 17) police had said they were

Police officers escort Iranian bomb suspect Mohammad Kharzei (centre) at his rented house in Bangkok on Monday (February 20). Police said they were hunting for a fifth Iranian suspected in a failed bomb plot in Bangkok that has sent tensions between Israel and Iran soaring.

–Photo AFP hunting for another Iranian named as Nikkhahfard Javad.

It was unclear on Monday whether he was still a suspect in the case and no arrest warrant has been issued.

The Kingdom has stepped up security following Tuesday’s blasts, which was the third bomb incident to sha ke world capit als i n less than 24 hours.

Police have said that Israeli diplomats were the intended target but Tehran has denied accusations that it is behind a terror campaign against the Jewish state.

Arrest warrants have been issued for four other Iranians, two of whom have been detained and charged over the botched attack, which came to light after an apparently unintended blast at a Bangkok house.

One of them – named as 28-year-old Saeid Moradi – had his legs blown off as he hurled a bomb at police while fleeing.

Another suspect, Mohamad Kha­ zaei, was detained trying to board a flight out of the country.

Thailand is seeking the extradition of another Iranian arrested in Malaysia, while an Iranian woman who rented the house used by the suspects in Bangkok is thought to have fled the Kingdom.

In handcuffs and a bullet-proof vest, Khazaei was taken by police on Monday to the scene of the first blast as part of the investigation.

Suspected insurgents killed in south Agence France-Presse

Three suspected Muslim insurgents were shot dead by troops in the troubled deep

south on Tuesday (February 21) after launching an attack on a security checkpoint, police said.

The men were among six

people in a pick-up truck who opened fire on the outpost in Panare District in Pattani, one of the three provinces wracked by more than eight

years of unrest, said Police Colonel Manit Yimsai.

“Three were shot and killed at the scene of the clash. We have seized a lot of

evidence such as firearms,” he told AFP by telephone.

A ranger and a villager were seriously wounded in the fighting.

Taxi driver held for rapes Police said they have arrested an HIV-positive taxi driver for robbing and raping many of his passengers in Bangkok.

They said that Kaew Sangmuang, 43, claimed he had used condoms every time he had sex because he did not want to spread the deadly virus, reported The Nation.

Kaew was arrested last Saturday after he stole a computer notebook from a regular customer and demanded B6,000 from the woman to return it. Police arrested Kaew as soon as he appeared at a superstore in Lat Phrao, where his customer had arranged to give him the money.

Police said they found national identity cards for nine of his victims and 22 SIM cards in his cab.

Kaew allegedly confessed

to raping many passengers, aged between 18 and 22 years old. He had also allegedly robbed or stolen items from other passengers.

So far at least seven victims have lodged complaints against him.

“I pretended to have love interest in them and promised to give them some money.

Then I brought them to hotels to have sex after which I would steal their belongings. I also raped some passengers,” he told police.

Kaew said he sometimes tricked passengers into leaving the cab to help withdraw cash from his bank account from an ATM. “I promised to wait in the cab. But after they got out, I sped away with their belongings,” he said.

A woman lodged a com-

plaint against the suspect with police accusing him of stealing her handbag, with B1,000 in cash and a cellphone in it.

Another woman lodged a complaint against him in December accusing him of stealing B5,000 in cash, an iPhone and a gold necklace.

In the same month another victim complained to police that Kaew stole B500 in cash, an ATM card, and a cellphone.

Another victim told Hua Mark police that Kaew stole B10,000 in cash, a cellphone, and three passbooks from her.

On January 22, another victim complained to Min Buri police that Kaew stole her Blackberry and B5,000 in cash.

On February 10, two disabled women lodged complaints at Lat Phrao police that he raped and robbed them.

Spa industry faces masseuse shortage The Chairman of the Federation of Thai Spas, Apichai Chianadisak, said that the Thai medical spa business is facing a shortage of masseuses because of staff being lured away by foreign spas, who offer them double or triple their Thai salaries.

Many Thai masseuses

are working in China, the Middle East and Europe. because Thai masseuses are highly experienced, reported Thai-language Daily News.

The medical spa industry had 5.5 million customers in 2011, generating revenue of B14 billion. This year, the industry expects to see

a 7-10 per cent growth, to an estimated B15.5 billion. Around 60 per cent of clients are tourists and 40 per cent are Thai nationals.

There are a total of 1,200 medical spas across the country, with 60 per cent located in hotels and the rest stand-alone.

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8

REGIONAL NEWS

IN BRIEF Chinese men arrested on animal cruelty charges Four Chinese men face deportation from Zimbabwe after they were arrested on charges of cruelty to tortoises, according to local media.

The men’s house in rural Zimbabwe was raided after villagers complained that the men were boiling the reptiles alive for food.

Police rescued a further 13 live tortoises from the house, and uncovered the remains of another 40. The reptiles were all from an endangered species.

Radiation detected almost 650km off coast of Japan Radioactive contamination from the Fukushima power plant disaster has been detected as far as almost 650 kilometes off Japan in the Pacific Ocean, with water showing readings of u p t o 1,0 0 0 t i m e s more than prior levels, scientists have reported.

But those results for the substance cesium-137 are far below the levels that are generally considered harmful, either to marine animals or people who eat seafood.

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Afghan protests erupt over burning of Koran Agence France-Presse

Protesters hurling petrol bombs and firing slingshots besieged the largest US-run military base in Afghanistan, furious over reports that NATO troops burned copies of the Koran.

The enraged crowd shouted “Death to Americans” and “Death to infidels” on Tuesday as guards at Bagram Airbase, north of Kabul, responded by f iring r ubber bullets from a watchtower, said an A FP photog rapher, who was hit in the neck.

Hundreds of other people protested in the Afghan capital as security forces dispatched reinforcements in a bid to stop the demonstrations from spiralling out of control in the fiercely conservative Islamic country.

The US commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, apologised and ordered an investigation into a report that troops “improperly disposed of a large number of Islamic religious materials which included Korans”.

“I offer my sincere apologies for any offence this may have caused, to the president of Afghanistan, the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and most importantly, to the noble people of Afghanistan,” he said.

The White House also apologised, calling it “a deeply unfortunate incident” while US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta promised a swift investigation.

Two US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP the military removed Korans from the USrun prison at Bagram because inmates were suspected of using the sacred book to pass messages to each other.

“The material was removed because there was a concern that the detainees were communicating with each other,” one US official said.

Allen did not mention how the religious materials had been disposed of, but an AFP photographer was shown partly-burnt copies of the Koran said to have been saved from destruction by Afghan

Afghan youth throw stones toward US soldiers standing at the gate of Bagram airbase during a protest against desecration of the Muslim holy book, the Koran. –Photo AFP workers within the base.

A l l e n’s r e m a r k a b l y candid statement, apparently aimed at damage control after similar incidents led to violence and attacks on foreigners, was played repeatedly on Afghan television.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai in a statement said he “strongly condemns the

burning of copies of the Koran

by American soldiers” and had assigned a delegation to investigate the incident.

The Taliban, who have been waging a decade-long insurgency against Karzai’s Western-backed government, also condemned the Koran burning, accusing the Americans of “hurting the religious

feelings of onep billion Muslims throughout the world”.

Iran described the actions as “an insult to the holy Koran”.

“The only solution to restore calm and stability is the swift departure of foreign troops from the country,” foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.

India’s deadly railway tracks Agence France-Presse

Almost 15,000 people are killed every year crossing India’s rail tracks in what a government report has described as an annual “massacre” due to poor safety standards.

Pedestrians guilty of “unlawful trespassing” walk across the tracks at many unofficial crossing points, the

report said, adding that about 6,000 of the deaths occur in the congested and frenetic city of Mumbai alone.

“No civilised society can accept such massacre on their railway system”, the report said.

It added that efforts to improve safety needed to be put on a “war footing” to tackle the death toll.

The fatalities equate to

41 people a day across India on the rail network, which carries 18 million people daily and is still the main form of long-distance travel despite fierce competition from private airlines.

In addition to accidents when crossing the tracks, other causes of deaths include train collisions, falling from open doors and being hit by trackside poles.

S. Korea holds firing drill despite N. Korea threat Agence France-Presse

South Korean troops Monday staged a live-fire artillery exercise near the disputed Yellow Sea border despite threats from North Korea’s new leadership of “merciless” retaliation.

The defence ministry said the Marine Corps – which guards “frontline” islands near the flashpoint border – began the exercise at about 10am and ended it before noon.

About 1,400 civilians living on the islands were evacuated to bomb shelters during the drill, a local official said.

“No unusual movement

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was detected from the North Korean side during the drill, the second of its kind this year,” a ministry spokesman said/ The representative added that K-9 self-propelled howitzers, Vulcan cannon and mortars were fired.

He declined to confirm a Yonhap news agency report that the Marines fired 5,000 rounds into South Korean waters.

The North was notified of the scheduled exercise at the border truce village of Panmunjom on Sunday.

Hours afterwards its military vowed “merciless retaliatory strikes” if any shells

land in waters claimed by Pyongyang.

It said Seoul “should not forget the lesson” of the bombardment of Yeonpyeong island in November 2010, which killed four South Koreans.

The North justified that attack as retaliation for the South’s live-fire exercise which allegedly dropped shells into the North’s waters.

The 2010 attack briefly sparked fears of war and triggered a major South Korean military build-up on the islands. Seoul has vowed to hit back harder, using air power, for any fresh strike.

THE PHUKET NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Rio dazzles in Carnival finale Agence France-Presse

Rio throbbed to sambas, pyrotechnics and dazzling parades in an ecstatic climax on Tuesday to its famed Carnival celebrations.

With bursts of fireworks, high-decibel music and a kaleidoscope of colours, the city’s top 13 samba schools treated a capacity crowd of 72,500 at the newly renovated “Temple of Samba” to stunning processions of exquisitely decorated floats.

The night parades, which went on into the small hours of the morning, had it all: captivating samba beats, superb percussionists, imaginative choreography, masterful execution and the beguiling sex appeal of gorgeous samba queens wearing colourful feathers and little else.

They marked the high point of the pre-Lent festival, a holiday that provides a rare moment of national communion and over-the-top merry-making in this huge and racially diverse country of 191 million people.

The parades, a major draw for foreign tourists, cemented the Rio Carnival’s reputation as “the greatest show on earth.”

Now the hard work begins

A reveller of Porto da Pedra samba school dances during the first night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro on February 20.

–Photo AFP for cleaning crews who have to clear mountains of trash and for employees who have to dismantle scores of hulking allegorical floats.

Seats at the open-air Sambadrome cost between $50 (B1,500) and several thousand dollars, depending on whether one sits on packed benches in the open or in

air-conditioned VIP boxes stocked with champagne.

Hollywood A-lister Jennifer Lopez was one of several foreign celebrities to lend their star power to the event, appearing late Sunday in skinny red jeans and a sequinned top.

There had been fears that unrest in Brazil’s state police force might disrupt the

festivities in Salvador, the capital of the northeast state of Bahia, and Rio, but police strikes in those cities were settled just in time.

The only notable incident was a Rio shootout between police and a drug gang early Monday that left one person dead and four wounded in a slum located 3.2 km from the

Sambadrome.

As in previous years, Salvador de Bahia led the way Thursday, with hundreds of thousands of revellers pouring into the streets of Brazil’s third largest city and heart of its rich Afro-Brazilian culture to dance and celebrate.

Rio followed a day later when Milton Junior – better known as King Momo, the Rio Carnival’s chubby symbol of excess – received a giant key to the city and declared the festivities open.

Friday and Saturday, Sao Paulo, Brazil’s economic capital, staged spectacular parades at its own sambadrome, notably paying tribute to Afro-Brazilian culture and honouring popular former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is recovering from cancer radiation therapy.

A key feature of the Carnival in Brazil is the numerous street parties held in cities, towns and villages, where beer consumption soars.

In Rio, more than two million revellers in outlandish costumes f looded the city centre Saturday to join Cordao da Bola Preta – one of the city’s oldest and most popular street bands – in a mammoth, frenzied samba-driven bash.

9

IN BRIEF Video of swearing Rudd leaked The leaking of a video showing the former Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, thumping a table and swearing repeatedly appears to be the first shot in a dirty-tricks campaign aimed at thwarting his efforts to win back the top job.

Current PM Julia Gillard, who deposed Mr Rudd in mid-2010, denied yesterday that her office was responsible for uploading the video to YouTube.

Fourth inquest begins into ‘Dingo Baby’ death Australia’s most baffling drama continues with reopening of the case in which a mother was condemned and then cleared after claiming a dingo stole her baby.

With those words of panic, the mystery of Azaria Chamberlain’s disappearance in the Australian Outback in 1980. Australian officials hope to determine how Azaria died when the Northern Territory coroner opens a fourth inquest today. Lindy Chamberlain, was convicted of murdering her daughter but was later cleared.

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.absolutelyfabulousthailand.com Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10 am-5.30 pm Closed: Sunday

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10 LETTERS/VIEWPOINT

THE PHUKET NEWS

OPINION

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Finding life in the past

“The Thonthawes Mansion, said to have cost the sum of B30,000 to build (more than B10 million in today’s money), stands as a symbol of the wealth of an older generation, and as a display of past lives in Phuket” > 11

Editor’s Viewpoint

NORACHAI’S WORLD

GAS RELEASE IS A WAKE-UP CALL

T

When sunbathing, don’t forget to take sensible precautions.

he toxic chlorine release at the Phuket Orchid Resort and Spa in Karon is a wake-up call – in all senses of the phrase – for resorts across the island.

On Saturday, a staff member, noticing that the chlorine levels in the resort’s swimming pool were low, went to top up the system.

According to Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Boonlert Onklang, who led the initial investigation into the incident, standard practice when adding granulated chlorine to a swimming pool is to mix the chemical with water to dilute it before adding it to the feeder.

The staff member allegedly bypassed this step, instead adding the chlorine directly to the tank.

In total 37 people ended up in hospital following the incident, with one remaining in intensive care.

Those who have been on the island for a few years might remember the case of 10-yearold Russian tourist Ksenia

Letters to the Editor Animal farm [Re Jumbo busts: Three baby elephants seized in trek camp raids] Consider this: When all of your wildlife has been poached, eaten in your restaurants, sold for Chinese medicine, or killed for its skin, what will you profit from then?

Ex-tourist to Thailand.

Taking another tack [Re. Sunset vows on Valentine’s Day in Phuket] Oh my God. I cannot think of a more tacky way to get married than this.

Yes, Phromthep Cape is beautiful but sharing your wedding with 20 other people is hilarious. If this was proposed to me and I was a women I’d be looking for a new boyfriend. Hilarious.

Twenty-one couples from

the entire world is testimony to the fact that this takes the grand prize for how not to celebrate your wedding day!

Woodlee1976

Blue in the face [Re. Singing for the stars in Phuket] Colloidal silver [which soprano Julie-Ann Hunter takes to ward off infections] does not protect you from colds and ’flu, but it can permanently discolour your skin, turning it gray or blue. The condition is called argyria. I have had argyria for over 50 years.

When I learned that colloidal silver was being sold as a “dietary supplement” and “natural antibiotic”, I set up a web page warning of the uselessness and danger of consuming it.

I also predicted new cases of argyria. Unfortunately, I was right. There are now many. Maybe you’ve heard

of Paul Karason, The Blue Man, in the US. Rosemary Jacobs

Far out man [Re. Thailand ‘needs more attractions’] Thailand does need more tourist attractions but it is important not to copy or emulate major items from other countries.

At t ract ions must be stand alone totally Thai/ Siam themes with modern innovation. Simply copying Disneyland will result in international tourist saying, “Been there, done that.”

This land has the most artistic and innovative population in Asia and that must be exploited. As a Canadian on my seventh two-month stay I let my imagination run wild, inspired by love of the nation and all that is beautiful and spectacular about Phuket.

Picture this: far out in the

middle of Patong Bay, the lavish and elegant roof of an enormous sunken temple rising from the sea. This would hide a world-class nearly invisible aquarium descending to the bottom of the bay, with of all the finest fish in Thai waters in huge numbers.

It would be called “The Sunken City of Siam”. Rising from the bottom of the bay would be the partially ruined temples, palaces, streets and bridges of a long lost city, with massive statues from Siam’s history and elephants silently trumpeting.

There would be a lavish underground garden of aquatic plant life. The entire complex would be lit with rotating shafts of sunlight from hidden sources.

Using the great technology of today the streets, windows, steps and bridges would have the waving ghosts of the ancient city dwellers projected

This week in history to appear and fade and would include people in historic costumes who seem to be swimming and beckoning the unsuspecting on-looker’s.

Visitors would be carried through this amazing exhibit enclosed in individual pods on a monorail or something like a ski lift, flying through the air across the bay, then plunging into the waiting sea and diving to the bottom like a great underwater rollercoaster…

Totally original and totally Thailand’s for bragging rights to a new world tourist attraction. It might be copied but never equalled.

There is plenty of money in Asia to finance a project like this. Don’t be a copy of Florida or Macau but something new and totally original!

I do get carried away!

Tim Devlin, Toronto, Canada

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

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Drashinskiy, whose autopsy results showed she died of electrocution while sitting by the pool at the Dusit Laguna Resort Hotel, now known as Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket.

Ksenia was found unconscious, lying close to the resort’s pool, where she had been swimming with other children.

She later died in hospital.

While, thankfully, these incidents are few and far between on the island, they are cause for alarm. Resorts have a responsibility to ensure their staff’s actions do not cause harm to guests in their care.

It also creates a terrible impression overseas of Phuket.

All these 37 people, along with their families and friends, may not be so eager to visit or to return to Phuket.

In addition to our report, the chlorine poisoning story was reported by media in Sweden, Vietnam, Australia, India and China, as well as by international news services AFP and Reuters. News these days travels far and wide.

■■ February 24, 1920 – The Nazi Party is founded.

■■ February 25, 1866 – Miners in Calaveras County, California, discover what is now called the Calaveras Skull, human remains that supposedly indicated that man, mastodons, and elephants had co-existed.

■■ February 26, 1946 – Finnish observers report the first of many thousands of sightings of ‘ghost rockets’.

■■ February 27, 1902 – Harry ‘Breaker’ Morant is executed in Pretoria during the Second Boer War. ■■ February 28, 1939 – The erroneous word “dord” is discovered in the Webster’s New International Dictionary, Second Edition.

■■ February 29, 1988 – Svend Robinson becomes the first member of the Canadian House of Commons to come out as gay.

■■ March 1, 1972 – The Thai province of Yasothon is created after being split off from Ubon Ratchathani.

THE PHUKET NEWS

FEATURE 11

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Why Phuket needs Burmese workers

Sukunya Phoonpong reporter2@thephuketnews.com

T

alk about Thailand’s history with any Thai and almost inevitably images of Thai and Burmese soldiers on the battlefield spring to mind. Thai historical dramas in the cinema – Bang Rajan, Suriyothai, Naresuan are good examples – are almost exclusively about wars between Burma and Siam.

Given that the two countries were bitter enemies from the mid-1500s until the British Empire swallowed Burma 300 years later, this is hardly surprising.

Most Thai provinces have shrines to heroes and heroines who defeated the Burmese – Phuket is no exception – and even today many Thais are distrustful of Burmese.

Yet the real world is now hugely different, and Thailand is now host to 1.5 million Burmese immigrant workers, and possibly millions of illegal ones. People from the old enemy have been quietly occupying Thailand – and Thailand needs them.

Recent history has allowed Thailand to accelerate away from Burma on almost every front, in terms of political sophistication, infrastructure, economics and wealth, and the gap shows no signs of closing any time soon.

Andy Hall, a migration expert at Mahidol University’s Institute for Population and Social Research, explains that it’s a simple matter of supply and demand.

“Thailand now need Burmese workers. Both men and women come from Burma to Thailand to work at any jobs that Thai workers disdain, including labourers, servants, boatmen, nannies, waiters or waitresses.

“Though there are many workers in Thailand, there are still not enough to support Thailand’s economic needs so the migrant worker is another option for Thailand’s development.

“There are about 1.5 million Burmese working legally in Thailand at the moment.

The Mahachai sub-district of Samut Sakhon province is very popular among them because there are a lot of fishing boats and industries, which need a lot of workers,” Mr Hall explains.

Thailand is now host to almost 1.5 million Burmese immigrant workers, who have come here seeking a better life.

The migrant workers, too, need Thailand, fleeing across the border for several decades because anything is better than staying at home under an oppressive regime which gave them no rights and never allowed them a voice.

“Burmese, Laos, Cambodians and Vietnamese are the main migrant worker groups in Thailand,” Mr Hall says. “They come here for a number of reasons but mostly it’s because they are hoping for a better life.

“For the Burmese, their country was locked for decades in old military-style dictatorial rule. The Burmese were suppressed by the military while economic and social pressures made it difficult to live, so they decide to flee their homes.”

This is why many construction sites, restaurants, docks and even tourism businesses are now filled with Burmese workers.

Phuket restaurant Sunanta Boonkamonsawat says the main reason she has hired Burmese workers is because their wages are lower and they can accept hard work, which Thais will not.

“I do not specifically hire only Burmese workers, but it is really hard to find Thai workers to work in these jobs

– cleaning, washing, helping to cook or serving. I provide Burmese workers with accommodation and four meals a day.

“Right now I have only Thai students working for me,” she says. She does not rule out hiring more Burmese in the future, “but I prefer to work with people from my own country because it can be quite hard trying to communicate with someone whose first language is completely different.

On the other hand, she says, “The Burmese are much cheaper than Thais. I can hire two Burmese for the same amount of money that I would have to pay one Thai worker.

“I think there are now too many Burmese workers in Phuket, especially when you consider the number of unemployed Thais there are.

The provincial government or Thailand’s government should manage this economic balance better.

“I don’t think Burmese workers are a mainstay of Phuket’s development, but they are advantageous for some business groups, which can reduce their cost by hiring cheaper workers,” she adds.

One of these is Teerapat Pattanasoponpong, an architect who has more than 400 Burmese working on

his construction site. He says the Burmese work harder than Thais do.

“I don’t know whether they are essential for Phuket or not, but my site needs them. There are only six Thai workers at the site, all of them from Isarn. With all the construction going on in Phuket, I am sure that every site hires Burmese workers.”

Unusually, he advocates equal wages for Burmese and Thais. “Thai workers don’t want dangerous, difficult jobs and Burmese can work harder than the Thais, so they should be payed the same wages,” Mr Teerapat argues.

