The Phuket News 25 May 2018

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FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

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NEWS

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PAGE 3

Wild monkeys’ fate becomes a point of opinion

DEAD OR ALIVE?

LIFE

PAGE 13

A masterclass in cooking delicious traditional Thai

Crew members on board the ‘Sang Samut 3’ fishing boat get ready to heave the whale shark overboard. Photo: Aqua Center

CAUGHT LANDING WHALE SHARK, FISHING CREW FACE CHARGES AFTER DUMPING IT OVERBOARD Eakkapop Thongtub &Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

T

he captains and crews of two Phuket fishing boats are under investigation after one of the boats was caught with a protected whale shark strung up on deck while returning to port last Friday (May 18).

Whale sharks are listed as endangered, actually classed as “vulnerable to extinction”, and protected with a ban on fishing all whale sharks in Thai waters.

The news broke after local conservation group Go-Eco Phuket posted online a video taken by people on board the dive boat Aqua showing the whale shark immobile, strung up by its tail on the fishing boat Sang Samut 3 just a handful of kilometres south of Phuket, between Koh Hei and Koh Racha.

The Sang Samut 3 reportedly changed direction several times to prevent the Aqua from pulling up alongside, and the fishing crew soon lowered the whale shark back down to the deck and heaved it overboard.

The whale shark was not moving and was believed to have been dead, The Phuket News was told.

Questions were also raised from very experienced members throughout Phuket’s dive community about whether or not the whale shark was pregnant.

Royal Thai Navy officers led by Third Area Command Chief of Staff Adm Pichet Tanaset last Saturday (May 19) arrived at the Seang Arun Pier in Rassada and seized both the Sang Samut 3 and its sister fishing boat the Sang Samut 2.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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The captain of the Sang Samut 3, Somsamai Meejom, was immediately escorted to Chalong Police Station for questioning.

“The Department of Fisheries and the Phuket office of the DMCR (Department of Marine and Coastal Resources) are currently looking into the incident and they will decide whether they believe Mr Somsamai is guilty of committing any crime,” said Adm Pichet.

“If they believe that he has then he will be charged accordingly. I expect the penalty against him to be...

SPORT

PAGE 32

From city to sea, basketball to Phuket surf

News 2

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FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Bungling officials flamed for ongoing lifeguard crisis fiasco > page 5

Where hope floats Woman’s trail leads from Samui to Phuket Anton Makhrov news@novostiphuketa.com

Passengers wait in the Domestic Terminal of Phuket International Airport. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

B460k ‘band-aid’ for airport aircon A N O F F I C I A L F RO M Phuket International Airport has confirmed that airconditioning units will be rented temporarily at a cost of B460,000 as a temporary solution to the soaring temperatures in the Domestic Terminal.

The official also confirmed that the airport is currently in the process of purchasing a new Air Handling Unit (AHU) for the terminal at a cost of B24 million.

However, the officials comments come after Phuket International Airport General Manager Petch Chancharoen on April 1 stating that “everything is fine” at the facility and that the air conditioning had been fixed.

Speaking to The Phuket News last Thursday (May 17), the airport official, who

declined to be named, said, “As a temporary plan to solve the problem of overheating in the Domestic Terminal we will rent portable air-conditioning units at a cost of B460,000.

Fans have also been placed within the terminal.

“Right now Phuket International Airport General Manager Petch Chancharoen is in the process purchasing a new air-conditioning system which will cost B24mn.

However, we are still waiting for the purchase process to be complete,” the official said.

“This process will take some time, and I cannot confirm when the new system will be installed,” he added.

Mr Petch was unreachable when contacted by The Phuket News as he was said to be in a meeting.

The Phuket News

R

elatives and friends of Russian national Inna Ibukhova, 39, have appealed to the residents of Phuket for help in their search for the woman, who went missing on Koh Samui in April but is claimed to be last seen in Phuket on May 11.

The family of Ms Obukhova began their search on April 24, when the woman did not return from Samui to her home city of Blagoveschensk, in Russia’s Far East, as expected last month.

Ms Obukhova was enjoying her Thai vacation on a package tour and entered the country using the visa exemption rule, allowing Russian tourists to stay in the Kingdom for 30 days. According to the publication in a search support social media group, Ms Obukhova’s permit to stay in Thailand should have expired on May 12.

In his online appeal, Ms Obukhova’s brother Valeriy Obukhov said that his sister stayed at Centra by Centara Coconut Beach Resort Samui and was last seen on April 21.

The tourist left her room with her passport and cash only,

Russian national Inna Ibukhova, 39, is now believed to have been last seen in Phuket.

Photos: Supplied leaving all her other belongings behind.

“Please advise what we can do and how to search for her. She doesn’t speak any languages [except Russian] and previously said to be using a translation software in her phone to communicate with other people,” Mr Obukhov wrote.

Initial searches on Koh Samui by rescue teams and the local expat community brought zero results. Ms Obukhova’s father arrived in Thailand several days after she had disappeared, but the only thing he could do was pick up his daughter’s personal possessions. The Russian Embassy

in Thailand was informed of her disappearance, but as of April 27 had little information.

“The search is ongoing but at this stage there is no information about her location,” Russian TV channel NTV quoted the embassy’s Head of Consular Section Vladimir Sosnov as saying on that day.

The most recent post on the search assistance group claims that Ms Obukhova was seen in Phuket on Friday, May 11.

The information was published on social media the following Wednesday, May 16.

“News number one! A policeman sent information from Phuket! A hotel security guard (the hotel will be iden-

tified later) is definitely sure that he saw Inna in Phuket on May 11. Please share this information in Phuket social media groups”, the post said.

Later the hotel was identified as “a hotel at Phuket Boat Lagoon”.

Ms Obukhova is described as 174 centimetres tall with blonde hair. She is believed to have no distinguishing physical characteristics or tattoos.

Likewise, it is not known what clothes she may be wearing at the moment.

Any persons who believe they have information that can help locate Ms Obukhova are urged to call 080 892 8548 or 094 912 1135.

Navy, marine officials fired up over whale shark Continued from page 1 ...very serious,” Adm Pichet added.

The DMCR officers filed a formal complaint at Chalong Police Station accusing the Sang Samut 3 of breaching Section 66 of the Fisheries Act 2015 and Section 16 of the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act, B.E. 2535 (1992).

Breach of Section 66 of the Fisheries Act incurs a fine of between B300,000 and B3 million, “or to a fine of five times the value of the aquatic animals caught or brought on board a fishing vessel concerned. In whichever case, the higher fine shall apply.”

Breach of Section 16 incurs a penalty of up to four years in jail, or a fine of up to B40,000, or both.

The complaint, filed by DMCR officer Narat Choo-

The five-day search failed to find any sign of the whale shark, dead or alive. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub phueng, was formally received

by Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Lt Col Somsak Sopakarn.

In total, the captains of both boats and their 16 crew members are under investigation.

“Both boats are not permitted to leave port while this investigation continues,” Col Somsak told The Phuket News on Wednesday.

Mr Somsamai, meanwhile, told The Phuket News, “I didn’t want to catch the whale shark.

It was stuck in our net and I could not see what it was until we brought the net up and dropped it on deck.

“When we realised what it was, we helped it. It was just an accident,” he added.

A search for the whale was launched last Saturday in the hope of finding it, dead or alive. If dead, in order to determine the cause of death; if alive, in order to render assistance. The search, which included asking passing tour boats and fishing vessels, was to continue for five days. As of Wednesday, no trace of the whale shark was found.

In Phuket DMCR DirectorGeneral Jatuporn Buruspat spoke about the incident and told The Phuket News, “We are very concerned about

Thailand’s marine life after finding out about the whale shark caught off Phuket. This is disgusting behaviour.

“We will keep looking for this whale shark as we have yet to find any trace of it. If we can’t find the whale shark floating in the sea in next five days we will presume it is still alive.

“If we do find it dead then we will next have to recover the body to find the cause of death,” Mr Jatuporn explained.

Mr Jatuporn added, “I don’t want any incident like this to happen again. If anyone has any information regarding damage to marine life, please inform the DMCR. “I have also asked the tourist police at Royal Thai Police in Bangkok to support us as they can help to inform tourists about laws regarding protected marine life.” thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Fate of wild monkeys goes to public opinion Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

T

he first public meeting to gain feedback from local residents on what to do with the ever-growing populations of wild monkeys on Phuket was held on Tuesday (May 22), with residents calling for “population control” steps to be taken as well as forced relocation of the main troupes to other areas.

The meeting was held at the Chalerm Phrakiet Rama 9 Hall on Soi Tah Jeen, in Rassada, with 68 local residents in attendance, explained Natawan Jumlongkat, Director of Phuket Provincial Environment Office.

“Everyone who joined the hearing voted yesterday,” Mr Natawan said.

“It is good feedback to solve the problem together,” he added.

In addition to the feedback form to be completed, as announced at a press conference at Provincial Hall on Monday (May 21), as a simple way to gauge public opinion on two key issues attendees were asked to vote by a show of hands on two questions: 1) Do you want to the population of the monkeys to be controlled?

2) Do you want you the monkeys to be relocated?

A total of 66 people voted in support of “population control” measures of the monkeys, while one voter disagreed.

Monkeys clamber onto motorbikes at the Bangrong Pier in Pa Khlok.

Photo: PR Dept Further, only 55 of the 68 people present voted in support of having the monkeys moved. Four people disagreed, and nine people abstained.

Mr Natawan urged local residents to join public feedback meetings yet to be held in other areas, with another one held at the Phuket Homeless Centre in Rassada yesterday (May 24).

The remaining meetings are to be held at the following locations: • May 25 - Chalerm Sammanakit Hall at Wat Charoen Samanakit (Wat Lang San), located behind Phuket Provincial Court, in Phuket Town • May 27 - Chalerm Phrakiet King Kaew Phatthana Hall, in Rassada

• May 28 - Wat Khao Rang (Rang Hill Temple), in Phuket Town The collated feedback from all the meetings will used in deciding what will happen to the monkeys, Pongchart Chouehorm, who as Director of the Natural and Wildlife Education Centre at Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area in Thalang is the officer responsible for the protection and conservation of all natural wildlife on the island, announced on Monday.

Mr Pongchart also announced, after gaining permission from Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong, that warning signs will also be posted in areas where wild monkey troupes engage with humans.

Motorists will have to drive past the circle and make a U-turn to continue their journey.

Chalong Circle to close for all turns MOTOR ISTS W ILL NO longer be able to make turns at Chalong Circle starting early next month while workers continue their excavation of the Chalong Underpass under the busy five-way intersection.

Somkiet Yimpong, Project Manager at the Phuket office of the Highways Department, revealed the news at meeting with Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong on Tuesday (May 22).

Mr Somkiet explained to Governor Norraphat that Chalong Circle will not be closed to turns until workers have completed widening the traffic lanes past the construction site, as ordered by Gov Norraphat himself last month.

“We will finish widening the lanes early next month.

This will make driving past the Chalong Underpass construction site much easier,” said Mr Somkiet.

However, after the lane widening is complete, traffic @thephuketnews

Worker s c ontinue at the Chalong Underpass construction site. Photo/ Map above: Highways Dept will not be allowed to use the circle to cross major traffic flow heading in the opposite direction.

Drivers heading north from Rawai or arriving at Chalong Circle from KataKaron on Patak Rd will be able to continue unimpeded straight through onto Chao Fa West Rd. However, those heading north wanting to drive onto Chao Fa East Rd or got to Chalong Pier must first continue along Chao Fa West Rd, drive past the HomePro Village shopping mall and then make

a U-turn at Anusorn Rd. From there drivers can head back south and turn left onto Chao Fa East Rd or enter Soi Sunrise to access Chalong Pier.

Likewise, motorists heading south along Chao East Rd or Chao Fa West Rd en route to Kata or Karon will have to continue past Chalong Circle and make a U-turn in front of Muang Phuket School in order to head north again so they can left onto Patak Rd. However, Mr Somkiet urged drivers of trucks and buses to not attempt U-turns at the new designated points after the circle is closed to turns.

Of note, drivers of northbound heavy vehicles are urged to make their U-turns in front of Wat Chalong, or drive even further north to Kwang Rd, which they can use to switch between the Chao Fa East and Chao Fa West roads.

The Phuket News

PHUKET NEWS

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New water mains sees boat ban under bridges A L L B OAT S W E R E banned from passing under the bridges joining Phuket to the mainland this week while workers installed a water mains pipe from Phang Nga to the small community of Baan Tha Chatchai on the shores of the northernmost tip of the island.

The Phuket Marine Office issued a notice at 4pm on Tuesday (May 22) announcing that the ban is in effect for three days, from Tuesday through Thursday this week (May 22-24).

As of Tuesday, the water mains pipe, which is not being installed attached to any of the three bridges, was already blocking the waterway, known locally as the Chong Bpark Phra.

Phuket Marine Office Chief Surat Sirisaiyat explained to The Phuket News, that the water mains was being installed by Hydro Enterprise & Aqua Design Co Ltd. “The pipe is 90 centimetres in diameter. It will supply water from Baan

The water mains crosses the one-kilometer-wide ‘Chong Bpark Phra’ canal.

Photo: PR Dept Tha Noon in Klok Kloi subdistrict in Phang Nga Province on the north side to Baan Tha Chatchai in Mai Khao subdistrict in Phuket – a distance of about one kilometre.

“Once the pipe is complete, they will drop it onto the channel sea bed,” Mr Surat said.

“For safety, all boats, including all forms of water transport and all fishing boats, are to avoid using the channel for three days,” Mr Surat added.

Tanyaluk Sakoot

4

PHUKET NEWS

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GENERAL MANAGER

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

The car was engulfed by flames within minutes.

Photo: Wichit Police

Car gutted by fire in Wichit

FIR EFIGHTERS I N Wichit have yet to identify what caused a blaze that destroyed a Toyota Vios while a young man was taking his grandmother to her morning exercise and his niece to school last Thursday morning (May 17).

Fire teams and police were called to scene, Chao Fa East Rd northbound, near the intersection with Pattana Thongthin Rd, at 7:20am.

They arrived to find the car parked half up onto the footpath, engulfed in flames.

Firefighters took 30 minutes to douse the blaze, but by then the entire interior of the car had been gutted.

Thapakorn Jaibanjert, the 25-year-old owner of the car, told police, “I have no idea how the fire started. I thought it may have started from the engine, but the engine itself was not damaged by the fire.”

Investigators have yet to identify what caused the blaze.

Eakkapop Thongtub

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Laundry truck wipeout still under investigation The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

M

ore than three weeks after a laundry truck in Chalong swerved, tipped onto two wheels, rolled and slammed head-on into a minivan carrying tourists, police have yet to conclude their investigation or charge anyone for the accident.

The collision, on Chao Fa West Rd on April 25, left eight people injured, including a 4-year-old Chinese boy who was among the tourists travelling in the van.

The lengthy investigation comes despite CCTV footage showing clearly that the laundry truck driver was trying to avoid hitting a car that had cut across him.

“This case is still under investigation. No charges have been pressed yet,” Chalong Police Deputy Chief Lt Col Somsak Soparak confirmed to The Phuket News last Friday (May 18).

Col Somsak said that officers were still waiting to question the van driver, who remains in care at Vachira Phuket Hospital recovering from serious injuries to both legs sustained in the head-on collision.

The truck driver swerved to avoid hitting a car that had cut across in front of the truck. Image: CCTV / Chalong Municipality “He has not been available for questioning. He is still in hospital,” said Col Somsak, obliquing any explanation as to why police were unable to go to the hospital to question him, as has been standard practice in many other cases.

Another factor likely to delay the investigation further is that the investigating officer in the case, Lt Chanat Hongsitthichaikul, has now been transferred to Patong Police Station. Lt Chanat made the move to Patong only last Friday (May 18), leaving his investigation incomplete.

“I have not yet decided whether to press any charges against anyone as I do not have enough information. This is because the van driver is

still not yet able to be questioned,” Lt Chanat told The Phuket News.

Lt Chanat also said that he had not completed his investigation of the laundry truck driver. “I am not satisfied with the information we have from him so far,” he said, without elaborating on exactly what more information he needed from that driver.

Lt Chanat offered no more details about the driver of the car that cut across the truck.

He did not even name the driver, who sent his lawyer to represent him at Chalong Police Station instead of appearing in person.

“His lawyer explained that an elderly Thai man was the driver and that he had denied

causing the accident because he said drove carefully enough (sic),” Lt Chanat said.

“He said that he was not guilty. He said that he didn’t realise (about the accident) until his friends showed the video clip to him, and he said that the laundry truck was being driven at high speed, and that was what caused the accident,” he added.

