28-04-2017

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

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ARMY TARGETS BEACH VENDORS AT SURIN > PAGE 2

LIFE AT STAKE

WITH 700 RESCUES IN THE PAST YEAR, LIFEGUARDS SEEK NATIONAL SUPPORT

Lifeguards stand at the ready in Phuket. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

T

he International Surf Lifesaving Association (ISLA) has submitted its plan directly to Deputy Prime Minister Gen Thanasak Patimapragorn to upskill Phuket lifeguards to world standard and make the critical life-saving service a professional career on the island.

Deputy PM Thanasak specifically asked Phuket’s lifeguards during an

inspection tour of Phuket last month.

“I am here today to see the situation and hear their concerns in person.

It is the main purpose of my visit,” Gen Thanasak told The Phuket News during that visit.

“Make a list of what you need for me,” Gen Thanasak told Phuket Lifeguard Chief Prathaiyuth Chuayuan in no uncertain terms.

In response, the Surin-Bang Tao Surf Lifesaving Club, in conjunction with the International Surf Lifesaving

Association, late last week issued a 33-page improvement plan directly to Deputy PM Thanasak.

In the accompanying letter, ISLA President Henry Reyes describes the plan as “an urgent and necessary step that should be considered immediately, to prevent needless loss of life.

“The arrival of the monsoon in May is the beginning of Phuket’s ocean danger season. Therefore, your immediate support to help modernize and improve Phuket’s lifesaving

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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forces is respectfully requested.”

The plan specifically lists its aims as 1) Improve beach safety for lifeguards and visitors; 2) Reduce ocean drowning at lifeguarded beaches (Laem Singh, Surin, Bang Tao, Layan); 3) International certification for all Surin-Bang Tao SLSC lifeguards; Meet international standards for operations and equipment; and 4) Educate the public about water safety.

“The goal… is to use government sponsored ‘Lifeguard 4.0’ upgrades...

NEWS

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World cries for baby hanged by dad, on video

LIFE

PAGE 17

Rolling out the ‘roti’ in town

SPORT

PAGE 38

Red Bull Racing facing testing times in 2017

News 2

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Lifeguards strive for national-level support Continued from page 1 ...to reduce drowning and injury at our beaches by 50% within three years,” the plan states.

Testament to the importance of the service Phuket’s lifeguards provide, from March 19 last year through to Jan 20 this year, the island’s lifeguards rescued 755 people – 49 Thais and 706 foreigners.

However, they were unable to save four people from watery deaths during that period.

Gen Thanasak’s visit to Phuket last month was in response to Mr Reyes appealing directly to Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha. Citing hundreds of drownings in Phuket in recent years and little improvement over the past 10 years, Mr Reyes called the ongoing deaths at Phuket’s beaches an “epidemic”.

Mr Reyes also pointed out that many of the victims were tourists from Australia, China, Malaysia, Russia, South Korea, United Kingdom, the United States and other countries.

Mr Reyes’ appeal in January was in response to impending budget cuts by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO) to reduce lifeguard funding by 10%, despite the poor support they already receive.

Budget cuts by the PPAO

and stalling on offering the annual contract to provide the critical service in years past has seen protracted negotiations leave Phuket’s beaches unguarded as the annual “drowning season” begins in May, when the southwestern monsoon whips up dangerous surf along Phuket’s west coast.

Phuket Lifeguard Chief Mr Prathaiyuth told The Phuket News on Wednesday (April 26), “We need more – and better – rescue equipment to better perform our duties.

Most importantly, we need proper lifeguard towers on every beach to improve beach surveillance. We can’t just use tents like we do now, especially in the rainy season.”

He added, “Every Phuket lifeguard should have professional skills and knowledge and be trained to recognised standards under the qualifications framework in how to respond in emergencies.”

However, making Phuket’s lifeguards a professional service remained a top priority, Mr Prathaiyuth said.

“If this can be done, then people will become interested in becoming a lifeguard and apply for the job. Then we can choose our staff, those with strong motivation and a passion for becoming a lifeguard,” he explained.

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Dive site project helps coral reefs recover from mass tourism > page 6

Vendors begone Army patrols to keep sand at Surin Beach clear The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

B

each vendors have been ordered to remove all umbrellas and beach chairs from the sand at Surin Beach, on Phuket’s west coast,

by Monday (May 1).

Those who do not comply will face legal action, MaAnn Samran, chief of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor), told a meeting at Provincial Hall on Monday (April 24).

The meeting, led by Phuket Administrative Chief (Palad) Thawornwat Khongkaew, was held for Mr MaAnn to explain reports of encroachment onto public beaches in Phuket, which coincidentally followed the Royal Thai Army presence in Phuket questioning Mr MaAnn over restaurants setting up tables and chairs on the sand at nearby Bang Tao Beach.

“On March 13, 36 beach operators came with reporters and requested for a ‘10% zone’ to be established at Surin Beach.

I have already informed them that Surin Beach is a ‘royal majesty honour beach’ (sic), so no such zone is allowed,” Mr MaAnn said.

“Cherng Talay OrBorTor has no power to change that.

Tourists enjoy the umbrellas and beach chairs at Surin Beach, but by May 1 beach operators will have to remove their umbrellas and sun loungers.

The request must be sent to the Phuket Governor,” he added.

However, Mr MaAnn said he was willing to change his stance if the Governor’s Office ordered him to do so.

“If the Phuket Provincial Office accepts the request, we will arrange to set up zoning at the beach. We (sic) also talked with some other relevant officers last Sunday. However in this meeting, it is concluded that umbrellas and beach beds must be removed from Surin Beach by May 1,” he said.

Of note, Col Santi Sakuntanark, Commander of the 25th Infantry Regiment, based in Phuket, told The Phuket News on Wednesday (April

26), “Because Surin Beach is a ‘royal majesty honour beach’, everyone can be on the beach – all tourists, expats and Thais can take their own umbrellas and sun loungers to Surin Beach. This is allowed.

Although the right to enjoy the beach extended to everyone, Col Santi drew the line at beach vendors.

“There must not be any beach operation or any kind of rental service action on Surin Beach at all,” he said.

Col Santi told The Phuket News that he had spoken with Mr MaAnn on Tuesday (April 24) to explain this to him.

“Army officers will patrol the beach to catch any vendors

renting out umbrellas and sun loungers. These vendors will be handed over to Cherng Talay officials and fined for breach of municipal regulations,” Col Santi added.

The vendors have been given fair warning, Col Santi pointed out. “They have until May 1. They will have no excuse after then,” he said.

Mr MaAnn on Monday also said, “The Cherng Talay OrBorTor has requested for B8 million to make footpath fences and create space for a market which will be held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday to help beach operators displaced by the ban to make a living.”

Patong brown water stirs officials into motion BROWN WATER ATTRIButed to a “plankton bloom” appearing at Patong Beach last weekend has spurred Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup to call an urgent meeting with the Governor of Phuket regarding delays in the construction of the area’s new wastewater-treatment plant.

The Phuket News was first informed of the bloom by a reader last Saturday (April 22), and again on Sunday (April 23). However, the reader on Monday (April 24) confirmed that the bloom had gone.

“I know that the cause of this bloom is the same as on other occasions, it is too much phosphorus and nitrogen in the wastewater being released into the sea,”

Dark water from a ‘plankton bloom’ tainted the Patong beachfront last weekend. Photo: Supplied Mayor Chalermluck told The Phuket News on Monday.

“In light of this latest bloom I have requested for a meeting with Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong tomorrow (Tuesday, Apr 25) to explain how important it is to get the new wastewatertreatment plant constructed,” she said.

“The construction of the plant was agreed three years ago and we are committed to

move forward with it, and this has to progress soon.

“The budget for construction of the plant is not coming from Patong Municipality, it is coming from the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning in Bangkok so it is not easy for me to push to get the project moving forward. This is why I need the assistance of Governor Norraphat,” she added.

On May 18 last year, Mayor Chalermluck announced that she was moving ahead with plans to build a new B80 million wastewatertreatment plant in the resort town.

The news was announced when Mayor Chalermluck revealed that Phuket Environmental Committee had admitted that excessive nitrogen in the beach water had caused plankton blooms that had turned Patong Bay beachwater brown several times.

With the addition of the new wastewater treatment plant, it is expected that 70% of wastewater from within Patong Municipality will be treated before being released into the sea.

Tanyaluk Sakoot

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

PHUKET NEWS

Man hangs infant child and self in jealous rage Eakkapop Thongtub editor@classactmedia.co.th

T

he murder-suicide of a Phuket man and his 11-month-old daughter broadcast live on the internet this week spurred outpourings of outrage and sympathy around the world, and placed increasing pressure for social media giants to take more steps to prevent such footage being made public.

The man, Wuttisan “Tei” Wongtalay, 20, hanged his 11-month-old daughter “Beta” then himself in Sakoo, south of Phuket International Airport, late Monday afternoon (April 24). The entire incident was broadcast in a live video feed through his Facebook page.

Police believe the double homicide was motivated by jealousy.

The alarm was raised by Jiranuch “Bew” Trirat, 21, who called police at 6:30pm reporting that her boyfriend, Wuttisan, had posted a Facebook Live video on his Facebook page.

The video showed him tying a rope around their daughter’s neck and lowering the infant over the edge of a building high up, with the sun shining into the camera.

“The video clip, which is about four minutes long, was posted at 5:45pm yester-

The 11-month-old babe ‘Beta’ pictured with her father Wuttisan “Tei” Wongtalay, 20, moments before he hangs her. Image: Facebook Live screengrab day (Monday),” Lt Col Sanit Nookhong of the Thalang Police told The Phuket News on Tuesday (Apr 25).

“In the video, Wuttisan shows a bottle of liquid, which we later confirmed was kratom drink. He gives the girl, Beta, a drink and has a drink too.

After that he ties a rope around the girl’s neck and lowers her down.

“You can hear the girl crying and finally the crying stops. Then he pulls her up onto the roof top and unties the rope from her neck,” he said.

Police launched a search

for Wuttisan and baby Beta, and soon found their bodies hanged from the side of a derelict building in Moo 3, Sakoo, near Nai Thon Beach, Lt Col Sanit confirmed.

Ms Jiranuch told police that Wuttisan was worried that she was cheating on him.

“At 3am yesterday (Monday) he checked my phone and threatened to kill me,” she said. Ms Jiranuch did not elaborate on what Wuttisan saw on the phone that prompted the threats.

“I was very afraid and ran away from the house and left Beta with him,” she added.

“I returned home late in the afternoon and they were not there. I called him to bring Beta back to the house, but I could not get in touch with him. That’s when I saw the video clip and called the police,” she said.

The shocking incident prompted worldwide attention, with media giants including the UK’s Daily Mail, Mirror Online and The Guardian, as well as The Washington Post in the US posting their own reports. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg came under fire for Facebook becoming a platform to diseminate such violent images. (See page 10).

See also “Shirking social responsibility” on page 8.

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Police arrest 32-year-old Rutsani Bahea at the Bestro Hotel. Photo: Patong Police

Alleged serial rapist charged as fake cop

POLICE A R R EST ED A 32-year-old Thai man from Pattani Province at a hotel in Patong last week on an arrest warrant issued by Phuket Provincial Court for impersonating a police officer.

The man, Rutsani Bahea, was taken into custody at a hotel on Rat U-Thit 200 Pee Rd at 7pm last Thursday (Apr 20), confirmed Lt Col Somkiet Thongkeing of the Patong Police.

However, Rutsani, released from prison last year after serving time for rape, is now facing a police investigation into several other allegations of rape.

Rustani’s arrest followed a masseuse filing a complaint with the Patong Police on April 15, Col Somkiet explained.

The woman reported that a man had raped her after telling her that he was a police officer. The woman alleged that Rustani also stole several items from her rented room, located near Sai Nam Yen School, where the alleged

rape took place at 5:15am that morning.

“The victim was a massage worker. She told us that she was approached by a man who claimed to be a police officer and he told her that he had a customer who wanted a massage.

“The man then took the victim to the rented room where the alleged rape and theft was said to have taken place,” he said.

Officers investigating the complaint checked CCTV footage from the area and managed to collect enough information to find that the suspect was Rutsani, which led them to the Bestro Hotel, where he was found hiding in a room.

Rutsani has currently only been charged with impersonating a police officer and theft.

However, police are continuing to investigate the alleged rape and further charges will be pressed if the allegations are found to be true, Col Somkiet assured.

Eakkapop Thongtub

British man, 37, drowns at Patong Beach A 37-YEAR-OLD BRITISH MAN WAS found floating in the sea at the southern end of Patong Beach last Friday morning (April 21) in what police have described as a drowning incident.

Capt Yingyong Chuaykit of the Patong Police was informed at 10am that the body of a man had been pulled from the sea at Patong Beach.

The man was identified as Scott Robert Townsend, from the Isle of Man.

@thephuketnews

Police reported that witnesses said they saw Mr Townsend walking along the beach at 8am in what seemed to be a drunken state and that they tried to tell him to go back to his room.

Their requests were ignored and he went alone into the sea and disappeared.

Phuket lifeguards went out to find the man but were unsuccessful.

Soon after a scuba diving team from the Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation ar-

rived and went to search the area where the man was last seen and after about 20 minutes found his body floating about one to one-and-a-half metres below the surface.

Rescue workers brought Mr Townsend to shore and attempted to revive him, but were unsuccessful.

Police said that Mr Townsend had arrived in Phuket on April 15 and was set to depart on April 22.

Eakkapop Thongtub

Rescue workers transport Mr Townsend’s body to Patong Hospital. Photo: Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation

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PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM Phuket Seven Day Weather Forecast

The Phuket News offers flexible advertising options both online and in print.

FRI APRIL 28

SAT APRIL 29

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MON MAY 1

TUE MAY 2

WED MAY 3

THU MAY 4

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GENERAL MANAGER

Jason Beavan 086 479 7471

gm@classactmedia.co.th

The ‘90 days (Online)’ button on the Phuket Immigration website is operational again.

Immigration 90-day report back online SALES MANAGER Jittiya (Tiya) Rakdej 088 754 1371

salesmgr@classactmedia.co.th

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

PR MANAGER Natchaya (Nat) Sittiprasert 088 765 5881 pr@classactmedia.co.th

www.foreca.com

THE IMMIGRATION BUreau’s online portal for foreigners to complete their 90-day reporting is operational again after months of recurring issues which rendered the service unusable.

“The system had been unable to process online applications due to server issues since February 9,” said Maj Worapol Panpeth, an inspector at the Phuket Immigration Office.

“But now the 90-day online reporting service can be used by individuals, and the 24-hour online service for hotels to file their reports (of which foreigners have checked in to their respective resorts) is operational, too,” he added.

“Both services have been operational for a week, and some foreigners have already used it to successfully complete their 90-day reporting.

I apologise if some people did not know about this update yet,” Maj Worapol said.

Tanyaluk Sakoot

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Do current traffic fines deter any law-breakers?

PHUKET POLL

The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

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huket Governor Norr a p h a t Pl o d t h o n g last week recounted Phuket’s death and injury toll during the Songkran “Seven Days of Danger” road-safety campaign, held April 11-17.

The toll for the one week stood at four dead and 70 people injured in 67 accidents.

Gov Norraphat, who began his term as Governor of Phuket only on April 10, vowed to “bring all the road accident statistics and other relevant information to discuss with the Phuket Provincial Committee to come up with ways to solve this problem and create a campaign that will make driving safer in Phuket.”

That promise came on the back of police announcing how many people were fined for traffic violations during the seven days. Notably, the greatest offenders were 5,628 people fined for not wearing helmets; and 3,075 fined for driving without a licence.

Fines by police deter some people from breaking the law, but do they do enough? Or do penalties for traffic violations need to be harsher? Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot However, even officials in Bangkok have recognised that the current penalties are not enough to correct people’s behaviour. On Songkran last year they started forcing some offenders to perform community service by helping out at morgues and came back to this practice in 2017.

The Phuket News has yet to hear of any such alternative forms of punishment for traffic

offenders in Phuket, and hence ask our readers the simple question, “Do the current penalties deter people from breaking the traffic laws?”

Responses available are: 1) Yes, the current penalties are enough; there is no need to change anything 2) Yes, the current penalties are enough, but enforcement is lacking 3) No, the current penalties

do not deter traffic offenders and must be made harsher, for example fines should be increased 4) No, the current penalties, which are mostly fines, do not work and officials must also use alternative punishments such as community service.

To vote in the poll visit The PhuketNews.com and select "poll" from the "News" menu.

Governor heads prison search SALES REPRESENTATIVE Kansirinphat (Pommy) Poolsiri 088 765 5883 sales1@classactmedia.co.th

MORE THAN 122 POLICE and other officials conducted a drug search and random testing at Phuket Provincial prison last Friday (April 21) in a bid to prevent and suppress illegal drug use and distribution, with Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong and other senior island officials in attendance.

The raid, at 5:30pm, was conducted in accordance with a policy by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and Ministry of Justice to suppress and stop the epidemic of narcotics.

Governor Norraphat attended the search along with Vice Governor Snith Sriwihok, Phuket Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Thawornwat Kongkaew and Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Lt Col Thanat Promthep.

Searches were carried out

Gov Norraphat Plodthong stressed the importance of combating drugs in Phuket.

Photo: PR Dept in the men’s main dormitory, the women’s main dormitory and even the office building in the hunt for mobile phones, drugs and other contraband.

However, no drugs or phones were reported to be found among the 2,446 inmates, 2,069 of which are male, and 377 female.

Random urine analysis for substance abuse was conducted on 250 male inmates and 50 female inmates, with results reporting no drug abuse

in all 300 tested inmates.

After the searches, Gov Norraphat praised Phuket Prison as “a true ‘white prison’”, a term denoted by the Department of Corrections for outstandingly positive examples of prisons throughout the country.

“From the results we can see that Phuket Prison controls prisoners in accordance with the court order. Phuket Prison is a true white prison,” Gov Norraphat stated.

Regardless, Gov Norraphat also stressed that Phuket is an important tourist area and that the government and its officials must be strict on combating drugs in the province.

“All units must be actively engaged in this mission. Of note, most inmates here have been incarcerated on drugrelated offences,” he noted.

The Phuket News thephuketnews

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PHUKET NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Handle with care Hospital confirms emergency care policy The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

Sasiprapra Phudeethip, only 3 years old, somehow avoided being crushed by the tour bus wheels.

Woman crushed under tour bus, girl, 3, survives

A HORRIFIC ACCIDENT on Thepkrasattri Rd southbound saw a 3-year-old Phuket girl escape unharmed while her aunt who was driving the motorbike was crushed by a tour bus packed with Chinese tourists last Friday afternoon (April 21).

Lt Col Sunan Petchnoo of the Thalang Police was notified the accident, about 300 metres north of the locally called “Khao Lan Intersection” in Baan Lipon, at 5:45pm.

Srisoonthorn rescue workers arrived at the scene with Thalang Police to find traffic had been forced to a standstill due to the crash.

Under the right side of the vehicle lay a Honda Wave motorbike on which Sooksai Phudeethip, 38, and her 3-year-old niece Sasiprapra

had been riding on. The toddler had somehow avoided the crushing impact of the bus and suffered only minor injuries.

Ms Sooksai, however, was run over and dragged some 30 metres under one of the rear tyres.

The bus driver was not at the scene when police arrived. According to police, the bus was travelling at high speed at the time of the impact.

Ms Sooksai was travelling in the same direction as the bus, but police said they were told that Ms Sooksai suddenly changed lanes, causing the bus to collide with it at high speed.

Col Sunan urged the driver to present himself to police.

Eakkapop Thongtub

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a n g ko k Ho s p i t a l Phuket has confirmed to The Phuket News its stance on emergency care for patients under the new Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) law brought into effect on April 1.

The new law, administered by the National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM), enables all patients who require emergency medical care and assistance to be able to access it wherever they are in the country at whichever hospital – private or state – is closest to them for a period of up to 72 hours.

Medical care is performed “at no cost” up to regular medical capacity and resources available at hospital. The new law sets out a schedule of “standard” fees to be charged for a range of medical services, with the charges for these services to be charged to one of three national healthcare funds.

The law stipulates that the UCEP plan covers patients exhibiting signs under six main categories: 1) Unconsciousness, patient not breathing; 2) Suffocation, severe breathing problems; 3) Passing out, seizures and high fevers; 4) Severe chest pain; 5) Loss of limb use, stroke, common

Bangkok Hospital Phuket hopes that emergency medical assistance in Phuket will be faster under the new law. Photo: Bangkok Hospital Phuket seizures; and 6) Other symptoms that risk heart attacks, inability to breathe, and brain damage.

However, the law recognises that it is ultimately down to the doctors in charge to assess each situation independently.

Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, Assistant Hospital Director at Bangkok Hospital Phuket noted, “As for entitlement, people who access the UCEP rights must be a member of one of the three government national healthcare plans: the National Health Security Fund, Social Security Fund or the fund for medical welfare to state officials.

“People are advised to contact 1669 as standard when a medical emergency occurs and the operators and paramedics at the scene, or doctors at the

nearest hospital will be able to determine the severity of the problem and make an informed decision whether the patient falls under the UCEP categories or not.

“If they do not, they will be transferred to their registered state hospital if safe and possible to do so,” he said.

