The Phuket News 24 May 2019

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MAN IMPERSONATES POLICE, ROBS WOMAN AT GUNPOINT > PAGE 3 A marine official conducts a survey on a damaged reef off Phuket. Photo: DMCR

MARINE RANGERS

NEWS

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Student arrested in Bangkok over Thalang Riot

LIFE

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Coral gardeners restoring reefs at Maya Bay

DMCR CALLS FOR VOLUNTEERS TO HELP PROTECT DIVE SITES, PRISTINE MARINE AREAS Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

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he Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) is calling for people – Thai or foreign – to volunteer as “Marine Rangers” in order to protect coral reefs and other coastal areas, including mangroves, from damage by irresponsible tour operators or other unscrupulous parties.

“We need more Marine Rangers who have pure hearts to protect coral reefs, protected marine animals, mangroves and other valuable natural resources along the west coast of Thailand, including Phuket,” DMCR

Director-General Jatuporn Buruspat told The Phuket News this week.

“We don’t have enough officers to cover all marine resources, especially those around Phuket. We want to improve the quality of the protection of our natural resources, with protection for all areas where human activities affect the marine environment,” Mr Jatuporn explained.

“We are open to Thais and foreigners joining this project. The more people, the better. We have not even set a limit on how many people can become Marine Rangers,” he added.

Under the Marine Ranger project, which was first launched in March last year, volunteers register with the

DMCR. After their applications are approved, Marine Rangers are issued an official ID card and can directly report any complaints or activities damaging marine sites to the DMCR through a web portal.

From there, other Marine Rangers and DMCR officials in the area communicate through a LINE group, and local DMCR officials can launch an investigation into any serious complaints.

In addition to supporting marine officials with light public exercises such as clean-ups, joining events and helping with reef-restoration projects, Marine Rangers are empowered to assist officials with conducting

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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investigations and provide support in developing marine conservation projects.

They are also empowered to work closely with officials and assist in investigations under the supervision of officials who have the power to arrest offenders.

Chat Chalarat, head of the Participation Promotion Department at the DMCR Region 9 office, told The Phuket News that the key areas where Marine Rangers are needed around Phuket are Coral Island, Koh Mai Thon and the Racha Yai and Racha Noi islands.

“I worry very much about how human activities, both people living...

SPORT

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Carballo wins Singha Laguna Phuket Open

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Phuket Town underground cable works to finish early THE PROJECT TO BURY power and communication cables along parts of Phang Nga Rd and Rassada Rd will be completed well ahead of the projected October deadline, the chief of the Phuket office of the Public Works and Town Planning & Country Planning Department (DPT-Phuket) has announced.

The works to install the cables underground along Rassada Rd will be completed before the end of August, and the works along Phang Nga Rd will be completed by the end of June, DPT-Phuket Tawee Homhuan has confirmed.

Mr Tawee delivered the news during an inspection of the works last Wednesday (May 15).

Mr Tawee explained that all the power cables have already been installed underground.

“We now just need to finish installing all the communi-

Weapons, drugs haul seized in post-Songkran blitz > p4

Four dead as pickup slams head-on into local tour bus The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

The news was delivered during an inspection last Wednesday (May 15). Photo: PR Dept cations cables underground before switching the system over,” he said.

Works along the 577 metres of Phang Nga Rd is about 60% complete, Mr Tawee explained.

Once this section is comlpete, work will continue on completing the project along the contracted 375m of Rassada Rd, he added.

Under the original contract, the work began on July 25, 2017 and was to be finished

by July 20 last year.

The Phuket News

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

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he 23-year-old driver of a pickup truck who survived a high-speed head-on collision into a tour bus heading from Krabi to Phuket on Monday (May 20) – killing four people in the process – will be charged with reckless driving causing death, police have confirmed.

Lt Col Witthaya Sinjamreu of Phang Nga Muang Police Station told The Phuket News on Tuesday (May 21) that the pickup driver, Sarawut Namsai, who remains in hospital for heavy bruises and contusions sustained in the impact, will be charged.

“I have already questioned him at the hospital. He said he fell asleep behind the wheel while returning from working at a shrimp farm with 11 pas-

Four people died in the high-impact collision. Photo: Courtesy of Wat Khao Chareutham Rescue Foundation sengers,” Col Witthaya said.

The collision occurred at 7:48am, Col Witthaya confirmed. The accident occurred on the main road Route 4311, between Thap Put and Phang Nga Town, in Baan Bangsiad in Moo 4, Tambon Bang Toei,” he said.

Four people died from injuries sustained in the accident, which saw the pickup truck cross the central reservation at

speed, wipe out one motorbike and then slam head-on into the tour bus.

The motorbike driver, Mr Saman Yomdoi, 63, survived, but his passenger Mrs Jeah Yomdoi, 57, was pronounced dead at hospital.

Of the three passengers in the pickup truck who died from their injuries, Nikorn Khaokheak, 42, was pronounced dead at the scene,

while Miss Saijai Butden, 25, and Mr Hem Yanrang, 51, were both pronounced dead later by hospital doctors.

The seven other passengers in the pickup truck were all taken to hospital. The seven were named by police as Miss Somreuthai Khanatpeu, 57; Miss Sudarat Chantharawet, 22; Mr Charat Thampuek, 23; Mr Konkrit Lanah, 26; Mrs Kanya Kasirak, 37; Miss Wanna Karimkan, 39; and Mrs Manuwat Hama, 17.

Col Witthaya was unable to give detailed descriptions of the extent of injuries any of the seven had suffered.

The bus was carrying 13 Chinese tourists and two tour guides, Col Witthaya confirmed.

“None of them, including the driver, suffered any serious injuries in the accident,” Col Witthaya said.

Volunteers called to protect coral reefs from destruction Continued from page 1 ...here and tourists, are affecting the local marine environment,” Mr Chat said.

“We want to show people the impact they are having with corals being broken, bleached and damaged by tourism activities, how sea grass areas are being depleted and marine animals in reef areas are being affected,” he added.

According to the Marine Rangers official website (http:// mr.dmcr.go.th), there are 159 registered volunteers in Phuket and Phang Nga has a healthy 266.

In comparison, Surat Thani

province, home to Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan, has 72.

Woefully, Krabi province, home to Phi Phi Island and Maya Bay, has just 17.

“We still need more people to join us. Right now we have about 400 volunteers in our area who have registered to help protect marine and coastal resources – but we have only about 20 marine officials, that is not enough,” Mr Chat said.

“But with volunteers covering different areas, they can help us by sending pictures, videos and reports. We can speed up our response to any incidents, and we can save

resources and time,” he said.

Registering online through the main Marine Rangers portal, which launched only two weeks ago, is simple, but the website is still in Thailanguage only.

However, Mr Chat pointed out, “An English version is under construction right now.”

“In the meantime, foreigners wanting to register can call the DMCR at 02-14111392 or 02-1411394,” he said.

The push to boost the Marine Ranger network comes as specialists from the Department of Natural Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conserva-

tion (DNP) discovered that some 10% of coral off Nai Yang Beach is dead because of bleaching while 30% more is damaged.

The discovery was made during a joint inspection by the Phuket Marine National Park Operation Center 2 and Sirinath National Park last Thursday (May 16).

“Officers from the Phuket Marine National Park Operation Center 2 and Sirinath National Park checked the condition of coral at the depth of 1.5 to five metres off Nai Yang beach. We found that 10% of Staghorn Coral, Hump

Coral, Cauliflower Coral and Mushroom Coral were killed by bleaching. Some 30% is damaged by bleaching, but still alive,” one of the officers confirmed to The Phuket News.

Still the forecast is optimistic due to changing weather conditions.

“We found that the water temperature in this area has already begun to decrease.

So far it has fallen down to 29ºC from 31ºC on Apr 30,” the officer said.

“We expect the situation to improve. Cloudy sky, rains, strong winds, high waves – all

Some 30% of coral off Nai Yang beach have been damaged by beaching, while 10% are dead. Photo: DNP may help coral to survive,” the officer added.

No specific date for the next inspection was set as it all depends on the weather conditions.

Additional reporting by Waranya Prompinpiras

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FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

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Man, 21, arrested over riot Student accused of role in siege of Thalang Police Station in 2015

Waranya Prompinpiras reporter1@classactmedia.co.th

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21-year-old Phuket man studying in Bangkok has been arrested on an outstanding warrant for a slew of charges for his alleged role in the Thalang Riot four years ago.

During the riot, which lasted through the night of Oct 11, 2015, hundreds of protesters torched cars and hurled bricks at Thalang Police Station in retaliation for two local teenagers dying in a motorbike chase by police allegedly pursuing the teens to arrest them for drugs.

Several police officers were injured in the melee.

Thalang Police Chief Col Teerawat Liamsuwan confirmed to The Phuket News last Thursday (May 16) that Phuket native Setthawut Tangjit, a first-year engineering student at Southeast Asia University in Bangkok, was arrested by Crime Suppression Division, with Thalang Police officers present, in the capital last Wednesday.

“Thalang Police officers travelled to Bangkok to take into custody Setthawut Tangjit, 21 years old. He

Setthawut Tangjit, 21, posted B500,000 bail at Thalang Police Station last Thursday (May 16) for his alleged role in the Thalang Riot.

Mr Setthawut was a juvenile at the time. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub was taken to the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok yesterday afternoon (May 15),” Col Teerawat said.

“The charges against him will be investigated fully. I will not hold a press conference because the warrant of arrest issued by the Phuket Provincial Court has been in effect since 2015,” he added.

Under ar rest war rant No. 844/2558 issued by the Phuket Provincial Court on Nov 18, 2015, Mr Setthawut stands accused of: • Uniting with 10 or more people to engage in violence and threatening

to use violence; • Taking action that causes chaos in the country; • Burning of public property and chattels; • Uniting with others to cause property damage; • Uniting with others to assault officials who are acting in accordance with their duties; • Uniting with others to invade government buildings; and • Uniting with others to obstruct traffic on a public road.

Col Teerawat confirmed that he

was aware that Mr Setthawut has denied the charges and told police in Bangkok that he was not even in Phuket at the time of the riot.

Instead, Mr Setthawut said he was on holiday in Nakhon Sri Thammarat at the time.

“Mr Setthawut has the right to deny or confess to the charges, but he must say that in court,” Col Teerwat said.

However, Col Teerawat did not confirm whether or not Mr Setthawut would be charged as a juvenile, as he was still a teenager at the time of his alleged role in the riot.

Meanwhile, the search continues for 10 other suspects wanted for their roles in the Thalang Riot, Col Teerawat added.

“Mr Setthawut is 74th of 84 suspects in total wanted for their involvement in the riot,” Col Teerawat explained.

Mr Setthawut was brought to Phuket to have the charges read to him at Thalang Police Station, where the riot took place on Oct 11, 2015.

“He arrived at 5:30pm yesterday (May 16),” confirmed Maj Kraisorn Bunprasop of Thalang Police.

“He acknowledged the charges

named in the arrest warrant, and he posted bail by submitting a Chanote land title deed as surety,” he added.

Maj Kraisorn confirmed that Mr Setthawut was released by police after posting B500,000 bail.

“Next, Mr Setthawut will be questioned by investigators,” Maj Kraisorn said.

Half a dozen police officers were treated for injuries and a total of 21 vehicles were vandalised in the riots, which resulted in an estimated B6.7 million in damage to government property alone.

The four police officers involved in the botched drugs arrest that resulted in the deaths of Pathomwat Panarak, 22, and Thanaporn Kantakien, 17 – and consequently sparked the riot – remained on active duty.

The four officers – Lt Suchart Luecha, Snr Sgt Maj Prasai Phuengphol, L/Cpl Kanthaphol Khongnukate and L/Cpl Phanuwit Kaewsang – were quickly transferred from Thalang Police Station and the deaths of Mr Pathomwat and Mr Thanaporn were promptly ruled as an accident.

Additional reporting by Eakkapop Thongtub

Fake cop robs woman at gunpoint Elephant rides in the sea given all clear PHUKET CITY POLICE ARE HUNTING a man who claimed to be a policeman and threatened a woman with a handgun in Koh Kaew last Saturday evening (May 18) to rob her of cash and valuables.

Capt Viphawan Watthanangngernthananong of the Phuket City Police confirmed on Tuesday that the search for the man was continuing. “Investigators are following up to find this suspect,” she said.

Capt Viphawan explained that police were notified of the robbery at 5pm.

The victim, 40-year-old Ponsawan Konklong, told police that she was hanging out her clothes in front of her room after having a shower when a man approached her.

The man was wearing a black full-face helmet with its mirrored visor down, preventing her from seeing his face.

The man said that he was a policeman and that he was to search the woman’s room for drugs, Capt Viphawan explained.

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Police at the scene on Saturday.

He then pulled out a handgun and threatened the woman to hand over her cash and valuables.

“He stole B2,000 cash and a gold necklace worth about B5,300. He was seen fleeing on a black Honda motorbike,” Capt Viphawan said.

“He did not harm the woman,” she added.

The man was described as tall and overweight. He spoke Thai and was wearing a yellow jacket and black long pants at the time of the robbery.

Eakkapop Thongtub

A N E L E PH A N T R I DE operation at Tri Trang Beach, south of Patong, has been given the all clear to continue despite an outpouring of comments online calling for officials to investigate amid concerns that the elephants were destroying corals near the beach by treading on them.

Officials from the Phuket office of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) inspected the operation last Wednesday (May 15), confirmed Phuket DMCR Chief Watcharin Thintalang.

“Officers checked and found that the elephants were not damaging the corals there as the reef is about 40 metres from where elephants walk in

DMCR officials inspected the elephant ride operation last Wednesday (May 15).

Photo: DMCR the sea,” he said.

“South West Andaman Holiday elephant camp is the owner of all the elephants there. They have seven elephants. Tourists have their photos taken with them and join them while the elephants go swimming (sic),” he said.

“The administrator of the

elephant camp presented to officers all the [registration and ownership] documents for the elephants, and explained to the officers that elephants would not walk on corals as that would injure their own feet,” he added.

“The officers recorded the exact location of the reef at Tri Trang Beach and will go back to check the corals there two to three times a month,” Mr Watcharin said.

“The officers did warn the camp administrator to be careful and not let elephants wander onto the corals. If the elephants destroy any corals, the camp will be guilty of breaking the law,” he added.

Waranya Prompinpiras

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PHUKET NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM PHUKET SEVEN DAY WEATHER FORECAST

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British stab victim, girlfriend disappear amid police probe The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

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olice have yet to make any progress in arresting a foreign man for stabbing a British national in Phuket earlier this month – with the victim and his girlfriend both not answering police calls or assisting the police in any other way, The Phuket News has been told.