However, Lt Chanat was happy to point out that the four Chinese tourists travelling in the van had already flown home.

“They f lew home two weeks ago,” he said.

Fan Zhi Yuan, 34, had suffered cuts to his left leg, Tang Hong, 32, had suffered a broken left leg, and Liu Ling, 63, a broken right leg.

The 4-year-old boy suffered bruising to his head but did not receive hospital treatment.

“But the van driver sustained serious injuries to both his legs. He is still in hospital.”

Lt Chanat repeated.

Meanwhile, the case will now become another officer’s problem.

“I have handed the case to Col Somsak. It will be followed up soon,” Lt Chanat assured.

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Should marijuana be made legal?

PHUKET POLL The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

O N T U E S DAY L A S T week (May 15) the Cabinet approved draft legislation drawn up by a panel led by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) to legally allow research into the effects of medicinal cannabis on humans.

Marijuana is still a drug under Thai law and its use for medical purposes requires strict legal control measures. According to the Narcotics Act, the planting of the marijuana plant is allowed for medical purposes but use of the plant does not extend to medical research

The debate on whether marijuana and its derivatives should be made legal is wide open. Photo: CC / Pxhere involving humans.

While the ONCB has supported the use of cannabis for medical purposes, its use for other purposes, such as recreational use is still illegal, explained ONCB SecretaryGeneral Sirinya Sitdhichai.

However, the regular medical use of marijuana elsewhere in the world has blown wide open the debate as to whether or not marijuana should be

made legal, or even just decriminalised.

To this The Phuket News asks readers the simple question, “Should marijuana be made legal?”

Responses available in the poll are: • Yes, marijuana in all its forms should be made legal and possession, use and sale should be fully unregulated.

• Yes, but for medical research and use only.

• Yes, but only “decriminalise” it and keep it strictly regulated as done in the US and in Amsterdam.

• No. It is a narcotic and should be treated as such.

The Phuket News To vote in the poll, visit ThePhuketNews.com and select “Poll” from the “News” menu. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

PHUKET NEWS

5

Foaming at the mouth Scrappy lifeguard coverage flamed, comprehensive plan blanked The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

L

ocal officials this week stumbled to explain the ongoing lifeguard crisis by attempting to blame the procedures they must adhere to in offering a government contract, while remaining silent on a comprehensive plan to have fully qualified, experienced lifeguards at all majot tourist beaches in Phuket.

Pressed by the media over the ongoing lifeguard debacle, a leading local official at the centre of the fiasco on Monday (May 21) blamed “official processes”. After fielding a barrage of questions at the Governor Meets The Press meeting at Provincial Hall, Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong handed the meeting over to Satien Kaewpraprab, Deputy Chief Administrator (Deputy Palad) of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor), to answer.

Mr Satien was called on to respond to the questions as

Satien Kaewpraprab, Deputy Chief Administrator (Deputy Palad) of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor), was not willing to shoulder the blame personally. Photo: Chutharat Plerin PPAO Acting Chief Watcharin Pathomwattanapong was not present at the meeting, despite Mr Watcharin playing a central role in the lifeguard contract debacle last year. Mr Watcharin remains PPAO Acting Chief.

“We don’t ignore tourists’ lives. We have done what the Phuket Governor told us to do already,” Mr Satien said defensively.

However, Mr Satien was

not ready to take the blame personally for the actions of entire PPAO. “I admit that previous budget under the TOR (terms of reference on offer under the government concession contract to provide lifeguards) were decided on by PPAO council members,” Mr Satien said.

Mr Satien also pointed blame at the procedures that officials must follow in offer-

Governor Norraphat Plodthong leads last Saturday’s inspection of the local Bangrong Community in Pa Khlok. Photo: PR Dept

200-year-old village eyes tourism T H E G OV ER NOR OF Phuket has stated that it is his intention to turn the 200-yearold Bangrong community in Pa Khlok into a new tourist attraction to bring valuable financial support to the community’s residents.

The Bangrong community is one of 10 local communities currently being considered to become tourist attractions, with public hearings now underway.

Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong inspected the Bangrong community last Saturday (May 19) together with Pa Khlok Mayor Panya @thephuketnews

Sampaorat and others.

Gover nor Nor raphat said, “Phuket’s Bangrong community has existed for 200 years and it has a very attractive history.

“Bangrong is one of 10 local communities I would like to see turned into a tourist attraction. Tourists can be shown so much about the local lifestyle and I hope that more than 50,000 visitors will visit these communities each year,” he said.

“Local community leaders will be able to provide different activities for visitors to these communities such

as mangrove tours, teaching their sufficiency economy lifestyle and kayak trips to name a few.

“To enable this project to move forward we will need to set development standards which will also improve local management as well.

Once finalised local people in each area will be ready to welcome tourists,” Governor Norraphat added.

It has not yet been revealed what other nine local Phuket communities are being considered to be turned into tourist attractions.

The Phuket News

ing a government concession for contract.

“No one wanted to bid for the original contract offered, so we had to draw up a new one, and then the bidding process for a new contract took about six months,” he added.

“The process of drafting and offering an entirely new contract is very difficult and complicated,” Mr Satien said.

The PPAO is providing support for local municipali-

ties, Mr Satien also claimed.

“The PPAO has provided lifeguards six items of equipment to use: walkie-talkies, binoculars, rib rescue boats, rescue boards, oxygen tanks, defibrillators,” he said.

However, when that equipment was provided was not made clear. As recently as last week, all organisations currently responsible for providing their own lifeguards told The Phuket News that the PPAO so far had provided nothing in the way of life-saving equipment, including the current government concession contract holder LP Laikhum Co Ltd. The continuing fragmented state of lifeguard coverage at Phuket’s beaches came under harsh criticism this week by Daren Jenner, the International Marine Safety Officer, Thailand Section Chief, for the International Surf Lifesaving Association (ISLA).

Mr Jenner on May 14 presented to Governor Norraphat a comprehensive plan to have over 220 freshly trained and internationally certified ocean lifeguards hired full time to

ensure their skills are maintained, with no threat of annual lapses while government contracts are renewed – a fact that was omitted during the meeting on Monday.

As such, until now the public has been unaware that the plan was presented.

“The Phuket Provincial Government is playing a deadly game that will cost tourists and locals lives, and also their livelihoods,” said Mr Jenner.

“The Governor’s plan to turn over what little funds are being provided for critical ocean lifesaving services to the local OrBorTor (municipalities) will only perpetuate the current deadly cycle of inexperienced, non-certified lifeguards, low salaries, fragmented service, and lapses in coverage,” he said.

“All of these will contribute to an increase in the already frighteningly high drowning rates in Phuket,” added Mr Jenner, who has provided his skills as an Ocean Rescue Lifeguard on Phuket for seven years.

Opinion 6

OPINION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

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084 307 7408 execeditor@classactmedia.co.th Fifteen years working in news and covering local issues and events in Phuket, with 18-month hiatus spent working for the Brunei Times on Borneo. From Queensland, Australia; 10 years living in the UK before moving to Phuket in 2000. Degree in business management. Spare time spent sailing or with family.

MATTHEW POND

News & Sports Editor

editor3@classactmedia.co.th Originally from the UK; Has over six years experience as editor and reporter for Phuketindex.com magazine and website, and InPhuket magazine.

O

Not the only bad guys!

n April 1 this year The Phuket News ran an April Fool’s story titled “Phuket launches ‘Good Thais In, Bad Thais Out’ crackdown” laughingly targeting Thai people who travel to Phuket only to carry out crimes that tarnish the island’s tourism image as a “world-class tourism destination”.

The April Fool’s idea was pretty much in line with the Royal Thai Police Immigration Bureau’s “Good Guys In, Bad Guys Out” policy launched in 2014 which targets foreign nationals in Thailand.

However, we are constantly reporting or reading reports of Thais who commit crimes in Thailand, not only in Phuket but also in other tourist areas.

Only earlier this month, The Phuket News reported the arrest of a motorbike taxi driver who had stolen a bag belonging to a tourist and

editor1@classactmedia.co.th From Melbourne, Australia, Mark holds a BA from La Trobe University where he completed a double major in Anthropology and Media Studies.

He has over eight years experience as a journalist, photographer and editor for several magazines and newspapers.

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made off with AUS$200 and more than B1,600 in cash in Rawai. The bag also contained credit cards and an iPhone 6 worth about B20,0000, the latter of which was quickly sold and the money spent.

And just this week, the Bangkok Post reported that in Samut Prakan a tour bus driver has been charged with stealing valuables and other items worth B60,000 from five Chinese passengers whose travel bags were forced open while they visited tourist attractions.

Yes, The Phuket News does understand full well that there are a number of unsavoury foreigners in Thailand committing crimes. But are these crimes that really tarnish the country’s tourism image as a “world-class tourism destination”?

The Phuket News is pretty sure that most of the foreign criminals that are in Thailand

are into far bigger crimes than those mentioned above, but the foreigners that are caught and put on show are not the heavy-hitting organised crime bosses that officials say they are targeting, and actually do not affect the country’s tourism image at all.

So now the April Fool’s story looks much less of a joke. A large percentage of Thais living in Phuket and other tourist destinations are not natives of those provinces, but what checks are made on their backgrounds?

How many have a criminal record in another province for crimes that would in the eyes of officials tarnish the country’s tourism image?

It is clear that it’s not only foreigners who are bad guys, but what are Thai officials prepared to do with their own “bad guys” who do tarnish the country’s tourism image?

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Thailand enjoys tourism gains Dead or alive, search for whale shark continues Phuket Poll: Should marijuana be made legal?

Emerald CEO Sawit Ketroj seeks to reassure Phuket public, investors Missing woman’s trail leads to Phuket Phuket Governor orders public vote on marina project amid concerns over coral damage Foreigners to be tracked

by Defence Ministry 200-year-old Phuket community may become new tourist attraction Maya Bay to get extra protection Chalong Circle closed to turns from next month

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HAVE YOUR SAY

MARK KNOWLES

Lifestyle Editor

EDITORIAL

Do something!

Re: Phuket’s haphazard lifeguard coverage flamed, comprehensive plan blanked The requirements for adequate lifeguards are well established.

Competitive bids could be easily submitted in two weeks.

So, why isn’t it done?

Foot For many years now we have seen and still see that the current lifeguard system is failing.

Take it out of the hands of incompetent officials, including these who do not carry out orders of the Governor.

Terminate the bid system, cut out middle men and possible corruption. What emergency funding? Where is the money that was not spent in the last few months?

Kurt It’s quite simple. Use all the traffic police who are not making Thai’s wear helmets and place them on the beaches and ban people from entering the sea. Or promote Phuket as the place to holiday and drown.

Opinioated Farange

Forgotten shark

Re: Dead or alive, search for whale shark continues off Phuket So… we can “expect the penalty against him to be very serious”? Like, somewhere along the lines of Premchai the jaguar killer and soup maker?

I have zero confidence that anything will arise out of this... other than a dead whale shark.

I wonder how much it cost the boat captain for the DMCR to “assume” that the fish was alive and swam away.

OK next! Let’s move onto the next farce.

Ben Pendejo A dead shark will fall deep to the bottom of the sea because it does not have a swim bladder with air but uses its fins to go up and down.

So, that whale shark is on the seabed forever. Sharks do not have a swim bladder; they rely on lift generated by their large pectoral fins.

Bony fishes utilise swim bladders to move up or down vertically in the water or remain at a uniform depth.

Asterix

Funny business

Re: Phuket laundry truck wipeout still under investigation I hope The Phuket News does not let this case disappear.

There is so much that does not add up – as with many other issues in Chalong Police Station.

Nasa 12 ...............................................

Perverse plastics

Re: Phuket Opinion: Make them pay for plastic Simply having staff ask “would you like a bag?” would have a huge effect, raising awareness and making people think.

But instead we are forced to bag individual items, to double bag “heavy” items and to accept fist fulls of plastic spoons and straws. Perversely we have to fight to NOT be given plastic.

Captain Jack ..............................................

Reefs destroyed

Re: Phuket Governor orders public vote on marina project amid concerns over coral damage Overfishing small species also contributes to the destruction of Thai fishing, they net up

everything with zero regulations. I used to sports fish for recreation, strictly catch and release, 10-15 years ago around the Andaman, now it’s not even worth it as there is not much left in the waters around Phuket. Dynamite has also ruined many coral reefs, they don’t use sustainable practices.

Pauly 44 Dredging, very ecological area, seagrass beds, coral reefs, mangroves, sedimentation and sludge diffusion.

Never mind the locals, this project will effect the livelihood of hundreds, possibly thousands of commercial Thai fishermen operating throughout the Southwest of Thailand. The fishing industry existed long before any tourist industry. The destruction of seagrass beds equals the destruction of Thai fishing.

Capt B ...................................................

Pork a-plenty

Re: New parliament building 170% over budget Surely wouldn’t have anything to do with pork!

RBS47

Have an opinion? Comment on stories at thephuketnews.com thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

THAILAND NEWS

7

When will the election be?

Police faced demonstrators, Prayut says will not bow to demands BANGKOK Bangkok Post

P

rime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has refused to bow to the demands of pro-election activists calling for a swift general election, saying the poll will not take place until early next year.

Speaking after Tuesday’s (May 22) cabinet meeting, Gen Prayut brushed aside the activists’ demand that the government hold an election this year.

“I already said that things must go according to my schedule. That is in early 2019. No earlier than that. I have to stand by my word. It has been delayed for three to four months due to legal technicalities,” Gen Prayut said.

The demonstrators, known as “People who want an election”, and led by the Democracy Restoration Group (DRG), tried to pressure the government into holding a general election by November this year as previously promised by the prime minister despite a more recent proposal

@thephuketnews

Prime Minister Prayut told the media there is no way he will to bow to the protesters demanding an election within 2018 as he previously promised. Photo: Post Today of a new February 2019 date.

The activists are also demanding the NCPO step down before the poll and that the military should stop supporting the council.

Gen Prayut said the government has tried to be lenient with the protesters and has listened to their views.

Still, the government has

to enforce the law to maintain social order, but law enforcement is not used against people who hold different opinions, Gen Prayut said.

“You can think differently, but you must not break the law,” he said.

Demonstrations were permitted within the scope of the law, and those who breached

the law would face tough legal action, the prime minister said.

“Endless demonstrations will slow the pace of the growing economy. The security and the safety of people and property are the highest priority,” Gen Prayut said.

The rally calling for a swift election ended as police surrounded the demonstra-

tors and arrested 14 protest leaders as they approached Government House Tuesday afternoon.

Deputy national police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said that the detained protest leaders have been charged with violating Section 116 of the Criminal Code for sedition; violating Section 215 of the Criminal Code which involves a gathering of 10 people and more to make threats or commit acts of violence to cause disturbances in the country; and Order No.3/2015, which bans political gatherings of five or more people.

The protest leaders are Rangsiman Rome, Sirawith Seritiwat, Piyarat Chongthep, Wiset Sangwitsit, Ekkachai Hongkangwan, Chokchai Phaiboonratchata, Arnon Nampa, Chonticha Jaengrew, Nattha Mahatthana, Khiri Khanthong, Phutthaising Phimchan, Viroj Trong-ngamrak, Pattarapol Chankhot and Prasong Wangwan.

Gen Srivara said the protest leaders would be held for questioning, but he did not say when they would be released.

The rally started at Thammasat University’s Tha Phrachan campus on Na Phra Lan Rd on Monday evening (May 21) when demonstration leaders broke into the university by cutting open a lock on the gate.

After the demonstrators were blocked by police from leaving the university for a march to Government House, another group of demonstrators who gathered outside decided to do so.

Howe ve r, t h e g r o u p was unable to march past Makkawan Rangsan bridge on Ratchadamnoen Nok Ave since police officers had been deployed to secure the road.

About 3:30pm, national police chief Gen Chakthip Chaijinda and his deputy Gen Srivara arrived at the scene. Accusing the protesters of breaking the law, they ordered officers to apprehend the protest leaders one by one while the demonstrators tried to fight back to no avail.

The UN Human Rights Office for Southeast Asia called Tuesday for the immediate release of the activists.

THAILAND NEWS

8

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Police officers get scammed Fake ‘Big Joke’ paid for promotions that would never happen BANGKOK Bangkok Post

S

everal police officers face investigation and possibly serious disciplinary action after paying about B5 million for promotions to a person they believed to be the high-profile deputy tourist police chief Surachet Hakpan, aka “Big Joke”.

The real Big Joke told a news conference at the Royal Thai Police Office in Bangkok on Tuesday (May 22) that the imposter was actually taxi driver Paijit Saiya, 40.