“If after the 72 hours, the patient still requires medical assistance, they will be transported to their registered government hospital for further care if safe to do so. Patients will also have the choice to stay at the first hospital at their own expense. In case the patient is cared for and no longer in a critical condition, it is possible for him/ her to be referred to another hospital faster than 72 hours,” Mr Bhummikitti explained.

“As the UCEP plan includes private hospitals, Bangkok Hospital Phuket is hopeful that people in Phuket and nearby provinces will have much faster and easier access to key emergency medical assistance without having to travel to a government hospital which sometimes may be further away and risk the life of the patient due to longer travel times.

“Besides, our hospital will always focus on effective and consistent communication with patients and their relatives regarding their rights and every step of treatment for their clear understanding and further arrangements,” he said.

Phuket Provincial Health Office Chief Jirapan Taepam refused to comment on the issue.

Chinese tourist dies on day trip Reefs get helping hand to recover from mass tourism A CH I N ESE TOU R IST has died after being pulled from the water unconscious and in shock at Racha Yai Island last Saturday (April 22).

Police reported that Chen Hangsheng, 62, from Shanghai, was on an island tour organised by Jie Yun Co Ltd. The tour group departed Chalong Pier on board the Pako, helmed by Capt Samruay Moranin, and arrived Koh Racha Yai at 1:30pm, led by tour guide Suthee Maliwan, 24, reported police.

They were all wearing a life jackets, Mr Suthee told police.

“Mr Chen was unconscious and he had gone into shock.

We helped him up onto the boat and the boat captain helped him with CPR. “Mr Chen was taken back on land by a speedboat called ‘Yamila 5’. He died while he was being transferred to land.”

Lt Sakkarin Saengcharoen of the Chalong Police told The Phuket News on Monday (April 24) that doctors had

Police talk to a family member who was with Mr Chen when he was pulled from the water unconscious and in shock during a day trip to Racha Yai Island from Phuket.

confirmed that Mr Chen had died of asphyxiation.

“The tour guide told me that all tourists got into the water to snorkel. Not long after someone noticed that Mr Chen was not moving.

“Mr Chen had fallen unconscious, but was still breathing, though very faintly. They rushed him back to Chalong Pier and performed CPR on him en route, but he passed away before they arrived at the pier,” Lt Sakkarin said.

“For reasons that are not totally clear the tourist drowned,” Lt Sakkarin told The Phuket News.

“One of the reasons is he was not a confident swim-

mer. The other snorkellers did not realise because they were busy snorkelling. The guides on the boat were the ones who spotted that he had fallen unconscious.”

Police reported that Mr Chen checked in at the APK Resort & Spa in Patong with four family members last Friday (April 21). The family was to check out on Wednesday this week (April 26).

Police also confirmed that Chinese embassy officials in Thailand had been informed of Mr Chen’s death and that his body was being kept at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town.

Eakkapop Thongtub

A LOCAL R EEF R EStoration project has completed fixing more than 6,000 coral heads to artificial reefs at Maiton and Racha Yai islands to help the coral populations recover from damage by mass tourism.

A total of 1,600 coral heads were added to the artificial reefs over a three-day effort last week, led by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Phuket office, which concluded last Thursday (April 20).

Joi n i ng t he DMC R Phuket team were officials from the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) and volunteer-diver students from the Prince of Songkla University Phuket Campus.

“This week, we fixed 800 corals to artificial reefs at each island,” explained Watcharin Thintalang, Di-

So far 6,000 coral heads have been added to artificial reefs at Maiton and Racha Yai islands to help the dive sites recover from mass tourism. Photo: DMCR rector of DMCR Phuket’s Marine and Coastal Management Department.

“This brought the total number of coral heads put in place at the reefs to 6,000,” he added.

“We will keep going until we reach our target

of putting in place 24,000 corals,” Mr Watcharin said.

“This way the number of corals will quickly increase, and when the corals grow, they will separate and expand to others areas,” he said.

Eakkapop Thongtub thephuketnews

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PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

7

Outstanding bills lands developer in hot water Eakkapop Thongtub editor@classactmedia.co.th

Russian boy Timur Gadylshin, 10, on holidays in Phuket with his family, escaped serious injury in the fall after the parasail collapsed. Photo: Karon Police

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ore than 300 residents of the Phanason Residence Phuket in Kathu filed a complaint with the Consumer Protection Board (CPB) last week after receiving threats from the Phuket Provincial Water Authority that their water supply will be cut off due to outstanding bills.

Chayathip Jitlang, a legal representative of the Phuket Damrongdhama Centre (Ombudsman’s Office), confirmed that she received the complaint last Friday (April 21), however, she has requested that all residents give their consent for the resident representatives to deal with the complaint on their behalf.

One resident, Kitti Vinichsunon, said, “We found out two months ago that Phanason had not paid an outstanding bill for B20,000 (for Nov-Dec 2016) in relation to the water pumped onto the complex and that was the reason why the disconnection has been threatened.

Russian boy injured in parasail accident Residents have posted banners throught the Phanason Residence Phuket housing estate in Kathu in protest. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub “To get this matter resolved each resident agreed to pay B150 to cover the outstanding bill so that we would not be disconnected,” he said.

“We have now found out that we are in the same situation again. We cannot stand this situation anymore so we have put signs up around the complex which read; “Phanason is cheating, don’t buy.

We warn you.”

“We hope by doing this and by lodging a complaint at the CPB that we will get the

matter resolved,” he added.

Another resident, Yuthapong Modseang, said, “The main reason for this complaint is because we don’t want to face more threats of our water supply being disconnected.

“Over the years we have had ongoing problems with the water and electricity supply and rubbish collection and we want Phanason to resolve all these issues.

“However, when we complain to them they pass the matter on to Wichit Munici-

Patong bar crackdown still on THE PATONG POLICE have confirmed they are still raiding and shutting down bars and nightclubs along and near Bangla Rd if they are caught trading past the legal closing times.

The news follows Tai Pan, one of the party area’s most popular late-night clubs, being closed for days last week amid silence from the owners. The club reopened last Sunday night (April 23).

“There has not been any special order to crack down on late trading. We are just following the Phuket Governor’s policy by law,” Patong Police Chief Col Chaiwat Uikam told The Phuket News on Monday (Apr 24).

However, the order to crack down on late trading in Patong came under the governance of Phuket’s previous Governor, Chockchai Dejamornthan. Since then, Gov Chockchai was transferred to Bangkok by direct order from Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha with immediate effect on April 4.

Phuket’s new Governor, Norraphat Plodthong, who @thephuketnews

Tourist Police on routine patrol at Phuket’s famous entertainment street Bangla Rd. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot arrived on the island on April 10, has yet to make any public comment on late trading in the party town.

“We are upholding the existing law. Some places can stay open to 1am and others can stay open to 2am, depending on which type of entertainment licence the venue has,” Col Chaiwat explained confirmed today.

“Please be careful, some issues are sensitive. This is all I can answer to you,” he said.

Meanwhile, Phuket officials and leading nightlife operators in Patong reported

only last week that they had no idea on how the formal request by former Governor Chockchai to allow entertainment venues along Bangla Rd to stay open until 4am is progressing – more than two months after the request was filed.

PM Prayut’s order to transfer Gov Chockchai followed the Prime Minister directly confirming that a Patong Police investigator had been moved out Phuket’s busiest resort town pending an investigation into allegations of corruption.

The Phuket News

pality,” he said.

“There are now 397 people who have complained about this issue and we have had several meetings to find a solution.

“Phanason representatives keep promising that these problems will be resolve but nothing happens so we have decided to complain to the CPB,” he added.

Ms Chayathip said that her office will collect more information about the complaint and will then see how they can progress with the matter.

A 10-YEAR-OLD RUSSIAN boy on holidays in Phuket with his family escaped serious injury on Monday (April 24) when the boat hauling the parasail he was riding in at Karon Beach stalled from a plastic bag in the water.

Karon Police were called to the scene, at the southern end of the beach, at 11:50am.

Capt Weerayuth Thanyasirisukworakul named the Russian child as Timur Gadylshin.

“Noppadon Nakheepaet, the parasail assistant riding in the sky with the child when they fell explained that the boat was being driven by Suriya Rukkha, 34,” Capt Weerayuth said.

“He said that Suriya told him that the boat stalled after a plastic bag became entangled

around the propeller.

“Mr Suriya tried to steer the boat in order to bring the Mr Noppadon and the child safely to the ground, but the parasail collapsed while they were still a little more than two metres in the air,” Capt Weerayuth said.

Timur and Mr Noppadon were both taken to Patong Hospital, he added.

“Luckily both only suffered minor injuries,” Capt Weerayuth confirmed.

“They have both been discharged from the hospital already,” he added.

Police have yet to decide whether to press any charges for the incident, Capt Weerayuth also confirmed.

“We are continuing our investigation,” he said.

Darawan Naknakhon

Opinion 8

OPINION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

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

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EDITORIAL

Shirking social responsibility

Y

ears ago, as a young cadet reporter, I attended a horrific road accident. Eager to do my job well, I leapt from my car, camera in hand, and began snapping shots of emergency workers desperately trying to extract the severely injured passengers (mortally injured, as it turned out – a woman and her two young children).

Once the initial rush of adrenaline subsided a sense of ghoulishness crept over me and settled uneasily in the pit of my stomach. As everyone else was running around, purposeful in their actions, I was relegated to the role of voyeur. They’ve got their job to do, and I’ve got mine, I told myself.

Throughout my career as a journalist and editor, that uneasy sense has arisen time and time again, when confronted by gruesome photos and videos – in the raw – and

being responsible for deciding what should be made public and what should not.

The role of journalists and editors as gatekeepers of this kind of material has diminished rapidly in the era of socialmedia and smartphones. A case in point is the recent video of a young man in Phuket killing his infant daughter, which he posted on Facebook before killing himself – it attracted over 250,000 views before Facebook acted on the Thai Government’s takedown request.

This modern phenomenon gives rise to countless questions about censorship and the stewardship of the media technology which has given everyone, not just media professionals, the ability to both view and disseminate images of the dark realities of life instantly and with few constraints.

Social media behemoths like Facebook and Twitter

are scrambling to deal with their new role as gatekeepers, but unlike the former media model the responses are, at least for the time being, reactive not proactive. They claim that they are merely service providers and not responsible for what people post on their social media. But this is belied by the fact that they promptly respond to requests, by both governments and individuals, to censor content on their services.

Given the crucial role these private corporations play in the modern media, and the fact that they can censor content without reason or explanation, we must demand more from them than technocratic “we’re just a service” platitudes. We must vet them in their role as the new gatekeepers and ensure they inform their policies and actions with reference to the best civic and ethical ideals of their forbears.

TOP 10 STORIES ON thephuketnews.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

British man, 37, drowns at Phuket beach Phuket man hangs 11-month-old daughter, self in double-homicide jealousy Phuket woman crushed under tour bus, 3-year-old daughter survives Spaniard gets death sentence for murder Phuket late -trading crackdown on Patong bars, nightclubs continues Phuket request for Patong nightlife 4am closing shrouded in silence Woman’s body found floating off Koh Lanta Noi, Krabi Russian boy, 10, injured in Phuket parasail accident Umbrellas, beach chairs banned again at Phuket’s Surin Beach Thai ‘Sin City’ finds abstaining from sex hard

Visit thephuketnews.com for all the latest news

HAVE YOUR SAY Waking nightmare

Re: Phuket man hangs 11-month-old daughter, self in double-homicide jealousy A monster killed this little girl. Perhaps it served some purpose for others to see what absolute evil is lurking out there. Which is more useful? For us to know... or not to know?

I was sick of heart when reading the description from others who watched it happen on the video. Am still sick inside. I wish I never read it.

But then I would never know this cruelty was possible.

But then, if no one knew how it happened, I would not have this terrible, terrible sick feeling in my heart. Maybe I will wake up and find it was a nightmare... the little girl can’t wake up to find that it was just a nightmare.

Rich 44 ....................................................

Planning to fail

Re: Plankton bloom at Phuket beach spurs wastewater treatment action from Patong Mayor What good is a new treatment plant going to do if 99% of wastewater discharged from

throughout the city continues to be piped into the storm drain system? This is the result of crap planning (actually, no planning) and a mad race to develop every inch of the place without doing anything to manage wastewater.

My family and I were visiting friends in Kamala this Sunday and the water there isn’t having an algae bloom... it is just filthy and polluted and I refused to let my kids swim in it.

This filthy water is the result of having zero infrastructure, and nothing planned in that town, except an accelerated development schedule to pave every damn inch of the place as fast as possible.

Kamala is one big construction site, and is in for a major fall.

Ben Pendejo ....................................................

Can you hear me?

Re: At Your Service: Protasov brothers Igor and Alexey honoured as Tourist Police Assistant Volunteers Absolute rubbish. I have been in danger a few times and called the Tourist Police for help but not once did anyone answer the phone Marcher

Profit over people

Re: Phuket Chinese tourist dies during island day trip Why were no snorkelling guides in the water with them? Why was it only noticed by another customer that one of the group was not moving?

If they have life jackets on then they cannot swim so why was no one in the water looking after them. There should, as they were non-swimmers, have been with an instructor in the water with them with a maximum ratio of 6:1.

To non-swimmers a life jacket can be very dangerous if it’s the wrong size or if the person gets face down in the water (as with snorkeling) because they can’t get the right way up again. More likely they did not have life jackets but bouyancy aids, as with a life jacket you cannot get face down to start with. Just another wasted life due to a company looking for profit over safety Simon 01 ........................................................

Wrecking our reefs

Re: Phuket coral reef dive sites get helping hand to recover from mass tourism All very well but I have just

come back from a week in Phi Phi where I witnessed in Laem Thong and Ao Lanna speedboats taking (mostly Chinese tourists) snorkelling on the reefs there and just blatantly throwing anchors onto the coral and completely destroying it.

The reef in Laem Thong used to be nice and is in the process of becoming rubble, Ao Lanna’s reef is still nice because they have only recently started taking people there but the damage is happening already. There are at least 15-20 speedboats repeatedly anchoring on/damaging the reefs there daily, just so that a few companies can make money. This doesn’t benefit anyone on the end, so why is it allowed?

Archie McHeid .......................................................

Re: Four dead in Phuket’s ‘Seven Days of Danger’ I think some people here would love to live in a total controlled police state. Same as the former GDR. Wouldnt be surprised if some people here even use their security cameras and some binoculars to spy on their neighborhood. All for safety reasons of course.

Eagle

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

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

THAILAND NEWS

9

No scope for appeal Unusual wealth ruling for former DSI Director-General must stand BANGKOK Bangkok Post

T

arit Pengdith, former Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), cannot appeal his dismissal from the civil service for being unusually wealthy, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam has said.

Mr Wissanu said on Monday (Apr 24) that under civil service regulations, if Mr Tarit had been dismissed as a result of a normal disciplinary investigation, he could have appealed with the Merit System Protection Board.

But since Mr Tarit’s dismissal was recommended by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), it was final and he could not appeal against it, Mr Wissanu said.

Prime Minister’s Office Secretary-General Wilas Aroonsri has signed an order dismissing Mr Tarit from government service for being unusually wealthy, effective from April 3.

The Secretariat of the Prime Minister made available to the media yesterday the letter explaining Mr Tarit’s dismissal.

The dismissal was based on the NACC’s recommendation, according to the letter.

The letter said the NACC had investigated and sub-

Monday’s (Apr 24) dismissal of ex-DSI Chief Tarit Pengdith, a loyal follower of the 2014 coup, leaves him with no right of appeal. Photo: Post Today sequently passed a resolution declaring that Mr Tarit became unusually wealthy while serving as the DSI’s Director-General.

The NACC found that Mr Tarit’s assets had increased and his liabilities had decreased while in that position and concluded he had become inexplicably richer

by B346.6 million.

According to Section 80 (4) of the 1999 Anti-Corruption Act, after the NACC has completed an investigation and passed a resolution, the NACC chairman must recom-

Governor denies sex trafficking ring links MAE HONG SON THE GOVERNOR OF MAE Hong Son has vehemently denied buying sex from teenage girls trafficked into a prostitution ring allegedly run by local police.

Yutthachai Thongchart, a police senior sergeant-major formerly attached to Mae Hong Son police, has been arrested on charges of running a sex ring and human trafficking.

He was apprehended on Tuesday (Apr 25).

Deputy National Police Chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said the girls told investigators that one of the officials was Mae Hong Son Governor Suebsak Iamwicharn.

Mr Suebsak denied using the sex service or having anything to do with it.

“I’m absolutely a million @thephuketnews

Yutthachai Thongchart, a senior sergeant-major formerly attached to Mae Hong Son. Photo: via Bangkok Post percent sure I had nothing whatsoever to do with the ring,” he told a press conference on Tuesday.

Mr Suebsak said he was baffled as to why he was being implicated and that he was ready to be investigated.

Meanwhile, Gen Srivara said Provincial Police Region 5, which supervises Mae Hong Son Police had begun an investigation into whether police were complicit in the ring.

Bangkok Post

mend to the immediate superior of the accused found to have committed malfeasance to punish him or her, be it a dismissal or removal.

Four days after the May 20, 2014 coup, the National Council for Peace and Order issued an order, on May 24, transferring Mr Tarit to the Prime Minister’s Office.

A month later, on June 27, 2014 he was appointed a PM’s Office adviser reporting to the Secretariat of the Prime Minister.

Therefore, the power to issue the dismissal order

rested with the prime minister’s Secretary-General who was Mr Tarit’s immediate superior, the letter explained.

According to the letter, the Secretariat of the Prime Minister received the NACC’s recommendation last year.

Before t a k i ng act ion against Mr Tarit, his office had sought advice from the NACC, the Office of the Civil Service Commission and the Council of State which is the government’s legal advisory body to ensure legal clarity and fairness for the accused.

These offices confirmed

it was within the power of the Secretariat of the Prime Minister to issue the order.

Moreover, the cabinet had earlier issued a resolution that any official found to have committed gross malfeasance should be dismissed from government service, the letter concluded.

On Su nday (Apr 23), NACC member Preecha Lertkamolmart revealed the graft agency was preparing to freeze almost B100mn in assets as part of a fresh probe into Mr Tarit’s allegedly illgotten wealth.

M r P ree cha said t he NACC recently appointed him to chair a panel to carry out the investigation. His panel had credible information that Mr Tarit had transferred large amounts of assets to his close aides.

These assets were being examined and would be frozen if those who had them in their possession could not explain their origins.

The NACC had earlier frozen about B90mn of assets in Mr Tarit’s possession.

A source close to the NACC said initial findings show the former DSI boss transferred assets to individuals including his wife, children and a police officer. The assets include cash, stocks and land plots.

The fresh move is apparently part of an extended

probe into Mr Tarit’s unusual wealth which began after he was transferred to an advisory role at the Prime Minister’s Office following the coup.

It was not until early last year that the NACC ruled Mr Tarit had amassed unexplained wealth of B346.65mn when he headed the DSI. According to the NACC findings, Mr Tarit also concealed these assets in various forms and transferred some to nominees. The anti-graft agency subsequently ordered a freeze on the alleged illgotten assets worth B90mn.

The NACC said that as the remaining assets worth B256mn were either transferred to others or concealed, they should be recovered from other assets held by Mr Tarit and his wife, Wassamon.

Mr Tarit is known to have served well for any government that came to power, which earned him almost five years in the position. But his promising future was cut short following the 2014 coup, which saw him go from bad to worse.

Mr Tarit was removed from the position only 48 hours after the coup. After a lengthy investigation, he was eventually dismissed from the civil service this year.

His dismissal came despite his having more than one year left before retirement.

10 THAILAND NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

City Hall on the back foot

Backlash forces explanation on ‘regulation’ of street food BANGKOK Bangkok Post

A

heavy backlash from the public and food vendors has forced City Hall to come out and explain its planned “regulation” of street food in the capital.

While the eviction of street vendors from many parts of the city has been carried out for the sake of hygiene and orderliness, according to officials, City Hall’s implementation and enforcement of the drive has sparked criticism from many quarters.

The plan sparked rumours the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) would ban street food in Bangkok’s popular tourists spots with their ubiquitous roadside local dishes, including Yaowarat and Khao San roads, despite the fact Bangkok’s street food was ranked the best in the world and is one of the city’s biggest attractions.

Officials dealing with the backlash including Vallop Suwandee, Chairman of Advisers to the Bangkok Governor, denied claims they were wiping out street food from the popular tourist spots, saying the BMA only aims to enhance the hygiene and orderliness of street food on the two roads, not ban them as reported by the media. The plan involves pavement and street vending regulations, food safety measures and improving food hygiene standards.

“CNN reported Bangkok is the world’s top city for street food which is available around the clock. Therefore, the prime minister wants to harness this opportunity to boost the Thai tourism industry,” he said.

Chief City Hall adviser Vallop Suwandee, the man responsible for clearing the pavements, says street food will remain available but heavily regulated at only two adjacent locations – Yaowarat and nearby Khao San Rd. Photo: moshen/Flickr His claim was backed by government spokesman Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkammnerd, who confirmed the authorities have no intention to ban street food in tourist-heavy areas as Prime Minister Prayut Chano-cha described street food as unique and one of the charms of the capital.

