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December 1 - 7, 2012 PhuketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht

ALL MOBILE TOUTS NEED TO TAKE A HIKE, SAYS KARON MAYOR Karon Beach

Extradited Aldhouse to arrive from UK SaturdayThis week to seesstand touts hit hard biggest-evertrial for slaying issue of Walking touts along Karon, yourAmerican Phuket Marine Gazette Kata Beaches face imminent Full story on Page 2 legal action as raids continue Clock still ticking for Paris Hilton New Year By Irfarn Jamdukor beach extravaganza WITH only a month left, Sydicitve THE Mayor of Kata-Karon Municipality this week ramped Element has yet to win over local up his campaign to clear all walking touts from the beaches authorities and gain the necessary and beachfront roads in the popular tourist areas of Kata approval for the three-day New Year and Karon. beach party announced by Paris Municipality officers targeted the illegal beach touts Hilton in October. during the Loy Krathong festival, which was observed by millions of Thais across the country on Wednesday. Full story on Page 4 The beach-cleanup campaign began softly last month with the municipality issuing warning letters to beach food Officers to establish vendors in the area, including those selling food at beachfront roadside stalls or from motorbikes with side- routes for underpass cars, Mayor Tawee told the Gazette on Tuesday. emergency vehicles “After issuing the warning, we fined many vendors, with each one facing a fine of up to 2,000 baht,” he said. PHUKET City Police and staff at “However, some of them came back to sell food on the Phuket International Hospital are beach. Three vendors in particular are always there. They’re working together to determine not going anywhere,” he added. viable emergency routes for ambu- The disrespect for the law earned all mobile vendors a lances during rush hour as the series of raids by municipal officers evicting them from Central Festival junction construc- their usual stomping grounds on November 1… tion gets underway. Continued on Page 2 FANNING THE FIRE: Touts showing blatant disregard for the law. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo Full story on Page 3 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS December 1 - 7, 2012 Prosecutor readies charges

Business over Tiger Disco fire deaths HotelTravel reveals By Chutharat Plerin B760mn ‘partnership’ THE Phuket Public Prosecutor’s deal. p12 Office is in the final stage of preparing its case against the Finance operators of Tiger Discotheque over the fire that broke out at the David Mayes explains Patong nightclub on August 17. investment bonds. The popular night venue on Patong’s Soi Bangla erupted into p16 flames just before 4am, while hun- dreds of patrons were still inside. Charity Four people died in the inferno, Yaowawit students soak including two tourists. “We are now checking our up the sun with a new documents to make sure we have ‘solar PV Field’. p36 a good legal case to present in court,” Phuket Chief Public Tiger Discotheque Legal Counsel Thamrongsak Boonrak has appealed Prosecutor Chiengsean Panhya for a fair hearing into any allegations of wrongdoing. Photo: Gazette file Explore told the Gazette on Monday. Gary Hawkins tells you However, he added that his Col Chiraphat added that his confirmed to the Gazette that po- what SSI is all about. office was still waiting for more officers were also gathering lice have charged Tiger Group evidence to bolster its case. “We witness statements related to the CEO Piya Isaramalai and Sara p 38 are waiting on more witness state- club trading after hours. Entertainment Co Ltd, the com- ments to be provided by Patong “The Public Prosecutor asked pany that runs Tiger Discotheque, Food Police before we can make the us to get more specific witness with negligence causing death and final decision on which charges statements detailing exactly what physical and mental injury to oth- Chef Cheryl finds that to pursue and to make sure our time the club was open. Many ers and with trading after hours. cooking is a breeze. case is strong,” he said. witnesses have already testified “I have submitted a letter to the Patong Police Superintendent that the club was open after hours, Public Prosecutor appealing for a p40 Chiraphat Pochanaphan told the but none of them said exactly what fair investigation into any allega- Gazette that the key parts of the time the club was open,” he said. tions of wrongdoing, which Sport investigation had been completed. “We expect to have those wit- include claims relating to trading “The main part of the investi- ness statements ready soon and after hours, the electrical short A look back at LPT and gation has been done and we will hand them over to the [that experts believe started the a look forward to Laguna submitted to the Public Prosecu- Public Prosecutor as soon as we fire], flammable materials used Ironman 70.3 p 48 tor, including the gathering of have them,” Col Chiraphat added. throughout the nightclub and evidence regarding the electrical Thamrongsak Boonrak, Legal modification of the building’s short that started the fire,” he said. Counsel for Tiger Discotheque, structure,” he said. Police appeal to identify body POLICE are appealing to the because of the state of decay,” Lt Aldhouse in Phuket this weekend public for help in identifying a Wuttiwat told the Gazette, but BRITISH national Lee Aldhouse, the airport, where he will be body of a man found floating off added that it was unlikely to have wanted in Phuket for the stabbing arriving at about 7pm. At this Koh Racha Yai on November 23. been more than 10 days. murder of former US Marine stage, that is all we know,” Col The body was reportedly spot- “We have checked with hotels Dashawn Longfellow in August Sirisak said on Tuesday. ted and first reported by a passing and resorts on Koh Racha Yai, but 2010, will be extradited from the Aldhouse, now 30, success- recreational dive boat. none reported any missing guests. UK and will arrive in Phuket on fully fled Thailand after he Police believed the deceased One possibility is that the man died Saturday (December 1). allegedly stabbed Longfellow to man, dressed only in underwear, elsewhere and drifted with the New Scotland Yard confirmed to death in August 2010. He was later may be a foreigner based on the currents. the Gazette on Tuesday that arrested at Heathrow Airport on heavy bone structure. “We have contacted every Aldhouse “was arrested on a provi- an unrelated charge when he tried Lt Wuttiwat Liangboonjinda of police station in Phuket, request- sional extradition warrant on 24 Police have confirmed that Lee to re-enter the UK. the Phuket City Police described ing that they check with the hotels September 2012 and appeared at Aldhouse is on his way. Photo: AFP The Office of the Attorney the body as that of a middle-aged and resorts in their area to see if Westminster Magistrates’ Court that said Chalong Police Superinten- General in Bangkok, citing a pre- male, about 172 centimeters tall, they have any missing guests,” Lt afternoon where he was remanded dent Sirisak Wasasiri. ponderance of evidence in the with a tattoo on the inside of his Wuttiwat explained. in custody to re-appear at the court Chalong Police will form part case, moved quickly to request the right forearm. Any persons with information on the 30 September 2010.” of the police protection unit as- extradition of Mr Aldhouse. Officers were unable to deter- that may help are urged to call Aldhouse, also known by his signed to transfer Aldhouse from The OAG assured the British mine what the image was. Phuket City Police Station at 076- kickboxing nickname “The the airport, he added. Government that he would not “We believe the corpse had 212129. Pitbull”, will arrive at Phuket “We have received official no- face the death penalty if convicted. been in the water for several days – Kritsada Mueanhawong International Airport about 7pm, tice to escort Mr Aldhouse from – Phuket Gazette December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 Big Buddha pickup flips Ambulance delay fears Hospitals worry underpass construction will affect response times By Irfarn Jamdukor

STAFF at Phuket International Hospital and officers from the Phuket City Police Traffic Division are working together to come up with viable routes for ambulances to make sure they can The truck overturned en route to the Big Buddha monument. get patients to the facility in an emergency during rush hour. EIGHT people were injured last The news follows project Sunday when a pickup converted contractor Italian-Thai Develop- into a small bus flipped onto its ment Co placing concrete blocks side while descending Karon Hill. on the inside lanes of the north Phuket City Police Capt Thada side of the Darasamuth Intersec- Sodarak told the Gazette that the tion on November 23 so that accident occurred at about 10am work on the 600-million-baht un- near the sharp “Sator Curve” while derpass could begin. the vehicle was descending the hill “We are seriously concerned heading towards Chalong Circle. about the underpass roadwork There is genuine concern that underpass construction will affect ambulance response times at Bangkok Officers arrived at the scene to causing delays in ambulances International (left), Vachira Phuket (center) and Phuket International (right) Hospitals. Photo: Gazette file find a white Isuzu pickup embla- reaching the hospital during rush runs behind the hospital and the police officers to regulate traffic having on traffic in the area and zoned with “Phuket Big Buddha hour,” a senior manager at Phuket Big C shopping center].” flow through the junction during ambulance response times, but at Association” lying on its side. International Hospital told the Narong Kittiphongwiwat, Chief the construction,” he said. this stage – and due to the “Not far from the vehicle we Gazette. Inspector of the Phuket City “Also, people should learn hospital’s location – were not found the driver and seven “This is a big issue. We have to Police Traffic Division, also rated which other routes to take in considering the issue critical. passengers,” Capt Thada said. ensure direct access to the hospi- the issue as high priority. order to avoid adding to traffic “We are keeping an eye on how “The pickup was heading from tal while the underpass is under “This is an important issue that congestion at the intersection,” he the traffic will affect us in case it Karon to the Big Buddha.The construction. We have two ways we have to handle. The Phuket added. becomes an issue in the future. driver could not control the that ambulances can bring patients: Highways Office and the contrac- Narongrit Havarungsi, Director However, we are not overly vehicle in the wet conditions and the bypass road [Chalermprakiat tor have already consulted with us at Bangkok Hospital Phuket, said concerned at this stage and have it flipped over,” he said. Ror IX Road], where the construc- on coming up with a solution. that his staff were monitoring the yet to adjust any operational poli- – Kritsada Mueanhawong tion is, and Bang Yai Road [which “We must add more traffic effect the underpass roadwork is cies related to this,” he said. Mobile touts targeted in Krabi gang yet to stand trial THE two youngsters charged with against the two men have been pre- Karon, Kata Beach raids the vicious attack on a British sented to the court to be heard as From page 1 couple on holiday in Krabi last the same case, Col Niwat explained. month have yet to stand trial. The news follows Mr Cole and Mayor Tawee explained that Lt Col Niwat Pimket of the Ao Ms Clifton appearing in an vendors may continue to sell fruit Nang Police, who is the leading in-depth report in leading UK on the beach and massage opera- investigator into the attack on Brit- newspaper The Sun. The report tors would remain unaffected. ish tourists Jack Cole and April stated that, “They were found However, Chief Administrative Clifton, told the Gazette that both guilty and jailed for three and ten Officer of Karon Municipality teenagers had been presented in years respectively. Three others court and charged with gang-at- British tourist Jack Cole in hospital have been arrested, but so far there Weerasak Anakewongsawad said last month. Photo: Gazette file that all mobile beach touts had to tack causing serious injury and have been no more convictions.” clear out. carrying a knife as a weapon in then his case can be tried in court,” However, Col Niwat explained Mayor Tawee said he had public, but the pair had yet to stand said Col Niwat on November 23. that only two suspects were support from the officials at trial. The case against the other teen- charged, let alone tried, as Mr Cole Provincial Hall to carry out the “I expect to receive the docu- ager charged over the attack, could positively identify only two campaign (see page 6). ments, which detail the Anusorn Kullak, 18, is ready, but of his assailants. “Officials from the Provincial 17-year-old’s background, soon; his trial must wait as the charges – Atchaa Khamlo Office, Chalong Police and Karon Municipality will conduct joint raids in a big cleanup of the Kata Beach touts. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo area,” he said. “After the raids, we will discuss Karon Municipality’s Public Health with Provincial Hall officials what and Environment Office clarified the permanent rules for Karon beach that legally registered restaurants vendors will be so we can avoid that have been inspected and further problems and be fair to ev- approved by health officials and eryone so that beach vendors will issued a license to prepare and sell still be able to make a living,” Mayor food may continue to do so Tawee added. . Wanchaloem Hemsalamad of Additional reporting: Chutharat Plerin 4 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS December 1 - 7, 2012 Mystery drugs Paris Hilton beach party suspected in tourist death

POLICE suspect unbranded drugs still battling for approval may have contributed to the death of a British tourist whose body By Chutharat Plerin Hoteliers at Surin Beach peti- was discovered in his resort guest tioned the governor on November room on Tuesday morning. PRESSURE is building on event 6 to cancel the party, claiming that The man, a 64-year-old British organizer Sydictive Element to just the announcement of the party national, was found dead by his win over local authorities in order alone had cost them 8 million baht female companion in the couple’s to gain approval for the three-day in room cancellations. room at a resort at Nai Thon Beach New Year Phuket beach party Meanwhile, Ma-ann Samran at about 9am. announced by Paris Hilton in has yet to be convinced that the “At the scene, we found sev- Bangkok last month. party would be a positive devel- eral unidentified medicines in the Phuket Governor Maitri opment for Surin Beach. “I have room. We have sent these for test- Inthusut told the Gazette on talked to villagers in the area and ing to determine precisely what the November 22 that he had reserva- my concern is the damage to the drugs are,” said Pol Capt Prakorp tions about the depth of the effort local environment, especially the Boonkwan. and resources being committed to trash that will have to be cleaned The man’s body was found make sure that such a large-scale up after the party,” he told the lying on the bed and there were event does not adversely affect Gazette last Friday. no signs of a struggle in the room, local residents and businesses. In light of the controversy sur- he added. “In my opinion, the organizer rounding the event, the Phuket “The body will be sent to the must explore the small details, not Cherng Talay OrBorTor President Ma-ann Samram says he doesn’t want Gazette ran a two-week online Institute of Forensic Medicine at just the overall picture. Identify the party on Surin Beach – but he will approve it if the organizers gain poll, asking “Should Phuket host Police General Hospital in Bangkok exactly what the impact will be on approval from local residents and businesses. Photo: Chutharat Plerin mega-event beach parties such as in order to determine the cause of the environment with regard to give his approval if all the key me regarding this event. the Paris Hilton mega New Year death,” explained Capt Prakorp. noise and how the locals are stakeholders who will be affected “They should sort the problem Party at Surin Beach?” “We will continue our investi- affected. Perhaps the organizers by the party agreed to the event. out themselves. I have tasked The poll closed on Tuesday, gation, but we will have to wait could consider down-sizing the “I’m very much the middleman President [of the Cherng Talay with more than 83% of the 3,489 for the test results before we can party, as managing 50,000 people in this issue. I’ve had hotel own- OrBorTor] Ma-ann [Samran] to respondents voting, “No – Never. confirm the cause of death,” he is a tall order,” he said. ers, local government and other get this resolved and inform me Events such as this do Phuket added. However, he also said he would business operators coming to see of the result,” he said. tourism more harm than good.” – Thawit Bilabdullar Police not to post response to ‘Evil man from Krabi’ KRABI Provincial Police will not post any further video response to the “Evil man from Krabi” YouTube music video, which accused them of dereliction of duty in the case of the rape of a Dutch tourist. The original video response posted by the police was in Thai only and has subsequently been taken down. “I have discussed the matter with Krabi Governor Prasit Osathanon and other officials and we agree that it would be counter- productive to post any ‘The Truth Given the current situation, we do From Krabi’ video on YouTube,” not believe that posting the video Krabi Provincial Police Com- would have any positive effect, said mander Nantadech Yoinuan told Maj Gen Nantadech Yoinuan. the Gazette on Monday. booking cancellations. The video “The Truth From “Given the current situation, we Krabi” was posted on YouTube as don’t believe that posting a Krabi Police’s response to the response will have any positive accusations by the father of the effect,” he added. tourist reportedly raped while on Gen Nantadech explained that holiday at Ao Nang, across Phang Thailand’s laws are different from Nga Bay from Phuket. those of other countries. The video explained why the “In Thailand, once police have accused was released on bail and collected all evidence, questioned what progress had been made in witnesses and the suspect has the case so far. surrendered himself, the police Krabi Police, after meeting with hand him over to the public provincial officials including Gov- prosecutor and provincial courts. ernor Prasit, also considered “Whether or not he will be posting an English-language released on bail is firmly under the version of the video. court’s jurisdiction. He has the However, they have now right to apply for bail,” he said. changed their minds. “In the ‘Evil man’ video, it says Gen Nantadech told the Gazette that the police ‘easily’ released the that the “Evil man from Krabi” suspect. Absolutely not. It was the video had not stopped tourists judge who granted bail. The from visiting Krabi, despite a lead- police were not involved with that ing local tourism figure saying the final decision,” Gen Nantadech video had already cost the local explained. industry income through room – Chutharat Plerin December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 5 Protesters home after rally

By Orawin Narabal Phuket, confirmed to the Gazette last Sunday afternoon that none THE hundreds of Phuket protest- of the Phuket contingent was ers who joined the Pitak Siam injured in the scuffles. anti-government rally in Bangkok “Some Phuket supporters [see page 9] last weekend have suffered eye irritation from the tear arrived home safe in Phuket. gas, but fortunately none of us Concerns were raised on suffered any serious injuries,” she November 24 when police offic- said. ers enforcing a cordon around the “Also, none of the Phuket protest site at the Royal Plaza fired protesters at the rally were detained tear gas into the crowd and clashes by police. And all the supporters between the protesters and police who were detained were released ensued. after we agreed to end the rally,” Police Spokesman Maj Gen she explained. Piya Uthayo went on national Ms Apharat said that the television later that night to explain protest leader General Boonlert that the scuffles broke out after Kaewprasit called off the rally police responded to efforts by the because he saw that the number protesters to break through the of protesters was gradually police ranks lined up to force rally becoming fewer and fewer. attendees to parade along the “They were being blocked off mandated route to the protest site [from reaching the protest site] by Apharat Chartchutikumjorn (2nd from left), the rally The rally site before police fired riot gas at protesters, coordinator for Phuket, and three colleagues arrived who the police said were attempting to breach the An eye-witness account police officers,” said Ms Apharat. home in Phuket last Sunday afternoon. barricades. Photos: Apharat Chartchutikumjorn/Facebook published by the Gazette partner “Gen Boonlert was also publication The Nation reported worried that the situation might “They were forcing us away,” barriers on the nine roads where have arrived home safe,” she said. that demonstrators were told to become more violent because he she said. public access had been restricted. Some analysts reported that the confront police by unknown was told by some authorities that Since then, normalcy has Despite the protest not achiev- handling of the protest was likely members of the crowd with a if the protesters insisted on returned to the capital. ing its objective, Ms Apharat was to have made Prime Minister loudhailer. staying, the officers would take Police Commissioner-General happy to be back in Phuket. Yingluck Shinawatra’s administra- Apharat Chartchutikumjorn, stronger measures, as well as cut Adul Saengsingkaew has since “Although we were not tion stronger and boosted public the Pitak Siam coordinator for off the electricity and water. announced that police have lifted successful, I am happy that we confidence in her leadership. Patong hotel fall Rawai councilor death survivor out of intensive care prompts by-election TWO weeks after falling from the THE death of councilor Samart The council seat was desig- 18th floor of a Patong hotel, a 39- Piman in September led to San nated vacant after Samart Piman year-old Australian tourist was Changlek being elected councilor died in a road accident on moved from the Intensive Care Unit to Rawai Municipality after a close September 14, he explained. (ICU) to an orthopedic ward at by-election on November 18. Rawai Mayor Arun Soros told Vachira Phuket Hospital this week. According to the the Gazette, “Mr The man, originally from preliminary count, Mr Samart was riding his Sydney, suffered broken ribs, a San received 895 motorcycle home punctured lung and serious votes, just 32 votes when he was hit from injuries to his left leg when he fell more than those cast in behind by another from the balcony adjoining his favor of Sommai motorbike. He was room at the Royal Paradise Hotel Yukunakorn, his only waiting to turn right to & Spa in Patong. rival for the Ward 1 seat enter his driveway, just A spokesperson for the on the Rawai Munici- over 100 meters from hospital’s International Depart- pal Council. the Sai Yuan traffic ment told the Gazette on Monday Phuket Election Samart Piman Photo: lights on Wiset Road. that the Australian was breathing Commission Director Rawai Municipality Office Mr Kittipong said unaided and had been taken off Kittipong Thiengkunakrit told the that his office must now send the life-support equipment. Gazette that 1,884 voters turned preliminary election results to the “He still cannot sit, but responds out at the polls. Election Commission of well to stimuli and can eat and “Of all the votes cast, 1,758 Thailand’s head office in Bangkok speak normally. However, he will ballots were valid, 54 were for confirmation before Mr San need treatment for at least a month ‘spoiled votes’ and 72 people can officially be installed as coun- to allow the multiple fractures to chose the ‘No Vote’ option,” said cilor for Rawai Ward 1. start to heal,” she said. Mr Kittipong. – Chutharat Plerin The spokesperson added that although the man is now on his own, his sister had visited and remained with him for three days before she returned to Australia. – Orawin Narabal