Paijit created a Line chat account using Maj Gen Surachet’s photo, and pretended to be him. The suspect first contacted Lt Col Pong-anant Chubram, investigative superintendent in Nakhon Phanom province, in 2014.

He then developed a re-

Maj Gen Surachet Hakpan (right) deputy commissioner of the tourist police, explains the ‘Big Joke’ imposter case to reporters at the Royal Thai Police Office on Tuesday (May 22). A taxi driver pretending to be him was given more than B5mn in bribes by officers wanting promotions. Photo caption: Tourist Police lationship through the chat application and phone calls with six other police officers, including Col Ukkrit Songchaisa-nguan, deputy commander of Kalasin pro-

vincial police.

Before the 2016 police reshuffle, Col Ukkrit paid B1mn to the suspect, asking for a promotion. Col Ukkrit was promoted, but that was

Woman safe after two-week abduction BANGKOK A CHINESE WOMAN ABducted by five people after arriving at Suvarnabhumi airport from Hong Kong and held for B10 million ransom was found safe on a roadside in Bang Na, Bangkok, 14 days later.

Maj Gen Surachet Hakpan, deputy commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau, said on Monday (May 21) that Jincai Chen, 39, arrived on a flight from Hong Kong about 9:30pm on May 6.

She was abducted by five people, four Chinese and a Thai woman, and a ransom demand made to her husband – a Tanzanian citizen of Korean origin – for 2mn yuan (about B10mn).

Maj Gen Surachet Hakpanshakes hands with Jincai Chen, 39 at Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station. Photo: Somchai Poomlard Last Friday (May 18) the victim’s husband sought help from police, saying he and relatives had paid the ransom but the gang then demanded 1mn yuan more (about B5mn).

Maj Gen Surachet said that from May 6 to 18 the gang kept the victim at a hotel in Bangkok and then took her to a rented house in Pattaya, and then a house on Koh Samet in

Rayong province.

She was then returned to Bangkok, kept blindfolded all the way, and set free last Saturday (May 19) on the side of Bang Na-Trat Rd (Theparat Rd) in Bang Na district, Bangkok.

The woman contacted relatives who in turn called the police.

The deputy commissioner identified the Thai suspect as Wansikan Termthanapat and the four Chinese as Wenqu Sun, Ming Song, Dongliang Sun and Meiling Kai, a woman.

He said the Chinese suspects had left the country before the woman was found last Saturday. Police were hunting for Ms Wansikan and other possible accomplices in Thailand.

Bangkok Post

based on his proven capabilities, Maj Gen Surachet said.

However, the promotion made the chat line Big Joke credible. Later five other police officers followed suit.

Lt Col Pong-anant gathered B4.21mn in total from the five officers and Col Ukkrit, who wanted another promotion in the 2017 reshuffle.

Their payments ranged from B100,000 to B2.5mn each.

The policemen were from the level of a squad leader to a deputy commander.

In the 2017 reshuffle, only Col Ukkrit was promoted – this time to deputy commander of the Kalasin Police.

The five others then became suspicious about the chat line Big Joke they had approached and filed complaints with police in Nakhon Phanom province.

Investigators identified the suspect through a bank account he used to accept the bribes, and an arrest warrant was issued in Nakhon Phanom for Paijit on Monday (May 21).

Maj Gen Surachet said

Paijit fled the northeastern province and hid in Bangkok.

He was arrested at an apartment building on Soi Onnut 46 in Suan Luang district.

The suspect had acted alone and spent the money buying 16-rai of land and taxis he leased out to other drivers, the real Big Joke said.

The policemen involved in the case would be investigated and could face disciplinary action for bribery, which could cost them their jobs, Maj Gen Surachet said.

Paijit said he knew Maj Gen Surachet from news reports and decided to pretend to be the deputy commissioner because of his widely publicised activities. He said the police officers had offered the bribes themselves, he had not asked for them.

T he t a x i d r ive r wa s charged with fraud and computer crime.

12mn pills found in pickup CHIANG RAI AN ABANDONED PICKup truck loaded with 1.4 tons of methamphetamine pills (ya bah) found in Wing Chiat district is believed to be linked to the lethal ambush of a Hmong leader and his family in April.

A total of 57 sacks, containing 11,996,000 speed pills and weighing 1,425 kilograms, were found in the back of the Mazda pickup abandoned on the side of the Chiang Rai-Wiang Chai Rd, near the Myanmar border, on Monday (May 21).

One wheel of the vehicle had fallen off. The driver fled.

The find was reported to police by local residents, Gen Thanitsak Theerasawat, special adviser to the Royal Thai Police Office, told a media briefing on Tuesday (May 22).

He said drug smugglers had recently begun using secondary roads in northern areas to avoid police checkpoints on main roads.

The pickup may have been heading for Phayao. It was overloaded and this might be why the wheel came off.

The 57 packs of pills were all stamped with “Y1’’ or “999’’ and believed to belong to a Wa drug trafficking gang, Gen Thanitsak said.

Police and soldiers inspect sacks containing almost 12 million speed pills seized from a pickup truck found with one wheel missing in Chiang Rai’s Wiang Chai district on Monday (May 21). Photo: Chinapat Chaiyamol Lt Gen Poonsap Prasertsak, commander of Provincial Police Region 5, said the smuggled cargo was believed to be linked to another seizure of 9.4 million speed pills in Wiang Kaen district on April 2.

It was also linked to the fatal attack on the chief of the Hmong club in Thailand and his family in Wiang Kaen district on April 24, Lt Gen Poonsap said.

Two or more gunmen opened fire on Thaweesak Yodmaneebanphot, 54, the head of Thailand-based Hmong association, and his family in Wiang Kaen district, killing his 40-year-old wife, Maiyia and their 5-yearold daughter, Thanyaporn.

Mr Thaweesak, also kamnan of tambon Por, sustained a gunshot wound to his right arm while his 3-year-old son, Chaimongkol, was hit in the left leg. The victims were

driving home from their farm in their pickup truck on the Ban Rom Fa Thong-Ban Pha Tang Rd in tambon Por of Wiang Kaen district when the gunmen attacked.

Mr Thaweesak is a local leader who has campaigned for land rights for residents in Thoeng and Wiang Kaen districts and against the illegal drug trade. The Hmong leader had provided information to police about the smuggling of 9mn ya bah pills prior to the ambush, Lt Gen Poonsap said.

Maj Gen Supachok Thawatteerachai, deputy commander of 3rd Army Region, said large amounts of illicit drugs had been seized since six drug smugglers were shot dead during a clash with a patrol last December.

The ambush of the Hmong leader was linked to recent seizures of ya bah, Maj Gen Supachok said.

Bangkok Post thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

ASIA NEWS

9

Cornering the market Streetside stock pundits have a passion for China’s stock market CHINA Morgan Huang

T

hey may not have the wealth or financial savvy of Warren Buffett, but you will be hard-pressed to find more passionate punters than the silver-haired stock-pickers at Shanghai’s curbside investment forum.

For a quarter-century, the corner of Guangdong and Beihai roads in the heart of the huge Chinese city has been a hub of the rumours, speculation, and occasionally solid information upon which many of China’s millions of market-moving small investors trade.

“The Chinese stock market is going through a W-shape trajectory,” 58-year-old Chai Yongping said loudly amongst the crowd, warning of current volatility.

“But after October, the market will be robust and that will be the best time to make a fortune.”

The lively gaggle of pensioners materialises each Saturday and Sunday in China’s financial hub, where gambling – banned in Communist China – has been replaced by the country’s see-saw stock markets.

The free-flowing conversations

Investors monitor stock price movements at a securities company in Shanghai.

Photo: Johannes Eisele / AFP touch these days on expected topics like US-China trade frictions, China’s recent launch of oil-futures trading, and US Federal Reserve Bank policy, with some onlookers taking notes.

“You know the trade war is just a bargaining chip Trump is using to show his dissatisfaction with China’s launch of oil future,” Chai said, confidently asserting a view

that few experts would echo.

Shanghai’s present-day stock exchange was launched in 1990 and ordinary investors were allowed to invest soon after, but information was initially hard to come by.

Up sprang the amateur investment bazaar, in front of a handsome postmodern building constructed in 1950 as a community and cultural centre for the working class.

Ditching the side-saddle in Pakistan PAKISTAN PERCHED PROUDLY ON their brand-new pink motorcycles, the recruits take to the road, the latest batch of women to demolish boundaries set for them by men in Pakistan.

It is not uncommon to see women on motorcycles in Pakistan – but usually they are sat in the dangerous side-saddle position behind a male driver and, often, several other passengers.

A woman straddling a bike to drive it herself is another thing entirely, an image that is still taboo in many parts of the deeply conservative Muslim country, where gender discrimination is routine.

But as part of a wave of women’s empowerment movements, the government of Punjab province is running “Women on Wheels”, a campaign that has trained scores of women to ride motorbikes in the last two years while raising awareness of genderbased violence and street harassment.

The importance of the issue is underscored by recent studies showing that some 75% of Pakistani women do not participate in the labour @thephuketnews

It is not uncommon to see women on motorcycles in Pakistan but they usually take the side-saddle position behind a male driver. Photo: AFP market, mainly due to a lack of transport.

“The aim is to basically empower women for their mobility because economic independence and economic empowerment depends on mobility,” Salman Sufi, director-general of the Punjab strategic reforms unit, said.

“So we are giving 3,000 bikes, we have trained over 3,500 girls in all of Punjab and this is going to go on until we reach a target of around 10,000 plus.”

On May 13, the latest batch of dozens of new riders set out to challenge perceptions in Lahore.

“We’re becoming... independent,” rider Nageena Waseem said, adding that their new skills will allow them to do “everything which we want. Otherwise we were dependent on another person”.

Activist Nighat Dad said the women were “reclaiming these spaces”, adding that it was a “big big win for women today”.

“Today is a good day for us,” agreed another rider, Tallat Shaheen. “The purpose (is) to bring these girls together... (so) that they be independent and can feel confident and can go and work alongside men.”

AFP

“At that time, when the internet was not around yet, this was the hub that helped investors get firsthand information before making decisions,” said Chai.

The dozens in attendance now spill across a narrow lane into a modern office building’s forecourt.

As he has for more than 10 years, Shen Yuxi, 61, peddles a stock analysis software which he

displays on an old computer screen perched on the sort of wheeled cart used by street-food hawkers.

The “Buffett Analysis System” singles out downtrodden Chinese shares now ripe for the picking. An image of the famed US investor’s kindly face is taped to the screen.

Curious investors checked share prices but no one seemed convinced enough to stump up his 5,800 yuan (B29,275) purchase price.

“Actually, business is not good now but I still come here as information is crucial to making investments,” said Shen, who manages his own portfolio.

Today, China is awash in realtime stock news, tips, and misinformation on social media, but the street-corner punters still gather, finding old habits hard to break.

“More people come here when the market is good,” said Chai.

Crowds shrink in tougher times, such as the 2015 market crash that wiped out the assets of millions of Chinese.

And overall, the streetside vestige of lower-tech times is slowly fading.

“It doesn’t compare to the throngs of the past,” Chai said.

AFP

10 WORLD NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Going green in Guadeloupe A growing awareness that farming practices need to change GUADELOUPE Emmanuelle Trecolle

Y

ellow is the new green in the French Caribbean archipelago of Guadeloupe.

Bananas are the island group’s top agricultural export, and there is growing awareness that farming practices need to change as yields drop and damage from pesticide use rises.

Mindful of the biodiversity in his banana grove at Capesterre-BelleEau on the island of Basse-Terre, farmer Jean-Louis Butel follows the French government’s recommendations on sustainable agriculture.

“Environmental activists had us visit banana groves at night. We saw bats, and 300 or 400 other species living in the grove,” Butel says.

In recent years, yields in areas where bananas are grown exclusively have been on the decline.

On the positive side, attitudes are finally changing over the use of the pesticide chlordecone, which continues to pollute the soil despite being banned since 1990.

Those factors combined have encouraged Butel to switch to more sustainable methods.

Since 2007 “we haven’t used any pesticides, or nematicide (against roundworm parasites) and in 2014 we stopped using herbicides,” he says.

Butel has since started rotating

A worker puts etiquettes on bananas in the ChangyDambas Banana procession plant in Capesterre BelleEau, in the French overseas region of Guadeloupe. Photo: Helene Valenzuela / AFP

sugar cane and bananas, while growing covering crops and deploying insect traps.

Overall, banana growers in Guadeloupe have reduced by 70% their use of pesticides, according to Jacques Louisor of the Tropical Technical Institute.

The final hurdle for many farmers is giving up treatments against the fungus that causes the leaf spotting disease called black sigatoka and can cause yields to plunge by half.

Researchers may soon be able to provide a solution: scientists at the

France-based agricultural research centre CIRAD have developed a banana variety that is partially resistant to the disease.

The variety, dubbed CIRAD 925, has a slightly different taste.

It has hit the market in Guadeloupe, and by the end of the year it could go on sale in the French mainland. By 2020, it may allow farmers to transition to organic agriculture.

Marc Dorel, a researcher at CIRAD, said ending the use of pesticides is not the only obstacle

that remains to shift to organic production. Issues regarding the fertilisation of the crop also remain to be resolved.

And then there is the cost.

“Shifting to zero chemical inputs implies higher production costs,” he said.

To ensure food security and adapt to climate change one has to look beyond industrial-scale agriculture.

You have to recognise and support small farming, which accounts for 70 to 80% in the Antilles and up to 98% in Haiti, said Harry

Ozier-Lafontaine, head of the Antilles and Guiana centre at France’s INRA national agricultural research institute.

Technical researchers have all too often ignored the significance of small farms, seeing them as little more than subsistence operations.

“But in fact they are home to great biodiversity and we can seek their help in the push for agroecology, because they are more resilient than monoculture farms,” OzierLafontaine explained.

INRA, which wants Guadeloupe to transition to an agroecology model, is developing animal feed using local products, in a bid to reduce reliance on imports.

The centre is also researching the shift towards a more restorative and sustainable circular economy, in order to make better use of resources.

In order for Guadeloupe to thrive, so too must its Caribbean neighbours.

A dramatic increase in recent years of sargassum algae off the coast of Brazil, linked to climate change, deforestation and pollution, has sent tourists fleeing as it spread to Guadeloupe’s shores.

INRA is working with several partner groups to turn the problem around.

“We have a project to upgrade the sargassum and to use it differently, by turning it into compost and animal feed,” Ozier-Lafontaine said.

AFP

‘Au revoir’, baguette! France goes burger-mad FRANCE B AG U E T T E L OV E R S may be horrified to learn that in 2017, for the first time ever, hamburger sales were higher in France than the classic jambon-beurre sandwich.

American-style burgers were on the menu at 85% of restaurants in France last year, with a whopping 1.5 billion

units sold, according to Parisbased restaurant consultants Gira Conseil.

The silver lining for foodies was the gradual demise of junk food, with good-quality, fresh alternatives on the rise.

Interestingly, fast food joints sold just 30% of burgers in France, with the majority sold at restaurants with full table service.

This is all big news for a

country that takes great pride in its national culinary culture, and which for years resisted the global burger onslaught.

“We’ve been talking about a burger frenzy for three years. This year, we don’t know how to describe the phenomenon. It’s just crazy,” Gira Conseil director Bernard Boutboul said.

There was a 9% jump in burger sales last year. “That’s

phenomenal growth,” Boutboul said.

In 2016, hamburger sales were on a par with the jambon-beurre, or ham-and-butter baguette – which is still the most popular sandwich in France.

“But in 2017, for the first time, (burgers) overtook (the French classic) by a long way,” Boutboul said, with jambonbeurre sales at 1.2bn units.

“One wonders whether the burger might even overtake our famous steak frites in France,” he said.

There, Boutboul may have hit a nerve. While the French see their food culture as unique, the truth is a lot of it is based on meat, bread and potatoes – not a far cry from what makes up a US burger meal.

More broadly, fast food joint sales were “beating record upon record”, Gira Conseil found, making 51bn euros (B2.028 trillion) in 2017.

France is McDonald’s most profitable market outside the US, having over 1,400 restaurants.

The traditional ‘jambon-beurre’ is no longer popular in France. Photo: Loic Venance / AFP The Golden Arches has adapted to French tastes with the McCamembert and the McBaguette with Emmental cheese, Dijon mustard, the various French salads and even macarons for dessert.

Jean-Pierre Petit, the man credited with helping France fall in love with “McDo”, is one of the brand’s most influential executives, pioneering McDonald’s attempts to adapt itself to local tastes.

