The Phuket News 28 December 2018

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

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DAYS OF DANGER

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he annual Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign for the New Year began yesterday (Dec 27), with police checkpoints set up across the island in the hope of stemming the tide of deaths and injuries on Phuket’s roads during the holidays.

Officials have not set a “target” for this year’s campaign. As it stands “just less” than the previous three New Year holiday periods will do, Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana told a provincial road-safety council last week.

Phuket suffered two deaths and 46 people injured in 46 accidents during the seven-day period for New Year 2018, compared with two people killed and 81 injured during the holiday period for New Year 2017.

Both those years pale in comparison to New Year 2016, when seven people in Phuket were killed and 75 others received hospital treatment for injuries sustained in road accidents.

The launch of this year’s campaign, which comes under the banner “Driving with kindness. Maintaining traffic discipline”, comes after a week of horrific accidents on the island, and a major wipeout just a few kiometres north of the bridges off Phuket, where

A policeman stands beside a heavily damaged car after a series of collisions on Thepkrasattri Rd last week. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub.

a minivan carrying two Indian tourists to Phuket International Airport was taken out broadside by a BMW sedan.

The other accidents saw a woman crushed under the wheels of a dirt lorry, a man dying after his motorbike struck a power pole and an 83-year-old pedestrian being mowed down by an airport taxi then crushed by a truck on Phuket’s busy Thepkrasattri Rd. The minivan wipeout last Friday (Dec 21) occurred about five kilometres north of the bridge onto Phuket at 3:30am.

A team of Mai Khao rescue workers also responded to the call for assistance.

The officers and rescue work-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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ROAD-SAFETY BLITZ BEGINS FOR NEW YEAR Eakkapop Thongtub editor@classactmedia.co.th

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ers arrived at the scene to find the crumpled van on its side on the road.

About 200 metres away was a heavily damaged BMW. The two tourists, Indian nationals Rohit Dhawan, 21, and Pooja Narang, 34, and the driver, Anan Srithong, 44, a legally registered commercial passenger vehicle driver from Krabi, were trapped in the van.

Rescue workers took an hour using the hydraulic “jaws of life” rescueequipment to free them from the van, explained Lt Col Santi Prakrobkran of the Khok Kloi Police “All three had minor injuries to their right arms and legs, and all of them were taken to Takua Thung...

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Patong readies for New Year Countdown T H E PATONG BE AC H road will close for one hour as Phuket’s party town ushers in the New Year 2019, police have confirmed.

Thaweewong Rd will be closed from 11:30pm to 12:30am, Patong Police Chief Col Anotai Jindamanee told The Phuket News on Wednesday (Dec 26).

During the hour, Thaweewong Rd will be closed to traffic from Prachanukroh Rd at the southern end of the beach, near the Absolute Sea Pearl Beach Resort, to Hatpatong Rd, near Loma Park.

“It is only for one hour for the New Year countdown. At this time many people walk across the main road to be on the beach for the countdown to the New Year. We are closing the road just to make it safer,” Col Anotai explained.

“Motorists, please avoid the road during this time.

We apologise for the incon-

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

Cannibis, kratom approved to be legal for medical use > page 7

32 Phuket candidates enter Senate selection The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

US DJ duo Breathe Carolina will headline the Patong Beach Countdown Photo: Syndicate Nation / Twitter venience,” Col Anotai said.

“We will also have Traffic Police on duty directing traffic at every intersection in Patong… And, as always, don’t drink and drive,” Col Anotai added.

Patong Beach is expected to be especially crowded over the New Year as Patong Municipality has organised a two-night party on Patong Beach for its Patong Beach Countdown 2019 celebrations, including top DJ artists.

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total of 32 people in Phuket last Saturday (Dec 22) registered their candidacy to become Senators in the national selection process that was to be finalised in Bangkok on Thursday (Dec 27).

At the time of going to press, the current military administration had yet to select the successful candidates. As such, the 32 people who registered in Phuket last Saturday may not become the specific representatives for Phuket in the Senate, which is to be formed ahead of the national elections to be held in February.

However, they may become “general” Senators not specifically responsible for any designated geographical area in the country.

Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana and Phuket Provincial Office Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Anupong Wawongmoon witnessed the registrations last Saturday, which opened at 8am at

A total of 32 people in Phuket on Saturday (Dec 22) registered their candidacy to become Senators.

Photo: PR Dept Phuket Rajabhat University.

The window for registering as a candidate was open from Nov 26-30.

However, as a requirement of the registration process, candidates had just one hour, from 8am to 9am on Saturday, to present themselves in person.

Initially, there were 38 candidates from all three districts (in Phuket) who registered during the November window, explained Natthawan Wongisarapab,

Director of the Phuket office Election Commission of Thailand (PEC).

However, two candidates failed to present themselves on Saturday, while two withdrew their registrations as the parties or organisations they were representing had already exceeded the limit of only four applications per party/ organisation, Mr Natthawan noted.

Another two withdrew their applications without any reason given.

Road safety takes hold for New Year Continued from page 1 ...Hospital for treatment and further medical examinations just in case,” he said.

“Mr Anan was taking the tourists from Krabi to Phuket International Airport early this morning when his van was hit on the right side by the white BMW car,” Col Santi explained.

“This caused the van to flip onto its side,” he added.

Speaking to The Phuket News later that afternoon, Col Santi said that he could not remember the BMW driver’s name, but noted that the driver “was not drunk”.

An officer at Khok Kloi Police Station confirmed that it was Bangkok-registered BMW, carrying the special licence plate number 991.

“I have not yet pressed any charges as we are still investigating the accident. It is possible that both drivers will face charges,” Col Santi said.

Capt Ekkachai Siri of the Phuket Tourist Police also confirmed to The Phuket News, “The tourists were checked by doctors and they were fine, not seriously injured. They boarded their flight back home this morning (Dec 21).”

Just one day earlier, police charged a Phuket airport taxi

The impact of 83-year-old Waranon Leesakul left a hole in the taxi’s windscreen. driver after he slammed into an 83-year-old man who was crossing the busy Thepkrasattri Rd, the main road through Phuket linking the airport to the main beach areas, at 6:10am.

The 83-year-old man, identified as Waranon Leesakul, from Songkhla, “bounced” off the taxi – after his body punched a hole through the windscreen – and was crushed by a truck and trailer that was travelling behind the taxi.

Several other vehicles collided while their drivers attempted to avoid running over Mr Woranon’s body.

The taxi driver Rungprasan Sriwhichai, 31, was taken into custody and charged with reckless driving causing death.

Rungprasarn tested negative for alcohol, Capt Eakkasak Kwanwan of the Thalang Police noted in his report, which

made no mention of what speed the taxi was travelling at when the incident occurred.

However, the report noted that the truck driver did not stop at the scene.

At last report officers were tracking down the truck driver by checking CCTV in the area, though police had yet to determine if any charges would be brought against the driver.

Less than 48 hours before that killing incident, at about 9am on Dec 18, a woman was crushed under the wheels of a 10-wheeled truck just a handful of kilometres further borth on Thepkrasattri Rd. The woman, Boonnum Tapnui, from Phattalung, was riding as passenger on a motorbike driven by Kumron Tumpuan, from Krabi, when it collided with the side of a 10-wheeled truck driven by Nikorn Parkpoe, from Surat Thani, Capt Eakkasak Kwan wan of the Thalang Police noted in his report.

The two vehicles came into contact, causing Mr Kumron to lose control of the motorbike, which fell, spilling him and Mrs Boonnum onto the road.

Mrs Boonnum was then crushed nuder the truck’s wheels. thephuketnews

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Police probe ramping up charge against wife killer The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

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amala Police have confirmed that they are looking into ramping up the charge against Chinese national Zhang Yifan, 31, to murder, for the death of his wife 29-year-old Zhang Jia, who died after he held her head underwater in a resort pool in Phuket allegedly amid a heated argument.

The confirmation follows the lawyer representing the victim’s parents visiting Kamala Police on Dec 17.

The lawyer presented to police copies of the insurance policies and “other documents”, which police said they were not at liberty to discuss at this time.

After Zhang Yifan’s arrest in Phuket, the parents of his wife went public through a report in a newspaper in China to reveal that Zhang Yifan had taken out life insurance policies for his wife’s death amounting to more than B142 million baht in compensation.

“The lawyer visited me at Kamala Police Station on Monday, and presented some important documents related to the insurance and other matters,” Kamala Police Chief Col Somkid Boonrat confirmed to The Phuket News last Thursday (Dec 20).

The lawyer was to also present copies of the same policies to the Phuket Public Prosecutor's Office on the

The focus is now to raise awareness through the tsunami-education exhibition, Mayor Chalermluck said. Photo: Patong Municipality

‘Light Up Phuket’ flame flickers out

After Zhang Yifan’s arrest in Phuket, the parents of his wife went public through a report in a newspaper in China to reveal that Zhang Yifan had taken out life insurance policies for his wife’s death amounting to more than B142 million baht. Photos: via The Paper Monday (Dec 17), he added.

“Zhang Jia’s parents will come to Kamala Police Station with extra information next week, which may affect the charge against Zhang,” he said.

“At present, Zhang Yifan 31, from Tianjin, is charged with murder* (sic) for the offence of causing death under Section 288 of the Criminal Code,” Col Somkid confirmed.

“If we discover more evidence that presents that Zhang Yifan planned to kill his wife, then we will change the charge to Section 289 of the Criminal Code, which is murder by premeditation*,” Capt Somkid explained.

Col Somkid declined to reveal any details of the documents already presented to police. “Sorry, we are not able

Grandmother, 87, dies in house fire A N 8 7 -Y E A R - O L D grandmother living alone has died in a house fire on the north side of Phuket Town.

Firefighters were called the scene, in Soi Cherng Khiri. near Satree Phuket School, 7pm last Saturday night (Dec 22).

The fire teams took 30 minutes to extinguish the blaze, but by that time it was too late for the home’s sole resident.

On entering the charred single-story wooden house, rescue workers found the remains of Aomara Kwanmuang, 87.

It is believed she died of smoke inhalation before her body was consumed by the flames.

Officers said that their initial investigation had revealed that Ms Aomara lived alone at the home. All her children and @thephuketnews

On entering the charred single-story wooden house, r e s c ue worker s foun d the remains of Aomara Kwanmuang, 87. her grandchildren had since moved out and lived elsewhere.

Police at this stage presume that an electrical short circuit started the fire, but are having expert officers investigate the scene.

Ms Aomara’s body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital.

Eakkapop Thongtub

to reveal that. It is important for the investigation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yifan remains incarcerated at Phuket Provincial Prison, Col Somkid confirmed.

“His trial has not actually started. He is being held there on remand,” Col Somkid clarified.

Police originally questioned Zhang Yifan on Oct 29 while investigating Zhang Jia’s death. The officers were responding to a report that his wife had drowned in the hotel pool and was later pronounced dead at Patong Hospital.

Zhang was allowed to leave Thailand on Oct 30 in order to take the couple’s 20-month-old daughter home, and returned to Phuket to collect his wife’s body.

Kamala Police suspicious

of the circumstances of Zhang Jia’s death brought him back in questioning on Nov 2. That was when Zhang confessed to the killing. He was subsequently taken into custody and charged for her death. * Section 288 of the Thai Criminal Code is often presented in translated versions as: “Whoever, murdering the other person, shall be punished by death or imprisoned as from fifteen years to twenty years.” However, Section 289 (4) is also often presented as: “Whoever commits murder on: …The other person by premeditation”.

Hence Section 288 is often understood as a charge of “murder without premeditation”, which represents the Thai version of manslaughter.

THE ANNUAL ‘LIGHT Up Phuket’ candle-lighting ceremonies held at Patong Beach on the night of Dec 26 each year to commemorate the lives lost to the Asian Tsunami 14 years ago will be no more.

The candle-lit ceremony was been removed from the formal schedule of events for the annual commemoration to those lost to the devastating waves that struck our shores, Patong Mayor Chalermsak Kebsup confirmed to The Phuket News on Wednesday morning (Dec 26).

Instead, the main memorial event was held Wednesday morning, at the traditional location of Loma Park, at 9am.

The candle-lighting event was removed from the official annual commemoration in order to reduce the emotional impact of those

still suffering from the loss that the tsunami brought, Mayor Chalermsak said.

“We also want to focus on raising awareness by having people and tourists see the tsunami-education exhibition,” she added.

“We still held a memorial event this morning, placing wreaths and observing silence for those killed, instead of lighting candles in remembrance of the disaster,” Mayor Chalermsak said.

Meanwhile, ceremonies to mark the 14th anniversary of the 2004 Asian Tsunami with a multi-faith service were held at the Tsunami Memorial Wall near Mai Khao Beach on Wednesday.

The services, which started at 9am, were attended by about 30 people, including local officials, residents and tourists.

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PHUKET SEVEN DAY WEATHER FORECAST

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Phuket Excise Chief Wasin Seetalarom flatly denied any immediate rises in the tax to be levied on alcohol. Photo: The Phuket News / file

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Excise chief denies alcohol tax jump THE CHIEF OF THE PHUKET OFFICE OF the Excise Department has warned that ‘fake officials’ might be visiting visiting businesses in Patong, Karon and Kata, explaining to operators that the levy on alcohol sales will rise by 10% next month.

The Phuket Excise Chief, Wasin Seetalarom, on Monday (Dec 24) flatly denied any immediate rises in the tax to be levied on alcohol sales.

“There has not been any increase in the tax on alcohol sales,” he said, countering reports sent to The Phuket News claiming that officials had been visiting businesses in the main tourism towns along the west coast and explaining to businesses operators that the tax will jump 10% next month.

“The tax was updated only in September last year, and we have not received any notification from Bangkok about any changes in the immediate future,” Mr Wasin noted.

"Also, none of our officers have been visiting Patong, Karon and Kata telling people about this.

These people (making the claims) might be acting as fake officials," he added.

Any business operators who are visited by such persons are urged to report the visits to the police and to the Phuket Excise Office by calling any of the following numbers: 076-212281, 076221040, 076-3548300, 076-217319, 076-213896 or 076-217311 Ext 0.

The drunk driver nearly mowed down the police officer. Image: CCTV screenshot / Poth Kantapong

Lucky policeman dodges drunk driver Eakkapop Thongtub editor@classactmedia.co.th

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police officer manning a checkpoint in Cherng Talay narrowly escaped being mowed down by a drunk driver in the early hours of last Thursday (Dec 20).

Lt Supot Kantapong of the Cherng Talay Police was on duty with a fellow officer at the entrance to the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) offices on Srisoonthorn Rd at 1:30am when the incident happened.

“It happened so fast. I saw a white pickup approaching very

quickly from Cheng Talay heading toward the Heroines Monument,” Lt Supot said in a post on his “Poth Kantapong” Facebook page.

“I jumped out of the way just in time as the pickup went just past me… Then the pickup crashed into our police motorbike and stopped on the footpath on the corner,” he said.