+66 (0) 76 325 419 [email protected] www.oriental-living.net 6 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS December 1 - 7, 2012

Teacher’s helper suspended over Vice governor targets slew smack claim of beach management woes By Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has ordered every municipality and local administrative organization on the island to report all of their Ms Ratkaphat filed the complaint beach related issues. with Prapan Kanprasang, chief of The move is an attempt to the Damrongtham Center. redress a slew of problems A FEMALE teaching assistant at ranging from floating lanterns Koh Kaew Child Development affecting air traffic at Phuket Center has been suspended pend- Airport to illegal beach vendors ing an investigation over a mother’s counter-suing officials as a claim that the assistant slapped her “stall tactic”. 4-year-old son in the face. The news follows a meeting at Ratkaphat Tonnum, 41, mother Provincial Hall on November 19, of the student at the center of the where Vice Governor Chamroen incident, told the Gazette that she heard a long and varied list of com- had originally filed a complaint plaints by local authorities. with the Koh Kaew Tambon Beach encroachment was iden- Administrative Organization tified as a key issue at Laem Singh, (OrBorTor). Surin, Nai Yang and Yanui beaches. Having not heard of any Fireworks and floating lanterns progress, on November 22 she – the latter especially enjoyed by filed a separate complaint with tourists and celebrants during the V/Gov Chamroen (left) heard a raft of problems from officials, from floating ‘fire lanterns’ affecting the airport Prapan Kanprasang, the chief annual Loy Krathong Festival, held to Winai Dechanupap’s complaint that illegal vendors were counter-suing officials to delay eventual eviction. of the Phuket Damrongtham this year on Wednesday – were taken to stave off damage to the beach vendors counter-suing was washed away by strong Center (provincial ombudsman’s identified as another source of environment,” Mr Itthiporn added. local authorities as a delaying waves over the years. office) at Provincial Hall. complaint. Concern was raised that hotels tactic to allow them to continue “The mayor is being sued by a Ms Ratkaphat recounted the “The use of fireworks and float- in Sakoo and at Mai Khao, on trading until their case is heard in developer who claims to own the incident, which allegedly occurred ing lanterns must be restricted. I Phuket’s northwestern shore, court. land,” the officer said. on November 14. would like to permit such activi- allowed guests to set alight the “More beach vendors have set Concerns were also raised about “After my son had returned ties only for special celebrations,” floating lanterns and fireworks, up stalls on Nai Yang Beach. We untreated wastewater being piped home from school I noticed a red said Karon Deputy Mayor releasing them skyward, potential are trying to stop them, but it into the sea at Yanui and Nai Harn mark on his cheek. After badger- Itthiporn Sangkaew. affecting air traffic arriving at seems they want to present their Beaches, and at Koh Racha Yai ing him for about 20 minutes, he The complaint by Deputy Mayor Phuket International Airport. cases in court. The process of a Island – all three of which are finally told me that he was slapped Itthiporn follows Winai As a result, it was requested judge hearing the case can take popular swimming and snorkeling by a teaching assistant at school,” Chidchiew, the chief of Karon that such activities be banned from years, thus allowing them to locations for tourists. Ms Ratkaphat explained. Subdistrict (Kamnan), being being held within a six-kilometer continue to operate their busi- V/Gov Chamroen gave all local In response to the allegations, accused of allegedly threatening radius of the airport to ensure air nesses until the judge hands down authorities until November 30 to Koh Kaew OrBorTor council presi- municipal officers into allowing traffic is not affected, and that the a decision,” Mr Winai explained. file their list of complaints. dent Khuakiet Chitkhua told the firework displays to be held late Provincial Office issue a formal An officer from Rawai Munici- “Then we will discuss what Gazette that he was taking action. at night in Karon. notice to hotels in the area. pality explained that Rawai Mayor action to take and we will dedi- “If the allegation proves to be “Also, tuk-tuks and taxis in the Winai Dechanupap, of the Aroon Solos is currently facing cate one beach as a ‘pilot beach’ true, her employment will be popular tourist beach areas of Sakoo Tambon Administrative legal action for Rawai Municipal- to launch a beach management terminated,” said Mr Khuakiet. Kata and Karon need constant Organization (OrBorTor), raised ity attempting to repair a badly project,” he said. – Kritsada Mueanhawong supervision and steps need to be another troubling issue: illegal damaged section of footpath that Kata Reef roped off for safety A REEF line has been installed around the North Kata Reef to protect swimmers, scuba divers and snorkelers from boat traffic and to prevent damage to the reef. Staff from the Marine Safety Center in Kata and volunteers from the environmental conservation organization Go Eco Phuket joined forces with local government agencies to complete the task. “It’s important that we set the buoy line out at the beginning of each high season in order to keep the jet-skis, longtail boats and Marine Safety Center personnel (pictured) were widely praised for their speedboats from damaging it, and assistance. ‘We couldn’t have done it without them,’ said Ms Leach. to prevent them from colliding Jet-skis and longtail boat opera- various stages of progress (see with divers and snorkelers,” Go tors were briefed to steer clear of page 38). Eco Phuket member Joe Blasy the buoy lines at a meeting, “We have a lot of ideas on told the Gazette. explained Go Eco Phuket organizer which direction to take Go Eco “Much of Kata Reef lies just a Kerry Leach. Phuket, including but not limited few centimeters below the surface “There is now an area where to education of Thai youths on the at low tide. We have secured 10 tourists can enjoy the reef with- importance of conservation and mooring lines in six to 10 meters out being scared to death of boat environmental consciousnesses, of water,” he explained. traffic,” she said. fishing net ‘buy-back’ programs Bouy lines were strung between Mr Blasy explained that the Go and even sinking more artificial the 10 mooring lines in order to Eco Phuket marine conservation reefs in the area,” he said. clearly mark off the reef area. group had many more projects in – Isaac Stone Simonelli December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 7 8 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS December 1 - 7, 2012 Krabi police Hard Rock Cafe says thanks to first responders silence noisy THE Hard Rock Cafe Phuket Municipality, was able to enjoy a celebrated “Thanksgiving” by traditional Thanksgiving meal and inviting 20 firemen for a Thanks- a memorabilia tour by Hard Rock’s exhaust pipes giving lunch at their venue. Acting General Manager, Roland These were the first respond- Nicolich. ers from Patong Municipality Fire The patio itself was re-opened Department who assisted with on November 8 with a live per- the Hard Rock Cafe patio fire that formance by the Rock Evolutions took place on October 18 caus- band, who are on stage nightly. ing only superficial damage. It is not known whether they The firefighting team, led by performed the Talking Heads clas- Visit Mathasoontornpoj, general sic Burning Down The House. administration officer of Patong – Phuket Gazette The Patong firefighters were given lunch and a guided tour of the club. Governor unveils ‘Seven Wonders’ Krabi Governor Prasit and Maj Gen By Chutharat Plerin ‘Give & Take Management’, Nantadech oversee the crushing of followed by ‘Strengths, Weak- the illegally modified exhaust pipes. PHUKET Governor Maitri nesses, Opportunities and Threats’ KRABI Police destroyed more Inthusut in an exclusive interview [SWOT] management. The more than 600 illegal motorbike exhaust with the Gazette on November 22 you know people’s strengths and pipes seized during police checks revealed his personal philosophy weaknesses, the better you can in September. in handling the high-level decisions manage them,” he said. At a ceremony on November 20 and complicated issues that The final strategy Governor to mark the culmination of a Phuket faces as a resort province. Maitri has branded as “Charm campaign entitled “Youths join “This is my seventh week as the management”. together: ride motorbikes without Governor of Phuket and the Phuket “You must know how to modified exhaust pipes”, Krabi Gazette is the first English-language manage yourself to be charming Governor Prasit Osathanon and publication I have had a chance to so people want to talk to you. This Krabi Police Commander talk to exclusively,”he said. way they come close to you and Nantadech Yoinuan witnessed the Friendly, open and focused on feel at ease when they talk to crushing of the impounded people broadening their perspec- you,” he explained. modified exhaust pipes. tives in order to better achieve “These are just some of the “The destruction of these pipes their goals – including happiness philosophies I use in performing is part of a greater Royal Thai – Governor Maitri explained that my work as governor, but anyone Police campaign to stamp out he adhered to several key can employ these strategies to illegal [exhaust] pipe modifica- principles that he calls his “Seven improve their lives. tions,” said Maj Gen Nantadech. Wonders”. “I have found that these truths Krabi City Traffic Police officer So deeply does Governor Maitri provide genuine benefits. I applied Piyarat Buakhao, who is in charge believe in these fundamental them during my time as governor of the project locally, said that approaches to work and life that in Trang and Phayao provinces – many youths created excessive he has published a book entitled they worked well. I am now noise by fitting non-standard Seven Wonders: learning how to Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut meets the Gazette. Photo: Chutharat Plerin adjusting these strategies to apply exhaust pipes to their motorbikes. develop your career potential. them here in Phuket. I am sure “Some youths handed over the “The seven strategies altogether you must know what those people know the rules, processes and how they will work well here, too,” illegal pipes to police. Other focus on being aware of your do, and what they are responsible to push forward within the organi- Governor Maitri said. modified pipes were confiscated environment. You must know for achieving. That way you know zation,” Governor Maitri said. “I have handed copies of the after arrests. We will carry on what is going on; you must who to approach directly in order “The fourth strategy is ‘Know book to officers here, so anyone with checks for illegal pipes to put ‘know all around’,” he said. to fix problems,” Governor Maitri When’. You must know when to can take this advice and use it in a stop to the noise pollution they “First, you must know the explained. ‘knock on the door’ to have their working lives. There are many cause.” Lt Col Piyarat said. people who surround you – the The third wonder was “Know problems fixed. good things in the book, which can – Kritsada Mueanhawong people you work with. Second, How”, he added. “You have to “The fifth strategy is called make everyone happy,” he added. ‘Mad scientist’ Elon Musk aims for a Phuket-sized city on Mars ELON Musk, the billionaire that will produce fertilizer. founder and CEO of private It would appear that Musk is spaceflight company SpaceX, thinking about “sustainability”, a has unveiled plans to build a concept that that Phuket authori- colony on Mars that would ties are really only just getting to accommodate around 80,000 grips with. “On Mars, you can people and occupy as much real start a self-sustaining civilization estate as the size of Phuket Town, and grow it into something really Gizmodo reported on their big,” Musk told an audience at the website. Royal Aeronautical Society in NASA landed the Curiosity London on November 16. Rover on Mars earlier this year, The whole plan is estimated to but Musk is already talking plans. cost US$36 billion which, Musk Initially, the company would send hopes to be funded jointly by about 10 people at a time aboard SpaceX and the US government. a huge reusable rocket powered Eventually, he hopes to offer to by liquid oxygen and methane. taxi passengers to Mars at The first arrivals’ top priority US$500,000 a ticket. would be to see if living on the MARS PLOTS: Chanote title deeds That said, he didn’t mention may be available soon. Photo: NASA Red Planet is viable – probably how he would deal with the as the Mars equivalent of con- construction materials to build inevitable queue at immigration, ducting an Environmental Impact transparent domes to cover the taxis from the spaceport and Assessment at Saphan Hin. newly built “shophouses” that will hawkers trying to sell you a made- The colonizers would need be pressurized to allow them to to-measure Armani spacesuit. tons of equipment, including grow crops, as well as machines – Phuket Gazette December 1 - 7, 2012 NATIONAL NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 9 Anti-government rally fails LAST weekend’s anti-government protest by Pitak Siam ended in failure on the day it started, with leader Gen Boonlert Kaewprasit calling off the rally on Saturday evening and declaring that the group had “lost to evil”. The declaration came after some 137 people had been arrested, many in possession of of the protest were blocked from weapons. Many more were injured travelling along the main roadsto by tear gas as police tried to pre- Bangkok, such as Phetchakasem, vent protesters pushing through Sukhumvit and Phaholyothin, he barricades. said. Two police officers were seri- He added that he was concerned ously injured. about the well-being of protesters The government took a hard after police fired tear-gas canisters line on the protest, invoking the at them. He claimed that signs of Internal Security Act that gave bullets having been fired were also security forces more powers to found at the protest site. suppress the demonstration. Gen Boonlert said he would Police estimated the number of not lead such a street demonstra- protesters at 20,000, while orga- tion again. nizers put the figure at 50,000. “General Boonlert is already Earlier, Gen Boonlert had vowed dead. I have lost to evil,” he said the protest would draw 1 million in an emotional announcement on people. the protest’s main stage. Police scuffle with anti-government protesters near a government house in Bangkok. Photo: Reuters Gen Boonlert said he called off All 137 protesters arrested were the protest because the number of later released, with the exception Both Pitak Siam and the authori- government had broken agree- had attempted to incite violence participants was smaller than of one man detained for allegedly ties have since traded accusations ments to let the “peaceful and with the intention of provoking the expected, The Nation reported. driving the truck that hit and seri- over the protest. democratic” protest take place, the Army into staging a coup to All over the country, supporters ously injured a police officer. While Pitak Siam claims the government claims that the group restore order. Dems target govt in no-confidence debate ALMOST as soon as Pitak Siam’s attempt to oust the government ended, the Democrat Party launched its own bid to fell the Yingluck Shinawatra administra- tion – this time by more demo- cratic means. November 25 saw the first ses- sion of a three-day no-confidence debate in which the opposition launched attacks on major govern- ment figures, including Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat and Prime MP Chuwit Photo: The Nation Minister Yingluck Shinawatra herself. Particularly heated were With the government control- exchanges between Mr Chalerm ling three-fifths of the seats in and maverick MP Chuwit Thailand’s lower house, it was Kamolvisit, The Nation reported. never likely to lose the vote. How- Former brothel tycoon Mr ever, the debates were an Chuwit implied that Mr Chalerm, opportunity for the opposition to who oversees the Royal Thai attempt to damage the current Police, had taken bribes from administration’s credibility. gambling den owners. Surapong moves on with ICC FOREIGN Minister Surapong and May 19, 2010. Towichukchaikul is pushing He said the recognition would forward with his bid to have the not be tantamount to losing the International Criminal Court (ICC) country’s court sovereignty be- investigate the deaths during the cause the ICC would not interfere 2010 red-shirt protests. in cases that could be handled by Mr Surapong was due to meet Thai Criminal Court. on Thursday with representatives of “We want to speed up the issue relevant agencies to discuss giving because we don’t want to see the ICC jurisdiction over the issue. more coups and more undemo- He hopes to allow the interna- cratic actions or killings of Thais,” tional court to take cases against Mr Surapong said. the previous administration of Meanwhile, a Criminal Court Abhisit Vejjajiva relating to the inquest concluded on Monday deaths of 98 people, mostly that a red-shirt protester was killed during crackdowns on April 10 by bullets fired by soldiers. 10 PHUKET GAZETTE INTERNATIONAL NEWS December 1 - 7, 2012 In brief… Gaza thanks Iran Arafat assassination woes for war rockets GAZANS offered public thanks to Iran on Tuesday for helping them spark exhumation probe in this month’s conflict against Israel, when Iranian-made mis- By Jihan Abdalla siles were fired out of the Pales- tinian enclave towards Jerusalem FORENSIC experts took samples and Tel Aviv. from Yasser Arafat’s corpse in the “Thank you Iran”, said large West Bank on Tuesday, trying to billboards on three major road determine if he was murdered with junctions in the Gaza Strip – the the hard-to-trace radioactive first time there has been such pub- poison, polonium. lic acknowledgment of Iran’s role Palestinians witnessed the in the arming of Islamic militants funeral of their hero and long-time in the tiny territory. leader eight years ago, but con- The message was written in spiracy theories surrounding his Arabic, English, Hebrew and Farsi. death have never been laid to rest. Many are convinced their icon Call for return of was the victim of assassination by Israeli agents, and may have been Red Army scrolls poisoned wittingly or unwittingly by a Palestinian. They may remain HUNGARIAN Jews have asked convinced of that, whatever the Russia to return scrolls and outcome of this autopsy. valuable religious items looted by Arafat’s body was uncovered Nazis and the Red Army during in the grave and samples removed World War II. Their claim has without moving the corpse. The received public support from the tomb was resealed in hours and Budapest government. wreaths placed by Palestinian Up to 400 Torah scrolls and leaders including Prime Minister thousands of vestments, crowns Palestinians walk past a mural depicting late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (R) in Gaza City. Photo: Reuters Salam Fayyad. and other articles are being held The head of the Palestinian Arafat’s death in Paris in 2004, cross-check, it will take several termine the cause of death. in museums and storage in investigation committee, Tawfiq after a Swiss institute said it had months and I don’t think we’ll But allegations of foul play sur- Russia, said Slomo Koves, execu- Tirawi, said the procedure went discovered high levels of polonium have anything tangible available faced immediately. Arafat had tive rabbi of the Unified Hungarian smoothly. A Palestinian medical on clothing of his which was before March or April next year,” enemies among his own people, Jewish Congregation. team took samples and gave them supplied by his widow, Suha, for said Darcy Christen, spokesman but many Palestinians pointed the to each of the Swiss, French and a television documentary. for Lausanne University Hospital finger at Israel, which confined Yuan, me: US Russian forensic teams. “The state of the body was ex- in Switzerland that carried out the the leader to his West Bank head- THE Obama administration said on “We need proof in order to find actly what you would expect to original tests on Arafat’s clothes. quarters in Ramallah for the final Tuesday that China’s currency those who are behind this assas- find for someone who has been Arafat was always a freedom two and a half years of his life, remained “significantly underval- sination and take it to the ICC buried for eight years,” Health fighter to Palestinians, but a after a Palestinian uprising erupted. ued,” but stopped short of label- [International Criminal Court],” he Minister Hani Abdeen told a news terrorist to Israelis first and a part- Israel denies killing him. Its ing the world’s second-biggest said. conference. “There was nothing ner for peace only later. He led the leader at the time, Ariel Sharon, economy a currency manipulator. “Israel is occupying our land, out of the ordinary.” bid for a Palestinian state through now lies in a coma from which Although Beijing controls the and assassinations are not new, Jordanian doctor Abdullah al years of war and peacemaking, he is expected never to awake. pace at which the yuan can rise, they have committed several, Bashir, head of the Palestinian then died in a French hospital aged Israel invited the Palestinian lead- the US Treasury said in a congres- publicly and secretly… what’s to medical committee, said about 20 75 after a short, mysterious illness. ership to release all Arafat’s sionally mandated semi-annual stop them from assassinating Abu samples were taken and analysis No autopsy was carried out at medical records, which were report that China did not meet the Ammar [Arafat]?” would take at least three months. the time, at the request of Suha, never made public following his legal requirements to be deemed a French magistrates in August “In order to do these analyses, and French doctors who treated death and still have not been currency manipulator. opened a murder inquiry into to check, cross-check and double him said they were unable to de- opened. – Reuters Bangaldesh mourns factory fire victims BANGLADESH officials said on Tuesday that a fire that killed 111 textile workers was sabotage as protesters took to the streets for a second day and garment facto- ries across the world’s second biggest clothes exporter stopped work to mourn. The fire, the country’s worst- ever industrial blaze, broke out on November 24 and consumed a multi-storey building of a Tazreen Garment workers shout slogans Fashions factory. More than 150 as they protest against the deaths workers were injured. of their colleagues in the nation’s The fire has put a spotlight on worst factory fire. Photo: Reuters global retailers that source clothes who exactly the saboteurs are and from Bangladesh, where some all culprits will be brought to workers are paid as little as US$37 book,” Alamgir said. a month. Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Interior Minister Mohiuddin Hasina said she suspected the fire Khan Alamgir said a preliminary was an act of sabotage, but she inquiry indicated the fire was the did not identify any suspect or say result of arson. He promised to why she thought the cause might bring the culprits to justice. have been arson. “We are finding out as of now – Reuters December 1 - 7, 2012 BUSINESS PHUKET GAZETTE 11 Chapel bells boost dress sales The Gazette’s student intern Wisuwat Romin interviews Narin Tongsaiklaeng, MD of a leading, local wedding studio operator THE business of love continues said, adding that a majority of his on an upward trend, with clients are Thai nationals. Phuket’s Modern Wedding Studio “Our main target is locals, who reporting a spike in monthly sales make up about 80% of our clients, volume by as much as 75% over while the other 20% are tourists.” the last three years. His wedding studio group “Business shot through the comprises four branches across roof after we were featured on Phuket, including the Modern a game show called ‘SME Tee Wedding Studio, Number One Tak’ a few years ago.” Wedding Studio, Time to Love Mr Narin explained that the Studio and the Memory Studio. nationally televised game show, “In the next five years, we are produced by Workpoint Entertain- planning to expand with the goal ment Studios, assesses the quality of having 10 branches,” he said. and viability of local businesses. This year, Narin has invested Having passed the competitive about 10mn baht on his company’s judging criteria and eventually expansion, which has been winning the game show, Mr focused on branch refurbish- Narin is thankful for the valuable ments and upgrades. One of the many gowns on offer. exposure his firm has received. “Our investments have been believes has immense opportuni- “Our monthly income used to aimed at adding more conve- ties. From his viewpoint, the quality be about 4 million baht per month, nience to customers’ experience and standard of customer service but after the game show aired it and in our quality of service... on the island is unmatched. went up, and is now at about 7mn We want to leave a good impres- Elaborating more on his baht per month, ” he said. sion about our service.” company’s offerings, he said, Mr Narin is a businessman He added that the annual “We have more than 300 interna- A MAN WITH A PLAN: Narin wants to open six more Modern Wedding who has vast experience in the investment figure did not include tional styles of wedding suits and Studio branches in Phuket in the next five years. Photo: Wisuwat Romin service sector, having worked in overheads such as employee dresses. The wedding dress is a quality fabric, that can’t be “We have more than 300 the industry for decades. wages and operational costs, special part of any wedding... matched anywhere else.” traditional Thai wedding gowns “Wedding studios are in huge which he revealed are about 2mn [clients] want to look perfect on In addition to the popular with unique designs. demand in the Phuket market. I baht per month. their wedding day and our designs styles, the company also provides “We are particularly proud of believe that our studio is now the Mr Narin went on to talk about incorporate the finest elegant tailor-made designs, specific to our Thai dress offering; the [market] leader in Phuket,” he Phuket’s service sector, which he gowns made from the highest customers needs and requests. designs have been carefully researched and are creative pieces of work, chosen for their beauty and elegance, quality of the Commerce chief: economy grew by 5% fabric and decorations.” As the business of Modern PHUKET Commerce Office (PCO) gers who came via boat or yacht, Wedding Studio grows, so does chief Prakong Rukwong said that a rise of 4.45% y-o-y. the quantity of its designs. Phuket’s economy had expanded in New hotel investments in the “We also have beautiful the first nine months of 2012. first nine months of the year modern designs that fuse Thai According to a report published slumped y-o-y, he said. tradition and international fashion on the PCO website, Mr Prakong Only two new hotels were designs, which will delight and based his assessment on an granted building permits in please anyone who sees them. observation that supply in the accordance with hotel construc- “Whichever design clients services and tourism sectors had tion laws, half that of last year. choose, they are guaranteed to be increased, at the same time that Likewise, new Board of dazzling on their wedding day.” demand in the investment sector, Investment approved projects namely in corporate operations and also declined, with a total of consumerism in the private sector, BEACH BUMS: Tourists relaxing on Karon Beach. Photo: Chris Hudon four projects in Phuket being was also on the up. representing a year-on-year (y-o- passengers who entered the island approved during the period, In the first nine months of the y) increase of 5.62% from the at Phuket airport, which he said down from five in the same year, Phuket customs recored a same period last year. was a 2.02% decline, y-o-y, as period last year. total of 1,945,887 passengers, This figure includes 1,799,216 well as another 146,671 passen- – Minstry of Commerce PR Borrowing on the rise NON-performing personal loans have soared to more than 56.5 billion baht in the third quarter of this year, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) revealed recently. “A number of people have been spending beyond their means,” NESDB deputy secretary-general Suwannee Khamman remarked. According to her, the number of personal loans taken to purchase vehicles jumped by 33.6% from July to September, compared to the same period last year; the number of loans for new homes rose by 10.3% and loans for other types of products/services jumped by 30.3%. – The Nation 12 PHUKET GAZETTE BUSINESS December 1 - 7, 2012 HotelTravel: here to stay Phuket based website poised for strong corporate growth thanks to strategic partnership