Yin Yana, 32, a woman from Mon state in Burma, has been living in Phuket for almost five years as a construction worker at various sites in Patong. She believes Burmese workers are an important part of the island’s economy.

“I think Burmese workers are one of a main factors in Phuket’s development. We are not the brains of this town but we are the arms and legs that build it. I have built several buildings, including hotels, resorts or houses. If it were not for Burmese labourers, those buildings might not be completed yet, because there are not enough Thai workers to do the work,” Ms Yana said

Asked why she came to Phuket she says that any bad aspects of life on the island are still better than the bad aspects of life in her home town.

“My family members and I were farmer labourers; we didn’t have our own farm so we were very poor. We used to start work in the early morning and finish in the evening.

No lunch was provided so we have to prepare something for ourselves to eat it quickly during a short lunchbreak.

“We spend almost all of our time getting a little bit of money each day. Sometime, I used to think I was a slave, not a farm worker.

“But here, I ca n get more money and lunch is provided for us, and we get an hour to eat it.

She is one of the lucky ones, she adds. “I have had a better opportunity than many of my friends because my first boss is very kind.

“I did not have to pay big money to a broker or to the police to get into Thailand.

My boss came to pick me up from Ranong and brought me to a safe workplace,” she says.

Sor (his nickname), 25, an illegal worker, also from Mon state, had a rougher ride in Thailand.

“In my country, there are not many jobs and the wages

are very low. Politics, too, were another reason for me to flee.

“I came to Thailand when I was 20 to work as crew on a fishing boat out of Ranong.

Those two years were very bad. I had to stay on the boat for months on end and when the boat returned to shore, I was arrested by the police many times. I had to get my employer to get me out of jail, and that meant I had work for him free to repay him.

“One day, by chance, I met my uncle and he asked me to follow him to Phuket with other Burmese to work on a construction sites. I had to pay a broker B20,000 to clear it with the immigration and the police.

“The life of an illegal labourer is not good. I always have to hide when the police come to check the con st r uct ion sit e a nd I cannot hang around in public because of the police.

But life, hard as it is is still better than it was in Burma, Sor says. “Sometimes I miss my hometown but life here is still better than there, even though I cannot go out in public. There are many construction sites waiting for us to build. I don’t care that the work is hard or low-grade.

Building is my job.”

Phuket Employment Office head Nopphadol Ploiyoodee says migrant labour is very important for Phuket’s economy.

“There are about 62,000 legal migrant labourers on the island, including Burmese, Cambodians and Laos. Most of them do jobs that Thai workers don’t want to do such as construction, servants, dishwashing or any low-level jobs.

“There are a lot of construction sites in Phuket at the moment but there are few Thai workers on them – most of those are from the northeast of Thailand.

The majority of the labourers are Burmese and other migrants labourers, so you can say Burmese labourers are very necessary for Phuket.

“These workers may seem invisible, but if they were not here, work on so many of the island’s facilities would simply stop,” Mr Nopphadol said.

For many Thais the old antipathy still exists, and many people may not want Burmese workers here. But the plain fact is that modern Thailand can’t do without them.

thephuketnews.com

12 BUSINESS/TOURISM

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

BUSINESS

Third mall

100 shops sign up for new mall in Bangla, due to open next month > 14

business@thephuketnews.com

China now top source of tourists TTR Weekly

Thailand’s tourism scored a growth of more than seven per cent during the first month of the year, despite terror threats and the aftermath of the floods late last year.

China was the top supplier, surpassing the all-time No 1 contributor Malaysia for the first time. According to the report, on the website of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and compiled from Immigration Police statistics, Thailand received 1,944,130 international visitors in January, a slight increase of 7.65 per cent over 1,805,947 recorded in the same month last year.

However, there are signs that the year might not turn out as smooth as the January gains suggest. The private sector is concerned about the possibility of more flooding this year and the recent terror bombing in downtown Bangkok will see security warnings heightened and may damp tourist arrivals in the first quarter.

Looking at January figures, key source countries mostly reported increases, apart for Source country

Japan, South Korea and India, which recorded single-digit declines of 1.75, 4.88 and 7.91 per cent respectively.

China continued with strong growth. Chinese arrivals jumped 30.49 per cent from 143,477 to 187,229 and the market expanded from 7.94 per cent to 9.63 per cent.

As a result, China took top supplier position from Malaysia for the first time.

The Kasikorn Research Centre predicts that Chinese arrivals to Thailand this year may increase by 15.4 per cent to reach two million trips, generating B60 billion in revenue for Thailand, compared with 1.76 million visits and earnings of B52 billion in 2011.

Russia also maintained a good performance. In January, it secured third place (the same as in January last year). Russian arrivals tallied 148,124, up 8.79 per cent from 136,159.

In terms of gateways, Phuket saw the biggest surge, with a rise of 23.49 per cent to 282,716 arrivals. Suvarnabhumi welcomed 1,236,018 tourists in January, a far lower increase of 4.2 per cent.

Arrivals

Change (%)

China

187,229

+30.49

Malaysia Russia South Korea Japan Sweden Australia United Kingdom Laos United States

178,489 148,124 110,766 103,261 87,079 84,110 79,879 79,212 76,592

+10.92 +8.79 -4.88 -1.75 +18.17 +16.69 +5.20 +15.48 +8.65

Electricity prices may rise in May The independent Energy Regulatory Commission of Thailand (ERC) wants to increase electricity prices for May-August, citing the rising price of natural gas, which fuels 70 per cent of Thailand’s power stations.

However, it remains to be seen whether the government, concerned about the impact of rising prices on the poor, will go along with this.

Electricity charges in Thailand consist of two elements, a base charge that rarely changes and a fuel tariff (FT) that varies with fuel prices. In line with government policy the ERC has already pegged the FT price for January-April.

Gold ‘to top $2k per oz’ Major Thai gold trading firm YLG Bullion expects the global gold price to top US$2,000 (B60,000) an ounce soon, causing the domestic retail price to hit B30,000 per baht-weight.

YLG Bullion Vice President Pawan Na­wa­wat­tanasub said the world gold price could hit US$2,000 an ounce this year, with the slowing US economy and the euro zone crisis as contributing factors.

She expects the gold price will continue its upward trend due to soaring demand triggered by the US Federal Reserve’s plan to roll out another round of economic stimulus.

Many central banks are likely to purchase more gold to hedge against foreign exchange reserve fluctuations and a weaker dollar. –TAN

–Photo by David R Tribble

Thanks to current government policy the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand (Egat) is swallowing the B8 billion a month extra FT charge, along with another B3 billion for households that

use less than 50 electricity units a month, in line with the government’s policy of free electricity for the poor.

The ERC is considering “alleviating people’s burdens” by clawing back budgets

Top experts to debate island home design The Phuket chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) recently provoked debate on the island with a seminar in which the provocative branding guru David Keen asked a simple questuion that no one could answer: “What is Phuket?”

Amcham now plans another thought-provoking seminar, on design of homes on the island.

The workshop, titled “Design Evolution”, will see two leading international designers – Hong Kong-based Adrian McCarroll of Original Vision and Clint Nagata of Bangkok’s Blink Design Group – make visual presentations and discuss their favorite projects.

The island’s past, present and future trends will be laid out in this panel discussion moderated by Leisure Design

Phuket-based moderator Scott Gorsuch, who also writes the popular Design Matters column in The Phuket News.

Group’s Scott Gorsuch, who is also The Phuket News’ highly respected design columnist.

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are the leading examples of this? The session will conclude with an open forum giving attendants the opportunity to ask McCarroll and Nagata about their work, or provide opinions on the design direction Phuket should be taking.

Design Evolution will be held on Friday, March 9, in the Royal Phuket Marina function room.

Registration will start at 4 pm and the workshop will run from 5 to 6.20 pm. A networking event will follow.

The event is open to the public and cost is B100 per person, including drinks.

To sign up for the event, please visit amchamthailand. com, or contact Sheree Tanpensuk by email to sheree@ amchamthailand.com or by calling 02-254-1041, ext 212.

THE PHUKET NEWS

BUSINESS/TOURISM 13

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Thailand placed on grey list for money laundering The Bank of Thailand (BoT) has downplayed the potential adverse impact on local financial institutions after the country was put on the “grey” list last week by the Parisbased Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), an inter-governmental body that campaigns against money laundering and terrorist financing.

By being placed on the grey list, Thailand is currently in the same group as China

and Myanmar, but this should not have a great impact on domestic financial institutions, the BoT says.

However, it is still unclear what penalties will be imposed on Thailand if it is downgraded further and put on the “black” list.

BoT Deputy Governor for Financial Institution Stability, Krirk Vanikkul, noted that being on the black list could affect the movement of money in and out of the country.

However, he believes the Anti-Money Laundering Office, which has a direct responsibility for the matter, and the power to freeze and confiscate terrorist assets, is on top of the situation.

Thailand is a member of the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) of the FATF. On February 16, the FATF included Thailand in a list of 15 countries that “ not made sufficient progress in addressing the deficiencies or have not

committed to an action plan developed with the FATF to address the deficiencies”.

It explained, “Despite Thailand’s high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and APG to address its strategic AML/CFT [antimoney laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism] deficiencies, Thailand has not made sufficient progress in implementing its action plan.

“Certain strategic AML/ CFT deficiencies remain,

although Thailand has faced external difficulties from 2009 to 2011 which significantly impacted the legislative process for the necessary laws and regulations.

“Thailand has taken steps towards improving its AML/ CFT regime, including by substantially completing an AML/CFT risk assessment for its financial sector.”

It recom mended that Thailand should work on implementing its action

plan to address the remaining deficiencies.

Action should include adequately criminalising terrorist financing; establishing and implementing adequate procedures to identify and freeze terrorist assets; and further strengthening AML/CFT supervision.

It concluded, “The FATF encourages Thailand to address its remaining deficiencies and continue the process of implementing its action plan.”

Asia-Pacific ‘to buy 9,370 aircraft in next 20 years’

According to the latest market forecast by Airbus, airlines in the Asia Pacific region will take delivery of around 9,370 new aircraf t over the next 20 years.

Valued at US$1.3 trillion, the deliveries will account for 34 per cent of all new aircraft, with the region overtaking North America and Europe to become the world’s largest air transport market.

In terms of growth, Airbus expects the number of passengers carried by Asia Pacific region airlines to rise by 5.9 per cent a year, compared with the global average of 4.8 per cent.

In the freight market, the amount of cargo carried by air through the region will increase by 5.6 per cent annually, compared a global increase of around 5.1 per cent.

Meanwhile, airlines in the region will replace 76 per cent of the 4,270 aircraft currently in service, with the overall inservice fleet comprising some 9,965 passenger aircraft and around 820 freighters by 2030.

Reflecting the concentration of growing populations around the main urban centres, Airbus predicts that the Asia Pacific region will continue to lead global demand for wide-body aircraft as the most efficient way to meet rising traffic and overcome capacity constraints at airports.

This, combined with replacement needs, will see carriers in the region acquire around 3,650 new widebody aircraft, representing 42 per cent of all wide-body deliveries worldwide.

These will include some 730 very large aircraft, such as the A380, for the busiest routes, and around 2,920 midsize wide-bodies, such as the A330 and new A350 XWB, for medium-capacity long-range and regional services.

Singapore Airlines was the first Asia-Pacific airline to take delivery of one of the new giant double-decker Airbus A380s. –Photo by Terence Ong. The latest Airbus forecast sees demand for single-aisle aircraft in the region accelerating in the coming years, driven largely by the significant incremental growth in the low-cost sector.This, combined with replacement needs and continued demand on secondary short-haul routes, especially in China and India, will see a requirement for some 5,720 new single-aisle aircraft in the region.

In the cargo sector, the region will continue to dominate the global market. According to the forecast, the dedicated freighter fleet operated by Asia Pacific airlines will grow from 300 now to around 820 in 2030, representing 30 per cent of the global freighter fleet.

While many of the aircraft will be converted from passenger models, Airbus predicts that around 210 new

production freighters will be delivered to the region over the next 20 years.

As in other world regions, around 40 per cent of the freighters will be in 60- to 70-tonne category served by mid-size wide-body aircraft.

“We forecast strong growth for aviation in Asia and the Pacific. Asia Pacific is second to none when it comes to current and future business prospects.

And aviation growth will bring increased trade and significant wealth creation into the region,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, Customers, Airbus.

The Asia Pacific region is a core market for Airbus, accounting for 26 per cent of all orders recorded by the company to date.

Today, there are some 1,800 Airbus aircraft in service with over 80 operators across the region, with another 1,700

on order with customers for future delivery. This represents 38 per cent of the company’s total backlog, reflecting the importance of the region as the fastest-growing market for new civil aircraft.

Airbus’ forecast for the Asia Pacific region is derived from the company’s global market forecast, which foresees total demand for almost 27,800 new passenger and freight aircraft valued at US$3.5 trillion

over the next 20 years.

In the various size categories the forecast predicts total demand for 1,680 very large aircraft, 6,920 twinaisle wide-bodies and 19,170 single-aisle aircraft.

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14 BUSINESS/PROPERTY

THE PHUKET NEWS

Third new Patong mall set to open in March Sukunya Phoonpong reporter2@thephuketnews.com

A third new shopping mall, the Bangla Mall, will be o p e ne d i n Pat ong nex t month, it was announced on Friday (February 17).

Phuket Creation Co told participants at a press conference at The Kee Resort & Spa that the new “mini mall”, next to Ocean Plaza Bangla, will offer “a unique experience of fashion, food and fun for all”.

S h o p p e r s c a n e njoy a cluster of new restaurants and cafés including a Phuket FantaSea souvenir shop, a 7-Eleven, a branch of

Bangkok Bank, a Bangkok Burger Company restaurant, a Bata shoe shop, a KFC outlet and a branch of Boots the Chemist. Most will be open from 11 am to 10 pm but outlets in the basement floor will be open 24 hours a day.

Bangla Mall will also have a supermarket and “executive” food court called The Gourmet 9th along with IT, fashion, beauty shops and spas. More than 100 shop owners have signed leases.

The mini-mall, which cost more than B3 million to build, is on three floors including a basement on a land plot of 1.75 rai.

New house prices ‘likely to increase in mid-year’

Computer-generated image of how the new Bangla Mall in Patong will look at sunset.

Phuket Creation owner Sompong Daopiset said the mall will offer another choice for tourists in Patong.

“There are many entertainment venues, bars and cafés in Soi Bangla, but there are not many places for families or friends to sit

and talk, so this mall will be a place where people can shop, eat and so on.

“I expect about 1,000 to 5,000 tourists and local people to visit Bangla Mall every day.

There will be many special promotions during the opening period but these have

NOT SO EASY: If you are a foreigner and you have bought a condominium unit in Thailand on a freehold basis, you may be under the impression that part of the value you purchased was peace of mind – the knowledge that your heir can inherit and own the condo.

However, if your heir is also a foreigner then this, unfortunately, is not necessarily true. Thailand’s well-known stringent restrictions on foreign freehold ownership of immovable property also curtail whether and how a foreigner may own an inherited freehold condominium unit.

Thai legislation on condominium ownership is laid out in the Condominium Act (1979) and subsequent amendments. Only under certain conditions does the Act allow foreigners to own a freehold

Olaf Duensing Tax & Law Expert Duensing Kippen

condominium unit.

Perhaps the best-known current foreign ownership restriction is the “49 per cent foreign freehold quota”.

Under this model, with very limited exceptions, foreign freehold ownership may not exceed 49 per cent of the total floor space of a condominium project in Thailand.

Section 19 of the Act states that even where foreign freehold space is available, only foreigners who meet one or more of the following conditions are entitled to receive a freehold title to a condominium unit in Thailand, regardless of how the unit comes into their possession: • Any foreigner permitted to

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

•

• •

•

reside permanently in the Kingdom under the terms of the Immigration Act; Any foreign immigrant permitted to enter the Kingdom under the Board of Investment Act; Any alien juristic person registered under Section 97 and 98 of the Land Code; Any alien juristic person qualified under the November 24, 1972, Announcement of the Revolution Committee No 281 that also has had a Board of Investment Certificate granted under the Board of Investment Act; or Any alien or alien juristic person who has brought foreign currency into Thailand or who has withdrawn Thai Baht currency from a foreign resident’s Thai Baht account or who has withdrawn money from

not been confirmed yet,” Mr Sompong added.

Of the other two new malls, Patong Promenade, at the east end of Soi Bangla, is already partially open, while Banana Wal k, on the beachfront, is due to open later this year.

The President of the Thai Housing Business Association, Issara Boonyoung, has predicted that house prices will be “adjusted upwards” in mid-year, because of higher material and labour costs.

Mr Issara said that during the transition period between the second and the third quarter of 2012, prices of detached houses, town houses and condominiums will see a gradual increase of 5-10 per cent, as a result of rising costs.

Mr Issara said that condominium prices might increase more than those of detached houses given that the construction of the former requires more material and labour.

However, despite an upward adjustment in prices, Mr Issara speculated that the sales figures for 2012 would be similar to those of last year.

–NNT

Leaving your condo to a foreign heir

a foreign bank on deposit in Thailand.

Section 19.3 (5) of the Condominium Act states that the amount of currency required to qualify in this final category is defined as “not less than the price of the unit to be purchased”.

The Act clearly states that any foreign person who does not fulfill at least one of these conditions is not entitled to own a condominium in Thailand.

So what does this mean with regard to inheritance? Obviously, if you are a foreigner and your heir is a foreigner, then the 49-per-cent quota would not be an issue as the unit would pass from one foreigner to another, maintaining the same foreign/ Thai ownership ratio before and after inheritance.

However it is quite possible, even likely, that your foreign heir will not meet any of the additional Section 19 criteria

for foreign freehold ownership of a condominium.

In such a case, while your heir may have legally inherited your condominium unit, they will not be legally eligible to continue owning it and Section 19.7 of the Condominium Act, as follows, will then apply: “All foreigners not qualified under Section 19 who receive the condominium unit either by inheritance or in any other way, must report the matter to the relevant administrative official within 60 days from the date they receive such property and they must then sell the property within one year from the date they receive it. Otherwise, the provisions of Section 19.5 shall be applied mutatis mutandis.”

Section 19.5 of the Condominium Act provides that if the foreigner concerned fails to sell the condominium unit within the time allotted, the Director of the Land Department shall

have the right to sell the unit.

Thus, if you leave your condo upon your death to a foreign heir, the heir must inform the Provincial Land Office, or the district branch of the Land Office where the condo is located, within 60 days of inheriting it.

Then, if your heir does not meet any of the criteria under Section of 19 of the Act, he or she must either sell the condo or face having the Director of the Land Department sell it, possibly at a hefty discount.

Not e , h owe ve r, t h a t your heir has up to one year after inheriting the unit to either sell the unit or comply with Section 19.

The best, if not the only, option for your heir to comply with Section 19 would be for him or her to transfer the relevant amount of foreign currency into Thailand. After that, the heir would be entitled to continue to own the freehold condo unit in perpetuity.

Duensing Kippen is a multiservice boutique law firm specializing in real estate and corporate/commercial transactional matters as well as arbitration proceedings arising therefrom. It is the only such firm in Thailand that also compliments its transactional expertise with a core tax law practice. Duensing Kippen can be reached at: phuket@duensingkippen.com or for more information visit www.duensingkippen.com

thephuketnews.com

16 ART

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

CULTURE

BIG LIST: Conspiracy theories > 22

culture@thephuketnews.com

KNOW WHERE THIS IS? GUESS RIGHT AND WIN!

GERRY’S view

THIS WEEK’S HINT: “This enormous champagne cooler and bottle is a landmark outside a popular northeast Asian restaurant on one of the main roads leading to Chalong Circle from Central Festival.

However, seen from either direction, it is normally easier to spot when coming from Phuket Town, as it is located at a major intersection where one normally has time to view it while waiting for the traffic lights to change.”

–Gerry Cummings

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editor@thephuketnews.com

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A star comes out

Norachai Thavisin editor3@thephuketnews.com

Tina Hall, director of the Phu ket Has Been Good To Us Foundation, looks very pleased.

A sizeable crowd of music lovers has gathered on the lawn at the British International School Phuket (BIS) on Thursday evening (February 16) and people are sipping wine and eating finger-food.

A Starlight Soiree of opera aria, sung by visiting British soprano Julie-Anne Hunter, is raising funds for the foundation for its work of teaching English at two local government schools. A teacher is selling raffle tickets, and two young blond foundation volunteer girls are helping to serve food and drink.

Another English teacher anxiously looks up to the night sky for any sign of rain clouds. Fortunately none are there – instead there are early stars and a planet or two twinkling in the fading light.

There can be no more suitable place for this outdoor performance than the BIS amphitheatre, built in the manner of ancient Greece and Rome.

As the audience files in, sitting on cushions on the rising tiers they have views of a grand

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Music lovers gather for an evening’s music feast at BIS.

Red Gallery: Soprano Juie-Anne Hunter.

Volunteers Sandra Backman (left) and Madeleine Sjoberg. piano on the stage below, the surrounding green sportfields, and the Victorian-esque facade of the school opposite, built in the stately design of an English public school.

Accompanied by pianist and teacher at BIS, Merja

Makivirta, the familiar melodies of beloved arias of Puccini, Verdi and Mozart sung very movingly by Ms Hunter, rise into the dark sky and echo back lightly from the facing school building. There is not a breath of wind, and the

crowd itself remains hushed.

When she sings Puccini’s O Mio Babbino Caro (oh my beloved father), this listener is moved close to tears, if not secretly right into them.

The soprano confesses that Ave Maria, the Schubert version, is a personal indulgence, as it may also be for many listeners in the audience as well.

A soprano, not tenor, version of the Italian master’s Nessun Dorma (none shall sleep) rings out as the stirring finale of the first half of the recital.

No one is sleeping.

Puccini all the way in Phuket? More, please.

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The One Gallery:

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THE PHUKET NEWS

PEOPLE 17

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Easygoing vice-governor breaks new local ground Apinya Saksri reporter4@thephuketnews.com

D r S o m m a i P r ij a s i l p a became Phuket’s first female vice-gover nor when she took up the position on January 9 this year.

Phuket now joins seven other provinces – Phichit, Sakon Nakhon, Chachoengsao, Prachin Buri, Chai Nat, Ayutthaya, Prachuap Khiri Khan – that also have women as vice-governors.