Neil Goodwin, a 35-year-old expat resident of Rawai, was stabbed in the car park at the WeCafe restaurant on Chao Fa West Rd on the evening of May 1 after arriving at the venue with his girlfriend, Sudarat Harnma.

Mr Goodwin was rushed to hospital before police arrived. He had been stabbed twice: once in the left shoulder and once in the left side of the body.

Ms Sudarat accompanied him to hospital, where the pair were questioned by Capt Chatree Chuvichian of the Wichit Police.

At last report Wichit Police Chief Col Nikorn Somsuk on May 3 said, “He remains at the hospital until doctors

British national Neil Goodwin spoke to police at the hospital, but then disappeared, said Wichit Police Chief Col Nikorn. Photo: Chalong Municipality decide he is ready to be discharged.”

However, that was the last time police heard from Mr Goodwin or Ms Sudarat, Col Nikorn told The Phuket News last Thursday (May 16).

“We have a problem. The British victim has not answered any calls by police for the past 15 days,” Col Nikorn said.

“He and his girlfriend are still avoiding police contact since they

spoke with police at the hospital, as if they don’t want to talk to investigators,” he added.

“It is our job to find the man who hurt Mr Goodwin, but we need better information,” Col Nikorn said.

Due to the nature of the crime, police must investigate the incident and do their best to bring the attacker to justice, Col Nikorn added.

Col Nikorn confirmed that police

have a description of the suspect and even have CCTV footage of the suspect from the venue.

“But the footage is not clear. We are unable to determine anything about the suspect’s features from the images,” he said.

He added that Wichit Police do know the man’s name and nationality, though he declined to reveal that information publicly.

Also, despite having that information, Col Nikorn confirmed that his officers have not requested any assistance from Phuket Immigration about locating Mr Goodwin.

“We have not. We are doing our own investigation,” he said.

“My team is checking whether Mr Goodwin has a criminal record in Thailand because his behaviour is weird,” Col Nikorn said.

“He was stabbed but he does not explain more information to us,” he added.

Col Nikorn declined to reveal any other information about the case, but assured his officers were continuing their investigation.

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Slow loris tout arrested in Karon LOCAL WILDLIFE OFFICERS ACcompanied by police attached to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) arrested a slow loris tout near Suwan Khirikhet Temple in Karon on Tuesday night (May 21).

Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area Conservation Centre Chief Piyawat Sukon told The Phuket News that the arrest took place at 9pm.

Officers from Khao Phra Thaew NonHunting Area Conservation Centre together with police officers attached to the Region 5 office of the Division of Crime Suppression of Natural Resources and Environment made the arrest.

Also present were officers from the Phuket office of the Royal Forest Department, he added.

“The officers arrested Nares Sang-agart, 32, after he was found carrying a slow loris, about one year six months old,” Chief Piyawat said.

“Officers were checking along Patak Rd when they saw Mr Nares holding a slow loris while standing in front of the temple. The officers checked and found that Mr Nares has no permit to possess a protected wildlife animal,” he added.

Mr Nares told the officers that he had the slow loris so that he could charge tourists B50 to B100 to have their photo taken with

The slow loris, a protected wildlife animal in Thailand, was just 18 months old.

Photo: Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area Conservation Centre it, Mr Piyawat said.

“But he said that he did not know that the slow loris was protected wildlife,” he added.

“Officers charged Mr Nares with possession of protected wildlife without permission in accordance with the Wildlife Protection and Protection Act 1992.

Mr Nares confessed to the charge,” Chief Piyawat confirmed.

“Mr Nares was taken to Karon Police Station to be formally processed,” he said.

“The slow loris has been brought back to the Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area Conservation Centre, where it will be cared for,” he added.

Mr Piyawat also pointed out, “Mr Nares was arrested for doing the same thing at Bang Tao Beach last year.”

The Phuket News

Police seize haul of weapons, drugs in post-Songkran blitz

POLICE REGION 8 THIS week put on display 193 firearms as well as more than 310,000 meth pills and more than 2.3kg of crystal meth, all seized in a post-Songkran anti-crime blitz from April 20-30 and May 11-19.

All evidence was presented to the press at the Region 8 Police headquarters in Mai Khao, in northern Phuket, on Monday (May 20).

Region 8 Police Commander Lt Gen Pongwut Pongsri explained that the weapons and drugs were seized in raids throughout the seven Southern Thai provinces that Region 8 Police are responsible for: Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, Ranong, Chumphon, Surat Thani and Nakhon Sri Thammarat.

“We focused on major crime cases involving weapons, drugs, gambling, prostitution, human trafficking and previously issued arrest warrants,” Gen Pongwut said.

In total, police arrested 217 suspects involved in 212 cases of illegal firearms, with

Region 8 Police Commander Lt Gen Pongwut Pongsri inspects a weapon seized in raids throughout Southern Thailand.

193 firearms seized including 34 shotguns, 53 homemade pistols, 89 handguns and 17 air guns.

Other items seized which were on display at the press conference included 310,964 methamphetamine pills (ya bah), over two kilos of crystal meth (ya ice), and 681kg of marijuana.

In addition, during the campaign 136 fugitives were apprehended on previously issued arrest warrants, as well as 126 gambling cases, 40 immigrant cases and 248 other cases.

Eakkapop Thongtub thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

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Cultural festival underway

Week of traditional performances to honour Royal Coronation The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

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week of traditional music and dance performances are being held nationwide to honour the Royal Coronation of His Majesty The King. The performances in Phuket are being held at Phuket Provincial Hall each night for the seven days, which began on Wednesday (May 22) and continue through next Tuesday (May 28).

During the week, thousands of artists and performers throughout the Kingdom will take part in a series of traditional performances – some of which can be traced back centuries to the Ayutthaya era.

“Rarely seen performances such as the khon masked dance, shadow puppet and folk dances will all be featured in the Mahorasop Sompoch celebratory entertainment,” said Culture Minister Vira Rojpojanarat this week.

Thailand has a tradition of arranging entertainment and art and theatrical performances after a king’s coronation ceremony, Mr Vira said.

In order to preserve Thai culture, the government has assigned the Culture Ministry to organise performances to celebrate the coronation of the new King throughout the Kingdom.

A dancer performs the traditional Southern Thai dance, Manora.

Photo: Rajabhat University Nakhon Ratchasima / file The performances will be broadcast live on the Thai TV Global Network for viewers in 170 countries.

All people are welcome to attend the performances, including those in Phuket. Attendees are asked to arrive in time to take their seats before each performance, to dress politely and to wear a yellow shirt to honour the occasion.

The week-long cultural festival in Phuket started at 5pm Wednesday with the opening ceremony, followed

by Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana leading a ceremony

to pay tribute to His Majesty The King. The tribute ceremony was held simultaneously by provincial governors around the country, at the same time that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha performed the ceremony in Bangkok, televised live by MCOT and NBT. The ceremony was followed by singing of the Thai Royal Anthem Sansoen Phra Barami and the song Sadudee Jom Racha, which was approved by Cabinet last year as fitting to be performed at events to pay tribute to His Majesty. During

Racha Noi sunken ‘treasure’ believed to be cannon, chest OFFICIALS THIS WEEK were hoping to raise an artefact believed to be an old cannon as well as what seems to be an old chest buried in the sand from the seabed off Koh Racha Noi, south of Phuket.

T he f i nd i ng of t he objects was reported by Worapong Yothasut, captain of the dive tour boat Sea-Asta, Rawai Mayor Aroon explained to The Phuket News on Wednesday (May 22).

Mayor Aroon added that Capt Worapong said that he reported the objects being found last year, but obviously no action had been taken to recover them.

“This time he reported the objects direct to me,” Mayor Aroon said.

Capt Worapong confirmed that the objects remained at the same location during a dive tour to Racha Noi last Saturday (May 18), Mayor Aroon added.

Rawai Municipality Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Preecha Jen@thephuketnews

The objects were found during a dive tour off Koh Racha Noi, south of Phuket.

Photo: via Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos narong, Mayor Aroon and other officials inspected the site on Monday.

“Our team found that one object looks like an old cannon, measuring 1.3 metres in length. Beside the cannon is also what seems to be a chest, covered with moss and corals, buried in the sand,” Mayor Aroon explained.

“We have coordinated with Royal Thai Navy and the Phuket office of the Ministry of Culture, as well as specialist officers, to have the artefacts recovered from

the seabed today (May 22),” Mayor Aroon said.

“The objects will be handed over to the appropriate officials. They might even be reserved as national treasure,” he said.

Eakkapop Thongtub

the song, 700 women from Phuket performed a special dance.

Live performances on Wednesday saw students from Phuket Rajabhat University (PRU) perform a variety of music and dance features, including To Be Number One numbers and songs written by King Bhumibol.

On Thursday evening, students from PRU and from schools under the Phuket City Municipality performed traditional Thai music and contemporary music. The evening also included a performance of the Southern Thai traditional Manora dance and a performance of the traditional Rong Ngeng sea gypsy folk dance by the Rong Ngeng Pornsawan Koh Siray Phuket.

The festivities will continue through next Tuesday (May 28), as follows: Friday, May 24 6pm-9pm. Students from PRU and schools under the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor) will perform traditional Thai music and contemporary music, and a variety of shows and dances.

Saturday, May 25 Students from Satree Phuket School will perform as follows: 6pm. Singing of the Thai Royal Anthem, followed by a variety of

other songs and music.

7pm. Singing of the Thai Royal Anthem, followed by a variety of classical Thai dance performances.

8pm. Singing of the Thai Royal Anthem, followed by a variety of contemporary dance performances.

Sunday, May 26 6-9pm. Students from Phuket Wittayalai School will sing the Thai Royal Anthem, after which they will perform a combination of traditional Thai music and dance shows, along with their own contemporary dance performances.

Monday, May 27 6-9pm. Students from Srinagarindra The Princess Mother School Phuket, Kathu Wittaya School and Cherngtalay Wittayakom will perform a variety of classical Thai music and dance shows, as well as some contemporary numbers.

Tuesday, May 28 Students from Anuban Phuket School and Baan Samkong Municipal School will perform: 6pm-9pm. Singing of the Thai Royal Anthem, followed by live music to honour His Majesty The King, a culture show and a variety of modern dance performances joined by a variety of Thai celebrity singers, including Thai country music (luk thoong) star Christina.

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t has been a long time coming, but we’re finally heading in the right direction. Maya Bay has been closed since last year to allow the marine ecosystem there to recover from heavy damage caused by tourists ploughing through the bay year after year.

The main marine parks in the area, such as those at the Similan and Surin islands, are now closed for their annual recovery during the tourism low season, coinciding with the arrival of the southwest monsoon, which makes sea conditions dangerous anyway, and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) is calling for volunteer “coral guardians” to keep watch over other popular coral reefs.

The corals within easy reach of Phuket have taken a battering over the years. The DMCR only two years ago estimated that overtourism

EDITORIAL

Diving in

had killed 75% of the corals around Koh Hei – literally “Coral Island” in Thai. That incredible amount of damage was done in just 10 years.

But now it appears that the tide is turning. The understanding that tourists will no longer come if there is nothing to see is finally sinking in.

Another huge turning point is the move by officials to include foreign expertise in helping to save corals in the region. Many Phuket dive operators for decades have helped lead the fight to preserve the stunning beauty that lies beneath our waters.

Of course there have been some Thai groups that have also led the charge – Go-Eco Phuket deserve special mention – but in the early days, the number of foreigners in Phuket’s dive industry publicly reporting those fouling the seas and destroying our corals easily outnumbered

TOP 10 STORIES ON thephuketnews.com the dwindling number of Thais who even wanted to work in the dive industry. That, too, has changed.

We look forward to the DMCR receiving bountiful support for the “coral guardians” project. That said, we also offer a word of caution for an agency that has at times been overzealous in its efforts to protect the corals.

To this we call for full transparency in all complaints levied against individuals and companies that will soon stand accused of breaking coralprotection laws, and for the right of those accused to defend themselves to be upheld.

But all this needs to be public and in the open. We can no longer have such matters privately resolved behind the tinted windows of some local government office. Those days must also sink beneath the waves.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

New Zealand man found hanged at Patong hotel Phuket Opinion: Recalibrating the retirement visa Phuket warned of a week of heavy storms Baby Jumbo is dead US Embassy issues advisory on medical care for tourists, long-stay expats Mandatory health insurance for retirement visas to start July Maya Bay gets makeover British man stabbed, girlfriend disappear as police hunt for suspect stalls Phuket man, 21, arrested in Bangkok over Thalang Riot Phuket elephant rides in the sea given all clear

Visit thephuketnews.com for all the latest news

HAVE YOUR SAY Save the elephant

Re: Baby Jumbo is dead Every time international pressure comes down on this house of horrors, the animal ends up dead (big coincidence) and people move on. Everyone responsible for this place existing deserves nothing less than the treatment of their animals.

That includes the corrupt officials who allow it to happen.

David Pritchard Tragic and absolutely disgraceful. When will people learn that this is the consequence of supporting these barbaric places? Choose ethical tourism.

Pauline O’Driscoll Thailand, treat your national symbol as it deserves to be treated!

Dani Brown Re: Phuket elephant rides in the sea given all clear The problem is not only the riding, it is the way baby elephants [have their spirits] broken, are kept in poor conditions and hit with sharp hooks for the rest of their miserable lives. Anyone who has learnt about this process cannot surely

enjoy a ride on an elephant.

Stephanie Costa Apart from all the other reasons for not riding them, Asian elephants’ spines especially are often humped, so not shaped to support the weight of people (even children on younger elephants) and doing so all day can lead to permanent spinal injuries.

Barry Parsons

The price of health

Re: Commerce Ministry warns of extortionate hospital prices Note that it is not strictly necessary to go to private hospitals in Thailand. I’ve gone to a private hospital or two, but I’ve also visited several government hospitals. The emergency room and walk-in outpatient care I’ve received has been quite good and extremely inexpensive, including the purchase of the drugs they prescribe. It’s an option, and not a bad one.

Ken Chiang Mai We found this out recently at the Phuket International Hospital when they tried to get us to cough up B250,000

before operating on my son.

We found out the surgeon was based out of the Vachira Government Hospital so moved him there. The surgeon did a brilliant job of removing the bone from my son’s brain and closing the wound.

Mark Cameron Problem is how do you know if you’re being overcharged for medical services and medication? Is there some sort of fee listed so we can check up? I think not...

