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ISLAND NEWS

THE PHUKET NEWS

NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

Sacré bleu

Former IMF boss now accused of organising sex parties > 8

WHERE’S OUR BEACH GONE? Campaigners to tackle ‘greed’ at Surin Beach Local people and environment campaigners met last week to discuss ways to put the brakes on rampant commercialisation of Surin Beach.

The meeting, on Tuesday (March 20), with the umbrella theme of “Love yo u r h o m e t ow n” w a s s p e a r h e a d e d b y M a’a n Samran, the newly elected President of the Cher ng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrB o rTo r), w h ic h c ove r s not only Su r i n but also Bang Tao Beach.

The extended brainstorming meeting, which lasted

from 9 am to 4.15 pm, drew a diverse group of about 40 people, including locals, property people, hotels, traders and eco-campaigners All were concerned that a lack of environmental management – combined with commercial greed, land encroachment, weak regulation, limited monitoring, and a lack of proper zoning and law enforcement – had allowed businesses to flourish without restraint or regard to the environment.

A number of local vendors stepped forward in full support and urged the OrBor-

Tor to “get serious” with enforcement, to curb nepotism and to tackle issues swiftly with a long-term plan and short-term actions.

Specific topics discussed included car parking, lighting, recycling stations, garbage The sand at Surin Beach is jammed with a jungle of beach loungers and umbrellas. collection, beach cleaning, Garbage; Establishment of a low- sion of nature into concrete limitation of fireworks and Waste water; carbon beach within 10 years. w i l l c o nt i nu e u nt i l a l l loud noise, more landscap“Black-plate” taxis and Restaurants also came beaches have a seawall, ing and less concrete, pond others illegally usur ping in for severe criticism at promenade and high-rise and klong management and public parking spaces. The the meeting, with calls for oceanfront condos.

“Surin Beach is a microwater runoff, jet-ski issues, committee heard that of the limiting encroachment on three car parks along the cosm of Phuket and emblembeach chair proliferation and the beach, removing illegal beach, Car park one has 50 permanent structures, re- atic of struggles all over the improved security.

The meeting highlighted spaces but only 14 remain ducing paving back to sand, world that seem to be coma number of issues requiring available to the public. Car “naming and shaming” restau- ing to a head all too quickly urgent attention. These were: park two still has all 20 spaces rant polluters and separating [because of people’s] thirst available, but car park three day trader areas to limit spill- for more, more, more. has only 16 of 30 spaces over into car parks.

“In the past three years left for the public.

Mr Ma’an could not be the number of restaurants at Looking further ahead, the reached afterwards for com- Surin Beach has doubled, half following points were listed: ment on how the various the car parks have been taken A need for four more CCTV targets will be tackled, and by vendors and privateers, cameras for public safety, others who attended declined its beach is choked by the weight of some 1,500-plus to be quoted. costing B4.5 million.

A wastewater system: However, Nick Anthony beach chairs and umbrellas.

“It is even being carved up B350 million has already of the eco-NGO SEEK combeen allocated to build a mented afterwards, “Phuket and ‘occupied’ by a restaurant system of underground drains needs one of these stake- that has imported its own within three years. holder meetings on every palm trees onto the beach A reduction in the number beach, and local people who and put up a retaining wall of food vendors within a year. have a voice in support of to hold back nature.

“Greed is not good, and we Limits placed on the use of sustainable tourism. fireworks, also within a year.

“Without it, the conver- have only one Surin Beach.”

A ‘black plate’ taxi driver arrives to occupy ‘his’ space in the public car park next to Surin Beach. In this car park, 36 spaces out of 50 have been taken over for ‘private use’.

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THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

ISLAND NEWS

B300 minimum day wage kicks in from Sunday Apinya Saksri reporter4@thephuketnews.com

Welders get some of the biggest rises in minimum wage for skilled craftsmen and women, up to B775 per day.

Minimum wages for crafts also rise While employers agonise over the start of the B300 minimum day wage for labourers, due to come into force in Phuket and six other trial provinces on April 1, another change to minimum wages has gone largely unnoticed.

This change lists new m i n i mu m wages for 22 different skilled crafts.

The increases will range from 11.7 per cent to 42.9 per cent, and will cover people working in electrics, electronics and computers, machining, spas, kitchens, industrial technology, construction and decorative arts.

Examples include cooks, furniture makers, masseurs and masseuses and needle workers. The biggest rises will be for Grade 3 Thai technique masseurs and masseuses, who must be paid a minimum of B720, jewellery workers, B750, and tungsten arc (TIG) welders, B775.

The various trades covered by the rises are as follows. Note that although most trades listed have three grades, some have only two.

Car paint sprayer: Grade 1 from B315 to B400; Grade 2 from B380 to B465; Grade 3 from B445 to B530.

Car boy repair: Grade 1 from B335 to B420; Grade 2 from B420 to B505; Grade 3 from B505 to B590.

Car mechanic: Grade 1 from B275 to B360; Grade 2 from B360 to B445; Grade 3 from B445 to B530.

Thai cook: Grade 1 from B280 to B400; Grade 2 from B360 to B510.

Masseur/masseuse, Thai technique: Grade 1 from B310 to B440; Grade 2 from B410 to B580; Grade 3 from B510 to B720.

Masseur/masseuse, holistic health and Western spa techniques: Grade 1 from B350 to B490; Grade 2 from B460 to B650.

Computer repair: Grade 1 from B300 to B400; Grade 2 from B400 to B500; Grade 3 from B500 to B600.

Electrical technician: Grade 1 from B300 to B400; Grade 2 from B400 to B500; Grade 3 from B500 to B600.

Industrial factory electrician: Grade 1 from B300 to B400; Grade 2 from B400 to B500; Grade 3 from B500 to B600.

Air-conditioning technician: Grade 1 from B300 to B400; Grade 2 from B400 to B500; Grade 3 from B500 to B600.

TV technician: Grade 1 from B300 to B400; Grade 2 from B400 to B500.

Mechanical computer drafting: Grade 1 from B330 to B460; Grade 2 from B430 to B530; Grade 3 from B550 to B670.

MAG Welder: Grade 1 from B300 to B400; Grade 2 from B380 to B500; Grade 3 from B500 to B600.

TIG Welder: Grade 1 from B370 to B455; Grade 2 from B500 to B615; Grade 3 from B690 to B775.

Construction woodwork: Grade 1 from B300 to B385; Grade 2 from B410 to B495; Grade 3 from B520 to B605.

Mason: Grade 1 from B260 to B345; Grade 2 from B380 to B465; Grade 3 from B500 to B585.

Plasterer: Grade 1 from B300 to B385; Grade 2 from B410 to B495; Grade 3 from B520 to B605.

Aluminum worker (construction): Grade 1 from B280 to B365; Grade 2 from B390 to B475; Grade 3 from B500 to B585.

Needle worker: Grade 1 from B250 to B320; Grade 2 from B340 to B370; Grade 3 from B430 to B500.

Jewellery worker: Grade 1 from B300 to B400; Grade 2 from B400 to B550; Grade 3 from B550 to B750.

Furniture maker (wood): Grade 1 from B300 to B335; Grade 2 from B350 to B385; Grade 3 from B400 to B435.

Decorative metalworker: Grade 1 from B250 to B320; Grade 2 from B340 to B370; Grade 3 from B430 to B500.

The B300-a-day minimum wage, a key plank of the ruling Pheu Thai Party’s election platform, comes into force in Phuket and six other trial provinces on Sunday (April 1), with local businesses continuing to voice fears that it will cause financial chaos for many companies.

During last week’s mobile Cabinet meeting in Phuket, the Human Resource Management Club (HRMC) of Phuket handed a letter to Labour Minister Phadermchai Sasomsap, outlining the group’s concerns about the B300 wage and other labour issues.

Nares Srinark, president of the club, which has members from 245 businesses in Phuket across a variety of industries, explained to The Phuket News that the letter gave details of four key issues members are concerned about.

The first was the B300 wage. Employees in the tour-

ism and hospitality industry, Mr Nares said, were given a base wage that might be less than B300. However, on top of this an employer would often provide meals and transportation, and employees usually got a share of tips or service charges. The total came to far more then B300 a day.

This view was strongly opposed by the President of the Phuket Federation of Hotel and Service Labour.

Vijit Dasantad, president of the Federation, told The Phuket News that he felt that it was wrong for the HRMC to lobby the Minister to use service charges as part of his argument for reconsidering the B300 day rate for hotel employees.

Mr Vijit said, “The service charge is income paid by guests, not the employers, so the employers should not consider it as part of staff wages.”

The HRMC letter stated that it was also concerned about the law stipulating that

companies must hire one disabled worker for every 100 able-bodied workers, or be forced to pay B54,000 a year to a special fund in Bangkok to support disabled people.

The group said this law was unfair because Phuket had very few disabled people, and most of them are well-off or had jobs. Third on the list in the letter was Phuket’s labour shortage, despite imports of labour from Thailand’s north and northeast.

Lastly, Mr Nares expressed concern about the start of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, which will allow residents of selected countries to travel and work freely within the region.

He said that he could find only limited details on what this means for employers, and added that government offices he contacted were unable to give him detailed information.

Mr Phadermchai accepted the letter, and said he would pass on the club’s concerns to the Ministry of Labour.

3

Hotels left in dark over Earth Hour Earth Hour, an international event aimed at showing people that simply turning off the power for an hour can have an impact on climate change, takes place tomorrow (March 31), from 8:30 to 9:30 pm.

Phuket hotels are at the forefront of promoting the idea: Here are some examples We s t i n S i r ay B ay Resort & Spa Phuket will turn off non-essential lighting and offer Happy Earth Hour cocktails and a candle­lit Earth Hour dinner. B1,800++.

Call 076-335-600 to book.

The Naka Island will also turn off non-essential electrics, and have an Earth Hour candlelit buffet with flaming fire show. B1,888++.

Call 076-371-400 to book.

The Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket will have an ‘Earth Hour Long Table’ event, featuring a four-course wine dinner set on a 10-metre-long dining table situated at Casuarina restaurant. B1,800++.

Call 076-362-999 to book.

The Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa plans to mark Earth Hour 2012 by having candlelit check-in and a candlelight dinner at the Ocean Beach Club. Call 076-396-433 to book.

Dr Thitinan Pongsudhirak.

Top political commentator speaks at IBAP The International Business Association of Phuket (IBAP) will host guest speaker Dr Thitinan Pongsudhirak on April 6.

Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS) and Associate Professor of International Political Economy at Chulalongkorn University, Dr Thitinan will take as his theme “Thailand’s Future: Reconciling Democracy and Monarchy.”

He will argue that Thailand’s protracted political crisis is a manifestation of “deep-seated chasms between Thailand’s monarchy-centred socio-political hierarchy and the popular demands and expectations for electoral democracy”.

The meeting will be at Urban Food in Central Festival.

Doors open at 6.30 pm.

Entry is B200 for members and B400 for non-members.

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Two women ‘stole thirty rental cars’ Police in Nakhon Sri Thammarat have seized 17 rental vehicles that had been stolen in Phuket, Surat Thani and Songkla earlier in the ye a r, a l lege d ly by t wo women from Phuket.

Five of the cars were taken from Phuket by the duo, who hired the cars and then simply never returned them.

Police say that sometimes they would call the car owners and demand a ransom in exchange for returning the car. Sometimes they would simply sell the cars cheap.

Police say another 13 cars reported missing in recent weeks were probably stolen by the couple, making for a grand total of 30 nicked vehicles.

Chalong police Lt Col Boonlert Onklang said that on Monday (March 26) three rental car owners in Chalong reported five cars missing in March, after they were not

returned by the renters.

Car owner Pattarasiri Manokam reported that Phuket resident Sukanya Janthanarak, 40, rented a car for a month from her. Suphalak Krootmanee, 44, guaranteed the return of the car. The car was due to be returned in the middle of March, but was not.

The same happened to two other car owners around the same time. When the owners found they could not reach either of the women, they reported the cars stolen.

One car was fitted with a GPS tracker, which allowed police to track it to the Nakhon Sri Thammarat home of Thanatat Eakkabutra. There they found 16 more cars, including two missing from Phuket.

Thanatat has been undergoing questioning, under suspicion of receiving stolen goods.

Sukanya and Suphalak remain at large.

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

Vanessa Muangkod, centre, with the contest runners-up.

Photo: BEC Tero

Phuket girl becomes Miss Thailand World Phuket student Vanessa Muangkod was crowned Miss Thailand World 2012 on Saturday night (March 24) in Bangkok, receiving prizes that included a car, a house and cash worth a total of more than B6 million.

She also won the “Best Figure” prize, adding a further B50,000 to her winnings.

Vanessa “Na-Chat ra” Muangkod was chosen from 30 contestants in the finals to become Thailand’s representative in the Miss World 2012 finals, which will take place

in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China, on August 18.

Twenty-year-old Vanessa is half-Thai, half-German.

She was a student at Satree Phuket School before going on to Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok, where she is studying Humanities.

This is not the first time she has entered a beauty contest.

She made it into the final 50 in the Miss Teen Thailand pageant four years ago, and was a finalist in the Thai Supermodel Contest last year.

‘Heroic’ solution for drunk driving A meeting at Phuket Provincial Health Office on March 26 discussed a “hero campaign” in its efforts to reduce accidents caused by drink driving over the Songkran holidays.

Dr Wiwat Sritamanoch, deputy chief of the health office, told the meeting, “Phuket Province ranks in the top three in Thailand for use of motorcycle safety helmets, and is known for its efficient emergency medical services. But we still need to reduce the number of accidents.”

Dr Wiwat outlined to the meeting the idea of a “hero campaign”, successfully used overseas, whereby one member of a drinking party (the hero) stays sober to act as the designated driver.

The President of the Kusoldharm Foundation, Benjawan Tampanuwat, backed the hero campaign, and said she would support it by having foundation workers or volunteers standing by to take calls from drunk members of the public who needed someone to drive them home.

In addition, she said the fou ndation will provide 10 breath-analysing units to police to test drivers for alcohol consumption.

LOVING THE MUSIC: Pop singer Aof Pongsak wowed a crowd of around

1,000 local people and tourists who attended the Love Song concert at Central Festival Phuket shopping mall last weekend (March 24 and 25).

The two nights of concerts, in the Lan Lom open area of Central Festival, also featured Thai entertainers Calories Blah Blah, Season Five and Friday.

Policeman ‘attacked boy, 11’ Phuket Town police have launched an investigation into an incident in which a police sergeant major allegedly throttled an 11-yearold boy and hit his ear so hard that he had pain for days afterwards.

The investigation comes after the boy’s mother, Sukanya H, reported the attack on her son by Pol Sen Sgt Maj Yuttana Sri-atcharanon.

Ms Sukanya told The Phuket News that her son was playing in a classroom at school when Sgt Maj Yuttana came into the room and smacked him hard on the

ear then throttled him. Then he shouted at the boy that he should tell his father “to come and see me”.

“It all started from something very small,” said Mrs Sukanya. “My son and his son were playing together, and maybe they got into a scrap.”

Her son, she said, was so terrified that he did not tell her about the attack until the pain in his ear became so severe that he had to.

She added that he was not the only one to keep quiet about the incident. “My son told me that his teachers knew about the attack but kept their

mouths shut,” she said. She declined to name the school.

After her son told her what had happened, she went to see Sgt Maj Yuttana.

“He ad mit ted that he had attacked my son and I recorded his admission as evidence. I had to tell the police because this incident is quite serious for my son, even though the reason behind it was so small,” she said.

Pol Lt Col Sien Kaew­ thong of Phuket Town police station told The Phuket News that both the boy and the officer are being questioned about the incident.

THE PHUKET NEWS

ISLAND NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

LBR UNION BID TO STOP 350 LAYOFFS

IN BRIEF New mayors for Rassada, Chalong Phudit Raksaraj was elected Mayor of Rassada Municipality on Sunday (March 25), defeating Suratin Lian Udom by 8,728 votes to 6,484.

Samran Jindapol was elected to the same post in Chalong Municipality, defeating Thanapong Korudom by 5,118 votes to 2,490.

Both elections have been approved by the Phuket Election Commission.

Sukunya Phoonpong reporter2@thephuketnews.com

Fisherman found drowned in klong

The body of a local fisherman was found floating on the morning of March 21 in Klong Layan at the northern end of Bangtao Bay. Police identified the dead man as Prapas Plodpai, 52, who, locals said, usually went out fishing at night.

Rescue workers established that he had drowned.

Child saved from freak wave Lifeguards at Kalim Beach helped rescue a 10-year-old boy from Surat Thani when he was pulled into the sea by a freak wave on March 25.

Saijai Patheeppakorn, 36, told Kathu police she and her nephew, Kobchai, were walking along the beach when the wave struck.

China mulls new Phuket consulate China’s new consul general in Songkhla, Xu Mingliang met governor Tri Augkaradacha on Wednesday (March 28)to thank him for taking good care of Chinese tourists.

He also inquired about the possibility of moving the consulate from Songkhla to Phuket, an idea the Governor said he supported.

5

Crowds watch as firefighters pour water into the store.

Photo: Cherng Talay Municipality

Firefighters battle paint store blaze Firemen battled for four hours on Tuesday morning (March 27) to put out a fire in a shop selling construction materials in the main road through Cherng Talay, next to the Chinese shrine, and to prevent it from spreading to neighbouring buildings.

Eight fire engines were sent to the scene after a witness reported hearing several explosions at around 6.30am, and then saw flames on the second floor of the three-storey shop.

The owner of the shop, Kamol Sawatdee -udom, 47, estimated his losses at about B10 million.

Police investigators are working to pin down the precise cause of the fire, but Mr Kamol said he thought

it might have been caused by spontaneous combustion of some of the paint cans, or by an electrical short-circuit.

Lt Col Salit Bootnongsaeng of Cherng Talay police said the fire was hard to tackle for several reasons.

“There were a lot of inflammable materials in the shop, including paints, thinners and lacquers, so the fire was quite intense and there was the constant possibility of more explosions.

“It was also hard to fight the fire because the road is quite narrow, there is a lot of traffic, and the fire attracted big crowds,” Col Salit said.

“Luckily it started in the early morning and there was no one in the shop at the time, so no one was hurt.”

Representatives of the 350 staff of the Laguna Beach Resort (LBR) in Cherng Talay have petitioned the provincial government in an effort to avoid all staff being laid off in early May when the resort will be closed for renovations.

The President of the Laguna Beach Resort Labour Union, Wichian Tanumart, who is also Vice President of the Phuket Federation of Hotel and Services Labour, said the resort’s new ow ne r, L a g u n a Phuket Club Co (LPCC) would officially take over the resort on May 8.

Mr Wichian told Vice Governor Sommai Preechasil at Phuket Provincial Hall on Wednesday (March 28) that LPCC intends to close

the hotel for renovations and that all existing staff would be made redundant before that. It would then recruit new staff before it reopens the resort.

Each of the existing st af f wou ld re ceive a severance payment and a one-month bonus, they were told.

Staff had also been told they will be able to reapply for their old jobs, but if they are re-hired, this would be on the basis of new contracts with LPCC. M r Wichian said it was unfair to lay off all t he st af f, pa r t icula rly old e r s t a f f m e mb e r s , some of whom have been working at the resort for more than 20 years.

He argued that this was age discrimination, and said he wanted all staff to be able to continue to work

under the new management.

V/Gov Sommai said she would discuss the petition with Gov Tri Augkaradacha and the new resort owner.

After the meeting with the vice-gover nor, M r Wichian said that he plans to travel to Bangkok on April 10 to present the employees’ case to the Minister of Labour, Phadermchai Sasomsap.

Laguna Resorts & Hotels agreed to sell its controlling share in the resort in February last year, in a B723.6 million deal.

LPCC is a Thai company controlled by Singapore-based Real Estate Equity Partners (RECAP), an Asia-focused real estate private equity fund.

R E CA P a l s o ow n s the Jungceylon complex in Patong, which is acquired in 2006.

Govt urged to fix land woes soon Poor communities in Phuket believe that the government of Yingluck Shinawatra can solve their problems, a spokesman has told The Phuket News.

In the mobile Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (March 20) problems with the issue of “chanote chumchon” (CC) land deeds were discussed.

CC titles were introduced by the previous Democrat-led government as a way to give impoverished communities somewhere secure to live, by granting them a communal right to live on state-owned land and use it for smallholdings. The land may not be used for commercial ventures.

However, some CCs have reportedly found their way

– illegally – into the hands of individuals, with the land being used to establish plantations or even resorts.

The problem is especially prevalent in the South of Thailand, though so far none have been detected in Phuket.

The Cabinet resolved to have Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Yongyuth Wichaidit – who is also Chairman of the Pheu Thai Party – investigate abuses of CCs. Somchai Rittichai, the representative of the Poor People’s Network of Phuket, told The Phuket News on March 22 that the network backs the Cabinet’s decision.

“I believe that the Prime

Minister and the government can solve the problems, but I would like them to work fast and solve the problems quickly so that homeless people will have land to live on soon,” Mr Somchai said.

In Phuket, seven CCs have been issued to poor communities, and another 10 are awaiting approval – more tha n i n a ny other province in the South.

The seven CCs approved so far cover communities in Klong Koh Phi (about 12 rai), near the new Rassada pier (14 rai), Sapam (3 rai), Tha Sak in Pa Khlok (20 rai), Ao Yon (11 rai), Laem Lah in Tah Chat Chai (14 rai) and Pak Bang in Patong (2 rai).

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Phuket’s iconic Heroines Monument, as seen on Google Street View.

Photo: Google

Phuket goes live on Google Street View Phuket’s streets are now in full view on Google Maps after the island went live on Street View earlier this week.

This means anyone can take a virtual tour of Phuket from their web browser and see all the streets, landmarks, and people (although with their faces blurred out) that make up the island.

In November last year the Google Street View car was spotted driving around Phu ket , t a k i ng 360 - de gree photos of streets and lanes all over Phuket.

An explanation of Google

sulted in Google inventing a face-recognition software that automatically blurred out the faces of people caught on camera, along with car registration plates. This resulted in Street View becoming a virtual world populated by beings with faces made of Play-Doh. Google has also launched Street View for Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Google Street View is not the first driver’s-eye-view of Phuket available online. MapJack.com which was started in 2007, photographed the streets of Phuket in 2009.

Street View for anyone who has been living in a cave for the past five years: As an extension of its Google Earth and Google Maps applications, Google has been gradually taking photos of streets all over the world.

Those photos are then assembled into Google Street View, a seamless wal kthrough of anywhere the Google cars have been, with people who just happened to be there at the time frozen forever for the world to see.

In the early days, back in 2007, protests about infringement on privacy re-

Kiew Tong, a popular hookah café in Phuket Town, was ordered closed for a month on Tuesday night (March 27).

Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada led about 50 officials and police to inspect hookah cafés in Phuket Town, after receiving complaints that staff in the cafés had been providing hookahs to customers under 20 years old, the minimum legal age for smoking.

Many of the cafés had apparently been tipped off; all but three on the list were found to be closed for the night.

The first café inspected was Kiew Tong on Thalang Rd. Here, the officials found hookahs being used by many underage customers.

In addition, two underage customers, after having their urine tested, admitted

to using ya ice (cr ystal methamphetamine).

Hookahs were also seized from Mor Samran café on Dilok Utis 2 Rd, and Monkey Hap café on Phuket Rd, near Surin Circle, where another youth – upon testing – admitted to using ya ice.

V/G Chamroen said there were many cafés providing hookahs for young people.

“There are more than 20 cafés that have hookah services across the island.

Their main customers are young people and students, to whom they also sell alcohol and cigarettes. If we can stop them from doing this, it can help to prevent youths from later becoming addicted to ya ice or ya ba,” he said.

The three youths who tested positive for ya ice will be rehabilitated.

Dance for your life On Monday (March 26) Tesco Lotus started its “Get Healthy with Tesco Lotus Year 6” campaign with an aerobic dance show at the big store in Thalang.

Tesco Lotus Senior Corporate Affair Manager Chakrit Direkwattanachai said the campaign aims to encourage people to take care of their

heath by taking part in more exercise, eating well and generally feeling better, under the company’s “3G” concept: Good Health, Good Life and Good Eating.

For more information, visit the Public Relations counter in any major branch of Tesco-Lotus, call 02-530-9383 or visit tescolotus.com.

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THE PHUKET NEWS

NATIONAL NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

Thaksin will celebrate with Red Shirts Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will celebrate Songkran with thousands of Red Shirts in Laos and Cambodia, Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan said on Sunday (March 25).

“Thaksin is not coming back to Thailand at this time but will stay close in order to allay the feelings of those who miss him,” he said, as reported by The Nation.

Mr Thaksin will be in Vientiane on April 1213 to meet his Red Shirt supporters from Udon Thani and Nong Khai, Mr Jatuporn said. He will then be in Siem Reap on April 14-15.

Mr Thaksin informed his Red-Shirt supporters in Surin last Friday (March 23), through a phone call, that he would eventually return to Thailand, reported TAN Network.

The deposed leader spoke to a meeting of about 300 northeastern Red Shirts from 20 provinces who gathered at the office of Pheu Thai MP for Surin, Teeyai Poonsrithanakul.

7

Army admits killing civilians Agence France-Presse

The military on Wednesday (March 21) admitted troops had shot dead four Muslim villagers on their way to a funeral in the insurgency-hit south, due to a “misunderstanding” in late January.

Four others were wounded when a ranger unit opened fire on their pickup truck in Nongchik Dist r ict of Pattani Province.

The military ordered the withdrawal of the unit immediately after the incident and set up a panel including a local religious leader to investigate.

“The incident in which on-duty security officials acted against civilians was likely caused by a misunderstanding resulting from the surrounding circumstances,” the statement from the Southern Region Army Command said.

It said the incident occurred as troops were in pursuit of militants who had attacked a ranger outpost, adding that it was up to the judiciary to establish the guilt of the rangers, irrespective of the findings of the panel.

