The Phuket News 27 July 2018 by The Phuket News

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

thephuketnews thephuketnews1 thephuketnews.com Friday, July 27 – Thursday August 2, 2018

Since 2011 / Volume VIII / No. 30

ISLAND READIES FOR HM BIRTHDAY > PAGE 4

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NEWS

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‘Phoenix’ will be raised for police

LIFE

PAGE 13

Local action to save marine life

Tourists at Karon look for the elusive crocodile. Photos: Eakkapop Thongtub

CROCODILE PANIC SUBSIDES AS SIGHTINGS FADE Eakkapop Thongtub & Sirapisit Bunchoocheep reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

he sighting of a crocodile at major tourist beaches along Phuket’s west coast this week has had officials scrambling to catch the reptile, while tourists – initially ignoring the warnings to stay out of the water – finally came to grips

with the danger the ambush predator presented. As this issue of The Phuket News went to print, expert croc hunters brought in from Surat Thani had failed to snare the crocodile despite several sightings over the past week, and one failed attempt to catch it in the pre-dawn hours on Karon Beach. The crocodile even teased the hunters off Tri Trang Beach, south

of Patong, where it surfaced long enough for the team of experts – the Kraithong Lumnamtapi team from the Department of Fisheries in Surat Thani, who adopted their name from the legendary crocodile hunter in Thai folklore – to approach, yet the amphibian submerged and disappeared under the water’s surface not to be seen again. Officials noted that the crocodile

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had a habit of staying submerged some 15 to 30 minutes at a time, though according to world experts larger crocs are known to stay submerged up to four hours at a time. After several sightings local experts estimate that the Phuket croc currently touring the west coast is roughly 1.5 metres long, despite some early reports that it may have been up to three metres long...

SPORT

PAGE 32

Taoka makes waves at RAST

News 2

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Thousands turn out to volunteer for HM Birthday events > page 4

Deadly surf, rip currents return Nai Harn lifeguards rescue 18 from dangerous surf in one day The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

hile the hunt for the elusive crocodile continued along Phuket’s southwest coast this week, lifeguards at Nai Harn on Tuesday (July 24) rescued no less than 18 people from dangerous surf just days after the crocodile was spotted at that same beach. The Phuket Naiharn Lifesaving Club reported – and documented with photos and videos – rescuing 10 Russians, four Chinese and four Thais from lethal rip currents and pounding waves on Tuesday. The rescues continued at Nai Harn on Wednesday. The rescues followed four tourists being safely brought back to shore on Monday, though two of them were taken to hospital as a precaution. Earlier on Monday at Surin Beach – which remained closed to swimmers due to the dangerous surf – local surfer Alik Reyes rescued a tourist with the help of a Frenchman

Lifeguards at Nai Harn Beach pulled 18 people, including 10 Russians and four Chinese, from the dangerous surf on Tuesday. Photos: Phuket Naiharn Lifesaving Club who he called a “hero”, while lifeguards reportedly did not enter the water to save the struggling tourist. The Frenchman, on holiday in Phuket, said he was a trained lifeguard in his home country. Mr Reyes, meanwhile, credited his ability to carry out the surf rescue to the training he received at an event organised by the International Surf Lifesaving Association (ISLA) at Surin Beach last year. Mr Reyes passed the course and is now an accredited Ocean

Lifeguard to international standard. The flurry of life-threatening rescues followed a clear warning from the ISLA’s Daren Jenner, who late last week warned that all beaches should be closed to swimmers due to the dangerous surf. Mr Jenner in an open letter by the ISLA noted that Nai Harn and Patong are the only two beaches on the island where trained former lifeguards have been employed locally to patrol the beaches.

“What would the outcome be if there were untrained lifeguards here?” he posed. “This is a warning sign to the Governor. Face the Phuket lifeguard issue fairly and appropriately. Lying about how many lifeguards Phuket has, and whether they can swim, are trained and equipped, is a deadly game that will have deadly consequences,” the letter added. “The current weather – without strong wind, heavy rain and dark clouds but still

with deadly strong rip currents – is actually adding to the danger tourists are likely to expose themselves to,” he added. “The waves are a bit smaller, but this actually makes it more dangerous, as inexperienced swimmers underestimate the danger. “It is a sunny day. This is the type of weather that brings people out to the beach. Then, once they are here, they think, ‘Why not go for a swim’,” Mr Jenner explained. Also adding to the danger is the overuse of red warning flags, he noted. “Since June 1 this year, a safe swimming area has not been marked by the red-andyellow flags at Surin Beach. This overuse of red flags will work up to a certain point,” Mr Jenner explained. “Overuse of red flags is crying wolf. When the beach gets crowded with more visitors, eventually all of the red flags are ignored, and this is where trouble begins. “By marking safe swim-

ming areas with red-and-yellow flags, lifeguards provide a safer area for beachgoers to swim. This is called preventive lifeguarding. Ignoring this time-tested strategy and hiring unskilled lifeguards for B9,000 per month is a recipe for disaster. “Merely placing red flags on the beach, whether warranted or not, is not an effective or acceptable strategy to manage ocean safety.” Mr Jenner cited two reasons for red flags being overused on Phuket’s beaches: “1) The current lifeguards are inexperienced and unable to identify safe vs dangerous areas of the beach; and 2) If they did open a safe swimming area, lifeguards would then be required to make rescues there. On many beaches, lifeguards are unable to make rescues. “Common sense and due regard for public safety dictates that the government immediately hire qualified ocean lifeguards with proper equipment immediately,” he added.

Search for crocodile continues off coast Continued from page 1 ...Meanwhile, swimmers are allowed to swim at the main tourist beaches, including Patong, but only in “safe swim zones” designated by red-and-yellow flags. Red flags were posted along other large tracts of beaches to indicate that the surf was too dangerous to enter (see above). Somprasong Saengchat, Chief Lifeguard at Patong Beach, on Wednesday (July 25) confirmed to The Phuket News that there were no orders banning swimmers from entering the water at all amid fears of a crocodile attack. “We have already held a meeting with the Patong Municipality. There are no orders to close Patong Beach,” he said. “In the area of Patong Beach and other nearby beaches such as Karon, there are officers on watch and people are allowed to play in the water, but only in designated areas,” he added. Mr Somprasong noted that tourists were not allowed to swim at Tri Trang Beach and Paradise

Beach, where the crocodile had been spotted, confirming the safety mandate issued after sightings at those locations earlier this week. Meanwhile, as of Wednesday the hunt for the crocodile continued. “We are now focussing our search around Tri Trang Beach and Paradise Beach, and officers are on watch at Patong, Karon and Yanui,” said Supachai Chanphet, Head of the Karon Municipality Tourist Assistance Centre based on Karon Beach, where the croc was spotted early, at 3:30am, last Sunday morning (July 22). “The crocodile was last seen near Tri Trang Beach around 3pm yesterday (Tuesday),” he said. Officers are also scouring the coast around the headland at the southern end of Patong Bay to Freedom Beach, Mr Supachai noted. “The patrols are closely monitoring the beaches at Tri Trang, Paradise Beach and Patong, as well as any other areas where we believe the crocodile might travel to. “We are continuing our search all day long. There is always con-

stant communication between the command centre and me,” he said. The panic began Thursday last week (July 19) when the crocodile was first spotted at Yanui Beach in Rawai, then further south at the popular Nai Harn Beach. Lifeguards and officials acting under orders by Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos quickly had red flags and signs clearly marked “no swimming” posted along the entire length of the beach to deter bathers from entering the water – but efforts to prevent tourists from entering the surf initially fell on deaf ears. From there the crocodile was sighted further north at Kata Noi, where similar safety measures were taken. By last Sunday the crocodile was sighted at Karon, and two days later surfaced at Tri Trang Beach at the southern end of Patong Bay to scare beachgoers there – and spur fears it would continue on to Patong Beach. The direction the crocodile was moving fuelled fears that it would continue its journey north to other popular tourist beaches, including

the 3.5 kilometres of Patong Beach, possibly even on to Kamala, Surin, Bang Tao and or Leypang Beach, where a mixed-breed crocodile – now called ‘Leypang’ and resident at Phuket Zoo – was caught in September last year. In the hope of eliminating the possibility that the crocodile was an escaped private pet, Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong on Tuesday warned that any persons found in illegal possession of a privately owned crocodile could be fined up to B10,000 or even face up to one year in jail if they are caught. “For those who have not registered (their crocodiles) yet, they must urgently notify the province,” Gov Norraphat said. Crocodiles may be kept as private pets in Thailand, but owners must be issued a permit by the Director-General of the Department of Fisheries, or the Fisheries Department provincial office. The warning by the Governor came as Paisarn Sukpunwan, head of the Administration Department at the Phuket Fishery Office, confirmed

The ‘Kraithong Lumnamtapi’ experts from Surat Thani got close twice, but still failed to snare the elusive crocodile. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub that the crocodile had not escaped from any of the five registered crocodile farms in Phuket. Apparently, all those crocodiles have been accounted for, leaving Mr Paisarn to say, “We still have not been able to identify where the crocodile came from.” Mr Paisarn said that from the images he had reviewed he believed the crocodile to be no more than 1.5 metres long. “It is not a big crocodile, and so it will not be as aggressive as a big one,” he said. Regardless, swimmers are being warned to be wary if choosing to enter the water, or play by the water’s edge. thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Call centre scam unplugged Chinese network busted in Patong, B13mn in cash seized Eakkapop Thongtub editor@classactmedia.co.th

ourist Police Deputy Commander Gen Su rachate Hakparn was in Phuket last Wednesday (July 18) to announce co-ordinated raids staged with Chinese Police that ended a call centre scam operation based in Patong that had defrauded victims of a reported B150 million. Police had arrested a total of 25 people and seized more than B13 million in cash in connection with the scam, Gen Surachate explained. Of those arrested, were 22 Chinese, two were Thai nationals and one was from Myanmar. Five of the Chinese suspects and the one Myanmar suspect were also on overstay and illegally staying in the Kingdom, Gen Surachate added. In taking down the call centre gang, police on the preceding Tuesday raided four locations where the gang operated: two locations on Sirirat Rd at the southern end of Patong and the other two on Phra Mettha Rd. Officers also raided another two locations where the 25 suspects were staying, Gen Surachate said. During the raids police seized as evidence eight laptops, four W-iFi

Tourist Police Deputy Commander Gen Surachatr Hakparn and accompanying officers show the press a suitcase literally packed with B1,000 Thai banknotes. Photo: Tourist Police routers, 150 mobile phones, four iPads, a money counting machine as well as 135 credit cards, six ATM cards and 52 mobile SIM cards. Police also seized B13,566,570 and 3,800 Yuan in cash and one

Bangkok-registered Mercedes-Benz CLA 200, Gen Surachate explained. The operation to take down the gang came from a request from the Chinese Government direct to Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit

Mr Ko s et ’s body was brought back to Phuket last Sunday (July 22). Photo: Pa Khlok rescue workers

Missing jet-ski rider’s body found AFTER FIVE DAYS OF SEARCHING, rescue workers brought back to Phuket the body of 25-year-old Koset ‘Oat’ Deebukdam last Sunday (July 22). Mr Koset disappeared while riding a jet-ski off Naka Yai Island after he was caught in the storm that hit Phuket late in the afternoon of the preceding Tuesday (July 17). Mr Koset was last seen at about 3:30pm between Naka Yai Island and Naka Noi Island. A search was immediately launched with a team of about 10 to 15 jet-skis sent out to find him, but with no success. The search efforts were quickly bolstered by Marine Police, rescue workers and Pa Khlok Disaster officials, with no less than two boats and dozens of jet-skis used to scour the waters. However, storm conditions hampered the search efforts for the following days, @thephuketnews

with no sign of Mr Koset being found. The search teams split into two groups to cover the area more effectively. One group comprising mostly locals focussed on searching around Naka Yai Island, while the Marine Police boat searched the area around Naka Noi Island. Mr Koset, who worked for the local company Kai Jet Ski, was not wearing a life jacket at the time he disappeared and he could not swim, confirmed police. Thalang District Chief Adul Chuthong confirmed last Sunday that a body had been found near Baan Anpao Beach on Koh Yao Noi, some 15 kilometres off Phuket’s east coast. The body, initially taken to the hospital on Koh Yao Island, was later identified by Mr Koset’s relatives and brought back to Phuket, Mr Adul explained. Eakkapop Thongtub

Wongsuwan, who instructed Royal Thai Police Commissioner-General Gen Chakthip Chaijinda to set up a task force to specifically take down the gang. “This operation came at the

request of the Chinese Police in Jilin, which has many call centre gangs,” Gen Surachate said. “The raids in Phuket were also co-ordinated with raids on the same gang at two sites in Pattaya and nine in Bangkok,” he explained. “But Patong was the centre of their operations; they had staff and aids to control everything,” he added. The Chinese Police said the damage done in China by the same gang amounted to about B150 million and have urged the Thai police to charge everyone involved in the scam, Gen Surachate noted. No Thais were victims of the gang, he added. “This is a new development where criminals are using Thailand as a base to carry out crime in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket and target victims overseas,” he said. The 25 suspects have been individually charged with a variety of crimes, including fraud and using electronic devices to commit fraud, which carries long jail terms under Thai law. “They will serve their punishment in Thailand first, then be handed over to Chinese authorities to face legal action there,” Gen Surachate said.

PHUKET NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM PHUKET SEVEN DAY WEATHER FORECAST

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018 www.foreca.com

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10,000 volunteers join HM King birthday event GENERAL MANAGER

Jason Beavan 086 479 7471

gm@classactmedia.co.th

SALES SUPPORT Siriporn (Nok) Seangmas 086 479 7470 sales@classactmedia.co.th

SALES REPRESENTATIVE Kiattisak (Rudy) Deamer 088 754 1371 sales2@classactmedia.co.th

The women were arrested on Patong’s Bangla Rd.