“I went to check the driver, who was drunk. Inside the pickup were many (sic) children. Some of them were injured. They were taken to Thalang Hospital,” Lt Supot wrote.

Lt Supot told The Phuket News the next morning, “There were four children in the pickup. They were

not seriously injured.

“The driver was charged with drunk driving. He was 20 years old, but I cannot remember his name right now,” Lt Supot said, who answered the call while offduty from his night shift.

Lt Supot urged people to not drink and drive, especially over the upcoming New Year holidays.

“Please don’t drink and drive.

This pickup nearly hit me. I hope people realise how important this is. If you’re drunk, don’t drive any vehicle,” he said.

Additional reporting by Tanyaluk Sakoot

‘Say No to Drugs’ campaign hits Bangla A B O U T 50 0 P O L I C E officers, Navy personnel, government officials and volunteers took to Bangla Rd in the heart of Patong last Wednesday evening (Dec 19) as a part of the country’s campaign to against drug use.

The contingent assembled in front of the Police Box on Patong Beach, at the western end of Bangla Rd, to receive their orders from Region 8 Police Commander Lt Gen Pongwut Pongsri to ramp up their efforts in the fight against drugs during the upcoming New Year holidays.

Joining Gen Pongwut in leading the troops was Rear Admiral Pichit Wadvaree, Deputy Commander of Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, based at Cape Panwa, on Phuket’s east coast.

Also present were officers from the Region 8 Police,

Leaflets were handed out on Bangla Rd. Photo: PR Dept Tourist Police, Patong Police, Royal Thai Navy personnel, who after the assembly walked along Bangla Rd, handing out anti-drugs pamphlets to tourists and local staff.

“This is part of a national effort for all people to unite with police in the fight against drugs,” Patong Police Chief Col Anotai Jindamanee told The Phuket News.

“We have to report the results of all our anti-drugs operations to Bangkok every

three months,” he said.

“In Patong in Novemeber alone we arrested 90 drug suspects, and we have arrested another 40 drug suspects already this month,” Col Anotai explained.

“Not all of them were drug dealers, but they were all users.

We need to work with local people to fight the spread of drug use. We need them to support us and we need them to be our sources,” he said.

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OPINION

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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

Unlicensed to kill

his weekend the country will be heading into one of the biggest – and most dangerous – holidays of the year.

Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana has called on those rolling out the Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign in Phuket to keep the number of deaths “lower than the past three years” – a blurred goal with Phuket suffering two deaths and 46 people injured during the New Year campaign at the start of this year, compared with two dead and 81 injured during New Year 2017 and seven dead and 75 injured in New Year 2016.

Nationwide, 583 people died on Thailand’s roads during the Seven Days period for New Year 2018, compared with 596 for New Year 2017.

To put that into perspective, in just seven days that’s more

than half of Australia’s 1,108 deaths on its roads for the whole of the country, for the whole of the year as of Nov 30.

To put that into perspective, Thailand as of Christmas Day had suffered 15,271 people killed and 1,008,332 injured so far this year.

While all the police checkpoints and “Don’t Drink And Drive” campaigns do play a part in keeping the road death toll down during the holidays, what is the staggering number of people arrested each year for operating a vehicle without a licenc?

During the New Year campaign at the start of this year police in Phuket stopped and fined 1,430 people for driving without a licence, with 400 of those coming on the last day of the campaign alone.

The numbers boggle the brain, unless the police are openly operating a “catch and

release” policy for unlicenced drivers, relegating charge to nothing more than a parking ticket.

If Thailand wants to start shedding its title of one of the most dangerous countries in the world for road safety, this is a good place to start. Many other countries already levy appropriate penalties, treating the act for exactly what it is: the willing endangerment of lives, including that of the driver caught.

Usually handing down a mandatory driver training session helps. Being forced to spend the money to take the lessons usually ends up with the driver paying the relatively token fee for the licence itself.

With that, from all of us at Class Act Media, we urge one and all to be careful on the roads over the holidays and we wish you a safe Happy New Year!

TOP 10 STORIES ON thephuketnews.com

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Where is everybody? Patong businesses suffering ‘worst high season in 10 years’ Phuket Opinion: So where the bloody hell are you?

Phuket TAT chief strikes back at low tourism numbers claims Haze hits Bangkok Phuket beach croc’s future still up in the air Phuket’s market mix has evolved: Down but definitely NOT 500-strong ‘Say No to Drugs’ campaign hits Patong’s Bangla Rd Phuket Marine Chief oblique on Phoenix dereliction of duty charges, assures ‘no illegal tour boats’ Indian tourists heading to Phuket airport in van slammed by BMW Phuket Excise Chief denies alcohol sales tax jump, warns of possible ‘fake officials’

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HAVE YOUR SAY Missing in action

Re: Where is everybody?

Patong businesses suffering ‘worst high season in 10 years’ STOP the BS. The amounts of money being made here are incredible. Cross check with sales of BMW, and Mercedes.

Aston Martin has a two-year waiting list -OR- Maybe the tourists are finally tired of the dirty beaches ocean waters and let’s not forget the tier pricing. Now that is a topic to consider.

MJJA The “business operators” think the government should help them? They are solely to blame for the lack of tourists in Patong. Touts in your face everywhere you go. Sleazebags trying to drag you into rip off “shows”. Overpriced watered-down drinks. Lady drinks mysteriously added to you bill at 180 baht per.

Nowhere to park your car. It’s a total disaster. Who would want to go there??

Timothy Terrible high prices of Tuktuk’s in Patong. 2km drive = B200! A rip-off!

Ronald S

Re: Phuket TAT chief strikes back at low tourism numbers claims Been here 11 years. Definitely the quietest I have ever seen.

Scott Griffin I could almost have believed this nonsense until the bit about hotel occupancies.

If every hotel on Phuket is 71.77% full we’d need wider pavements to accommodate all the people. Why do they think people would make these stories up? Who benefits from ‘pretending’ business is really bad? No one. The truth is that business IS really bad.

CaptainJack69 Just take a walk along Bang Tao beach, very few people, the illegal bars and restaurants are suffering as are all other restaurants in the area.

Shwe

Sunken dreams

Re: Doomed ‘Phoenix’ substandard: international experts It’s a tragedy that shouldn’t have happened. We went from Phuket to Phi Phi and other islands on that same horrible

day. July 5. Booked the day trip through tour office in Karon beach. The fibreglass speed boats with triple 225 outboards also need to be assessed by authorities. When the storm hit we were attempting to return back to Phuket.

The interior f loor where I meets the vertical seating base the full length crack were opening and closing the whole rough trip. Approximately 25mm then crunching together as the hull smashed through the waves. I had my wife and children with me and the boat was packed. Probably overloaded I think. Never trust any of these cowboy operators again. Do so at your own risk.

Darren Lamont No the question is what to do with the thousands of other boats with non-compliant glass, HINO engines and loose ballast? Because that is the majority of the flee.

Blue Peter Marine

Immigration drive-by Re: Phuket Immigration to close for New Year I walked through the Drive Thru yesterday as I had to see someone quickly inside

first. Great service. Done in three mins.

Jon Partington I was there today, came in a taxi (van). The wife of our driver handed over my passport, the young lady checked me out in the back seat… 4-5 minutes later I was given a new 90-day extension and a nice wai. That was it. Easy.

Steinar Jenssen

Rolling afterlife

Re: Woman knocked from motorbike, crushed by truck on Phuket’s main road So so sad. The motorbikes are not the problem. Yes, there are idiots but the main problems are cars, mini-bus, trucks, big buses, lorries and tuk-tuks. All the things with more than two wheels. So many just do not know how to drive them. You see terrible driving all the time. If they charged every person who causes a death with a car, 4x4, truck, bus with murder and sentence as such, then how many less non drivers will risk being on the roads? As it is being in a public place with a deadly weapon in reality.

Simon Lomas

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

NLA approves medical cannabis, kratom bill NATIONWIDE

Bangkok Post

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he National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Tuesday (Dec 25) passed the second and third readings of an amendment to the narcotics law legalising the production, import, export, possession and use of cannabis and kratom products for medical purposes.

The bill received 166 votes in favour with 13 abstentions. The final version sees a bigger narcotics control committee with 25 members instead of 17.

The eight additions were the permanent secretary for agriculture and the chiefs of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, the Department of Industrial Works, the Department of Health Service Support, the Department of Mental Health, the Medical Council of Thailand, the Thai Traditional Medical Council and the Pharmacy Council of Thailand.

The law authorises the committee to approve the production, import, export and possession of cannabis and kratom as well as related regulations.

It permits the use of cannabis and kratom for government and medical benefits, the treatment of patients, research and development, agriculture, commerce, science and industry.

Consumers will be able to carry speci-

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The medical marijuana bill has been passed and will become law once published in the Government Gazette. Photo: Pixabay / StayRegular fied amounts necessary for treatment of illness if they have prescriptions or certificates from professionals in medicine, dentistry, Thai traditional and alternative medicine or indigenous medicine.

Possession will be subject to conditions approved by the narcotics control committee.

Licences for the production, import, export, sale and possession of cannabis and kratom will be for government organisations tasked with medical and agricultural research and education and narcotics suppression, the Thai Red Cross Society, Thai traditional and indigenous medical professions, medical universities,

registered community-based farmers’ organisations, international transport operators, international travelling patients who need to carry narcotics and those approved by the public health minister.

The licences can be transferred to heirs or specified recipients if the licensees die before their licences expire.

Violators will be liable to five to 15 years in prison and/or a fine of up to B1 million, depending on the amounts of cannabis and kratom illegally in their possession.

The amendment will become law only when it is published in the Government Gazette.

THAILAND NEWS

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Holiday spending to rise as oil prices drop NATIONWIDE FESTIVE SPENDING IS expected to increase this year from 2017, with a decline in oil prices helping to raise the purchasing power of Thais during the New Year season, according to a university survey.

Thanavath Phonvichai, vice-president for research at the University of the Thai Cha mbe r of Com me rce (UTCC), said spending by Thais is forecast to grow 2.5% this year to B135.27 billion.

Of the total, Bangkok residents are expected to spend B62.2bn, with people in the provinces spending B73.1bn.

Some B97.1bn is projected to be spent on tourism, with B38.2bn set aside for goods purchases, parties and meritmaking.

“Spending during the New Year period can help drive the country’s economic growth in the first quarter of next year,” Mr Thanavath said.

He said the university expects the long-awaited general election to boost economic growth next year, with an estimated B30-50bn to be circulated during the election.

The UTCC is maintaining

People pose for photos in front of CentralWorld. Holiday spending is forecast to hit B135.27bn. Photo: Bangkok Post an economic growth forecast of 4.2% this year, which could be the first time in six years that economic growth exceeds 4%.

Mr Thanavath said the university predicted that the economy will stay on course, with strong growth next year of 4.3-4.5%.

For 2019, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) expects GDP growth of 3.5-4.5%.

Mr Thanavath said risk factors that need a close watch include the deepening trade war between the US and China, the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes and the Brexit deal.

He also expressed concern about the possibility of farm prices dropping in line with global oil prices.

Bangkok Post

WORLD NEWS

8

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

Life and death choices

Indonesia Sunda tsunami victims recount how they survived INDONESIA Muhammad Ary & Harry Pearl

U

din Ahok was forced to make a choice that no one would ever want to make: save his wife or his mother and baby.

The 46-year-old Indonesian had just gone to sleep last Saturday evening (Dec 23) when – without warning – a wall of water smashed into his house in Way Muli village on the coast of Sumatra.

Panicked, he fought to reach his sleeping 70-year-old mother and one-year-old son but then he saw his wife about to drown in the swirling waters.

He plucked her to safety and they survived the fury of a volcanotriggered tsunami that smashed into Indonesia’s coast, killing more than 400 people who had no time to escape.

Ahok's mother and baby were found dead under mountains of debris.

“I didn’t have time to save my mother and son,” a weeping Ahok told AFP from a local shelter for evacuees in one of the stricken region’s hardest-hit areas.

“I regret it so much. I can only hope they've been given a place in

Residents search for belongings from their collapsed homes on Dec 25, 2018. Photo: AFP God’s hands.”

Sulistiwati, another Way Muli resident who is six months pregnant, only survived thanks to a neighbour who saw her tumble into the salty water.

“Luckily, he spotted me and pulled me out of the wave and we ran to higher ground with our other neighbours,” she said.

“It was pitch black. I didn't know I could run that fast being pregnant.

It was so scary. We waited for a few hours until the water went down.”

‘I can’t rebuild’

Across the Sunda Strait in Java island, Saki stood amidst the rubble of what was once Sumber Jaya village and wondered aloud how he would get his life back on track.

“I can’t rebuild, everything is gone – my clothes, my money,” he told AFP. “I had 19 million rupiah ($1,300) inside the house,” said the 60-yearold, who has been left with nothing but his white Muslim skull cap, a T-shirt and a sarong.

“I’m sleeping at the mosque and every day I come back here because

I had lots of money that has been lost inside (the house).”

Two people were killed and at least 20 houses destroyed in Saki's neighbourhood, according to locals, who spent Christmas Day scouring through what was left of their homes for belongings.

The streets of Sumber Jaya are muddy, partly flooded and covered in debris. Here and there mounds of timber, rubbish and bricks have been piled up on the roadside. The army is clearing the area with the aid of heavy machinery.

“When the tsunami hit the electricity suddenly went off and I heard a noise that sounded like the roar of a plane,” recalled Ismail, a 62-year-old Sumber Jaya resident.

“I pointed my flashlight toward the sea and saw the wave… I ran into the forest up in the hills.”

Ismail’s home – and flock of goats – were spared by the killer wave.

But in front of his inland house, the tsunami had wiped out everything in its path, knocking down shops and homes and leaving just a muddy patch of earth, strewn with timber, uprooted trees and the mangled remains of a small amusement park.

“There was a gas station, grocery store and spare car parts shop over here,” Ismail said.

“They’re all gone now. We have not got any help yet. We've only got muddy rice, but we're still going to cook it.”

Back in Sumatra, Nasoha’s body was covered in cuts and bruises and his house is gone.

But he sees himself as one of the lucky ones.

“I have a gash on my cheek and my arm and ear are also injured,” the 45-year-old said.

“But I’m grateful we’re alive.”

AFP

The scramble to reach isolated towns INDONESIA INDONESIAN SEARCH and rescue teams yesterday (Dec 25) plucked stranded residents from remote islands and pushed into isolated communities still desperate for aid in the aftermath of a volcanotriggered tsunami that killed more than 400.

Medical workers have warned that clean water and medicine supplies were running low – stoking fears of a public health crisis – as thousands of displaced survivors cram shelters and hospitals.

Many were left homeless.

The disaster agency said it has dispatched helicopters to drop supplies into a handful of hard-to-reach communities along the shattered coastlines of western Java and south Sumatra.