HANDS-ON PARTNERS: Executives from HotelTravel and MakeMyTrip. AFTER 13 years building his Competition is much needed in the company from the ground up, marketplace and is only going to Phuket expat Blair Speers set a continue to add increased innova- local business benchmark last month tion, value and savings to our when he sold HotelTravel.com customers,” Mr Speers added. (HT) to the Indian based travel and MMYT Co-Founder and COO e-commerce group that operates Keyur Joshi, said: “We are MakeMyTrip.com. extremely excited to have HT Shortly after the US$25 million joining the MMYT family and we (760mn baht) acquisition was are looking forward to working to- finalized, executives from the gether in the future. MakeMyTrip Ltd Group (MMYT) “The road ahead is clear for both met with employees at the HT head- of us and it is going to be business quarters on the South of the island. as usual at HT, just at a faster, more SPEER-HEADING: Founder and CEO of HotelTravel.com, Blair Speers set a business benchmark in Phuket. HT founder and CEO, Speers efficient pace, backed by all the commented that the future of the resources that a NASDAQ listed new partnership is just the company has available. beginning of fantastic things “MMYT intends to provide all to follow: “HT has been given a very the necessary means to make HT high level of autonomy by MMYT. a dominate player for Internet What the deal means They believe in us, they have customers booking international confidence in us, and they are hotel reservations. MMYT paid approximately US$25 million for the acquisition of 100% equity stake in HT. Additional excited about what HT brings to “This allows MMYT to concen- earn outs and incentives over the next three to four years will be based on the HT Group meeting their group of companies.” trate on strengthening our position certain revenue and EBIDTA targets, that can range in excess of US$35mn. The total consideration for Mr Speers said that HT will take as India’s top domestic hotel the business and earn outs are payable partly in cash and partly in the form of MMYT shares. the best things from MMT and build provider and largest e-commerce on them as to move forward. company in the country. “This partnership is an ideal situ- “This is only the beginning of How the acquisition affects the companies ation for HT as it allows us to better great things for both companies; we challenge our competitors in Asia. plan to create history together.” This acquisition will strengthen HT’s relationship with hotel partners and travel suppliers in key markets worldwide focusing on traditionally strong Indian outbound destinations. It significantly expands HT’s range of best value hotel offerings available to Indian customers by:

1) Providing inventory access to MMYT’s customers to HT’s extensive hotel portfolio of over 85,000 properties that include some of the world’s leading brands and travel suppliers. Making available HT content-rich travel information that it has developed through content-integration from over 150,000 hotel sites.

2) Leveraging HT’s direct hotel contracts and Destination Management Company relationships. Customers of both HT and MMT will benefit from this partnership as the unique strengths of both companies are leveraged to create best-in-class value-based offerings.

3) HT’s customers will also benefit from MMT’s core strength of over 10,300 hotel-partners in nearly 400 cities in India. Plus more travelers in the Southeast Asia region will be able to access HT’s value- based hotel deals and services, strengthening MMT’s position as India’s most popular travel portal and the largest e-commerce business in the country. Long-term goals and growth strategy

The acquisition fits with MMYT Group’s objective to create a stronger hotel presence in the South- east Asia region. This huge and growing market has very similar attributes the Indian on-line travel market and is quickly becoming one of the top destinations of choice for Indian outbound travelers. The Asia Pacific (APAC) hotel reservations market had an estimated worth US$100 billion in financial year 2011 and is slated to grow by 9% CAGR to US$118bn by financial year 2013. The Southeast Asian market comprises 10% of the APAC hotel on-line gross bookings and the growth in the sub-region’s on-line market has outperformed that of the greater region’s as a whole. In financial year 2011, the Southeast Asian market grew by 25% while APAC market rose by 14%. Southeast Asia’s on-line market is expected to grow more than twice as fast as APAC’s anticipated annual growth rate for financial year 2012 and financial year 2013. Southeast Asia is slated to eclipse Australia-New Zealand and become the third largest on-line market for hotel reservation services in APAC after Japan & China. HT is a well-established brand in the South- east Asian region, with a history of over 12 years and a product inventory exceeding 85,000 hotels. The acquisition will help the MMYT Group strengthen its presence in the hotel segment and increase its brand strength in Southeast Asia, and result in enhanced product acquisition across a broad spectrum of hotel relationships. The acquisition will also lead to a reduction in customer service costs, improved conversion rates, an increased throughput of technology in the areas of hotel supply, content management and on-line marketing, and continuous innovation of hotel technology and expansion of both reward and affiliation programs. December 1 - 7, 2012 PROPERTY PHUKET GAZETTE 13 Top-10 Thai property firms’

RECOVERING demand for home performance up in 2012 purchases in the third quarter boosted the financial results of first nine months. It targets presales most of Thailand’s top 10 listed of 42bn baht for the full year. property firms over the same quar- Quality Houses reported ter of last year. revenue of 9.54bn baht and a net As a result, financial perfor- profit of 1.66bn baht, up 16.19% mance in the first nine months also and 107.5% respectively. improved, though some firms did Asian Property Development report reductions in revenue and reported revenue of 10.78bn baht net profit in the first nine months. in the first nine months, down by However, these firms are ex- 0.9% year-on-year. However, net pected to report full-year gains as profit, recorded at 1.42bn baht, they have a number of projects in was up by 18.33%. the construction process, which Property Perfect recorded are scheduled to be transferred to revenue of 6.49bn baht in the pe- customers before the year-end. riod, up 2.04%, while net profit was Pruksa Real Estate reported down 49% to 238.99 million baht. revenue of 18.77 billion baht, up SC Asset Corporation reported 0.26%, and net profit of 2.63bn declines in both revenue and net baht, up 7.3% over the first three profit, to 4.49bn baht and 511mn quarters of 2011. As such, the baht. Those figures were down company ranks as the market 22.78% and 46.16% from the leader in terms of revenue during first three quarters of last year. this period. Supalai also suffered declines. Land & Houses reported Revenue was down 42.62% to revenue of 17.47bn baht and net 5.95bn and net profit down 48.91 profit 4.13bn baht in the first nine % to 1.18bn baht. WEALTH: Most top 10 property firms increased their profits in the first nine months of 2012. Photo: images of money months, up 5.05% and 5.89% LPN Development reported rev- respectively. The company ranked enue of 6.37bn baht and net profit The company has 12 condo- would deliver 7bn baht worth of and non-listed firms. second in terms of revenue but 982.63mn baht, down by 43.92% minium projects that will be condos in the current quarter. This Sansiri will transfer at least surpassed Pruksa in net profit. and 47.02% respectively. transferred to buyers during the will boost its presales to achieve 15bn baht’s worth, LPN Devel- Sansiri showed revenue of Sansiri president Srettha remainder of the year worth this year’s target of 10bn baht. opment about 7bn baht, Asia 16.01bn baht and a net profit of Thavisin said that the company had 15.3bn baht. This will drive its A survey by The Nation found Property Development about 1.2bn baht, up 24% and 26% seen presales worth 31.01bn baht 2012 revenue to 26bn baht that at least 50bn baht’s worth of 6.4bn baht, SC Asset Corp about respectively. The company also had since the beginning of the year and LPN Development managing homes would be transferred to 4bn baht, and Pruksa Real Estate presales worth 26.34bn baht in the targeted 42bn baht for all of 2012. director Opas Sripayak said it buyers this quarter, by both listed about 5bn baht. – The Nation 14 PHUKET GAZETTE PROPERTY December 1 - 7, 2012 Lifestyles of the rich and famous crawl into a cave (or the nearest Paris in favor of a cremation of pub). The sound of early morning a symbolic JR. ‘Tweets’ wake us up and damned Theme it like a Viking if anyone can say what’s the point ceremony and burn the effigy at of Pinterest please explain? sea in a blaze of glory. How many NEWS reports from around the All of a sudden Phuket’s YouTube views would that get? world have lamented the pass- celebrity skin is under a micro- Later, with the announced ing of the actor Larry Hagman, scope. The bold and beautiful floating stage off the beach, who was best known as TV now equate to over the hill Hol- perhaps even arrange a resurrec- villain, JR Ewing. lywood B-list celebrity Paris tion. I mean, with all the modern Now trending across the Hilton, who is being recruited for miracles of science couldn’t we Internet, it’s somewhat surpris- the contentious Sydictive Ele- get JR back? ing how global the JR brand still ment New Years Eve bash at Phuket needs a holiday is, despite being missing miracle. This year we are from the airwaves for again about to enter an- more decades than I ‘There was a time when Phuket loved other media flurry with care to count. the luxury set. We even had our very own the Hollywood premiere Villains, tycoons, bad of the tsunami movie The guys, and all around ul- chronicle of the day the Indigo Real Impossible. tra entrepreneurs, the Estate Magazine. Kudos to Nick Anthony While up in Bangkok VIEWING EWING: Larry Hagman died six episodes into the production of world has a love-hate for presenting the glossy, which to this day, there are more reds and Season 2 of the revived Dallas series. Photo: giovanni relationship with those yellows than a conten- men (and women) at the comes up in conversations far outside of tious hard fought London top, whose sinister deal- the Kingdom, as a reference point about football derby. ings stop at nothing for The battle is on for a few dollars more. the island lifestyles of the rich and famous.’ what will be the headline From the fictitious of the year for our island. Gordon Gekko in Wall Street (the Surin Beach. It’s nose to nose and movie) to a hair-challenged While the preposterous figure entirely possible that a play from Donald Trump, almost everyone of 50,000 attendees is being left field may show up, which secretly loves a successful touted, perhaps they could relo- no one saw coming. billionaire. Even if they have to cate the Phuket International My head feels like it’s in a vice idol worship in the privacy of Airport (HKT) departure lounge with one of those horror movies their very own home. I guess to Surin, as the crushing high bad guys slowly tightening the everyone has their own personal season volume of charter flights screws. All this pressure over guilty pleasures. could easily top that figure. what exactly may go wrong. There was a time when Just this morning on YouTube, Thinking back to JR for a Phuket loved the luxury set. We a Dallas-like drama is unfolding as moment I am reminded of one of even had our very own chronicle the event organizers are now his most eloquent quotes “A of the day; the Indigo Real Es- going on the offensive with an conscience is like a boat or a car. tate Magazine. Kudos to Nick interview by the promoter Jirat If you feel you need one, rent it.” Anthony for presenting the Petnunthawong who is singing out Love them or hate them, glossy, which to this day, comes the benefits of living big. villains remain a colorful part of up in conversations far outside Where is JR when we need him? our collective existence. The of the Kingdom, as a reference He’d be able to sort out this mess, more we hate them the more we point about the island lifestyles but unfortunately he remains dead. love them. of the rich and famous. For the moment at least. Now of course, we have the If the Surin organizers really Bill Barnett is Managing Director of blogs with the good, the bad and want to capture worldwide C9 Hotelworks and can be contacted the ugly; we ‘like’, ‘unlike’ or attention they’d drop the ditsy through C9hotelworks.com. WHEEL OF FORTUNE: Everyone secretly loves a billionaire. Photo:Garry Knight December 1 - 7, 2012 PROPERTY PHUKET GAZETTE 15 Singing to a different tune THE Tune Hotel in Patong, the Malaysia, Bali, England, the fourth Tune Hotel to open in Thai- Philippines and Thailand. land and the third this year, opened Tune Hotels is part of Tune for public sales on November 26. Group, a lifestyle business con- Room rates will start from as little glomerate co-founded by Tony as 399 baht for guests checking Fernandes and Kamarundin in from January 3 onwards. Meranun, who are the group Regular room rates start from chief executive officer and 920 baht and rooms feature pow- deputy group chief executive, erful showers, a central location, respectively, of Asia’s largest clean environment and 24-hour low cost carrier, Air Asia. security. Guests who require All four Tune Hotels in Thai- extra facilities and service can land are owned and operated pay a little bit more. under a franchise agreement by The Tune Hotel chain now has Red Planet Hotels. WHERE DREAMS ARE MADE: The Legend Studio master bedroom at the Sports Hotel. Photo: Thanyapura 27 hotels available for booking Guests are encouraged to across destinations such as: book early at tunehotels.com. Check in, work out SET on a 23-hectare plot within the complimentary baby cot and eco- Thanyapura Sports & Leisure Thanyapura compound is the new toiletries among other amenities. Club (TSLC), a world-class dynamic 77-room Sports Hotel. The hotel has a 25-meter out- sports and training facility for elite The hotel offers guests modern door lap pool, child sitting service, athletes and amateur enthusiasts; conveniences and access to the laundry and dry cleaning, free Thanyapura Mind Centre (TMC), leading-edge facilities at Thanyapura transfer to/from Thanyapura which offers programs for the Sports and Leisure Club. Sports Hotel – Retreat – Sports & cultivation of mental and emotional The hotel comprises 34 Sports Leisure Club (TSLC) and free balance; Thanyapura Integrative Rooms, 34 Energy Rooms, 1 Cham- access to TSLC fitness center’ Health Centre (TIHC), an optimal pion Studio and 8 Legend Studios. outdoor 50m and 25m lap pools health facility with athletic perfor- Guests receive complimentary and athletics track. mance, family medicine and anti wireless internet in their rooms Thanyapura offers a diverse aging capabilities and Phuket In- and throughout the hotel. Rooms portfolio of unique properties cen- ternational Academy Day School also offer LCD flat screen TVs tered on one idyllic campus in the (PIADS). BASIC COMFORT: Tune Hotel will offer 144 rooms. Photo:redplanet hotels with cable and satellite channels, heart of Phuket, including: – Phuket Gazette 16 PHUKET GAZETTE FINANCE December 1 - 7, 2012 Bonding with your portfolio $1,100 to use easy numbers. lation that takes all of these Thus, you lose $100 at matu- considerations into account and By David Mayes rity because you only get $1,000 tells you what you will receive back, so your total return, or per annum in percentage terms, annual yield to maturity, will be assuming you hold the bond PEOPLE usually think of bonds less than the 10% quoted coupon until maturity based on the price as safe investments, although I rate. The $100 annual payment you would actually pay for it have written before about the you receive is also actually less today. You don’t need to know dangers that are not so obvious than 10% for you, because you how to calculate it, as it should to investors. paid $1,100. The current yield be included in the quotation for The reason they can be also faces a similar problem any bond offered to you. If it dangerous in a low interest rate isn’t, make sure you ask for it environment, such as we are in before making a decision. now, is because as interest rates The important thing to under- rise, the market value of a bond stand is, if you need to see the or portfolio of bonds drops, and bond prior to maturity, you are not you can lose principal if you likely to receive the same yield, as need to sell them. One way to you may make a loss on the avoid this risk is to buy shorter principle if interest rates in the maturity bonds and hold them market have gone up. If you are until they mature. five years away from maturity and When looking at bond quotes inflation becomes an issue, you you will notice that there are are also at risk of losing purchas- A $10 Irish Bond issued in support several yields quoted. In an of independence. Photo: Lee Cannon ing power as you cannot take environment such as this, you advantage of rising interest rates. need to make sure you use the caused by the fact that you are One more risk to be aware of is, ‘yield to maturity’. If you use getting back less principle than if you buy bonds denominated in a ‘coupon yield’ or ‘current yield’ you put in. foreign currency, you could you may be in for a big shock Of course, if interest rates are potentially lose more on the when you get less than your higher than normal, bonds will exchange rate than you gain from principal back at maturity. often sell at a discount. If you the higher yield (of course this could Coupon yield is simply the purchased the same bond in the theoretically go in your favor too). percentage return based on the face previous example for $900 you value of the bond. So a 10% would not only receive more than David Mayes MBA, lives in Phuket coupon on a US$1,000 bond would 10% per annum from the annual and provides wealth management be $100 per year. However, when $100 payment, but upon matu- services to expats around the globe, you buy the bond it is often trad- rity you would receive an extra focusing on UK pension transfers. ing at a premium in an environment $100 back in principle. He can be reached at 085-335-8573 such as we are in now, let’s say Yield to maturity is the calcu- or [email protected] REAL STEAL: Bonds have historically been safe investments. Photo: US Archives December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 17 18 PHUKET GAZETTE OPINION December 1 - 7, 2012 Motoring misery AS WORK on the 600-million-baht underpass at the Central Festival Phuket intersection gets underway, mounting concern among commuters now turns to seeking out ways to cope with what promises to be a whole new level of motoring misery. Government agencies, including traffic police, have freely admitted that work on the project, scheduled for completion in mid-October 2014, is expected to cause unprecedented traffic jams. Unfortunately, their advice “to devise alternative routes to avoid the area” will come as little help to the many thousands of people who live, work and study in the area. Traffic flow is now reduced to only two lanes each way – if no parked cars block the left outside lane in front of the Central Festival shopping complex – a situation that is expected to prevail throughout much of the two-year construction period. Pleading for patience, authorities have effectively told the public that the short-term pain will justify the long-term gain. About this, the Phuket Gazette maintains some very serious doubts. For a start, two years will seem more like an eternity to parents who try to get their children safely by car to the two schools located in the immediate vicinity: the Darasamuth and Wichit Songkram schools. There are many other large school complexes nearby that will likewise be seriously affected: HeadStart, Phuket Tai Hua and Kajonkietsuksa, to name just a few. Many of these parents will be forced to leave their cars at home and take to the streets by motorbike. As is always the case in any sample among motorbike riders in Phuket, a certain percentage of these will inevitably be injured or killed in road accidents. Tens of thousands of workers at many hundreds of retail outlets in the area will also suffer, as will unsuspecting tourists who find themselves entrapped in the gridlock. Military aid to the civil powers Indeed, tourists will now face the prospect of having much of Re: Gazette online, Work to gerous one and using that u-turn their holiday time swindled by the ever-increasing traffic problem commence on the Phuket under- on a daily basis is risky at the best – in addition to the norm of being ripped off by overpriced taxis. pass tonight, footbridge to go, of times. The entire project appears to have a very serious design flaw. November 23 Several comments allude to the Those travelling east-west through the junction will eventually In many other countries when habit of vehicles making wide see some benefit, but the much larger volume of traffic north- Do you have an opinion to voice? a bridge is needed quickly, mili- Email [email protected] turns, often in darkness, and hav- south along Chao Fa West Road will find that the underpass does tary engineers are called upon to ing cowboys attempting to turn little to help them. This is because the underpass does not undertake the task. They have the four-abreast, totally obscuring the address the main cause of all the current congestion in the area: know-how, manpower and equip- teachers and it really should stop. speeding oncoming traffic. the bottleneck just south of Wichit Songkram School, where Chao ment available to rapidly put The only way [to put a stop to it] A year or two ago a dedicated Fa West abruptly reduces to just one-and-a-half lanes in each together a structure to span point is for parents to keep filing com- turning lane for both north and direction. A to point B. I wonder why the plaints. It’s true that little kids can south turning traffic was set up When the project is finally completed, expect traffic conges- Thai Army can’t be asked to erect get their facts wrong, but some daily during the peak traffic peri- tion in this area to persist – if not worsen – as ever more vehicles a footbridge to span the road, thus things are obvious. ods, similar to the one set up just pour in from the completed underpass and other directions. For negating the need for a very dubi- If, for example, your kid plays north of Supercheap. now, however, motorists may for the first time find themselves ous shuttle bus service. teacher with his or her dolls and Perhaps returning to this sys- frozen in tailbacks with nothing but concrete walls to view and On a similar note, how about starts slapping them with a ruler, tem might allow traffic to turn in polluted air to breathe. Perhaps that might be a good time for requesting the Thai military medi- you have a big clue. a far safer manner and save more them to contemplate the intentions of the architects of public cal services to deploy a very basic, Tinkerbell innocent lives in the future. transport deprivation on Phuket, and to reflect upon the reasons small field surgical team at a prac- Gazette forum Andrew Collins for the inability of so many successive governments to rectify it. tical location before the road-work Thalang traffic jams. That would allow Location, location seriously injured casualties to re- Strapped for solutions ceive at least minimal life-saving aid rather than dying in a traffic Re: Gazette online, Phuket offi- Re: Gazette online, Phuket po- jam en route to hospital cials target beach management issues, November 22 lice nab bag snatchers in Patong, Mark Dee November 19 Chalong V/Gov Chamroen: “... and we will dedicate one beach as a ‘pilot “’Also, wear your purse or bag beach’ to launch a beach manage- strap across your chest if pos- Fishing for answers ment project,” he said. sible,’ advised Col Arun.” If they want a ‘pilot beach’, let I’m not convinced that this is Re: Gazette online, Phuket mass them choose Patong. It is without the best course of action. I know fish deaths put flood-prevention question the most popular desti- of two ladies who were pulled off project on hold, November 20 nation in Phuket, with what is their motorbikes in separate [bag The dredging causes ‘silt’ [to probably the dirtiest beach and snatch] incidents – both had the be stirred up] which clogs a fish’s water in the province. Disgusting! straps going across their chests. gills causing it to suffocate. Add- Not to mention the speed boats and Alien ing an aerator to the pond would jet-skis, which are not only dan- Gazette forum help immensely. gerous, but further pollute the Also, placing several large float- water. You can smell the fuel in Consider conditions ing decks out in the middle [would the sea if you are foolish enough help]; they provide a safe area for to go in. Thailand is being ruined the fish to hide while the dredging by greed and corruption. Re: Gazette online, Phuket Big Buddha pickup truck flips in is going on… Simple solution. Bjay Karon, 8 injured, November 25 Ivan Gort Gazette forum Gazette forum Vehicles should be driven according to road and weather You turn on u-turn conditions, as well as the specifi- Measuring the truth cations of the vehicle and the required “load” it is carrying. Re: Gazette online, Phuket teach- The most obvious cause of this ing assistant suspended over ‘child Re: Gazette online, British expat and many other accidents is speed. hitting’ allegation, November 23 dies in Phuket motorbike crash, Can anyone show me a speed sign Volume 19 Issue 48 The mother did well by report- November 7 greater than 60 kilometers an hour. ing the incident. Hitting seems to The u-turn mentioned in this Laurie Howells be common practice among Thai tragic story is an extremely dan- Gazette forum December 1 - 7, 2012 OPINION PHUKET GAZETTE 19 When brown becomes clear Safety first, with urban AFTER reading the ongoing sto- ries about the “Evil Man from Krabi” YouTube video and the bungled response from the Royal growth a close second Thai Police in the bayside prov- ince there, I cannot help but think how the police officers involved Maitri Inthusut arrived on the in the case are being targeted by island to take up the position outlandish Western cynicism. of Governor of Phuket on The Dutch father who posted PHUKET is a small place, but it the video has every right to be bears has a huge responsibility. I October 8. outraged. His daughter has suf- see seven distinct management With a master’s degree in fered a horrific ordeal and the issues in Phuket. All are connected political science from perpetrators must be brought to and all need fixing. Thammasat University, he justice. With the tourism industry grow- Yet, the police have replied ing at 10 per cent per year, the joined the National Security openly to the accusations that the safety of tourists and residents Council, rising to the position suspect was released on “police must be our top priority. of NSC Secretary-General, bail” with one of the clearest Phuket already has more than answers one would ever expect Officers in Thailand often offer before taking up the position more transparency than can be 2,400 closed-circuit television to hear in Thailand: they didn’t, it found elsewhere. Photo: Gazette file (CCTV) systems and there are of Chief Secretary for was the provincial court that plans to increase that by another Secretariat of the Cabinet. released the suspect on bail despite 2,000 publicly accessible CCTV He has also served as Governor for the provinces of police arguing against it. systems across the island. Hav- Trang and Phayao. Here, in his inaugural ‘Letter from the It doesn’t get much clearer ing more CCTV will make people than that. By Damian Evans feel safer and help police to arrest Governer’, he identifies his top issues for the island and The same goes for the terrible why they are important for Phuket’s future. Do you have an opinion to voice? criminals. story about the British couple Jack Email [email protected] Another important issue in Cole and April Clifton on holiday Phuket is the vast number of com- another thing that has my support. attention are the needs of the sea in Ao Nang – the same area where leading the investigation? Even if plaints over land ownership and This week we are being visited by gypsies, local fishermen and the the Dutch woman was allegedly they did, how often have we seen the very high price of land. All of the Office of Transport and Traf- mangrove forests. raped – being subjected to a vi- public statements by police in these cases are complicated. So fic Policy and Planing. I will use My final concern is one of con- cious attack by gang of teenagers. Western countries being cut down far as the business of unlawful that opportunity to raise the mass- sumer protection, including It was heartening to hear that so much that the words were issuance of title deeds by officials; transit project with them. scams targeting tourists. Phuket the leading police officer investi- meaningless? I have seen more well, I’ll being taking care of that. The next concern on my list is has the Damrongtham Center to gating that case was “exasperated” than enough. Concerning the matter of land disaster management, man-made receive complaints from people that he was powerless to do any- I understand the police want- ownership, please understand that or natural. We have projects for and it’s working very well. thing about the attempted rape ing to stay out of the media circus the legal process does take time flood prevention and we have spe- What has impressed me during allegations. Imagine a police and not contribute to contentious to complete. cialist teams to respond to a my first seven weeks as governor officer being told about a heinous stories in the press. Their job is The third issue that concerns variety of disaster scenarios, such is the strong bonds between the crime and having the suspects in policing, not public relations. But me is the island’s traffic. We are as landslides, or as happened re- private sector, non-governmental custody, but not being able to the police here in Thailand under- currently trying to add alterna- cently a wall collapsing on organizations and local govern- press charges for that specific stand the serious effect such tive routes to get around the residential buildings. On that ment. So many good projects that crime because the victim him or stories can have on the tourism island. The Darasamuth [Central |occasion, I put a team together benefit society have been under- herself has not substantiated the industry here that so many people Festival] underpass started on to deal with it. taken by this cooperation. claim by simply telling police? A here depend on to make a living. Friday, November 23. The next The fifth risk to be managed is For tourists who intend to visit horrible position to be in. I just wish the police here could project will be the Tesco Lotus urban growth problems. This Phuket, we are all ready to wel- If Mr Cole and Ms Clifton be more professional in their pub- intersection and by the end of includes public safety of locals, come you. Phuket is improving for wanted to amend their “com- lic appearances. They already this month we will have selected tourists and migrant workers. All the better. Soon there will be no plaint” with the police, they have outstrip their western counterparts the project contractor for that kinds of environmental issues longer be “tourism low seasons” had certainly enough time to do with access to information. If only project. Following on from those such as pollution, overcrowding, in Phuket, as you can visit us any- so. Apparently, they haven’t. they could improve their public projects are the Bang Khu Inter- waste management and general time of the year. Once you’ve So, with just these two cases communications. Come on TAT section and the Klong Koh Pee cleanliness have to be addressed. visited Phuket, I’m confident that in mind, where in the Western (Tourism Authority of Thailand), flyover project. Other matters falling into this you’ll be impressed and that we world would reporters have direct where are you when you are A mass-transit system is category that require special will see you again. access to the actual officer needed so much?