Dr Sommai was born in Bangkok, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philology from Thammasat University along with two master’s degrees from Thammasat University and the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.

She then went on to receive a doctorate in education administration from Illinois State University.

Before moving to Phuket, she was the vice-governor in Mukdahan, in Thailand’s far northeast, from 2008 until the end of 2011. For the first

says, because she has visited Phuket once per year for a long time. While vice-governor in Phuket, she will deal with managing and developing public health, environment, public works and country planning, tourism, and foreign relations.

One of the urgent issues for Phuket is to focus on tourism, and improve the overall image of Phuket, which could be improved by better public relations, she believes.

Phuket recently launched a road show around Thailand to promote tourism in the Andaman region. She hopes the Asian Beach Games, planned Before moving here, Dr Sommai was the vice-governor of Mukdahan, in the northeast. for Phuket two years from now, will also help promote two years of that posting she but is far more urban, and is 14, 1973 Thai revolution, tourism and lead to sport was in charge of the economic very different both economi- helping to educate people in tourism development, such and social portfolios, and cally and socially.

Suphanburi about democracy. as extreme outdoor activities afterwards took on security.

Dr Som mai told T he That job lead to her working such as bungee jumping.

She believes tourists see Mukdahan is a “coun- Phuket News that before she for the Office of Accelerated Phuket as a marine tourism tryside where people had an started working for the govern- Rural Development. idyllic lifestyle”, and are at one ment, she was a volunteer in She didn’t need to do a centre, but the island has traffic with nature, she says. Phuket, a rural development camp for great deal of research before problems that need to be adtoo, is surrounded by nature three years after the October being posted to Phuket, she dressed, and she believes that

more sophisticated technology, such as an island-wide transportation service, possibly a light rail system, would be a big help.

Another point of concern, she says, is to ensure that migrant labourers have access to good medical care.

She hopes that all of these can be registered with the Social Security Office, which can provide assistance with medical treatment.

The preservation of the environment and tourist safety are also important, she said.

Dr Sommai describes herself as an easygoing person with a passion for travel, and she likes to be surrounded by like-minded people. When she first arrived in Phuket she was impressed at how welcoming people were, and at the high quality of souvenirs and local food with its unique packaging.

As with all senior government postings, Dr Sommai will most likely stay in Phuket for no more than four years.

From the big city to the big easy Marie-Laure Fleury

General Manager of Boathouse Claire Connell editor1@thephuketnews.com

W hat were you doi ng before you moved here?

I was Resort Manager at Trisara for the past two years before the Boathouse was acquired by the same owner. I then moved down to Kata as General Manager to oversee the renovation works, reopening and ongoing operation. Before that I was at The Sukhothai in Bangkok as EAM for three years.

How long have you lived on the island?

We have been here for three years in June, and moved because there was a great opportunity for me at Trisara which I couldn’t refuse. It also seemed the perfect place to raise our two children – a bit of a paradise for them, pollution free, lovely quality of life, great schooling and great weather.

What is the best thing about living here?

The quality of life, the weather which is amazing for most of the year, and the number of friends and family members

visiting which is even more than when we lived in Hong Kong. I could pretty much live my entire life surrounded by friends and family at home so for me this is perfect. We were tired of living in huge cities, on top of skyscrapers. Phuket has been a wonderful change.

What do you do to relax?

When was the last time that happened? With a full-time job and two kiddies, there is not a lot of time to relax.

But when there is, a glass of wine with my hubby Bryce, listening to some cool music on the outdoor terrace of our house helps a lot, or if I have time to schedule this ahead of time perhaps a strong deep tissue massage.

What hobbies or sports are you interested in?

I love hiking, which we were doing a lot of in Hong Kong but stopped when we moved to Thailand. Otherwise reading, jogging, listening to music, shopping, going to the movies, playing with the kids.

What is your favourite

childhood memory?

Long walks in the forest, picking different things during different seasons, mushrooms, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, making jams when we were getting home, making a wooden house in a tree where we would spend all afternoon playing or making caramel in sea shells during a holiday in Brittany which tasted divine.

Favourite food or dish?

The food my hubby cooks as he really is a master chef. His slow-cooked lamb shanks, for example, are really yummy. I love so many things it’s difficult to know where to start.

I love oysters, foie gras, black and white truffle of course, Italian cuisine and of course Thai and Chinese food too… the list goes on and on. I really enjoy my eating.

What kind of music are you mostly into?

A lot of French stuff such as JJ Goldman, Charles Aznavour, Edith Piaf and also James Blunt, Hunters and Collectors, opera singers, classical

Exposed music, anything that touches me emotionally.

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

Remaining zen behind the wheel of their car as driving can be somewhat frustrating on the island. But the best way to go about it is to be cautious, smile, anticipate, and let it be.

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you while living here?

Driving back one night from Boathouse Wine and Grill to Cherngtalay, where we used to live, after 11pm and realising the petrol tank was empty. We took the coast road and didn’t know whether we would make it home as there are literally no petrol stations on the road all the way back that are open after 11pm – petrol stations everywhere seem to close at about 7pm – lesson learnt.

her constant dedicated time to us, for always nurturing our inner curiosity seed, for making us want to always go a bit further in everything we do. I hope I know how to teach my children those skills.

Who is the person you admire the most and why?

Being a mother of two now, my mum for having the strength to always work while raising her three children. For her patience,

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

Any beach on a gorgeous day at sunset with a rug laid on the sand, a chilled bottle of champagne and two glasses,

Best tip: ‘Remaining zen behind the wheel of their car as driving can be somewhat frustrating on the island.’ to admire the sunset. Bryce did it once when we had just been here a few months and it was unforgettable.

Favou r it e pl ac e on the island, and why?

At home with Bryce and the kids, where I don’t spend enough of my time. With friends sharing a simple BBQ and a lovely glass of rose from the Luberon, our favourite region in France.

thephuketnews.com

18 EDUCATION

BIS’ formidable student singer Siska Greene sings with the visiting Studio188 band.

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Just some of the many nationalities that make up the varied BIS student population.

Rocking international day at BIS Norachai Thavisin editor3@thephuketnews.com

Kids pose with the Live 89.5 radio car, which was parked at the school for the day.

Siska Greene, a Year 9 student at the British International School Phuket (BIS), is belting out a rock number.

Such a powerful voice comes out of the small girl, who is also very much at ease on the stage. The school is rightly proud of this developing singer who clearly has a promising future as a performer.

The Studio188 band, led

by Michael Luévano, who have just flown in from their base in Shanghai for their first visit to Phuket, is providing the backing music, with saxophones wailing.

Young students form an impromptu line in front of the band, trying to dance in step with each other. One improvises solo moves that

bring smiles and laughter from students stood behind him.

A small Thai student, impeccably clad in a formal traditional Thai outfit with white official jacket and blue silk sarong tied back in the same style that his grandfathers may have worn, hurries along an outside covered walkway to join the fun.

Already there, tall Korean girl students look spectacular in their national dresses, with long flowing red and pink silk skirts sweeping on the grass.

A blond Russian girl, in a very pretty white national dress, smiles while her friend holds up a small flag from her country, both stood in the welcoming shade of the Russian tent.

Another boy is wrapped up in a green-and-gold South African flag, while close by Australian children wear tall

blue Mad Hatter hats adorned with the Southern Cross stars.

Space, a play to be performed solo by a young visiting actor from England, Timothy Mann, and supported by the Year 12-13 drama g roup of BIS, is due to begin in a few hours.

In the school’s drama studio, the dozen or so young actors of the Nose2Nose school troupe are busy in rehearsal, being coached by a visiting drama teacher Neil Farrelly. They shout, scream and prance in acts that the group is just now spontaneously sketching out for itself.

Later, in the school darkened auditorium and under spotlight, the troupe’s newlycreated sketches come magically and dramatically alive in front of the assembled audience of parents, teachers and peers.

Students to receive 900,000 free tablets

Some 900,000 electronic tablets are to be given out to all Prathom 1 and some Prathom 4 students (first and fourth graders), newlyappointed Education Minister Prof Suchart Thadathamrongvej said recently.

The number of tablets is an increase from the previously agreed 700,000, with a B1.9 billion budget, reported The Nation.

The minister said a request had been made to the Cabinet has for another B1 billion in budget for the extra tablets, he said.

Prof Suchart said Thailand would buy all the tablets from China under a governmentto-government contract.

thephuketnews.com

At his recent policy declaration session at the Education Ministry on taking up office as the minister, Prof Suchart vowed to care for students and teachers as if they were family members – and hurry to put the Pheu Thai Party’s education policies into practice.

He said technology-based learning a major policy of the party, which he will continue – including the tablet distribution to students and “e-education” programmes and content developed to change schools to life-long learning centres.

He said the Englishspeaking Year policy would be continued and he strongly

supported the move.

“We will try to seek more English native speakers for schools to encourage students to practise it.

“Every school should stop paying for unnecessary events and hiring companies to make banners printed with my picture to welcome me.

The money should be used to hire foreign teachers instead.

The Chinese language will also be promoted among interested students.”

To open more opportunities for students to pursue education abroad, Prof Suchart said he would add one more scholarship in addition to the current one-district one-scholarship project.

THE PHUKET NEWS

ENVIRONMENT 19

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Dr Paul calls for spiritual change Norachai Thavisin editor3@thephuketnews.com

“The greatest change must be a change in the mindset.

Not a change of laws, rules or policies,” said Dr Chamniern “Paul” Borratnchaiphan.

“If we see that the land, water and air around us are our friends, we are not going kill our friends. “ I wou ld l i ke t o go deeper into spirituality, into what is called kalyanamitra [spiritual friend] in Bali, as a very relevant concept for us here in Phuket.”

Dr Chamniern, who is Senior Director of the Thailand Environment Institute (TEI), was a keynote speaker, along with Dr Pakamas Thinphanga, project manager at TEI, at the workshop on “Climate Change and Development of Phuket”, held at Thanyapura Retreat on Friday February 17.

“Previously I believed that policies and action plans can change people’s behaviour.

But I no longer believe so,” said Dr Chamniern.

“Instead the changes need to come from deep within, from our mind and spirit.

Science and technology alone can not accomplish these much needed changes.

Workshop members at Thanyapura Retreat ponder changes needed for a sustainable Phuket.

Speaker Dr Chamniern “Paul” Borratnchaiphan.

He said the main task facing bureaucracy and other environmental stakeholders is to somehow transcend the dividing walls that self-interest has built around each of us, that prevents us from working together for the environment.

He cited the example of his own, ultimately successful 16-

year effort to gather support to conserve the Sino-Portuguese heritage in the old town of Phuket, as illustrating how change can come from within.

Because the conservation of this heritage is felt to be an essential part of the “personal cultural entity” of key people, such as Mayor-

Adopt a dog

Sloe has been at the Soi Dog shelter for a couple of years and it’s time she found a real home. She’s approx five years old and gets on well with other dogs. She’s a little bit quiet and shy at first, but she loves people and really enjoys affection. Sloe needs a proper home life and people to care for her. Sloe is sterilised & fully-vaccinated. If you can provide her with the home she’s always dreamed of, please email cindy@soidog.org or phone the Soi Dog shelter on 081 788 4222. Visit our website www.soidog.org or follow us on Facebook!

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

ess Somjai Suwannasupana, the conser vation project eventually found success.

“The question is whether in Phuket, the Thais, farangs and Burmese who have resided here for a long time can share the same spiritual need for a sustainable island.”

That was just one of the

questions some 30 people who attended the workshop, held appropriately perhaps in the monastic environment of Thanyapura Retreat near the green hills of Thalang, set themselves to answer.

Led by Dr Pakamas, and joined by the founders of the SEEK local activist en-

vironmental network, Sean Panton and Nick Anthony, the participants broke into groups to work out ways.

Ahead of these pioneers are formidable barriers of greed, selfishness, apathy and ignorance. Nevertheless the workshop seemed full of hope, and determination.

Pet of the Week

This beautiful Golden Retriever is named Sunny, and he is three and a half years old. He belongs to Pinky, who runs Gallery Cafe in Phuket Town.

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

thephuketnews.com

20 KIDS PAGE

THE PHUKET NEWS

COLOURING CONTEST

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

E

ach week, colour the picture, have a photo taken with the finished work, and email it to editor@ thephuketnews.com. The grand winner will be announced on this page in two weeks’ time!

This week, congratulations go to Ef, age 10, from the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation, who won because: “Ef’s work is neat yet quite freely coloured with most spaces all filled in.

There is also very good colour harmony. Really well done.”

mail@ sophieillustration.co.uk

Runners-up

Jessica, age 10, Headstart.

thephuketnews.com

Maya Trahan, age 8, QSI.

Mickey, age 10, Headstart.

Thanks go to all the children at Darasamuth Phuket School, Kajonkietsuksa School, British International School Phuket, Phuket International Academy, and Cocount Club for their fantastic entries.

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

THE PHUKET NEWS

TIME OUT 21

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

BOOK

MUSIC

FILM Ghost Rider 2 95 minutes Rating: G

Director: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor Starring: Nicolas Cage, Idris Elba, Ciarán Hinds

A Good American

By Alex George 400 pages

Kisses on the Bottom

Sir Paul McCartney

The year is 1904, and Frederick and Jette must flee their disapproving family in Germany and head to the land of opportunity, failing to realise the difficulties facing non-English speakers upon arrival.

Originally set to board a boat to New York, they instead take one destined for New Orleans, and later find themselves in the small town of Beatrice, Missouri.

Like most immigrants of that time, Frederick turned his back on Europe and “looked ahead into the bright lights of the young century”. Those lights shine brightly on four generations of his family in the novel as we meet a cast of very memorable characters.

Through good times and bad, we watch as they walk through history; World War I, Prohibition, the Great Depression and World War II come alive as does their yearning to pursue a life abundant with happiness.

Essentially a covers set (plus two originals) featuring jazz songs Sir Paul “grew up listening to”, Kisses on the Bottom has a sweet, easy intimacy that even his ex-wife Heather Mills couldn’t deny, and thankfully the tracks are classier than the album’s moniker.

It’s an interesting turn for McCartney, who is well out of his comfort zone with the material, but the romantic numbers such as ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ and ‘More I Cannot Wish You’ are beautifully accompanied.

In fact, backed by Diane Krall’s band, a host of guests (including Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder) and production legend Tommy LiPuma, it’s the instrumental backing that really carries most of these songs, as McCartney simply does not possess the voice of a jazz singer.

But the more upbeat the arrangement, the better he sounds, and when McCartney wants to sing, he definitely can.

Dane Halpin editor2@thephuketnews.com

The first Ghost Rider film was considered by many, with good reason, to be the worst film of the decade.

But if there is one thing that can be said conclusively about the sequel, Spirit of Vengeance, it’s that it makes the first one look good.

The latest installment is almost completely devoid of story. There’s a kid, there’s the Devil (Ciaran Hinds) who wants to take over the kid’s body and fulfill some vague prophecy, Nicolas Cage turns into an angry flaming skeleton man, and Idris Elba likes wine. That’s about it.

Cage does his best to inject energy into a script that couldn’t care any less about presenting anything of interest, but his incarnation of Johnny Blaze can only be described as schizophrenic, much like the film’s direction.

With a list of screenwriters that includes Batman Begins and Dark Knight story man David S. Goyer, alongside TV writers Seth Hoffman (Prison Break, FlashForward) and Scott M. Gimple (The Walking Dead), one would expect Spirit of Vengeance to at least offer some quality action, compelling plot turns and a touch of engaging drama.

Instead, what we get is one

long chase sequence disguised as a story, punctuated by terrible dialogue and scene after scene where it feels like the actors are improvising everything rather than working from any kind of script.

While the directing duo manage to create some impressive shots with their daredevil shooting style (which literally included getting towed behind motorbikes on roller skates), those individual shots do not translate into impressive sequences, and on the whole, a lot of the action in the film is dull.

There are a few animated segments throughout the film that offer some nice Gothic artistry, but they are spliced

rather awkwardly with the live action, and just don’t really fit in with the rest of the film.

The movie offers almost no character development to speak of, and instead relishes in creating a handful of offbeat characters. Cage is almost to the point of self-parody with his oddball screen persona, Elba is resigned to stumbling around playing an overly happy drunken warrior, and Ciarán Hinds is wasted in his portrayal of The Devil.

Spirit of Vengeance is also showing in 3D at Central in Phuket Town, and while there are some nice moments for the format, most of them involve ‘in your face’ antics.

The rest of the time, the format – combined with the directors’ frenetic shooting style – is more headache than enhancement and not worth the hefty B240 price tag.

This is the film that people are thinking about when they moan about superhero film culture and fanboy cinema.

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

SFX COLISEUM PHUKET (CENTRAL FESTIVAL)

SFC JUNGCEYLON PHUKET (PATONG)

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (E/3D) [G]: 11:45, 13:50, 16:00, 18:00, 20:05, 22:10 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (E/F) [G]: 12:45, 14:50, 17:00, 19:00, 21:05 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (T) [G]: 11:15, 12:15, 13:20, 14:20, 15:25, 16:25,

17:30, 18:30, 19:35, 20:35, 21:40, 22:35 Melody Ruk Tumnong Nee (T/E.SUB) [G]: 11:50, 14:00, 18:05, 20:30, 22:35 Safe House (E) [15+]: 11:20, 13:40, 16:10, 20:10, 22:30 Valentine Sweety (T) [15+]: 12:00, 14:35, 17:10, 19:45, 22:20

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (E) [G]: 11:10, 12:00, 14:05, 16:10, 18:15, 20:20, 22:25 Journey 2: Mysterious Island (E) [G]: 13:15, 16:50, 21:20 Man on a Ledge (E) [15+]: 15:20, 19:00 Melody Ruk Tumnong Nee (T/E.SUB) [G]: 12:30, 14:40, 17:40, 20:00, 22:05 Safe House (E) [15+]: 12:35, 15:00, 17:25, 19:50, 22:15 Valentine Sweety (T) [15+]: 12:00, 14:35, 17:10, 19:45, 22:20

BRAIN TEASERS Across 1. Slice incorporated, I take direction with particle. (8) 5. Relies on illegal business agreements.

(6) 10. Dog disease explains Di’s bad mood. (9) 11. Needle-wielder beneath the street? (5) 12. Bewilder no indefinite number more. (7) 13. Examine for every exploit. (6)

Solutions to last week’s puzzles

14. Make last mouse reaction, they say. (3) 17. I’m ready to go on vacation, so to speak.

That’s a blow. (6) 19. Arthropod in religious group. (6) 22. Behold, O British washroom! (3) 24. Portal scattered military group. (6) 25. Forum in wrecked military outfit. (7) 28. “Hot stuff”, said American state. (5) 29. Have girl scout reserve tourist’s necessity. (9) 30. Quiet little Simon made a loan. (6) 31. User of staff. (8)

(7) 6. Holds back the remainder before wet season. (9) Down 7. Hello! Saw as Scottish river. (8) 1. One’s in India, 8. Father’s royal north. He’s to the south address. (4) of Phuket. (10) 9. Doctor with assault 2. Sign together, say, in cloth dealer. (6) triangle ratio. (6) 15. Creator of Lucifer 3. Charm? Explain and marriage broker. letter by letter. (5) (10) 4. Is against small 16. Instrument deal. I operation and attitudes. am on after. (9)

18. Tail a pal badly to be palace-like. (8) 20. Accuse? Everyone on edge, we hear. (6) 21. Trip is meter of Phuket’s concern. (7) 23. Punctuation mark?

Yes, in part of empire.

(6) 26. I hand out cards to perfection. (5) 27. Plays part in biblical book. (4)

thephuketnews.com

22 WEIRD WORLD

OUT OF THIS WORLD

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

THE BIG LIST

Former US President Dwight Eisenhower ‘met with aliens’, says former consultant Crazy Conspiracies

It’s a story that has circulated in and out of the UFO community for years: Did former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower have three meetings with extraterrestrials? Or are all these conspiracy theorists just on another planet?

An ex-government consultant apparently says the story is true and that the 34th commander in chief chatted with aliens at a New Mexico air base.

No definitive proof has ever surfaced to confirm this president-meets-aliens tale, because frankly, if it had, the story would get a greater run than on the Weird World pages of a leading Phuket newspaper.

However, according to Timothy Good, Eisenhower and FBI officials arranged for the intergalactic summit at Holloman Air Force Base.

“Aliens have made both formal and informal contact with thousands of people throughout the world from all walks of life,” Good, an author, lecturer and former consultant

It is alleged that President Eisenhower met with aliens.

(Note: Authenticity of this image has not been verified.) to Congress and the Pentagon, said on Frank Skinner’s BBC2 program, Opinionated.

Good claims that governments of the world have had ongoing contacts with aliens over many years.

The story about Eisenhower’s close encounter of the very personal kind – where he repor tedly met w it h Nordic-looking aliens – supposedly unfolded while the president was vacationing in California in February 1954.

Whether or not the latest story is true, an interesting related side-story reared its head in 2010 when a retired New Hampshire state representative, Henry McElroy Jr., taped an intriguing video announcement in which he revealed seeing a secret briefing document intended for Eisenhower.

This document, according to McElroy, contained information that aliens were in America and that Eisenhower could meet with them.

NO KIDDING When it comes to science, this one takes some bleating.

Scientists have found that baby goats change their calls depending on the group they're in, developing accents.

Until now it was thought – out of all the world's mammals – only bats and whales came close to our own vocal and language flexibility.

Irish Pubs • Restaurant • Guest Houses

Draft Beer Great Food Cool Rooms Good Music Live Sport

thephuketnews.com

“To the best of my memory, this brief was pervaded with a sense of hope, and it informed President Eisenhower of the continued presence of extraterrestrial beings here in the United States of America,” McElroy said on the video.

“The tone of the brief indicated to me that there was no need for concern, since these visitors were in no way causing any harm or had any intentions whatsoever of causing any disruption then or in the future,” he explained.

McElroy goes on to say that, although he couldn’t verify times or places where any meetings might have taken place between Eisenhower and “off-world astronauts”, he believed that there were such meetings. In other words, he didn’t know when, where or why the meetings occurred, but he suspects they might have, somewhere, at some time, for some unknown reason, taken place, with an unknown outcome. A compelling argument if ever there was one.

Goats bleat in different accents, say scientists

A team of leading British research scientists studied four groups of pygmy goats, who were all full- or half-siblings.

The scientists found that even unrelated goats began to mimic each other’s voices.

