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DON’T ASK. TELL. Tourism bosses: ‘Make drivers comply’ The authorities must stop requesting that tuk-tuk and taxi drivers join an official system, say tourism leaders. Instead, they must be forced to join.
Leaders of the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) have made a plea to the authorities to force tuk-tuks and taxis drivers into complying with a sensible system, rather than repeatedly asking them to do so. Phuket authorities arranged a meeting on Wednesday (September 28) to discuss ways to fix chronic problems caused by intransigent tuk-tuk and taxi drivers. The chief of the advisory group of the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO), Wanta Pummararossukon, said the PLTO had asked tuk-
tuk and taxi drivers to join in various systems over many years, and had explained to them many times the advan tage of being in a system. The latest initiative has bogged down for lack of enthusiasm (See page 2). Sarayuth Mallam, a Vice President of the PTA said the system would work if the law was enforced and serious penalties levied on any drivers misbehaving. “We can’t wait for them to decide they want to join the system. We have to force them to do it,” he said.
Many drivers don’t want to join any form of regulatory system because, they argue, it will cost them money. Also, they say, they will see income drop if, for example, they have to adhere to standard fares. Mr Sarayuth revealed just how much money drivers make: at least B4,000 a day during the high season (B80,000 a month for a five-day week), and about B1,000 a day during the low season, “which is a very good income for everyday life”. “I’ve met many locals who gave up jobs such as working as security guards to drive black-
plate [illegal] vehicles because the money is so good,” he said. Step by step, Mr Sarayuth said authorities should push taxi and tuk-tuk drivers to register themselves and their vehicles. Later, the authorities should carry out regular checks on taxis and tuk-tuks on the road, to see whether they are registered or not. If not, he said, they must be fined heavily or arrested. Registered drivers should be encouraged to use meters. “Apart from putting them in a system, [local politicians, police and other officials] must
stop thinking about their own interests and favouring [tuktuks and taxis],” Mr Sarayuth said, stressing that a deadline must be set to fix the decadesold problems. Another Vice President of the PTA, Bhuritt Maswongssa, told The Phuket News that local business people – or anyone who has trouble with bad tuktuk or taxi drivers – can help. “If you have a problem, don’t keep quiet about it,” Mr Bhuritt said. “Instead, use the legal process to give an example to other misbehaving drivers.” –Paritta Wangkiet
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THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Monk arrested smuggling hash
A Ne p a le s e m o n k w a s arrested at Phuket International Airport on Saturday afternoon (September 24) while attempting to smuggle eight kilograms of hashish onto the island. Hise Chhiring Tamang, 42, originally from Kathmandu, flew from New Delhi in India to Kuala Lumpur, and then on to Phuket with Qatar Airways. He admitted that he had been paid the equivalent of B75,000 by an unidentified dealer to carry a suitcase with the hashish hidden in its cover. Had he not been arrested, he said, he was expecting a call from another unidentified man who would then come and collect the suitcase. Chhiring told police he had no idea who was behind the smuggling; his job, he said, was just to deliver. He confirmed he had been a real monk in a temple in
Hise Chhiring Tamang with, in the foreground, the hash hidden in the suitcase. Kathmandu for 12 years, and said this was the first time he had smuggled drugs. However, police believe he had done so a number of times. They noted that immigration records showed him entering Thailand
four times in the recent past, through Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. A customs off icer at Phuket International Airport, Monthira Cherdchu, said smugglers wearing cleri-
cal clothing was a new ruse employed by smugglers, who believed it was easier for them to get through Customs dressed as monks. Chhiring is now being held in Phuket Provincial Prison.
Tuk-tuk plan bogs down The provincial government’s plan to improve tuk-tuk and taxi standards in Kata and Karon, which was supposed to start by the end of September, has already bogged down. The plan called for taxi ranks and the vehicles using them to be inspected and, if found satisfactory, to be issued with quality certificates for each driver. An inspection committee comprising members of Chalong Police, Karon Municipality, Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) and other government offices agreed in a meeting on August 29 that they would visit and inspect vehicle ranks, then select the best three ranks as examples for others. The project would then gradually spreading across Phuket. The inspections would cover the condition of the vehicles, drivers’ behaviour and how reasonable their fares are. But after just two inspections, the committee realised that local drivers are not ready to be put in a system. Karon Municipality also expressed doubts about how early the new system could be put into practice. The man behind the plan, the Director of the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO), Theerayut Prasertpon, admitted
that the setting-up of the new standards will take longer than he thought. “It seems as though neither the local authority nor the drivers are ready for inspection,” he said. During inspections of two ranks carried out in September, Mr Theerayut found out that the number of vehicles at each had mysteriously increased, and was not consistent with numbers reported by Pornthep Chamkao, the leader of the Kata-Karon Taxi and Tuk-Tuk Drivers’ Group (KKTT). “We can’t complete our inspections if the locals can’t provide us with correct information,” said Mr Theerayut. “They are not ready; they haven’t yet finished their own survey.” He told a transport meeting on Wednesday that when the committee went to inspect transport ranks in Kata and Karon, those ranks did not even appear in the list provided by the KKTT. In addition, he said, the committee could find no one “in charge” of the ranks, who could show them around and give them details. The secretary of the KKTT, Pathum Yodkaew, said the number of drivers has risen steadily every month. “It’s not easy to keep track
of how many there are,” Mr Pathum said. “Any survey will be out of date a week later.” The numbers originally reported to the committee covered only drivers registered with the KKTT. But, Mr Pathum explained, there are many new drivers who have not joined the group. Mr Theerayut said he was worried that the new system might not work if the number of vehicles proved uncontrollable. He also said that the fares proposed by the KKTT are still too high. For example, the journey from Karon to the airport could be as much as B1,800. The KKTT wants to charge B500 from Karon to Phuket Town and B700 to the Deep Sea Port at Cape Panwa. The high fares are a direct result of the “rules” set by the island’s tuk-tuks and taxis to avoid conflicts. The rules bar a driver from one area picking up passengers in another area. As a result, drivers, after delivering passengers, have to go back to base empty. They therefore charge a round-trip fare, even though the passengers are going only one way. “When a driver from one area drops his passengers in another area, he can’t pick up other passengers because of these rules,” Mr Theerayut explained. “So he has to charge
his passengers the full roundtrip price. “High fares are a problem for which we still haven’t found a solution. The use of meters has been rejected by the local drivers.” The meter taxis that do exist on Phuket also fall foul of the taxi ‘rules’ because they can pick up only from their base at the airport. Weerasak Arneckwongsawat, Clerk of the Karon Municipality, which is plainly lukewarm about the whole plan, said it may struggle after the retirement of Vice Governor Niwit Aroonrat today (September 30). V/Gov Niwit heads the inspection committee. “His replacement will need time to understand the problems and the new system,” said Mr Weerasak. “The inspection of taxi ranks may slow down because of the transition.” He said it was not clear at this stage when the new system will be ready to be applied in Kata and Karon. At Wednesday’s meeting, Mr Theerayut agreed. “We have no idea when the system can be started,” he said. “We will try to fix the problems as soon as we can, but it will depend on the cooperation we get from local authorities and drivers.” – Paritta Wangkiat
Transformer blast burns noodle shop A vendor was slightly hurt when her noodle shop was destroyed by fire on Wednesday afternoon after an electrical transformer exploded on Sirirat Rd in Patong, not far from Simon Cabaret. A car was also burned and eight motorcycles damaged in the explosion and blaze. A member of staff at the nearby Asian Loop guesthouse said the outside of the hotel was scorched, windows in six rooms were smashed by the blast, and the guesthouse coffee shop was damaged by fire. A spa next door was also damaged. She added that the transfor mer was plainly malfunctioning. There had been three loud bangs earlier in the day, she said. The fire services were called and put the fire out within half an hour. The transformer belonged to the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA). A spokesman said it was not yet clear why it exploded, and the PEA would be investigating.
Italian’s killers still on the run
Police are still searching for the gunman and driver wanted for the murder of 61-year-old Italian expatriate Luciano Butti on March 15 this year. Warrants were issued for the alleged gunman, Suchat Nimlaor, and his supposed driver, Eakachai Nimlaor, after the arrest of four others said to have been involved in the murder, including Denis Cavatassi, also Italian, a business partner of Mr Butti. Mr Butti was allegedly followed by Suchat and Eakachai, who assassinated him close to the entrance to the Bang Pae waterfall in Tambon Pa Khlok. Cavatassi allegedly hired Prasong Yongkit, who was also arrested, to arrange the the hit on Mr Butti. Police believe the murder was motivated by B9 million that Mr Butti supposedly embezzled from the business the he and Cavatassi owned together. Cavatassi, however, has insisted on his innocence. Initially Cavatassi was denied bail because the court considered him a flight risk. On July 22, however, he was released on bail. Police are tight-lipped about the amount of his surety, but The Phuket News understands that it was well over a million baht. His trial is expected to begin sometime next year.
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THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Kamnan dodges bullets in assassination attempt K a r o n h e a d m a n Wi n a i Chitchiew and a friend survived an assassination attempt in the early hours of Saturday morning (September 24). Kamnan Winai reported to Chalong police that he was on his way home from a funeral wake at about 1 am when he encountered a friend, Narong Saemin, near to the Baan Karon Resort. They told police that while they were chatting, they heard a voice calling, “Hey”. They turned to see a man pointing a home-made gun from the passenger seat of a green Mitsubishi pick-up truck about three metres away. The gunman fired one shot which missed Mr Winai. The
bullet nicked Mr Narong’s ear and then broke up, hitting a parked van behind them. Kamnan Winai fled, hiding behind a small grocery close by, but the gunman and his accomplice did not follow up; they drove off. It is not clear at this stage whether the gunman was trying to kill Mr Winai or Mr Narong. During interviews with the two, the police found that both had conflicts with other people. Mr Narong is involved in gambling, while Kamnan Winai has business disputes with several local business people and with a hotel in Karon, as well as some per-
Kamnan Winai Chitchiew shows where the bullets struck. sonal conflicts. Later, Kamnan Winai said he would recognise the gunman, who he said was darkskinned and about 30 years
old. The green pick-up had a Trang registration plate. Police continue to investigate the case and will issue a sketch of the gunman’s
face based on the Kamnan’s description. Kamnan Winai told The Phuket News on Tuesday (September 27) he believes he may have become a target after a dispute over pirated goods sellers in Kata and Karon. He claimed that a person had used his name in order to collect money from vendors by saying he would protect them from any raids. Mr Winai found out about this and joined the crackdown on pirated products in the area, something he believes may have led to someone trying to shoot him. He heard a rumour he was a target for the shooting just a week before the near-miss.
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Two boys drown in Klong Mudong Two Phuket boys were found dead after drowning in a canal near Khao Khad last Saturday afternoon (September 24). Police said it appears Pinitnan Na Roy-ed, aged 5, and Wannawut Thanakarn, age 6, were swimming in Klong Mudong when Pinitnan began to get into trouble. Wannawut tried to save him but both boys subsequently drowned. T he Ku sold ha m Foundation rescue team spent two hours trying to find their bodies, which were then taken to Vachira Hospital.
Phuket man caught in record ganja bust
Sompong Tamutok, right, was caught in possession of 400 kilograms of marijuana.
Police last Wednesday (September 21) seized a record haul of marijuana and arrested a 23-year-old Phuket man, Sompong Tamutok, after finding 400 kilos of the drug in the basement of his rented home in Rawai. The seized drugs had a street value of B16 million. Chalong Police explained that they had received a tipoff that someone was dealing in ganja, with most of the clients being foreigners. Two months of undercover investigation followed, culminating last week in the identification of a group of
people based in Rawai. On Wednesday afternoon, officers saw Sompong near Chalong Circle, apparently doing a deal. They stopped and searched him, and found a small amount of marjuana in his pocket. He managed to escape, fleeing on his motorbike. The police already knew where he lived, and now had cause to get a search warrant. During the raid that followed the same evening, they managed to ar rest Sompong, though three others escaped. Sompong told officers that
he had bought the Angelbrand dope in Chiang Mai the previous Sunday for B20,000 a kilo, brought it to Phuket by road and then resold it in smaller amounts at twice that price. He added that he had been in the dope business for only three months before his arrest. But police said they believed that he had been dealing for much longer than this. The police also believe the marijuana was not desti ned only for the local market, but that some of it was also for export by sea from Phuket.
Non-functioning radar station ‘not a problem’ Officials at the Southern Meteorological Centre West Coast (SMC) have reassured the flying public that there is no cause to worry about the fact that the weather radar in Phuket has not been functioning since September 12. The information from the radar is used by air traffic controllers at Phuket International Airport and relayed to pilots, but the radar has been close down for “checking and maintenance”, an SMC spokesman told The Phuket News. It will be online again “soon”, he said. In the meantime, he said, “We can provide information on weather conditions from the radar stations in Krabi or Surat Thani, which cover Phuket, so there is no effect on pilots.” An air traffic controller agreed that there was no problem. “We still receiving the information every half-hour from SMC. The radars in Krabi or Surat Thani that can give us perfectly good weather information.” Image from the Phuket radar still showing the weather for September 12.
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THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
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The rampaging bull elephant that put a Ukrainian tourist in hospital for 15 days on September 12 has been moved from Phuket to Phang Nga Province where it will be used for moving timber. Wittaya Thaveerot, manager of Camp Chang Kalim, where the elephant was based, said ‘Captain’, the name of the bull pachyderm, had previously been bitten by a roughneck
monitor lizard before moving to Phuket, which may have indirectly led to the injuries caused to 26-year-old tourist Tetiana Meia. At 4pm on September 12, Mr Wittaya’s staff were taking care of four guests, with Captain carrying an American tourist, and the Ukrainian couple sitting on cow elephant ‘Pancake’, which walked some five metres in
front of Captain. While they were out trekking, a monitor lizard ran behind Captain. According to Mr Wittaya, Captain, scared because of his previous painful run in with the monitor lizard, panicked and ran into the back of Pancake, injuring the Ukrainian tourists. “We took care of the injured,” Mr Wittaya said. “The camp’s insurance helped
pay for the medical fees of B300,000 and B40,000 for food and gave cash compensation of US$3,200 (B96,000). My staff also visited Ms Meia in hospital every day to check on her condition,” he added. “Captain and his mahout have now returned to Phang Nga, and we will not use him for trekking here anymore,” says Mr Wittaya. Tourists
continue to visit each day despite news of the rampage. Silaphachai Choosem, manager of rival camp Kok Chang Kata Safari, said they no longer used young bull elephants because of their aggressive nature. “We currently have nine cow elephants, and used to have a bull elephant. However, we don’t use males now as they are much harder to control than females.”
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Devotees and mah song warriors joined to raise a mast at Jui Tui More than a thousand residents and tourists came to mark the beginning shrine, symbolising the beginning of the annual Vegetarian Festival. of the Vegetarian Festival at Jui Tui shrine in Phuket Town on Monday. –Photo by Nonglak Thippayasak –Photo by Teerapat Pattanasoponpong
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Vegetarian Festival kicks off Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival kicked off with a bang on Monday (September 26), with more than a thousand devotees, including the possessed mah song warriors (spirit mediums), gathering at Jui Tui shrine in Phuket Town. To mark the beginning of the festival, large ornamental masts were raised at all of Phuket’s Chinese shrines,
which will stay standing until the conclusion of the festival. From 8pm, devotees from each shrine in Phuket Town made their way to the waters of Saphan Hin to perform the God invitation rite, performing incantations to invite the Jade Emperor and Nine Emperor Gods to descend from the heavens. Water is believed to be the medium between heaven
and earth in Chinese culture, and devotees will again return to the sea in ten days’ time to bid the Gods farewell. During the ten days of the Vegetarian Festival, each shrine will stage various rites including oil bathing, bladed ladder climbing, and fire walking. Many people will abstain from eating meat and drinking alcohol for the full ten days.
Be aware of the following rules when you attend the Vegetarian Festival: 1. Eat only vegetarian food. 2. Wear only white clothes during the festival. 3. Maintain good personal hygiene during the festival. 4. Maintain good physical and mental behaviour. 5. Abstain from sex. 6. Abstain from alcohol.
7. Use clean kitchen utensils and keep them separate from people who are not joining the festival. 8. People in mourning should not attend the festival. 9. Pregnant women should not attend the festival. 10. Women menstruating should not attend the festival.
join Celebrating Malaysian independence Convicts Vegetarian Malaysia Club Thailand (MCT) hosted a belated celebration of Merdeka (Independence Day) and Malaysia Day last Saturday (September 24) at the Millennium Resort Patong Phuket. Merdeka commemorates the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule in 1957, and is celebrated annually on August 31. Malaysia Day, meanwhile, is held on September 16 to commemorate the establishment of the Malaysian federation (the union between east and west Malaysia) in 1963. The 40-strong crowd comprised largely of representatives from the Phuket and Malaysian tourism industry, as the Tourism Malaysia Phuket Office took the opportunity to outline new tourism products and events coming up across Thailand’s southern border. It was fol- Representatives from the Phuket and Malaysian tourism industry came lowed by a fine cocktail reception and dinner. together to listen to new tourism products and events planned for Malaysia.
Festival fun
Almost 200 inmates of Phuket Prison will join the Vegetarian Festival, the prison’s governor, Rapin Nichanon, said on Monday. However, they will celebrate inside the walls of the prison, and will not be inserting sharp objects through their faces. Instead, they will be eating three vegetarian meals a day for the nine days of the festival, and some well-behaved prisoners will go to clean up the Jui Tui shrine each day.
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On the buses at new terminal
Despite opposition by local residents, the Phuket Provincial Land Transport Office (PLTO) confirmed the island’s new bus terminal will be opened by the end of this year. Creating a gap in the central reservation in front of the new terminal, to allow bus access, will be done soon after the Department of Land Transport (DLT) in Bangkok makes a final decision. Located in Rassada District, construction work on the new bus terminal was completed in December 2009. However, the official opening of the terminal has been on hold ever since because of refusal by local authorities to take over its operation, as
well as resistance to the project by residents. Rassada Municipality, who first agreed to take over the terminal, later claimed they didn’t have a sufficient budget (as much as B118 million) to improve the landscape, facilities and interior of the terminal. In addition, local people have resisted both the opening of the terminal and the creation of a gap in the central reservation, as they believe both will combine to worsen traffic problems in the area. Despite the resistance, PLTO Chief Teerayut Prasertpon believes Phuket urgently needs the new bus terminal to support the growth of the is-
land’s transportation network. At a meeting on Monday (September 26), the PLTO outlined a plan to ask for a budget of B1.9 million from the DLT to run the new bus terminal and adjoining facilities in the 2012 fiscal year. If the budget is approved, PLTO will start running the new terminal. A meeting will be organised soon between locals and relevant authorities to outline the plan. “There is no guarantee that locals won’t protest against the opening of the new bus terminal and the gap in the central reservation,” Mr Theerayut said. “However, we can’t wait any longer to open it.”
Chief of the Phuket Provincial Land Transport Office, Teerayut Prasertpon.
Marriott staff help the poor
The dancing fountain in Saphan Hin Park – Phuket Town’s newest attraction.
Singing and dancing in the rain It was raining, but still 100 or so people went to see the first performance by Phuket’s newest attraction, the dancing fountain in Saphan Hin Park. Costing some B60 million, the project involved renovating the old pool in front of the SIPA building at Saphan
Hin, then installing more than 100 water nozzles. The fountain, covering 1,000 square metres, is the largest of its kind in Thailand, and took 10 months to complete. The water pressure, along with lighting and sound, is all controlled by computer.
Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha said “Phuket has beautiful natural attractions, most of which are outside urban areas, and the town has been short of sights to attract tourists,” he said. The only other musical fountain on the island is at Jungceylon in Patong.
More than 300 managers and staff from the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa staff and other Marriott hotels in Phuket spent Saturday (September 24) labouring in Ta Chat Chai, constructing five homes for local families. The home building project comes under the umbrella of Habitat for Humanity, an international charity that aims to eliminate “poverty housing” worldwide. Highprofile supporters of Habitat include former US presidents and vice-presidents Jimmy Carter, George Bush Sr, Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Walter Mondale. All 3,000 staff from Marriott’s hotels on Phuket can volunteer days off to work on the project. “Serving the community
Hotel staff find out what life is like as a construction worker. through Habitat for Humanity housing has become a Marriott tradition,” said Jason Nuell, General Manager of the Renaissance Phuket. “Through today’s build, our [staff and] associates are able to gain first-hand
experience so that their own teams can replicate the effort in their own communities.” Since 1995, Marriott has contributed volunteer labour and funds for the construction of more than 50 homes in six countries.
The ‘Indian’-themed show at the new Aphrodite cabaret venue.
Glittery new show venue set to open The new Aphrodite cabaret show, at the former Phuket Brewery on the bypass road opposite Tesco-Lotus in Phuket Town, opened for its inaugural
show last night (September 29). Manager Siri Jaringtakul declined to say how much had been spent on the venue’s makeover, but said that the
reconstruction was divided into two parts; the cabaret theatre and the new sukiyaki restaurant. The venue can seat 900 people at a time.
The operators are a Bangkok outfit with experience in cabaret shows in the capital. The 100 staff will include 80 katoey (ladyboy) performers.
The Port zone at Jungceylon. Open everyday for lunch & dinner 11am ‘til mid-night. HAPPY HOUR UPDATE FACEBOOK.COM/FULLMOONBREWWORK RESERVATION: 076 366 753
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THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Weather nexus dumps deluge across Phuket As always seems to be the case when the Vegetarian Festival starts, so does the rain. The clouds opened on Monday, causing floods and traffic jams in parts of the island and keeping the festival’s adherents cool and damp. An official at the Southern Meteorological Centre (SMC) said the weather was partly due to the presence of two tropical storms in the region – typhoon Nesat, which has just roared across the Philippines, and tropical depression Haitang, which is
A truck ploughs through flooding at the Tesco-Lotus intersection in Phuket Town.
hanging over Hainan island and the Vietnamese coast. Both were exaggerating the effect of the southwest monsoon along the west coast of the Andaman Sea, including Phuket, dramatically increasing rainfall along most of the coast. He added that the rain could persist into October. The official warned that people in disaster-prone areas, especially in Ranong, Phang Nga, and Satun provinces, should beware of flash floods, breaches in sea walls and overflowing klongs.
Bosses and unions discuss B300 wage Representatives of employers and employees in Phuket met on Tuesday (September 27) at Phuket Provincial Hall to thrash out recommendations to Bangkok over the new minimum wage for the island. Phuket is one of seven provinces chosen by the government to launch the new B300 minimum wage, expected to come into force on the island on January 1 next year. The meeting was closed to the press but afterwards Vijit Dasantad, President of the Phuket Hotel and Services
Union, said the meeting, also attended by Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and the Chief of the Provincial Labour Office, Sutthipong Saisakaret, had discussed whether the amount should be B300 a day or B309. The B309 minimum is based on a 40 per cent increase recommended by the Ministry of Labour for the seven vanguard provinces. In Phuket the minimum wage is currently B221. Mr Vijit said that five representatives from each side
were at the meeting, and that the workers’ representatives felt B300 was “sufficient”. “Our view is that a rise in the minimum wage will result in a rise in the cost of living. Workers still need to buy products, and most of what they buy is at retail prices. “It is reasonable if the minimum wage increases to B300. But we have to wait for a decision from the government and the relevant authorities.” Mr Vijit said the employers’ representatives at the meeting wanted to send a
message to the government that it should have a clear plan for helping businesses that suffer when the new wage rate becomes effective. With Phuket’s minimum wage set to rise before most of the rest of Thailand, Mr Vijit added: “We believe the new rate will attract a lot of people to Phuket looking for jobs [at the higher rate]. “This will be a good chance for local businesses, because they will have a wider selection of employees to choose from.”
Union boss Vijit Dasantad: B300 seems reasonable.
Airport holds evac drill Phuket OrborJor President Paiboon Upatising (pink helmet) gives a cone of gat-leng to happy children.
Kids scream for free OrBorJor ice-cream The Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (OrBorJor) joined in the Phuket Vegetarian Festival at Choor Su Gong Naka shrine on Wednesday morning (September 28) by giving out free ice-cream. www.thephuketnews.com
The treat, known as gatleng in Chinese, was given out to people on their way to Saphan Hin. The OrBorJor gives out free ice-cream annually during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival.
A full-scale tsunami emergency and evacuation exercise was conducted at Phuket International Airport last Friday (September 23). About 300 people from 34 organisations and agencies took part in the exercise, which assumed that an alert had been received of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake 460 kilometres west of Sumatra, and that tsunami waves were on the way. The scenario had the first big wave hitting Phuket 40 minutes after the quake. The emergency services had to get everyone evacuated within that time to a safety zone at Phuket Air Catering Co Ltd (PACCO), about 1.4 kilometres east of the airport. This included evacuating people who had been injured and were unable to get out of the airport under their own steam.
Phuket International Airport conducted a full-scale emergency tsunami evacuation exercise on September 23. Air por t off icials and emergency services, the Offices of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM) and hospit al a mbula nce a re expected to respond to the emergency call immediately, beginning the evacuation as
soon as three to five minutes after the tsunami warning. For those ever caught at the airport during a tsunami alert, here’s the drill to remember: leave the terminal and run though the car park to the road. Go left and follow the
road alongside the runway until you reach PACCO. For those not in good shape for running the 1.4 km distance, hospital staff will be waiting to help evacuees. The drill, by the way, was declared a full success.
NATIONALNEWS
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Cambodian Prime Minis ter Hun Sen kicks the ball as Natthawut Saikua, a Red S hir t leader and Pheu Thai Party member, left, watches, during a friendly football match in Phnom Penh on last Saturday (Septemb er 24) . The Cambodian and Thai highranking officials and MPs were playing a friendly match. –Photo AFP
Flood death toll now 154 Two infant brothers swept away by rising waters in northern Thailand were the latest victims of two months of heavy flooding that have left over 150 people dead in the country, authorities said on Saturday. T he boys, aged n i ne months and two years, are
thought to have drowned when a flash flood hit the mountainous Fang district in northern Chiang Mai province late Friday night (September 23), said an official from the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. Official departmental fig-
ures released on Saturday, which did not include the brothers, put the number of dead at 152, with three people unaccounted for. Flooding has engulfed 57 provinces in the north, northeast and central regions since it began in July with heavy
rains generated by the tail end of the Nock Ten typhoon. In total, seven million people have seen their homes or businesses inundated by the rising waters, which have damaged farmland, roads and bridges. Water has receded in some
areas but the department said 23 provinces remain flooded. As seasonal rains continue to put pressure on drainage and irrigation systems, the department also issued flash flood and landslide warnings in 47 provinces in north and northeastern parts. –AFP
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IN BRIEF Malaysia warns travellers After four of its nationals were killed in bomb attacks in southern Thailand, Malaysia has warned its citizens against non-essential travel to the region. Thai police suspect that militants may have deliberately targeted tourists in bombings near two hotels and a Chinese-Thai cultural centre in a coordinated attack in Narathiwat province on September 16.