He said the authorities’ clean-up drive is to ensure order and maintain food hygiene and cleanliness.

However, critics still question whether the City Hall’s move does more harm than good, and if visitors are getting a clear message about what it intended.

A famous street food blogger, Chawadee Nualkhair, wrote on her Bangkok Glutton blog: “As you may have already heard, the BMA has plans to bring ‘order’ and ‘hygiene’ to the streets by clearing away many of the vendors on the side walk.

This is roughly analogous to telling Axl Rose that all he needs to turn back the clock is a nice black T-shirt, but that is neither here nor there.

“What really matters is how far is the extent of the planned ban? Is there a plan at all, or is it a case of a government official being quoted on something, and then after the resulting furore, everybody going ‘Oh yeah, our bad, never mind?’ Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.”

“After widespread concerns the ‘world’s street food capital’ would go all Ghostbusters on its own street food, the final answer so far is ‘no, the places that tourists like to go to will not be affected, so you can stop writing negative stories about it now, please, thank you for your understanding’,” she wrote.

Meanwhile, a 55-year-old roadside food vendor in the King Petch area, who asked

to be identified only as Pa Kaew, said she understood the government wanted to provide food safety and convenience for foreigners as the tourism industry was one of the country’s main sources of revenue.

However, she couldn’t help doubting whether such a strict measure should be rolled out while Thailand is in an economic downturn and many people could suffer.

The government should also think about residents in Bangkok and provide them with reasonably priced food options, particularly lowincome earners, she said.

Street food was part of locals’ way of life.

Pa Kaew said she agreed with the measures to improve food hygiene and ban vending stalls on streets as they obstructed traffic flow.

Nevertheless, it was the government’s duty to provide

new locations with cheap rental fees for the vendors not far from the areas they had originally set up shop.

She also admitted it was unfair street food was allowed only on Yaowarat and Khao San roads, saying although tourists will help spur the country’s revenue, food vendors in other areas needed to earn a living as well.

For the second year running, CNN in April named Bangkok the city with the best street food in the world.

Countries that ranked second and third are Tokyo, Japan, and Honolulu, Hawaii.

In Bangkok, the areas renowned for a variety of local palatable dishes are Yaowarat, Khao San, Sanam Chai (Pratu Phee) and Silom roads.

Bangkok was also named the world’s best city for street food according to a survey which canvassed 1.2 million tourists from 220 countries around the world, conducted by www.virtualtourist.com, a travel site.

Last week, a storm of criticism erupted from the public on the clean-up drive after some media outlets reported the BMA was preparing to purge street food from the city’s two main tourist spots just as they had done in other areas. The street vendor ban is part of a clean-up campaign orchestrated by the National Council for Peace and Order.

Mr Vallop admitted he gave an interview to the media, but insisted the published information was not true as it is impossible to ban all food vending stalls from pavements in the city as they were part of residents’ way of life.

He said the regulation of street food would be conducted

only in the inner areas of the city that are crowded with people.

Despite the international praise for Thai street food, Mr Vallop said hygiene and food safety have not been counted in the ranking system. Thus, stricter rules to regulate street food on both roads will be implemented with regard to hygiene and safety for both tourists and locals.

The BMA also holds a list of all food vendors in both places. They need to pass hygiene training before being allowed to operating their businesses.

During the training, vendors will be supervised on several regulations including cooking food only in dry areas and at least 60 centimetres above the ground.

Cooks must wear outfits in accordance with the BMA’s rules and cutlery and other utensils must be cleaned properly. While vendors in Khao San Rd and Yaowarat Rd would be able to continue their businesses in their original spots, the service hours needed to be adjusted, he said.

Mr Vallop said a panel, comprising several agencies including police, was also established to supervise the management of street food in both areas.

Besides ensuring food hygiene, the drive seeks to prohibit migrants from selling food as the BMA’s survey found illegal migrants operated food stalls in the two tourist spots in violation of the law.

“By the end of this year, Bangkok residents will experience a new look of street food on Yaowarat and Khao San roads,” he said.

Facebook removes baby-killing video PHUKET A PH U K ET M A N FILM ED himself killing his 11-month-old daughter in two video clips posted on Facebook before committing suicide, police said on Tuesday (Apr 25) (see page 3).

People could access the videos of the child’s murder on her father’s Facebook page for roughly 24 hours, until they were taken down around 5pm on Tuesday, or a full day after being uploaded.

In contrast, Facebook employees last week removed the video of a

man in Cleveland, Ohio, shooting an elderly man to death within hours.

Thai netizens voiced outrage about the clips of the child’s killing, which were uploaded on Monday (Apr 24), the first at 4:50pm and the second at 4:57pm.

“This is the most evil clip I’ve seen in my life,” said one user, Avada Teeraponkoon.

“I couldn’t stand it for more than one second.”

“How can he watch his own child stop breathing?” said another, Rujirek Polglang. “He should have just died alone.”

The killing was the first in Thailand known to be broadcast on the social networking site, said Deputy Police Spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen.

“It could be influenced by behaviour from abroad, most recently in Cleveland,” Kissana told Reuters.

The first video had drawn 112,000 views by mid-afternoon on Tuesday, while the second video showed 258,000 views.

The Ministry of Digital Economy claimed it contacted Facebook only on Tuesday afternoon about removing the videos, after receiving a police request 24 hours after

they were posted.

“We contacted Facebook today and Facebook removed the videos,” said ministry spokesman Somsak Khaosuwan, who added that the government would take no action against the company.

“We will not be able to press charges against Facebook, because Facebook is the service provider and they acted according to their protocol when we sent our request.

They cooperated very well.”

After the company faced a backlash for showing the video of the Cleveland killing, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg claimed

Nong Beta’s mother Jiranuch Trirat arrives at a Phuket temple on Tuesday (Apr 25) for the 11-month-old girl’s funeral. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Facebook would do all it could to prevent such content in the future, but it hasn’t.

Bangkok Post

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

ASIA NEWS 11

N.Korea’s white ‘fairyland’ Pyongyang tower seen as an ‘icon of modern street architecture’ NORTH KOREA AFP

T

he penthouse apartments at the top of the tallest tower in Pyongyang’s showpiece development offer impressive views, ice green wallpaper and purple sofas – but had no hot water when the project opened on April 13.

Ryomyong St is the third prestige project in as many years in the North Korean capital, and by far the largest, said to have nearly 5,000 apartments, which according to authorities will be distributed free to deserving citizens.

Its name translates as “illumination” and the official KCNA news agency described it as “an icon of modern street architecture and a fairyland representing the era of the Workers’ Party”.

The white concrete towers come in multiple shapes – square, round and octagonal – and sizes, the tallest proclaimed as 70 storeys and 234 metres high.

Korean People’s Army (KPA) soldiers walk along a road in the Ryomyong St housing development following its opening ceremony in Pyongyang on April 13. Photo: AFP Leader Kim Jong-Un – who made the project a priority – opened it on April 13 in front of an audience of tens of thousands of citizens and an invited coterie of international media.

It was built in only around a year, to ensure completion in time for the April 15 105th anniversary of the birth of Kim’s grandfather, the North’s founder Kim Il-Sung – who

lies in state nearby.

“Keeping up appearances in Pyongyang makes a lot of sense for the government” of the nuclear-armed country, said Chad O’Carroll, Managing Director of specialist service NK News.

“Part of it is renovating and increasing capacity in Pyongyang, part of it is to reward those loyal to senior levels of leadership, and part

Stylish dogs rule Shanghai’s streets CHINA POODLES IN PINK DRESses, Pekinese wearing blouses, a Pomeranian in trainers and a raincoat – Shanghai’s sidewalks can sometimes seem like fashion catwalks gone to the dogs.

Chinese adore their pet canines, often dressing them up in eye-catching outfits, and nowhere are such furry fashionistas more conspicuous than in China’s commercial hub.

“Pet owners like to dress up their pets, the way they would their own children,” said a woman sur named Huang as she walked her two fluffy brown poodles, one with a pink bowtie and the other wearing a blue one, through a central Shanghai neighbourhood.

Or rather they walked her – riding in a baby stroller as Huang pushed.

It’s big business too.

At least 40% of pet merchants in China sell pet clothing, according to Yourpet Market Research Institute, which studies the country’s huge pet industry.

The industry overall generates sales of around $17 @thephuketnews

A dog dressed in clothing on a street in Shanghai.

Photo: AFP billion (B171.85 trillion) per year and is expected to grow by 20% annually, it said in a report last year.

“Millennials are becoming the main customers with their consumer power growing,” it said.

Zhang Jiequn, a psychologist at Shanghai’s Huada Institute of Applied Psychology, said that for many Chinese, pet ownership “is a kind of escape from interpersonal relationships”.

“The pet becomes a projection of the opposite sex for some people who do not find a partner,” she said.

Dog ownership rates have grown along with China’s

fast-expanding middle class.

A 2015 survey cited by the state-run China Daily said there were at least 100 million registered pets in China, with dogs making up the vast majority, and that pet ownership was growing by 10% annually.

Shanghai – which has 24 million people – also has an estimated pet dog population of up to one million.

The high rate of dog ownership prompted the city in 2011 to impose a “one-dog policy” – limiting owners to a single canine – to curb noisy barking, waste on sidewalks and dog attacks.

AFP

of it is of course for show.

“That’s the reason they have invited so many journalists here, to show successful completion of a project in the face of increasing sanctions and international pressure.”

Kim’s association with the project also bolstered his domestic portrayal as “a leader that cares about the people”, he added.

A giant crowd of soldiers,

officials and citizens – men in suits, women in traditional hanbok dresses – packed a plaza from early morning for the opening ceremony, waiting in the cold spring air for hours before Kim made his entrance, leading a delegation of senior officials and generals onto the dais.

“Long live comrade Kim Jong-Un, the supreme leader of our party, nation and army,” read one banner.

Culture ministry official Kim Ok-Hwa was assigned to the construction project’s technical department, and said site personnel toiled for 18 hours a day, seven days a week, for a year, to finish it on schedule.

But she played down their role. “The Supreme Leader devoted his very best efforts so our effort is very small compared to his effort,” she said.

Seeing him at the April 13 ceremony, she said, made her feel “proud we have the greatest Supreme Leader in the world”.

Ordinary North Koreans usually express only

officially-sanctioned views when questioned by foreign news organisations.

Personnel from North Korea’s army – among the largest in the world by numbers – are regularly deployed on construction projects, where they are known as “soldier-builders”.

“To implement thoroughly the order of the Supreme Commander we worked all day and all night,” said Lt Col Kim Pyong-Ho, who worked on the 70-storey tower.

Staff say its hot water system is geothermal, and was not switched on for the opening ceremony.

But O’Carroll described the build quality on similar projects as “not so good”.

One of the apar tment complexes erected to mark Kim Il-Sung’s 100th birth anniversary collapsed in 2014, he said, with the North admitting there had been casualties.

“It went up in less than a year, I believe, and it came down two years later,” he said. “When you’re rushing to complete things mistakes will be made. It is a risk.”

12 WORLD NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

One woman’s Syria story

How young Moroccan went from aspiring stylist to jihadist widow SYRIA AFP

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slam Maytat thought marrying an Afghan-British businessman was her ticket to a new life as a fashionista in London. Instead she became a widow living under jihadist rule in Syria.

At just 23, the young Moroccan spent three traumatic years in northern Syria under the Islamic State group’s socalled “caliphate”.

Tens of thousands of foreigners have joined jihadist groups in Syria, including women who are encouraged to marry and raise the children of IS fighters.

Some, like Maytat, have been lured unknowingly into marriages with would-be jihadists.

Maytat spoke after fleeing IS’s northern stronghold of Raqa to territory controlled by a US-backed alliance fighting the extremist group.

Now safe in the Kurdishmajority city of Qamishli, Maytat holds her gurgling 10-month-old daughter Maria in her lap as she tells her story.

“Meeting my husband was one of the things that motivated me to study fashion design in Europe, but I had no luck. Everything went wrong,” she said.

She first met Khalil Ahmed – an Afghan-British trader who worked in Dubai – online in early 2014, and they married two months later.

He f lew to Morocco to marry her and they then went to Dubai, stepping into a com-

Islam Maytat from Morocco comforts one of her two children, Maria, during an interview in Qamishli in northern Syria.

Photo: Delil Souleiman/AFP plex web of lies and journeys across the Middle East that would eventually take her to Syria.

Ahmed proved to be a strict, controlling husband who did not allow her to wear makeup or bright clothes.

After a brief trip to Afghanistan to meet his family, Maytat was eager to get to London and start working as a stylist.

Ahmed proposed travelling to Istanbul, convincing a reluctant Maytat that it would be easier to move to London from there.

But as soon as they landed in Turkey, Ahmed immediately drove her to the southeastern city of Gaziantep near the border with Syria.

Ankara has long been

accused of turning a blind eye to IS fighters using the porous Syrian-Turkish border to transport people, goods, and funds – allegations it vehemently denies.

In Gaziantep, Maytat and Ahmed moved into a large house full of ecstatic couples from countries including Saudi Arabia, Algeria and France.

“I asked them ‘Why are you here?’ And they told me they were there to migrate to the caliphate in Syria,” Maytat recalls.

In June 2014, IS declared a self-styled “caliphate” across Syria and Iraq, where it implemented its literal interpretation of Islamic law.

“I began to cry. It was two weeks after the caliphate was declared and the women kept

saying ‘We’re going to the land of the caliphate, the land of the Muslims’, and they were all happy,” Maytat says.

In August, Ahmed and Maytat made their own journey across the border into war-ravaged northern Syria.

They settled in the northern Syrian town of Manbij, where Ahmed’s brother was already living with his family.

“I said to my husband ‘Why did you destroy my life like this? You should have told me from the beginning that this is what we were going to do’,” Maytat recalls.

“And he said ‘You’re my wife – you have to listen to what I say’.”

Tears welling, Maytat says she had felt powerless to resist Ahmed, her only link to her

previous life.

By September, she was pregnant with her first child – Abdullah – and Ahmed was sent to a month-long military training before deploying to IS’s front in Kobane.

O n October 8, 2014, Ahmed’s brother told Maytat her husband had been killed in combat.

“I became more depressed.

I said to myself, this is the only person I knew in this foreign land, and now I’m alone here,” she recalls.

Pregnant and alone, Maytat moved into a shared “guesthouse” for widows of jihadists, mostly Uzbeks and Russians.

This is when the military training started.

“When they forced us to do weapons training I was

pregnant, but I had no choice,” she says.

Unable to communicate with many other widows, Maytat was allowed to move into a building housing other Arabic-speakers.

“There were French, Tunisians, Moroccans and Algerians. I stayed there until I gave birth to Abdullah.”

Less than a year after her first husband died, Maytat remarried in order to escape the shelter.

Her second husband, an Afghan known as Abu Abdullah, took her to Raqa, the de facto capital of IS’s caliphate.

“I couldn’t deal with life there – he wouldn’t let me leave the house – so I asked him for a divorce two months later,” she says.

She then married for the third time in three years, this time to an Indian fighter in Raqa known as Abu Talha al-Hindi.

That 18-month marriage produced her daughter, Maria.

When Maytat learned Abu Talha had been killed battling the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, she joined up with another jihadist widow, a Yazidi woman.

They escaped IS territory via “a secret route” that she refused to divulge.

Traumatised by her past, Maytat is now also worried about her future and that of her two young children.

“I still don’t know what to do with my life.

“I hope to return to Morocco with both of my children, but I don’t know if I’ll have a future or not there.”

The ‘fairytale’ bluebell forest a victim of its own beauty BELGIUM A CARPET OF BLUEBELLS bursts into flower in Belgium in a wonder of the natural world – but one that is at risk of being trampled by tourists drawn to its beauty.

For two or three weeks in April the ground of the Hallerbos wood just outside the drab capital of Brussels is transformed into a breathtaking sea of shimmering purple.

“The scene is like in a fairytale, we’re still expecting a little elf or witch to appear from nowhere,” says Marie-Rose, who is walking through with her husband.

They are among tens of thousands of visitors from as far afield as India, Finland and Japan who

flock each year to what had long been one of Belgium’s best kept secrets.

At the start of spring the tall beech trees are still bare enough to let enough sunlight reach the forest floor and allow the flowers to bloom.

Huge swathes of the 1,370-acre woodland are covered in millions of the delicate purple flowers for as far as the eye can see.

“This place is unique, the only one like it in Europe, in the world I think,” says Adrien, who is taking 360 degree photos of the forest.

Bluebells have been growing in Hallerbos for centuries, experts say. The forest was largely cut down by the invading German army during World War II but replanted afterwards with beech trees and a

few Californian sequoias, and the fresh cover has allowed them to really flourish.

But its growing popularity in recent years comes at a cost.

At the weekends, the sheer numbers coming to visit the forest have forced Belgian authorities to set up special parking lots and shuttle buses, with visitors finding themselves among school parties, groups of tourists and photographers lugging their equipment.

More importantly they set up signs asking visitors to keep off the carpet of flowers and stick to the pathways, with especially vulnerable areas being taped off.

“When there’s too much trampling the bluebells disappear and it takes dozens if not hundreds of years for them to grow again,” says

Bruno Verhelpen, a guide who organises nature walks at Hallerbos.

“The interest in this forest is only going to grow. There are photographers, naturalists, members of the public. So we have had to take measures to limit traffic.”

In the next two weeks as the flowers are in full bloom the forest paths will be so busy they will be “like a commercial street in central Brussels”.

One of the biggest risks is from people taking selfies in the woods, says Pierre Kestemont, a forest ranger who runs the www. hallerbos.be website.

“A few years ago you’d get a few people taking pictures in the middle of the flowers, sometimes in strange outfits, but it was nothing serious. But now everyone has a

At the start of spring the tall beech trees are still bare enough to let enough sunlight reach the forest floor and allow the flowers to bloom. Photo: John Thys/AFP smartphone and has turned into a photographer,” says Kestemont, who spends up to 12 hours a day cycling around making sure people keep to the paths.

“At the end of each day I can see where they have been walking. You can destroy in a week what nature has taken centuries to create.”

AFP thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

BUSINESS NEWS 13

Home away from home

Chinese buyers pay premium for ‘cultural proximity’ buyers’ cultural distance in the sample, housing price rises by 1.1% or AUD$7,382 (B101,320).

PROPERTY Fang Ying editor@classactmedia.co.th

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oving abroad for better opportunities is becoming increasingly common. However, when people choose to move to another country, will they give up their own cultural identities and thus assimilate into one single culture in the new country, or will they remain their own culture traits by congregating together as a way of finding support in a new land?

The answer is the latter, according to a study conducted

by Prof Maggie Hu Rong, an assistant professor from the School of Hotel and Tourism Management and Department of Finance of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School and her collaborator Adrian Lee from the University of Technology Sydney.

The study indicates that Sydney’s newcomers are more likely to choose properties located in neighbourhoods that are more culturally similar to their own culture of origin.

They are also willing to pay a price premium for properties in locations with shorter cultural distance.

And among those newcomers, people from East Asia, particularly Chinese, are most likely to choose to live in a community, which is closer to their culture of origin and more willing to pay higher prices for houses in such neighbourhoods.

“In our study, we find that an individual’s cultural background is indeed an important factor on housing prices,” says Prof Hu. According to Prof Hu, globalisation promotes the integration of societies and has provided millions of people with new opportunities. As a result, megacities with culturally diverse residents, such as Sydney, London, Los Angeles and Toronto, are becoming the new norm, yet little is known about how the interaction between these people and their host country’s culture affects their personal and financial decisions, particularly in housing markets.

As such, their working paper “Melting Pot or Salad Bowl: Cultural Distance and Housing Investments” examined whether the cultural background of property investors and cultural differences of @thephuketnews

Culture has a significant effect on buyers’ experiences and behaviours, as well as decisions on property investments, a CUHK Business School study shows. Photo: AFP the neighbourhoods influence their housing buying decisions, in terms of location and price.

In the paper, the “melting pot” metaphor describes the fusion of various religious sects, nationalities, and ethnic groups into one distinct people, while “salad bowl” describes different ethnic groups, rather than assimilating, retain and coexist in their separate identities, just like the different ingredients in a salad.

“We would like to find out in a city with diverse culture, whether the ‘melting pot’ theory dominants or the ‘salad bowl’ analogy holds true. In other words, whether the different ingredients are all mixed together to make one dish or each ingredient also retains its own characteristics in the bowl,” she says.

The Study For the purpose of the study, the researchers targeted Sydney, Australia’s largest and most culturally diverse city, where immigrants have made up a large component of its population. According to the statistics from 2011 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census, 57% of Sydney urban respondents are of non-Australian or British origins.

The study looked at individual housing transaction data of the Sydney Metropolitan Area from 2006 to 2013 from Australian Property Monitors, one of Australia’s leading national suppliers of online property price information to banks, financial markets, professional real estate agents and consumers. The dataset includes the transaction price, transaction date, property address, buyer and seller names, and relevant housing characteristics.

In addition, the researchers also utilised the data in 2006 and 2011 from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census, namely the demographics of a suburb, to examine the ethnic composition in Sydney. The data shows that Sydney’s top five ethnicity groups in 2011 are Australian, Chinese, Irish, Italian and Arabic.