Dr Elodie Briefer said: “We discovered that genetically related kids produced similar calls, which is really not

that surprising.

“But the calls of kids who were raised in the same social groups were also similar to each other, and became more alike as the kids grew older.

“This suggests that goat k ids mod if y t hei r calls according to their social surroundings, effectively developing similar ‘accents’.”

Smurfy: Dad left feeling blue after kid’s party He should have probably stuck to the party classics like pin the tail on the donkey.

I nstead , a US fat her has found himself under investigation by police after brief ly playing a pornographic video instead of The Smurfs at his child’s birthday party.

Tremonton Police Chief Dave Nance said the man had rented a copy of The Smurfs from a Redbox kiosk and loaded the disc into his laptop.

But when he turned the projector on for the children, pornographic images flashed

on the screen.

According to reports, the pornography was not Smurfs related.

Authorities got involved when the father pulled out the oldest excuse in the book, complaining that somebody had ‘t ampered with the DVD’. Police found nothing wrong, saying the porn was probably on the laptop.

Officials aren’t pursuing charges because the incident was apparently an accident.

Everyone loves a good conspiracy theory, even if for nothing more than to laugh at the stupidity of them. Here, some of the sillier ones floating around the interweb: Bucket list: One particularly whacky theory suggests Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) deliberately causes impotence in black men. Colonel Sanders, the face and founder of the fast-food giant, was supposed to have left 10 per cent of his earnings to the Ku Klux Klan in his will, sparking rumours that the Colonel’s “secret blend of herbs and spices” was made a little extra spicy to render African American men sterile.

In reality, the ‘drug’ was probably little more than pure deep fried fatty goodness – obesity is directly linked to impotence. KFC is now owned by a black man.

Space Nazis: If you believe the theorists, Nazis had conquered space by 1942 and built a base on the moon and had also made contact with advanced alien races, even before Eisenhower (see left). So palpably false is the theory that it would be condescending to point out the obvious flaws; suffice to say that if Hitler had been capable of space travel, he may have just managed to win the war.

Then there was one: Paul McCartney is dead – killed in a car crash in 1969. The former Beatle, who released a new album this month (see our review on page 21), is little more than a look-a-like/sound-a-like. Apparently.

Theorists claim that if you play ‘Revolution 9’ backwards you hear the sound of a car crash and the words “turn me on, dead man”. Although, if Sir Paul’s solo career has been anything to go by, this one may actually be true.

Own goal: Playing in goal for Coventry City would not appear to be the most logical first step to revealing yourself as the son of God and saviour of the universe.

But you try telling that to David Icke. The former goalie remains convinced that his divine duty is to warn us of the impending doom our world faces at the hands of 7ft tall, blood-drinking lizard people. Needless to say, evidence for this theory is a little thin on the ground.

A scanner darkly: The barcode system is not a simple way to tick your groceries through the supermarket tills, but rather a tool of Satan. The “number of the beast”, 666 is apparently encoded into each one, and the whole barcode system was designed by the devil to infiltrate the minds of the unsuspecting general public.

Ridiculous? Yes, unless you’ve seen some of the prices at some of Phuket’s more upmarket restaurants, which can surely only be the result of some form of devilry.

Dingbats: Following the 1992 launch of the Microsoft ‘Wingdings’ font, students everywhere with too much time on their hands began to play with the typeface, which replaces letters with well-known symbols. Satanic teachings, secret plans for world domination and even future terror plots are among the weird and wacky messages supposedly contained in the font.

Which raises another point – kids, don’t do drugs.

Black and white: To call this a conspiracy theory may be a little too kind to those who believe it – that Michael and Latoya Jackson are one and the same person. Of course, both the late King of Pop and his sister are/were big plastic surgery fans. And they do look surprisingly similar – probably because they’re brother and sister.

Kill Bill? The Clinton Body Count is a list of 50 to 60 of Bill Clinton’s associates who have died “under mysterious circumstances”, apparently assassinated by Bill during and before his presidency. What they don’t mention is that most of the people on the list didn’t actually die under suspicious circumstances, and most had dangerous positions (such as police officers and soldiers). Or at least they became dangerous when a murderous Clinton was on the rampage.

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

LIFE&STYLE

SHOPPING 23 The spice is right

Pepper’s Claire Cookson > 24

lifestyle@thephuketnews.com

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

editor@thephuketnews.com

Cool cowgirl Sangduean Sawangjang Tourist

Hat (B300) from a shop on Soi Bangla.

White knitted top (B290) from Platinum Mall in Bangkok.

L ong blue d r e s s (B850) also from Platinum Mall.

Black Saint James bag (B2,700) bought at Seacon Square in Bangkok.

Brown sandals (B100) from a street stall at Soi Bangla.

Azure dream Selina Pearce Actress

Retro Rayban sunglasses were a gift from a friend.

Issy M iya k i bag ( B 450 0) is f rom Central World.

Terminal 21 white top (B270) bought at a shop in Asoke, Bangkok.

G r e e n To p s h o p skirt (B2,300) from Central World.

New yorker shoes (B400) also from Central World.

ACCESSORIES 1

2

3

MONA

4

1. Bag B1,200 2. Necklace B2,400 3. Shoes B550 4. Purse B6,500 Accessories from Mona at 6/81, Sri Soontorn Rd, Cherngthalay. Open daily 10am-8pm, 076 527 561.

thephuketnews.com

24 DINING

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Spicing up the island Claire Connell editor1@thephuketnews.com

Local Phuket identity Claire Cookson first arrived in Phuket some seven years ago on a two-week holiday, but loved the island so much she stayed.

These days she’s the owner of the popular Pepper’s Sports Bar near Laguna, newly-opened Irish pub The Craic, and a bar on Surin Beach that should open before the next high season.

It is a busy life for the former Liverpool resident, but Claire wouldn’t have it any other way.

She took over Pepper’s not long after arriving on the island, and in April the venue will celebrate 10 years of supplying islanders with a homely place to eat,

drink and be merry.

Taking over Pepper’s was an easy decision as it had already had a good reputation, says Claire.

“I wanted something that was already an established business.”

Pepper’s is open daily from 8.30am to 1am, and serves a full English breakfast plus lunch and dinner “English pub” type foods. For example, the menu has fish and chips, burgers, chicken fajitas, mince pies, and Indian curries, with most mains priced around B250.

There is also a Thai food menu, where dishes are between B100 to B220.

Claire’s son Jake runs the kitchen, along with Yai (who has been there since Pepper’s first opened), and Day.

Drinks include Magners Irish Cider and O’Hara’s, plus the popular “Pepper’s Pussy” cocktail made from Baileys, Kahlua and cream.

Patrons are mostly Brits, Australians and Europeans.

In news that should have the island’s men take notice, Claire says that many are single ladies, who come here because

there’s a woman at the helm.

The Wednesday night pub quiz attracts up to 10 teams, all eager for a chance to win a bar tab and of course, bragging rights for the next week.

■■ Pepper’s Sports Bar, 16-19 Lagoon Rd, Thalang, 076-325164, info@peppers-phuket. com; peppers-phuket.com

Pepper’s Sports Bar by Laguna attracts the single ladies.

Pepper’s well-known Liverpudlian owner Claire Cookson.

Toasting the sunset at Serenity Resort East 88 Beach Lounge, at Serenity Resort & Residences, held the launch of their Sunday Sundowner event last weekend.

The beach club is situated overlooking Chalong Bay, the perfect spot to spend Sunday afternoons, relaxing by the

resort’s pool, and in the lounge areas, while band YY perform classic rock and pop.

The burger and salad buffet bar is priced at B488++, while a six pack of beer is B450++.

Food includes chicken and beef burgers, cold cuts, fresh bread, and salads include

potato salad, various Thai salads, Caesar salad, pasta salad, and Greek salad.

The event is held weekly from 4pm.

■■ East 88 Beach Lounge, Serenity Resort & Residences, 14 Moo 5, Viset Rd, Rawai.

Far left, Serenity F&B manager Pascal Frei, and Serenity Marketing & Event Manager Pathum (Gee) Krapheenok, third from right, with patrons at East 88 Beach Lounge.

Left, Mik Jennings from Worldwide Dive and Sail gets stuck into a burger, and above, Tuk and Faris from Serenity watch the buffet.

Pasta bar opening Twinpalms is opening up a new pasta bar near Laguna, between its current Bake and Flame dining venues.

PASTA, set to open in late March, will feature a white marble bar counter, where diners can see their meals being prepared at the end of the 16-seat oval bar.

Expectedly, the menu includes a wide variety of pasta-based dining options.

thephuketnews.com

THE PHUKET NEWS

DINING 25

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

X marks the spot STREET EATS Sukunya Phoonpong reporter2@thephuketnews.com

Scallop kebab – just one of the many delicious dishes made in the kitchen at Mare.

Finding amore and happiness Claire Connell editor1@thephuketnews.com

Falling in love brought chef Fabrizio Crocette back to Phuket, and his dream job and beautiful family have kept him here since.

Chef Fabr i z io is t he head chef at Mare, the finedining Italian restaurant at Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket, in Karon.

Originally from Ravenna in the north of Italy, Chef Fabrizo came to Phuket on holiday three years ago. It was here he met his future wife, saleswoman Ao. He moved to Phuket permanently one year later to marry Ao, and to establish the new Mare restaurant.

The couple now have a one month-old son, Tommy.

Chef Fabrizio spent 15 years working in various Italian restaurants and has now s p e nt seve n ye a r s working as head chef.

His style is “simple and traditional”, with the restaurant a more relaxed venue during the day, and “stepping it up” to fine dining in the evenings.

“I’m Italian, and everywhere we go we need to eat

Chef Fabrizio Crocette.

Italian food. We need our pizza, pasta, breads, wines and olive oils – it is in our blood.

“My kitchen is healthy, there is not so much fat or oil, and the food is not heavy.”

Chef Fabrizio says his talent is working successfully with a combination of flavours.

For example, dishes that contain both fish and meat, or are salty and sweet, or spicy.

The restaurant has an open-plan kitchen, indoor and outdoor dining, and a large wine cellar. Service is efficient, with the layout meaning guests are able to watch their meals being prepared.

In November Chef Fabrizio introduced a dish of duck breast with wild berries

and fruits (B820), and says it has become his signature.

“It is sweet, sour, and has a strong taste of duck.”

Another favourite on the menu is the carpaccio di m a n zo alla c a rb on a ra , (B590) which surpirisngly has no pasta. The carbonara cream is instead served on Australian wagyu carpaccio.

In January 2010, Chef Fabrizio was an Italian finalist at the Valrhona Chocolate Competition, where he presented a brown sugar biscuit with salty caramel cream, and chocolate and coffee flavours.

His signature dessert dish at Mare is the variazione al limone (B250), made from lemon sherbert, frozen lemon, candied lemon skin and lemon foam. “It’s all about the lemon – different consistencies and form, and it tastes very fresh.”

He was specially trained in desserts while working in Spain, but says the Italian food he likes cooking most is pasta. “I think it is the most difficult dish to cook right.”

■■ Mare Restaurant, Centara Grand Beach Resort, 683 Patak Rd, Karon Beach, 076-201-234, cpbr@chr.co.th; centarahotelsresorts.com

Chinese dough, or patongkoh in Thai, is a very popular local snack for breakfast or dinner alike, with many local vendors around the island found selling this delicious treat.

Pa t o ngk oh is m a de from wheat f lour, sugar, salt, water and yeast, which is then moulded into an ‘X’ shape before being cooked in hot oil.

One vendor is Wanchai “Ko Chai” Wuttisom.

His popular stall has been open for almost 10 years.

However, Ko Chai says that patongkoh is not actually the real name of Chinese dough.

“Thai people called this Chinese dough patongkoh but it is actually not. The dish is in fact called iw chia koy or iw cha koy by Chinese people.”

He says patongkoh is instead the name of a Chinese sweet candy, which is not popular but is normally sold with Chinese dough.

The confusion occurs

Above, Chinese dough or patongkoh. Left, Wanchai “Ko Chai” Wuttisom, a local patongkoh vendor.

because vendors normally sell both types of snacks.

“Th ‘X’ shape signifies a couple. In China, there is a story about a soldier who was revered by the local people.

However, this soldier was the victim of rumours by another, evil, soldier, who spread bad words about this good man.

Because of his slander, the good soldier ended up being

killed in jail, which made the people very angry and upset with the evil soldier and his wife, who started the trouble.

“So they began making patongkoh in an ‘X’ shape, because they believed that when the patongkoh was cooked i n the hot oil, it was punishing the bad Chinese couple.

Ko Chai’s patongkoh st all is on Patipat Rd, Phuket Town, and open daily from 6pm to 3am.

The price is B3 each, or B6 including a dipping sauce of either egg custard or sweetened condensed milk.

thephuketnews.com

26 EXPLORE

THE PHUKET NEWS

Soneva Kiri is all a-Buzz From the deepest oceans, to the highest peaks, from the longest rivers, to the remotest desert plains… and even to the Moon, man continues to explore and discover the secrets of the world and beyond.

These intrepid explorers all have one thing in common – they all have a story to tell.

During 2012, Soneva has invited some of the most pioneering explorers to visit its resorts to share their stories with guests over dinner, to discuss the effects of climate change as seen at first hand on their travels and to lead guest adventures in and around the outstanding natural beauty of the surrounding area – on land and on sea.

The stories will be epic, the talks, dinners and excursions intimate and personal, exclusively for Soneva guests.

The line up itself is almost legendary, being led by the man on the moon himself, Buzz Aldrin. Buzz, who over forty years ago was the first to travel through space and

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

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

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

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

Kathu Mining Museum

British television presenter and explorer, Ben Fogle.

Man on the moon, famous US astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

spend 21 hours on the moon, will meet with his contemporary Sir Robin Knox Johnston, the first man to sail solo around the world.

Both men crossed their frontiers in 1969, applauded and revered each other’s achievement. They will meet for what promises to be an historic dinner, held under the stars and beside the sea, at Soneva Kiri on April 8.

The calendar of adventures

neva Kiri in Thailand on March 28. With his first trip in 2004, being a round the world motor cycle journey with Ewan McGregor, seen by the world in ‘Long Way Round’.

Charley’s subject of choice will be ‘How to get around the world without using airplanes (much)’, recounting tales of his travels from England to Cape Town and then Ireland to Sydney using a huge variety of different transportation.

began in January when TV presenter and explorer, Ben Fogle visited Soneva Kiri in Thailand. He led guests on a diving excursion to discover the waters around Koh Kood, to view marine life and ancient caves and then hosted a very British Tea Party back at the resort to tell tales of his travels.

Charley Boorman, charismatic TV adventurer, travel writer, actor and UNICEF ambassador, will visit So-

Journeys to treasure are always meant to be shared.

Charley will dine with guests and show his documentary at Cinema Paradiso before sharing his stories.

He will also take guests on an exploration by kayak around the coastline of the remote island of Koh Kood, amongst the deep, green mangrove forests.

Six Senses Resorts & Spas, 02-631-9777; mail@sixsenses. com; www.sixsenses.com

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

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

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

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

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

There are also a small library and a souvenir room.

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

Open Mon-Fri 8.30am-4.30pm.

Sat 9am-12pm. Free entrance.

All-in one-way fare from

THB

5,420

Singapore

All-in return fare from

THB

7,650

Singapore

All-in return fare from

THB

24,280

Australia/New Zealand * facebook.com/SilkAir

Exclusive MasterCard Privilege Book now and enjoy exclusive preview booking from 01 to 15 March 12. In addition, all MasterCard payments from 01 March 12 to 14 April 12 are eligible to redeem special travel accessories bags and neck cushion**. You also stand a chance to win Central Gift Vouchers worth THB 8,000 in our Grand lucky draw.

Visit mcshopathon.com/silkair Fares quoted are for one-way and return trip on Economy Class per person, for flights originating out of Phuket only. All advertised fares are inclusive of associated taxes and surcharges only. Fares quoted are subject to change due to currency fluctuation. Booking are to be made online via mcshopathon.com/silkair from 01 March to 14 April 12 for travel between 01 March 12 to 31 May 12. (Black out date from Singapore to Phuket from 11 to 14 April 12 and from Phuket to Singapore from 15-18 April 12) Subject to seat availability. Tickets are strictly not refundable, and change of flight, date or passenger name is not permitted. Other terms and conditions apply. *Australia/New Zealand: Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin, Auckland and Christchurch. **Please email Phuket_Sales@singaporeair.com.sg within 30 days of your ticket purchase to arrange for the collection of the giveaways.

thephuketnews.com

THE PHUKET NEWS

TRAVEL 27

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

TRAVEL NEWS

Malaysia charts 24.7 million tourists in 2011 Malaysia recorded overall growth in tourism last year as the positive effects of its luxury destination branding kicked in.

Tourist arrivals rose to 24,714,324 compared to 24,577,196 in 2010 while receipts climbed to RM58.3 billion compared to RM56.5 billion the previous year.

Minister of Tourism YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen said this was in line with the Malaysia Tourism Transfor mation Plan 2020 of achieving 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion receipts by 2020.

“The branding of Malaysia as a luxury destination and our efforts to attract high yield tourists to Malaysia have been well-received and this has made a difference,” she said.

Since 2010, the Ministry of Tourism had implemented various initiatives to draw high net-worth tourists to Malaysia

with events like the 1Malaysia International Shoe Festival, 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival and the packaging of helicopter tours.

The top ten tourist generating markets from January to December 2011 were Singapore (13,372,647), Indonesia (2,134,381), Thailand (1,442,048), China (1,250,536), Brunei (1,239,404), India (693,056), Australia (558,411), United Kingdom (403,940), Japan (386,974) and Philippines (362,101).

YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng said that despite being hampered by global economic, political, social and natural challenges, “Our tourism partners pulled through and I have no doubt that we would have been able to perform even better under different circumstances.

“This year will continue to challenge us but we will proceed with efforts to promote Malaysia as one of the preferred holiday destinations in the region.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners in the Malaysian travel trade industry and overseas, as well as members of the media, for their support,” she said. tourismmalaysia.gov.my

Kob Khun promotion at Dusit Thani Phuket In celebration of Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket being voted among Travel + Leisure’s ‘500 World’s Best Hotels’ for two consecutive years, they are offering a special promotion: Enjoy two nights accommodation with daily buffet breakfast for two persons; room upgrade (subject to availability); complimentary cash voucher valued B1,000, B1,500 or B2,000 bases on room category per booking.

Val id for st ay f rom now to April 30, 2012. www.dusit.com

B a n g ko k A i r way s offers Phuket discount B a n g kok A i r way s h a s launched an online fare promotion to Phuket, but bookings must be in place

by February 29.

The deal is B2,090 per sector, excludi ng t axes and surcharges or B4,380, all-in for a roundtrip.

The travel period expires March 31. Bangkok Airways operates six daily f lights to Phuket.

The deal betters Thai Airways International’s B5,360 Travel Around Thailand fare, its sole competitor in the full service segment.

An advantage is access to Bangkok Airways airport lounges, which is one of the few airlines to offer lounge service to economy class passengers. The upside for THAI is a longer booking window until March 31 and a choice of nine daily flights compared to six on Bangkok Airways.

In the budget segment, Nok Air sells the route at B3,780 and Orient Thai Airlines at B3,100. Both give a 15 kg of baggage allowance plus a small snack on board and operates twice daily to Phuket.

They are operating out of Suvarnabhumi Airport until Don Mueang Airport reopens March 6.

Thai AirAsia offers nine fights daily with regular fares star ting at B3,650 with a 7 kg allowance for carry-on luggage. Checked-in luggage costs extra.

In addition, Bangkok Airways recently launched its co-campaign “Fly High Class

at Friendly Price with mobile phone service provider AIS. Customers get a 10 per cent discount on fares on all routes when making reservations during February and March for travel until end of April except between April 13 and 17. AIS customers can get details at www. bangkokair.com/ais.

Orient Thai cuts fares Orient Thai Airlines reintroduces ticket sets for travel through out this year.

The first one is a Mini I Pass, a set of three one-way tickets available on all routes and sold at B4,900 all inclusive (about B1,633 per sector).

For frequent travellers, the airline sells a Fly-Me pack with 12 one-way tickets, eligible for all routes and sold at B16,500 all-in, or B1,375 per sector.

Orient Thai has three standard fares to all destinations — B1,450, B1,650 and B1,850 excluding taxes and surcharges at B100 per sector.

Both packs have a validity until December 31 this year.

However, passengers might not able to use the I Pass ticket on some flights especially during holidays and long weekends.

The packs are available at Orient Thai ticketing counters, while seat reservations can

be made at the counters.

More deals from Middle East airlines Emirates and Qatar Airways are competing head on with deals across European networks plus a few other destinations in Southeast Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Emirates’ promotion is valid for bookings until March 10, while travel ex-Bangkok is valid until March 25. Exceptions include Dallas with a last outbound date of April 30, travel to Seattle from March 1 to April 30 and Hare and Lusaka, until May 30.

Emirates includes new destinations launched during the first quarter — Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires (January 3), Dublin (January 9); Lusaka, and Dallas (February 2) and Seattle (March 1).

Qatar Airways’ promotion ends much earlier on February 22 for bookings and travel ex-Bangkok March 5 through May 31. Unlike Emirates, Qatar Airways quotes across all seat classes.

On the same destinations, Qatar Airways pitches lower economy fares that will save passengers up to B10,000.

The narrow booking window is the only drawback.

–TTR Weekly

thephuketnews.com

28 ISLAND SCENE

THE PHUKET NEWS

14 FEBRUARY

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

2012

ve o l r o f d o In t h e m o Phuket residents and visitors celebrated Valentine’s Day in style, with many hotels, resorts and restaurants fully booked and hosting special events on the day of love, including at White Box, Amari, Alpina, The Imperial Adamas, The Craic, Mare, Re Ka Ta, Paresa, Bliss, and the Hilton.

thephuketnews.com

Pictured from top left, couples enjoy special events at the Catch Beach Club, Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket (top right) and left, Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, Many couples also chose to register their marriage on February 14 at the Phuket City District Office, below.

THE PHUKET NEWS

ISLAND SCENE 29

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012 V IS FOR VSET: Pictured at the official opening of the new Vset restaurant at Chalong Pier is awardwinning head chef Ronnie Macuja, below left, and owner Wallee Pachantabutr, and right, daughter May Pachantabutr and Miss Aki. The party was held to celebrate the full completion of Vset’s new dining area, wine cellar and V bar by the water’s edge in Chalong.