“All those who are involved with the incident will enter the justice process to ensure

A soldier patrols a street in the insurgency-hit deep south. confidence and fairness from all sides,” the statement said.

A complex insurgency, without clearly stated aims, has plagued the far south near the border with Malaysia

since 2004, claiming more than 5,000 lives, both Buddhist and Muslim, in near-daily bomb or gun attacks.

In the latest violence, a ranger was killed in a roadside

bomb attack early Wednesday (March 21) in Cho-Ai-Rong district of Narathiwat Province, police said. Three others including two rangers and a villager were wounded.

Photo: AFP

The five-kilogramme bomb was hidden at the foot of a bridge and detonated by radio control after villagers alerted rangers about the suspicious object, police said.

Sex slave charity head quits after fake claims The head of an Australian char it y, accused of faking the rescue of Thai hilltribe children from sexual slavery, has resigned.

Sean McBride, a former Australian army commando, stepped down from the Grey Man charity at the weekend following new claims about the organisation and an investigation by Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation, reported the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday (March 26).

Mr McBride told The Age newspaper that the Grey Man’s board decided he should step down because ‘‘personal issues’’ between him and people in Thailand were

interfering with the organisation’s operations.

Police from the Chiang Mai-based Transnational Crime Unit told The Age that 21 hilltribe children from a village in northern Chiang Rai Province were not rescued from prostitution as the charity had claimed on its website, along with appeals for funds.

Investigations are being made by the Department of Special Investigation that the children had never left their homes, had continued to attend school, and had suffered as a result of the publicity.

Funded by Australian donations, the high-profile charity promotes the use of former Australian soldiers and police

in daring missions to rescue victims of sex trafficking in Asia. Chiang Mai police have cut ties with the charity amid claims and counterclaims about the organisation pending the outcome of a departmental investigation.

The Grey Man’s former head of investigations in Thailand said the charity’s website had exaggerated the success of its operations, including changing the ages of victims.

The charity says it has rescued dozens of children from prostitution in Asia, the youngest aged 10. It also claims to provide supporting employment and education programs to stop children being trafficked for sexual exploitation.

Police caught with drugs Agence France-Presse

Four policemen have been arrested after they seized narcotics worth B30 million in raids on drug gangs and kept them to sell themselves, senior police said.

The four were arrested late Tuesday (March 20) on the outskirts of Bangkok with

305,200 methamphetamine tablets and five kilogrammes of ya ice. “Four policemen and one civilian were charged with trafficking of illicit drugs,” Bangkok Metropolitan Police Commander Lt-Gen Winai Thongsong told a news conference Wednesday (March 21).

Gen Winai said the four police, who denied the charges,

had been sacked and handed over to anti-narcotics police for prosecution.

Thailand, along with other countries in the region, has seen a marked increase in seizures of methamphetamine as the world opiate trade declines.

Although drug-trafficking can result in the death penalty, executions are rare.

thephuketnews.com

8

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

50,000 ‘used student visa loophole to work in Britain’ Agence France-Presse

Up to 50,000 migrants from outside the European Union posed as students to exploit new visa rules to work illegally in Britain, a watchdog said on Tuesday.

The highly cr itical report by the National Audit Office prompted law makers to call for the UK Border Agency (UKBA) to “get a grip and fix the way it deals with student visas”.

Up to a sixth of all student visa applicants from outside the EU exploited the new system in the first year following its introduction in 2009 because it did not contain proper controls to detect bogus students, the NAO said.

The report says the UKBA also does little to ensure that foreign students leave Britain after their requests to extend their stay are refused.

A points-based visa system for non-EU migrants was introduced under the then Labour government three years ago in a bid to reduce abuses.

THE PHUKET NEWS

Syria ‘accepts’ Annan plan to end bloodshed Agence France-Presse

Syria has accepted a proposal crafted by Kofi Annan designed to end the bloodshed in the country, the envoy’s spokesman said Tuesday, as opposition factions agreed to join forces against the regime.

UN-Arab League envoy Annan, speaking from Beijing, cautioned that the key to peace was implementing his six-point plan, as monitors reported at least another 31 people killed in Syria on Tuesday.

That brought the total deaths to almost 10,000 in the year-long uprising.

In Istanbul, opposition factions agreed late Tuesday to name the Syrian National Council as their representa-

tive and called on President Bashar al-Assad to pull back his tanks to show he was serious about peace.

Annan’s plan includes calls for a daily two-hour humanitarian ceasefire and access to all areas affected by the fighting in Syria.

“The Syrian government has written to the Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan accepting his six-point plan, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council,” Annan’s spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said in a statement issued in Geneva.

“Mr Annan views this as an important initial step that could bring an end to the violence and the bloodshed, provide aid to the suffering, and create an environ-

ment conducive to a political dialogue that would fulfil the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people,” he said.

Fawzi said Annan had written to Assad asking Damascus for immediate action, including the release of people detained in Syria over the past year.

“Mr Annan has stressed that implementation will be key, not only for the Syrian people, who are caught in the middle of this tragedy, but also for the region and the international community as a whole,” Fawzi said.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Syria’s reported agreement had to be backed up with action.

“Given Assad’s history of over-promising and under-

delivering, that commitment (to Annan) must now be matched by immediate actions,” Clinton told reporters.

Sunday’s gathering will bring together Arab countries and Western powers to discuss the crisis.

Earlier Tuesday Annan, a former UN secretary general, held talks in Beijing with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who pledged his support for his mediation efforts – as did Russian President Dmitry Medvedev when Annan visited Moscow over the weekend.

China and Russia – both allies of Syria – have provoked Western fury by twice blocking UN Security Council resolutions that condemned Assad’s regime.

Allies turn away as Strauss-Kahn battles sex charges Agence France-Presse

Former allies of disgraced ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn distanced themselves Tuesday, less that a month before presidential elections, as his lawyers fiercely denied pimping charges.

P rose cutor s said t he 62-yea r- old for me r So cialist minister and presidential favourite had been released late Monday on 100,000 euros (B4 million) bail after being charged with “aggravated pimping as part of an organised gang”.

The former world statesman’s implication in a long series of scandals and court cases has proved an embarrassment to his party, which once hoped he would bear its colou rs in next month’s presidential race.

Instead, for mer par ty leader Francois Hollande is standing as the Socialist candidate against incumbent right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy, while Strauss-Kahn prepares a defence against a charge that carries a 20-year prison term.

“It’s a private matter.

It’s painful, but not something that I have to make a political judgement about,” Hollande said, on France Bleu radio, as he began another day on the campaign trail.

Hollande’s campaign direc-

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.

Wednesday faced a fresh barrage of allegations over its conduct, with an Australian newspaper claiming it had a secret unit that promoted pirating of pay-TV rivals.

The Australian Financial Review said the company sabotaged its competitors by promoting high-tech piracy that damaged Austar and Optus at a time when News was moving to take control of the Australian pay-TV industry.

The newspaper, which belongs to News rival Fairfax, said the evidence emerged during a four-year investigation, as it began releasing 14,000 emails concerning one of the

thephuketnews.com

IN BRIEF Say your prayers, pilot screams at passengers

A JetBlue flight to Las Vegas was diverted to Texas due to what the airline described as a “medical situation” involving the captain – who one witness said had to be restrained after he pounded on the locked cockpit door.

T he m a n sc r e a me d “say your prayers, say your prayers” at horrified passengers after running up and down the aisle shouting “Iraq, al-Qaeda, terrorism, we’re all going down”, The Daily Mail reported.

Afghan soldiers arrested after suicide vest find

More than a dozen Afghan soldiers suspected of plotting to attack the Defence Ministry in Kabul were arrested after 10 suicide vests were found inside the ministry, the New York Times reported, citing Afghan and Western officials.

Security across Afghanistan has worsened after a string of incidents that have enraged Afghans in recent weeks, as well as t h e r e c e n t m u r d e r of two British soldiers by a member of the Afghan army.

French gunman ‘didn’t send video’

Photo: Guillaume Paumier tor, Pierre Moscovici, said: “Everyone feels sadness for Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was for so long an actor in public life by our side.

“Now it’s time for the just ice system to go to work,” he said.

News Corp accused of Australian piracy plot Agence France-Presse

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

group’s security subsidiaries.

It comes after the BBC’s Panorama programme on Monday made similar charges against the company in Britain.

The new allegations come as News Corp. is embroiled in a phone-hacking scandal in Britain that saw the company shut down its mass-selling News of the World tabloid.

The Australian Financial Review claimed a secret unit of former policemen and intelligence officers within News known as “Operational Security” crippled the finances of competitors such as Austar and Optus.

They did so by cracking the codes of smart cards issue d t o cu st ome r s of the services, it said.

A video apparently showing a Muslim gunman’s attacks on soldiers and a Jewish school was sent to the AlJazeera news network but not by him, French police say, raising the spectre of a possible accomplice.

Al-Jazeera on Tuesday decided not to air a video that seems to have been filmed from the killer’s point of view and includes the cries of his victims.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy asked the network not to broadcast it.

New teeth, tongue, face and life for injured US man

A 37-year-old Virginia man injured in a 1997 gun accident has been given a new face, teeth, tongue and jaw in what University of Maryland physicians say is the most extensive face transplant ever performed.

Richard Lee Norris of Hillsville is recovering well after last week’s surgery, medical officials said. Norris has spent the past 15 years living as a recluse, and the transplant will give him his life back, Dr Eduardo Rodriguez, the lead surgeon, said.

THE PHUKET NEWS

LETTERS/VIEWPOINT

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

OPINION

Tattoos for the soul

A look at the traditional Thai art of sak yan > 22

Editor’s Viewpoint

NORACHAI’S WORLD

SURIN’S FUTURE The issue of public beach use in Phuket makes headlines again this week, in this case in connection with Surin Beach, with locals meeting to discuss ways to put the brakes on its rampant commercialisation.

All were concerned that a lack of environmental management – combined with commercial greed, beach encroachment, weak regulation, limited monitoring, a lack of proper zoning and of law en forcement – ha d a l l owe d b u s i n e s s e s t o flourish without restraint or regard to the environment.

But Surin Beach is not the only beach in Phuket. In fact, it is beautiful and rather high-end, attracting many tourists, plus well-to-do foreigners who live in the area.

But look further around Phuket and the issue of abuse of beaches, plus constant debate over access to the sand and who has what rights to the beach, and you will find it is not a new issue. Indeed, worldwide, debate continues about the rights of people when it comes to accessing public

Standing room only.

Letters to the editor Sporting an opinion [Re. Little lords of the ring] I enjoyed your fair, well researched and balanced piece on muay Thai.

It’s a national institution and has to abide by strict rules.Just for the record, I know a boy – now 17 – who has been involved in Thai boxing since he was four or five.

His father never pressured him and because he began at such a young age, he is now skilful and successful. In fact, he is also a lovely unassuming lad, and he enjoys what he does. The only exploitation he encountered in Phuket was, as your article mentions, the miniscule amount of money he actually received for fighting. Most went to the camp owner. So he changed his allegiance and now gets a much higher proportion of the admittedly still small purse.

Patrick Campbell

Praise you Great newspaper. I was so happy when I saw this newspaper in a

news-stand at Phuket International Airport. I bought it and had a wonderful read on my way to BKK. And you cannot beat the price either.

Anto Arriba Arriba

First impressions count Whenever I visit another country I am always amazed at how many immigration officers are manning their booths. Here it is the complete opposite.

You are always greeted by the maximum three or four booths, servicing five to six big flights coming in at a similar time.

You notice there are another seven to 10 booths not manned.This causes a huge bottleneck for people that have flown over six, seven, eight hours, and more at times.

Surely, the Immigration Office must be aware of the flights arrival time, but they never seem to allow for the influx of people.

Other airports in other countries are aware of busy times and allocate officers accordingly.

Secondly, you are then greeted by

9

an officer who quite obviously has never heard of the “Land of Smiles.”

Of course the officers do a very important job and at times a difficult one. But civility costs nothing and that would only be reciprocated if it was present at the start.

Disgruntled

More action needed [Re. Workshop to discuss marine sustainability] Less talking, more patrolling, please.

In 20 years, I’ve never seen a park official in the bay.

I’ve reported numerous offences, some of which were actually addressed, but it would be quite effective if bad guys thought there was a chance of getting caught ‘red handed’ so to speak.

Plus, how many grassroots-level folks who are an important link in the bay ecology are actually going to go to a fancy marina to talk? Seriously, this is akin to tour operators going to five star mega resorts to receive eco awards.

Dave

Watch out fugitives [Re. US drug fugitive detained] Thailand is a dangerous place for fugitives! Better look for another hide out! Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam? But it seems the fugitives like it more in Thailand.

A Hoeld

What a sight [Re. Organic chickens get rare – and deadly – visitor] What a stunningly beautiful animal! Nice to know that they’re still around.

That’s one of the few animals that I haven’t encountered in Khao Sok. I regularly see sun bear, gaur, muntjac, and wild pigs. I often see elephants, tapir and serow.

I’d absolutely love to see one these these guys.

Great to read that they let him go instead of hu r ting him for k il l i ng t he ch icke n s... happy ending for a change.

Dave

Letters may be edited for clarity or length. Email editor@thephuketnews.com or fax 076 612 553. Please include your full name, phone number, and email address.

land, particularly desirable – meaning money-making – beach and coastal land.

W hatever solution is found for Surin Beach – and let’s hope there is a solution in sight – should be used as a model to be applied around the island.

The solution needs to be an acceptable outcome for all ‘stakeholders’, which will require a delicate balancing act between preserving the natural environment and allowing people to make a living or enjoy the services they expect.

Business-free beaches on Phuket, which relies on increasingly huge numbers of tourists to boost the local economy, would be an unrealistic goal.

But unless the situation is controlled, soon there will be (some will argue this is already the case) barely any unoccupied sand for Joe Public to sit down and relax on without being obliged to pay a toll to someone claiming ‘ownership’.

Phuket’s beaches are for everyone – and something needs to be done urgently to ensure they stay that way.

This week in history ■■ March 30, 1842 – Anesthesia is used for the first time, in an operation by the American surgeon Dr. Crawford Long.

■■ March 31, 1889 – The Eiffel Tower is officially opened.

■■ April 1, 1976 – Apple Inc. is formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.

■■ April 2, 1982 – Argentina invades the Falkland Islands, triggering the start of the Falklands War. ■■ April 3, 1895 – Trial of the libel case instigated

by Oscar Wilde begins, eventually resulting in his imprisonment on charges of homosexuality.

■■ April 4, 1969 – Dr Denton Cooley implants the first temporary artificial heart.

The patient, Hanskell Karp, lived for 64 hours with the artificial heart until a proper transplant was performed.

■■ April 5, 1956 – Fidel Castro declares himself to be at war with the President of Cuba.

thephuketnews.com

10 BUSINESS/TOURISM

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

BUSINESS

Going beyond the island

Kata Group unveils new Beyond Resorts in Khao Lak and Krabi > 12

business@thephuketnews.com

Tourist arrivals stall in February

Terrorist fears blamed for slowdown

TTR Weekly

T h e nu m b e r of p e o ple f lyi ng i nto Phu ket i n February fell slightly from the same month last year, according to preliminary statistics from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Thailand as a whole saw a marginal 2 per cent rise in international arrivals, compared with the same month of 2011.

A total of 230,397 arrivals were recorded at Phuket International Airport in February, a drop of 0.77 per cent.

Suvarnabhumi Airport welcomed 1,186,837 tourists (a rise of 3.54 per cent), while the number coming through the Sadao Checkpoint on the T h a i- M a l ay sia n b o r d e r dropped 17.1 per cent to 103,474, and the number

coming through the Aranyaprathet checkpoint on the Thai-Cambodian border fell to 41,894, a drop of 7.06 per cent.

The brightest spot was the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge checkpoint in Nong Khai province, which saw an increase of 26.77 per cent to 78,783.

The overall slow rise last month pulled the accumulated growth for the year down from 7.65 per cent in January to 4.83 per cent for the first two months combined.

Most sources of visitors recorded improvements, but East Asia figures were down by 2.42 per cent to 898 , 268 t r ip s , a n d t h e Middle East down by 3.68 per cent to 44,152.

The ministry theorised that declines from China (-2.82

per cent), Hong Kong (-33.92 per cent) and Taiwan (-28.19 per cent) were due to travel warnings in January, which had a spillover effect on February’s performance.

On January 13, the US Embassy in Bangkok issued a travel alert “that foreign terrorists may be currently looking to conduct attacks against tourist areas in Bangkok in the near future”. Twenty other nations followed suit.

In mid-February a number of bomb blasts in Bangkok, followed by the arrests of half a dozen Iranian nationals, indicated that US intelligence had been very accurate.

Besides China, two other large suppliers recorded declines in February. They were Malaysia (-14.02 per cent) and Russia (-4.71 per cent).

ESP’s Brad Kenny: ‘Be ready for unconventional business styles all around you.’

THE WATER EXPERT Brad Kenny founded Environmental Solutions & Protection Corporation (ESP) in 1991, providing environmental consulting and environmental systems design, manufacturer, and installation.

The company has garnered a solid reputation as Phuket’s water experts, specialising in water systems installation and servicing; water infrastructure, plumbing, pumps, filtration, wastewater, decorative ponds and swimming pools.

What made you think of starting a business in Phuket?

I opened ESP in 1991 in Bangkok and initially did business all over Thailand including in Phuket.

After the Asian economic crisis in 1997, my business activities in Phuket did not stagnate as they had in Bangkok, so I decided to move to Phuket and open an ESP branch office here.

What was your initial investment?

Well, more than it should have been for sure, there of course was some spinning of the wheels. And then during the Asian financial crisis [of 1997]

SUCCESS

Stor y

there were some additional re-engineering costs.

On a scale of 1 for “not at all” to 10 for “absolutely”, how has your business developed compared with your initial expectations?

I would say about a seven.

This of course took many more years to reach a comfortable level than initially expected.

What was easiest to do in developing your business?

Being an American Amenity Company, not having to have proxies or major Thai shareholders to deal with.

What was most difficult?

Staff training, and the idea of “100 per cent correct the first time” as our goal. Service expectations for Western customers, compared with the realities of capabilities within the Thai labour force.

What do you love/hate most about what you do?

The only problems I have had have been work i ng with customers who have tried to be their own project

managers when they were not capable or trained to do so.

Either that, or customers who had no project manager, which leads to problems.

I have learned that lesson, and am well enough established that I don’t have to make that mistake again.

How is business right now?

Fine, we have enough service clients to basically pay for all expenses which was a goal when coming to Phuket.

Have you been affected by increasing competition?

How do you counter that?

About 30 per cent of my work is from customers who tried the competition first, so we have to go in and mop up their work.

This is sad for the customer, but unfortunately it happens every day in Phuket.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs starting up in Phuket?

Never start a cash business, unless you want to be a slave to your cash register. Expect to spin your wheels at first.

Remember your business training, and be ready for unconventional business styles all around you.

We believe that the success of a project is essentially based on a serious management

liberto@construction-thailand.com

liberto@construction-thailand.com 40 years experience of more than 20 years at your service in Thailand.

Main Contractor:

Study Project Architecture Design Construction & Management

Office 3.L.H & I.C.P. Manufactory 3.L.H & I.C.P.

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THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

BUSINESS/TOURISM 11

KNIFE EDGE Airline industry on brink of losses – IATA

TTR Weekly

It’s a deal: Vasco Buonpensiere, CdM Sales and Marketing Director (left), with Josh Lee of Lee Marine.

Lee Marine gets new agency for expedition yachts Phuket’s Lee Marine yacht dealership and brokerage, has announced that it has been appointed the exclusive agent in China, Southeast Asia and Australia for Italian shipbuilder Cantiere delle Marche (CdM), maker of customised, steel-hulled expedition “niche” megayachts.

Lee Marine will be agents for the diesel-powered Darwin and Nauta Air range of oceangoing, long-range vessels, capable of remaining at sea for months at a time and with ranges of up to 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km).

The Darwin and Nauta Air are considered “niche within a niche” boats, as they combine the luxury specifications of a superyacht with the size of a steel-hulled mini-ship designed for long-range use, in this case at an average speed of 10 knots.

The agency is for a three year period.

Vasco Buonpensiere, CdM Sales and Marketing Director, said the yachts should have great success in Asia/ Pacific with their long range capacities, seaworthiness and stability, solid build and specifications normally seen on superyachts, large enclosed spaces and “impeccable” Italian design and engineering.

Ancona-based CdM was formed only in 2010 but is long on experience, the result of a partnership between Mr Buonpensiere – who has an extensive background both in European luxury boat brokerage and as Brand manager of Custom Line and CRN brands of Ferretti group – and CEO Ennio Cecchini from a famous shipbuilding family in Italy.

The Sergio Cutolo-designed Darwin Class comes in 86-, 95-, 105- and 115-foot models and the Mario Pedol-designed Nauta Air 80-, 96- and 115-feet.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced a downgrade in its industry outlook for 2012 primarily due to rising oil prices, short-sighted government policies and taxation.

IATA expects airlines to turn a global profit of US$3 billion (B90 billion) in 2012, equivalent to a margin of just 0.5 per cent. The US$500 million downgrade from the US$3.5 billion December forecast is primarily because of a rise in the expected ave r age pr ice of oil t o US$115 a barrel, up from the previously forecast US$99.

This will push fuel to 34 per cent of average operating costs and see the overall industry fuel bill rise to US$213 billion. Political tensions in the Gulf region increase the risk of significantly higher oil prices, which could put the industry into loss.

Several factors prevented a more significant downgrade

by IATA: the avoidance of a significant worsening of the Eurozone crisis; improvement in the US economy; cargo market stabilisation and slower than expected capacity expansion.

“2012 continues to be a challenging year for airlines,” said IATA CEO Tony Tyler. “The risk of a worsening Eurozone crisis has been replaced by an equally toxic risk — rising oil prices. Already the damage is being felt with a

IATA CEO Tony Tyler: shortsighted, exces sive tax collection in many markets. downgrade in industry profits to US$3 billion.”

Airline performance is closely tied to global GDP growth. Historically, when GDP growth drops below 2 per cent, the global airline industry as a whole returns a loss.

“With GDP growth projections now at 2 per cent and an anemic margin of 0.5 per cent, it will not take much of a shock to push the industry into the red for 2012,” said Tyler.

All regions will see reduced profitability in 2012 compared with 2011, and Europe and

Africa will see losses.

European carriers face by far the most difficult situation.

The outlook remains unchanged from December with the expectation of a US$600 million net loss and a margin before interest and tax of 0.3 per cent of revenues.

While it appears that a major worsening of the Eurozone crisis has been averted, many European economies are in deep recession which will see continued weakness in both the cargo and passenger business. At the same time air travel is being hit by taxation and the cost of the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme.

Asia Pacific carriers continue to perform well. Better than expected performance saw a revision of 2011 profits to US$4.8 billion from a previous estimate of US$3.3 billion.

Higher fuel costs will more than halve profits this year but the region’s relatively strong economies will continue to generate more rapid growth in travel and cargo than the other large regions.

“Today’s forecast demon-

strates just how quickly the operating environment can change,” said Mr Tyler. “The unintended consequences of many government policies have contributed to keeping the industry on a knife-edge between profit and loss.”

He also slammed political expediency and “short-sighted, excessive tax collection in many markets.” This, he said, hampers airlines’ ability to give “access to the connectivity that drives global business”.

“Regulation implemented without a clear cost-benefit analysis often scores political points at the expense of industry efficiency let alone solving the problems it was intended to address.

“Today’s industry situation reinforces the need for governments to take a more strategic approach to aviation with competitiveness-enabling policies that will deliver broad economic benefits. This has been tried, tested and proven by many governments in Asia and the Middle East. Europe, India, the US and others should take note,” said Mr Tyler.

Claude Sauter.

New Skal president The General Manager of the Panwa Beach Resort, Claude Sauter, has been elected President of the Skål International Club of Phuket.

Mr Sauter, who has been the club’s Vice President for three years, said he was keen to keep membership numbers at the current level of around 80 and to focus on getting existing members to become more active and involved in the group’s events.

thephuketnews.com

12 BUSINESS/PROPERTY

IN BRIEF RPM launches Phase 3 Phu ket’s Royal Phu ket Marina launched the third phase of its residential development last weekend at the SMART Property Exhibition in Singapore, thephuketinsider.com reported.

Branded as La Reserva Residences, the initial offering is for 40 one- and two-bedroom condominiums with rooftop Sky Pools.

Laos closes border casino Laos is ending gambling in the former casino enclave of Boten on the Chinese border because of worries about crime, state media said on March 21.

“There has been speculation over criminal activity in the gambling town, which forced the government to close the casino,” the Vientiane Times reported, without saying when the business was shut.

No govt closure of Kingfisher Virtually ruling out closure of debt-laden Kingfisher Airlines (KFA), Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said on March 22 that owner Vijay Mallya himself will have to consider shutting down the business.

“Rules say that we cannot cancel licences of an airline as long as it has five planes and certain equity,” Mr Singh said.

AirAsia axes Singapore link AirAsia has revealed that its flights between Singapore and Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, will cease operating from May 21. The airline’s Bangkok-based subsidiary, Thai AirAsia, said the decision was taken to “improve operating cost efficiencies” and enable it to launch a new Chiang MaiMacau service.

THE PHUKET NEWS

Kata Group goes Beyond Phuket Local hotel company Kata Group last Friday (March 23) celebrated the launch of two new resorts in Khao Lak and Krabi, and a new brand, “Beyond Resort”.

Around 300 tourism and media representatives from Phuket and Bangkok assembled at the Beyond Resort in Khao Lak to listen to Pamuke Achariyachai, president of the Kata Group, explain that the new brand aims to appeal to “all who have a love for nature”.

The investment has been hefty – around B2.3 billion for the two resorts.

B1.2 billion was spent on buying and renovating the Krabi resort, which will

Pool villa at the Kata Group’s Beyond Resort Khao Lak. mark its soft opening next month, and hold its grand opening in October.

The resort, on 24 rai at Klong Muang Beach, just north of Ao Nang, will have 171 rooms, divided into six types,

including 77 stand-alone villas.