Then they introduced a term “culture distance” to gauge the cultural difference between a housing buyer’s culture of origin and the culture of neighbourhood of a property. They calculated the cultural distance by adopting the six-dimension culture framework introduced by Prof Geert Hofstede, which is widely used in social science research.

In this framework, a score on the scale of 0 to 100 is assigned to each country along six dimensions: uncertainty avoidance, individualism, power distance, masculinity, long-term orientation and indulgence.

For example, Australia and China differ significantly on several dimensions, particularly on individualism and longterm orientation, according to Hofstede (2001).

Using a complex mathematical formula, the researchers reveal that the average cultural distance score over the entire sample is 1.99. Naturally, Australian investors have the lowest average cultural distance score of 1.35 across all ethnic groups. The average cultural distance score for Chinese homebuyers is 2.50. The higher the score on the cultural distance measure, the greater the cultural difference between a buyer and a neighbourhood.

So how does cultural distance between the homebuyers

and the neighbourhood influence home buying decisions?

Cultural Distance Sensitivity As expected, the study finds that cultural distance is an important determinant of property investors’ location choice and transaction price.

To be specific, housing buyers are more likely to choose properties located in neighbourhoods that are more culturally similar to their own culture of origin. And they are more willing to pay a higher price for properties in locations with shorter cultural distance.

In other words, there is a negative relationship between cultural distance and housing price. The greater the cultural distance between a homebuyer and a neighbourhood, the lower the housing price is in the transaction.

According to the study, if the cultural distance between a homebuyer and the suburb decreased by one unit, which is approximately the difference between the average Australian and average Chinese property

Asians and Home Culture Preference What’s more interesting, the study reveals that home investors from different ethnic groups display varying degrees of home culture preference.

“Investors from Asia display a greater degree of home culture preference, compared with European and Australian buyers. Particularly, Chinese are most likely to pay higher prices for houses in neighbourhoods which are closer to Chinese culture,” Prof Hu points out.

The study shows that if the cultural distance between an Asian property investor and the neighbourhood decreased by one unit, the housing price increase about 2-4%, whereas the effect is only about 1.3% for Europe housing investors.

Why is that the case? According to Prof Hu, people from Asian countries, such as China, India, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam, are more recent migrants into Australia, and thus have stronger cultural bonds with their countries of origin, and may display stronger home culture preference.

However, Europeans came to Australia relatively earlier compared with Asian immigrants and their cultural difference is relatively smaller, so they are better adapted to the local Australian society and their ties to their countries of origin are weaker.

“Cultural distance sensitivity or home culture preference is weaker for more established ethnic groups than recent migrants,” says Prof Hu. It is worth noting that China has become one of the top sources of immigrants to

Australia in recent years and there is a huge new wave of Chinese investment into the Australian property market.

Their appetite for the country’s properties grows quickly.

According to New York Times, Chinese investment in Australian real estate has increased at least tenfold since 2010; Chinese investors have purchased up to half the new apartments in downtown Sydney.

Policy implications As the study suggests homebuyers are willing to pay a premium for culture proximity, Prof Hu believes that it has important policy implications on social diversity and urban planning.

Recognition of foreign migrant’s inherent desire for cultural preservation is the first step towards a better understanding of foreign migrants and local communities, according to her.

“Awareness and respect for the housing investment preference of different ethnic groups would facilitate efficient urban planning,” she says.

“We document the natural occurrence of cultural and racial segregation through individuals’ housing investment decisions in Sydney.

And we believe that a similar phenomenon could be observed in other migrant cities with diverse culture, such as San Francisco, Toronto or Vancouver,” Prof Hu concludes.

This article was first published in the China Business Knowledge (CBK) by CUHK Business School with contributions from Prof Maggie Hu Rong, School of Hotel and Tourism Management and Department of Finance, CUHK Business School. Visit bschool.cuhk. edu.hk

14 BUSINESS NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Reaping just rewards How to file arbitration claims under the Asean Agreement LAW Jerrold Kippen

F

Tax & Law Expert Duensing Kippen

ollowing our first two articles in this “Arbitration in Asean” series, which explains how to engage in arbitration under the new model for arbitration under the Asean Agreement, this third and final article focuses on what awards may be sought – and granted – under the agreement.

Awards Any arbitration under the Asean Agreement may only award: (a) monetary damages and any applicable interest; or (b) restitution of property, in which case the award must provide that the investment State may pay monetary damages and any applicable interest in lieu of restitution; and (c) costs and attorney’s fees in accordance with the Asean Agreement and the

While positive outcomes of projects may soar above the skyline, the Asean Agreement notable explicitly prohibits any award of punitive damages. Photo: Till Krech applicable arbitration rules.

Notably, the Asean Agreement explicitly prohibits any award of punitive damages.

The Asean Agreement also prohibits an investor from enforcing an award issued under the ICSID Convention until either: (a) 120 days have elapsed

from the date the award was rendered and no disputing party has requested revision or annulment of the award; or (b) revision or annulment proceedings have been completed.

In the case of a final award under the ICSID Additional Facility Rules, the UNCI-

TRAL Arbitration Rules, or other arbitration rules selected by the parties, an investor may not enforce the award until: (a) 90 days have elapsed from the date the award was rendered and no disputing party has commenced a proceeding to revise, set aside,

Josh Lee scores ‘Personality of the Year’ MARINE JOSHUA LEE, FOUNDER and Managing Director of Phuket-based Lee Marine, has been bestowed the accolade “Personality of the Year” at the Asia Boating Awards 2017.

“All the candidates bring their own distinctive specialities to the business of yachting in Southeast Asia.

We work together on this common focus,” Mr Lee said.

The award recognises the Asia-based individual who has done outstanding work in terms of promoting Asia as a boating destination, developed new boating talent in the region, has enhanced Asia’s boating facilities, or has played a very positive role in the development of Asia’s boating community.

The 13th Asia Boating Awards organised by Asia-Pacific Boating and China Boating magazines were presented during a luxurious gala at ONE°15 Marina, Singapore ahead of the Singapore Yacht Show on April 6-9.

or annul the award; or (b) a court has dismissed or allowed an application to revise, set aside, or annul the award and there is no further appeal.

Provisions such as: (1) essentially limiting damages awardable to an investor to sums of money and excluding punitive damages; and (2) prohibiting an investor from immediately enforcing an award, were also unheard of in the old investment model agreements (including the ones that Thailand is a party to mentioned above) and are also intended to give due consideration to the investment State’s interests.

Finally, the Asean Agreement also defines any claim that is submitted to arbitration under the Asean Agreement to be a “commercial” relationship or transaction for purposes of Article 1 of the New York Convention.

This is important because some countries enforce arbitration agreements under the New York Convention only if they are “commercial”

in nature. These countries have in the past presumed that awards issued pursuant to investment treaties did not arise from a commercial relationship and are, therefore, not commercial in nature.

Thus, the Asean Agreement provides for the broadest possible enforcement breadth under the Convention.

This is the third and final part of the “Arbitration in Asean” series. See also “Phuket Law: Arbitration in Asean – Legal rights in agreements enforced” and “Phuket Law: Settling the score – How to file arbitration claims under the Asean Agreement”.

DUENSING KIPPEN is an international law firm specializing in business transaction and dispute resolution matters, with offices in Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand and affiliated offices in 45 other countries. Visit them at: duensingkippen.comns are intended to provide a more equitable consideration of the investment State’s interests.

Outrigger appoints new MICE Account Director MICE

Josh Lee, Founder of Lee Marine.

The awards recognise the best of the maritime industry in Asia and internationally.

Presented during a lavish ceremony, the awards serve as a benchmark for the industry in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Congratulations to this year’s Asia-Boating Awards winners and nominees.

These are the brands, builders, yacht clubs, marinas, companies and people who are working so hard to keep up with the rapidly growing popularity of boating in the region,” said John Higginson, Editor-in-Chief of AsiaPacific Boating magazine.

“The great thing is, there

Josh Lee receives the ‘Personality of the Year’ award at the gala ceremony held in Singapore earlier this month. are many others out there who deserve to be recognised for their efforts and hopefully we will see them nominated, and winning, in the years ahead.”

The prestigious awards were presented in 26 categories, showcasing Asian builders and international brands, as well as Asian regattas and marinas. This year, nomination criteria were refined and new categories included Best Sportscruiser, Best Flybridge Yacht, Best Explorer Yacht and Best Recreational Boat.

“There are never a lack of opportunities in the Asian boating market, even during the economic slowdown,”

says Samuel Xu, Editorin-Chief of China Boating magazine. “We are glad to see that those who continued to invest in the market in the past year are getting good returns, and as media we will keep pushing the market forward with all the brands.”

The list of nominees came from online polling of Asia-Pacific Boating and China Boating readers, with the winners determined by a panel of judges selected for their expertise as well as their ability to make informed and impartial decisions.

The Phuket News

OUTRIGGER ENTERPRises Group has appointed Anjela Wong as Account Director, Singapore/Southeast Asia, for Outrigger Resorts, with her main task to drive MICE business for the 255-key Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort.

Ms Wong, who commenced her role on April 15 and is based in Singapore, represents the Outrigger brand at large, including attendance at leading trade shows. She reports directly to Haydee Cruz, Director of Sales & Marketing at Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort with a secondary line to Danny Orjiri, Vice President for Market Development in Asia.

Before joining Outrigger, Ms Wong, a Singaporean national, held key roles in leading corporations and hospitality groups in Singapore. Each had a strong focus on venue sourcing, event management, sales and contracting.

Ms Wong was Director of Global Accounts for HelmsBriscoe 2013-2017 where her main responsibility was event venue sourcing and manage-

Anjela Wong: representing Outrig ger’s conference facility in Phuket. ment. Ms Wong has also held successful stints at Warwick International Hotels as Global Account Sales Director Asia Pacific, and in account management, sales and business development roles for firms such as IDeaS, eRevMax/ RateTiger, Hotel Re!, and Far East Hospitality.

Before entering the corporate world, Ms Wong earned a diploma in Management Practice from the Singapore Institute of Management.

“Anjela is highly tuned in to the demanding event and venue needs of big companies in Asia,” says Mr Orjiri. “Her skill set is a perfect match for the magnificent Similan Ballroom meeting and conference facilities that we have at the Outrigger in Phuket.”

The Phuket News thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Our primer on all things surfing in Phuket

17

Will the new Vios make the cut in 2017?

SOUTHERN SOUL FOOD

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

‘Roti gaeng gai’ or ‘roti with curried chicken’ is an iconic local dish, the origins of which can be traced through Phuket’s vibrant Muslim community. Photo: Mark Knowles

@thephuketnews

20

Forget banana pancakes, it’s time try some authentic Phuket roti! > P19

16 COMMUNITY

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Road safety advocate honoured President of UK-based Safer Roads Foundation given ‘Key to the City’ The Phuket News editor1@classactmedia.co.th

Other projects highlighting the foundation’s contribution to road safety in Phuket included the donation of 39 handheld breathalysers to police.

The symbolic ‘Key to Phuket’.

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he president of the UK-based Safer Roads Foundation has been given the “Key to the City” in appreciation of the efforts and support given to help reduce the carnage on Phuket’s roads. Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong handed the key to foundation President Michael C Woodford at a ceremony at Phuket Provincial Hall last Friday (Apr 21).

Present for the ceremony were Phuket Vice Governors Snith Sriwihok and Teera Anantaseriwidhya, Phuket Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Thawornwat Khongkaew and Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen.

The special dedication follows the installation of “intelligent” red-light traffic cameras at five key intersections in Phuket. The cameras, which became operational on Feb 16 this year, have the ability to automatically trigger fines to be issued against the registered owners of vehicles caught entering the intersections. They can also sense – and capture images of – motorbike riders and passengers not wearing helmets. The cameras and integrated technology cost more than B16 million, provided by the Safer Roads Foundation.

However, the special recognition was for more than just the camera project, pointed out Dr Wiwat Sritamanot of the Phuket office of Thailand’s Road Safety Network.

“The Safer Roads Foundation has helped to reduce the number of road accidents in Phuket through road-safety projects since 2015,” Dr Wiwat said.

“Led by Mr Michael C Woodford and his wife, the foundation has provided the financial support to make such projects possible,” he added.

Michael C Woodford, and his wife Nuncy Somavilla, accepting the ‘Key to the City’. Photo: Phuket PR Dpt. Other projects highlighting the foundation’s contribution to road safety in Phuket included the donation of 39 handheld breathalysers to police and the installation of a B2.4mn roundabout at the junction of Surin and Narisorn roads in Phuket Town – within a stone’s throw from Phuket Provincial Hall.

“They have also donated speed guns for police to use and portable truckweighing devices,” he added.

“From these projects, in March this

year alone 744 motorists were fined for not wearing helmets, 234 for running red lights, 28 for speeding through intersections, 318 trucks were randomly checked for weight and 308 drivers were fined just from the speed guns,” Dr Wiwat noted.

Governor Norraphat handed Mr Woodford the Key to City in recognition of all these contributions, and after an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to continue what he called a “good relationship”.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

EXPLORE 17

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

You might not find good surf in Phuket as often, but when you do, it’s worth the wait!

Surfing in the ‘Sea of Smiles’ SURF THAILAND Mark Suarkeo & Jeremie Schatz

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s Phuket surf season fast approaches it’s the perfect time to ponder to possibility of catching some sublime surfing opportunities on island.

Therefore, we’ve put together this little primer on surfing in Phuket which we hope will be useful for beginners and seasoned veterans alike. First of all, let’s be clear that Thailand is not considered a world-class surf destination. It’s not like Nicaragua where offshore winds blow almost all year-round; or like nearby Indonesia where you can find draining left-handers and quad-burning, peeling point breaks; or like “Consistent Costa Rica” where its Central American location makes it a swell magnet for both northern and southern swells generated in the great Pacific.

For locals and visitors, getting some surf in Thailand is just the icing on the cake. Thai food, temples, cold beverages…and surf? Lists of the ‘best surf destinations in the world’ include many other countries before Thailand is even considered. Since our “surf season” mostly relies on the Southwest monsoon (storms and winds created in the Indian Ocean), conditions are usually not ideal. So, if you’re a serious surfer looking for clean, consistent waves, then consider travelling elsewhere to surf.

However, if you’re a local or one of the nearly 30 million visiting tourists who travel to The Land (and Sea) of Smiles every year and you happen to be near a coastline, then you just might find yourself scoring a few fun ones after scarfing down a plateful of pad Thai or slurping on a big bowl of tasty tom yum soup.

So where can I surf in Thailand?

Your best chance will be the west-facing beaches of Thailand’s largest island called... you guessed it... Phuket. The mainland west coast, extending north from Phuket to the Myanmar border, also offers hundreds of kilometres of hidden possibilities for surfing. From Khao Lak to Koh Payam, there are reefs and beaches with good exposure to Indian Ocean swells – you never know what you may find.

When can I surf in Phuket?

Phuket’s surf season (May-Novemberish) also happens to be during our low “green season”, which means there’s more rain (but not as much as you may think) compared to our high, dry and more expensive tourist season (late November-April).

Yeah, it can get pretty messy and challenging from the typical onshore winds. But a clearing up period following a storm can offer some fun, clean surf under sunny skies for days. We do also get some northwest and southwest groundswells sneaking through at times and when we’re really lucky, we get a couple during the high, dry, typically flat season.

Catch the surf bug Learning to surf in Phuket, and other nearby islands, can be perfect for beginners wanting to try surfing for the first time. Warm waters, sandy beach breaks and no worries of great white sharks lurking make it an ideal setting, as long as onshore winds aren’t too strong. There are plenty of surf camps, people and places to hire or rent boards from and qualified local surf instructors who will get you up and riding… and smiling!

Spectacular sunset surfing in Phuket. @thephuketnews

Am I guaranteed to get some waves?

Since Phuket isn’t a world-class surf designation and doesn’t offer consistent or reliable surf, the answer is no. However, with some good luck and timing, there is a chance you could score big as we do get our fair share of long period groundswell from time to time. Unless you’re living in Bangkok or other

Get ready to grab your board and hit the beach, surf season is coming! nearby areas and are hooked on surfing, we don’t recommend packing your favourite stick and jumping on the next plane to Phuket the moment you see three stars on the surf forecast.

However, if you’re an adventurer with wanderlust and an open mind willing to explore the best of Thailand’s beautiful culture and its world class beaches when prices for hotels, tours, and everything else are heavily discounted, then your chances of scoring some surf in Thailand are much greater. See you in the lineup!

Surf Thailand is a collaboration between Mark Suarkeo and Jeremie Schatz. Two brothers-from-differentmothers (and fathers) who have joined forces to channel their passion for the water into constructive means. Mark Suarkeo is the founder of Surf Thailand and a Certified Prosthetist providing

Phuket’s mild surf is ideal for beginners. clinical care in Bangkok and Phuket and can be reached at mark@surfthailand.com. Jeremie Schatz is director of Andaman Board Sports and can be reached at jeremie@andamanboardsports.com. Visit surfthailand.com and andamanboardsports.com for all the low-down on surfing in Phuket and the rest of Thailand.

18 CULTURE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

‘The Temptation of St Anthony’ by Lovis Corinth 1897.

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

When good men go bad

ALL ABOUT BUDDHISM Jason A. Jellison mitnoy@live.com

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wenty-five centuries ago a man was out on a walk. In fact, he had been out on a rather long walk. It was 322 kilometres long, to be specific.

The man’s name may be familiar to you. They called him Buddha.

He had just crossed the Ganges River and came across a group of five men that he had once known. These men remembered Buddha well. He had left their company to go off on his own and they vowed never to speak to him again.

However, they relented and allowed Buddha to speak.

Buddha gave them a life-changing sermon and they now knew he had found enlightenment. These five men became the first five disciples of Buddha and all of them would eventually find enlightenment as well. They went out and spread the news to others who became monks.

Buddhism had been born.

These men lived a simple life. Carrying nothing more than a bowl for offerings, they wore coloured robes, walked barefoot through the countryside and relied on charity for lunch. They only could accept lunch for that day and they only could eat until noon. After lunch, they would give a lecture on the teachings of Buddha and the word spread throughout the land. Buddhism flourished in Asia for 25 centuries.

One day, 25 centuries later, a middleaged rabbi walked into a suburban house in Fairfax, Virginia. His name was David Kaye and he was a prominent member of Jewish high society. He was not only a rabbi but also was well-known as a board member of the Institute for Jewish Leaders and Values. In fact, he was Vice President and might have gone all the way to the top.

Mr Kaye was in a great mood and was all smiles as he let himself into his friend’s house. He smiled as his friend

Temptation has long been a theme in religious art - ‘The Temptation of St Anthony’ by Joos van Craesbeeck. Chris Hansen, host of NBC’s ’To Catch a Predator’. called out to him and asked if he would still be up for the evening. “We’ll see, ha, ha,” he jovially chuckled. What happened next, however, knocked the smile right off of his face.

A middle aged man in a black suit stepped into the kitchen, interrupting the conversation. Mr Kaye jumped back in fear. This man was not supposed to be here. “I suggest you sit down,” the man sternly said. Mr Kaye did not know who this man was but he looked like an FBI agent. He wasn’t certain what was going on but he knew that he was in trouble.

The man asked Mr Kaye what he was doing there, to which he replied “Not something good.” In fact, the agent knew full well why Mr Kaye was there.

Now enraged, he screamed, “What are you doing, as a man of god, as a Rabbi, in this house, trying to meet a 13-yearold boy!” Kaye knew the jig was up. He had been caught trying to pick-up a 13-year-old boy named Conrad for sex on his lunch hour. In fact, he had even sent the boy pornography through the mail.

He had no idea that the whole thing was actually an undercover sting operation.

Then, in a split second, the true moment of horror. The man told Mr Kaye why he was there. “I’m Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC and we’re doing a story on computer predators.” Suddenly, cameras and lights burst into the room.

“Oh no!” Humiliated on national TV, he made a hasty exit. Mr Kaye would soon be sentenced to 78 months in jail. We’ve seen a lot of scandals these days with various monks and people have understandably been asking me for the moral of it all. I can’t tell you all of the morals because, after all, I’m not Buddha. However, Buddha warned his monks many times about the dangers that could

ensnare them once they entered the monkhood. Once, he gave a speech to hundreds of monks in the Amalaki Forest. In a place called Catuma, he warned them that the desire to get angry and the greed for food would not just go away because they had become monks.

Buddha frequently warned his monks about losing their way. He reminded them that a monk who seeks vain glory is like a fish caught on a hook or a turtle speared by a harpoon. He was warning his monks that heaven and hell are attitudes of the mind and you can experience them here on earth.

I would say that Rabbi Kaye learned that lesson the hard way. He undoubtedly discovered that hell really can be a place on earth as he saw his evil deed broadcast from coast-to-coast. He had begged the show not to air the video and even offered to give them an exclusive interview, if they would not air the footage of his humiliation. They declined and the last thing Mr Kaye saw before jail was his father, elderly and in a wheelchair, looking on helplessly as his son was sentenced to 78 months in prison.