Ugandan arrests spur concerns TWO UGANDAN WOMEN were arrested on Bangla Rd in Patong last week for overstaying their visas. However, no details on how long the women had overstayed or how they managed to fund their stays has been forthcoming. Patong Police Deputy Chief Lt Col Jessada Sangsuree confirmed the arrest of the two women following a report titled ‘Suppressing Human Trafficking and Alien Overstaying’ being issued last Thursday (July 19) and addressed to Patong Police Chief Col Anocha Jindamane. The two women were named as Shaniyah Nyongonga, 31, and Latifah Hazziwa, 28. “We are worried that more and more women are coming here to Phuket, especially Patong, and are doing the same like this,” Col Jessada said. “The same is happening in other areas like Pattaya,” he added. The Phuket News

The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

he Governor of Phuket on Tuesday welcomed some 10,000 volunteers who registered as volunteers to take part in the auspicious ‘We do good things with our hearts’ events being held this weekend to honour His Majesty Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun on his 66th birthday, which will be celebrated on Saturday (July 28). The event on Tuesday (July 24) was the first day of a twoday registration period at the 4,000-seat Indoor Stadium at Saphan Hin, with Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong presiding. People of all ages were invited to take part. To register, people had to present their official government ID card, while for children under 7 years old any formal document that included the child’s ID card number could be used. Registration at the stadium was open from 8am to 4pm on both days. Later on Tuesd ay, at 1:30pm, people who had

Some 10,000 volunteers joined the event on Tuesday (July 24) which began at the 4,000-seat Indoor Stadium at Saphan Hin. Photo: PR Dept registered to take part in the event went to Saphan Hin’s football stadium and pledged “we will do good things with our hearts” in front of HM The King’s image. Volunteers were then taken by shuttle bus to clean local canals and other designated areas. The mass registration on Tuesday and Wednesday (July 25) to join the auspicious events to be held this weekend follow Governor Norrapat

presiding over a 'Keep Phuket Clean by our Hands and Hearts' beach cleanup at Kata Beach as part of the preparations for HM The King’s Birthday. The beach cleanup was also held to raise awareness of the cleanliness and orderliness in Phuket, Governor Norraphat explained. The cleanup, joined by scores of people, was also attended by Muang Phuket District Chief, Karon Mayor, Karon Police, heads of govern-

ment sectors, staff from local administration organisations as well as local residents. As part of the event, teams of attendees collected rubbish and cut grass along the area in front of Kata Beach. As with all the auspicious events held this weekend, people wanting to take part have been advised to wear yellow and dress appropriately. Jeans, flip-flops, and shorts have been specifically identified as inappropriate.

Residential drug raid nets 207kg of kratom, meth A N EA R LY MOR N I NG raid on a house in the Sinsuk Thani housing estate in Srisoonthorn on Tuesday (July 24) seized more than 200 kilograms of kratom leaves as well as a stash of methamphetamine (ya bah) pills. Narcotics suppression officers accompanied by military personnel moved in at 6am but the target suspect Anat Thongthan, 35, still registered as living in Tai Muang District in Phang Nga, was not at home. Regardless, a search of the house uncovered several sacks of fresh Kratom leaves – more than 1,000 pre-packed bundles by official estimates – weighing about 207kg, as well as two plastic packets containing a total of 157 orange and green ya bah pills and two sticks of dried cannabis weighing

The raid at the Sinsuk Thani housing estate netted 207kg of kratom leaves and 157 meth pills, but no suspect. four grams. The task force on Tuesday also arrested Weerachai Jittjamnong, 19, after he was caught with just 30mg (0.03g) of crystal meth (ya ice) at an unregistered room in Moo 2 Srisoonthorn, though the official report of the arrests gave no indication of whether the two raids were connected. Officers are still looking for Anat. Eakkapop Thongtub thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

PHUKET NEWS

‘The Phoenix will be raised’ Salvage efforts going ahead, assures Phuket Tourist Police chief Sirapisit Bunchoocheep reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

he chief of the Phuket Tourist Police this week confirmed that efforts to raise the Phoenix tour boat are still continuing, despite lengthy delays in organising the equipment needed to float the large tour boat from its resting place 1.5 nautical miles off Koh Hei (Coral Island), south of Phuket. The Phoenix sank in a strong storm squall late in the afternoon of July 5. Of the 89 tourists on board, 47 died in the disaster. All those killed and injured in the calamity were tourists from China. The boat now rests at a depth of about 45 metres. “At this time, I cannot say when the actual recovery will begin or end as a lot is still being organised. It is taking time,” Maj Eakkachai Siri of the Phuket Tourist Police told The Phuket News on Monday (July 23). “But we have our plan to recover the Phoenix, I can guarantee you that 100%,” he added. The confirmation by Maj

Thai Navy divers prepare to submerge in the effort to recover the last body from under the Phoenix last week. Since the last body was recovered, no news has been forthcoming about promised efforts to raise the tour boat for investigation. Photo: PR Dept / file Eakkachai came after a shroud of silence had fallen on the operation to raise the Phoenix since the flurry of daily reports on the efforts to recover the last body trapped on the seabed under the boat. Once the last body was recovered, no news about raising the Phoenix or the ensuing investigation have been forthcoming – despite

the Phoenix standing as the worst single-vessel maritime disaster in Thailand’s modern history. Former Phuket Marine Chief Phuripat Teerakulpisut on July 11 explained how the Marine Department was working on a plan to raise the Phoenix. Although now Director of Marine Office 3, Mr Phuri-

pat has previously served as Phuket Marine Chief for more than 10 years, though under two periods. He left the island only in 2016. “This operation needs care as not to damage the boat. It needs skilled people who are good at recovering boats, because the boat is lying at a depth of 45 metres, the recovering boat needs to

use a 400-ton crane to lift the Phoenix straight and pump water out,” he said. “This operation does not allow for anyone except officials and skilled staff. The equipment needed to recover the boat has not yet arrived. It might take 10 to 15 days to recover the boat, depending on the weather,” he added. Meanwhile, Maj Eakkachai also confirmed to The Phuket News on Monday that the registered owner of the Phoenix, Woralak Rerkchaikarn, 26, registered as living on Wichit Songkram Rd in Phuket Town, and the captain of the Phoenix, Somjing Boontham 50, registered as living in Moo 1, Rassada, have been transferred to Phuket Provincial Prison while being held on remand. The Phuket Provincial Court had denied bail to Woralak and Somjing as both face charges of negligence causing death and serious injury, and causing danger to the body or mind, Maj Eakkachai said. Phuket Provincial Court had initially held the two on remand at the detention cells

at the court building. However, construction engineer for the Phoenix, Onchan Kanhayote, 56, of Phetchabun Province, has been released on bail, Maj Eakkachai said. Regarding the sinking of the Serenata tour boat, which sank off Koh Mai Thon in the same storm on July 5 but with all 41 people on board rescued, Maj Eakkachai also confirmed that the captain, Metha Limsakul, 58, had also been released on bail. Chinese national 26-yearold Peng Daching, however, has not been so fortunate. Peng, arrested just days after the incident for allegedly working as the manager of Lazy Cat Travel, which operated tours on the Serenata, remains incarcerated in the detention cells at Phuket Immigration. Peng and Metha both face charges of negligence causing physical and mental harm to others. The Serenata has been recovered and is now being held at Phuket Boat Lagoon pending further investigation, Maj Eakkachai confirmed.

Fishing boats in migrant worker checks One injured in crane collapse OFFICIALS FROM VARIous local government agencies carried out random inspections on fishing boats at Rassada Pier on Tuesday (July 24) looking for cases of illegal employment, working conditions and human trafficking in the fishery industry. No irregularities were found during the course of the officials’ inspections. Chief Kowit Kao-ian of the Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office assigned Paisarn Sukpunwan, head of the Administration Department at the Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office, to lead the inspection at 3:30pm of fishing boats at Rassada Pier for any irregularities including illegal employment, working conditions and human trafficking. Joining Mr Paisarn for the inspection were officials from the Phuket Labour Protection and Welfare Office, Phuket Employment Office, Phuket Social Development and Human Security Office, Phuket Immigration Office, Phuket Marine Office, Phuket Public Health @thephuketnews

Officials carried out random inspections on fishing boats at Rassada Pier. Photo: PR Dept Office, Police Region 8, and the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor). A boat from the Krabi Marine Fisheries Suppression and Protection Centre also joined the operation. During the inspection officials carried out checks on three fishing vessels, the first, Siri Namchok 8 was found to have 30 workers on board; three from Thailand, 26 from Myanmar, and one from Cambodia. No irregularities were found. Officials then checked the Chok Kanjana 95, which

had 33 workers on board; four from Thailand and 29 from Myanmar. No irregularities were found. The last vessel to be inspected was the Sor Eakwaraporn 3 which also had 33 workers on board; two from Thailand and 31 from Myanmar. Again, no irregularities were found. During the course of their inspections, officials also conducted random interviews on the boats’ workers and found that all had gone to work in the fishing industry voluntarily. The Phuket News

ON E CONST RUCT ION site worker was injured when a crane lifting concrete slabs collapsed at a construction site in Patong last Sunday (July 22). Deputy chief of the Patong Police Lt Col Jetsada Sangsuree was notified that a crane had collapsed at the construction site of the Sensiana Hotel on Phra Baramee Rd at 10:30am. Reports stated that one construction worker has been injured as a result of the collapse.

The crane collapsed while moving concrete slabs at the site of the Sensiana Hotel. Photo: Supplied The injured party was taken to Patong Hospital by Kusoldharm rescue workers, but by Monday it had been confirmed that the injured

construction worker, who police did not name, had been released from hospital care as the injuries were only minor. Col Jetsada told T he Phuket News that the crane collapsed while it was moving concrete slabs. “The weight of the slabs was too much for the crane, this caused it to collapse,” he said. “Police have not yet laid any charges in the case as the investigation is still ongoing,” Col Jetsada added. Sirapisit Bunchoocheep

Opinion 6

OPINION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

editor@classactmedia.co.th

editor@classactmedia.co.th 076 612 550

KODCHANAT THINSEPON Editor

CHRIS HUSTED

Executive Editor

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.

Thanking our local divers

n the immediate aftermath of the Phoenix tour boat disaster on July 5, Phuket’s dive community without hesitation galvanised to join rescue and recovery efforts. After the last body was recovered Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong assured that formal recognition would be given to those who gave their time, money and heart to the recovery effort that officials so direly needed. They are still awaiting that recognition. Making the oversight worse is that divers from Koh Tao have been formally thanked. To this, The Phuket News is happy to pass that message on to local officials by printing the message below sent to our offices this week – albeit anonymously, understandably to avoid the writer from being subjected to any negative attention by local officials. The message read:

editor1@classactmedia.co.th Twenty years experience in the I n t e r n a t i o n a l m e d i a m a r ke t , creating content for Paramount Pictures, Mar vel and the BBC. Having previously lived on the island, David returned to cover regional lifestyle and cultural stories. He originates from the UK.

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091 165 0259 reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

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I am concerned for the 50+ freelance instructors who dropped everything, gave their effort freely and had quite a traumatic experience and have received not even a thank you. They deserve to be thanked, acknowledged at least as much as those that came from Koh Tao, who received certificates and commemorative coins of HM The King from their provincial Governor. By the time Koh Tao Rescue got to Phuket the body recovery was complete. However, we do commend them for turning up. It is nearly three weeks since the boat sank. I am sure the people who helped that day don’t expect rewards for their time, however a little acknowledgement might go a long way to soften the blow – they are suffering with the drop in tourists and lack of work as a result of this avoidable tragedy. These are the same guys

that are harassed by the police every year and arrested because of things like carrying a customer’s bags, the same people that live in fear of losing their work permits. They broke the law. Nowhere in their work permit does it say search and recovery of dead bodies is part of their work description. Yet when asked by the Marine Police they did so freely because it was needed and nobody had the resources. There is an obvious difference between how different local authorities value the input into the local community by foreigners who live here. Unfortunately, this is part of a bigger issue of how local government treats foreigners that live and work in Phuket. Every year we see good people give up and leave Phuket because it is so obvious none of us are wanted here.

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HAVE YOUR SAY

DAVID JACKLIN

Lifestyle Editor

EDITORIAL

Ready now Croc?

Re: Phuket croc search moves to Kata Noi, beach closed to swimmers Hehehe, where in the world are vice admirals, mayors and governor going to a beach for a croc? Where was the croc catching team when hotel staff notified about the croc relaxing at the beach? We need them, not vice admirals, mayors and governor. And when the croc is ‘ready’ to be caught, nobody there. Hahaha (oh, forgot: office hours only. Inform the croc) Kurt Re: Phuket crocodile hunt continues as tourists ignore safety warnings Salt wat e r c rocod ile s (Crocodylus porosus) were native to Phuket, they just went extinct in the 1970s. These crocodiles are likely com i ng f rom Myan ma r, Malaysia or Sumatra (Indonesia). There is no reason to think this one (or the one capt ured last year) were escaped captives...they are likely itinerants from other areas. They can swim thousands of miles. Cporosus1

Re: Possible crocodile sightings closes Phuket beaches It is the new secret strategy from local authorities to keep irresponsible tourists out of water to avoid drowning and pay a lot of money for compensation. Asterix

Day of Infamy

Re: Phuket police refuse to confirm or deny bail for Phoenix boat owner Nobody is guilty of the alleged charges. However, they are all guilty of operating under a flawed maritime safety system which greatly contributed to this tragedy in the first place. Soon, we’ll have a ‘Thailand Maritime Safety Authority’ and its new ‘Build Vessel Surveys’, ‘Firefighting & Safety Equipment Standards’ will be accepted worldwide? A day that will live in infamy. Capt B

Healthy exposure?

Re: Foreign media’s Wild Boar interviews come under fire These foreign journalists

should be reprimanded and not allowed to get away with such “irresponsible” acts just to get their interviews. Who do they think they are? This is Thailand and they should respect the request of the Thai Government Agencies. I am flabbergasted with their irresponsible behaviour. Robin Lee

Invisible ladies

It’s interesting to see a ‘psychologist’ touting the same societal hang-ups we see here every day. Contrary to Thai tradition one does not combat traumatic stress by ignoring. It’s healthy to talk about these things. The wisdom of doing so on TV can of course be questioned. CaptainJack

GrabTaxi charge

Lack of procedure

Re: Tourists storm-stranded on Koh Racha safely returned to Phuket We accept accidents happen EVERYWHERE, it’s the frequency of them here, the follow up, the investigation and the genuine procedures put in place to ‘prevent’ them from happening, these are the big difference... Rorri_2

Re: Ugandan females arrested on Bangla Rd for Phuket overstays Strange how a local reporter can see all the hookers but the police who patrol there every day can’t! Well not until it’s posted on FB and then they have to do their job! malczx7r

Re: Meter taxis in phuket?? What a joke, they don’t exist This is, quite simply, false. I take metered taxis 2-3 times per week, either from the stand at the airport or using Grab. With the latter, the booking fee increased from 50 to 150 baht several months ago, but they are still cheaper than the so-called “local taxis”. Inaccurate generalisations are a disgrace. ematt

Matri-moany

Re: Propose whilst orbiting the moon for a mere $145m In the US the woman would never go for it. She wouldn’t want $145 million of her future divorce money spent on such foolishness. Foot

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

THAILAND NEWS

Vehicle thieves get creative Vehicles now stolen by means other than being broken into BANGKOK Bangkok Post

he latest police crackdown on vehicle theft by the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) has revealed that a large number of vehicles are being stolen by means other than being broken into. Sakkarin Yingchatchawanchai, 28, f led before his houses were raided by CSD police last Tuesday (July 17). The suspect had faked his identity to avoid arrest for allegedly running a gang that stole vehicles and exported them. Police seized 16 cars suspected to have been stolen, Pol Col Bunlue Phadungthin, chief of CSD’s subdivision 3, said. Sakkarin had changed his name from Wirawat Sipodok, registered as a resident of Nonthaburi’s Bang Yai district. He previously ran an auto repair shop on Phibun Songkhram Rd in Nonthaburi. The owner of a car rental business, who declined to be named, told the CSD that he agreed to lease a vehicle to Sakkarin, who appeared well-dressed and respectable. The suspect called the business on March 1 to rent a car for a month. Sakkarin claimed his own car was being repaired and showed the car rental owner a repair document. He also gave copy of his identity card, the victim said. After he took the rental car out, Sakkarin paid a daily rent of B600 for 10 days before telling the car rental business owner that he was having an issue with his finances. After that, he was never heard from again, according to the owner. The CDS said Sakkarin also