Working in multiple Are Burmese workers camps stealing our electricity? provinces When a Burmese workers’ bors. What they always do is have camp springs up, why is the elec- the construction company contact I have a company that is based tricity always supplied by thin us to provide a temporary electric- in Phuket, but my work requires white wires supported by a single ity meter to be used during the that I am able to work in other pole? Is this electricity piggy- construction at the site. The com- provinces. What do I need to do backed off someone else’s power pany will rent the meter from us. in order to prevent any issues with supply, and does that person pay? The company has to show our my work permit occurring while Is this the best way to supply officers the construction area and working away from Phuket? electricity to the Burmese work- the employment contact or con- Ydedive ers? If so, who pays for the struction contract. Our officers Phuket Town electricity they use? will check the documents and It is very dangerous and a seri- examine the area where the power Jareerat Phetphan, Work Per- That’s one thing you don’t have to ous threat to man and beast alike. Department, replies: is going to be supplied. They then mit Department officer of worry too much about. Come and see the camps just af- When installing power supply to will install the power meter at or Phuket Provincial Employment ter Supalai Hills, the camp opposite a Burmese workers’ camp, PPEA near the camp, and connect the Office, replies: coordinate with every employ- the power substation on Thepkra- officers connect the power supply power supply cable to the nearest You do not need to get a new ment office in Thailand so you sattri Road and various other wire to the nearest large power large power pole. work permit to work in another should not have any problems camps around the island. pole. If you see any connections The construction company is province. If you have a company when working away from Dun B you suspect may be illegal, please held responsible for paying for the based in Phuket then you should Phuket. However, you will need Srisoonthorn call the PPEA Operations & Main- electricity used. The fee is “triple get your work permit here. To to contact us before adding a new tenance Department at 076-210379 rate” – around 5 to 6 baht per unit. work in other provinces you need work location. For more informa- Sonthaya Thabunprug, man- and we will check it out. The company also has to pay a to visit the Phuket Employment tion call us at 076-219 660, ager of the Phuket Provincial I have not heard of any cases of deposit for the meter. The deposit Office to add the “other work Monday to Friday 8:30am to Electricity Authority (PPEA) Burmese construction camps is refunded when meter is places” to your work permit. We 4:30pm. Operations & Maintenance stealing electricity from their neigh- returned. 20 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012 Phuket Governor Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut in an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette this week revealed his personal philosophy in handling the high-level decisions and complicated issues that face the resort province.

Back row (l-r): Debbie Dionysius, AVP-destination darketing, Laguna Resorts and Hotels; Prasert Laguna Phuket Tanhansa, manager of district sales office, Thai airways; Wannaprapa Sooksomboon, assistant Triathlon 2012 director TAT with the athletes. Arts for From left: Mrs Krisana Matzenberger; manager - advertising and television promotions – PGTV; Mrs Oranee Hildebrand, managing director of Phuket Gazette; Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut and Mr John Magee, Phuket Gazette Publisher. the Planet The third ‘Arts for the Planet Thai Youth Painting Exhibition’ was held at the Amari Coral Beach Phuket Mr Chairat Sukban, deputy mayor of Patong Municipality presided over the opening ceremony of the third ‘Arts for the Planet Thai Youth Painting Exhibition’ at Amari Coral Beach Phuket on Monday, 26 November, 2012. Wine and Taste Wine and Taste held a French wine dinner at Maikhao Dream Villas Resort recently. A Birthday Anniversary party was held to honor Birthday Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana at the Roof From left: Mr Pierre Bolis-Moueix, wine exporter from Bordeaux Rive Droite; Mr Robert Top room, Pearl Hotel in Phuket Town. Wigman, owner Wine and Taste; Mr Robert Mujagic, executive chef at Maikhao Dream Villa Anniversary Resort and Mr Eric Leruste, export manager of Asia Club Cépages France. Photo: Marc Mulloy

22 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012

PRIVATE SALE OF Properties GOLF VIEW VILLA HALF A RAI LAND NEAR For Sale FOR SALE At Ao Makham. Land is located MISSION HILLS opposite Port of Phuket and next to Bel Air Cape Panwa Resort. Price 4.2 million. Tel: CHALONG 081-891 5932, 089-035 6702. RESIDENCE PHUKET LAND NEAR KATA CENTER Great location, road access, 5 Near British International mins to Kata Beach and main Pa Khlok. 2 rai 32sq wah, School, state-of-the-art villa road, 1,450sqm with title deed. 60m wide. Chanote. Located overlooking the Loch Palm Contact Lychee. Tel: 081-891 on Tha Ruea-Pa Khlok- 3048 (Eng & German). D CONDO 1, KATHU Golf Course: 4 bedrooms + Muang Mai Rd. 11 km from maid's room; 485sqm. Heroines' Monument. Price: GOLF COURSE -29.94sqm, mountain view, Opposite Wat Chalong on Built on 1,860sqm land. 28 2 BEDROOMS PATONG 7.8 million baht. Tel: 089-472 LAND FOR SALE price 1,278,000 baht. the way up to the hill. Fan- million baht. Contact Fully furnished, 2 bathrooms, 9118. Email: honda.1437@ tastic sea view. 1 rai, -29.70sqm, mountain view, owner. Tel: 089-724 7211 parking. 4.9 million baht. Tel: 081- hotmail.com Chanote, gross floor price 1,280,000 baht. (English). Email: julien@ 612 4187. Email: nicolaas5@ space: 684sqm, 5 ensuite -29.79sqm, pool view, price phuketimmo.com yahoo.com bedrooms, completed in 1,330,000 baht. NICE HOUSE 2011, pool with over fall, -29.70sqm, pool view, price SEAVIEW LAND 16 RAI 88SQ WAH sala, covered carport, only 1,365,000 baht. NICE PLOT At Koh Yao Noi, 16 rai 73sq wah. 32.5 million baht. Direct by Contact Vutdy on 081-892 FOR SALE 300m to beautiful beach. Sale: 76 owner. Tel: 085-654 4011, 3709. million baht. Tel: 084-837 4429. 089-404 0737. For further Near British International www.chokechaiproperty.com details, please see our School, 17 rai with public website at www.chalong- road access. Suitable for HOUSE IN residence.com resort or housing project. VILLA DOWROONG Phuket Town. 3 bedrooms, 3 PATONG TOWER Can be divided. Price: 4.5 NEW 1 BEDROOM million baht per rai. Contact bathrooms, 47sq wah. Tel: 089- SALE DOWN PAYMENT 909 2771. Newly renovated 1-bed- owner. Tel: 089-724 7211. room condo. On the beach 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, CONDO Email: julien@phuketim 3 aircons, sofa, cable TV. Condominium at Kathu. 5 min- MUST SELL QUICKLY in the centre of Patong. mo.com Near Layan Hill Estate. Beautiful mountain view. Near Jomthong Village on utes drive to Patong. 38sqm, 1 Kata beach house, 3 storeys, (Manik-Bang Jo area). Tel: +45-523 9377 (En- Khwang Rd. 6.5 million baht. bedroom, top floor at the cor- 4 bedrooms, big balcony. Sale: Ready to build housing/ glish). Email: deherder@ Tel: 086-774 2034. Email: ner, mountain view. 325,000 3.3 million baht. Tel: 081-303 pool villas. 1,400sqm. hotmail.com [email protected] baht. Please call for more infor- HOUSE IN PHUKET 2202. VILLA 5 FOR SALE Chanote title. Price: 7.2 mation. Tel: 086-478 0201. million baht. Neg. Contact Email: [email protected] LAND AT owner on 080-520 2989. CHERNG TALAY PHUKET VILLA 5 Email: edc9designs@ URGENT SALE/ 390sq wah, nice flat land, quiet 1 RAI, SEA VIEW LAND VILLAGE gmail.com RENT Opposite Wat Chalong on the area, Chanote. In Pasak Soi 5 way up to the hill. Chanote near Laguna Home. Price: 6 mil- (36m x 45m approximately). HOUSE & FURNITURE lion baht. Tel: 089-472 9118, 086- Sophisticated hillside project, Single house, 60sqm. 2 floors, 709 2933. proratable. 8.5 million baht. 3 bedrooms and 3 toilets. In Direct by owner. Tel: 085-654 46sq wah, furnished, 3 bed- Chaiyapruek Village at Land & HOUSE QUICK SALE 4011, 089-404 0737. rooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 Houses Park, Chalong. Good Bang Tao area, 2 bedrooms, aircons, carpark. Only 3.5 location and entrance from 4 bathrooms, fully furnished, 6 RAI LAND FOR SALE million baht. Tel: 081-787 bypass road. Built 2 years ago. 3 aircons, SAT TV, ADSL. Chanote, 10 minutes to airport. 7675. Tel: 084-627 7001. 350sqm land. Only 2.7 million Tel: 085-793 2718. baht. Tel: 090-156 7927. LAND FOR SALE HOUSE FOR SALE IN Near the main road to Baan BEAUTIFUL HOME BAAN PROMPHAN KARON HILL Don-Cherng Talay. 68sq wah. House in Patong. Newly AND POOL 2.5 floors, 5 mins to town, 2 CONDO FOR SALE! 1.1 million baht. Tel: 089-472 built 40sq wah, near Sea Private hillside, 15m pool, lush bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Good Foreign freehold. Great 9118. Email: honda.1437@ Pearl project, Patong. 2 garden, 3 bedrooms, 4 bath- for stay! 2.85 million baht. Tel: sea view. 100sqm, 1 bed- For sale. Price 4.5 million yahoo.co.th storeys, 3 bedrooms, 3 bath- rooms, office, full kitchen, new 083-506 9155. Email: sumitra. room, fully furnished. Near baht. No agents, no fur- rooms, fully furnished, 2 condition, quality furniture, free- [email protected] the beach. Luxury up- nished, with 4 aircons, 3 aircon, kitchen with hood, re- hold, secure, nice. Tel: 076- graded. Good rental return. bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 30 RAI IN TOWN frigerator, dining room, living 388236, 089-727 5407. Email: kitchen and car park. Be- [email protected] Bargain price: 6.9 million Flat land near Dowroong room, hot water, cable TV CHEAP LAND hind Kajonkiet International For further details, please see baht. Agents welcome. School in Phuket Town. Tel: and internet. Tel: 089-469 FOR SALE School on Chao Fa West our website at www.villa-sale- Tel: 086-747 9292. Email: 081-691 2526. 1813. [email protected] Close to Phuket Interna- Road, 5 minutes to Central phuket.com tional Airport. 4 rai, Chanote Festival. For short or long- title. 3.8 million baht per rai. term rent, 16,000 baht per THIDA HOUSE Tel: 081-868 7676. Email: month. Call to see 087- SALE 27 MILLION [email protected] 270 9093.