So, where does this all go, you might ask? Well, it seems to me the moral means something very different to two very different groups of people. For the monks, Buddha warned them that if they corrupted his teachings they would stop serving the community. If that happened, the community would have no need for them and there would be no food in their alms bowl. Monks need to remember that Buddhism teaches there is, at all times, a capacity for great awakening and a mutual capacity for great damage. The moment we think that we are past that, we will fall away

and do incredible damage.

However, for the community, that is to say for us, it is important to remember that the scandals we have seen, while spectacular, only involve a minute percentage of our faithful monks. Exciting television may be made of the likes Rabbi Kaye but his actions were the actions of an individual, not an entire religion. Yet, Mr Kaye did far more than humiliate himself on national television.

He also hurt a teacher who believed in him, all of his followers, and his faith.

Although a small number of bad monks hurt their faith, it is important that we too remember that there for the Grace of God so go we. My teacher once said that our mistakes are like eyelashes. We always see those of others but never our own. The fact is that we are all full of desires, good as well as bad. There is not a person reading this article that does not have at least a few secrets that they keep from the world.

The moral of the story is that we are on fire with desire; all of us. If we are not wise, it will get the best of us and then good men really do go bad. If you happen to be one of those men who is abusing his position then I suggest you stop and change because someone taught you better. Someone once believed in you. Remember, out of all of the sorry sights of the world, there is no sight worse than that of a teacher’s tears.

All About Buddhism is a monthly column in The Phuket News where I take readers on my exotic journey into Thai Buddhism and debunk a number of myths about Buddhism. If you have any questions please let us know. Email: editor1@classactmedia.co.th thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Roll out the roti

DINING 19

STREET EATS

Mark Knowles editor1@classactmedia.co.th

A classic plate of ‘roti gaeng gai kai dao’.

M

ost visitors to Phuket quickly fall in love with what are often referred to as ‘banana pancakes’ – made from a paper thin dough that is rolled out, filled with sliced ripe banana, fried until crisp, and then topped with sweetened condensed milk and sugar. What many people might not realise it that these ‘pancakes’ are known here as roti and trace their origins back to India.

Sweet roti, filled with banana, pineapple or mango and topped with everything from Milo or Nutella to peanut butter and strawberry jam may be a hit with tourists – but many Phuket locals prefer their roti as a savoury accompaniment to a rich and spicy yellow chicken curry – a dish known as roti gaeng gai.

Roti was originally brought to Malaysia and Southern Thailand by Muslim migrant workers from India – since then it has evolved into the Malay/Thai style we commonly see in Phuket. If you want to taste this delicious Phuket breakfast staple, the best place to head is Phuket Town, which is dotted with many little roti shops churning out their delicious crispy bread.

Freshly made roti with chicken curry makes for a delicious and cheap breakfast. Photos: Mark Knowles Many roti shops only open for the breakfast trade and are closed by noon.

They are usually pretty easy to spot, the roti maker often faces the street from their shop entrance, overlooking a flat metal preparation area for rolling the dough, and a shallow curved hotplate for cooking. Another telltale sign is a big stack of eggs and bananas and a bucket containing dozens of pre-rolled balls of dough soaking in oil.

Watching the roti maker roll the dough is half the fun and it takes quite some skill and practice to master. The dough ball is flattened out, stretched, then flipped over and over again until it is paper thin. Then, depending on the type of roti ordered, the thin dough is typically filled with either a beaten egg

Bangkok Michelin Guide coming

T

he Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has partnered with Michelin Group to officially launch the Bangkok Michelin Guide, the world’s most recognised restaurant reference, in December.

The country’s first Michelin Guide for refined restaurants in the capital will attract more international tourists to enjoy gastronomy tourism here, said TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn.

The Michelin Guide is intended to serve as an influential gastronomic reference to people around the world, promoting Thailand as a quality leisure destination. TAT is confident the partnership with Michelin will significantly benefit the Thai tourism industry and boost business at local restaurants to further contribute to overall economic development.

Bangkok Michelin Guide 2018 will be launched in December, allowing locals, tourists, and business travellers to discover recommended restaurants based on budget and taste. Mr Yuthasak said the guide will help increase spending from international tourists by 15-20%, up from B1,000 per head at present. He said the five-year Michelin Guide project will enhance the gastronomic experience in Thailand and promote awareness of Thai cuisine. The guide will require a budget of B123 million to complete.

“The launching of the Frenchbased Michelin Guide will lure more @thephuketnews

The Bangkok Michelin Guide will be released this year. international tourists, especially quality ones,” Mr Yuthasak said.

Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said the guide book will help provide added value to those Thai restaurants which receive Michelin stars.

“It’s a good time to drive Thailand to become a quality leisure destination over the next five years,” Ms Kobkarn said.

The Bangkok Michelin Guide will not only cover fine-dining but also trendy eateries and street food stalls. There are five criteria to guarantee a consistent selection from product quality, preparation and flavours, chef’s personality as revealed through the cuisine, value for money, and consistency over time and across the entire menu.

The Michelin Guide selections are now available in 29 countries and Thailand is the latest country to join the club in Asia after Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, China and Singapore.

Bangkok Post

or banana and folded into a square and placed on the hotplate.

If you are ordering plain roti to accompany your chicken curry, the dough is instead twisted and rolled into a pinwheel shape and flattened a little before frying. Once fried, the roti is clapped between the hands to fluff it up and release the crispy layers – then served with a small bowl of thin curry sauce, which is usually somewhat spicy but also quite sweet. I always ask for my roti gaeng gai to be served with a kai dao – a fried egg with a runny yolk. Most shops serve refreshing unsweetened pandan tea for free with any food ordered, but I often order a cha yen (iced sweet milk tea) or kafae yen (iced sweet milk coffee).

A delicious serving of roti with chicken

curry and a fried egg usually costs less than B50.

All of my favourite places to eat roti gaeng gai are in or near Phuket Town, but any area of Phuket that has a significant Muslim population will likely have a roti shop tucked away somewhere.

Here is a list of my four favourite roti shops in the Phuket Town area: 1 – Sor Tor Go: On Suthat Rd about 100 metres north of the entrance to Supalai@Downtown Condo, on the same side of the road, next to an ice cream shop. Open from 6am-midday.

2 – Evening Bangdeen Roti Saphan Hin: On Phuket Rd about 150m north of the Phuket Immigration Office on the opposite side of the road. Opens at 4pm for dinner.

3 – Roti Canai: 9/54 Chaofa Rd, Tambon Talat Nuea. On the east side of the Phuket Provincial Commemoration Public Park. Open evenings.

4 – Abdul’s Roti Shop: On Thalang Rd in the heart of Phuket Old Town. About 40m west of the Thang Rd/Phuket Rd intersection where the Old Town Market is held. Open for breakfast and lunch.

20 MOTORING

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Style over substance The restyled 2017 Vios is pretty but pricey compared to the competition Anton Makhrov editor@classactmedia.co.th

T

he Toyota Vios is one of the most popular cars in the small sedan segment in Thailand.

First launched 15 years ago, it has undergone several revamps and upgrades over the years to keep it in line with consumer expectations. With the recent release of the 2017 model, we thought we’d take a look and see if it has what it takes to keep Toyota competitive in this popular segment of the market.

Inside and outside Immediately we should note that the 2017 Vios is not a “new” model, but rather a revamped restyled update of the 2016 model. The Vios underwent a much more extensive overhaul in 2016 and this year’s update was mainly cosmetic. That being said, its trip to the cosmetologist definitely did the Vios some good and brought its styling into line with Toyota’s current range of vehicles.

It has received a new radiator grill, similar to that on the larger Corolla, which has helped give it a more prestigious manner and echo the sporty look of more expensive cars. The bumper also begs parallels with the new Camry, which was presented in the US earlier this year. The new Vios looks much more sporty than the previous version – but despite this sporty makeover, it is still firmly aimed at the small family car market.

The 2017 Vios is offered in four trim

The two-tone interior lends the Vios a sporty feel. smooth driving at standard city speed, but not much else.

The new front grill is the major style upgrade for the 2017 Vios. levels: J, E, G and the top-spec S. The last two emphasise the “sportiness” as much as possible, both in terms of exterior and interior styling. All models come with two-tone upholstery: red and black in the S version and a more subdued black-brown in the other versions.

The Vios is available in six colours: five standard colours and a sporty red. If we take a look at the standard colour range, we can see that Toyota doesn’t want to alienate its more conservative buyers with the sporty overhaul. One such standard colour “Quartz Brown Metallic” is translated simply to “Brown” in the company’s Thai brochures – conservative indeed!

Looking for minuses and obvious design flaws – the same durable but rather boring hard plastic dashboard remains and some buyers have noted that the screen of the onboard computer is difficult to read due to a lack of brightness adjustment.

Under the hood As already mentioned, all the big technical upgrades to the Vios were done last year and all 2017 models come with the sturdy 1.5-litre petrol engine rated at 108 horsepower and mated to an automatic CVT box. The model was not built to meet the Thai ecocar standards and therefore the power plant is not bad for its class, delivering solid acceleration and plenty of torque for daily driving conditions. It’s just that its competitors are better still.

It’s main rival, the Honda City, is now equipped with a 1.5-litre petrol engine with 117hp, and the class-leading Mazda 2 has a punchy and responsive 1.5-litre turbodiesel with 105hp under the hood. Given that the new Mazda models are also equipped with modern driver assistance systems, the Vios’ specs no longer seem so appealing. The suspension, as you would expect from Toyota, provides good handling and

Value for money In Thailand, the 2017 Vios is offered at prices ranging from B609,000 for the basic J version up to a hefty B789,000 for the top of the range S version. Is is worth it? Well, no, not really. Competitors are offering more for less, and despite the company’s reputation for reliability, it’s a struggle to see it as great value for money.

The top-spec Mazda 2 XD High Plus L comes with a more exciting engine, driver assistance system, a bunch of electronic goodies and costs the same.

The Honda City in top-end configuration SV+ costs substantially less at B751,000.

If you look these three competitors’ budget options, again Toyota comes up short. The basic Mazda 2 with its 1.3lt engine and automatic transmission starts at B530,000, the most affordable Honda City starts at B589,000, but the same basic-spec 2017 Vios will cost B609,000. So if even if you are a rusted on Toyota customer, it is worth looking elsewhere in the class for more value and better equipment levels.

Shanghai Motorshow points towards the future of BEVs

I

t was all about electric at this year’s Shanghai Motorshow with several brands unveiling their plans for the future of motoring.

e-tron concept car in the guise of a sporty-looking SUV with a 2+2 interior. The e-tron Sportback comes with 430hp electric propulsion and batteries that can be quick-charged to 80% within 30 mins. There’s a chance the e-tron Sportback may look like the forthcoming Q4, already confirmed for production by Audi before the end of the decade.

The shockingly fast MG. MG E-Motion The Chinese-owned British brand has decided to inject some fun in the race to a BEV (battery electric vehicle) future. The E-Motion aims to rejuvenate the brand’s sporty history while also providing some design hints to the next-generation of mainstream saloons, hatchbacks and SUVs. It’s claimed the electric power in the E-Motion will help accelerate the car from 0-100km/h in less than four seconds. Like the other BEVs here, the driving range is claimed at 500km – the new standard in the next-generation of BEVs. Audi e-tron Sportback Ingolstadt has conjured up another

Volkswagen ID Crozz VW wants to reaffirm its intention of selling one million electric vehicles each year from 2025 by showcasing a third body style of the ID concept.

The ID Crozz SUV follows the earlier hatchback and MPV showcars with 300hp dual-electric motors driving all four wheels (and just the front wheels under restrained driving conditions).

The fourth ID showcar is said to be a saloon due later this year.

Innovative styling for Skoda.

Skoda Vision E Like sister-brands Audi and VW, Skoda intends to build an all-electric SUV after putting into the market the Kodiaq seven-seat crossover. Apart from highlighting the VW Group’s new modular platform for BEVs, the Vision E showcases a streamlined interior design that could also influence other conventionally-powered models in the future.

A new design language.

Mercedes-Benz Concept A Sedan Stuttgart’s compact car family is set to welcome a new member to rival the four-door Audi A3 and BMW 1-series.

Unlike the sporty profiled CLA, the Concept A Sedan has window frames, B-pillars and more usability. It also ushers a new design language for the next-generation models of the other

existing body styles. Unlike all the others here, the Concept A Sedan is a design preview rather than an EV sneak peek.

Citroen C5 Aircross Citroen is reinforcing its SUV line-up with the introduction of the all-new C5 Aircross. The compact SUV gets a new-generation hydraulic suspension for enhanced ride comfort and a rangetopping 300hp plug-in petrol-electric hybrid.

Honda CR-V Hybrid Honda has used this year’s Shanghai motor show to launch its first-ever CR-V Hybrid. Technical details remain scarce with Honda only implying a two-motor hybrid philosophy, as applied in the Accord Hybrid.

Lexus NX Toyota’s fancy badge has extended a mid-life update for its most popular SUV. The design tweaks have been inspired by the LC sports car, while mechanical revisions include new adaptive suspension and more sounddeadening materials.

Bangkok Post

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

HEALTH 21

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

How to beat weight loss plateau Dr Narinthorn Surasinthorn

S

o you’ve hit weight loss plateau.

You’ve lost one pound and now it’s getting harder to lose an additional pound. While you aim to lose 0.5-1 kilogram per week, you feel it gets more difficult the more you try. What you’re experiencing is called “weight loss plateau”.

Weight loss is a concept that involves controlling your caloric intake and output, as well as making your metabolism run as efficiently as possible. There are many weight loss plans out there, but I recommend Harvard School of Public Health’s “Healthy Eating Plate” which is a guide to controlling your caloric intake.

In the short term, limit yourself to 800 calories for 3-4 days to stimulate your metabolism. Gradually increase to 1,200-1,500 calories per day, depending on the individual’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) and the calories base for metabolism. When exercising, maintain body weight by burning 200300 calories per day. To reduce body weight, you’ll need to burn up to 500700 calories per day.

What is weight loss plateau?

When the amount of calories you burn equal the amount of calories you eat, you’ve reached a plateau. To overcome the plateau, you have to limit your calories by eating less and burning more calories. Your mind also affects your metabolism.

An example of a ‘Healthy Eating Plate’ with plenty of vegetables and low-fat protein.

How to beat weight loss plateau Keep goals in mind. If you’ve hit the weight lose plateau, it means that you are on the right track. Review your nutrition plan. When you weigh less, the body burns calories while you’re resting and during periods of activity – requiring an adjustment to your nutrition plan. If you started at the 1,500 calories plan at the beginning, you may have to reduce to the 1,200 plans to match with your new body weight.

Review your food proportions, increase veggies to 35% in your meal.

Change from white rice and white bread to brown rice and wholegrain bread. If you can reduce carbohydrates to 50-100 grams per day, your body will reduce insulin production that leads

to more fat-burning action from your body.

Eat enough protein to feel full and build muscle. If you’re still addicted to some foods or snacks, it‘s time to quit these foods.

Review your exercise plan Work on increasing your cardio exercise levels, add more time and increase the intensity of exercise.

Try new types of exercises. Focusing on one exercise isolates a group of muscles. Use other exercises to target other muscles, leading to more calorie burn and increase in muscle mass. If you’re limited on time, try interval training.

Do some weight training, if you have more muscle mass, you will burn

more calories. Don’t focus on the wrong muscle groups such as doing exercises only for the chest and arms. Do plenty of core exercises that target the biggest muscles in the body. Although it won’t burn many calories, stretching is a great way to reduce stress. Stress leads to feelings of food craving and desires to eat all the time. Disciplines such as yoga, Tai Chi, or stretching exercises can help curb cravings.

Improve your metabolism by exploring weight training, hormone management, nutrition and dietary supplements. The male hormone, testosterone can increase metabolism. Higher testosterone leads to higher metabolism, more energy and more activity. Some research show its role in heart disease prevention. Caffeine and flavonoid in green tea may help to increase metabolism in your body.

Everyone will face the weight loss plateau. You can overcome it with a disciplined mind and firm commitment to your goals.

Dr Narinthorn Surasinthorn is the Medical Director at the Thanyapura Integrative Health Centre and has been a consultant in wellness and antiaging medicine for almost 10 years.

Dr Narinthorn is presently practising Integrative Functional Medicine using nutrition, detoxification, bio-identical hormone replacement, aesthetic medicine and cellular regenerative products.

His approach is holistic and takes care of the cause rather than the symptoms of the disease with a proactive approach.

‘Microdosing’ trend has Americans tuning in with psychedelics

A

fter a litany of prescriptions failed to control her deep depression, writer Ayelet Waldman finally found relief in a blue vial of diluted LSD. Feeling she “had nothing to lose”, the former federal public defender deposited two tiny drops of the psychedelic drug under her tongue – and soon felt her gloom subside.

“I was starting to feel, frankly, suicidal,” she said. “If the other option is death – or at least, misery that feels like death – then there’s no reason not to at least try something different.”

Waldman says she renewed her spirit by “microdosing,” a modish – albeit illegal and potentially risky – trend that involves ingesting a tiny portion of a psychedelic drug. The goal is not to halluci-

@thephuketnews

nate but to boost work performance and creativity – or, as was Waldman’s case, treat a laundry list of ailments including mood disorders.

“Within the first day I felt better,” she said. “The depression was just gone – and that was astonishing.”

She credits her daily LSD regimen of some 10 micrograms of acid – about onetenth of a full, far more kaleidoscopic hit – with improving her relationships and enhancing her work.

“I would have access to ‘that flow’,” she said, describing how subtle doses of LSD changed her writing habits. “Your mind moves swiftly but not erratically, with a kind of really delightful focus.”

LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide, is

a potent synthetic drug that gained notoriety in 1960s counterculture. In large doses it can induce hallucinations and drastically alter perception.

While microdosing has shown anecdotal medicinal and performanceenhancing promise, potential risks like long-term toxicity remain unclear, said Matthew Johnson, who studies drug abuse and addiction at Johns Hopkins University. Microdosing is “totally unstudied” for both funding and legal reasons, he said. Still, he said microdosing warrants controlled study as “it’s absolutely interesting and very plausible that there could be effects of cognitive enhancement and anti-depression.”

AFP

A sheet of paper, soaked in LSD, depicting the drug’s inventor Albert Hoffmann. Photo: Lord Toran

22 ISLAND SCENE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Class Act Media PR Manager Nat Chaya receives the customary Phuket Bike Week licence plate from V/Gov Sanith.

PHUKET BIKE WEEK 2017 - WORLD RIDE TOGETHER The Phuket News’ Matt Pond and Khun A.

Hundreds of big bikes rolled in to Saphan Hin last Saturday (Apr 22) for the conclusion of Phuket Bike Week 2017 World Ride Together. The final day of the event was presided over by Phuket Vice Governor Mr Sanith Sriwihok and featured a live concert by Thai rock music icons Carabao, who have now supported the event for 22 consecutive years.

Local children got involved in the charity recycling program.

There were hands-on demonstations of soap recycling.

‘SOAP FOR HOPE’ AND ‘LINENS FOR LIFE’ AT THE NOVOTEL PHUKET VINTAGE PARK The Novotel Phuket Vintage Park hosted the Planet 21, ‘Soap for Hope’ and ‘Linens for Life’ demonstration by The Phuket Community Foundation and Credit Union housewives occupation group on April 19. The projects, lead by Sealed Air Company, provide used soaps and unwanted linens from hotels to convert them into new useful products such as new bars of soap, clothing, pillow cases or bags. As a result, the event raised about B10,000 for supporting community projects.

HIGH FLYING PIZZA AT THE PULLMAN ARCADIA IN NAITHON BEACH

Chef Pasqualino Barbasso.

It was all smiles at the dining table.

The Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon Beach recently welcomed Chef Pasqualino Barbasso – two-time winner of the World Acrobatic Pizza Championship.

During his visit to the resort between April 20-28, he showcased his famous acrobatic pizza performance in front of guests and media.

The Anuphas Honda Chaofa team with the 2017 CRV.

ANUPHAS HONDA CHAOFA LAUNCH ALL NEW HONDA CRV FOR 2017 The team at Anuphas Honda Chaofa recently hosted a huge launch party for the all new 2017 Honda CRV. Several cars are currently on display at the dealership and enquires or test drives are welcome.

The event is always a relaxed affair.

PIWC LADIES DINE OUT IN STYLE AT DEDOS FOR THEIR APRIL SOCIAL LUNCHEON Members of the Phuket International Women's Club held their monthly social luncheon at DeDos LeLounge in Surin last Thursday (Apr 20). There was an excellent turnout for the event with members enjoying the chilled-out lounge atmosphere and quality cuisine which DeDos' Chef Pablo and his team have made famous. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

From left: Lieutenant Commander Paul Pelczar of the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Consul General for Phuket Craig Ferguson.

ISLAND SCENE 23

From left: Phuket Provincial Chief Administrative Officer Thawornwat Kongkaew, Vice Governor Siwaporn Chuasawad, Australian Consul General for Phuket Craig Ferguson, Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong, Vice Governor Snith Sriwihok and Vice Governor Teera Anantaseriwidhya.

Susan Usher (centre) and friends.

Harry Usher (left) and friends.