STORMY WEATHER:

The heavens opened and deluged the Dewa Resort at Nai Yang Beach on Saturday evening, but for the Shanghaibased band Studio 188, Stormy Weather was just another song, and they had the 100 or so guests at the resort’s Classic Rock ‘n’ Roll Dinner up and dancing in no time.

SUPPORTING A MATE: Phuket’s womens-only Chicky Net group (www.chickynet.

com) held a pink-themed fundraiser in Rawai on Sunday evening to raise money for expat Cindy Cochrane’s daughter. As shown above, the event was open to both sexes.

Cindy, who is well known around Rawai and Phuket, was diagnosed seven weeks ago with terminal cancer. She was given two weeks to live but is currently undergoing treatment overseas. Money raised at the event will go to a trust fund for Cindy’s six year old daughter Yazmin, for her schooling needs. To donate, call Ali on 087-335-4432.

THE WOW FACTOR: Pictured at the opening of Me & Malisa: The Dressing Room on February 14 are, from left, owner Malisa Darbhatisha, owner Panatta Bunthanom (Mam), fashion designer Khun Kittikorn and Khun Nithi Darbhatisha; and above left, Isabelle Becker, Max Becker, jewellery designer Melissa Becker and Andy Becker.

thephuketnews.com

30 EVENT

THE PHUKET NEWS

WHAT’S ON IN PHUKET FEBRUARY 24-25

List your events here for as low as B99 per line, or online at www.thephuketnews.com/events.php

MARCH 9-10

Open House Kajonkiet The Kajonkiet Group would like to invite you to our “Open House” at our new school campus in Kathu on the March 8, 9 and 10.

The “Open House” event includes student work exhibitions, academic competitions, a special booth from Shelton College Singapore and several booths from local organisations.

Phuket Int Blues Rock Festival Get ready for the 7th annual Phuket International Blues Rock Festival, Southeast Asia’s biggest, in Laguna Phuket. Presented by 91.5FM, this festival will be the biggest ever with 12 acts.

MARCH 13-15 Thao Thepkrassattri - Thao Sri Suntorn Festival The festival celebrates the island’s victory in 1785 over an invading Burmese force.

The festival is held at Baan Riang, near Thalang, in the evening. There are market stalls, food, and impressive performances. Anyone in Phuket will have seen the Heroines Monument, commemorating the two sisters who led the people of Phuket to victory.

A global fiesta with musicians from USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Malaysia and Sweden, and a great party with tremendous music, plenty of food and drink.

Headliner is the American blues artist/ actor who has sold more records and appeared in more movies than than any other blues performer this century: Chris Thomas King!

Contact Andy on 086 682 2639, www. phuketbluesfestival.com, email: phuketmu sic@yahoo.com.

MARCH 7 Makhabucha Day This is a Buddhist holiday that takes place annually on the night of the full moon during the third lunar month of the year.

Makhabucha is a day to remind all Buddhists of the event when 1,250 monks, all of whom were ordained by Lord Buddha himself, decided to come back to see Lord Buddha, without prior appointment, after travelling around teaching Buddhism.

FEBUARY 26 FunStart's First Family Day BBQ Good food, fund and friends. All you can eat BBQ, pool games and toys, jumping castle.

Adult at B450, kid age 6-12 at B250, kid age 0-5 free. Sunday from 2-7pm.

For booking call 087 882 5544/076 203 185 or visit Funstart’s Sports and Leisure Club.

thephuketnews.com

for the three-day festival. It is celebrated each year between April 13 and 15. 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, during the three-day festival. The most popular place for water throwing is in Chiang Mai.

APRIL 23-28

Programme March 8: -9.00am - Opening Ceremony by Phuket Provincial Governor Tri Augkaradacha.

-9.30am - Shows from our students.

-10.00am - Academic competitions and exhibitions.

Programme March 9: -9.00am - Graduation Ceremony K3, P6 and M3 students Kajonietsuksa.

-All day - Student exhibitions.

Programme March 10: -9.00am - Graduation Ceremony K3 and P6 students Kajonkiet Pattana School.

-All day - Student exhibitions.

Contact please call Kajonkietsuksa School : Contact 076 264 770-2. Address: 125 Soi The Valley 1, Pra Phuket Keaw Road, Kathu, Phuket. See kajonkietsuksa. ac.th.

APRIL 6 Chakri Day A public holiday to honor the founder of the Chakri Dynasty, King Rama I.

APRIL 13-15

Phuket Pride 2012 Current list of activities for Pride Week: -CC Bloom’s Hotel in Kata – Pride Pool Party 4 to 9 pm April 22.

-2 Night Big stage event at Loma Park – 4 pm to 11 pm, April 27 and 28.

-Nightly Soi Paradise street parties – starts at 10 pm April 23 to 26.

-Mr Gay Phuket by Fong Kaew at My Way Bar - Paradise Soi – April 26.

-Grand Parade through the street of Patong – starts at 4 pm – April 27.

-Phuket Gay Pride Overnight Tour (Rainbow Scuba Tours) – April 23 to 24.

-Gay Day cruise to Racha Island (Time and Sundowner Bar) April 24 and 25.

-V. Sawana Bar – Pride Party in Rawai.

Contact Kenneth 086 604 1333, info@ phuket-pride.com.

MAY 1

This significant event took place over 2,500 years ago. Because it was the first assembly of a large group of Buddhist monks, the Lord Buddha handed down to them the Owata Patimok, considered the first constitution containing all the laws that Buddhist monks have followed from that day until now.

The activities include merit-making ceremonies at temples in the morning.

At night people walk with lighted candles in hand around the main building in each temple.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Labour Day

Songkran Festival Songkran is the old Thai New Year , and is an occasion for family reunions. Many Thai people return to their homes and families

The Government has established May 1 of every year as Labour Day just like most European countries. The objective of this day is to recognise the employee’s duty and responsibility they show everyday of the year. The Government has marked May 1 as a public holiday. You will find most private companies closed, including banks. However, all government offices will remain open. May 1 falls on a Sunday this year, so May 2 will be the substitute day for employees.

THE PHUKET NEWS

EVENTS 31

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

WHAT’S ON IN PHUKET FRIDAY Pool Competition Pool Competition at 9pm. Expat Sports Bar, Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. www. expatsportsbar.com.

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Chef’s Table at Paresa Recipe by Ryan is an innovative culinary dining venture. Indulge in intricate dishes created by Paresa’s Executive Chef Ryan Arboleda, featuring a six-course set menu prepared in a live cooking environment.

Time: 6pm to 10pm. Call 076 302 000.

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Salsa Night After the overwhelming success of our Salsa Evening , we are delighted to invite you to our Salsa Event at Royal Phuket Marina. Dance the Cha-cha, Bachata, Samba and Rumba. Live on the Boardwalk outside “Les Anges” with the sound of our house DJ Mascaro. Date: February 25.

Time: 8pm onwards. Entrance Free. Dress: Colourful. For all reservations & enquiries please contact Anna and Didier on 084 051 7455 or 084 306 2016 or Mr. Murat (Events &Group Manager) on 081 797 3364 on www.phuket-dance.com.

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BBQ Ribs All You Can Eat Only B295 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. For reservations call on 081 891 4381.

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Curry Fridays at Navrang Mahal Every Friday, all-you-can-eat authentic Indian curry buffet, B449 net per person.

Draught beer B50. 7pm-11.30pm. Call 076 286 464.

SATURDAY

List your events here for as low as B99 per line, or online at www.thephuketnews.com/events.php

Half-Chicken Spit Roast

Pool Competition

Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations call 081 891 4381.

At 9pm Expat Guesthouse Sports Bar, Patong. See map at www.expatguesthouse. com.

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AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub. Contact 081 895 4763.

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BBQ at Expat Hotel Time 7.30pm, Expat Sports Bar, Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. www.expatsports bar.com.

At Shakers. Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road, Patong. Free pick up Patong and Kalim areas.

Reservations call 081 891 4381.

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.

On the big screen. F1, MotoGP, Tennis, Golf, AFL, NRL. Irish Times Irish Pub, Jungceylon, Patong.

WEDNESDAY Quiz Night @ Peppers

All Major Sports Live

Quiz Night every Wednesday at Peppers Sports Bar near Laguna. Great food, great music, great beer. Contact 081 728 1010.

Facebook Peppers Sports Bar.

SUNDAY

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Sunday Roast Pork

Starts from 8pm every Wednesday night.

The largest selection of draught beer in Phuket. Irish Times, Jungceylon, Patong.

Every Sunday 2pm onwards Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong B290 per person.

Please see www.expathotel.com.

Interactive Pub Quiz Night

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BBQ Ribs All You Can Eat

Best Sunday Carvery in Phuket

Only B295 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations call on 081 891 4381.

Roast beef, BBQ ham, chicken, pork and Yorkshire pudding. All you can eat B399.

Irish Times, Jungceylon, Patong.

THURSDAY

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Half-Chicken Spit Roast Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations please call 081 891 4381.

Roaring Bhoys

Recipe by Ryan is an innovative culinary dining venture. Indulge in intricate dishes created by Paresa’s Executive Chef Ryan Arboleda, featuring a six-course set menu prepared in a live cooking environment.

Time: 6pm to 10pm. Call 076 302 000, email: dining@paresaresorts.com.

Rotary Club of Patong Beach Weekly meeting in English. Dinner out on first Tuesday of the month. rotarypatong.org.

Salsa Class in Green Man Studio from 6.30 to 9 pm, more information on phuketdance.com.

MONDAY

Chef’s Table at Paresa

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20% Off All Pizzas

Enjoy the original Sunday brunch in Phuket at Twinpalms, Surin Beach. 12-3pm. Reservations please call 076 316 577.

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Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations call 081 891 4381.

Salsa Class Rawai

Sunday Brunch

Enjoy live music at Kamala’s only live music venue. Every Saturday from 8.30pm with free buffet. Call for more info on 085 655 5127.

Half-Chicken Spit Roast

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Live Music

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Live Music every Monday night. The largest selection of draught beer in Phuket. Irish Times, Jungceylon, Patong.

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BBQ Buffet All You Can Eat

BBQ Buffet All You Can Eat Only B325 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Rd, Patong. Reservations 081 891 4381.

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AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM

Salsa Night After the overwhelming success of our Salsa Evening , we are delighted to invite you to our Salsa Event at Royal Phuket Marina. Dance the Cha-cha, Bachata, Samba and Rumba. Live on the Boardwalk outside “Les Anges” with the sound of our house DJ Mascaro. Date : February 25. Time: 8pm onwards. Entrance Free. Dress: Colorful. For all reservations & enquiries please contact Anna and Didier on 084 051 7455 or 084 306 2016 or Mr. Murat (Events &Group Manager) on 081 797 3364 on www.phuket-dance.com.

All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub, one km from Chalong circle. Contact 081 895 4763.

.

DAILY

Grizzly’s Sports Bar & Restaurant Watch all the sport that is on TV this weekend with us. Located between Loch Palm Golf Course and Kathu Waterfall. Call 087 471 8747.

................................................................................

Sunset Happy Hours & Ninjazz Don’t miss the Sunset happy hours. Between 5pm and 7pm. “Buy one get the same one free” promotion. The Luna Bar, Centara Grand Beach Resort. Call 076 201 234.

Roaring Bhoys - Tuesdays & Saturdays

TUESDAY

................................................................................

Bangkok Travellers - Sundays

AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM

Phuket’s one and only small batch handcraft beer. Open every day for lunch and dinner 11am until midnight. Full Moon Brew Work, behind the ship, the port zone at Jung­ ceylon. Call 076 3667 753.

Only B325 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations 081 891 4381.

All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub, one km from Chalong circle. Contact 081 895 4763.

Brew Great Beer

The Craíc Live Music every week

Draught Guinness at the only Irish Bar in North Phuket Open from 5pm, closed Mondays Laguna Phuket

thephuketnews.com

32 ENTERTAINMENT

DJ seduced by Patong

Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, left, performed in Phuket at Seduction on Monday evening, much to the delight of hundreds of expat s and tourists on the island. Above, Phuketians get their groove on.

Top international British DJ Calvin Harris rocked Se d uc t ion n ig ht club i n Patong on Monday night, as he performed his hit songs in front of a sellout venue.

Harris is most famous for his song We Found Love (with popstar R ihan na), which spent eight weeks at the top of the US Billboard top 40, and has almost 100 million YouTube views.

Harris is currently working on his third studio album – due for release this year – which has already produced the singles Awooga, Bounce and Feel So Close.

The Scottish DJ, singersongwriter and record producer is also known for hit songs Acceptable in the 80s, The Girls and I’m Not Alone.

Nakadia’s welcome return Popular Thai DJ Nakadia performs at the Summer Wind Club & Restaurant in Patong on March 3, from 10pm.

Born as a farmer’s daughter in Isarn, Nakadia ended up on the trip of a lifetime to Europe for a modelling assignment in 2002 after being spotted by a photographer. It was here she listened to electronic music for the first time in her life, and immediately knew she wanted to be a DJ. Since September 2011, the Asian techhouse artist has performed more than 500

thephuketnews.com

times at top nightclubs around the world, including in Brazil, Germany, The Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

Now based in Berlin on a two year artist visa, she mostly spends her days at the recording studio. Nakadia has become “the” Asian face on the European DJ scene, and is expected to release more songs this year.

General entry is free, but for VIP table bookings contact Petchtumrong Longthong on 080-699-2629 or petch_margarita@yahoo.com

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

WEEKDAYS The Breakfast Club

Ryan Jon

7am til 11am

Weekday Hitz Blitz

great music

11am til 3pm

Drive on LIVE

Jason Wilder

3pm til 7pm

The Night Ritual

Sam Clarke

7pm til 10pm

SATURDAY Box Of Neutrals Saturday Morning Glory Phuket News Radio Dazed and Confused Phuket News Radio

Rob James, Peter McGinley & Michael Lamonato Sam Clarke & Ryan Jon Jason Wilder & Simon Ostheimer Bongo Bob & Baba Fats Ryan Jon & Alasdair Forbes

9am til 10am

10am til 12pm 12pm til 1pm 1pm til 4pm 4pm til 5pm

Going Green

Nick Anthony

5pm til 7pm

Saturday Night Fever

DJ Burt

7pm til 11pm

SUNDAY Dazed and Confused

Bongo Bob & Baba Fats

1pm til 4pm

Lazy Sunday Afternoons

Jason Wilder

4pm til 7pm

Absolute Jazz

Doug Styles

7pm til 9pm

www.phuketliveradio.com Tel: 076-612-895, 090-490-7895

THE PHUKET NEWS

JOBS 33

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

CLASSIFIEDS

Brand new luxe villas in Kamala

Two bedroom properties > 37

classifieds@thephuketnews.com

JOBS IN PHUKET

To advertise here visit: thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php

Assistant to Managing Director (full time) Class Act Media publishes The Phuket News – Phuket’s leading English language newspaper – and broadcasts Phuket's most vibrant and coolest English language radio station – Live 89.5 FM.

WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING SALES MANAGER (THAI OR FOREIGNER) RESPONSIBILITIES: - Reaching sales target - Developing and following up new sales leads - Self discipline in developing and managing sales volumes - Preparing regular sales activities reports to the GM - Excellent communication and negotiation skills - Self driven and motivated with a positive attitude - Work well under pressure and achievement oriented COMPETITIVE SALARY, BONUSES AND TRAVEL EXPENSES, FRIENDLY WORK ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL SECURITY (10%) PAID BY THE COMPANY, EXCELLENT CAREER PROGRESS OPPORTUNITY

Interested applicants are invited to apply by sending a full resumé in English with a recent photo & expected salary to:

Class Act Media Co., Ltd. 99/7, Moo 1, T. Kathu, Phuket 83120 Tel: 076 612 550-2 Fax: 076 612 553 E-mail: gm@thephuketnews.com

www.thephuketnews.com

Driver / Animal Lover: Part Time: Looking for a driver with there own small truck to pick up food parcels from Headstart school, QSI school, Phuket international Acadamy, Then deliver to Thalang dog pound, Mon- Friday 230- 430. Must Speak English & have no fear of dogs & be ok with helping to feed the dogs daily Gas money and wages paid in cash. Contact: gone2thedoggies@gmail.com or call 084 877 3566.

personality and basic book keeping skills. Please call K.Nam 076 272 702. Island Curtains.

Animal Lover Volunteers: Looking for some English speaking volunteers who love working with dogs, Mon-Fri, from 3-6pm at the Phuket Stray dog pound in Thalang area feeding dogs, cleaning bowls and giving the animals some TLC. 084 877 3566 sherin.peace@gmail. com.

Web Developer PHP MVC: PHP Developer Bookkeeper: Part time with strong MVC framework (Yii, CI, Symf, ZEND) and JQuery. Email: iibc. shayne@gmail.com

preferably with Mac computer knowledge, Patong area. Call 089 972 3861.

Kindergar ten SecSales Staff Wanted: retary: Must have good English speaking female.

Thai with previous selling experience with own car, outgoing personality with ability to sell to farangs, flexible hours. Retainer, fuel, phone and commission. Call K.Nam 076 272 702. Island Curtains.

Office Staff Wanted: Female, English speaking staff to work in nice environment with outgoing

English and computer skills.

Mon-Fri, 7.30am-4.30pm, Chalong. Call 08 0 624 7060.

Shop Girl for a Jewellery Shop: A Retail Jewellery Shop in Patong is looking for some shop girls. Speak English. Basic computer skills. Salary plus commission. Please email resume with photo to: info@ silverberry.com.

A unique opportunity to join this pioneering wealth management boutique in Phuket. We are looking for a highly-motivated employee, who has a passion for client service and for the investment profession. Candidates will grow with our company and must be able to multi-task numerous projects. The role involves regular contact with our high net-worth clients around the world.

Remuneration: thb 15k - 18k / month + annual bonus Working Place : Office in Laguna Applicants must: be female and of Thai nationality; speak and write excellent English; have a university degree; have a minimum of two years' experience; have strong PC skills, in particular MS Excel.

The role consists of: The role is a general administrative role and will focus on supporting our Managing Director. A dynamic and positive work ethic is essential.

Please send your curriculum vitae to: Passaporn Voragul, mas@securewm.com www.secure-wealthmanagement.com "i n depen den t adv i ce for th e n ew fi nancial era"

Rental Manager B a n g t a o B e a c h:

A c c o u n t a n t Cherngthalay: Build-

Holiday Resort requires experienced rental and service manager. Excellent salary and bonus.

Call 087 885 3532.

ing company seeks Bookkeeper/Accountant. Good English and IT VAT experience. Good salary and Bonus. Call 087 885 3532.

Elite Fitness: Personal Trainer – Classes instructor (Aerobics, Body Combat, Body Pump, Yoga Etc.) Thai or foreigner, Male/Female.

Contact Tiya 089 600 0041.

Email: tiya@elitegyms.net.

Apple Mac Support: Apple Mac technical support needed to help with computer issues in Surin area. Please email admin@esxoasia.com.

Massage Shop Staff: Require experienced st af f for busy, fr iendly massage shop, Patong Beach,hairdresser, beauty salon experienced, manicure / pedicure, facial, etc.

10am to 11pm. Day off per week. Contact Khun Porn (Thai) 083 176 6475, Email: tammice@live.com.au.

JOB WANTED Butler/House Manag er: Pr ofe s si o nal Head Butler 44 with over 20 years extensive experience with The Royal Household, Buckingham Palace and an internationally renowned Hollywood Producer is now available. Interested parties kindly email enquiries to p.v.b.b@live.com.

thephuketnews.com

34 CLASSIFIEDS

THE PHUKET NEWS

BUY & SELL IN PHUKET

To advertise here visit: thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php

B u s i n e s s f o r S a l e: Phuket slingshot, Thailand’s only, and bumper cars. Call 082 419 0742.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Bar Bangla Road for sale: Best bar-deal on Bangla Road? Good location in popular Soi Crocodile. Lease payed for 34months. Bar has had same owner for 12 years and wants a quick sell for moving back home. Asking for B1.9 millon only!! Please contact tomarell@hotmail.com.

BOATS & YACHTS

Speedboat for Rent: Panwa Beach. 16 knots service speed comfy can do 38 knots emergency. Sight seeing Phi Phi Island or fishing. We have equipment experienced skipper. Contact Gustav 080 649 0500.

BUSINESSES FOR SALE

Digifox Marine: Marine inboard engines, hydraulic and mechanical equipment service, repairs and spare parts. MAN, Arneson, ZF, Rolls Royce and others. Professional team of engineers, high quality, personal approach guaranteed. Contact 076 336 221, 083 171 4141. Email info@ digifoxmarine.com.

Kamala Bar for SALE!: Very profitable bar on main road. Owner returning to Australia in high season. Has one bedroom with ensuite, three FS TVs, pool table, stock, furniture. etc. Price negotiable.

Call Chompoo on 084 844 3504.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Investors or Partners Wanted: Five Rai hillside land, Maikhao Beach. Perfect for resort, 15-20 villas. First villa under construction. www. phuketapartments.de. Contact Julius 087 267 1192.

BUSINESS SERVICES

076 612 733, 076 248 900. www.phuketfood.com.

B50,000. Call 085 787 5526.

Phuket Consult Services: Insurance, personal assistance, legal assistance, police and emergency assistance, property management sales and rentals, company registration, visa and work permit and accounting. Call 081 691 9679.

Prot e c t Yo u r H o m e w i t h C C T V: C C T V & Alarm service. Protect your home with high-quality CCTV camera,and GSM alarm. Free survey and quote. Please call 086 105 8144 or click www. huketechnology.com.

Farang Food Paradise: Your specialist of imported food and drinks in Phuket. Visit our shop at the Billion Plaza, opposite Tesco Lotus. Contact

Indo Construction: 40 years experience of more than 20 years at your service in Thailand. Main contractor: study project, architecture design and construction and management.

Contact 076 381 895.

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.

Alarms & CCTV Services: Protect your home or office with an alarm system and CCTV cameras. Call 085 798 9469 or email contact@ alarms-phuket-services.com.

WRITE YOUR CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENT

CARS FOR RENT A1 Car Rentals: Fully-

Heading ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......

CHILDCARE Buds Nursery: Phuket’s oldest bi-lingual international child care facility. High quality, time proven schedule and curriculum. Now in brand new purpose build 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.