Gary Smith

A rubbish holiday

Last month I spent two weeks in Thailand. I had the opportunity to visit the gorgeous Freedom Beach on the island of Phuket. However, the beach and the forest in its immediate background are heavily littered with plastic trash. I started cleaning it myself, but the amount of trash in different locations was overwhelming.

So I took photos and I sent them to three different institutions in Thailand, but so far I haven’t received any answer.

The pollution on Freedom Beach is a grave danger for marine life in the Andaman

Sea as the plastic can easily end up in the sea during the rainy season.

Janko Bekić, Croatia

Setting examples

Re: Four dead as pickup truck slams into tour bus heading to Phuket “The 23-year-old driver of a pickup truck...will be charged with reckless driving causing death”. And nothing will happen to him, he’ll confess, then go about his life. That is part of the problem; people know there are only minimal consequences. This guy should get no less than 15 years for every life he took, and five additional years for each person injured.

Send a message.

BenPendejo Re: Senior monks jailed for fraud Six years? Hardly seems appropriate for someone who is in a position of trust and respect within the community.

This is happening too often.

The authorities need to make examples of these men.

Pete Rum

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FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

THAILAND NEWS

March of 1,000 people for medical marijuana

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PHICHIT

Sitthipoj Kebui

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bout 1,000 people started a long walk from Phichit province to Suphan Buri province last Tuesday (May 21) to raise funds for research and development into medical applications for marijuana – and to call for the general public’s right to grow the plant as a medical herb.

Daycha Siripatra, a researcher on using marijuana oil for medical treatment, led the marchers – including representatives of health and alternative medicine organisations – as they set off on their 256-kilometre-long Cannabis Walk Thailand from Wat Pah Vachirabhotiyan in tambon Thai Nam of Phichit’s Pho Thale district on Tuesday morning. The 20-day walk is set to finish at Wat Bang Pla Mor in Muang district of Suphan Buri on June 9.

The first day of the walk covered 13 kilometres and ended at Wat Mai Mongkol Thung Krathang in Bung Na

@thephuketnews

Visitors look at photos of the coronation of HM The King at an exhibition honouring the monarch at Siam Paragon in Bangkok on May 14 this year. Photo: Apichart Jinakul

May 4 approved as new public holiday BANGKOK Marchers begin the Cannabis Walk Thailand in Phichit province on Tuesday (May 22).

Photo: Sitthipoj Kebui Rang district of Phichit.

Apart from raising funds to develop the production of marijuana extract for medical treatment, the march is aimed at raising public awareness of the medical benefits of marijuana. The marchers called on the state to allow ordinary people to grow marijuana as a medical herb, instead of limiting that right to a few organisations.

Public discussions led by people knowledgeable about the medical use of marijuana are planned along the route.

Mr Daycha founded the Khaokwan Foundation, the organisation that became famous for giving free marijuana oil to cancer patients – and for the legal charges levelled by the Narcotics Control Board. Wat Wat Bang Pla Mor and Wat Pah Vachi-

rabhotiyan, where the march began on Tuesday, were Mr Daycha’s primary distribution centres.

Among the marchers on Tuesday were Arthit Ourairat, president of Rangsit University, Adm Charnchai Charoensuwan, president of the Thai Traditional Medical Council, and Rosana Tositrakul, director of the Thai Holistic Health Foundation. Bangkok Post

THE CABINET HAS APproved the designation of May 4 as Coronation Day and a public holiday.

In addition to the 16 official holidays during the reign of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, three more holidays were added.

The 19 holidays are: • New Year’s Day (Jan 1) • Makha Bucha Day (full moon in February) • Chakri Memorial Day (April 6) • Songkran (April 13-15) • Coronation Day (May 4) • Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day (May, to be specified)

• Visakha Bucha Day (full moon in May) • Queen’s Birthday (June 3) • Asaha Bucha Day (full moon in July) • Beginning of Lent Day (first waning moon in July) • King’s Birthday (July 28) • Queen Mother’s Birthday and National Mother’s Day (Aug 12) • King Bhumibol Memorial Day (Oct 13) • King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day (Oct 23) • King Bhumibol’s Birthday Anniversary, National Day and National Father’s Day (Dec 5) Constitution Day (Dec 10) • New Year’s Eve (Dec 31).

Bangkok Post

THAILAND NEWS

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THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

Officials prepare the auditorium at TOT Plc for the first sessions of the Senate and House of Representatives on Friday (May 24) and Saturday (May 25). Photo: Patipat Janthong

Gen Prayut says positives can be found in a multi-party government as each coalition party can implement their election pledges. Photo: AFP

PPRP eyes coalition allies BANGKOK

Bangkok Post

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he pro-regime Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) is stepping up its efforts to win over the Bhumjaithai and Democrat parties to ensure a PPRP-led coalition government materialises.

The PPRP has already sent its leader and secretary-general to court the two parties, viewed as the pivotal players, to back its efforts to form a coalition government.

The combined number of 103 MPs – 52 from the Democrat Party and 51 from the Bhumjaithai Party – can tip the scales of power in favour of the PPRP-led alliance.

However, the Democrat Party has not yet committed itself to supporting the PPRP-led alliance.

PPRP spokesman Kobsak Pootra-

kool said on Tuesday (May 21) that the party executive board has assigned PPRP leader Uttama Savanayana and party secretary-general Sontirat Sontijirawong to negotiate with other parties that are potential PPRP allies in joining a coalition government.

“Negotiations are under way. A conclusion will be reached soon.

There will be good news,” Mr Kobsak said.

Asked about the stance of the Democrat and Bhumjaithai parties which have not yet committed their support to the PPRP, Mr Kobsak said the PPRP is waiting for the decisions of the two parties and is ready to negotiate with them.

Asked if the two parties are pressuring the PPRP, Mr Kobsak said parties are trying to negotiate for what is best for them, especially when it comes to making a deal to

join the PPRP-led alliance.

Their Majesties the King and Queen will preside over the opening of parliament at the Vithes Samosorn Hall at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today (May 24).

After parliament has officially convened, the Senate will hold a meeting to choose the Senate speaker and deputies while the House of Representatives will select the House speaker and deputies the following day at the TOT Plc Co auditorium on Chaeng Watthana Rd. Under Section 121 of the Constitution, parliament must convene its first meeting within 15 days of at least 95% of the poll results being announced. The EC endorsed 498 out of a total of 500 MPs on May 8.

When the House and Senate speakers are royally endorsed, the House speaker, who serves as parliament president, will decide when a

joint sitting of MPs and senators will be held to choose the prime minister.

Speaking after a meeting of Democrat Party MPs, party spokesman Ramet Rattanachaweng said the meeting concluded that the party’s executive board will seek information this week on other parties’ stances on the formation of a coalition government.

He said the party will also hold a joint meeting of MPs and executives tomorrow to decide on whether to join any political alliance.

Chuan Leekpai, chief of the Democrat Party’s advisory panel, said there were reports of outsiders trying to interfere in the party’s affairs by using money to buy Democrat members.

“We have to f ind ways to prevent any outside interference f rom inf luencing the par t y’s decision on whether to join a gov-

ernment,” Mr Chuan said.

Commenting on political parties’ moves to form a coalition government, Gen Prayut said on Tuesday that it should be left to the parities to discuss the issue and that he did not want anything to do with it.

“Parties are still holding talks.

Don’t get me involved in it,” the prime minister said.

However, he said that if there is too long a delay in the formation of a government, this will likely have an adverse impact on foreign investors’ confidence.

When asked about a coalition government formed under the PPRP, which could comprise up to 20 parties, including small ones which were given one party-list seat each, Gen Prayut said that positives can be found in such a multi-party government as each coalition party can implement their election pledges.

Commerce Ministry warns of extortionate hospital prices BANGKOK THE COMMERCE MINistry is once again warning private hospitals of severe legal

repercussions for overcharging patients, after several probes found that many medical facilities often mark up the prices of their medicines by as much as 900%.

The source said complaints have been received via the 1569 hotline alerting the ministry to the problem.

One caller claimed to have been charged B30,000

to be treated for diarrhoea at a private hospital.

“Other complaints mostly concern overpriced medicines,” the source said.

In response, the ministry set up a fact-finding team to review the costs of medical services and medicines at private hospitals and to determine if they are fair and reasonable.

The source said that in the case where the patient received a B30,000 bill for a diarrhoea diagnosis, the fact-f inding team found that the hospital in question added hidden charges to the patient’s final bill, and was found guilty of “over-treating” the patient.

The source said hospital administration officers found guilty of profiteering by marking up the prices of medical services and/or treat-

Patients overcharged by private hospitals submit a petition with 33,000 signatures calling for a new body to control the prices of medical treatment. Photo: Bangkok Post ments could face jail terms of up to seven years and/or a maximum fine of B140,000 under the Prices of Goods and Services Act. The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) is also planning to invite 70 private hospitals to explain the reasons why prices of medicines

sold at hospital dispensaries could be up to 900% more expensive compared to their recommended retail prices.

Once the prices have been compiled and adjusted, the DIT will publish the prices on its website for public reference.

Bangkok Post thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

BUSINESS NEWS

9

Expat health insurance

Phuket-based broker offers alternative amid visa conundrum INSURANCE

pointing out that one insurance company would only offer coverage at B148,000 each for himself and his wife – for just one year.

“That was four years ago, when I was 80, and so far for nothing. Why would we spend this on just one year when we can put this much money aside each year so it is there when we need it?” he asked.

BIB Managing Director Eric Dohlon.

Chris Husted execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

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s the debacle over mandator y health insurance for expats staying in Thailand on NonImmigrant O-A “retirement” visas continues to unfold, Bangkok Insurance Brokers Co Ltd (BIB) Managing Director Eric Dohlon, based in Phuket, is continuing his push for healthcare policy coverage for all retirees in Thailand – and he is making good progress.

Dr Natthawut Prasertsiripong, Chief of the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Health Service Support, announced on May 8 that the Cabinet had approved the new requirement on April 2.

“Cabinet approved an extra health insurance requirement for foreigners applying for one-year Non-Immigrant O-A visas,” Dr Natthawut said.

The new requirement applies to all foreigners aged 50 or older, he added.

“The insurance policy must provide up to B40,000 coverage for outpatient treatment and up to B400,000 for inpatient treatment during their stay in the Kingdom of Thailand,” Dr Nutthawut said.

As of last Thursday (May 16), The Nation reported that the new requirement was to come into effect on July 1.

T hat repor t followed Phuket Immigration Chief Col Kathathorn Kumthieng confirming to The Phuket News on May 14 that he has yet to receive an order for his office to start applying the new requirement.

BIB cooperates with 18 Thai-registered insurance companies, Mr Dohlon explained.

“We will initially choose one insurance company to issue the group policy. When there is sufficient volume of members, more companies will be asked to join,” he said.

Mr Dohlon told The Phuket News last Friday (May 17) that he now has one company ready and more than 2,000 signatures from potential applicants to support the policy, which aims to overcome one of the biggest obstacles older people face when seeking health insurance: pre-existing conditions.

“Pre-existing conditions are normal for people reaching retirement years,” Mr Dohlon said. “Somewhere along the way most older people have suffered one medical condition @thephuketnews

or another, and this is taken into account when insurance companies calculate their premiums.”

For people in advanced years, blood pressure conditions were among the most common, he pointed out.

The risk of not declaring pre-existing conditions can be critical, Mr Dohlon noted. “It does not have to be related in order for the insurance provider to void the policy, and this can happen at the most inopportune time,” he said.

A retiree being taken to hospital for injuries sustained in a motorbike accident might see their policy coverage cancelled literally while they are at the hospital awaiting medical care, all because the retiree did not declare something as simple as high blood pressure in their policy application, Mr Dohlon explained by example.

Mr Dohlon pointed out that the seven companies offering policies – vetted and approved by the Office of the Insurance Commission to support the new health-insurance requirement – all require applicants to declare their pre-existing medical conditions in order for coverage to be approved.

The policies are being offered through a special website set up at longstay.tgia.org.

Since the announcement, the race to provide health insurance coverage to expat retirees is on, Mr Dohlon noted. “There are at least 10 other companies waiting for their policies to be approved so they can be added to the website,” he said.

STEP BY STEP Mr Dohlon is taking a step-bystep approach to the problem.

“This is the only way this can be solved,” he said.

“First, I need to get a quote from an insurance company.

Thai Health Insurance Co Ltd has offered me the best conditions so far. They are offering me a discounted premium, based on the total number of group members,” he explained, noting that the larger the group, the higher the premium savings.

“Second, I have to collect at least 100 applications, then I will have my group policy started, and then I can add people in ones, twos and threes – but I need the first 100 to start the policy,” Mr Dohlon explained.

“Over 2,000 persons have submitted their names confirming an interest in joining this group policy. After the total number of group members reach 500 persons, we can negotiate more favourable conditions for the group members, including covering certain medical conditions that will normally be excluded from cover,” Mr Dohlon said.

“Then high blood pressure will be covered, diabetes will be covered, and so on,” he added.

The need for policies to include pre-existing conditions is vital, concurs Swedish retiree Bo Jonsson, who lives in Phuket.

Mr Jonsson is already at the forefront of the push for the Swedish government to provide at least state-subsidised healthcare insurance for expat retirees in Thailand to the same level of coverage that the retirees are entitled to in Sweden and while living anywhere in Europe. As such, Mr Jonsson serves as Chair of the

Thailand Federation of Swedish Associations, known simply as “SAMS”, the acronym for its name in Swedish.

Health insurance premiums skyrocket for elderly people seeking, and pre-existing conditions is the most important factor, Mr Jonsson said plainly,

CREDIT CARDS To this, Mr Dohlon offered another potential solution: credit cards.

“Banks love credit cards, and I will be approaching several major banks to ask if they are interested in creating specific types of credit cards to help solve this problem,” he said.

“Under the new credit cards, people will be able to deposit B440,000 in a fixed account with a credit card linked specifically to that account, valid for use only at hospitals,” he explained.

“That way your money will be sitting in a fixeddeposit account, earning the

best money it can while in Thailand, and you will be covered. Now doesn’t that make sense?

“And that’s just one solution. There are other alternatives,” he added.

Regarding future expansion of the proposed health policy itself, Mr Dohlon pointed out that once the policy was created, it could be further expanded to cover people in higher age brackets.

“When the group membership grows, we can negotiate to increase age limits. Both increasing the age limit on application and renewals,” he added.

“An important feature of all Thai Health Insurance policies is that they are valid worldwide and not just in Thailand. Even the cheapest health insurance policy sold in Thailand is valid worldwide.

“Details of the group health policy will be posted on our website ASAP (insurance-inthailand.com) and emails sent to all persons that confirmed their interest in joining the group,” he said.