Thai-style modern town- house with land. Size: 10.50m x 10.85m. 2 bed- rooms, 2 bathrooms with living room, dining room, kitchen and car park. Single house on land size: 15m by 10.85m. 2 bedrooms, 2 bath- rooms with living room, din- ing area/kitchen, terrace and car park. Soi Mountain View Kathu Waterfall. Tel: 081- 535 7585, 084-119 4262, 081-356 9754. Email: pee [email protected] December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 23

RAWAI POOL VILLA, STUNNING NEW CONDO: URGENT SALE/RENT FOR SALE / RENT SEA VIEW LAND SALE/RENT Sale: 5 million baht. Long-term rent: 30,000 baht per month. Negotiable, furnished, 300m to beach. Tel: 084-242 8914. Email: [email protected]

LAND 1 TO 5 RAI Land with Chanote title. Phuket - Sakoo, 4km south of the air- A wonderfully located plot Special price, modern port. 4.3 million baht per rai. measuring almost two rai, style, 30sqm, 1 bedroom, Tel: 087-076 6016. Email: located near Cape Yamu 1 living room, 1 pantry. In [email protected] and giving magnificent sea Kathu, 3km to Patong. views across Phang Nga Full set of built-in furniture. Bay. Only 4 million baht per Ready to move in! Contact 50% CHEAPER rai. Tel: 076-279280, 087- Ya. Tel: 081-797 5138. SEA VIEW LAND ALLAMANDA (LAGUNA) 381 1485, +60-12-303 HOUSE IN KAMALA Residences/Phuket Condo 0790. Email: jaekayjosh@ unit, half of a deluxe twin house, hotmail.com For further LAND FOR SALE fully furnished and equipped, set details, please see our IN CHALONG direct on the picturesque lagoon website at www.phillips- 9 rai of land with Chanote title with balcony right over it. 3 bed- property.com/phu in Chalong, near Big Buddha. rooms, each with shower/bath- ketproperty/869/land-for- Total price: 46.5 million baht. Short or long-term rent room roof terrace. Long-term sale-cape-yamu-phuket- Sea view, quiet, reasonable available. Fully furnished rent or sale. Tel: 081-737 0365. thailand/ price. Tel: 081-978 3480. sea view condo at Sunset Email: [email protected] Email: kirana.goy@sawan For sale. Panorama view of Plaza, Karon. 1, 2-bed- anda.com sea view, golf course, and room and penthouse. HOUSE IN RAWAI National Park. 6 rai with KRABI, AO NANG Gym and swimming Great location, 3 bedrooms, 2 PENTHOUSE KATHU Chanote title. Sale: 3 million Pool villa, 2 bedrooms. Land pool. Also 3 new beautiful bathrooms. Private car park, GOLF COURSE baht per rai.Tel: 083-389 plot: 255sqm. 4.8 million baht. houses with swimming sea view. Sale: 4.5 million baht. Freehold, car park, nice green 7799. Email: pee_bang@ Email: [email protected] pool at Soi Samakki Negotiable. Tel: 084-441 0605. view, 135sqm, 2 bathroons, yahoo.com bedroom, big living room, 2,Rawai. Tel: 086-302 VILLA FOR SALE, western kitchen, terrace. Tel: 9742 (Kae), 081-843 3990 For sale. 2 houses on land. BEAUTIFUL HOUSE PHANG NGA 081-824 1385. Email: jbiwo@ (Komol). 1 ngan 89sq wah. Chanote FOR SALE Khok Kloy area. House of 400+ csloxinfo.com KAMALA title, near mountain, peace- sqm on 4 rai of land. Large 3 bed- NICE HOUSE HOUSE QUICK SALE ful and safe, 10 minutes rooms and 2 baths. Laundry, Bang Tao area, 2 bedrooms, from the beach. 5.5 million storeroom, garage. Price: 10 PHUKET VILLA 4 bathrooms, fully furnished, baht direct from owner. Tel: million baht. Tel: 076-494166, CONDO PATONG 3 aircons, SAT TV, ADSL. 083-180 2143. Email: 087-284 9679 (English & Thai). 350sqm land. Only 2.7 million [email protected] Email: [email protected] baht. Tel: 090-156 7927. PANORAMIC SEAVIEW POOL VILLA IN KARON 6-BED POOL VILLA, Top land 18 rai, Phang Nga RAWAI BEACH For sale. Modern pool villa in a Fully landscaped, 3 air con- Bay, 1.2 million baht per rai, Sale: 8 million baht, brand quiet area of Karon, perfect lo- ditioners, telephone and For sale. 2 bedrooms (pos- electricity supply, road access. new, 80% owner finance, fur- cation for peaceful living with internet, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath- sibility for third bedroom), 2 Tel: 081-691 9346. Email: nished, 200m to pier. Tel: 084- the beach and night life near by. rooms, kitchen. Located bathrooms, jacuzzi, dining [email protected] 242 8914. Email: rawai4@ Dead end street with no traffic. near the Heroines Monu- and living room, kitchen, fully New condo. 1km to beach, yahoo.com 3.9 million baht. Tel: 089-650 ment towards Pa Khlok. near Bangla Rd and Jung- furnished, aircon, electric HOUSE IN CHAOFA gate, all furniture included. 6269 (English), 088-571 0570 Land size is 53sq wah. 3 mil- GARDEN HOME ceylon, 1 bed, 1 bath, fully (Thai). Email: g-a-coates@ lion baht (negotiable). Tel: 800m from beach, very BEAUTIFUL Perfect condition, 3 minutes furnished. 3.9 million baht for 4-BEDROOM VILLA hotmail.com 080-520 2989. Email: edc9 42sqm and 3.8 million baht quiet. Price: 9.5 million baht. from BIS. Just 2.7 million baht 500sqm villa, 800sqm land, [email protected] for 44.5sqm Tel:081-541 (nous parlons Francais). Tel: only. Tel: 089-651 3250. private pool. Rawai. Sale: 25 2025. Email: c.junlarat@ 086-280 7400, +33-62-448 RAWAI LAND million baht with 10 years fi- gmail.com 3630. 10 land lots , totals are 2.9 rai in nance. Tel: 087-893 8747. Rawai, close to Chalong. 5.5 million baht per rai. Negotiable. Quiet, elegant residential green area. Cheap price. Must sell. Classified Advertisements Tel: 084-898 8258 (Thai), 090- Please use this form to write your classified advertisement. 504 0093 (English). Fax: 076- 613691. Email: nang493@ Then hand it to any of our agents. gmail.com |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| (heading) KAMALA HOUSE FOR SALE |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|

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Near Phuket FantaSea. Price: 3.2 million baht. Ne- |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| gotiable. Tel: 081-719 1041. Email: teddykong0222@ hotmail.com |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|

Classified ads are charged per line. Each line is 120 baht, with a minimum of 4 lines (heading included) per ad. Looking for land to buy? All advertising must be paid for in advance. See more classified ads Deadline for Property Gazette page: Friday 3 pm. at www.phuketgazette.net Deadline for all other ads: Saturday 12 noon. 24 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012

CHALONG BEACH Properties PERMSAP VILLA, SURIN CONDO 2-BEDROOM VILLA AT TOWNHOUSE For Rent HOUSE FOR RENT 2-3 b/r, 300m from beach. HOUSE, BANG TAO FRONT BEACH Furnished, 2 bedrooms, 2 Direct pool access. Fur- bathrooms, carport, garden, nished. Minimum 3 mths internet, cable TV. 14,000 rent. Email: jgstryker@ baht per month. Tel: 081-415 5 STUDIOS & POOL gmail.com AT CHALONG 2900.

RAWAI POOLVILLA-PAY RENTAL APARTMENT, IN 30 YEARS PATONG CONDO 25,000 baht per month. 6 bed- Pool, security, 46sqm, fully fur- Near CherngTalay. Plot rooms, wifi, furnished, 300m to 2 bedrooms, 2 bath- For rent. 5 bedrooms. nished. Tel: 089-728 4005. size: 520sqm with living beach. Tel: 084-242 8914. rooms, kitchen, terrace, 110,000 baht per week. Email: [email protected] area 156sqm. 4 bedrooms Email: [email protected] living room, parking, fully Agency welcomed. Tel: and 3 bathrooms with gar- www.thaidream.villa.com furnished, cable TV, 081-719 7015. Email: PATONG SEAVIEW den. Semi-furnished. Auto- internet, 2 aircons, hot wa- [email protected] 2 and 3 bedrooms, near Simon 1 bed, kitchen & share pool: Cabaret, quiet, clean, fur- matic gate. 50,000 baht APARTMENT KATA ter. Only 5 mins to Surin for short, long term. Quiet per month. More informa- Beach, Bang Tao Beach nished. Short or long-term place. Price: 14,000-20,000 BEACH FOR RENT rent. Tel: 081-892 8208. tion please call sales office. Furnished, 1 bedroom, kitchen, and Lotus Cherng Talay. ALLAMANDA (LAGUNA) baht per month. Tel: 081-809 Tel: 076-527 869, 081-270 Tel: 089-470 7488. Email: Residences/Phuket Condo 2625. Email: phuketdee1@ WiFi. Tel: 086-595 8512. Email: 2-BED APARTMENT 8940. Email: enquiries@ [email protected] [email protected] unit, half of a deluxe twin house, yahoo.com richmondth.com fully furnished and equipped, set PATONG direct on the picturesque lagoon Luxury fully furnished, pool, wifi, TWO BUILDINGS kitchen, quiet location. 20,000 2-BED BEACH FOR RENT POOL VILLA IN with balcony right over it. 3 bed- CONDOS WITH POOL 1, 2, 3-BED PATONG MAI KHAO rooms, each with shower/bath- baht per month. Tel: 086-279 APARTMENTS Commercial building for long- Spacious, 2 beds with en-suite room roof terrace. Long-term 0837. Email: bricothailand@ Large pool, gym, parking, term rent on Montri Road. Near bathrooms, kitchen, large gar- rent or sale.Tel: 081-737 0365. hotmail.com maid, free WiFi. Rates from Pearl Hotel. 3 storeys, 2 build- dens, pool and free WiFi. 3 Email: [email protected] 22,000 baht per month. Tel: ing. 38,000 baht per month. Tel: minute walk to beach. Email: POOL VILLA FOR RENT 080-052 8082 (English & Thai). 081-606 2827 (English & Thai). [email protected] 4 bedrooms, pool, 5 bath- Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] NEW HOUSE IN rooms, Bang Tao. Also have PATONG DELUXE BEACHFRONT bungalows, houses and apart- Fully furnished modern house ments available. Tel: 081-538 CONDO KAMALA NEW POOL TOWNHOUSE VILLA with 2 bedrooms and 3 bath- 2110, 087-279 6532. At Kalim Beach, 2 beds. Also IN KOH KAEW For rent/sale, fully furnished, 4 rooms. Spacious dining, stylish in Phuket town, 1 bedroom, 3 double bedrooms, 3 bath- rooms, beautiful kitchen, gated bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, Eu- open western kitchen. Living kitchen, lounge, many facili- ropean standard. 15 minutes room with balcony, full aircon. All PHUKET VILLA 5 ties. Tel: 081-892 0038. community. Long-term rent: 55,000 baht per month. 6 to airport, close to Yacht Ha- extras; LCD, internet, satellite. VILLAGE ven Phuket. Long-term rent: Quiet setting. 25,000 baht. Tel: PATONG APARTMENT months minimum. Tel: 080- 697 7729. 60,000 baht per month. Tel: 084-185 8536. LONG-TERM RENT 089-470 8926, 081-719 7015. 8,000 - 20,000 baht per month. Email: [email protected] Tel: 089-290 9567. PROPERTY TO RENT On great beachfront location, NICE HOUSE very private. Bungalow can en- BAR, SHOP FOR RENT- IN CHALONG HOUSE AT PRIME large, 2 bedrooms, 2 bath- RAWAI BEACH PLACE VILLAGE rooms, terrace and garden. 8,000 baht per month, free wifi, Private parking, free mooring. pool, garden, ready to move in, House needs repair. Long lease Siam BB Resort, 60m to beach. if required 16,000 baht. Ao Yon Tel: 084-242 8914. Email: Bay, near Cape Panwa. Tel: [email protected] 087-840 8163. Email: luck [email protected] KAMALA VILLA FOR RENT Single house (74sq wah) with 2 BEDROOMS - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, lovely garden for long-term For Sale. Price: 4.2 million BANG TAO BEACH pool, 2 storeys with 2 entries. rent in Soi Parichart, Land & baht. No agents!, not fur- Near Heroines’ Monument. Corner unit, 3 bedrooms, 3 Great for 2 families, top secu- Thai villa, fully furnished. 18,000 Houses Park. It has 3 bed- nished, with 4 aircons, 3 Furnished, aircon, 3 bed- bathrooms, fully furnished. rity system, top cable package, baht per month. Tel: 089-795 rooms and 2 bathrooms, 24 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, rooms, cable TV, kitchen. 3.5 million baht. Tel: 089- two 50" TVs, aircons in all 6363. Email: vicky_grc@hot hr security + clubhouse facili- kitchen and car park. Be- Tel: 086-607 7493. 472 9118. rooms. Bike and Fortuner truck mail.com ties. Price: 25,000 baht per hind Kajonkiet Internation may be included in long-term month or special price of School on Chao Fa West lease. Available on December 20,000 baht per month with- Road, 5 minutes to Central 1, 2012 to March 1, 2013. out furniture. Contact the Festival. For short or long- 125,000 baht per month. Con- owner. Tel: 081-867 6466 term rent, 16,000 baht per tact Harold for details. Tel: 084- (English & Thai). Email: month. Call to see 087- 446 8965 (English). Email: [email protected] 270 9093. [email protected] December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 25

Property Accommodation PATONG Holiday Building Products & Services Services Available LUXURY APT Homes & Villa Paradise Hotel complex. 150m to beach. Large, 1 Rentals PRO SERVICE OCEAN VIEW bedroom, kitchen. Light, airy. Tel: 086-276 7608. AND RENOVATE PATONG CONDO KAMALA BEACH - Water leaks Upgraded 54 sqm condo. GUEST HOUSE Cable, WiFi, pool, parking. - Sanitation SIAM BB RESORT, Private, quiet, 2-bedroom Long term for 18,000 baht per apartment: 2,600 baht per - Sinks month. Tel: +1-808-283 4188 RAWAI BEACH - Grease Tanks night or 1-bedroom house: (English). Email: mauigreg 1,800 baht per night. Kitchen, - Water Heaters @hotmail.com aircon, cable TV/DVD/ADSL, - Sprinkler Systems pool. Tel: 076-385 909, 087- - Pressure pumps 277 5216(English). Fax: 076- - Water Treatment KATA LUXURY 385 909. SEAFRONT VILLA - Piping - Deep wells LUXURY POOL Data Water Work Ltd., Part. VILLA FOR RENT Household PHUKET HOME MAINTENANCE Tel: 081-396 5050. From standard to family Located just outside La- Services room with double bed, guna, this new 3bedroom Renovations, house re- HOMES WANTED FOR low price, long-term, pool villa is available for long pairs, painters, tilers, MANAGEMENT aircon, WiFi, pool, motor- and short-term rent. Tel: electricians, plumbers, carpenters, construction. Established property, estate bike rental, 60m to beach. 081-891 1826, 081-891 Fluent English-speaking & villa management company Tel: 084-242 8914. Email: 1826 (English), 081-891 boss. Free quotes given. seeks property to manage/ [email protected] 2926 (English & Thai). 3-bedroom villa on the Contact Rin. Tel: 084-193 rent-out. Own maintenance Fax: 076-238940. Email: rocks on Kata Beach 5124. Email: phuket staff. Very successful market- [email protected] Headland. Built up 320 LOFT STYLE FLATS homemaintenance@ ing and R.O.L. by hoteliers. sqm, 15m above sea with Furnished, quiet, good area for yahoo.com Email: [email protected] spectacular Andaman exercise. 8,500-12,000 baht Sea views, 6m x 15m infin- LAGUNA HOLIDAY per month. Long-term only. CLUB RENTAL ity pool. Villa surrounded Tel: 086-664 5575 (English). Holiday rent at Laguna RENOVATIONS, by dense foliage, has spa- Email: [email protected] Household HOUSE REPAIRS cious balconies, outdoor Holiday Club Resort for new year week from 29 Services Renovations, house re- showers in natural set- Dec 2012 - 5 Jan 2013. Wanted pairs, construction, elec- tings, very private and se- ROOMS FOR RENT 1-bedroom suite for 4 per- tric installations, mold de- cluded. Thai, Japanese, IN KARON sons, only 70,000 baht. contamination. Free and Balinese design influ- Fully furnished, Cable TV, Tel: 089-795 6363.Email: HELPER NEEDED quotes and warranties ences & artifacts. Excel- Air, Wifi, daily, weekly, [email protected] Babysitting, washing and offered. English, Ger- lent live in Thai cook. Con- monthly. Tel: 082-270 See at www.laguna ironing in Kathu. Full time, man, Swedish and Thai tact James Hunt. Tel: +65- 6385. Email: tkoschig holidayclub.com good English essential. 083- speaking personnel. Tel: 962-10254. Email: sea [email protected] [email protected] 395 5707 (English). Email: 085- 880 3728 (English), [email protected] 080-141 4577 (English & For further details, please HOME Thai), 083-394 8337. see our website at www. Accommodation KAMALA BEACH MAINTENANCE Email: mattias@zionpro housephuket.com Private, quiet, guest ASC Phuket Co Ltd offers Household perty.com Wanted house. 2 bedroom apt at full home maintenance ser- 2,600 baht per night, or 1 vices. Gardeners, maids, Help NEW APARTMENTS bedroom house at 1,800 pool service, urgent minor ESTATE CONDO VILLA WITH SEA VIEW KATA OCEAN VIEW baht per night. Kitchen, repairs (electricity, plumber, MANAGEMENT New 1- and 2-bedroom apart- HOME HELP WANTED Looking for new, deluxe, European bathroom, etc). Give us a call and we'll Experienced hotelier and ments. Long and short term. English- speaking house- furnished, and 2-bed- aircon, cable TV/DVD, take care of your villa, condo team, extensive estate and Sea view, huge balcony, TV pan- keeper wanted in Laguna, im- room apartment. Please ADSL, swimming pool.Tel: or office. Tel: 076-388 065, villa /apartment management. els, WiFi, free parking. Sea view, mediate start, live out. Contact contact Rick. Tel: 086- 076-385 909, 087-277 081-693 1509 (English & Managing multiple projects. pools, gym, expensive furniture Brian. Tel: 084-877 5001 (En- 281 9311. Email: bao200 5216 (English). Fax:076- Thai). Email: bytonyk@ Also available as consultant. inside. The best choice for living! glish). Email: kiwipeace@ @gmail.com 385 909. gmail.com Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] gmail.com

Classified Advertisements Please use this form to write your classified advertisement. Then hand it to any of our agents.