In his 2013 book, “I Sold My Soul to McDonald’s”, Petit admitted that he had not eaten his first hamburger

until he was 30.

In 2005 Frenchman Denis Hennequin, who introduced the Parmesan burger in Italy and the Shrimp Burger to Germany, became the first non-American to lead the McDonald’s brand throughout Europe.

But a lot of the fast food that does best in France is high-quality – and fairly pricey.

“Even the Americans are keeping an eye on what we’re doing in our gastronomic fast food sector,” Boutboul said.

AFP thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

BUSINESS NEWS 11

Thailand tourism surges

Russians bounce back with more than 20% growth year to date TOURISM TTR Weekly

T

h ai la nd’s t ou r ism clocked 13,701,411 visitor arrivals during the first four months of 2018, registering an impressive 13.97% gain, with Russian visitors surging by 18.54% growth year on year for April alone.

The Q1 overall visitor arrival numbers were the strongest growth for January to April since 2015, when arrivals to Thailand surged by 23.21%.

For the same four months in 2017, arrivals increased 3.35%.

In April, the visitor head count reached 3,092,725, up 9.38% year-on-year, Ministry of Tourism and Sports Permanent Secretary Pongpanu Svetarundra told a tourism assessment meeting last week.

Thailand’s strong appeal in East Asian markets continued in April with 2,149,095 arrivals (+14.46%) out of slightly more than 3 million total for the month. European markets generated 508,000 visits up by a marginal 0.99%. South Asia,

Tourists wait in line at Phuket International Airport. Photo: The Phuket News / file the other notable regions, supplied 153,000 visits, up 12.6%.

The top-10 country supply markets in April remained the same as previous months: China; Malaysia; Laos; Russia; India; Japan; Korea; Vietnam; the United States and United Kingdom.

China topped the list with 987,000 visits in April alone up by an astounding 31.9%, though critics of mass tourism

who warn Thailand is facing an “overtourism” threat say the country should scale back promotions in China’s lowpriced package tour markets.

Yet the latest figures for April showed Russia making a comeback with 126,000 visits, representing a growth of 18.54% for month year-on-year.

Growing tourist arrivals were named as the key reason for the Russian Embassy to

Martin Holmes joins Northrop & Johnson as General Manager Asia MARINE MARTIN HOLMES OF LEE MARINE has joined Northrop & Johnson as General Manager of the Asia operation, which includes offices in Thailand and Hong Kong.

Mr Holmes joined Lee Marine shortly after its inception in 1997. During his 20 years in Asia, he has been involved in hundreds of yacht sales, both brokerage and new construction, and has witnessed the steady growth of the yachting industry in Asia firsthand, noted a release announcing his new appointment.

Mr Holmes enjoys introducing clients to yachting and is known for his personable style and willingness to go the extra mile for his clients, the release noted.

“When you take time to understand the clients wants and needs it becomes a personal mission to service them fully and correctly,” he says. “After all, a successful on-water lifestyle relies on many factors that must be considered and managed, and we are here to turn a client’s dream into reality in the most effective way possible.”

The appointment follows Lee Marine acquiring full licence rights to Northrop & Johnson Asia earlier this year, when Joshua Lee, founder of and Managing Director of Lee Marine, assumed the role of Managing Director for Northrop & Johnson Asia effective immediately.

“We are extremely excited and honoured to have Josh joining the Northrop & Johnson senior management team as Managing Director @thephuketnews

With 20 years in Phuket’s marine industry under his belt, Martin Holmes now also heads the Northrop & Johnson Asia office. for Asia where we expect to see significant growth in the coming years” said Northrop & Johnson COO Daniel Ziriakus.

“We feel that under the revamped management, our Asia team will be able to better assist our clients and achieve greater success, while being more integrated with our Australian office, four offices in Europe and six offices in the US. “I see this as a natural move for both Lee Marine and Northrop & Johnson Asia as we will concentrate both companies on their core strengths. Both companies under my leadership will continue to thrive in their respective areas,” Mr Lee said.

“Lee Marine will continue its awardwinning sales and after-sales service of new and used vessels smaller than 30 metres and Northrop & Johnson will concentrate on large brokerage sales, new construction and project management, charter and vessel management services,” he added.

The Phuket News

spread its presence in Thailand and open a new Honorary Consulate on Koh Samui earlier this week. Opening the consulate, Russian Ambassador to Thailand Kirill Barsky stressed that the decision to add an extra Honorary Consulate was a result of continuous growth of tourist arrivals to Thailand from Russia, which totalled 1.35 million in 2017.

According to Maya Lo-

midze, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), Thailand ranks among most demanded foreign destinations even in northern hemisphere summer months, considered to be “tourism low season” in Thailand.

Moreover, Thailand is the only Asian country on Russian tourists’ summer preferences list, up against Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Spain, Italy and Bulgaria, among others.

According to statistics from Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism & Sports, April is the only month so far this year to enjoy less than 20% growth compared with the same month last year: January saw 226,754 Russian arrivals (+28.2%); February saw 195,219 arrivals (+25.81%); March saw 197,023 arrivals (+25.55%); and April 126,402 arrivals (+18.54%).

Meanwhile, the number of visitors to Thailand from India in April grew 12.94% to 121,000, and Vietnam, now a top-10 country market for Thailand, delivered 89,000 increasing by 14.05%.

There were two negative performers. Surprisingly, South Korea with 116,000 visits declined by a marginal 0.47%, but the 12.84% decline in UK visits to 87,000 should set an alarm bell ringing.

In addition, revenue earned from tourism in April reached B157.44 billion, up 12.52%.

In revenue terms the top 10 countries were China, Russia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Korea, Japan, India and Germany.

A r r ivals for Ja nu a r y to April this year reached 13,701,411, while the ministry estimated the country reaped B730.75bn in tourism revenue, an increase of 17.55% over the same period last year.

The estimate suggests that the growth in tourism revenue was the highest since the first four months of 2015 when earnings grew 24.6%.

Top spend segments are accommodation 28.7%, gifts and shopping 24.4% and food and beverage 20.6%.

Additional reporting by Anton Makhrov.

12 BUSINESS NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Sawit mounts his defence

Emerald Group CEO Sawit Ketroj seeks to reassure public, investors PROPERTY The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

E

merald Group CEO Sawit Ketroj, the prominent Phuket condo developer arrested earlier this month on a fraud charge, and re-released on bail last week after failing to present himself to court as part of his original bail conditions, held a press conference last Saturday (May 19) to address the accusations of fraud and mismanagement.

The press conference was held at the Dara Hotel, but Mr Sawit, Executive Director of The Emerald Development Group Co Ltd, declined to answer direct questions from the media regarding concerns about several of his companies projects.

“I want to tell everyone that I am confident that our projects will keep going and that we just need time. We understand if people want to cancel their contracts with these projects.

We are fine because we know The Emerald Development Group is valuable,” said Mr Sawit.

“For foreign clients, I will explain our updated plan in May. We have enough investment and we want to make sure the people of Phuket and our clients are confident in our ability to manage the projects,” he added.

When asked what was going on in the investigation of his charges, reported by Tourist Police national chief Gen Surachet Hakpan as amounting to defaulting investors of up to B127 million, Mr Sawit

Sawit Ketyroj, Executive Director of The Emerald Development Group Co Ltd, declined to answer direct questions from the media regarding concerns about several of his companies projects. Photo: The Phuket News declined to answer directly, saying, “I want to know what is the result of the investigation. Please tell me what is it.”

Mr Sawit released a written statement detailing the state of nine projects, managed through five subsidiary companies under the Emerald Group’s umbrella, in an effort to reassure investors and the public. The statement said negative media coverage had affected business and tourism confidence in Phuket.

“I and all Emerald Group employees are engaged in business and work with honesty to deliver the best condominium accommodation to the customers who believe in our company throughout the eight years of our hard work,” said Mr Sawit in the statement.

According to the statement, the Emerald Group is presently managing the following

projects under the control of five separate companies: • Two completed projects: - Kathu Golf Condo Project by Emerald Development Group Co Ltd. - The Emerald Terrace Condo Phuket by Phuket Future Development Co Ltd. • Two projects under construction: - The Emerald – Central Project by Phuket Capital Real Estate Co Ltd. - The Emerald City Life Condo Patong by Emerald Development Group Co Ltd. • Projects under construction and waiting for licence: - The project on land in Kalim (north of Patong) by Phuket Future Group Co Ltd consisting of four sub-projects: Emerald Nirvana 1 and 2; Nirvana Lux; and Jade Villa Project.

• One project in preparation:

- Five-star hotel and resort

by Phuket Advanced Development Co Ltd. “It can be seen that only Phuket Future Group Co Ltd is in the media spotlight, but other projects are in different parts and still operated normally. Therefore, it means that this is not a problem for all projects under the Emerald Brand,” said the statement.

“Phuket Future Group Co Ltd was established in 2014.

Currently under construction and gradually operating projects with a total value of B1.2 billion, with total sales of B941mn or 70% and B359mn already paid by customers.

“The total investment cost of the project was B117mn, brokerage fee was B56.6mn, construction cost was B110mn, interest and management fee was B68.34mn (excluding additional investment). The

total tax amount of B7.61mn was paid regularly.

“So the money from the company’s capital and sales was put to work. There is evidence and the accounts can be verified. The company is now working on the application for permission in other projects. The customers who are confident will receive special conditions as prescribed by the company since starting the project and the contracts to buy and sell. The company has all proper legal contracts.

“The project on Kalim Beach has been developed on an area of 36 rai, divided into a sub-project villas and residences, the company has been partially licensed. The company has been working on the construction permit.

Since the construction is on sloping hills, the company has taken great care in engineering and architecture.

Especially engineering work, the company most focuses on the safety (aspect), causing the project to delay.

“We would like to inform (that) the main reason that causing the delay concerns the new amendments to environmental law. As a result, the project needs to be modified in accordance with the new law, which was handed down in 2017. It took each party to make changes up to three times each time. The sales and customer relations of the company has contacted customers via email and other channels all the time.

“All 185 current customers in the project are trustworthy customers. There are 98 customers who cancelled their

contracts, representing 50%.

The company is willing to make a repayment plan and gradually negotiate to take care of these customers fully.

“The current fair value of the company and subsidiaries from estimation is around B6.1bn. As a result, the company is aware of the need to raise funds in various ways and continue to work on the financial plan for the next two to three years, there are other companies from other countries and in Thailand that are interested to collaborate. It is expected that this year we will be able to raise capital to make the whole business more stable. Currently the company has a proper plan for liquidity management.

“Emerald Group Co Ltd and its subsidiaries have confidence in the business and that it will continue the construction. All projects will be completed in accordance with their plans and sufficient funding sources. We would like to assure customers and society that Phuket real estate projects are worth investing in compared to other provinces.

“I am sure that many projects besides Emerald in various locations in Phuket are all interesting. Emerald Group is a member of the Real Estate Association Phuket, which has set up guidelines and ways to promote real estate that is sold to foreigners and Thais.

Because real estate is not just increasing revenue and tourism to Phuket only, the main point is (that Phuket is) ‘the province that everyone wants to live in’,” concluded Mr Sawit in the statement.

Court rules unregistered properties rented on Airbnb illegal RENTALS PEOPLE W HOSE PROPERties are not registered under the Hotel Act and are rented out via Airbnb on a daily or weekly basis are acting illegally, according to a recent court ruling handed down to the Wan Vayla Condo in Hua Hin District of Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

The court ruled that for people renting out their rooms who have not obtained a licence to run a hotel business under the 2004 Hotel Act, only rentals of 30 days or more would be legal.

The parties affected by the ruling include owners of condos who

rent out their rooms via the Airbnb app on a daily and weekly basis to both Thai and foreign customers.

The owners of the condo rooms fear that as a result of the ruling, authorities will strictly enforce the law and it would no longer allow them to operate their business via Airbnb, leaving customers no chance of finding accommodation through the app.

According to media reports, the Wan Vayla Condo in Khao Tao has received a letter from the local authorities outlining the court’s decision in two of three cases in which condos were rented out for less than a month.

In one case, the court ruled that a fine of B5,000 must be paid plus

The properties, promoted through Airbnb, were not registered as hotels, making them illegal to rent out for periods of less than 30 days. Photo: AFP B500 for each day of the 20-day stay, a total of B15,000.

In the second case, the court ruled that a B5,000 baht fine must be paid with a further fine of B100 for a staggered 81-day period. The total amount of the fine is B13,100.

The third case is still pending.

Local officials looked into the matter in December and took the case to court. The first case was ruled upon on Jan 5 and the second case on Jan 16. The rulings in both cases were only recently made public.

Meanwhile, the Thai Hotels Association (THA) has asked the government to revoke non-registered hotels including Airbnb apartments and condominiums. They say these operators are causing problems for the nation’s tourism industry.

Surapong Techaruvichit, an adviser to the THA, said the association wants the government to invoke Section 44 to deal with the problem.

“We believe the number of nonregistered properties will decrease if the government exercises Section 44,” he said.

According to him, more than half of the hotels in the market are non-registered hotels, otherwise known as illegal hotels.

Illegal hotels include serviced apartments, guesthouses, condominiums, and other private properties available for rent for tourists.

These properties are not registered as hotels under the Department of Local Administration that approves and issues hotel licences.

He said that the THA considers Airbnb a new threat to the hotel and tourism industry.

Bangkok Post

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Ride 4 Kids targets B1 million in donations

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

15

Cannes winners named as politics takes stage

17

MASTERCLASS Learn how to preapre Thailand’s famously complex green curry paste after shopping for ingredients at the local market. Photos: Supplied

The Boathouse Cooking School lets you get hands on and learn the secrets of traditional Thai cuisine Olivia Daniel

H

aving been born and raised in Thailand, I would consider myself a relatively harsh critic when it comes to Thai cooking. Recently, I was lucky enough to attend The Boathouse cooking school which without doubt boasts some of the best chefs and the best views on the island.

Our culinary journey started on a fine Saturday morning with a trip to the local Thai food market, which was an extravagantly colourful and sensory experience. The market was authentically complete with fresh fruit, live seafood, meats and vegetables and various animal body parts which you certainly wouldn’t encounter in your local supermarket in a Western country!

We were accompanied by Jimmy, our charming Thai chef and teacher, who explained in great detail about the produce we would be using during the course of the day as well as many unique Thai customs and culinary rituals, just like his mother taught him when he was a little boy.

After we explored the market and tried some strange Thai fruits, we were transported back to The Boathouse and introduced to one of the most idyllic views Phuket has to offer. Two cooking stations were set up overlooking the crystal blue waters of Kata Beach which was a dramatic contrast to the local market we had just encountered. I @thephuketnews

The author (left) with Chef Jimmy (centre) and her fellow classmates at the Boathouse cooking school. felt privileged, however, to have experience both.

As we commenced cooking our starter, a personal favourite of mine Yam Woon Sen Goong (Spicy glass noodle salad with prawns), it became very apparent how intricate and detailed the preparation of Thai cuisine really is. The dish consisted of many pastes, spices and herbs which had to be meticulously crushed in a mortar with pestle before serving. I personally find the notion of measuring and formulating all a bit tedious, so thankfully Jimmy had already laid out our ingredients for us thus making the experience all the more enjoyable. Another element I appreciated was Jimmy’s eat-as-you-go method, so we were never left hungry.

The starter was perfect – sweet, sour and spicy.

We then attempted the preparation of our main course, a Thai classic of Gaeng Kiew Wan Gai (Green curry chicken with eggplant and sweet basil leaves). Once again, the marinating and seasoning had to be done with the utmost love, care and precision. Jimmy guided us through all this informatively, but also with fun and charisma while allowing us ample time to enjoy our romantic surroundings.

Our main course was served alongside a Khao Ob Sapparod (Pineapple fried rice with crab meat, green pea, raisins and cashew nut).

The curry which Jimmy helped us prepare was perhaps the best I have ever enjoyed which is a bold statement for someone who eats as much Thai food as I do. The coconut milk was beautifully fragrant along with the sweet

aromatic basil – I hope I can replicate these exceptional flavours in my kitchen back in London where I now live!

Our final dish was a dessert that I had never come across, Tub Tim Krob (Crystal water chestnuts in iced coconut milk). As we mixed and boiled the tapioca-covered chestnuts, coconut milk and Pandanus leaves, Jimmy regaled us with stories of his parents’ cooking and his childhood memories of eating the palm sugar off his mother’s cooking station – a key ingredient in most of the dishes we cooked.

Although dangerously full from our starter and main courses, we managed to produce a sensationally light and summery dessert bursting with colour and character. It was a flawless finishing dish with which to treat our already spoilt taste buds.