Website: www.buds-phuket. com.

insured. Starts at B12,000 to B18,000 per month. Please call 089 831 4703. Email for more info: a1carrent@gmail.com.

CARS FOR SALE

dren 18 months to six years old with experienced native English teachers following the UK EYFS curriculum. Contact 089 971 1813.

Kiddies Home Nursery: Award for top Nursery for Phuket Province 2011.

Ages 3 months to 4 years.

Open 7 days a week and from 6.30 am to 7pm. Rock Garden Village. Call 076 528 862, mobile 082 539 8252, email: kiddieshomenursery@gmail. com.

CLUBS leisure club. Swimming/golf/ playcentre/gaming arcade.

Call 076 203 185, 087 882 5544. See funstart phuket. com.

SK A L I nt e r na t i onal Phuket: Skål is a professional organisation of leaders from all branches of the travel and tourism industry. www. skalphuket.org.

Singapore Club Phuket: Calling all Singaporeans in Phuket to join “Singapore Club Phuket”. Contact Robin on 081 803 7189, 076 303 500.

...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B198 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B297 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B396 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B495 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B594

M a z d a Tr i b u t e 2005 Gold Color, 60,000 km full Mazda Service h i s t o r y. O n e o w n e r.

B580,000. Call 081 737 0722.

...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B693 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B792

...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B990

Box B200

Colour Background B200

Colour Headline B200

Colour Picture B395

Deadline: Monday 12pm (noon) for that Friday’s issue

Hand this in at agent shops, our office or fax: 076 612 553

thephuketnews.com

COMPUTERS English Computer man: Sales (new and used), service and repairs, WLAN a speciality. Free telephone advice. Call 0846 257 744 or email computermanphuket@gmail.com.

DIVING

...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B891

All 4 Diving: 5/4 Sawatdirak Road, Patong Beach.

Contact 076 344 611.

Jeep CJ7 2.0 L Automatic 1989: Stainless, disc-brake, powersteering. B450,000.

C a l l 0 8 6 2 6 8 8 7 0 1.

Want to Practice your Thai?: Thai Courses and lessons for daily life (culture and language) with friendly and energised Thai female teacher. Graduated from university. Negotiable prices can be offered. Plus have outdoor activities for your experience!! Call 080 386 5026.

Thai woman teacher with 8-9 years’ experience gives Thai and English lessons for company/hotel staff and Thai cooking at your home.

Full course with conversation practise and home study material. Both at beginner and more advanced levels. Tel:081 797 1497 Email: teacherjoy_ phuket@hotmail.com.

Dos & Don’ts of Thai Culture: Learn Thai and Thai culture that is necessary for enjoying life in Thailand.

Group classes three days per week, learning about the real dos and don’ts of Thailand. The Genius Language School, call 089 203 9270 (Aooddy). www.the geniuslan guageschool.net.

Funstart: Family sports and

Body ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B99

dren starting to forget Russian? Sign up to our Russian Language For Kids program.

Visit http://PhuketRussianSchool.com, email us at info@ phuketrussianschool.com or call 082 804 9131.

Learn Thai at Home: ABC International Nursery: Education for chil-

Toursys: Tour operator software. Presented by Blue D Zine Co., Ltd. See bluedzine. com.

Hyundai XL 5 Speed Manual: Good condition

EDUCATION Russian Language for Your Kids: Are your chil-

Cooking School: Fire up

your creative flair with Food Services Cooking School. Italian, Western and Thai cuisine.

Try our famous pizza school.

Please call for more info on 082 816 0126, email: info@ foodservicesth.com.

Native German Teacher: Native German TEFL teacher is teaching German and English to single students at home or small groups in Chalong. (German/English) 080 778 1220, (Thai) 081 810 9115.

International Kindegarten: International Kindergarten. Native English teachers, UK and Singapore curriculum, small class sizes. The best choice. Call 082 323 1188.

Guitar Lesson By Pro Player: Guitar/bass lessons beginner to advanced. Personal one-on-one or by DVD. Diploma of Teaching (Aust) degree. Call 089 777 3063.

Rawai Progressive School: International private school for ages 3-12 years, offering Montessori education.

See our website montessorithailand.com.

THE PHUKET NEWS

CLASSIFIEDS 35

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

BUY & SELL/HOMES IN PHUKET MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS FOR SALE

room audio-video. Call 084 443 9863.

Health Food : Online

English-Thai Law Off ice: Visa, wor k per mit,

health food in Thailand. Good Karma, all natural healthy, natural and organic products.

Contact 082 276 1675. www. goodkarmathailand.com.

company formation, property transfer etc. Please telephone for advice. Call 084 063 9223.

Honda outboard: Honda

Havana Cigar Shop:

5 HP outboard, 2004 but not much used so in near-new condition. Contact Pete at Boat Lagoon 080 393 6447.

Any reasonable offer considered.

Opposite HomePro Village Chalong. Contact 081 956 2024. Email: vinoltds@hotmail.com.

MOTORBIKE SERVICES Dynamic Tyre Balancing: Dynamically balance your motorcycle tyres for a smoother ride with DYNA BEADS! Available at West Coast Service Center Phuket.

Your big bike specialist on the bypass road. Contact 085 785 4440.

PERSONAL SERVICES Bon Café Phuket: A producer of premium coffee blends and powdered mixes as well as selling, maintaining, servicing and repairing all major brands. 076 355 600-1.

American Health Clinic: Chiropractic spinal adjustment with an experienced chiropractor can take away the pain almost as quickly as it began. Call 076 612 707.

To advertise here visit: thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php

Your number one billiard and snooker supplier in Phuket.

Sales, rent and profit-sharing.

All accessories and services.

Call for more details on 081 823 4627.

PROPERTY CONCIERGE

Selling or Renting Your Property?: We have buyers for foreign freehold, sea view properties and land. Call 080 143 2929 or visit realestate.phuket. net.

PROPERTY FOR RENT Nice House for Rent:

Phuket Visa: Offers consulting and services on company registration, work permit, visa, accounting, auditor, legal advice. Contact for more info 081 892 9960.

Three bedrooms, two bathrooms. Just five minutes walk to Naiharn Beach. B17,000 per month, minimum one year. Contact 081 397 1835.

popular Yoga for men and women in Phuket. Four classes every day. Kata yoga, it works! www.katahotyoga.com, Contact 076 605 950.

Beach Frontage: One bedroom self-contained holiday villa Rawai. Rental Day/Week Call 081 677 1641.

vated. 2 bedrooms, parking.

B8,000 per month, minimum 6 months. Call 081 895 4318 (Thai). Email: wapeebow@ gmail.com.

to Karon Beach. B25,000 per month, long term rent required.

Call 081 396 0880.

Houses for Rent - Long Term: Chalong, very priApar tment for Rent in Rawai: Business nine apartments, fully-furnished with swimming pool & office.

Contract 081 893 2165.

vate with mountain views, two bedrooms, kitchen, fully-furnished, Sat TV, ADSL, UBC and common swimming pool.

Contact 089 724 3669.

Rawa i B e a c h Fro n t House: Rawai beach front

Rent Kata One-Three Bed Apartments: Superb

house for sale/long term rent.

Three beds, three baths with three air-con. Cable TV, ADSL on area 1600 sq metre. Call 089 649 9939.

apartments and pool penthouses 115-375 sq metre, less than five minutes walk to two beaches (Kata and Kata Noi) Call 081 078 1246.

with swimming pool & office.

Contract 081 893 2165.

PROPERTY FOR SALE B1.9 Million New Condo: New Studio (1 bedroom) condominium in The Point, across from Phuket International Hospital and BigC. Beautiful four year old central atrium building with no stuffy hallways. 36 m2, high speed internet, cable TV, and swimming. Parking under building. Third floor with nice view.

B1.9 m. Contact Walter at wp drake2@yahoo.com, 083 301 3470.

Land For Sale: 6 Rai Hill-

Comfor table Private Space for Rent in Pa- and Quiet: Three bedroom

Apar tment for Rent in Rawai: Business nine

townhouse, just a few minutes

apartments, fully-furnished

tong: Office, Business space Kata Hot Yoga: The most

with swimming pool, security 24/7. 46sq metre, furnished.

Daily/monthly. 089 728 4005 or email: thamad17@yahoo.com.

Townhouse for Rent Ao Makham: Newly-reno-

Live Music By Colin Hill: Popular expat pro musician (guitar/vocals) with work permit. Can perform solo, duo or band. www.play-guitar.net, 089 777 3063.

Apartment for Rent in Patong: New condo

top, Sea/Mountain views, Chanote, Water, Electric, Office B4.2 million per rai , Contact : 087 978 5804.

for rent on fifth floor at Patong Tower. Call 076 341 370.

Boun A p p et i to: D e li market and bistro.Number one supplier of Italian Deli in Phuket. Call 076 384 273, info@buonappetitogroup.com, w w w.buonapper titogroup. com.

Haris & Hawryluck - Attorneys at Law: Unit 6D Atmanjai: World’s best natural health programmes to improve health, reduce stress, weight loss, detox, rejuvenation, vitality and overcome disease. See more info at www. atmanjai.com.

Techworx: Custom design & installation. Professional service and support. Premium service: home cinema, home automation, marine AV and IT, lighting control and multiroom audio-video. Call 084 443 9863.

CCM Complex, call 076 510 111, email info@hhlegaladvi sors.com, www.hhlegaladvi sors.com.

PET ADOPTION Why buy a pet?: Soi Dog Foundation have over 300 beautiful dogs and puppies available for adoption. Fully-vaccinated and sterilised.

Contact 087 050 8688, email: john@soidog.org.

PET HOSPITAL

located in Baan Suan Loch Palm Estate, 10 minutes to golf courses, International schools and Central, 15 mins to Patong. B65,000 per month. Includes common area pool and gardening service, 6 months minimum.

Available from 22 April 2012. +61 41 268 3850 or email jenjira555@yahoo.com.au.

Chaofah Pet Hospital: 8/28–29 Moo 9, Chaofah East Road. Contact 076 283 365.

Techworx: Custom design & installation. Professional service and support. Premium service: home cinema, home automation, marine AV and IT, lighting control and multi-

Four Beds/Four Baths Villa for Rent: Securely

POOL TABLES Phuket Pool Tables: www.phuketpooltables.com.

One-Bedroom House, Kata: Fully-furnished, one bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, terrace, WiFi and cable TV. Price B9,000 per month. Located in Kata. Contact 081 606 2827.

thephuketnews.com

36 CLASSIFIEDS

THE PHUKET NEWS

HOMES IN PHUKET PROPERTY FOR SALE CONT.

for development. Only B5 million per rai. Call Peter on 089 652 1951 or email phuket.pn@ gmail.com.

To advertise here visit: thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php Full chanote title. 089 651 3479.

Top Rawai Beach Condo For Sale: Serenity Resort & Residences. Two bed / two bath, 134 sq metre.

Only B11.9 million. See www. stefan.asia for details.

Phuket - Allamanda Residences: One Deluxe Condo-Unit (Duplex House) fully-furnished set within the unique Phuket Laguna Complex with balcony right over the lagoon, 3 bedrooms, roof-terrace with sala etc. FOR SALE OR LONG TERM LEASE. Call (66) 081 737 0365, e-mail: utai pan@ya hoo.com.

Nice One Rai Chalong NOW Reduced to 6.5m ono: In Chalong 200 metre off main road in great location.

Full chanote title. Call 089 651 3479.

r o o m s , t wo b at h r o o m s , Western kitchen, 130 sq metre. Nice garden with large pool in quiet area. Price: B5.5 million or minimum three month for rent. Call 081 496 9070 Eng/Swedish or 081 719 1175 Thai. Email:diod@ telia.com.

Nice One Rai Chalong NOW Reduced to 6.5m ono: In Chalong 200 metre off main road in great location.

Land for Sale: Land Mis-

Land for Sale: 11 rai, one kilometre from Naiyang beach. B6.5 millions per rai.

Please call : Siriporn +66 (0) 896 499 939.

Modern Pool Villa: Stunning three-bedroom pool villa, five minutes from Laguna 600 sq metre plot in peaceful location. Finished to a very high specification “MUST SEE” Selling price B12.9 million. Please contact 084 994 9303 or email phuketpoolvilla.info@ gmail.com.

Patong Guesthouse: 8 rooms, internet cafe and a p a r t m e n t . B1. 3 m i l l i o n .

0857946530.

Discount Rentals Daily / Weekly / Monthly / Lease LUXURY VILLAS NEAR LAGUNA

Info: 089 594 4067

Nice Three Bed House for Sale: Three-bedroom

Chalong Land: Land in Chalong. 15 rai of gently sloping land, with full chanote, near Chalong temple. Sea views from top of land. Good road access and electricity. Perfect

room/4 Bathroom European style single storey house with self contained guest house and pool on 736m2 plot.

Large master bedroom with en-suite, walk in wardrobe.

Modern western style kitchen with granite tops, built-ins throughout and 4 aircons.

Elec. gate, TV and phone line. Large verandahs, carport, and established garden.

Chanote Title B11m. 087 891 9349.

Kata House For Sale: 5 minutes to beach, large modern house, three floors, furnished, three beds, two full bath, air-con, western kitchen, spacious living room, garage with laundry/overhead storage, large covered patios, security doors/windows, garden, company name available. B5.5 million. Call 081 131 5751, email: seadog5000@yahoo.com.

negotiable. Contact Peter on 089 652 1951 or email phuket. pn@gmail.com.

sion Hills half rai plot, quiet select location, chanote, water, electric price B1.6m. Six rai hilltop, sea/mountain views, chanote, water, electric, office B4.2m per rai. Contact 087 978 5804.

Rawai Pool Villa: 4 BedKamala Two Brand New Villas: Two bed-

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

house in Moobaan Tarn Thong Villa opposite Moobaan Chao fa California. B3.1 million. Contact Lee on 081 803 7189.

Sea View Villa: Luxury seaview Patong-Karon villa, four bedrooms, private pool.

Sell for B22 million, and also available rental daily and monthy basis. www.awphuket.com.

House Wi t h Pool Rawai/Nai Harn: Plot of approx 825 sq metre with enclosed space of approx 220 sq metre. Three bedrooms and three bathrooms with open plan western kitchen. Fully air-con, WiFi and cable TV. Solar hot water. Large approx 70 sq metre free-form pool in large established tropical garden. Sala and covered two-car parking with electric gate. Well-established quiet neighborhood. Chanote title. For sale by owner at B10.7 million. Call 087 267 1282 or email david_rosa mond@yahoo.com for details and photos.

Seaview Land AoMakham for Sale: 33 rai land upon hill with seaview. Very easy access from road. B5 million per rai. 081 895 4318.

Email: wapeebow@gmail.com.

Land for sale in Rawai: One rai with chanote, please contact owner directly on 089 472 9870, email d_chaibut@ yahoo.com.

House for Sale at Naiharn: B2.55 million 30 0 sqm with garden. 3 minutes to Naihar n beac h. Chan ote title. Tel; 088 167 3860. email:woodooproper t y@ gmail.com.

Land for sale at Naiharn: 210 sqm.1.8 million Chanote title 2 mins to the b e a c h . Te l: 0 8 816 7 3 8 6 0 email:woodooproperty@gmail. com.

New Apartment for Sale Patong: Condo: swimming pool, security 24/7. Furnished, 46sqm, freehold: B2.9 million.

089 728 4005, thamad17@ yahoo.com.

Kata Beach Centre Phuket: Apartments for rent and lease in luxury building with pool. Per day, week, month, year and 30 years. Contact Scott Bolls, email: sbolls@hot mail.com, call +66 81 828 0972.

New Townhouses in Kamala: This is a development Thai Style House for Sale: Teak wood floors, stairs, walls, 2 bedrooms.

Land 330 sq metre, peaceful location, five minutes to Patong, Chanote title. B5.0 million. 086 268 8701, email: f430spiderf1@hotmail.com.

Jindarin Beach Club & Resort: B1.5 million for one plot, B3.2 million for cottage + plot. Call 080 467 7770 (Thai), 083 520 0020 (English). www.jinda rin.com, Email: eam1008@ me.com.

Modern Pool Villa: Stun-

Kata Phuket Luxur y Studio/Apartment: 60 sq metre. Lease hold 30+60 year option. Free furnishing and transfer. B3.0 million. Contact Scott Bolls, email: sbolls@ hotmail.com, call +66 81 828 0972.

of affordable 3-bedroom townhouses, located in Kamala, approximately 1.5 km from the white sandy beach of Kamala and about 10 minutes drive to Patong. Prices from only B4,900,000. For more info call 087 882 2856 or email luc@ phuket-tropical-realestate.com.

Urgent Three Bed House for Sale: Phuket grand ville pasak soi 8, two storey house, three bed, three bath, three air-con, cable, internet and fully-furnished. Call 081 894 2505.

ning three-bedroom pool villa, five minutes from Laguna 600 sq metre plot in peaceful location. Finished to a very high specification. “Must see” selling price B12.9 million. Please contact 084 994 9303 or email phuketpoolvilla.info@gmail. com.

Perfect Land for Villa: Approx three rai, with chanote title, 2 km south of Thai Muang town centre. Just 24 km north of Sarasin Bridge. Good road access and electricity. Very quiet, green area. Urgent sale for just B5 million total, non-

thephuketnews.com

Seaview Land for Sale: 24 Rai Flat Land Cheap:

24 rai flat land close to Phuket zoo. Owner direct, B3.8 million per rai, chanote title. Call 085 789 1773.

Near Chalong pier, 150 metres from the sea. Three rai and one ngan plot. Chanote title. Price: B20 million per rai. No agent.

Call 087 278 7206.

THE PHUKET NEWS

CLASSIFIEDS 37

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

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38 ISLAND SPORT

SLAM DUNK

It takes something big to lure 25 kids back to school during their mid-semester break, and Ike Nwankwo is a very big man indeed.

The 6’11’’ former NBA basketballer – who played for both the Miami Heat and Houston Rockets – held a skills camp with the students from British International School Phuket (BIS) on Saturday and Sunday, running them through a series of intensive drills and workshops.

At the completion of the camp on Sunday, a competitive match was held, which

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

BASKETBALL

Nwankwo called “the most exciting camp game I have ever seen”. The final score: 29-28.

Nwankwo held the camp as part of his Top Flight basketball academy, which is based in Bangkok. He was joined in his coaching role by Thai National player Darongpan ‘Palm’ Apiromvilaichai, who flew in direct from representing his country in the Philippines.

Nwankwo will return to Phuket in July for the BIS Summer Camp, with kids from all schools welcome to attend.

Can you guess which one is the former NBA star?

Bank boys claim Tigers scalp FUTSAL Thanachart Bank have reinforced their position as the team to beat in the Premier Division of the Adult Futsal League (AFL), which entered its fifth round at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) last week.

The first of four matches on Thursday (February 16) saw Jitjongrut up against Honda in the Premier Division. With Honda struggling to find form this season and sitting forlornly at the foot of the table, it was a good opportunity for Jitjongrut to take all three points.

Jitjongrut attacked Honda’s backline with purpose and speed, causing major problems for the bottom placed team.

Although Honda managed to get on the score sheet, they couldn’t hold the relentless Jitjongrut attack at bay, finally going down 4-1.

Patrick Gasiglia.

Phuketian to paddle Mekong Paritta Wangkiat reporter3@thephuketnews.com

In the other Premier Division game, Thalang Tigers faced off against Thanachart Bank.

In a typically close encounter between the two attack-minded sides, both created plenty of chances but could not find a way past the respective goalkeepers.

Thalang Tigers did manage to find the back of the net twice, but Thanachart Bank countered with three goals in all, claiming maximum points with a 3-2 win, and maintaining their position as the main rivals to Portrait FC for the Premier Division title.

Down in Division One, SGS went up against Island Boys.

With both teams wanting a win to kick start their season, it was Island Boys who started the strongest, taking the lead midway through the first half.

It looked as if they would carry that advantage into the break, only to be caught on the break by SGS’s counter attacking football a minute before half time.

The second half started a little slower, but it was SGS who scored next with two un-

–Photo by TSLC answered goals.

Chasing the game, Island Boys pushed hard, but SGS were happy to sit back and absorb the pressure. After finding the net to reduce the deficit to one goal with six minutes remaining, Island Boys piled on the pressure, but SGS bagged their fourth to win 4-2.

The final Division One match saw Ultraman play Chevrolet. An otherwise quiet first half sparked into life three minutes from the break as Chevrolet scored from a free kick, only to see their lead vanish following two quick goals from Ultraman who managed to enter the break 2-1 up.

Ultraman then managed to extend their lead in the 24th minute, and it remained 3-1 until the final whistle.

Living free is the philosophy of French water sports expert Patrick Gasiglia, who is set to paddle 1,000 kilometres on a stand-up paddle board in September, down a section of the Mekong River that straddles the Thai-Laotian border.

A resident of Phuket for more than 20 years, Mr Gasiglia first discovered this island on a world tour in 1991.

“This place is paradise,” said Mr Gasiglia, recalling his impression of the island at the time.

He said his travel around the world was an escape from social expectation for him to get “a real job”, after spending his life until then as a beach boy in Cannes in France, teaching water sports.

Before taking off to see the world, he started a job as a manager in a sports store. But he quit after six months, describing the work as unbearable.

So he instead headed across the continents, from

Paris to Honolulu, Tokyo to Bangkok and Phuket.

Although he continued to India, the traveller returned to Phuket, and now enjoys a life in which he has ample time to pursue his busy activities on water, whether they be on a jet-ski, Hobie Cat (a small catamaran), wake board or stand-up paddle board.

Long sea adventures have always been part of his intrepid life. He achieved a world record in 1999 by jet-skiing a staggering 360 kilometres from Cannes to Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea. This September will see the watery adventurer attempt another world record by paddling for three or four weeks down the Mekong River on a stand-up paddle board.

Mr Gasiglia says he feels alone when paddling on this board, but that it’s part of the freedom he seeks.

■■ For more information and sponsorship for his Mekong journey, call 087-888-8244, email bambou53@hotmail. com, or visit supmekong1000. wordpress.com

Holidays and injuries deplete FPL

29/2/2012

thephuketnews.com

For the first time ever on Sunday, the Fair Play League (FPL) was staged at two different locations – the under-14s playing at British International School (BIS), while the under-11 games were at Headstart International School.