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Classified ads are charged per line. Each line is 120 baht, with a minimum of 4 lines (heading included) per ad. All advertising must be paid for in advance. Looking for land to buy? Deadline for Property Gazette page: Friday 3 pm. See more classified ads at www.phuketgazette.net Deadline for all other ads: Saturday 12 noon. 26 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012

IT OR AV ENGINEERS MANAGERS WANTED ARCHITECTURE Thai nationality, can speak Suzy Wong's Group is looking Thai national wanted. Ability English. Please send CV to for an Operations Manager to use AutoCAD, Sketch-Up Email: info@techworx-pro and a Marketing Manager. Tel: and 3D-Max is a must. Tel: ject.com 081-476 4700 (English & 081-788 1639. Email: sec@ Thai). Email: suzywongs phuketawnings.com WINE & TAPAS BAR @gmail.com Staff required in Phuket town, THAI RECEPTIONIST available on October 2012: Female under 30 years old, bartender, helpcook, wait- RECEPTIONIST - Thai national, good English. ress. Tel: 083-969 7807. KATA 12,000 baht per month. Tel: Bliss Boutique Hotel is 080-879 6058. looking for a receptionist. SALES CONSULTANT Good salary offered. Thai COOK / MANAGER / REQUIRED national only. Call for info. WAITRESS Club Asia Fitness requires a BARTENDER Tel: 090-705 4373 (En- A manager, a cook and a wait- Sales Consultant. Applicants More bartenders needed for glish & Thai). Email: info@ ress urgently needed. Contact should be fluent in English Elvis Rock & Roll Bar in Kamala. blisshotelphuket.com us (as above) for details. Tel: 082- and a Thai national. Excellent Thai only. Tel: 085-158 7638. 270 6385. Email: tkoschig2000 remuneration offered.Tel: 080- Email: info@husi phuket.se @hotmail.com 698 5021. THAI DRIVER WITH LICENSE VILLA MANAGER Bayshore Projects Co., Ltd is INTERCALLSERVICE WANTED looking for Thai driver. License COOKS, MAIDS, CO.,LTD. Villa manager for a six-bed- required. Tel: 081-968 5963 MANAGERS We are seeking natives Ger- room holiday villa in Surin. (English). Email: c@bayshore Luxury villas looking for man/Austrian or German- Live in or live out. Must be projects.com cooks, maids and man- Swiss speaking people for our able to speak English. Tel: agers. Live in and live out Call Center in Chalong. They 084-689 4658 (English), 081- THAI FOREMAN positions available. Tel: will be responsible to support 537 2549 (Thai). Email: WANTED 080-699 2436. Email: NATIVE ENGLISH FOREIGNER our inbound hotline for our [email protected] Please contact Carla. Tel: 081- [email protected] overseas clients in Europe. TEACHER LOOKS FOR: 968 5963. We're looking for NES teacher, Top maid. Thai female. English We offer 5-day work with visa FOREIGNER FREELANCE WEB and work permit. For further ACCOUNTANT US/UK/AUS/CA, to start ASAP. language and computer knowl- RUSSIAN GUIDE DESIGNER Degree, TEFL and CV required. edge. Salary: 20,000 baht up- information please call Khun Needed as soon as possible Thai-speaking Russian or Bayshore Projects Co Ltd are Klaus.Tel: 089-873 9123. for hotel developer. Contact At least 1 yr experience. Tel: 080- ward. Junior maid: 10,000 baht Russian national. Urgent! Tel: looking for professional a web 907 7466. Email: info@brainy- upward + overtime. Tel: 087- Marianne. Tel: 081-270 1370. 089-618 6894. designer on a freelance basis Email: c@bayshoreprojets. house.com 840 8163. Please email to EXPATRIATE MARINE to help in creating content [email protected] MECHANICS com OFFICE ASSISTANT pages in html/CSS3. Tel: 081- Looking for experienced ex- NEEDED 968 5963 (English). Email: GUESTHOUSE NATIVE ENGLISH patriate marine mechanics. SCUBA DIVE AND Small dynamic and friendly [email protected] MANAGER TEACHER Experienced, spoken English Duties include general and TOUR SHOP real estate agency company We're looking for NES teacher, and Thai. Small operation, preventive maintenance of We are looking for a Thai staff based in Chalong, Phuket STAFF WANTED FOR US/UK/AUS/CA, to start ASAP. needs to do all jobs. Tel: 085- corporate and yatchs posi- to book our scuba diving cus- working for national and inter- BEACH BAR Degree, TEFL and CV required. 159 7400 (English). Email: tioned within the SEA region. tomers when they come into national clients. Seeking as- All staff needed for new beach At least 1 yr experience. Tel: 080- [email protected] Attractive renumera tion pack- the shop, and also book the is- sistant with administrative ex- bar on Surin Beach. Competi- 907 7466. Email: info@brainy- age for those with the land tours we sell. Must speak, perience and outgoing per- tive wages, good hours and a house.com neccessary qualifications and read and write English. Must sonality. Experienced in sell- fun place to work. Please e- SALE / MARKETING experience. Tel: 080-078 be very happy and good with ing real estate is an advan- mail your resume. Everyone Marketing employee urgently THAI STAFF WANTED 3731. Please contact Mark customers. Salary: 15,000 to tage. Thai national. Excellent considered. Email: jessezurn needed. Male or female. Good Good salary with bonus. Call Jones and send resume to 20,000 baht, depending on the English is a must. Salary @hotmail.com salary. Tel: 089-618 6894. Carla. Tel: 081-968 5963. markjones288 @gmail.com person. Tel: 076-388 684, 082- based on qualifications.Tel: 810 2443 (English & Thai). 086-940 2266. Send resume, PHILIPPINE STAFF Fax: 076-388 684. Email: photo and expected salary to Female, good salary. Con- [email protected] sales@18excelsior-property. tact Carla. Tel: 081-968 5963. com Send CV to cc@bayshore TOUR STAFF NEEDED projects.com Thai staff needed at busy boat HEAD OF ENGLISH charter and events company. DEPARTMENT Duties include tour guide, wed- We are looking for a Thai BARTENDERS AND ding & events host and more. female with teaching skills for WAITRESS Salary + commissions. Tel: four English teachers and our Thai national, English 076-221 442, 081-956 9961 security guards. Tel: 076-336 speaking, some experi- (English). Email: info@coral 084, 081-607 6637, Fax: 076- ence, good looking and seekers.com 336 085. Email: pornthip@ manners. Training will sgsphuket.com start on 1st of Novem- WEBSITE ber 2012 at Nai Harn. PROGRAMMER MARKETING REPS Tel: 084-509 1975(En- REQUIRED NEEDED glish). Email: laterrazza Must have solid HTML and EZYSTAYS looking for mar- [email protected] CSS coding experience with keting representative. No ex- knowledge of JavaScript and perience required, full train- PHP. Design and English ing provided, work permit THAI RECEPTIONIST skills are the advantage. Im- and good income. Email: Female under 30 years old, mediately start.Email your [email protected] Thai national, good English. CV to messenger.alexander 12,000 baht per month. Tel: @gmail.com DO YOU WANT TO 080-879 6058. WORK AT HOME? SALES ADMIN We are searching telemar keting MARKETING STAFF INTERIOR DESIGN staffs for our detergent sales/ Condominium in Patong is look- We are hiring a motivated per- online shop. We are a Finnish ing for marketing staff. Contact K. son with a passion for sales/ company and our operations are Keith on 080-081 8870. Email: admin to join the team at our located in Finland. However you george@davidvacationclub. com furniture showroom in Bang can work anywhere in the world. Tao. We offer an attractive sal- We are not requiring any expe- COMPUTER ary and benefits. Tel: 076-325 rience in this field of telemar PROGRAMMER 419, 081-400 4678. Email: keting. Please contact us at Send your CV to cc@bayshore [email protected], for +358-19-751533 if you are inter- projects.com Contact Carla. Tel: further details, please see our ested and we will tell you more 081-968 5963. website at oriental-living.net about this work.

Gazette Online Classifieds – 10,000 readers every day! December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 27

SENIOR ARCHITECT WEBMASTER Phuket-based architectural Must have at least two years' practice urgently requires a experience as a webmaster senior architect to oversee de- and be able to create websites sign of luxury villa and hospi- using flash and others. Good tality projects. Proficiency in knowledge of computers, IT written and spoken English graphics /photoshop. Ability to required. Please send CV edit video would also be helpful. and expected salary to: info@ Tel: 081-979 9911. Email: vrit@ imedgeconcepts.com boatlagoonyacht ing.co.th VILLA MANAGER Experienced Villa Manager re- quired to manage an 8-bedroom SALES & private residence in Kamala. The MARKETING VM is responsible for managing MANAGER an in-house team for mainte- Luxury yachting com- nance, housekeeping and pany looking for someone F&B. Operate the villa in a 5-star with experience of at manner for both owners and least 3 years in sales and guests. Applicants need to marketing, especially of have strong leadership skills, high-end luxury products. excellent command of English, Industry knowledge of hotel experience. Applicants will luxury yachts and marine be required to have their own car lifestyle, especially of and driving licence and to be Thailand and Southeast able to live-in when required. Tel: Asia, will be an advan- 076-527633, 087-881 0003. tage. Tel: 081-979 9911. Please send CVs to: hr@ Email: vrit@boatlagoon phuketvillasandhomes.com, yachting.co.th www.luxuryvillasandhomes.com

OPERATION/ADMIN NATIVE ENGLISH MANAGER TEACHERS Luxury yacht charter company Brainy House is an English- is looking for an Operations/ language school, which is Admin Manager. Thai nationality. QUALIFIED TEACHER committed to provide all of our NES TEACHERS EXPERIENCED LOOKING FOR NEEDED Key tasks: yacht provisioning, students with quality teaching REQUIRED ELDERCARE NURSE STAFF (4 Female teacher needed to cleaning control, staff coordina- and prices that are affordable. tion for the charter, secretarial November start. KG Nurse/helper for older POSITIONS) teach 3-5 year old kindergarten work and basic accounting. Qualifications; teacher (38-40K baht), person or invalid. Two Phuket Wake Park is students. Send CV and photo Own car is necessary. Email: • Applicants must be native Early Years teacher (43- years experience with looking for Chef of Thai please.Tel: 076-521550, 084- [email protected] English speakers. 45K baht). Degree and alzheimers patient. Reli- Cuisine, Cook Waiter, Op- 847 0732. Email: info@ For further details, please see • Bachelor’s degree and TEFL recognized TEFL/TESOL able, hard-working, ex- erator of Cable Ski Line, smiley-kidz.com our website at fivestarsea are required. certificate and 3 email ref- cellent references. Some Cashier. Tel: 084-889 cruises.com • Teaching experience would erences required. Prefer- English. Tel: 089-196 4942 (English). Send CV EMPLOYMENT be an advantage. ence given to experienced 0940. Email: woody@ to office@phuketwake WANTED CHEF REQUIRED teachers. Tel: 084-846 khunwoody.com park.com Reliable English-speaking • Must be able to start in De- 9109(English). Email: Small international restaurant cember. Thai woman with cooking in Kalim looks for indepen- [email protected] • We offer competitive salary SPA RECEPTIONIST SECURITY GUARDS experience in hotels and dent working kitchen chef with villas requires fixed-term and work permit. Tel: 080-907 CASABLANCA Beautiful spa in Karon is WANTED experience in preparing Thai cooking, childcare or 7466.If you are interested, RESTAURANT looking for new receptionist Royal Security Solutions is and international dishes. Tel: housemaid work, live-in if please contact Sasi or send Needs experienced cook and and cashier. Good salary. seeking male/female guards. 080-555 2377 (English & required. Contact Taew. your CV and recent photo to chef. High salary for qualified Call for more information. Tel: Tel: 081-970 1479, 080-609 Thai). Email: 55inkalim@ Tel: 081-084 2708. gmail.com [email protected] person. Tel: 081-892 8208. 087-894 5585. 4677. EXPERIENCED ELDERCARE NURSE Nurse/helper for older person or invalid. Two years experience with alzheimers patient. Reli- able, hard-working, excellent ref- erences. Some English. Tel: 089-196 0940. Email: [email protected]

REQUIRES AN EMPLOYEE Requires an employee to promote the online store on the Internet. Tel: 088-838 3242. Email: zxigor.n@ gmail.com

DISTRIBUTORS / RESELLERS WANTED Thai national. Sales of manufac- tured modular and customized activation, booth, display and expo solutions. Network and in- frastructure in place. Thai/English speaking. Excellent earning. Email: sales@bconcept. asia

Looking for a job? Looking for a better candidate? Find more Recruitment Classifieds at WWW.PhuketGazette.Net! 28 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012

Bar & Education Business Opportunities Restaurant Equipment STEP STUDIO - COOKS, MAIDS, NICE RESTAURANT & BAR FOR SALE RAWAI FIT & DANCE MANAGERS HOUSE FOR RENT BAR PIZZA, Or long lease, 2-bedroom We invite you to: aerobics, Luxury villas looking for In Kamala. Good furniture. 100SQM COVERED house attached 30+ seats, KITCHEN HARDWARE pilates, Latino and club, hip- cooks, maids and managers. Only 15,000 baht per month. pool table, 50" TV. Top site. FOR SALE hop. Tel: 091-042 2944 (En- Live-in and live-out positions Tel: 089-289 1508. Email: nz_prosinger@ya Secondhand kitchen hard- glish). Email: andrey_date86 available. Tel: 080-699 2436. hoo.co.nz ware: ovens, sinks, grills and @mail.ru Email: [email protected] etc. Tel: 082-283 8250 (En- URGENT SALE! glish & Thai). Email: phuket Nice hair salon and spa in PATONG BAR @rayadivers.com Shop STAFF WANTED Nai Harn. 2 floors with pro- FOR SALE fessional equipment and FOR BEACH BAR Popular bar, open air. Beer Equipment products. Price: your budget All staff needed for new bar in busy tourist area, KEBAB possibility (make an offer). beach bar on Surin Beach. Rawai Beach. Long-term fully furnished. Urgent Kebab Machine 25,000 baht. Tel: 089-622 0101. Tel: 089-666 6726 (English). Competitive wages, good rent: 12,000 baht per sale: 1.6 million baht. Tel: CAKE DISPLAY hours and a fun place to Email: [email protected] REFRIGERATOR month. No key money. + 081-550 7379, 087-893 work. Please e-mail your re- DOUBLE SHOP UNIT 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 rooms added, Brand Snow Ball, model CKS- 1753. sume. Everyone considered. 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 2 negotiable, swimming SD-90, 790x900 x1,350 cm. OFFER ON LAST ITEMS Email: jessezurn@hotmail. kitchens, office, large lounge pool. 60m to Nikita’s.Tel: Rarely used, excellent condi- Quality gear, cheap, get com reference to high standard, 084-242 8914. Email: OFFICE FOR LEASE tion, same as new. Now sale: email list, make an offer. For behind Villa Market. Must [email protected] 6,000/MONTH more information please call: 38,000 baht. Tel: 080-526 1118 With all furniture, CCTV, BEAUTY & MASSAGE sell. 8.5 million baht. Tel: 084-627 1301. Email: flatstan (English & Thai). Email: aldo 087-892 6204 (English), 081- computer, air, printer, bed- [email protected] [email protected] Top location in Kata. 2 units, room only 150,000 baht. Tel: 7 beds, 10 chairs, 2 haircut 477 5869 (Thai). SURIN BEACH BAR FOR RENT 088-178 7830 (English & sets, fish spa. Price: 1.35 Thai). Email: josephjohnc@ Upmarket Lounge Bar for Bulletins million baht. Tel: 087-281 7233 HOTEL + BAR gmail.com (English). + RESTAURANT rent. Fully furnished, music + 30 ROOMS system, aircons, flat screen TVs. Pool table. Available im- MASSAGE SHOP SALE HOTEL + RESTAURANT For rent. On Nanai Road. 2 Big shop, 15 beds and chairs. SPONSOR A CHILD million baht for key money + mediately. Email: stewart FOR SALE [email protected] 2.3 million baht. Must sell The Phuket International Chanote title, central posi- 1.5 million baht for 1-year quickly. Tel: 081-303 2202. Women’s Club is a volun- tion, new building, 4 years lease. Tel: 083-208 2553, teer organization raising old, 20 rooms, reception and 082-810 3414. COMMERCIAL SHOP BAR FOR SALE funds for educational restaurant fully furnished. FOR LEASE PATONG scholarships. We rely Price: 38 million baht nego- BAR FOR SALE Located on Sawatdirak Old Home lounge bar, free on the goodwill of donors tiable. Contact Stefano: 086- New Soi Tiger, 6.8 million Road, next to the beach. fitout + free accommodation. and sponsors – small 279 8175 (English or Italian). baht for 3 years. Tel: 086-952 Size: 19m x 5m. Tel: 076- 5 million baht. Available on and large. If you would Contact Ning: 084-840 1566 8832. 342108, 081-892 7480 (En- rental. Negotiable! Email: like to put something (Thai). glish & Thai), 081-607 5716 [email protected] back into the community (English & Thai). Fax: 076- in which you live, contact BIG BAR + 1 ROOM, 342087. Email: Nanzz86@ us to find out more about BUSINESS RAWAI BEACH gmail.com giving a prize or being a OPPORTUNITY No key money, pool, full cli- sponsor. Contact Carol. Cellular phone shop for sale ent, 20,000 baht per month, Tel: 087-417 8860 or con- includes stock, on the beach 2/3/4/5-room added possi- BAR tact Sue. Tel: 087-277 road 30m from Soi Bangla, bilty. 50m to Nikita. Tel: 084- + RESTAURANT 6948. For more informa- great income exactly before 242 8914. Email: rawai4@ya + 3 ROOMS high season. Owner needs to tion please email us at hoo.com For 1-year lease: 540,000 [email protected] leave the country. Tel: 087- 893 9856. baht. Good place, parking for motorbike. Nanai SHOP FOR RENT, Road. Tel: 083-208 2553, BANGLA ROAD 082-810 3414.

FISHING COMPANY $169,000 USD Buy yourself a new life! One of the oldest and most succesful fishing companies in Phuket for sale. Regular and new clients from all over the SHOP FOR world, mostly via the LONG-TERM LEASE internet. We have the On Sawatdirak Road, opposite best advertising name White Sand Resortel, a on the net for fishing trips minute’s walk to the beach. in Phuket. Boat: 2 x Tel: 076-342108, 081-892 7480 Great location! In the 340hp, 20m x 5m with (English & Thai), 081-607 5716 Patong's heart near 7- all the fishing equipment (English & Thai). Email: Eleven and KFC. Grand Trip licence also for [email protected] opening soon. 40sqm, 3- Similans and once a year contract. Price: year to the Andaman BUSINESS FOR SALE 900,000 baht. No key Islands (India). Tel: 087- A well-established (over 20 money! This price in- 889 4588. Email: phu years) Marine Service Com- cludes 300,000 baht de- ketdorado@hotmail. pany, with many of the posit and prepaid 1 com www.phuket-fish world's top marine products month. Negotiable! Con- ing.com distributorship and offices in tact Mark. Tel: 080-141 Phuket Boat Lagoon and Ao 6040. Po Marina. The owner is look- GUESTHOUSE ing at selling the company FOR SALE PATONG and stock but could stay on FOR SALE - BAR 6 double bedrooms, big to help with the day-to-day Good money maker, great kitchen and bar, hillside loca- running and the technical looking bar (not Bangla), tion. 4 and 1/2 years on lease side of the company on a sal- new 3-year contract, no key left, extendable. All key ary or contract if required by money and low rent. Good money prepaid. Rent: 24,000 new owner. We have five size with pool table and good baht per month. Sale: 1.6 staff with very low overheads stock. 1.5 million baht (safe million baht. Tel: 087-078 and with all orders and ac- investment). Please contact 6379, 082-286 5171 (English counting done internally. Tel: owner by phone only. Tel: & Thai). Email: nanaisauna 081-892 0534. Email: barrett. 080-530 7798. @yahoo.com [email protected] December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 29

Business Products & Services Personals

BACKGAMMON Players wanted. Tel: 081- 577 8443. Email: phuket [email protected]