To conclude our delightfully gluttonous adventure, we were presented with certificates to congratulate us on our culinary success! The cooking, the setting and the relaxed nature of the course all contributed to the romanticism of the entire day. The whole experience lasted approximately four hours, still leaving enough time for us to enjoy the stunning Andaman sunset.

I felt like I had been invited to learn the secrets of healthy and delicious Thai cooking during this hands-on experience which makes The Boathouse cooking school definitely not one to miss.

For more information or bookings visit: boathouse-phuket.com

14 CULTURE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Suicide is not

painless Phuket’s Sarasin Bridge is a notorious suicide spot. Photo: Roma Neus

You have more power to prevent suicide than you may think ALL ABOUT BUDDHISM Jason A. Jellison mitnoy@live.com

The goal of Buddhism is to lessen the suffering of all living things, human or not, and since suicide inevitably causes needless suffering we’re staunchly against it.

All About Buddhism is a monthly column where I take readers on my exotic journey into Thai Buddhism and debunk a number of myths about Buddhism. If you have any specific queries, or ideas for articles, please email: editor1@ classactmedia.co.th

T

he date is May 14, 2014 and a man is giving a stand-up lecture. Far from being an academic, he’s actually a retired police officer. During his career, he had the unique responsibility of patrolling San Francisco’s famous Golden Gate Bridge.

The bridge was built in 1937 and it is considered one of the most majestic sights in the modern world. But, it’s also one of the world’s leading suicide magnets. In the 81 years since its opening, the bridge has seen over 1,600 suicides; approximately twenty a year.

In his twenty-odd years on the police force, Sgt Kevin Biggs managed to talk hundreds of wouldbe jumpers out of their plans. He only lost two and that’s a real accomplishment, because once someone gets onto the bridge’s outer ledge, police cannot manoeuvre fast enough to physically stop a suicide. Either the police talk them out of it, or it’s all over.

I recently watched a recording of his lecture and I immediately realised that his unusual job had given him some rather Buddhist insights. Specifically, he learned that no matter how distraught a person was, the second he let go of that outer railing was the very second that they wanted to live again… but it was too late.

In fact, Thai Buddhists object to suicide for precisely this reason. Thai Monks have often thought that a person would reignite the desire to live only after the point of no return. Now we really know that’s true.

It may surprise you to know that architects have long-known that bridges attract suicide. Engineers have tried to make bridges suicide-proof, but it never entirely works.

Last year, Thailand had jumpers on the Arun Amarin Bridge, the Bhumibol 2 Bridge, and the Rama 3, 7, 8, and Rama 9 Bridges in Bangkok.

Here in Phuket, the Sarasin Bridge has been a suicide hotspot ever since the 1960’s suicide of a pair of star-crossed teenage lovers who were forbidden to be together. (Who says Shakespeare is dead?) To this day, many Thai’s hold their breath and make a wish before crossing Phuket’s Sarasin Bridge.

Thailand has one suicide every two hours, and by the time someone climbs out onto an outer ledge or a roof, it is very difficult to talk them back – because a suicidal person is rarely thinking of future lives.

The suicidal only see the present.

The act of suicide brings immense suffering to those left behind in it’s wake. The goal of Buddhism is to lessen the suffering of all living things, human or not, and since suicide inevitably causes needless suffering we’re staunchly against it.

There are some common factors amongst most suicides. First, be aware that suicides most commonly come from people who have experienced an

A sign on the Golden Gate Bridge urging suicidal people to call for counselling. Photo: Guillaume Paumier acute bereavement, clinical-depression, or the elderly and distraught teenagers.

Chronic diseases and substance abuse are often overlooked as risk factors for suicide, as is acute financial crisis and cyber-bullying. Moreover, contrary to what you may see in the movies, more women attempt to commit suicide than men, paradoxically though, men are more likely to actually die from suicide.

Suicides usually happen when someone thinks like this: First they think that life sucks, never will be worth it, and then they become clinically-depressed. That 1-2-3 sequence of events is a recipe for disaster.

You have more power to prevent suicide than you may think. If you don’t know anyone who’s suicidal, consider making a donation to charities that help suicidal people or volunteer your time.

However, if you know someone who’s having a horrible time, take the time to ask them if they’re suicidal.

Just walk up to them, start a nice conversation, and eventually say “others in your circumstances have thought about ending their lives. How are you doing?”

Finally, if you’re considering suicide, please consider joining Thai Buddhism rather than ending your life.

Consider making a donation to charities that help suicidal people. Photo: USAF You will find people there who really love and care about you and, don’t worry if you’re poor, we don’t charge anything.

Westerners can also call the Samaritan Suicide Hotline for help at 027 136 791. Thais can call 027 136 793. Thailand also has online help available at: suicidefindinghope.com/ home. They specialise in Buddhist support; but also have literature for Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Mormons and Muslims. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

COMMUNITY 15

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Ride 4 Kids is back for 2018 The gruelling 700km ride aims to raise B1 million for children’s charities The Phuket News editor1@classactmedia.co.th

I

n the first year of Ride 4 Kids in 2017, the riders and supporters managed to raise B1.2 million for the children, preparations and training is now underway for Ride 4 Kids V2.0, 2018, to benefit the needy children of Phuket through three different charities, The Good Shepherd, Phuket Has Been Good To Us and Outrigger’s Share 4 Change Program.

On June 11, 2018, 18 riders from around Phuket and two flying in from overseas will jump in the saddle to ride 700 kilometres over six days all in the name of charity. They will start in Phuket from the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort and return six days later after cycling through beautiful Phang Nga, Krabi, Surat Thani, Khao Sok and Khao Lak. The title sponsor for the event is once again Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort together with Pavilions Phuket, as major sponsors and returning as media sponsors are The Phuket News as well as The Thaiger supporting for 2018. The entire Phuket community is once again behind the charity ride with fundraising events throughout the island scheduled in support. These

@thephuketnews

Ride 4 Kids cyclists stop for a group photo as they arrive back in Phuket during last year’s epic ride. fundraising events will include a charity quiz at Underwood’s Art Factory on June 9 and a touch football tournament at the Alan Cooke Cricket Ground on June 3, with all proceeds going to Ride 4 Kids.

Kajonkiet International School Phuket and British International School, Phuket and their school networks are also behind the ride, with a number or activities being hosted by the schools for the children, including bake sales and ride-a-thons – all to benefit Ride 4 Kids V2.0. A number of parents and teachers from both school communities are completing the six day adventure. If 700km is not possible for you, there is also an opportunity to

join the riders to bring them home on the last day with a 100km event. Additional riders will join the team for a sumptuous breakfast at JW Marriott Resort and Spa Khao Lak and then jump in the saddle too, for the last 100km to Outrigger Laguna Beach Resort Phuket.

A welcome home party for the riders, crew, their friends and families has be arranged at Outrigger’s Metzo’s Bar and Bistro.

“As the title sponsor for the event, hosting the welcome home party is our pleasure, we are excited once again to be part of the event” said General Manager, Tony Pedroni, who is also doing the ride with his wife Annie Pe-

Ride 4 Kids organisers with some of the children they will be raising money for during their ride. droni. There will be raffles and silent auctions up for grabs all in the name of the charity.

“We hope to follow on from last year and break the million baht target,” added Ride 4 Kids organiser Donna Toon.

With the support and momentum already garnished with the event so far, it looks like the target could be achieved.

The Phuket News is proud to be supporting this event and wish all the riders and crew a safe journey. To keep up to date with events please follow Ride 4 Kids at facebook.com/www.ride4kids. co and if you would like to make a donation to this incredible event please visit: ride4kids.co

16 HISTORY

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

The influence of India’s Hindu religion and culture can be seen throughout Thailand and Malaysia, a testament to the long history of trade between Indians, Thais and Malays. Photos: (L-R) B Spragg and J Láscar

Phuket’s Indian influences Indians have long sailed monsoon winds to trade on the Andaman coast The Phuket News editor1@classactmedia.co.th

Hinduism appears to have been dominant in Phuket for over a thousand years – In the foyer of the Phuket History Museum in Thalang stands a large and ancient stone statue of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Hindu gods are often worshipped alongside Buddha in Thailand.

T

he annual monsoon winds in Asia take their name from the Arabic word “mausim”, meaning seasonal. They are caused by the heating up and rising of the air over the hot central Asian landmass in the summer.

This sucks in the cooler moisture-laden air from the Indian Ocean, deluging the south and east of the continent in rain. Asia’s subsequent cooling in winter then causes the process to reverse. These winds have blown for six months northeasterly then six months southwesterly since time immemorial.

Indian and particularly Malay mariners learned the rhythm of these monsoon winds at least four thousand years ago. They realised they could trade on these faraway coasts, wait until the monsoon winds changed and then make the same trip in reverse.

These predictable monsoon winds allowed trade and communication to develop between India and the Malay Peninsula as early as 2000BC or before. Both Malay and Indian sailors began making this crossing eastwards carrying goods such as textiles and cottons, and westwards with goods such as tin, aromatic woods or other forest products. The earliest Hindu text, the Rig Veda, written around 700BC, alludes to such voyages, stating: “Merchants, under the influence of greed, send out ships to foreign countries… merchants go everywhere in pursuit of gain and frequent every part of the sea.”

Other Indians crossed to the more sparsely populated Malay Peninsula to hunt or to live as aesthetic hermits in the remote caves and forests. After 500BC, during what is now called the “Early Kingdoms Period”, India was ravaged by frequent and brutal wars between the smaller kingdoms developing there and some Indian lords and their followers fled their enemies or defeat by crossing over to the Peninsula to set up new fiefdoms there.

The Serajah Keddah, the historical annals of the northwestern Malaysian state of Keddah, to the south of Phuket, gives an account of one such Hindu warrior prince, Marong Mahawangsa, who it claims founded the early kingdom known as Langkasuka in the central peninsula region in the first century AD. These rather mythical annals tell us that in between fighting off a giant bird attempting to steal his ships in its claws and shooting off huge flaming arrows and the like, Marong crossed the Bay of Bengal and “The ships came in sight of Salang Island [Phuket] in the sea called Tappan [now Andaman]”, where he anchored off the island and sent a party onshore “to ask permission of the raja to wood and water.”

Marong’s fleet then left Phuket and sailed southeast for another “day and a night” until they were caught in a bad storm off “Pulau Lada” (probably Koh Lanta) which wrecked several ships. They eventually landed further south on an island they called “Lankapuri” (Langkawi?): “The coastline was hilly and jungled. The bays

had an abundance of fishes. Berries and fruits could be picked easily and jungle fowl were plenty. No people were seen. Shelters were built and stockades fixed to keep out prowling wild animals. At nights the vessel and the camp were lit up.

“These lights drew the Girgassi [local tribal] pirates and they pressed on the camp to loot, but their savage mode of approach could not prevail against organised fighters and the Girgassis submitted and invited Marong to be their chief.”

He accepted their offer and became the monarch of all the forested lands that lay before him. He named the island “Lankasuka” (Island of Health), “a fitting name, as there prevailed from dawn to dusk a cool breeze that was found vivifying and suitable for human health. He took possession of all the pirate haunts and so removed piracy. Indian and Chinese traders thereafter came and went without fear. He built Hindu shrines and returned to India and brought craftsmen, priests and teachers with him and encouraged trade”.

This folkloric tale gives us some idea of how early Indian strongmen founded kingdoms on the peninsula. In Sanskrit, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra came to be known as “Suvarnabhumi” or “Land of Gold”.

In these small river-mouth communities on the peninsular west coast, Indian (mainly Tamil) and then later Arab and Persian mariners and traders developed trade connections and friendships with the local communities and rulers. These traders would often return to the same communities year after year and often stayed for months to trade and waiting for the monsoon winds to turn. They would be allocated a home and a wife for their stay and they begat mixed-race children and just as with foreigners today, many decided to stay on and live there permanently.

These Indian traders also brought with them their holy men who spread Hindu, Buddhist and Brahmanist beliefs.

These local Malay, Mon and Tamil leaders gained both economically and in prestige and power from associating with these foreign traders and their holy men. In this way, the Indian religions, or at least modified versions of them,

Dhows like this may have been used by Indian merchants. merged with the existing animistic beliefs of the locals, were adopted in much of the peninsula from around 500BC onwards.

Hinduism appears to have been dominant in and around Phuket for over a thousand years between about 500BC and around AD700. In the foyer of the Phuket History Museum in Thalang stands a large and ancient (possibly ninth-century) stone statue of the Hindu god Vishnu. It was found in 1900 in thick forest overgrowth on the Phang Nga coast and confirms the early presence of Hinduism in the area.

Several other ancient Hindu stone carvings and temple remains have been recovered from sites surrounding Phuket – Takua Pa, Chaiya, Surat Thani, Krabi and Keddah. Analysis of the stone in these statues shows that some were carved in India and transported over while others were sculpted on the peninsula.

Evidence of this ancient Hindu heritage can also be seen in the important place Sanskrit and Pali words occupy in the Siamese language, also in the many Indian names still used by Thais and more commonly in the Thai greeting “Sawasdee ka”, which probably derives from the Sanskrit word “swastika”, meaning “well-being”. Additionally, the traditional bowed head and wai hands greeting of Thais is said to have originally been a greeting between Hindu warrior lords to show mutual respect (and that they had no weapon in their hands ready to kill one another).

Adapted with kind permission from the book ‘A History of Phuket and the Surrounding Region’ by Colin Mackay.

Available from good bookshops and Amazon.com. Order the softcover 2nd edition directly at: historyofphuket.com thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

ART 17

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Japan wins Cannes top prize

Spike Lee accepts the runner-up Grand Prix for ‘BlacKkKlansman’ Deborah Cole / AFP

S

hoplifters, a heart-wrenching family tale by Japanese veteran director Hirokazu Kore-eda, won the Palme d’Or top prize at the Cannes film festival last Saturday (May 19), at a ceremony marked by an emotional speech from a Harvey Weinstein accuser.

Spike Lee accepted the runner-up Grand Prix for BlacKkKlansman, a searing broadside against racism with the stranger-than-fiction true story of an African-American police officer who manages to infiltrate the highest levels of the Ku Klux Klan. Jury president Cate Blanchett said the film, which explicitly links the 1970’s tale and white nationalism in the Trump era, “blew us out of the cinema”.

But the most stunning moment of the night came when Italian star Asia Argento, who has said she was raped by Weinstein at Cannes in 1997, took the microphone and vowed to fight for justice for other victims.

“This festival was his hunting ground,” said Argento, who says she was 21 when Weinstein attacked her in his hotel room.

“Even tonight sitting among you there are those who still have to be held accountable for their conduct against women. We know who you are and we are not going to allow you to get away with it any longer,” she said to cheers from the audience.

Minutes before the actress took the stage police in Paris said they had opened a criminal probe against one of France’s best-known directors, The Fifth Element maker Luc Besson, for allegedly raping an actress.

Lebanese actress-director Nadine Labaki, one of three female filmmakers among the 21 contenders, earned the third-place Jury Prize for Capernaum set among the poorest of the poor in Beirut and featuring a devastating performance by a 13-year-old Syrian refugee boy.

Kazakhstan’s Samal Yeslyamova nabbed best actress for Ayka by director Sergey Dvortsevoy for her moving portrayal of a young jobless immigrant from post-Soviet Central Asia who abandons her baby in Moscow.

Polish Oscar winner Pawel Pawlikowski took the prize for best director for Cold War, a tragic love story set against the backdrop of the Iron Curtain. Pawlikowski, who won the foreign-language movie Oscar for Ida in 2015, caused a scandal at home when he said at the festival that the film had been “blacklisted” by the nationalist government. Warsaw denied the claim.

He said his award was “a rare piece of good news” for his country.

Italy’s Marcello Fonte – who was working as a caretaker when he was discovered – was the night’s fairytale winner. He clinched best actor for his much-loved performance as a softspoken pet groomer who stands up to a heavy in Matteo Garrone’s Dogman.

Three Faces by Iran’s Jafar Pahahi, who was barred by Tehran from attending the festival, shared the best screenplay prize with Italian director @thephuketnews

Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-Eda was awarded with the Palme d’Or for the film ‘Shoplifters’ at the 71st edition of the Cannes Film Festival in southern France. Photo: AFP

Cannes jury president Cate Blanchett and director Agnes Varda, joined arms with 82 other women to demand an increase in female representation in the film industry at large. Photo: AFP Alice Rohrwacher’s Happy as Lazzaro.