10 BUSINESS NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

14 years of excellence PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards, industry-leading and most respected property awards programme, bring prestige to the kingdom’s top destinations including Phuket SPONSORED

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hailand’s largest and most prestigious annual event for the real estate sector will once again return to celebrate what the country’s finest developers and leaders can offer.

The kingdom’s real estate industry has become one of the leaders in the Asean region, with its evergreen appeal, and strong condominium, resort and niche segments such as senior living, co-working spaces, and smart home development.

Whilst Bangkok today offers world-class skyscrapers and integrated communities, and major zones like the Eastern Economic Corridor represent the vast opportunities available for small or large business ventures, popular investment and tourist destinations like Phuket has remained on the radar of international tourists, serial investors and property-seekers, largely because of the island’s stock of resort, hotel residences, and increasingly mixed-use retail and lifestyle facilities.

“Even with the advent of ecommerce in our country, it is exciting that there is always high

The PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards have set the industry standard throughout the country. demand for retail space in locations like Greater Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket,” said Mr Prayoth Benyasut, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, who was the guest of honour at last year’s PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards annual gala dinner.

“There is confidence in the built

environment in Thailand that makes entrepreneurs, consumers and business owners choose our country. On behalf of the Thai Ministry of Commerce, I encourage Thai developers to always champion sustainable growth to allow related industries to progress even further,” he added in his keynote address.

This year, developers from

Phuket and key investment hotspots in the country are invited to participate at the 14th Annual PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards, which will be presented on Friday, 9 August 2019 at the Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Bangkok.

Supported by global brands such as platinum sponsor Hitachi

Elevators & Escalators, official airline Thai Airways, and official portal partner DDproperty.com, Thailand’s leading property site, the glittering gala will be presenting more than 45 honours including awards for Best Developer, Best Boutique Developer, special awards include Real Estate Personality of the Year, Special Recognition for Public Facilities, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Design and Construction, Sustainable Development and Building Communities.

Around 600 guests and VIPs are expected to join the gala, which is exclusive for shortlisted developers, sponsors and partners. Led by Suphin Mechuchep, Managing Director of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), the panel of judges of the Thailand Property Awards comprises accredited professionals and experts within the industry. Judging is conducted fairly and with utmost integrity, with the process entirely surpervised by BDO, one of the world’s largest and award-winning networks of accounting and auditing firms.

Nominations are now open for registration until 7 June 2019. Visit www.asiapropertyawards.com for the full list of categories and criteria.

New president takes reins at PREA PROPERTY PHATTANAN PISUTWIMOL HAS BEEN installed as the new President of the Phuket Real Estate Association (PREA).

Mr Phanthanun is the Managing Director of Phuket Goldenville Caps Property Co Ltd, which is the developer of the series of Phuket Goldenville developments across the island. He is also an executive member of the local infrastructure-development consortium Phuket City Development Co Ltd (PKCD).

Mr Phattanan was installed as president at the Phuket Real Estate Association (P-REA) Annual General Meeting 2019, held at the Pearl Hotel in Phuket Town on May 10.

Present to hand over the position was outgoing president Boon Yongsakul, Chairman of Boat Pattana Co Ltd. Mr Boon had served as PREA President for two years, from 2017 through to 2019.

Mr Phattanan, the sole candidate nominated for the presidency, was elected unanimously by the PREA executive committee and members in an election held at the event.

The election was held after the keynote presentation by Prof Lertmongkol Waravenuch on the topic “Deep knowledge of land and buildings tax” for members and the media who attended the conference.

The presidency is a two-year term. As such, Mr Phattanan will now serve as PREA President until May 2021.

Mr Phattanan was nominated by outgoing president Mr Boon, which he said gave him great confidence in taking up the presidency after serving as the association’s General Secretary.

New PREA President Phattanan Pisutwimol (left) receives a congratulatory bouquet from outgoing president Boon Yongsakul.

Photo: PREA “I am proud to present Khun Phattanan.

Members who have been with the association since it was founded in 2009, as well as myself while serving as President over the past two years, have seen that Khun Phattanan is very capable and has a wide network.

“It is time for him to step forward in order to fully utilize his connections and knowledge in his role as President of the Phuket Real Estate Association,” Mr Boon said.

Mr Boon’s sentiment was echoed at the meeting, with the executive committee and fellow members expressing their gratitude and support for Mr Phattanan is his role as president.

“In the coming two years I intend to bring new property developers to develop Phuket province. At the same time, I will push for support for new and existing entrepreneurs to create projects of quality through new knowledge and new methods, to promote the property business for Phuket members and allow entrepreneurs in Phuket to be equivalent to entrepreneurs at the national level,” Mr Phattanan said.

Chutharat Plerin thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

One show, four actors, 30 roles, 39 Steps...

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

13

The Hindu gods in Buddhist Thai culture

15

CORAL VALUES Behind the reef restoration projects at Maya Bay

Moving the propagated corals, keeping them wet at all times. Photo: Juan Leonel Amy Bryant editor1@classactmedia.co.th

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aya Bay has hardly been out of local and even international headlines recently.

Whether it’s conflicting reports of just how long it’s to remain closed, viral videos of schools of blacktip reef sharks returning to the area or op-eds praising Thailand for prioritising corals over cash, it certainly feels like the eyes of the world are on the small bay on Ko Phi Phi Le. The former tourist site in Krabi province covers only 250 by 15 metres but has attracted more than a million tourists a year – over 4,000 tourists each day – since it featured in the 2000 Leonardo DiCaprio Hollywood blockbuster The Beach.

So it came as no surprise when the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) announced that the fragile marine ecological system had been severely damaged by over-tourism and subsequently ordered the closure of the bay from June 1, 2018. The DNP’s recent decision to reopen Maya Bay in mid-2021 follows ecological recovery in the area thanks to their projects supported by the Marine National Parks Operation Centre 3 (Trang Province), Ocean Quest Global, Reef Guardian Thailand and volunteer divers.

The Phuket News spoke to Manuel San Martín, an experienced diver from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who joined Ocean Quest Global three years ago. Manuel, who also runs Pura Vida Diving Koh Phi Phi, kindly took the time out of the group’s latest trip to Maya Bay to explain exactly what’s happening in the area.

What’s the damage?

Before its closure, Maya Bay was a far cry from the secluded idyll that guides and brochures promised; a constant crush of day-tripping tourists covered the @thephuketnews

white sands and speedboats and longtails lined the entire stretch of beachfront. The anchors, propellers, keels and hulls of these boats scraped, dislodged or otherwise damaged the resident reefs.

“Damage of the corals in Maya happened right after the movie was shot. Apparently a dune was built that was later washed by the monsoon rains into the sea, covering and suffocating the corals. After that the anchoring and beaching of the boats did most of the job to kill the reef. Water around the beach is very shallow during low tides causing boats to get stuck on the reef,” Manuel explained.

Coral bleaching and harmful contaminants in sunscreen lotions have played their respective parts too.

Rising water temperatures cause corals to expel the algae living in their tissues, turning them a bleached white. And while the parts per million of the harmful chemicals in sunscreens are not enough to directly kill the corals, they do cause them to become much weaker in recovering from other damage, such as coral bleaching. With an estimated 50% of the bay’s fragile marine invertebrates destroyed, what can be done?

Underwater work At the helm of the Ocean Quest Global effort at Maya Bay is Anuar Abdullah who set up the organisation in his home country of Malaysia in 2010. Anuar and his team use their own scientifically-proven techniques, methodologies and materials to restore coral reefs.

Decidedly against man-made, artificial reefs – which fail to mimic or replicate the role of a natural coral reef in the carbon cycle and as a self-sustaining food and shade source – they believe that coral restoration must be undertaken in an all-natural, non-invasive way. Rebuilding damaged reefs, not creating new reefs where they did not previously exist, is the founding principle of their Coral Propagation Programmes.

Inspired by the model for rainforest restoration, divers and snorkellers collect broken coral fragments

A coral gardener in action. Photo: Juan Leonel – seedlings in the case of forests – bring them to shore in baskets and carefully bond them to rocks using superglue and a patented catalyst developed by Anuar.

Once the rocks are laid on a shallow seabed in a temporary nursery area, the catalyst dissolves in a fortnight or less – leaving no glue or toxins behind – and the corals begin to grow, approximately 10 centimetres in only a few months. At this point, divers can then move the corals on to reefs to form larger, permanent colonies. Coral propagation, or coral gardening, though remarkably simple on the surface, is incredibly effective and has years of research behind it.

Ocean Quest Global’s most recent coral restoration work in Maya Bay, which took place between May 15-20, has drawn particular focus; however, they have been actively involved in the rehabilitation of the area for three years, and indeed in other projects across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.

Continued on P12

12 ENVIRONMENT “We started surveying the bottom of the bay right after it was closed and started the reef rehab work in October. Before Maya we mainly ran small-scale projects to adapt the method to the local conditions and to train the local divers. There’s one ongoing project right by the shore of Phi Phi Don and another in Lam Jom (opposite side of Maya),” Manuel said.

The group’s most recent six-day trip was their final opportunity to move the young coral fragments that have been planted since last October to calm waters to prevent damage during the monsoon season.

“Threatened and damaged fragments of coral were rescued from different areas of Phi Phi Island (mainly

The corals are now sheltered from strong waves. Photo: Juan Leonel

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

dive sites) then fragmented into small 1-2 centimetre pieces then glued on to natural rocks and placed in nurseries in the bay. We build the nurseries in such a way that they should reduce the impact of waves during the monsoon season,” he added.

Ocean Quest Global’s work does not end at coral propagation/gardening. What makes them the world’s largest coral rehabilitation project is also their active engagement with, and eco-education of, local communities in affected areas. Recognising the challenge of equipment and training costs associated with scuba diving, the group are increasingly using freediving to include these communities whose livelihoods depend on the health of the surrounding corals.

Next steps The next two years will no doubt fly by – just as the past 19 have since The Beach hit the big screen – and Ko Phi Phi Le will be open once more. What’s next for Thailand’s most popular beach and those working so hard to protect it?

Plans by the National Parks Office, announced

by Director Songtham Suksawang, include a new mooring spot at Losama Bay – instead of in front of the beach – and a booking system to limit visitor numbers and reduce corruption. Assistant Prof Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a Kasetsart University marine biologist and member of the National Park’s Committee, has also mentioned the development of facilities such as a walking board, a dock for tourist boats, toilets and a residence for officials.

According to Manuel, “The next step is to monitor the progress of the work already done and learn from that for the next years. This is the first time that this or any other coral rehabilitation method has been implemented on such big scale so there’s a lot to learn and implement for the next stages of the project. Results are already positive in many ways so there is a lot of hope for Maya’s reef if things keep going the way they are.

“Ocean Quest has worked in many locations throughout Southeast Asia but none of those compare to what’s going on in Maya. Hopefully this project is the first of many others. Delegates from an NGO in

Anuar thanking those involved. Photo: Juan Leonel Myanmar are already interested in starting a sister project in a bay with similar conditions there.”

The importance of coral reefs cannot be underestimated. Harbourers of more than a quarter of all marine species, allies of local fishing industries, absorbers of wave energy, protectors of coastal erosion and gatekeepers of unimaginable wonder. We truly cannot afford to lose sight of this again.

For more information, visit www.oceanquest.global/ or www.facebook.com/oceanquestglobal/. To see more of the photography featured in this article, visit www. juanleonel.com. Special thanks to Manuel for his help during this important project.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

ART 13

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

The heavies. Photo: Tony Edwards

The chase is on! Photo: Tony Edwards

Monty Python meets Hitchcock

Don’t miss The 39 Steps at Underwood Art Factory on June 1 and 2 THE PLAY’S THE THING! Joel Adams

W

elcome back to The Play’s the Thing! I hope you are enjoying reading these as much as I am enjoying writing them. And this month we have some great news. Next week on June 1 and 2, Theatrix, in cooperation with Shanti Lodge, Underwood Art Factory, HeadStart International School and The Phuket News, is performing The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlow at the Underwood Art Factory at 7pm.

I’ll give ticket information at the end of the article, but first I want to tell you about this delightful show.

While working on this fun and fastpaced show, I began to imagine how it first came about. Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon were having some drinks in an English pub in Brent, a northwest borough of London, with their friend, playwright Patrick Barlow.

They were discussing movies and got to talking about Alfred Hitchcock’s illustrious career.

Simon: If you ask me, Hitchcock’s greatest movie was The 39 Steps.

Nobby: What’re you on about? What about Psycho, North by Northwest, Vertigo?

(A slight slur could be noted in their speech...)

Patrick: I agree in part with Simon.

Hitchcock’s career really took off with 39 Steps. That’s what got him to Hollywood and the rest is cinema… cinematog… cinematic history.

Simon: Yeah, that’s what I mean. See, Nobby, ya Nob? Nobby: All right, all right. Paddy, you’re a play… writer… why don’t you make it a play?

Patrick: Oh, I couldn’t do that. There are so many things you can’t do onstage: chases, trains, bridges, the Scottish highlands, London’s West End. Not to mention oodles of characters.

Nobby: That’s the fun of it. Do it with…

Simon: …four actors!

Patrick: Well, that could be interesting.

How would you… @thephuketnews

Love... no, hate... no, love... no, oh, who knows? Photo: Tony Edwards And so forth. The result was what I have heard called Monty Python meets Alfred Hitchcock.

Tony Edwards, keen member of Theatrix and a quarter of the 39 Steps cast, wrote further: “The 2005 play is a parody on the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. In 2008 the play was nominated for the Tony Award for best new play.

“The concept calls for the entirety of the 1935 adventure film of the same name to be performed with a cast of only four. The film’s serious spy story is played mainly for laughs with a script rife with allusions to (and puns of the titles of) other Alfred Hitchcock films.

“My three partners in crime and I will have the privilege of performing this hilarious play at one of the most beautiful and unique spaces in Phuket.

The Underwood Art Factory is a combination factory/gallery/restaurant/ performance venue. Really, you could just walk around for hours looking at it. It’s located on the bypass road right next door to Ikea.”

Thanks for that, Tony. We’re very excited to be presenting this play, which is fun for all ages, particularly about nine years old and up. From the first moments to the very end, there are comic situations, non-stop action and one surprise after another. We four actors play a total of 30 main characters!

I love plays with small and large casts, but in a place like Phuket where people are often rather transient, it is difficult to assemble a larger cast. We did Romeo and Juliet in 2016 with a cast of 30 and it was not easy to pull off.

So a play like this with lots of characters and few actors was just perfect for us. We’re having the time of our lives.