Hundreds of residents still stranded on tiny islands in the Sunda Strait, which separates Java and Sumatra, will be airlifted or taken by boat to shelters, the agency said.

Sniffer dogs are being used to find those still missing as grief-stricken relatives lined up at identification centres, but hopes of finding any survivors beneath the rubble have dwindled.

Indonesian rescue personnel carry away a body bag at the Villa Stephanie accommodation in Carita, Banten province. Photo: AFP “We’re starting to access the most isolated places hit by the tsunami,” said senior disaster agency official Dody Ruswandi.

“The devastation there is pretty massive, but we had not been able to get in there in the first couple of days.”

Some roads and bridges near isolated communities had been damaged, making road access more difficult, he added.

The powerful tsunami struck Saturday night without warning, sweeping over popular beaches and inundating tourist hotels and coastal communities, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake.

The latest death toll stood at 429, with 1,485 people injured and another 154 still missing.

An eruption of the rumbling Anak Krakatoa volcano, which sits in the middle of the Strait separating Java and Sumatra, caused a section of the crater to collapse and slide into the ocean, triggering the tsunami, officials have said.

Anak Krakatoa is an island that emerged in the crater left

by Krakatoa, whose massive 1883 eruption killed at least 36,000 people.

Experts have warned that volcanic activity remains high and more deadly waves could slam the region now covered by mountains of overturned cars, boats and other debris.

The Indonesian Red Cross said more than 400 staff and volunteers are delivering clean water, blanket, tarpaulins and other supplies, while it dispatched mobile medical units.

AFP thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

BUSINESS NEWS

9

Hotels keep on coming

International expansions undeterred by lowest ADRs in SE Asia TOURISM Suchat Sritama

F

oreign and local investors continue to expand their hotels in Thailand to cope with tourism growth, but the sector is being challenged as the average room rate here has remained the lowest among big cities in Southeast Asia.

An influx of international arrivals and strong domestic travel are driving the hotel push. The Tourism Authority of Thailand predicts that 40.3 million foreigners will visit the country next year, while locals will make 177mn trips.

The latter half of 2018 showed local and foreign investors displaying robust demand for the hotel business despite a dip in Chinese tourists denting the inbound market.

Domestic developers accounted for the bulk of activity, such as Singha Estate purchasing six hotels from Outrigger. Two properties are in Thailand, with the

Hotels continue to sprout up all over Pattaya. Photo: Bangkok Post others overseas.

In addition, local operators and investors have increased their exposure in the hotel segment by buying or developing assets, as they believe that tourism offers stronger growth prospects than manufacturing industries they have traditionally engaged in, according to CBRE Asia-Pacific.

Foreigners are also interested in the Thai hotel market, with recent deals such as Surf

Hotel Patong Phuket, which was sold to a Singapore-based operator.

InterContinental Hotels Group, in partnership with Ratanakorn Asset, has announced the signing of eight new properties in Thailand’s key resort destinations of Pattaya, Rayong, Phuket, Khao Lak and Koh Samui.

The multi-brand signing, consisting of new hotels from the Holiday Inn, Holiday

NLA approves better severance pay LABOUR T H E NAT IONA L LEGislative Assembly (NLA) has passed an amendment bill to the labour protection law, giving workers laid off after 20 years of service the equivalent of 400 days’ pay.

The new rate is expected to be in force by January or early February next year.

The NLA voted 179 in favour with five abstentions to pass the bill to increase the severance pay from 300 days to 400 days for workers serving over 20 years.

The bill will become law after being published in the Royal Gazette.

The severance rates for workers with other working periods remained unchanged.

The severance rates after the bill was passed are as follows: - Workers with more than 120 days, but less than oneyear employment are entitled to 30 days’ pay; - Workers with more one year but less than three years employment are entitled to 90 days’ pay; - Workers with more than 3 years but less than six years employment are entitled to @thephuketnews

The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) passed the amendment to the labour protection law, giving workers laid off after 20 years of service the equivalent of 400 days’ pay. Photo: Bangkok Post 180 days’ pay; - Workers with more than 6 years but less than 10 years are entitled to 240 days’; and - Workers with over 10 years are entitled to 300 days’ pay.

The bill also increased other social welfare benefits for workers, particularly the duration of maternity leave, which will be increased from 90 days to 98 days.

It sailed through the second and third readings after the NLA took more than one

hour to consider it.

Manas Kosol, chairman of the Employees’ Labour Development Council, welcomes the changes. He said it showed the government recognised the importance of labourers, particularly those who have worked for over 20 years.

Long-serving employees deserve better severance packages since they are their last lump-sum payments after retirement or employment termination, said Mr Manas.

Penchan Charoensuthipan

Inn Express and Staybridge Suites brands, will add more than 2,000 rooms. The hotel openings are scheduled for 2018-27.

Japanese hotel chain Nikko Hotels International (NHI) has announced that it will open a hotel in Bangkok in early 2019.

AccorHotels is set expand its portfolio here as well, with a plan to operate 20 hotels totalling 4,775 rooms by 2020 through multiple brands.

For the home-sharing business, Mike Orgill, Airbnb’s country manager for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, said the company just unveiled the next stage of growth in Thailand with the launch of Airbnb Plus in Bangkok and Phuket. The move is aimed at attracting 400mn global guest travellers.

S u p a w a n Ta n o m k ieatipume, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said a big challenge for the hotel sector in Thailand is pricing. She explained that the average room rate in big cities in Southeast Asia such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Yangon are two to three times higher than in Bangkok.

Room rates in Tokyo and Hong Kong are even higher than in Singapore.

“We have seen more and more investment in Thailand because hotels need high volumes of guests and Thailand can serve that,” she said.

The THA reckons that the hotel business will continue to grow if there’s no political crisis after the election in

2019 and the global economy stabilises.

International tourists are watching the election and political developments, with many preferring to see democracy in Thailand.

Tourists in Asia, however, are less concerned about political issues, instead prioritising their incomes and money supply. Tensions between the US and China have already halted new bookings from the mainland.

Mrs Supawan said she hopes that Chinese tourists will return during Chinese New Year in early February.

Advanced reservations made for November 2018 fell to 70%. Hotels in Thailand usually run at 80% occupancy during the final quarter each year.

“After all, making predictions or forming a clear picture is difficult for the hotel business for 2019,” Mrs Supawan said.

“Tourism results in the final quarter of 2018 will tell us more,” she added.

Bangkok Post

10 BUSINESS NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

Change in the mix

Phuket’s market mix has evolved: Down but definitely NOT out TOURISM Andrew J Wood

T

here are many mixed messages emerging over Thailand’s key tourism arrival results in the wake of a series of accidents coupled with a global economic shift. Attention has been focused on Phuket – often considered Thailand’s gem – and the recent lack of tourists, especially from China.

Following the tragic Phoenix boat accident in July when 47 Chinese tourists drowned in strong seas, business from China has been affected.

Last year, 9.8 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand.

Making up the lion’s share of the country’s 35mn annual visitors. Total number of visitors to Thailand increased from 32.59mn in 2016 to last year’s 35.38mn in 2017.

Back in February 2018 Kasikorn Research Centre in Bangkok anticipated that a favourable atmosphere will continue to greet Chinese tour-

Indian tourists are approached by a show promoter on Bangla Rd, Patong. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot ists to Thailand given many positive factors. In its forward forecast it stated, “In 2018, the aggregate total of Chinese visitors to Thailand may reach 10.4-10.6mn, rising 6.3-8.4% over-year, versus the 12.0% growth recorded for 2017.

Tourism receipts generated by Chinese tourists vacationing in Thailand are estimated will reach B 573.1-584.6 billion, up 9.3-11.4% YoY, versus 15.8%

growth YoY during 2017.”

Following the Phoenix tragedy, most observers believe arrivals from China have taken a downturn. Reuters reported at the time of the boat accident, “The worst tourist-related disaster in Thailand in years and underscores long-standing concerns about the industry’s safety.”

The South China Morning Post reported last month say-

ing, “Chinese tourist arrivals in Thailand are tumbling, dragging down overall visitor growth in the Southeast Asian nation and dimming the outlook for an economy that relies on spending by holidaymakers. Travellers from China slid 12% in August, the biggest drop in more than a year, keeping the overall pace of visitor growth near a 16-month low. Thai officials are rattled as Chinese visitors are the top source of foreign receipts in an industry that makes up about a fifth of the economy.”

It went on to say, “Thailand’s image in China has also been hurt by a dengue outbreak, the strength of the baht and a viral video of an airport guard apparently punching a Chinese tourist.”

A recent report in Thai-

land’s Nation was also reporting, “Expensive Phuket Dead as a Dodo this High Season”, with claims that Phuket has priced itself out of the market and both Thais and foreigners are voting with their feet, claiming that a trip to the Thai holiday island is as expensive as going abroad.

Most hoteliers I spoke to do admit that November was quieter. But it’s not all doom and gloom and not as bad as some are making out. The mix of tourist feeder markets has changed, which is not uncommon for a tourism destination. They are all optimistic however that visitors arrivals will bounce back.

I spoke with respected hotelier Matthew C Hindmarch, Director of Resorts and Hotels for the Aksara Collection, a Phuket-based business which operates both resorts and apartments on Phuket and includes their newest property The Sis Kata Resort and the popular Kata Sea Breeze Resort.

Mr Hindmarch can often be found at most trade shows around the world promoting his properties to buyers and tour operators. Widely travelled, Mr Hindmarch is considered a Thailand expert and one of the most knowledgeable hoteliers on the island. He speaks or emails travel agents and tour operators from around the world on a daily basis.

He had the following to say a few days ago, about current

market conditions: “Last weekend it was lovely to see Patong so busy both daytime and nighttime as I drove through on my daily drive. Yes, it has been rather sluggish this year in comparison with last, but we have faced challenges for example, the very strong Thai Baht, Brexit to a very small extent – as UK guests are holding onto their cash at the moment – to see what actually does or does not happen.

“Scandinavia, especially Sweden, has seen issues with their own currency making overseas travel more expensive than ever. The Russian market (we work on commitment rooms) has fallen with very last minute sales and some heavy discounted needed to attract customers. Some operators put this down to the lack of slots at Phuket (HKT) International Airport resulting in them having to operate to Krabi instead.

“The Chinese market has been greatly affected by recent events, however, we have already closed out during the Chinese New Year (Feb 2019) at one of our resorts with the Chinese agents trying to secure ‘pre buy’ during this time.

“Recent trips to China produced positive results and new agents are coming to work with us here in Phuket.

Agents told us that they expect to bounce back at Chinese New Year to previous figures,” he said.

Andrew J. Wood arrived in Thailand in 1991 and has remained here ever since. Working in senior posts with Shangri-La Hotels, the Royal Garden Resort Group (now Anantara) and the Landmark Group. Latterly he has been the General Manager at the Royal Cliff Group of Hotels in Pattaya and the Chaophya Park Hotel Bangkok & Resorts. Andrew is currently President of Skål International Bangkok and Vice President Skål Int’l Asia (Southeast) and continues to travel and write.

Thai travellers to Japan top 1 mn TOURISM THE NUMBER OF THAI travellers to Japan has topped 1 million this year, making Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to reach that threshold amid Tokyo’s efforts to attract overseas visitors through the relaxation of visa requirements.

T he nu mbe r of T hai visitors during the first 11 months period was estimated at 1,003,800, up 15.2% from a year before, according to data from the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO).

Commemorating the 40th

The number of visitors from Thailand to Japan has breached 1 million a year.

Photo: Post Today anniversary of friendship and cooperation between Japan and the region in 2013, the Japanese government aimed to leverage the number of visitors from Southeast Asia through the visa deregula-

tion as part of its strategy to stimulate tourism.

Given fast econom ic growth in the region, travellers to Japan from six Southeast Asian nations -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- surged nearly six-fold from 2011 through 2017.

The combined number of travellers from the six countries this year is likely to reach 3 million, driven by rapid growth in the number of visitors from the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, according to the data released last week.

Kyodo News thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

The miracle of the festive spirit

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

12

Nang talung puppet show’s rich history

15

TALES ON THE ROAD Characters on the move: A literary journey through travel Photo: James Bold

David Jacklin editor1@classactmedia.co.th

P

rotagonists in a state of travel has been a popular and recurring theme in the history of literature.

In many of the classic novels in this genre, it is not the A-to-B journey nor resolution of the quest that is of main interest. But rather the opportunity it affords the author to study central characters in-depth, exploring insights, and often iconoclastic observations within the floating world.

The backdrop of a journey was central to the very earliest writings, from the ancient Greek epic poems of Homer, to the first published scriptures of the Bible and the Mahayana Sutras.

Escapism and the desire to travel is certainly a handy rouse to attract an audience in the art of storytelling, but in many of the most influential works the voyage is merely the vehicle to induce the social, psychological and metaphysical themes the author is more interested in exploring.

In The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, first published in 1400 and one of the best-loved works in the history of English literature, the entire guise is of travelling pilgrims recounting moral stories to entertain one another whilst also expressing beliefs around religion, relationships and social class amongst the diverse topics and amusing scenarios within the 24 tales.

The collection follows the journey of a group of pilgrims, 31 including Chaucer himself, from the Tabard Inn in Southwark to St Thomas Becket’s shrine at Canterbury Cathedral. Each of the tales is told from an omniscient third-person point of view, providing the reader with the thoughts as well as actions of the characters. The tales often relate to comic situations and verse to cheer the travelling throng.

Filth and old age, I’m sure you will agree, are powerful wardens upon chastity.

Moving right along a few hundred years, and we see the emergence of the Picaresque novel. This early form of the novel, usually a first-person narrative, relates the adventures of a rascal adventurer (In Spanish, ‘pícaro’ translates as ‘rogue’) as he drifts from place to place and from one social milieu to another in his effort to survive.

The style evolved in Renaissance Spain, and most famously Don Quixote, a novel by Miguel de Cervantes pub@thephuketnews

lished in the early 1600s and considered to be the first modern novel, incorporated many elements of this form.

“It is very evident,” answered Don Quixote, “that thou art not versed in the business of adventures. They are giants; and if thou art afraid, get thee aside and pray, while I engage with them in fierce and unequal combat.”

From the rural countryside of Spain to the deepest rainforests of the uncharted Congo, the roaming hero is often battling their own selves, refusing to see the world for what it appears to be, ahead of an impending inevitability.

In Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness (1899) we follow Charles Marlow up the Congo River narrating his own voyage and fears. As he travels deeper up river on an ivory trading company excursion to an important outpost managed by a Mr Kurtz, he hears increasingly disturbing rumours about his state of mental health, being worshiped as a god by the indigenous tribes, and more sinister tales of savagery and slaughter.

The dense jungle of the Congo and the oppressive silence enhance the drama as Marlow heads onwards towards his fate.

The film buff will recognise this novella as the basis for Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War classic, Apocalypse Now (1979). It seems that foreign travel can get to the best of us.