Meanwhile, the B1.1-billion Beyond Resort Khaolak, on Pakweep Beach, soft-opened last month and is already running at 40 per cent occupancy.

A couples-only resort,

the four-star-plus Beyond Resort Khao Lak has 153 villas on 72 rai of land.

Mr Pamuke said that both resorts will aim initially to attract guests from Europe and Australia, with no more than 15 per cent of guests from the Thai market.

Mr Pamuke said that in the long term the Kata Group plans to expand the Beyond Resort brand into a chain.

Apart from the two Beyond properties, the Kata Group also owns and manages the Kata Beach Resort and Spa, the Karon Beach Resort and Spa and the Phuket Orchid Resort, all in Phuket, and the Kandaburi Resort on Koh Samui.

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

Bluepoint ‘wins prize in Asia Pac awards’ Stealing a march on the organisers of the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2012, Blue poi nt Development Co has announced that it is to receive one of the prizes in the awards, which are only being officially to be announced on April 27.

The company is behind Bluepoint Condos at the souther n end of Patong, which were entered in two categories, ‘Architecture Multiple Residence’ and ‘Development Multiple Units’.

“Attaining one of these coveted awards is indisputable evidence that Bluepoint Condos is capable of beating some exceedingly strong contenders within the highly competitive Asia Pacif ic property arena,” the company said in a press release.

Tax cuts not as tasty as they seem After the elections that brought the Pheu Thai Party to power, there was a lot of discussion about the new Government’s plan to reduce corporate income tax rates (CITR).

While debate still rages about the potential negative impact on businesses in Thailand of the minimum wage rate increase, the Government actually went ahead and reduced the CITR significantly.

Surprisingly, relatively few people seem to be aware of this. Here is a summary of the recently decisions and decrees and their effects on CITR. According to Title II, Chapter 3, Schedule 2(a) of the Revenue Code, the CITR on profit for Thai companies is 30 per cent. However Title I, Section 3(1) of the Code allows this rate to be reduced for some or all companies by way of a Royal Decree (RD) issued by the Cabinet.

And, in fact, under RD

Jerrold Kippen Tax & Law Expert Duensing Kippen

471, issued in 2008, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – defined as companies whose total capitalisation was B5 million or less on the last day of the tax year – were exempted from paying CITR on income of B150,000 or less, a rate of 15 per cent on taxable income between B150,001 and B1 million, and 25 per cent from B1,000,001 to B3 million.

Also, under RD 467, issued in 2007, the CITR for companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) on the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI) was reduced to 20 per cent, while the CITR for all other companies listed on the SET was reduced to 25 per cent.

(For those who have not come across it, the MAI is a separate stock market set up

by the SET as an alternative market for small and medium-sized enterprises. There are currently 74 companies listed on the MAI.) So, long before Pheu Thai came to power, few smaller companies were paying the full 30 per cent CITR. On December 14 last year the Cabinet issued RD 530 which repealed and replaced RD 471 and part of RD 467.

The CITR for SMEs – now redefined as any company with a capitalisation of not more than B5 million and not having an annual income of more than B30 million – is as follows: Zero tax on net profit up to B150,000 for all of the tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2012; 15 per cent on net profit from B150,001 to B1 million for all of the tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2012; 23 per cent on net profit of B1,000,001 or more for the tax year which begins on or after January 1, 2012; and 20 per cent on net profit

of B1,000,001 or more for all of the following tax years which begin on or after January 1, 2013.

The CITR for all other companies, including those listed on the main SET (but not the MAI) is now set for the next three consecutive accounting periods as follows: 23 per cent on net profit for the tax year which begins on or after January 1, 2012; and 20 per cent on net profit for the following two tax years which begin on or after January 1, 2013.

The CITR for the companies that are listed on the MAI remains at 20 per cent of net profit – this is the part of RD 467 that remains in effect.

These CITR reductions are clearly a welcome development for those investing and doing business in Thailand.

However, it should be noted that although RD 530 gives no end date for the CITR reductions for SMEs, this is not the case for all other (nonMAI listed) companies. What

will happen after the expiration of the three years set in RD 530 is unclear.

The most commonly stated rationales for the CITR reductions are to make the business environment more competitive in Thailand compared with neighbouring countries, and to “compensate” Thai companies for the coming minimum wage increases.

But such assertions are undercut by the fact that the tax reductions under RD 530 are not “permanent” for most “normal” companies.

Even if the Government’s plan is to extend or even increase them three years from now, it will take an act of political will by the then Cabinet to do this. Thus, any such extension has to be viewed as uncertain.

Although the current easing of tax rates is helpful for existing businesses, for those considering doing business or investing long-term in Thailand, the outlook beyond the three years is rather vague.

Duensing Kippen is a multiservice boutique law firm specialising in real estate and corporate/commercial transactional matters as well as arbitration proceedings arising therefrom. It is the only such firm in Thailand that also compliments its transactional expertise with a core tax law practice. Duensing Kippen can be reached at: phuket@duensingkippen.com or for more information please visit them at: www.duensingkippen.com

thephuketnews.com

14 ART

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

CULTURE

BIG LIST: Eccentric scientists > 18

culture@thephuketnews.com

GERRY’S view

THIS WEEK’S HINT: “This small Catholic church with its soft pastel colours and beautiful stained glass windows sits on a relatively short soi in the island’s capital, within a hop and a jump from an Islamic mosque and also a Buddhist shrine; thus demonstrating that this country’s three major religions can co-exist in close proximity to one another. The church is a short walk from one of the city’s main roundabouts and big hotels.”

–Gerry Cummings

EMAIL US

editor@thephuketnews.com

ENTER ONLINE

www.thephuketnews.com/ random-view.php

GUESS THE CORRECT LOCATION AND WIN A B500 GIFT VOUCHER FROM PHOTO HUT: www.photohutgroup.com

photohutgroup.com

Congratulations go to Oliver Robinson, who correctly guessed that last week’s photo was of the wind turbine on the hill between Nai Harn Beach and Yah Nui. It stands prominently on the side of the hill overlooking the Andaman Sea at that location, and is easily spotted from either Nai Harn Beach or Yah Nui. The small gazebo is used by visitors to view the sea and to watch the para-gliders and model aeroplane enthusiasts fly their planes. Previous winner Suchada Sukhpool also guessed correctly.

SHOW TIME FOR ARTISTS Norachai Thavisin editor3@thephuketnews.com

For two Phuket woman artists, it’s time to show their work.

American Kathy Coulson is showing her abstract paintings at the Boathouse Resort in Kata and Caroline Laleta-Ballini, from France, is showing her collages at the L’Orféo restaurant on Saiyuan Rd in Naiharn.

Also a DJ and editor of the French-language Le Paris Phuket magazine, Caroline made these juxtapositions of prints of historical masterpieces over many years for her father’s collection. They blend in nicely now in the homely ambience of the awardwinning local restaurant.

Meanwhile, Kathy left California in 1996, and has been living abroad ever since, making Thailand her creative home since 1998. She teaches Art and is also the CAS (Creative, Action and Service) and Community & Services Coordinator at the British International School Phuket.

A graduate of the University of California, Kathy taught art to homeless and low-income women in the United States. She also once gave lessons to street children in Cambodia, as part of a

thephuketnews.com

PHUKET GALLERIES Designed by Woulfe Studio

Baan Wana Park, 177/22 Moo.4, Srisoonthorn Road, Thalang, 076 620 071, designedbywoulfe.com.

Dream Gallery

Boat Lagoon, 23/122 Thepkasattri Rd, Koh Kaew, 076 273 487, gallery@asiansourcingallery.com, thedreamgallery.asia.

I Mon Art Gallery:

29/2 Phang Nga Rd, Phuket Town, 086 961 8968, montian_29@live.com. Open daily 8am-7.30pm.

Little Monk Gallery:

95/33 Saiyuan Rd, Naiharn, 086 294 3971.

Nakonnai Art Museum:

84/34 Moo7, Soi Saiyuan 2, Rawai. 085 974 7218, nakonnaiartmuseum@yahoo.com.

Red Gallery:

Phuket Art Village, Soi Naya 2, Rawai, 087 323 321, redgallerythai@yahoo.com; phuketredgallery.com.

Sarasil Art Galllery:

121 Phang Nga Rd, Phuket Town, 076 224 532, somkiatkaewnok@yahoo.com; oilpaintingsphuket.com.

Open daily 8pm-9pm.

The Love Art Studio: Frenchwoman Caroline Laleta-Ballini with her collage (above) and American Kathy Coulson (below) with her work. self-portrait workshop in collaboration with an exhibition of her paintings there in 2001.

Since 2002, Kathy has helped coordinate the arts program at the Life Home Project, a shelter for HIV positive women and their children in Phuket.

In 2005, together with the women of the Life Home Project, she set up Project Neptune, an arts therapy program for survivors of the tsunami throughout Thailand’s affected provinces.

28/13 Soi Naya 2, Naiharn, 089 471 5653, pui.t.l.a.s.@hotmail.com; theloveartstudio.com.

The One Gallery:

53 Srisoonthorn Rd, Cherng Talay, 083 634 6840, inone_111@yahoo.com. Open daily 11am-9pm.

Veerachan Usahanun:

110/34 Cherng Talay, Bang Tao Beach Rd, 081 490 4359, usahanun@live.com; veerachanusahanun.com.

Vichen Gallery Bzenter

Behind Da Vinci Restaurant, Saiyuan Rd, Rawai, 087 890 3722.

Open daily 3-9 pm. (Telephone to view before 3pm.)

VR Gallery & Coffee Shop

Next to Mom Tri’s Villa Royale, 12 Kata Noi Rd, Kata Noi, 076 333 568; art@momtriphuket.com, momtriphuket.com.

Watcharin Art Studio:

27 Yaowaraj Rd, Phuket Town, 088 386 1449, watcharintinorodnit@hotmail.com, rindamagicalart.com.

Wua Gallery and Studio:

1 Phang Nga Rd, Phuket Town, 076 258 208, wua.artgallery@gmail.com; wua-artgallery.blogspot.com.

16 EDUCATION

An entertaining evening at BIS

While heavy rain poured down outside, it was cosy in the auditorium at the British International School Phuket, where st udents performed in front of teachers and parents on Monday night (March 26).

A group of young actors danced on the stage in a lively number from Annie Get Your Gun, directed by their singing teacher, who encouraged them along from the front.

BIS students give their performing best in front of an audience of parents and teachers.

Later, a young girl trumpet player bravely tackled the flowing notes of Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy,’ followed by two drummers, playing solo one after another, keeping up well with two pop tunes.

Drama groups from different years took their turns with short, amusing skits, before the jazz ensemble finished off a fun evening with well-known foot-tapping renditions.

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

Josh Roxas rehearsing for Count Snape and Friends.

Count for charity

A group of teachers from Kajonkietsuksa School are busy rehearsing for an evening of theatrical entertainment to raise funds for the Phuket Sunshine Village Foundation orphanage. Count Snape & Friends will perform outside Les Anges at the Royal Phuket Marina on April 21, beginning at 8.30pm.

The show is being organised by Murat Can Sakarya, the Marina’s events manager, and Andrew ‘Count’ Snape, music and drama teacher at Kajonkiet International Scho ol Phu ke t ( K ISP).

There will also be a special appearance by Year 2 KISP student Holly Maitland Smith.

More info: snapedom.com

Director of HeadStart Jazon Edouard (third from right in front) with staff of Sattree School.

Learning from the internet Phuket Community Foundation (PCF) co-ordinated a demonstration of a highlysuccessful internet teaching programme at the Sattree School in Phuket Town on Tuesday March 20.

School staff, including six English-language teach-

ers, observed the internetbased reading programmes and MyiMaths programme that have been inspirational in stimulating students’ interest at the HeadStart International School Phuket.

The internet programmes, called Big Cat Phonics and

RAZ, assist in English reading and pronunciation, while MyiMaths offers innovative teaching in mathematics.

Director of HeadStart Jazon Edouard (pictured above) has offered to sponsor the internet programme at the local Thai school.

PIA students get Zest for billboard While flicking through some property magazines, looking at the advertising for inspiration for his new billboard, Mark Lightfoot, of Zest Real Estate, thought that a six-yearold could probably do better, so he set up a competition to see if students at PIA could.

The winning design was

by Tara Thornburn, 6, who won B15,000 to donate to the Baan Par Klong Cheap School.

thephuketnews.com

JUNGLE BASHER Quiet garage owner is top off-road specialist THE PHUKET NEWS

MOTORING 17

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

Apinya Saksri reporter4@thephuketnews.com

Many people in Phuket know Wichai Wattanawisute as a top mechanic and the modest owner of Wichai Auto Service on Thepkrassattri Rd, not far from Super Cheap.

What they may not know is that Wichai is also one of Thailand’s top off-road rally drivers, driving for the official Maxxis Isuzu Thai Top 1 team. In the past 12 years he has competed in more than 100 rallies.

Born in Yala, 43-year-old Wichai has been passionate about motor racing ever since he was a child. This love of high-performance machinery pointed him in one direction: he decided to study to be a motor mechanic.

He g radu ated w it h a higher diploma then got a job as a mechanic, working in a garage that handled all makes of cars.

By the time he was 30, he had opened his own successful garage, installing LPG systems, fixing engines and making modifications.

He also began competing in off-road rallies. He took no lessons in competition driving, he says – he just applied his knowledge of driving and his experience as a mechanic.

Off-road motorsport first started in Phuket 15 years ago, when competitions were organised by the Phuket Off Road Team.

Cross-country s p o r t , Wic h a i s ay s , i s popular among Thais, despite receiving no support from the government’s sporting authorities.

He remained a member of Phuket Off Road for seven years, racing at first in Phuket, then graduating over the years to events in Malaysia, Cambodia and China. He also travelled to Germany, Portugal and other

Wichai Wattanawisute checks out the local machinery – an Audi offroad machine. countries to study technical aspects of his trade.

Everywhere he went, he learned. “I built up a network

of friends who could take me into the pits at race tracks to watch the crews working – normally no outsiders are

allowed in the pits.”

Five years ago Wichai started driving for the Maxxis Isuzu Thai Top 1 team. His

most recent foray was the Asia Cross Country Rally 2011 in both Thailand and Cambodia.

But his biggest success, he says, was the Bangkok-Chiang Mai event, a gruelling 2,500 kilometres over six days.

Half way th roug h, he dropped the car into a gorge and hurt his arm. The car was winched out and Wichai kept driving, one-handed – the damaged arm was useless – still finishing in second place.

W hat he loves about off-road rallying is driving through raw nature and learning how to solve problems.

And, even though he admits that he’s not as young as he used to be, with the sponsors still backing him, Wichai plans to keep on rallying.

Fo r m o r e i nfo r m a t i o n or to sponsor Wichai, call 0 81-956 -3982 or e ma i l wichai_cross@hotmail.com

LUXURY

LUXURY PHUKET

The dictionary defines luxury as “a material object, or service conducive to sumptuous living”, while Wikpedia states: “Luxury goods are products and services not considered essential but are associated with affluence. The concept of luxury has been present in various forms since the beginning of civilisation. Its role was just as important in ancient western and eastern empires as it is in modern societies.” On this new page, we’ll promote the very best in luxury living on Phuket, whether it be a yacht, jet, car, watch, fashion, or jewellery – so read on, and enjoy the Phuket luxe life.

Wahoo Luxury Yacht Charters T her e i s no b et ter way to appreciate the Andaman Sea, with its crystal clear waters and some of the most stunning scenery in the world than on a private charter yacht with Wahoo Luxury Yacht Charters.

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an unforgettable cruising, game fishing or diving experience in Phi Phi, Phang Nga, Krabi and beyond Your magical day begins with a warm Thai welcome from their on-board service team, who will ensure you are pampered to the fullest extent throughout the day, leaving you to relax, enjoy a

refreshing swim or explore on the Jet Ski and Sea Canoes.

Their sumptuous food menus are all freshly prepared on board, allowing you to dine al fresco in beautiful surroundings, with every possible luxury taken care of.

Email info@wahoo.ws, visit www. wahoo.ws or call 076 281 510,

thephuketnews.com

Agence France-Presse

DANE'S WORLD

18 WEIRD NEWS

THE PHUKET NEWS

Yakshemash! Kuwait in Borat song blunder The shadow of Borat continues to haunt Kazakhstan – and provide amusement for the rest of the world – after bungling officials replaced the country’s national anthem with his parody version at a recent medal ceremony in Kuwait.

Surprisingly, the incident wasn’t the work of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen.

The embarrassing mix-up happened when Kazakhstan shooting-team member Maria Dmitrienko prepared to accept her gold medal.

The video involving the anthem blunder starts with a close up of the country’s national flag before it pans in on a stony faced gold medal champion standing on a winner’s podium with her hand

‘Other countries have inferior potassium’: Borat in the film. placed proudly on her chest.

Playing in the background is Borat’s version of the country’s national song ‘My Kazakhstan’, which includes the dubious lyrics: “Kazakhstan greatest country in the

world/ All other countries are run by little girls/ Kazakhstan number one exporter of potassium/ Other countries have inferior potassium.”

It was made famous by Cohen in the 2006 mockumen-

tary Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, when he sang the spoof anthem to a chorus of boos at a US stadium.

The film came under fire from Kazakh officials who criticised Cohen’s portrayal of the transcontinental country labelling it as unfair.

It was banned by countries across the globe, including Kuwait where the recent Borat blunder took place. It is unclear as of yet if the error was a practical joke or a genuine mistake.

The latest gaffe involving Kazakhstan comes after their anthem was replaced by Ricky Martin song Livin’ la Vida Loca at a recent skiing event.

Gnome weighs up Earth’s big questions Physicists looking at anomalies in Earth’s gravity have turned an unlikely test subject – a garden gnome named Kern.

The little guy has been shipped around the globe to have himself weighed at locations ranging from Lima, Mumbai and Mexico to Sydney, New Caledonia and the South Pole.

The experiment is a twist on the “travelling gnome” prank, in which a garden ornament is mysteriously stolen,

photographed at various locations – with the pictures posted on the Internet – and then returned home.

The project promotes the wares of a German maker of hi-tech scales, but also has a serious application, by measuring differences in Earth’s gravity that also affect weight.

“Most people don’t realise Earth’s gravity actually varies slightly,” experiment coordinator Tommy Fimpel said.

DAYR AL ZAWR

HOMS

AL MAGADIN

LEBANON

How Messi’s goal assist allegedly aided Syrian rebels.

Lionel in a mess Lionel Messi and Barcelona have found themselves at the centre of one of the most surreal conspiracy theories of all time, after a state-owned Syrian television channel claimed the Catalans were aiding the smuggling of weapons to Syrian rebels.

While the situation in the Middle East is clearly no laughing matter, Al Dunya TV have left internet users gobsmacked after reporting that Barcelona helped anti-president Bashar

thephuketnews.com

Assad radicals plot arms smuggling routes through the country.

Using an El Clasico clip from last December, a video report on Sunday claimed Barcelona’s formation plots specific locations on a map, with the players representing the smugglers and the ball’s position signifying the current location of weapons.

The report concludes Messi’s final passes to set up Pedro’s goal against Real Madrid indicates the handover of the arsenal to the rebels in Dir al-Zur.

“One of the main causes is variations in the shape of the planet. The Earth is actually

potato-shaped, so you’ll weigh up to 0.5 per cent more or less, depending on where you go.

“We thought our Gnome Experiment would be a fun way to measure the phenomenon.”

So far he has weighed most – 309.82 grammes – at the Amundsen-Scott Research Station in Antarctica, where the inertial pull produced by Earth’s rotation is strong.

Follow the adventures of Kern: gnomeexperiment.com

Smuggler arrested at Smuggler’s Inn

Police must have thought it was a joke when they received an anonymous tip that “possible smuggling activity” would be taking place in the vicinity of Smuggler’s Inn Bed and Breakfast in Washington, USA. Suspicions they’d been duped must only have amplified when a car rolled up with a licence plate that read “SMUGLER”.

But Jasmin Klair is obviously not one for subtlety.

At around 8pm on the night of the tip-off, agents watched a black GMC Yukon pull up to the inn, which is located less than 40 metres from the US-Canadian border.

The SUV was driven by the inn’s owner and was carrying two passengers, according to MSNBC. Agents pulled the vehicle over and found nine bricks of cocaine inside,

weighing in at just under 12 kilogrammes. Passenger Jasmine Klair, 20, admitted that the drugs were hers.

The driver of the SUV and owner of the Smuggler’s Inn, Bob Boule, apparently was uninvolved in the drug deal.

Boule told the Bellingham Herald that almost 60 people each year are arrested in the inn’s yard. The name of the Inn is meant to be charming, he told the paper, but “we’re not encouraging smuggling.”

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012 with Dane Halpin editor2@thephuketnews.com

THE BIG LIST

Eccentric Experiments

The idea of the mad scientist didn’t just appear out of thin air – take a look at the following wacky experiments and you might just begin to understand why.

Curiosity killed the elephant: The 1960s was all about experimentation with drugs. But evidently bored with testing brain-bending psychedelics on himself, Warren Thomas got a little curious about the bigger things in life. And by bigger things, we mean elephants. Specifically, what happens when an elephant is tripping on acid. The liberal-minded pachyderm Tusko ‘volunteered’ for the experiment and was injected with 297 milligrams of LSD – about 3,000 times the typical human dose. The result, as anyone (except Thomas) could have guessed from the outset, was a disaster: Tusko died. The conclusion: “Elephants are highly sensitive to LSD”, which in no way makes the experiment worthwhile.

Cholera cocktail: Max Josef von Pettenkofer developed the very first large-scale pure-water system in Munich, Germany. And while that’s very impressive, from now until the day you die, if you remember anything about Pettenkofer, it will be this: he drank a steaming cup of cholera bacteria that he cultured from a patient’s diarrhea.

Fun fact: The patient was dead. Pettenkofer suspected that the bacterium which causes cholera was not the only factor in contracting the disease, and that certain environmental conditions also had to be in place. Of course, Pettenkofer was wrong – it was just the bacterium – but he ended up on a stamp, so the real lesson to learn from this is that if you want to end up on a stamp, drink a dead person’s poo.

One for the team: John Hunter was a famous physician in England, and the personal surgeon to King George III. Other patients included his own penis. When Hunter was practicing medicine, London was a growing urban center, which is a diplomatic way of saying it was rife with prostitution and venereal disease, namely clap (gonorrhea) and pox (syphilis). Hunter argued that clap and pox were in fact the same disease, just at different stages. But how to prove this fine claim? Test it on himself of course. Hunter made incisions on his own penis and inserted a bunch of infected pus from one of his gonorrhea-stricken patients. The problem was that the patient was, in fact, suffering from both gonorrhea AND syphilis, he just didn’t know it yet. So he accidentally took two diseases, injected them straight into his genitals, drew the wrong conclusion and managed to “set back medical progress for half a century.” Good job guy.

Black sheep: Researchers needed to study the effects of Tasers on targets under the influence of methamphetamines.

But how to get volunteers?

Most people won’t even touch meth for fear they’ll wake up in a different timezone, let alone get Tasered while on it. But you know who’s got a pulse, doesn’t mind getting Tased and loves the hell out of meth? Meth addicts! Except rather than opting for reason and logic, the scientists went instead for hilarious insanity: They rounded up 16 sheep, gave them a speedball of powerful sedatives and methamphetamines, and then proceeded to Taser the crap out of them. Despite being given the exact recipe for a nonsensical death, all of the sheep lived, displaying no signs of the potentially fatal heart rhythm that human targets under similar conditions often succumb to. Final outcome: Somewhere out there, there exists a small gang of speed-freak sheep struggling with a dueling sedative addiction. They may or may not be immune to electricity.

TIME OUT 19

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

BOOK

MUSIC

FILM The Hunger Games 142 minutes Rating: 15+

Wild

by Cheryl Strayed At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed was a novice hiker when she decided to embark on a solo trek along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), between Mexico and Canada.

Her memoir opens with the impetus for her journey: the sudden death of her 45year-old mother. Despondent and disoriented in the wake of her loss, Strayed self-destructs. She cheats on, then leaves, her beloved husband, shoots heroin, has an abortion and adopts a new last name.

Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she sets off for the PCT. In this compelling chronicle of her journey, battles rattlesnakes, bears, intense heat and bitter cold on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Port of Morrow

The Shins The Shins are back, and four years on from their Grammynominated 2007 album, Wincing The Night Away, Port Of Morrow feels like a welcome visit to a forgotten old friend.

Upon first listen, the new album sounds almost impossibly simple and pop-oriented – a far cry from 2003’s Chutes Too Narrow. But upon close inspection, Port Of Morrow demands repeat listens and hours spent poring over lyric sheets to unwind the twisted lyrical riddles of ‘September’ and ‘40 Mark Strasse’.

Lead single ‘Simple Song’ is, by now, an undeniable entry into The Shins’ canon, and frontman James Mercer has finally come into his own as an accessible pop songwriter for a wider audience.

Director: Gary Ross Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland.

Dane Halpin editor2@thephuketnews.com

With the blockbuster book set to become the biggest film of the season, it is impossible not to feel like The Hunger Games has missed a real opportunity to make an influential movie.

For fans that are already familiar with the material, the film is probably fine, or at least adequate. For newcomers, it is an unequivocal dumbing down of some genuinely interesting conceptual content; a film

inexplicably designed to set up a new franchise rather than deliver serious commentary on the serious social themes that arise within the material.

The basic story takes place in a dystopian future where ‘the Capitol’ rules over the country of Panem (in what used to be North America), and uses ‘The Hunger Games’ to suppress the surrounding districts. Each year, one girl and boy are randomly chosen from each of the 12 districts to participate in the Games – where the 24 “tribute”

children fight to the death until only one remains.

With one or two exceptions, the non-District 12 tributes (that is, everyone other than our heroine, Katniss Everdeen) are blank caricatures that leave next-to-no emotional impact as either victims or villains. Obviously, with 24 tributes, it would be hard to get to know everyone; however the experience could have benefited from more time spent with the others.