Theatrix has worked closely with a number of wonderful venues around Phuket, namely HeadStart International School, The Book Cafe, The Green Man, Chalong Bay Distillery, Royal Phuket Marina, Shanti Lodge and more, and I’ve always dreamed of doing something at Underwood ever since I first saw the place. The Underwoods have been great partners, and we think this is going to be our best show to date.

Our vision is that we will continue delivering plays, both small and big, scripted and improv, to the island from our two present bases: Shanti Lodge and Underwood Art Factory. We’d love

I’m keeping my eye on you... Photo: Tony Edwards for you to become part of our growing family of actors and audiences.

There will be two performances: June 1 and 2. Tickets are available for B400 for adults reserved in advance, B500 at the door, B350 for children 12 and under. Reduced prices are also available for groups and schools.

You can buy tickets at Shanti Lodge, Underwood Art Factory and Serenity Resort. Alternatively, to reserve tickets, contact theatrixphuket@gmail.com or call 093-6490066.

We hope you can make it. It’s going to be a fun and funny evening.

Joel Adams is building a vibrant theatre community right here in Phuket. You can contact him using the details above.

Facebook: Theatrix Group

14 EDUCATION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

The school offers a broad curriculum of opportunity where it matters. Photo: BISP

BISP students delivering an enthralling aerial performance. Photo: BISP

Schools fit for purpose?

Neil Richards

W

ell, that all depends upon our definition of education. Acquisition of knowledge is not what it used to be – knowing a lot is no longer necessarily considered the mark of an educated person. After all, knowledge has been democratised; we live in the age of Google, YouTube and experts aplenty who, at the push of a button, are able to answer our most arcane questions and provide us with all the information we could ever hope to require for almost everything in our lives. So

it would be a logical question to ask what, in our schools, has replaced this once-upon-a-time preoccupation with the storage and retrieval of facts – much of which are considered dull and lacking in immediate utility – from the dark recesses of the human brain?

Since the mid-1980s we have gained greater understanding of the functions and structures of the human brain through advances in brain imaging, and the one thing that should have been abundantly clear is that the brain is continually shaped by experience. Not only this, but the most critical periods of brain development are in the first five to seven years of life and then during early adolescence. During both stages, rapid synaptic development and crucial ‘pruning’ of neural connections takes place, and as such these have a profound effect upon later life itself, shaping the values, habits and attitudes that create character. In school terms, this places the Early Years and the Middle School as the most critical periods of development, and arguably where our pedagogical energies should be placed. Yet how far education seems to be from that reality.

In a world where much is made of the fact that jobs are no longer for life, and where greater emphasis seems to be upon creativity, communication, flexibility and the crucial ability to transfer skills as context demands, schools are still wrapped up tight in the inflexible

requirements of university entrance. It is not surprising that parents are anxious – 13 years of formal education is reduced to three or four weeks of intense pressure and memorisation, where a handful of marks can determine destiny and where failure may be tattooed indelibly upon the collective consciousness of entire families.

Little wonder, then, that it is the relentless emphasis upon examination results that bedevil the real educational needs for the 21st century. Regrettably, this will not change for some time to come, but in good schools examination success is a consequence of a good education, and not the purpose.

Schools that deliver a holistic education and provide the right type of educational support where it is needed, and a broad curriculum of opportunity where it matters most, but particularly in the Middle Years, will lay a strong foundation for success later in life.

They will also be happy schools – a condition that should never be underestimated as far as learning is concerned.

Of course, examination success still matters, but it is an education for living that will matter more... …and more.

Neil Richards is the Headmaster at British International School, Phuket. For more information, visit them at www. bisphuket.ac.th

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CULTURE 15

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

Hindu statues, Buddhist temples

How and why Indian gods feature in Thai history and culture SIRINYA’S WORLD Dr Sirinya Pakditawan pakditawan@googlemail.com

These gods often occur as guardians of temples and monasteries. They may also be seen attending the Buddha on important events.

@thephuketnews

Y

ou may certainly have noticed that Hindu gods are very prominent in Thai culture.

Thus, there are often images of these gods in Thai temples and at Thai shrines. In fact, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are the three most important Hindu gods representing the recurring and continual cycles of birth, life, death and rebirth.

This trinity, along with the god Indra, Ganesha and some enlightened divinities and demons, have been converted to the Buddhist doctrine according to Buddhist belief. Hence, these gods often occur as guardians of temples and monasteries. In addition, they may also be seen attending the Buddha on important events in his life.

First there is Brahma (in Thai: Phra Phrom) who is the creator in the Hindu trinity. He is commonly depicted having four heads and the book of Vedas in his hand. His female aspect is the goddess of learning, Sarasvadi, and his mount is the mythical celestial swan called Hong or Hamsa. Brahma is considered a guard of doors and pediments in temples. Furthermore, he is also popular as a protector of Thai hotels. Thus, in Thai culture, he is a deity of good fortune and protection.

In Thai art, Brahma is depicted in attendance to Buddhism, along with Indra, at the crucial events in Buddha’s life. Hence, he is also considered to be converted to Buddhism. By the way, Hindu gods might also be the subject of Thai songs here and there. For instance, Noi (Krissada Sukosol), singer of the band Pru, featured a song called ‘Brahma Brahma’.

Another important god is Vishnu who is the preserver deity of the Hindu triad. In his hand, he often holds a disk and a conch shell. His mount is Garuda, the mythical bird that is half-human and half-eagle and the natural enemy of the Nagas. In other words, Garuda can be seen as the vehicle of Vishnu.

What is more, Vishnu’s avatar is Rama, the hero of the Ramakien tale. In addition, this god is also associated with Thai royalty since the kings of the Chakri dynasty have ‘Rama’ as part of their names.

Similar to Brahma, Vishnu often functions as a (door) temple guardian.

Shiva is the destroyer and regenerator aspect of the Hindu trinity. He usually has a third eye that is

Ganesha Park. Photo: Pixabay

centred vertically on his forehead. Further characteristics are a brahmanical cord across his torso and sometimes a crescent moon which is caught in his tangled hair. Pravati is his consort and his mount is the bull Nandi.

The image of Ganesha (in Thai: Phra Pikanet) is also very prominent in Thai culture. For example, there is the Ganesha Park in Nakhon Nayok which is considered a tribute to the elephant-headed god who is Shiva’s son.

In Thailand, he is commonly seated at temple portals. What is more, he is also the patron of the arts and a protector of business.

Finally, we have the god Indra who is the god of Tavatimsa heaven. Hence, he is also the god of weather and war, wielding a lightning bolt and riding Erawan, the multi-headed elephant.

Indra is a temple guardian of portals and pediments. He is also prominent

in the Vessantara story which is the last life of the Buddha-to-be.

In addition, Indra occurs on mural paintings where he can be identified by his green colour. Along with Brahma, he is kneeling when attending Buddha during particular life events. Thus, it is indicated that the Hindu gods are subservient to Buddhism.

Summing up, we may claim that Hindu gods play a significant role in Thai culture. As a matter of fact, they not only show that Buddhism and Hinduism are intertwined but also represent a subservience of Hinduism to Buddhism.

Sirinya Pakditawan is half-Thai and holds a PhD from Hamburg University.

She enjoys writing about Thai culture.

To read the original story, and many more, be sure to check out Sirinya’s blog: sirinyas-thailand.de

16 ENTERTAINMENT

Image: steamXO / Flickr

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

Photo: MaxPixel.net

Hitting the nostalgia switch Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee suit gamers old and new Chris Brown

S

ome might call this review belated, but it’s taken half a year since these games released back in November 2018 for me to feel finished with my copy of Let’s Go Eevee and put it down long enough to write about it.

The games are an attempt

by Game Freak to appeal to the nostalgia of longstanding Pokémon fans whilst simultaneously convincing players of the mobile game Pokémon Go to

make the jump to the mainline games.

Elements of both are present: these are HD remakes of the legendary 1990s GameBoy games Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue with the wild Pokémon battles of the original games replaced with the Pokéball-throwing catch mechanic of the mobile app. This at first filled me with trepidation as it sounded like the compellingly intricate Pokémon formula of old was going to be dumbed down for more ‘casual’ audiences. While this fear was to some extent realised, Let’s Go turned out to be a deep and re-

warding nostalgia trip regardless.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock since 1999, you’ll have some idea of what Pokémon games entail. The basic premise hasn’t changed: you catch wild Pokémon monsters and train them up to battle other trainers at Pokémon ‘gyms’, eventually earning enough gym badges to challenge the Elite Four trainers and become crowned a Pokémon Master.

The game doesn’t end there – if you enjoy collecting things, you’ll carry on catching Pokémon until you have all 151 different types, despite the voice in your head telling you to grow up and go to an actual real life gym.

Battles haven’t changed much since the ’90s and still use the old-school turnbased format of classic RPGs. Learning which Pokémon are weak against which move types and taking advantage of this in battles is as rewarding as ever. Some early reviews griped that battles were too easy due to the overpowered Pikachu or Eevee companion given to you at the beginning of the game, but I chose not to use my Eevee at all, making battles just challenging enough to keep me engaged until the end.

Where Let’s Go really differs from the classic games is the catch mechanic.

Back in the day, a Pokémon had to be weakened in battle before being caught in a Pokéball. In Let’s Go, no battle occurs; you offer berries to calm the creature before chucking Pokéballs until it’s successfully caught. The mechanic is a carbon copy of the one used in the Pokémon Go mobile app, but instead of swiping a phone touch screen to throw, Let’s Go requires you to make a throwing action picked up by the motion sensor in your Switch controller.

This was a fun novelty on the first few attempts, but quickly became my only major criticism of the game. The direction of your throw just isn’t accurately picked up which makes catching active Pokémon who move around the screen a frustrating chore. Luckily, detaching your Switch from the TV and playing in handheld mode allows you to aim with a control stick and throw with the click of a button, massively increasing your catching ability. Game Freak’s decision to block access to this superior control option when playing through a TV is frankly baffling, and it often forced me to play on the Switch’s small handheld screen when I really wanted the full cinematic experience of the TV.

That isn’t to say that playing in handheld mode is in itself a negative experience – Pokémon was created with portability in mind and they are perfect games for playing in short bursts on flights or bus journeys. Being able to then play on the TV when you get home feels fantastic, and seeing a Pokémon game in glorious 1080p HD on the big screen for the first time is a joy to behold.

The game’s visuals may seem basic and childish at first, but the intensely colourful art style and detailed creature designs give the environments a warm and inviting atmosphere that will charm even the most cold-hearted of gamers.

Let’s Go also excels in its sound design – the soundtrack is phenomenal, and hearing tunes first heard as beeps and boops on a GameBoy two decades ago remade and fully brought to life on a modern sound system is almost too nostalgic to bear.

Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee are for the most part exactly the same game, and your choice will largely be based on which of the titular characters you want to start your journey with. Aside from this Pikachu or Eevee starter choice, the games differ in a handful of Pokémon who are exclusive to each game. This forces you to get social and trade creatures with a friend who has the other version, either by local Bluetooth or over the internet.

You can also battle other real life trainers online, increasing the potential playtime of the game well beyond finishing the main story. Fans of Pokémon Go on mobile will be delighted to hear that they can even send Pokémon from their phone to their Switch via Bluetooth.

In Pokémon Let’s Go, Game Freak has succeeded in delivering a game which appeals to hardcore fans whilst becoming more accessible to casual gamers and the next generation of players. Despite some disappointing issues with motion controls, the game delivers on its promise of comfortably easing new players into the world of Pokémon without sacrificing the complexity and challenge craved by established Pokémaniacs.

Chris Brown is a perpetual manchild attempting to pass off playing video games as a real hobby. Originally from England, Chris has been living and working in Phuket for four years. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

HISTORY 17

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

A brief history of the chilli

Where did this most indispensable Thai cooking spice originate?

T

Suthon Sukphisit

o many people, Thai food without chilli is not Thai food. Despite its significance in Thai cuisine, there are many questions that remain unanswered about chilli.

How did chilli first arrive in Thailand? What kind of chilli was it? How many chilli species do we have now? Which one is most popular?

Do Thai people consume the highest amount of chilli in the world? These are questions many people want to explore.

First, there is no proper record as to when chilli first arrived in Thailand.

But broadly speaking, chilli might have hit Thai shores centuries ago when Portuguese traders came to the Eastern world to do business. They disembarked at several port cities in the Middle East, India and Malaga. They reached Thailand – then Siam – during the early Ayutthaya period.

At that time, the city of Ayutthaya was a trade centre. Ships from China and Persia stopped here and sold and bought materials to trade.

Many believe that chilli was among the merchandise brought here by Portuguese traders from the Americas.

Apart from chilli, they also brought spices from India, Persia and Malaga.

It may have been just dried chilli that was traded. Dried chilli in Siam was purchased by the Chinese, who took it back to their own country to sell. This is why a number of towns in China also consume chilli.

That was an assumption with regard to the arrival of chilli in Thailand. No one knew what kind of chilli was first brought. People might later grow their own chilli using chilli seeds.

But what was chilli for? During the Ayutthaya period, there were certain palace dishes such as saeng wa, or prawn salad, that were flavourful but did not use chilli.

Chilli was believed to have been used but not quite popular. It reappeared in a piece written by Sunthorn Pu, the greatest poet during the reign of King Rama II, who mentioned chilli and salt as an ingredient for venison.

He did not say what people did with the venison, though. That’s how chilli appeared again – over 100 years after the Ayutthaya period.

Chilli was mentioned in a royal cuisine cookbook titled Tamrab Sai Yaowapa, which was published 78 years ago. The book listed the varieties of

Photo: Huahom / Pixabay

@thephuketnews

Photo: Artem Beliaikin / Pexels chilli available at that time, which included Bang Chang chilli, bell pepper, bird’s eye chilli, pumpkin-shaped chilli, cherry pepper, white pepper and so forth. The book also contained recipes but only Bang Chang chilli and bird’s eye chilli were used.

Bang Chang chilli has its origin in Samut Songkhram. People in the old days relied on Bang Chang chilli as seen from recipes in various cookbooks.

It is a large cayenne pepper with thin skin and thick flesh. When dried, Bang Chang chilli gives a moderate level of spiciness, suitable for making chilli paste and chilli dips. However, Bang Chang dried chilli was later dominated by other types of cayenne pepper. Also people stopped growing Bang Chang chilli because the areas were washed by seawater. So the chilli sort of disappeared. Only 10 years ago people began to grow it again. They found various cayenne pepper species and bred them, giving birth to a new variation that is quite close to Bang Chang chilli. They named it Man Bang Chang chilli.