The Belgian transgender ballerina drama Girl won the Camera d’Or prize for best first film. It had earlier scooped the Queer Palm prize for LGBT-themed cinema and the best actor award for Victor Polster in the Un Certain Regard sidebar section.

French-Swiss legend Jean-Luc Godard also got a special prize for The Image Book, a bold, sometimes baffling meditation on the big questions of our time – war, migration and the survival of the planet.

Shoplifters was an early favourite at the 71st Cannes festival. It depicts a couple who rescue two abused and neglected children, providing the first love the youngsters have experienced even as they groom the kids to steal. US movie website IndieWire hailed it as “miraculous” while The Guardian called it “a rich, satisfying film”.

Spike Lee called his own movie, which many critics hailed as a return to form for the Do the Right Thing director, a “wake-up call” against extremism.

“It’s a very, very scary time we live in,” he told reporters.

“There is a lot of change but there is a lot of stuff that needs to happen... and with the present (Trump) administration they’re doing many things to roll back the clock which I feel is dangerous.”

Beyond the prize winners, this year’s festival will linger for its off-screen moments. Hollywood stars including Blanchett, Kristen Stewart, Helen Mirren and Salma Hayek and directors Ava DuVernay and Patty Jenkins joined a red-carpet protest to demand equal opportunities for women and a “safe workplace”. Two days later, festival organisers signed a pledge to encourage more diversity in its selection by 2020.

Spike Lee accepted the runner-up Grand Prix for ‘BlacKkKlansman’ Photo: AFP

2018 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS • Palme d’Or: Shoplifters by Hirokazu Kore-Eda (Japan) • Grand Prix: BlacKkKlansman by Spike Lee (US) • Jury Prize: Capernaum by Nadine Labaki (Lebanon) • Special Palme d’Or: Jean-Luc Godard (France, Switzerland) for The Image Book • Best director: Pawel Pawlikowski (Poland) for Cold War • Best actress: Samal Yeslyamova (Kazakhstan) for Ayka • Best actor: Marcello Fonte (Italy) for Dogman • Best first film: Girl by Lukas Dhont (Belgium) • Best short film: All these Creatures by Charles Williams (Australia) • Special mention for short film: On The Border by Wei Shujun (China) • Best screenplay (tied): Director Alice Rohrwacher (Italy) for Happy as Lazzaro and director Jafar Panahi (Iran) and scriptwriter Nader Saeivar (Iran) for Three Faces

18 ISLAND SCENE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

BISP Class of 2018.

BISP CLASS OF 2018 CELEBRATES AT A JOYFUL GRADUATION CEREMONY Congratulations to the BISP Class of 2018 on their Graduation Ceremony held last Saturday (May 19). Class Act Media wishes you the best of luck with all your future endeavours!

From left: Deputy MD Muncharee Songkhor, MD Wanchai Leenawatthana and Assistant MD Ratchanok Wongcharoen.

Local media and other guests pose for a group photo with H Sem’s new vehicles.

H SEM LAUNCHES NEW RANGE OF VEHICLES NOW AVAILABLE IN PHUKET H SEM invited local media and other guests to test drive their new range of electric and combustion vehicles during an event at Rajabhat University last Saturday (May 19).

Miss Grand pageant winners from several provinces of Thailand attended the event.

Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong (centre) attended the launch event.

MISS GRAND WINNERS FROM ACROSS THAILAND LAUNCH NIGHT RUN The winners of provincial Miss Grand beauty pageants from across Thailand gathered at the Limelight Avenue shopping centre in Phuket Town last Saturday (May 19) to help launch the upcoming Charity Night Run Phuket hosted by Limelight. Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong and other VIPs also attended to show their support for the event.

TOP YOUNG CHEFS FROM ALL ACROSS THAILAND GO TO BATTLE IN BKK

Young chefs enjoyed the chance to show their skills.

Chaine Phuket’s Ian Lancaster (left) helps present the awards.

Thailand’s best chefs, apprentices and Chaine members travelled from far and wide to attend the Jeunes Chefs competition in Bangkok at the Dusit Thani Centre of Excellence on May 16. The annual event offers young chefs the opportunity to demonstrate their culinary skills in a competitive environment with their peers.

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THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

ISLAND SCENE 19

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

QSI students made their unique fashion items from a range of recycled materials.

Students of all ages took part in the show.

QUALITY SCHOOLS INTERNATIONAL HOSTS 2018 TRASH FASHION SHOW Quality Schools International (QSI) Phuket hosted its Trash Fashion Show for 2018 last Friday (May 18). The event gives student a chance to show their creativity through fashion.

Guests made masks and flags to celebrate the Royal Wedding.

EXPATS GATHER AT PEPPERS SPORTS BAR TO WATCH THE ROYAL WEDDING English and other expats gathered at Peppers Sports Bar Phuket in Bang Tao last Saturday (May 19) to watch the telecast of the British Royal Wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Thai celebrity Ruangsak “James” Loychusak competed in this year’s Tri Dash event.

THANYAPURA HEALTH & SPORTS RESORT HOSTS TRI DASH FOR 2018 Thai singer and actor Ruangsak “James” Loychusak provided some star power when he competed in this year’s Thanyapura Tri Dash held last Saturday (May 19).

Chef Tanasub Trisub (centre) and his team celebrate their Best Restaurant listing.

GINJA TASTE NAMED IN THAILAND TATLER’S BEST RESTAURANTS 2018 JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa’s Ginja Taste restaurant has been named as one of the Thailand Tatler’s Best Restaurants for 2018. Congratulations to Ginja Taste’s Chef Tanasub Trisub and his skilled team on their amazing effort.

Thirty management staff members attended the training retreat at Angsana Phuket.

ANGSANA LAGUNA PHUKET HOSTS BANYAN TREE TRAINING RETREAT Angsana Laguna Phuket this month welcomed over 30 senior management and executive sales and marketing employees from across Banyan Tree’s global network.

Surfers from across the region took part in the training workshop.

QUICKSILVER-PAKARANG SURF SCHOOL WORKSHOP The team from Pakarang Surf School, with support from Quicksilver, last weekend hosted a Professional Surf Coaching and Surf Judging Workshop in Khao Lak, just north of Phuket. @thephuketnews

Participants received goodie bags from Quicksilver, the event’s sponsor.

20 EVENTS

FRI

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

SUN

25 MAY

Mussels night @ Shakers 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.

27 MAY

Phuket Sundowners hosted by AustCham AustCham Thailand, in collaboration with British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT), FrancoThai Chamber of Commerce (FTCC) and Netherlands-Thai Chamber of Commerce (NTCC), is delighted to invite members and guests both from AustCham and partner chambers to join our Phuket Sundowners to be held at the Novotel Phuket Phokeethra, Phuket Town at the Estrela Sky Lounge, while networking with old and new friends in the business community. Time: 18.00 - 21.00 (Last drink served at 20.30) Cost: B400 for AustCham members, partner Chambers’ members, and Australian Alumni Members and B800 for non-members. Includes cocktail-style food, and freeflow selected drinks.

World Cup League @ BISP Term 3 Dates: May 12, May 19, May 26, June 2, June 9 and June 16, 2018. Age / Time U9: 9:30-10:30; U11: 10:3011:30; U15: 11:30-12:30 *Girls may play down one age group. Package Includes – World Cup Team Kit, Participation Medal and Seven Saturdays of Matches.

Price: B3,000 if you register and pay before April 8, B3,500 if you register any time after April 8, 2018. To register for the World Cup League please contact: infobisp@cruzeirothailand.com

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 445 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

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

BBQ Buffet on Saturday Night

20th Anniversary Phuket International Rugby Tens 2018 Daily from 8am at Thanyapura. Mens Open (16 Teams), Ladies Open (4 Teams), Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers Vets (12 Teams over 35s), The One Foot in the Grave Vets (4 Teams over 45s) plus the Tour Virgin Beauty Pageant. For more info visit facebook.com/ PhuketInternationalRugby10s.

Come and join us along the shores of the Andaman Sea for an unforgettable experience of freshest seafood, generous selections of BBQ items, tempting desserts and delicious drinks. At The Nai Harn Phuket’s Cosmo Restaurant from 6:30-10pm. Price: B1,950 for adults and B975 for children under 12. For further information and reservations please contact: 076 380 200 or fbreservation@thenaiharn.com

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 Red Wine Gravy. Enjoy Live Music from 8-Late Performed by Our Famous Two Chefs Band!

Come for the FOOD - RESERVE Your Table Now Online at bit.ly/TwoChefsReservations Check out more details on our website at bit.ly/TwoChefsEvents Reservation, Two Chefs Kata Center, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong. Kata Beach 076-333-370 Kata Center 076330-065 Karon 076-286-479 Patong 076-344-914.

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.

Healthy Vegan Buffet at DiLite Restaurant Come to Thanyapura’s DiLite Restaurant to enjoy a healthy vegan buffet every Monday to Saturday. Lunch: 12pm to 3pm Dinner: 6pm to 8:30pm. Price: Lunch B350 and Dinner B550. Information and bookings call 076 336 000 or visit: thanyapura.com/hotel/dining/

Reboot and Maximize Your Energy

BBQ Seafood Buffet BBQ Seafood Buffet at Sala Bua Restaurant - Only 870 THB Net Per Person, Children (4-11 Years Old) THB 435 Nett. Reservations, 41 Taweewonges Road, Patong Beach, Phuket, info.irp@impiana.com, 076340-138.

Participants will learn new fitness & lifestyle facts and how they can reprogram their body with the practitioners including Hayden Rhodes, Kim White, Andrew Stannard and Susanna Eduini. THB 29,000 net per person. Day package and single class are available starting from THB 1,000 net per session. Bookings linda.overman@marriotthotels.com or +66 76 338 000 ext. 3750 - 3752. jwmarriottphuketresort.com - JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa

SAT

Jazz Night

Go Live Sunday Seafood Brunch

Jazz Night at Mom Tri’s Wok Pagoda Kitchen, Every Saturday night from 18:00 - 20:00 with Canape & Cocktail. For more infomation & reservation please contact 076-333-568 or fb@villaroyalephuket.com THB 850 per person. Mom Tri’s Wok Pagoda, fb@villaroyalephuket.com, 076-333-568.

The Banyan Tree Brunch experience offers a generous selection of live fresh, local and imported seafood with exceptional lobster dishes, Japanese starters, mouth-watering meats, Asian wok and Western grill treats. Gourmet cuisine, exceptional service, live jazz and tranquil surroundings, The Banyan Tree Brunch has something for everyone! Every Sunday 12pm 3:30pm, Prices start from B2,800 net per person. For reservations email: fb-phuket@banyantree.com or call 076 372 400.

26 MAY An Italian Evening

Friday Lunch at The Boathouse Phuket Savor and enjoy a 3-course set menu with unlimited red and white at The Boathouse, Kata Beach, Phuket.

Best deal before your weekend starts. Only B1,000 net per person. Bookings: 076 330 015-7 or email Pinyo.T@boathouse-phuket.com

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.

Enjoy a selection of Italian antipasti, cold cuts, premium cheese, marinated olives, grill vegetables, homemade pickles, caprese skewers, bruschetta and homemade breads - all complemented by free-flow Italian beverages. B1,999 net per person for antipasti buffet and free-flow Italian beverages. Enjoy 25% OFF when you dine with four persons or more. Reservations at Dusit Thani, Laguna, Phuket: dtlpfb@dusit. com or call 076 362 999 ext.7303.

Traditional Sunday Roast at O’Tool’s Served from 2pm. Your Choice of either Roast Beef, Chicken, Loin of Pork or Leg of Lamb Served with Roast & Boiled Potatoes, 3 Fresh Vegetables, Yorkshire Pudding & Gravy. Only 350 Baht. Includes a Free Glass of House Red or White. See: www.otools-phuket.com

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

SUN

EVENTS 21

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

27 MAY

WED

30 MAY

FRI

1 JUN

TUE

12 JUN

Meeting - Rotary Club Patong

FFF Food For Foreigners Free BBQ day From 1pm to 5pm, Bars, Restaurants, Hotels and Everyone is welcome to try our range of Manston products for yourself and see why everyone is talking about us.

FFF Food For Foreigners all for free!!! For more info visit: facebook.com/FFFFoodForForeigners.

Sala Wednesday nights ribs, beats, brews.

Devour our succulent pork rib set complete with sweet corn chowder, blue cheese salad, moist cornbread and finished it off with a bread and butter pudding.

DJQ 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 B1,600, Half Rack set B1,200, bucket of craft brews B800. Reservations, SALA Phuket Resort and Spa. Email: events@sala phuket.com or call 076 338 888.

THU

31 MAY

Open House Jumping Xgames 10am jumping, 11am-12pm pony ride for kids, 3pm Cowboy Xgames, 4-5pm pony ride for kids and 5pm horse show. Food truck. Drinks for a fun family event.

Phuket Andaman Horse Riding, Soi Bang Niow Dam 2, Sri Sunthorn, Thalang, Phuket, 082 806 1695.

MON

28 MAY

Quiz Night - Rotary Club Patong Our monthly Pub Quiz Night at the Aussie Pub Kamala has been a blast with over 60,000 THB raised so far!

Are you going to help us top 100,000 THB by the end of the year? Join us, it’s a great way to get to know your fellow Rotarians, bring your friends. All proceeds go to the charity “Rotary Club of Patong Beach” There is a lucky draw and a small participation fee so bring a little cash as well :-)

The Rotary Club of Patong Beach cordially invites guests and prospective members to attend its regular meetings. The cost for non-members is B500 and includes lunch. The meeting begins at 12pm at the Millennium Resort in Patong. For additional information please visit: www.rotarypatong.org

SAT

9 JUN

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.

@thephuketnews

Live Organic Blues Rock Colin illy Hill Band, every Thursday from 9pm till midnight @ Expat Sports Bar. No cover charge, Car parking available. Visit: facebook.com/ExpatSportsBar

15 JUN

Filipino Fiesta WANNA TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT? Come on over to our Filipino Fiesta at Two chefs Karon On Saturday the June 9. There will be a large buffet with lots of your Filipino Favorites like Lechon Pork roll, Sisig and much more. Happy hours in the bar! And of course, our awesome Filipino house band will rock the house until the late hours. Price is ONLY B495 per person, so make your reservations now at: karon@ twochefs.com or 076 286 479.

SOUTH EAST ASIA’S LEADING DESTINATION MARATHON Laguna Phuket Marathon was launched in 2006 and is owned and organised by Go Adventure Asia. Now in it’s 13th year, Laguna Phuket Marathon won GOLD for “Best Amateur Sports Event of the Year in Thailand” at the 2017 Asia Sports Industry Awards (SPIA Asia 2017), the race is sanctioned by AIMS. For more information please visit www.phuketmarathon.com

MON

Hospitality Golf Challenge 2018 The Third Laguna Phuket Hospitality Challenge charity golf tournament will take place on the June 15, with an amazing day of gourmet golf at Laguna Golf Phuket Course all in aid of The Children First Fund.

Why not come and join the event with some great local hole sponsors treating all the golfers to some fun challenges and exciting Food and Beverage service. We are proud to have Live 89.5FM and Phuket News TV as our Media Partner and Sponsor. Visit www.aseanevents.com or email mark@asean-events.com Laguna Golf Phuket Course, golf@lagunaphuket.com, 076 324350.

EVERYDAY

11 JUN

Ride 4 Kids All you can eat BBQ night

Celtic Comedy Legends which is a duo’s split show described by The Australia Times as “..nothing short of genius” Irishman, Aidan Killian teams up with the hyperactive Scotsman, Phil Kay. Both of them present individual material but they compliment each other wonderfully in this truly legendary mix. Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach. Time: 8pm (door 7:30pm, LAUGHTER INVESTMENT: B500 (advance booking), B700 (on the door), B1200 (including buffet) Tickets: ticketflap.com/celticlegends-phuket18.

FRI

RETRO NIGHT – BACK TO THE 70S & 80S Don’t miss out on our newest, exciting weekly event at Two Chefs. Come and join us for our special Flambé 300g Australian grass-fed rib eye steak served with a creamy peppercorn sauce, roasted vegetable medley and potato gratin for ONLY B495. Have a sweet tooth? Treat yourself to the Two Chefs banana flambé served with vanilla ice cream for ONLY B95. Sit back and enjoy one of our drink specials as you listen to the famous Two Chefs band performing all your favorite retro hits and more! Live music starts from 8pm and goes late at all of our Two Chefs locations. Reservations are highly recommended. You can book on our website at www.TwoChefs.com or find us on Facebook at Facebook/TwoChefsThailand. Come for the food, stay for the fun! Reservations: Call us directly at Two Chefs Kata Center 076 330 065, Kata Beach 076 333 370, Karon 076 286 479 or Patong 076 344 914.