Dog-smugglers sentenced Four dog-smuggling gang members were each sentenced to eight months and 10 days in jail, plus fines ranging from B12,000 to B22,400, by the Nakhon Phanom Provincial Court on Monday (September 26), before reducing the punishments by half on the grounds of the gang’s confessions. Some 2,000 dogs were being transported to Vietnam by the defendants on August 11. Many of them, currently kept at the Nakhon Phanom Animal Quarantine Centre, have died as a result of injuries, disease and being kept in crowded conditions.
Web editor faces charge
A prominent Thai website editor, facing up to 20 years in jail, appeared in court on September 21 to defend her self agai nst cha rges relating to remarks about the monarchy posted by other people on her website. Chiranuch Premchaiporn, the editor of the popular Prachatai news website, denied allegations that she did not remove 10 online posts perceived as critical to the monarchy quickly enough in 2008. She told the Bangkok Criminal Court that she “immediately” blocked any comments flagged as “improper” by the
Information and Communication Technology Ministry. Ms Chiranuch described a sharp increase in online activity in the wake of a 2006 military coup that sparked five years of political turmoil in the country. “Various comments were posted on our web board which reflected the political situation at that time. They were intensely political and there were stronger opinions which opposed the coup,” she said. Ms Chiranuch said up to 30,000 users a day visited the Prachatai web forum between 2007 and 2008, more than 10 times previous levels.
Ms Chiranuch, who faces a second trial under controversial royal insult and computer laws, said the site voluntarily removed about three per cent of all posts during this time. The Internet forum was closed in July 2010 amid concerns over a crackdown on commentators following deadly anti-government “Red Shirt” street protests in Bangkok. Thailand has drawn flak from rights groups for suppressing freedom of speech using the Computer Crimes Act and lèse majesté legislation, which bans criticism of the King, Queen, heir or regent. –AFP
Student Nazi parade causes uproar Students of the Sacred Heart Catholic School in Chiang Mai thought they would give their teachers and parents a surprise on their Summer Sports Day last weekend. They did just that, and more. Leading the march into the sports ground was a Adolf Hitler lookalike, complete with toothbrush moustache, followed by effeminate SS guards with plastic machine guns, while foreign parents and teachers reeled under the shock of the display. On Monday a delegation from the consulates of Britain,
the United States, France, and Germany went to the school to protest. They left after school authorities said they had been kept in the dark over the students’ plan, and insisted that no deliberate offence had been intended. A foreign English-language teacher at the school said: “It was all very embarrassing. Traditionally the students wear fancy dress on the summer sports day and they like to keep everything they are preparing quiet. Nobody saw any swastikas around the school before the event.”
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights NGO, has called on Thailand’s Christian leaders to condemn the Nazi parade at the school, which came complete with ‘Sieg Heil’ salutes. Associate Dean of the Centre, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, said “It is difficult to calculate the hurt such a display inflicted on survivors of the Nazi holocaust and the families of all victims of Nazism.” Rabbi Cooper, a frequent visitor to Asia, added that a similar parade took place in 2007 at a school in Bangkok. www.thephuketnews.com
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INTERNATIONALNEWS
IN BRIEF Man charged over explosives haul A Michigan, US, man has been arrested after he was allegedly bought and hid more than 1800 kilograms of explosives with enough potential firepower to equal the Oklahoma City bombing. He allegedly told an undercover informant that “when the government takes over, we will be mercenaries.” John Francis Lechner, 64, was arrested last week on a charge of possessing explosives while facing other charges and ordered held following a US District Court hearing on Monday. His attorney said Lechner, a builder and farmer, obtained the materials years ago for construction projects.
Two metro trains crash in China More than 270 people have been injured in a subway accident in China in which one train crashed into the back of another. Shanghai Metro said on its website that unspecified equipment failure was believed to have caused the collision at the city’s Lao Ximen station.
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Australia opens frontline combat roles to women Australia on Tuesday opened frontline combat roles to women for the first time in its history under a new policy allowing all military positions to be filled on merit rather than gender. Defence Minister Stephen Smith said the changes, approved by Cabinet on Monday night, would give women access to the remaining seven percent of military roles currently restricted to men. Only three of Australia’s military partners allow women on the frontlines – New Zealand, Canada and Israel, Smith said. The new policy will be phased in over five years to ensure female combatants had the necessary training and preparation, he added,
describing it as a major cultural and operational shift. “From this day forward... no combat roles, no frontline role will be excluded from an Australian on the basis of his or her sex, it will be open to anyone to apply on the basis of merit,” Smith told reporters. “This is a significant and major cultural change.” But opponents of the move condemned it as a “political gimmick and a distraction”. Women cur rently account for about 10,000 of the 81,000 full- and part-time positions in Australia’s armed forces, with the newly open roles mainly as frontline infantry and artillery soldiers, naval clearance divers and airfield guards. Widely supported by mili-
tary chiefs, Smith said the changes would not prescribe female ratios for frontline positions and it was “entirely a matter for the men and women of the defence force to put their names forward for a particular role”. “It is a logical extension to the very strongly held view in Australian society that all of us are equal irrespective of our backgrounds and irrespective of our sex,” he added. New guidelines will be developed outlining the physical and mental requirements for elite jobs and both men and women would have to satisfy them. Women would be allowed to lead infantry units or work as snipers and commandos and Smith said the reforms
would clear the way for a female to one day command the entire military as Chief of Defence – a role until now confined to men. He denied the changes would in any way diminish defence standards or that it would make Australian forces a greater target in conflict zones such as Afghanistan. Neil James, head of the Aust ralian Defence Association lobby group, has previously warned that close quarters combat is too dangerous for women and that they were more likely to be killed in frontline environments than men. He accused Canberra of “jumping the gun” on research currently being carried out by defence officials about
women’s abilities to perform in a military context. “It doesn’t actually give us a lot of confidence that this is anything more than another political gimmick and a distraction,” Mr James told ABC radio. Defence Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon conceded there was a “variety of opinions” about the shift and there would be strong pockets of resistance but he was confident they could be managed. The changes come as Australia reviews the treatment of women in its military following a number of sex scandals – the most highly publicised involving the Internet streaming of a female cadet having sex at a top defence academy. –AFP
Top matadors performed in Barcelona for the last time on Sunday before a ban against the centuries-old blood sport comes into effect in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region. The sold-out crowd of
18,000 applauded and chanted “Freedom!” throughout the bullfight in Barcelona’s Monumental arena, the city’s last active bullring which opened its doors in 1914. Catalonia’s regional parliament voted in
July 2010 to ban bullfighting from January 1, 2012 after animal rights groups managed to garner 180,000 signatures for a petition demanding the debate on the sport. It was the first region in mainland Spain to ban the tradition. While the move fuelled the debate across the country over bullfighting, there is little sign that any other Spanish region is poised to follow Catalonia’s example. Spain’s Canary Islands banned bullfighting in 1991. Critics say the move was as much about Catalonia, which has its own language and where many seek independence from Spain, underlining its regional identity as an issue of animal rights. They point out that other festivals, including one in which flaming torches are attached to the horns of a bull, which is then pursued through
Matadors will no longer perform in Barcelona.
Bullfighting banned in Barcelona
the streets, will survive the new regime. “This is a political law made for nationalistic motives: those that want an independent Catalonia want to cut everything that smells of Spain,” said Serafin Marin, a 28-year-old Catalan who is a fierce defender of the tradition. He plans to continue fighting bulls in arenas in other parts of Spain and in France.
“I have been banned from carrying out my profession,” he said. The bullfight has a long tradition in Catalonia, going back to the 16th century, but as in the rest of Spain, interest in the sport is falling. Bullfighting fans in Catalonia aim to find 500,000 backers to present their own petition to the national parliament. –AFP
US helping secure Libya arms stockpiles, White House says The United States is working closely with Libya’s new interim leaders to secure all arms stockpiles in the country, amid concerns over weapons proliferation, the White House said on Tuesday. “Since the beginning of the crisis we have been actively engaged with our allies and partners to support Libya’s effort to secure all conventional weapons stockpiles including recovery, control and disposal of shoulder fired antiaircraft missiles,” spokesman Jay Carney said. www.thephuketnews.com
“We are exploring every option to expand our support,” he told reporters on Air Force One as President Barack Obama toured western states. US General Carter Ham, who led the first stage of the coalition air campaign in Libya, said in early April that there were fears that militants could seize some of the estimated 20,000 shoulderlaunched missiles in Libya, calling it “a regional and an international concern”. The proliferation of arms raided from the vast stores
of ex-strongman Moamer Kadhafi is raising fears not only for Libya’s future stability, but also that the weapons will fall into the hands of radical groups like Al-Qaeda. Many of the weapons have made their way into the hands of fighters for Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) struggling to take the remaining bastions of Kadhafi support. Carney said five contractor specialists were on the ground to work with the new Libyan leadership to secure weapons stockpiles. –AFP
INTERNATIONALNEWS
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Saudi women win the right to vote in polls Advocacy group Human Rights Watch welcomed Saudi Arabia’s decision to allow women to vote and run in the Kingdom’s municipal elections, but said it came too late to allow them to take part in yesterday’s (September 29) polls. “King Abdullah’s promise that women will finally be allowed to vote is a welcome move away from the discrimination and exclusion that Saudi women have suffered for so long,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch in a statement. “Sadly, King Abdullah’s promise of reform in 2015 doesn’t come soon enough for women to vote in upcoming municipal elections,” Whitson said prior to yesterday’s elections. The absolute monarch on Sunday granted women the right to vote and run in municipal elections, in an historic first for the ultraconservative country where women are subjected to many restrictions. “Starting with the next term, women will have the right to run in municipal elections and to choose candidates, according to Islamic principles,” the king said in speech to the Shura Council. In addition to participating in the only public polls in the country, women would have the right to join the allappointed Shura (consultative) Council, the king said. The decision means women will be able to take part in the elections scheduled in four years time but not in polls expected yesterday as nominations had already closed. Women’s rights activists have long fought for the right to vote in the Gulf kingdom, which applies a strict version of Sunni Islam and bans women from driving or travelling without the consent of a male guardian. London-based advocacy group Amnesty International has also cautiously welcomed the decision, but said the kingdom was moving much too slowly on women’s rights. “It is a welcome, albeit limited, step along the long road towards gender equality in Saudi Arabia,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa. “ U l t i m a t e l y, i t i s no great achievement to be one of the last countries in the world to grant women the vote.” –AFP
Typhoon death toll rises in Philippines
The death toll in the Philippines from Typhoon Nesat climbed to 18 on Wednesday as the government rushed to restore lifelines ahead of another storm churning to the east of the country. Rescuers reported two more deaths on Tuesday night, while 35 others remained missing a day after Nesat unleashed heavy rains, winds and storm surges across the main island of Luzon, accodring to Office of Civil Defense chief Benito Ramos. “We are focusing on trying to get power and telecommunications services today [Wednesday], and work crews have also fanned out to repair and clear 61 road networks across Luzon damaged by landslides, debris and floods,” Ramos said. At the height of Nesat’s fury on Tuesday, dramatic storm surges in Manila Bay crashed over seawalls, flooding a hospital, a five-star hotel and the US embassy. Parts of Luzon remained under waist-deep flood waters
IN BRIEF Nepal plane crash ‘human error’ The chief rescuer at Nepal’s international airport on Monday blamed human error for a plane crash that killed 16 holidaymakers returning from a tour around Mount Everest. The Buddha Air aircraft carrying 10 Indians, two Americans, a Japanese citizen and three local tourists crashed into a hill in dense fog on Sunday, killing all on board including three crew. Buddha Air said it had launched its own investigation into the crash while a government inquiry team said it would take three months to report on the cause.
Jackson doctor trial begins Residents brave heavy rains and strong winds as they pull a motor boat from the pier side in preparation for Typhoon Nesat in Legazpi City, south of Manila on Monday. –Photo AFP Wednesday after the government released waters from four dams that had reached critical levels in Bulacan province, about an hour’s drive north of Manila. A water catchment used to irrigate farms also broke its
Russian Finance Minister resigns after Putin plan Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin was ousted on Monday after rebelling against a plan to install President Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister when Vladimir Putin returns to the Kremlin in 2012. Kudrin fell on his sword following an unprecedented televised clash with Medvedev where the president angrily accused him of making “unseemly” comments and said his only option was to resign. The respected minister is the first top official to be forced out in connection with the scheme announced at the weekend for Putin, currently prime minister, and Medvedev to swap jobs after March 2012 presidential elections. The resignation brought a dramatic end to Kudrin’s career as finance minister, which started in 2000 and saw him become the longest serving finance minister of any world power. “The president of the Russian Federation signed the decree on the resignation of Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin,” the Kremlin said in a statement on its website. In an extraordinary public
9
dressing-down of the kind not seen in Russia for years, Medvedev told Kudrin that his comments were unacceptable and he had until the end of the day to decide whether to resign. “Alexei Leonidovich – if you do not agree with the policy of the president, which is executed by the government, then you have one option and you know what it is – to resign,” Medvedev told Kudrin in comments broadcast on the main evening news. Barely flinching, Kudrin told Medvedev that “I do indeed have differences with you.” The minister had at the weekend told reporters in the United States he could not imagine serving in a government led by Medvedev, with whom he had major “differences” over the management of the economy. He accused the president of seeking to ramp up spending – in particular on the military – to the detriment of Russia’s budgetary position. Mikhail Zadornov, the head of state retail bank VTB 24, said Kudrin’s resignation would make it harder for the government. – AFP
walls, flooding many villages also in Bulacan, Ramos said. More than a million people in Luzon remained without power on Wednesday, including some areas in the capital Manila and seven outlying provinces, according
to Ramos. The state weather bureau said a tropical storm brewing in the Pacific Ocean and heading for Luzon would likely hit land within the week, adding to the misery for the 48 million people living on the island. – AFP
The long awaited manslaughter trial of Michael Jackon’s doctor Conrad Murray began on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Murray, 58, faces up to four years in jail if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Jackson, as the star was preparing for a series of comeback concerts. The physician is alleged to have given Jackson an overdose of propofol to help alleviate his insomnia.
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10 OPINIONS/VOICES
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
NORACHAI’S WORLD
Editor’s viewpoint
The point of no return With the island’s never-ending tuk-tuk and taxi saga dragging on with no sensible solution in sight – inundated as we are daily with stories of random violence, distraught tourists, despairing officials, and arrogant drivers – this week we were very interested to discover an interesting fact. While it is well known that Phuket’s hordes of tuk-tuks and taxi drivers, particularly in tourist-populated Patong, are extremely territorial by nature; what is less known, is that the drivers are forbidden from picking up passengers in another’s patch. In short, it explains why fares here are some of the highest in the world – you’re always paying for the vehicle to return empty. In the front pages of the paper this week, you will have read how the provincial government’s plan to improve tuk-tuk and taxi standards in Kata and Karon has already ground to a spluttering halt. As reported, the plan called for the vehicles at taxi ranks to be inspected and the drivers issued with quality certificates, which could be rescinded if they failed future inspections. The committee responsible is now back-pedalling, having realised that it may be impossible to put into practice. Now Sarayuth Mallam, a Vice President of the Phuket Tourist Association, has come out to say that the time has
Festive Fashion.
Sign of the Times Just a comment on Norachai’s wonderful cartoon about billboard pollution [September 16]. ‘Keep Phuket Beautiful’. Reminds me of the Irish joke about the sign at the Royal Dublin golf club that says: ‘Please Do Not Lean Your Clubs Against This Sig n’. We a lway s lo ok forward to your cryptic social comment Norachai. Ric Cooper
Slave to the Grind [Re. Bosses and unions discuss Phuket’s B300 wage] As a former business management consultant, I have been approached more than a hundred times in my 12 years here by farang who want my advice on how to get their “lazy, stupid, dishonest” staff to be more productive.
come to force drivers to fall into line, interestingly revealing that the drivers can make at least B4,000 a day during the high season (around B80,000 a month for a five-day week), and around B1,000 a day during the low season. With those kind of figures being bandied around, is it any wonder that they are unwilling – let alone unable – to work twice as hard for a return fare? You only have to look at Bangkok for an example on how things can be improved once government takes a firm stand on progress. For decades, the capital’s now gleaming metro system was only a pipe dream, as companies approached the government, made grand proposals, and left with no contract in hand (the Hopewell folly of the 1990s notwithstanding). Nowadays, now the trains are up and running, and residents see the obvious benefit, the city’s BTS and MRT networks are not only thriving, but rapidly growing, with locals wondering how they lived so long without them. As any tout outside the MBK mall in Siam will tell you, tuktuks as a form of transport in Bangkok are now for tourists only. The rest of the population are riding the rails. With the island’s LRT project still nothing more than a grand proposal, we still, it seems, have a long way to go.
Letters to the editor
The first thing I always ask them is how much they get paid and how many hours they are required to work for it. Almost universally I have heard that staff are paid as little as possible while the boss takes home enough to live in a nice house, go out to dinner at “fine” restaurants and drive a vehicle that costs more than their staff will make in ten years. On top of that, staff are often required to start work in the early morning hours and are not allowed to go home until almost midnight (often because “it gets slow in the afternoon and they can take a nap” as if that justifies them having to be on site for 18 hours a day). Until there is a fair minimum wage and adherence to existing labour laws (which includes eight hours per day,
and 40 hours per week), the levels of service and productivity will remain low. If the business you started cannot afford to pay your staff a decent living wage, you have not structured it properly and are depending on something akin to slavery for your success. Mr E
Reap What You Sow [Re. Bosses and unions discuss Phuket’s B300 wage] Has any consideration been given as to where all this extra money from the local businesses comes from? I believe the local economy is hard hit at the moment without the extra imposition of a 40 per cent increase in wages. This is not the USA, where the simple solution is to print more money. What we have
here in Phuket is a very grass roots and almost a third world economy. A realistic outlook and a sensible approach is what is required. The 40 per cent wage increase was simply a vote buying exercise without any monetary input and without thought as to it’s implementation. In fact quite a brilliant ‘sell’ but without substance to the inquiring mind. Concerned
Right on Schedule [Re. All aboard for public transport push] One possible interim solution would be to offer the tuk-tuk drivers the choice of either being considered illegal and having their vehicles impounded, properly enforced by the police, or being painted a certain colour and then
scheduled to followed certain routes like the baht buses in Pattaya. There are enough tuk-tuks in Phuket now to have them running along major routes at five minute intervals. Their incomes, which would be lower than they are now with their extortionate prices, could be subsidised by the government until a real public transport system is in place. If the baht bus drivers in Pattaya can earn a living that way, so can the tuk-tuk driver here. Saen Yim
Lands’ End [Re. Zeman’s zecrets] Wow! He does not mention that the Hong Kong Government is close with the property developers, that there is no protection for tenants in commercial or residential projects, and last time I checked
farang including ‘Dr’ Zeman cannot own land in Thailand – especially Chinese citizens like Zeman who gave up his Canadian passport in 2008. Piers Middleton
On your Radar [Re. Non functioning radar ‘not a problem’] Well there you have it folks. The weather radar at Phuket airport is defunct but don’t worry we have Krabi and Surat, [even though] these are 240 km radars which don’t give enough detail for aircraft movements at Phuket airport. If it doesn’t matter that it’s not working, then why was it, at no doubt considerable expense, installed in the first place? Is it not mandatory an international airport must have a functioning radar system? Concerned
Make your voice heard We welcome all letters to the editor. Letters should be limited to 250 words or less, and may be edited for clarity or length. To reach us, you can email editor@thephuketnews.com or fax your contribution to 076 612 553. Please be sure to include your name, address and contact telephone number. www.thephuketnews.com
HOTTOPIC 11
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
A LINE IN THE SAND Is beach encroachment out of control? ‘H
eaven on earth’ may not be a term used to describe Phuket anymore. The island has long been dubbed ‘The pearl of Andaman Sea’ for its pristine sandy beaches and stunning scenery; but the pearl is gradually losing its iridescence, its surface dulled thanks to rampant beach encroachment and a subsequently dwindling natural environment. Since the tourism boom began some 25 years ago, Phuket’s beaches have been innocently dragged into a conflict among people seeking to exploit the island’s natural beauty; developers and business people with high regard for money gain and little regard for the environment. Authorities and regulators have been largely powerless, or too apathetic, to prevent the resulting coastal encroachment, leading to rampant and often illegal shoreline development. The situation today is approaching crisis point. Limited beachfront space and an increasing numbers of businesses is leading to more beach encroachment, creating a conflict point between locals and authorities over who has the right to use the island’s prime real estate. Locals often stake a claim to the beach as a way to earn a living, while others – often the big resorts who naturally want nice clean, uncluttered beaches – highlight the illegality of this. According to Thai law, all beaches are the property of HM the King, and are reserved for public use only. But this creates a no-win situation for local government representatives, who risk losing the support of their community if they force locals out of business, but who ignore their responsibility to uphold the law by allowing them to stay. For example, Surapong Panyawai, president of OrBorTor Sakoo which includes Nai Yang Beach, has long encountered problems resulting from beach encroachment. But when he was approached for comment for this article, he declined, saying the issue is too contentious to discuss publicly, particularly in the lead-up to the election of a new OrBorTor president. The main issue is that despite it being illegal to set up a business on the beach, locals don’t always see it that way.
Tourists enjoy a peaceful day in the sun, increasingly surrounded by hotels, restaurants, and other businesses. Many feel a sense of entitlement to use the space to earn a living, and lax enforcement of the law by local authorities has made this possible for decades. They claim the beach is public land, and so they should be able to operate there. But of course, when they set up a business there, the land is no longer public. The longer they are left undisturbed by the dithering authorities, the greater the sense of ownership they feel. This skewed sense of logic was demonstrated by a group of masseurs on Nai Yang Beach who blocked the entrance to the Indigo Pearl on August 23. They claimed the beach was a “working place” reserved for locals who have the right to earn their living from the beach. The protest was resolved peacefully. The most recent case of beach encroachment making headlines was the demolition of restaurants built on Karon beach on September 18, which appeared on the front page of last week’s The Phuket News. Suwit Pongkatin, 45, the owner of one of the demolished
restaurants, believes the demolition was unfair because he had operated the business for three decades. “I’ve been running my restaurant on the beach for more than 30 years. I’ve never been asked to move out,” he said. Changing circumstances: Thirty years ago, when tourism was still a concept largely foreign to the people of Phuket, there were no specific laws to control beach encroachment, recalled Bhuritt Maswongssa, vice president of Phuket Tourism Association (PTA), who has run his business on the island since 1985. “The circumstances in the past were different from today. There was no municipality or OrBorTor, and no specific laws to protect the coastal environment,” Mr Bhuritt said. “You certainly didn’t need to hand an Initial Environment Examination (IEE) or Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to authorities before you started building next to the beach.” The first environmental regulations for Phuket, issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology, were introduced in 1992.
These stated clearly that the beach is public land. However, the legislation was vague, and included few details on zoning restrictions. It wasn’t until regulations were developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in 2003 (and amended in 2010) that investors were required to submit IEE or EIA to authorities before developments are approved. By the time those laws came into effect in 2003, little could be done about the 143 hotels and 46 high-rise development projects that were already built on the island (figures from the National Statistics Office). Theory versus reality: According to the law, an IEE is required for any proposed project with a capacity of less than 80 rooms. An EIA requires a more in-depth assessment for projects greater than 80 rooms. Both IEE and EIA must be carried out in the early project planning stage. However, in some cases in Phuket, projects built on protected areas have been started before an IEE or EIA has been completed, or before
the project is approved by local authorities. Somsong Saetang, an official from OrBorTor Rawai, raised concerns over this widespread practice at a recent meeting of the Environmental Monitoring Committee (EMC) – comprising the Phuket Natural Resources and Environmental Office, Department of Public Work and Town & Country Planning, the Marine Office, and other relevant authorities – on September 14. Although it remains illegal to start construction without permission, compromises are often made if an IEE or EIA is handed to authorities later, Suta Prateep Na Thalang, a member of the EMC said. This has been a common tactic used by developments of somewhat questionable environmental standing. Mr Suta also said people take advantage of confusion which arises from the beach zoning laws, most notably where the invisible high tide line – from which the various zones along the beach are defined – is drawn. As to the upper edge of the beach, this is usually taken to
be the tree lines. There have been stories of business owners planting trees in the sand to try and bring forward the treeline. “I don’t believe the laws are ambiguous – people just choose to interpret them in a way that suits their personal wants,” said Mr Suta. Then, of course, there’s just the fact that environmental inspections have simply not been carried out. None of them. The Phuket News reported on September 16 that an astonishing 4,000 properties on Phuket, ranging from single homes to hotels, have never been inspected for their adherence to the environmental aspects of their building permits. As a result, environment officials on the island have no idea how many of the 4,000 structures – built since environmental regulations were brought in eight years ago – adhere to the rules, and how many break them. “Unless we follow up on that enormous backlog, we’ll never know if each project was built following their proposed plan, or if environmental standards were adhered to,” Sumet Aumporn, the new director of the Phuket Natural Resources and Environmental Office, said. He is now pushing for the new EMC to plough through the backlog of inspections. Consistency the key: The main reason for continuing beach encroachment is the lack of a set standard in the way inspections are conducted and laws are enforced, Mr Bhuritt explained. He believes the only way forward is to ensure consistency. “Without equal standards in project inspection, the issue will create resentment at the local level, with people asking: ‘If other people can encroach on the beach, why can’t I?’” he said. The ex-restaurant owners from Karon are no doubt asking that exact question. But Mr Bhurrit found the idea of locals protesting over losing their ‘working place’ on the beach somewhat comical. “It’s funny that today, people protest in an attempt not to have the law applied to them.” Only time will tell whether authorities will value consistency in their enforcement of encroachment, or whether the construction will continue until the ‘Pearl of the Andaman’ loses all its lustre. –Paritta Wangkiat
www.thephuketnews.com
12 ARTS
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Capturing the Cape
As you can see, this week’s random view is stunning. Phuket photographer Supachok Sakkaew has pulled out all the stops to capture this extraordinary view of the lighthouse at Cape Panwa at the southeastern tip of Phuket. What makes the photo so dramatic and eye-catching is the appreciation of the chiaroscuro (light and dark) of the evening scene, as enhanced by the setting sun. Studying the photographic masterpieces of maestro American nature photographers such as Ansel Adams and Minor White, one sees how they had carefully printed their gelatin silver work, in their chemically-infused darkrooms,
There’s no place like home
Artist Montien Yangthong normally paints at his eponymous gallery, I Mon Studio Gallery, located along from the On On Hotel on Phang Nga Road in Old Phuket Town, but was showing a few of his paintings at the Thanyapura Art & Organic Farmer’s Market held at the Thanyapura Sports & Leisure Club last Sunday (September 25). Having moved from Khon Kaen to Phuket some years ago to work in the hospitality industry, Montien eventually decided instead to open his studio on the island to try to
to show the full range of light from absolute black to pure white, while keeping all the lovely gradients in between. By insisting on reproduci ng t h at r a nge, a nd by achieving absolute sharpness of focus, their prints became magical: nature at its most beautiful, and yes, at its most spiritual. Clearly Supachok has learned from the masters. All we need to do now is to let this wonderful image overwhelm us individually in the best possible way. –Norachai Thavisin
Gallery f focus
earn a living from his life’s passion. His paintings sell for up to B8,000 each, and he says that his customers are mostly foreign visitors. Montien’s inspiring work offers unique personal visions, showing details of objects used in daily life, in subdued harmonious colours, including signature golden grains of rice, to remind him of the rice-fields of his native northeastern home.