A black Audi coupé is confiscated from a gang which allegedly forged its vehicle registration details. The gang is also suspected of involvement in car theft. Photo: Wassayos Ngamkham allegedly had other tricks up his sleeve to steal cars. He encouraged people with financial problems to pawn their vehicles with him, but then went on to sell them on the black market, Col Bunlue said. CSD investigators found pawn and loan documents in Sakkarin’s houses during last Tuesday’s raid. They also confiscated six motorcycles and four guns and ammunition for inspection. Also last week, CSD raids caught a gang believed to have connections with a car theft network. The gang sold used luxury cars illegally to unsuspecting customers,

Col Bunlue said. Police are looking into information which might link the gang to any car theft ring, and have confiscated fake vehicle registration plates from the used car business, said the CSD subdivision chief. Police managed to track down one of the vehicles, a black Audi coupé, which the gang had sold to a customer for B12 million at a petrol station on Pradit Manutham Rd in Bangkok. According to investigators, checks found the Audi coupé was registered with the Department of Land Transport as a white vehicle

with another registration number. The registration record shows the car belonged to Phongphan Kasemsawat who died in a car crash eight years ago. Mr Phongphan, 39, together with his wife, Benchamat Masing, was driving the car when the accident occurred on a road between Kanchanaburi’s Phanom district and Nakhon Pathom’s Kamphaeng Saen district. The man was killed on the spot while his wife was severely injured. The damaged Audi car was later repaired and sold to the gang which forged the vehicle registra-

Tomboy admits to vicious assault on girlfriend BANGKOK A TOMBOY WHO USED her motorcycle crash helmet to beat her girlfriend about the face and then stomped on her has admitted to police she was drunk at the time and acted in a fit of jealousy. The vicious attack at the entrance to a dormitory in Bangkok last Thursday (July 19) was videoed by onlookers who kept telling her to stop, and later posted on Facebook, drawing heavy fire. Kanchana Sinprasert, 27 was arrested at a house in Sukhothai province on a court warrant on assault charges and was returned to Phahol Yothin Police Station in Bangkok on Tuesday (July 24). The large-framed woman was later taken for a crime re-enactment at SB Place dor@thephuketnews

Kanchana Sinprasert, 27, is seen in a video clip bashing her 22-year-old girlfriend at a dormitory in Bangkok in the early hours of July 19. Photo: Screngrab via video clip mitory on Soi Ratchadapisek 36 in Chatuchak district. Kanchana admitted assaulting her 22-year-old girlfriend Fang (whose full name was withheld), who was sitting at the front of the dormitory, around 1:45am on July 19 in full view of male tenants.

Another woman and a man later came to her rescue. The video clip showed the assailant shoving the victim and then using a crash helmet to hit her about the face. The attacker dragged the victim by the hair and repeatedly stomped on her, beating her head against the ground several times. The victim was badly hurt and is being treated at a hospital. Doctors said she would need medical treatment for about two months. Metropolitan Police Bureau deputy commissioner Sompong Chingduang said the suspect confessed that she had acted under the influence of alcohol and assaulted her girlfriend in a jealous rage. She would be taken for a urine test to see if their were traces of drug use in her system. If she tested

positive for illicit drugs, additional charges would be pressed against her, Maj Gen Sompong said. Kanchana was to be taken to the Criminal Court on Wednesday (July 25), where police would seek to detain her for another 12 days to allow further investigation. Police would oppose bail, the deputy city police chief said. The current charge against her carries a penalty of six months to 10 years in jail and/ or maximum fine of B200,000. T h e f a m i ly of Fa n g planned to file a complaint with police against Kanchana on Tuesday. The victim suffered a fractured eye socket and required surgery. The suspect had promised to pay her medical bills and compensation, Thai media reported. Bangkok Post

tion number. “Certain state officials must have been involved [in the number plate forgery],” Col Bunlue said, adding that someone had almost certainly helped the gang bypass the strict regulations of the registration process. In a third raid last week, the CSD arrested a member of a gang which allegedly stole motorcycles to sell in Myanmar. The crackdown was headed by Pol Col Maen Menyaem, chief of CSD’s subdivision 4. His team nabbed a man identified as Athippati Tulathong. He allegedly colluded with a Myanmar accomplice called Hatsan who bought the stolen motorcycles from Athippati. Athippati, who is wanted on multiple ar rest war rants, was nabbed in a housing estate in Ratchaburi’s Ban Pong district. His arrest followed a raid on a gang of five earlier this year after police found they dismantled stolen motorcycles and sent them across the border as spare parts. According to Col Maen, Athippati did not use a sophisticated method, he just stole motorcycles parked in security blind spots at night. Col Maen said Athippati has a knack for avoiding arrest and had been committing the crime in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces for more than 10 years. The 29-year-old suspect has not renewed his identity card since the age of 15 which has made it hard for police to pin him down despite there being four arrest warrants for charges including motorcycle theft and depriving a minor from parental care in his name, added Col Maen.

THAILAND NEWS

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Foreign media come under fire Thai officials slam news agencies’ interviews with cave boys BANGKOK Bangkok Post

hai of f icials have slammed international news agencies’ exclusive interviews with the boys rescued from Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai, saying the media coverage risks violating child protection laws. Deputy permanent secretary for justice Tawatchai Thaikyo last Friday (July 20) warned that the foreign media’s questions may have a negative impact on the boys’ recoveries and lead them to suffer from post-traumatic stress. He was responding to reports that some international news agencies have already conducted interviews with the boys since they returned home. ABC News was among agencies which reportedly secured exclusive interviews with some of the members of the Wild Boars football team. “The interviews should not have been done at all. Some questions can trigger fear in the boys, especially questions about the use of medication

Thai authorities are worried about the psychological impact interviews with foreign media outlets might have on the 12 young football players and their coach recently rescued from a flooded cave. Photo: Screengrab from ABC News via Bangkok Post during their extraction from the cave. Such questions only serve to remind them of the trauma they went through and may lead to further psychological issues in the future,” Mr Tawatchai said. Mr Tawatchai faulted the international news agencies for ignoring a request by Thai authorities for their cooperation in respecting the privacy of the boys and their families. However, he praised Thai media organisations for cooperating.

“Although the foreign agencies claim that they had permission from the boys’ parents, it is not right because Thai and foreign journalists were given clear guidelines for their coverage. The parents of the boys might not be prepared to cope with what’s to come,” Mr Tawatchai said. He urged the agencies to follow the same guidelines used when minors are questioned in court. There, children’s testimonies are overseen by social

workers or psychiatrists, Mr Tawatchai said. “We thought that foreign media organisations understood conventions on children’s rights and procedures to protect the young but their standards have turned out to be lower than expected. It seems they lack common sense,” he said. Twelve local football players aged 11-16 and their 25-year-old coach from the Moo Paa (Wild Boars) Academy football team entered Tham Luang cave in Chiang

Rai’s Mae Sai district on June 23 and were trapped inside by rising floodwater. An international rescue operation located them after 10 days and brought them out in batches over a three-day period from July 8-10. The incident made international headlines as the cave extraction was considered to be the toughest of its kind and drew help from local and international rescuers and supporters. Boon r uang Trir uangworawat, director-general of the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Mental Health, said interviews with the boys could affect their mental health in the long term. Interviews should be put off for at least two months as the boys are still under observation, he advised. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam also warned that the foreign media’s interviews with the boys risk violating laws protecting children’s rights. The government had instructed officials from the Social Development and Human Security to look after the

boys, Mr Wissanu said. However, Anira Thinon, a social development and human security official in Chiang Rai, said that foreign reporters had not obtained permission from officials and had conducted their interviews when the officials assigned to look after the boys were absent. “The media will be held responsible under the children protection law which regulates media coverage and the foreign media is no exception,” she said. Thepchai Yong, president of the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association, posting on Facebook, criticised foreign media intrusion on the boys’ privacy. “While you are concerned that Thai media will disturb the Wild Boars, the foreign reporters have turned up in droves at their houses,” Mr Thepchai wrote “They include ABC News, CBS and several others. They proudly declared that they had exclusive interviews with the children while the Thai media have been told to stay away,” he added.

Police inspect the rented house where a man cut his subordinate’s penis because he believed the man had sexually assaulted his wife. Photo: Saichon Srinuanjan

Man severs employee’s penis RATCHABURI A BUS PA I NT FOR Eman admitted to cutting the penis of his subordinate to protect his wife after they joined a drinking session over last weekend. Permsak Petprasert, 50, was arrested at his rented home on Soi Bang Tan of tambon Nong Or in Ban Pong district last Sunday (July 23) and charged with the assault. The victim was identified as Suwit Thipjantha, 39. Permsak told police that he had known Mr Suwit for about a month, when he agreed to be his helper

on a job to paint a bus at an assembly plant in Ban Pong. He allowed Mr Suwit to share his home as they were both natives of Trang province. Late last Saturday night (July 21), Permsak, Mr Suwit and another colleague had drinks at the house. Later he and the third man left to buy more alcohol, leaving the apparently drunk Mr Suwit at the house where his wife, Mrs Tin, 52, was asleep. Permsak said that when he returned, he saw his wife running out of the house in a panic, and also saw Mr Suwit walking out of her bedroom wearing only shorts. Permsak attacked Mr Suwit with

mechanics’ tools, knocked him down, and then used a fruit knife to cut off the unconscious subordinate’s penis, which he threw into a nearby shrub line. Permsak said he then asked neighbours to send Mr Suwit to hospital. Mrs Tin told police Mr Suwit was drunk, and had entered her room and touched her arm. She ran from him just as her husband arrived back home. Police told Permsak to lead them to the area where he threw the penis but could not find it. Police said they believed a dog had consumed or carried it away. Bangkok Post

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

ASIA NEWS

King of the ‘Ghats’ For India’s Doms it’s life and death on the banks of the Ganges INDIA

Members of the caste Doms maintain funeral pyres in Varanasi, India. Photo: Chandan Khanna / AFP

Bhuvan Bagga

t is well past midnight as Bahadur Choudhary, a fourth-generation caretaker of Varanasi’s ancient cremation grounds, sprinkles ceremonial butter on huge funeral pyres burning on the banks of the Ganges. Choudhary is illiterate, poor and low caste, but his role in Varanasi, one of the holiest cities in India, is sacrosanct in Hindu mythology. Born a keeper of the flame, tradition dictates that Choudhary oversee the sacred fires and cremation grounds at Varanasi that Hindus believe free them from the cycle of life and death. These funeral custodians a r e t he D om s , a sm a l l community living by Varanasi’s burning ghats, where cremation fires burn day and night and the smell of the dead hangs heavy in the air. “The dead are our only business,” Choudhary said at

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the Manikarnika ghat, where thick black smoke rose from pyres as huddled families sobbed, and beggars and nearnaked holy men wandered around seeking donations. For centuries, the Doms have provided the ceremonial flame used to cremate the dead

brought to Varanasi for moksha, or release from the Hindu life cycles. At the ghats, the Doms pass flaming torches to the families of the deceased, who ignite the wooden pyres dotting the riverside. As the bodies wrapped

in white shroud and marigold flowers are turned to ash, the remains are collected and sprinkled in the Ganges, and the Doms collect their dues. Choudhary, instructing two fire attendants to add more butter and wood to a pyre, said their community survives off

whatever the mourners pay them. “Some can barely afford the cremation,” he said. “Others make generous donations, and even offer to feed all the labourers.” Choudhary said he could earn as little as 150 rupees (B72) for backbreaking labour that could last 18 hours. A good day could bring up to $75 (B2,508), he said. It is little income to sustain their families, Choudhary said, but there are few other opportunities for work. Despite the importance of their ceremonial duty in Hindu funeral rites, the Doms hail from the bottom rungs of India’s lowest-caste Dalit community. All are engaged at some level in the cremation business – maintaining fires in the ghat temples, arranging wood for the pyres or selling flowers and other ornaments for the ceremony. The most coveted role is that of “king” of the ghats – a temporary designation that

rotates through Dom families. The titleholder is afforded clout, honour and additional alms in the day-to-day running of the cremations. But most within the marginalised community work are confined to menial jobs tending to the dead. On the ghats, the Doms spend long hours surrounded by the heat of pyres and the swirling chaos synonymous with Varanasi. Some also sift for any valuables, including gold ornaments or even gold teeth left behind on the bodies by family members. Choudhary wanted his two sons to find a different path in life, but both dropped out of school to follow in their father’s footsteps, he said. They will become the fifth generation from his family to tend the pyres. “Times may change but nothing will change here. People will keep dying and coming to Varanasi, and will look to the Doms to do the sacred work of the gods.” AFP

10 WORLD NEWS

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Faded architectural gems Young Romanian architects try to save their country’s heritage ROMANIA Mihaela Rodina

n a spa town nestled near Romania’s border with Bulgaria and Serbia, Oana Chirila puts on her hard hat and gets down to work with a dozen other young architects to try to save their country’s heritage. Some of the precious architectural gems they are striving to restore bore witness to centuries of Romanian history and the crowned heads who ruled it through the ages. Yet their sheer longevity has left many needing more than just a little tender loving care, which Chirila and her team have resolved to supply as they beaver away in a vaulted, once sumptuous hall at the heart of the charming but down-at-heel imperial Herculane Baths resort. Chirila has embarked on an ambitious project to restore lustre to the crumbling, neglected baths complex, built between 1883 and 1886, which has suffered from a combination of official apathy and unhappy privatisation. “We must start off with urgent measures to rule out the threats and consolidate the building,” says student architect Chirila, who hopes local authorities will help raise the 100,000 euros (B3.9 million) required for the first tranche of restoration. Described by the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I as “Europe’s most beautiful spa resort”, Herculane was already a favourite spot of the Romans, who were fans of the “miraculous” benefits