On the technical side, the camera work leaves a lot to be desired. Quick, frantic cuts probably helped the film maintain a more family friendly rating, but as a result, the film is short on captivating battle choreography or epic one-onone confrontations. The action scenes that exist are shot on hand-held shaky-cam, and can be almost nauseating to watch.

SFX COLISEUM PHUKET (CENTRAL FESTIVAL) 407 Thiaw Bin Phee (T) [G]: Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (E) [G]: The Hunger Games (E) [15+]: The Hunger Games (E/F): The Hunger Games (T) [15+]: John Carter (E/3D) [G]: John Carter (T) [G]: Mirror Mirror (E) [G]: This Means War (E) [G]: This MeanS War (E/F) [G]:

13:15, 15:30, 17:45, 20:00, 22:10 14:20, 16:20, 18:20, 20:20 14:55, 17:40, 20:25 15:50, 21:20 14:00, 16:45, 19:30, 22:15 17:00, 22:25 11:30, 14:15, 19:45 11:15, 13:20, 17:50, 20:10, 22:30 15:40, 22:20 13:05, 18:35

SFC JUNGCEYLON PHUKET (PATONG) 407 Thiaw Bin Phee (T) [G]: Act of Valor (E) [18+]: Dr.Seuss’ The Lorax (E) [G]: The Hunger Games (E) [15+]: John Carter (E) [G]: Moneyball (E) [13+]: This Means War (E) [G]:

BRAIN TEASERS

1. Am I harsh? I rejigged Yogi. (9) 6. For Scrooge, before humbug. (3) 9. Eyepiece used to read back into mole. (7) 10. Mixed dog in it?

Investigate! (3,4) 11. Steed in a harshsounding word. (6) 12. Able to take mess back to put it together.

(8) 14. Syrah and fruit to make another. (10) 15. Water in Madrid is a given under all initially.

(4) 17. Horse that ran this way won nothing. (4) 19. Striking for each curse I’ve added. (10) 22. Nothing happening

in director’s call. (8) 23. Ran on note for visa run town. (6) 26. Tart had no point.

The brass! (7) 27. Enjoying making holes. (7) 28. I say, look! (3) 29. Abating, send back temporary accommodation. (9) Down 2. Hair on a weird island capital. (7) 3. Breaks niches. (8) 4. Look for and see kilometer. (4) 5. Instinct has Di looking blurry. (10) 6. Eavesdropped and irritated. (6) 7. Give, then shoot personal carrier. (7)

8. Not a good way to sell parts. (9) 9. Member of Parliament has heroin and speed. (1,1,1) 13. Pirate’s at liberty to kick ’er. (10) 14. Altar dog I fix for old fighter. (9) 16. Points auto got for French delicacy. (8) 18. Law adds letter to statue. (7) 20. I do. Liz and cardinal worship. (7) 21. Plain step to physical education. (6) 24. Transport for musical performance?

(3) 25. As previously mentioned, I’d take little Emily. (4)

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s quiz:

11:15, 13:15, 15:30, 17:45, 20:00, 22:10 13:10 12:20, 14:20, 16:20, 18:20, 20:20, 22:20 11:30, 14:15, 17:00, 19:45, 22:30 11:50, 15:30, 19:20, 22:00 16:40 11:15, 14:30, 18:10, 20:20, 22:25

?

?

Across

1. 88; 2. New Zealand (1893); 3. 1,234,321; 4. William Henry Harrison; 5. That he was drunk (cockney rhyming slang - elephant’s trunk); 6. About 1.5 seconds; 7. Mashed potatoes; 8. Ten; 9. 1989; 10. P G Wodehouse.

SUDOKU

Part of the problem arises from the direction of Gary Ross – the master of movies that settle over you like a warm blanket. Ross delivers a family-friendly version of the gladiatorial death match with all the sharp edges are smoothed off. You have to wonder what the film could have turned out like in the hands of a horror auteur such as Guillermo del Toro.

The best adaptations take novels and add something more to them, but this installment feels like a reduction. Rather than the engrossing, worldbuilding spirit that imbued the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter films, The Hunger Games is little more than a by-the-book (and buy-thebook) adaptation.

As some movies and movie times change every Thursday morning, after The Phuket News has gone to press, the accuracy of the following information cannot be guaranteed. For up-to-date information, visit sfcinemacity.com, or phone the cinemas directly: SFX Coliseum Phuket 076 209 000 and SFC Jungceylon Phuket 076 600 555.

?

THE PHUKET NEWS

THE QUIZ Test your general knowledge with these 10 questions

1. How many keys does a standard piano have?

2. Which of the following countries was the first to give women the right to vote? Finland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Bulgaria.

3. What is 1,111 multiplied by 1,111?

4. Which US President died after just one month in office?

5. If a Cockney described himself as “elephants”, what would he mean?

6. How long does it take for light from the Moon to reach Earth?

7. A mother has five potatoes to feed three children. How can she give them equal portions without fractions?

8. How many tentacles does a squid have?

9. In which year did the Berlin Wall come down?

10. Which novelist created the characters Jeeves and Wooster?

thephuketnews.com

20 KIDS PAGE

THE PHUKET NEWS

COLOURING CONTEST

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

E

very week, colour in Sophie's drawing, have a photo taken with y o ur wo r k, a n d em ail to editor@thephuketnews.com The winner will be announced on this page in a week's time.

This week, congratulations go to Arissa 'Pim' Krairong, age 12, from Kalim School/Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation. Sophie says: “A beautiful array of colours and blended tones. The big bubbles give the picture added depth, making you want to dive right in!�

mail@ sophieillustration.co.uk

Runners-up

Aston Tewan Thurley, age 7, Darasamuth School

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Marcel Pluecken, age 6, QSI

Rika and Jeni, age 9, HeadStart

Thanks to all the children at Darasamuth Phuket School, Kajonkietsuksa School, HeadStart, British International School Phuket, Phuket International Academy, Coconut Club, and QSI for their entries.

Please keep them coming in, remembering to write your name, age and school on your work.

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

LIFE&STYLE lifestyle@thephuketnews.com

SHOPPING 21 That’s just The Ticket Entertainment news, reviews and gossip > 30

fashion file Have an outfit to show off? Send a photo to:

editor@thephuketnews.com

Pretty as a peacock

Melisa Ueckermann

Baker of children’s birthday cakes

Peacock-patterned dress (B250) bought from shop outside Big C. Black reusable bag free from Tops Supermarket.

Sparkly sandals (B299) from a shop at Big C.

Strictly business Suputtra Maipet Businesswoman

Diamond pendant (B26,000) from a jewellery shop in Big C. Pink dress (B450) from Lalanta shop at the Indy Market in Phuket Town.

Guess watch (B6,500) bought from a shop in Central Festival.

White Lynn heels (B2,600) also from Central Festival.

ACCESSORIES

PAUL ROPP

1 2

1. Multicoloured green bag 2. Pink embroidered purse 3. Necklace 4. Blue and violet belt

B6,111 B4,221 B2,285 B1,570

4 3

Accessories from Paul Ropp, Surin Gallery (opp. Plaza Surin), Srisoonthorn Rd, Chengthalay. Open daily 10am-7pm. 080-538-1976.

thephuketnews.com

22 FEATURE

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

THE PHUKET NEWS

TATTOOS FOR THE

FEATURE 23

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

SOUL Joe Cummings speaks about his latest book, Sacred Tattoos of Thailand, a 200 page hardback featuring stunning photography by Dan White

Dane Halpin editor2@thephuketnews.com

I

t is a sacred Thai tradition shrouded in mystery; magical tattoos, said to give the bearer tremendous power.

And although it is beautiful, this is an art form that goes far deeper than the skin.

Once a symbol of manhood, and in more recent times relegated to a symbol of the criminal classes, sak yan is making a resurgence in Thai popular culture, and gaining increasing global interest.

And given the resurgence of this ancient art, it seems fitting – if unprecedented – to have two detailed publications on the topic released in English late last year.

The most recent, and more comprehensive of the two, is Sacred Tattoos of Thailand, the lovechild of Lonely Planet Thailand author Joe Cummings and photographer Dan White – a 200-page lavishly illustrated hardback book exploring the tattoos’ origins and meanings.

But beyond the aesthetics, Joe’s words, and Dan’s images, take us into the magical world of sak yan tattoos, uncovering the spiritual beliefs that makes it such a potent force in Thai society.

For Joe, the mystical skin art has been a subject of intense fascination since he first arrived in Thailand more than three decades ago.

“I came to Thailand a long time ago, in 1977, and my main motivation was that I studied Buddhism... I remember hanging out in temples and once in a while I’d run into these monks with these weird tattoos, and I always wanted to know more about it,” he recalls.

“Over the years I learned a little bit here and there... but a couple of years ago I just decided to dive right in all the way,” Joe says.

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And dive right in he has – his work is arguably the most comprehensive published on the subject in any language, let alone English.

Fact from fiction Literate in Thai, Joe says he has read the bulk of Thai material available on the subject – fewer than a dozen publications – but found almost all of it distorted by sensationalism and myth.

“It’s not well explained in Thai or English. At first I was just talking to people, interviewing people, and just between all the masters and disciples, the stories didn’t quite line up for me.”

And so, while balancing his job at the Bangkok Post, Joe spent about 18 months researching the book, travelling around the various provinces of Thailand, and also into Laos and Cambodia, in search of answers.

The research process was by no means easy; there is no comprehensive database of practising sak yan masters, and most of the time, Joe had little more than the name of a town to go by.

Once in a town he then had to find the location of the samnak, the place where the masters perform their tattoos.

Even when he found them, uncover ing the myster ies within was no simple task.

“The biggest challenge was winning [the masters] over so that they could actually talk to me openly, and give me enough information that I could actually say something. Even if they were not openly distrustful, they were just sort of withholding, because these are their trade secrets in a way,” Joe says.

“Then it’s a matter of gaining his trust so he’ll actually talk to you because they’re pretty distrustful of outsiders and especially foreigners. It helped that I spoke Thai, but I had to do more than that.

“Besides that, there was so

much contradictory information. One master would say one thing, then another would say something different. Then I had to try and reconcile that.

That was a big challenge.”

But as Joe got on the road a little more, and met with more masters, he began to formulate a broader understanding of sak yan, and it became easier to talk to others.

In the end, the hard work and frustration has paid off, with his book drawing some unique and insightful conclusions, and perhaps most pertinently, a comprehensive history of how the art form evolved and spread through Thailand and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

“The main purpose of these things [sak yan] is not actually the way they look. Not even what the purported power is, but the actual moral code that goes with it... It is a way of containing Buddhist morality in Thai society…that’s the one thing that links all of the masters and all of the traditions,” Joe says.

“You’ll have to read the book though, because it’s pretty complex.”

The book begins with a general introduction before delving into the history of sak yan, tracing the spiritual art form from Thailand back to its roots in Cambodia and India, and parts of Laos. It profiles different masters and disciples, and explains about 40 different individual spells, or yantra.

But Joe’s words are only half the story. The accompanying photographs by Dan White, another longtime Thailand correspondent, deliver a broad showcase of sak yan art, from elaborately etched bodies to full monastic rituals, which capture the essence of, and also show great respect, to the tradition. “[Getting the images] was very difficult. Again, it was the trust factor. Once I got them

“A MAN WITHOUT TATTOOS IS INVISIBLE TO THE GODS” – IBAN (BORNEO) PROVERB to trust me as a person interviewing them, then I also had to get t hem t r u st i ng t he photographer,” Joe says.

“Dan did a remarkable job. I think it was stressful for him, and yet he stepped up to the plate.”

That often involved many hours waiting outside in the searing sun while Joe was inside interviewing the masters.

“Sometimes he just had a split second to capture something very transitory, some action… and I think he did a great job in capturing these instances that an ordinary photographer would have missed, for sure.”

Times are changing Once, sak yan was a symbol of manhood, a rite of passage for young Thais. More recently, the perception developed that it was a symbol of the criminal class – a form of protection worn by those whose lifestyle involved violence.

Joe believes this evolution

was partly due to growing Western influence over the past 50 years, which led to the “repression” of tattoos in Thailand, when it became seen as inappropriate for those in higher levels of society to be tattooed.

“I don’t think it’s so true any more, not any more, thanks to the Angelina phenomenon,” Joe says, referring to movie star Angelina Jolie, who famously had the yan haa thaew tattooed on her left shoulder blade back in 2003.

“It’s undergoing an extraordinary revival now, thanks to Angelina. That made it like ‘OK, this rich glamorous Western woman thinks it’s cool.’ Now all levels of Thai society are interested.”

But like any tradition, popularity does not always amount to positive outcomes.

“I think it’s a double-edged sword,” Joe says. “By bringing attention to it, it’s helping preserve it. And then of course it’s bringing profit and motive into it

Photos: Sacred Tattoos of Thailand/Dan White

more… it’s corrupting masters.”

Joe says there are some masters who have become motivated by financial gain. Some, like Ajarn Noo Ganpai, who tattooed Jolie, now charge up to US$10,000 a piece.

The majority, though, do it as a “spiritual commitment”, accepting only small donations.

Joe said it was these who were the most difficult to get close to when conducting his research.

“The people that are in the mainstream sub-culture of these tattoos think it is really wrong for artists to use them in a secular way, because for them, the tattoos are power.

They produce an effect for the people who are tattooed.

“And when someone takes that and uses it simply as art, well then it has no power. It’s basically been desecrated.”

Looking forward Despite this growing ‘desecration’, however, Joe feels the

essence of what makes sak yan so special is unlikely to disappear entirely.

“I think [the tradition] is going to continue on for quite a while, but some of the subtleties and the deeper aspects might be eroding,” he says.

Traditionally, sak yan has been passed down from master to disciple over thousands of years.

The relationship is based heavily in ritual and superstition, and artists spend many years at the feet of the masters, learning not only the artistic style, but also the spiritual concepts behind it.

“Some masters spent a lot of years learning, and wandering between masters. The learning process is no longer as long...

I don’t think it’s in danger of going away, I just think it’s going to be changing.”

A nd as sak yan grows in popularity with a foreign a u d ie n c e , Jo e h a s s o m e advice for those considering having one applied.

“They [foreigners] shouldn’t expect to necessarily walk in and see a catalogue and be able to choose exactly what they want.

If they want to show respect for the tradition and take it seriously, they should do what Thais do, which is to ask the master to recommend a design.”

He likens the process to visiting a doctor – “You don’t go in and say, ‘I want this medicine.’

You tell him what the symptoms are and he gives a prescription.”

The main thing is to show respect. As sak yan continues to grow in popularity, the reverence in which it is held will no doubt diminish, but with Joe and Dan’s book, a broader understanding of this sacred body art at least remains possible.

Sacred Ta t toos of Thai land is available from Asia Books for B995 (or B796 online at asiabooks.com).

For more information, visit: sacredtattoosofthailand.com

thephuketnews.com

24 DINING

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

acteristics of the wine. He will suggest what flavours or ingredients will bring out the best for the wine.

Often with our wine dinners the wine is selected by the wine companies or distributors, then we must pair the food to the wine. If the wine dinner has a theme we must also match the food to the theme. For example, for our latest wine dinner we had New Zealand wines so we served lamb.

Once I have finalised a menu I pass it to Georges Ciret, our wine director.

What is your absolutely favourite dish to cook?

I prefer braised slow cooked meats such as pork belly, lamb shank or veal cheek stew.

These are more homely cuts of meat but can still be made into refined restaurant dishes.

How to create the perfect wine dinner Following on the heels of a successful wine dinner at Mom Tri’s Villa Royale in Kata Noi, head chef Darren Wiper spoke to The Phuket News about the work involved in creating the perfect menu.

Darren Wiper is the head chef at Mom Tri’s Villa Royale.

How l on g have you worked at Mom Tri’s?

I have been working for Mom Tri nearly four years now.

Prior to that I spent three years in Bermuda at a fine dining Mediterranean restaurant and wine bar, and before that three years in the south of France in

a small 11th-century medieval village on the Côte d’Azur.

If I had to specify my cooking style, I would say French cuisine with a contemporary element.

What is involved in creating a successful wine dinner?

It is very important that the food and wine go up in stages with each course.

Strong intense flavours with the food should be paired with a more f ull-bodied wine. The first thing is consulting with the wine director who points out the char-

What is your signature dish at Mom Tri’s?

Pork belly and sea scallop with a curried pumpkin puree, rhubarb and ginger chutney (B890++). Pork belly is a classic home cooked dish which we serve with a restaurant twist and presentation.

A healthy option for Thai food lovers STREET EATS Apinya Saksri reporter4@thephuketnews.com

For those who are after a healthy food option when dining at a Thai restaurant, consider ordering khao yam – a salad dish consisting of steamed rice, vegetables, and a special salty, sweet sauce named nam budu.

Popular across southern Thailand, one of the best places to try this in Phuket is at Khao Yam Songkhla, owned and run by Amnuay Pijit, which is located on New Dibuk Rd, opposite Dibuk Guesthouse.

In operation for more

Above, the hidden entrance of Khao Yam Songkhla, and right, owner Amnuay Pijit. than 13 years, the recipe he uses has been passed down from his wife’s family.

Raw ingredients include roasted coconuts, dry shrimp, green mango slices, cucumber slices, string beans, lemongrass slices, pepper, bean sprouts and boiled egg.

Steamed rice is served too.

The ingredients of the nam budu sauce include g rou nd shallots, ga rlic, galangal (blue ginger), lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, plus sugar and fish sauce.

All i ng redients are boiled together for two hours, then filtered. This leaves the nam budu with a salty and

sweet taste.

M r A m nu ay s a id he sometimes adds g rou nd chilli to the sauce to give it flavour, and he always makes sure the vegetables are fresh.

Khao Yam Songkhla is open Mon-Fri, 8am-3pm. Call 089-867-6765 for more info.

Dreaming of champagne Mom Tri’s Villa Royale will host a Laurent-Perrier Champagne Dinner on April 18 at 7pm.

Laurent-Perrier is a French Champagne house founded in 1812, one of the largest family owned champagne brands in the

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world. The event will include samples of Brut, Brut Millesime, Grand Siecle, Cuvee Rose and Guigal 05 Chateauneuf du Pape.

The price is B,3600++.

For reservations email info@momtriphuket.com or call 076-333-568.

THE PHUKET NEWS

DINING 25

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

Going organic Agence France-Presse

Organic wine is gaining ground in France, where a Bordeaux Sauternes “grand cru”, the highest classification level, has just been awarded the official biological farming (AB) logo.

Chateau Guiraud 2011 will be the first of the region’s top Sauterne wines to carry the logo, some 15 years after one of its owners, Xavier Planty, first started to experiment with organic farming.

The sweet white wine – made from a mixture of semillon and sauvignon blanc grapes – has been grown for hundreds of years in this southwestern French region, but production today involves neither artificial pesticides, nor fertilisers, nor herbicides.

It all star ted in 1996 when Planty decided he was fed up with the constant chemical treatment of his cornfields and of his own private 15 hectares of vineyards.

He started off with a 12-hectare vineyard to “learn the ropes” and suffered a number of setbacks.

But working alongside an agricultural engineer, he began to “regenerate the soil” with

Chateau Guiraud. liquid manure to replenish the grassy vegetation that grows naturally around vine stock.

“Rather than feed the soil with fertiliser we feed it with bacteria. It’s easy to go bio,” says Planty.

Risks such as mildew are closely monitored, and long range weather forecasts allow time to plan preventative treatments, Planty said.

“It’s incredible to see how the fauna and f lora have returned”, he said.

An insect census of Chateau Guiraud’s 100 hectares of vineyards found 635 different varieties, compared to fewer than 200 in “conventional” vineyards. To help expand biodiversity, six kilometres of

Photo: Henry Salomé. hedges have been planted “to help protect insects and feed them in the spring”.

The multiplication of insects which feed on vine predators has allowed Planty to dispense completely with insecticides since 2004.

French organic vineyards doubled between 2007 and 2010 and then increased again 28 per cent between 2009 and 2010 to reach 50,268 hectares. While Chateau Guiraud was the first Bordeaux “grand cru” to experiment with organic growing, Chateau Fonroque, a Saint-Emilion “grand cru”, was first to win the organic label in 2006.

The Aquitaine region, around the Garonne river,

is today the third largest in the country to experiment with organic vineyards. Aquitaine now has 300 organiccertified vineyards and 400 working their way to it.

“There are people who grow organic but don’t say so” because some consumers are still prejudiced against the idea of organic wine, according to the Aquitaine bio growers association.

“Others, who aren’t certified, say they are doing it, but forget to mention they are just testing a few rows of vines,” it added.

“For us, it’s not marketing, it’s our philosophy. We want as many people as possible to follow suit,” said Caroline Blondeel, of Chateau Fonroque. Chateau Fonroque offers advice to all wine growers who want to try their hand at organic farming “not only to protect the environment, but to protect people who work in the vineyards”.

As for the wine itself, “natural treatment allows for g reat e r ef fect f rom the soil it self, wh ich allows for more aromas,” according to Blondeel.

Above, inside Cudos Restaurant & Bar. Below, the duck is one of the many new dishes on the revamped menu.

A tapas transformation Cudos Restaurant & Bar in Surin has introduced revamped, affordable tapas to its menu.

The venue opened nearly one year ago and is located next to the Surin Plaza.

Owners Angus Keeling and Orawan Ramsay, who also work as Phuket-based property consultants, have put a lot of effort into redesigning the menu, which will be in place until the next high season.

Tapas include 21 different Mediterranean-style dishes including grilled duck

breast with spicy onion salsa, calamari fritter with aioli, spicy meatball with rocket and parmesan, and chicken ham and leek croquettes, priced mostly around the B200 mark per dish.

On Friday and Saturday evenings, DJ Kensho plays.

Cudos Restaurant & Bar, 117 Moo 3, Srisoonthorn Road, Cherng Talay (next to Surin Plaza), 076-386598; cudosrestaurant.com.

Open Mon-Sat 5pm till late.

Takeaway menu available.

BLACK MOON FEAST: Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket staff are pictured

at the resort’s first Black Moon Dinner on March 22 at The Beachcomber restaurant. The event will be held monthly based on the lunar cycle, and will run from 7pm–10pm. It includes a buffet, barbecue and free flow wine, plus a live DJ. The event is priced at B1,590++ per person. For information or reservations phone 076-201-234.

thephuketnews.com

26 EXPLORE

THE PHUKET NEWS

FESTIVALS & FAIRS Phuket Bike Week First held in 1991 by Phuket Rider Club, welcomes motorbike riders from around the world.

Date: Mid-April.

Location: Loma Park, Patong Beach.

Phuket Otop Fair Promotes food and products made in Phuket.

Date: Mid-May. Location: Centre Stage, Sapan Hin Public Park.

Prisoner Product Fair Sells products made by prisoners across southern Thailand.

Date: Mid-June.

Location: Centre Stage, Sapan Hin Public Park.

The Naresuan Shrine in Prachinburi (below) is home to thousands of plaster chickens

Giving thanks to King Naresuan SIGHTINGS Alasdair Forbes execeditor@thephuketnews.com

King Naresuen is one of Thailand’s most venerated kings, the most successful warrior in the wars against Burma.

D u r i n g h i s 15 -y e a r reign as King of Ayutthaya, from 1590 to 1605, Siam reached it apogee in terms of territory, occupying large

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swathes of what are now Myanmar and Cambodia.

Thais will also tell you that he was a great lover of cock-fighting.

At shrines to the great king around the country,

people offering prayers and, if their wishes are granted, thank the King with a gift of a plaster rooster. Some are as much as two metres tall, inlaid with pieces of coloured mirror. Others are small and more modestly decorated. But all carry fervent thanks.

This picture was taken at the Naresuan Shrine in Prachinburi, where the king camped the night on his way from Ayutthaya to Cambodia.

Phuket Halal Food Festival Introduces Muslim culture in Phuket, with fashion show, live music and singing.

Date: Late July.

Location: Various.

Seafood Fiesta Celebrates the sea, with a wide range of freshly cooked local seafood, including lobsters, crabs, octopus, squid, clams and all kinds of fish, together with vegetables, fruit and a variety of interetsing juice drinks.

Date: August Location: Rawai Beach.

Por Tor Festival Fair Also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore, ethnic Chinese worldwide believe that during the 7th lunar month, the ghosts of their ancestors visit their home. To make sure their visit is a happy one, offerings of food are made, such as the common local offering of a red cake in the shape of a turtle.

Date: Seven days in late August.

Location: Phuket Road.

Patong Carnival Marks the start of high season.

The highlight is the colourful parade held on the first day.

Date: December 15-20.

Location: Patong Beach Road

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

PHUKET MUSEUMS Chinpracha House

This elegant colonial-style mansion was completed in 1907 by wealthy Chinese immigrant Tan Ma Siang. Chinpracha House is one of the most integral ancient remains on the island.

Old photographs, Italian floor tiles, imported furniture from China and old utensils are wellmaintained in the house’s interior.

98 Kr abi Rd, Phuket Town, 076 211 281. Open daily 8am4pm. B100.

Kathu Mining Museum

Built according to colonial architecture, imitating a mansion of a tin miner, the museum shows the origins of Phuket’s culture and history especially from the mining era.

Several indoor exhibition rooms display different themes such as Phuket architecture, mining , Thai - Chinese way of life, Chinese immigrants’ life, the Baba’s marriage and the solar system.

The outdoor exhibition displays equipment including a dredge and hydraulic mining gear.

Muang Tor Sung Rd (behind Loch Palm Golf Club), Kathu, 088 766 0962. Open daily 9am4pm. B50 for Thais, B100 for foreigners, children half-price.

Philatelic Museum

The museum is in the old preserved Post Office, housing old equipment such as telegraph tickers, telephones, parcel-weighing machines and collections of Thai stamps issued since 1951.

There are also a small library and a souvenir room.

Phuket Post Office, Montri Rd, Phuket Town, 076 224 883. Open Mon-Fri 8.30am-4.30pm. Sat 9am-12pm. Free entrance.