PHUKET’S FIRST FORMAL ANZAC DAY DAWN SERVICE AT PHUKET YACHT CLUB A glorious sunrise blessed Phuket’s first formal Anzac Day Dawn Service at Phuket Yacht Club, overlooking Chalong Bay, on Tuesday (Apr 25). The event, organised by Australian Consul-General Craig Ferguson and his staff at the Australian Consulate in Phuket, saw Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong along with all three Phuket Vice Governors – Snith Sriwihok, Teera Anantaseriwidhya and Siwaporn Chuasawad – attend as guests of honour. Also in attendance were officers from the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command.

Several hotel guests also planted trees.

The team from Angsana prepare to plant.

ANGSANA DIGS IN TO PLANT TREES AND IMPROVE THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT Every year, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts gives back to the community and the environment through their ‘Stay for Good’ program. This year, Angsana Laguna Phuket once again embarked on ‘Greening Communities Together’ last Friday (Apr 21), planting thousands of trees at the hotel’s surrounds. Angsana Laguna Phuket GM Figen Bulut together with 40 associates and four guests participated in the tree planting effort at the resort’s poolside garden.

From left: Live 89.5’s Donna Toon with Chef Belinda Tuckwell of the Pavillions, Chef Patrizia Battolu of La Gritta at Amari Phuket and Anongrat ‘Piak’ Meklai of Black Ginger at The Slate.

Chef Chonthicha Surajaroenjai of Rustic Eatery & Bar (centre).

Kata Rocks Executive Chef Laia Pons.

PHUKET SASSY FEMALE CHEFS SERVE UP A SENSATIONAL DINNER AT KATA ROCKS Five of Phuket’s finest female chefs joined forces last Saturday (Apr 22) for ‘The Sassy Chef’s Kitchen’ charity dinner at Kata Rocks to benefit children at the BanYa Literacy Centre. Participating chefs include Chonthicha “Mook” Surajaroenjai, Pastry Chef of Rustic Eatery & Bar; Belinda Tuckwell, Executive Chef of The Pavilions Phuket; Patrizia Battolu, Executive Chef of La Gritta at Amari Phuket; Laia Pons, Executive Chef of Kata Rocks; and Anongrat “Piak” Meklai, Executive Sous Chef of Black Ginger at The Slate Phuket. @thephuketnews

24 EVENTS

FRI

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

SUN

28 APR

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

30 APR All you can eat Sunday Roast Buffet

Beef, Pork & Lamb – Cauliflower, Broccoli, Peas, Carrots, fried mushrooms, grilled tomatoes – Yorkshire pudding – roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes – gravy, mushroom sauce, mint sauce. Reservation recommended 350 baht P.P., shakersphuket@gmail.com 081 891 4381.

Phuket Pride 2017

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 395 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 at Two Chefs!!! www.twochefs. com Kata Beach 076-333-370 Kata Center 076-330-065 Karon 076-286-479 Patong 076-344-914.

Phuket Pride’s mission is to bring together the Phuket LGBTQ Communities through its many events during Pride, moneys raised during Pride supports initiatives created in HIV Prevention, Education and Treatment. From 27-30 April 2017. More info visit phuket-pride.org. Proudly sponsored by Live89.5 and Khao Phuket.Patong, Phuket, info@phuket-pride.org

Sunday Fun Brunch

Phuket’s most popular brunch experience.

Seafood, live station, entertainment, kid’s corner and massage corner. From 1,650++ THB. 12.00 - 15.30. Reservation: info@xanabeachclub.com 076 358 500.

The 6th Edition of Phuket UNESCO International Jazz Day

On behalf of Phuket City Municipality, Music Matters Collective presents – In Loving Memory of His Majesty – the 6th edition of Phuket UNESCO International Jazz Day. Free entry and open to the public at 6pm at Chanacharoen Road, Phuket Town. Main events featuring Phuket local, Int’l jazz and guests. For more info please contact Jeffrey Sevilla 089 588 2347 or tiklado2005@yahoo. com. Proundly Supported by The Phuket News and Live 89.5.

Chill Out Fridays in Surin

Pool Competition at Expat Sports Bar

The competition at 9pm - Expat Sports Bar at the Expat Hotel Soi Taipan Patong. See map at www.expathotel.com

5 Gourmet Tapas plus 2 drinks for just B690 net!!! And French Oysters for just B50 net/piece. Never worry about where to spend Friday evenings again! Join DeDos LeLounge for our Chill Out Fridays featuring cool beats from DJ Not from 7:30pm until late! So grab your friends and start your weekend off right! www.dedos-lelounge.com 076 621 692.

Traditional Sunday Roast Angus O’Tool’s Karon Beach

Lunch or dinner served from 2pm. Your choice of either roast beef, chicken, loin of pork or leg of lamb served with roast and boiled potatoes, three fresh vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. Only B350 per person which includes a free glass of house red or white. Opposite Centara Karon Resort. See: otools-phuket.com

Mussels night @ Shakers

1.2kg mussels served with french fries, your choice, your style: nature, marnière, provençale, garlic & cream or Thai style.

Reservations recommended B295 baht P.P., shakersphuket@gmail.com 081 891 4381.

Boat Lagoon Weekend

Beats & Bites & Music & Food & Fun. พบ

กันงานแสดงดนตรี อาหาร และความสนุกหลายรูปแบบ ทีง่ านโบ๊ ทลากูนวีคเอนด์ From 6.00pm till 10.00pm at La-

goon Quay, Phuket Boat Lagoon.

SAT

29 APR

Thai Seafood and Meat BBQ

THB 999.-++ @Lobby Terrace (Weather permiting) from 19:00 – 22:00 hrs. The most amazing and delicious BBQ at Kata Beach Join us for this culinary extravaganza where ‘Authentic’ Thai dishes (and some western items) are served ‘buffet’ style. Our Chef will arrange truly 100% fresh seafood from our fisherman and also prime meats for this special event… We are very confident you will love this event. Reservations, Nook Dee - Kata Beach 076 688 888.

Live Sports at Expat Hotel

NRL,AFL,Soccer,RugbyUnion.Anylivesport, wewillshowit.ExpatHotel,SoiTaipan,Patong. www.expatsportsbar.com

Brunch To The Beat

Spend a Sunday with us at The Pool House and The Pool Bar. Try our new style brunch.

Price: THB 1,600++ buffet with free flow of soft drinks, THB 2,200++ buffet including premium beverages package. Reservations, fnb.phuhr@hyatt.com 076 231 234 #5106.

Sunday Roast All Day All Night

Come enjoy a Traditional Sunday Roast EVERY SUNDAY at Two Chefs Kata Beach, Kata Center, Karon and Patong! Indulge ALL DAY & ALL NIGHT for 395 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 - Stay for the FUN! www.twochefs. com Kata Beach 076-333-370 Kata Center 076-330-065 Karon 076-286-479 Patong 076-344-914.

Mediterranean Sunday Brunch at Metzo’s

Feast to your heart’s content on our Mediterranean menu of mezze and tapas served family style at your table, live cooking station, kids’ corner and dessert buffet. After brunch, why not relax and take in the view of the Andaman Sea with complimentary access to the resort swimming pool. Starting from THB 990++ per person. Reservations, Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort, metzos@outrigger.co.th 076 360 600.

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SUN

30 APR

THU

4 MAY

Sexy Thursdays in Surin DeDos LeLounge is bringing sexy back on Thursday nights! Ladies grab your girlfriends because: Selected beverages are only 150++ all night (Sorry fellas!), DJ Not will be bringing down the house from 7:30pm onward! Make sure to bring your A-game because the sexiest dressed will win a bottle on the house! Who needs the weekend when there’s Sexy Thursdays? www.dedos-lelounge.com 076 621 692.

Go Live Sunday Seafood Brunch

The Banyan Tree Seafood Brunch experience returns with a generous selection of live fresh, local and imported seafood with exception Lobster dished, Japanese starters, mouth-watering meats, Asia wok and Western grill treats. Gourmet cuisine, exceptional service, Live Jazz and tranquil surroundings, The Banyan Tree has something for everyone! Every Sunday 12.00-15.30, price start from 2,800net per person.Reservations, Banyan Tree Phuket, fb-phuket@banyantree.com 076 372 400.

MON

1 MAY

SAT

6 MAY

All you can eat BBQ night

FRI

26 MAY

Phuket International Rugby 10s

May 26-28, 2017, will once again see teams from around the world coming together at the superb sports facility at Thanyapura Sports Club to compete at this year’s 19th Annual Phuket International Rugby 10s.

With teams from Australia, The Arabian Gulf, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, it promises to be a fun action-packed weekend.

Entry to the tournament is free so come on down and enjoy some spectacular rugby and support your local Phuket Vagabonds team. More info visit: phuketrugby10s.com.

Proudly sponsored by The Phuket News and Khao Phuket.

SUN

EVERY DAY

28 MAY 7 Nights 7 Themed Dinners at Rim Talay

Spain v Greece at Paresa

Celebrity Mediterranean Dining Experience. Four hands dinner with UK TV celebrity and Master Chef finalist – Theo Michaels and Michelin experience Paresa Executive Chef – Jordi Valles. Five course taster menu including delicacies from Spain and Greece accompanied by a choice of drink parings. THB 3,500 ++ per person. 076 302 000 info@paresaresorts.com

6PM – 11PM: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Burgers, Sausages, Prawns & Squids, salad buffet, Choice of potatoes and sauces, bread, buns and garlic bread. Reservation recommended. 395 baht P.P. shakersphuket@gmail.com 081 891 4381.

WED

EVENTS 25

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

SAT

13 MAY

3 MAY

Rotary Club of Phuket South Mini Marathon 2017

The second running of this annual family friendly event is expected to attract over 2,000 runners for its 10.5KM mini-marathon and 3.5KM fun-run. Entry fees are B350 per person for the mini-marathon and B300 per person for the fun-run. Entries are now open, so to register contact 097 267 5969 or for tickets go to phuketticketmaster.com.

This event is proudly sponsored by The Phuket News and Khao Phuket.

SAT

3 JUN

Make each night unique! Enjoy our themed dinners with the cool sea breeze. World of Curries @790 THB++, Thai & International Buffet @790 THB++, Seafood Night @980 THB++, Ribs, Wings & Rings @770 THB++, Butchers Night @market price, Surf & Turf @950 THB++,Thai Seafood Gala @980 THB++.The terms and conditions are subject to change without prior notice. For reservations, rimtalay@amari.com or 076 340106-14 #8027.

La Gritta’s Discovery Menu

Take your taste buds on a culinary tour through some of the finest Italian flavours. Chef Patrizia has created a sixcourse discovery menu consisting of the appetiser, main course and dessert, priced at 1,590 THB++ per person.

The terms and conditions are subject to change without prior notice. Reservations, lagritta@amari.com 076 292 697.

Laguna Phuket Marathon 2017

All you can eat BBQ Ribs night

6PM – 11PM: All you can eat BBQ Ribs served with salad buffet, potato salad & choice of sauces. Reservation recommended. 350 baht P.P. shakersphuket@ gmail.com 081 891 4381.

@thephuketnews

Phuket FC VS Pattani FC

Phuket FC VS Pattani FC on Saturday May 13 at Surakul Stadium, Phuket Town. Kick off 6pm. Entrance fee is B50 and students are free with student ID. Proudly sponsored by The Phuket News and Khao Phuket.

More than 6,000 athletes from around the world head to Phuket this June to “Run Paradise” at the 2017 Laguna Phuket Marathon. Having put Phuket on the map as a world-class sports tourism destination, the Laguna Phuket Marathon has grown to become the leading destination marathon in South East Asia and will take place on June 3 and 4, 2017. More info visit phuketmarathon. com. Proudly sponsored by Live 89.5.

All Day Breakfast at Cafe Siam

Aussie bacon & egg rolls NOW at Cafe Siam.

All day breakfast, just like mum makes.

Lavazza Coffee, healthy snacks & salads.

Find us at the Entrance of The Royal Paradise Complex, Patong. Mon - Sat 8.30am 4.00pm. Facebook: CafeSiamGuesthousePhuket 081 676 9411.

26 TIME OUT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York 1. In which year did Australia start issuing passports for Australian citizens?

2. Legendary cowboy actor John Wayne was born in which US State?

3. Who was the lead singer of the award-winning UK band Radiohead?

4. Which is the only city that is located on two continents?

5. Who invented the pop-up toaster?

Answers below, centre

SUDOKU

Across 1. “Dirty Dancing” hit “___ Like the Wind” 5. Increases 8. Alert to something odd 12. Tennessee footballer 14. Yarn ball 15. Motive starters 16. Wing feather 17. Small forest buffalo 18. Home to Honolulu 19. Sleigh pullers 22. Strong post 23. Family man 24. Equal to “sir” in Hindu 27. In a religious way 30. Deed 33. Embarrass 35. Account entry 36. When doubled, a dance 37. Sleigh pullers 41. Fed. property manager 42. Film part 43. Audacity 44. Aquatic shocker 45. Whiten 48. Partner of means

49. ___ woo, old car company 50. Four-letter word 52. Sleigh partners 60. Eager 61. Old Italian currency 62. Bird related 63. Thrash 64. Military group 65. Varnish ingredient 66. Newbie 67. “You betcha!”

68. Cairo’s waterway Down 1. Knife 2. Sledding spot 3. Little box 4. Desert and sea plant 5. Radius neighbor 6. Hireling 7. Wrapped up a baby 8. Kind of insurance 9. Rich soil 10. Advil target 11. Joint problem 13. “Valkyrie” soldier 14. Main division of a long poem 20. Number ending

21. Tax shelter islands 24. Symbol of authority 25. Demean 26. Forming a bottom 28. Fine dinner cloth 29. ___ be good if 30. Ghana port 31. Silverado, for one 32. Shipping weights 34. Kind of tea 38. Perform on stage 39. According to 40. Yale University site 46. Brooklyn’s ___ Island 47. Kept 49. Out of sight 51. Peter the Great, e.g.

52. Great quantity 53. Nasty 54. Room access 55. Engage 56. Weaponry 57. Decree __ 58. Mermaid feature 59. Green Gables girl

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1) 1949 (before then Australia issued passports to “British Subjects”); 2) Iowa; 3) Thom Yorke; 4) Istanbul; 5) Charles Strite (American)

GOT YOUR NUMBER

ISLAND VIEW

This week in history

1

April 28, 1996 Gunman Martin Bryant opens fire at the Broad Arrow Cafe in Port Arthur, Tasmania, killing 35 people and wounding 23 others.

6.69

April 29, 1429 Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orléans.

in 10,000 are the chances any person has of exceeding the age of 125.

inches is the length of the longest nipple hair ever recorded. It belonged to Daniele Tuveri of Cagliari in Italy.

April 30, 1975 Fall of Saigon: Communist forces gain control of Saigon. The Vietnam War formally ends with the unconditional surrender of South Vietnamese president Dương Văn Minh.

44

days is how much sleep new parents lose in their child’s first year.

May 1, 1884 Proclamation of the demand for eighthour workday in the United States.

150

species of plant, insect, bird and mammal become extinct every 24 hours, according to scientists.

May 2, 2008 Cyclone Nargis makes landfall in Burma killing over 138,000 people and leaving millions of people homeless.

600

May 3, 1952 Lieutenant Colonels Joseph O. Fletcher and William P. Benedict of the United States land a plane at the North Pole.

places in Australia are named after the emu.

11,587

kilometres is the furthest known journey by a bird without stopping to rest or eat – by a bar-tailed godwit in eight days in 2008.

Source: Uberfacts

Rickety bridge behind Beyond Resort, Khao Lak. Photo by Blair Horgan Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket?

Email it to execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

May 4, 1919 May Fourth Movement: Student demonstrations take place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, protesting the Treaty of Versailles, which transferred Chinese territory to Japan.

Source: Wikipedia thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Jobs

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FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Trades & Services

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

ADVERTISING SERVICES

CLEANING SERVICES

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

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Trades & Services

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

classifieds@thephuketnews.com

MOVING SERVICES

MARINE SERVICES

STORAGE Reserve Your Storage Space

Call 076 29 29 09

or visit mystorageasia.com

 Sizes to Suit all Budgets  Personal & Business Storage  Motorcycle Storage  Left Luggage Service  We Sell Boxes  Storage Insurance Inclusive

Secure, Clean & Cost Effective Self Storage Jungceylon Shopping Center, Patong, Phuket

TRAINING

HOME DECORATION

ADVERTISE HERE

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FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Buy&Sell

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

ACTIVITIES, GROUPS Sign up today for a discount code

The new website for Tiya’s hammocks is ready! Visit now at: native-habitat. com and subscribe for a discount code to use for online shopping. Tiya: hammockphuket@yahoo.com 076 631 841.

AUTOPARTS, TIRES Used 4 Wheel & Tire for sale

For 4 pcs. (Wheel & Tire) Size 235/40 ZR 18” Used only 6,000 KM. 18,000 Baht, Near Panwa Beach , Phuket, marnskjold@gmail.com 083 635 1440.

BOATS, YACHTS FOR SALE Motorboat for sale

Superb “Bayliner 215” motorboat with trailer built in 2010 and fully maintained throughout. Full service record. 650,000 baht O.N.O 650000, Barry Daniel, Fisherman Way, Chalong, Phuket 83100, baz_gunner2000@ yahoo.com.au +66843053974.

CAPELLI TEMPEST TE 800

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Year 2016. Engine Yamaha 300 HP, Special hypalon tubes, Refigerator, Shower, Electric Toilet, Sink, Teak floor, Navigation, Water thank 60 L. 2,900,000, Owner, 093 575 2304.

Restaurant set up for sale

A fully equipped restaurant in the highly sought after Boat Avenue mall in Laguna.

Stainless steel kitchen, Wi-Fi, bar counter, service area. Ready to go in days. Email: jukeboxphuket@gmail.com 081 090 1608.

Long Tail Boat For Sale

Ready to go “Long Tail Boat” with or Without Captain (Thai) Get special price, please call 085 781 9167 (English) Bangtao Beach, Phuket, B275,000, giorgionaef@aol.com 085 781 9167.

Boating deal of the year: 7.5m baht (reduced from 10m baht)

Due to serious health reasons, the owner must part with his beloved 80’ tour boat.

New wiring throughout, power outlets, transformer and voltage meters. New upholstery throughout bar and entertainment area. Engines & generator fully reconditioned & serviced. All maintained to European standards. Ideal boat for quality day trip business. beachsando1@gmail. com 080 695 3933.

Steel boat for sale

32 metre steel boat for sale. Built 2012, 2 x Cummings engines, 10hrs work only. International REG. Excellent for live-aboard or ferry. Price 6MB. Contact: call Joe 087 8918912 or email joe@similan-divers.com

Looking for investor / partner

Looking for investor / partnership for Patong beach front location to start with Japanese and Indian restaurant.

Narin, narinpga@gmail.com 081 826 9390.

CABLE TV PULSE TV. ASIA’S No.1 EXPAT TV

140 channels (HD & SD) in English, French, German & Thai. All Premiership & Euro Leagues live plus all your favorite Soaps & Series from back home. ON-Demand Movie/TV Series library with over 700 of the latest titles, more added daily & with our CATCH-UP Facility (Records all Channels for instant Playback) you’ll never miss a show. This is not kodi – Our high quality set-top boxes come pre-loaded with our own in-house developed App backed up by our own high-speed Asia based Servers & Online Support Network. PULSE TV, sales@ pulse-tv.net +66(0) 99 316 6212.

CAR FOR SALE 2009 Ford Focus Ghia

Excellent condition, 63k miles, silver grey, beige leather interior.

Automatic, Ford serviced, 310,000 baht. Call 096-809-9350 (Eng).

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Beauty Salon with Equipment

t ge n

s al

e

Honda Jazz 2009

For Sale, Nai Harn Beauty Salon with Ur 1500cc Auto Equipment & lease, B290,000. Salon 57,000km. One owner since new.

Equipment replacement cost is more than B300,000. All Regularly serviced by Honda. Tax and equipment shown as new. Must view to see excellent Insurance until the end of June and available now at right opportunity to purchase Salon for extremely good price offer. Reduced by 40,000 bht, REDUCED to 330,000bht in prime location. Call Nok for details 098 017 8818. o.n.o, Andy +66846909144, andysmalster@gmail.com @thephuketnews

CAR FOR SALE Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G VVTI

2013 - 35,000km - Automatic White - CD Radio, Air-con, Alloys Excellent Condition, Only used for school runs. 525,000, Duang, Royal Phuket Marina, gavinmullins@hotmail.com 083 093 9724.

Convertible

Mercedes CLK 200 Cabriolet W-209 Brabus Package - seat 4. Excellent condition and fun to drive. 37,400km.

1,199,000 Bht. Eng - Thai 094 695 3536 / 063 992 3226.

MEMBERSHIPS

Life Time Family Membership

Blue Canyon: 750,000 THB includes 140,000 transfer fee.

Loch Palms: 425,000 THB includes 72,000 transfer fee.

Tanita, 094 695 3536 / 063 992 3226.

MEMBERSHIPS Phuket Country Club Golf Membership

Individual membership for sale.

THB 390,000 plus the transfer fee of THB 60,000. Contact David 087 881 7545, dsgrabham@yahoo.co.uk 390,000 plus transfer fee, David, dsgrabham@yahoo. co.uk 087 881 7545.