The Constanta Casino, an emblematic Art Nouveau monument from the early 20th Century, is crumbling away, the rafters are home to nesting pigeons who flutter around the chandeliers, while the marble floor and elegant sweeping staircase are covered in the birds’ excrement and feathers. Photo: Daniel Mihailescu / AFP of its thermal mineral waters, historian Dorin Balteanu said. Equally charmed by the picturesque mountainous surroundings was Empress Elisabeth, nicknamed Sisi, who made several visits during the 1880s to try to cure her rheumatism in the curative waters and enjoy long walks. According to local legend, a tired Hercules, the Roman hero, once came to the valley, where he enjoyed a bathe and a rest, hence the resort’s name. A big bronze statue of him stands in the centre. Neglected during the communist era, thousands of architectural gems all over Romania have fallen prey to real estate developers, who

local activists accuse of having made huge profits by pulling them down and building glass and steel high-rises instead, often with the approval of local authorities. “It’s a tactic of real estate developers – let monuments go to rack and ruin in order to intervene afterwards,” Maria Berza, an expert in cultural policy, said. At the Herculane Baths, several symbols disappeared under the communist regime, including statues of Romanian kings. And today, it’s hard to imagine the former imperial grandeur of the Franz Joseph era from looking at the rusting pipes, cracked walls and

fractured red marble that once covered the around 30 thermal pools. Yet, says Balteanu, tourists are still drawn here, despite the controversial sale in 2001 of a sizeable stake in the resort to a company owned by businessman and politician Iosif Armas on the understanding that it would invest to restore the buildings. Armas is now awaiting trial on an embezzlement charge linked to the deal. A former town mayor has also been charged with corruption in connection with the case. Chirila is hopeful her project will bear fruit. “Doing nothing is unthink-

able. If we don’t manage to save Herculane, a part of our identity will be lost for ever,” she warned. At the eastern end of the country on the Black Sea, another architectural gem, the Constanta Casino, an emblematic Art Nouveau monument from the early 20th century, is crumbling away. Built at the start of the last century by Daniel Renard, an architect of Swiss origin, the site won the admiration of Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II on a visit in 1914. Today, the rafters are home to nesting pigeons who flutter around the chandeliers, while the marble floor and elegant sweeping staircase are covered

in the birds’ excrement and feathers. “We have been trying to find a viable solution for more than 10 years to restore this building to its former glory,” says Constanta mayor Decebal Fagadau. In 2007, an Israeli company agreed a concession deal to modernise the casino. But four years later, the contract was annulled by the Constanta town hall without a cent of investment having been forthcoming. As the town hall and the government quarrel about what to do next, an association of young Romanian architects, Arche, has resolved to intervene. They have had the casino placed on a list of seven most endangered sites collated by heritage group Europa Nostra. “The European experts will propose solutions for the casino’s restoration to the town hall,” architect Daniela Costea said. In the interim, Arche is organising concerts and lectures to encourage residents to “reappropriate” and make use of the site. The 1990s, which witnessed real estate speculation on a massive scale, were a “disaster” for historic buildings, Berza said. But she said she was encouraged by the ongoing mobilisation of support to save the country’s heritage. Whereas architectural heritage was for too long treated as a “cultural Cinderella”, today it is more “a Sleeping Beauty, which is just waking up,” Berza said. AFP

Poetry in motion: enter the world of the ‘Scrap Metal Poet’ FRANCE WITH ITS FAIRYTALE TOWers, quirky animated sculptures, fantastical constructions and musical fountains, the inventive world crafted out of discarded junk by the man known as the ‘Scrap Metal Poet’ is tucked away deep in the northwestern French countryside. “It’s an extraordinary place in my imagination,” says its creator Robert Coudray, who has let his imagination run wild for nearly three decades, turning his ideas into reality. Now to the sounds of chiming bells and flowing water, visitors can

wander around his little timeless world of scrap creations, peeking inside some of the 15 towers and admiring some 70 figures that move, laid out over a hectare of land in the village of Lizio. Coudray, 65, said it all began out of boredom. “One day, I was bored so I started to make cabins, little cabins... and since I was bored, I made them bent,” says the sculptor, whose previous jobs ranged from stonemason to farmer. Next he began creating sculptures and fountains that move and come alive. To build them he scours junk yards for his main materials, scrap metal and wood, and lets his

imagination soar in his workshop. “I love everything which is not normal, everything that is quirky,” he says. And each year his world grows, for he says he’s not done yet. “I have a vision of where I want to go and that’s going to take another 15 to 20 years,” he says. Though located off the usual tourist route in Brittany, Coudray attracts around 35,000 visitors every year, both youngsters and those young at heart. As one visitor put it: “It’s enchanting, it’s as if we rediscover the spirit of childhood through all he has done.” AFP

Founder Robert ‘Scrap Metal Poet’ Coudray poses on the site of ‘Universe of the scrap merchant’s poet’, an inventive world made of iron-made sculptures. Photo: Fred Tanneau / AFP thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

BUSINESS NEWS 11

Taking the plunge

Michael Ayling takes the reins at B1.3bn Blue Tree waterpark DEVELOPMENT The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

lue Tree Phuket this week announced the appointment of Michael Ayling, a veteran of Phuket’s hospitality scene, as its General Manager. Having worked in a consulting capacity for the past 24 months, Mr Ayling now takes the reins to lead the development, beginning with its opening to the public in early 2019. The B1.33-billion project is located on 140 rai in Cherng Talay, and will have a giant waterpark as its centrepiece. Facilities within the 70.8-rai first phase, which opens to the public in the first quarter of 2019, include a Water and Entertainment park, a four-storey vertical Beach Club, Fitness Zone, Kid’s Club and multiple retail spaces. The project also includes plans for a retail mall with a major supermarket as the commercial anchor as well as office spaces, nightly entertainment in an amphitheatre, a four-storey beach club, a Kid’s Club, a fitness zone and at least 17 restaurants and food outlets. and parking spaces for 500 cars. The commercial amenities will be centred around the complex’s

LEFT: Michael Ayling, former Managing Director of Laguna Resorts & Hotels, has joined the team at Blue Tree Phuket as General Manager. ABOVE: An artist’s impression of the B1.33-billion development. star attraction: Blue Tree Lagoon. The 17,000-square-metre manmade lagoon will be flanked by artificial beaches and offers the ultimate aquatic playground for family-friendly and adrenalinedriven activities such as Slip N Fly water slides, splash zone and even cliff jumping. Aside from utilising state-of-theart technology to maintain water clarity, The Blue Tree Lagoon also boasts eco-friendly credentials. Powered by global innovator Crystal Lagoons’ sustainable technology, the lagoon uses up to 100 times fewer

chemicals and 50 times less energy than conventional swimming pool systems. Mr Ayling, a UK-born leisure industry professional, brings a wealth of experience to the role including 12 years at Laguna Phuket, one of the island’s best-known and most expansive resort and leisure complexes. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to be involved in such an ambitious project on this scale,” Mr Ayling said. “Blue Tree will become a new icon for Phuket and it will help re-

shape the image of one of the world’s best-loved holiday destinations,” he added. “Having been a part of the team for the past two years, from the master planning stages to partnership selections and management, I am extremely excited to now lead Blue Tree and ensure it will deliver a unique family experience to local Thais and expatriate residents and international visitors to the island.” While working for Laguna Resorts & Hotels, a subsidiary of the Singapore-listed Banyan Tree Holdings, Mr Ayling oversaw the

operations of eight different hotels – including two Banyan Trees, a Dusit Thani and Sheraton Grande – and a golf course, in addition to property development, construction, marketing and sales operations for over 400 residences. Prior to joining Laguna in 2000, he spent more than a decade working in the professional service industry for KPMG, initially at its Oxford, England office before relocating with the firm to Papua New Guinea. His responsibilities are set to be just as diverse in his new role with Blue Tree Phuket. The project will pre-launch in August and is positioned to become Phuket’s premier attraction appealing to Thai families, expatriate residents and tourists visiting the island, said a release issued on Tuesday (July 24), with other reports citing that admission prices are targetted at about B1,000 a head. “Phuket will of course always be known for its spectacular sea and sand, but there’s been a clear demand for inland entertainment alternatives for some time now,” Mr Ayling said. “Blue Tree will offer an immersive lifestyle experience that combines the fun of water sports, family activities, retail and relaxation in one strategically located destination that will cater precisely to this demand,” he added.

Chevrolet new Phuket dealer, service centre part of B50mn campaign AUTO CH EV ROLET H AS announced that it will open a new branch in Phuket next month, after a hiatus of 14 months since the previous dealership was terminated on May 31 last year. The new dealership and service centre, located on the bypass road, will open on Aug 16. The centre will be open Monday to Saturday from 8:30am to 5:30pm and will receive calls at 062-2422000 after Aug 16. To assist customers a hotline has been set up at 0616107708 to receive calls from Aug 9- Sept 9, announced a release issued this week. “Chevrolet Thailand is reinforcing its commitment to its Complete Care customer promise and expanding its vehicle service coverage with the launch of a new network of service and spare parts (‘2S’) centres,” said the announcement. The roll-out of additional service centres will serve up to 16 provinces where dealer@thephuketnews

Ms Piyanuch of Chevrolet Thailand says the new centre is part of a B50mn customerfocussed’ project. ships are not available. The first new ‘2S’ service centre will open in Phuket in August, followed soon by another in Amnat Charoen, the release added. “This initiative puts customer convenience at the heart of Chevrolet Complete Care, making aftersales vehicle servicing, repairs and warranty work by qualified and certified Chevrolet technicians more available and convenient for Chevrolet customers nationwide,” said the announcement. “The expanded vehicle service network will roll-out in two phases, beginning with the opening of eight new

dedicated and stand-alone Chevrolet service and spare parts “2S” centres starting this August, with the roll-out expected to be complete by the end of 2019. “The second phase, currently in the final stages of evaluation, would see up to an additional eight Authorised Service Outlets (ASOs) installed in existing automotive garages by the end of 2019, expanding Chevrolet’s service centre and customer care network even further,” it added. Piyanuch Chaturaphat, Sales & Marketing General Director of Chevrolet Thailand, said: “Customers are at the centre of everything we do. Chevrolet is committed to increasing our service network in Thailand, and increasing customer confidence as a result.” Ms Piyanuch added, “This announcement coincides with the launch of our new Chevrolet Complete Care communications project, reminding customers we are here to look after them and that Chevrolet is committed to constantly

improving our customer service and experience.” The new 2S service centres will be set up with a range of equipment to carry out the same standard maintenance, repairs and warranty work as a regular Chevrolet dealership. While vehicle service is performed, customers can relax in lounges designed and decorated as comfortable living spaces for their enjoyment.

In total, the new service centre roll-out plan represents a combined investment of more than B50 million, reinforcing Chevrolet and its dealer partners’ commitment to customers and the plan to continue investing and growing in Thailand. In the first quarter of 2018, Chevrolet Thailand’s sales grew by 10% compared with the same period last year. Leading the charge was the

Colorado model, which saw a 16% sales increase during the first quarter of 2018. Ms Piyanuch said, “We are confident Chevrolet will continue to grow in Thailand as we work to ser ve our customers better every day. The expansion of our new service centre network and increased availability of the Chevrolet Complete Care program is testament to this.” The Phuket News

12 BUSINESS NEWS

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Any work, anywhere, for anyone

Thailand’s new work permit law broadens the hiring horizon LAW Jerrold Kippen

Tax & Law Expert Duensing Kippen

n part one on our series on Thailand’s new foreign labour law we explained that the new law allows foreigners to work without a work permit in some limited but significant circumstances. What most people have failed to notice so far is that the new law is also very good news for foreigners who are still required to obtain a work permit. Previously, foreigners who needed to obtain a work permit in order to work were prohibited from doing any work, for any employer, anywhere, and under any such conditions if such were not detailed and, therefore, permitted in the work permit itself. That is no longer the case. Until last year Thailand regulated foreign work permissions under the Alien Workers Act (2008) (the “Act”). In 2017 the Emergency Decree on Non-Thais’ Working Management Emergency Decree, (2017) (“Decree No. 1”) repealed the Alien Workers Act (2008). Decree No. 1, however, incorporated much of the repealed Act’s provisions and kept in force most of the regulations issued under it. Then, on 27 March 2018, the Emergency Decree on Non-Thais’ Working Management (No.2) (2018) (“Decree No. 2”) was issued. Decree No. 2 amended Decree No. 1. Section 70 of Decree No. 1 (and the Act) provided that “a person who

Under the old rules, foreigners who needed a work permit were prohibited from doing any work, for any employer, anywhere, under any such conditions if such were not detailed and, therefore, permitted in the work permit itself. That is no longer the case. Photo: The Phuket News is granted permission for working may not carry out the work of the type, with the employer, in a locality or on any working condition that is different from that specified in their work permit unless permission under Section 71 is obtained.” Section 71 of Decree No. 1 (and the Act) provided that “a person who is granted permission for working, and who intends to change or add the following particulars, must obtain permission from the Registrar: (1) type of work (2) employer (3) location or (4) working conditions.” And Section 73 of Decree No. 1 (and the Act) provided that “no

person may allow a foreigner to work in a manner different from the requirements specified in the work permit.” However, and very significantly, Section 37 of Decree No. 2 repealed Sections 70, 71, and 73 of Decree No. 1. Furthermore, Section 28 of Decree No. 2 provides that a work permit holder may engage in any work that is not specifically prohibited to all foreigners on the “Official List” of work prohibited to foreigners. The Official List outlines, the limited number of activities for

which a foreigner cannot obtain work permission for in any case. (The current Official List is the same as was last issued under the Act. However, the Official List has been revised and we will detail such in part three of this series.) As a consequence, any foreigner who has a work permit in Thailand may now, work anywhere, for anyone (including themselves), under any conditions, and do any type of work, that is not excluded by the Official List. This is a very significant and welcome change to the Thai foreign labour law regime.

It is obviously good news for work permit holders in Thailand – and Thailand will also benefit from having made its labour market more attractive to the best foreign labour talent it needs to compete for in the ever-increasing globalised economy. D U E N S I N G K I PPE N i s a n international law firm specialising in business transaction and dispute resolution matters, with offices in Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand and affiliated offices in over 50 other countries. Visit them at: duensingkippen.com

Visa-fee waiver urged as Chinese arrivals fade TOURISM TOURISM OPERATORS have urged the government to waive visa fees for Chinese tourists in a bid to draw them back after arrivals fell following the Phoenix tour boat disaster in Phuket on July 5 killing 47 Chinese tourists. The visa-fee waiver might be offered for a short period, such as six months, Vichit Prakobkosol, President of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, told the Bangkok Post on Monday (July 23). The association reported that many Chinese tourists had cancelled their bookings to visit Phuket and other resort destinations including Krabi, Phang Nga and Koh Samui after the Phoenix disaster. The visa-fee exemption

Tour operators are demanding the government drop all visa fees to get Chinese tourists back. Photo: Bangkok Post should be offered as soon as possible, he said, otherwise Chinese tourists will choose to visit other countries over the next few months. The visa for a Chinese citizen to visit Thailand costs about B1,000. Mr Vichit said operators in Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi

will soon meet with tourism authorities to seek assistance and restoration plans. Klissada Ratanapr uk, executive director for the southern region at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said the Phoenix boat tragedy had also affected tourism on Koh Samui.