Painting by Somrak Manermai, Red Gallery.
Art de Phunara
149/11 Srisoonthorn Rd, Cherng Talay, 076 527 562, info@phunara.com; phunara.com. Open daily 10am-7pm, closed Sunday.
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Ceramics of Phuket
71/3 Vichitsongkram Rd, Kathu; 185/6-7 Srisoonthorn Rd, Cherng Talay, 076 326 870, info@ceramicsofphuket.com; ceramicsofphuket.com.
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Chatriya Gallery
An audience with the gods
I Mon Art Gallery
Arteye
www.thephuketnews.com
view
Phuket Galleries
As part of The Phuket News’ commitment to promoting the island’s emerging art scene, we welcome all details of local art galleries, upcoming exhibitions, promising artists and more. Contact us at: managingeditor@thephuketnews.com
The Chinese deities in the pantheon at the Jui Tui Temple on Phutorn Rd seem more pleased than usual as they look out on to the temple courtyard at the heart of the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket Town, currently in full flight. Firecrackers burst loudly and often, filling the air with acrid gunpowder smoke. Festival-goers, mostly dressed in pure white, stroll down streets packed with vegetarian food stalls, sampling delicacies, feeding the soul without having to kill animals in the process. The true believers, who know the identities of all these multi-coloured deities, gather at the Jui Tui Temple shrine
Random
2/18 Limelight Ave, Dibuk Rd, Phuket Town, 076 225 284, chariyagallery@gmail.com.
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29/2 Phang Nga Rd, Phuket Town, montien_29@live.com. Open daily 8am-7.30pm.
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King Art Studio
21 & 50 Soi Bangla, Patong, 086 682 9130, info@kingsartstudio.com; kingartstudio.com. Open daily 10am-midnight.
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Lat Design and Art Garden
95/33 Sai Yuan Rd, Naiharn, 086 294 3971, ja_rassri@hotmail.com.
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Phuket Modern Art
5/28 Haad Patong Rd, Patong, 089 646 8838, info@phuketmodernart; comphuketmodernart.com.
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Red Gallery
Phuket Art Village, Soi Naya 2, Rawai, 087 323 321, redgallerythai@yahoo.com; phuketredgallery.com.
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Sarasil Art Galllery
121 Phang Nga Rd, Phuket Town, 076 224 532, somkiatkaewnok@yahoo.com; oilpaintingsphuket.com. Open daily 8pm-9pm.
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Clash of the titans: assembled Chinese deities greet visitors to the Jui Tui Temple. to ask the assembled gods for special favours. It must be comforting to be able to rely on this strength in numbers
for support in all aspects of one’s life. Comfortingly, the deities are in the guise of human
beings, jolly wise men and women, and even a helpful monkey as well, standing by to grant wishes.
Siam Gallery
73/66 Kamala-Patong Rd, Kamala, 089 586 4133, siamgallery.phuket@hotmail.co.th.
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Soul of Asia
5/50, 2/F, The Plaza Surin, Surin, info@soulofasia.com; soulofasia.com.
PEOPLE 13
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Sky high on the island life
Andrew Hogg
M.D. of Phuket Travel Company & Loveli Boutique Guesthouse What were you doing 10 years ago? I was working as a sales director for ITC Classics and Deva Travel, an upmarket tour company in the UK. I was making travel arrangements mainly on faraway tours and trips and dealing with many stars and celebrities. And, of course, I was sending lots of customers to Phuket. Who would have thought I would come here to live myself? Why did you move here? I have lived in Phuket for five years. I moved here from Chester in the U.K. My reasons for moving here? The lovely, friendly people, wonderful climate, the variety of scenery, beautiful beaches, tropical islands, national parks and cosmopolitan lifestyle. What were were doing before you moved here? I worked in the travel industry for 30 years working for many of the major airlines and travel companies, such as British Airways, Emirates,
Exposed Thomas Cook, ITC Classics, and Pickfords Travel. What is the best thing about life in Phuket? Living with my wonderful Thai partner and working with Thai people – they are very friendly and fascinating. It’s lovely to work in a warm tropical climate. As well as that, the opportunity to meet so many different people from all over the world, Phuket is such a multicultural society. Plus, the lovely places to visit such as Raya Island, Krabi, Phi Phi island, and Khao Sok National Park. What hobbies or sports are you interested in? My hobby is aviation – I am crazy about aircraft and have a wide collection of aircraft models. I also love music, and enjoy reading the newspaper. What kind of music do you usually listen to? Music from the 1980s, 1990s,
Briton Andrew Hogg has lived in Phuket for five years. and 2000s, including Human League, Spandau Ballet, Visage, Starship, and Gala. My favourite song and video is Gwen Stefani’s Cool.
soap opera freak. I also like listening to music of the ’80s and ’90s. But my real passion is of course travel, and this year I holidayed in the U.K. and Spain.
How do you relax? I watch good old English television, including my favourite soap operas, Coronation Street and Emmerdale. I am such a
Favourite food or dish? I love Spanish food. Especially paella. Let’s have a good Spanish restaurant in Phuket!
Advice for people planning to move to Phuket? Research the island before you move here, particularly if you are planning a business. Do a business plan, study the market, and do your homework. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you while living on the island? My 90-year-old mother making a surprise visit. The person you admire the most and why? My mother because she is so strong and courageous, despite losing her lifelong partner of 60 years. She continues to enjoy life to the full, with her great love of fashion, shopping and pop music even at 90 years old. She is my rock. If you could come back as any other person, who would it be and why? I would come back as myself but not make the same mistakes I did the first time. I have enjoyed my life and the challenges it has given me, but in my next life I would have moved to Phuket at a younger age. I left it too late this time. Is there anything you don’t like about living here? I miss the choice of U.K. brands of food. It’s improving all the time but I still miss the
retail shopping in the UK. We now have Next, but can we have River Island and Burtons next, please? And a real Marks and Spencer with their lovely sandwiches – then Phuket will be a perfect place. Fa vo u r i t e p l a c e o n the island, and why? I love Raya Island. It is beautiful and the complete opposite to Patong. Sitting on the beach watching the sunset with a pina colada – heaven! What’s your favourite Phuket night out? Dinner with my Thai partner at my favourite restaurant, the Irish Times in Jungceylon, with great owners Tommy and Ronnie, followed by a few drinks and a visit to a karaoke bar to sing a few songs. I am so good at singing Born to be Alive, and Sky High (I’m starting to show my age). What’s the naughtiest thing you've done as an adult? Always a good boy. Honest. Where in Phuket would you take someone on a first date? A seafront restaurant in Rawai. What would you choose to be your final meal? Maybe the Bill Bentley Pub at the airport – my last chance for a mai Thai cocktail.
STREET PEOPLE
Pushed to the edge A rickety handmade trolley rolls down a busy street leading to the fountain roundabout in Phuket’s Old Town. Pushed by an old lady, a small Thai flag and a bright-yellow one for His Majesty The King fly proudly on top of a burgeoning pile of boxes being collected to be recycled. At 74 years of age, silverhaired Yai Nuan, dressed in a loose yellow T-shirt, is struggling to push the trolley and its full load in the direction of home. While she allows The Phuket News to tell her life story, she asks that her face not be clearly shown in the photo. “I don’t want anyone to know about me,” she says smiling broadly, showing a row of front false teeth that keep slipping down. “I’m just happy to be by myself and to potter along.” Born in Chumphon, a province located halfway down the southern peninsula, as an only child, she studied in Bangkok and graduated in accountancy from Thammasat University, learning some English along the way. “Those were my wild days. I was too headstrong and
Elderly Yai Nuan recycles cardboard boxes for a living. wasted my money. So now I summary of the daily official don’t have much, but I won’t events that members of the rely on anyone to help me. Royal Family presided over. “It’s good to have been “I don’t watch anything rich, so that when you are poor else or other news. It’s full of you realise that you don’t really greed and they only tell you need stuff you can’t take with lies,” she says. you when you die.” Her aim is to raise enough Every day, the plucky old money to build a shrine for recycler takes her box gather- the ashes of her parents in a ing home, parking it overnight temple back in Chumphon before selling it at a commer- “before I die”. cial recycler located some way Next time we meet, this away in the morning. reporter will ask where Yai She will soon relax in Nuan lives, and will drop off front of the TV in her rented his recycling to her. room, watching only the news –Norachai Thavisin www.thephuketnews.com
14 ONCAMERA
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
The fire show created new constellations in the night sky.
WHITE DELIGHT
A shining performance from the party’s silver-clad dance girls had the crowd in rapture.
Twin Palms General Manager Olivier Gibaud (left) presided quietly over the party.
Twin Palms staff mixing up the white theme. www.thephuketnews.com
H
undreds of people jammed the Catch Beach Club at Surin Beach on Saturday (September 24) for the annual Twin Palms White Party, celebrating the seventh anniversary of the hotel.
The crowds were entertained by DJs, drum and bass tunes, shiny silver dancers, a spectacular fire show and – the highlight for Thai fans – a performance by popular singer Dome Pakorn Lam. Photos: Alasdair Forbes
It’ll be all white on the night, for these three partygoers at least.
Four shiny heads - spot the odd one out (fifth guy, on the left).
Give us a smile - all the nice girls love a camera.
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
15
www.thephuketnews.com
16 BUSINESS
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Selecting the right referee
Is the Asian LCC market already too crowded? Vietnam Airlines doesn’t think so.
Vietnam Airlines plans to launch low-cost carrier Vietnam Airlines is considering entering Asia’s booming low-cost aviation sector with a new offshoot, while aiming to build its home base into a major entry point for Indochina, its chief says. The state-owned airline is confronted with “growing pressure” from Asia’s budget operators, president and CEO Pham Ngoc Minh told AFP in an interview. “We see opportunities in the low-cost segment,” he said, without revealing more details of the group’s plans. From Malaysia’s AirAsia to India’s GoAir and the Philippines’ Cebu Pacific, a host of no-frills airlines have spread their wings in Asia in recent years, in a challenge to the traditionally more expensive flag carriers. While some analysts argue the market is already too crowded, given the dozens of discount airlines already criss-crossing the skies, others believe there is still room for more competition. Aviation analyst Shukor Yusof of Standard & Poor’s Equity Research said flying is
currently affordable for only a relatively low percentage of Vietnam’s 86 million people. He said Vietnam Airlines should “seriously” consider starting a low-cost subsidiary. Vietnam Airlines also hopes to make the country’s two biggest airports, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, a gateway to the fast-growing sub-region of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, competing with Bangkok and other regional hubs. Analysts agree that Indochina, with more than 100 million people, has strong tourism potential, but they say Vietnam remains far from hub status. Vietnam needs “a lot more spending” on airport and other infrastructure for it to become a gateway to compete with hubs like Singapore or Hong Kong, said Jonathan Galaviz, chief economist at Galaviz and Co consultancy, which focuses on travel and leisure. The government says the number of foreign arrivals in Vietnam was more than 3.9 million in the first eight months of the year. By com-
parison, tiny Singapore’s visitors exceeded three million in the first three months. Analysts say those numbers could be boosted if Vietnam Airlines can begin service to the United States, home to a large percentage of the four-million-strong Vietnamese diaspora. But flights to the US west coast have still not begun pending US Federal Aviation Administration approval of Vietnam’s security and other standards, Minh said. The airline has previously cited similar reasons for delays in the service, which it has talked about for several years. “We will open our direct flight to west coast America” on receiving the all-clear, said Minh, a veteran of almost three decades with the airline. He assumed the top job in December 2007. Galaviz called US-Vietnamese routes “critical” to bilateral relations. Since the restoration of diplomatic ties between the former enemies in 1995, a wide range of links has evolved. –AFP
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liberto@construction-thailand.com 40 years experience of more than 20 years at your service in Thailand.
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In the previous three columns on arbitration, we have looked at the value of following this route to dispute resolution as opposed to taking a dispute to court, and at how arbitration works. In this, the fourth and final article in the series, we look at one crucial aspect: how the arbitrator or arbitration panel is chosen. One of the advantages of arbitration proceedings over domestic court proceedings is the opportunity for the parties involved in a dispute to select the person or people who will decide on the issue in question – the arbitrators. In arbitration proceedings, the contending parties can nominate arbitrators with the specialised and up-to-date knowledge required to understand the technical background of the issues in question. Section 17 of the 2002 Arbitration Act of Thailand (“the Act”) states that the number of arbitrators forming the tribunal must be an uneven number. If the parties nominate an even number, the arbitrators will need to choose another arbitrator to create an uneven number. If the parties fail to agree on the number of arbitrators, Section 17 further provides that a sole arbitrator will be appointed. Section 19 of the Act requires that the arbitrator be “independent and impartial” and possess the particular qualifications, if any, agreed by the parties. Interpretation of the terms “independent” and “impartial” is highly controversial and subject to dispute but, in general, the lack of close relations between an arbitrator and either party in the dispute means the arbitrator is “independent” “Impartiality” refers to the arbitrator’s lack of prejudice with respect to a party or the matter in dispute. Such definitions are, however, still very vague.
Olaf Duensing Tax & Law Expert Duensing Kippen
Some guidance has been provided by the International Bar Association (IBA) in its Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest in International Arbitration (Guidelines). While the Guidelines are not legally binding, the standards they articulate are generally accepted. A potential arbitrator may, for example, turn to the Guidelines to determine what facts he is required to disclose before accepting appointment as an arbitrator. Alternatively, for example, a party may turn to the Guidelines to determine under what circumstances they may nominate or challenge an arbitrator. Some of the most common issues that need to be assessed when determining whether or not an arbitrator is adequately independent and impartial are: • The relationship between either party and the arbitrator; • The relationship between either party and an arbitrator’s law firm; • The relationship between an arbitrator and either party’s counsel; • Previous appointments as an arbitrator (repeated appointments by one of the parties); • Ex-parte contacts immediately before the appointment – in other words the arbitrator has had discussions that exclude one of the parties to the dispute; • Non-disclosure of any of the above. It must be noted that none of the above, in itself, determines that a potential arbitrator is not independent or not impartial. The determination will always depend on the circumstances of an individual case. And even if no issue raises sufficient doubt of independence or impartiality at a particular stage of the arbitration
proceedings, the arbitrator is duty bound to disclose any issue that arises later in the proceedings, for the relevant parties’ consideration. If a party in the dispute believes that an appointed arbitrator is not independent or impartial, they have the right to challenge that arbitrator. The procedure for challenging an appointed arbitrator is dictated by the relevant arbitration institute’s rules and by the Act. Where it is decided that an arbitrator was not independent or impartial at the time of appointment or was no longer independent or impartial later in the proceedings, that arbitrator will then be removed from the tribunal and replaced. With regard to the arbitrator’s independence and impartiality, it is noteworthy that Section 23 of the Act (somewhat controversially in relation to most other jurisdictions’ arbitration legislation) imposes criminal sanctions on any arbitrator for “demanding, accepting, or agreeing to accept an asset or any other benefit for himself or anyone else for doing or omitting to do any act in his duties”. Choosing the right arbitrator with the right skills, who will make the right decisions, is among the most important and sometimes also the most difficult decisions in the arbitration proceedings. Whether the right choice is someone with the appropriate legal training, skills and experience, or whether it is someone with specialised or “hands-on” expertise will depend on the dispute that gave rise to the claim. Competent legal counsel with solid arbitration experience will be able to help the parties in making the right choice of arbitrators, and will also be able to identify issues that make it advisable to challenge an arbitrator. ■■ Duensing Kippen is a multi-service boutique law firm specialising in real estate and corporate/commercial transactional matters as well as arbitration proceedings arising therefrom, and is the only such firm in Thailand that also compliments its transactional expertise with a core tax law practice. Duensing Kippen can be reached by email at phuket@dktaxandlaw.com. For more information visit their website at dktaxandlaw.
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
BUSINESS & TOURISM 17
www.thephuketnews.com
18 BUSINESS/PROPERTY
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Exports see big jump The Commerce Ministry has reported that total exports in August were valued at more than B645 billion (US$21.5 billion), increasing by 31 per cent from the same period last year, despite the slowing US economy for three consecutive months. The Ministry said that regardless of the economic problems in the US and Europe, Thai exports continues to grow. Per manent Secret a r y of the Commerce Ministry Yanyong Puangraj reported the increase. Consequently, total export value for the first eight months of the year is at B4,740 billion ($158 billion), an increase of 26.4 per cent year-on-year. Import value in August is at B681 billion ($22.7 billion), a rise of 44 per cent, marking a trade deficit of B36 billion ($1.2 billion), the first time in four months. However, given the total export value for the first eight months, Thailand is still enjoying a trade surplus of more than B150 billion (five billion dollars).
Mr Yanyong pointed out that the deficit was brought about by the import of raw materials to be manufactured into export goods. Mr Yanyong also said that there is nothing to be concerned about with the US and European economic crises as Thailand has diversified markets for its exports. The permanent secretary added that all types of export goods have seen growth, particularly agricultural products. He noted there is still room for growth of 3.5 per cent for Thai exports to the US despite the economy there slowing for three consecutive months. Mr Yanyong predicted that total export for the year will grow by 20 per cent, up from 15 per cent projected earlier, with a value of B6,720 ($224 billion). Meanwhile, the Ministry has also passed on a cash donation of B639,000 from businesses to flood victims. For those interested in making donations, please call either of the Ministry’s 1203 and 1569 hotlines. The Export Promotion
Department is confident Thailand would be able to meet its original export growth target of 15 per cent for this year despite the effects of the economic crisis in Europe. Still, the department is urging exporters to target
more markets in Asia. Deputy Commerce Minister Siriwat Kajornprasart presided over an event called Export Clinic 2011 at the Export Promotion Department. The Minister said the event has been organised
to provide business knowledge to entrepreneurs especially SMEs. Thai trade representatives from 63 countries were on ha nd to g ive a dv ice and discuss with business operators on how Thai products can become more competitive overseas. Export Promotion Department Deputy Director-General Wuttichai Duangrat is confident Thailand will be able to meet its export growth target of 15 per cent for this year. He said Thai expor ts have remained relatively unaffected by the economic crisis in Europe. However, the Department is urging businesses to shift its focus to market opportunities in Asia. Mr Wuttichai added that the ASEAN Economic Community, scheduled to be established in 2015, will turn ASEAN member countries into one unified market. He believes the economic integration effort will enable Thai exports to grow by 20 to 30 per cent annually. –TAN
A private pool villa in Rawai
This luxurious 220sqm villa wraps around three sides of the private pool.
www.thephuketnews.com
This three-bedroom home in a quiet side street in Rawai would make a great family home or rental house. Completely surrounded by a high wall and tropical plants and trees, the villa has absolute privacy. There is no through-traffic on the road and just a handful of neighbours. Just a few minutes from Rawai and Nai Harn beaches, the home has a private, tropical garden with pool. Arranged in a U-shape around the pool, the 220sqm villa has a practical layout, with the living area in the centre and the bedrooms at either end. Currently there is a cosy lounge, dining area and office set up. However, the area can be rearranged as needed. The
Island home
kitchen is also spacious with lots of storage space. The house has an alarm system. Each bedroom has an ensuite bathroom. The rooms are large with built-in and walk-in wardrobes, and two of the bedrooms have sliding glass doors opening onto the pool terrace. The property covers 750 sqm and is for sale, freehold, for B12.5 million, or may be rented. For further information contact Patrick Lusted at Siam Real Estate. Call 076-288908 or email patrick@siamrealestate.co, or visit the website at siamrealestate.com
IN BRIEF China gets first gold vending machine China, already the world’s second largest bullion consumer, has installed the country’s first gold vending machine in a busy shopping district in Beijing, state media said on Sunday (September 25). Shoppers in the popular Wangfujing Street can insert cash or a bank card to withdraw gold bars or coins of various weights, the People’s Daily newspaper reported on its website. Each withdrawal is capped at 2.5 kilograms or one million yuan (about B4.7 million) worth of gold, the report said. Gold vending machines already exist in Britain, the United States, the Middle East and Europe. The machine was launched by the Beijing Agricultural Commercial Bank and a gold trading company, the People’s Daily report said. More mach i nes a re planned in secure locations such as gold shops and upmarket private clubs. Gold is often used as a hedge against inflation and the machines could prove popular among Chinese consumers looking for a convenient way to safeguard their cash amid rising prices. – AFP
Free electricity scheme criticised Operators are complaining that the free-electricity policy for households consuming less than 90 units a month will cost the industrial sector over B12 billion per year in energy costs. They are urging the Government to reduce the rate to 50 units a month and to quickly clarify the minimum wage hike policy. Payungsak Chatutthipol, Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), said that the policy to waive electricity fees for households consuming less than 90 units a month will have a severe impact on the industrial sector, as it will push up prices for other users and will cost industry more than B12 billion a year in energy costs. The FTI has urged the Energy Regulatory Commission instead to cut the 90 units rate to 50 or 60 units a month, believing that it will still help low-income earners. FTI Deputy Chairman Jane Namchaisiri said he, too, disagrees with the policy, since it does not promote energy-saving and will hit the industrial sector, which uses a large of amount of energy will thus have an effect on business competitiveness.
BUSINESS/PROPERTY 19
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Phuket hotels lead regional performance Phuket hotels scored well ahead of other destinations in Asia in the latest data compiled by industry analysts STR Global, with the region’s second-highest occupancy rate increase, and the thirdhighest increase in revenue per available room (RevPAR). In general, hotels in the Asia Pacific region experienced mostly positive results in the three key performance metrics during August 2011 when reported in US Dollars. In year-on-year measurements, the Asia-Pacific region’s occupancy ended the month vir t ually f lat with a 0.1 per cent increase to 68.1 per cent. “We see almost equal
demand and supply growth across Asia Pacific, keeping occupancy levels steady for the moment,” Elizabeth Randall, managing director of STR Global, said. However, Bangkok and Phuket bucked this trend, with the capital reporting the largest occupancy increase in the region, rising 26.7 per cent to 65.3 per cent, followed by Phuket, with a 25.2 per cent increase to 71.8 per cent occupancy. Average daily rate (ADR) increased 12.2 per cent to US$142.86, and RevPAR jumped 12.3 per cent to US$97.32. Once again, Thailand did well, with Bangkok seeing
a climb of 32.2 per cent to B1,878.67 and Phuket rising 31.2 per cent to B2,000.64. “Average room rates continue to improve against the previous year. “Looking at Japan, five months after the tragic events in March, hoteliers reported 81 per cent occupancy, matching August 2010 results. Demand is returning month on month and we would expect it to grow again soon against last year.” Other highlights from key market performers for August 2011 in local currency (yearon-year comparisons): Three markets reported double-digit falls in occupancy: Shanghai (-21.1 per
cent to 56.3 per cent); New Delhi (-19.4 per cent to 52.9 per cent); and Jakarta (-13.4 per cent to 51.7 per cent). Hong Kong jumped 27.9 per cent in ADR to HK$1,749.51, achieving the largest increase in that metric. Shanghai (-12.5 per cent to CNY714.45) and Tokyo, Japan (-9.2 per cent to JPY13,021.13), reported the largest ADR decreases. Hong Kong saw the biggest RevPAR increase, up 34.3 per cent to HK$1,502.20. Shanghai RevPAR fell 31.0 per cent to RMB401.89 – the largest decrease in that metric – followed by New Delhi with a 24.7-per-cent decrease to R3,592.66.