Seashell Museum

Over 2,000 species of sea shells that were collected by the Pata-

makanthin family are now displayed in the museum.

2/2 Moo 2, Viset Rd, Rawai, 076 613 666; www.phuketsea shell.com. Open daily 8.30am5.30pm. B100 for Thais, B200 for foreigners, children half-price.

Thai Hua School Museum The museum is in what used to be the main Chinese-language school, built in 1934. Classrooms inside were renovated as exhibition rooms, displaying Phuket Thai-Chinese culture and tradition.

28 Kr abi Rd, Phuket Town, 076 211 224; www.thaihua museum.com. Open daily 9am-5pm.

B50 for Thai, B200 for foreigners, add extra fee for photograph.

Thalang National Museum The museum focuses on the history and archaeology of Phuket and nearby provinces. Has archaeological finds such as ancient statues, pre-historic beads and tools.

On 4027 Road (eas t of the Heroines monument), Thalang, 076 379 895. Open daily except public holiday 9am-4pm. B20 for Thai, B100 for foreigners.

Thavorn Hotel Lobby Museum Located in the walkway from the lobby to the dining room of the Thavorn Hotel, this small museum corner shows old photographs, posters, ornaments, utensils and mining tools from the Phuket’s mining era and World War II, collected by the owner of the hotel.

74 Rassada Road, Phuket Town, 076 211 333. Open daily 8am5pm. B30.

THE PHUKET NEWS

TRAVEL 27

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

TRAVEL NEWS SilkAir touches down in Australia’s top end

Indulgence & Pampering for Girlfriend ‘Princesses’ at Paresa Groups of girlfriends are being invited to spoil themselves over a long weekend in princess style at the exclusive “Millionaire’s Mile” Phuket hideaway Paresa Resort.

The secluded 5-star haven has designed a ‘Be Princesses’ Package treating four ladies to unrivalled indulgence for 3 days 2 nights priced at B133,420 starting from April 18 - October 31.

The attractive package includes round trip airport transfers by stretch limousine and accommodation is in an elegant 2-bedroom Talay Suite with infinity pool and breathtaking cliff-top terrace overlooking the Andaman Sea. Girlfriends start their d re a m get away w it h a

complementary bottle of champagne and enjoy a BBQ party at their own balcony pool side and served by the personal butler on the first night of arrival.

Daily breakfast at the resort’s gastronomic restaurant Diavolo is included. From 10am-10pm the next day, girlfriends will enjoy Paresa’s exclusive safe escorting service of a chauffeur-driven luxury SUV for market shopping and partying in Phuket’s famous nightlife centre of Patong.

Before departure, ladies are finally pampered for three-and-a-half hours of ‘Heavenly Bliss’ at the resort’s sublime spa.

The 5-star resort named after the Thai for ‘Heaven of All Heavens’ collected two prestigious accolades in the inaugural Thailand Boutique Awards 2010.

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, today launched its first flight to Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory in Australia’s Top End. This new service gives customers the ideal opportunity to explore one of Lonely Planet’s top ten must-visit cities in 2012.

Darwin is SilkAir’s first destination in Australia, increasing the number of destinations in SilkAir’s route network to 39 in 12 countries. SilkAir will operate four times a week, departing Singapore on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with next day return flights from Darwin.

The ser vices will be operated with Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft, both feat u r i ng busi ness a nd economy class cabins.

“We are delighted to be a dd i ng Da r w i n a nd Australia to our network,” said SilkAir’s Chief Executive, Mr. Marvin Tan. “The Northern Territory is an exciting destination and offers a plethora of memorable experiences to our travellers.

With our award-winning

cabin crew, seamless connectivity to the Singapore Airlines and SilkAir global network and partnership with Virgin Australia, SilkAir is delighted to introduce our full service product on the Singapore-Darwin route.”

To book or view fares for flights to and from Darwin, visit silkair.com.

Asia Pacific, says: “Growth in our primary target markets has really taken off since we opened our Asia-Pacific headquarters. This speed of growth is something we’ve only seen before in Russia, where we went from a standing start to our second biggest market with over 2 million visits per month in only a couple of years.”

“We expect to see this pace continue with the launch of low cost airlines in Asia.

When you add that to the rapid growth of new channels in Asia-Pacific, where people are the most enthusiastic adopters of social media, it’s a really exciting mix.

“And with more people visiting us from phones, tablets and our mobile apps, mobile internet sessions are outstripping main site sessions for the very first time.

That’s quite different from Europe, where roughly one in three users accesses our site through mobile.”

Gareth Williams, CEO and Co-founder of Skyscanner, says: “We are all about saving millions of people time and money with a comprehensive, intelligent and simple travel search experience.”

vorite amongst travellers from around the world.

From island excursions or water spor ts such as scuba diving, snorkelling, deep sea fishing, jet skiing, or wakeboarding, to water parks, bungee jumping, elephant trekking, shooting ranges and much more – Variety promise no shortage of activities to keep you busy.

Variety launches new boutique property in Phuket: Narry Hotel Earlier this month Variety Hotels announced the opening of Narry Hotel Patong, a 44room boutique hotel located in the heart of Phuket.

Situated in the lively entertainment district of Patong and just a minute’s walk to Patong beach, the hotel is surrounded by shopping, restaurants and bars, as well as a variety of entertainment venues. All this in addition to the wide selection of activities that Phuket has to offer and have kept the destination ranked as a fa-

Skyscanner takes off across Asia-Pacific Six months on from opening its regional headquarters in Singapore, travel search company Skyscanner is seeing strong growth across Asia-Pacific with traffic increases of up to 400 per cent in key markets.

Ewan Gray, Director for

Journeys to treasure are always meant to be shared.

Sukosols named Family of the Year at Nine Entertain Awards 2012 Siam Hotels & Resorts is proud to announce that it’s owning family, the Sukosols, was presented with the Family of the Year Award at the Nine Entertain Awards 2012 on Wednesday, March 14.

The Sukosol family was selected as the recipient of the award because their matriarch, Mrs Kamala Sukosol, has successfully installed in all family members a strong commitment to philanthropy.

In addition, the Sukosol family was chosen as most exemplifying the spirit of the award by way of their public acts of charity and artistic/ business achievements. And lastly, all family members

were deemed to be upstanding citizens who represent good role models for today’s youth.

“I think it’s a great honour for my mother, Kamala, and our family as a whole to be given this award, we are all very humbled and proud to receive it,” says Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, eldest daughter of the family and executive vice president of Siam Hotels & Resorts.

Sentiments echoed by her younger sister, Daranee Sukosol Clapp, vice president of finance, Siam Hotels & Resorts: “Our mother has installed in us from a young age that we should utilise all our skills, opportunities

and means to their fullest and give back to society whenever possible.

“This can be evidenced in our annual Red Cross charity concert and more recently with our entire family becoming ambassadors for the Chulalongkorn Craniofacial Centre and the Ramathibodi Foundation’s Parent-to-Child Liver Transplant campaign.”

The Nine Entertain Award is now in its fifth year and is sponsored by Modern 9 TV. The objective of the awards is to praise and celebrate public figures taking on an active and positive leadership role in society.

More info: siamhotels.com

Enjoy exclusive preview booking from today to 15 March 12. In addition, all MasterCard payments from 01 March 12 to 14 April 12 are eligible to redeem special travel accessories bags and neck cushion, while stock last**. You also stand a chance to win Central Gift Vouchers worth THB 8,000 in our Grand lucky draw. Visit mcshopathon.com/silkair

All-in one-way fare from

All-in return fare from

All-in return fare from

THB

THB

THB

5,420

Singapore

7,650

Singapore

24,280

Australia/New Zealand *

facebook.com/SilkAir More journeys to treasure at silkair.com Fares quoted are for one-way and return trip on Economy Class per person, for flights originating out of Phuket only. All advertised fares are inclusive of associated taxes and surcharges only. Fares quoted are subject to change due to currency fluctuation. Bookings to be made online via mcshopathon.com/silkair or authorised SilkAir agents from today to 14 April 12 for travel from today to 31 May 12. Black-out travel dates apply.

Subject to seat availability. Tickets are strictly not refundable, and change of flight, date or passenger name is not permitted. Other terms and conditions apply. The products and services offered under this Promotion are provided solely by the Merchant, under such terms and conditions as determined by such Merchant, and MasterCard accepts no liability whatsoever in connection with such product and services. *Australia/New Zealand: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Auckland and Christchurch. **Please email Phuket_Sales@singaporeair.com.sg within 30 days of your ticket purchase to arrange for the collection of the giveaways.

thephuketnews.com

28 ISLAND SCENE

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

ALL’S FAIR AT BIS: British International School Phuket (BIS) held its March Spring Fair last weekend to raise funds for its Parent Teacher Association. Over the course of a bright, sunny day, more than 500 people attended the event held in the school’s grounds, which featured a trapeze, face-painting, bouncy castle and around 70 stalls.

A RAY OF HOPE FOR CHILDREN: Photographed at the Ray of Hope annual fundraiser for the Lions Club of Phuket Pearl are, on far left, Lions club members Esmeralda Paya, Khun Yupa Boonyokbundit and Christiane Kitchakarn. The event was held at Royal Phuket Marina on March 24 and raised money for the various children’s charities the club supports.

A WARM WELCOME: Elyes Ben Brahim and the management team of The Imperial Adamas Beach Resort last week welcomed Madame Rattanawadee Hemniti Winther and H.E. Mikael Hemniti Winther Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to The Royal Danish Embassy to the resort located on Naiyang Beach.

ART ON SHOW: Pictured at the Kathy Manthei Coulson art exhibition, held at The Boathouse on March 15, are from left, Mandy Kealy, Wandi Pattrawee, and Kathy Manthei Coulson herself.

thephuketnews.com

SKAL AGM: Pictured at the SKAL AGM, held at the Moevenpick Resort in Karon on March 22, are, from left, Marshall Rudko, Rudolf Borgesius, and Christian Chevrier.

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

ISLAND SCENE 29

FINE FASHION More than 100 women (and a few brave men) attended the Island Bliss Fashion Show at Cudos Restaurant & Bar on Saturday evening. The event, which revealed Phuket designer Cassie Harper’s summer collection, raised money for the Good Shepherd Foundation. Pictured below from left is charity member Vicky Coburn, designer Cassie Harper, charity member Chantal Fernandes, and event organiser Shelley Clowes.

thephuketnews.com

30 ENTERTAINMENT

THE PHUKET NEWS

THE TICKET with Claire Connell

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

editor1@thephuketnews.com

Fundraiser promises Bliss Close your eyes and picture the scene.

You drive down a path through a field, arriving at an oasis on the water. As you walk up, an explosion of colour, making it seem as though the ocean has crawled out and taken over the Bliss Beach Club.

As you enter, you are transported to a different world. Sit down for dinner let the music soothe your soul while the four course meal sets your taste buds aglow. Pjae Stanley and Jay Leshark will have you grooving before you know it, but the music and food are only part of what will set this

night apart from any other. The rest of the night is filled with excitement you must see to believe.

You wake up the next morning knowing that your night was one you will never forget and your conscience will be at ease knowing it was all for a good cause. No it wasn’t a dream, it was the Bliss Beach Ball.

Now for the important part. The who: 200 ocean-themed dressed ladies and gentlemen. The what: Bliss Beach Ball. The where: Bliss Beach Club in Bang Tao. The when: Friday April 27. The price: B2,500.

Jet split after 11 years Australian rock band Jet a n n o u n c e d t h e i r s pl it on Monday, after 11 years of entertaining fans.

The four-piece rock revivalists rose to prominence in the mid 2000s, alongside similar garage-rock heroes The Vines, Kings of Leon and The Hives.

T hey posted a message on their Facebook page earlier in the week announcing their end:

“A Message To Ou r Fans: After many successful years of writing, recording and touring we wish to a n nou nce ou r d iscontinuation as a group.

From the many pubs, theatres, stadiums and festivals all across the world it was the fans that made our amazing story possible and we wish to thank them all.

Thank you, and goodnight.”

The band consisted of

And now, most important, the why: This is a fundraiser for Phuket Has Been Good To Us, a small foundation that teaches English in two government schools here on the island. PHBGTU is a Thai registered charity which aims to foster vocational opportunities for Thai children through English.

They teach English to over 850 children in Phuket, placing English speaking teachers in classrooms. They help Thai youths become capable and confident English speakers.

For event tickets and info contact david@phukethasbeengoodtous.org

Agence France-Presse

lead guitarist Cameron Muncey, bassist Mark Wilson, and brothers Nic and Chris Cester on vocals/rhythm guitar and drums respectively.

The group sold 6.5 million records worldwide, with their debut album Get Born, released in 2003, accounting for about 3.5 million of that figure.

The band’s most recent album, Shaka Rock, was released in August 2009.

Titanic director James Cameron described a “desolate” and “alien” environment on the bottom of the sea after a record-setting solo submarine dive to the deepest point in the world’s oceans.

Cameron plunged about 11 kilometres down the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific earlier in the week, the first one-person mission to the lowest point of the oceans.

“I felt like I – in the space of one day – had gone to another planet and come back,” he said, saying the ocean floor was a “completely featureless, alien world.”

Cameron said.

The voyage was the first manned expedition to the trench in more than half a century and the culmination of more than seven years of planning.

The journey down to the Challenger Deep valley of the Mariana Trench, which lies southwest of Guam, took two hours and 36 minutes, according to the mission organised Photo: Angela George with National Geographic.

Speaking after resurfacing The Mariana Trench, from the mission, the Canadian a crescent-shaped scar in filmmaker-explorer described the Earth’s crust, measures the barren ocean floor as not more than 2,550 kilomeunlike the surface of the moon. tres long and 69 kilometres It was a “very lunar, very wide on average. desolate place. Very isolated,” Cameron, 57, told reporters

The highly anticipated action film phenomenon The Hunger Games set a record at the North American box office with debut weekend sales of $152.5 million (B4.6 billion), industry figures said on Monday.

The movie, about a teenage girl’s fight to win a death match reality show in a postapocalyptic world, enjoyed the biggest ever opening weekend for a non-sequel film, reports said. Armies of fans had flocked

in a phone press conference that he was at the bottom of the ocean for a little more than two and a half hours, and had to cut short the planned stay of six hours because of problems with the ocean craft’s hydraulics system.

Being able to make the journey was “the culmination from my perspective of a lifelong dream,” he said.

Cameron is the first person to make a solo dive to the Pacific Ocean trench.

Cameron had been running several miles a day, practicing yoga to increase his flexibility for the dive in the sub’s cramped quarters and studying deep-ocean science.

Woman held over break-in at music mogul Cowell’s home Agence France-Presse

Simon Cowell. Photo: Jonny

thephuketnews.com

A woman was remanded in custody on Monday after she appeared in court accused of breaking into the London home of British music mogul Simon Cowell.

Leanne Zaloumis, 29, was charged with smashing the bathroom window of Cowell’s mansion on Saturday night

and hiding in his walk-in wardrobe, wielding a brick.

Cowell discovered the woman in his bathroom, his spokesman said.

“There was a loud bang and Simon rushed upstairs to find out what was going on,” spokesman Max Clifford said. “It came from the bathroom so he went in and there was a woman standing

Friday, March 30 DJ Mr Mike Famous Phuket, 9pm famousphuket.com

Saturday, March 31 Salsa Latin Party Les Anges, Royal Phuket Marina, 9pm phuket-dance.com

Saturday, April 9 DJ Dean Michaels Famous Phuket, 9pm famousphuket.com

Hunger Games sets US box office record

Titanic director describes ‘desolate’ undersea world Agence France-Presse

WHAT’S ON IN PHUKET

there holding a brick.

“It was a very frightening experience for Simon, who told me it was like something from a horror movie.”

Off icers fou nd blood marks in Cowell’s bathroom after Zaloumis was arrested.

T he ch a rge re a d out in cou r t said that she intended to “inflict grievous bodily harm”.

to cinemas on Friday to see the movie, based on a book for young adults by Suzanne Collins, in which children compete to the death on live television in a dystopian future. The picture also scored the third biggest movie opening ever, after last year’s series-climaxing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 ($169 million).

The movie is currently screening in Phuket at Jungceylon and Central Festival. Turn to page 19 for Dane Halpin’s review.

WEEKDAYS The Breakfast Club

Ryan Jon

7am til 11am

Weekday Hitz Blitz

non-stop music

11am til 3pm

Drive on LIVE

Jason Wilder

3pm til 7pm

The Night Ritual

Sam Clarke

7pm til 10pm

SATURDAY Box Of Neutrals Saturday Morning Glory Phuket News Radio Dazed and Confused Phuket News Radio

Rob James, Peter McGinley & Michael Lamonato Sam Clarke & Ryan Jon Jason Wilder & Simon Ostheimer Bongo Bob & Baba Fats Ryan Jon & Alasdair Forbes

9am til 10am

10am til 12pm 12pm til 1pm 1pm til 4pm 4pm til 5pm

Going Green

Nick Anthony

5pm til 7pm

Saturday Night Fever

DJ Burt

7pm til 11pm

SUNDAY Dazed and Confused

Bongo Bob & Baba Fats

1pm til 4pm

Lazy Sunday Afternoons

Jason Wilder

4pm til 7pm

Absolute Jazz

Doug Styles

7pm til 9pm

www.phuketliveradio.com Tel: 076-612-895, 090-490-7895

THE PHUKET NEWS

EVENTS 31

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

WHAT’S ON IN PHUKET

List your events here for as low as B99 per line, or online at www.thephuketnews.com/events.php

MARCH 30

APRIL 6

APRIL 21

Chakri Day

Media sponsors :

A public holiday to honor the founder of the Chakri Dynasty, King Rama I.

APRIL 8 Phuket AustCham Sundowners

Central's Summer Collection 2012

Phuket AustCham Sundowners at 6pm on Friday, March 30 at Skippers, Royal Phuket Marina to tie in with the Phuket Boat Show.

This business and social networking event will be preceded by an open seminar on the marine industry at 4.30pm in the function room next to Les Anges at the marina.

The latest collections for men by Central Department store are inspired by the theme of fresh scent of the sea during summer.

The “Central Men Summer 2012” collection combines bright colours with the latest in men’s fashion design. A body combat show will kick off this show to demonstrate the latest fashion design for men, to be modelled in five sets:

A panel of six local Aussies, working in different aspects the marine industry, will give short presentations, followed by an interactive Q&A session.

For more details contact Harry Usher on 081 273 1740 or email harry@ladypie. com.

MARCH 31

2012 Earth Hour Evening Gathering Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket joins the worldwide effort in encouraging everyone to take part in 2012 Earth Hour, which will take place on March 31.

The lights will be swiftly turned off from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on the exterior of the building, in the main lobby, Horizon lounge and some public areas, and some areas will be lit up with candles.

Casuarina Beach Restaurant and Pub invites our guests to gather for the specially created “ Earth Hour Evening Gathering”.

Our guests will share the long dining table, set in front of the beautiful Bang Tao Beach.

Featuring a 4-course set dinner perfectly paired well with selected wines.

Our Chef will prepare each dish with carefully chosen locally-grown, seasonalsourced and organic Ingredients.

A mini concert by Donna and the band will surely delight you throughout the evening as we unite to save our Earth.

This special evening commences at 7.30pm. Priced at B1,800++ per person.

Booking are essential, please call 076 362 999 Ext. 7303, 7626.

Boutique: Summer’s elegant style with a colourful presentation by celebrities and expats.

Easter Sunday BBQ on The Beach at Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket Looking for the perfect place for your Easter dinner celebration? Why not check out Casuarina Beach Restaurant and Pub, beachside restaurant at Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket.

Offering a delicious barbecue buffet including a lineup of carved meats, fresh seafood, smoked salmon, poached eggs and a selection of gourmet salads. Be sure to save some room for our decadent desserts, including an assortment of Easter cookies, pastries and chocolate mousse.

Live music and entertainment will ensure that you hop along with the bunnies.

The Easter Sunday BBQ and Seafood buffet commences at 6.30pm. Priced at B 1,390++ per person. 50% off for children aged 6-12 years.

Bookings are essential, please call 076 362 999 Ext. 7303, 7626.

Casual: Presented by new young male model from the Y Club.

MARCH 31 Wacky Olympics The family sporting event you will not want to miss! Free entry. From 9 am to 3 pm. Contact 076 612 876, www.headstart phuket.com.

Denim: Don’t miss this if you love the latest in denim jeans, to be modelled by young expats.

Swim wear: A hot new collection to welcome summer, presented by Inter Model.

Underwear.

APRIL 23-28

APRIL 13-15 Songkran Festival Songkran is the old Thai New Year, and is an occasion for family reunions. Many people return to their homes and families for the three-day festival. It is celebrated each year between April 13 and 15. It was originally a religious holiday. Songkran begins with early morning merit-making, by offering food to the monks. Paying respect to elders and ancestors is also an important custom of Songkran.

Young people pour scented water over Buddha images and on the hands of elders to show respect, and to seek their blessing.

Another custom of Songkran is to clean houses and anything old and useless must be thrown away. It is believed that anything bad belonging to the old year will be unlucky to the owner if left and carried on to the coming new year. The most prominent custom of the festival is throwing water. Everybody throws water on each other, during the three-day festival. The most popular place for water-throwing is in Chiang Mai.

Phuket Pride 2012 Pride Week on April 23 to 28. Events and parties so far planned: - Big stage show party April 27 and 28 at Patong Loma Park.

- Pride Parade through Patong on April 28.

- Mr Gay Phuket competition by Fong Kaew Mansion on April 25 and 26.

- Night out in Thailand party on April 24

by Out in Thailand and Backstage Bar. - Big street parties and fun nights in Soi Paradise throughout the week.

- CC Blooms Hotel Pride pool party on April 22.

- V. Sawana Bar Pride Party in Rawai.

- Gay-day cruise to Racha Island by Time Bar and Sundowners on April 24 and 25.

- Phuket Gay Pride overnight tour by Rainbow Scuba tours on April 23 and 24.

Visit www.phuket-pride.org.

thephuketnews.com

32 EVENTS

THE PHUKET NEWS

WHAT’S ON IN PHUKET

List your events here for as low as B99 per line, or online at www.thephuketnews.com/events.php

FRIDAY

tong. Free pick up Patong and Kalim areas.

Reservations call 081 891 4381.

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IBAP - Networking “Thailand’s Future: Reconciling Democracy and Monarchy” with Dr Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS) and Associate Professor of International Political Economy at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. April 06, 2012 from 6:30pm at URBAN FOOD, located in Central Festival Shopping Center. http:// ibap-phuket.org or call 081 970 7910.

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Pool Competition Pool Competition at 9pm. Expat Sports Bar, Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. www. expatsportsbar.com.

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Chef’s Table at Paresa Recipe by Ryan is an innovative culinary dining venture. Indulge in intricate dishes created by Paresa’s Executive Chef Ryan Arboleda, featuring a six-course set menu prepared in a live cooking environment.

Time: 6pm to 10pm. Call 076 302 000, email: dining@paresaresorts.com.

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BBQ Ribs All You Can Eat Only B295 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. For reservations call on 081 891 4381.

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Curry Fridays at Navrang Mahal Live Music Enjoy live music at Kamala’s only live music venue. Every Saturday from 8.30pm with free buffet. Call for more info on 085 655 5127.

Every Friday, all-you-can-eat authentic Indian curry buffet, B449 net per person.

Draught beer B50. 7pm-11.30pm. Call 076 286 464.

SATURDAY Live Music Enjoy live music at Kamala’s only live music venue. Every Saturday from 8.30pm with free buffet. Call for more info on 085 655 5127.

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Half-Chicken Spit Roast Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations call 081 891 4381.

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AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM The Craíc Live Music every week Roaring Bhoys - Tuesdays & Saturdays Bangkok Travellers - Sundays

All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub. Contact 081 895 4763.

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BBQ at Expat Hotel

Draught Guinness at the only Irish Bar in North Phuket

Time 7.30pm, Expat Sports Bar, Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. www.expatsports bar.com.

Open from 5pm, closed Mondays

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Laguna Phuket

20% Off All Pizzas At Shakers. Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road, Pa-

thephuketnews.com

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

All Major Sports Live On the big screen. F1, MotoGP, Tennis, Golf, AFL, NRL. Irish Times Irish Pub, Jungceylon, Patong.

Pool Competition At 9pm Expat Guesthouse Sports Bar, Patong. See map at www.expatguesthouse. com.

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Rotary Club of Patong Beach

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Weekly meeting in English. Dinner out on first Tuesday of the month. rotarypatong.org.

Chef’s Table at Paresa

................................................................................

Recipe by Ryan is an innovative culinary dining venture. Indulge in intricate dishes created by Paresa’s Executive Chef Ryan Arboleda, featuring a six-course set menu prepared in a live cooking environment.

Time: 6pm to 10pm. Call 076 302 000, email: dining@paresaresorts.com.

Salsa Class Rawai

SUNDAY Church Service English/Thai Every Sunday 10am. Come share in worship unto God, and hear Word of God, followed by fellowship lunch. See phuketchurch.net.

................................................................................

Sunday Roast Pork Every Sunday 2pm onwards Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong B290 per person.

Please see www.expathotel.com.

................................................................................

Best Sunday Carvery in Phuket Roast beef, BBQ ham, chicken, pork and Yorkshire pudding. All you can eat B399.

Irish Times, Jungceylon, Patong.

Salsa Class in Green Man Studio from 6.30 to 9 pm, more information on phuketdance.com.

.

WEDNESDAY Quiz Night @ Peppers

Quiz Night every Wednesday at Peppers Sports Bar near Laguna. Great food, great music, great beer. Contact 081 728 1010.

Facebook Peppers Sports Bar.

................................................................................

Interactive Pub Quiz Night Starts from 8pm every Wednesday night.

The largest selection of draught beer in Phuket. Irish Times, Jungceylon, Patong.

................................................................................

BBQ Ribs All You Can Eat Only B295 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations call on 081 891 4381.