“The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us down towards the sea with twice the speed of

our upward progress; and Kurtz’s life was running swiftly, too, ebbing, ebbing out of his heart into the sea of inexorable time.”

Perhaps the most famous of the 20th Century novels recounting a life in continuous travel was one born out of the Beat Generation of 1950s American.

On the Road was written in just three weeks by the movement’s most predominant figure, Jack Kerouac, on a 120-foot scroll of tracing paper sheets. The novel recounts the nomadic life of its colourful cast, living life against a backdrop of jazz, poetry and drug use.

The novel is famously a roman à clef, with many key figures of the Beat movement thinly disguised in the prose, including William S. Burroughs (Old Bull Lee), Allen Ginsberg (Carlo Marx), Neal Cassady (Dean Moriarty) and Kerouac himself as the narrator Sal Paradise represented as characters in the book.

Kerouac’s autobiographical prose expresses an alternative lifestyle of freedom from societal oppression with a romantic vision, as well as a melancholic undertone, of life on the road.

“I believed in a good home, in sane and sound living, in good food, good times, work, faith and hope. I have always believed in these things. It was with some amazement that I realized I was one of the few people in the world who really believed in these things without going around making a dull middle class philosophy out of it. I was suddenly left with nothing in my hands but a handful of crazy stars.”

And those beatific words bring us up to the modern era and a final chapter closer to home.

In 1996 a young writer wished to capture his wanderlust for adventure in Thailand. The Generation X novel explored the idyllic life of a hidden community in a remote Krabi province island, only to see the exotic paradise unravel into a captive’s nightmare, like a backpacker’s Lord of the Flies. Alex Garland’s The Beach soon became the young traveller’s bible, and the swarms of tourists to Phi Phi Island, where the movie version starring Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed, remain testament to the story’s lure. The On On Hotel in Phuket Town was also used as the location for the Khao San hostel where Richard, the central character, begins his dramatic adventure.

“This is where the hungry come to feed. For mine is the generation that travels the globe and searches for something we haven’t tried before. So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite and never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience – And if it hurts, you know what?

It’s probably worth it.”

The central characters in these tales of travel often have more meaningful inner journeys to fulfil, and find their way to a better place through the opportunities life afford those willing to surrender to the adventure. As J.R.R. Tolkien reminds us, “Not all those who wander are lost.”

12 CULTURE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

Christmas Magic Don’t Wait for Miracles – Become One

Bethlehem at Night. Photo: Pexels

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

D

ue to our unfamiliarity with them, foreign traditions often strike our hearts much more deeply than do the traditions that we like to claim for our own. Sometimes, we even find that new traditions can lead to miracles in our life because a foreign tradition gives us a new and novel way of seeing the world.

Historically, it has been in our nature

to look to exterior sources for miracles.

In the West, this led to miracles such as ‘feeding the five-thousand,’ ‘water into wine,’ and, of course, Christmas itself.

But, Christmas today often does suffer from a particular problem. The problem is that chapter-&-verse are fixed memories of a particular time and they therefore encompass forms and people who simply can no longer exist again.

To put it another way, we often have a much easier time in recreating bygone Christmas miracles than we do in terms of creating brand-new Christmas miracles… and this is often because of two reasons.

First, most of us really don’t under-

stand miracles and, second, we tend to look to others for miracles simply because we didn’t understand the idea in the first place.

But, then along comes a foreign holiday in a new land and, suddenly, we can see things through new traditions such as the exotic traditions of Thai Buddhism – a style of Buddhism which has a thesis that is often about creating miracles for yourself.

We’ve revealed a lot about miracles over the past few years of this series.

Yet, in the spirit of the season, we are going to reveal a laundry list of tips as to how miracles work, as well as how it is that we so often shutdown miracles before they even have the chance to start.

Many famous Buddhist Monks including Bojo Chinul of Korea, Ryokan Taigu of Japan, and Ajarn Chah of Thailand would all agree that we live in a natural state of miracles until we go and defuse them… and we defuse them mainly by having the wrong mindset.

To this end, many great Buddhist Monks have carried a mantra that goes ‘do not spend too much time thinking of the past, for it brings suffering and cannot be changed; and do not spend too much time thinking of the future, for it brings anxiety and is largely out of human hands anyway. Just exist in the living moment.’

Yet, modern psychologists have routinely found that we almost universally disavow this advice. Modern computer studies have revealed that we spend a whopping 40% of our time thinking of the past, another 30% on the future, and often do not use even 10% of our actual mental abilities. This is exactly the opposite of what Buddhism teaches and it brings tremendous amounts of unwarranted suffering.

Meanwhile, the next problem that we have is that we fail to understand the ‘Golden Rule of Miracles’. It’s my own euphemism, but I have transcribed the ‘Golden Rule of Miracles’ as this: Miracles only can happen when we trust that they will, and they invariably stop the very moment that we begin searching for them. That’s our Golden Rule and it tells us to look to ourselves for miracles, not others.

A miracle is an unexpected outburst of positivity and the unexpected can only happen when it truly is unexpected – it must be the natural course of things and, as such, miracles only can happen in times where they make no sense to our faulty human egos. In fact, miracles usually only rocket off the launch pad

Foreign traditions give us another way of seeing the world. Photo: Pexels

Creating our own Christmas magic. Photo: Pexels when they are fueled by the high-octane intolerance of others who cannot understand miracles for themselves.

What is more, our great Buddhist Patriarchs have long-since understood that miracles cannot be designed by human hands, which is perhaps why we tend to look onto the hands of others for their creation. The true blueprint of a miracle is one of unrelenting faith and there will never be any human design that can exceed one of unrelenting faith.

Ultimately, unrelenting faith is a conscious state of being an adult and, to borrow some words from Robert Frost, it has proven to be ‘the road not taken.’

Way leads onto way, and an unrelentingly positive frame of mind is ‘the road less traveled’ that can brighten each and every day.

From the hands of Buddha Himself, through the hearts of all human beings & through the pages of all great World Religions, let me wish you a very Merry Christmas, a very Happy Holiday and a very bright, New Year!

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 specific queries, or ideas for articles, please let us know. Email editor1@classactmedia.co.th, and I will do my best to accommodate your interests. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

PETS 13

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

You’re having a baby?

Preparing your family dog for the new addition UNLEASHED Russell D Russell info@k9pointacademy.com

H

aving a baby, whilst clearly a wonderful moment in your lives, can also (allegedly) be rather stressful, emotional and (if the rumours are true) quite tiring. This can also be true for your dogs, as well as you, and of course you are right to be concerned about your dog sniffing around the new addition – just think of all those bugs, infections and nasty bacteria that a dog can catch from an un-vaccinated toddler…

Of course, having a new addition to your household, and an uneducated, totally dependent one at that, brings with it myriad changes to both your (and your dogs) normal routine, so amidst all the excitement of bringing home your new baby, your dog may end up sharing most of the anxiety and less of the fun. There’s quite a bit that can be done with your dog to make the new transition easier, and with nine months to go, you’ve got time on your side.

and as such, has a big impact on your dog’s state of mind too.

The first thing to think about is what kind of exposure has your dog already had to children, small kids and animals? How did he react, what kind of experience was it? Don’t mistake dog “breed” for safety. Sure, some dogs are advertised as “great with kids and babies” but all dogs are different, and if there’s any chance he could react badly to a new baby – you need to know before it happens.

If you are ‘expecting’ its certainly worth consulting a canine behaviourist to assess your dog – if only for peace of mind!

The Calm Before The Storm…

It’s no surprise that your dog needs to adjust to the idea of having a baby around the house because frankly, so do you.

Changes in your routine, unfamiliar noises, less recreational time, increased stress, etc, all these things have a huge impact on you physically and mentally

New Baby Boot Camp Having your dog enrolled in obedience training prior to baby’s arrival should be given serious consideration. You’ll truly appreciate the added benefits of having a dog that will sit, lie down, go to place, leave it, or settle down, all on command.

In fairness, your priority, and thus all your attention and patience, is going to be spent on your new born, not your dog. You’re also likely to react more strongly to bad behaviours that previously you might have been more tolerant of.

Some people don’t mind if their dog barks every now and then, or jumps up to say hello – but if the baby is trying to sleep, or you are holding the baby in your arms, barking and jumping are going to cause problems. You can take a lot of pressure and worry off your shoulders (and your dogs) by enrolling in some obedience sessions.

This is not what I had in mind when you said let’s go for a stroll.

The Beagle Has Landed Our first instinct when the baby finally arrives home is to forget everything else and focus on them. But it’s really important not to forget about your dog, or to act differently with them.

Maintain your status quo, continue with your normal feeding and walking routines and incorporate them into your new ones. By being involved with you and the newbie, you’re preventing a build up of any frustration or anxiety in your dog.

Your dog will no doubt be curious of

Craig Gagnon, Clinical Director of Miracles Asia, an Addiction & Mental Wellness Centre in Phuket. www.miraclesasia.com or email info@miraclesasia.com or call 076 529 510. @thephuketnews

We’re all just one big happy family. the new sounds and smells associated with your baby, but will not understand how delicate he is. Obviously, you will want to supervise all interactions between baby and dog.

Your dog might be awesome with them, but that doesn’t mean he won’t snap if awoken suddenly by a baby yanking on his whiskers.

The humane treatment of all animals is an important lesson for children of any age as is the awareness and respect of a healthy set of canine teeth. Having a pet in the house is by far the best way for your child to learn about how to properly handle a dog, or other animal.

Having them involved in walking,

bathing, feeding or even training your dog will have immense benefits to them personally, as well as the added benefits to your dog.

If you would like some more information on canine training, or behavioural issues, then please contact us on 091 654 1960, email info@k9pointacademy.com, or check visit our www.k9pointacademy. com.

CPA is the only K9 organisation in Thailand accredited with the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), and as an American Kennel Club (AKC) Evaluator.

14 ARTS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

The shadow-puppet master Preserving the ancient arts

A

Pichaya Svasti

Southern teen has been working hard in becoming a nang talung shadow-puppet master amid concerns that the popularity of the traditional performing art may decline.

One night in Khanom district of Nakhon Sri Thammarat province, 15-year-old Thanawit Kerddam brought out his best in performing a southern folk tale before numerous viewers. He provided the voices to more than 10 nang talung shadow puppets, sang along with fast-paced southern music, and occasionally slipped in jokes and current events. Although the audience from Bangkok did not understand the southern dialect, they felt the characters’ emotions as the shadow puppets danced behind the white-cloth screen.

Amid concerns that the popularity of nang talung may decline, Thanawit, or Oat, a native of Surat Thani province, tries to prove that the young generation can keep this traditional performing art alive.

The boy performs for the Tambon Khanom Community’s nang talung youth group, which was founded in 2016 with financial aid from the Power Devel-

opment Fund of the Energy Regulatory Commission. The Power Development Fund provides financial assistance to communities located near power plants through proposals of project ideas to support their livelihood.

“I have been practising nang talung since my early childhood,” said Thanawit, a mathayom three student at Muang Surat Thani School. “I not only have fun but also want to preserve Thai culture.”

It all started when Thanawit received as a gift several nang talung puppets, including the mainstay characters Theng and Nui – the comedians that appear in every shadow-play story – from an elderly man when he was about three or four years old.

“Since then, I have been playing with the puppets by myself. At the age of 10, I began to learn how to master nang talung, including singing and voicing, from video clips on YouTube. My favourite character is the funny Srikaew, who is in every tale. I also like to include dhamma in my voiceover,” he said.

He would practise two to three hours a day when he has free time, before beginning to study with a mentor about five years ago.

“Whenever I master nang talung, I feel happy. When I grow up, I want to be

Thanawit Kerddam, 15, performs with nang talung shadow puppets. Photo: Jetjaras Na Ranong

a nang talung puppet master and also a ship technician because my hometown is Koh Samui and I like sailing,” he noted.

His parents helped foster his love of nang talung through their own deep appreciation. They have continually supported his pursuit of becoming a shadow puppet master.

Thanawit’s skills were so impressive that he eventually joined the well-known Suvit Sitthaweesin Troupe in Nakhon Sri Thammarat province.

So far, the boy has performed at several funerals and temple fairs and is paid B1,000 per show per night.

“I am delighted to have earned my own income,” the boy proudly said.

“The most difficult part of each show is to master the puppets’ movements because postures are delicate. I also need to tie in current news as well as jokes in my improvised voiceover. This time, I mentioned the rubber price problem. But I am most interested in cultural topics.”

It’s a traditional practice for puppet masters to sprinkle current news items in their performances as a form of humorous commentary.

A few of his friends also practise nang talung. He believes the shadow play can entertain and de-stress audiences. He is not upset when certain friends tease him for being old-fashioned for loving the traditional art.

Tasom Soisuwan, a nang talung instructor and scriptwriter who teaches Thanawit, said he saw the boy’s potential at a young age.

“I started writing scripts for him and encouraged him to perform nang talung in front of his classroom. His teachers and classmates liked his shows, so he had the courage to continue.”

After the boy participated in krob khru, a rite of passage for artists, with famous nang talung master Suvit Sitthaweesin, Tasom’s training became more demanding. For example, he told the boy to read and memorise scripts first and master the puppets along with the music. The boy was also taught to practise speaking nang talung according to several masters’ taped voices.

“I am confident that Thanawit is able to be a good nang talung master, but one of the problems is the lack of a backup band. So our group needs more financial support.

“In the past, we had no puppets of our own and had to borrow some from the Suvit Troupe. Fortunately, after receiving money from the Power Development Fund, we bought the set, audio equipment and over 100 puppets for our troupe. We hope for this continual support,” the instructor noted.

Currently, Tambon Khanom Community’s nang talung youth group is paid B3,500 per four-hour show while more famous troupes, such as Khai Nui, are usually paid B60,000. The instructor teaches Thanawit without collecting tuition fees and also provides free scripts to the teen.

Nang talung combines all forms of art, including leather carving and painting (for puppet making), literature (for writing scripts), music and performing arts, as well as rituals that have psychological effects on performers. Nang talung is a very disciplined type of performing art because one person performs multiple tasks, from singing to mastering the puppets movements and voices.

In addition, a puppet master must have a sense of humour and perform tricks to attract audiences’ interest.

According to Tasom, the charm of nang talung includes rhymes, emotions and fun. Performers can also mix modern melodies and newly composed lyrics about good conscience. Although the art form itself is old, its execution is timeless.

“I believe nang talung will last for a very long time in the South of Thailand.

Even my grandson who is a kindergarten pupil loves it and hangs around with Phi [big brother] Oat [Thanawit] while practising for many hours,” Tasom said.

Meanwhile, Thanawit said that nang talung is precious and needs to be conserved by new generations. It is still popular in the South and a number of viewers are young people. He would feel sorry if nang talung no longer attracted crowds.