Speaking in Phuket in the media blitz by officials in the aftermath of the disaster, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn told the press, “In the past year, 9.8 million Chinese tourists came to Thailand, generating B500 billion in tourism revenue, but now Chinese tourists are concerned about emergency rescue systems in place and there are now some cancellations into Thailand.” Tourism and Sports Permanent Secretary Pongpanu Svetarundra in Phuket on July 12, revealed that that Chinese tourist advance bookings in Phuket had been slammed with 10-15% cancellations. By Wednesday last week that estimate grew to 80-90% for the Patong area alone. The Phuket News thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Don’t you forget about me

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Hollywood’s Asian love affair

COASTAL MARINE CONSERVATION

Is the polluted tide finally a changin’?

Attendees at the Coastal Marine Conservation event Photo: Papichaya L. David Jacklin editor1@classactmedia.co.th

n Thursday, July 19 a huge wave of plastic washed up on the shoreline of the Dominican Republic covering the entire beach at Playa Montesinos. As a result, more than 30 tons of plastic waste was collected from the area. If nothing is done there will be more plastics (by weight) in the ocean than fish by 2050. As an island habitat that also thrives on the tourism industry, the health of our local coastal marine ecosystems affect us all. As individuals we are more aware than ever of the detrimental effect of modern growing economies’ dependency on plastics and their environmental impact. The media tends to present a dark view with shocking statistics that make us throw in the towel on the entire gloomy affair. Guilty as charged. But for once they’re right. They really don’t need to exaggerate the environmental issue to induce the public reaction and a sense of responsibility across all sectors from government to business, to local communities. But before you turn the page in despair, let me inform you that I am the bearer of glad tidings. This, for once, is a positive report on environmental impact @thephuketnews

in action. Of groups of local academics and commercial companies working hand-in-hand to bring about change for good. Last Friday (July 20) the Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach, hosted a full day of presentations and workshops on promoting best practices in coastal marine conservation. The event was well attended by conservation groups, government agencies and local hoteliers. The day was presented in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Mangroves for the Future (MFF) and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, who are working with and bringing together a consortium of government and commercial partners to drive corporate social responsibility (CSR) across coastal business practices. Regeneration of Coral Reefs The day began with a Reef Ecosystems talk by Dr Nalinee Thongtham from the Phuket Marine Biological Center. This is one of five research centers across Thailand. The centre covers a regional coastline of approximately 900 kilometres in which they look after monitoring marine ecology, oceanography and pollution in the sea, study of plankton and ocean productivity. Their work also includes conservation of endangered species such as sea turtles and whale groups, and

reference collections of ocean fauna and flora. Their study on the impact of human and natural causes on the coral reefs and its rehabilitation along the Andaman Sea has been ongoing for more than 20 years. This area alone is over 120 square kilometres, and it won’t surprise you to learn that the condition is not currently healthy. In the report only 6% was deemed to be of good status, with the rest described as either in a poor or very poor health. Most of the problem lies in human activity including poor management and the dramatic increase in tourism in recent decades. Tree-felling from coastal development is also a key component. By cutting trees in the coastal regions, the rainfall then brings land sediment from the hills down into the sea. Coral simply cannot survive under a blanket of sediment. Dr Niphon Phongsuwan of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), added that the sediment problem was not in the control of the hotels, but rather a Government sector issue, who need to work closely together with the IUCN to step up its environmental policy. This has led to the publication of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. The problem is clear, it is the enforcement of policy to prevent

sediment fall that is the issue. Dr Niphon advised that the authorities need to plan a holding tank or trap system when areas near the beach are under construction to prevent loading of sediment into the sea. There is, however, one new regulation by the DMCR that can make an immediate impact. It is now law that with any reporting to the department of activity that directly causes damage to a reef, they are now obliged to follow legal action. Dr Nalinee discussed the team’s work on coral rehabilitation. The center places man-made concrete artificial structures into the ocean environment that enable the coral to attach, grow and bloom in a stable environment. After 15 years it has proven to significantly increase coral recovery that works in many locations. The structures can also be moved to rehabilitate other areas. Hotels can do a lot by promoting environmentally friendly guidelines. How guests can enjoy the reef in a good way. Ideally hotels could help by designing guides to their local reefs, with information on best practices for snorkeling and not to step on the coral at low tide. The Marriott Merlin Beach has a resident Marine Biologist, Katie Bimson from IUCN, as well as a beachfront Reef Education Center for guests. Continued on page 14

14 ENVIRONMENT

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Breakout sessions explore new approaches to tackling plastic pollution Photo: Papichaya L.

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Jane Macdougall from the Phuket Hotel Association discusses sustainable solutions Photo: Papichaya L.

Biodiversity is not a choice Thailand is one of six nations responsible for 60% of sea plastic pollution.

Continued from page 13 To support hotels on best practices IUCN has produced a Hotel Guideline Document, ‘Biodiversity: My Hotel in Action’, which can be download online.

Thailand Business and Biodiversity Platform Ann Moey, Head of Communications and private sector focal point for the Asia Regional Office of IUCN then spoke about their role with commercial industries. The IUCN is the World’s largest environment network. Their mission statement is to create ‘A just world that values and conserves nature.’ Core to their work with industry in Thailand is the Bio-Diversity Network Alliance (B-DNA), which is a first in this region. It is a multi-stakeholder platform which aims to bring companies together to protect life below water and on land in line with Thailand’s specific biodiversity. The programme aims to mobilise the private sector with knowledge and tools, as well as to facilitate collaboration to enhance projects and effort. Ms Moey claimed that Thailand is one of six countries responsible for 60% of sea plastic pollution. Corporate responsibility is key. Ms Moey described three important areas to engage these partners from philanthropy and charitable donation, risk management including beach cleaning and waste, to value creation where businesses understand the beneficial impact of adopting sustainable practices and environmental policies. Businesses can gain accreditation and consumer recognition for being a responsible sustainable business, which in turn has a positive impact commercially. Ms Moey believes there is a desire across industry to adopt suitable practices. What they need is the knowledge on how to do it and the ability to reinforce and sustain a programme of change. So how do we know that influencing businesses and a programme of corporate sustainability like B-DNA actually works? The IUCN has already established these platform in other countries including India, Sri Lanka & Pakistan. In India core members such as TATA Power have produced biodiversity development plans with the help of IUCN. “Biodiversity is not a choice anymore,” explained Ms Moey. “The Thailand B-DNA will enable members to collaborate with the government and influence policy. It’s about national priorities where members can learn from one another and appreciate the recognition for being a responsible sustainable business.” Tackling Plastic Waste Jayne Macdougall works in the industry but also heads up the Phuket Hotel Association, which is a non-profit organisation representing 70 hotels. That’s a whopping 10,755 rooms across the island. The association gives video and training modules on best practices and supplier initiatives to the resorts. Key to this is the reduction of single-use plastics which include bottles, straws and take away containers. The message that we have to hear loud and clear is that small change DOES work, and can make a dramatic impact on the environment. Twelve months

Ann Moey from IUCN talks about the B-DNA programme Photo: Papichaya L. ago 29 Phuket hotels used single-use plastics. Now that has dropped to 20. Reduced by 9? Not much you think. When you consider that one hotel alone represents 660,000 plastic bottles in one year the impact starts to become a little clearer. Dr Marissa Jablonski also attended as an expert in this field from the US. The academic is a development engineer and educator who collaborates with trans-disciplinary groups worldwide wrestling with sustainability and is on the island for two months conducting a survey of plastics in hotels. She detailed that there are a lot of questions back from hotels and a strong need to ensure they have knowledge on best practices. Dr Jablonski infomed us all that when you recycle a drinking water bottle, it will never become another water bottle. It will most likely come back as a polyester for clothing items. When you consider that worldwide one million plastic bottles are used in every minute of every day… that’s a lot of itchy jumpers. Simply by using glass bottles and paper straws we can all get closer to a sustainable tourism and local community. Not only this, hotels can actually save cost by using glass rather than plastic. It’s a great story in itself. Hotels can do the right thing, as well as have an economic motivation to use local and sustainable alternatives. So how can we make a difference? For hotels, 2018 is the International Year of the Reef. There is a global effort to increase awareness and understanding of values and threats to local marine

environments, as well as reef watch training in Phuket. Contacting the IUCN for support, information and supplier lists of sustainable alternatives is an important first step, and their ‘Biodiversity: My hotel in action’ report can be downloaded online at their website. For the individual, check out the ‘Trash Hero’ programme. This is run entirely by volunteers driving sustainable community-based projects, and looking for all to lend a hand. There are local chapters of the group that organise waste clear ups and bottle programmes. Trash Hero Thailand has a regional Facebook page for further information on how to get involved. We all know Thailand has a long way to go. The over use of unnecessary plastics is inherent in practically every encounter between a purchaser and the seller across the nation. And as I described the event to one hotel owner in Phuket later that evening it was met with a disappointing, but perhaps understandable skepticism. Regardless we must press forward, educate and change. If only to create small changes one step at a time. But remember, this is how all revolutions begin. Key Links: IUCN - https://www.iucn.org/asia/thailand/countries/thailand Biodiversity: My hotel in action - https:// cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/iucn_hotel_guide_final.pdf Trash Hero Thailand - https://www.facebook.com/trashherothailand/ thephuketnews

PETS 15

What about me? M THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

The pitfalls in canine separation anxiety UNLEASHED

Russell D Russell russelldrussell@gmail.com

There are numerous signs and symptoms exhibited with separation anxiety.

Ahem, I’m still in here. Photo:AFP @thephuketnews

any people will often be quick to say their dog suffers from separation anxiety, when in reality, the dogs response can often be conditioned over time by our activities. In true cases of separation anxiety, your dog will typically anticipate the separation from associated cues in his environment. Your dog learns these cues, many of which are subliminal, from your predeparture routine. The main things can be: Alarm clock ringing, kids getting dressed, you picking up car keys etc. The minor details show in your body language, things that we don’t notice we’re doing. The anxiety begins with the initial cue and steadily grows until you actually leave the house. To round it off, we can often exacerbate the situation by trying to pacify our dogs and tell them, “I’ll be back soon, you’ll be ok.” Your dog, however, cannot control the situation so its frustration level rises and the distress grows steadily, peaking usually within 30 minutes from the time you left. From there the anxiety levels slowly decline at a variable rate but as a dog slowly recovers, any stimuli may re-sensitise him, such as another dog barking, a car driving by, or a delivery man coming to the door. There are numerous signs and symptoms exhibited with separation anxiety such as excessive barking or whining, scratching or digging, chewing furniture, doors, window frames etc. or frantic pacing. An increased frequency in urination, wet footprints from sweaty paws, drooling or a highly exaggerated greeting routine are all symptoms to look for. Does your dog follow you from couch to fridge, to kitchen counter and back to couch? Scratch the door of the loo whilst you’re busy and then follow you to wherever you’re heading next? Some owners think its ‘cute’, but this acute awareness of an owners every step, could be the genesis of a serious problem that needs to be addressed. One of the reasons separation anxiety seems more prevalent today than a few decades ago is that it is often misdiagnosed by the average pet owner. However, just because the symptoms are there, doesn’t mean your dog is suffering from it. For sure house soiling can be related to anxiety, but there are many other potential causes such as incomplete house training, lack of access to appropriate elimination areas, unreasonable owner expectations (expecting the dog to “hold it”), fear, excitement, marking, submissive elimination, or physical incontinence. Also, dogs are masters of routine, so things like changing jobs, moving house, girlfriend moving in, are all things that can upset their routine and trigger things like separation anxiety. And should we react in the ‘wrong’ way in these instances, we can very quickly make the problem worse.

A good example of this, is getting a puppy during the holidays, which is a very common BIG mistake. The first few days are amazing, where the pup is the centre of endless attention, and everything is fun. And then almost overnight, the puppy is very much pushed to the outside as we’re now busy getting ready for school, work, and real post-holiday life. Such a change can be quite dramatic for a dog, especially a young pup – and as events unfold, it can quickly spiral into serious anxiety if we’re not careful and end up reinforcing the wrong behaviours. If you would like more information on canine training, or behavioural issues, please to contact us on 091 654 1960, email info@k9pointacademy. com, or check our website k9pointacademy.com

Is the World Cup over yet? Photo: Matthias Hiekel / AFP

16 GARDENING

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A decorative dahlia mixture.

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

A banana tree is considered favourable Photo: Nicolas Asfouri / AFP

Feeling lucky, Plant? For those who are superstitous, the dahlia can finally make your day GREEN THOUGHTS Patrick Campbell

hais are seriously superstitious. There are lucky days when big decisions must be taken, and unlucky days when everything must be put on hold. Lotteries are a national obsession. Ghostly, pale-faced presences haunt every soap opera, bringing misfortune to those who fall foul of their gaze. Good or bad karma are part and parcel of quotidian experience. There are, predictably, a host of so-called “lucky plants” – for example braided money trees nicknamed “the bringer of good fortune”, jade plants (crassula ovata), mistletoe figs, euphorbia millii (crown of thorns) and the extraordinarily named zamioculcas. All these are commonly found in pots fronting Thai properties.

Planting bananas in a plot where you intend to build is considered propitious. Indoors you may also encounter a lucky bamboo – actually dracaena sunderiana. Not just attractive presences, but harbingers of good fortune. There are even lucky floral garlands, that, draped from your rear view mirror, will protect you and your vehicle’s passengers. Unlucky plants? Yes they too exist, though in some cases, a change of name has altered their image for the better. Thus the plumeria or frangipani was originally known in the Kingdom as lantom, an epithet connoting sadness: old people forbade its ill-starred presence in their homes or gardens. Its image was not helped either by the fact that these trees – the species with white flowers - were often planted in Muslim graveyards. Nowadays, the common and much sprightlier name accorded the shrub by Thai horticulturalists is ‘leelawadee’. A similar mutation could transform the status of the dahlia. In an informative article, Normita Thongtham pointed out that the dahlia used to be known in Thailand as rak rae or ‘unstable love’, an unfortunate association, especially for a superstitious wife fearful of her husband’s potential infidelity. Now the name, like that of the plumeria’s, has been changed to rak raeg or ‘first love’, in an attempt to bolster the plant’s popularity. I had always assumed that dahlias, one of the world’s most dramatic and varied herbaceous perennials did not grow here because they could not cope with Phuket’s climate. But this is apparently by no means the whole story. That dahlias deserve to be cultivated more widely in Thailand is undeniable. After all they come from Mexico and Central America so they are more likely to flourish here than in areas such as the United States or Europe where they are massively popular. But they do need plenty of tender loving care. Ideally they require sandy, slightly acidic soil and plenty of water and sun. Moreover, they are heavy feeders and prefer a fertiliser with extra potash – say a 6-12-12 formula. They can be grown from seed, ideally in trays or pots sown about an inch apart and covered with ¼ inch of fine soil. They will need to be watered sparingly but regularly. Transplanted when a few centimetres tall or kept in large containers, they will bloom in as little as four months. Since they have heavy, succulent stems and weighty, often whopping blooms, dahlias will need to be staked, preferably early in their progress to maturity. Otherwise they are easily damaged by wind. In conditions here, I would suggest the best situation would be a sheltered spot with filtered sunlight. The professional method of propagation is to use tubers. Dahlias, a member of the asteraceae genus are

The dahlia represented ‘unstable love’ Photo: Prakash Singh / AFP atypical in that they produce large clumps of fleshy rhizomes, rather after the manner of canna lilies. After two years of display, carefully prise the whole clump out of the soil, and store in a clean, dry place until you want new plants. The clump should be separated with a sharp knife into individual tubers, ensuring that each tuber has at least one eye or growth point which, if left alone, will develop into a shoot. The cut area should be allowed to heal: then the tuber can be potted with the shoot pointing upwards. Pinching out the growing shoots just above a set of leaves, encourages a bushy habit and more flowers. And what flowers! They vary in size from densely petalled, half-inch pompoms to “dinner-plate” varieties which can measure up to a foot across. Shapes vary from single, daisy-like forms to double blooms – cactus or anemone shaped flowers, fimbriated ones with elegantly twisted petals, neat, ball-shaped flowers, even ones that simulate the shape of water lilies. Many varieties possess flowers of two or more colours. No fewer than 99 varieties have been awarded the Royal Horticultural Award of Merit, whereas the National Collection in Cornwall consists of over 1600 named species and cultivars. Gardeners of Thailand, maybe it’s time to catch up.… Patrick has been writing for ten years about gardening in Phuket and allied topics. If you have horticultural or environmental concerns, please contact him at drpaccampbell@gmail.com. Many of his earlier creative and academic publications can be found at Wordpress: Green Galoshes. thephuketnews

ENTERTAINMENT 17

The trivial villain S THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Skyscraper highlights Hollywood’s new narrative dilemma David Jacklin editor1@classactmedia.co.th

SinoAmerican co-productions are creating new stereotypical characters and scenarios in search of global box office returns.