Today’s chillis are new breeds that aim to satisfy people’s taste buds. People call chilli different names; some call it by the place of origin, some call it by the area in which it is grown.

New chilli variations include yellow cayenne pepper or Bang Bua Thong chilli, white chilli that looks like sweet pepper and bird’s eye chilli that is longer. We also have Bang Sor giant chilli, Jinda chilli, hua rue chilli, huai si thon chilli, Karen chilli and many more. These varieties aim to respond

to the demand of the market and the chefs. Despite all these new breeds, certain varieties are rarely seen and used such as white pepper, pumpkinshaped chilli and cherry chilli.

Cooks need a comprehensive understanding regarding the use of chilli.

Certain types of dishes use certain types of chilli. For example, spicy stir-

fried clown knifefish balls with string bean only uses pounded orange chilli pepper. Nam prik kapi (Thai shrimp paste chilli sauce) only uses small bird’s eye chilli. But if we are to make pad kraprao (stir-fried holy basil dish), we must use large bird’s eye chilli. Red cayenne pepper is used for deep-fried fish with sweet and sour sauce. Nam prik num (northern-style chilli paste dip) will never use bell pepper because it will lose some spiciness.

For noodle condiments, ground dried bird’s eye chilli would be ideal. But for chilli vinegar sauce, different types of chilli are used for different types of noodles – ground green bird’s eye chilli for beef noodle, sliced yellow chilli for fish ball noodle, sliced green and red cayenne pepper for pork noodle and ground red cayenne pepper for yen ta fo (pink noodle soup).

This is the story of chilli, starting from when it first arrived in the Kingdom. After a long period of silence, chilli has become a superpower.

Now Thai cuisine is widely recognised by people from all over the world.

They might not know every dish, but what they know very well is that the spiciness that comes from chilli is Thailand’s national flavour.

Bangkok Post

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

ISLAND SCENE 19

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

Gren, Jeniffer and Wicky.

Hayley, Linda, Ross and Amy.

Jared, JP and Wicky.

Adam and Alan.

Lada and Jason.

CLASS ACT MEDIA AND IMAGE ASIA THROW PARTY TO CELEBRATE MERGER The staff of Class Act Media and IMAGE asia enjoyed a party in front of their offices at Billion Plaza in Kathu on May 17. Superb food was provided by Two Chefs and groovin’ beats delivered by Live 89.5’s Jason Wilder and Chris Howson. The event was a lot of fun. A big thank you to all the special guests who stopped by.

Adam, Jason and Rob.

Poria, Amy and Um. @thephuketnews

Yui, Nok and Fon.

Tun, Pe, Jack and Oak.

20 EVENTS

FRI

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

24 MAY

SAT

25 MAY

7 pm start. We are limited to 40 guests so first in first served.

Please don’t miss out on this fabulous evening of scrumptious food, stunning views and great company. Also please note there is limited parking so please carpool or arrange a minivan where possible.

SUN

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

MON

27 MAY

26 MAY

Mussels night @ Shakers

All you can eat BBQ night

1.2kg mussels served with French fries, your choice, your style: natural, marnière, Provençale, garlic and cream or Thai style. Reservations recommended B295 P/P. shakersphuket@gmail.com 081 891 4381.

6pm – 11pm: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Burgers, Sausages, Prawns and Squid, Salad buffet, Choice of potatoes and sauces, bread, buns and garlic bread. Reservation recommended. B395 P/P. shakersphuket@gmail.com 081 891 4381.

Saturday Brunch & Bar From Grilled Seafood - Premium Meats - Sushi Corner Salad Bar Appetizers and Delectable Desserts to all time favorite Free-Flow Beverages. Treat your Saturday to the fullest. Let’s Brunch! *THB 2.399++ per person (including free-flow beverages) *THB 1,699++ per person (including soft drinks). *50& off for children aged from 6-12 years old.

Reservation, Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, dtlpfb@dusit.com, 076 362 999 ext.7310

All you can eat Sunday Roast Buffet Beef, Pork and Lamb – Cauliflower, Broccoli, Peas, Carrots, fried mushrooms, grilled tomatoes – Yorkshire pudding – roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes – gravy, mushroom sauce, mint sauce. Reservations recommended. B350 P/P. shakersphuket@gmail.com 081 891 4381.

ALL YOU CAN EAT BBQ RIBS Come join us for our WEEKLY BBQ EVERY FRIDAY served ALL DAY & ALL NIGHT at Two Chefs Kata Center, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong. Indulge in All You Can Eat BBQ Pork Ribs, Chicken and Sides for ONLY 495 BAHT! Our BBQ is famous at Two Chefs! Come try us out and enjoy our mouthwatering pork ribs, flavor-bursting chicken and more! Join us for Live Music from 8-Late Performed by Our Famous Two Chefs Band! Come for the FOOD - Stay for the Fun. www. twochefs.com Kata Beach 076-333-370 Karon 076-286-479 Patong 076-344-914.

All you can eat BBQ Ribs night 6PM – 11PM: All you can eat BBQ Ribs served with salad buffet, potato salad & choice of sauces. Reservation recommended. 295 baht P.P. shakersphuket@gmail.com, 081 891 4381.

Sunday Roast All Day, All Night Come enjoy a Traditional Sunday Roast EVERY SUNDAY at Two Chefs Kata Center, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong. Indulge in our Traditional Sunday Roast ALL DAY & ALL NIGHT for ONLY 445 Baht! Enjoy a Large ALL YOU CAN EAT selection of your favorites! Featuring: Roast Aussie Beef, Pork Loin and Chicken. Roasted or Mashed Potatoes. Roasted Mixed Vegetables Flavored with Thyme and Garlic. Yorkshire Pudding and Gravy. Enjoy Live Music from 8-Late Performed by Our Famous Two Chefs Band! Come for the FOOD - Stay for the Fun. RESERVE Your Table Now Online at bit.ly/TwoChefsReservations Check out more details on our website at bit.ly/TwoChefsEvents Reservations, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong., Kata Beach 076-333-370 Karon 076-286-479 Patong 076-344-914.

21st Phuket International Rugby 10s

Ride 4 Kids 2019 Ride 4 Kids V3.0 is in full swing, riders will be cycling 700 kms from Phuket on the 27th May – 1st June 2019, all to raise money for The Good Shepherd, PHBGTU and Outrigger’s Share4Change. Join the coming home party at Metzos on 1st June and meet the team, tickets available for 2500 thb per ticket, please email organizer and LIVE 89.5fm host Donna Toon lunch@classactmedia.co.th and visit www.ride4kids.co for more information.

WED

29 MAY

The Aussie Bar Phuket International Rugby Tens 2019 will be hosted at Thanyapura Sports Club over the weekend of May 24-26. Teams in the men’s & women’s open along with the Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers vets tournaments will be vying for honours come the finals on Sunday. Entry is free so come on down and enjoy a weekend of fun & excitement and help us raise funds for the Asia Center Foundation.

Light and Fresh Buffet The Watercourt is presenting a line of tasty Italian Cold Cut, Gourmet Salads, Hearty Soup, Flavourful Desserts and Seasonal Fruit. From THB 1,200 net per guest (Choice of Meat & Seafood grilled - Additional). Banyan Tree, The Watercourt, fb-phuket@banyantree.com, 076 372 400.

Ribs, beats, brews - Wednesday

Phuket Sundowners - May 24, 2019 AustCham Thailand is delighted to invite members and guests from AustCham and partner chambers to join our Phuket Sundowners to be held on Friday 24th May, 2019, at Le Méridien Phuket Beach Resort. Price: Baht 500 for AustCham members, partner Chambers’ members, and Australian Alumni Members. Baht 900 for non-members.

BANG WAD A THON PIWC May Dinner Come join us either with your partner, friends or by yourself to meet new friends. Cost: 1000 Baht Time: 6:30 Registration for

Community Ride / Scoot / Walk A Thon at Bang Wad Dam. Minimum donation of 200 baht per person. Snacks and Drinks available for purchase. Sausage sizzle. All proceeds to benefit RIDE 4 KIDS V3.0.

Devour our succulent pork rib set complete with sweet corn chowder, blue cheese salad, moist cornbread and finished off with a bread and butter pudding. DJ Q will keep the soul flowing and your toes tapping as you wash down those tender ribs with a bucket of craft brews. Full Rack set 1,400 Baht, half Rack set 1,100 Baht. Reservations, SALA Phuket, events@ salaphuket.com, 076-338-888

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

THU

EVENTS 21

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

30 MAY

We hope to see you at The Speakeasy Yacht Club, Royal Phuket Marina from 5pm. The Grow Boating Networking Evening is proud to support the Thai Yachting Business Association https://www.facebook.com/groups/491098897758155/

SAT

THU

13 JUN

SUN

30 JUN

8 JUN

Farewell Craig Ferguson - Australian Consul-General On behalf of Australians in Phuket, Squires Loft on the beach road in Patong shall be hosting an informal farewell dinner to celebrate the efforts Craig Ferguson contributed to the local Australian community, from 6.15pm. 990 THB p.p. Starters & nibbles from 6.15pm, Squires Famous Pork Ribs, Mini Aussie Burgers & Arancini Balls with a selected drink on arrival. Main Course a choice of: Australian Premium Sirloin Steak 300gm Or Crispy skinned Tasmanian Salmon fillet. RSVP by 27th May to Sharon Joyner Ph. 0935 782 282.

SAT

1 JUN

Laguna Phuket Marathon 2019 Laguna Phuket Marathon has helped to put Phuket on the map as a running mecca, delivering an event to the highest international standards that is a qualifier for the Boston Marathon, is professionally timed by Sportstats Asia, and is certified

by AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races). Laguna Phuket Marathon 2019 offers six distances: 2 km Kids Run, 5 km and 10.5 km will take place on Saturday 8th June in the afternoon while the Half Marathon (21.0975 km), Marathon (42.195 km) and Marathon Relay (42.195 km) will take place on Sunday 9th June in the morning. For the full schedule, visit http://www.phuketmarathon.com/raceschedule

Phuket Wellness Connection 2019 (registration free is 12,000 baht) Free Olig o s c a n t e s t i n g ( 8 , 0 0 0 b a h t v a l u e ) . Novotel Phokeethra Hotel Phuket, heatantiaging@gmail.com, 061 401 0345

BCCT Multi-Chamber Phuket Networking & Briefing Filipino Fiesta at Two Chefs Bar & Grill The Phuket News - Match Play Starting June 1st. All proceeds to go to Phuket Has Been Good to Us. Open to all players with a recognized Handicap* Each round to be played at a course where one player is a member. If both players are members the higher handicapper choses the course. Laguna GC to offer special price to any pairs matched against each other where neither golfer is a member at Phuket Club. To be played from white Tees unless agreed by both players. 500thb entry fee / 300thb fee per round. All losers in round one to play in ‘PLATE’ Competition. Standard match play, FULL difference of handicaps to be given. Trophies for winner and Runner both main event and plate. Vouchers for all semi finalists. *All club handicaps recognized – Society handicaps accepted but may be adjusted.

Email queries to matchplay@classactmedia.co.th Entry fees paid via phuketticketmaster.com

FRI

This month’s Grow Boating we are delighted to announce that Asteri, a sister company to Asia Yacht Agency, will be our drinks sponsors. Asteri is the official distributor for Thailand for Zodiac, Bombard and Avon RIB’s. www.asiayachtagency. com/ There will be a light buffet sponsored by the Speakeasy Yacht Club and special prices on your favourite local drinks.

Come and join in the fun, everyone is welcome. There is no entry fee, just drop your business card or register at the bar.

FRI

9 AUG

British, together with American, Australian, European Association, German, Netherlands, Singapore and Swedish Chamber of Commerce Thailand, cordially invites you to BCCT MultiChambers Phuket Briefing & Networking on Thursday 13th June at X2 Vibe Phuket Patong from 5 – 9 pm. The briefing by Grant Thornton Chairman, Chris Cracknell, will cover current global economy updates, followed by networking. For booking, please call 02-651-5350 or e-mail Urosesri at urosesri@ bccthai.com

MON

17 JUN

PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards 2019 Celebrate Thailand’s finest developers by nominating them for the industry’s most prestigious awards. With a professionally run judging system supervised by the award-winning team of BDO, one of the world’s largest auditing and accountancy firms, the Asia Property Awards is the gold standard in real estate. Gala Dinner & Awards on 9 August 2019 at The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok.

EVERY DAY

7 JUN

Grow Boating Networking Evening - June 2019

@thephuketnews

In celebration of the Philippine Independence Day, Two Chefs Bar & Grill is having its annual Filipino Fiesta on June 8, 2019 at Two Chefs Karon. Feast on your favourite Filipino dishes and jam along with our awesome Filipino Two Chefs House Band all night long!! For more information, you may visit our website www.twochefs.com or follow us on Facebook www. facebook.com/twochefsthailand. Get festive! Book your tables NOW! Two Chefs Bar & Grill.

2 Major Freshwater Fishing Events June 30th and July 6th. 2 Major Freshwater Fishing Events at the amazing Exotic Fishing Thailand. Huge prizes valued at 1 million Thai Baht. Free entry for spectators, great afternoon out for the family. Exotic Fishing Thailand, Exotic Fishing Thailand, Phang Nga, exoticfishingthailand@gmail.com, English 088 379 9377 and Thai 081 199 5922.

The Elton John tribute show

by Tim Hedges Experience the ultimate Elton John tribute act performed by Tom Hedges (colleague and approved tribute artist by Sir Elton John himself) accompanied by the famous Dream Beach Club fresh seafood buffet! Buffet and Show priced at THB 2,200 nett per person. Dinner starts from 7.00PM and show starts at 8.30PM. Dream Beach Club, reservations@dreambeachclub.com, 098 048 3500.

Prime at Rock Salt Da Endorphine Live Charity Benefit All ticket proceeds will be donate to benefit the destination kids foundation supporting orphanages across Thailand. Get your tickets at EVENTPOP. Hard Rock Cafe Phuket, Hard Rock Cafe Phuket, 076 366 381.

Prime at Rock Salt is the home of smoke and fire at Naiharn Beach. An exclusive eatery, Prime offers a collection of roasted, smoked and chargrilled creations from its custom-designed kitchen. The al fresco dining experience is completed with panoramic ocean views across Naiharn Beach. Open Daily 6.00 – 10.00 pm at Naiharn Beach For more information and bookings, please call +66 76 380 200 or rocksalt@ thenaiharn.com

22 TIME OUT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York 1. Which Hollywood actor has a son genuinely named Kal-El (as in Superman)?