................................................................................

THURSDAY

Half-Chicken Spit Roast

BBQ Buffet All You Can Eat

Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations please call 081 891 4381.

Only B325 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Rd, Patong. Reservations 081 891 4381.

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Sunday Brunch

AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM

Enjoy the original Sunday brunch in Phuket at Twinpalms, Surin Beach. 12-3pm. Reservations please call 076 316 577.

All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub, one km from Chalong circle. Contact 081 895 4763.

MONDAY

.

DAILY

Roaring Bhoys

Mango Paradise

Live Music every Monday night. The largest selection of draught beer in Phuket. Irish Times, Jungceylon, Patong.

Throughout March, we will be offering “Mango Promotion” where you can enjoy the tropical fruit and beat the summer heat.

Sweet mango desserts include mango with sticky rice, and mango icecream. At the Royal Paradise Hotel & Spa, contact 076 340 666, www.royalparadise.com.

................................................................................

BBQ Buffet All You Can Eat Only B325 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations 081 891 4381.

TUESDAY AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub, one km from Chalong circle. Call 081 895 4763.

................................................................................

Half-Chicken Spit Roast Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-UThit Road, Patong. Reservations call 081 891 4381.

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Grizzly’s Sports Bar & Restaurant Watch all the sport that is on TV this weekend with us. Located between Loch Palm Golf Course and Kathu Waterfall. Call 087 471 8747.

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Sunset Happy Hours & Ninjazz Don’t miss the Sunset happy hours. Between 5pm and 7pm. “Buy one get the same one free” promotion. The Luna Bar, Centara Grand Beach Resort. Call 076 201 234.

THE PHUKET NEWS

JOBS 33

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

CLASSIFIEDS

For sale: palm and rubber farm

67 rai with 450 sqm house > 36

classifieds@thephuketnews.com

JOBS IN PHUKET

To advertise here visit: thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php

Tiger Muay Thai Staff gae band that does covers, books, Microsoft Of fice Wanted: Assistant Chef: originals, and dub! Contact: skills and references. CV

Manager- Swimming Pool Company: Service Manager, Thai National, required

by P h u ke t ’s l e a d i n g swimming pool management and maintenance service company. Experienced in swimming pool maintenance & installation, ability to manage 30 plus staff, spoken and written English with a dynamic personality are all essential. A rewarding opportunity. Salary is not a factor for the successful applicant. Contact Mobile Pool Doctor 076 620 193, email info@mo bilepooldoctor.com.

Salary B15,000 - B20,000 Fluent in both English and Thai, must have a culinary background. Advantage to applicants with background in chain food stores. Cooks: Salary B8,000 - B12,000 must be able to cook both Thai and Western dishes. Front bar staff: Salary B7,000 - B10,000 dependsing on experience. Must be able to speak, read and write in English. Staff will ser ve customers at the front counter of the restaurant. Contact Ben 081 832 2519, email ben@tiger muaythai.com.

Q u a li f i e d Te ac h er/ Tutor wanted : English- speaking, tutor wanted for Grade 4 student, 2-3 hours per day, 6 days a week, to do extra tutoring (reading, writing, math) in Thalang. At Phuket International Academy School.

Contact:Sherin.peace@ gmail.com. or call 084 877 3566.

Kindergarten Teach- Reggae Musicians: er Wanted: We are look- Looking for a reggae lead ing for a native English kindergarten teacher to join our team to teach 10-12 children aged 3-6 years of age. Must have a minimum Bachelors Degree or equivalent. Contact Daniel 084 520 4978, email: info@cravensnurseryphuket.com.

guitarist and keyboardist to help form a reggae band in Phuket. The goal is to create a quality Roots Reg-

Idren movidaflow@gmail. com.

to info@techworx-projects. com.

S a l e s p e r so n Re quired: Thai female –

Web Suppor t Specialist: Job Description:

good command of English, confident, and highly motivated for a Design Agency based in Phuket.

Basic salary plus commission. Contact: john@ cre8-media.net or call 083 502 5552.

Kindergar ten Secretary: Must have good En g l i s h a n d c o m p u te r skills. Mon-Fri, 7.30am4.30pm, Chalong. Call 080 624 7060.

Administrative assistant: English-speaker

with good Microsoft Office skills and references. CV to info@techworx-projects. com.

Answering technical and billing questions (e-mails and web requests); registering all incoming messages in the database; problem-solving, dealing with complaints; development of knowledge base; moderating websites. Requirements: IT background, basic knowledge of web technology, fluent Thai and good English a must, analytical and problem-solving abilities, with keen attention to detail, degree or a student of IT-connected university. linkyphuket@ gmail.com.

Karon Hillside Staff Wanted: Karon Hillside

Hotel is looking for staff: For the following positions no English is required; chef, kitchen helper, housekeeping staff, handyman.

For the following positions English is required; bar and restaurant service

staff, reception staff, night reception. Good starting salary and SC. Only Thai nationals.

Please contact Khun Sandy on 087 275 4581 or email: info@karonhillsidehotel.com.

Purchase manager: English-speaker, must have experience and references.

C.V to info@techworx-proj ects.com.

Accountant: Englishspeaker with good Quick

Staff Wanted: Siam Diving Enterprises and Pier 42 Boutique Resort in Chalong are seeking staff for the following positions (Thai nationals only): Reception, café staff, housekeeping, porter, kitchen staff helper, sales staff, sales supervisor, warehouse/drivers. Interested candidates please send CV to ian@sde-asiapacific.com, Call 076 384 476.

Driver with a Sidecar Wanted: English-speaking sidecar driver wanted to collect food packages at Central and deliver to Thalang Dog Pound. MondayFriday between 3pm-4.30 pm daily. Call 084 877 3566 for more info.

thephuketnews.com

34 CLASSIFIEDS

THE PHUKET NEWS

BUY & SELL IN PHUKET

To advertise here visit: thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Restaurant for Sale: Restaurant for sale farang/ Thai, quality furnishing, terrific potential, ill-health forcing sale. B800,000. Contact 087 978 5804.

Kamala Bar for SALE!: Very profitable bar on main road. Owner returning to Australia in high season. Has one bedroom with ensuite, three FS TVs, pool table, stock, furniture. etc. Price negotiable.

Call Chompoo on 084 844 3504.

BOATS & YACHTS

Investment Opportunity: 8-15 per cent monthly returns. Obligation free appointment . Call for more information 084 100 6274.

Digifox Marine: Marine inboard engines, hydraulic and mechanical equipment service, repairs and spare parts. MAN, Arneson, ZF, Rolls Royce and others. Professional team of engineers, high quality, personal approach guaranteed. Contact 076 336 221, 083 171 4141. Email info@ digifoxmarine.com.

Refurbished 33 Foot Speed Boat for Sale: 2 X YAMAHA OUTBOARD 200 HP 2 STROKE (original Yamaha parts). Wooden keel made of Takian Thong.

New upholstery, scuba tank racks, full registration and insurance.

Contact : Cesare Benelli (Thai/English) 081 891 3937 Bangkok or Ian 087 883 6487 Phuket.

Unique Automated Business: Low overheads, great returns. Create passive cashflow with our forex trading system. Call for more information 082 286 4463.

BUSINESS SERVICES Phuket Consult Services: Insurance, personal assistance, legal assistance,

police and emergency assistance, property management, sales and rentals, company registration, visa and work permit and accounting. Call 081 691 9679.

Tile It: Thalang. Wana Park on Srisoonthorn Rd. Phuket’s quality tile boutique. Tiles for interior, exterior, residential, commercial. Contact 076 620 168 or 081 424 2828. Email info@tile-asia.com.

Indo Construction: 40 years’ experience and more than 20 years at your service in Thailand. Main contractor: study project, architecture design and construction and management. Contact 076 381 895.

Farang Food Paradise: Your specialist of imported food and drinks in Phuket. Visit our shop at the Billion Plaza, opposite Tesco Lotus. Contact 076 612 733, 076 248 900. www.phuketfood.com.

Prot e c t Yo u r H o m e w i t h C C T V: C C T V & alarm service. Protect your home with high-quality CCTV camera,and GSM alarm. Free survey and quote. Please call 086 105 8144 or click www. huketechnology.com.

CARS FOR RENT

CHILDCARE Buds Nursery: Phuket’s oldest bilingual international child care facility. High-quality, time-proven schedule and curriculum. Now in brand new purpose-built school.

Experienced native English teachers to teach ages 1 1/28. Mon-Fri 8am.-5pm. Bus service available from Patong, Karon, Kata, Phuket, Rawai and Chalong. Website: www.buds-phuket.com.

Kiddies Home Nursery: Award for top Nursery for Phuket Province 2011.

Ages 3 months to 4 years.

Open 7 days a week and from 6.30 am to 7pm. Rock Garden Village. Call 0p76 528 862, mobile 082 539 8252, email: kiddieshomenursery@gmail. com.

CLUBS & MEMBERSHIPS Loch Palms Membership for Sale: Membership lifetime, B600,000 include transfer. Call Tantita 081 797 3326.

Laguna Family Memb e r s h i p : 12 ye a r s .

special price for long term rental. Call 080 521 9888, email sornin_s@yahoo.com.

WRITE YOUR CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENT Heading ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......

The car for rent: Car in good condition, short and long-term rental with first-class insurance and delivery service.

Call 086 690 6007, email: k.niwatt@hotmail.com.

Funstart: Family sports and leisure club. Swimming/golf/ playcentre/gaming arcade.

Call 076 203 185, 087 882 5544. See funstar tphuket. com.

SK A L I n t e r n a t i o n a l Phuket: Skål is a professional organisation of leaders from all branches of the travel and tourism industry. www. skalphuket.org.

Singapore Club Phuket: Calling all Singa-

...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B99

poreans in Phuket to join “Singapore Club Phuket”. Contact Robin on 081 803 7189, 076 303 500.

...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B198 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B297 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B396 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B495

Toyota MRS Convertible Year 05: 82,000km,

...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B594

year 2005, big stereo, top condition. B1,350,00. Call 089 932 5175.

...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B693

All 4 Diving: 5/4 Sawatdirak Road, Patong Beach.

Contact 076 344 611.

EDUCATION Q u a l i f i e d Te a c h e r / Tutor Wanted: English

...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B990

Box B200

Colour Background B200

Colour Headline B200

Colour Picture B395

Deadline: Monday 12pm (noon) for that Friday’s issue

Nissan Navara Sell 4 Doors: July 2011,

Hand this in at agent shops, our office or fax: 076 612 553

14,000km. B750,000. Call Olisiy 088 838 3242.

Russian Language for Your Kids: Are your children starting to forget Russian? Sign up to our Russian Language For Kids program.

Visit http://PhuketRussian School.com, email us at info@ phuketrussianschool.com or call 082 804 9131.

Guitar Lesson By Pro Player: Guitar/bass lessons beginner to advanced. Personal one-on-one or by DVD. Diploma of Teaching (Aust) degree. Call 089 777 3063.

Want to Practice your Thai?: Thai Courses and

lessons for daily life (culture and language) with friendly and energised Thai female teacher. Graduated from university. Negotiable prices can be offered. Plus have outdoor activities for your experience!!

Call 080 386 5026.

your creative flair with Food Services Cooking School. Italian, Western and Thai cuisine.

Try our famous pizza school.

082 816 0126, email: info@ foodservicesth.com.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS FOR SALE SOKEN Surround Sound Stereo: Big amp, 5 powerful speakers, really excellent sound. Paid 15,000 12 months ago, sell 7,500. Call 082 283 8902.

Health Food : Online health food in Thailand. Good Karma, all natural healthy, natural and organic products.

Contact 082 276 1675. www. goodkarmathailand.com.

DIVING

...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B792 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... B891

Thai woman teacher with 8-9 years’ experience gives Thai and English lessons for company/hotel staff and Thai cooking at your home.

Full course with conversation practice and home study material. Both at beginner and more advanced levels. Tel:081 797 1497 Email: teacherjoy_ phuket@hotmail.com.

Cooking School: Fire up

CARS FOR SALE

Body

Learn Thai at Home:

B500,000 includes transfer.

Call Tantita 081 797 3326.

New Mazda2 & Vios for Rent: First class insurance,

thephuketnews.com

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

speaking, tutor wanted for Grade 4 student, 2-3 hours per day, 6 days a week, to do extra tutoring (reading, writing, math) in Thalang. At Phuket International Acadamy school. Contact:Sherin. peace@gmail.com. or call 084 877 3566.

Table for Sale: Long 6-8 seat table, dark wood, 6 matching chairs, 12 months old. Cost B16,000 Sell B8,000 ono. Call 082 283 8902.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS WANTED Old Full Sized Bath Wanted: Looking to find an old plastic or stone full sized bath to use for a pet washing parlor- something large enough to put big dogs in the wash them please email : Gone2thedoggies@gmail. com with photo.

THE PHUKET NEWS

CLASSIFIEDS 35

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

BUY & SELL/HOMES IN PHUKET

To advertise here visit: thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php

info@buonappetitogroup.com, www.buonappetitogroup.com.

MOTORBIKES FOR SALE

sulting and services on company registration, work permit, visa, accounting, auditor, legal advice. Contact 081 892 9960.

PET ADOPTION Why buy a pet?: Soi Dog

Kawasaki Boss 175: Blue, 9 years old, Yamaha Serow for Sale: 220cc, year 1996.

Sale B45,000. Please contact Khun Nicolas (farang) 083 176 4265. Khun Ball 081 084 9532 (Thai).

Yamaha Mio for Sale: Yamaha Mio B19,999. Call 089 973 3276.

good condition, used d a i l y. I n c l u d e s ve r y solid sidecar (now detached). Email for photos. B29,000 ono. Call 082 283 8902.

8,000 km. Perfect condition. Fast and fun. Priced to sell quickly at 595,000 baht. Call 081 734 8309, email ducphuket@gmail. com.

Suzuki Revo 110, 5 years old, blue paint, 2 new tyres, taxed until July. Excellent condition, B18,000 ono. 082 283 8902.

Phuket Pool Tables:

Dynamic Tyre Balancing: Dynamically balance

PERSONAL SERVICES Techworx: Custom design & installation. Professional service and support. Premium service: home cinema, home automation, marine AV and IT, lighting control and multiroom audio-video. Call 084 443 9863.

Bon CafĂŠ Phuket: A

Suzuki 110 Revo:

POOL TABLES

MOTORBIKE SERVICES

your motorcycle tyres for a smoother ride with DYNA BEADS! Available at West Coast Service Center Phuket.

Your big bike specialist on the bypass road. Contact 085 785 4440.

Harley XR-1200 for Sale: 2009 model. Only

Foundation have over 300 beautiful dogs and puppies available for adoption. Fully-vaccinated and sterilised.

Contact 087 050 8688, email: john@soidog.org.

producer of premium coffee blends and powdered mixes as well as selling, maintaining, servicing and repairing all major brands. 076 355 600-1.

Buon A p p et i to: D e li market and bistro.Number one supplier of Italian Deli in Phuket. Call 076 384 273,

American Health Clinic: Chiropractic spinal adjustment with an experienced chiropractor can take away the pain almost as quickly as it began.

Call 076 612 707.

www.phuketpooltables.com.

Your number one billiard and snooker supplier in Phuket.

Sales, rent and profit-sharing.

All accessories and services.

Call for more details on 081 823 4627.

PROPERTY CONCIERGE

CHURCH

bedrooms, one restroom, one kitchen. B16,000 per month.

Call 081 895 9622.

Four Beds/Four Baths Villa for Rent: Securely located in Baan Suan Loch Palm Estate, 10 minutes to golf courses, international schools and Central, 15 mins to Patong. B65,000 per month. Includes common area pool and gardening service, 6 months minimum.

Available from 22 April 2012. +61 41 268 3850 or email jenjira555@yahoo.com.au.

SERVICE, PATONG HOUSE OF LORD CHURCH

Ev.Sunday 10am + Fellowship Lunch

Addr. 110/12 Soi Patong Tower

have buyers for foreign freehold, sea view properties and land. Call 080 143 2929 or visit realestate.phuket. net.

House for Rent Near Heroines Monument:

PROPERTY FOR RENT

Two bed, one bath, cable TV, internet, fully-furished house at B8,000 per month. Call 080 521 9888, sornin_s@ yahoo.com.

www.phuketchurch.net

English-Thai Law Off ice: Visa, wor k per mit, Patong:Nice Apartment company formation, property for Rent: Condo with swimtransfer etc. Please telephone for advice. Call 084 063 9223.

ming pool, security 24/7:furnished, 46sqm. Daily/monthly.

089 728 4005, thamad17@ya hoo.com.

Haris & Hawryluck - Attorneys at Law: Unit 6D CCM Complex, call 076 510 111, email info@hhlegaladvi sors.com, www.hhlegaladvi sors.com.

Atmanjai: World’s best natural health programmes to improve health, reduce stress, weight loss, detox, rejuvenation, vitality and overcome disease. See atmanjai.com.

Live Music By Colin Hill: Popular expat pro musician (guitar/vocals) with work permit. Can perform solo, duo or band. www.play-guitar.net, 089 777 3063.

Comfor table Private and Quiet: Three-bedroom townhouse, just a few minutes to Karon Beach. B25,000 per month, long term rent required. Call 081 396 0880.

Patong Hill Seaview: One bedroom fully-furnished apartment. 20,000/month for six month or more. Tam 082 271 4487.

Havana Cigar Shop: Opposite HomePro Village Chalong. Contact 081 956 2024. Email: vinoltds@hotmail. com.

Nice One Rai Chalong: Reduced, just B6 million now!

Full chanote title. Call 089 651 3479, 087 053 6181.

THE SUNRISE OCEAN VILLAS

signed for comfort has everything near Laguna lease B22,000. Contact 089 594 4067.

Selling or Renting Your Property?: We

davidtankahseng@gmail.com

sion Hills half rai plot, quiet select location, chanote, water, electricity. Price B1.6m. Six rai hilltop, sea/mountain views, chanote, water, electricity and office. B4.2m per rai. Contact 087 978 5804.

Luxury Pool Villa: De-

Ev.Wednesday 9.30am Prayer Meeting

Ctc. Ps.David Tan 084 006 3438

Land for Sale: Land Mis-

Condo in Phuket Town for Rent: New condo, 1 bed, fully-furnished, WiFi, maid service, sea view.

Call 081 893 5188.

New House for Rent Near Central: 4 bed, 2

bath, furnished, WiFi, office, 20K. 089 973 3276.

Houses for Rent : Long -term, Chalong, very private with mountain views, t wo bedrooms, kitchen, fully-furnished, Sat TV, ADSL, UBC and common swimming pool.

089 724 3669.

Villa 5 House for Rent: Phuket Visa: Offers con- house for rent 37sq.wah. Two

Each villa has an living area of over 300 sqm, has 3 spacious bedrooms, all sea views, 5 bathrooms, a 10x4m infinity pool, maid's quarter and a covered 2-car parking. The houses are specially designed to guarantee a complete privacy, with an open panoramic view of the sea.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Single House for Sale: Three bedrooms, two bathrooms at Villa Suanluang for sale, fully-furnished, negotiable. Please call 081 658 2081.

Space for Rent in Patong: Of fice, Busin e s s s p ac e f o r r e nt o n fifth floor of Patong Towe r. C a l l 0 7 6 3 41 3 7 0 .

After a great success of the first phase, the Sunrise Ocean Villas is now starting to build the 8 other villas of "Phase2". The price of 17.9 million baht makes the project one of the most compettitive on the island for being only 60m from the beach.

Two Bungalow Complex Panwa for Sale: 2 bedrooms each bungalow on suite,pool.fully secured electric wall. Viewing by appointment only . Ao Makham, Panwa. Contact 081 187 6940.

Come visit the villas and you will be wonderfully surprised by the quality of the project as well as the quality of life you can find here.

For appointment or more details, contact the project director Khun Monta at 081 343 0777 (Thai, English & German) Email: thesunrise villas@yahoo.com.

www.thesunrisevillas.com

thephuketnews.com

36 CLASSIFIEDS

THE PHUKET NEWS

HOMES IN PHUKET

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

To advertise here visit: thephuketnews.com/classifieds.php Home/Self Contained Office: Fully established

Land for Sale: 11 rai, one kilometre from Naiyang beach. B6.5 millions per rai.

Please call : Siriporn +66 (0) 896 499 939.

PROPERTY FOR SALE CONT.

full bath, air- con, western kitchen, spacious living room, garage with laundry/ overhead storage, large covered patios, security doors/ windows, garden, company name available. B5.5 million.

Call 081 131 5751, email: seadog5000@yahoo.com.

Condo in Phuket Town for Sale/Rent:

Pa l m a n d Ru b b e r Farm 67 Rai: House

New condo, 1 bed, fully furnished, WiFi, maid service, sea view. Call 081 893 5188.

450 sq metre, under roof.

400m of water frontage on river. Income producing. 2 small Klongs for holding fish. Close to Rajaprapa Golf Course. English and Thai for details Tantita 081 797 3326.

Land For Sale: 6 rai Hilltop, sea/mountain views, chanote, water, electricity and office. B4.2 million per rai , Contact : 087 978 5804.

Discount Rentals

Nice Land for Sale in Rawai: Rawai land near

Daily / Weekly / Monthly / Lease LUXURY VILLAS NEAR LAGUNA

Chalong. Green, flat, residential area. Chanote. 3 rai or smaller lots. Cheap price: B5.4 million per rai. Sale direct by owner. Contact Nang.

Phone 081 451 9027, 084

Info: 089 594 4067

898 8258.

Top Rawai Beach Condo For Sale: Serenity Resort & Residences. Two bed / two bath, 134 sq metre.

Only B11.9 million. See www. stefan.asia for details.

Phuket - Allamanda Residences: One Deluxe Condo-Unit (Duplex House) fully-furnished set within the unique Phuket Laguna Complex with balcony right over the lagoon, 3 bedrooms, roofterrace with sala etc. LONG TERM LEASE B45,000 monthly or SALE. Call (66) 081 737 0365, e-mail: utaipan@yahoo.com.

Kata House For Sale: 5 minutes to beach, large modern house, three floors, furnished, three beds, two

Gentleman’s Farm 20 Rai Land: House 1,000 sq metre, under roof made from granite rock, salas and walkways, 400m of water frontage on river.

Many types of fruit trees.

Close to Rajaprapa Golf Course. English and Thai for details Tantita 081 797 3326.

Ka t a B e a c h Ce n t r e Phuket: Apar tments for rent and lease in luxury building with pool. Per day, week, month, year and 30 years. Contact Scott Bolls, email: sbolls@ hot mail.com. Contact +66 81 828 0972.

seaview Patong-Karon villa, four bedrooms, private pool.

Sell for B22 million, and also available rental daily and monthy basis. www.awphuket.com.

Seven rai with 180 metres of ocean frontage opposite of Yacht Haven Marina, for sale. Very peaceful natural environment, water, electricity, access by public road and boat, ready to build.

Price B6.2 million per rai.

Land could be subdivided into small plots.

For details please call owner directly 081 343 0777 or 086 475 6060, email: montha _ phuket@yahoo. com.

Nice One Rai Chalong NOW Reduced to 6.5m ono: In Chalong 200 metres off main road in great location.

Full chanote title. 089 651 3479.

24 Rai Flat Land Cheap:

24 rai flat land close to Phuket zoo. Owner direct, B3.8 million per rai, chanote title. Call 085 789 1773.

r o o m s , t wo b at h r o o m s , Western kitchen, 130 sq metre. Nice garden with large pool in quiet area. Price: B5.5 million or minimum threemonth rental. Call 081 496 9070 (Eng/Swedish) or 081 719 1175 (Thai). Email:diod@ telia.com.

B1.9 Million New Condo: New Studio (1 bedroom) condominium in The Point, across from Phuket International Hospital and BigC. Beautiful four-year-old central atrium building with no stuffy hallways. 36 m2, high-speed internet, cable TV, and swimming. Parking under building. Third floor with nice view.

B1.9 m. Contact Walter at wp drake2@yahoo.com, 083 301 3470.

.

Fi ve B e d ro o m Th a i St yle Pool Villa for Sale: Near Laguna Phuket on one rai, living space 600 sq metre up. 087 893 4636.

Private Pool Villas from B4.9M: Intira Villas is a development of 15 boutique villas in the heart of Rawai. Second phase open now. Only a few villas available. 083 594 9279.

Condo at Patong Loft for Sale: Condo for sale with the renter. Good for investment!. 86sq metre on fifth floor.

Please call 081 432 6587.

Perfect Land for Villa: Approx three rai, with chanote title, 2 km south of Thai Muang town centre. Just 24 km north of Sarasin Bridge. Good road access and electricity. Very quiet, green area. Urgent sale for just B5 million total, nonnegotiable. 089 652 1951 or email phuket.pn@gmail.com.

Thai Style House for Sale: Teak wood floors, stairs, walls, 2 bedrooms.

Land 330 sq metre, peaceful location, five minutes to Patong, Chanote title.

B5.5 million. 086 268 8701, email: f430spiderf1@hotmail.com.

Kamala Two Brand New Villas: Two bed-

thephuketnews.com

Sea View Villa: Luxury

Beach Front Land:

estate between Patong and Kamala. Ground floor: selfcontained of fice with own e nt r a n c e (a p p r ox . 70 s q metre)1st f loor: entrance, kitchen, dining, living plus gamesroom. Second floor: Two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms. Master with separate living room/third bedroom.

Price: B5,500,000 Sold with 20 year lease (B 23,000 per month equivalent). Contact Paul +66 89 586 2959.

Modern Pool Villa: Stunning three-bedroom pool villa, five minutes from Laguna 600 sq metre plot in peaceful location. Finished to a very high specification “MUST SEE” Selling price B12.9 million. Please contact 084 994 9303 or email phuketpoolvilla.info@ gmail.com.

Great House for Sale: Jindarin Beach Club & Resort: B1.5 million

Three bedrooms, four bathrooms and pool. B5 million.

for one plot, B3.2 million for cottage + plot. Call 080 467 7770 (Thai), 083 520 0020 (English). www.jinda rin.com, Email: eam1008@ me.com.