Celtic Comedy Legends PHIL KAY & AIDAN KILLIAN

Ride 4 Kids V2.0 is in full swing, 20 riders will be cycling 700kms from Phuket from June 11 to 16, 2018.

All to raise money for The Good Shepherd, PHBGTU and Outrigger’s Share4Change. Join the coming home party at Metzos on June 16 and meet the team, tickets available for B2500 per ticket, please email donna.thethaiger@gmail.com and visit www. ride4kids.co for more information.

CHEF PABLO’S DEGUSTATION MENU Celebrating our Thailand Tatler’s BEST Restaurants Award: Come and indulge in a succulent five-course tasting menu including Foie Gras, pumpkin soup, Alaska Scallop, slow cooked Duck breast and Baba au Rhum. “Grape juice” pairing available! Reservations and full menu: dedos-restaurant.com 076 325 182. Located at 8 Lagoon Rd., Laguna, Cherng Talay.

22 TIME OUT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York 1. What name is given to the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower composed of an anther and filament?

2. Which South African golfer became the first in history to record a sub-63 score in a major when he recorded an 8 below par 62 last year?

3. Which Indian public holiday is also known as the Hindu festival of lights?

4. Name the three main classes of rock.

5. Who was the very first Hooters girl?

Answers below, centre

SUDOKU

Medium

Across 1. Highest position 5. Spreads 10. Basilica part 14. Fizzless 15. Bunch of shots 16. Big-ticket ___ 17. Phil Collins: “Can’t ___ back the years” 18. Fossil preserver 19. Colorless liqueur 20. Fruity desserts 23. Bore 24. Cleaning agents 25. Police club used in India 29. First-class 31. Maiden 35. Relative of a chuckwalla 37. Stable boy (informal) 39. Elizabethan, for one 40. Juicy fruit with many spellings 44. Get going 45. “Tarzan” extra 46. Like daffodils 47. Tibet-Pakistan river 50. Kitchen meas.

52. Deceives 53. “The Gift of the ___” 55. Fixed mode 57. Popular Italian dish

64. Healthy berry 65. Cordial flavoring 66. Continental capital 68. Fan sound 69. Church code of law 70. Choir voice 71. Point in a network 72. Antelope on the Serengeti 73. Succulent

26. 1993 Janet Jackson song 27. Ignored, with “out” 28. Bowler or sombrero 30. Hints 32. Peach ___ 33. Introduction 34. Employees, as on a ranch 36. Fla. neighbor 38. One who’s coming out Down 41. Voluntary 1. Toward the stern 42. Muslim legal 2. Association adviser 3. Fertilizer 43. Addition 4. Sicilian volcano 48. Decision maker at 5. Honshu port home 6. Kappa follower 49. Enclosure with a 7. North Sea feeder manuscript, for 8. Miss, in a way short 9. Madonna single 51. Type of sentence 10. Cell examination 54. Pre-meal blessing 11. Small decorative 56. Turn over case 57. Chess piece 12. Selection of 58. Canyon sound Mediterranean 59. Gave the cash for dishes 60. Ann in Russia 13. Famous cookie 61. Ardor 21. The ‘’good stuff’’ 62. South African on the table people 22. Desire 63. Part of A & E 25. Chinese fruit 67. “__ Baby Baby”-(Var.) Ronstadt song

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1) 1) Stamen; 2) Branden Grace; 3) Epiphany; 4) Sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous; 5) Lynne Austin

GOT YOUR NUMBER

ISLAND VIEW

This week in history

0

May 25, 1925 Scopes Trial: John T. Scopes is indicted for teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in Tennessee.

1

May 27, 1907 Bubonic plague breaks out in San Francisco.

percent of men who regularly work out at gyms need to consume protein powder, according to one 2010 study.

May 26, 1897 Dracula, a novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, is published.

mile per hour is the average speed of the Greenland shark, Somniosus microcephalus.

May 28, 1588 The Spanish Armada, with 130 ships and 30,000 men, sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, heading for the English Channel.

50

people on average use one bathroom on a plane flight.

92.4

percent is how much marathoning increased in popularity in Asia between 2009 and 2014.

May 29, 1953 Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on Tenzing Norgay’s (adopted) 39th birthday.

1 million

Mexicans were deported from the US during the Great Depression. An estimated 60% of them were US citizens.

Source: Uberfacts

May 30, AD 70 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 15km.

The latest in tourist airbag safety features in Phuket. Photo by Patrizio Forci Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket?

Email it to execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

May 31, 1927 The last Ford Model T rolls off the assembly line after a production run of 15,007,003 vehicles.

Source: Wikipedia thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Jobs

@thephuketnews

CLASSIFIEDS 23 The Phuket News @thephuketnews

24 CLASSIFIEDS

Jobs

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FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

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CLASSIFIEDS 25

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Trades & Services

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

ADVERTISING SERVICES

CLEANING SERVICES

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

MARINE SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT

MARINE SERVICES

MARINE SERVICES

MOVING SERVICES

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Trades & Services

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

classifieds@thephuketnews.com

POOL SERVICES

PROPERTY SERVICES

PROPERTY SERVICES

OTHER

OTHER

ADVERTISE HERE

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CLASSIFIEDS 27

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Buy & Sell

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

JOBS T EN Live-in housekeeper wanted G R ULive-in housekeep wanted for house in Kata. Must understand English and love dogs. Excellent conditions. 31/3 Soi Plukjae Kata Phuket. Contact: Lillian Dinic: lil@ladolcevitare. com.au or call 080 690 5248.

GE UR

NT

Bar staff wanted

Blondie Bar 2 at Otop Market Patong requires Bar Staff. Thai nationals only. Good salary and room provided. Phone Mick: 081 087 6114.

BOATS, YACHTS FOR SALE T EN

SA

LE

FOR SALE SILVERCRAFT 31

ALMOST NEW 35 HOURS ONLY, STILL UNDER WARRANTY EXTRAS GRAB RAILS COVERS. AVAILABLE NOW THAI REGISTERED AND TAX PAID SEA TRIAL AT SHORT NOTICE OK, new price inc reg & extras B4,863,000 offers over B4.6 million considered. Please contact William at: wfphelps@me.com or call 00 44 11 89 841 627.

G UR

G UR

T EN

SA

LE

Boat For Sale

72’(22m) Thai Trawler partially-converted as Tour Boat Business. Rebuilt from top to bottom 3 years ago (spent just over 1MB) including engine as was planned to use for a tour business, owner had to return to the UK unable to return (very ill son).

Some weather damage and need some repairs. Engine has only done only 6 hours, has new 12 kua generator. Currently in Hua Hin. Viewing can be arrange. Must sell within the next few months. Offers over THB 500,000. Contact Shayne on 0934 189 529 or shayne.inbox@gmail.com

BUSINESSES FOR SALE MINI RESORT - Near Laguna

Luxury Villas, 4- and 3-bedroom, pool, office/Apt, 1/2 Rai, well furnished – tropical garden setting. Now on vacation rentals, a money maker. Only B13.5mn - 089 594 4067.

UR

G

T EN

SA

LE

SURIN: LUXURIOUS BAR-RESTAURANT SALE

Totally renovated, Italian design and furniture, all-new imported kitchen and bar equipment, ready to operate. Large Bar, DJ booth, garden lounge, rooftop. Seats 50 indoors, 50 in garden and 40 rooftop. Pablo: 080 143 5541. info@dedos-restaurant.com

CARS, TRUCKS FOR SALE G UR

T EN

SA

LE

2012 Ford Ranger 2.2 Open Cab

78,000km. Six-gear manual transmission.

Looks and feels like a new car, treated like a baby by its single owner. Engine clean as. Full set of new tyres. B500,000. Call 081 427 5168.

CARS, TRUCKS FOR RENT GE

R NT

EN

T

CARS FOR RENT

We offer car rental at affordable prices.

Monthly from B10,000. Daily from B400.

Call us and find out what we offer. B10,000 monthly. Stig Johansson, 110/78 Moo 2, T Paklok, A Thalang, 83110 Phuket. Contact: stigisaan@gmail.com, 084 847 4377.

UR

HOME IMPROVEMENT Flat roof waterproofing

We do flat roof waterproofing with a 20year warranty by installing quality four layer slate spotted bitumen torch foil + crack repair! Andreas Ruthe, 22/5 Moo1 Kamala, Kathu. Contact: office@tcm-asia.com, 086 943 9834 or 076 385 081. @thephuketnews

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE For Sale

New set of Kasco G7 golf clubs RH R FLEX. Driver 10.5°, 3 Wood 15°, U4 Hybrid 19°, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, P, S irons.

Milled head putter. 11 clubs, 4 head covers, graphite shafts except putter. B25,000. Bob Mather, Kathu.

Contact: bobmather_4@hotmail.com, 095 549 2748.

POOL TABLES Rasson Victory 2 Pro Tounament

Style is forever! The Victory Tournament 9 ft. pool table is a tournament-style, highquality pool table designed with commercial and private use in mind, slate bed. B228,000.

REAL ESTATE SERVICES CHATTHA Property and Rental Management Service in Phuket

Our services: Housekeeping, Garden, Swimming Pool, Maintenance and Repair. www.chatthamanagement. com office: 076 636 244 or mobile: 090 179 6635.

Chattha Management.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Freehold studio at low price

Freehold 36m2 studio, opposite the Lotus Tesco hypermarket of Phuket Town, freehold condominium; perfect for long stay or for investment B1.9 million. Email: mguillien@gmail.com or call 097 920 2339.

Penthouse for Sale

432.44 Sqm.Penthouse for sale: 320 Degree view of Patong bay and city. Private pool.

22nd floor (top floor) at Andaman Beach Condominium, Patong, Phuket, Thailand. Condo Facilities : Two tennis courts, 10 x 24 Meters swimming pool , fitness & game room,restaurant, parking. 60 Million Baht O.N.O., Songpan, songpanpirom@hotmail.com, 081 737 8662.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Boat Lagoon

With private boat morning and jacuzzi.

Email paradise11@mac.com for pictures, plans and price.

OFFERED FOR SALE

OFFERED FOR SALE A profitable and intimate 20room garden resort situated on Koh Lanta, Krabi at the end of Long Beach just a 2-minute stroll to the sea. Set in lush gardens, the bungalows are tastefully finished each with their own full-length verandas. Ideally located in Phra Ae village, with many amenities in the immediate area. The resort benefits from: • A delightful swimming pool (guest use only) • Car-park • Free-WIFI throughout the resort • Room-service • A combined restaurant & bar adjacent to the pool with state of the art Western kitchen • A beautiful tropical garden • Private manager’s accommodation (screened from the resort) • staff quarters • Private electricity supply • Ample water supply & storage For further information, please Email gardenisland.pp@ gmail.com For the attention of Ms. Chorladda CHUANCHOM with the following details: 1. Full name of potential Buyer 2. Full contact details, i.e. , Mobile phone number 3. Brief explanation of experience (if any) in the service industry The Vendor is genuine & the price is opportunistic. Genuine inquiries only please.

28 CLASSIFIEDS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Buy & Sell

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

PROPERTY FOR SALE Nicklas Klodner

Two-storey villa in a gated community @ Pruksa The Plant, Kathu. Corner land plot 170 sqm, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Indoors 140 sqm. With furniture ready to move in B8,100,000, Nicklas Klodner, The Plant 144/15. Email: nicklas.klodner@gmail.com or call +66 80 519 7719.

RPM owner direct

Unique luxury condo 2 bed, 2 bath, 155sqm. Foreign FREEHOLD. Architect remodel. New Jacuzzi. Views to lake, mountain, marina, pool, etc. Completely furnished to a high standard, toothbrush only required.

Owner leaving Thailand. Priced at 16MB for quick sale. Contact Brian (Owner): 089 054 4354, 076 360 943. bggvirgo@gmail.com RoyalPhuketMarina Condos.com

Amazing 1-bedroom house in great area

Brand-new one bedroom house with full kitchen and car parking and ready to move in, right in the heart of Rawai. Perfectly priced home on the most desirable street of Rawai, so don’t miss out! B2.9M for quick sale. Contact Benni by email at: b_gholami@ hotmail.com or call 088 168 5032.

80m2 freehold condo in Patong

Freehold 80m , 2-bedroom apartment in quiet condo with swimming pool in Patong. Ideal investment in most active tourist area in Phuket. B5.9 million. Contact Michel GUILLIEN, Andaman Beach Suites, Unit 1604, Patong, Phuket. Email: mguillien@gmail.com or call 097 920 2339.

2

Building for Sale

One-unit building for sale in business area Boat Avenue near Villa Market Laguna. Three and a halfstorey, 24 square wah. Khun Mhee (owner), 49/23, Cherng Talay. Email: anmehee@hotmail.com or call 095 545 0017 or 086 346 2622.

Unique Investment Opportunity

Unique investment opportunity Not to be missed: 5 pool villas, big land, large entertaiment areas, parking garages and private gates.

More info www.thegardenkptphuket.com www.thegardenkptphuket.com

5-bed pool villa, 1.2 Rai

3 detached buildings, L-shaped open plan living, Western kitchen, guest suite, pool 11mx5m, quiet residential area. 1.2 rai plot. THB19,750,000. Contact Mrs Simpson by email: thaivillaonline@gmail.com or call 084 447 7248. More info at: thaivillaonline.com

Chalong Office, Workshop/Store

300sqm office on 2 floors with all services incl.3 phone lines + 300sqm undercover workshop/store with 4m ht & 3 phase. Chanote 0.5rai.

B12,000,000, Simon Jupe, 29/4 Soi Nayai, Chalong, Phuket 83130. Email: simonj@cscoms.com or call +66 (0)87 883 2542

Single house for sale

Located the way to Yamu Pa Khlok, from the main road 500m, 55 SQW, 3 bedrooms, 2 restrooms, with modern kitchen, 2 cars parking, free space 140 SQM. 3.5 Million Baht, K. Suwit: suwitlap5@gmail.com, 081 895 6969.

PROPERTY FOR SALE New Modern Villa – 5 Mins to Ao Po Grand Marina

200 sqm, land 500 sqm, 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, swimming pool, close to UWCT school. Including: pool/garden/wifi/TV.SAT/services. Google map: tiny.cc/deltaho. Contact owner (Alain): mrdupouy@yahoo.fr. 65,000/ month, Alain, 57/3 Moo 3 Soi Ban Bang Pae, T. Pa Khlok, T. Thalang, Phuket 83110. Email: mrdupouy@yahoo.fr or call 081 893 5270.

PROPERTY FOR RENT Pool Villa For Rent PhangNga

4-Bed Pool villa nearby Natai beach. Surrounded by nature. North of Phuket, 25 mins from airport. Idea for retired/long term stay family. Yupadee: miakcg@yahoo.com, 081 926 3286.

New Rawai Villa Rent & Sale

PuriAnda Villa: 2 Bed, Furnished, Kitchen, Private Pool, Sala, Land 350m2, House 165m2, 2km to Nai Harn. Short or Long Term Rent Only B60,000, Sale: 8.9m. info@purimasproperty.com, 0815384588

COMMUNITY

PROPERTY FOR RENT

Property 5 Mins to Ao Po Grand Marina

Very big house 750sqm, Land 4,000sqm, available 15 June, 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, swimming pool, jacuzzi, close to UWCT school, including pool, garden, service, wifi-tv/sat.

Google map: tiny.cc/deltaho, Contact owner (Alain): mrdupouy@yahoo.fr. Long term 145,000/Month, Email Alain: mrdupouy@yahoo.fr or call 081 893 5270.

PROPERTY FOR RENT 3-Bedroom Western Villa

Near Laguna, has all, full kitchen, quality furniture.

Live in tropical garden, good security, secluded.

6/M lease: B20,000/M. Call 089 594 4067.

For Rent Kata Beach

Nice one-bedroom apartment, modern furnished, 68sqm first floor close to indoor pool-sauna-elevator. B25,000 per month. Exclusive electric, minimum rental period 6 months. Tel: English 064 532 3637, Thai 094 803 5944. Email English: villaonroof@ gmail.com or Thai: maliwan_kaewmeesri@yahoo.com thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

SPORT 29

BISP Year 2 student wins at Go-Kart racing

Under 9

GO-KARTING The Phuket News editor3@thephuketnews.com

B

ISP Year 2 student Daniel recently won his age group in Junior and Advanced competitions (TrueVisions – Toyota Junior Go-Kart Training 2018) in Bangkok.

These annual TrueVision events serve as introductions to go-kart racing.