Industrial confidence dips Thailand’s Industrial Confidence Index in August dropped to 102.5 from 105.2 in July, the result of lower purchase and sales orders, production quantity and profits, according to a survey by the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). FTI Chairman Payungsak Chartsuthipol on Thursday said the decline was due to entrepreneurs’ concern over rising production costs, increasing interest rates, the strong baht affecting exports, flooding in several provinces and a fragile global economy. However, the August index, which nonetheless stood at over 100, reflected the fact that entrepreneurs remained generally confident in their own businesses. The indust r ial conf idence index in the next three months is projected to edge up to 110.0, f rom 107.4 forecast in July. Mr Payungsak explained that the projected increase was because industrial entrepreneurs forecast that the total
purchase and sales orders, productions, production cost and profits would rise. In a related issue, most industrial operators voiced their concern about the government’s B300-a-day minimum
wage policy. They called on the government to clarify the policy and map out a plan to reduce possible impacts related to the wage hike. The entrepreneurs also urged the government to ease
IN BRIEF JLL signs first Krabi management deal Jones Lang LaSalle announced on Tuesday that it has signed its first property management deal in Krabi: The Pelican Krabi, a resort development by Perry Group International. Dexter Norville, Head of Estate Management for Jones Lang LaSalle, said that the company was pleased to have been awarded the contract to manage its first property in Krabi. “We are expecting Krabi to become more popular over the next few years as it has increasingly been recognised as an alternative destination to Phuket and Koh Samui, which are both established destinations. “The growing reputation of Krabi and the [fact that it has an] international airport
will help bring more tourist arrivals each year. Thais and foreigners alike looking to buy a holiday home or retire in Thailand may well choose Krabi.” Andrew Ngamsappasilp, CEO of Perry Group, said, “Jones Lang LaSalle is an experienced management company, and we believe that it understands what level of service is required and can provide exper t guidance in the field of juristic management. “In addition, Jones Lang LaSalle is a strong international property management brand, and our customers, many of whom are overseas buyers, will recognise it and see that we have considered high-standard after-sales service for them.”
Tourism groups unite to support Phuket The marketing of Phuket as an international tourist destination has received a boost, with two of Thailand’s major travel associations joining forces. Skål International Phuket and South Thailand, and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Thailand Chapter issued a statement saying they will work together with local government and Phuket’s travel industry to “aggressively promote” the island as a destination. To kick off their new partnership, an event was held at the Movenpick Resort on Karon Beach on Saturday (September 24). Speakers included Asian Trails CEO Luzi Matzig,
PATA Director of Chapter Development Ben Montgomery, HotelTravel.com Founder and CEO Blair Speers, Skål International Phuket and South Thailand President Blandine Cressard, and PATA Thailand Chapter Chairman Bert van Walbeek. “PATA and Skål work closely together in Bangkok and our joint event in Phuket allows us to explore new ways to deepen collaboration,” Mr van Walbeek said. “Both orga n isat ions seek to promote Thailand as a successful long-term tourism destination.” For more information visit skalphuket.org or patathailand.org.
problems related to labour shortages, to improve skills of workers in the industrial sector, to strengthen political stability and to implement measures to boost domestic consumption –MCOT
Vegetarian Festival boosts sales of oil
The Vegetarian Festival is expected to boost the sales of vegetable oil and bring billions of baht into circulation across the country. According to Kasikorn Research Center, (KSR) the vegetarian festival is likely to push the sales of vegetable oil by 10 per cent. This year, the vegetable oil industry is predicted to see a 20-25-per-cent rise and generate B25 billion in income. However, KSR has warned that the demand jump could lead to shortage of oil. Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce and University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce Members of the British Business Association - Phuket (BBAP), (from left) Richard Valentine, Steve Lawrence, Simon Penney and have speculated that B35 billion would be spent Andrew Campbell, enjoy the association’s regular meeting, held at during the vegetarian festival, up from B33 the Irish Times pub in Jungceylon, Patong last Friday (September 23). billion from the same period last year. – NNT
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20 WEIRDWORLD
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Leeches save woman’s face
Imagine 358 of these lovelies sucking on your face.
Who said creepy bloodsucking worms don’t have a place in modern medicine? One Swedish woman will no doubt be advocating their benefits after doctors used 358 of the little bloodsuckers to help reattach part of her face that was bitten off in an attack by her own dog. The operation was conducted on the woman’s upper lip, nose and cheek, with the leeches then employed to get the blood re-flowing to the severed body parts. The woman’s nose was successfully reattached and she can eat, breathe and talk after the 15-hour procedure
to reattach her skin, Sweden’s The Local reported. Af ter the at tack in August, the woman’s relatives kept the loose chunk of skin chilled while she was rushed to Skåne University Hospital in Malmö, in southern Sweden, and specialist Stina Klasson was called in. “The most important thing was to get blood into the torn off body part, which we managed to do within an hour of the start of the operation,” Dr Klasson said. “The grower who supplies the hospital with leeches ran out. More leeches had to be flown in from the U.K.”
Parents take Dead ‘friend’ drastic action to shouts night reclaim freedom on the town
After several failed attempts to convince their 41-yearold son to leave the nest, a Venetian couple have hired a lawyer in a last bid for domestic peace and quiet, Italian media have reported. The parents, whose names were not published, were said to be exhausted by fending for their adult offspring, cooking his meals and doing his washing and ironing, according to reports. “We cannot do it any more. My wife is suffering from stress and had to be hospitalised,” said the father, who approached the legal department of a consumer association, ADICO, for help.
The son “has a good job but still lives at home. He demands that his clothes be washed and ironed and his meals prepared. He really has no intention of leaving.” Reports said the son also had aggressive tendencies. ADICO lawyer Andrea Camp said a letter was sent to the son, advising him to leave the house within six days or face legal action. If he refuses, lawyers will ask a court to issue a protection order to the parents against their son. ADICO says hundreds of Italian families face similar difficulty in getting rid of their adult children. –AFP
When most people find their friend dead, the usual response is to call the police. If you’re these two men from Colorado though, the correct response to that scenario would be to drive that dead friend around in a car, before using his bank card to buy drinks and visit a strip club. On account of that unusual moral code, Robert Jeffrey Young and Mark Rubinson have been charged with abusing a corpse, identity theft and criminal impersonation. It is not clear how their friend Jeffrey Jarrett died on August 27, but it is alleged that the two men left him propped
up in a car while they drank in a bar – with the bill charged to their deceased pal’s tab. Young and Rubinson are then said to have driven around a little more before stopping at a restaurant for a bite to eat. Only then did the two friends drive Jarrett home, but the authorities claim their little escapade didn’t stop there. They suggest Young and Rubinson then used Jarrett’s cash card to withdraw $400 (B12,000), which the pair then took to a local strip club. Only after all this did the pair report their friend’s death, investigators allege.
The six million dollar (toy) car The marketers of this new toy could have a real challenge on their hands – a model car worth six times as much as the real thing. More specifically, this toy is a model Lamborghini Aventador, and for the same price you could buy yourself six real Lamborghini Aventadors. To most the decision makes itself, but an elaborate new scale model of the range-topping Lambo has been tipped to fetch nearly five million dollars when it comes up for auction later this year. The one-eighth scale model – labelled as the most expensive model car in the world – has been created by German model making enthusiast Robert Gulpen in cahoots with the Italian supercar manufacturer. It reportedly took more www.thephuketnews.com
than 500 hours to create, with the body of the car milled from carbon fibre with intricate gold thread lacework. Reports claim that the car is embedded with approximately €2 million (B83 million) of precious stones and metals, including glitzy gold and platinum wheels, bejewelled headlights, a pair of diamond-lined seats and steering wheel, and, unlike some model cars, you can open and close the doors. “This is a high-tech work of art,” Gulpen is quoted as saying. “I wanted to do something unique, something that has not existed until now.” The model car will be auctioned in December by Sotheby’s, with a reported starting price of €3.5 million (B146 million) – about six times as much as the regular
THE BIG LIST Stupidly expensive everyday items Posh Instant Noodles – B1,290: Yep, even common instant noodles come in luxury versions. For a bargain B1,290 per cup, you can own one of 100 exclusive Pot Noodle cups. Each posh noodle comes in a hand-flocked gold leaf pot, and also comes with a fork and table linen. Gold-plated Staples – B5,250: You can’t possibly expect anyone to fully understand just how filthy rich you really are unless even your staples are gold plated. Snap. Diamond Encrusted Bluetooth Headset – B1.5 million: If your wife is concerned that her big ugly plastic bluetooth is overpowering her gold and diamond earrings, why not compromise with this diamond encrusted headset from Plantronics? All yours, dear. Monogrammed Leather Keyboard – B18,000: Plastic? How quaint. When you have the perfect manly study, complete with rich leather chairs, a full liquor cabinet, and a roaring fireplace, would you have a cheap plastic keyboard set on top of your solid mahogany desk? Absolutely not. You would have a Gokukawa soft leather keyboard with monogrammed keys for a mere 18 grand. Louis Vuitton Skateboard – B250,000: If you’re a skater you probably have no interest in a Louis Vuitton skateboard. But to be fair, anyone interested in a B250,000 LV skateboard probably isn’t too interested in skateboarding either. Kickflip anyone? Gold and Diamond Headphones – B155,000: These 18 carat gold earphones feature 118 high quality diamonds and despite all the extra weight are said to be just as comfortable as your plastic pair. Just much more expensive. Tiffany Tennis Ball Can – B45,000: Since you’re playing to impress, why not get a fancy can to keep your balls in? Of course, because it’s Tiffany, this particular tennis ball can is made of sterling silver and will set you back a pricey B45,000. Now that’s ace. Luxury Bullets – B90,000: If all bullets cost this much there would be a lot less violence in the world. Or possibly just between rich people. The Bullet Forge designed 9mm bullets are made from white gold and diamonds, while the 45 ACP hollow-point is made of white gold with 90 diamonds positioned around an amethyst. Concrete Aalto Doorstop – B105,000: While the rest of us are using cinder blocks for doorstops, somewhere in some mansion there’s a B105,000 chunk of cement holding a door open. You may (but probably don’t) notice that this doorstop is shaped like a world famous Alvar Aalto or Savoy vase, and that’s because it was cast in an original which was then shattered to let out the mould. Crystal Ergoripado Vacuum – B570,000: Combine one average vacuum with 3730 Swarovski crystals and you have the Crystal Ergoripado, possibly the most expensive home cleaning appliance ever built – though at this price you probably won’t let the maid anywhere near it.
For the man who already has six Lamborghinis. Lamborghini Aventador. Eager to secure it before the auction? You can buy it now for €4.5 million (B180m). The model was unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show, and is encased in a bullet-proof glass casing with integrated electronic sensors. On the topic of stupid
things rich people buy, a Chinese man this week also laid down 250,000 Singapore dollars (almost B6 million) for a bottle of scotch. For the alcoholics out there, that kind of money could have bought more than 25,000 bottles of Sangsom, or an entire bottle per day for 68 years.
Diamond Computer Mouse – B800,000: With some 59 diamonds, this sparkling design by Swiss IT manufacturer Pat Says Now holds the honour of not only being the world’s most expensive computer mouse, but probably also the world’s most useless computer mouse. Gold and Diamond Sauce Pan – B4.65 million: Perfect for the housewife who’s bored with her Swarovskistudded vacuum cleaner, and already has the diamondencrusted Bluetooth headset, is this remarkable sauce pan with gold handles that’s studded with 200 diamonds.
ONCAMERA 21
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Potential triathletes go through their paces with multiple Ironman champion Jürgen Zäck.
Future champs in training Twelve athletic youngsters joined an after-school training session on September 22 as part of their preparations for the next Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) IronKids Phuket Triathlon.
Show i ng t hem how was Jürgen Zäck, multiple Ironman champion, as well as trainers from TSLC. Training sessions take place every Tuesday (swim and bike training) and Thursday
Phoebe Leonard, left, and Jordan Gibbons battle for glory.
(bike and run training) from 3.45pm to 4.45pm. The aim of the TSLC IronKids triathlon is to inspire and motivate young people to lead an active, healthy lifestyle. The IronKids Triathlon Se-
ries, with competitors ranging in age from six to 15, offers age-appropriate race distances and training with emphasis on fitness, fun and safety. The Phuket News is a sponsor of IronKids.
Tired? Siam Yapp and Sara Kirkwood take a break.
Jürgen Zäck gives Phoebe Leonard some cycling tips.
Contender of the future, Jack Breit.
Eloise De Perthuis (left) and Allie Kirkwood.
Thalia Leonard with her speedy wheels.
Ben McMillan, a champion in last Hugo Ham (left) and Connor Breit want to year’s IronKids, trains to defend his title. be IronKids when they reach the age of six. www.thephuketnews.com
22 DOWNTIME BOOK REVIEW
MUSIC REVIEW
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
FILM REVIEW Mr Popper’s Penguins
Habibi
Craig Thompson Pantheon, 672 pages Cr a ig T hom p s on’s new graphic novel, Habibi, looks somewhat like a lost tome – perhaps a fitting package for a comic book that feels like an exotic, bizarre fairytale. Habibi tells the tale of Dodola and Zam, refugee child slaves bound to each other by chance, by circumstance, and by the love that grows between them. At its core is a love story of astounding resonance; a parable about our relationship with nature, the cultural divide between the first and third worlds, the common heritage of Christianity and Islam, and, most potently, the magic of storytelling. Thompson’s in kwork, all black and white, is bold yet intricate. Each page reveals a meticulous symmetry, sprawling across an epic landscape of deserts, harems, and modern industrial clutter.
Megafaun
Megafaun Hometapes After releasing two albums of exploratory, innovative space-folk, Megafaun make a radical move towards conventionality on their selftitled third record. Instead of meandering through the wilds of shapeshifting sonic experimentation and genre cross-pollination, the North Carolina trio has made a stunningly straightforward Southernrock record. A s s i n g e r s , t h e y’ve never sounded better, and the album’s more subtle, less showy instrumentation and more reeled-in compositions suggest a newfound maturity that they wear exceptionally well. Megafaun may be the band’s most immediately ingratiating, rewarding LP yet, as well-suited for a night strapped into headphones as it is a lazy Sunday morning.
120 minutes Rating: G Funny man Jim Carrey is unusually subdued in Mr Popper’s Penguins, a cheesy moral fable adapted from a best-selling 1930s children’s book centred on, you guessed it, Mr Popper and a rookery of penguins. Carrey plays the title role, a hard-hearted, self-obsessed property mogul with a sleazy line in sweet-talking clients into selling him their lucrative real estate. But Popper’s soulless, time-is-money lifestyle gets thrown helter skelter when six penguins arrive unexpectedly at his doorstep. It’s clear from the very beginning that Popper will go on to learn a valuable lesson, realise his job is awf ul, become more of a family man, and it’s all thanks to these pesky flightless Antarctic birds.
Indeed, the laziness of this script is something magnificent to behold. You could take almost any generic live-action family comedy from the last twenty years, change a few names and plot devices, and hey presto: You have Mr Popper’s Penguins. Popper’s character arc is the biggest problem – he switches from the ruthless money grabber to paladin and back again far too quickly, with the story’s internal logic crumbling with the transition. The film’s penguins are well animated (real penguins assisted with CGI animation) and the actors interact with them faultlessly, but the jokes in Mr. Popper’s Penguins are
sub-par, and not even Carrey’s slapstick mastery can make them come alive. It’s always a shame to see Carrey revert back to the safe little bubble he has with nonoffensive family comedies – they’re a certain box-office hit, but he’s demonstrated what tremendous acting talent he has if only he takes on a marginally more serious (Man on the Moon, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), or significantly more silly (Ace Ventura, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber) role. Perhaps with Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Carrey realised the limelight would always be stolen by his avian co-stars, so just didn’t even bother trying. The problem is that the penguins just aren’t really that likeable. They can’t talk (which might be for the best given the calibre of scriptwriting), and while they provide the odd moment of entertainment, they certainly won’t be topping anyone’s list of animated (or in this case, semianimated) characters.
What is interesting about Mr Popper’s Peng uin s though is that the usual run in this animal-oriented subgenre is for the villain to be a giant corporation, hunter, or selfish, wealthy individual who wants the animal for his own personal amusement. In this case, however, our hero is exactly that selfish, wealthy individual, while the villain is in fact a zookeeper who, would you believe, wants to care for them properly in a zoo. It doesn't take away from the feel-good nature of the film, but does add to the feeling that some of the prominent values promoted in the film border on the line of perverse. And so for anyone needing to keep the kids amused for two hours, Mr Popper’s Penguins may just have some value. For anyone else though, give this dull and painfully non-offensive ‘comedy’ a miss. –Dane Halpin
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.
SFX COLISEUM PHUKET
SFC JUNGCEYLON PHUKET
Abduction (E) [15+]: 13:15, 15:30, 17:45, 20:00, 22:15 Abduction (E/F) [15+]: 12:15, 14:30, 16:45, 19:00, 21:15 Johnny English (E) [13+]: 11:15, 13:30, 15:45, 18:00, 20:15, 22:30 Luer Lae (T/E.sub) [G]: 13:25, 17:45 Mr Popper’s Penguins (E) [G]: 14:05, 16:10, 18:15, 20:20, 22:25 Rak Jad Nak (T/E.sub) [15+]: 12:30, 14:45, 17:00, 19:15, 21:30 Shark Night (E/3D) [15+]: 12:45, 14:50, 16:50, 19:05, 21:10 U-Mong Pa Muang (T/E.sub) [15+]: 15:25, 19:45, 22:00
Abduction (E) [15+]: 11:30, 13:40, 15:50, 18:00, 20:10, 22:20 Bad Teacher (E) [18+]: 15:50, 20:00 Bangkok Kung Fu (T/E.sub) [15+]: 11:40, 14:45, 17:50, 21:25 Colombiana (E) [18+]: 19:05, 22:00 Johnny English (E) [13+]: 11:15, 13:30, 15:45, 18:05, 20:15, 22:30 Luer Lae (T/E.sub) [G]: 12:45 Shark Night (E) [15+]: 13:50, 17:00 Zookeeper (E) [G]: 12:15, 14:30, 16:45, 19:00, 21:15
STRETCH YOUR BRAIN Across 1. United Nations direct to take off the reins. (9) 6. Part of Jupiter in the French mint drink. (5) 9. Fear of cousins, relatively speaking. (7) 10. No saint takes drink as a remedy. (7) 11. Growth in a month of saints. (4). 12. Pair get ready for impact. (5) 13. Instrument for fibbing, we hear. (4) 16. Skin hat confused
Solutions to last week’s puzzles
ex-PM. (7) 17. Dry place give Sara a laugh. (6) 19. One with nine tails or lives? (3) 20. See about blame for shawl. (6) 21. It’s definitely the thing – or indefinitely. (7) 24. Foot part I am. Bravo! (4) 26. Sees agents. (5) 28. Canvas keeps sailor quiet. (4) 31. Living in deep water, oddly, lace pig. (7) 32. Anger about Victor, and note to Nemesis. (7) 33. Try a bit of writing. (5) 34. Lead attack on Harpoon Point. (9) Down 1. Scruffy punk met hybrid. (7) 2. Greeting from victim of Parkinson’s? (9) 3. Sun god pertaining to underdone meat. (4)
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4. Ability to withstand twisted red nuance. (9) 5. Child in charge of noise. (5) 6. Barely fair. (4) 7. Truck Larry changed a little. (5) 8. Lass for each way to indulge. (6) 14. Like, say, test. (5) 15. Loud drinks? (5) 17. Deadlock resulting from spouse lacking freshness. (9)
18. Record snarl in square, maybe. (9) 22. Finally ran out of breath. (7) 23. Pander to the French skin problem. (6) 25. Footwear for mounts. (5) 27. Walks in space, bizarrely. (5) 29. Such a scene is not attractive. (4) 30. Say “Beloved Doe!” (4)
ENVIRONMENT 23
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
A warm welcome to the wild Green thumb
S
haring may be the world’s answer to a happy, eco-friendly life, when you have limited space and resources. Several ideas of sharing already used around the world include car-sharing, to reduce the use of fossil fuels, sharing office space to fill up a building, or a backyard vegetable garden with neighbours or the community. Another way to share is to open up your garden to many different urban wildlife, such as squirrels, insects and birds. An increase in the numbers of animals and insects in an area can mean a positive environmental improvement, and harmony and balance in the food chain. But it is easy to dismiss the need for ecological association with animals because many people have limited access to green space in this day and age. As development occurs, animals and insects struggle to find an appropriate home. Though they have good skills in adapting their lifestyle,
Oriental magpie robins are often hard to find in urban areas. rapid urban development may not be something they can handle with ease. Even in an urban area, animals and insects still need a buffer zone away from humans to make them feel secure. An animal and insectfriendly garden is the perfect way to bring animals and people together in harmony. In your animal-friendly garden, food, water, shade and light are essential to attract animals and insects. Food sources include vari-
ous species of native plants that can create food for animals, such as fruit plants, and flowering plants with nectar. Native plants such as Ixora and Rangoon provide habitat and food to butterflies,while Calabura and banyan trees provide for birds. Try to choose plants that vary in height, and include different species, as different animals and insects prefer different habitats. A good cross-section of plants will ensure a vast range of ani-
Simply pour water in a container or install a birdbath and birds will flock to your home. mals are attracted to the garden, and the food chain will be balanced. A water source is also essential to any living animal. So create a small pond to invite little creatures into
your garden, or just simply pour water into a container in the outdoors. It’s very enjoyable to sit in your garden, listening to the animals and insects rustling about and enjoying themselves
in the habitat that you created especially for them. Sharing your life with animals and insects is a way to bring balance into your life as well as helping the environment. –Paritta Wangkiat
The spice is right
A stylish Small Wood Nymph butterfly at the Phuket Butterfly Garden and Insect World.
Delicate beauty on the wing In Phuket we are lucky to see many different butterf lies floating leisurely about. There seem to be a few more around now, so shall we meet one? This fragile winged beauty, with its stylish black-andwhite design, is a Small Wood Nymph (Ideopsis gaura). This photo of it was taken at the Phuket Butterfly Garden and Insect World (Soi Panieng, off Yaowarat Rd), which breeds clouds of butterflies galore. Here, it’s fascinating to observe the four stages of a butterfly’s life: the egg, the
Meet
the natives larva, the pupa and the imago – the butterfly itself. In their brief time on the wing, lasting only a week or so with some species, butterflies and moths make the most of their days in the sun. They gracefully wander about, daintily sipping sweet nectar from flowers that obligingly open for them, and pollinating the flowers at the same time. Courtship on the wing and genteel mating follows.
Then tiny eggs are laid on juicy leaves that will feed the hungry larvae after hatching. When the larvae – caterpillars – often strikingly striped and patterned, are ready for the next stage in their lives, they weave themselves into a comfy cocoon that hangs from branches and twigs. O ne f i ne d ay, mag ic h a p p e n s , a s t he you ng adult butterf lies cut themselves out of the cocoons, damp multi-coloured wings slowly unfurling. And the sky is again filled with this brief treat of nature.
How would our lives be without ginger (Zingiber off icinale)? Likely much worse off indeed. Native to Southeast Asia, this valuable plant is now grown around the world, with India boasting 30 per cent of global production, followed by China (20 per cent) and Indonesia (13 per cent). A very easy-to-grow plant, ginger is widely-used as a hot infusion to fight off colds, and also to help with digestion. Indians commonly apply ginger paste to the temple to help with headaches, Indonesians use it in a herbal mixture to tackle fatigue, wind and rheumatism, Filipinos use it as a throat lozenge for sore throats and coughing, and Americans seek it out for motion and morning sickness. Closer to home, for many Thais it is a cure-all used to treat indigestion, wind and nausea, and much more. Medical researchers are finding evidence of ginger’s ability to kill bacteria and cancer cells, as well as its blood-thinning and cholesterol-reducing properties that can help treat heart disease. Like garlic cloves, the ginger root has a permanent place in most kitchens. Gingerbread and ginger ale
Healthy herbs
are familiar Western items containing the herb, not to mention it being a central ingredient in Indian, Thai and Chinese cuisine.
The root of great goodness.
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24
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THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
SHOPPING 25
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Street fashion
1
Must haves Accessories from Niin brand, available at Andara Boutique located on the first floor of Surin Plaza in Cherng Talay.
2
3
4 5
Kiranee Narabal Alisa Krisanayanyong Interior designer
Alisa bought her grey marl dress (B100) and her sassy blue belt (B59) from Union Mall in Bangkok. Her chic red Crocs shoes (B1,400) were bought at Central Chitlom, and she bought her Muji bag (B2,000) on holiday in China.
Entrepreneur.
Kiranee’s elegant top (B500) was bought in a fashion store in Central Festival, while her fitting dress pants were made exclusively by her tailor. She bought her glamorous silver sparkly shoes (B750) and her trendy Sanrich bag (B1,800) from Platinum Mall in Bangkok, while her earrings are family heirlooms that were passed down by her mother.
1: Stingray skin bracelets 2: Sea-shell necklace 3: Sea-shell bracelet 4: Woven handbag 5: Woven purse
B2,990 / B3,590. B4,890. B6,190. B3,990. B3,990.
PETS
Pet of the Week
These gorgeous two cats, Suai (black) and Fah, belong to Tassaporn Srisod. Want to see your pet here? Email your photos to: editor1@thephuketnews.com *Each month, the best Pet of the Week photo wins a B500 voucher from the Chao-Fa Andaman Pet Hospital. Chao-Fa Andaman Pet Hospital, 8/28--29 M.9 Chaofah East Rd, T Chalong, A. Muang Phuket 83130. Tel: 076 283 365. Fax: 076 384 524. Mob: 083 501 8488. Email urenium333@hotmail.com.
Adopt a dog
This sweet dog, named Samsara, has been at the shelter for several years, and would love a place to call home. She’s playful, affectionate and just adores going for walks. Samsara is about three years old with a beautiful soft white coat and brown markings. If you’d like to make Samsara a part of your family, please contact cindy@soidog.org or phone the Soi Dog shelter on 081 788 4222. If you are interested in adopting a dog please do not buy from the markets. Soi Dog Foundation has over 200 dogs and puppies available for adoption at any time. For more information on how to adopt visit soidog.org. All animals are fully vaccinated and desexed. Young puppies will be desexed free of charge as soon as old enough. www.thephuketnews.com
26 HEALTH
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Follow the stars to health What do Madonna, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tiger Woods have in common? They all receive frequent chiropractic care. Here are just a couple of quot es f rom t hese famous people. Arnold: “It is truly one of the few professions that really helps people in a straightforward way with no monkey business, like some of the other professions promise to help, but this chiropractic is the real thing. “Chiropractic is about natural, preventive healthcare. Whenever I have a problem – or even if I don’t have a problem – and I go to a chiropractor, my problems are gone for a long time.” Arnold went on to say, “Bodybuilders and fitness people have been using chiropractic very extensively in order to stay healthy and fit. I found it was better to go to a chiropractor before you got injured. “We are a perfect team – the world of fitness and the world of chiropractors.” Tiger Woods said, “Being a chiropractor patient has really
Advertorial
helped me immensely. I’ve been going to chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It’s as important to my training as practicing my swing. “Lifting weights and seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis has made me a better golfer. I’ve been going to chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It’s as important to my training as practicing my swing.” As a former competitive water skier, squash enthusiast and avid golfer, I naturally share these sentiments and notice a huge difference in my level of performance, sense of well-being and health. This week I was fortunate to meet and treat a couple of top-notch athletes who are about to compete in the upcoming Laguna Phuket Ironman triathlon. They shared with me how happy they were to receive chiropractic care here on Phuket and they told me that chiropractic helped to relieve the stress of exercise and any injuries they might incur along the way. They also marveled
Arnold Schwarzenegger: ‘I’ll be back – just as soon as I’ve had my back seen to.’ at how chiropractic was able to improve their performance. Having had my own fair share of injuries I know far too well how frustrating it is to be sidelined with an injury that could have been easily avoided. It sucks to sit on the bench because your injury is not responding to treatment or popping pain-numbing pills that merely cover up the symptoms, deceiving you into actions that could make the
injury more serious. I can’t think of any other healthcare approach that more closely relates to the needs of the sports participant. Most sports involve body contact, fast starts and stops, and positioning that places an unusual amount of strain on the back and structural system. As a chiropractor, I consider a person as an integrated being, giving special attention to the spine, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves.