To him, all kinds of local performing arts, such as nang talung, manora (traditional dance) and pleng bok (folk singing) should be preserved.

“I will do my best to fulfil my dream to become a famous nang talung master.

I also want to perform abroad and teach younger people,” the boy remarked.

Bangkok Post thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

COMMUNITY 15

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

Table Top of delights CAFE SOCIETY

Amy Bensema bensema.amy@gmail.com

A

minimalist cafe with a warm atmosphere, funky wooden tables and robust coffee, Coffee Table Top is a Thai coffee roaster in northern Phuket. A neighborhood favorite, the coffee shop presents a cozy venue to hang out in during the day.

Coffee Table Top is always buzzing, and it’s not just due to caffeine. The coffee shop is a hot little spot in the Laguna Phuket neighborhood, and after a few visits, it’s easy to see why. The shop’s location is extremely convenient, and there’s parking outside. The atmosphere is relaxing, and there is always a great playlist of tunes providing the background soundtrack. Additionally, the handmade bakery items and pastries are super delicious while the coffee is robust and strong.

Speaking of coffee, Coffee Table Top offers up a varied menu which features all of the usual suspects, including espresso, cappuccino, Americano, mocha and latte. For those looking for something extra sweet, there are also flavored lattes of which I recommend the caramel latte. A small selection of tea

@thephuketnews

is also available, as is cocoa and fresh juices.

If you are feeling a bit peckish, Coffee Table Top will curb those hunger pains. The handmade bakery items and pastries are the perfect accompaniment to a coffee, and they’re also available for takeaway. Coffee Table Top offers up goodies such as chocolate muffins, raisin rolls, Danish, and homemade scones.

Cake lovers are sure to fall in love with the lush cakes at Coffee Table Top. Some popular favorites include the blueberry New York cheesecake, the lemon tart, apple crumble and moist, gooey brownie. It’s important to note that prices are really affordable at Coffee Table Top. Considering the fact that the coffee shop is in quite an affluent area of Phuket, it’s a refreshing change to be able to grab a quality cake and fresh coffee without breaking

the bank.

The owner of Coffee Table Top is called Khun Lat. She’s a lovely lady who anticipates her guest’s every need.

Moreover, she has really great English and appreciates a good chat. She’s very receptive to feedback, so if you find something you love about the coffee shop, do let her know. If you’re on holiday in Phuket, Khun Lat is also a great person to get local advice from and would surely let you know the best beach or market to visit in the area.

I’m going to be honest. I like Coffee Table Top. I like it a lot. In fact, I like this coffee shop so much that I’ve actually driven all the way from my home in the south of the island up to Cherngtalay just to have a coffee and a brownie. I think the fact that I’d drive nearly an hour to visit a coffee shop says all that needs to be said about the place.

I can’t recommend Coffee Table Top

enough. If you’re in the area, do make sure you stop in. I have no reason to believe that you’ll be disappointed.

Located in Cherngtalay, at the entrance of Laguna Phuket, Coffee Table Top is open Saturday through Thursday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. For more information, call the coffee shop locally +66 (0) 84 625 9252.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/coffeetabletop/ Instagram: @coffeetabletop Written by Amy Bensema, Cafe Society is a monthly column which chronicles one girl’s search for the perfect cup of coffee. Have a cafe to recommend? Contact Amy via email at bensema.amy@ gmail.com or follow her caffeinated adventures as @phuketstagram on Instagram.

16 ART

Live Onstage!

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

Festive shows by our island’s young talent THE PLAY’S THE THING! Joel Adams

’T

is the season to be jolly!

And to see theatre, because what could be more jolly? By the time this comes out, the performances mentioned will have been laid to rest, but I hope reading about them will spur you to make sure you get to see the shows next time around, and I’m sure you won’t have to wait a whole year.

I also hope that you were able to catch some of these shows. Both BISP and HeadStart put up some great plays this December. There is a lot of talent on this island.

I myself was very busy with a number of shows so was not able to see the BISP plays, Aladdin: A Musical performed by primary students and Snow White: a Pantomime from the secondary school.

I heard from several happy audience members that they were side-splittingly

Nick Gold hosted the medley of performances supported by huge talent from every theatrical discipline.

Taking you straight back to the 70s. funny. Thank you, BISP, you never fail to entertain us with great stuff! Readers, don’t miss their shows.

HeadStart’s Creative and Performing Arts Academy (CAPA) has been giving us quality theatre for the last four years, plays such as Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits, Into the Woods, The Addams Family, The Amazing Adventures of Super Stan and now A Night at the Movies; all under the leadership of Ms Fabienne Beau. And the dance academy has performed wonderful dance recitals such as Chicago Stories and Charlie’s Angels.

An audience member said after watching A Night at the Movies, ‘I didn’t think the shows could get any better than last year’s, but they just did.’

Another audience member called the show ‘jaw dropping…’, ‘off the scale good,’ and went on to say, ‘I haven’t been that entertained in the vast majority of professional performances.’ So it looks like what Phuket lacks in quantity of shows, she makes up for in quality and amazing talent.

A Night at the Movies was an Oscarstyle trip through great movies with scenes acted, sung, and danced from a wide variety of films, fantasy, dystopian, spy, sci-fi, action, thriller, comedy, musical, and drama. There truly was something for everyone, and we never knew what was coming at us next.

It was an evening of surprises: choral singing from Frozen; dances to Singin’ in the Rain, Star Wars, Hunger Games, and James Bond/Mission Impossible; songs from Wizard of Oz, Wicked!, Blues Brothers, Grease, High School Musical, Mama Mia, Sound of Music, Sing! and Holiday Inn; acted out scenes from Forrest Gump, The Godfather, Dead Poets’ Society and The Lord of the Rings, and a surprise finale, The Greatest Show.

You never knew who would pop up throughout the evening. Was that Forrest Gump on a bench talking to Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, then getting scared off by the witch? Now we’re in Don Corleone’s office from The Godfather. Are those really the Blues Brothers outside Matt’s wife’s diner? What are they doing here? And just like that, we’re in a prep school classroom with the inimical Mr Keating from Dead Poets’ Society, then another school for Grease and High School Musical. Soon we’re transported to Middle Earth and witness the beginning of Smeagol becoming Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. And you never know when a ghost from Ghostbusters might invade the stage and audience.

And, OMG, are these kids really doing synchronised aerial acrobatics in the dance numbers?

Erika Cramp, the head of CAPA, said she was very, very proud to head this team and commented how thrilling it was to see how much the young people have grown in their singing, dancing, and acting, in their stage presence and overall performance skills in the last three and a half years of investment in their training. It was just very, very rewarding.

Some of the veteran performers answered some questions: I asked Stella Thipsak (Thai/French singer and dancer) why she liked to perform, and she said, ‘The vibe in CAPA is really nice, like a big family.’

Nick Gold, (Thai/American actor, singer, dancer), when asked what was the easiest and hardest part of the show for him, answered, ‘I really enjoyed being the host of the show, because I could take on this whole new persona when I got out there in the spotlight. That part was easy while running around backstage, changing costumes, preparing to go from one scene to another was hard work.’

Luna Ducasse (French actor, singer, dancer) said, ‘I love singing, dancing, and acting, in short, everything about creative arts, and this show (A Night at the Movies) is special, because there are so many different things happening. It’s very interesting.’

There were a number of first-timers in the show, and this is what one of them, Maneekan Sonthayanawin, Nina for short, (Thai actor and dancer) had to say, ‘This is my first show. I play one of the Blues Brothers, and it was hard to play a boy, because I’m not a boy and I need to act manly, to not be shy.

For people who have a hard time being extroverted, they should try CAPA or acting in any form, because it helps a lot and it’s loads of fun. For sure I’ll do this again next term.’

Having been with this show from the beginning, it’s hard to criticize anything, I loved it all, but I need to mention that, besides some incredible solo numbers from Nutcha Phaisamran, Juliana Mester, and Dasha Gorodtsova, and wonderful acting and dancing throughout the evening, two real delights for me were Lucy Mester’s wannabe star monologue (this girl has a true comic flare) and Vitalina Oshchepkova’s Gollum/Smeagol conversation with one side of her face made up as Smeagol and the other as Gollum. Creepy and impressive!

I could go on and on telling you about every scene, because they were all winners, but space does not allow. Talk to you next month.

In the meantime, The Play’s the Thing!

Joel Adams is building a vibrant theatre community right here in Phuket. You can contact him at theatrixphuket@gmail. com or by phone on 093 6490066. Facebook: Theatrix Group thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

EDUCATION 17

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

The Fabric of Friendship

BISP Students join hands with IWA for ‘Home of Hope’ project EDUCATION CORNER David Berman

I

n 2016, a group of British International School, Phuket - BISP IB CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) students, in conjunction with a group of other students working with the International Women’s Academy (IWA) began a project to make a bed quilt from recycled school uniforms. This would raise money to support a young girl from ‘The Home of Hope’ orphanage in India to study at BISP. Along with other fundraising, they were successful in the first step of bringing her here. She has since joined the school and is thriving in this unique and challenging environment.

The quilt will be given to one of the donors on their GoGetFunding page.

Over the course of four school terms, from September 2016 until December 2017, approximately 20 students would regularly turn up on afternoons to work on the project. The whole process involved around 400-plus manhours and there was an incredible amount of work that went into its creation. To create it, BISP uniforms were donated, collected and sorted. The process was labour intensive, from deconstructing, unpicking and ironing the uniforms to designing and finding fabrics.

Slowly but surely they cut fabric, pattern pieces and stitched their patchwork art. Once the inner pieces had been joined together, the students designed the border using the different fabrics available. Now, in total, there are over 500 pieces of fabrics stitched together. There have also been an equivalent number of loose thread ends to hand stitch and hide.

When the quilt top was completed, it was then time to add the middle layer of batting and backing fabric.

Once assembled and securely tacked together – this alone took three weeks to complete – they began hand-quilting the three layers together, but quickly

@thephuketnews

Approximately 20 BISP students regularly turned up on afternoons to work on the project, which took around 400-plus manhours to complete.

INSET: The students worked on a small machine and took turns to contribute, learning new skills as they went. Photos: BISP realised they needed to switch to machine quilting to save time. It is a very difficult procedure on a small machine but all the students took turns and contributed, learning new skills as they went. With some support from a quilting parent, it was completed in March of this year.

As is tradition in quilt-making, there is a label on the reverse side detailing its name, date and origin of its construction along with a record of all the contributors. Included in the pocket is some background on the IWA, whose goal is to “build sustainable systems and infrastructure to empower women of all backgrounds to become leaders in business, government and community.”

Everyone involved in the project truly displayed the ethos of what IWA stands for.

The goal of the CAS project is to make a meaningful impact on the community. These students can be proud of their many hours of hard work through all their fundraising efforts to see their results changing the life of one girl.

If you are interested in finding out a little more about either the IWA or the Home of Hope Orphanage, you can visit HomeOfHopeIndia.org and IWA-Edu-

cation.com or Facebook: IWAPhuket.

If you would like to sponsor the project with a chance at winning the quilt, please go to their GoGetFunding page (https://gogetfunding.com/iwa-phuketscholarship-campaign/).

David Berman is the Extended Curriculum Coordinator at British International School, Phuket - BISP. It is an English medium, coeducational, day and boarding school. Visit their website www. bisphuket.ac.th for more information.

18 ISLAND SCENE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

The launch was ‘electrifying’.

Nunthidej Phatanachinda, Olga Kotelenets and Dr Josef Kastenberger at the launch.

GALAXY SETS SIGHTS ON THE STARS A Galaxy of ‘stars’ on show.

Dave Chang (2nd from right) with the Hotel Clover team.

Roof Club Patong has officially launched Patong’s first and only roof club under slogan “Where all stars meet”. Present for the official opening, held at the club on the Patong beach road on Saturday (Dec 15) were Club Owner Dr Josef Kastenberger, Managing Director Olga Kotelenets and the club’s Advisor Nunthidej Phatanachinda.

The donation was made to Child-Watch Phuket.

ASIA MICE PLANNER HOLDS WORTHY APPRECIATION AND CHARITY PARTY On Dec 22, 2018 over 50 partners and friends joined together at the MEE DEE Restaurant in Kathu for the annual party where this year 50% of the entry fee was donated to Child-Watch Phuket Association. The children from the Child-Watch center performed a number of singing and dancing numbers. A great night was had by all!

Tim and Steve.

Katarina Bonér and family.

KAANDA BEACH LIFE MARKS 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF STYLISH BEACHWEAR Aloha Phuket! Congratulations was the word of the evening on Dec 14, as over 100 people came together at the Kaanda Beach Life store in Boat Avenue to celebrate the venture’s 5th Anniversary on Phuket. With Love, Kaanda! thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

A free introduction to Muay Thai was also available.

Edgar Toral, Dr Phonlawat Prechaborisutkul and Dr Maytinee Pajongrak.

ISLAND SCENE 19

Alexandra Lochmatter, Ping Ping Xu and Siwarin Prucksaprasert.

Suwatchana Sitthaphithakhong, Shane Novak and Coach J Prageeth Perera.

THANYAPURA HOSTS ITS FIRST-EVER 360 OPEN HOUSE FOR ALL-COMERS Thanyapura for the first time ever, and for one day only, held its Thanyapura 360 Open House on Saturday, December 15. A lot of fun was enjoyed by the guests, who were free to try out group classes in Zumba, Spinning, Pilates, Yoga, Tennis, Drum Dance and much more from 2pm to 5pm throughout the afternoon – all to experience a healthy and active lifestyle, filled with the fun of sports and play at Thanyapura.

Big smiles were all round for the occasion.

A collection of ‘National Geographic’ magazines were donated to the school.

LIONS CLUB ROARS WITH ‘THE LION THAT THOUGHT HE WAS SANTA CLAUS’ The Lions Club of Patong Beach recently organised a live performance of “A New Christmas Tale: The Lion that Thought He Was Santa Claus” for students at Dowroong Wittaya School as part of the club’s community support projects and to bring festive cheer to students at the school. The performance was held at the school’s auditorium, and the event saw a whole collection of National Geographic magazines donated to help students with their English studies.

The protective Brahma statue was honoured…

…and then the cake was cut!

JW MARRIOTT PHUKET RESORT & SPA CELEBRATES 17TH ANNIVERSARY The JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa celebrated its 17th anniversary on Dec 20. The celebrations included Brahmin, Buddhism and Muslim religious blessing ceremonies as well as paying respects to the spirit house and the Brahma shrine that protects the area and which Thais believe will bring prosperity to their lives. The festivities also included special treats for the associates and a cake-cutting ceremony led by General Manager Matthias Y. Sutter. @thephuketnews

20 EVENTS

FRI

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

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

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

New Year’s Eve countdown party New Year’s Eve - 31st December 2018. Gala dinner New Year’s Eve beach buffet - 19.00-22.30. New Year’s Eve countdown Party - 22.00-02.00. New Year’s Day - 1 January 2019. New Year’s Day brunch - 12.00-15.30. Reservations, XANA Beach Club, fbreservation-lagunaphuket@angsana. com, 076 358 500.