2. What is footballer Cristiano Ronaldo’s full name?

3. Which cathedral contains the world’s oldest working clock and the best surviving copy of the four original Magna Cartas?

4. In which year did the General Assembly of the World Health Organisation (WHO) eliminate homosexuality from the list of psychiatric diseases?

5. Syracuse, New York is named after a city on which Italian isle?

Answers below, centre

SUDOKU

Medium

Across 1. Listeners 5. Sluggers’ stats 9. Don’t bother 14. Island feast 15. Little ___ 16. Love in Paris?

17. Sea bird 18. Beethoven’s birthplace 19. Metallic sounds 20. Boxing category 23. Canadian people 24. NZ forest tree 25. Canadian province with red sand, for short 28. “Smooth Operator” singer 31. Warren Buffett, e.g.

33. Hosp. area 36. Bellini opera 39. School girl communication 40. Where many banks are situated 44. Forty winks 45. Fingered 46. Neighbor of Minn.

47. Determine one’s position 50. Bar order 52. Color 53. Unhurried 56. Corp. heads

59. One from the heartland 63. Clan emblem 66. Magazine for the fashion-conscious 67. Buckeye state 68. Mythical serpent 69. Huge 70. Wine, prefix 71. Ruhr river city 72. Cough syrup amts.

73. Star ___ Down 1. K-6, abbr.

2. Derived from gold 3. Time off 4. Types of leathers 5. Hotel amenity 6. Can be furrowed 7. Secret 8. First name on the Supreme Court 9. Philadelphia landmark hotel 10. Exhale 11. A lot 12. Fan 13. TV drama settings 21. Singer Rimes 22. Old Pontiac muscle car 25. Picture

26. Having taken food 27. Having no reaction 29. Wyatt’s Holiday 30. Home of Gulliver’s Travels writer 32. Advice columnist, Landers 33. Perhaps 34. R and B and rap star 35. Set free 37. Plaintive cry 38. Handouts 41. Ending for enzymes 42. Key executive 43. Draw forth 48. Marcus’s retail partner 49. Really small amount 51. Transplant 54. Candied 55. Pound sounds 57. “___ Majesty’s Secret Service” 58. Paris divider 59. Sole 60. Boat locale 61. P.I.’s 62. Corner piece 63. Specifying article 64. Sounds of woe 65. 6-pointers

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1) Nicolas Cage; 2) Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro; 3) Salisbury Cathedral; 4) 1990; 5) Sicily

GOT YOUR NUMBER

ISLAND VIEW

4

months of the life of the average American driver is spent waiting for red lights to turn green.

9

restaurants only in the entire US serve genuine Japanese Kobe beef. It can cost up to $600 for a steak.

40

percent of food produced in the US is never eaten, while 1 in 8 American households can’t afford an appropriate food supply.

1904

was the year the modern T-shirt was created. It was marketed to single men who didn’t know how to sew or replace buttons.

4,000

Nai Harn Beach sunset. Photo: Claudio Pittalis Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket? Email it to execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

This week in history May 24, 1883 The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic after 14 years of construction.

lattes was the order placed with Starbucks by Steve Jobs when making the first public call from an iPhone. He then said “just kidding” and hung up.

May 25, 1977 Chinese government removes a decade-old ban on William Shakespeare’s work, effectively ending the Cultural Revolution started in 1966.

Source: Uberfacts

May 26, 1887 Dracula, a novel by Irish author

Bram Stoker, is published.

May 27, 1703 Tsar Peter the Great founds the city of Saint Petersburg.

lanthropist, and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on Tenzing Norgay’s (adopted) 39th birthday.

May 28, 1987 West German pilot Mathias Rust, just 18 years old, evades Soviet Union air defenses and lands a private plane in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia. He is immediately detained and released on August 3, 1988.

May 30, 70 AD Siege of Jerusalem: Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall. The Romans build a circumvallation, cutting down all trees within 15 kilometres. Source: Wikipedia

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

May 29, 1953 Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and phi-

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 23

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

Jobs

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The Phuket News @thephuketnews

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Personal Assistant

For retired UK/CAD businessman in high end resort. Good English, some driving, shopping etc. Part Time OK. Brian 089 054 4354.

@thephuketnews

Art House Real Estate company

Looking for Thai Marketing manager at the property booth, Patong Area, for more detail please contact: info@arthouse.asia

Thai Yoga Instructor

Position available now - Full Time Position - 24 Yoga Classes per month. Wellness Skills - Certificated to teach various Yoga Styles.

Additional Health Skills i.e. Aerial Yoga, Acro Yoga, etc. - Assist with Yoga Class inquires and Retreat health consultations. English Speaking - Thai National only 25,000 to 30,000. Kenneth Miller 0866041333. www.ccshideaway.com/wellness.htm

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 25

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

Trades & Services

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

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Trades & Services

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

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HOME IMPROVEMENT

MARINE SERVICES

OTHER

PROPERTY SERVICES

TRAINING

ADVERTISE HERE

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FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

Buy & Sell BOATS, YACHTS FOR SALE 42ft Sport Yacht, Reduced Price

Monterey 415SY. Perfect condition. 1 owner. Regular maintenance in authorised centers. Twin Volvo IPS600 435hp, joystick control, Engine Hours: 670. Furuno radar. GPS. B6,900,000. 0878970501.

FOR SALE AIR BERTH M320

250,000THB incl VAT. For boat up to 32 feet / 9.5 metres. Contact: Asia Yacht Agency Co., Ltd. Contact@AsiaYacht Agency. com, 081-894 -3234 (French/ English), 086-269-0808 (Thai/ English).

BUSINESSES FOR SALE UR

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Refurbished Restaurant & Bar

Recently refurbished restaurant & bar for sale in Karon, Phuket, with accom located above. CCTV fitted throughout the building. The business is up for sale for 1.9MB or near offer and includes all fixtures, fittings and stock at point of sale. 062 210 1368. newconceptbars.thailand@ gmail.com

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Golden Business Opportunity

Brand new two story massage shop for sale with high end furniture. 10 Beds, 6 chairs and nail Salon. Great opportunity for high season. B900,000 ono, Lek, Soi Post Office, Patong Beach Road, sweet_ lek55@hotmail.com, 099 362 7979

@thephuketnews

The Phuket News @thephuketnews MEMBERSHIPS

CARS, TRUCKS FOR RENT G UR

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Car rental @ fair prices

We offer car rentals at affordable prices. Monthly from 10,000 Baht. Daily from 400 Baht. Call us to find out what we offer.

10,000 Monthly. Stig Johansson, 110/78 Moo 2 T Paklok A Thalang 83110 Phuket, stigisaan@gmail. com, 0848474377.

CARS, TRUCKS FOR SALE Car for sale

Chevrolet Trailblazer LTZ 2.8 CC. 4X4 For sale English 095 420 9662 Thai 082 629 1419 janthisa jaikwang, 199/14 หม ู ่ 5 ตำ�บล ศร สี นุ ทร อำ�เภอถลาง จังหวัด ภ เู ก ็ต, info@lifestyleinthailand.com, B 725,000

Car For Sale

Ford Fiesta 2012 For sale English 095 420 9662 Thai 082 629 1419 Janthisa Jaikwang, 199/14 หม ู ่ 5 ตำ�บลศร ี ส นุ ทร อำ�เภอถลาง จังหวัดภ เู ก ็ต, B 250,000 info@lifestyleinthailand.com, 0826291419

Subaru XV

Cross trek bought new 2013. Well maintained, glass coating, rust proofing, new tires, single owner. Must see! Nicha Residence, 0892873128.

BLUE CANYON GOLF MEMBERSHIP

425,000 THB and Seller pays the transfer fee. For more information call 098 946 0709. Rob George.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

BABY GRAND w/ DISC PLAYER

“Classic” Baby Grand Piano with “Disc Player”. In perfect condition. 7 years old. Original price 428,000 THB. 170,000, Phuket Town, daryldavies9@gmail. com, 080 159 5239

PROPERTY WANTED The Chava Surin - Freehold

Hi, Am looking for a Freehold Condominium Unit at The Chava in Surin. Please email details to mick11468@@gmail.com . Many thanks! Michael

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3 Bedroom Condo Wanted

Looking for 3 Bed Condo/Apartment any area of Phuket for 3million Thai Baht or thereabouts. Please email mick11468@gmail.com. Thanks! B3,000,000, Mike

Mandala Condo Freehold Wanted

Foreign Freehold Wanted for Mandala Condominium in Kamala. Please email details to mick11468@gmail.com.

28 CLASSIFIEDS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Buy & Sell

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

SPORTING GOODS, EXERCISE GYM EQUIPMENT TREADMILL

LIFE FITNESS F1 TREADMILL - FOLDABLE Brand new: THB 35,000+(VAT) from retail price of 188,000 Compact foldable treadmill. 35000, carolinelaleta@gmail.com, +66869504961

PROPERTY FOR SALE Apartment Block in Soi Ta-Eiad

Amazing residential block for sale comprising of 5 x 190sqm fully furnished 3 Bedroom Units. Highest quality fixtures and finishing’s with exceptional build quality. All units have internal surround sound systems and wireless internet routed in the walls.

Full Western kitchen in all units. Rooftop Salt Water Swimming Pool with 8 person Jacuzzi and bar. Spectacular panoramic views. Units currently being rented out with almost 100% occupancy, so fantastic investment opportunity. Potential returns of 9% per annum. B61,500,000, Tina, phuket@ thairesidential.com

Karon 1 Bed Condo for Sale

Karon Butterfly hillside condo for sale just 800m from beach. Amenities close by. Fully furnished and condo facilities. Great investment in great area of Phuket. Shuttle Bus to Beach and Rental Program. A must see!!!! B4,300,000, Dmitry , phuket@thairesidential.com

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PROPERTY FOR SALE 2-Bed Furnished Kathu House for Rent

PROPERTY FOR SALE UR

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Phuket Town 1 Bed Condo

Wonderful 1 Bedroom Condo near Central Festival area. Just 10 minutes to Panwa Beach.

A must see!!! Fully furnished and conveniently located. Amenities close by as well as tourist attractions. Full condo facilities. B2,500,000, Tina, phuket@thairesidential. com, 0948411918.

Rawai 1 Bed Seaview Condo Sale

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RPM by owner

Unique luxury condo 2 bed, 2 bath, 155sqm. Foreign FREE HOLD. Architect remodel in tropical white. Jacuzzi. All round beautiful views. Completely furnished to a high standard. Very motivated owner leaving Thailand. Available to agents. Priced just REDUCED to 15MB or offers. Contact Brian (Owner) 089 054 4354, 076 360 943. bggvirgo@gmail.com

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PROPERTY FOR RENT Property for rent YAMU

Very big house. 400sqm, Land 4400sqm. Available 1st May. 4 bedrooms- 4 bathrooms , swimming pool. Close BIS, UWCT. Must see. Long term lease 110,000 baht/month including pool+ garden service. Khun DIDIER, aouichedidier@ hotmail.com, 093 717 9343 (English+French)/ 089 552 9303 (Thai)

Shop for rent at Amari Phuket, Patong Beach

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Located at Amari Phuket's lobby building. Size: 33 sqm. Partly furnished: shelves, counter, airconditioner and telephone line. 40,000 THB/ month (negotiation available). Khun Mallika, mallika.t@amari.com, 076 340106 #8006

1 Bed Condo in Kamala

Great 1 Bed Condo just 200m fromKamala Beach. Comes with pool and on- site restaurant. Fantastic location and not to be missed. Fully furnished with appliances. Homestay or investment. B5,417,000. Call Andy. 083 800 1888

Fantastic seaviews. Fully furnished. Condo facilities including pool and gym. Close to amenities. This 53sqm condo at Babylon Sky Garden is a great buy. B4,297,277, Andy, phuket@ thairesidential.com

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2bd/2bth furnished house for rent in Kathu near Loch Palm Golf Course. See link for more photos and details. www.kathuhouseforrent.com B13,500, May or Wes, wes@pillarmarketing.com, 0899733276

PROPERTY FOR RENT

COMMUNITY

Paul MOORHOUSE

‘Frontline’ sea view villa overlooking Ao Yon Bay and the southern islands.

Magnificent property with private elevator, 4 bedroom suites/6 bathrooms as well as 2 living areas, European design kitchen, games room, bar, sauna, steam room and wonderful pool deck with in-ground jacuzzi, infinity pool and waterfall. Fabulous property reduced to 65 million Baht for quick sale. 0898737075.

1 Bedroom Condo Kata Sale

1 Bed Condo Sale Rawai

Saturdays Residence beautiful condo in Rawai. Tastefully decorated with class. Short drive to beach. All condo amenities. Looks so good that you do need to see to believe. You will fall in love at first sight. B6,300,000, Dimitry, phuket@thairesidential.com, 082 030 7199

1 Bed Condo in Kamala

Lovely condo at Utopia Kata for Sale. Completed in 2017 and close to Kata Beach. Fully furnished. Close to restaurants and amenities. Great views. Rental programme. Full facilities. Dimtry, 082 030 7199. B7,100,000

MontAzure Twinpalms Residence-Great condo located in Kamala. The ultimate in luxury.

Has got to be seen to be believed. Fantastic facilities in this resort condo. B15,800,000, Tina, 0872699206.

Mai Khao 1 bed condo for sale

Mai Khao beach condo. Great new condohotel. 470 meters from the sea. 36 sqm.

Wonderful place in Phuket. B3.5mn, +66812958526, Victoria.

2 Bed Condo Bangtao Phuket

Mandala Condominium - Wonderful spacious condo. Great location near Bangtao beach and Laguna. 184sqm with private pool and tropical gardens. B15,900,000, Andy, 083 800 1888

Dream Village Phuket house

2bed 2bath 295sqm land 100sqm living + veranda, compl. renovated: new water, electric., tiles, paint in/out, windows, 3A/C, built in kitchen. 0870608400 English/German. Email: picharly@gmail.com, B4.9mill.

Royal Phuket Marina 2 Bed

2-Bedroom Royal Phuket Marina Condo. Seen to be believed. 195m2 Stylish, Tastefully-Decorated Condominium Fully Furnished Overlooking Yacht Marina an absolute bargain @ 13.5 Million BahtTina, phuket@thairesidential.com, 948411918.

PASAK LAND 3.9MB 510 sq.m. Chanote

PASAK LAND 3.9MB 510 sq.m.

Chanote

Private location in prestige area.

Outstanding Value. Call owner (Alan): 084 0657590.