For example overpronation of the foot – a collapse of the inner arch during running or walking – can affect not only the joints in the foot but also in the neck and back leading to headaches, neck and lower back pain. Chiropractic stresses the importance of keeping all the systems of the body functioning efficiently so that the athlete enjoys peak performance at minimum risk of injury, and fast recuperative powers.
Chiropractic as a science and art is based on the premise that good health depends, in part, upon a normally functioning nervous system. When there is interference in the nervous system caused by a misalig ned or malfunctioning spine, tissues and organs may not function properly. Detection of these problem areas (“subluxations”) and their correction by spinal manipulation will relieve nerve interference and allow the spine and nervous system to return to a healthy state. Correcting the problem and maintaining good health is the goal of chiropractic. I encourage all of you who are not already getting regular chiropractic adjustments to do so in order to stay healthy and pain-free. –Dr Anthony Kell ■■ Dr Kell’s chiropractic clinic is at 27/14 Moo 4 Chao Fa Rd, just south of the Central Festival intersection. To contact him call 08 0530 3376, email contactus@phuketchiropractic.com or visit phuket-chiropractic.com.
How to spice up your training goals Advertorial Are you in need of some spice in your life? No I don’t mean the kitchen (or the bedroom). I’m talking about in your training. It’s that time of the year again when those who call themselves triathletes start their final preparations for what is now an annual trifest with the Laguna Phuket Triathlon on November 27. Then on December 4 the Ironman Corporation comes to town with the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships. But you don’t have to compete or even be a triathlete to get the benefits of taking part. Any person who competes in triathlon is typically known as a triathlete and they spend their time training in the three disciplines that are involved in the race: swimming, biking and running. They also spend some time supplementing their training with weight training, yoga, pilates and/or stretching. You could say that triathlon is a lifestyle sport, and training for a triathlon provides balance in your training and prevents you from becoming bored with your training. Let’s look at a typical trainwww.thephuketnews.com
SWIM TRAINING
Progression over seven weeks Week Sets
ing programme for triathletes and see how you can implement some of their training philosophies into your own training programme. Swimming is usually the crux of a triathlete’s training programme, mainly because it’s the first discipline in the race and if you don’t finish the swim, your race is over. However it’s also because most triathletes don’t have a swim background and need more work in this area. The benefits of a swim programme are many, from exercising every muscle group in your body without any loading on your joints, to increasing your lung capacity
and aerobic pathways, all in a cooling environment that prevents you from overheating. You too can increase your heart and lung capacity and improve your cardiovascular system with one to two swims a week. Triathletes generally break down their session and training into intervals. These are short but intense distances of 50 to 200 metres and sometimes, for those endurance, half/Ironman distance athletes, up to 400m. The recovery can be anywhere from 15 to 90 seconds, depending on the distance swum and the goal of the workout. This enables you to work harder and push your
Reps Rest Interval
1
2
5 x 50m
30sec
2
3
5 x 50m
30sec
3
4
5 x 50m
30sec
4
1
20 x 50m
30sec
5
1
20 x 50m
25sec
6
1
20 x 50m
20sec
7
1
20 x 50m
15sec
cardiovascular system to a new level of fitness. Now you may not be able to swim a 4-to-6-kilometre session or have the time for it, or you may just be starting out and might only be able to swim a couple hundred metres before taking a break. That’s okay. The point is, you don’t have to. An example workout for someone who is just starting out may be to aim for 10 x 50m with a 30-second rest interval. If you’re struggling to keep the same times for each 50m, try breaking it into two sets of 5 x 50 with a three-minute recovery between each set. You can use this time to
stretch your shoulders and triceps, have a drink of water (you can still become dehydrated in the pool) and mentally prepare yourself for your next set. Progression occurs when you either decrease your rest time or increase the number of intervals. The first aim would be to increase the number of intervals from 10 to 20 or from two sets of five to four sets of five. Once you can complete 20 intervals you are ready to start decreasing your rest interval from 30 seconds to 15. Your progression over seven weeks could be along the lines of the table above. Of course, you can choose
any stroke you like. Remember you’re not training for a triathlon, you’re just trying to get the same benefits. However, this does highlight how you can go from swimming (or surviving) for 50 metres to completing a kilometre of swimming and with better technique and a better cardiovascular response than just churning out slow lap after slow lap. T hose who swim lap after lap, slowly, are exercising. Exercising is for those who don’t have a goal. A goal is a target with a deadline. Goals are for athletes. You are an athlete! Tri-ing your best is so yesterday. Train for tomorrow and create your personal best, I dare you! –Darren Hancock (B.App.Sc.- Ex.Sci. / Human Movement) Your Exercise and Lifestyle Coach ■■ Darren Hancock, General Manager of the RPM Health Club, Royal Phuket Marina, Phuket, can be reached by calling 076 360 885/6. For more information see rpmhealthclub.com or facebook.com/rpmhealthclub.
EDUCATION 27
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Phun Phun (Year 5).
Winning ways Jean (Year 5).
The four winners of The Phuket Ne ws’ K ids A r t competition for September have been announced – all are students at Headstart International School Phuket located in Phuket Town. Non (Year 9), Jimin (Year
Jimin (Year 6).
6), Phun Phun (Year 5) and Jean (Year 5), had good enough entries to impress the judges in the latest round. There is a variety of artmaking styles on display here, from the realistic leaves of Phun Phun and Jean, to Non’s
that have been reduced to their original design, a la French artist Henri Matisse. These four young artists are in the running for the annual Kids Art prize to be announced at the end of the year. Good luck to everyone.
Only four entries are chosen each month, but thank you for sending in your entries. Please keep making art and email photos of the originals (over 1MB in size please) to editor3@thephuketnews.com.
Non (Year 9).
It’s all fun and games at the regular Thanyapura Art & Organic Farmer’s Market.
Sun shines on PIA
At the Thanyapura Art & Organic Farmer’s Market at the Phuket International Academy Day School last Sunday, it was the case of children enjoying themselves outside while many of their parents were comfortable in the cool of the DiVine Restaurant, occupied with a big spread of buffet lunch. Some very young children were dancing to live music from the Fuzztonez rock band. Older ones were exercising in the Olympic-sized swimming pool of the Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club in Thalang, where the market was held. A wet youngster stood zipped up in plastic bubble as air was pumped into it.
We could, but won’t, make a boy in the bubble comment. Then the bubble is pushed out to float on the surface of the pool as the occupant tumbled, trying to walk on water. Art games were being played by children in the art
stall, next to two more large sections where local artists and potters were selling their work. Another stand was brimming with colourful and fresh organic fruits and vegetables. www.thephuketnews.com
28 EATPHUKET
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Raw love: One man’s creative food mission R
ichard Cracknell’s hands fly as he prepares a sandwich in his tidy, well-stocked kitchen. Out comes the bread, then the pesto mix, ricotta cheese, and slices of fresh tomato. But this is no ordinary sandwich. The dark brown ‘bread’ is actually made from sprouted wheat berries, carrot pulp, flaxseed, sunflower seeds and spices, while the ‘cheese’ is in reality a mixture of nuts. Welcome to the Living Food Cafe, Dr Cracknells’ remarkable raw food restaurant in Naiharn. A doctor of acupuncture and naturopathic medicine, with a PHD in complimentary alternative medicine, Dr Cracknell runs the Wellness House detox and naturopathic health centre alongside the Living Food Café. He moved to Phuket in 1994 after two years living in northern Thailand teaching English. Working for many years on the island as a chiropractor, acupuncturist and general health healer, he established the Wellness House two years ago. The Living Food Café came about from him wanting to make good food for him-
self and his guests, and teach others how to do the same. According to Dr Cracknell, many illnesses stem from incorrect diet. “Everything that is wrong with people comes from the end of a fork,” he says. He’s obviously on to something, as he is a top regional marathon runner, regularly winning in his age group in marathons held around Southeast Asia. On a weekday lunchtime, The Phuket News joined a group of eight other curious diners to sample the good doctor’s array of delicious creations, as well as to learn what raw food actually entails. In short, raw food means no meat, no dairy, no sugar, no wheat or animal products, and nothing cooked over 45 degrees centigrade. But, while for many these rules conjure up a meal of carrots and celery, for Dr Cracknell it’s an invitation to innovate in the kitchen, and confound visitor’s presumptions. “If you come in and look at our menu, you will see things that you recognise – spaghetti, lasagne, burgers, tacos, and so on,” says Dr Cracknell. “When creating this menu I was aware of people’s emotional attach-
This raw food brownie doesn’t require any cooking at all.
www.thephuketnews.com
ment to food, so the foods here respond to visual, taste, and kinetic expectations. “For example, you pick up our burger in the same manner you would a real burger. So your emotional attachment is satisfied, but you’re eating healthy, living food full of enzymes, minerals and vitamins.” Dr Cracknell has followed a raw food diet for the last six years, and was a vegetarian for many years before that. He made the change to raw food when he read that the white blood cell count in the body increased by 300 per cent to help you digest cooked food. He says this means “cooked food is being viewed as a poison,” when white blood cells should instead be working on removing pathogens and helping to heal the body. He has not looked back since, and says anyone can live a healthy lifestyle on a raw food diet, provided they take baby steps and they’re getting the right amount of nutrients. This can also include taking supplements, something Dr Cracknell is an advocate of. So how can you recreate everyone’s favourite meals when you can’t use half the
Dr Richard Cracknell is known to many on the island as a health ‘guru’. ingredients, or even cook the food? The secret is in successfuly recreating the flavours. Instead of “cooking” bread, energy bars and cookies, he instead puts them into a specially made dehydrator device that warms the food using three 100 watt light bulbs. For example, the ‘burger’ on the menu is in fact a dehydrated patty of sprouted lentil beans, flax seeds and herbs, placed on a white cabbage ‘bun’ with mayonnaise, mus-
Snacks like Papaya rings and guacamole are easy to make.
tard, ketchup, cheese, onion, tomato, lettuce and pickles, served with potato salad. Visitors to the Living Food Cafe include a mixture of tourists and local residents, with a regular contingent from North America, Australasia and Europe, as well as Chinese and other Asian visitors. So what would he say is the attraction of raw food? “Raw food is more than what people think it is, it doesn’t have to be just carrot
and celery. However, the main ingredient in my food is love. That’s why this place doesn’t come from any monetary endeavour, rather it comes from the heart. It just makes the food taste better. ” –Claire Connell The Living Food Cafe, Wellness House, 14/93 Moo 1, Rawai, 080 530 9555; wellnesshouse.asia. Open daily 11am-8pm (closed Thursday).
This dairy-free cheesecake is made from raw ingredients.
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Swapping meat for vegetarian treats T
o celebrate the arrival of the popular annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival, this week we are featuring a vegetarian ‘Street Eat’, namely deep fried tofu. During the 10-day festival many local Thais and expatriates alike give up meat. Local restaurants offer a wide range of vegetarian food options instead, so finding alternative options for dinner is easy. Vegetables form the main base of a person’s diet during the Vegetarian Festival, but people often opt for soy and tofu as well, because of the high protein content.
EATPHUKET 29
Street eats Tofu is popular in Phuket not only for the Vegetarian Festival, but also as part of a regular daily diet. Deep fried tofu, or tao gua in Chinese, is prepared in many restaurants and stalls around Chinese shrines during the festival. It comes served with a sweet and sour peanut sauce that is also a little bit spicy. The tofu is great to eat with fresh cucumber, and is usually priced between B10 and B20 a piece.
A five course dinner delight
Above: Preparing a batch of delicious fried tofu. Left: A fried food platter of vegetarian treats.
This Saturday (October 1) will see Head Chef of Surin Gate Kitchen, Daniel Isberg, team up with Bangkok Beer & Beverage to cook up a fantastic wine dinner. The five course meal plus five wines and a welcome drink is priced at B2,250 net. On the menu are foie gras tacos with pear and mint chutney, Ahi tuna carpaccio with spicy ginger dressing, daikon sprouts and cucu mber sorbet, baked King Salmon with crispy pancetta, demi glaze, potato terrine and cauliflower crème. T he mai n is pist achio crusted lamb rack with potato/truffle cigar,
zinfandel sauce and goat cheese crème. Dessert completes the evening with dark chocolate fondant with cherry compote and white espresso foam. Accompanying wines include Gustave Lorentz Gewürztraminer Reserve 2009, Schloss Vollrads Summer Riesling 2006, Tussock Nelson Pi not Noir 2007, Seghesio Zinfandel 2010 and Port Rozes White Reserve. The evening begins at 7pm. For reservations please email suringatekitchen@ gmail.com or call 086 047 1474. Members of the Andaman Wine Club receive a 10 per cent discount.
www.thephuketnews.com
30 EVENTSMAIN
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
WHAT’S ON IN PHUKET THIS WEEKEND
UNTIL OCTOBER 5 Phuket Vegetarian Festival
AFL & NRL Grand Finals
coals and ascending ladders with bladed rungs are performed by entranced devotees known as “Ma Song”.
UNTIL DECEMBER TSLC Ironkids
Saturday October 1 from 10.30am. Collingwood v Geelong
Sunday October 2 from 1.00pm. Sea Eagles v NZ Warriors Both games LIVE at Australia Bar & Grill Kata Beach. sausage sizzle, massive screens and cold beer! For more info contact Gavin on 089 226 2878. See www. australiabargrill.com.
UPCOMING EVENTS NOVEMBER 4/5 BIS Phuket's 10th International Football Tournament
BIS Phuket is proud to host its 10th International 7-a-side Football Tournament on November 04-05 (Friday-Saturday) 2011. Every year BIS Phuket invites teams from around South East Asia to compete against each other in a variety of age categories from Under 9 to Over 15. Last year’s tournament saw 25 school teams from within Thailand as well as from Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore visiting the BIS Phuket campus. www. bisphuket.ac.th
NOVEMBER 5 The Thailand Property Awards 2011
Now in their sixth year, The Thailand Property Awards are widely recognised as a benchmark for excellence in Thailand’s residential real estate industry. The Gala Award ceremony will take place at the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok on www.thephuketnews.com
November 5th, and with many of the tables already reserved, the event is expected to attract more than 600 leading figures from the Kingdom’s property sector. Over a thousand developers, property agents, architects and real estate companies are represented on the submitted list of entries, including many of Bangkok’s top residential developers, plus stand out projects and real estate firms based in Thailand’s most popular resort destinations, with Phuket well represented. For more infomation www. thailandpropertyawards.com. Contact 02 662 5195.
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. It is believed that the vegetarian festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who religiously observe this rite. During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a 10day vegetarian or vegan diet for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit-making. Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines and temples and aesthetic displays such as walking barefooted over hot alight, the wishes will come true. Today it is simply also a time to have fun.
NOVEMBER 26-27 9th Phuket Intern. Soccer 7s The one and only Phuket Soccer 7s will celebrate its ninth anniversary this year. This tournament has developed into one of the largest 7s tournaments in Asia with over 80 teams from 20 countries that will compete during two weekends. Also with the 6th Andaman International Soccer 7s on December 3-4 there is
TSLC Ironkids Phuket Triathlon after school training sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3.45pm to 4.45pm. Open to all children from six to 15 years old. Price at B350 per person. Tuesdays: Swim and bike and Thursdays: Bike and run. Pre-book sessions by email activities@thanyapura. co.th. Bikes available for rent at B100 per session. More info at www.ironkidsphuket.com. a lot to look forward to this year. Register your team now on info@Thai7s.com, www. Thai7s.com.
NOVEMBER 27 Laguna Phuket 2011 Double Triathlon Festival
The Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) on November 27 and Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship on December
Asian Hospitality & Travel Show Be seen...
NOVEMBER 10 Loi Krathong Festival Loi Krathong is one of the most beautiful festivals in Thailand. The event occurs on the full-moon night of the 12th lunar month. The festival originates from Sukhothai Province. Loy means to float and Krathong is a lotus-shaped boat made from banana leaves. The festival is of Brahmin origin to honour Mae Khongkha, the Mother Goddess of the Waters. People float krathongs in rivers, canals, lakes and the sea, all over Thailand. The krathongs are made from banana leaves and contain a candle, a coin, incense and flowers. Before people float their krathong, they make a wish. It is believed that the krathongs carry away sins and bad luck. If the candle stays
THIS MONTH OCTOBER 17-21 Star Vocals Returns to Thanyapura Monday, October 17 to Friday, October 21. 7 - 11 years old, from 9am-12pm. 12-18 years old, from 1pm–4pm. Open to all including adults. Adults are welcome to join the afternoon workshop, however if there is a high level of interest, we will offer a separate adults workshop from 4.30pm7.30pm. Venue: Thanyapura (Monday to Thursday) Legend Music Studios, The Boat Lagoon (Friday). Cost: B6,500 per person. Call 076 336 000 ext. 3501, Email: jo@pia.ac.th. See thanyapura.com.
OCTOBER 23 Chulalongkorn Day A public holiday in remembrance of King Chulalongkorn
(Rama V) in 1910. Thai people lay flower wreaths at his statue in Bangkok and in the provinces. Piya Maharat is the nickname for the King, meaning the beloved great king.
OCTOBER 30 TSLC Ironkids Training Race
TSLC IronKids Phuket Training Race. A practice triathlon race for children ages six to 15 years old. Registration is at www.ironkidsphuket.com.
04 will see hundreds of athletes from around the world arrive for a week-long Tri-Fest of training and social events with top triathlon professionals, in the lush tropical surroundings of the beachfront Laguna Phuket resort.
Championship has a 1.9km swim; 90 .1km bike ride and 21.1km run.
LPT has a 1.8km swim; 55km bike ride and 12km run; Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific
Online registrations: www. lagunaphukettriathlon.com, www.ironmanphuket.com.
Laguna Phuket is using the events to raise funds for its community project providing survival swim lessons for local youngsters.
NOVEMBER 18-20 Foundations of Ashtanga Yoga Weekend Workshop at Thanyapura With Kimberly Roberts Learn or deepen your practice of Ashtanga yoga with Kimberly Roberts. The practice will be adjusted to be appropriate level for each student. No prior experience necessary. All levels of students are welcome. Non-residential: B3,300 per day. Residential 3 day/2 night packages include yoga, meals, access to fitness club, pool, and a complimentary spa massage. For reservations, please contact Khun Napapen, 076 336 000 Ext.3354. Email: napapen.k@thanyapura. co.th, www.thanyapura.com/yoga-retreat.
18TH - 20TH NOVEMBER 2011 @
LESS THAN 30% OF THE SPACE AVAILABLE. Phuket’s biggest ‘trade show’ for organisations whithin the Hospitality & Travel industry Hosted Buyer programme - buyers from Asia, Australia, India and more.
DECEMBER 3 TSLC Ironkids Phuket
For Exhibiting opportunities Contact: info@eventsthailand.net Mobile: 089 725 6994 BOOKINGS CLOSE 1 OCTOBER 2011 www.eventsthailand.net
Triathlon for kids six – 15 years old. Registration open until November 27. More information and registration forms on www.ironkidsphuket.com.
EVENTSREGULAR 31
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
List your events here for as low as B49 per line, or online for free at www.thephuketnews.com
Happy Hour? Promotion? Live Music? Live Sport? Brunch? Dinner? Spa Promo? List here thephuketnews.com
FRIDAY IBAP - Regular Meeting Ike Nwankwo, ex NBA player and Los Angeles Laker: Head Coach Top Flight Basketball Academy. While in Phuket Ike would love to meet with the all of the major international and Thai schools as well as local community leaders and government officials and any owners of sporting halls or sports complexes to be able to discuss potential events like a camp or clinic. Location for our October 14. Meeting at Full Moon Brewwork in JungCeylon, Patong Beach. See ibapphuket.org.
BBQ Ribs All You Can Eat Only B295 per person at Shakers. Rat-U-Thit Road, Patong. Free pick up Patong and Kalim. Reservations call on 081 891 4381.
TapasTree Near Peppers Bar Laguna. Buy one get one free cocktails. Resident DJ, ’70s to now. Great tapas. 088 443 4166.
Tapas & Wine Night Order tapas, as much as you like, plus one bottle of wine. B1,200 net per person. 6-11pm at White Box Kalim. Call 076 346 271.
Curry Fridays at Navrang Mahal Alternate Fridays, all-you -can-eat authentic Indian curry buffet, B449 net per person. Draught beer B50. 7pm-11.30pm. Call 076 286 464.
50% Off All Drinks From 10pm to midnight with live music, Roaring Bhoys. Every Friday. Irish Times Irish pub, Jungceylon, Patong.
Indian Night at RPM Enjoy authentic Indian cuisine from 7-10pm. This authentic home -made Indian buffet will be prepared and served by in-
house Indian Chef Padum Kahtri. Only B495++ per person. Please call Les Anges on 076 360 803
Reservations please call 076 316 577.
Beach BBQ
Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-U-Thit Road, Patong. Free pick up Patong and Kalim area. Reservations call 081 891 4381.
Enjoy a beach BBQ at Catch Beach Club, Surin (from B1,190++ per person). 7-10pm. Call 076 316 567.
Half-Chicken Spit Roast
SATURDAY
Sunday Family Brunch
Colin Hill
At Club Yamu by Twinpalms. Noon till 3pm. Enjoy delicious pasta, BBQ, Thai home cooking. Call 076 310 557.
Colin Hill performs (duo) now every second Saturday at Legends Bar in Kamala, with local guitarist Florian. Call 081 079 1069.
Champagne Brunch at Trisara
tary Club on Phuket at the Aloha Villa Hotel (Dinner out on first Tuesday of the month). rotarypatong.org.
R o a d , P a t o n g . Fr e e pickup Patong and Kalim. Reservatins 081 891 4381.
Beach BBQ
AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM
Enjoy a beach BBQ at Catch Beach Club (from B1,190++ per person). 7pm-10pm. 076 316 567.
WEDNESDAY Interactive Pub Quiz night. Starts from 8pm every Wednesday night. The largest se lection of draught beer in Phuket. Irish Times, Jungceylon, Patong.
Half-Chicken Spit Roast
Chef’s Dinner at Surin Gate Kitchen
Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-U-Thit Road, Patong. Free pick up Patong and Kalim area. Reservations call 081 891 4381.
Star t at 7.30 pm, four courses for B750 with award-winning Chef Daniel Isberg. 086 047 1474, www.suringate.com.
TapasTree TapasTree (Near Peppers Bar Laguna). Resident DJ, ’70s to date. Great tapas. Contact 088 443 4166.
AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub, 82/15 Moo 4 Patak Road, one km from Chalong circle. Contact 081 895 4763.
All Major Sports Live On the big screen. F1, MotoGP, Tennis, Golf, AFL, NRL. Irish Times Irish Pub, Jungceylon, Patong.
20% off all Pizzas At Shakers. Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road, Patong. Free pick up Patong and Kalim areas. Reservations please call 081 891 4381.
SUNDAY Family Brunch on The Boardwalk Les Anges at RPM. From 11am to 3pm. B795++ Adults, include one glass of house wine, 50 per cent discount. Children under 12 eat for free. Call 076 360 803.
Best Sunday Carvery in Phuket Roast beef, BBQ ham, chicken, pork and Yorkshire pudding. All you can eat B399. Irish Times, Jungceylon, Patong.
Sunday Brunch Enjoy the original Sunday brunch in Phuket at Twinpalms. 12-3pm (from B1,190++ per person).
Ever y Sunday, the beachfront bar becomes a celebration of f ine wines, exquisite tapas, live cooking stations and Phuket’s best dessert, featuring the cool sounds of a jazz trio. Come and indulge in Roederer Champagne or a wide variety of wines. Kids club welcome all children with complimentary snacks. Advance reser vations rec om mended on 076 310 100 or guest@trisara.com.
Salsa Class At RPM Salsa c las s at Royal Phuket Marina from 7.309pm. For more info on www.phuket-dance.com.
BBQ Ribs All You Can Eat Only B295 per person at Shakers. Rat-U-Thit Road, Patong. Free pick up Patong and Kalim. Reservations call on 081 891 4381.
All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub 82/15 Moo 4 Patak Road, one km from Chalong circle. Contact 081 895 4763.
DAILY Brew Great Beer
Happy hour daily from 4pm to 7pm. Draft beer B110/pint, cocktail two for B220. Behind the ship at Jungceylon Call 076 3667 753.
Grizzly’s Sports Bar and 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
Currie Cup Rugby
MONDAY
THURSDAY
Live games shown at Australia Bar & Grill, Kata Beach. For more info visit www.australiabargrill.com or call 089 226 2878.
Roaring Bhoys
BBQ Buffet All You Can Eat
Sunset Happy Hours & Ninjazz
Only B325 per person at Shakers. Rat-U-Thit
Don’t miss the Sunset happy hours. Between
Live Music every Monday night. The largest selection of draught beer in Phuket. Irish Times, Jungceylon, Patong.
5pm and 7pm. “Buy one get the same one free” promotion. The Luna Bar, Centara Grand Beach Resort. 076 201 234.
GAA Football & Hurling Live games shown at Australia Bar & Grill, Kata Beach. For more info visit www.australiabargrill.com or call 089 226 2878.