Contact 089 469 2897.

New Apartment for Sale Patong: Condo: swimming pool, security 24/7. Furnished, 46sqm, freehold: B2.9 million.

089 728 4005, thamad17@ yahoo.com.

Seaview Land for Sale: Near Chalong pier, 150 metres from the sea. Three rai and one ngan plot. Chanote title. Price: B20 million per rai. No agent.

Call 087 278 7206.

New Townhouses in Kamala: This is a development of affordable 3-bedroom townhouses, located in Kamala, approximately 1.5 km from the white sandy beach of Kamala and about 10 minutes drive to Patong. Prices from only B4,900,000. For more info call 087 882 2856 or email luc@ phuket-tropical-realestate.com.

Nice Three Bed House for Sale: Three-bedroom house in Moobaan Tarn Thong Villa opposite Moobaan Chao fa California. B3.1 million. Contact Lee on 081 803 7189.

Rawai Pool Villa: 4 Bedroom/4 Bathroom European style single storey house with self-contained guesthouse and pool on 736m2 plot. Large master bedroom with en-suite, walk-in wardrobe. Modern western style kitchen with granite tops, built-ins throughout and 4 air-cons.Electric gate, TV and phone line. Large verandahs, carport, and established garden. Chanote title B11m. 087 891 9349.

Chalong Land: Land in Chalong. 15 rai of gently sloping land, with full chanote, near Chalong temple. Sea views from top of land. Good road access and electricity. Perfect for development. Only B5 million per rai. Call Peter on 089 652 1951 or email phuket.pn@ gmail.com.

THE PHUKET NEWS

TRADES 37

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

AQUARIUM SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT

MARINE SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT

MARINE SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT

REMOVALS

HOME IMPROVEMENT

STORAGE

Design service for aquarium, fish pond and fountain.

Filtration systems for fresh and salt water.

All aquarium equipment.

Fresh-water and salt-water fish from around the world.

Clear water guarantee.

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thephuketnews.com

38 ISLAND SPORT

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

TNT fail to ignite against Patong In a crucial match for both teams, Patong Cricket Club took on newcomers Thanyapura News Tigers (TNT), at the ACG on Sunday (March 25), with both needing a win to keep their finals hopes alive.

Patong appeared to be taking the match a little more seriously than their opponents, arriving at the ground early for a pre-match warm up and nets session.

Patong won the toss and elected to bat first, hoping to set a big score. That wouldn’t have bothered TNT though, whose two wins so far this season have both come from chasing down sizeable totals.

And despite a lax first over in the field which saw a couple of missed opportunities, TNT regained their composure to claim Richard Desmond (0) early on, followed by Danny Hyams (10) to have Patong unsteady at 2-29.

However, fellow opener Seemant Raju (51) teamed up with Dave Thomas (31) to put on a 70-run partnership, taking the score to 99 runs, before playing a ball from Burger Marx onto his stumps.

Island Cricket

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Team

The Village Patong CC Laguna CC Island CC TNT Lizards Leopards

P W L Pts 5 5 4 4 5

4 5

4 3 3 3 2 1 0

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25 23 20 17 14 12 1

Anthony Van Blerk (16) and Thomas then put on a 42-run partnership before Van Blerk fell to a sharp catch

by Garry Carrick.

The Patong lower-order batsmen proved to be the major difference between the two sides, putting on 95 runs from the last 10 overs, including an impressive number 11 knock by Kishor Jhagta (36 from 19 balls).

Patong finished their innings at 9-251 from their 40 overs, with Barrie Buck (4-25) and Paul Lattimore (2-32) the standout bowlers for TNT. TNT were without star batsman, Ryan Dunn, who was living it up at the Formula One Grand Prix in Malaysia while his teammates were working hard in the field.

Nonetheless, they got off to a steady start until Berger Marx (9) was judged lbw in the

fifth over in what could only be labelled a highly dubious decision with the score on 24.

With the exception of Sid Prabhu (18), who reached double figures, the TNT batting line-up then capitulated, losing a further four wickets before the 10-over drinks break, returning to the clubhouse with five wickets down for just 39 runs.

They managed to stem the flow of wickets in the next 10 overs thanks to Paul Lattimore (13), the only other batsman in the innings to reach double figures, and were 7-71 at the 20 over drinks break.

However, the damage had been done, and it was only a matter of time before Patong tightened the screws again.

After play resumed, Patong quickly wrapped up the tail, with TNT all out for 80 runs in the 24th over, with Manish Sadarangani (4-24) and Anil Rawat (2-26) doing the most damage.

Patong picked up maximum points to advance to second place on the table.

Next weekend sees Laguna take on the Lounge Lizards.

Dinah Pfizenmaier serves during the ITF Women’s Pro Circuit final on Saturday.

Local favourite falls Dane Halpin editor2@thephuketnews.com

Spectators hoping for a local victory may have left disappointed, but they were treated to top quality tennis at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Centre (TSLC) last Saturday, as Thailand’s Noppowan Lertcheewakarn took on Germany’s Dinah Pfizenmaier in the final of the Phuket Chang ITF Women’s Pro Circuit event.

The 20-year-old unseeded German started slowly, dropping the first game of the set, but roared back to claim the first set 6-2 against her visibly rattled Thai opponent.

Sixth-seeded Noppowan looked to tire quicker in the midday heat as the second set got underway, dropping her first service game to give Pfizenmaier the advantage at 1-0.

But she broke back immediately after thanks to three

TENNIS

unforced errors from Pfizenmaier, and then held serve to take a 2-1 advantage.

Both players continued to trade unforced errors in the second set as the heat took its toll, and neither could find the break until an epic rally gave Pfizenmaier the advantage and all the momentum, jumping to a 4-3 lead and bringing tournament victory within sight.

Pfizenmaier then stepped up a gear, easily claiming the next game to go up 5-3.

Noppowan’s body language said it all – she was dejected, and needed something special to dig herself out of this massive hole.

Given Pfizenmaier’s dominance at the backline though, and her effective use of top spin, a fightback looked unlikely.

But Noppowan wasn’t giving up too easily, rallying to

hold her next service game and retain an outside chance of taking the game to a third set..

But Pfizenmaier brought up the match point, and made no mistake as another unforced error from Noppowan handed her the game and share of the US$25,000 prize pool.

“I want to thank my opponent,” Pfizenmaier said after her victory. “She played well, but I am aware of her strengths and weaknesses, and I think I was the better player today.

“At the start, I didn’t believe I could win this tournament. Now I am ver y happy, of course.”

TSLC is hosting a second ITF Women’s Pro Circuit event this week. The final is due to be played tomorrow (March 31).

Pfizenmaier Noppowan

Portrait were crowned champions in the Premier Division of the AFL.

6 6 2 4

Photo: TSLC

Ultra win sees futsal league finish on a high The Adult Futsal League season drew to a close last Thursday night (March22), as Division One took centre stage following the cancellation of the Premier League matches.

The first match of the evening saw a battle for the runners-up position, with Chevrolet needing just a draw against Ultraman.

With Ultraman requiring a win to snatch second place, they pressed from the opening whistle and scored on their first attack, only to see their lead wiped out by a Chevrolet

thephuketnews.com

goal just a minute later.

However this seemed to galvanise Ultraman, who went on to score three more unanswered goals before halftime to take a commanding 4-1 lead.

They extended their lead by two more goals in the second half, and while Chevrolet managed a second goal, it was too late as Ultraman claimed a 6-2 victory and the Division One runners up position.

The final Division One match saw SGS and Island Boys both looking to finish the season with a win – and

the Boys did just that, securing their first and only win of the season thanks to a resounding 6-2 victory.

There was also a ‘Champions vs Champions’ challenge match on the small pitch as Premier Division winners Portrait FC took on Division One Winners TSLC. It was a lively display from TSLC, but Portrait were just a little too strong on the night and the Premier Division champs claimed a 6-4 victory over their Division One counterparts.

THE PHUKET NEWS

ISLAND SPORT 39

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

Phuket draw first home game 7

Thai Premier League (TPL) Division 1

Dane Halpin editor2@thephuketnews.com

Fans flocking to watch FC Phuket at their first home game of the season last Saturday (March 24) had some good news to cheer about – even if it wasn’t the result.

While the match against Raj Pracha FC finished in a disappointing draw in front of a crowd of nearly 3,000, it was the first time the Southern Sea Kirin fans had the chance to see the largely new-look side, and there were certainly some promising signs.

In particular, those concerned at the loss of star goalkeeper Jonathan Matijas last season need not worry – new Brazilian recruit Alonso da Silva looks to be an even more promising talent in front of goal.

Big new Ivorian forward Ibrahim Kanouté also looked dominant up front – he might not be the most skilled player on the park, but he covered a lot of ground and consistently found himself in the right position throughout the game, making up for the loss of compatriot Kone Adama.

The lack of match fitness, which plagued the team for most of last season and saw them repeatedly fail in the second half, also seems to have improved under the regime of new coach Miloš Josić, with the players retaining their intensity for the full 90 minutes.

The game against Raj Pracha got off to the best possible start for the boys in green, scoring their first goal of the season in the opening 10 minutes after a perfectly weighted through-

Team

Above: Ibrahim Kanoute vies with a Raj Pracha defender.

Right: Kanoute attempts a header off a Phuket corner. ball found South Korean recruit Yeon Seung-Won in clear space.

One on one with the opposing keeper, Seung-Won made no mistake, chipping casually into the top left corner to put FC Phuket 1-0 up.

As Phuket used the momentum to lay on a consistent attack, Raj Pracha appeared to become frustrated, culminating in a heavy tackle and yellow card for defender Rungroj Thongtinphu midway through the half.

Phuket striker Watcharapong Chan-ngam stepped up to take the free kick, but his shot curled just inches over the crossbar.

But as the game bogged down in midfield, Raj Pracha

almost found a goal out of nowhere through Santitorn Lattirom, who fired in on the bottom left corner off the half volley, only to f ind the safe hands of the new Brazilian goalie.

The Southern Sea Kirin

easily absorbed the pressure thrown at them late in the first half, with a couple of confident saves by da Silva, to remain ahead 1-0 going into the break.

Early in the second half, FC Phuket continued their dominant attacking display,

MP

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6

3

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2

2

0

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4

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2

1

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5

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2

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10

Bangkok United

2

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with Watcharapong Chan-ngam looking an almost certainty on goal until he was brought down just outside the box.

He stepped up to take another free kick, and the crowd erupted as the ball looked to find the back of the net. The celebrations proved premature, however – the ball had curled just over the bar.

As the second half progressed, Raj Pracha looked to visibly tire as Phuket dominated the midfield. The tackles from Raj Pracha got lazier, and the Kirin found themselves with several more free kick opportunities, but failed to convert any of them.

But then, completely against the run of play, Raj Pracha’s Rewat Meerian somehow slipped through eight Phuket defenders, standing around bemused, as he scored the softest of goals to level the scores.

It sparked life back into the game, and lifted the intensity

from both sides. Kanouté had the best chance later in the match to hand FC Phuket the win, but shot just left of the post off a well placed cross.

There were some ugly scenes in the crowd as a group of fans were convinced Raj Pracha midfielder Pakasit Wittayabumrung was time-wasting when he went down injured.

Whether their abuse was warranted or not, it certainly looked as though Raj Pracha were content to play for a point.

And in the end, they did just that, with the scores locked at 1-1, meaning FC Phuket remain winless but also undefeated after two rounds, and sit 12th in the table.

FC Phuket were due to play Nakhon Ratchasima on Wednesday evening, and will play again at Surakul Stadium on Sunday (April 1) against Bangkok United, with kickoff currently scheduled for 5pm (subject to change).

Cricket week finds new Phuket home Phuket’s Asian Cricket Sixes Tour (ACST) Cricket Week will move from its traditional home in Karon to a new venue in Chalong following scheduling clashes.

Tournament Director Saurav Chatterjee, said in a press release, “Karon Municipal Council recently withdrew the availability of Karon Stadium, where we have staged the Phuket International Cricket Sixes since 2004, due to the forthcoming Thailand

Youth Games in May.” The cricket tournament will now be held at the Kata Group Sports Ground in Chalong.

The inaugural Kata Group International Cricket 7s tournament will run from April 14-16, with the Karon Sea Sands Beach Cricket Tournament on April 17, and the Phuket International Cricket Sixes from April 19-22.

■■ For more information, visit phuketsixes.com

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS Run 1360: Saturday March 31 at 3.30pm Directions: Ao Makham. From Phuket town go towards Ao Makham on Sakdidet Road, 800 metres past the Ao Makham School turn right (Soi Putianua U-Tid 1) (this is a very steep road going up the hill). Laager is on the right 500m up this hill, pertinent points will be HHH signposted. N.B. There are other roads going up the Ao Makham hill which are not as steep, for instance the back road to Ao Yon overlooking Chalong Bay

thephuketnews.com

40 INTERNATIONAL SPORT

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

AFL PREVIEW The Australian Football League (AFL) is back and bigger than ever with the introduction of a second Sydney franchise. We take a look at how each team is shaping up for what should be a massive season.

Novak Djokovic has won the last three Grand Slams, including, most recenly, the Australian Open. Photo: AFP

Hot shots win TENNIS Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal stayed on pace for a possible final showdown while Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki booked a semi-final match with triumphs at the Miami ATP and WTA event.

Top-ranked defending champion Djokovic, winner of the past three Grand Slam singles crowns, reached the quarter-finals of the US$9.6 million tournament with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over French 17th seed Richard Gasquet.

The Serbian top seed will next face the winner of a later match between Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer

and Argentina’s 11th seed Juan Martin Del Potro.

World No. 2 Nadal, a threetime Miami runner-up who has never lifted the trophy, ousted Japanese 16th seed Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-4. Up next is French sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who ousted German Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-2.

The Spaniard fired eight aces and won 65 percent of first-serve points while saving six of the eight break points he faced to advance in two hours and 11 minutes, improving to 16-3 on the season.

On the women’s side, second seed Sharapova advanced with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Chinese eighth seed Li Na.

Giants felled by Swans The result was what everybody expected, but new franchise Greater Western Sydney Giants showed some signs of promise as the Australian Football League (AFL) season kicked off last weekend.

The Swans, hardened by years of exper ience, were always likely to have too much staying power – and so it proved as 38,203 fa ns t u r ned out for t he first all-Sydney derby.

The Swans shared the goals around, with Shane Mumford booting three and Craig Bird, Andrejs Everitt, Sam Reid and Gary Rohan all kicking two apiece.

Despite boasting a team list of predominately young

AFL players, the Giants looked any thi ng but i nt i m id ated in the early exchanges against the Swans.

However, the expected onslaught started when Bird banged over two quick goals to take the lead out to 18 points in the first quarter.

Goals to Jared McVeigh and Kennedy soon after the half-time break opened the f loodgates, before speedster Lewis Jetta ran through them in blistering fashion.

T he Swa ns extended their lead beyond 10 goals by the final change.

Final score: Swans 14.16 (100), Giants 5.7 (37)

PORT ADELAIDE POWER The Power won only three games all last season and were lucky to avoid the wooden spoon by virtue of a final round defeat of Melbourne.

In amongst all the doom and gloom, there are a few positive signs for the years ahead. The Power re-signed key players John Butcher, Matthew Lobbe, Jackson Trengove, Justin Westoff and Alipate Carlile to give the Port faithful a little bit of hope that the future will be bright. There is hope on the horizon, but significant improvement remains a few years away yet. Expect to see the club parked towards the foot of the AFL ladder again in season 2012.

Last year: 16th 2012 Prediction: 14th

ADELAIDE CROWS Last year Adelaide won just seven matches to finish 14th – their lowest since joining the AFL. But new coach Brenton Sanderson takes over a list of talented players who should be nearing peak performance over the next couple of years.

Expect the Crows to play a much more physical brand of football under Sanderson, who spent the previous four years as an assistant coach at the hugely successful Geelong side. In fact, so much emphasis has been placed on beefing up the Crows players over the pre-season that the side had to

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re-order their club jumpers after the first set proved too small.

Last year: 14th 2012 Prediction: 10th

MELBOURNE DEMONS After a woefully inconsistent 2011, new senior coach Mark Neeld has declared he wants to make the Demons the toughest team to play against in the AFL. The big concern though for the side is a lack of elite players – not one made last year’s All Australian squad. Mitch Clark will be key to Melbourne’s success up front – though with just 27 goals at Brisbane last year, he doesn’t exactly fill you with confidence. On the other hand, he did kick three goals – half of Melbourne’s tally – in the NAB Cup two weeks ago weekend so there is definitely some promise there.

Last year: 13th 2012 Prediction: 16th

BRISBANE LIONS The Lions escaped the worst of the media’s scorn last year, despite finishing with just four wins, though you’d expect the pressure to be ramped right up again if signs of progress don’t emerge in 2012.

Last year the Lions lost seven games by three goals or less, and a very promising midfield group started to come together.

Plus, Jonathan Brown missed 12 games, Daniel Merrett 12, and Josh Drummond 15, which

will hopefully not be replicated.

If the Lions are to rise up the ladder, you suspect a fit and firing Jonathan Brown will be an integral part of things.

He’s the one elite player at the club and not that long ago he kicked 85 goals in a season.

Brown needs to put in close to a full season. If not, expect more of the same.

Last year: 15th 2012 Prediction: 12th

GOLD COAST SUNS For Guy McKenna’s men, three wins and plenty of promising signs from their young talent was enough for a pass mark in their debut season. Already, some are saying that a doubling of the win tally should be the expectation this year, and that’s probably not a bad place to start. Bigger bodies, more experience, the addition of Matthew Warnock and a full pre-season for Gary Ablett will all help. However, this will be another year where the coaching staff will be looking for more than just wins. McKenna will be looking to get his younger talent the experience they need to be a force down the track.

The days of dominance aren’t here just yet.

Last year: 17th 2012 Prediction: 17th

ESSENDON BOMBERS Essendon got off to a blistering start last year on the back of James Hird’s return to the club. In the end,

a combination of injuries and other factors led to a mid-season form slump and before too long, the Bombers were relieved to scrape through to the finals.

On the one hand, it’s hard to make the case that the Bombers will be anything more than a middle-of-the-road team again.

But there’s plenty of young talent coming through that will be improving with every match. Plus, they’ll be getting back a number of players that missed chunks of last year through injury. All this makes the Bombers a tricky team to read heading into 2012.

Last year: 8th 2012 Prediction: 11th

SYDNEY SWANS

Sydney’s first year under new coach John Longmire saw the Swans prove once again to be consistently tough opposition, and were a force to be reckoned with in September.

Some impressive young talent, like forward Sam Reid, defender Alex Johnson and midfielder Luke Parker, once again emerged. The veterans continued to deliver as well, with Adam Goodes winning the best and fairest, and Ryan O’Keefe, Jude Bolton, Marty Mattner, Rhyce Shaw and Ted Richards barely missing a game.

The Swans can be considered a risky team to get excited about, as they have a total of six players 29 or older. But if the likes of Sam Reid, Alex Johnson, Luke Parker, Gary Rohan, Lewis Jetta and Dan Hannebery can simultaneously

THE PHUKET NEWS

INTERNATIONAL SPORT 41

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

OF SEASON 2012 WESTERN BULLDOGS

ROUND 1 (TIMES IN THAILAND) FRIDAY, MARCH 30 Hawthorn vs Collingwood SATURDAY, MARCH 31 Melbourne vs Brisbane Lions Gold Coast Suns vs Adelaide Crows Fremantle Dockers vs Geelong Cats North Melbourne vs Essendon SUNDAY, APRIL 1 Western Bulldogs vs West Coast Eagles Port Adelaide vs St Kilda

take their games to another level, just about anything is possible.

Last year: 7th 2012 Prediction: 4th

ST KILDA After playing in three Grand Finals without success, last year was the year St Kilda came crashing down to earth.

Once again, the Saints were at the centre of a major off-season story with coach Ross Lyon announcing his departure for Fremantle. But the key concern going into 2012 is the loss of Zac Dawson. It means the Saints aren’t left with many true key defenders, save for 21 year-old Tom Simpkin, who’s only played two games.

There are some stars of the competition at the top of St Kilda’s list, but things start to drop off dramatically after that. They are also lacking any strong youth coming through to cover any losses, so you get the sense that while a finals berth is still possible, they won’t be for much longer.

Last year: 6th 2012 Prediction: 8th

RICHMOND TIGERS From six wins in 2010 to eight victories and a draw in 2011, the Tigers are making very slow progress, but it is progress nonetheless.

However, there’s still a few problems for Damien Hardwick to address. The ruck was one position the Tigers thought they could get a quick fix in during the trade period, hence the addition of Ivan Maric from the Crows. Spearheaded by Jack Riewoldt, the Tigers forward line is developing into a pretty strong unit too. If they can break free of inconsistency, apply more pressure on opponents and a dominant ruckman emerges, they could be more

3.50pm 9.40am 12.40pm 3.40pm 3.40pm 10.10am 1.40pm

competitive.

Last year: 12th 2012 Prediction: 9th

FREMANTLE DOCKERS Last year was one to forget for the Dockers.

With new coach Ross Lyon – who’s led a team to Grand Finals in two seasons – fans will be hoping the past can remain in the past. A return to September action is still definitely on the cards, but getting too carried away might not be the best idea at this stage. In the back line, the Dockers look great in terms of key defenders, but things drop away a bit after that. Luke McPharlin and Alex Silvagni covered the loss of Chris Tarrant well last year, with McPharlin one of only two Freo players to make the All Australian squad. Overall, the Dockers are a little bit harder to get excited about when you dig beyond the surface of a new coach and a not-so-bad injury list. Nonetheless, those two factors should not be overlooked.

Last year: 11th 2012 Prediction: 6th

HAWTHORN HAWKS T he b oy s from Waverley Park lost only six games last year to three teams – Adelaide in round one; Geelong in rounds five, 12 and the qualifying final; and Collingwood in round 15 and the preliminary final. The list however has arguably the most depth out of any team, Collingwood and Geelong included. If you look at the top 10 per cent of each position, the Hawks have seven elite players – Hodge, Franklin, Mitchell, Rioli, Shaun Burgoyne, Birchall and the recovering big man Jarryd Roughead. If the Hawks have a good run with injuries, they will win the 2012 premiership.

Last year: 3rd 2012 Prediction: 1st

Last year was a year to forget for the Western Bulldogs. Many stars were either injured or inconsistent; Rodney Eade didn’t see out the season, Barry Hall announced his retirement and Callan Ward left for GWS. But new coach Brendan McCartney has come in and suddenly “the whole place feels brand new”. New ideas are being injected and on top of that, there are still some very handy ones lying around. Will it be enough to return to September action?

Probably not. But with a new coach and all the optimism and renewed energy that comes with it, you feel that they’ll still be capable of a decent amount of wins this season.

Last year: 10th 2012 Prediction: 15th

WEST COAST EAGLES The 2010 wooden-spooners pulled off one of the most incredible revivals in AFL history last season, winning 18 games – including a final – on their way to a preliminary final appearance against the eventual premiers at the MCG. It is probably the single greatest case of a team improving as much in a 12-month period in recent history, so the temptation is to assume the Eagles will plateau in 2012. Then again, perhaps the Eagles have only scratched the surface with their enviable collection of top-20 draft picks – they’ve got 14 on the list this year. Expect big things from the Eagles again this year.

Last year: 4th 2012 Prediction: 2nd

COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES The ’Pies are coming off a year where they couldn’t defend their first flag as a group despite dominating in the home and away season. By merely putting more effort into peaking in September rather than being regular season heroes, they can instantly become a genuine threat this season. After parting ways with the much-applauded Mick Malthouse at the end of last year, it’s now up to a rookie coach in Nathan Buckley to guide them to premiership glory. Ultimately, a lot rides on the rucks and there not being any more sudden injuries. Off the field, a lot rides on Buckley getting the team ready to

peak come finals and finding more depth.

Last year: 1st 2012 Prediction: 3rd

GEELONG CATS

Over the past five years, Geelong has held aloft three flags and racked up 105 wins from 125 games. The champion team stepped up another notch in the finals, and they dominated Collingwood in the Grand Final. Geelong finished 2011 with 22 wins and three losses (against Essendon, West Coast and Sydney). But in 2012, the reigning premiers will take to the field without Ling, Brad Ottens, Darren Milburn, Mark Blake, Cameron Mooney and Damian Drum – all retirees.

The likes of Mitch Duncan, Daniel Menzel, George HorlinSmith, Smedts and Vardy will bolster Geelong’s stocks of younger players – the Cats will have 13 players under the age of 21 – and ultimately make them a difficult team to beat again this season.

Last year: 2nd 2012 Prediction: 5th

GWS GIANTS Let’s get the obvious out the way: winning will be an incredibly difficult task for Greater Western Sydney this year.

AFL’s newest franchise boasts 10 recruits with AFL experience, though the majority of their squad is made up of young talent – the average age of the GWS is 21 years and 64 days.

But while the experienced bodies they’ve recruited will keep the Giants in matches during their first year, they are unlikely to seriously challenge any of the top sides. Think of it as more of a year for development and experimentation, and possibly a few moments

of embarrassment.

Last year: n/a 2012 Prediction: 18th

NORTH MELBOURNE KANGAROOS

The Roos have finished one spot short of finals action the past two years, with a combination of injuries and a truly horrible record against the competition’s better teams largely to blame.

On the injury front, things are looking considerably better than this time last year. On the beating-good-teams front, time will tell. But if the results don’t start to turn then expect a bit more heat on coach Brad Scott, who has yet to spend even one week of his senior coaching career inside the top eight.

Last year: 9th 2012 Prediction: 13th

CARLTON BLUES Carlton has made it to the past three finals series and last season won their first finals game (defeated Essendon) since 2001. Brett Ratten has been kept on as head coach and the team should have all the big guns back from injury. The Blues possess depth in each position, similar to Geelong and Hawthorn when you look at the key positions.