In case you were wondering, I’m not very nice. Photo: Universal Pictures @thephuketnews

kyscraper is the new Hollywood action blockbuster starring the highly bankable Dwayne Johnson. Affirmed from the recently published Forbes annual list of the world’s best-paid celebrities, The Rock rolled in fifth, earning a mountainous US$124m in actingrelated duties last year alone. As a movie, I think we all know from the title and a single publicity shot that this is no Citizen Kane. Yes, it’s basically Die Hard, but far less believable. A tough character with a lovable soft side, familiar backdrop and some foreign terrorists thrown in to really cause a bit of bother he could well do without. It appears that disaster on a monumental scale has a tendency to follow certain dominant male types around. For all the excessive bravado and brawn, perhaps they deserve it. Sadly, Hollywood loves derivatives to reduce the financial risk on the massive production budgets for its tent pole movie slate. This one cost Mr Johnson’s annual earnings. But Skyscraper has a far more complex and interesting sub plot in terms of the ever-growing relationship between the US and China box office. With the speed and scale of China’s entertainment industry growth in recent years, America’s movie moguls could do little but roll over and beg. And so we see the beginnings of Hollywood scripts with shoe-horned scene locations and characters from the east, primarily to appeal to the region’s moviegoing audience. Most notably in recent times by the 2016 mash-up movie, The Great Wall, starring Matt Damon, Willem Dafoe and directed by Zhang Yimou. It was a blatant mutation of American and Chinese interests, which inevitably didn’t work in narrative, nor economics. The Skyscraper script and production rights went into a Hollywood bidding war, which was eventually sealed by Legendary Entertainment, the same production company as The Great Wall. They happen to be my previous employers, and were bought out in 2016 by the Wanda Group, a Chinese multinational conglomerate, from the previous owner and US movie production stalwart, Thomas Tull. Did I mention that the hapless skyscraper in question also happens to be located in Hong Kong? But here’s the dilemma, and it’s not stuck in the elevator on floor 101. Sino-American co-productions, with big interest in pleasing all markets, are creating new stereotypical characters and scenarios in search of global box office returns. Appeal in both markets currently demands Internationally recognised Hollywood lead actors attached to bring in the bucks. So where does that leave our eastern thespian friends? As the new villains of course. In this high-rise inferno the advocating honour goes to Hannah Quinlivan (Kun Ling), a Taiwanese-Australian actor. She donned the obligatory black leather ‘I’m an antagonist’ garb, perfected the martial death stare to camera, and packed a mean designer boot wielding right foot. It’s only fair to mention, and not to be outdone, they do throw in a retro European terrorist to even up the cultural mix. And to

Any guesses what this one’s about? Photo: Universal Pictures further confuse, the character’s name is ‘Kores Botha’. Perhaps to please the South Africans? I really couldn’t work out where he was supposed to come from, and I’m not sure actor Roland Møller did either. Whilst giving the English and Russians a break from duties, the new

oriental malefactor is here to stay, and I imagine, remain increasingly onedimensional. Where’s Hannibal Lecter when you need him? He’d eat and spit out this lot for breakfast. Any bets on the appearance of a baffling Asian baddy in the recently announced new Bond movie? You’re on.

18 ISLAND SCENE

The star attraction, authors Alan Platt (left) and Dr Patrick Campbell.

The motley crew at The Boathouse, Kata.

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Baz Daniel (right) was needed to control the thespian rabble.

Joseph Van Fleathoven (aka Joel Adams, left) conducts his parasitic orchestra.

AN ECLECTIC MIX OF TALENT AT THE WRITERS & ARTISTS NIGHT Our island thespians and authors turned out last Saturday night (July 21) at The Boathouse, Kata, for a fun-filled night, and were treated to a diverse and eclectic mix of performances. After sundowner drinks and canapes, Baz Daniel hosted an evening schedule which included book presentations from local author Dr Patrick Campbell, and former Rolling Stone writer and advertising director, Alan Platt. The evening also took on a short play, a flea orchestra (honestly) and spoken word slam poetry. The event was proudly sponsored by The Phuket News.

Christian Hammecke (left) and Peter Smith enjoying canapes on the terrace.

Very full guests muster their energy for a group photo.

Executive Chef Mr Wuttisak and his team at work.

Ms Yanatta Patwaranon (left) from Siam Food Services and Mr Piyapong Karnchanatonon.

FRIENDS OF SIAM FOOD SERVICES DINE OUT IN STYLE AT ETHO’S RESTAURANT Chefs, restaurant mangers and food lovers alike enjoyed a rare (beef-based) treat at Etho’s Restaurant & Lounge last Friday (July 20) when Chef Wuttisak used the hosts’ ingredients to prepare a seven-course dining experience including Kingfish Sashimi, Lamb Rack Cap Off and a phenomenal Tajima Wagyu dish. Mr Piyapong Karnchanatanon (MD, H.P. Supply Marketing) was on hand to present fine beverage pairings to accompany each course. A wonderful venue with far-reaching views across Patong Beach was enjoyed by the dining party. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Retro party-goers owning the 80s look.

Getting down to the beat at Kata Rocks.

ISLAND SCENE 19

DJ Shane (right) on the ones and the twos.

A little piece of Miami here in Phuket.

PARTYGOERS TRAVEL BACK TO THE ’80s AS KATA ROCKS GOES ‘MIAMI VICE’ Kata Rocks’ Collective Series 13 ‘Miami Vice’ brought the heat to Phuket on July 17, retro-1980s South Beach style, with another classic event that captured the imagination of attending guests and loyal patrons. The evening featured exceptional pan-Latin American cuisine including ceviche, tacos, mini-burgers and other mouth-watering canapés, plus live DJ entertainment. DJ Shane OB got the party started with the epic sounds of Phil Collins ‘In the Air Tonight’, Michael McDonald’s ‘Keep Forgetting’, Bill Withers ‘Just the Two of Us’, The Spinners ‘I’ll Be Around’ and Will Smith’s ‘Miami’, creating a whole new group of Miami Vice aficionados in Phuket.

A chilled Sunday in the hospitality of Coast’s Chef Julien Robic (3rd from right) and Supika Kitdee (2nd from left).

What a glorious location for a fantastic brunch.

LAZY SUNDAY AFTERNOON FEAST WITH CHILLED HOUSE DJ AT COAST What better way to while away a glorious Sunday afternoon than experiencing the chill out space and super tasty ‘A-la Carte Brunch’ at Coast, Centara Grand Beach Resort. The Phuket News team joined diners for a fantastic afternoon of cool beats and culinary treats with a deep house DJ and Chef Julien Robic’s inspired all-you-can-eat feast.

Beef workshop attendees looking keen to get stuck in.

Amir Gan Abdullah (left) explaining the art of the secondary cut.

MEAT LOVERS HEAD TO THE BEEF WORKSHOP COURTESY OF SIAM FOOD Red meat revelers joined the ‘Beef Workshop’ organised by Siam Food Services with Amir Gan Abdullah. The informative event provided chefs with best practices and cost effectiveness when working with the secondary cut. The presentation was hosted at the Mövenpick Resort & Spa, Karon Beach. @thephuketnews

20 EVENTS

FRI

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27 JUL

SAT

28 JUL

SUN

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

29 JUL

The Phuket Drum Circle 6th year anniversary

Mussels night @ Shakers

All you can eat BBQ Ribs night

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

6PM – 11PM: 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.

All you can eat Sunday Roast Buffet

The Phuket Drum Circle will celebrate the 6th year anniversary on Sunday July 29 in Nai Harn Beach from 4:30pm to midnight. This event is free and open to the public. Participants can drum, dance, or enjoy the scenery and good vibes. Experience the magic of community drumming and dancing! For updates and videos visit the Facebook page: Phuket Drum Circle.

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.

Sunday Roast All Day, All Night 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

An Italian Evening 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.

Go Live Sunday Seafood Brunch - Only July and August

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.

The Banyan Tree Brunch experience offers a generous selection of live fresh, local and imported seafood with exceptional Lobsters dishes, Japaneses 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 12.00 - 15.30, Prices start from THB 2,800 net per person. **Come 4 pay 2 so 50% off or come 2 and get 25% off. Reservations, Banyan Tree Phuket, fb-phuket@banyantree.com

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/

Jazz Night 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.

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

Sala Sunday Night Steak & Seafood Premium barbecue main course, including imported Australian Rib Eye, full rack of Lamp or whole Phuket Lobster accompanied by buffet of delicious appetizers. Live music from 6.30pm. Premium BBQ. 1,700*Baht. Reservations, Sala Phuket, events@salaphuket.com 076 338 888.

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SUN

EVENTS 21

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018 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.

29 JUL

WED

15 AUG

Simmer & Spice Curry buffet, great variety, vibrant flavours. Every Monday from 18.30 - 21.30. Reservations, SALA Phuket, events@salaphuket.com, 076 338 888.

GREG FLEET - AUSTRALIA’S FUNNIEST COMEDIAN ‘One of the best comedians in the world ever’ - Stewart Lee. Greg Fleet is one of Australia’s most highly respected stand-up comedians. He has performed in 26 Melbourne International Comedy festivals. He became infamous when his character Dave Summers was involved in the killing of Daphne in Australia’s popular soap-opera Neighbours. He has been on screen with Nicole Kidman, made Netflix shows with Jim Jeffries and toured all over the world getting 5-star reviews. The Scotsman wrote, ‘Brilliant... inspired nonsense, utterly fresh, utterly hilarious’ Now he comes to Phuket at Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach as part of Stand Up Asia’s monthly comedy tour. They brought Doug Stanhope and Bill Bailey to Thailand and promise to bring the best international comedian to Phuket every month. Do not miss this fascinating, Australia comedy genius with special guests Matt Wharf (Australia) and Dusty Moore (South Africa). Sunday, 29 July Buffet 6pm. Doors 7pm and Show 8pm. Early bird tickets from only 500 baht or with buffet for only 1,200 baht. For more information to book your tickets, contact: Magic Rock, Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach. Website: http://www.ticketflap.com/gregfleet-puk18

MON

30 JUL

TUE

31 JUL

Charity Event in Support of our Drummer ’Peh’ Family

Phuket Sundowners - August 2018 AustCham Thailand, in collaboration with AMCHAM, BCCT, Franco-Thai and NTCC, and the Australian Alumni, is delighted to invite members and guests to join our Phuket Sundowners to be held on Wednesday 15th August, 2018, at the Novotel Phuket Phokeethra. Novotel Phuket Phokeethra is located in the heart of Phuket Town and we will be enjoying a panoramic view of Phuket at the Estrela Sky Lounge, while networking with old and new friends in the business community. executivedirector@austchamthailand.com

THU

The King of the Mountain Trial Run is hugely popular amongst both locals and visitors to the island. The route takes its runners along steep hilly terrain and past beautiful waterfalls within the Khao Phra National Park that surrounds Thanyapura. With a choice of 3 distances (4km fun run, 8km trail and 15km trail), there is something for everyone at this event. Please contact for more details. events@thanyapura.com, 076 336 000.

EVERY DAY

16 AUG

All you can eat Thai Tapas menu

2 AUG Dot Property Thailand Awards 2018

All you can eat BBQ night

@thephuketnews

2018 King of the Mountain Phuket Trail Run

Bar With No Name in conjuction with Walkabout Sports Bar are presenting a charity evening in support of our Drummer K.Peh’s Family... K.Peh, who regularly played drums at Bar With No Name and Walkabout, was recently rushed into hospital and diagnosed as having a blood clot on his brain. Sadly K.Peh has since passed away. Four bands are donating their time on Tuesday 31st July from 8:30pm to play in his memory and all proceeds from the evening will be donated to K.Peh’s family.

THU

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.

SUN

2 SEP

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

The Dot Property Thailand Awards 2018 ceremony will be announcing the first ever People’s Choice Award for “Best Developer Thailand 2018” and this is the first award to be voted by the public! The special People’s Choice Award winner along with winners from other categories will be revealed at the big event on August 16th, 2018. Another addition for 2018 is the launch of Thailand’s Best Real Estate Agencies presented by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®. The Dot Property Thailand Awards 2018 are organised by Dot Property Group, Southeast Asia’s largest property portal network. For more information, please visit www. dotpropertyawards.com

An array of unlimited tapas-size table serving of travelers’ and locals’ favorite Thai dishes, Kantok is the perfect place to devour the best of the best Thai cuisine at once, from mouth-watering appetizers and savor soup of Phuket specialties and soul satisfying desserts. Only THB 750-net per person. Serving daily from 11am-11pm. Reservations, Kantok Restaurant, Burasari Phuket, 076 292 929.