An Italian Evening Enjoy a selection of Italian antipasti, cold cuts, premium cheese, marinated olives, grill vegetables, homemade pickles, caprese skewers, bruschetta and homemade breads - all complemented by free-flow Italian beverages. B1,999 net per person for antipasti buffet and free-flow Italian beverages.

Enjoy 25% OFF when you dine with four persons or more.

Reservations at Dusit Thani, Laguna, Phuket: dtlpfb@dusit. com or call 076 362 999 ext.7303.

Welcome 2019 with a Bang at Two Chefs Bar & Grill Royal Phuket Marina New Year Market DON’T MISS OUT! Handmade Products at New Year Market 2018 at Royal Phuket Marina. We are delighted to bring you to the finest Open Market in Phuket. Showcasing the best gifts for your New Year Gift shopping needs. Tel: +66 (0) 76 360811 / +66 081 984 1127 (Jane) Email: jane@royalphuketmarina. com Jane, jane@royalphuketmarina.com, 096 645 5191.

Healthy Vegan Buffet at DiLite Restaurant Come to Thanyapura’s DiLite Restaurant to enjoy a healthy vegan buffet every Monday to Saturday. Lunch: 12pm to 3pm Dinner: 6pm to 8:30pm. Price: Lunch B350 and Dinner B550.

Information and bookings call 076 336 000 or visit: thanyapura.com/hotel/dining/

SUN

Sala Sunday Night Steak & Seafood Premium barbecue main course, including imported Australian Rib Eye, full rack of Lamb or whole Phuket Lobster accompanied by buffet of delicious appetizers.

Live music from 6.30pm. Premium BBQ. 1,700*Baht.

Reservations, Sala Phuket, events@salaphuket.com 076 338 888.

30 DEC

Bid the year 2018 goodbye and welcome the new year Two Chefs style! Listen to awesome tunes partnered with great food and drinks! WELCOME DRINK AMUSE BOUCHE Chicken liver pate with jujube, almonds & melba toast STARTER Goat cheese salad-Aragula, sundried tomatoes, red wine infused apples, fried onions, goat cheese croutons, Kalamat olives with a raspberry vinaigrette MAIN Surf & TurfGrilled Australian beef tenderloin, butter poached Candian lobster, Malbec-Redwine sauce, ratatouille and a tarragon flavored potato spring roll DESSERT Passion fruit panna cotta served with fresh tropical fruits and a chocolate truffle All for just 1295baht per person! Sing and dance your night away as we countdown to 2019! What are you waiting for? Visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TwoChefsThailand/ and book your table NOW! Reservations, Two Chefs Bar & Grill

Sunday Roast All Day, All Night

ALL YOU CAN EAT BBQ RIBS Come join us for our WEEKLY BBQ EVERY FRIDAY served ALL DAY & ALL NIGHT at Two Chefs Kata Center, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong. Indulge in All You Can Eat BBQ Pork Ribs, Chicken and Sides for ONLY 445 BAHT! Our BBQ is famous at Two Chefs! Come try us out and enjoy our mouthwatering pork ribs, flavour-bursting chicken and more! Join us for Live Music from 8-Late Performed by Our Famous Two Chefs Band! Come for the FOOD - Stay for the Fun. www. twochefs.com

SAT

Come enjoy a Traditional Sunday Roast EVERY SUNDAY at Two Chefs Kata Center, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong.

Indulge in our Traditional Sunday Roast ALL DAY & ALL NIGHT for ONLY 445 Baht! Enjoy a Large ALL YOU CAN EAT selection of your favorites! Featuring: Roast Aussie Beef, Pork Loin and Chicken. Roasted or Mashed Potatoes.

Roasted Mixed Vegetables Flavored with Thyme and Garlic.

Yorkshire Pudding and Red Wine Gravy. Enjoy Live Music from 8-late performed by our famous Two Chefs Band!

Come for the FOOD - RESERVE your table now online at bit.ly/TwoChefsReservations Check out more details on our website at bit.ly/TwoChefsEvents Reservation, Two Chefs Kata Center, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong. Kata Beach 076-333-370 Kata Center 076-330-065 Karon 076-286-479 Patong 076-344-914.

29 DEC

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

The Sunday Brunch Club Join us every Sunday from 12pm-4pm for the new season Sunday Brunch Club & Pool Party featuring over 120 items including... Alaskan King Crab, Live Boston Lobster, French Oysters, Seafood On Ice, new features include Live Stations, Imported Meats, Carvery Selection, Japanese Kitchen, Tapas, Brazilian BBQ, Sumptuous Salad Bar, Delicious Desserts, Exotic Fruits, International Cheeses and new weekly selections of featured cuisines from around the world... Dream Member Price THB 1590++ Adult Brunch THB 1890 ++ Reservations, Dream Beach Club, reservations@dreambeachclub.com, 098 048 3500.

MON

New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner Buffet at GALAXY Roof Club Ring in the New Year like a star at Galaxy Roof Club Patong’s New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner Buffet! We’ll take you out of this world and into the future with an incredible dining experience overlooking the Andaman while enjoying live entertainment, DJs, dancers and more as we countdown to 2019! DRESS CODE: SILVER PRICE: 2.900 THB per person Reservations reservations@galaxypatong.com 5/F Rooftop, Modern Living Hotel, 188/14-19 Thaweewon Rd, Patong, Kathu, Phuket 83150, reservations@galaxypatong.com, 076530472

31 DEC

Traditional Sunday Roast at O’Tool’s

All you can eat BBQ night

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

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

DAILY EVENT UPDATES ON

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EVENTS 21

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

MON

SAT

31 DEC

12 JAN

SAT

26 JAN

Thai Phenomenon New Year Eve Dinner Celebration

Celebrate New Year Eve 7 Course Degustation at The Plantation Club, from THB 4,990++. Firefly N.Y.E Live BBQ, from THB 3,990++. 360 Bar Glow Party, from THB 1,000++. Reservations, The Pavilions Phuket, restaurants.phuket@pavilionshotels.com, 076 317 600.

New Year’s Eve Under The Stars CELEBRATE WITH THE MOVERS & SHAKERS IN PHUKET AT THE BIGGEST PARTY OF THE YEAR. DONʼT MISS A NIGHT TO REMEMBER UNDER THE STARS. Where the drinks will flow into the early hours, set to the upbeat soundtrack of Live Music and DJ performances with the thrilling sights of spectacular entertainment, fireshow and midnight fireworks that light up the skies above Kamala Bay - Ring in the New Year in style along the Millionaires Mile, Phuket. COUNTDOWN PARTY & INTERNATIONAL BUFFET * 6.5 HRS FREE-FLOW DRINKS * 6.30 P.M. - 01.00 A.M. * B 2,000 Net Per Person * B 4,999 Net Per Person (With Buffet 06.30 P.M. - 09.00 P.M.). Reservations, HYATT REGENCY PHUKET RESORT, fnb.phuhr@hyatt.com, 076 231 234 #5106.

Make New Year’s Eve a night to remember; ring in 2019 in Phuket. Join families, friends and loved ones for an extravagant celebration at our “Thai Phenomenon Night New Year’s Eve Party and Gala Dinner” by vibrant Patong beach at Sala Bua restaurant. Enjoy an array of Thai delights, local Phuket foods and much more fabulous feast, created for this occasion. There will also be enchanting Thai dancers, a lion dance, lucky draw and live music to mark the auspicious night.

The New Year’s Eve celebration will end with an unforgettable countdown with beautiful uncountable firework on Patong beach. Reservations, Sala Bua Restaurant at Impiana Resort Patong, fb.patong@impiana.com

New Years Eve Party & Dinner Buffet @ Friendship Beach Friendship Beach Waterfront Resort Welcomes you to our New Years Eve. Dinner Buffet & Party. Featuring: Cabaret Show, Fire Show, Fireworks, Party & Dance with Live D.J. Welcome Cocktail, International Buffet with Imported Beef Filet, Grilled Salmon, B.B.Q. Ribs (award winning) Roast Duck Curry, Prawn Cocktail, and a large selection of Starters , Desserts & Sides. Adults 2,100 THB ++ Children under 12 years 700 THB ++ For Bookings call (66) 89 728 5304 or email chef@friendshipbeach.com Chef Charlie, 27/1 Soi Mittrapap Rawai Phuket, chef @friendshipbeach.com, (66) 89 728 5304 or (66) 98 670 6418.

THU

PAPA Event 2019 Raw Movement is the Key to Vitality @ Outrigger Laguna Are you a Movement Machine?

Come and join us for a dynamic physical and educational experience that will give you the Know How To Look and Feel Your Best! Your Team has a combined 50 of professional experience and are passionate about the carrying the message.The team includes Craig Burton- Nutrition, Thomas Engberts -Physiotherapist, and Rob Morgan and Optimal Strength and Performance Coach. Your ticket includes two action packed training sessions , all meals the Highlight being a BBQ dinner on the Beach, plus all Master Classes. Price 9500b Contact Darren 061 251 9768 darrenscherbain@ gmail.com

SUN

10 JAN

Daily seafood at Sala Bua beachfront restaurant Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous 2019

Avenue of Stars

@thephuketnews

TREVOR LOCK IN PHUKET

Held at Royal Phuket Marina from 10-13 of January, the THAILAND YACHT SHOW AND RENDEZVOUS combines all three of the island’s previous boat shows to create the definitive celebration of yachting and all things luxury. There will be live radio seminars, exotic car parades and activities for all the family to enjoy, including a painting competition from Elephant Parade where you can win prizes.

FRI Dress to impress and walk the talk on our red carpet and shine bright like a star at our gala dinner where gourmet cuisine and vibrant entertainment will make for a truly memorable yearend night. Time: 6.30 PM - 11.00 PM. Price: THB 8,999 net per person. Reservations, Dusit Thani, Laguna, Phuket, dtlpfb@ dusit.com, 076 362 999 ext.7303.

EVERY DAY

13 JAN

White & Gold NYE 2018 Party Join us for the countdown party of the year, with the biggest international line up in Phuket!! ‘Feat world exclusive performance by’ F A I T H L E S S (DJ SET) ‘Over 15 Million Record Sales Worldwide’ NYE VIP and Party Packages from THB 35,000 ++ for 4 persons Including **FREE FLOW PREMIUM BAR (9pm - 1am)** (Entry from 9pm). NYE Gala Dinner THB 5900 ++ (Advance booking required 7pm - 10pm).

NYE Entry Ticket THB 2000 NET (Including 1 Complimentary Drink) (Entry from 10pm). Reservations, Dream Beach Club, reservations@dreambeachclub.com, 098 048 3500.

On the 26th of January 2019 the PAPA will host Instruments for Orphans Live at the Underwood Art Factory to raise funds for the Instruments for Orphans drive. It start at 7pm and will feature the best and cutest students from PAPA, The Young Musicians Collective, JamStart and special guest AndreaH. For information email papa@legendmusic.net

11 JAN

Boat Lagoon Weekend 11-12 January 2019 Beat & Bite. Music & Food & Fun. From 6.00 pm till 10.00 pm. at Lagoon Quay. พบกับงานแสดงดนตรี อาหาร และความสนุกหลากหลาย รูปแบบ ทีง่ านโบ๊ทลากูนวีคเอนด์ Phuket Boat Lagoon, Phuket Boat Lagoon.

Announcing STANDUP ASIA’s next show featuring British, Malaysian, and South African comedian. Do not miss TREVOR LOCK (UK) with special guest RIZAL VAN GEYZEL (Malaysia) and host DUSTIN MOORE (South Africa). Tickets are on sale now from 350 THB (limited early bird), 600 THB (show only), 950 THB (burger, 2 beverages & show), or 1400 THB for VIP tickets, which includes free-flow drinks, meet & greet with the comedians, and the best seats in the house.

Get your tickets today on TicketFlap: www.ticketflap.com/ phuketcomedy-trevorlock Magic Rock, Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach, Phuket.

Spoil yourself with seafood set from noon – 10 pm every day!

Come and crack open some crab legs, grilled mussels, peel some prawns, rock lobsters, sip some spicy tom yam soup and toast to your perfect night at this beachfront restaurant in Patong overlooking the sea (sunset) views. Start from THB 450. Reservations, Sala Bua Restaurant at Impia Resort Patong, patong@impiana.com, 076 340 138.

ZUMA returns to Anantara Layan Award-winning contemporary Japanese restaurant, ZUMA, returns for a third season to the beachfront at Anantara Layan Phuket Resort between 15 December 2018 and 15 February 2019. For more information and bookings, please call + 66 (0) 7631 7200 or email zuma@anantara.com

22 TIME OUT

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York 1. Which island nation is the first to celebrate New Year, each year?

2. Up until 1752, when the new Gregorian calendar was adopted, on which day was New Year’s Day celebrated in England?

3. The ball that drops in Times Square, New York, to mark the New Year is covered with what?

4. The lyrics to ‘Auld Lang Syne’ were originally from a poem written by which famed Scottish poet?

5. The first traveller’s cheques were issued on Jan 1 of which year?

Answers below, centre

SUDOKU

Medium

Across 1. Suggestive 5. Lowdown 10. Miffed 14. Continental capital 15. Arctic villa 16. Vocal piece 17. German lady 18. Connected links 19. Kind of miss 20. President 23. Litigates against 24. Braveheart for example 25. Howled 28. Even if, briefly 30. Didn’t exist 34. Ornamental shrub 36. Walking only bird 38. Large pond fish 39. Campaigned for high office 43. N.Y. minutes?

44. Country club figure 45. Improve 46. Wrap 49. Naval rank abbreviation 51. Gift recipient 52. Crowd approval noises 54. Be a kvetch 56. Between Harding and Hoover

22. This instant 25. Discloses 26. Embarrass 27. Gossiper 29. Shore bird 31. Entanglement 32. Present occasion 33. Church donation 35. French collagist 37. Bill Withers “___ me” Down 40. Arizona city 1. Decision maker 41. Short-tailed on the sports lemur field, for short 42. ____ gorgeous 2. Quality 47. Legendary surrounding a dragon person 48.

Orchid 3. King is one arrangements 4. Look after ____ 5. Old data storage 50. Duck 53. Macbeth device character 6. Shocked 55. Scare 7. Symbol of 56. Crime boss happiness 57. Classmates 8. Arduous database 9. Like some booms member 10. Holy places 58. Old stories 11. Creme-filled 59. “Beetle Bailey” snack dog 12. Omani money 60. Wind type 13. Merit 61. Latin to be 21. Sound 65. Pinnacle reproduction 62. Balm ingredient 63. ____run!