Blue canyon Golf membership

For sale at 250,000 baht, buyer pays transfer cost. 2017 dues not paid.

Contact Ian Lancaster on 083 263 4590 or ilancast@ me.com

Phuket Country Club Golf Membership

Golf membership for sale, includes transfer fee of 60,000 THB. 450,000, David, dsgrabham@yahoo.co.uk 087 881 7545.

Loch Palm Golf Membership

Lifetime Loch Palm Golf membership for sale. ฿485,000, the Loch Palm transfer fee of ฿72,000 will be shared equally between the buyer and seller. Contact J. Trenton Early, jtrenton.early@gmail.com

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Buy&Sell

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

MOVING SERVICES Looking for a Moving Company?

With over 15 years of experience Bigmove Phuket is the number 1 provider of moving and shipping in and out of Phuket Thailand. We provide storage in a state of the art clean, secure, storage facility located centrally in Phuket. www.bigmovephuket.com 081 797 5377.

OTHER SEARCHING FOR PAUL VAN DIJK

Searching for Paul Adraan van Dijk. The executors of the estate of Adraan Geurt van Dijk are searching for Paul Adraan Van Dijk, formerly of New Zealand (aged about 57 – born 15 June 1960 or 15 June 1961). Paul is believed to be residing in Thailand. Please contact the executors’ solicitor by email: nick@hjc.co.nz

REAL ESTATE SERVICES Need condo issues resolved?

We can help with condominium and estate-related, developer, management, non-compliance, Juristic Person issues. Structure (by-laws) register at land dept, provide CJP services, in-depth advice and organize, AGM/EGMs.

Phuket real estate tour

Real estate investment tours are specially designed to help you to achieve your investment goals with the right property in the right location. You will get advice on the multitude of lucrative investment opportunities in Phuket. md@tourasian.com 080 826 4665.

WEBSITES, IT For Sale: hoteldealsphuket.com

PHD has 125,000 pages indexed in Google and an average of 22,000 page views per month! See stats image. Also see the selling points on the link below. Quick sale: 33.000B!, Mark, mr.m.hopkins@gmail.com

PROPERTY FOR SALE NO1 LAND FOR SALE, LAYAN BEACH

PRIME LOCATION LAND FOR SALE: 26 Rai + 2 Rai of picturesque land 5 minutes walk to Layan beach, Phuket. Reduced to THB13m per Rai! A MUST SEE land plot perfect for a large Villa or a Hotel / Resort type development, and is a TRULY valued investment for anyone looking to invest in Phuket’s most exclusive property market. Call Porida (Por) (Owners representative) NOW on +66 (0) 954296655 for viewing, or visit: www.hoteldealsphuket.com

PROPERTY FOR SALE New Sea View Villa

Premium villa 8B in the prestiques Sunrise Ocean Villas development is now for sale.

Being built on the highest point in the estate, only 80 meter from the ocean and located 3 mins away from Grand Ao Po Marina, 10 mins from golf course, 20 mins from the airport, shopping centers, schools and hospitals, this villa is a perfect place to live with no traffic, no polution and no mass tourism.

Over 600 Sqm usable building area, 3 bedrooms, guest apartment, maid quater, games room, 10 metre infinity swimming pool, roof terrace and breath taking views. Can be ready to move in within 8 weeks and still can be customized to the wishes of new owner. For sale at only 27.9 mill baht.

For viewing or more information please contact our sales director, Khun Montha on: 081 343 0777 or email: montha_phuket@yahoo.com

LAND FOR SALE IN RAWAI

4 Rai, 2ngn, 64tlw, total 7.456sq.meter. chanotte title. Near Shell Museum, 3 minute to Rawai Beach. Great for project. already have electric and road. Email: harrij@loxinfo.co.th 36 MB, Harrij@loxinfo.co.th 089 731 0283.

COMMUNITY

Beautiful Land in Rawai For Sale

Beautiful mountain view with option of sea view land of 742m2 for sale in Rawai with chanote title. For more information contact 085 790 2021.

HOUSE FOR SALE/RENT IN RAWAI

Land 620 sqm. 2 story with 4 bed & 2 Bathroom, fully equipped kitchen, 4 Air-con, big tropical garden with swimming pool, car park, Wi-Fi. In a very quiet area. For long lease 70,000 Baht/month. Email: harrij@loxinfo.co.th 11.9 MB Negotiable, Harrij@loxinfo.co.th 089 731 0283.

5 BED LUX SURIN VILLA FOR SALE

URGENT sale by owner. Reduced from 28.9m to just THB 16.9m this luxury lake-side 5 bedroom pool villa within a secure gated community (sale direct by owner} and is only 5 minutes walk to Surin beach. A MUST SEE Villa requiring a little upgrade is a TRUE bargain for anyone looking to enter one of Phuket’s most exclusive property markets, Call NOW on 0925 710 770 for viewing, or visit the below website. www.hoteldealsphuket. com 16.900.000, Cass, 0925 710 770.

Foreign freehold corner unit

76 sqm, sea and mountain view in Patong Tower, Patong. Reduced to 8.8mn. Special deal with car, info@sunny-property. com 083 105 2707. thephuketnews

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CLASSIFIEDS 33

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Buy&Sell

PROPERTY FOR SALE LAND NEAR WATERFALL FOR SALE

Prime Kathu land with panoramic views and quiet location. Starts from 400sqm. Perfect for private Villa.

Close waterfall with more land plots and different beach!!!

Start from 2.5 MB, K. Pam, Phuketmyhouse@gmail.com +66 (0) 94 829 3619.

House for sale

Private pool villa with lovely garden half a rai. Quite and safe area.

3 bedroom 2 bathroom open kitchen. 160 m2 Situated in Ban Pahra. 12 minutes to PIA, Phuket Airport, Nay Yang beach, and Blue Canyon Golf course. 2 min to Mission Hill Golf course. 7.5 million baht, bergsstigen@telia. com 090 701 4204.

House for sale

Good location in Chalong area. 3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom, 200 sqm. House on 800 sqm plot. Including furniture, 084

745 5546.

Apartment

tel: 087 383 8709.

1.65mill. 60qm 2bed 2bath + 30qm balcony, liv-kitchen, 3 a/c, quality doors/wind., Dream Village near mission hill golf,

HERE IS THE FUTURE. 17 RAI FOR SALE

Between Kok Loi and Thai Muang, 38 km from the airport, we are selling a beautiful peice of land with 2 new houses. A perfect place for artists or a sport resort.

The land is more than 17 Rai, full of old trees, with a big private lake and located directly behind the river. Chanote title. With a canoe it takes 20 min to paddle to the sea.

A great opportunity for a fair price. Price 9.5M, Yupin, residler@gmail.com 081 817 4805 Thai, Eng, Deutsch.

Land for sale in Saku - Phuket

1 to 5 Rai. Chanote. 10 mins south to the airport. Nice quiet location near Naiyang - Naithon Beach. Fixed price only 2.6Mil Baht per Rai. Kanchana, kanchanajit09@gmail.com 087 076 6016.

Property for sale

Large building near airport and sea view land near Bang Pae Waterfall for sale or lease. Any reasonable offers accepted. Lana, Lana.phuket@gmail.com 080 271 6484.

Apartment Country Golf Club House

One room with kitchen in main house Country Club. 6th floor with balcony 75sqm. Membership in Country Club included. Price 3.3 Million THB. Contact pzw@gmx.at Per Dompert, 086 043 4315 (English and German) @thephuketnews

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

PROPERTY FOR SALE LAND NEAR WATERFALL FOR SALE

Beautiful, gently sloping land for sale near Bang Pae waterfall. Good road, 3-phase power. NS3 paper (upgrade applied for). 7 rai, B4m/rai. 087 884 9964 (En) or 087 272 5594 (Th). alasdair.phuket@gmail.com

Ten Room Villa for sale

With 5 Rai land. 5 sleeping rooms, 5 bathrooms, 5 balconies, 2 kitchens, big living room, play room, lobby, car port. Hillside Maikhao Beach sunset seaview. Asking price 24 MB. julius_schuster2001@ yahoo.de 087 267 1192.

House for Sale

House at Land and House for sale. 2-storey with 3 bedrooms, living room, kitchen, balcony, jacuzzi, library, laundry. Near kids’ playground, two swimming pools, sauna, gym. Enough land to build a second house on the same plot. Ekaterina Oseledets, 095 861 7571.

Land For Sale

Land for sale. Anuphas Golf Ville, Kathu. 81 sq wah. Golf course view of Phuket CC. Quiet village, convenient location. E-mail for details Contact David, d1jarvis@hotmail.com

House for Sale

3 bed, 2 bath, living/dining, Farang & Thai kitchens. Back/both sides under cover. Water fall/relax area.

BBQ area under cover/car port. 4 aircons/7 fans. Very private, close to all services, 500 meters from Heroines Monument. B4.9 mil. o.n.o. Contact Randy. randyalltime@gmail.com

Outstanding Beach Front Pool Villa

A rare opportunity to purchase a 4 bedroom beachfront villa in a 5* resort at The Village Coconut Island.

A “snip” at 22m THB. Somjit, aadmo@btinternet.com 081 979 1945.

PROPERTY FOR RENT Seaview apartment near Ao Po

Luxury 2-bedroom 137m2 furnished apar tment near Ao Po Marina.

Seaview, pool, Wi-Fi, TV, balcony, carport. B36,000/month lori@artandcultureasia.com +66(0)817207834.

Mai Khao new 4 bedroom luxury villa for rent

90,000 THB a month, very safe and quiet. Fullly furnished, 15min airport.

20min PIA, 7min beaches, 3min stores and restaurants. Real estates welcome. jyfievet@gmail. com, jassarabee@gmail.com, 089 470 8926, 081 719 7015.

PROPERTY FOR RENT Amazing 5 Bed/Bath Villa Rawai

Stunning 5 Bed Pool Villa quiet and private location. Quality furn and fully equipped. Beautiful lounge/kitchen, very spacious with great pool. 90000 Baht per month, bricothailand@hotmail.com 081 271 7092.

House for rent.

Nr Wat Chalong

3 Bed/4 baths house in quiet estate.

Available from April 1st to Oct 31st. email me or phone me, Paul, for photos and full details. 25,000 pcm, PAUL WHITTALL, Phuket Private Lagoon, Chao Faa West Road, Chalong, pwhittall@aol.com 093 793 4258.

House For sale or rent Baan Manik (Cherngtalay)

Attractive 3 bed, 2 bathroom detached house for sale or rent. Set in quiet surroundings but with easy access to Laguna, Boat avenue, PIA, airport, Surin, Bangtao and Layan beaches. The property boasts many additional features including, Auto-gate, Western-styled kitchen, security system, natural stone floors, imported ceiling fans, 12volt LED Garden Lighting and air-con throughout.

Asking B4.5 Million Negotiable Rent 25K Per Month Fully furnished or 20K per month unfurnished. 081 9686 051.

Kata Western Apartment

1 and 2 115sqm furnished apartments, full kitchen, huge covered terraces, mountain and seaview.

1 month minimum, 1 year lease starting B20,000/month. gordy240@hotmail.com 084 840 1262.

Office/Shop for Rent

Ground Floor space with excellent positioning on Chalong Pier Road.

For more information, please call 081 416 4177 or 076 381 341.

Two condos for sale/rent

2 condos for sale 48 sqm. - sale price $60,000 (developer’s price $116,000) & 54.5 sqm. - sale price $70,000 (developer’s price $128,000). Fully furnished, near Central, Big C, BIS, Lotus, hospitals, schools. Communal pool and gym. Short & long time rent available: 48 sqm – THB 10,000-15,000 per month; 54.5 sqm – THB 15,000-20,000 per month + electricity & water. Ekaterina Oseledets, 095 861 7571.

ROOM FOR RENT

Room for rent in attractive house Baan Manik (not far from Anthem wakeboard park). Convenient location for access to Laguna, Boat avenue, Airport and PIA. House is equipped with, Air-con, Internet, Expat-TV, foreign kitchen, washing machine, fridge etc. 8,000 Baht PCM + Share of Bills. Please email bluebeyond@me.com or call 081 968 6051 for a viewing.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

SPORT 35

10s returns in May

Int’l rugby tourney back for 19th edition RUGBY

The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

N

ext month, on May 26-28, teams from around the world will once again come together and grace the grounds of the superb sports facility Thanyapura Sports Club to compete for honours at this year’s 19th Phuket International Rugby 10s.

The traditional Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers vets tournament kicks off the event on the Friday (May 26) with the old boys reliving past glories, showing sublime skills and drinking ability.

With last year’s winners unavailable to attend, for this year’s competition a new champion is assured and the Asian Japanese Dragons could well be in with a chance, and the Cottesloe Pirates, who have struggled lately, will no doubt be back stronger.

But the first ever teams competing from New Zealand, the Tasman Wanderers and the AC Ballsmackerz, along with Aussie debutants the Queensland XXXX Goldies and VRQ Ballymore Barflys

Players will once again be raising funds for the Baan Khok Wat Mai School in Cherng Talay.

Fourth Outrigger Share 4 Change Tennis Tourney

Last year saw the entry of a team of young, local Thai lads who represented The Old Man Mix in the ‘open’ competition. Photo: Rob Brewer will be tough to beat.

Meanwhile, the Gulf Legends, Hong Kong Bulls, Bucks Bunnies, Wanderers Wrinkles’, Taipei Silverbacks, Al Ain Amblers and Phuket Viagrabonds will all also give it their best shots.

The main event starts on the Saturday (May 27) with the finals of both tournaments completing the round up on the Sunday (May 28).

With teams from Australia, the Arabian Gulf, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and Thai-

TENNIS

land all taking part it promises to be a fun and action packed weekend.

Previous multiple-champions in both divisions The Moorabbin Rams from Melbourne will be looking to make amends after missing out last year whilst the Emirate Airlines’ Flying Muppets will be determined to take the Cup for a second time.

The Harlequins and Saracens from Abu Dhabi and the Lord Howe Island Woodhens are unknown quantities, but along with the Groote Ey-

landt Mudchooks and Japan’s Melanins will no doubt have something to say.

The Bedok Kings and the Bucks and Wanderers will bring their own subtle style of play and off-field antics to the fore whilst old rivals the Old Bangkok Bangers could very well create some waves.

The Al Ain Amblers, who have always looked like champions on the Saturday, generally fall by the wayside come Sundays finals after being Bangla’d the night before.

Could 2017 be their year?

THE 4TH OUTRIGGER Share 4 Change Charity Tennis Tournament is being held this weekend (Apr 29-30) from 8am to 7pm at the Tennis Centre at Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort.

Last year’s event brought together 94 recreational tennis players from resorts and hotels in Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and Songkhla to raise money for the Baan Khok Wat Mai School.

Outrigger Resorts in Phuket has started a longterm commitment to help the Khok Wat Mai School in the Cherng Talay area.

The K hok Wat Mai school serves 77 pupils, mostly from under privileged backgrounds. The school is underfunded and in need of improved facilities. Proceeds from the tournament will go toward significant improvements to the kitchen and dining hall, roof structure, rest room facilities, playground and water treatment plant.

Matt Pond

Young athletes compete in fifth Superkidz Triathlon TRIATHLON A TOTAL OF 85 CHILDREN aged between 4-15 last Sunday (Apr 23) swam, biked and ran to the finish line at Thanyapura Health & Sports Resort at the 5th Thanyapura Superkidz Triathlon.

The triathlon began at Thanyapura’s Olympic-sized 50-metre pool, continued with a bike ride and a run to the athletics track and grandstand.

The kids raced in individual and relay teams in four categories. Top winners in the overall age categories

won a customised race suit.

“The race was good. It was really hot and tough. It ended with some wind, which was good. The cycling was really tough because of the rolling hills. My long term goal is to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games next year in Argentina. If I can, I’ll definitely join the next race,” said Russell Liew Yuan Wei of Malaysia, 1st place male finisher (0:38:15) in the Senior 13-15 age category.

“It was difficult and it was also my first time. The hardest thing today was the swim, I felt as if I kept on sinking. The cycling and

running were easier,” said Pinthira Thumthitikul of Thailand, 1st place female finisher (1:14:01) in the Senior 13-15 age category.

“This event had a great turnout because there were many athletes, especially more Thai kids competing with international children. The swimming pool and cycling route were safe and beautiful. I’m inviting everyone to get involved in the next kids’ triathlon – IronKids in November,” said Ekkarat “Ricky” Phantip, Head Coach of Triathlon at Thanyapura.

Thai youths from grassroots triathlon club “Born Free to Run”

Run: #1630: Saturday April 29 Run Start Time: 4pm Hares: Fungus, Hard On, (vh) Location: Patong - Freedom Hill

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS @thephuketnews

Directions: Coming from Patong, head towards Karon for 1.16 kilometres and then turn right to laager site. Coming from Karon, just past the crest of the last hill before Patong turn left to laager.

Hash Bus Pickup Schedule: Kamala @ Black Cat’s Bar: 3pm Patong @ Expat Hotel: 3:30pm More info: phuket-hhh.com

also participated as they propelled themselves to the top three places in their age categories.

Coach Ricky started the group. It offers free training for local Phuket youngsters and helps them to become future running athletes.

First started in 2013, the Superkidz triathlon continues to attract young triathletes from different nationalities.

Thanyapura runs the Triathlon Junior Development Program (JDP) for kids ages 6-15 to prepare future champions for the ITU Triathlon circuit. The program runs from April 24-June 16.

The kids raced in individual and relay teams in four categories.

For more information, please email sports@thanyapura.com or visit thanyapura.com/events.

The next major youth multi-sport event, IronKids, will take place on 25 November 2017.

36 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Patong CC take 7s title CRICKET

Matt Pond editor3@thephuketnews.com

L

ocal team Patong Cricket Club (CC) were crowned as the 2017 Thalang International Cricket 7s champions on another wonderful day’s cricket at the Alan Cooke Ground last Sunday (Apr 23) following victory over Lamma CC, as Hico McDonald picked up the plaudits as Player of the Final.

The sixth running of the 7s, organised by the Asian Cricket Sixes Tour (ACST), forms part of the Phuket Cricket Week, which was formed in 2004 along with the Phuket International Cricket Sixes.

Patong, fielding many of the side that lifted the Cup in 2016 as Aussie Zen, defeated Phuket Blasters in the semi-final. Runners-up Lamma saw off the challenge of Surfers Paradise CC. Blasters had secured their last four place in the first game of the day by beating Rowdiez.

The second division Bowl competition was won by Singapore outfit HSBC Redbulls who defeated Rowdiez as Pankaj starred with bat and ball. The Redbulls had earned their place in the final with an earlier win over the Postels.

This meant that the Postels

Man of the Match Hico MacDonald takes a wicket for Patong in the Cup Final. Photo: Michael Way dropped down to the third tier Bowl, where they overcame the local Village CC in the final as Tim Woodruff put in a Man of the Match performance. Village CC reached the final by courtesy of a play-off win over NT Stars.

Henno Jordaan picked up the plaudits as the Player of the Tournament with a string of accomplished performances as he weighed in with 148 runs in six innings and three wickets with a bowling economy rate of just eight runs an over. SP Mohanty of the HSBC Redbulls received the coveted ACST Spirit of Cricket Award.

The trophies were presented

at the ACG at the close of play as participants continued to enjoy the ambience and making friendships through cricket.

ACST Chairman, Michael ‘Cat’ Maher reflected on the previous three days while relaxing with the teams.

“This has been a truly brilliant event to round off another wonderful Phuket Cricket Week. The ACST is proud of every event we put on, but the camaraderie of the last few days will live long in the memory.

I’d like to thank all the participants as well as the committees of the ACG and PCG for their valuable assistance.” he said.

Cup winners, Patong Cricket Club.

The next ACST event will be the 2017 Thailand International Cricket Sixes, which will be held in Bangkok over 17-19 November.

For further details, please contact Mr Maher at mmaher.padmir@ bigpond.com or by telephone on +61 407 385 481.

Phuket FC draw, stay 2nd in table FOOTBALL PHUKET FC WERE HELD to a 1-1 draw in their 8th game of the 2017 Euro Cake Thai League 4 season last Sunday (Apr 23) against Phatthalung FC. The result kept the Andaman Dragon in 2nd place in the league table level on points with Pattani FC and Phatthalung FC (14) but with a greater goal difference.

Phuket FC opened the scoring just four minutes into the second half of the game, a goal scored by Thai midfielder Porbracha Rodnakared (25).

But it was only 10 minutes later that a wonder strike from Phatthalung FC’s Ongart Chuayklab brought the score level to 1-1, which is how the score remained.

Phuket FC’s Porbracha Rodnakared (25) opened the scoring in the 4th minute of the second half. Photo: Phuket FC Facebook

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A GD Pts

1

Satun United

8

4

3

1

6

4

2

15

2

Phuket FC

8

4

2

2

15

7

8

14

3

Pattani FC

8

4

2

2

9

4

5

14

4

Phatthalung FC

8

3

5

0

7

3

4

14

5

Chumphon FC

8

2

5

1

5

5

0

11

6

Hat Yai FC

8

2

3

3

7

9

-2

9

7

Yala United

7

1

3

3

9

10

-1

6

8

Sungaipadee FC

7

1

2

4

5

11

-6

5

9

Surathanee City

8

1

1

6

7

17 -10

4

Speaking after the game, Phuket FC’s Head Coach Niwat “Jiew” Nuisanga said that he admired how his team had performed against Phatthalung.