3-Hour Happy Hour Three-hour Happy Hour Monday-Friday, 4pm-7pm. Beer from B50. House spirits B90. Australia Bar & Grill, Kata Beach. 089 226 2878.
Duke’s Sports Bar at Kata Watc h your favour ite sports and enjoy a cold beer at the best little spor ts bar in Phuket. Special “drink of the day” B110, all day - every day. www.dukesbigboard.com.
Peppers Quiz Night Peppers Sports Bar daily happy hour, great food, full English breakfast. Open from 8.30am. All spor ts shown. Laguna area. Please call 088 443 4166.
Australia Bar & Grill at Kata Projector screen plus 50” TVs. TrueVisions and Astro systems. All live sport include AFL, NRL, rugby, F1, football. Call 089 226 2878.
BBQ Buffet All You Can Eat Only B325 per person at Shakers. Rat-U-Thit Road, Patong. Free pickup Patong and Kalim. Reser vations 081 891 4381.
TUESDAY Half-Chicken Spit Roast Only B225 per person at Shakers. Rat-U-Thit Road, Patong. Free pick up Patong and Kalim area. Reservations call 081 891 4381.
AA Phuket Meetings @ TGM All meetings are one hour long and held in English at The Green Man Pub, 82/15 Moo 4, Patak Road, one km from Chalong circle. Contact 081 895 4763.
Rotary Club of Patong Beach Weekly meeting of the only English-speaking Ro-
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50% discount until 30 October 2011 ONLY B49 per line. Deadline: Monday 12Noon for that Friday’s issue
Please hand this form to our office or Fax to: 076 612 553 www.thephuketnews.com
32 ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF
Sheen and studio settle lawsuit fight
Charlie Sheen’s legal fight with his former Two and a Half Men bosses over his firing is officially over. Warner Bros Television released a statement Monday saying that Sheen’s lawsuit against the studio and series executive producer Chuck Lorre had been settled “to the parties satisfaction”. Although Sheen has lobbed verbal attacks against both Warner Bros and Lorre, the actor has struck a more conciliatory tone lately. Sheen was fired in March this year from the show after he made a series of insulting remarks about Lorre in radio and internet interviews.
Arnie commissions three new statues
Arnold Schwarzenegger is planning to have at least
www.thephuketnews.com
three more bronze statues of himself made. The former Mr Universe and Governor California had a statue of himself in his bodybuilder heyday erected in his hometown of Graz, Austria, earlier this year. It has now been reported that Schwarzenegger has personally commissioned at least three more bronze statues of himself that depict him in his body-building prime.
Elton John film biopic in the works
Singer Elton John is in talks to make a film about his life, his spokesman has said in response to media reports about a planned biopic called Rocketman. Newspapers and websites said that Rocketman would be produced by Joh n’s partner David Furnish and Steve Hamilton Shaw and executive produced by the singer himself. Playwright Lee Hall will provide the script.
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Still having a laugh after all these years
Life has a habit of being unpredictable and throwing together remarkable situations and opportunities. Often personal plans are affected by specific events which totally change the course of life. So think for a moment about someone born of Sicilian descent, a plasterer and electrician by trade, serving three years in a parachute regiment, and then embarking on a remarkable career in the public eye on television, performing before royal audiences and being awarded a papal knighthood. Such has been the unpredictable life of Belfast-born Frank Carson. Frank came to fame through television, initially in Ireland before he moved to England to work as a stand-up club comedian, especially in the North of England. Big breaks came as he featured on the long-running TV show The Good Old Days and then as three-times outright winner on peak-viewing national television’s Opportunity Knocks. Then came the era of the televised show The Comedians, a hugely successful series in the 1970s which brought stand-up comedians such as Carson,
Bernard Manning, Mike Reid, Jim Bowen, Tom O’Connor and others to the forefront. Carson’s career bloomed as a regular on television, a stage performer, after-dinner speaker and starring at royal variety shows. I first met Frank in 1971 at The Talk of The Town in London when he appeared with The Comedians, Des O’Connor and Blue Mink in a special show for a corporate product launch. But it would be a number of years before me met again, and became friends. Frank was and remains a keen golfer, although a round with Frank is rather unique. In full form, he delivers an often ruthless and certainly unrelenting constant barrage of stories, one-liners and quips that make serious golf impossible. A round with him is simply a four-hour cabaret performed while carrying a set of golf clubs. But great fun, often hilarious, and never dull.
Frank Carson (right) wearing a cap adorned with his renowned catchphrase, ‘It’s a cracker!’, with our own David ‘Grapevine’ Brooke (centre) and pro golfer Stuart Brown. As an after-dinner speaker he is brilliant, a combination of hilarity and unpredictability, and sure to pack in the numbers. He would feature regularly at my brewery’s entertainment facility in England, where we would cater for up to 1,500 guests for cabaret dinners. Sportsmen’s charity golf dinners and PGA functions were regular and memorable occasions. When it comes to raising funds for needy charities, Frank cheerfully gives his time. A truly generous man who has helped so many organisations. Indeed, his charity dedication was recognised by the
Roman Catholic Church when he was awarded a papal knighthood of the Order of St Gregory, presented in a private ceremony with Pope John Paul II. At the age of 85, and despite undergoing heart surgery, a hernia operation and installation of a pacemaker, he remains extremely active. He appears at North Pier Theatre in his now hometown of Blackpool and in pantomimes, and as recently as the end of July 2011, was at The Comedians Show in Falkirk, Scotland. Frank, you are a legend who certainly know hows to tell ‘em. And long may you do so.
JOBS 33
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
To advertise in our classifieds visit www.thephuketnews.com Salesperson - Hotel Dive Shop Sea Bees Diving is looking for a Thai female salesperson for one of our hotel dive shops commencing October 01. A pplic ants should be min. 25 years, have good English skills and basic accounting knowledge. This position is for a long-term and full-time contract. Diving experience preferred but not necessary. Monthly fixed salary plus commission. Please send your CV and photo to: office@sea-bees.com or telephone 076 381 765 (Khun Anja).
The Phuket News is looking to add to its ever growing team of professionals and seeks: Sales Representatives Qualifications:
- Thai or Expat. - Excellent communication and negotiation skills in Thai and English. - Highly motivated self-starter with a positive attitude. - Works well under pressure and has a will to succeed.
We offer: Competitive
cious” in Patong. B8,500 per month. Contact rambomuis@hotmail.com or call 083 738 7139.
Staff Required for New Hotel
Job Available from MAGpal
-Five reception staff -Waitresses and waiters -Four bartenders -Two cashiers -Three accountants Contact Victor on 088 819 1976 (Thai). Send your CV to admin@hemingwayshotel. c om or Fa x. 076 3 6 6 204.
MAGpal imports international magazines for rent. We provided rental service of 1000++ titles of magazines from all over the world. Please visit our website www.magpalthailand.com. Job available: Sales representative. English fluency, enthusiasm, sales skills, punctual, responsible. karita@magpalthailand.com.
Hotel Receptionist Required English speaking Thai national with good computer skills required for reception, restaurant and bar work in Kamala. Salary and hours negotiable based on experience. To apply phone 086 941 8880 or send CV to phil@royalembassyresortphuket.com.
Thai Staff Wanted Four Thai staff wanted for new sandwich shop “Deli-
Driver PEXGO Courier requires driver for pick up and deliveries in Phuket. Must be able to work at night. Must speak some English, basic use of computer. Contact Meaw on 076 322 663 or email phuket@pexgo.com.
PA to GM Wanted Pe r s o n a l a s s i s t a n t t o general manager of trading company in Kamala. Only Thai national, must
speak English 100% and have driving license. Salary start at B25,000 per month. Send resume to email only giovanni@skgf. asia.
Travelling Salesperson Sales representative available to travel around Thailand for our range of fast moving consumer products. Must be Thai national, have a driving license and proven experience of sales to minimart, supermarket. We already have more than 500 customer sin Thailand. C ont ac t via email skgf@skgf.asia.
Dog Loving Couple Needed Thai couple, aged up to 45, no smoking, to take care of villa and 5 dogs. Husband to work as driver and handyman, wife to work as housekeeper. B20,000/per month Call 088 168 9455.
Health Consultant www.atsumihealing.com is seeking a Thai national to join our detox team. Ex-
cellent English required. shell@atsumihealing.com.
Sales Staff for Cherng Talay Good English, positive attitude, good in sales, outgoing personality. Salary B12,000 plus commission. Please contact Phuket Pool Tables 085 782 1200.
Native English Speaking Teacher Need native English speaking teacher with ability to speak, read and write Thai. Call Robin on 081 803 7189.
Accountant Needed Phuket Fish Boat Company and its director seek an accounting graduate for general accounting work and database management. Can be without experience but require a degree in accounting. Full-time position with salary starting at B15,000. Please send applications to martin@phuketfishboat.com.
Secretary Required Female, bachelor degree. Must speak, write and read English well. Must have at least two or three years work experience. Please your send CV: daragh@techworx-projects.com or call 084 449 3863.
salary, bonuses and travel expenses. friendly work environment. Social security paid by the company. Excellent career progress opportunities. A
Please email full resume in English indicating expected salary with recent photo to
adminmgr@thephuketnews.com or call 076 6212 550-2 for mor info.
Charity Manager
The Phuket Community Foundation has a full-time opening for a manager. The job: Working with the board to implement the board’s policies and decisions; Implementation of projects, including fundraising activities; Serving as spokesperson for the foundation, Developing and managing budgets, taking day-to-day responsibility for financial management. The candidate: Thai, age up to 35, degree, computer literate, Thai/ English literate. Email resume to apply. manager@ phuketcharity.org.
Sales Assistant Urgently Needed Fluent in spoken and written English,assist manager on a daily basis dealing with clients & office duties,effective interpersonal skills, creative and result-oriented. Experience in interior design will be advantage. Good compensation to
the right candidate. Send CV to abfabsales@gmail. com.
Help Wanted Food Services are looking to fill several positions within the business: One account and marketing manager (Thai or expat). Two kitchen helpers (female). One cleaner. For more information or to apply call 076 390 977 or 0 82 816 0126, or email info@foodservicesth.com.
Accountant Wanted Accountant wanted for cooking school and food services business. Thai national. For more information call 082 816 0126 or info@foodservicesth. com.
Phuket Deli Looking for Driver Phuket Deli food shop looking for delivery driver. Must have good knowledge of Phuket. Company car provided. Call 082 427 0154.
WE'RE NOW AVAILABLE AT ALL OUTLETS IN PHUKET
This is in addition to 400+ locations including all 7-Eleven, Big One Supermarkets, Se-ed book store and all major shopping outlets. For full list of outlets please visit www.thephuketnews.com/distributionlists.php
Tel: 076 612 550-2
www.thephuketnews.com
34 CLASSIFIEDADS
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
To advertise in our classifieds visit www.thephuketnews.com CONTENTS Animal Care...............34 Boats & Yachts..........34 Business Opportunities............34 Business Services....................34 Cars for Sale..............34 Child Care Servies.....34 Computer Sales & Repair.....................34 Clubs & Associations.............34 ComputerSales-Repairs............34 Diving Services.........34 Education Services................34-35 Miscellaneous Items Wanted..............35 Miscellaneous Items for Sale........................35 Motorbikes for Rent...35 Motorbikes for Sale.....35 Personal Services........35 Pets for Sale...............35 Pool Table Sales & Repair......................35 Property & Concierge Services.....................36 Property for Rent......36 Property for Sale...36-37 Trade Directory..........38
ANIMAL CARE Chaofah Pet Hospital 8/28–29 Moo 9, Chaofah East Road. 076 283 365, 083 501 8488.
BOATS & YACHTS
test. B99,000. Call for more details on 084 844 5868.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Patong, off Nanai Road, newly renovated, secure income with little work, long term rentals, Chanote title, sale by owner, detailed sales folder available. Only B7.9 million. 087 265 0652, gisbert1@gmx.net.
Laundry To Let Lease B2 20,0 0 0 plus B 8,5 0 0 monthly rent. Pisitkoranee Road, Patong. Fully-fur nished. Contact Khun Lek, call 089 232 9807.
Laundry For Lease For lease in Patong. Furnished laundry with two bedrooms. Call Khun Nata on 086 115 2184.
Shop for Rent Prime potential shop for rent in prime commercial location. Also has franchise opportunity for Bellini. For more information call 082 816 0126 or email info@foodservicesth.com.
BUSINESS SERVICES Tile It
Vetus 52 Horsepower diesel marine engine four cylinder turbo. Heat exchange cooling. Brand new, five year warranty. B349,990 plus VAT. Contact 076 239 112, www. electrical-marine.com.
Thalang. Wana Par k on Sr isoonthor n Rd. Phuket ’s Quality Tile Boutique. Tiles for interior, exterior, residential, commercial. Contact 076 620 168 or 081 424 2828. Email info@tileasia.com.
18’ fibreglass, 60hp Mercury, GPS/fish-finder, bimini, trailer, nice tidy boat with blue book, ready to go. Presently moored in Rawai, for viewing and
Phuket Consult Services Insurance, personal as sist anc e, le gal as sistance, police and emergency assistance, p r o p et y manag em ent
CARS FOR RENT A1 Car Rentals Fully insure d st ar t B12,000 to B18,000 per month. Please call 089 831 4703. Email for more info: a1carrent@gmail. com.
11 Units Apartment-House for Sale
Propulsion Engine
Fishing Boat for Sale
sales and rentals, company registration, visa and work permit and accouning. Call for more info on 081 691 9679.
CARS FOR SALE Mazda Familia Pick-up Manual Indo Construction 40 years experience of more than 20 years at your service in Thailand. Main contractor: study project, architecture design and construction and management. Contact 076 381 895.
Alarms & CCTV Services Protect your home or office with an alarm system and CCTV cameras. Call 085 798 9469 or email contact@alarms-phuketservices.com.
Farang Food Paradise Your specialist of im ported food and drinks in Phuket. Visit our shop at the Billion Plaza, opposite Tesco Lotus. Contact 076 612 733, 076 248 900. Fax 076 612 734. And now new branch in Samui. See our website phuketfood.com.
Green House Construction, renovation, electric, metal work, wood work, shop fitting. Please contact 085 654 2244.
Excellent condition, engine rebuilt, brakes, battery, body and paint excellent. Must see. Price B85,000. Mobile 086 270 5462.
Toyota Pickup 4 Doors for Sale Turbo diesel auto. 148,130 km, year 19 92. Pr ic e B195,000. Call 089 822 7547 (Thai and English).
Car for Sale As New 2010 Nissan Traveller, top model as new. Only 18,000km cost B1,625,000. SELL B1,325,000. Please call 087 276 0529.
CHILD CARE SERVICES Buds Nursery Kindergarten Phuket’s oldest bi-lingual international child care facility. High quality time proven schedule and curriculum. Experienced native English teachers to teach ages 1½ -6. MonFri 8am-5pm. Bus service available. 076 282 232.
sori education. For more informationtin see our website montessori-thai land.com.
ABC International Nursery Education for children 18 months to six years old with experienced native English teachers following the UK EYFS curriculum. For more details call 089 971 1813.
International Kindegarten International Kindergarten. Native English teachers, UK and Singapore curriculum, small class sizes. The best choice. Call for info on 082 323 1188.
COMPUTER SALES/REPAIRS
tact Robin on 081 803 7189, 076 303 500.
DIVING SERVICES Phuket Scuba Club PA D I 5 S t a r C e n t r e. Half day, daytrips, liveaboards and diver education. Phuket’s only dive club! Contact 076 284 026.
All 4 Diving 5/4 Sawatdirak Road, Patong Beach. For more info call 076 344 611.
Paradise Diving Asia All courses and diving trips. Boat charter and individual tours. See more information at www.diveparadise.com.
English Computerman
EDUCATION SERVICES
Sales (New and Used), Ser vic e and Repair s, WLAN a speciality. Free telephone advice. Please call 084 625 7744.
Dos & Don’ts of Thai Culture
CLUBS & ASSOCIATIONS Phuket Golf & C.C. Membership Founder membership for sale. B600,000 include transfer fee. Call 084 839 4868.
SKAL International Phuket Skål is a professional organisation of leaders from all branches of the travel and tourism industry. See www.skalphuket.org.
Rawai Progressive School
Singapore Club Phuket
International private sc ho o l fo r age s 3 -12 years, offering Montes-
Calling all Singaporeans in Phuket to join “Singapore Club Phuket”. Con-
Learn Thai and Thai culture that is necessary for enjoying life in Thailand. Group classes three days per week learning about the real dos and don’ts of Thailand. Free English-Thai dictionary for the first 10 students for enrolments until October 20, 2011. The Genius Language School, c 089 203 9270 (Aooddy). Visit www.thegeniuslanguageschool. net.
Teaching English We o r g a n i s e En g li s h courses and lessons for Prathom and Matayom students at their home. Books provided. 087 282 2699.
Yoga Teacher Training Course Yoga teacher training i nte r nat i o na l t r ai ni n g course certificate, 250 hours. October 16-November 13. www.ayuryoga.ch. Call Khun Noi 080 533 2202.
Cooking School Fire up your creative flare with Food Services Cooking School. Italian, Western and Thai cuisine. Try our famous pizza school. Call 082 816 0126 or email info@foodser vicesth.com. www.thephuketnews.com
CLASSIFIEDADS 35
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
To advertise in our classifieds visit www.thephuketnews.com EDUCATION SERVICES
Honda CB 750 Chopper for Sale
TTT Language School Chalong Ministry of Education ED Visa - Learn Thai TEFL/TESOL Teacher Training. Stay in Thailand! FREE English test! Many languages with Native Teachers. www.ttt-tefl.com, info@ttt-tefl.com Contact 076 280 869 087 467 8719
Learning Tagalog Want to learn Basic Tagalog? We can help. Please contact patong.peter@ gmail.com.
Recently had major overhaul and re-spray black, kick and elec tric start. This bike is a real head turner. Nice and loud. H as green book so all legal. Get ready fo r B ike We ek 2012. Only B95,000. Call 087 267 8602.
BMW R1200 GS US
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.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS FOR SALE Leaving Items for Sale Last 2 items for sale: - LG DVD receiver system Home Theatre. New condition, old price B15,000 now B8,000 only. - Philips DVD player. Old price B8,000 now B4,000 only. With excellent condition. Contact 083 645 5321(Nataliya) Russian and English speaking, or Email: natadubai@inbox. ru.
company. Only B1,100. Leave 5am, return 5am. No crazy driver, no boats, no bull. Please call 083 390 4924.
improve health, reduce stress, weight loss, detox, rejuvenation, vitality and overcome disease. www. atmanjai.com.
Live Music By Colin Hill
PETS FOR SALE
Popular expat pro musician (guitar/vocals) with work permit. Can perform solo, duo or band. www. play-guitar.net, please call on 089 777 3063.
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, 080 530 3376.
Techworx
2006 with 46,600km. Farang owned. Perfect condition and serviced by BMW. Silver colour with leather side bags and cover. Selling price: B550,000. Call 089 814 1458, lucdayot@gmail. com.
PERSONAL SERVICES English-Thai Law Office Visa, Work Permit, Company formation, Property transfer etc. Please telephone for advice. 084 063 9223.
Custom design & installation. Professional service and suppor t. Premium service: home cinema, home automation, marine AV and IT, lighting control and multi-room audio-video. 084 443 9863, www. techworx-projects.com.
Bon Café Phuket A producer of premium coffee blends and powdered mixes as well as selling, maintaining, servicing and repairing all major brands. 076 355 600-1.
Atmanjai Wo r l d ’s b e s t n a t u r a l health programmes to
Brand New “TYLO” Sauna
House for Rent in Karon
Luxury Villa RawaiNaiharn Beach
Why buy a pet? Soi Dog Foundation have over 300 beautiful dogs and puppies available for adoption. Fully-vaccinated and sterilised. Contact 087 050 8688, john@ soidog.org.
POOL TABLE SALES & REPAIRS Phuket Pool Tables www.phuketpooltables. com. Your number one billiard and snooker supplier in Phuket. Sales, rent and profit sharing. All accessories and services. Please call for more infomation on 081 823 4627.
For long-term rent. Four bedrooms, four bathrooms, maid rooms, big swimming pool. B40,000 per month. Minimum one year. Tell 081 397 1835.
Super Pool Villas Low rates-monthly-weekly. Near Laguna. Villas have everything. Call 089 594 4067.
Houses for Rent Long Term
PROPERTY & CONCIERGE Selling Your Property?
Havana Cigar Shop Opposite HomePro Village Chalong. Khun Vasanh 081 956 2024. vinoltds@hotmail.com.
PROPERTY FOR RENT
Get maximum exposure on our top ranked website. Call 080 143 2929 or visit realestate.phuket.net.
Chalong, ver y private with mountain views, two bedrooms, kitchen, fully furnished, SAT TV, ADSL, UBC and common swimming pool. Contact 089 724 3669.
45,000 For 2 Months Luxury villa near Laguna. Pool, spa room and internet. Please call 089 594 4067.
•Executive style house, available for long term rental • Spacious lounge/ dining/kitchen area with 2 large bedrooms both with ensuite & balconies on the upper level. •Fully furnished, as new, modern, air-con. Ceiling fans in every room. Walking distance to shops and restaurants. • Rent B25,000 per month. Please enquire on 080 690 5248 or email on lil@ladolcevitare.com.au.
Secluded Pool Villa for Rent Chalong, four bedroom, two bathroom, lounge, dinner, big T V ro om, great location, five minutes to Chalong Circle, 5 x 10 metre pool, approx 700m2 block, partly furnished. B35K per month. Contact 081 082 5707 for more details.
Happy Home Apar tment for rent at Saiyuan 15, Rawai. Fully-furnished, swimming pool, WiFi. Start B6,800 per month. 081 956 1218.
Terrace House At Phuket City Home, three storeys, good for home office. B12,000 per month plus bond. 081 978 6700.
Inside 1.40mx1.40m, 2m height. Price B150,000. Call for details on 082 271 4487.
MOTORBIKES FOR RENT Honda Click for Rent Shor t- and long -ter m available, no scams, honest good value. Free delivery for hires over one week. Call 087 188 9047.
MOTORBIKES FOR SALE Honda Click for Sale Honda Click excellent condition only 8000km B32,000. Patong. 088 440 9324.
Southern Big Bike Chopper Shop All your chopper needs. Located on the hill before Safari heading south from Patong. Get ready for Bike Week 2012. Please contact 076 292 079 or Khun Bang on 087 382 2494.
Phuket Visa Of fers consulting and ser vic es on c ompany registration, work permit, visa, accounting, auditor, legal advice. Please call 081 892 9960.
Kata Hot Yoga The most popular Yoga for men and women in Phuket. Four c lasses every day. Kata yoga, it works! www.katahotyoga. com, Contact 076 605 950.
Visa run B1,100 A completely new visa run www.thephuketnews.com
36 CLASSIFIEDADS
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
To advertise in our classifieds visit www.thephuketnews.com PROPERTY FOR RENT
month. Located in Kata. Call 081 606 2827.
Pool Villa for Rent
Three Bedroom House in Chalong
Fully furnished with three bedrooms. Near Lotus Rawai, in quiet and secure area. Call 086 940 0379.
Comfortable Private and Quiet Three bedroom townhouse, just a few minutes to Karon Beach. B25,000 per month, long term rent required. 081 396 0880.
Sea View Apartments Modern furnished one and two-bedroom apartments in Kata. Available for long and short term rent. From B20,000 per month. Contact 081 326 2542.
Phuket Paradise Property
3 Bedroom Pool Villa in Chalong
Near Palia Beach. Fully furnished, two aircon. carpark, washing machine, WiFi, free cable TV. No pets. Please contact 086 944 4885.
PROPERTY FOR SALE LAND FOR SALE RAWAI Soi Saliga, Rawai. 1,908 sqm, clean ready to build, Chanote Title. Next to Eva Beach and Palm House School. Sell by owner. 084 745 4132.
3 Steps to Re-sale 1.Valuation. 2.List your property.
ers direct. -Nine sales staff all
PhuketParadiseProperty.com.
-Promotional booths with fully trained staff through out Phuket.
Land for Sale
-Five International offices supplying custom-
Large house in Chalong, three beds, four bathrooms, swimming pool. Well worth a look. Offers over B6 million or B30,000 a month. 076 374 562.
Guesthouse for Sale
nationalities.
One Bedroom House, Kata
Land and House Park Phuket
Fully-furnished, one bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, terrace, WiFi and cable T V. Price B9,0 0 0 per
For sale. 82 sq metre, three bedroom, two bathroom, Chalong, B4.3m. 087 907 4004.
Eight rooms, internet cafe and an apartment. Rent B52,000 per month. Asking price B1.75 million. Call 085 794 6530.
Price : 5.7 m. THB Type: Villa Bedroom : 2 Ref. : MS-008 Cozy villa near Kata Beach. Huge living room with open kitchen. Extra outdoor kitchen. Two large bedrooms. The villa is located within walking distance from Kata Beach. Contact 086 952 2444, 083 595 6733. Visite our website www.
3.Sale.
One rai with Chanote title. Five minutes from Rawai Beach in secure area. Call owner on 086 940 0379.
House for Sale or Rent
Cozy Villa Near Kata Beach
Phuket Paradise Property A Step In The
Sunset Plaza in Kata Two Bedroom with Seaview
Right Re-sale Direction. Visit our website www. PhuketParadiseProperty.
Price : 5.8 m. THB Type: Villa Bedroom : 3 Ref. : MS-009 Cozy Pool villa near Chalong circle. The villa has a very large living room with view over the large garden. There is direct access from living room to the swimming pool. Three large bedrooms and bathrooms. The villa is situated on the closed road. Close to beach and Phuket Town. Contact 086 952 2444, 083 595 6733. w w w. PhuketParadiseProperty.com.
Rawai Two bedroom on 180 Sqm. With Sea View now 3.0 million
3 Bedroom Pool Villa in Rawai
Price : 9.5 m. THB Type: Villa Bedroom : 3 Ref. : JP-005 Property is directly opposite Suksan Villa. Has electric gates to off road parking for one, possibly two, cars. The garden around the villa is mature and decorative. The house has a large lounge area directly overlooking the 8x4 metre pool. T here are t wo lar g e bedrooms. The master bedroom has a shower and large decor, bath, and both have pool view. Third bedroom is slightly smaller with a double bed and fitted wardrobes. This property has a European fitted kitchen and dining area . Please contact 086 952 2444, 083 595 6733. Visit our website www. PhuketParadiseProperty.com.