DISEASES AFTER AGE 60 All you need to avoid this and live to be 100 is vita- mins; a few drugs; sup- plements; and a few hor- mones. I don’t sell any of these. Tel: 084-779 7591 SCANDINAVIAN Personals (English). If you want FOOD PROMOTION more info, then email to Prepared by Danish ex- [email protected] ecutive chef. Pamper TEXAS HOLDEM CLUB your guest with food from Players wanted for tourna- Denmark, Norway, Swe- ments and ring games, ev- den, Finland, Greenland. eryone welcome. Tel: 084- Pets Special Christmas Pro- 755 3118 (English). Email: motion! Please call for [email protected] more information. Tel: 087-823 9432. ARE YOU LOOKING Miscellaneous TO ADOPT A DOG? For Sale Club Memberships Available SNUFFLERS Set of five. Rounded edges with alloy spleen LAGUNA GOLF CLUB tables. Only 3 yrs old, no 11-year membership, free glinkle. Can be used transfer. 300,000 baht. Tel: without bessors or BRTs but not in tandem with 082-802 5273. Email: england Many homeless pups & cleester bins. Price new: [email protected] adult dogs, all breeds & 4,200 baht each. Will sizes looking for a loving BUDS INTERNATIONAL sell now at 12,000 baht home & someone to take KINDERGARTEN BLUE CANYON CC for full set. Located care of them. Please con- Phuket's oldest interna- Rawai, pics available. Family membership. tact: tional child care facility. High- Price: 870,000 baht. Email: jackmartin3@ [email protected] quality, time-proven sched- Free transfer. Email: gmx.com ule and curriculum. Now in [email protected] brand-new purpose-built school. Experienced native English teachers to teach PHUKET Pool Tables ages 1.5-8. Monday-Friday COUNTRY CLUB 8am-5pm. Bus service avail- Golf membership. Price: TOURNAMENT TABLE able from Patong, Karon, 600,000 baht. Tel: 081-271 1/2 PRICE Kata, Phuket, Rawai and POOL TABLE / 7701. Secondhand, full-size tour- Chalong.Tel: 076-384638, BILLIARD nament pool table. Size 4.1/ 080-624 7060. www.buds- Pool Table/Billiard sales, 2x9ft, only 70,000 baht phuket.com BLUE CANYON CC rental, profit sharing, all (brand-new was 140,000 Family membership. accessories & service. baht) includes full accesso- Price negotiable. Make Tel: 085-797 0202, 085- PHUKET LEARN TO ries and installation. Tel: 085- an offer. Free transfer. 797 0303, 081-823 4627, SWIM PROGRAMS 797 0202, 085-797 0303, Call: 081-895 4790. 085-782 1200. Fax: 076- Beginners to adults and 081-823 4627. Fax: 076- Email: rroswech@aol. 264461. Email: ying@ water safe classes for nan- 264461. Email: ying@phu com phuketpooltables.com nies. Tel: 088-443 2030. ketpooltables.com 30 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012

Saloon Cars Motorbikes Rentals

TOYOTA CAMRY TRIUMPH SPEED HONDA PCX 150 HYBRID 2011 TRIPLE SE-10 2,300km. 3 months old. 29,000km, full options, TV, Arrow 3-1 sport exhaust, Black. Perfect condition. Tax/ DVD, navigator. No dealers. flyscreen, bellypan, rear seat insurance/warranty offers. 1.4 million baht. Tel: 088-006 cover, and etc. New price with Tel: 086-269 9097. Email: 8233. Email: christophv@ extra 900,000 baht. Sale: [email protected] hotmail.com 735,000 baht includes 11 months first-class insurance. Tel: 076-384228, 084-246 HARLEY - DAVIDSON SALE FORD 6608 (English), 084-246 6605 105th Anniversary. Ultra ESCAPE 495,000 (Thai). Email: addepow@ Classic 2008+V&H Exhust. gmail.com Full options+book. 790,000 baht. Tel: 076-352069, 081- 691 9346. Email: sumon@ ridethailand.com HARLEY XR-1200 CARS FOR RENT CHEVROLET CHEAP CAR CAPTIVA HONDA PCX 125 Cheap cars with first-class Gold color. 5,700km. As insurance and free delivery FOR RENT 2.0L AWD turbo diesel, new. 55,000 baht o.n.o. service. Tel: 088-819 7028. 3.5 years old, extremely Ford Escape 3.0 XLT. Please call in the afternoon. low mileage, good condi- Year 2004. 140,000km. Tel: 087-887 9070. tion. Sale: 1,000,000 baht TOYOTA AVANZA 2011 Price: 495,000 baht. Con- o.n.o. Tel: 076-321913, Black, 7 seats, full options. tact Noppadol. Tel: 089- 087-273 4861 (English). Harley XR-1200 for sale. For rent: 18,000 baht per 589 5453. Email: sopasa Email: imuir@loxinfo. 2009 model. Only 8,000 DUCATI 999 month or sale in cash pay- [email protected] co.th km. Perfect condition. SUPERBIKE ment. Tel: 081-892 8208. Fast and fun. Priced to Top condition, 92kw/ TOYOTA CROWN sell quickly at 550,000 125HP, new tires (only 3.0 24V NISSAN NAVARA LE baht. Tel: 081-734 8309 100km driven). Green NEW CAR (English). Email: duc book 100% ok. First reg- FOR RENT 1993. Original 230hp. Dual air- 2011. Automatic. 52,000 [email protected] istered in Thailand in con. Fridge. LPG. Many new km, full service history. 2007. 54,000km. Price: parts. Needs new paint. Sale: 565,000 baht. Tel: 350,000 baht. Tel: 087- Available now in Chalong. 195,000 baht. Tel: 089-908 087-384 0980. Email: 823 7371 (English). Tel: 087-689 9679. Email: 7350 (English). Email: jacek_fi [email protected]. HONDA STEED 400 Email: holgersaupe750 [email protected] @hotmail.com au Good condition, black, comes with beautiful plate number @hotmail.com HONDA ACCORD one. Asking 125,000 baht. CAR RENTAL TOYOTA HIACE & Call for seeing. Tel: 087-270 HONDA CIVIC Black, 2004 model, excellent ALL MODELS 9093. Short or long-term rent, AUT or MT, delivery service, Toyota Hiace 1997. 2.5 condition, insurance paid until YAMAHA FINO August 2013, new tyres, FOR SALE delivery service, with short or long term, first-class diesel. Minibus. High. good price. Tel: 086-690 insurance. Tel: 087-281 1211 350,000 baht. Honda Civic leather interior, and CD player. YAMAHA NOUVO Complete service record by April 2011, 16,000km, 135cc. 0626. Email: bcarrent@ (English). 1995. Silver. Manual. 3 hotmail.com doors. 175,000 baht. Tel: Honda. 160,000km. Price: Mag wheel and topbox. Reg- 076-281196, 085-692 620,000 baht o.n.o. Tel: 081- ularly serviced by Yamaha. 4 x 4s 6507. Email: robin.xtrem 846 9981 (English), 081-537 35,000 baht. Tel: 089-688 [email protected] 8774 (English & Thai). Email: 8068 (English & Thai). Email: BRAND NEW CAR [email protected] [email protected] FOR RENT 4X4 MITZUBISHI Toyota Vios, Honda Jazz PICK-UP, AUTO 2008. Lady owner, ridden for short & long term. Full 4-door, automatic, 2004 with Wheels & Motors only in Phuket Town, with insurance. Delivery. Tel: 135,000km. Runs well. Red/ green book. Asking price 088-768 9411 (English & silver. Price: 275,000 baht. 23,000 baht. Tel: 084-889 Thai). Email: k_roa2527 Tel: 087-885 8708. Email: 2676. @hotmail.com tomasholmberg77@hotmail. com Please use this form to write your classified advertisement.

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|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| Classified ads are charged per line. Each line is 120 baht, with a minimum of 4 lines (heading included) per ad. All advertising must be paid for in advance. December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 31

GULF CRAFT FOR SALE

• 2007 Gulf Craft Sea Breeze 33. • Twin Suzuki 225 Out- boards. • Fully maintained and in- sured • 2.25 million baht. Contact: 02-6541111 Ext 102, 085-931 2012. Email: Papawarin.trirat [email protected] HUNTER 280 (1996) FISHING BOAT Yanmar 2GM 18hp diesel. Very FOR SALE tidy boat. 1.25 million baht. Company has a long-term Contact Alan.Tel: 084-842 6146. business with many tour com- www.boatshedphuket.com panies, built 2006, 4.5mx24m, 3 aircon cabins, 2 showers, 2 ARRIVING FOR toilets, kitchen, 2 big sundeck. THE HIGH SEASON Price: 14.5 million baht. Please Karnic Powerboats & Ales call for more information. Tel: sandro Marchi RIBS. Quality 082-912 9089. boats at great prices. For details contact Alan Giles. SAILING BOAT Andaman Boat Sales. Tel: for sale. Small sailing boat 084-842 6146. (jolly) 4.1m incl. trailer and out- board, 80,000 baht. Tel: 081- 081 3232 (English). Email: 43FT CRUISING [email protected] CATAMARAN 2 double cab, saloon, galley, built 2011 in comp. 680,000 SACS S-530 POWER baht. Tel: 087-461 8089. BOAT RIB Jamaica S-530 Year 2000 Mercury 115Hp 4 stroke. SPEEDBOAT- 2nd Eng:Tohatsu 9.8Hp 2 HULL ONLY stroke. VAT paid. Asking price: 890,000 baht (trailer included). Stylish & prac- tical for a small family yet capable of taking on choppy seas. This S-530 Jamaica in top condition makes the ideal family run about. Owner's mobile: +852 81005187, 081-747 Excellent condition, 12.18m 7261. Email: skyper330@ fiberglass with Bowrider, gmail.com 12mm thick hull, 5 years old, 600ltr fuel tank, 150ltr water tank, licensed for 25 pas- sengers, storage area, GLACIER BAY CAT manual head, sunbrella Fishing or dive offshore, like- bimini. 1.4 million baht o.n.o. new condition, new parts, Contact Mark. Tel: 081-894 trailer. Tel: 087-897 9192. 8522.

SOLUTIONS TO THIS WEEK’S

BAYLINER 205 VAGABOND 47 KETCH CrypticCrossword MOONSOON FOR BOWRIDER (2009) (1983) 13M CRUISING SALE 220hp Mercruiser 5.0 TKS Classic center cockpit cruising CATAMARAN with under 100hrs. VHF ra- yacht. Ford Lehman 85hp die- 2 double cab, saloon, pan- dio, echo sounder & trailer. sel. US$129,950. Contact Alan. try, built 2011 in composite. Only 899,950 baht. Contact Tel: 084-842 6146. www.boats 680,000 baht. Tel: 087-461 Alan. Tel: 084-842 6146. hedphuket.com 8089 (English). Email: www.boatshedphuket.com [email protected] For NEAR NEW more info: thongthae-ma- 17M CATAMARAN INFLATABLE TENDER rine. blogspot.com 28ft, registered for 15 pas- West Marine hypalon. 3.5m Built in 2009. No engine, no RIB + SAIL, with Yamaha sengers. 200hp/V6 Mercury mast. It is to do something. KAYAK WANTED motor, only 240 hours, re- 15hp 4-stroke outboard. Tel: 380,000 baht. Tel: 087-461 Secondhand 2-man kayak. cently totally restored. Per- 087-388 3090 (English). Email: 8089. Tel: 088-381 5725. fect for snorkeling, diving [email protected] trips, island hopping or water taxi. Navigation system + fishfinder. 5hp spare motor. Boat and motor in very good condition. Located at Boat Looking for a boat? Lagoon. Priced for quick sale at 330.000 baht. Tel: 086- See more classified ads 747 9292. Email: claud [email protected] at www.phuketgazette.net 32 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012

Aircraft HAVE A PASSION AIRPLAY ALTIS 1999 ROBIN 2160i For Sale FOR AVIATION? MICROLIGHT I would like to sell my Robin If you have an aircraft for Superb trike with Konig ra- aircraft or trade it for a 4-seat sale or an interest in avia- dial engine. Great economi- Cessna or Piper (based in tion and wish to learn cal fun. Little used. Please Hua Hin). The Robin: TTAF YOUR HELICOPTER how to fly or buy an air- contact for more informa- 300hrs. SMOH 60hrs. This Flying and owning your own heli- craft or arrange a private tion. Tel: 089-111 6457 (En- is a well-equipped, two-seat copter has just become possible. flight, etc. Website: glish & Thai), 081-397 7598 aerobatic aircraft. Has the Free complete flight instruction www.aeropromgr.com/ (English & Thai). Email: Christen inverted oil system. course with your purchase. newsletter [email protected] Excellent inside and outside. Email: [email protected] King KMA24 audio panel, KX155 nav/com, KI203 vor, KY197A comm, KN64A dme, KR87 adf, KT76A tran- sponder, CSPA400 i-com, FP5 fuel computer, CHT, OAT, Pitot heat. Price: 4 million baht. Please contact Thom. Email: thos_w@ hotmail.com

TECNAM P-92 - Price: 1.5 million baht - Registration: U-B08 - Year of Manufacture: 2002 - Equipment: Full stan- dard equipment - Engine: Rotax 912- 80HP 350hrs. Please contact for more in- formation. Aircraft is based at Klong 15. Tel: 081-840 8418.

General Aviation • Aircraft for Sale • Aircraft Sharing • Aircraft Wanted • Aircraft Charter • Aviation Services • Flying Lessons

Please use this form to write your classified advertisement.

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Classified ads are charged per line. Each line is 120 baht, with a minimum of 4 lines (heading included) per ad. All advertising must be paid for in advance. December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 33

At the Phuket International Sport Fishing To Be Number One Tournament 2012 (PIST 2012) almost 100 Phuket participants took to the waters off Chalong Bay from November 21 to 24. International Trophies were awarded to the winning team who made the most points overall. There were also separate prizes in each Sport Fishing of the following categories; most of each species; most billfish; top team for each of the three days; best lady angler and Tournament 2012 best junior angler, etc. Photos: Marc Mulloy

The ‘Heroes’ dance team from Ban Bangneaw Municipal School in Phuket Town won the southern regional “To Be Number One” Teen Dancercise 2013 dance competition, Junior division (ages 6-9) at Jungceylon on November 25 and will represent the South at the finals in Bangkok in February. Photo: Steven Fein

SeaStar Discovery 2013

SeaStar Discovery 2013 - A unique and challenging modelling contest final was held in Phuket. Photo: Isaac Stone Simonelli 34 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012 December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 35

Birthday – Public Holiday HM The King's Birthday. Also marked as Father's Day in King’sKing’s CupCup RegattaRegatta 20122012 Thailand. Various celebrations will be held in honor of HM The December 1-8 King throughout the Kingdom. Nov 24 - Dec 3; 10am to 11:30pm: December 6, 6pm to 12am: Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest Martini Manicure Ladies Night Laguna Phuket will again be the at RE KA TA focus of worldwide triathlon Free express manicure for attention with the iconic Ironman ladies. Free Martini for ladies on 70.3 Laguna Phuket on Sunday, arrival, and 50 per cent off the December 2, a “Tri-Fest” of drink list all night long. Cocktail related training and social events flaring. From 6pm to midnight – for the many professional athletes DJ till late. Contact 076- from all over the world. For more 3300421. info visit: lagunaphuket.com/ events/tri-fest This event is December 7 to 13, 7 to 11pm: sponsored by The Nation, the Indian Curry Buffet at Phuket Gazette, PGTV and the Navrang Mahal in Karon Sea Gazette's Phuket Today show Sands Resort airing daily on UBC/True Visions All you can eat, authentic Indian (Channel 99). Curry Buffet, at 449 baht net per person. Come enjoy our cold November 30 - December 2, Mango and Strawberry Lassi with 6:30 to 10pm: NPR Culinary our delicious Mutton Vindaloo, Dal Arts Festival 2012 December 1, 6 to 11am: TSLC our brunch buffet, filled to the limits which includes the quiz and other Makhani, Bombay Aloo, Mutter Eat, chill, dance and be seen at IronKids Phuket Official Race with home made delights. In our activities, gourmet buffet and Paneer, Butter Chicken and The North Phuket Culinary Arts Swim, Bike and Run to become smoke house, we smoke all of our limited complementary drinks. mouthwatering Chicken Tikka, Festival 2012. The Culinary Arts an IronKid. A triathlon for 6 to fish and meats by ourselves, and Full bar is available. Doors open Samosas, and freshly baked Naans Festival is sponsored by the 17-year-olds with age appropri- in the bakery we we bake all our at 6:30pm. Quiz starts at 7pm. and more. For more information Phuket Gazette, PGTV, and the ate distances on a safe and bread. With very well trained chefs Contact Khun Wandee or Khun or to make a restaurant reservation weekly 'Phuket Today' show, secure course. Both individual and a Swedish head chef, we can Nee on 076-384342 or visit visit: navrangmahal.com or Tel: five days a week, starting every and team relay entries available. promise you that you won't leave lifehomeproject.org. The Phuket 076-286-464 Sunday evening at 7:10pm. For Register on line or at Thanyapura hungry or thirsty. All this for only Gazette, PGTV and the 'Phuket more info visit northphuket.com Sports & Leisure Club. Visit: 395 baht. For more info, please Today' show are proud to December 8, 7pm to 12am: ironkidsphuket.com for more visit: twochefsbistrodeli.com sponsor this event. The Full Monty Beach Charity December 1, 5pm to 12am: Big information and race details. Party at Bliss Beach Club, Night Out @ Boat Lagoon This event is sponsored by The December 1 6:30pm to 12am: December 4, 7 to 10:30pm: Bangtao Beach Live music with Elephant In The Nation, the Phuket Gazette, Phuket Life Home Project Peter Michael Estate Dinner at Tickets at 2,500 baht per Room, DJ K May, MC fool, PGTV and the Phuket Today Charity Quiz Night: Mövenpick Mom Tri's Kitchen person. Children under 12 years: Legends of Siam and the show, found on UBC/True Resort, Karon Beach Mountain Vineyards, Limited 1,000 baht. Includes cocktail, Fuzztonez. Doors open 5pm. Visions (channel 99). A charity quiz night with gour- Production Exquisite, Artisan dinner and free flow of wine. Free entry. There will be live met buffet, rock & roll bingo, from Sonoma, California. 2,100 1,000 baht per ticket and all rugby on the TV. For more info: December 1, 12 to 3pm: Satur- live auction and music through- baht. We will have very limited proceeds of the auction will facebook.com/events/ day Brunch @ Two Chefs Bistro out the night. Tables of up to ten. seating for this event. Our wine support the SKÅL childrens' 365802023512371/ Every Saturday we are setting up Price is 2,000 baht per head, director and executive chef fund and the Phuket Has Been Darren are working on the menu Good To Us Foundation. This and pairing now and we will event is presented by the Phuket announce the details soon. Gazette, PGTV and the Gazette's Contact us for more info or to 'Phuket Today' show, six times get on our mailing list. Visit: a week on UBC/True Visions momtriphuket.com channel 99. Contact: Urs Aebi Phuket Afternoon Computer Clinic at 66-76-371900 or email: December 5: HM The King's [email protected] Is Windows driving you nuts? Looking for a good internet connection? Need to know how and where to get your PC repaired, or your confounding questions answered? Drop by the new Afternoon Computer Clinics, hosted by Woody Leonhard and Seth Bareiss. Bring your computer. Bring your questions. Bring your sense of humor and let’s see if we can solve your PC problems. Sponsored by Woody’s Sandwich Shoppes and the Phuket Gazette. Informal computer clinics are held every Sunday at the Sandwich Shoppe Chalong

Contact at 076-282403, [email protected] or visit KhunWoody.com 36 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012 Nothing but blue skies

“We are proud to be the first school in the Phang Nga province, maybe even all of Thailand, to have its own solar panel field.”