DAILY EVENT UPDATES ON

22 TIME OUT

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York 1. The Bayeux Tapestry of the 1070s depicts a man installing a rooster weathervane on which building? 2. What was the common name given to the burial grounds of gunfighters? 3. What does it mean when a wine is said to be ‘hot’? 4. Why are the Dartmouth, Beaver and Eleanor historically famous? 5. Which zodiac sign runs from November 22 to December 21? Answers below, centre

SUDOKU

Easy

Across 1. Copious 6. Grp. concerned with defense 9. Kind of coil 14. Put forward 15. Slippery ___ 16. De Mille of dance 17. Causing disapproval 20. In a grave manner 21. Seat of Kansas’s Neosho County 22. Beetle juice? 25. Photo ___ (media events) 26. Bear witness 28. Release 30. Entanglement 32. ___ a secret 33. Bird venerated by ancient Egyptians 35. Tally 40. Good news may do this 43. Dashboard control 44. Literary adverb 45. Mozart’s “Madamina,” e.g. 46. Look of lust 48. Too 50. Vigna sinensis 54. Son of a son 55. “The One I Love”

rock group 56. Leap for Lipinski 57. Categories 61. Eschew stairs 66. Claimed psychic Cayce 67. Personal enemy 68. Play too broadly 69. Rundown 70. Cable TV network 71. School mos. Down 1. When D.S.T. begins 2. Bygone bird 3. Pressure unit: abbr. 4. “___ Than Zero” (Ellis novel) 5. NYT employee 6. Auspices 7. Ran 8. Organic radical 9. Typewriter key 10. Snowy ___ 11. Sound asleep? 12. Carl or Shari 13. Estate item 18. Paper ___ 19. Nestling hawk 22. Society 23. Hall of fame

24. Jeer 27. Asian tongue 29. Not had by 30. Molière comedy, with “The” 31. Finnish river 34. Nota ___ 36. Poker variety 37. More terrible 38. Practical 39. Sacred song 41. Eyeball 42. Commendation 47. A pop 49. Screens out 50. Worries 51. Rust, e.g. 52. Shoe type 53. Assert in court 54. Cay 58. It’s not right 59. Big time? 60. Bar order, with “the” 62. Adjudicate 63. Trump 64. Teammate of Hubbell and Terry 65. Hi-___

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1) Westminster Abbey; 2) Boot Hill; 3) High in alcohol; 4) They are the names of the ships at the Boston Tea Party; 5) Sagittarius

GOT YOUR NUMBER

ISLAND VIEW

percent of all US households don’t have a bank account.

percent of Millennial workers surveyed in 2016 reported being underutilized at their jobs.

92.2

percent of US doctors feel they should help control health-care system costs, but only 36.9% know the actual costs of tests and procedures.

3,500

guns per 100,000 people bought back by the government correlated with a 74% drop in gun suicides, according to an Australian study.

488 million

social media comments a year are fabricated by China’s government to distract its citizens from bad news and political debates, said a Harvard study in 2016. Source: Uberfacts

Nai Harn Windmill Sunset View. Photo: Michael Rafael Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket? Email it to execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

This week in history July 27, 1953 Cessation of hostilities is achieved in the Korean War when the United States, China, and North Korea sign an armistice agreement. Syngman Rhee, President of South Korea, refuses to sign but pledges to observe the armistice.

est encomiendas (provinces) in the country.

July 28, 1571 La Laguna encomienda, known today as the Laguna province in the Philippines is founded by the Spaniards as one of the old-

July 30, 1975 Jimmy Hoffa disappears from the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, at about 2:30pm. He is

July 29, 1932 Great Depression: In Washington, DC, troops disperse the last of the “Bonus Army” of World War I veterans.

torpedo after surviving hits from two atomic bombs (as part of postwar tests) and being used for target practice by three other ships.

The Buggles. Image: MTV archives never seen or heard from again. July 31, 1948 USS Nevada is sunk by an aerial

August 1, 1981 MTV begins broadcasting and airs its first video, ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ by The Buggles. August 2, 1610 Henry Hudson discovers what is now known as Hudson Bay. Source: Wikipedia thephuketnews

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Jobs

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Trades & Services

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

ADVERTISING SERVICES

CLEANING SERVICES

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT

MARINE SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT

MARINE SERVICES

@thephuketnews

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Trades & Services

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

classifieds@thephuketnews.com

MARINE SERVICES

MOVING SERVICES

POOL SERVICES

PROPERTY SERVICES

OTHER

ADVERTISE HERE

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CLASSIFIEDS 27

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Buy & Sell

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

JOBS NT Live-in housekeeper wanted GE 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

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 FOR SALE AIR BERTH M320

250,000THB INC.VAT FOR BOAT UP TO 32 FEET/ 9.5 METRES. CONTACT: ASIA YACHT AGENCY CO.,LTD VIA CONTACT@ASIAYACHTAGENCY.COM, 081-894 -3234- FRENCH / ENGLISH — 086-269-0808 THAI / ENGLISH. GE

S NT

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

BUSINESS FOR SALE UR

A TS

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 @thephuketnews

CARS, TRUCKS FOR SALE

Hyundai Veloster TURBO

Hyundai Veloster Turbo 39,000km, Price from new 1,749,000 THB, full service book, 4 original rims with tyres with only 6,000km, all options. m.arnskjold@gmail.com, 0836351440 ENG / 084-3058363 TH.

Amazing Deal!

2016 Toyota Vios Model E with only 35,000 Km on it. Is an automatic, with fog lights, windows are tinted already, has the plastic insert for the trunk, rubber floor mats for all seats, rain shields on all windows. Only driven locally in Phuket. It is kept in great condition and is available to view in Chalong. Only 495,000 THB. Adam 091 016 1167.

N GE

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 G UR

N RE

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.

HOME IMPROVEMENT Flat roof waterproofing

We do flat roof waterproofing with 20 year warranty by installing quality four layer slate spotted bitumen torch foil + crack repair! Andreas Ruthe, 22/5 Moo1 Kamala Kathu, office@tcm-asia.com, 086-9439834,076-385081.

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.

OTHER Accountancy,Bookkeeping,Tax

Accountancy, Bookkeeping, Australian Taxation, GST, VAT, Business Advisory Anabel Da Silva, PO Box 161, Palmyra, Western Australia, 6957, anabel@dasilva-accounting.com, +61 40 400 6236.

POOL TABLES AMAZING DEAL NOT TO BE MISSED!

Like new English Riley Pool Table for sale. Measures 320cm long by 170cm, comes with six pool cues and cue rack as well as game counter. Pick up in Chalong no delivery. Only 50,000 THB. Adam 091 016 1167.

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.

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Buy & Sell

PROPERTY FOR SALE 4 Pool villas - 1 Rai for sale

Reduced price from 32.9 MB to 24MB (only 6 MB for 1 villa). Bali-Thai Style pool villa 3 bed, 3 bath. Located Pasak, Bangtao beach, Phuket. More info: (+66) 96-8956392,(+66) 94-282-2893 or Umaphorn.fg@gmail.com

Luxury Villa

With private boat morning and jacuzzi. Email paradise11@mac.com for pictures, plans and price.

Land & House for sale

Villa 225sqm. incl. 75sqm terraces on Freehold Chanote Land: 1 to 6 rai on SUKORN ISLAND, Trang province. Price THB 7,150,000 - THB 15,250,000. Owner, Koh Sukorn, Trang province, ddsukorn@gmail.com, 081 537 1957.

New Modern Villa â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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.

80m2 freehold condo in Patong

Freehold 80m2, 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.

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

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

PROPERTY FOR SALE 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

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

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

COMMUNITY

PROPERTY FOR SALE

PROPERTY FOR RENT

Kamala Condo

Modern fully furnished 2B/R, 2 bathroom condo , 90 SM, min 3 months. Quite & secure. Wifi&cable TV included. 4 condos in this building. Small garden.12,000, bkeenan2010@hotmail.com, 084 716 0502.

Ready 01/07/2018

Rent. The Heritages Suites, nice 2 bedrooms, 2 bathroom, Jacuzzi, 160sqm. Modern furnished. Lease long term (minimum 1 year). Parking, pool, fitness. Close KIS, Lotus. 39,000 per month, Owner, Kathu, Thai 089 552 9303 / Eng 093 717 9343.

Pool Villa For Rent PhangNga

Penthouse for Sale

432.44 SQM Penthouse for sale: 320 Degree view of Patong bay and city. Private pool. 22nd floor (top floor) at the Andaman Beach Condominium, Patong, Phuket, Thailand. Condo Facilities: Two tennis courts, 10 x 24-metre swimming pool, fitness & game room, restaurant, parking. 60 Million Baht O.N.O., Songpan, songpanpirom@hotmail.com, 081 737 8662.

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.

PROPERTY WANTED Looking for property in Laguna

Willing to sell or rent your property in the Laguna area? Please contact me: raisa@ rl-property.com or +66(0) 81 737 1687 (you can use Viber, Whats App or Line) raisa@rl-property.com

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FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

SPORT 29

ICC take the treble Patong left holding their heads after third consecutive defeat CRICKET

ICC’s Ravi Naik hammers home a boundary during his team’s hat-trick of victories over Patong CC last Sunday (July 22). Photo: Michael Way

Michael Flowers

ith yet another week off from the C&C Marine sponsored 8 by 20 League, the ACG hosted a third friendly in as many weeks between the Island Cricket Club (ICC) and Patong last Sunday (July 23) in a limited 25 over format. Leading into the game, ICC held a 2-0 lead in the series after two commanding victories over their Patong rivals. Opting to bat first, ICC’s captain, Divan Mydeen sent Ravi Naik and Vijay in to face Patong’s opening bowlers, Shivam Bhattacharya and Sami Pir, hoping to lay a solid foundation to their innings. A tight start from the opening bowlers, including a maiden first up from Pir led to Vijay being trapped LBW by Bhattacharya for just one run, raising Patong’s hopes of an improbable victory. Unfortunately for Patong, the end of the opening partnership beckoned the arrival of a highly destructive and in-form Prakash Jha. Supported by Naik (15) and then Mayur (26), Jha put on a show for the second time in the friendly tri-series, punishing the Patong bowlers with 10 sixes and seven fours. A tiring Jha was finally stumped by Andrew McMillan off a temptingly floated delivery from Patong stalwart Anthony Van Blerk

for an outstanding 119 off just 56 deliveries. Following the dismissal of Jha, the ICC innings collapsed being bowled out for the first time in the series. But the damage had been done by Jha, however, as they posted a healthy total of 191 from 21.1 overs. It was a mixed effort from Patong’s bowling department, with solid contributions from their openers, while Flowers, Raju and Van Blerk accounted for the final six wickets in taking two-a-piece, which came in a flurry to conclude the ICC innings. Patong began their run-chase

with regular opener Michael Flowers along with Anthony Van Blerk, with both tied down early on by particularly tight bowling from Arun and Prem. The first change to the bowling saw the classy spinner Vijay return to the crease, the same player who ripped through Patong’s tail end the previous weekend. With the required run rate increasing, Van Blerk felt the need to break the shackles as he hit a powerful boundary down the ground before being bowled by a clever Vijay yorker on the very next ball.

Van Blerk’s dismissal for 15 (24) brought Patong’s opening bowler Shivaam Bhattacharya to the crease in the hope he could hit quick runs at the first-drop position. At the 10-over drinks’ break, Patong had been held down to a score of just 39 for one by some very good ICC bowling. Following the break and requiring 153 runs from the last 15 overs, Flowers hit a towering six onto the roof of the gardeners shed off the bowling of Ravi Mehra. Unfortunately, yet again set to go on and help boost the Patong score, Flowers

fell to a deceptive short ball from Vijay, and dismissed by an over the shoulder catch on the offside for 25 (40). Joined at the crease by Andrew McMillan, Bhattacharya kept the scoreboard moving by hitting a couple of boundaries, keeping Patong’s slim chance of victory intact. Ravi Naik eventually had Bhattacharya caught, a useful contribution of 23 runs from 16 balls from the pinch hitter never the less. Patong captain Raju came in with attack on his mind, and when McMillan fell for 6 (12) off the bowling of Prakash it seemed clear that the skipper was Patong’s last hope of claiming a result, hitting two sixes and two fours before being bowled by Savesh for his team’s highest score of 28 (15). The tail-enders gave up on the futile chase and Patong were eventually bowled out for 133 with Sajal Gaur left holding his bat 9* (17). A comprehensive 58 run victory for ICC with Prakash again the obvious choice for Man of the Match, with bowling figures of three wickets off 13 deliveries to go along with his demoralising ton earlier in the day. The Patong side were left holding their heads after a third straight defeat and will look to revive winning ways after licking their wounds during a team rebuilding session on Koh Yao Yai this holiday weekend before the C&C Marine League resumes.

Caddy Shack increase PPL lead to 10 points POOL THE EIGHTH ROUND OF Patong Pool League (PPL), sponsored by Thailand Pool Tables, Genius 2 Garden and Restaurant and Tualek Whisky, was played this past Thursday (July 19) and after grabbing a tightly-fought 7-4 win over their opponents, and with other results going their way, Caddy Shack increased their lead to 10 points in the league table. League leaders Caddy Shack, located in Kathu, were up at home against Ting Tong Bar in last Thursday’s action, and taking into account their overall performance this season, any team facing them knows that playing against them will be a real challenge and that a spanking is more than likely. However, Ting Tong started off really well against the leaders with Nico and Johnny @thephuketnews

both winning their singles and doubles games. As Mark from Caddy Shack mentioned, “It was like giving hope to the other teams in the league.” Perhaps this was also somewhat of a wake-up call for the Caddy Shack team, as despite going two games down early in the match, from that moment on they took almost all other available points in the match. Meanwhile, Red Light Bar played at home against Happy End Bar, and whereas France beat Belgium in the semi-final at the World Cup two weeks ago, in this game, which is a real battle between the two countries, Belgium got one over on France. Happy End’s top player, Chris, who hails from Belgium, won both his singles and doubles games as did Andrew BD, who came to help Happy End as two of their regular players are still

on holiday. The beerleg was a threesetter and in the last set the black ball did not drop, which caused Happy End to lose the beerleg but still walk away with a win 7-5 over Red Light. Kiki Sports Bar played away to Simon & Oils, and Jack and Rocco playing for Kiki had a good evening winning their singles and doubles matches. Luke, a young and talented English player for Simon & Oils, won his singles and doubles too. The beerleg was again a three-setter and was finally won by Simon & Oils. However, Kiki Sports Bar won the match with a 7-5 result. Elsewhere, Martin Swiss played at home against Tommy and the lovely ladies from the Genius Bar team. Martin won his singles and doubles games, as did his teammates Noi and Noun. However, the ever-popular Fern, who had done a great

Andy Heath has been a long-time player in the Patong Pool League initially playing for Dirty Nellies but most recently, on occasions, for Red Light Bar. Photo: Supplied job the day before playing for the Patong Team in the Patong-Rawai Challenge 2018, and Polly, could not find any pockets and were on the end of a seven-ball in the doubles. But the biggest miracle in this match was in the beerleg where the Genius team struck back strongly and did not pot

any black ball but still won in two sets. However, Martin Swiss won the match with a 7-5 result. Last but not least, Wombat played at home against Kwans Birdie Team. Goh and Se from the Birdie Team won their singles and doubles games but so did Kob and Frank playing for Wombat.