One Bedroom Apartment With Seaview in Rawai
com. Please contact 086 95 22 444. 083 595 6733.
PRICE: 8.3m. THB TYPE: Condo BEDROOM: 2 REF.: AB-002 Modern furnished two bedroom. Apartment in Kata. Western kitchen. Balcony with sea view. Two big common pools. Contact 086 95 22 444, 083 595 6733. Please visit our website www. PhuketParadiseProperty.com.
PRICE: 3.0m. THB TYPE: Condo BEDROOM: 2 REF.: MS-006 Big living room and kitchen. Two bedroom and bathroom. 2 minutes walk to the beach. Common pool. Contact 086 952 2444, 083 595 6733. Visit our website www. PhuketParadiseProperty.com.
Private Pool Villa In Centre of Nai Harn
Villa 300 metres from Kata Beach
PRICE: 3.2m. THB TYPE: Condo BEDROOM: 1 REF.: MS-002 Modern one bedroom apartment. With pool. New kitchen. Bathroom with spa. Big living room and balcony. Fully-furnished. Contact 086 95 2 2444, 083 595 6733. Visit our website www. PhuketParadiseProperty.com.
Kata – Sea View Apartment
PRICE: 9.9m. THB TYPE: Villa BEDROOM: 2 REF.: MS-003 Stunning two bedrooms villa with big pool. Big modern kitchen and living room. 2 minutes walk from Tesco Lotus Express. Contact 086 95 22 444, 083 595 6733. Visit our website www. PhuketParadiseProperty.com
www.thephuketnews.com
PRICE: 9.9m. THB TYPE: Villa BEDROOM: 2 REF.: JP-001 Fantastic opportunity in the heart of Kata Phuket, Detached family home set on its own plot offering convenient access to Kata beach 300 mtrs away and all surrounding facilities. Contact 086 95 22 444, 083 595 6733. Visit our website www.
PRICE: 9.9m. THB TYPE: Condo BEDROOM: 2 REF.: AB-001 Modern furnished two bedroom. Apartment in Kata. Western kitchen. Balcony on 21 sqm with sea view. Two big common pools. Contact 086 952 2444, 083 595 6733. Visite our website www.
PhuketParadiseProperty.com.
PhuketParadiseProperty.com
CLASSIFIEDADS 37
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
To advertise in our classifieds visit www.thephuketnews.com PROPERTY FOR SALE Prime Land for Sale in Rawai
Toyota on Bypass Rd. 1080sqm for B18.9 Million. 081 823 4627.
House Near Laguna 2.1 MB
taya for sale B45,000,000. Call 080 692 8468.
Contact anohoa@gmail. com.
Penthouse for Sale
Two Rai Beachfront Land Khao Lak
Two-bedroom, two bathr o o m p e n t h o u s e. 2 0 0 metres walk to Bangtao Beach. B11.5 million, plus furniture. phuketbbgc31@ gmail.com.
reduced price. 640 sq.m. B4.2 million. Elevated, walled, views and Chanote. 085 782 7551.
House for Sale or Rent
Private Pool Villas from B4.9M One-three rai with private access. Nice quiet country area. For sale by owner B6 million per Rai ono. Call 081 477 4792.
House for Sale Three beds, four bathrooms in Chalong, small estate, end of road, fitted wardrobes, swimming pool, garden, big kitchen, fully fur nished. Pr ic ed B6,250,000. Call 076 374 562 to view property.
850 SQM Land Plot for Sale In Soi King Saliga, front 22mx42m long. Walled and about 100m from Rawai Beach. Full chanote title. Contact 080 530 6880.
180 Degree Seaview Land Sale Great 180 degree elevated seaview land for sale in Leelawadee Hill behind
Detached house in Baandon, 55 sq wah Chanote, two bed with aircon. Two bath (one en-suite), phone/ADSL, fully furnished, nic e garden. Price B2.1 million. Call Tay 086 280 4734.
Land for Sale Rawai Four Rai, two Ngan, 64sq Wah (7,456sqm), near shell museum, 80m road frontage. Price at B7.5 million per Rai. Call for more details on 089 731 0283.
The Sands Condominium 150sq metre foreign freehold, two bedroom, swimming p o o l, G RG FLR , lake view, 15 0 metres to Naiharn Beach. Price B9.8million. 089 875 4173.
Villa in Pattaya New build luxury villa in Pat-
Freehold Chanote land at K h ao L ak B e ac h, 3 , 312 m 2 , p r i c e o n l y B5,500,000 a rai. Call 081 651 9687. Intira Villas is a development of 15 boutique villas in the hear t of Rawai. Second phase open now! Only few villas available. www.in tiravillas.com, call 083 594 9279.
JINDARIN BEACH CLUB & RESORT
Nice One Rai For Sale B7.0M
Eco Resort on Coconut Island: Private Pier - Spa - Grass-roofed Village - Lap Pool - Resort lots start at B1 million. Cottage and lot start at B2.5 million. w w w.jindarin. com. Email eam1008@ me.com or call 081 396 6060.
In Chalong area, 200 metre off main road. In great location. Full Chanote title. Contact 089 651 3479.
Bali Style Pool Villa Two bed with en-suite in Naiharn, 480sq metre, fully furnished, internet etc, freehold. Priced at B9.7 million.
Three bed two bath, full furnished, four aircon. European kitchen. B15,000 per month. Convenient to all beaches, shop ping centre and Phuket City. Special price for long-term rental. For sale B3 million. For more details call John 086 940 4267.
House for Sale in L&H Phuket
Rawai-Naiharn Land for Sale Soi Saiyuan13. Sale at
Two storey house, 134 sq.m, land 225 sq.m, three bedroom, two bathrooms, in Chaiyapruek, Land&House Park Phuket. 086 470 2468.
Rawai-New Thai/ Bali Villa Soi Suksan, Newly constructed private pool villa. Three bedroom/three bathroom. Land 1/4 Rai, built area 180sq metre. Open plan living dining with western kitchen. Mountain views in a nice green area. Fully furnished. Asking B8.5 million, but negotiable on this price. 089 973 1180.
Lakeview Villa Chalong
Three/four bedrm villa, 403m2 of land, 240m2 internal area, exclusive secure estate, pr ic e B25,200,000. Call 081 651 9687.
PROPERTY WANTED
Saiyuan-House for Sale
Villa for Rent Wanted
Two bedrooms, two bathrooms in Soi Samakee 2, Saiyuan. Near Naiharn beach. 100 sq.wah, B5.5 million. Contact owner on 087 883 0105.
3 or 4 bedroom villa for rent in Cherng Talay area or near. With pool or without pool, furnished and garden preferred. Contact Nataliya on 083 645 5321.
www.thephuketnews.com
38 TRADEDIRECTORY
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
To advertise in our classifieds visit www.thephuketnews.com AIR CONDITIONING Siam Cooling System Marine air-conditioning, Koh Kaew. Contact 081 891 9442, or scspkt@ loxinfo.co.th.
Phuket Home Services Installing, servicing commercial and residential air- con systems since 2001. All brands. Call 076 324 400, or www.phukethomeservices.com.
BOAT REPAIRS Asia Marine Ltd. Parts supply, refits, repairs, project management yacht delivery. Call 076 239 111.
C & C Marine (Thai) Marine Engineering Services. Call 076 273 247. www.candc-marine.com.
Dan Marine Limited Koh Kaew. Yacht interiors, maintenance and management. Call for more info on 081 271 742.
BUILDING SUPPLIERS Water Proof Phuket Waterproof, water stop and water swell. Design, construction for factory and home structure roof. See www.itrthailand.com.
KV Southern
Raksa Electric Service Electric, airconditioning, lighting services and water systems. Call 084 849 8204 for details.
Cooling Technician All commercial, kitchen needs, fridges and cooling systems. Good, reliable and honest. Service all over Phuket. 086 310 3870.
AAA Phuket Electrician
Waterproof flooring. Engineering, product architectural, product repair system. 081 828 2457.
UK-approved electricians available to advise on all electrical issues. Contact for 081 691 9907.
ELECTRICAL SERVICES
E.C. PHUKET SATELLITE
J-SAT Communication The leader of a communication system in Phuket. Service fire alarm, CCTV system, PABX system, TV system. 076 258 200.
HOME IMPROVEMENTS
Professional Satellite Provider. Astro and Thai Satellite and Cable Services. For quotation call for Thai: Lek on 081 535 9936. For English call: Mel on 086 687 8806. Shop number 076 215 081.
HARDWARE STORES Phaisan Makita Paint All types of paints, colours for home and more. Find us at MaeLuan Road, Phuket Town, entrance to Rang Hill. 076 355 664.
HOME IMPROVEMENT Interior Passion Whether it’s home improvement , c o mplete renovations or a face lift to add value to your business or property, let Interior Passion be your one-stop-shop to a stress free building and interior solution to suit all budgets. 085 918 4661.
Contex Phuket Co. Bang Tao area. High-end teak doors and windows with German technology. Call us on 086 281 1264.
HOME IMPROVEMENTS
Chem-Dry Cleaning Service
076 238 791, www.siam pickpack.com.
The carpet and furniture exper ts. Also of fering full cleaning services for stone, marble, terrazzo, granite and more. Contact 076 261 513.
One-stop service for all your removal and shipping needs. 076 263 987.
Adisak Trading Bypass Road. We have the largest selection of TOA paint. 076 261 420.
LANDSCAPING SERVICES Phuket Home Services Design and build salas, pergolas and decks. Offer custom design and build water features and ponds. 076 324 400, www.phuket homeservices.com.
Bigmove Phuket
Global Logistics Asia Thalang area. We have the knowledge, networks and technology to answer your needs. 081 797 2753.
WATER SYSTEMS The Mobile Pool Doctor Srisoonthorn Road, all areas of Phuket. Contact 076 620 193 or www.mobilepooldoctor.com.
Phuket Water Supply
REMOVAL SERVICES Siam Pickpack B oat L ag o o n. G l o bal transportation services.
Water filtration systems for home and pool. Thepkrasattri Road, Rassada area. Call 076 215 681.
COURIER SERVICES
REMOVAL SERVICES
Worldwide household removal services. Warehousing and packing services. You’ll find flexible, enthusiastic and professional, committed to getting
Wana Park, Srisoonthron Road, Thalang, Phuket 83110 Tel 076 620168 info@tile-asia.com
you the most effective logistics for the project at the best price.
www.phukettransport.com STORAGE SERVICES Reserve Your Storage Space
Call 076 29 29 09
or visit mystorageasia.com
Sizes to Suit all Budgets Personal & Business Storage Motorcycle Storage Left Luggage Service We Sell Boxes Storage Insurance Inclusive
Secure, Clean & Cost Effective Self Storage Jungceylon Shopping Center, Patong, Phuket www.thephuketnews.com
ISLANDSPORT 39
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
FC Phuket stay in contention FOOTBALL
Two goals f rom st r i ker Watcharapong Jang-ngam and a third from substitute Hossien Nissim added a glossy finish to an excellent team performance by FC Phuket as the Southern Sea Kirin beat PTT Rayong 3-0 to leapfrog them in the league. Sunday’s victory was the home side’s fourth in a row and allowed FC Phuket to keep up the pressure on third-placed Chainat FC for the last Premier League promotion spot. Watcharapong opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a powerful low strike before adding a second midway through the second half. Hossien, one of three excellent substitutions made by manager Somphong Wattana, completed the scoring. FC Phuket are now seventh in TPL Division One with 38 points from 24 games. Chainat FC, the team in the third and final promotion place, are 10 points ahead but have played one more game. Having won their previous three fixtures, FC Phuket, one of the form sides in the league, were full of confidence at Surakul Stadium on a wet and rainy Sunday evening.
Thai Division 1
Free kick, referee! FC Phuket midfielder Boubaccar Issoufou is scythed down by a PTT Rayong defender. The Nigerien international came on as a substitute and set up the second goal for number nine Watcharapong. Midfield star Sarach Yooyen was suspended from the match which gave Poramut Krongbarisut a rare start. Any fears that the home side would miss their main playmaker were unfounded as Watcharapong blasted FC Phuket into an early lead. Niran Panthong found the striker in space and his direct run took him into the penalty area where he promptly smashed the ball past the surprised visiting goalkeeper.
Buoyed by the early goal, FC Phuket poured forward looking for a second and went close a number of times. Poramut volleyed a Nitipong Limsuwan free kick over the bar; Jongrak Pakdee, the match winner against Songkhla, had a goal-bound shot deflected over; Kone Adama tested the Rayong goalkeeper from a tight angle when perhaps a cut back would have been the better option; and Nitipong hit the bar with a
25-yard free kick. Despite the pressure, Rayong refused to yield and were happy to go in at half time just one goal in arrears. Rayong coach Witwarasak Aupathamnaraphon must have had some stern words with his side at the break, as they came out for the second half looking like a totally different side. Whereas in the first half they had been content to shoot from distance, Rayong showed more purpose and forced the
Team
P
W
D
L
GF GA Points
Buriram FC BBCU Chainat Raj Pracha Songkhla Bangkok United Phuket PTT Rayong Saraburi Air Force United Suphanburi Bangkok Customs United Chanthaburi Rangsit JW Thai Honda Chiangmai
24 25 25 24 23 25 24 24 23 23 24 24 24 23 24 24 25 24
17 15 15 11 10 11 10 10 7 7 5 8 7 6 5 5 4 3
6 7 3 6 9 5 8 8 11 7 12 1 4 7 9 3 6 8
1 3 7 7 4 9 6 6 5 9 7 15 13 10 10 16 15 13
52 34 42 29 37 38 37 30 24 27 24 33 28 23 22 25 22 16
RBAC Mittraphap
home side to dig deep. The change in tactics almost paid dividends as striker Francis Kone twice went close to an equaliser; first curling narrowly wide from 12 yards and then hitting the crossbar with a volley. Sensing his team was struggling, Wattana made the first of three inspired substitutions, bringing on Boubaccar Issoufou for the tiring Poramut. The Nigerien made an
14 16 28 27 20 32 24 19 18 36 25 46 39 29 31 56 42 41
57 52 48 39 39 38 38 38 32 28 27 25 25 25 24 18 18 17
instant impact as his cross was poked home by Watcharapong after 72 minutes to give the Kirin a two-goal cushion. Two became three just seven minutes later when Hossien, on as a substitute for Jongrak, slotted the ball home after a strong run and fierce cross by Adama was deflected into his path. The Phuket News Star Man: Watcharapong Jangngam; scored two and was involved in the third.
Fifth FDS tourney is packed with action The victorious YFH (light blue) under-14s team and runners up Fifa pose for a group photograph after the final of the six-team tournament last weekend, won by YFH 2-1.
YFH lift U-14s cup The Youth Football Home (YFH) under14s team emerged victorious after a tough tournament at the charity’s home in Thalang last weekend. The YFH, which houses underprivileged children who display aptitude for football, giving them a good education and professional football coaching, overcame the talented Fifa team 2-1 in the final. Just a week after the YFH staged under-10s and under-12s tournaments, six under-14s sides took the YFH’s carpet-like playing surface last Saturday for the group stage matches. The teams were divided into two groups of three, with each side playing two 50-minute matches of full 11-a-side football. The top two teams from each group progressed to the semi-finals which were held the following day. The four semi-finalists consisted of the
FOOTBALL
YFH, the Fifa side, Muang Thalang – which featured players from Bangkok – and Synergy Sport, whose side was made up of players from four of the island’s international schools. It was the YFH and Fifa sides that progressed to the final after beating Synergy Sport and Muang Thalang respectively, leaving the latter two sides to battle it out for third place. Muang Thalang took the bronze medal, comfortably beating Synergy Sport 5-2 before the YFH beat the Fifa side 2-1 to seal the victory. The YFH’s Sooksun Arsasook was named the tournament’s most valuable player. The next tournament to be staged at the YFH will take place on November 12 when a number of under-18 teams will take on the YFH under-16s.
Almost 80 children turned out at Thanyapura Sport and Leisure Club (TSLC) last weekend for the fifth edition of the Brazilian Soccer School’s Futebol de Salão (FDS) three-a-side Premier League tournaments. A total of four tournaments were played over two days with under-eights, under10s, under-12s and over-12s all battling it out for glory on TSLC’s state-of-the-art synthetic football pitch. After some fierce competition – played with the highest levels of sportsmanship – it was Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Newcastle United that took the honours in the respective age groups. T h e we e ke n d b eg a n with the under-eights on Saturday morning and those in attendence were divided into six teams. Each team played five group stage matches and the top four sides progressed to the semi-finals. The two giants of English football – Liverpool and Man
FOOTBALL
Utd – moved into the final, leaving Stoke and Everton to fight it out for third place, which was sealed by the former with a 4-1 win. In the final, Liverpool raced out to a 2-0 lead but were unable to defend it as United roared back into the game and took the title 3-2. Later in the day came the turn of the under-10s who got underway at 4.30pm and finished the matches under the TSLC floodlights. The under-10s featured eight teams divided into two groups of four, with each team playing their group opponents once. After the round robin stage, Spurs, Man City, Man Utd and Arsenal went through to the semis before victories for Spurs and City saw them contest the final. United beat Arsenal to claim third before Spurs thrashed City 5-1 to seal a well-deserved victory. The following day saw the turn of the under- and over-12s.
In the under-12s, Spurs beat Everton in the semis and were joined in the final by Man City in a replay of the under-10s final after City beat rivals United in their semi. Everton won bronze after beating Man Utd on penalties and the final was decided the same way after the game ended 2-2. The City players held their nerve on the day as Spurs missed two penalties to slump to a 2-0 shootout loss. The final tournament took place on Sunday afternoon as five over-12s teams took to the field playing in a single group. A total of 57 goals were scored in the 10 group matches as the teams played some great attacking football. Into the semis and Newcastle dispatched Everton in the first match to set up a clash with Man Utd after they overcame City before the latter went on to claim bronze. Newcastle finished the tournament as winners after a good performance in the final saw them see off United by four goals to two.
www.thephuketnews.com
40 ISLANDSPORT
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
SUCCESS FOR YOUNG MOTOR SPORT
Despite not having driven a race car in competition for five months, Phuket’s Dylan Young performed superbly in the JK Racing Asia Series event in Singapore last weekend under the watchful eyes of Formula One bosses and drivers alike. Un t i l l a s t we e ke n d , Young, 22, had been unable to raise sufficient funds to race again after competing in Malaysia in April. Despite a few setbacks, he emerged from his two races with a creditable eighth in race one and sixth in race two to complete a great weekend that could have positive repercussions for his dreams of racing in Formula One. “It was great to be back in the car,” Young told The Phuket News. “This is what all the hard work leads to and that allows you to go out and do what you do best, which is driving a car on the limit. “I actually got back into the rhythm and on the pace a lot quicker than we anticipated. You never forget how to drive, but these cars are seriously quick and usually it takes you a few laps to get your eye in, but I was comfortable pretty quickly. “I was pleased with the way we managed the starts and were aggressive without being
Schools coaching paying dividends CRICKET
Dylan Young in action in the JK Racing Asia Series at last weekend’s Singapore F1 Grand Prix. –Photo by Lionel Ng. stupid on a track like this. “I managed to get through quite a few drivers cleanly, which is important here, and at the end of the day I was happy to score some solid points and came home ahead of some highly rated drivers.” In qualifying, Young managed to exceed all expectations and finish fifth fastest. “I couldn’t really believe it when my team came over the radio and told me I had qualified in fifth. “At the end of the session my team told me I had to make my final lap count as I pulled into the pit straight for the last flying lap. “It [the lap] was on the edge and I hit the kerbs seri-
ously hard in a few places to get the most out of the car. When I looked down and saw 2:24:36 as I crossed the line I knew it was a good lap.” Unfortunately he and his team-mate were penalised for using the wrong tyres and were forced to start both races from the back of the grid. “All cars must get checked after qualifying and about an hour or so after the session my team manager called me over and said we had an issue with the tyres. “Unfortunately a batch of my tyres and my teammate’s tyres got mixed up in qualifying. We get a few new sets each weekend but they all have barcodes on them and
must belong to the same batch. “I was shattered because I had just done a pretty good lap and to have that stolen from me basically because of a barcode was really upsetting.” Putting the setback to the back of his mind, Young drove two of the races of his life despite the pressure of racing under the watchful eyes of Formula One bosses as well as the greatest driver Formula One has seen, who was caught following his progress. “You’re aware the F1 bosses are watching you; you have a lot of important eyes on you. Even Michael Schumacher was caught on TV watching our race on Sunday before his race.
“You know the stage you are on but once you line up on that grid and the red lights start coming on in preparation for the start it’s just another race. “But if you have done well and performed well like I did this weekend, people do take notice and they do follow your career. “For me to put in those performances after being out for a while of course helps my cause to reach Formula One. “Overall I think we exceeded expectations on a big stage. We scored solid points but from here I need to make sure I’m in the cockpit again quickly; that will really help me take the next step and push to be on the podium.”
While most Thais, and indeed many European and American expats, may not be familiar with the game of cricket, local children in Phuket are being introduced to the game by a group of volunteers from the Phuket Cricket Group (PCG). PCG’s youth development officer Australian Bill Stahmer and his team visit local schools each week across Phuket to hold coaching sessions. These days, the initiative, which was started a few years ago, is starting to pay dividends. “We’re very proud of what we have been able to achieve with the kids and this is backed up by a Thai youth team which plays in the senior Island Furniture Cricket League” said Stahmer. Stahmer and his team are currently preparing the local Phuket youth team for the Thai National Youth Games to be held in Phuket in March 2012. “We will start more intensive training in the lead up to the games and we hope the home ground advantage and local supporters will fire the boys up to become National Youth Champions,” he said.
Thai spikers see Phuket as road to success
Jarunee Sannok (left) and Usa Tenpaksee are just one of the Thai teams competing at the Phuket Open. –Photo FIVB. www.thephuketnews.com
Thailand’s top women’s pairs have revealed that they plan on using the final stage of the FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch World Tour in Phuket from November 1 to 6 as a springboard for the 2012 season. Over the past decade, Thailand teams have rarely made an appearance on the international circuit, despite some positive results on home sand. But next year at least two teams will compete on the World Tour thanks to a new sponsorship deal. Thailand coach Petcharat Putsorn who, along with the Thailand Volleyball Association, is helping prepare the teams for the 2012 season, said the pairs will use the Phuket Thailand Open as a way of testing themselves against the world’s top teams. “It is our target to get the Thai teams through to the second day of the main draw; if we can achieve this goal, then we know we can make an impact next year,” he said. “Of course it won’t be easy for us in our first year on the Tour as we will have to play in the qualifying rounds at most
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
of the tournaments, because we do not have ranking points. “It is our goal to use 2012 to gain the necessary experience and pick up as many points as possible, so we can launch a strong challenge in 2013 with the goal of getting at least two teams into the world’s top 50.” Thailand is hopeful of getting three teams into the main draw in Phuket, where Kamoltip Kulna and Varapatsorn Radarong, Jarunee Sannok and Usa Tenpaksee, and Tanarattha Udomchavee and Rumpaipruet Numwong will be representing the Kingdom. “We have been training hard for the tournament in Phuket and for the Southeast Asian Games, so we are feeling fit and confident about our chances of causing some surprises,” said Kamoltip, one of the more senior players. “Of cou rse a lot de pends on the draw, but I am sure that the Thai beach volleyball fans will be out there cheering us on.”
INTERNATIONALSPORT 41
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
THE PHUKET NEWS TIPPING COMPETITION: 7
This month's competition is supported by:
MRB scoops Peppers prize
With a brilliant final weekend’s performance, contestant ‘MRB’ scooped the points tally to become the August/September Peppers winner of The Phuket News’ tipping competition. For their efforts, MRB won a B3,000 voucher for Peppers Bar and Restaurant, just outside Laguna. Altogether, MRB scored an impressive 18 points and gained an additional five bonus points for surpassing The Phuket News’ football ‘expert’ and sports editor Dan Ogunshakin to finish with 110 points, seven clear of ‘gafferworld’ in second. As things stand MRB is in pole position to land the return f light to the UK, but with eight months left in the season there is still a long way to go and everything can change because, as Jimmy Greaves once said, “Football, it’s a funny old game”. At long last our football ‘expert’ had a successful week, picking up 17 points after correctly predicting the results of eight of the ten fixtures. With a brand new month
WEEK 7 Home Team W D W Away Team i r i n a n w 01/10/2011 Everton FC Aston Villa Blackburn Rovers Manchester United Sunderland AFC Wolves
Liverpool FC Wigan Athletic Manchester City Norwich City West Bromwich Albion Newcastle United
02/10/2011 Bolton Wanderers Fulham FC Swansea City Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea FC Queens Park Rangers Stoke City Arsenal FC
DAN’S TIPS:
Please Fax this form to 076 612 553 or hand it in at the Phuket News office in before Friday 2.00 PM. Or visit our website www.thephuketnews.com to enter online.
Chelsea’s Fernando Torres was both hero and villain in the Blues’ 4-1 win against Swansea. The Spanish star scored Chelsea’s first goal but was then sent off for a dangerous two-footed challenge. –Photo AFP comes a new monthly prize and October’s top points scorer will win themselves a B3,000 voucher to be used at Peppers Bar and Restaurant, Phuket’s premier sports bar. The big matches in the last round of fixtures before
the international break take place at Goodison Park, where Everton take on city rivals Liverpool in the Merseyside derby, and at White Hart Lane where Spurs face north London rivals Arsenal. These fixtures are often
tough to predict but in the Everton-Liverpool game it’d be a brave man to bet on all 22 men remaining on the pitch come full time, given the prolific number of red cards shown in this fixture in recent years. Elsewhere there should be home wins for Aston Villa, Manchester United, Sunderland and Fulham, and away wins for Manchester City and Chelsea. Meanwhile, Newcastle and Stoke face tricky away assignments but their good early season form
suggests that they might earn a share of the points. You can now enter your predictions for round seven. Enter them online by 11.59pm today (September 30) at thephuketnews.com, fax them to the office on 076 612 553 or hand them to us in Billion Plaza, opposite Tesco-Lotus before 2pm. If you didn’t play in rounds one to six but still wish to take part you can; just register at thephuketnews.com and make your savvy predictions.