Ratten has set the mark high for his team across the next three years – a premiership to come within that timeframe. For this to happen, they need to beat the best in the business: Geelong, Collingwood, Hawthorn, St Kilda and West Coast – all sides that they couldn’t get by in 2011, something they might just be capable of in 2012.

Last year: 5th 2012 Prediction: 7th

IN BRIEF Nepal launches ‘gay Olympics’ Nepal is to stage Asia’s f i r st eve r mu lt i- s p or t games for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, organisers announced on Monday.

The two-week event at the national football stadium and other venues around Kathmandu will feature track and field, volleyball, football, martial arts and tennis, said The Blue Diamond Society, Nepal’s leading gay rights group.

England’s Hartley gets eight-week ban for biting England hooker Dylan Hartley was banned for eight weeks on Tuesday after being found guilty of biting.

But although the length of t he ba n me a n s t he Northampton forward will miss the rest of the domestic season, he will be available for England’s three-Test tour of South Africa in June.

Hartley was cited for biting the finger of Ireland’s Stephen Ferris during England’s 30-9 Six Nations win at Twickenham on March 17.

Broncos deal Tebow to Jets Tim Tebow, the quarterback phenomenon who led the Denver Broncos on an unlikely run to the NFL playoffs last season, was traded to the New York Jets on Wednesday.

One day after signing superstar quarterback Peyton Manning to a five-year contract, the Denver Broncos parted ways with the instigator of “Tebowmania”, who attracted the attention of American football fans by reviving the Broncos.

Tebow, who has a base salary of $1.1 million, arrives just two weeks after Sanchez signed a three-year contract extension with the Jets worth $40.5 million.

thephuketnews.com

42 INTERNATIONAL SPORT

THE PHUKET NEWS

THE PHUKET NEWS TIPPING COMPETITION: 29

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

THIS YEAR’S GRAND PRIZE IS SPONSORED BY:

Red Devils go 3 points clear FOOTBALL Ma nchester Cit y have lost ground on title rivals Manchester United after being held to a 1-1 draw at Stoke City over the weekend.

The hosts led through arguably the goal of the season so far, when Peter Crouch controlled the ball and then fired an unbelievable volley past Joe Hart from outside the box.

City managed to hit back when Yaya Tou re’s shot from distance took a deflection, enough to take the ball past Asmir Begovic in the Stoke goal.

It was a deserved point for Tony Pulis’ men, who matched City for commitment for the entire game.

At Old Trafford on Monday, Wayne Rooney made the most of City’s stumble and kept Manchester United on course for a record 20th title after hitting the winner in a 1-0 win over Fulham.

Rooney’s 21st top-flight goal of the season, which arrived towards the end of the first half, proved enough

ing crisply from Steven Gerrard’s pass.

The Uruguayan had a goal disallowed for handball before Gary Caldwell stunned the home crowd with a neat finish, with the boos ringing out at the final whistle.

Elsewhere, Arsenal’s recent superb run of form continued with a thumping 3-0 win over Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium; Martin O’Neil’s Sunderland beat QPR 3-1 at the Stadium of Light; and Everton beat Swansea 2-0 in Wales.

North-east rivals Newcastle United beat West Brom 3-1 at the HawEngland striker Peter Crouch scored arguably the goal of the thorns to maintain their season as Stoke City held Manchester City to a deserved draw. push for Europa League action next season. to see off the spirited mid- table, lowly Wigan boosted Things are hotting up in table opposition. their survival hopes with a The Phuket News tipping comThe result sent Sir Alex shock 2-1 win over Liverpool petition as the season draws Ferguson’s side, who have won at Anfield. to a close, with gafferworld’s their last six league games, Shaun Maloney fired the once unassailable lead slowly three points clear of City with visitors ahead from the spot diminishing at the top of the eight games remaining. but his goal was cancelled overall competition. The top At the other end of the out by Luis Suarez, finish- four players are all now within

Chelsea’s Europe hopes get Real FOOTBALL Real Madrid and Chelsea took giant strides towards the Champions League semifinals on Tuesday as they both recorded away wins in their quarter-final first leg matches.

A double from French striker Karim Benzema inspired nine-time winners Real to a 3-0 victory over Cypriot surprise packages Apoel Nicosia, and all but ensured a last four spot against the winners of the match between Marseille and Bayern Munich.

A se c ond -h a l f goa l from Salomon Kalou gave Chelsea a 1-0 win over Portuguese outfit Benfica – ironi-

thephuketnews.com

cally the only side playing on Tuesday that didn’t field a Portuguese player in their starting line-up – to inflict the hosts first home defeat in Europe this term.

It puts the English side in a strong position for next week’s second leg and a semifinal against either holders Barcelona or AC Milan.

Kalou’s goal in Lisbon puts Chelsea firmly on course to reach their sixth Champions League semi-final in nine seasons and gives interim coach Roberto Di Matteo an unexpected chance of collecting two pieces of silverware as they are also in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Phone +66 76 270958 abpoffice@yahoo.co.uk www.lcc-albatross.com THIS MONTH'S COMPETITION IS SUPPORTED BY:

DANE’S TIPS ROUND 30 Aston Villa v Chelsea Everton v West Brom Fulham v Norwich Man City v Sunderland QPR v Arsenal Wigan v Stoke Wolves v Bolton Newcastle v Liverpool Tottenham v Swansea Blackburn v Man Utd

away win draw draw home win away win away win draw away win home win away win

TOP 10 PERFORMERS (MAR): 1. bazerb 2. toptipster 3. MRB 4. fazza 5. The Lunchroom Kathu 6. Farang2005 7. kaian 8. keefers 9. Allard 10. ChrisL

TOP 10 (OVERALL): 67 67 64 63 60 57 57 56 55 55

40 points of each other, and one good or bad round could decide who takes home the return flight to the UK, courtesy of Albatross Lufthansa City Center.

In the monthly competition, ‘bazerb’ and ‘toptipster’

1. gafferworld 2. MRB 3. apollo131 4. alanphuket 5. chasman 6. Paul614724 7. scottkip 8. toptipster 9. fazza 10. Farang2005

444 422 406 402 393 384 383 378 376 373

are tied for points at the top with one round left to go in the month of March.

The winner will receive a B3,000 voucher to be spent at the Peppers Bar & Restaurant, Phuket’s premier sports bar.

DERBY DOUBLE Spurs and Everton set up local FA Cup semi-final clashes FOOTBALL Agence France-Presse

This season’s FA Cup will be won by a team from London or Liverpool after Tottenham and Everton triumphed on Tuesday to set up capital and Merseyside semi-final derbies at Wembley next month.

Spurs beat Bolton Wanderers 3-1 in an FA Cup quarter-final, after the original tie was abandoned following the collapse of Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba.

They will now face fellow London club Chelsea in the last four.

Meanwhile, in a quarterfinal replay, Everton won 2-0 away at Sunderland to set up a semi-final match against local rivals Liverpool, who’ve already won the League Cup at Wembley this season.

At White Hart Lane, goals late on from New Zealand’s Ryan Nelsen and Gareth Bale appeared to have settled Spurs’ nerves, before Bolton striker Kevin Davies pulled one back for the visitors in the 90th minute.

However, Louis Saha

‘We have got a great chance’ - Spurs winger Gareth Bale.

Photo: James Boyes sealed Tot ten ham’s win with the last kick of the match in stoppage time.

Bolton’s young Hungarian goalkeeper Adam Bogdan made several excellent saves for the visitors before Tottenham’s pressure was rewarded when, 16 minutes from time, central defender Nelsen headed in from a corner.

And three minutes later, with Bolton chasing the game, Wales winger Bale finished off a counter-attack initiated

by English inter national forward Jermain Defoe.

The original tie, at White Hart Lane on March 17, was abandoned shortly before halftime, after Bolton midfielder Muamba collapsed with a cardiac arrest in an incident that sparked worldwide concern.

“I think there was obviously an important football match to play in the end,” said Bolton manager Owen Coyle.

“The events of 10 days ago were fresh and it was an op-

portunity for everybody to say thanks for the support.

“Our lads were brave, Bogdan was outstanding. At 2-0 it would have been easy to feel sorry but we kept going. It was a terrific advert for football.

“W hen the draw was made I thought we were paired with the best team in football and we will see if that proves to be true.”

Bale, bidding to be a member of the first Tottenham team to win the FA Cup since 1991, said: “We’ve had a long hard season, we’ve shown how we want to get off the bad run and keep improving.

“Everybody wants to win the FA Cup. We have got a great chance, we’ve got tough opponents against Chelsea but we will give it our best shot to win.”

In the north-east, after a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park, Everton won through thanks to a first half goal from Nikica Jelavic before Sunderland’s David Vaughan turned Jelavic’s cross into his own net at the Stadium of Light in the 57th minute.

The semi-finals will be played at Wembley on the weekend of April 14-15.

INTERNATIONAL SPORT 43

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

THE PHUKET NEWS

Tiger finds bite with first Tour win in 3 years

From page 44 continued in 2011 as he battled to cement swing changes despite injuries that limited his playing time.

“I am thankful for a lot of people helping me out. You all know who you are. It has been tough,” Woods said.

Host and golfing icon Palmer missed the end of his tournament after he was taken to the hospital with a blood pressure problem.

It is the custom at this event

for Palmer to greet players just off the edge of the 18th green as they finish their rounds but he couldn’t do that Sunday. He was also supposed to be part of the trophy presentation to Woods.

“Nobody is overly concerned about the prognosis,” said Alaistair Johnston, vice chairman at IMG and Palmer’s longtime business manager.

Woods did post a win in December, but that came in the limited-field Chevron World Challenge in south-

English Premier League Team

ern California, an invitational tournament that he himself organises to provide funds for his charity foundation.

French Ligue 1

that’s the main thing. I’ve been close for a number of tournaments now. And it was just a matter of staying the course and staying patient, keeping working on fine-tuning what we’re doing. And here we are.”

Woods, who has a formidable record as a frontrunner, is familiar with the Bay Hill course having lived in the area previously. He has a stunning 38-2 record on the PGA Tour when taking an outright lead into the fourth round.

Italian Serie A

D

L

F

A

P

D

L

F

A

P

D

L

F

A

Manchester United

30

23

4

3

74

27

73

1

Montpellier

29

18

6

5

53

27

60

1

Milan

29

19

6

4

59

23

63

2

Manchester City

30

22

4

4

72

22

70

2

Paris Saint-Germain

29

17

9

3

53

30

60

2

Juventus

29

15

14

0

46

17

59

3

Arsenal

30

18

4

8

61

39

58

3

Lille

29

14

11

4

53

31

53

3

Lazio

29

15

6

8

43

34

51

4

Tottenham Hotspur

30

16

7

7

53

35

55

4

Toulouse

29

14

8

7

31

24

50

4

Napoli

29

12

12

5

54

32

48

5

Chelsea

30

14

8

8

49

34

50

5

Lyon

29

15

4

10

46

36

49

5

Udinese

29

13

9

7

40

27

48

6

Newcastle United

30

14

8

8

44

42

50

6

Saint-Étienne

29

13

7

9

35

31

46

6

Roma

29

13

5

11

42

35

44

7

Liverpool

30

11

9

10

36

31

42

7

Rennes

29

12

8

9

37

33

44

7

Catania

29

10

12

7

38

37

42

8

Sunderland

30

11

7

12

39

34

40

8

Bordeaux

29

10

11

8

35

32

41

8

Internazionale

29

12

5

12

38

38

41

9

Everton

30

11

7

12

30

32

40

9

Marseille

29

10

10

9

36

30

40

9

Atalanta

29

10

13

6

33

29

37

10

Swansea City

30

10

9

11

34

36

39

10

Evian

29

9

9

11

41

43

36

10

Bologna

29

9

9

11

31

35

36

11

Norwich City

30

10

9

11

41

47

39

11

Valenciennes

29

9

7

13

29

34

34

11

Chievo

29

9

9

11

25

36

36

12

Stoke City

30

10

8

12

29

41

38

12

Nancy

29

8

9

12

27

36

33

12

Palermo

29

10

6

13

41

46

36

13

Fulham

30

9

9

12

37

41

36

13

Dijon

29

9

6

14

36

48

33

13

Cagliari

29

8

10

11

29

36

34

14

West Bromwich Albion

30

10

6

14

36

41

36

14

Lorient

29

7

11

11

28

37

32

14

Genoa

29

9

7

13

37

51

34

15

Aston Villa

29

7

12

10

31

38

33

15

Ajaccio

29

7

10

12

31

49

31

15

Fiorentina

29

8

9

12

29

35

33

16

Blackburn Rovers

30

7

7

16

43

62

28

16

Brest

29

5

15

9

23

27

30

16

Siena

29

8

9

12

33

31

33

17

Bolton Wanderers

29

8

2

19

33

58

26

17

Caen

29

7

8

14

32

44

29

17

Parma

29

7

11

11

35

46

32

18

Queens Park Rangers

30

6

7

17

33

53

25

18

Nice

29

6

10

13

27

34

28

18

Lecce

29

6

9

14

31

45

27

19

Wigan Athletic

30

5

10

15

27

55

25

19

Sochaux

29

6

9

14

29

45

27

19

Novara

29

5

9

15

24

46

24

20

Wolverhampton

30

5

7

18

31

65

22

20

Auxerre

29

4

12

13

33

44

24

20

Cesena

29

4

6

19

18

47

18

1-0 1-3 1-1 3-0 2-1

Fulham Newcastle Man City Aston Villa Blackburn

Liverpool Norwich Sunderland Swansea Chelsea

1-2 2-1 3-1 0-2 0-0

Wigan Wolves QPR Everton Tottenham

MP W

MP W

Ajaccio Brest Evian TG Olympique Lyon Montpellier

1-1 0-1 0-3 2-1 1-0

Lorient Nancy Lille Sochaux Saint-Étienne

D

L

F

A

P

9

7

72

35

78

1

Real Madrid

29

22

7

10

56

34

73

2

Barcelona

20

12

7

61

38

72

3

Valencia CF

39

17

11

11

48

40

62

4

Málaga CF

39

16

14

9

46

43

62

5

Levante UD

Birmingham

38

16

12

10

60

41

60

6

Osasuna

Blackpool

39

16

12

11

66

56

60

7

RCD Espanyol

8

Cardiff City

39

15

15

9

57

50

60

8

1

Southampton

39

23

2

Reading

39

3

West Ham Utd

39

4

Brighton

5

Middlesbrough

6 7

Nice Valenciennes Dijon Toulouse PSG

1-1 1-0 2-0 1-0 1-1

Marseille Rennes Caen Auxerre Bordeaux

Spanish Primera Liga

English Championship Team

Team

and the things I have worked on with my game. It is all coming together at the right time.”

Woods entered the final round with a one-shot lead on McDowell then seized command on Sunday with a flurry of birdies on the front nine.

He compiled a four-shot lead midway through the round by making four birdies on the front.

“It does feel good,” Woods said. “It feels really good. A lot of hard work.

“I’ve gotten better, and

1

Man Utd West Brom Stoke Arsenal Bolton

MP W

Sunday’s official PGA Tour win was the largest margin on the Tou r since Ror y McIlroy won the 2011 US Open by eight shots.

Now with the Masters just a couple of weeks off, Woods heads to Augusta where he will try to continue his march towards Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors.

“I am excited no doubt,” Woods said. “It is always fun to play it. I am looking forward to the momentum I have built here

Team

Team

Juventus Napoli Lazio Chievo Genoa

MP W

2 – 0 2 – 2 1 – 0 1 – 1 2 – 2

Internazionale Catania Cagliari Siena Fiorentina

Novara Cesena Atalanta Palermo AC Milan

0 – 0 2 – 2 2 – 0 1 – 1 2 – 1

P

Lecce Parma Bologna Udinese AS Roma

German Bundesliga

MP W

D

L

F

A

P

24

3

2

95

26

75

1

Borussia Dortmund

27

19

29

21

6

2

84

22

69

2

Bayern Munich

27

18

29

13

8

8

45

36

47

3

Schalke 04

27

17

29

14

5

10

44

41

47

4

Mönchengladbach

27

15

29

13

5

11

41

40

44

5

Bayer Leverkusen

27

11

29

10

13

6

34

41

43

6

Werder Bremen

27

11

7

29

11

7

11

37

39

40

7

VfB Stuttgart

27

11

6

Atlético Madrid

29

10

9

10

39

35

39

8

Hannover 96

27

9

11

Team

MP W

D

L

F

A

P

5

3

59

17

62

3

6

66

18

57

2

8

60

34

53

6

6

40

18

51

7

9

39

36

40

9

41

40

40

10

44

34

39

7

35

38

38

9

Hull City

39

16

10

13

38

34

58

9

Sevilla FC

29

10

9

10

33

31

39

9

VfL Wolfsburg

27

11

4

12

36

48

37

10

Leeds United

39

16

9

14

59

57

57

10

Getafe CF

29

10

9

10

31

36

39

10

1899 Hoffenheim

27

8

9

10

31

38

33

11

Leicester City

39

15

11

13

56

48

56

11

Athletic Bilbao

29

9

11

9

44

40

38

11

FC Nuremberg

27

9

4

14

25

38

31

12

Derby County

39

16

7

16

44

52

55

12

Rayo Vallecano

29

11

4

14

42

49

37

12

FSV Mainz 05

27

7

9

11

39

44

30

13

Crystal Palace

39

13

15

11

40

36

54

13

RCD Mallorca

29

9

9

11

31

37

36

13

SC Freiburg

27

7

7

13

35

53

28

14

Watford

39

14

12

13

46

55

54

14

Real Sociedad

29

9

6

14

32

45

33

14

FC Köln

27

8

4

15

34

56

28

15

Ipswich Town

39

15

7

17

62

68

52

15

Real Betis

29

9

5

15

33

43

32

15

FC Augsburg

27

5

12

10

28

41

27

16

Burnley

38

14

8

16

50

47

50

16

Villarreal CF

29

7

10

12

30

42

31

16

Hamburger SV

27

6

9

12

31

50

27

17

Barnsley

39

13

7

19

47

62

46

17

Granada CF

29

9

4

16

27

46

31

17

Hertha BSC

27

6

8

13

29

48

26

18

Peterborough

39

12

8

19

59

64

44

18

Racing Santander

29

4

13

12

23

44

25

18

FC Kaiserslautern

27

3

11

13

17

38

20

19

Millwall

39

10

10

19

44

54

40

19

Sporting Gijón

29

6

7

16

28

54

25

20

Nottm Forest

39

11

7

21

41

59

40

20

Real Zaragoza

29

6

7

16

25

51

25

21

Bristol City

39

9

9

21

33

62

36

22

Coventry City

39

8

11

20

35

52

35

23

Portsmouth

39

11

10

18

40

43

33

24

Doncaster

39

7

11

21

34

64

32

Burnley

2-2

West Ham

Leicester City

2-1

Hull City

Coventry City

2-0

Nottingham

1 - 1

Southampton

2-0

Brighton

Doncaster

Watford

2-1

Ipswich Town

Derby County Reading

3-2

Crystal Palace

Millwall

0-1

Leeds United

3-1

Blackpool

Middlesbrough

1-1

Barnsley

Bristol City

1-0

Peterborough

Birmingham

1-1

Cardiff City

COMING Premier League Premier League

Granada CF Real Betis Rayo Vallecano Athletic Bilbao RCD Espanyol

0 – 3 1 – 1 0 – 2 1 – 1 1 – 2

Sevilla FC Racing Santander Villarreal CF Sporting Gijón Málaga CF

Levante UD Real Zaragoza Real Madrid RCD Mallorca Málaga CF

0 – 2 1 – 0 5 – 1 0 – 2 4 – 2

Osasuna Atlético Madrid Real Sociedad FC Barcelona Rayo Vallecano

Bayern München 2 - 1

Hannover 96

Werder Bremen

1-1

Augsburg

Mainz 05

1-3

Hertha BSC

Freiburg

2-0

Kaiserslautern

Champions League Relegation

Mönchengladbach 1 - 2

Hoffenheim

Schalke 04

2-0

Bayer Leverkusen

Stuttgart

1-0

Nürnberg

Köln

1 - 6 Borussia Dortmund

Champions League qualifiers

Premier League promotion

Europa League

Premier League play-off

Portsmouth

UP

(times in Thailand. Matches shown on TrueSport 1-6)

Saturday, March 31 Aston Villa v Chelsea Everton v West Brom Fulham v Norwich Man City v Sunderland QPR v Arsenal Wigan v Stoke

Wolves v Bolton 21:00 21:00 21:00 21:00 21:00 21:00

21:00

Sunday, April 1 Newcastle v Liverpool Tottenham v Swansea

19:30 22:00

Tuesday, April 3 Blackburn v Man Utd

02:00

thephuketnews.com

44 INTERNATIONAL SPORT

SPORT

THE PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

Taking to the field

GE S T 7 PAP OR OF STION! AC

Full AFL preview: all the teams and predictions > 41

sport@thephuketnews.com

TIGER ROARS

AGAIN

• Youngest Masters champion in history at 21 years, 3 months, 14 days in 1997.

• First player to win the US Open, British Open and US PGA Championship in the same year (2000).

• Returned to competition in February 2009 following knee surgery and an eightmonth layoff at the World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championship.

• On December 11, 2009, announced he was taking “indefinite break” from golf, after admitting marital infidelity.

• O n N ove m b e r 1 , 2 01 0, officially lost world number one ranking after 281 consecutive weeks at the top.

• On March 25, 2012, Woods wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational, his first PGA Tour victory in 30 months.

• Youngest world No. 1 in history of golf, 15 June 1997, at 21 years 24 weeks.

• First player to hold all four major titles simultaneously, adding the 2001 Masters to the US Open, British Open and US PGA Championship titles he claimed in 2000.

• Won six times on the US tour in 2009, won the Australian Masters in November, p l aye d o n v i c to r i ou s U S Presidents Cup team.

• On March 16, 2010, an nounced that he was ending hi s break from golf and would return at the Masters.

• O n J a n u a r y 2 4 , 2 0 1 1 , Germany’s Martin Kaymer passed Woods in the rankings, dropping him to third, the lowe st point Wood s had stood since first becoming number one. Later in the year he fell out of the top 50.

T

iger Woods snapped the longest winless drought of his golfing career with a dominating five-shot victory over Graeme McDowell at the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday.

It marked the first PGA Tour victory for Woods in 30 months, ending a winless spell that coincided with the personal turmoil that followed a 2009 sex scandal.

“It’s not like winning a major championship or anything,” Woods said. “But it certainly feels really good.”

Woods drained a short par putt on the par-four 18 to complete his round of two-under 70 and post a 13under 275 total at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge course.

“It was just pure joy,” Woods said.

The 14-time major winner, wearing his Sunday red and black pants, celebrated his 72nd PGA Tour victory with a fist pump then the customary shaking of hands with runner-up McDowell, who finished at eight-under 280.

“Today was unbelievable.

The conditions were rough and those pins,” he said.

“I don’t know what the average score was today, but it certainly wasn’t anywhere near par.

“It was a very tough day. It was a day of attrition. There weren’t going to be a lot of birdie opportunities out there.”

England’s Ian Poulter finished in third seven shots

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Luke Donald (ENG) 9.87pts Rory McIlroy (NIR) 9.72 Lee Westwood (ENG) 8.02 Martin Kaymer (GER) 5.76 Steve Stricker (USA) 5.71 Tiger Woods (USA) 5.60 Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 5.17 Justin Rose (ENG) 5.13 Webb Simpson (USA) 5.10 Adam Scott (AUS) 4.96

behind Woods, while South Africa’s Ernie Els was part of a group of seven golfers who tied for fourth at the B185 million event.

Woods had been on a win drought since revelations of his secret sex life in November of 2009 left his reputation in tatters, put his marriage on the path to divorce and sent sponsors fleeing.

Amid the uproar, Woods’ game suffered and his struggles Continued on page 43

Alonso says Ferrari still up against it Agence France-Presse

Spain’s Fernando Alonso warned Ferrari still had their work cut out to stay competitive this year despite his masterful victory at the rainsoaked Malaysian Grand Prix.

Alonso said the team were labouring “day and night” to improve the cumbersome F2012, which despite its faults was manoeuvred to perfection around sodden Sepang by the two-time world champion for his 28th victory.

thephuketnews.com

The win, after a 51-minute rain suspension and a thrilling victory chase from Sauber’s Sergio Perez, was a major surprise after Ferrari struggled in pre-season testing and at the year’s first race in Australia.

And the 30-year-old from Oviedo said the result changed nothing for Ferrari as they strive to match favourites McLaren and reigning champions Red Bull, as well as newly competitive Mercedes.

“At the start of the season we’ve had some problems

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with the car and some lack of pace but we’re working on that. We’re working day and night. Ferrari has proved over 60 years that we’re able to win,” Alonso said.

“The win has changed nothing in our approach for the coming weeks. In the coming races we’ll have an aggressive approach we need to bring updates for the race because we’re far behind.”

Meanwhile rival boss Peter

Sauber strenuously denied Perez, a product of the Ferrari Driver Academy, was under team orders not to pass Alonso in the dying laps.

Sauber technicians were heard frantically urging Perez to preserve his second spot as he hunted down the Spaniard before dramatically running off-course with six laps to go.

But the principal of the Sauber team, which runs Ferrari engines, said there was “100 per cent... no discussion about the position”

with the Italian squad.

“We told him, be careful – we need the result – because behind us, all of our competitors scored points,” Peter Sauber told Autosport.com. “(It was because) we needed the result, not the position, so there is some misunderstanding. Behind us our competitors, all the midfield teams, scored points and it was so important that we kept the result not the position.”

HRT’s Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan was also in the

firing line after a late collision punctured the rear wheel of reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel, leaving him out of the points.

“Some people need to look more where they are going,” Vettel fumed, and then reportedly added to German media: “As in real life, there are a few cucumbers on the road.”

Karthikeyan had earlier been rear-ended by McLaren’s Jenson Button in an incident that left last week’s winner finishing way down in 14th.