Renovated 3bed Home Boat Lagoon

AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY: Beautifully renovated & decorated 3bed+mezzanine, 250 sqm contemporary house featuring: boat berth, rooftop jacuzzi, open kitchen, wine cooler, 2 parkings, storage & laundry area. B 75,000 per month, Henry Cumberlege, hcumberlege@gmail.com

Stunning Ocean Views!

4 bed/bath large pool villa. Privately located in Cape Heights Cape Yamu.

Furnished. Gardens. Fiber WiFi. 80,000/rent long term or 30 million to sell. Richard, Cape Yamu, Phuket, richarddesmondcapeheights@yahoo. co.uk, +66824203270, WhatsApp

Villa in Patong prime location

One of the last Villas available in Patong. in top condition. 24 hour security. 3 bed, 3 bath, 160sqm living. Fully furnished, garden.

Ms. Manatchanok, 0800409411.

Villa Mission Heights Big Pool

3bed, 3 1/2 bath, 330sqm living, 900 sqm land, very quiet area, 2 km mission hill golf, 6km UWC, 8 km airport. owner finance. 0870608400 engl/ german 12.9MB, picharly@gmail. com

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

SPORT 29

Top ranked England ‘ready’

Morgan has ‘no regrets’ as England seek World Cup glory CRICKET Julian Guyer

E

ngland captain Eoin Morgan believes the tournament hosts have done everything they possibly could to get themselves ready for a tilt at the World Cup. One-day cricket has long been the poor relation of the international game in England in terms of status. But a humiliating first round exit at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand – with Morgan made captain only shortly before the tournament in place of axed Test skipper Alastair Cook – prompted a major rethink.

Now England, bidding to lift the men’s trophy for the first time, head into a tournament starting on May 30 as the world’s number one ranked side in ODI cricket.

“Absolutely no regrets, we’re positioned in the best possible place at the moment,” Morgan told reporters at the launch of England’s World Cup kit in London on Tuesday – just hours after they unveiled

England captain Eoin Morgan (pictured May 19, 2019) said his team is ‘positioned in the best possible place at the moment’. Photo: Lindsey Parnaby their 15-man squad for the 50-over showpiece event.

Since the 2015 World Cup England have twice set a new record for the highest total in an ODI innings – 444 for three against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 2016 and 481 for six against reigning world champions Australia, at the same venue, last year.

“Our exceptional days are better than we could have imagined – the world records etc – I could never have seen those at the start of 2015,” said middle-order batsman Morgan.

“That expectation has shifted with level of performance.”

And the former Ireland

Thai women head to World Cup FOOTBALL TH E TH A I WOM EN’S TEA M LEFT for Europe on Tuesday (May 21) for their final preparations ahead of next month’s Fifa Women’s World Cup. They aim to reach the second round at France 2019 although they are in a tough group with the defending champions USA, European giants Sweden and South American debutants Chile.

In their first World Cup appearance at Canada 2015, the Chaba Kaew missed out on a place in the last 16 on goal difference.

The World Cup will take place from June 7-July 7.

The 25-member team will have three warm-

@thephuketnews

Thailand manager Nualphan Lamsam, third right, poses with her players at Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday. Photo: Bangkok Post up matches – one each with the national sides of France and Belgium and the other versus Belgian women’s football club K Kontich FC. Coach Nuengruethai Sathongwien said: “Although we will be facing strong teams, every Thai player has improved and is more experienced now.”

Bangkok Post

international believes England can cope with the increased pressure to deliver a titlewinning run.

“It’s a huge opportunity, we’re looking to express ourselves and continue to play as we have in the last four years.

“The other one is to inspire the next generation of cricketers to come into the

game and pick up a ball and a bat, hopefully come out of the tournament worshipping one of the guys in our team.”

England wrapped a 4-0 home ODI series win against Pakistan on Sunday and Morgan would rather they were next playing their World Cup opener against South Africa – at The Oval on May 30 – than a warm-up match against reigning world champions Australia in Southampton on Saturday.

“We’d like to start playing tomorrow,” said Morgan.

“We’ve had some really good preparation against Pakistan, I don’t think could have gone better, chopping and changing. Everyone just wants to get on with the tournament.”

As widely forecast, Sussex fast bowler Jofra Archer – who only qualified for England in March and has played just three ODIs – edged out leftarm quick David Willey, a mainstay of the team, for a place in the World Cup squad.

Explaining Willey’s omission, Morgan said: “It’s simply because over the course of

the tournament we need to cover all possible cases with the squad and the fact we have three frontline bowlers (Archer, Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett) who all take the new ball affected that decision.”

Back-up spinner Joe Denly also missed out, with Morgan saying: “I spoke to Dave and Joe last night and obviously said longer term, with the length of the tournament we are likely to get injuries – they are next in line, no doubt about that.

“I still see them playing a part in our World Cup campaign.

“But a tough decision had to be made and hopefully the right one for the squad.”

As for Archer, Morgan said: “Jofra has come in and done exactly what he’s been doing for Sussex and other franchise teams around the world.

“I think he’s come on in the games he’s played.

If he continues to improve throughout his career, he’s a very exciting prospect.”

AFP

30 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

F1 mourns loss of a legend Three-time world champion Niki Lauda passes away at 70 BOX OF NEUTRALS Michael Lamonato michael@boxofneutrals.com

F

ormula One is in mourning ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix after the death of threetime world champion Niki Lauda.

Lauda’s family said in a statement that the 70-yearold passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on Monday night (May 20) after a period of illness.

“A role model and a benchmark for all of us, he was a loving and caring husband, father and grandfather away from the public, and he will be missed,” the statement read.

“His unique achievements as an athlete and entrepreneur are and will remain unforgettable, his tireless zest for action, his straightforwardness and his courage remain.”

Niki Lauda was one of Formula One’s favourite sons, but the famously cool and calculated driver nicknamed ‘The Computer’ would be

Austrian Niki Lauda attends the ‘legends race’ in Spielberg in June 2018. Photo: Erwin Scheriau better described as a force of nature than mere mortal.

Nothing could stop the plucky Austrian from finding a place at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Forsaking his wealthy parents by opting for a career in motor racing rather than the family business, Lauda relied

on a series of loans and his own salesmanship to make it through the junior categories, and he paid to drive in his first Formula One seasons.

His graft threatened to bankrupt him until Ferrari, seeking its first championship in a decade, came knocking in 1974.

It took Lauda just one season to deliver on his promise, storming to his first championship in 1975, but it was his battle to defend the title in 1976 against McLaren rival James Hunt that defined his career and underlined the irrepressibility of his will.

Leading the title race go-

ing into the German Grand Prix at the infamous Nürburgring, Lauda suffered a monumental crash on the second lap. Smashing through some fencing, his Ferrari burst into flames and bounced back onto the track, where it was struck by two oncoming cars.

He was extricated from the flaming wreckage with third-degree burns and damaged lungs from inhaling the toxic smoke and transferred to hospital in a coma, where he was administered last rites.

But contrary to his bleak prognosis, Lauda stubbornly willed himself back to health, and just six weeks later he was in the car at the Italian Grand Prix. Bandaged, bleeding and in obvious pain, he qualified fifth and finished fourth in front of Ferrari’s rapturous Monza home crowd, completing one of sport’s most remarkable comebacks.

Hunt claimed the championship by a point, but Lauda won it back the following season, proving the crash cost him none of his speed.

After two years racing with Brabham he retired in 1979 to

start Lauda Air, his first airline – he later started Niki, which he merged with Air Berlin in 2011, and Laudamotion, which still flies today – but by 1982 McLaren was able to lure him back to competition, and in 1984 he won his final championship in a titanic duel with teammate Alain Prost, beating the Frenchman by half a point. He retired from driving for good at the end of 1985.

But his motorsport career was far from over. After a consultancy role with Ferrari in the early 1990s and a brief stint running Jaguar in the early 2000s Lauda became a non-executive chairman with a 10% share of the Mercedes F1 team in 2012. The German marque has dominated the sport since 2014, winning all five drivers and constructors titles since.

Lauda was as formidable a force on the track as a driver as much as he was off it in his later years. Always an energetic and engaging presence in the paddock, he’ll be sorely be missed by all in Formula One.

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FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

SPORT 31

No room for sentiment as Giroud faces Gunners FOOTBALL

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Olivier Giroud says blue blood is running through his veins now as Chelsea prepare to play his old club Arsenal in the Europa League final. Photo: Ben Stansall memories aside.

“I enjoyed the years I spent there. It has been a big part of my career, my first club in England and it will always be special, but now I feel my blood is blue. The same as the national team, blue suits me well.”

Giroud, who says he is close to agreeing to stay on another

year despite attracting interest from French clubs, says he found no problem in fitting in with his Chelsea team-mates following his reported £18 million (B729 million) transfer.

“I settled in quickly. I felt like part of the family straight away,” said Giroud.

“I knew a few of the play-

Arsenal: Baku ‘unacceptable’ host FOOTBALL

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ARSENAL HAVE BRANDed the decision for Azerbaijani capital Baku to host their Europa League final with Chelsea as “unacceptable” as fans struggle with the logistics and cost of attending the game on May 29.

The London clubs were given 6,000 tickets each by UEFA for the match at the 68,700-capacity stadium, more than 4,500 km from London.

UEFA cited Baku’s limited airport capacity as one reason

*Times may be subject to change

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livier Giroud is relishing the prospect of beating his old Arsenal team-mates when he lines up for Chelsea in the Europa League final in Baku on May 29.

The 32-year-old French World Cup winner’s move across London 18 months ago has failed to deliver the regular first team football he hoped after falling behind compatriot Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the pecking order at Arsenal.

However, he has played a huge part in the Blues run to the Europa League final and is the joint top scorer in this season’s competition with 10 goals.

“I always like playing against my old teams,” Giroud, who won three FA Cups in five-and-a-half years at Arsenal, told the Daily Mail.

“It’s going to be tough, and it could be painful if it’s not going the right way, but you have to put the feelings and

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Arsenal's Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan will miss the Europa League final. Photo: Ian Kington for not reserving more tickets for travelling fans.

“We are bitterly disappointed that UEFA can only make a maximum of 6,000 tickets available to Arsenal for a stadium with a capacity of

over 60,000,” said Arsenal in a strongly worded statement.

“On behalf of our fans, we would like to understand the criteria by which venues are selected for finals,” added Arsenal’s statement.

“What has happened this season is unacceptable, and cannot be repeated."

Arsenal’s Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan said that he will not be joining the squad for the final for fear of his safety amid a long dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorny Karabakh region.

AFP

ers and I’m a sociable person, I always try to communicate.”

Giroud believes there is a more cut-throat culture at his new club compared to the Gunners and part of the reason why Chelsea have outstripped Arsenal for silverware over the past decade.

“Maybe you would get more

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time at Arsenal. They would be more patient,” he added.

“At Chelsea you have to be ready quickly because in terms of trophies it has been the best club in England for the last 10 years.

“You don’t have time at Chelsea and when you are young it is quite difficult to

find your place.

“I don’t want to kill the dreams of these young Chelsea players.

“They are very talented, but it makes sense because Chelsea invest more in every transfer window and they buy more top players in the world who are more experienced.”

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editor3@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019

Formula 1 mourns the loss of legend Niki Lauda > p30

CARBALLO CROWNED CHAMPION Argentine takes first playoff hole to win Singha Laguna Open GOLF The Phuket News editor3@classactmedia.co.th

A

rgentina’s Miguel Carballo prevailed on the first playoff hole to win his second Asian Development Tour (ADT) title in the final round of the Singha Laguna Phuket Open last Sunday (May 19).

Carballo entered the round four shots off the pace, but a birdie blitz led him to close with a six-under-par 64 and force a play-off with Joohyung Kim of Korea and Thailand’s Chinnarat Phadungsil at the award-winning Laguna Golf Phuket.

Kim and Chinnarat returned with rounds of 68 and 65 respectively to tie with Carballo on a 15-under-par 265 total at the end of regulation play at the B2 million

(approximately US$63,860) event co-sanctioned by the All T hailand Golf Tou r (ATGT).

The 40-year-old Carballo only needed one extra hole to edge out his competitors on the par-four 18th hole, after rolling in a crucial six-foot putt for birdie while Kim and Chinnarat settled for tied-second.

Carballo, the reigning ADT Order of Merit winner, dropped a shot on his first hole but recovered with a birdie on the second. He gained momentum towards the middle of the round with five straight birdies starting from the sixth hole and added an eagle on hole 14 that ensured his place in the playoff.

“I played solidly all four rounds and was hitting it good. All my birdie putts were either tap-ins or inside 10-feet and I gave myself a

lot of chances. I made bogeys today on holes one and 18 which were the only two holes that I three-putted,” said Carballo, who dropped another shot on his way home.

The victory marked his second ADT title since he triumphed in a seven-hole playoff battle in Indonesia last August and became the first Argentinean to win on the region’s secondary circuit.

“I am very happy to win again. It is my second playoff victory on the ADT and it came at the right time because I was planning on going back to Argentina for a month after this. My goal now is to win on the Asian Tour,” added Carballo, who took home a prize purse of B300,000 and six Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

Mr Ravi Chardran, Managing Director of Laguna Golf Phuket, was pleased

Argentina’s Miguel Carballo won his second ADT title at the Singha Laguna Phuket Open last Sunday (May 19).

Photo: Laguna Golf Phuket to welcome another worthy champion at the third edition of the Singha Laguna Phuket Open.

“Thanks to All Thailand Golf Tour and Asian Development Tour for bringing this event back to Laguna Phuket, following our recent award of “Best Sports Event Venue in Thailand” at SPIA Asia. With our long history of destination sporting events including the

Marathon and Triathlon, this professional golf tournament is now another highlight on our annual calendar.

“Although nobody walked away with Banyan Tree Group’s special US$10,000 hole-in-one prize, Argentina’s Miguel Carballo will get to stay at our f lagship resort Banyan Tree Phuket as part of his winning prize,” added Mr Chardran.

Leading final round scores: 265 – Miguel Carballo 65 68 68 64, Chinnarat Phadungsil 68 64 68 65, Joohyung Kim 65 65 67 68 267 – Hein Sithu 69 68 63 67 268 – Danny Masrin 63 69 67 69 269 – Itthipat Buranatanyarat 69 70 65 65, Sam Gillis 67 69 66 67, Pannakorn Uthaipas 70 66 64 69, Suradit Yongcharoenchai 68 66 64 71

Carballo is awarded the top prize of B300,000 after winning the Open. Photo: Laguna Phuket Golf

Miguel Carballo drives the ball on his way to victory. Photo: Laguna Phuket Golf thephuketnews