Everton v Liverpool: away win Aston Villa v Wigan: home win Blackburn v Man City: away win Man Utd v Norwich: home win Sunderland v West Brom: home win Wolves v Newcastle: draw Bolton v Chelsea: away win Fulham v QPR: home win Swansea v Stoke: draw Tottenham v Arsenal: home win
RESULTS FROM ROUND SIX: Man City Arsenal Chelsea Liverpool Newcastle West Brom Wigan Stoke QPR Norwich
2-0 3-0 4-1 2-1 3-1 v 1-2 1-1 1-1 2-1
Everton Bolton Swansea Wolves Blackburn Fulham Tottenham Man Utd Aston Villa Sunderland
TOP 10 PERFORMERS: 1. MRB 2. gafferworld 3. dcoutts 3. Mal Kenyon 3. MAMCHAM 6. Allard 6. chasman 8. alanphuket 9. apollo131 10. keefers
110 103 94 94 94 93 93 91 88 82
Woods woos LaCava Pies and Cats to to be his new caddie meet in dream final GOLF
Tiger Woods has hired Joe LaCava to replace long-time caddie New Zealander Steve Williams, whom he had a very public falling out with earlier this year. Fourteen-time major winner Woods took two months to find a replacement after splitting with former bagman and best man at his wedding Williams in July. “Joe LaCava is an outstanding caddie and I have known him since I was an amateur, really looking forward to having him on my bag,” Woods wrote on Twitter. LaCava worked for 20 years as a caddie for 2011 US Presidents Cup team captain Fred Couples, though most recently he has been carrying the golf bag of rising PGA Tour star Dustin Johnson. Johnson’s swing coach Butch Harmon first told Sky Sports TV about the caddie hiring during the telecast of Sunday’s final round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Woods hopes that LaCava is the man to help him recapture his best form. –Photo by Keith Allison Woods sacked his former caddie after 13 years of working together, though Williams has since been hired by Aussie star Adam Scott. Woods is five short of breaking Jack Nicklaus’ alltime record of 18 major championships but he has not won a tournament since November 2009 in Australia. He is coming off a frustrating season and is still trying to bounce back from a shocking sex scandal and a string of injuries.
Woods also used Twitter to be one of the first to congratulate Bill Haas and Hunter Mahan on the richest one-hole showdown in PGA Tour history, which was won by Haas in a play-off last Sunday. “Great finish to the season today,” Woods wrote of the final round of the Tour Championship which doubled as the finish of the FedEx Cup playoffs. “Fun to watch Bill & Hunter, two good friends and players, go at it.” –AFP
The AFL’s two best teams go head-to-head tomorrow (October 1) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as Collingwood and Geelong clash at lunch time for the 2011 Premiership title. The Magpies of Collingwood and the Cats of Geelong finished in first and second place on the ladder during the regular season, boasting records of 20 wins and two defeats, and 19 wins and three defeats respectively. The ’Pies are the current AFL champions after romping to victory in last year’s Grand Final replay against St Kilda, after the two teams played out only the third draw in VFL/ AFL Grand Final history. The defending champions face a tough battle in their quest to retain their crown as they line up against a Geelong side making its fourth Grand Final appearance in five years. The Cats lifted the Premiership in 2007 and 2009 and made the final in 2008 only to relinquish their crown to Hawthorn. On top of their previous
AFL
Grand Finals experience, Geelong were the only team to beat Collingwood this season, having come out on top in rounds eight and 24, the latter being the final round of the regular season just last month. What will be of concern to Collingwood fans is that the recent meeting between the two sides saw Geelong thump the Magpies by a massive 96 points as the game finished 149-53. At one stage in that match the Cats went on a 10 to one goal scoring streak that ripped the minor premiers apart. As well as having the psychological edge that comes with having registered two victories over Collingwood this season, Geelong also go into the final in better form. In last weekend’s preli m i na r y f i nal t he Cats beat the West Coast Eagles by 48 points as they ran out 117-69 winners. In contrast, Collingwood
had to dig deep against Hawthorn and were moments away from being eliminated only to prevail by just three points, 68-65, setting up the first Grand Final between the two clubs since 1953, where Collingwood prevailed by 12 points. The ’Pies chances of victory were given a boost when Geelong star half-forward Steve Johnson injured his knee in the match against the Eagles and was a doubt for the big match. Johnson won the Norm Smith Medal awarded to the Grand Final’s best player when the Cats beat Port Adelaide in 2007 and is one of Geelong’s leading players. As of press time the Magpies had their own injury concerns and were sweating over the fitness of ruckman Darren Jolly who has a groin injury and all-Australian defender Ben Reid (hamstring). Collingwood v Geelong: Saturday, October 1. Kick off 11.30 am (Thai time).
www.thephuketnews.com
42 INTERNATIONALSPORT
THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Vettel is on the brink FORMULA 1
Sebastian Vettel demonstrated his vast supremacy yet again last Sunday, winning the Singapore Grand Prix in style to move to within a point of becoming the youngest double world champion in Formula One history. The 24-year-old German – the defending champion and runaway leader of this year’s title race – drove his Red Bull from pole position to the chequered flag in flawless style, winning the 61-lap night race at the Marina Bay street circuit by a controlled 1.7 seconds. Briton Jenson Button f i n ishe d se c ond i n h i s McLaren to keep the title race alive for another couple of weeks with five races remaining, while Australian Mark Webber finished third in the other Red Bull. Vettel now requires a solitary point to claim a second successive title and can only be beaten to the crown if Button wins all the remaining races and the German fails to score a further point. With the next race being the Japanese Grand Prix on October 7-9, there is every chance the peerless Vettel will seal his triumph – and make history – at the Suzuka circuit. “Obviously I am very pleased with the result and the car was great for me all the way through. I pulled away easily
seconds, a time that signalled the longest and most arduous race of the year. He, Button and Webber stood still, drained and dripping with sweat on the podium at the end. Vettel, from his 11th pole position this season, pulled clear with apparent ease to take control early on, leaving the rest to scrap for places in a flurry of action into Turn One, Sheares Corner. He stretched his lead to 20 seconds by lap 30, when the race was red-flagged for the first time after Schumacher ran into the rear of Perez’s Sauber car and made an airborne collision with the barriers. This brought out the safety car and signalled a spate of pit-stops while Schumacher’s One point to go: Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Red Bull celebrates on the podium. –Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images. wrecked Mercedes was lifted clear. The 42-year-old German at the start and had a good gap, who needed to finish on the Formula One, ahead of Ger- was unhurt. but the safety car was not in podium to keep his own chal- mans Nico Rosberg in seventh It gave Button a sniff at lenge for the drivers’ title alive, for Mercedes and Adrian Sutil Vettel, and although he ran our plans,” said Vettel. “I was lucky again to have came home fourth ahead of in the second Force India. him close he never looked a good re-start and I was soon Britain’s Lewis Hamilton in Massa of Ferrari came like denying the German the back in the rhythm and I had the second McLaren. home ninth, while Mexican victory he richly deserved. Hamilton produced a typi- Sergio Perez, whose collision a huge gap again, even with Webber, who sits fourth cally spectacular drive includ- with Michael Schumacher saw in the overall standings, said: the traffic. “I was in control at the end ing five pit-stops, a collision the German eliminated from “Unfortunately I’ve found myand it is a great feeling to win with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, the race, finished 10th. self having to come back too this race – I love the track here which produced an angry It was Vettel’s ninth win often this year. I haven’t made and it’s such a challenge. post-race response from the this season and the 19th of his the starts I made last year and “As to the championship? Brazilian who grabbed the career. His Singapore triumph I have to work on that. Ah, well, I guess I have another McLaren man, and a charge in sweltering humidity was “Seb clearly deserved chance at the next race. heralded by an explosion of victory and well done to JB from 19th through the field. “I feel capable, but I still Another Briton, Paul Di dazzling fireworks over the [Button] for second place. I have to do it.” Resta, came home sixth for brightly lit cityscape. would have loved a win, but Two-time world champion Force India, his best result to Vettel won in a time of one it’s a very, very challenging Spaniard Fernando Alonso, date in his rookie season in hour, 59 minutes and 6.757 venue.”
Hamilton needs new manager, says dad Troubled Lewis Hamilton’s father Anthony has suggested his son needs a change of management to help him break free of the problems that have beset him in 2011. Hamilton finished a brilliant fifth at Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix after racing through the field from 19th, but came under fire afterwards from Brazilian rival Felipe Massa for causing a needless collision. That cost the Ferrari driver a puncture and wrecked his race, while Hamilton, of McLaren, had to pit for a broken nose and take a drive-
FORMULA 1 through penalty that ruined his chance of victory. Massa pushed and insulted Hamilton in a confrontation in front of television cameras after the race, as the Briton was once again in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons despite a brilliant drive. His father Anthony, now manager of fellow Briton Paul di Resta who drove to a career best finish of sixth for Force India, said his son was missing the presence of a manager with him at races.
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Hamilton sacked his father, the man who guided him from karting to F1, from the job early last year. Hamilton senior said: “Unfortunately, the issue in this race was an aggressive Lewis issue. It was a misjudgement. He didn’t go diving down the inside and wipe someone out. He just got it wrong. What can you say? “You look up and down the pit-lane and every driver, except for Lewis, has a drivermanager in his life – not people from a company. “I am sure his management are very good but Formula One drivers need people personally involved in their lives because [there] is big pressure. “They have got to be here and I don’t think you can do the job by sending someone else. I don’t know any other driver-manager who sends someone else to do the job. Hamilton raced in 2010 without a manager, but signed up with the Simon Fuller agency XIX in March this year. This season he has won
Lewis Hamilton has branded this season his “worst yet”. –Photo by Gil Abrantes. two races and been involved in a spate of accidents and controversies. Despite Hamilton’s struggles this season, McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh says he believes that his charge shouldn’t change his style. Whitmarsh said that he feels that the 2008 champion is cast from the same mould as Formula One greats Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher – drivers who both caused ructions on their way to the pinnacle of their sport. “Go back over the last
20 years,” Whitmarsh said. “Any of these attacking, brave drivers get under the skin of other drivers. It doesn’t matter to Lewis who is in the car in front; he is the enemy of the moment and Lewis has to get past him. “If you look back on Ayrton, certainly as a young man, Ayrton never had an accident that was his fault. He had massive self-belief and he got under the skin of many drivers. Michael still does. Michael has never caused an accident.” –AFP
Manly and Warriors clash in NRL finale NRL
The New Zealand Warriors and the Manly Sea Eagles will line up against each other on Sunday afternoon to contest the 2011 NRL Grand Final after coming through tough semi-finals against the Melbourne Storm and the Brisbane Broncos respectively. The Warriors created a huge upset last Saturday when they downed the 2011 minor premier winning Storm 20-12 in Melbourne to reach the club’s second ever Grand Final. The Auckland-based side had beaten the all-conquering Storm earlier in the season but few gave them much hope of repeating the trick in the second preliminary final. But a solid defensive display set up a three-tries-to-two victory. In the first preliminary final, the Sea Eagles ended Darren Lockyer’s hopes of finishing his illustrious career with yet another Premiership winner’s medal. The rugby league legend was missing from the Broncos line up as he recovered from surgery to repair a broken cheekbone. The Queensland outfit missed his presence as they scored three tries to Manly’s six in a 26-14 loss. Manly have made two changes to the squad that triumphed over the Broncos with suspended duo Glenn Stewart and Darcy Lussick returning after three-week bans. The pair were suspended for their part in the mass brawl that erupted at Brookvale (Manly’s home stadium) in the recent match against the Storm at the end of the regular season. Stewart goes straight into the starting 13 at lock in place of Shane Rodney who drops to the bench, while Lussick takes his place among the substitutes. Vic Robinson and Tim Mauro are expected to miss out on a Grand Final squad berth. The Warriors have named the same squad that beat the Storm as they bid to become Premiers for the first time. The New Zealand club won the minor premiership in 2002 and reached the Grand Final in the same year, only to slump to a heavy defeat against the Sydney Roosters. Warriors coach Ivan Cleary played in that match for the Warriors and will coach them for the final time before heading to Penrith next season. Also leaving the club is Lance Hohaia, who will hope to end a 10-year association with the Warriors on a high.
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THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
English Premier Team Man United Man City Chelsea Newcastle Utd Liverpool Tottenham Stoke City Aston Villa Norwich City QPR Everton Wolverhampton Arsenal Sunderland Wigan Athletic Swansea City Fulham Blackburn Rovers West Bromwich Bolton
P 6 6 6 6 6 5 6 6 6 6 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
W 5 5 4 3 3 3 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 1 1 1
D 1 1 1 3 1 0 3 5 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 4 1 1 0
L 0 0 1 0 2 2 1 0 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 4 4 5
F 22 19 12 7 8 9 4 7 7 5 6 5 9 7 5 4 4 8 3 8
A 5 5 7 3 8 9 6 5 8 7 6 8 14 6 9 9 7 13 8 16
Pts 16 16 13 12 10 9 9 8 8 8 7 7 7 5 5 5 4 4 4 3
Bundesliga, Germany Team Munich Bremen Bor M’gladbach Hoffenheim Schalke Hannover Stuttgart Dortmund Nuremberg Köln B Leverkusen Herta Berlin Wolfsburg Mainz Kaiserslautern Augsburg Freiburg Hamburg
P
W
D
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F
A
Pts
7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
6 5 5 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 1 0 1 1
0 1 1 0 0 3 1 1 1 1 1 3 0 1 2 4 1 1
1 1 1 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 2 4 4 4 3 5 5
21 14 9 12 15 8 10 9 6 13 7 9 8 9 5 6 12 8
1 7 3 7 12 8 6 7 7 15 10 9 12 15 10 12 22 18
18 16 16 12 12 12 10 10 10 10 10 9 9 7 5 4 4 4
Serie A, Italy Team Juventus Udinese Genoa Napoli Fiorentina Palermo Cagliari Chievo Siena Lazio AS Roma AC Milan Catania Atalanta Novara Internazionale Lecce Parma Bologna Cesena
P
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 0 0
2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 1 0
0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 2 2 3 3 3 4
7 5 8 6 5 7 6 6 4 5 3 5 2 7 7 7 3 3 2 2
3 1 5 3 2 6 5 5 2 5 3 6 4 4 7 8 7 9 8 7
8 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 1 0
Formula 1 Driver Standings after Singapore 1. S. Vettel 309; 2. J. Button 185; 3. F. Alonso 184; 4. M. Webber 182; 5. L. Hamilton 168; 6. F. Massa 84; 7. N. Rosberg 62; 8. M. Schumacher 52; 9. V. Petrov 34; 10. N. Heidfeld 34; 11. A. Sutil 28; 12. K. Kobayashi 27; 13. P. di Resta 20; 14. J. Alguesuari 16; 15. S. Buemi 13; 16. S. Perez 9; 17. R. Barichello 4; 18. B. Senna 2; 19. P. Maldonado 1. All others 0.
Hash House Harriers Run 1334: Saturday, October 1 at 4pm. Hares: Ejaculator and No Hope Directions: Location: Patong Viewpoint. Head into Patong. At the south end of Nanai Road turn up the hill on Hasip Pee Road (by the bridge over the Klong). Head up the hill for approximately 300m to where the road bends and turn up to the right at the hash sign. Follow the single-track road up to the viewpoint and park on the road (not in the field with the banyan tree). Bus: Leaves the Expat Hotel, Patong at 14:30 and Baan Rim Klong, Kamala at 15:00.
Mancini: Tevez is ‘finished’ with City FOOTBALL
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has insisted striker Carlos Tevez is ‘finished’ with the club, after he refused to go on in the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich. “Yes, he refused to go on,” confirmed Mancini, who had wanted to make Tevez his second substitution during City’s 2-0 defeat in Munich on Tuesday night (September 27). “I don’t know, but with me he is finished,” fumed the Italian when asked where Tevez’s future lies now, adding the decision to sell Tevez is now in the hands of City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak. “Yes, I am really disappointed, because he is Carlos. When one player refuses to go on to help his team-mates in a match as important as this, it is very disappointing.” The former City captain has had a troubled time at the club since being released from Manchester United in 2009,
with Tevez already handing i n t wo w r it ten t r a nsfer requests citing family reasons and a break-down in relations with the club. The matter was later resolved with Mancini saying he thought the Argentine star would stay, but the Italian took
Bundesliga Fixtures
English Premier League Fixtures
(Times in Thailand)
(Times in Thailand)
Sunday October 2 H Berlin v Koln Hanover v Bremen Hamburg v Schalke
02:30 21:30 21:30 21:30 21:30 21:30
Saturday October 1 Everton v Liverpool Villa v Wigan Blackburn v Man City Man Utd v Norwich Sunderland v WBA Wolves v Newcastle
18:45 21:00 21:00 21:00 21:00 21:00
00:30 21:30 23:30
Sunday October 2 Bolton v Chelsea Fulham v QPR Swansea v Stoke City Tottenham v Arsenal
19:30 21:00 21:00 21:00
Sport on TV: Times in Thailand Friday, September 30 EVENT RWC: South Africa v Samoa Golf: Alfred Dunhill C’ships
TIME
CHANNEL
15:30 19:30
Astro Supersport 2 Golf Channel
Saturday, October 1 AFL: Collingwood v Geelong RWC: Australia v Russia RWC: France v Tonga RWC: England v Scotland MotoGP: Japan Qualifying EPL: Everton v Liverpool EPL: Man Utd v Norwich EPL: Blackburn v Man City EPL: Wolves v Newcastle EPL: Aston Villa v Wigan BDL: Hoffenheim v Bayern
AFL
NRL
(Times in Thailand)
(Times in Thailand)
Saturday October 1 Collingwood Magpies versus Geelong Cats 11:30 at MGC
Sunday October 2 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles versus New Zealand Warriors 14:20 at ANZ Stadium
Carlos Tevez (centre), who captained Manchester City to FA Cup glory last season, will never play for the club again, according to boss Roberto Mancini. –Photo AFP
Coming up this week
Saturday October 1 K’lautern v Stuttgart Dortmund v Augsburg B L’kusen v Wolfsburg Nuremberg v Mainz Freiburg v M’gladbach Hoffenheim v Munich
the captaincy away from the want-away forward, replacing him with Vincent Kompany. Tevez for his part later spoke briefly through an interpreter to Sky Sports. “It is his [Mancini’s] decision,” he said. “I’ve been professional in
the last year. This last year I was the best scorer and I put my opinion through that I wanted to leave for family reasons but I keep trying to do my best.” Despite Tevez’s claims, his latest tantrum at Munich’s Allianz Arena has left Mancini with little room for manoeuvre. “He refused to warm up, he was going to be my second substitution,” said Mancini. “If one player earns a lot of money for Manchester City and refuses to go on, for me, he is finished. If we want to improve, Carlos can’t play with us, he is finished. “We will speak about this with the chairman in the next few days. He is the chairman, he makes the decision.” Tevez’s anger stemmed from Mancini’s decision to bring off Edin Dzeko and replace the Bosnian striker with Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong after 56 minutes, rather than himself. –AFP
10:30 09:15 11:55 14:15 11:55 18:45 21:00 21:00 21:00 21:00 20:25
Australia Network. Astro Supersport 2 Astro Supersport 2 Astro Supersport 2 STAR Sports TrueSport 1 TrueSport 1 TrueSport 3 TrueSport 5 Astro Supersport 3 Astro Supersport
Ligue 1, France Team PSG Lyon Toulouse Montpellier Rennes Lille Lorient Caen Auxerre Dijon St Etienne Sochaux Marseille Bordeaux Evian Valenciennes Nice Brest Ajaccio Nancy
P
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F
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8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 3 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
5 5 5 5 4 3 3 4 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0
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1 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 7 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 2 4 4
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7 7 7 9 12 10 7 10 10 10 11 19 11 12 12 10 9 8 16 9
17 17 17 16 15 13 13 13 11 6 9 9 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 4
Sunday, October 2 RWC: Argentina v Georgia RWC: New Zealand v Canada RWC: Wales v Fiji RWC: Ireland v Italy MotoGP: Japanese MotoGP EPL: Bolton v Chelsea EPL: Spurs v Arsenal
06:45 09:15 11:45 14:15 10:00 19:30 22:00
Astro Supersport 2 Astro Supersport 2 Astro Supersport 2 Astro Supersport 2 STAR Sports TrueSport 1 TrueSport 1 www.thephuketnews.com
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CRUNCH TIME THE PHUKET NEWS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
great scrummager. They’ve a very good front row and a heavy back five. Ireland prop Tom Court added: “Italy would be regarded as one of the best scrums in the world. “It’s always tough against them. They are a very passionate bunch of guys, have a lot of pride about the scrum and base a lot of their play around it. “But our boys should take a lot of confidence from our last few games; confidence is very high and we are on the right path.”
Unlike Ireland, England can afford to lose to bitter foes Scotland and still go through provided they are within seven points, but scrum-half
Ben Youngs has called for all thoughts to focus on a fourth straight win for Martin Johnson’s men. “We need to be more hun-
gry than what they’ll be. We need to be more passionate than what they’ll be. We need to match them physically and if we do that, we should be in
a good place,” he said. “I expect the forwards will go hammer and tongs at each other and we’ll see who comes out top. But I’d always like to be behind our pack.” Courtney Lawes, who missed the games against Georgia and Romania through suspension, is expected to return to the England second row in place of Tom Palmer, while Matt Stevens, who was suspended for two years in 2009 after testing positive for cocaine, lines up in the front row alongside Steve Thompson and Dan Cole. Stevens will come up against Euan Murray, the British and Irish Lions prop, who returns after missing Sunday’s defeat against Argentina because of his religious beliefs. England’s backline remains unchanged from the 67-3 victory over Romania as Jonny Wilkinson again gets the nod over Toby Flood at fly-half. Over in the French camp, players have been saying they are treating their final pool match against Tonga in Wellington on Saturday like a straight knock-out tie. Marc Lievremont’s men need just one point from the game to progress, but they are wary of the Tongan challenge. The Pacific islanders can still make it through to the last eight if they win by scoring four tries or more, and deny France a defensive bonus point. “We are looking at this as if it were a last 16 game,” said French lock Julien Pierre. “We are still not sure of qualifying for the quarter finals and they are still in with a chance.”
BASKETBALL
LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant is thought to have been offered more than B200 million to play for Italy’s Virtus Bologna in the upcoming season, if the NBA lock out continues. –Photo by Keith Allison.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) said it has postponed the start of training camps and cancelled 43 preseason games because club owners have not yet reached a new agreement with players. Owners locked out players on July 1 after the expiration of their prior contract and talks over the last three months have failed to break the deadlock over financial issues. A session last week ended with no new talks scheduled. As a result, the entire 20112012 NBA season is in jeopardy of being wiped out, with the loss of games scheduled between October 9-15 the first step toward a possible cancellation of some or all regular
the season. The current debacle follows the pattern of the only previous NBA shutdown in 1998, when a reduced season of 50 games per team was salvaged after a similar fight over revenue sharing. If the pattern remains true, the NBA could announce the cancellation of the rest of the pre-season schedule in two weeks if no deal is reached. That would almost guarantee several regular-season contests would be missed as well. Team owners, who say only eight of 30 clubs made money last season, want a firm salary cap rather than the current exception-filled system, and they want a higher percentage of revenue, which slid to
US$3.8 billion (B114 billion) last season. Players have offered a small reduction in the percentage of total basketball revenue that goes to players, from 57 to 54 per cent, but owners want substantial further cuts. Many players have already made deals with clubs in Europe and China for next season, some of them without an opt-out clause to return to the NBA if the money feud ends. No major stars have made such a jump yet, but Italy’s Virtus Bologna has reportedly offered Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant US$6.7 million (B201 million) to play in the upcoming campaign. –AFP
RUGBY
The stage is all set for a weekend of sudden-death action at the World Cup as the pool stages reach an exciting climax. Heavyweights New Zealand and South Africa have already qualified for the quarter-finals, but there are still doubts over the progression of a number of other leading teams. Italy’s bonus point win over the United States on Tuesday evening set up a Pool C showdown with unbeaten Ireland in Wellington this Sunday, with the winner going through to the quarter-finals. A similar situation also exists in Pool B where Scotland take on the ‘Auld Enemy’ England, Pool D where Wales meet Fiji, and in Pool A as France go up against Tonga. The victorious Italians joined Ireland in Wellington on Wednesday morning with South African-born coach Nick Mallett warning that he was ready to unleash his ferocious pack once again to grab a first ever spot in the World Cup quarter-finals. “If Italy’s sitting with probably one of the best front rows in the world, it would be really ridiculous not to use that strength,” he said. The Irish, who earlier defeated Australia 15-6 in the biggest upset so far of the tournament, are fully aware of the danger they will face. Forwards coach Gert Smal said of facing Italy this weekend: “It will be a much bigger scrum challenge than the Australia game. “They’re a heavier pack, [Martin] Castrogiovanni is a
England winger Chris Ashton takes flight to celebrate scoring a try, he has scored five tries in his last two games. –Photo AFP
All Blacks threaten 2015 World Cup boycott With the 2011 tournament nearing its knock-out stages, there has already been talk of the 2015 World Cup, to be held in England, and a dire warning that if things stay as they are there might not be an All Blacks team competing. New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) chief Steve Tew said that New Zealand would consider pulling out of the competition unless commercial restrictions imposed on teams were revamped.
Tew said such a drastic and unprecedented step would be “the very last port of call” but it could not be ruled out, as current arrangements meant his organisation posted a loss every time the quadrennial tournament was held. “That’s obviously a last resort and our style is to be consultative, collaborative and to try to work with everybody to find a solution,” Tew told Radio New Zealand when asked if the All Blacks could boycott the 2015 World Cup.
Entire NBA season in jeopardy
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season contests. “We have regretf ully reached the point on the calendar where we are not able to open training camps on time and need to cancel the first week of pre-season games,” NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said. Training camps were set to start on October 3 and, given that no free agency period took place before the lockout, it is unlikely camps would be able to start with less than a week’s notice once a deal is reached. The NBA originally scheduled 114 pre-season games between October 9-28 ahead of a planned November 1 start to