64. Where the sun rises 66. Engine sound 67. Total 68. Therewithal 69. Premonition 70. Tempest 71. Profound

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1) Kiribati; 2) March 25; 3) Waterford Crystal; 4) Robert Burns; 5) 1772

GOT YOUR NUMBER

ISLAND VIEW

1

year is how much the average man will spend of his life simply staring at women.

22

percent of Americans will be asleep before midnight on New Year’s Eve.

32,256

LEDs light up the ball that drops at Times Square New York to mark the New Year.

340,733

Storm clouds. Photo: Australian tourists via Serenity Resort & Residences Phuket Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket? Email it to execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

to 1 is the chance of dying from a fireworks incident.

721 billion

This week in history Dec 28, 1768 King Taksin’s coronation achieved through conquest as a king of Thailand and established Thonburi as a capital.

US dollars is expected to be spent on gifts, decor, travel and more during the 2018 holiday season.

Dec 29, 1911 Mongolia gains independence from the Qing dynasty, enthroning 9th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu as Khagan of Mongolia.

Source: Uberfacts

Dec 30, 1916 Russian mystic and advisor to the

Tsar Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was murdered by a loyalist group led by Prince Felix Yusupov. His frozen, partially-trussed body was discovered in a Moscow river three days later.

Jan 2, 1860 The discovery of the planet Vulcan, at the time believed to exist between Mercury and the Sun, is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France.

Dec 31, 1759 Arthur Guinness signs a 9,000 year lease at £45 per annum and starts brewing Guinness .

Jan 1, 1983 The ARPANET, developed by the

Jan 3, 1990 United States invasion of Panama: Manuel Noriega, indicted by US federal grand juries on charges of racketeering, drug smuggling and money laundering, surrenders to American forces. Source: Wikipedia

Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin. of the US Department of Defense, officially changes to using the Internet Protocol, creating the Internet.

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THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 23

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

Jobs

International Sales Support

APR is an international company dealing with customers in Asia and Australia, as well as decorative surface suppliers from Europe. Asia Pacific Representatives Ltd are looking for: • Sales Support staff for decorative products • Age: 20-35 years • Thai National • Excellent English language skills required • Knowledge of Microsoft office • Comprehensive understanding of Microsoft Excel • Office location: Phuket – Chalong Tasks will include: - Project tracking and follow up - Communication with international suppliers and customers - Understanding of our products and services Please submit your resume and recent photo jobs@apr-pfleiderer.com @thephuketnews

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

Website operator

Female website operator capable of building a shopping site and driving traffic to the site via Google, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, blogs and other systems. Will work a flexible 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. Fixed salary B20,000 + 5% commission on sales generated by the site. 20,000 + commission. Contact Ron via: S i a m . s e r e n i t y. t h @ g m a i l . c o m , 0874178715.

Thai Yoga Instructor

Position available now - Full Time Position - 24 Yoga Classes per month.

Wellness Skills - Certificated to teach various Yoga Styles. Additional Health Skills i.e. Aerial Yoga, Acro Yoga, etc. - Assist with Yoga Class inquires and Retreat health consultations.

English Speaking - Thai National only 25,000 to 30,000. Kenneth Miller 0866041333. www.ccshideaway.com/ wellness.htm

Need a governess/ nanny

A family needs a nanny for a special needs child. The ideal candidate will have a background in teaching and varied methods of promoting learning in a fun way. Working 6 days per week. English speaker essential. Celina teacherphuket@gmail. com

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 25

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

Trades & Services

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

ADVERTISING SERVICES

CLEANING SERVICES

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

MARINE SERVICES

MARINE SERVICES

MARINE SERVICES

MARINE SERVICES

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26 CLASSIFIEDS

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Trades & Services

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

classifieds@thephuketnews.com

MARINE SERVICES

OTHER

PERSONAL SERVICES

POOL SERVICES

TRAINING

ADVERTISE HERE

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THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 27

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

Buy & Sell BOATS, YACHTS FOR SALE FOR SALE AIR BERTH M320

250,000THB incl VAT. For boat up to 32 feet / 9.5 metres. Contact: Asia Yacht Agency Co., Ltd. Contact@AsiaYachtAgency.com, 081-894 -3234 (French/English), 086-2690808 (Thai/English).

Riviera sport fishing boat

Perfectly maintained and cared for, this boat is in excellent condition and will provide great enjoyment for the next owner. Powered by twin 660hp Caterpillar diesel engines and fitted with every conceivable optional extra including True Visions satellite connection through a 42� Smart TV, Raymarine navigation system, Dive Compressor, powerful stereo system and extensive fishing equipment. Selling to upgrade to a larger vessel. 9,000,000, Phuket Yacht Haven, sc@ crone.net.au

Boat Rinker 290

Rinker 290 with trailer Continental 2017, engine Volvo Penta, Under warranty includes all standard equipment, less then 100 hours used. More information in link: clc. la/07hDmA 3,990,000, +66-97-175-00-96.

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BUSINESS FOR SALE Golden Business Opportunity

Brand new two story massage shop for UR sale with high end furniture. 10 Beds, 6 chairs and nail Salon. Great opportunity for high season.

1.2 Million THB ono, Lek, Soi Post Office, Patong Beach Road, sweet_lek55@hotmail.com, 099 362 7979.

@thephuketnews

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

CARS, TRUCKS FOR SALE Toyota Soluna - cheap!

FURNITURE T EN

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NEW, LUXURY 2-UNIT

LEATHER SOFA Year 2000, under 200,000km, recently URG BOUGHT IN SB DESIGN SQUARE changed battery, checked engine - all PHUKET. LUXURY KELVIN GIORMANI works. Has dents and scratches but SOFA. PERFECT, NEVER USED. PAID PRICE B67,500/ starts every time and goes from A to B. 0836012526.

UNIT TOTAL B135,000 NOW B50,000/UNIT TOTAL Toyota GT 2013 - FT86 B100,000. W2.30m D1.65m H65-90cm. 0930914502.

GT Brembo brake system. Adjustable MOTORBIKES FOR SALE suspension, remote auto adjust w/ te controls. Performance exhaust. 2Din Pioneer Ducati Multistrada 2012 AVH-X8850BT sound system. Audison speakers. Wheels 2012 Model Multistrada. Perfect condiADV7.1SL. 1 Piece forged. 2 mil. Or best offer..., Dan Miles, tion.

Only 23,000 kms. Faithfully maindanmilesmedia@gmail.com, 065 621 5541, Thai 091 165 9332 tained. Have panniers and 15 liter tank Amazing Deal! bag. Steve, ducphuket@gmail.com, 081-734-8309.

2016 Toyota Vios Model E with only 35,000 PROPERTY FOR SALE Km on it. Is an automatic, with fog lights, windows are tinted already, has the plastic Single story home for sale insert for the trunk, rubber floor mats for all seats, rain shields 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 2 kitchens, 1 on all windows. Only driven locally in Phuket. It is kept in great living room, 2 cars parking space. Fully condition and is available to view in Chalong. Only 465,000 furnished, Jacuzzi, walk-in wardrobes, garden and THB. Adam 091 016 1167.

E L swimming pool with Sala.

Can do more build-in. Sunny, A TS 2012 Ford Ranger 2.2 Open Cab N sunny@transinco.eu, 0823775555.

GE UR 78,000km. Six-gear manual transmission.

House for Sale/Rent Looks and feels like a new car, treated like Fully furnished with swimming pool, 3 beda baby by its single owner. Engine clean rooms, 5 bathrooms + maid room, 2 living as. Full set of new tyres. B500,000. Call 081 427 5168. rooms, Large entertainment area. Convenient location close to major shopping center and international schools.

Easy access to airport. Long term lease 65,000 includes pool +garden services. Negotiable Price, Bea, Baan Saun Loch Palm Kathu, l.thumwong@gmail.com, 098 194 9351 and 097 352 4114.

28 CLASSIFIEDS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Buy & Sell

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

PROPERTY FOR SALE GE UR

NT

Bkk urban living near BTS

NEW 2 bedrooms for sale: Noble Ploenchit Condominium Next to BTS Ploenchit Station, Walk to Central Embassy & Central Chidlom Dept Store. 2 bedrooms, 85 Sqm, corner unit, high fl, unblock View, fully fitted wardrobe & kitchen, aircon, bathrooms Facility: beautiful swimming pool & common area, gym, sauna 23,500,000, Jitsarn, jitsarn@yahoo.com, 0859776301.

Lovely Pool Villa, Nai Harn

Prime location, 4 bedrooms, large garden and pool, 764 sqm, Chanote title, double garage. Great family home or investment property.

Motivated seller. 12,500,000, Dean, dmuir@exotiq. com, 0857932667.

Dream Village Phuket house

2bed 2bath 295sqm land 100sqm living + veranda, compl. renovated.: new water, electric., tiles, paint in/out, windows, 3A/C, built in kitchen. 0870608400 engl/german picharly@gmail. com, 66870608400.

Villa Mission Heights big Pool

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

PROPERTY FOR SALE

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Penthouse for sale

432.44 sqm Penthouse for sale: 320 Degree view of Patong bay and city. Private pool. 22nd floor (top floor) at Andaman Beach Condominium, Patong, Phuket, Thailand. Condo Facilities. See beachsuites.com/ gallery. No brokers please. 60 Million Baht O.N.O., Songpan, songpanpirom@hotmail.com, 081 737 8662.

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Villa in Boat Lagoon Marina

5 bedroom, pre-school place in walking disU tance, 10mins to BISP, 30mins to UWC and HeadStart. Must Sell, Pls contact for price. Pen, pen@ mindproperties.net, +66 (0) 874658883.

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House for Sale or Rent, Rawai

Cape Lam Promthep, Rawai - Nature area, beside sea. Swimming. Very quiet, just live and enjoy your life. If you want to make money perfect for building Rental Homes or Healing or Mediation center - Chanote land is not the way to go. We can’t own anything here with Thai wife unless stay together a long time and can take everything so best to Rent Land and have contract with a Thai. - All houses this area some WORTH MILLIONS OF EUROS ARE ON, “ LAND RENTED FROM GOVERNMENT,” FOR APPROXIMATELY 1000 BAHT A YEAR FOR AS LONG AS YOU WANT. “You can Sell your Right to Occupy to others,” – this is LEGAL - Same as Crown Land in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and America, but still hasn’t stopped people from building expensive homes and title can be up graded with time - 12 million baht sale or 30,000 baht rent (one year rent in advance) - Almost 3 rai BESIDE THE SEA ( Zoned Yellow) CAN BUILD MULTIPLE HOMES, Healing or Meditation Center - TWO HOUSES, One large house 2 bedrooms and 2 bath, 2 decks, One Small House 1 bedroom and 1 bath 1 deck 12million or 30,000 month Andy, capt_canada42@yahoo.com, 091 823 2271.

GE UR

NT

BKK condo by Chaophya River

The Water Mark: Luxurious living by the majestic river “Chaophya”, the river of the King.

Located on Charoen Nakhon Road. Beautiful, spacious condo 283.6 Sqm. / 4 bedrooms / high floor (52nd floor) /panoramic view of the city & river / fully fitted to highest standard Facility: swimming pool by the river, gym, sauna 40,500,000-, Jitsarn, jitsarn@yahoo.com, 0859776301.

PASAK LAND 3.9MB 510 sq.m.

Chanote

PASAK LAND 3.9MB 510 sq.m.

Chanote

Private location in prestige area.

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

Hot sale! Pool villa Naiharn

A lovely fully furnished pool villa in a secured estate in Naiharn, 5 minutes drive to Naiharn beach and 10 minutes drive to Kata. Freehold.

455 sqm of land. Sold fully furnished and equipped (solid teak furniture and high quality equipment). phukethomecareservice@gmail.com, 0638394973.

1 Bed Condo in Laguna

Exquisite Property meets Luxury Area in the Heart of Phuket. Welcome to the Ocean Sands, an upcoming hotel development located close to the Laguna Area, one of Phuket’s most luxury and trending areas. Comprising a total of 213 keys ranging from our signature 1 Bedroom Deluxe Suite up to our well-appointed Family Suite, this exquisite property equipped with large swimming pools around central simulated beach and five-star standard facilities will become a new enjoyment for lifestyle living.

Invest with us and elevate your lifestyle, be a part of the Ocean Sands. phuket@thairesidential.com, 0872699206.

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House for sale

Detach single story home, 1 Rai of land, 4 bedrooms 5 bathrooms, 2 kitchens 1 living room, 2 cars parking space with garden and swimming pool.

Sunny, 25/11 Soi Salika, Moo 2, Viset Road. 082 377 5555.

GE UR

HOT PRICE - SURIN BEACH

NT

PENTHOUSE

Stunning ocean & sunset views over Patong bay-2 bedrooms 2 bathrooms fully furnished with car park & pool 121sqm+.

Email for more details penthousedicw@gmail.com

Unique Investment Opportunity

Unique investment opportunity not to be missed: 5 pool villas, big land, large entertaiment areas, parking garages and private gates. More info www.thegardenkptphuket.com www. thegardenkptphuket.com

COMMUNITY

PROPERTY FOR RENT GE UR

NT

3 B/R, Duplex, 170 sq/m. Shared pool, three decks, fully furnished. 400 meters from Surin Beach. Great Condition. Must sell jgstryker@ gmail.com 5,699,000, 0836450097

5-Bed Pool Villa 1.2 Rai Rawai

Villa with 4 beds, open-plan living area, western kitchen. Separate 1-bed guest suite.

Separate workshop and laundry. Pool 11mx5m, large private garden, residential area. www.thaivillaonline.com Price - B15,750,000. 0844477247.

Beach Front Land

3 B/R Surin Duplex

400m from Surin Beach, fully furnished. Shared pool, 3 bathroom, and two decks/ salas. 38k per/month jgstryker@gmail.com 0836450097.

* 128 meter of white sand beach frontage * amazing views * 9 Rai , Secure Nor Sor 3 Kor tittle * located on Koh Yao Yai * 20 minutes boat drive from Phuket * public road with water and electricity * ideal for high-end development * ready to build * sale direct by owner *ONLY 11.9 Mill. Baht / Rai Email : montha_phuket@ yahoo.com Tel: 095 014 7888. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

SPORT 29 XMAS champion Justin Morgan lines up his next shot in the run-up to the festive-season break. Photo: Supplied

PATONG POOL LEAGUE RANKINGS - WEEK 5 Caddy Shack

42

Ting Tong

32

Kwans Birdie Club

30

Genius

29

Kiki Sports

29

Natalie

29

Simon Oil

26

Martin Swiss

25

Happy End

21

Red Light

20

Champs

7

Caddy earns early Xmas gift

Patong Pool League: Caddy Shack is Xmas Champion 2018 POOL Jeroen Tak

T

he fifth round of Patong Pool League (PPL) sponsored by Thailand Pool Tables and Genius 2 Garden and Restaurant & Tualek Whisky was played on Thursday (Dec 20).

Red Light Bar was hosting Genius. Kevin and Gwen playing for the home team were both winning

@thephuketnews

their singles and doubles games.