But with most teams struggling for numbers due to injuries and players on holiday, the under-14s were forced to play

six-a-side matches instead of the traditional seven.

In the first round of matches, Brazil took on an unbeaten France team but handed them a shock result, winning 4-2.

New league leaders Argentina also got off to a rough start, going down 4-2 to an improving Thailand.

In the German derby, the Green team were able to dis-

patch Germany White with another score of 4-2.

The second set of matches were more one sided as players started to tire quickly in the heat.

Argentina went down 5-1 to an impressive looking Brazil, France took Germany White to the sword and won 8-2, while Germany Green reclaimed the top spot in the league with a hard fought 4-2 win over

Thailand.

Meanwhile in the under-11s, Brazil continued their fine form and kept another clean sheet, claiming a 4-0 win over France.

Germany Green stayed hot on the tails of Brazil by beating Germany White 5-1, and Argentina managed to claim their second win of the season with a comfortable 9-1 win over bottom placed Thailand.

THE PHUKET NEWS

ISLAND SPORT 39

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

New coach confident as season opener approaches FC Phuket’s new Serbian head coach, Milos Josic, says he is confident that his new-look side will remain competitive as the Division 1 season kickoff rapidly approaches.

Josic – who coached Raj­ pracha Thailand FC last year – and his team began training at Surakul Stadium on Monday (February 20) ahead of their season opener against JW Rangsit FC on March 18.

Only ten players were present at the session, with star players Sarach Yooyen, Nene Bi and Niran Phanthong notably absent as they continue their ongoing trial with Muang Thong United.

The session was led by returning players Suphat Ontthong, Watcharapong Jan-Ngam and Thawin Butsombat, along with new faces like Brazilian striker Marcio Santos – who came from Yangon United FC, the Burma League Champions – and Korean winger Lee Won

FOOTBALL Kazira Hans sport@thephuketnews.com

Sup, dubbed ‘K-Pop’ by Phuket fans, from Bangkok Christian College FC. The combination of Lee and Sarach Yooyen on the wings will give Phuket a formidable midfield, Josic said.

The Serb said he believes Phuket has the potential to succeed, and is determined to see the side win promotion to the Thai Premier League at the end of the season.

When asked about new footballers and whether FC Phuket will bring in any more players, he said that decision is entirely up to team management.

He said that his ideal number would be to have 24 players in the squad so he has competition for places, and can push them to reach their best form.

“Our short term goal is to

win as many games as possible which will lead us to our longer term goal; to be promoted to the Thai Premier League.”

Josic is now running two training session per day with his players, at 9am and 5pm.

“I am a professional coach, we are a professional team, they are professional footballers, so they must train like professionals,” he said.

“They must build their strength and maintain their fitness. Today (February 20) is our first training day so I can’t say much about their strength and endurance, but I can say that my first impressions are very good.

“While there is a lack of fitness, their determination and skills are there. It’s a very good first day for me and all of the players.”

He also thanked the fans for their support during the training session.

“This year we will play our

FC PHUKET’S 2012 FIXTURES:

Game 1: JW Rangsit FC – FC Phuket (Away) March 18 Game 2: FC Phuket – Rajpracha FC (Home) Game 3: Nakhon Ratchasima FC – FC Phuket (A) Game 4: FC Phuket – Bangkok United (H) Game 5: Khon Kaen FC – FC Phuket (A) Game 6: FC Phuket – Suphan Buri (H) Game 7: Sriracha FC – FC Phuket (A) Game 8: FC Phuket – Saraburi FC (H) Game 9: Phattalung FC – FC Phuket (A) Game 10: FC Phuket – Air Force United (H) Game 11: Ratchaburi FC – FC Phuket (A) Game 12: FC Phuket – Bangkok FC (H) Game 13: FC Phuket – Chanthaburi FC (H) Game 14: Navy Rayong FC – FC Phuket (A) Game 15: FC Phuket – Krabi FC (H) Game 16: PTT Rayong FC – FC Phuket (A) Game 17: FC Phuket – Songkhla FC (dates and round 18-34 fixtures TBA)

best. We have many targets this year and we hope to win as many games as possible. I want to thank all the fans who came today to support our team and our footballers.”

In other news, former FC Phuket head coach Somphong Wattana has signed a contract with Songkhla FC, and said that his team is interested in signing former Phuket goalkeeper Jonathan Matijas, who is currently off contract.

New coach Milos Josic.

PCG FALL TO THE Island ride high after MIGHT OF LORDS dominating Laguna

Phuket cricket may have a new home ground in the ACG, but it was no match for the true home of cricket, the Lordsbased Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), last Thursday (February 16).

Playing in a T20 exhibition match, Phuket Cricket Group (PCG) won the toss and elected to field.

But the touring side showed their talent early on, punishing the PCG opening bowlers to race to 0-36 off just four overs.

A diving catch by PCG wicket keeper Dean Noble provided the breakthrough off the bowling of Val Guirard, dismissing Will Rist for 11.

But the going didn’t get any easier for the Phuket lads, as MCC proved they were a class above by powering to an imposing 194-5 off their 20 overs, thanks largely to a brutal 61 off 29 balls from man of the match Alun Thomas.

Guirard and Sameer Khan each picked up two wickets.

In response, PCG managed less than half that total.

Their innings looked shaky from the start, as Bill Stahmer (3) suffered a minor brain explosion, clean bowled while attempting to play a pull shot in the second over.

The PCG opening batsmen crumbled under the pressure.

It triggered a major batting collapse, and by the 10th over, PCG had slumped to 43-8, and even passing the half century mark was looking unlikely.

Neil Culpan and Manish Sadarangani combined to put up some brief resistance, carrying the score to a marginally more respectable 60 before Culpan departed for nine.

Noble and Sadarangani then put their heads down, and it looked as though they might even survive the 20 overs and salvage some pride.

But it wasn’t to be – Sadarangani was bowled by Alun Thomas for 16, bringing the PCG innings to a close on 77 off 19.3 overs.

But MCC captain Will Hodson said the result was less important than the experience.

“It’s important that we play our cricket and have fun, but it’s also just fantastic to meet the people who are out here playing cricket and making a go of it,” he said.

“Our job is to play cricket as best as we can, and show how we play cricket. A big part of the MCC is the way the game is played.”

And it wasn’t just the players who were benefiting. South African cricket enthusiast Keith Harvey “came all the way from SA for the game”, and “loved every minute of it”.

“I’ve been lying on a beach for the last two months, and to come to a proper cricket oval in the middle of Phuket and watch such a quality game is unbelievable. Absolutely fantastic.”

An undefeated Laguna went into last Sunday’s Island Furniture League match looking to maintain their winning streak and join Village on top of the table.

But they were undone by a solid Island Cricket Club (ICC) outfit, who advanced their title hopes and ensured a thrilling second half of the season with their comprehensive victory.

The heavy overnight rain resulted in the start of the match being delayed by 30 minutes. ICC won the toss and had no hesitation putting Laguna into bat on a rain-affected wicket which was always going to make batting difficult in the morning session.

Their decision soon paid dividends with an early breakthrough in the second over, with opener Bill Stahmer (0) being given out lbw not offering a shot, just one ball after he was nearly run out.

Val Guiraud (19) and Darren Shaw (12) both looked in good touch before Guiraud was bowled to a ball that kept low in the wet conditions in the ninth over with the score on 38.

Shaw fell soon after, quickly followed by Sameer Khan (8) who was caught by Ali Khan at deep mid-on trying to push the run-rate along.

At 4-61 in the 16th over,

CRICKET

Island Cricket Team

P

W

L PT

The Village

3

3

0 18

Island CC

4

3

1 17

Patong CC

4

2

2 16

Laguna CC

3

2

1 13

LLL

3

1

2 10

TNT

3

1

2 9

Phuket Leopards

3

0

3 2

Laguna were feeling nervous.

However, captain Stuart Reading (33) and Andrew Cole (31 not out off 81 deliveries) stabilised the innings with a 55-run partnership before Reading also fell in similar fashion to Guiraud.

The tail end, which had not been tested thus far during the season, capitulated apart from a brief cameo innings from big-hitting Shane Gleeson (16).

Laguna were eventually bowled out for 155 runs from 38 overs, being contained by some very tight and accurate bowling from ICC. Pick of the bowlers for ICC were Ibrahim Mushtaq (3-20), Virender Kumar (2-25) and Sandeep Sharma (2-45).

The ICC innings got off to a similar start to Laguna after losing captain Anand Chand (4) in the first over.

However, fellow opener Sandeep Sharma (45) and

Virender Kumar (25) put on a 63-run partnership to set the platform for the innings.

Ibrahim Mushtaq (2) then fell to a sharp catch at backward point by Stuart Reading followed quickly by Surender Kumar (0) who was cleanbowled by Val Guiraud.

At 5-98, the match looked as though it could go either way. However, with ICC’s superior run-rate, Laguna knew that their only chance for victory was to bowl ICC out, so brought back on their opening bowlers to lead the charge.

However, Ali Khan (58 not out) had other ideas, and led ICC to victory in the 28th over with a brutal knock from only 40 deliveries. Pick of the bowlers for Laguna were Sameer Khan (2-40) and Val Guiraud (2-42).

Man of the match was Ali Khan with Sandeep Sharma and Ibrahim Mushtaq picking up second and third place respectively.

The Village remains on top of the tightly packed table with only two points separating the top three places.

This Sunday sees Thanyapura News Tigers take on Liquid Lounge Lizards, with both teams looking to secure their second victory of the season.

thephuketnews.com

40 INTERNATIONAL SPORT

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

IN BRIEF Bowling champ strikes dog A former world champion 10-pin bowler has been engulfed in an online furore in Singapore over reports that he knocked down a pregnant dog with his Porsche and failed to help the animal, which later died.

Media reports and an animal rights group identified the driver as Singapore national bowler Remy Ong, 33, who won the singles title at the World Championships in Korea in 2006. Reports said that Ong had admitted hitting the stray and apologised.

Tevez to return to Manchester City Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez looks set to return from his self-imposed exile after apologising to the club for his conduct in recent months.

In a statement released

by City on Tuesday, Tevez said: “I wish to apologise sincerely and unreservedly to everybody I have let down and to whom my actions over the last few months have caused offence.

“My wish is to concentrate on playing football for Manchester City Football Club.”

Tevez has not played for the club since September after falling out with boss Roberto Mancini.

Hall leads Leeds to World Club win

Ryan Hall’s first-half blitz proved enough as the Leeds Rhinos avenged their defeat in 2009 to claim the rugby league World Club Challenge with a 26-12 win against Manly Warringah Sea Eagles on Friday.

The 24-year-old Leeds winger crossed twice in the first-half and the Rhinos held off a Manly second-half fightback to seal the club’s record-equalling third win in the marquee fixture.

Chisora faces life ban, prison Heavyweight boxer Dereck Chisora could face a life ban when he appears before the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) on March 14 for his press conference brawl with rival David Haye.

BBBC general secretary Robert Smith said: “The board have many powers – they can fine, they can suspend and they can withdraw a licence.” He has also been questioned by police, and may face prison time.

thephuketnews.com

New Merc unveiled Mercedes on Tuesday unveiled their new WO3 car which they hope will allow them to claw their way back to the level of the top trio, Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari, after a bitterly disappointing 2011.

The German team had to settle for fourth place in the constructors’ championship last year with drivers Nico Rosberg and Formula One great Michael Schumacher slumping to seventh and eighth.

MOTO F1

Agence France-Presse

What followed after November was a revamp of the technical team with big names Bob Bell, Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis all arriving and helping raise expectations.

“The F1 W03 is a car I believe, and hope, our team can be proud of, and which will deliver the on-track results that

everybody has worked so hard to achieve, said team principal Ross Brawn.

“Notwithstanding the distinctive nose design, which is certainly an acquired taste, the car is an elegant interpretation of the current regulations, and a clear step forward over its predecessor in terms of detail design and sophistication.

“Last year we produced a very bold car and, although its more radical elements didn’t

always deliver the results we had hoped for, the experience we gained has been invaluable to the design of the 2012 car.

“This car is also a more integrated package, and demonstrates that our Silver Arrows works team is taking the next step forward in terms of ontrack performance.”

The new car has already been tested in the opening winter tests at Jerez earlier this month and will get a second

run this week ahead of the year’s opening Grand Prix in Australia on March 18.

Rosberg said that he felt confident that the changes made to the car will reap benefits over the course of the season.

“It looks good, and is very nicely packaged under the bodywork. All the parts are in harmony, which reflects how well the different departments of our team are working together.

Yani Tseng.

Tseng takes Thailand LPGA tournament

Taiwan’s Yani Tseng clinched victory in the Honda LPGA Thailand tournament on Sunday (February 19) in a thrilling performance that reinforced her standing as world number-one.

Tseng, who was the defending champion in the US$1.5 million (B48 million) event, fired a six-under-par 66 to edge out Japan’s Ai Miyazato by one stroke at the Siam Country Club Old Course, near Pattaya.

The Japanese star performed bravely throughout the round, battling back time and again to keep the pressure on Tseng.

But the Taiwanese seized the win in dramatic fashion with a stunning iron to the green at the 18th from 104 yards, leaving her a two-foot birdie putt to defeat Miyazato, who also birdied the hole for a 68.

Korea’s Shin Ji-Yai shot 67 for third place while compatriot Amy Yang was a further three shots behind.

GOLF Tseng said her victory was “very emotional” and she had to work hard for it, especially on the back nine.

“That was my shot of the week at the 18th,” she said.

“I knew I had to get it close because Ai had a birdie lined up. I didn’t want it to go to a play-off.”

Miyazato said she was quite happy with her performance despite just missing out. “Overall I played really well, although I let slip a couple of birdie chances,” she said. “But next time I want to win.”

She praised Tseng’s performance.

“Yani is number one, so I knew it wouldn’t be easy. After five holes she was five-under and I kind of expected that.”

The LPGA Tour next moves to Singapore for the HSBC Women's Champions tournament.

The 2013 course (the island in the centre is Alcatraz)

–ACEA

America’s Cup on course for tour around Alcatraz

The race course area for the 34th America’s Cup (AC), to be held in San Francisco in 2013, has been revealed.

Tucked between Alcatraz and the city shoreline, the race course offers up-close viewing from several locations, and will bring spectators closer to the action than any other race in the event’s history.

The exact location of the race course area will change slightly on any given day depending on weather conditions, John Craig, the Principal Race Officer for the AC, said.

Racing in 2013 will take place in the new AC72 class, wing-sailed catamarans designed to reach high speeds.

The race might still be 15

SAILING months away, but the reigning champ, Oracle Racing, is already in overdrive preparing for the 34th Cup. The team is practicing on the smaller version of the final product, the AC45, as the AC72 is still in the design stages.

Helmsman Jimmy Spithill said of the new course: “There’s the tide, there’s the wind, and it’s not always apparent which direction to go, you know which is the most favorable way to go.

Given that the bay is very small, there will be a lot of spectator craft, the boats are more physical than ever before, and it’s just going to be extremely

challenging.”

The actual America’s Cup trimaran will be 72 feet long with a 223 foot mast, and will be capable of going three times the speed of the wind.

“Fifty-60 mph (80-100 kph), so you’re really going to have to hold on,” Spithill told KGO News.

“We hope to have an advantage from my experience here on San Francisco Bay, but quite honestly the other teams will figure it out and get they’ll get a hang of it.”

The 2013 racing season starts on July 4th, with the Louis Vuitton Cup, the America’s Cup Challenger Series, leading up to the AC Finals from September 7th-22nd.

THE PHUKET NEWS

INTERNATIONAL SPORT

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

41

TOUCH, PAUSE, ENGAGE AUSTRALIAN CONFERENCE

BRUMBIES T he Br u mbies have completely revamped their squad after a miserable 2011.

Last year they finished 13th, their worst finishing position since the inception of Super Rugby in 1996. They have already got their 2012 season off to the perfect start with a 25-0 thrashing of Western Force in Darwin. Expect them to do much better this season, though aiming for a finals berth might be a touch ambitious at this stage.

Prediction: 8th FORCE Last yea r, t he Wester n Force ma nage d on ly 12th overall, only one place better than in 2010. Overall they were the third best team in the Australian conference (behind the Waratahs and the Reds), which says a lot about the seasons the top two Australian sides had. The Force have named David Pocock captain for season 2012, as Nathan Sharpe steps down from the position for his final season. The Force have not started the preseason well with a 25-0 loss to the Brumbies in Darwin.

Prediction: 13th REBELS The Melbourne Rebels can only improve on last year’s debut season, where they picked up the wooden spoon. This year, they’ve secured a couple of high profile recruits in Kurtley Beale and James O’Connor which will boost them in the halves. The Rebels got their preseason off to a bad start with a 36-0 thumping at the hands of the Chiefs, and it could take time for this new team to settle.

Prediction: 9th

ROUND 1 MATCHES Blues v Crusaders Brumbies v Force Bulls v Sharks Chiefs v Highlanders Waratahs v Reds Stormers v Hurricanes Lions v Cheetahs REDS The Queensland Reds are coming off a barnstorming season where they conquered all before them, losing just three matches all year, going on to lift the Super 15 Rugby trophy in July after beating the Crusaders in a nail-biting final.

With James Horwill, Will Genia and Quade Cooper, the Reds have plenty of experience and should do well again this year, though Cooper won’t play until at least April, thanks to the injury he sustained in the World Cup. Prediction: 3rd WARATAHS The Waratahs finished last season in fifth place before going out to the Blues in the first week of the finals.

That seems to be a trend in recent seasons as they copped the same fate in 2010. The Waratahs were attacked for their boring style of play, but that should change this year as they have shifted the deadwood, namely Kurtley Beale, and brought in some high profile players in Adam AshleyCooper, Berrick Barnes, and South African scrumhalf Sarel Pretorious which will add some attacking flair to the backline. Could this finally be their year?

Prediction: 2nd

NEW ZEALAND CONFERENCE BLUES Last season the Blues made it to the semi finals of the Super Rugby competition for the first time since 2007. They will obviously want to go one better this year, but whether they can continue to improve is the biggest question mark.

This season, the Blues have not really set the world on fire with their recruitment, instead focusing on the playing group that got them to the finals last year. Prediction: 4th CHIEFS Last season the Ch iefs weren’t able to back up their first foray into the Super Rugby finals in 2010, finishing a disappointing 10th. This season, they have secured the high profile signing of Sonny Bill Williams from the Crusaders. The most notable loss for the Chiefs is All Black Tana Umaga, who chose to retire at the end of the 2011 season.

They should be competitive, but won’t beat the Crusaders to the top conference spot.

Prediction: 6th CRUSADERS The Cr usaders went close

again last year with only the Queensland Reds blocking their way to an eighth Super Rugby title. This season they will be looking to go one better, and who would bet against the most successful side in the history of the Super Rugby competition? The Crusaders are without Sonny Bill Williams, and their most notable signing is All Black Tom Donnelly from the Highlanders.

Prediction: 1st HIGHLANDERS The Highlanders finished eighth in the 2012 Super 15 Rugby season, their best position since they finished eighth in 2005. They have not made the finals since 2002, and have yet to win a Super Rugby title. This season, the Highlanders have recruited some experience in, snatching both Hosea Gear and Andrew Hore from the Hurricanes to bolster their wing and hooking stocks respectively. However, they also lost Tim Donnelly to the Crusaders and Robbie Robinson to the Chiefs.

Prediction: 11th HURRICANES The 2011 season was one for the Hurricanes to forget, finishing ninth overall and fourth in the New Zealand conference. In the off season, they lost expe-

rience in the form of hooker Andrew Hore and winger Hosea Gear to the Highlanders. Their most notable gains have been Ben May from the Chiefs, Chris Smylie from the Blues and David Hall from the Crusaders. They have started somewhat of a downward spiral though, and it’s hard to see them getting out of it this season.

Prediction: 12th

SOUTH AFRICA CONFERENCE BULLS I n 2 011 t h e Bulls dropped outside the playoff zone after winning the previous two competitions. But as much as the Bulls have been successful over the last five years, it appeared that they may have hit an impasse. Still, last year’s seventh place was unlike the Bulls side we have seen in recent years, and they should improve this year and get themselves back into the playoff positions.

Prediction: 5th CHEETAHS Since their int roduct ion to the competition in 2006, the Cheetahs have not finished any higher than 10th, and that is unlikely to

change this year. They don’t really have any notable gains for 2012, and they have lost their best playmaker, Sarel Pretorius, to the Waratahs.

Expect the Cheetahs to be fighting to avoid the wooden spoon rather than for any finals aspirations.

Prediction: 15th

LIONS The Lions head into this season on the back of a 14th place finish last year.

They have not finished any higher than 11th since 2002, and generally do little else than make up the numbers in the Super Rugby competition.

They will be fighting to keep their place in the competition, with the Kings inclusion already confirmed for next year.

Prediction: 14th SHARKS The 2011 Super Rugby season was a productive one for the Sharks, with a sixth place finish their reward. The Sharks have lost a few players for the 2012 season including ex-captain Stefan Terblanche, and haven’t really replaced them with anyone of note. This doesn’t bode well for them improving this year, and they probably won’t feature in a fight for the playoff positions.

Prediction: 10th STORMERS Last season the Stormers were the best of the South African conference and they’ve finished second in the past two seasons. For 2012, the Stormers have had somewhat of a clean-out, shifting no less than 14 players, and making just four replacements. The only player of note they have brought in for 2012 is JP Du Plessis from the Rebels. There could be dark clouds brewing for the Stormers.

Prediction: 7th

New NRL finals system The Australia Rugby League (ARL) Commission has made its first major decision this week, scrapping the controversial McIntyre System for the finals, and instead duplicating the current Australian Football League (AFL) model.

The commission, which only came into power this month, said they were acting on a recommendation to adopt a new model for the finals series, in which the top four

RUGBY LEAGUE

and bottom four teams will be split into separate pools.

The former ARL used the model in 1995-96 before opting for the oft-maligned McIntyre System.

The recommendation followed a review of the finals system, involving the 16 clubs, conducted by ARLC general manager of football operations Nathan McGuirk.

“An overwhelming majority of clubs have shifted their support away from the McIntyre system to one where the top four teams play each other in week one,” McGuirk said.

The new system means the top four finishing teams are guaranteed a place in the competition, even if they lose on the opening weekend of the finals. The NRL season kicks off on March 2.

thephuketnews.com

42 INTERNATIONAL SPORT

THE PHUKET NEWS

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Tottenham spurred into action after shock draw FOOTBALL

Premier League high-flyers Tottenham Hotspur were held to a shock goalless draw away to third tier Stevenage in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday, and now face a replay to reach the quarter-finals.