“After this game I have to admire the team. They played according to the strategy and tactics set out and they managed to achieve what we expected in this game.

“But I also have to compliment the host side. They did their homework and fought against us well,” he said.

“But now, as we enter the second half of the season, the team will have to work harder than ever before if they want to succeed.

“I would also like to ask for support from the Phuket

Full Weekend Results Saturday April 22 Pattani FC

2 - 0 Satun United

Sunday April 23 Chumphon FC 2 - 0

Hat Yai FC

Phatthalung FC 1 - 1

Phuket FC

fans as they are what the team need to help them too,” Coach Jiew said.

The next game for Phuket FC comes this Sunday (Apr 30) when they will host 8th placed Sungaipadee FC with kick-off set for 6pm.

Phuket FC beat Sungaipadee FC in the opening game of the season 0-5 away from home with Nattapoom Maya (7) scoring his very first hat-trick in his professional career so it could well be an exciting fixture. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

‘Not done yet’ Pac-Man

SPORT 37

Veteran says coming fight will show he can continue BOXING

Filipino boxing veteran Manny Pacquiao said on Monday (Apr 24) that he plans to show he is ‘not done yet’ when he defends his world title against Australia’s Jeff Horn. Photo: Noel Celis/AFP

AFP

F

ilipino boxing veteran Manny Pacquiao said on Monday (Apr 24) that he plans to show he is “not done yet” when he defends his world title against Australia’s Jeff Horn in Brisbane in July.

The eight-weight world champion said the bout with the undefeated Horn was an opportunity to prove he could continue to be a global force at the age of 38 as he juggles boxing with a full-time job in politics. “(I want) to defend my crown and prove that I’m still there in boxing, despite of my ambitions in office as a senator,” he told reporters on an Australian visit to promote the July 2 bout.

“I’m still handling my boxing career. I’m still there.

I’m not done yet in boxing.”

Pacquiao first won a world title at flyweight (112lb) two weeks before his 20th birthday in December 1998 to start a storied career that has seen him win global belts all the

@thephuketnews

JP Mestanza collects his gold.

Copa de Bangkok BJJ comp JIU JITSU

way up to super welterweight (154lb).

“Boxing is my passion. I started when I was young – it’s part of my life,” said Pacquiao.

“It depends on how you discipline yourself, how you train and prepare yourself. It’s a matter of discipline.”

“Pac-Man”, who briefly

retired early last year before making a successful comeback against Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas in November, added that he was excited to face Horn, 29, in the WBO welterweight title fight at the 55,000-capacity Suncorp Stadium.

“I’m not going to predict the fight but I will do my best

to entertain the fans,” he said.

“I’m very excited to fight here, I’ve fought a lot of fighters in the (United) States. This is new, I’m excited. I can’t wait for the fight.”

Pacquiao (59- 6 -2, 38 knockouts) is an overwhelming favourite against Horn (16-0-1, 11 knockouts), but the

Filipino great has not stopped an opponent since his 12th round TKO of Miguel Cotto in 2009.

“I don’t know much about him (Horn) but I know he’s a fighter. I haven’t watched his fights yet but I’m going to get his last three fights and watch them,” he said.

THE 3RD ANNUAL COPA de Bangkok Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition was held in Bangkok last Saturday (Apr 22).

Several teams from Phuket competed, with athletes from each winning a division.

AKA Thailand won seven medals total; four gold, two bronze and one silver.

Phuket Top Team (PTT) brought an “army” of about 18 competitors and earned the 2nd place team trophy.

In addition, the PTT Team won over five gold medals JP Mestanza, representing Tiger Muay Thai (TMT) , won gold in the heavyweight blue belt division.

The Phuket News

38 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Counting down the days

Red Bull Racing wait for Barcelona and ‘big change in parts’ BOX OF NEUTRALS Michael Lamonato michael@boxofneutrals.com

T

he 2016 Russian Grand Prix was a race to forget for Red Bull Racing.

Third in the championship was an unexpected bonus off the back of Daniil Kvyat’s aggressive podium in China, but the Russian’s growing confidence threatened to undo the early gains.

With the eyes of his home crowd, including President Putin, watching on, Kvyat twice crashed into Sebastian Vettel in the first two corners, forcing the Ferrari driver into retirement and turning teammate Daniel Ricciardo into collateral damage.

It ended as the team’s only non-points finish of the year, and retribution was swift and brutal – four days later Kvyat was switched with Toro Rosso teenager Max Verstappen, who famously drove the Russian’s

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo drives at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya on March 7 during the first day of the second week of tests for the Formula One Grand Prix season. Photo: Josep Lago/AFP car to victory at the next race in Spain.

It was a pivotal move motivated by both Kvyat’s performance in Russia and a growing feeling that the team’s driver line-up needed to be stronger ahead of 2017, a season in which Red Bull Racing, aided by genius designer Adrian Newey, was expected to mount a credible

title challenge.

The decision paid off in part. In 2016 Verstappen and Ricciardo helped the team to second in the constructors championship and finished 5th and 3rd respectively in the drivers standings, but in 2017 the pair have been left frustrated by a car desperately off the pace.

On average this season

Red Bull Racing has been 1.1 seconds off pole and finished 38 seconds behind the lead.

Its constructors points deficit is already 55 points wide, and Max Verstappen is 43 points behind title leader Sebastian Vettel.

The numbers make for poor reading, so much so that this opening stint of the year could be better described as damage

limitation while the team grapples with a car dramatically less competitive than predicted, and for no clear reason.

“Renault had some reliability issues … and we didn’t deliver the chassis that we should have done,” Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko told the F1 website. “But we are working day and night to pick up our shortcomings.

“We are pretty optimistic that we will make a significant step forward in Barcelona, where a big change of parts is coming … and Renault is planning something for Montreal.”

Equal parts frustrating and hopeful is that Red Bull Racing is no stranger to being in this position – even in the team’s most dominant seasons the car has hit its straps in the latter half of the year.

“I feel like obviously the last few seasons we’ve had slow starts,” said Daniel Ricciardo. “It’s not intentional – we obviously don’t want it to be like that – [so] if Canada’s as soon as it can come, then that’s what it is.”

“We’ll have to see once we get to Europe. I think we’ll need some good updates to really get on the pace of [Ferrari and Mercedes], they’re super-quick at the moment.”

Compounding factors is the long straights of the Russian Grand Prix’s semi-street circuit puts the team’s still slightly underpowered Renault engine at a disadvantage, and the track’s slow corners places a premium on traction, which could hinder the RB13 and its tyre warm-up problems.

The culmination is that while Ferrari and Mercedes battle each other to an early championship lead, Red Bull Racing is left in a lonely no-man’s land ahead of the midfield but distant from the podium.

One year on from a pivotally disappointing Russian Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing holds little hope of atoning for its 2016 Sochi performance.

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

Olympic chief defends Rio Serena back on court after baby Games’ controversial legacy TENNIS OLYMPICS INTERNATIONAL OLYMpic Committee chief Thomas Bach on Tuesday (Apr 25) defended last year’s Games in Rio de Janeiro against criticism that expensive venues built for the event have since fallen into disrepair.

He insisted Rio had benefited from the Games even though they took place during a deep recession in Brazil.

The Rio Games were “a big success under difficult

President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. Photo: AFP circumstances”, he said, speaking at a meeting of the Pan American Sports Organisation in Uruguay.

Brazil has been stricken over the past year by political corruption scandals.

Various sports installations including the famed Maracana football stadium have fallen into disrepair since the Games ended in August, despite having been renovated for the event.

Bach insisted the city had nevertheless benefited from transport and infrastructure improvements linked to the Games.

He said that Olympic venues in other cities are often closed for years after the Games finish since it takes time to adapt them for new uses.

AFP

SUPERSTAR ATHLETE Serena Williams late on Tuesday (Apr 25) promised she would be back on the court after becoming a mum, with her baby hopefully cheering her on.

Williams spoke playfully and candidly about family, competition, and her accidently unveiled pregnancy during an on-stage chat with journalist Gayle King at the TED Conference in Vancouver.

Williams said she had made a practice of taking a photo of herself each week, to document the progress of her pregnancy, when she accidentally posted a picture of herself in a swimsuit on social media.

She had shared the news with only a few people until the now widely seen image.

“You know how social media is; you press the wrong button and there it is,” Williams said with a laugh.

“I had been so good about it and this one time I slipped.”

Williams said she learned she was pregnant

Serena Williams publicist said, that she is looking forward to returning to the court in 2018. Photo: William West/AFP just two days before the Australian Open, which she went on to win.

She told of being nervous about playing, uncertain whether it would be too dangerous for her or the baby.

Williams said she played differently, shutting out fatigue and stress. Everyone expected her to win the tournament, and few knew she was a mum-to-be.

“I had to take any negative emotions, bottle them up and figure out what the next step was,” Williams said.

She won her recordsetting 23rd Grand Slam

title at the Australian Open in January – where she beat her elder sister Venus in the final.

“Playing Venus is like playing myself; she is my toughest opponent,” Williams said.

“On the court, we are mortal enemies, but the moment we shake hands we are best friends again.

It might be a day later for me if I lose.”

In champion form, she admitted to loathing losing and loving victory.

But, if you do lose, learn from it and improve don’t make the same mistakes in the future, she advised.

Kelly Bush Novak, Williams’ publicist, had said this week that the US star “looks forward to returning in 2018” and that was echoed by her coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Williams is due to give birth in September, the month she turns 36 years old.

“I definitely plan on coming back,” Williams said of her tennis future.

“My baby is going to be in the stands, hopefully cheering for me and not crying too much.”

AFP

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

SPORT 39

PREMIER PREDICTIONS: ENTER NOW AT THEPHUKETNEWS.COM MONTHLY SPONSOR

MAIN SPONSOR

The overall competition winner receives a two day/one night private fishing charter to Racha Island on board Wahoo Yacht Charters Phuket’s Reel Blue. Total prize value: B180,000 The monthly competition winner for April 2017 will receive a B3,000 voucher to spend at any of the island's Two Chefs outlets.

EPL PREDICTIONS MONTHLY STANDINGS 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

OVERALL STANDINGS

Ajax Amsterdam 31 fazza 31 phils64 30 pickledliverbar 30 The Red Card Gang 30

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

The Red Card Gang 193 Sidwell Guduka 192 scottkip 190 phils64 189 carst 188

English Premier League 2016 - 2017 1 2 3 4

Kante had instilled a winning mentality into his teammates.

Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP

5 6 7

Chelsea’s Kante wins PFA Player of the Year FOOTBALL

AFP

N

’Golo Kante’s dynamic performances for double-chasing Chelsea received the ultimate accolade from his peers last Sunday (Apr 23), the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year

award. The 26-year-old French midfielder saw off the likes of Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Everton’s marksman Romelu Lukaku for the prestigious award.

It may well not be the last piece of silverware he lifts this season as unlike his former team-mates at Leicester – for whom he was the driving force of a stunning title success last

Live Sports TV Schedule *Times may be subject to change

SPORT START STOP Friday April 28 Rugby Union 14:30 Rugby League 16:45 18:45 Aussie Rules 16:30 Cricket 17:20 21:20 Saturday April 29 Rugby Union 14:35 16:45 18:45 22:15 00:25 Rugby League 11:55 Soccer 21:00 21:00 21:00 23:30 Motor Racing 18:30 Cricket 17:20 19:20 Aussie Rules 10:30 13:30 17:00 Sunday April 30 Aussie Rules 10:00 13:30 Rugby Union 13:00 Cricket 17:20 22:20 Cricket 21:00 Motor Racing 18:00 Motor Racing 18:45 Soccer 18:00 20:05 20:05 22:30 00:25 Rugby League 18:40 20:25 Football 21:00

EVENT

TEAMS / INFO

16:35 18:45 20:45 19:30 21:20 00:30

Super Rugby NRL NRL AFL IPL IPL

Highlanders v. Stormers Cowboys v. Eels Rabbitohs v. Sea Eagles (D) GWS Giants v. Western Bulldogs Kolkata KR v. Delhi Daredevils Kings XI Punjab v. Sunrisers

16:30 18:45 20:45 00:10 02:20 14:00 23:00 23:00 23:00 01:30 20:20 21:00 00:30 13:30 16:30 20:00

Super Rugby Super Rugby Super Rugby Super Rugby Super Rugby NRL EPL EPL EPL EPL Formula 1 IPL IPL AFL AFL AFL

Chiefs v. Sunwolves Reds v. Waratahs Western Force v. Lions Cheetahs v. Crusaders Kings v. Rebels Titans v. Knights West Bromwich Albion v. Leicester Stoke v. West Ham Sunderland v. Bournemouth Crystal Palace v. Burnley Qualifying, Sochi Pune Supergiants v. RC Bangalore Gujarat Lions v. Mumbai Indians Hawthorn v. St Kilda Brisbane Lions v. Port Adelaide West Coast Eagles v. Fremantle

13:00 16:30 15:00 21:20 00:20 01:00 18:45 21:20 20:00 22:00 22:00 00:30 02:20 20:35 22:10 23:00

AFL AFL Super Rugby IPL IPL Test Match 2: Day 1 Formula 1 Formula 1 EPL EPL EPL EPL Super Rugby NRL NRL FA Cup SF2

Essendon v. Melbourne Adelaide Crows v. Richmond Brumbies v. Blues Gujurat Lions v. Kings XI Punjab Kolkata KR v. RC Bangalore West Indies v. Pakistan Raceday, Sochi Russian Grand Prix Man United v. Swansea Everton v. Chelsea Middlesbrough v. Man City Tottenham v. Arsenal Sharks v. Rebels Eels v. Tigers (D) Cowboys v. Knights (D) Arsenal v. Man City, Wembley

@thephuketnews

year – he stands on the brink of becoming the first player to win successive league titles with different clubs.

“To be chosen by the players to be player of the year means a lot to me,” said Kante.

“It means the world to be chosen and it’s been two beautiful seasons, one with Leicester, and we are in good form with Chelsea. To be player of the year, it’s a great honour.”

Kante, who also faces an FA Cup final date against Arsenal, said Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, like Leicester’s title winning manager Claudio Ranieri an Italian, had instilled a winning mentality into the players.

“He knows what he wants from the players,” said Kante.

“He wants to win, and we work very, very, very hard in training for him. He put a winning mentality into the squad, and everyone wants to give their best for the team, and to make Chelsea win titles.”

Kante, who had a modest playing career in France with Boulogne and then Caen, said the award will not go to his head as he acknowledges Chelsea face a tough battle to win either the league or the Cup – at the time of going to press, Spurs were just seven points behind them in the title race and Arsenal will be desperate to rescue a poor season with a trophy.

“We’re going to f ight for both competitions,” said Kante.

“The cup is just one game, and the league six games, and we’re going to give our best to win these two competitions.”

Kante’s performances this season has had former players eulogising about his ability especially after he totally overshadowed his compatriot and the world’s most expensive player Paul Pogba in the 1-0 win over Manchester United in March.

“I’d go as far to say that he’s (Kante) the best central midfield player in the world

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Team

MP W

D

L

F

A

GD

Pts

Chelsea Tottenham Hotspur Liverpool Manchester City Manchester United Everton Arsenal West Brom Southampton Watford Stoke City Crystal Palace Bournemouth West Ham United Leicester City Burnley Hull City Swansea City Middlesbrough Sunderland

33 32 34 32 32 34 31 33 32 33 34 33 34 34 32 34 34 34 33 32

3 8 9 7 12 10 6 8 7 7 9 5 8 8 7 6 6 4 12 6

5 3 6 6 3 8 8 13 14 15 15 17 16 16 15 18 19 21 17 21

69 68 70 63 50 60 63 39 39 37 37 46 49 44 41 33 36 39 23 26

29 22 42 35 24 37 40 42 44 54 50 53 63 59 53 49 67 68 43 58

40 46 28 28 26 23 23 -3 -5 -17 -13 -7 -14 -15 -12 -16 -31 -29 -20 -32

78 71 66 64 63 58 57 44 40 40 39 38 38 38 37 36 33 31 24 21

25 21 19 19 17 16 17 12 11 11 10 11 10 10 10 10 9 9 4 5

Premier League prediction competition scores and league table correct at time of going to press. on current form,” former England and Chelsea great Frank Lampard told the BBC. “Looking at the way he’s performing this year, he may not be scoring lots of goals but what he’s giving to the team in the way he’s playing, the driving force that he is, I cannot see anyone else out there in world football better than him at the moment.”

Former Barcelona and England striker Gary Lineker said he had the potential to be the greatest midfielder of all time if he corrected one facet of his game.

“Bloody hell, if Kante starts scoring goals as well he’ll become the best midfield player ever,” tweeted Lineker.

Tottenham Hotspur – who would relish the title even more after being beaten 4-2

by Chelsea in their FA Cup

semi-final last Saturday (Apr 22) – didn’t go away emptyhanded.

Their goalscoring midfielder English international Dele Alli, whom many thought should have been a contender for the senior award, won the young player of the year award for the second successive year.

Other winners included Manchester Cit y’s Lucy Bronze who was the Women’s Player of the Year for a second occasion having won it in 2014. Birmingham City’s Jess Carter won the young player of the year award.

English football icon David Beckham followed among another former Manchester United team-mate Ryan Giggs in receiving the PFA’s Merit award for his contribution to the game.

Sport

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

editor3@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017

Phuket Int’l Rugby 10 to return for 19th edition > page 35

‘CLEAN’

WORAWI Makudee back on the scene with a big bang, vows to challenge ban

Worawi Makudee, who had a long and tumultuous tenure in charge of Thai football, was banned for five years by FIFA last year following his July 2015 conviction for forgery. Photo: Pornchai Kittiwongsakul/AFP

FOOTBALL Bangkok Post

S

o it all starts again. There had been a long lull and it is hoped against hope that the quiet wasn’t only a precursor to a storm.

After keeping a low profile for a long time, former Football Association of Thailand president Worawi Makudee is back on the scene with a big bang, claiming to be cleaner than freshly laundered linen on a washing line.

The Southern Bangkok Criminal Court handed Worawi a suspended 16-month jail sentence in 2015 for wrongfully changing the election rules ahead of the 2013 FAT presidential polls which he won.

The decision was overturned by an appeals court last Thursday (Apr 20).

It was the earlier court ruling that had sent the former strongman of Thai football downhill.

Worawi had been a Fifa executive committee member for 18 years before losing his seat in May 2015 and was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs (approximately B350,000) by the adjudicatory chamber of Fifa’s ethics committee.

His lawyer Narinpong Jinapak told the media a day after the Court of Appeals’ ruling: “It has been proven that Worawi Makudi, the former president of the Football Association of Thailand, is not guilty as charged. He is clean.”

And it didn’t come as a surprise to anyone that the next step in the action plan is to get the five-year Fifa ban, which prohibits Worawi from taking part in all footballrelated activities, revoked.

His lawyer is admittedly flexing his muscles for a legal tussle with Fifa and may be in for a bout or two in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) as well.

When his lawyer was pointedly asked at last Friday’s (Apr 21) press conference if Worawi would

make a comeback to football, he said: “He needs time to heal his ‘mental wounds’ before making a decision.”

The lawyer quoted Worawi as saying that he may not return to football as long as the current FAT administration is working well.

“He wants to support good people. If they do bad, then people will call for another person to run the association when the next election comes,” the lawyer said.

Now this opens the door to a big question as well as some fear for the looming storm.

The question is: If Worawi has no immediate plans to stage a comeback in some capacity then what is the urgency behind the plan to kick off a legal battle with Fifa?

Worawi had vowed time and again in the past that he would make every effort to clear his name and that goal has been achieved now.

The new administration under Gen Somyot Poompunmuang may have stumbled at a few junctures

but they have recovered and pushed ahead.

The old administration has hardly been missed and the new set hasn’t given anyone any genuine reasons so far to evoke a noconfidence motion.

Worawi, who was at the helm of the national football association for almost a decade, has yet to make a personal appearance on the stage and the former FAT chief himself may not be interested in rocking the boat as claimed by his lawyer.

Since winning the FAT presidential poll after an acrimonious campaign in February last year, Somyot has worked a bit too diligently to weed out all the remnants and sympathisers of the past administration from the association.

The last one to fall into a carefully laid trap and eventually lose his high-profile job was the coach of the national team, Kiatisak Senamuang.

Though everyone in the present

FAT set-up will quickly point out that Kiatisak decided to quit on his own, it is no secret that he was pushed to precipice and allowed to initiate his own free fall, which was so desired by the current administration.

Now that the Court of Appeals has absolved Worawi of any wrongdoing, there is a big chance that those who experienced falls from grace in the wake of Somyot’s takeover may start scenting an opportunity and foment trouble.

The plans to bring about a change do not have to be hatched

by Worawi himself – there is no shortage of aggrieved parties in national football who are desirous of wresting back their lost power.

For whatever reason, the local media also hasn’t taken a liking to Somyot and his team, so it is very clear at this point that the FAT would have to tread very carefully, weigh pros and cons of every plan, as the trouble may well be lurking within a striking distance.

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