LEAGUE STANDINGS Caddy Shack

Kwans Birdie Club

Natalie

Simon Oil

Kiki Sports

Wombat

Genius

Happy End

Red Light

Martin Swiss

Ting Tong

Wombat had no intention of giving the match away and kept fighting till the end. The beerleg was a three-setter won by Kwans Birdie team. However, the final result was a 6-6 draw and that was the result both teams had to accept after a heavily-fought battle. Matt Pond

30 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

Patong-Rawai Challenge 2018

PPL takes on RPL in newly-formed Phuket pool league competion POOL Matt Pond editor3@thephuketnews.com

huket has several pool leagues of which the Patong Pool League (PPL) and Rawai Pool League (RPL) are probably the most predominant. This season, the PPL consists of 11 bar teams with six players representing each bar. For their last season, the RPL had 22 bar teams consisting of four players per team. The PPL positions itself as a friendly pool league with its players being on a level of good to average while the RPL could best be described as slightly more serious with some very talented players. However, some players like the game so much they play in both leagues. The organisers of the PPL

The 24 players representing the Rawai and Patong leagues in last Wednesday’s inaugural instalment of the Patong-Rawai Challenge 2018. Photo: Supplied and RPL recently put their heads together and came up with the idea of creating a new event featuring players from both leagues and now the Patong-Rawai Challenge 2018 has been born. The Patong-Rawai Challenge 2018 sees 12 players from

each league play against each other and the first instalment of the challenge was played last Wednesday (July 18) when players from Rawai made their way to Genius Garden and Restaurant in Patong and play against two six-member teams from Patong and according to

PPL rules. In return, 12 players from the PPL on Wednesday (July 25) – when The Phuket News went to press – made their way to the Laguna Complex in Rawai, but this time around the challenge saw three teams of four players play against

each other, this time following RPL rules. For this special challenge, all players have been provided with special polo T-shirts made possible by all the event sponsors; Thailand Pool Tables, Genius 2 Garden and Restaurant, The Phuket News, White Hart Bar in Rawai and Coyote Media Vision. In the game last Wednesday, 10 men and two ladies came from the RPL to battle the team from Patong which consisted of seven men and five ladies. There was a draw to select two teams from each side and also to see who had to play against who. With everything being new, players were a bit nervous as nobody knew what to expect, but once the draws had been made all players went into full battle mode with each of them having to play a single, double and beerleg match.

Patong’s A team had very tough competition from their opponents, which featured some of the island’s best pool such as Goh, Nanni and Andrew. However, there was still some strong fighting spirit from Patong A, but they suffered a 7-4 loss. The Patong B team was made up of three ladies and three men and the ladies were certainly on a mission and played really well leaving the Rawai players quite surprised. Matters weren’t helped by the Patong ladies celebrating loudly in every game that went their way. The final result for the B teams was a surprising 9-2 victory for Patong. The second round of Patong-Rawai Challenge 2018 was to be played on Wednesday at Pita Bar, Masaya Bar and Galaxy Bar, all located within the Laguna Complex.

Thailand Golf Travel Mart 2018 tees up at Phuket GOLF

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS Run #1695: Saturday July 28 Run Start Time: 4pm Hares: No Hope, Singha Location: Cherng Talay, Soi 1 Directions: If coming from Heroines Monument go West approx 6.3 kilometres towards Cherng Talay and turn left at the temple just after Lady Pie (HHH sign). Follow the track for approximately 300 metres and laager site will be on the left (HHH sign). Coming from Cherng Talay Police Station head East towards Heroines Monument for approximately 1.6km, turn right at the Temple (HHH Sign) and follow the track as above. Park to one side of the gravel road. HHH truck will be marked. Bus pick-up: Patong @ Expat Hotel: 2:45pm Kamala @ Black Cat’s Bar: 3:15pm More info: phuket-hhh.com

THE TOURISM AUTHORity of Thailand (TAT) held the ‘Thailand Golf Travel Mart (TGTM) 2018’ from Tuesday (July 24) through yesterday (July 26) at the Duangjit Resort & Spa to emphasise that Thailand is a “World Class Golf Destination”. TAT Public Relations Director Thanet Petchsuwan said on Tuesday that the TAT had invited more than 41 members of the media from all over the world to attend the event in order to enhance international awareness of Thailand as a world-class golfing destination with fantastic courses and facilities, and also to publicise the readiness of Thailand to host competitive golf games to boost the sport’s presence here.

Thanet Petchsuwan speaks during the opening day of the ‘Thailand Golf Travel Mart (TGTM) 2018’. Photo: TAT Meanwhile, TAT also invited travel agents and their buyers to a business meeting and also held a golf tournament for people who were keen to experience the golf courses of Phuket.

Golf creates an interesting market that can be used to increase the sale of other products and services. In 2016, 400,000 people came to Thailand to participate in games of golf, which can

generate up to B4.8 million in revenue. Mr Thanet said, “Thailand excels at delivering a complete golf experience. Not only the diversity of courses and standardised amenities, but also unique local experiences makes Thailand competitive on both a regional and global level.” He added, “The TGTM 2018 will strengthen the country’s position as the world’s leading golf destination. This will also enhance a new image of Phuket as a rising golf destination as well as a global sports destination. In fact, Phuket has long catered to an extensive range of sporting experiences; such as surfing, marathon, triathlon, cycling, and so on, along with hosting various domestic and international competitions.”

She’s done it!:

Congratulations to Louise Landgraf, 9, who last Thursday (July 19) won her first ever international winner’s trophy at a golf tournament. Louise took first place at at the IJGA World Stars of Junior Golf held at the Pauite Golf Club’s Snow Mountain Course in Las Vegas, from July 17-19. “I’m a very proud father and caddy,” Louise’s dad Marc told The Phuket News following the win. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

SPORT 31

Mercedes still the underdogs Despite German GP win, 2018 championship still far from over BOX OF NEUTRALS Michael Lamonato michael@boxofneutrals.com

ercedes didn’t have the fastest car at the German Grand Prix, but even this plain fact couldn’t stop the Silver Arrows from marching to a memorable one-two victory. Lewis Hamilton led Valtteri Bottas to the chequered flag ecstatic and exhausted – ecstatic for having reversed the poor fortune of the previous two rounds, exhausted for having scythed his way up the field from an unlikely 14th on the grid. “It’s obviously very, very difficult from that position and highly unlikely, but you’ve always got to believe,” he beamed. “I said a long, long prayer before the race started … so big, big thanks to God.” Hamilton certainly was helped on his way to victory, but his thanks should go to title rival Sebastian Vettel as much as they should intervention of the divine.

Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton leaves his car after winning the German Formula One Grand Prix at the Hockenheim racing circuit last Sunday (July 22). Photo: Andrej Isakovic / AFP Vettel was dominating the weekend. A major series of aerodynamics and power unit upgrades for both Ferrari and Mercedes over preceding rounds had placed the German and his Italian team at the head of their respective championship tallies. Unfortunately for both, a sprinkling of rain washed all those advantages away. Vettel was comfortably

in control of the race when the rain arrived, and as he entered Hockenheimring’s tricky stadium section, he pushed too hard on the slick surface, locking his rear axle and gently but conclusively sliding his car into the barriers and out of the race. The four-time world champion had nothing to blame but his own eagerness to build his margin over the field in the

Prizes presented:

Goh (left) and Kai.

@thephuketnews

On Monday (July 23), the Rawai Pool League’s 13th season Awards Ceremony was held at Rawai's Shot Bar with the Champion Trophy being awarded to White Hart A and the winner of the "Beerleg" going to Black Sheep. For the first time in the league’s history, a prize was awarded for the Most Welcoming and Faiplay Team, with that award going to Islander Bar. In addition, individual prizes were also awarded to Best Male and Best Female players and it was Goh (Black Sheep) and Kai (Spot Bar) who picked up these two awards.

slippery conditions, and after he emotionally apologised to the team for dropping what should have been a guaranteed 25-point haul, he took responsibility for his error. “Apologies to the team, they did everything right,” he said. “I had it in my hands." “I don’t think it was a huge mistake, but it was a huge impact on the race.” But even through disap-

pointment etched heavily on the 31-year-old there was a glimmer of optimism: Vettel had been comfortably in control of the race because Ferrari had been the unquestionably faster car from the moment the sport arrived in Germany. “It was a very positive weekend,” he confirmed in bittersweet tones. “We have a strong car, so I think we can be as confident as anyone else.” This wasn’t just Vettel softening the blow of a race weekend lost; this was a cold, hard fact. In 2017, the first year Mercedes had its dominance challenged under the current regulations, Ferrari had the better-rounded package but still lacked ultimate pace, winning only by taking advantage of its rival’s weaknesses. This season the fight has been too close to call, but across the last two rounds Ferrari has nosed ahead in terms of both aerodynamics and pure power, the latter hitherto the undisputed domain of Mercedes. “They have a great power unit, huge performance,” Mer-

cedes boss Toto Wolff said after his team was easily beaten in qualifying. “We were looking good through all kinds of corners but we are not able to match their straight-line performance." “If we want to win this championship or stay in the hunt… we’ve got a severe warning today.” It’s a fascinating twist on the usual Formula One logic that Mercedes can power out of its problems, and it presents a foreign scenario for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday (July 29) – ordinarily teams hope to catch Mercedes on a circuit that doesn’t reward engine performance; in 2018 Mercedes is hoping the tight and twisty Budapest circuit brings Ferrari back down to earth. Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes way have won the battle for the German Grand Prix, but the war for the 2018 championship is still far from decided. Don’t forget to listen to Live89.5 each and every Saturday at 9am and 5pm for the Box of Neutrals radio show.

Sport

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

editor3@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018

New Rawai-Patong Challenge gets underway > p30

DOUBLE DELIGHTS

Japan’s Natsumi Taoka wins both women’s Longboard and Shortboard divisions at RAST Stop #2 in Patong Natsumi Taoka of Japan was crowned winner of both the Women’s Longboard and Shortboard divisions. Photo: ASC Media – Hain

SURFING The Phuket News editor3@classactmedia.co.th

t the end of an exciting finals day at the REnextop Asian Surfing Tour Stop #2 at Patong Beach, Japan’s Natsumi Taoka was crowned the winner of both the Women’s Longboard and Shortboard divisions. Bali’s Made Darma Yasa took the Men’s Shortboard division honours and the Philippines Rogelio ‘Jay-R’ Esquivel posted his first even REnextop win in the Men’s Longboard division. Some 40 men and 12 women from countries including Indonesia, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Ireland and Spain joined in the three-day RAST #2 event in the scenic beachside town of Patong. The finals were a testament to the fitness and courage of all the surfers that joined, as the wave conditions were nothing short of challenging, requiring strength, endurance, and strategy to not only fight their way out through the two-four foot thumping windswell waves but also to choose the best waves and complete the critical manoeuvres that would get them the top scores from the judging panel. Women’s Longboard and Shortboard winner Taoka, also a World Surf League World Longboard Championship competitor, was all

smiles after receiving her winner’s cheques on the podium, saying, “I’m so happy and surprised, I can’t believe I won the shortboard division and the longboard division also!” When asked about how she happened to join in the event she explained, “I’ve heard about the REnextop events before and wanted to join, but my schedule never was right for me to be able to do it until now. So I’m really happy I was able to come this time, especially because my favourite food is Thai food!” She continued, “Yes the waves were really challenging, but when the typhoons come into Japan it’s very similar so I have practised a lot in conditions like this, which definitely helped me win here today.” In the Men’s Shortboard division the final was an exciting dual between two Balinese surfers, Made Raditya Rondi from Kuta Beach and Made Darma Yasa from Padma Beach, where the lead switched multiple times but with Darma Yasa launching a huge aerial earning him the highest single wave score of the event in the final, an 8.10 out of a possible 10 points, to take the win. It was a nail biter until the end, as with two seconds remaining before the final buzzer Raditya took off on a wave and pulled an aerial of his own, but it ended up falling just short of the 5.58 points he needed to overtake Darma Yasa, getting a 5.07 from the judges. “The waves are difficult here, but I was lucky in the final that I got two

really good waves and good scores,” said Darma Yasa after receiving his winner’s cheque. “Surfing against Raditya in the final had me scared because he’s a previous ASC champion and I was lucky to beat him today.” “This event has been great, and even though the waves are much more difficult than my home beach in Bali, I’m so happy that I could come here and win today.” When asked what he was going to do with his winnings he replied, “I’m going to pay for my kid’s school, and maybe I’ll party a little bit with my friends too.” Esquivel competed in both the Longboard and the Shortboard divisions, winning the Longboard division and getting an equal third podium spot in the Shortboard division as well. He showed off some amazing skills as well as endurance, and nabbed his first ever RAST victory as a reward. “I got lucky and got some good waves in the final,” he explained, “with my strategy being to try to get the biggest scores by riding every wave I got all the way into the shore. So happy that it worked out for me and that I got my first REnextop win, so I’m really happy about that.” When asked to comment about his experience here in Phuket, he replied, “It’s been really great here, even though there is lots of wind and the waves are challenging. The

locals are really nice and it’s great to see some friends here that I haven’t seen since 2010 in Malaysia.” “I want to thank all my sponsors and supporters like Surf Town La Union, Tagpuan, Gwapitos, and others for making it possible for me and the La Union team to come here,…this win is because of them.” REnextop CEO Lillian Chen was also very happy with the event, saying, “This is a new destination for us, so we were a bit nervous about what we would experience, as there was some rain and storms in the forecast. But overall we had mostly sunshine, and we had waves every day, so for us it was really a successful event.” “I think it challenged the surfers a lot, but it was a great experience for them and for us together,” she said. “We had surfers from several new countries…Malaysia, India, Singapore and of course Thailand, so it accomplished the goals we have for our events, and that is to keep growing the surfers that join with us. “We saw a lot of smiles today and all during the event, and that’s the most important thing for us. It was great to be here and we thank Surfing Thailand, Joob and Decha and their crew, and Patong Municipality and all the sponsors for making this event such a great success.” Head Judge Keenan Roxburgh was also very positive about his first experience here in Phuket and what he saw in the local surf community. “It was great to be able to experi-

ence this event in Phuket, to see some new winners and also the regular RAST surfers keeping up their consistency and doing really well. “It was also great to work with the local crew here and see how quick they are to learn and how they want to make the best out of the opportunity to make their domestic events better and more professional, with things such as using the four man priority system.” “I’m glad we could come here and work with everyone and have had a great time as well” he said.

RAST #2 PHUKET RESULTS Men’s Shortboard 1. Darma Yasa - Bali 2. Raditya Rondi - Bali 3. Rogelio ‘Jay R’ Esquivel - Philippines 3. Darma Putra - Bali Men’s Longboard 1. Rogelio ‘Jay R’ Esquivel - Philippines 2. Masaya Tsukamoto - Japan 3. Rico B Dumaguin - Philippines 3. Dean Permana - Indonesia Women’s Shortboard 1. Natsumi Taoka - Japan 2. Dhea Natasya - Indonesia 3. Kairi Sekiguchi - Japan 3. Daisy Valdez - Philippines Women’s Longboard 1. Natsumi Taoka - Japan 2. Daisy Valdez - Philippines 3. Leena Mun - Korea 3. Aping Agudo – Philippines thephuketnews