He also set the record for the fastest time in a one lap time trial.

“Daniel has been interested in racing for a long time but only managed to do so when he turned seven. If his interest continues we will look into major championship rounds next

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Daniel set the record for the fastest time in a one lap time trial. Photo: Supplied year in Thailand and maybe Singapore and Malaysia,” remarked Daniel’s father.

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Sat May 26

All Day

Cricket tour game – Jolly Wallabies

All Day

Cricket tour game – Jolly Wallabies

Tue May 29

All Day

FOBISIA – T-ball tournament

Wed May 30

4:30pm

Thalang Tigers – Kids’ cricket coaching

Catch all your weekend live sporting action at the ACG. Photo: Michael Way

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PLAYERS OF THE MATCH

U9: Max Pinfold Zac LaMantia

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Thalang Tigers – Kids’ cricket coaching

Sun May 27

@thephuketnews

Brazil

Under 15

What’s on at the ACG

Fri May 25

Under 11

U11: Vasily Artemenko Charlie Hussey

U15: Elin Ydmark Sofia Radchenko

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30 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

Kashmiri and Patong on form Boundaries galore as C&C Marine ‘8 by 20’ league continues CRICKET Michael Flowers

T

he C&C Marine 8 by 20 League continued at the ACG last Sunday (May 20) with a double-header, and the Goan Panthers taking on the formidable Kashmiri CC. Following a favourable coin toss, Panthers decided to bat giving opener Sarvesh Kandalkar an opportunity to build a decent innings, which he duly did before finally being dismissed for 48 (43) in the 15th over. Wicket-keeper Balesh Dessai also played an important role in the closing stages of the innings finishing on 29 (26) to push the Panther’s total to 140 for four from the allotted 20 overs.

Sajjad Shalloo was the best of the Kashmiri bowlers, with a very economical one for 15 from his four over spell.

However, the Panther’s total of 140 proved to be not nearly enough as Kashmiri’s openers Arif Mushtaq 55 (35) not out and Imtiyaz Mushtaq 55 (36) not out smashed seven boundaries each on their way to respective and unbeaten half-centuries.

The final result ended with a comprehensive 10-wicket victory for Kashmiri CC with almost six overs to spare.

Man of the Match went to Imtiyaz.

In the second match, Patong Blues faced the newly formed Easy Living Phuket, and it was the Blues who took the early advantage by winning the toss and electing to bat first.

Captain and opening bat, Alex Runhaar 47 (41) along with his partner Andrew McMillan 74 not out (48) got the Patong side off to a strong start with a snappy 104-run partnership, broken eventually

Andrew McMillan picks up another boundary on his way to man-of-the-match, while Mudasir Rehman looks on. Photo: Michael Way by the quick hands of wicketkeeper, Mudasir Rehman and a stumping in the 12th over.

After more sharp work from Mudasir behind the stumps to dismiss Manish Sadarangani 19 (16) off Martin Hill’s bowling and the score at 151 midway through the 17th

over, the ever injury-prone Michael “Hansie” Flowers arrived to the crease.

The froth on top of the Kiwi’s innings of 40 not out was the final ball of the game being hit over the boundary for a home run (where a six off the game’s final delivery

counts as 12 runs) . . . the first in Phuket Cricket League history! The final score for Patong Blue, 211/2 from their 20 overs.

Easy Living CC made a steady start in reply, but with the score at 46 got one in the eighth over the key man

for Easy Living, Mudasir 27 (14), smashed the ball down the ground into the hands of Sajal Gaur, who managed to hang on for a terrific and important catch off the bowling of Sadarangani.

With another wicket off the very next ball, Sadarangani dashed any hopes of an upset.

Determined knocks from Easy Living captain, Anthony Dupont 28 (42) and Tony Donovan 25 (26) ensured their side earned a well-deserved final score of 111/5. Manish Sadarangani was the pick of the Patong Blue bowlers, taking two wickets from his three overs while conceding only eight runs.

Patong Blue won the match by 100 runs and Andrew McMillan, who on top of his unbeaten 74 not out added a catch and a stumping to his day’s efforts, was named Man-of-the-Match by umpire, John King.

Phuket-Hong Kong Hitmen win Gulf of Siam Consolation Final ICE HOCKEY

The Phuket-Hong Kong Hitmen.

Photo: Supplied

FOUR PLAYERS FROM LOCAL ice hockey team the Phuket Jets travelled to Pattaya last weekend to play in the second annual Gulf of Siam Ice Hockey Classic, staged at The Rink at the Harbor Mall.

The 4-on-4 competition proved to be a thrilling format for fans and

players alike.

Four teams competed in the tournament: the hometown Pattaya Destroyers; Jellonas, a team filled with predominately Finnish expats; the Phuket / Hong Kong squad; and the Bangkok Flying Farangs featuring organisers Scott Whitcomb and Adrian Meyers from Jogsports.

The Phuket players making the trip were Joe Burgess, Mike

Forbes, Michael Yakut, and Martin Melnichuk. They joined forces with Hong Kong and the team had a very international make-up with players from Canada, Scotland, China, Hong Kong, Slovakia and Russia.

The Phuket squad lost to Bangkok’s Flying Farangs 4-1 in the first game: then Pattaya 15-2 in their second match; before losing to Jellonas 10-5 in their final round-robin.

But the consolation final saw the Phuket-Hong Kong Hitmen take revenge on the Jellonas squad for beating them in the round-robin tourney by defeating them by almost the same score 10-6 to take third place overall.

The Phuket team will stage their own 3-on-3 tourney in late August at their rink in Phuket’s Boat Lagoon.

Scott Murray

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS

Run #1686: Saturday May 26 Run Start Time: 4pm Hares: Jungle Balls, Manneken Pis Location: Kathu - Born Loser’s House Directions: From Central Festival intersection follow [4020] past the entrance road to PSU and turn left into the main entrance of Phuket Country Club. Follow HHH signs around the right side of the golf course heading towards Bang Wad Dam. Just before the water department office turn left then right and Born Loser’s road is just over 100 metres on the left.

From Patong pass through the small town of Thung Thong and turn right into PCC and follow as above. Laager will be on the field opposite Born Loser’s House. No early walkers allowed.

More info: phuket-hhh.com

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

SPORT 31 PREMIER LEAGUE PREDICTION WINNERS The Phuket News Premier League Predictions Competition wound up on May 13 with one lucky person winning a three day/two night stay in a Sri Panwa one bedroom luxury private pool villa, including daily breakfast, plus a 120-minute spa treatment for two persons. There were also plenty of monthly winners decided this month due to rearranged games.

Thanks go out to competition sponsors Sri Panwa, Walkabout Sports Bar Karon, Angus O’Tool’s Karon, Islander Bar & Restaurant Rawai and Two Chefs.

Well done to all the winners and entrants and we hope to see you all in the running again next season.

Richard de Gottal – Overall winner with 206 points.

Daniel Ricciardo drives during practice for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya on May 8. Photo: Dan Istitene / Getty Images

Now or never for Red Bull Racing’s title challenge BOX OF NEUTRALS Michael Lamonato michael@boxofneutrals.com

I

f this is what Red Bull Racing’s return to championship contention looks like, it’s far from convincing.

The once all-powerful energy drinks-backed team has been a shadow of its titlewinning self for more than four seasons, proclaiming all the while that it is a winner in exile, a sleeping giant waiting to be awoken.

But the cold, hard stats paint a darker picture. Since claiming its last title in 2013 Red Bull Racing has won just nine times. Mercedes, for the record, has won 65 races in the same time span.

Circumstance has of course had a hand in the team’s fall.

Red Bull Racing, an independent chassis builder, relies on Renault for engines, and despite the French manufacturer powering the team to all four of its constructors titles in the V8 era, it has struggled with today’s

@thephuketnews

turbo-hybrid technology.

Certainly power unit unreliability has cost RBR strong results and a lack of power has virtually locked it out of the front of the grid during qualifying, but Renault’s substandard form isn’t the whole story, with design flaws and strategic errors deserving much of the blame.

Look no further than the Monaco Grand Prix for proof.

Despite being the least power sensitive of all the circuits, Red Bull Racing hasn’t scored a win in the famous principality since 2012. It came close in 2016, when Daniel Ricciardo scored RBR’s first pole in three years, but the team dropped the ball so comprehensively with its strategy and pit stop execution that the Australian finished a furious second to Lewis Hamilton.

It puts paid to a certain extent of Red Bull Racing mythology. There is no doubt that the chassis is good, but is it as good as the team wants to believe?

This weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix (May 27) will be

the test, and with Mercedes and Ferrari already firmly established title protagonists, Red Bull Racing’s results in Monte Carlo could reveal whether it is destined to join them this season or spend another year biding its time.

“Hopefully I’ll also get some redemption,” Daniel Ricciardo said in the lead-up to the race, referencing his lost 2016 win, “The encouraging thing from Barcelona is that we were quick in the third sector, and that is probably the closest to Monaco, so hopefully that shows what we can do.”

His teammate, Max Verstappen, agreed that the circuit layout should minimise the package’s weaknesses.

“Monaco also doesn’t have any long straights, so I think it should be a good circuit for us,” he said.

There are some signs of relative progress to encourage the team. This time last season it already had an 89-point deficit in the constructors title standings, whereas this year the margin is only 73 points, including the 22 points lost in

friendly fire at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Doubly motivating for Red Bull Racing is that the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix will be its 250th race start, creating an opportunity to reflect on the team’s impressive history since buying the Jaguar team joining the grid in 2005.

Red Bull Racing holds a 22.5% victory record across its relatively short tenure – ahead of McLaren’s 22% and behind Ferrari’s 24.2%, albeit with substantially fewer race starts than either – and only Ferrari, Williams, McLaren and the defunct Lotus team have won more than its four constructors championships.

Now in its 14th year, Red Bull Racing has made itself an indelible part of F1 history – but as the adage goes, you’re only as good as your last race, and no-one would deny the Austrian-owned team could do with stronger results.

Don’t forget to listen to Live89.5 each and every Saturday at 9am and 5pm for the Box of Neutrals radio show.

Adam Rosindale – Monthly winner for April with 22 points.

Scott Griffin – Monthly winner for May with 11 points.

Live Sports TV Schedule *Times may be subject to change

SPORT START Friday 25th May Rugby Union 16:40 Aussie Rules 16:30 Cricket 17:00 Saturday 26th May Rugby Union 14:30 16:40 20:00 22:10 Rugby Union 23:30 Soccer 01:45 Soccer 19:55 Aussie Rules 13:30 16:30 Soccer 23:15 Motor Racing 20:00 Cricket 17:00 Sunday 27th May Soccer 19:55 Soccer 22:25 Aussie Rules 13:30 Tennis 16:00 22:30 Rugby Union 20:30 Motor Racing 19:00 20:00 Cricket 17:00

STOP

EVENT

TEAMS / INFO

18:30 19:30 00:00

Super XV AFL Test Match 1, Lords

Rebels v. Sunwolves Collingwood v. Western Bulldogs England v. Pakistan, Day 2

16:30 Super XV 18:40 Super XV 22:00 Super XV 00:00 Super XV 01:30 Guinness Pro 14 Final 04:00 Champions League Final 22:00 Toulon U21 Tournament 16:30 AFL 19:30 AFL 01:30 EFL Play-off Final 21:30 Formula 1 00:00 Test Match 1, Lords

Chiefs v. Waratahs Reds v. Highlanders Bulls v. Brumbies Stormers v. Lions Leinster v. Scarlets Liverpool v. Real Madrid England v. China Brisbane Lions v. Sydney Swans Geelong Cats v. Carlton Fulham v. Aston Villa Qualifying, Monte Carlo England v. Pakistan, Day 3

22:00 Toulon U21 Tournament 00:30 Toulon U21 Tournament 16:30 AFL 19:00 French Open 00:30 French Open 22:30 International Friendly 19:45 Formula 1 22:30 Formula 1 00:00 Test Match 1, Lords

France v. S Korea Togo v. Scotland Fremantle v. North Melbourne Roland Garros, Day 1 Roland Garros, Day 1 England v. Barbarians Raceday, Monte Carlo Monaco Grand Prix England v. Pakistan, Day 4

Sport INLAND SURFER THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

editor3@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

It’s make or break time for Red Bull at Monaco GP > p31

If you want to learn to surf, there’s no better place to do it than in Phuket!

The ‘Inland Surfer’ had pretty much written surfing off before arriving in Thailand for a teaching job. Now he will never look back. Photos: Supplied

The Phuket News editor3@classactmedia.co.th

G

rowing up outside of Cleveland Ohio doesn’t sound like the best start to a surf story, but alas that’s where it starts.

I grew up in a family of six, struggling to make ends meet under my dad’s meagre salary. My childhood was spent playing basketball with my brother and attempting to catch air on a bicycle that my dad had welded together.

My only knowledge of surfing was looking at pictures of surfers and thinking how bizarre it would be to ride a wave of water.

We had once taken a family vacation to the beach and I remember my dad telling us how dangerous the undertows and the currents were. So my memories of the beach were building drip sand castles

while my mum cautiously looked out to make sure I wasn’t washed away by some freak wave.

When I was 16 my parents decided to move. No not close to some ocean like you might think, but rather to Clarksville, Tennessee where I started mountain biking and BMX bike riding to get my kicks.

Surfing requires fitness In my sophomoric college years, some friends invited me to go to the outer banks of North Carolina to rent some surf boards and go surfing.

We had no idea what we were doing and the small messy waves beat us up and tossed us back on the beach. I realised my surfing fitness and skills were severely lacking.

We all ended up with serious sunburn and bloody nipples from board rash – in other words, a total failure. Yet what would one expect from a group of good old boys from Tennessee?

After that experience, I

pretty much wrote surfing off as unobtainable for someone like me. Hell, the closest ocean was a nine-hour drive anyway.

After I graduated, I met a girl. We decided to spend a year teaching English abroad and settled on Thailand. By chance, I found a job in Phuket even though my eyes were set on Chiang Mai because I had heard they had some excellent mountain bike trails. But Phuket it was and after a year we decided to stay another, then another and so on. I discovered that mountain biking wasn’t much fun when most of the trails are so saturated that you end up sinking to your hubs in mud.

I’m not entirely sure what compelled me to walk into a little surf shop in Bang Tao, perhaps it was boredom of not mountain biking, but I walked out with a discounted bodyboard and no idea that I also needed flippers to catch waves.

I caught a few “waves” that rainy season, mostly shore

break foam, but I remember how exciting it felt to be pushed by nature’s energy back to the sand. I still wasn’t “hooked” and my bodyboard got more use as a scratching pad for our cat than it did for tearing into waves.

Working out the beauty of surfing Then some of my wife’s friends visited (I ended up marrying that girl) and a mate started reminiscing about surf stories in France and Australia.

Maybe it was the way his eyes sparkled or how he couldn’t believe I had given up on surfing, but I started to feel I was missing out on something special and came to realise there must be more to surfing than bloody nipples and bodyboards with cat scratches.

He told me that a longboard or SUP would be the way to go if I wanted to try and catch the mushy and often small wind swell waves that Phuket offers. Then he said –

but you can go to Indonesia, Bali, Sri Lanka, Maldives and a little surfing voice lit up inside of me.

I was 28 years old when I bought my first board – a big old SUP that could also be used for fishing and snorkelling and excellent for surfing paddle fitness. Standing up on the thing was not as easy as I thought. Again, my surfing skills and fitness where seriously challenged. Luckily I had four months of flat season to learn how to balance before the rainy season arrived.

Learning to surf is no easy task, I can assure you of that; however, a few months later I stood up on a wave for the first time and the feeling was nothing short of amazing. I was officially hooked.

I learned something that rainy season. You are never too old to learn new tricks, and that despite my landlocked upbringing I had a deep connection with the ocean. In fact, I believe we all do if we just give it a chance to reveal itself.

It’s difficult to imagine living anywhere without an ocean now. I have since bought a long-board and a short-board and even took up skateboarding when I turned 30 and bought a board that emulates surfing so I could train my legs during the dry season.

Since I caught my first wave I have surfed in California, France and lately Bali. So if you’re reading this and surfing is something you always wanted to do – start! You’re never too old to try something new and you never know what new trick may change your life.

A word of advice – get your surfing fitness up from the outset, it makes a huge difference to catching more waves and enjoying your ocean time.

Hayden Rhodes (Club Manager of Phukets Finest Health Club) is the creator of Surf Training Secrets. If you love surfing or snowboarding and want to get surf fit fast and build a body to last, go visit SurfTrainingSecrets.com thephuketnews