The beer leg was a three setter and won by Genius but the final score was 6 -6 and fair result for this well-balanced match.

Martin Swiss was playing away against Ting Tong. Mick, Nick and Paul all playing for Ting Tong were all winning their singles and doubles games. Pom had a good night and won her single and double games for Martin Swiss. The beer leg was a three setter and won by

Ting Tong who also won the match with 8-4 score.

Happy End Bar was playing away against the top-ranking team of Caddy Shack. After winning all singles and leading the match with 6 -0 score, teacher Lee playing for Caddy Shack had a weak moment and Andy from Happy End was alert and managed to snatch a point for Happy End. The final result was 10-1 in favour of Caddy Shack and that was sufficient to be crowned

the Xmas Champion 2018.

Natalie was hosting Champs bar. Daddy from Champs had a good evening and both won his single and double games. Natalie team was winning all their games except two and that resulted in a comfortable 9-2 score.

Simon and Oil were playing at home against Kiki Sports bar.

Young talented player Luke both won his single and double games.

Azza, David and Steve all winning

their singles and doubles games for Kiki Sports bar. The beer leg was a three setter and won by Simon and Oil. However the final result was a 7–5 result in favour of Kiki Sports bar.

Round 6 of the Patong Pool League will be played on Jan 3.

People interested in playing as well as visitors are all welcome to attend at one of the 11 participating bars For details, visit Facebook: Patong Friendly Pool League.

30 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

‘Salad Days’ players shine on Experience triumphs in ‘Old vs Older’ Kamala bowls tourney BOWLS Robert Knight

F

ormerly known as the Over 60 versus Under 60 tournament but renamed this year to Old versus Older owing to the unavailability of some junior members and the remaining bowlers well into their “salad” years the annual inter-club fixture took place at Kamala Lawn Bowling Club on Saturday (Dec 22) for the Donald Moore trophy.

Based on the Pryder Cup format, games took place in the form of triples, doubles and singles, one point awarded for a win no points for a loss and half a point for a draw.

As always. team selection, (done in secret) as well as lane allocation and order of play would be crucial dependant on the rolling score.

The decisions for the captains being who to pair with whom and also which lanes to play on and in what order.

On paper the ‘Old’ team looked stronger but the ‘Older’ team counted amongst their

Rob Knight and his winning team proudly display the Donald Moore Trophy. On paper the ‘Old’ team looked stronger but the ‘Older’ team counted amongst their team recent Open winners George Sasanow and Rob Knight. Photo: Supplied team recent Open winners George Sasanow and Rob Knight.

The triples were halved and after the doubles games the ‘Older’ team led by 3-2, the magic number or points being needed to lift the trophy was six.

There then followed six singles games but crucially, controversially and maybe mistakenly, the ‘Old’ team

selected their best players on difficult lanes and possibly their best player behind for the last round of games.

There were some surprises though in the first round of singles as Septuagenarians Larry Fitzpatrick and Uran Egerstaad pulled off surprise victories – Larry against former club champion Dean Lambert, and Uran against his younger sibling and also a for-

mer champion Ulf Egerstaad, whilst Doctor Rock came through against Jonathan to complete a clean sweep in the first round of singles – meaning an invincible lead of 6-2 prior to the last round of singles for the ‘Older’ team.

In the dead rubbers ‘Older’ also won by 2-1, leaving the overall score ‘Older’ 8 - ‘Old’ 3.

A great achievement by a

team with a combined age of 413 years and an average age of 68.83 perhaps showing that experience will always triumph over youth.

Well at least it did in this case.

Star players for the Older team were George and Doctor Rock who each won all 3 of their games.

The next major competition has been moved to Saturday,

Feb 2 and is the annual Northern hemisphere versus Southern hemisphere `’Pryder Cup’ Non members welcome to join in.

Kamala Lawn bowling Club “The only one in Phuket” is open six days a week. All equipment provided. For further details on lawn bowls in Phuket, contact the club at 099-130 7255

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

SPORT 31

PREMIER PREDICTIONS: ENTER NOW AT THEPHUKETNEWS.COM MAIN SPONSOR

MONTHLY SPONSOR

The overall competition winner will receive a 3 day/2 night stay in a two-bedroom private pool villa including daily breakfast plus a 90-minute spa treatment for two persons at Baba Beach Club Phuket. Total prize value: B130,000 The monthly competition winner for December 2018 will receive a B3,000 voucher to spend at the Islander Bar & Restaurant, Rawai.

EPL PREDICTIONS (AS OF DEC 25) MONTHLY STANDINGS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Griffsbar Ajax Amsterdam LateStart fazza Fitz

OVERALL STANDINGS

35 33 33 32 32

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Smiley Bar 111 fazza 110 giggs 110 Griffsbar 108 Fitz 107

English Premier League 2018 - 2019 1

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is not taking anything for granted as Liverpool heads into the holiday period with a clear lead at the top of the English Premier League table. Photo: AFP

Klopp cautious despite Liverpool holiday lead FOOTBALL AFP

L

iverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said the fact his side top the Premier League table heading into the busy holiday period counts for little.

The Anfield club as of Wednesday were four points clear at the summit going into their Boxing Day clash at home to Newcastle, with champions Manchester City second and Tottenham Hotspur six points adrift in third place.

Liverpool, however, have not won the English title in the Premier League era – their last domestic Championship crown came back in 1990.

And with Tottenham having hammered Everton, Liverpool’s local rivals, 6-2 last Sunday (Dec 23), Klopp does

@thephuketnews

not expect to have things all his own way during the rest of the season.

“You (the media) make these stories about who is in and who is out,” said Klopp.

“I saw the game against Everton who played absolutely more than okay and then they (Spurs) hit pretty much everything and it was really impressive how Tottenham did.

“The same will happen to Arsenal and Chelsea. No decision is made, why should it be? Nobody should feel safe, no one should feel out of the race. It is not a time to think about it.

“For me they (Tottenham) were never out so why should people be surprised they are now in? A lot of teams are in whatever you call the title race and that is how it should be.”

The German added, "That is maybe only the difference

to last year when pretty much nobody was in any more at this time and that is good for all supporters out there.

“Being unbeaten in the league until December is not something I had too often in my life. We did really well so far, and we have to do even better from now on. That’s the challenge for us.”

Liverpool fans know only too well that being top at Christmas is no guarantee of the league title.

There may have only been two occasions in the past 10 years where the team top on December 25 failed to win the Premier League but in both instances it was Liverpool, in 2008 and 2014, who could not complete the job.

Only James Milner among Liverpool’s current squad knows what it’s like to win the Premier League, having

been a member of Manchester City’s victorious squads in 2012 and 2014.

But Klopp, who won the Bundesliga title with Borussia Dortmund in 2011 and 2012, insisted, “I know that all players who have won the title, at one time it was their first time.

“You don’t know what is more important, is it experience, potential, attitude, desire or joy, being completely fresh having never had it before?

“Experience is always good if you are young enough to use it. We have to use all experience from the last games, especially from the last season, and that's much more important.

“Character is always very important but with these boys there is no doubt about that because we achieved already in the past big things: finals, good positions in the league.”

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Team

MP

W

D

L

F

A

GD

Pts

Liverpool Manchester City Tottenham Hotspur Chelsea Arsenal Manchester United Watford Bournemouth Leicester City Wolverhampton Everton West Ham United Brighton Crystal Palace Newcastle United Southampton Cardiff City Burnley Huddersfield Town Fulham

18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18

15 14 14 11 11 8 8 8 7 7 6 7 6 5 4 3 4 3 2 2

3 2 0 4 4 5 3 2 4 4 6 3 3 3 5 6 2 3 4 4

0 2 4 3 3 5 7 8 7 7 6 8 9 10 9 9 12 12 12 12

39 50 37 35 40 34 25 27 22 19 26 25 20 17 14 19 18 16 11 16

7 13 18 15 24 30 25 28 21 21 28 27 26 25 22 33 38 36 31 42

+32 +37 +19 +20 +16 +4 0 -1 +1 -2 -2 -2 -6 -8 -8 -14 -20 -20 -20 -26

48 44 42 37 37 29 27 26 25 25 24 24 21 18 17 15 14 12 10 10

Premier League table and prediction competition scores correct at time of going to press, before Dec 26 matches.

Live Sports TV Schedule *Times may be subject to change

SPORT START STOP Friday 28th Dec

EVENT

TEAMS / INFO

Cricket

12:30

14:30

Test 3, MCG

Australia v India, Day 3

Cricket

14:50

23:00

Test 1, Centurion

South Africa v Pakistan, Day 3

Saturday 29th Dec Rugby Union 22:00 00:00 Soccer

Gallagher Premiership

Saracens v Worcester

22:00

00:00

EPL

Watford v Newcastle

22:00

00:00

EPL

Brighton v. Everton

22:00

00:00

EPL

Tottenham v Wolves Liverpool v. Arsenal

00:30

02:30

EPL

Soccer

18:30

22:00

SPFL

Rangers v Celtic

Cricket

12:30

14:30

Test 3, MCG

Australia v India, Day 4

Test 1, Centurion

South Africa v Pakistan, Day 4

Cricket 14:50 23:00 Sunday 30th Dec Rugby Union 22:00 00:00 Soccer

19:00

21:00

Gallagher Premiership

Bath v Leicester

EPL

Crystal Palace v Chelsea

21:05

23:00

EPL

Burnley v West Ham

Soccer

21:15

23:10

EPL

Southampton v Man City

23:30

01:30

EPL

Man United v Bournemouth

Cricket

12:30

14:30

Test 3, MCG

Australia v India, Day 5

Cricket

14:50

23:00

Test 1, Centurion

South Africa v Pakistan, Day 5

Sport

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

editor3@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2018

Klopp keeps hopes conservative despite Liverpool lead > p31

BRAGGING RIGHTS

Southern Hemisphere wins thriller at the ACG Man of the Match Michael Flowers in full flow. Photo: Courtesy of Anne Zii

CRICKET Jason Robertson

A

fter a two-year hiatus, the ‘annual’ North vs South cricket match came back with a bang at the ACG Cricket and Sports Facility (ACG) last Sunday (Dec 23). The South was made up of 10 South Africans and a Kiwi, while the North had a far more balanced mix of players from the sub-continent and the UK. The North won the toss and chose to bat i n the 40-overs-per-side contest.

The northern opening pair of Jeremy Bootsy and Adam Drew had to work through a fiery opening spell from the South’s Ryan Kohler, as he had them hopping around in the crease to evade his lightning bolts. But, with experience on their side, they patiently picked off the bad balls from the other bowlers and moved the score on to 38 before R Kohler eventually got his rewards by having A Drew (10) chop the ball onto his own stumps.

That brought in Manish Sandarangani (13), who never settled after twice being hit on the helmet by the everdangerous R Kohler (1/27) and was soon out caught behind by keeper Van Blerk off the bowling of newcomer Alex Sechiari.

Paddy Ledeboer came to

Ike Bekker attacks. Photo: Courtesy of Tyler Whateley the crease and from the outset took the game by the scruff of the neck and belted the South’s bowlers to all corners of the ground and the cow fields that lie beyond them. Leaving J Bootsy (64) to play the anchor role at the other end which he did to perfection, until eventually being run out as he tired in the heat of the midday sun.

Rishi Sandarangani was next up and af ter being sledged by the South’s captain A Van Blerk for not making contact with any of his first five balls, calmly dispatched balls 6, 7 and 8 over the fence for maximums.

The North, realising this was their opportunity to turn up the heat as Rishi and Ledeboer, in tandem, put on a devastating display of cleanhitting as they treated every bowler that took the ball with the same level of disdain, moving the score towards 240

Michael Flowers with a glorious shot.

Photo: Courtesy of Tyler Whateley with 11 overs still remaining.

The South needed a moment and that moment would come just before the second drinks break as Van Blerk held on to a sublime diving catch to dismiss R Sadarangani (65) off the bowling of Matt Kohler. This helped slow the North’s avalanche of runs somewhat as the North’s captain, Seemant Raju (32), and Ledeboer (65) kept the scoreboard ticking over, but, not with the same freedom as they had before the loss of R Sadarangani. M Kohler (3/41) would eventually get both their wickets before the tail-enders, M Rehman (18) and MS Khan (12) helped the North eventually post 311 for 7 after their 40 overs. Leaving the South with 312 to win.

The South sent in Ike Bekker as a pinch hitter to wrestle back the initiative by getting them off to a quick start along with regular left-hand opening

batsman and the South’s only non-South African, Michael Flowers. Bekker (24), playing with freedom, did exactly what he was sent in to do before an excellent catch by R Sadarangani brought his brief innings to an end. They almost had a second wicket not long after as M Flowers was caught

by Mudasir Rehman, off Pir Sami, but the chest-high ball was rightly called a no-ball by the square leg umpire and Flowers was left to soldier on.

The North only had to wait for three balls to again celebrate a wicket as the normally devastating Matt Kohler (0) went cheaply, caught at slip

by MS Kahn off the bowling of Shivam.

Craig Morgan came and went for a brief yet impressive 17 when he misjudged an M Rehman inswinger to be clean bowled. All the while Flowers ticked along at the other end, playing some beautiful shots

all around the park.

Alex Sechiari (27) came to the wicket and after shaking off the initial rust from not playing for a number of years, settled in to play some lovely strokes before giving the North’s captain Seemant Raju (1/20) his only wicket, caught behind by M Sadarangani.

The left-handed Kiwi, Flowers, needed a partner to help steady the ship and as is so often the case, the man they turn to is the South’s captain Anthony Van Blerk who waddled to the crease with nearly 50 years of cricketing experience under his belt.

Both batsmen could feel the calming inf luence he brought to the wicket, as over by over, they kept the score ticking along above the asking run rate, taking the score towards the 200 mark before Van Blerk (35) got a leading edge to give Ned Symons

(1/57) a simple caught and bowled chance, which he gladly accepted.

Lyle Simmo now joined Flowers who was now seizing up with cramp and starting to struggle as the required run rate crept closer to 9 an over.

Flowers (90) would eventually fall to the faintest of edges off the always dangerous bowling of M Rehman, caught behind by the Jeremy Bootsy who had now donned the keeping gloves.

This would, however, be the final wicket for the North as the athletic J Robertson now joined Simmo and with a keen eye on the required run rate, used an astute mix of quick singles and aggression to move the South closer and closer to the promised land.

Needing 34 to win off the final three overs the South knew it was the time to strike and with some hefty blows by both batsmen got their noses ahead for the final time.

Simmo was left to close out the match with a beautiful four, with just five balls remaining in the match.

The players from the South engulfed the field to celebrate with the two batsmen in emotional scenes that were a fitting end to an excellent game of cricket played in fantastic spirits on a hot day in Phuket’s high season. The run chase was later found to be the largest run chase in the history of the ACG. thephuketnews