Eight-times FA Cup winners Tottenham saw Stevenage goalkeeper Chris Day, a former Spurs player, make a good save to turn Gareth Bale’s 25-yard effort round the post early in the second half.

Spurs then had the ball in the back of the net when Louis Saha steered in Danny Rose’s cross, only for the effort to be ruled out after a linesman spotted the striker’s shot had clipped the offside Scott Parker before hitting the net.

There were no such stumbles for the other two Premier League sides involved in Cup action on Sunday.

Liverpool and Stoke will face each other in the quarterfinals after the Reds thrashed

Kazenga LuaLua’s f ierce f ree -k ick through a disintegrating wall.

Two own goals to Liam Bridcutt and one by Lewis Dunk, and goals by Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez then completed the five goal rout.

Meanwhile, Stoke won at Crawley despite playing most of the match a man down after Liam Bridcutt scored two own goals to Ror y Delap was ensure Liverpool ran out big winners. sent off.

Goals either side of halfChampionship team Brighton 6-1 at Anfield and Stoke tri- time, courtesy of a Jonathan umphed 2-0 away to fourth- Walters penalty and a Peter Crouch header, saw Stoke, tier Crawley Town.

In a bizarre afternoon, last season’s beaten finalists, Liverpool, helped by a Cup into the last eight.

The quarter-final draw record three own goals from Brighton, went ahead in the sees Everton at home to Sunfifth minute when Martin derland and Liverpool at Skrtel headed in Steven Ger- home to Stoke.

Stevenage or Tottenham rard’s corner.

But the Seagulls were level will welcome Bolton, while in the 17th minute thanks to Chelsea or Birmingham, who

drew 1-1 on Saturday, will face Championship Leicester, who on Saturday beat Premier League Norwich 2-1 in the only upset win of the fifth round.

Replays will be staged in the first week of March.

Standings in The Phuket News tipping competition remain the same as last week, but with only one round left in the monthly competition, it’s still anyone’s to win.

The overall winner will receive a return flight to the UK, courtesy of Albatross Lufthansa City Center.

The prize for February is a B3,000 voucher from Australia Bar and Grill in Kata, where you can watch all the international sport on 50” plasma screen TVs or on the big screen.

Arsenal and Tottenham provide the highlight of this weekend’s Premier League action, while Chelsea will be looking to get their season back on track against Bolton.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Phone +66 76 270958 abpoffice@yahoo.co.uk www.lcc-albatross.com THIS MONTH'S COMPETITION IS SUPPORTED BY:

ROUND 24 RESULTS: Aston Villa Wolves Tottenham Blackburn Bolton Everton Fulham Sunderland Swansea Man Utd

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Man City West Brom Newcastle QPR Wigan Chelsea Stoke Arsenal Norwich Liverpool

TOP 10 PERFORMERS (FEB): 1. gafferworld 2. fazza 3. MRB 4. Farang2005 5. zedi44 6. apollo131 7. Clare Bolzon 8. stefan 9. Kaian 10. UMSTPN

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Chelsea in disarray – AVB still believes in his future FOOTBALL

Agence France-Presse

Chelsea captain John Terry is to undergo surgery on his injured right knee, and faces several weeks on the sidelines, manager Andre Villas-Boas confirmed on Tuesday.

In a major blow to Chelsea’s Premier League and Champions League campaigns, the defender could be out of action for up to six weeks after his injury failed to heal as expected.

But it could be a very long six weeks, as without Terry in the back four, the Chelsea defence – in particular centrebacks David Luiz and Gary Cahill – was a shambles in their 3-1 second round, first leg defeat to Napoli in Tuesday’s Champions League match.

“Hopefully John Terry will be out for less than six weeks. They are cleaning the joint and hopefully it will be less,” said Villas-Boas ahead of the match.

Terry suffered the injury

thephuketnews.com

after colliding with a goalpost during last month’s FA Cup victory over Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge.

The 31-year-old had travelled to Italy for the Napoli match, but was ruled out after suffering a reaction following a training session on Monday.

Terry’s injury also has implications for England’s Euro 2012 preparations, ruling him out of the February 29 friendly against Holland at Wembley and leaving him racing to recover his fitness for the finals in Poland and Ukraine.

However the defender’s unavailability relieves caretaker England manager Stuart Pearce of a potential headache over the issue of whether to pick Rio Ferdinand and Terry in the same squad.

Terry is currently awaiting trial over allegations he racially abused Ferdinand’s younger brother Anton, allegations he denies.

The injury is another major blow for Villas-Boas though, who has already been facing

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas will need to reverse his club’s fortunes if he wants to retain his position. intense speculation over his future with the club.

The Portuguese manager is rumoured to be under pressure amid poor results, including a four-match winless streak, and accounts of dressing-room tensions.

Previous coaches such as Carlo Ancelotti, Felipe Scolari and Avram Grant were not afforded the same patience

by Russian owner Roman Abramovich when it came to results.

Ancelotti won the double

in his first season in charge but following a trophyless second season he was sent packing.

Scolari lasted only six months, paying for a poor run that left Cheslea struggling to keep up with Manchester United in the league in 2008/09 while reaching the Champions League final and finishing second in the league the season before wasn’t enough to save Grant.

“There’s been an obvious tendency in the past for that to happen but with the mes-

sages I’ve received from the club and the board recently, there’s a clear indication that there’s a change in the way we approach our projects of the future,” said Villas-Boas.

“There’s great belief in what we’re going to do next year and hopefully that will bring us the most trophies it can.

“But that doesn’t undermine the responsibilities this year. Speculation is normal based on the cultural past of this club but you have to understand there are different perspectives, and that’s now.

“With the full confidence from the owner I will continue to do my job, and that’s this year and the next two years.

“You have to understand that this club from 2004 until now has made a dramatic change for the best in terms of its past because it’s been the richest part of Chelsea’s history.

“It’s been full of trophies and success and we want to perpetuate that into the future.

“To do so, sometimes you

have to make changes because you can’t sustain the same habits as we had in 2004 when all this environment was created into a winning team.”

Following Saturday’s embarrassing 1-1 draw at home to Championship team Birmingham City in the FA Cup, rumours abound that Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba had given the half-time team talk, supposedly undermining Villas-Boas’s authority in the dressing room.

But the powerful striker denied that was the case.

“I want to make clear that the manager made his speech at half-time and after that he’s got some leaders in the team and in the squad and we’re here to help him,” said Drogba.

“After that we were trying to bring the team up at half-time.

“We did what the manager wanted us to do and tried to apply what he’s saying and nothing more.

“I think people are trying to make a big thing out of nothing.”

THE PHUKET NEWS

INTERNATIONAL SPORT 43

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

‘I don’t even like the game’ – football boss FOOTBALL Agence France-Presse

The billionaire owner of struggling Gold Coast United, Clive Palmer, has labelled Australia’s A-League a joke and his club as “insignificant”, in comments published on Sunday.

Palmer, a mining magnate who is listed as Australia’s fifth-richest man, derided football as a “hopeless game” and

Clive Palmer: ‘Rugby League is a much better game.’ dared Football Federation Australia (FFA) to strip him of

English Premier League Team

French Ligue 1

chairman and investors in the other nine clubs, and to the game itself.”

Palmer’s outburst came just days after he suspended Gold Coast coach Miron Bleiberg for saying the appointment of 17-year-old rookie Mitch Cooper as captain was “ceremonial”.

His Gold Coast club lost 0-1 to Melbourne Heart on Friday to stay rooted at the bottom of the A-League standings.

Italian Serie A

D

L

F

A

P

D

L

F

A

P

D

L

F

A

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Man City

25

19

3

3

64

19

60

1

PSG

24

15

6

3

40

21

51

1

Milan

24

15

5

4

48

21

50

2

Man Utd

25

18

4

3

61

25

58

2

Montpellier

24

15

5

4

47

25

50

2

Juventus

23

13

10

0

36

14

49

3

Tottenham

25

16

5

4

49

25

53

3

Lille

23

11

9

3

41

26

42

3

Udinese

24

12

6

6

34

22

42

4

Arsenal

25

13

4

8

48

35

43

4

Marseille

23

10

9

4

34

22

39

4

Lazio

24

12

6

6

38

29

42

5

Chelsea

25

12

7

6

44

31

43

5

Lyon

24

12

3

9

37

28

39

5

Roma

24

11

5

8

37

27

38

6

Newcastle

25

12

6

7

36

36

42

6

Saint-Étienne

23

11

6

6

29

24

39

6

Napoli

24

9

10

5

41

24

37

7

Liverpool

25

10

9

6

29

23

39

7

Rennes

24

11

6

7

33

29

39

7

Internazionale

24

11

3

10

34

33

36

8

Norwich City

25

9

8

8

37

41

35

8

Toulouse

24

10

7

7

25

23

37

8

Palermo

24

10

4

10

38

35

34

9

Sunderland

25

9

6

10

34

26

33

9

Bordeaux

24

9

9

6

30

27

36

9

Cagliari

24

7

10

7

22

24

31

10

Everton

25

9

6

10

26

27

33

10

Valenciennes

24

7

6

11

24

27

27

10

Chievo

24

8

6

10

20

30

30

11

Swansea

25

7

9

9

28

32

30

11

Lorient

23

6

9

8

22

26

27

11

Genoa

24

9

3

12

31

44

30

12

Fulham

25

7

9

9

31

36

30

12

Brest

24

4

14

6

21

22

26

12

Fiorentina

22

7

7

8

23

22

28

13

Stoke City

25

8

6

11

24

38

30

13

Dijon

24

7

5

12

29

42

26

13

Parma

23

7

7

9

27

35

28

14

West Brom

25

8

5

12

29

35

29

14

Evian

23

5

9

9

31

37

24

14

Atalanta

24

8

10

6

26

27

28

15

Aston Villa

25

6

10

9

29

34

28

15

Caen

23

6

6

11

28

35

24

15

Catania

22

6

9

7

28

32

27

16

QPR

25

5

6

14

27

44

21

16

Nancy

24

5

8

11

22

33

23

16

Bologna

22

6

7

9

21

26

25

17

Blackburn

25

5

6

14

37

56

21

17

Ajaccio

24

5

8

11

25

42

23

17

Siena

23

5

8

10

23

26

23

18

Wolves

25

5

6

14

28

49

21

18

Auxerre

23

4

9

10

29

36

21

18

Lecce

24

5

6

13

26

39

21

19

Bolton

25

6

2

17

29

51

20

19

Nice

24

4

8

12

22

29

20

19

Novara

24

3

8

13

20

42

17

20

Wigan

25

4

7

14

23

50

19

20

Sochaux

23

4

8

11

22

37

20

20

Cesena

23

4

4

15

16

37

16

Chelsea Everton Norwich City Millwall Sunderland AFC

(Note: No Premier League or Championship matches last week)

Crawley Town Stevenage Liverpool

0-2 Stoke City 0 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur 6-1 Brighton

1 - 1 Birmingham City 2-0 Blackpool 1-2 Leicester City 0 - 2 Bolton Wanderers 2-0 Arsenal

Team

fensive to the players, coaches, administrators and volunteers, who are the life and soul of Australian football.

“We welcomed Clive into the game and lauded his investment, but no matter how frustrated Clive may feel about his involvement, these comments are out of order.

“I remind Clive that as a chairman and owner of a club, he has obligations to the competition, his fellow club

1

FA Cup

MP W

... the A-League’s a joke.

“The club is a very small, insignificant portion of what I do.”

Buckley described Palmer’s comments as offensive.

“Football fans across Australia will today rightfully condemn the lack of respect inherent in comments made

by Clive Palmer,” Buckley said in a statement in response to Palmer’s comments.

“The comments are of-

his Gold Coast owner’s licence.

“I don’t even like the game,” Palmer told Brisbane’s Sunday Mail. “I think it’s a hopeless game. Rugby league’s a much better game.

“If we wanted to stay and they [FFA] wanted to take it off us, they’d all be in court, and [FFA chief executive] Ben Buckley would run a thousand miles,” Palmer said.

“That’s the reality of it.

They can say what they like

PSG Bordeaux Saint-Etienne Marseille AS Nancy

MP W

2 – 2 1 – 0 4 – 0 1 – 1 0 – 3

Montpellier HSC Olympique Lyon Rennes Valenciennes Toulouse FC

Caen Ajaccio AC Dijon FCO FC Sochaux FC Lorient

2 – 2 0 – 0 3 – 0 0 – 0 0 – 1

Évian FC Stade Brest OGC Nice AJ Auxerre Lille OSC

Spanish Primera Liga

English Championship

Internazionale Fiorentina Juventus Lecce Novara

MP W

0-3 0-3 3-1 4-1 0-0

Bologna Napoli Catania Siena Atalanta

Genoa Cesena Roma Udinese Palermo

0-1 1-3 1-0 0-0 5 - 1

Chievo Milan Parma Cagliari Lazio

German Bundesliga

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Real Madrid

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1

2

79

21

61

1

Dortmund

22

15

4

3

47

14

49

7

7

53

31

55

2

FC Barcelona

23

15

6

2

68

17

51

2

Mönchengladbach

22

14

4

4

36

13

46

8

7

47

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Valencia CF

23

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5

36

27

40

3

Bayern Munich

22

14

3

5

49

14

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11

6

47

35

50

4

Athletic Bilbao

23

8

9

6

37

30

33

4

Schalke

22

14

2

6

50

28

44

13

10

7

49

37

49

5

RCD Espanyol

23

9

6

8

26

27

33

5

Werder Bremen

22

10

6

6

37

36

36

29

15

4

10

31

25

49

6

Atlético Madrid

23

8

8

7

32

28

32

6

Bayer Leverkusen

22

9

7

6

32

29

34

Reading

29

14

6

9

37

27

48

7

Levante UD

23

9

5

9

32

34

32

7

Hannover 96

22

8

10

4

27

27

34

8

Brighton

30

14

6

10

34

31

48

8

Rayo Vallecano

23

9

4

10

32

35

31

8

VfL Wolfsburg

22

8

3

11

27

42

27

9

Middlesbrough

29

12

11

6

33

30

47

9

Málaga CF

23

9

4

10

28

35

31

9

VfB Stuttgart

22

7

5

10

33

32

26

10

Leeds United

30

13

6

11

48

44

45

10

Osasuna

23

7

10

6

26

37

31

10

1899 Hoffenheim

22

6

8

8

24

26

26

11

Burnley

30

13

5

12

42

36

44

11

Sevilla FC

23

7

8

8

24

26

29

11

Hamburger SV

22

6

8

8

27

37

26

12

Leicester City

30

11

9

10

40

34

42

12

Real Betis

23

9

2

12

27

31

29

12

FC Nuremberg

22

7

4

11

21

32

25

13

Derby County

29

12

6

11

33

36

42

13

RCD Mallorca

23

7

7

9

23

28

28

13

FSV Mainz 05

22

5

9

8

30

36

24

14

Crystal Palace

29

10

9

10

27

28

39

14

Getafe CF

23

7

7

9

23

30

28

14

FC Köln

22

7

3

12

30

42

24

15

Barnsley

29

11

6

12

42

46

39

15

Granada CF

23

8

4

11

21

32

28

15

Hertha BSC

22

4

8

10

25

37

20

16

Watford

30

9

10

11

33

41

37

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Real Sociedad

23

7

6

10

26

34

27

16

FC Kaiserslautern

22

3

9

10

16

28

18

17

Portsmouth

29

9

8

12

33

31

35

17

Villarreal CF

23

6

8

9

23

34

26

17

FC Augsburg

22

3

9

10

20

37

18

18

Peterborough

29

9

7

13

46

48

34

18

Racing Santander

23

4

11

8

18

30

23

18

SC Freiburg

22

4

6

12

27

47

18

19

Ipswich Town

29

10

4

15

46

57

34

19

Sporting Gijón

23

5

5

13

21

44

20

20

Millwall

30

7

9

14

28

39

30

20

Real Zaragoza

23

3

6

14

18

40

15

21

Bristol City

30

8

6

16

25

44

30

22

Nottm Forest

29

7

4

18

23

47

25

23

Doncaster

28

6

6

16

23

45

24

24

Coventry City

30

5

7

18

26

43

22

Team

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West Ham

29

17

2

Southampton

30

16

3

Birmingham

29

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4

Cardiff City

30

13

5

Blackpool

30

6

Hull City

7

Team

Team

Real Zaragoza FC Barcelona Levante UD RCD Mallorca Sporting Gijón

MP W

0 – 2 5 – 1 3 – 5 4 – 0 1 – 1

Real Betis Valencia CF Rayo Vallecano Villarreal CF Atlético Madrid

Athletic Bilbao Granada CF Sevilla FC Real Madrid Getafe CF

3 – 0 Málaga CF 4 – 1 Real Sociedad 2 – 0 Osasuna 4 – 0 Racing Santander 1 – 1 RCD Espanyol

Team

MP W

Hannover 96 4 – 2 VfB Stuttgart Schalke 04 4 – 0 VfL Wolfsburg SC Freiburg 0 – 0 Bayern Munich Bayer Leverkusen 4 – 1 FC Augsburg Hertha Berlin 0 – 1 Borussia Dortmund

Champions League Relegation

FC Kaiserslautern 1 – 2 Borussia M’gladbach FC Nürnberg 2 – 1 FC Köln Hamburger SV 1 – 3 Werder Bremen Hoffenheim 1 – 1 FSV Mainz 05 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Champions League qualifiers

Premier League promotion

Europa League

Premier League play-off

COMING UP Premier League

(times in Thailand. Matches shown on TrueSport 1-6)

Saturday February 25

Wigan v Aston Villa

Chelsea v Bolton

22:00

Sunday February 26

Newcastle v Wolves

22:00

QPR v Fulham

22:00

West Brom v Sunderland

22:00

22:00

Man City v Blackburn

00:30

Arsenal v Tottenham

20:30

Norwich v Man Utd

20:30

Stoke v Swansea

22:00

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS Run 1355: Saturday February 25 at 3.30pm Hares: White Pointer, Popeye & Different Directions: From Cherng Talay police station go towards Heroines Monument 1.6 kms (past Lady Pie), turn left for 700 metres, turn left and follow the signs. From the Heroines go towards Cherng Talay 5.4 kms and turn right, go 700m and follow the signs.

thephuketnews.com

44 INTERNATIONAL SPORT

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

SPORT

Kick-off

Team by team preview of this weekend’s Super XV action > 39

PUNTED! sport@thephuketnews.com

Ponting’s One Day career over after selectors wield axe orld Cup-winning skipper Ricky Ponting, cricket’s second-highest one-day scorer, has vowed to fight on in Australia’s Test team after being dumped from the limited-overs side.

Ponting said he had been informed by selectors that he did not fit into their plans for the one-day team, but despite speculation about his future, stressed that he would not be retiring from the five-day game.

“I will continue playing Test cricket and I’ll continue playing for Tasmania as well,” Ponting told a news conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

“I think I proved to everyone and myself that I am still capable of dominating Test cricket as I did in the last Test series against India.”

Ponting’s ODI sacking comes less than a month after his commanding role in Australia’s 4-0 clean sweep of the home Test series against India, when he scored 544 runs at 108.80 with two centuries and three 50s.

His dumping also came just a day after he led Australia to a crushing 110-run ODI win over India in Brisbane as stand-in captain for the injured Michael Clarke.

W

Chief selector John Inverarity on Monday said Ponting had been dropped because of a lack of form after just 18 runs in five knocks in the tri-series against India and Sri Lanka.

“John made it very clear to me yesterday the direction they are heading with the one-day team and that I am not part of their plans,” said Ponting.

“I have no bitterness at all about what’s happened,” he said, adding that “I totally understand” why the selectors were looking to rebuild the team for the next World Cup. Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said Ponting would be remembered as possibly the nation’s best ever limited-overs player.

“I think his career is incomparable in one-day cricket,” he told reporters.

“I just can’t think of a player that has made a greater contribution and been a better one-day cricketer, particularly in the big moments.”

RICKY PONTING ODI STATS

ODI debut: v South Africa, Wellington, February 15, 1995 Matches: 375; Runs: 13,704; Highest Score: 164; Average: 42.03; Strikerate: 80.39; Centuries: 30.

KP ton helps England whitewash Pakistan Kevin Pietersen hit his second successive century to help a resurgent England beat Pakistan by four wickets in the fourth and final day-night international on Tuesday for a 4-0 whitewash.

The 31-year-old right-hander held the innings together during his 153-ball career-best 130 – his ninth one-day hundred – to help England chase down a 238-run target in 49.2 overs at Dubai Stadium.

Pietersen helped England recover from 68-4 with a 109-run stand for the fifth

thephuketnews.com

CRICKET Agence France-Presse

wicket with fellow South African-born teammate Craig Kieswetter (43) to maintain his team’s domination in the series in which they won the first match by 130 runs, second by 20 and the third by nine wickets.

By virtue of this win England overtook Pakistan at number five, pushing their rivals to sixth in the ICC (International Cricket Council)

one-day rankings. The result partially made up for their 3-0 loss in the preceding threeTest series.

Pietersen hit Junaid Khan for a six and took a single

in the next over to reach his hundred off 136 balls and finished with 12 fours and two sixes. His previous best of 116 came against South Africa at Centurion in 2005.

Pietersen had lost his opening partner Alastair Cook – who hit back-to-back hundreds and 80 in the first three matches – off the second ball of the innings to paceman Khan for four.

Jonathan Trott (15), Eoin Morgan (15) and debutant Jos Butler fell in the space of 18 runs before the Pietersen-

Kieswetter stand lifted them from 68-4 to 177-5.

When Kieswetter was run out, England still needed 61 but Samit Patel (17 not out) in the company of Pietersen brought England within two runs of the win when Pietersen fell to Saeed Ajmal.

Tim Bresnan hit the winning boundary.

Cook praised the team effort.

“We really had a very good one-day series,” said Cook. “It was a great challenge and we stood up and won.”

Misbah said Pakistan did show some fight but England were too good.

“We showed improvement from the last game but England and Pietersen were too good for us,” said Misbah. “Credit to England for playing well in this series and we were below par.”

Pakistan promised more than what they made after half-centuries by Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali but were pegged back in the final overs with paceman Jade Dernbach taking a career-best 4-45.