YAOWAWIT School and Lodge and producing 227,400 watts of is getting greener with a new power per day. Construction on solar PV field donated by solar the solar field began in June this solution and service provider year. The school anticipates Conergy, The Embassy of the using the energy to operate lights, Federal Republic of Germany to air-conditioning, computers and Thailand and freight-forwarding other appliances and reduce its company Logwin Air + Ocean energy cost by 50 per cent. (Thailand) Ltd. The Yaowawit solar installa- The school celebrated the tion is the result of a partnership installation with a presentation to between the German government students, faculty and the and German private enterprise. community. The Yaowawit School and “We were very happy when Lodge is a private charitable board- SUSTAINABLE STUDENTS: Children will use these new solar panels for hands-on training in environmentalism. we heard about the opportunity ing school, which started educating to install a solar panel field in students in 2006 and was inaugu- Yaowawit, since it will not only rated by Her Royal Highness give our students the opportu- Princess Maha Sakri Sirindhorn. nity to learn about how solar Currently, the school educates energy functions, but it will and provides shelter to 110 reduce our energy costs for the students, that come from very next 25 years. poor and broken families or “The Yaowawit School is very suffered consequences from the grateful for this generous 2004 tsunami. donation. We are proud to be the The school teaches students life first school in the Phang Nga skills, such as English, hospitality province, maybe even in all of and farming, in order to be able to Thailand, to have its own solar break the circle of poverty. panel field. The school’s aim is to one day “We will do our best to make become self-sufficicent by lever- it a learning center for both our aging the small lodge and the 70 rai students and those in the large farm. neighboring communities and it Today the school still depends will serve as a role model for on donations and sponsorship and others,” said Yaowawit School offers many programs to help headmaster Kunchana Mailaeaid. supporters get involved. With the launch, the Yaowawit – Phuket Gazette School will have 324 solar mod- ules adjacent to the school For more information, or to donate to covering nearly 476 square meters the school visit: yaowawit.com FIRST IN OPERATION: With this new donation, Yaowawit will be at the forefront of green energy in the Kingdom. A few pints for charity

By Kathy Manthei supportive shelter for women who are HIV positive and A PUB Quiz event, hosted their children as well as for by the Mövenpick Resort those orphaned by HIV/ and Spa Karon Beach, will AIDS. It also provides an help support the Life Outreach and Community Home Project, a charity Action Program, which which makes a difference includes hospital visits, in the lives of those prevention programs, training affected by HIV/AIDS. seminars, awareness raising Held on December 1, activities and a telephone World AIDS Day, from support service, in addition to 6:30 pm until late, the Children pose at a recent Life Home Project event. educational scholarships for event will host a fun-filled children who’re particularly night of challenging quiz spa packages, as well as Mövenpick vulnerable. The Life Home Project questions, food by Mövenpick and international hotel packages. currently houses 10 women and 22 drinks by the Irish Times Pub. The Proceeds will benefit the life- children on a permanent basis with auction and raffle prizes will affirming services of the Life Home outreach to 100 families. include business class flights from Project. Located on Koh Sirey, the Etihad Airways, local dinner and Life Home Project provides a safe, For more visit: lifehomeproject.org. December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 37 Suwit Pattamakanthin A NOTED Danish marine biolo- space to house his rare pieces. gist once called him a “formidable He reveals: “I’d like to create a conchologist,” but Suwit “Jom” space that will not only show off Pattamakanthin, the man behind the beauty of shells but also high- the establishment of Phuket’s first light their rich social and cultural seashell museum, refuses to be associations. In ancient times, labeled as such. shells were used as part of archi- “I am nothing of the sort, and I tecture, jewelry and as a form of am not a dealer either,” says conferences on the subject, net- money. They were important Suwit, who prefers to be known work and make friends with enough to be put in the burial by his nickname. like-minded people. He has visited ground for the dead to use in the We’ll just settle on the title many exotic coasts; Mauritius;the afterlife.” “collector.” But Jom is also a Seychelles; the Philippines; Indo- An immense project by any naturalist, entrepreneur, artist and nesia; Sri Lanka; India and Africa. standard, but Jom is undaunted. writer, whose life happens to He has been cheated, mugged, His extensive knowledge and his evolve around the study, classifi- robbed, and almost died, all in the museum experience will stand him cation and collection of seashells. name of seashells. in good stead for the task ahead. Having set up three museums “Shells are a big deal for me, But before that, he has another devoted to this species alone, Jom having opened up and enriched my quest to complete. Ever since he and his family hold an extensive life no end. My wife complains was a boy, one unique shell collection of shells from around that I spend more time with sea- species has captured his imagina- the world, including some rare shells than with her,” he chuckles. tion, cypraea moneta linnaeus, pieces that have a market value in His passion for seashells has in- used widely as money in the old the thousands of dollars. spired him to publish his days. However, in its exceptional Jom inherited his love for sea- adventures in the form of a short form – comprising a raised, curled shells from his father who, as a diary complete with drawings and rim on porcelain-like yellow and supplier of marine aquarium fish delicate watercolors. white skin – the species is in the 1970s, developed a deep ap- Having handed over the man- considered the king of all shells. preciation for the species. agement of the Phuket Seashell Over time, two have come “ My father used to say that if Museum in Rawai to his uncle, Jom’s way. Now he is on a mis- you understand shells, you will Jom opened two smaller exhibi- sion to acquire a third, which he About Thai Gallery understand the world. And I don’t tion spaces for exotic shells, one believes to be the last of the lot. think he was too far off from the in Bangkok and another in The search will take him to New The individuals profiled in “Thai Gallery” are chosen on the basis of truth,” muses Jom. Jungceylon in Patong in 2010. Caledonia and will cost him a lot, their contributions to Phuket as an international community, and, His father, Jom says, has laid However, he admits that a shop- though he refuses to reveal its often, for having made those contributions through successful social the foundation for the kind of life ping mall doesn’t exactly provide market value. and/or working relationships with foreigners. This implies some he leads today and the quest to the ideal space to display his “Decidedly it’s a lot of money foreign language skills and an interest in interacting with different continue his legacy has taken Jom precious collection. He is rethink- but the complete collection will cultures. They are people who in our experience help make the lives of far and wide. He travels the world ing his approach and is now in the prove invaluable for our future expats far more enjoyable here than might be the case without them. to source rare shells, attend process of finding a more suitable museum,” says the 36-year-old. 38 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012 Phuket and ignorance about SSI beginning we’ve always had a philosophy that we’ll only deal with full-service dive centers. In return we get a lot more retail sales going on in dive stores. Divers who own THERE are almost a hundred dive equipment are proven to generally training agencies in the world. Over continue diving, and our philoso- a dozen specialize in cave diving, phy is to train all divers to always even more in technical diving, but take advantage of full-service dive the market is dominated by recre- centers, whether it be for taking ational dive training agencies. Even vacations... buying equipment or the second largest agency in the just for further education. world is hardly more than a name We are currently the fastest SAFETY FIRST: SSI has open water courses for rebreathers so your first dive can be bubble free. to many divers on the island. growing agency on the planet... going to reach out to our consum- service, encouraging people to travel open water in their own language. Scuba Schools International As an agency we are very inven- ers and our customers – but that and giving the ultimate diving That’s full interactive experience. (better known simply as SSI) has tive, for example, we brought out will have to wait until January. experience is how we call it – rather There is a minimum of 27 but I know grown in leaps and bounds in Thai- the first instructional DVD, and than just teaching diving. for a fact there are 38 languages land over the last eight years – were the first ones to bring out What changes do you have to In modern terms we have phone planned. We stock 27 languages for increasing their market shares by online learning. offer to divers? apps that are free of charge. most of our core products. around 40 per cent year on year. And what we are bringing out in Most of the agencies out Customers always have their Despite this, it has only a January-Feburary will also be a first. there, offer fantastic training certification with them, so there is What weaknesses do you see fledgling grip on Phuket, leaving anyways, just different. no more lost card. [The apps also SSI having as an agency? many divers unsure and unaware What is that? From a diver’s have] all the hand signals and all the The weakness is a double-edged of the program’s core philoso- It is a much perspective where dive tables on there… including sword, which is also our strength. phies and practices. more modern we tend to differ is, open manuals that are free. Specifically here in Phuket, it’s With SSI holding its biennial approach to educa- because we work killing me. That weakness is that we Global Meeting of Area Office on tion. At the with dive schools What is the range of dive don’t allow individual instructors Phuket in November, and opening moment a lot of instead of individu- certifications on offer at SSI? from a business perspective. If we up an office in Chalong in Decem- people in the diving als we can give a Everything from messing around allowed the independent instructor ber, it is obvious that basking in industry are saying little more flexibility, in the swimming pool, Try Scuba, who works out of [his or her] home pure ignorance of the institution they have gone so we have the 80/ right the way up to training instruc- to do business with us, without is no longer possible. digital in some way 20 rule. Where 80 tors. As far as specialties are affiliating with a full-service dive In an exclusive interview with shape or form. And per cent of what the concerned, we have all the core center, our market share in Phuket the Director of SSI Southeast right now what diver gets taught is specialties. For example, rescue, would just (snaps) double overnight. Asia, Gary Hawkins, the Phuket that actually means a 100 per cent of deep, night, navigation, boat, a lot And I know that, because I’m Gazette has been able to get a is that [they] save the SSI program. of unique specialties, a lot of talking with these guys. So that better idea of what SSI is all about. Director of SSI Southeast Asia, money on print Gary Hawkins at Koh Phi Phi. Then they have environmental based specialties. It’s business-wise is a weakness, but it’s [costs] and [have] 20 per cent that growing all the time basically. also our strength. If we did do that Phuket Gazette: Gary, I have started distributing PDFs. they add on top to do local condi- I know specifically in Thailand, then it would be much easier for us heard a lot about SSI recently, That’s not going digital, that’s tions environmental challenges… language has been a huge hurdle to get market penetration… In an but honestly, still don’t have a distributing PDFs. The road And that is also brought about by for many Thai divers wanting to established market it’s a strength. firm grip of what it’s all about. we’ve already started to go down our core philosophy that we will break into the ranks of the We simply don’t have the So, what is SSI? is making it a full digital interac- only teach real-world skills that work professionals, what languages are volume... that we need to cope with Gary Hawkins: It started 40 tive experience... The accessibility under the worst possible conditions. SSI texts available in? the growth that we currently have... years ago in the US. Initially it was of our materials will also be huge. So the most common statement We do have Thai language texts. it’s a weakness, because I can’t go set up to service retailing dive Because it means any mobile I get from instructors crossing over That was a challenge, but we’ve into a store and say, ‘Here are 50 centers, as opposed to the other device, any computer, anyone to us is that ‘SSI allows me to teach done it. Also, in December we are instructors, choose’. From an large [diving certification] anywhere can actually access their how I’ve always taught without going to have Thai online learning. instructor’s point of view it’s a huge organization that went towards materials. What’s revolutionary breaking standards’. And it’s just So for the entire Thai market it will plus. Because we will personally doing an association of diving about it is how we are going to common sense to us. So flexibility be free of charge. So they can go place them in jobs. As quick as we instructors. So, from the very distribute that, and how we are in training. The rest is customer online, and basically study for their get them they get employed. Go Eco beseeches beach cleaners GO ECO Phuket, known on the and five longtail boats are island for staging the world’s expected to leave for nearby biggest reef cleanup earlier this reefs with divers and debris bags year, are gathering again with around 9am, Kerry Leach from fellow community members, Go Eco Phuket told the Gazette. Kata Municipality workers, Space for divers will be Hilton staff and an estimated 500 limited explained Ms Leach, so students from local schools for those wanting to take part must a Kata and Karon Beach cleanup. book in advance by contacting Participants of the event will organizers through the Go Eco target both the beaches and Phuket Facebook page. the associated reefs that are along “Beach cleaners are more then the Kata-Karon coastline on welcome to show up the day of December 4. the event,” she added. Registration will start at 8am – Isaac Stone Simonelli Karon Beach. Photo: Chris Hudon December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 39 3G WiFi offerings in Phuket IN THE first installment of this Like all of the 3G vendors, CAT series, I talked about the general advertises that its package is state of internet connections in “unlimited” but that’s ridiculous. Phuket. Last week, I covered the Every “unlimited” package, regard- current offerings in land lines, with less of vendor, has a limit to the TOT Fiber 2U 10 Mega bits per While HSPA+, in theory, should amount of data you can download second (Mbps) representing the run almost twice as fast as HSPA, in a month – some 2 GB, some 3 best bang for your baht (sometimes; the fact is that TOT hasn’t built GB, at least one has 4 GB, and after 1,500 baht/month), True DOCSIS out its infrastructure to support you download the maximum “Ultra” coming in second (if you faster speeds. We rarely see 3.9G amount, your speed is cut back so can get it; 599 bt/mo or 1,299 bt/ HSPA+ connections running any severely you’ll think you’re using a mo for a moderately faster line), faster than 3G HSPA. tin can and string. Most people can then TOT’s WiNet hybrid wireless- And all the fluff about 42 Mbps get by with 2 or 3 GB per month, to-your-home (599 bt/mo), and – the advertised speed for some but only if they use the 3G connec- finally all of the ADSL lines, which 3G services in Phuket – it’s drivel. tion for viewing YouTube videos or are generally indistinguishable from Utter fantasy. The technology may checking Facebook or email. one another, and run 599 bt/mo. be theoretically capable of running Heavier use – including tethering a While you’ll find advertise- 42 Mbps, in a lab. Our measured computer to your phone – will no ments for 20 Mbps or even 100 speeds out in the field here doubt blow through the data cap in Mbps land lines in Phuket, it’s typically come in between 0.6 and much less than a month. rare that we get a line that clocks 1.2 Mbps – and that’s both 3G and TrueMove-H and DTAC both much more than 2 or 3 Mbps 3.9G. The speed varies greatly use the CAT network. As far as I consistently, judging by interna- depending on your physical can tell, all three networks work tional single-threaded downloads location: Phuket isn’t blanketed equally well (or poorly, depend- (see: phuketinternetspeed.com). with 3G towers. If you get a ing on your location). The main Lately, even some of the Fiber 2U slower connection, expect to have difference: CAT is half the price lines have slowed down to the trouble connecting with Skype. If of the other two. You may find point where they’re indistinguish- you get a faster connection, you that one of the three has a deal able from plain-vanilla ADSL lines. can certainly watch YouTube that you can use – a discount on A speed of 2 to 3 the iPhone 5, say, or WIFI WASTELAND: Parts of Phuket are like an internet desert. Photo: Florian Mbps isn’t bad: it’ll a Samsung Note II. keep a Skype video Sometimes True services drop off. As a result, you morning at Sandwich Shoppe connection going, and runs a discount on may find that either AIS/TOT or Chalong, located 1 km north of you’ll be able to see 3G when you buy CAT/True/DTAC provide stron- Chalong Circle on Chao Fah East YouTube and other low TrueVision (formerly ger signals in your particular road. If you have a Windows definition video sources UBC) satellite TV location. problem that needs to be solved, or without much dropping service. But when it Prices are subject to change a question about internet service in or pausing. But, if you comes to the 3G without notice – heaven knows Phuket, drop by and ask one of the want to stream high network, they’re all the web pages won’t be updated assembled gurus. Sponsored by definition TV, particu- the same. – but as things stand right now, the Phuket Gazette and Khun larly if it isn’t cached in AIS uses the TOT the wireless line speeds from all Woody’s Sandwich Shoppes. Bangkok, chances are network. While CAT of the vendors are pretty close awfully good that has had 3G service to identical, and CAT has a big Live Wire is Phuket Gazette you’ll be disappointed Phuket internet speeds by region. Source:khunwoody.com and towers in Phuket advantage on price. columnist Woody Leonhard’s with any line in Phuket. for years, TOT is a Next week I’ll step you through weekly snapshot of all things This week I want to take a look videos on a phone or low quality relative newcomer. the procedures involved in getting internet in Phuket. Shoot him mail at 3G wireless offerings in tablet, but you may see a lot of Although they seem to have a new internet connection. at [email protected], follow Phuket. I hate the term 3G drops and stutters on a 10-inch good coverage, neither CAT nor him on Twitter, @PhuketLiveWire, or because anybody can sell anything tablet, including the iPad. TOT publish detailed maps that We’re running informal computer “like” his page at facebook.com/ and call it “3G”. In Phuket, we Last week I talked about the reliably tell you where their clinic roundtables every Sunday SandwichShoppe. had one telephone company that dearth of information on the web used the term 3G for a wireless about land lines: you can’t go to a internet service that’s not even vendor’s site, click a button or close to the commonly accepted two, and see a full list of what’s definition of 3G. That service is offered and how much it costs. gone now, so I guess it makes a Same with wireless services. To little bit of sense to talk about 3G get the latest prices, you need to in Phuket. I’ll begrudgingly follow physically go to a shop and ask. the common parlance. One of the enduring, endearing If you don’t understand the features of 3G in Phuket is that difference between 3G and WiFi, the Thai government hasn’t you aren’t alone. Many of the figured out what it’s doing with people who sell 3G and WiFi in 3G. As a direct result, not all 3G Phuket don’t know the difference phones/tablets/USB dongles will either. If you need a primer, I went work on a specific carrier’s over the main factors in my May channels. You should take your 25 Live Wire column last year. phone (tablet, dongle) with you When you start looking at when you buy a 3G package, and wireless connections, one of the make sure that it’s working first bits of terminology you’ll find before you leave the shop. is “3.9G”. Saints preserve us. Here are my recommendations Since there’s no real definition of for 3G package vendors, in order: 3G, you can rest comfortable in CAT My Click has a new the knowledge that there’s even HSPA+ network that isn’t really less of a definition for 3.9G. It’s new. It’s the old TrueMove-H all marketing flim-flammery. network, which was bought and Contemplation In Thailand, the term 3G is built by True subsidiaries, but then An exhibition of recent oil paintings by Robin Gillow 1st – 30th December 2012 synonymous with HSPA wireless under terms of the obligatory Launch Reception on Saturday December 1st from 7- 9pm - Open to the public technology. If you pay for 3G, contract reverted back to CAT. what you’re actually getting is The big advantage? CAT sells the HSPA. There’s a greatly improved service for about half of what the other 3G companies charge: 590 Boathouse on Kata Beach 182, Koktanode Road, Kata Beach, Phuket 83100 version of HSPA called HSPA+, +66 (0) 76 330 015 [email protected] www.boathousephuket.com www.facebook.com/boathousephuket and that’s what TOT calls 3.9G. baht per month. 40 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012 AA greatgreat placeplace toto shootshoot thethe BreezeBreeze

IT IS always a treat to share a meal (375 baht) is enhanced with apple, with a friend after the demands of pine nuts, greens and a mint-mus- work or even just driving around tard sauce giving the palate a Phuket. Thankfully, there are a wonderful kaleidoscope of tastes in refreshing number of new the one dish. restaurants that continually pop freshest seasonal ingredients Her cuisine often gives a nod to BRIGHT AND BREEZY: Chef Cheryl has fresh ideas on cuisine. up around the island which make acquired by artisan growers in the Asian influences such as her light for delightful dining adventures. Montreal region. I started at Toque ‘Fish and Chips’ with the pomfret One of the best is the recently as an intern and left as ‘Executive fried in tempura batter and served opened ‘Breeze’ near the entrance Sous-Chef’.” with thin crisps and a sweet and to the upscale Cape Yamu. Cheryl arrived on Phuket earlier sour ‘chili liquide’ (350 baht). Located 7.4 kilometers east of this year and was faced with a rather Even the classic burger gets a look the Heroines’ Monument, Breeze simple clubhouse building. Together, in with a grilled lemongrass pork was originally built as a lounge and she and Peter put a roof over the burger (400 baht) served with club house for residents in any of dining area made of wooden rods lettuce, shallots, cucumber and the surrounding luxury villa from local casuarina trees giving the mustard on a homemade bun. projects. Peter Hamilton, a princi- space a light and natural feel. Peter Everything is homemade from pal in Campbell Kane developments then added some sculptures from the sauces to the bread and the which includes Cape Yamu, his extensive art collection. Outside papardelle pasta. decided to create a restaurant is a long infinity pool for guests to As refreshing as the omnipres- where people could chill out, enjoy, next to a large chess board ent sea breeze is the fact that all enjoy beautiful views and some of where customers can play while prices include VAT. The only ‘plus, the world’s best cuisine and wines. sampling wines that Peter imports. plus’ here is the decor and the view. “I often travel around the world While Peter looks after the iden- Cheryl changes the menu ev- and have made a number of friends tity of the wine list which includes ery few days depending on what in the wine and restaurant business. a Yamu Special Reserve Mas fresh ingredients she can find at SALAD DAYS: Some ingredients are sourced from Cheryl’s own garden. It seemed like a good idea to import Neuf, Cheryl takes full control of the local market and what she talented chefs and fine wines for a the lunch and dinner menus thinks will excite her guests. unique restaurant on the hillside offering the quality of dishes that Breeze is a great destination for overlooking the bay. I was have people driving from all over those wanting to enjoy what fortunate to find Cheryl Johnson the island to experience. Cheryl’s Phuket is all about. Expansive who had just left Toque, one of food is not only an adventure in tropical views in a world class Montreal’s top restaurants, and who taste but in artful presentation. She space with distinctive cuisine and was available to take over kitchen darts in and out of the kitchen pre- wine available. operations at Breeze,” says Peter. senting what she has created to A great place to take a friend to Cheryl graduated from the her guests. The atmosphere in catch up on life or a spot for a ro- Culinary Institute of America, one Breeze is relaxed and comfortable mantic assignation. It’s the kind of of the world’s top training acad- like a great family gathering. place that makes you feel good emies for chefs and worked in the Menu prices are quite modest about living on Phuket. kitchen at Toque for nine years for the experience of dining on where the chefs are referred to as top of the island. Breeze is open for lunch from ‘passionate artists’. Cheryl maintains a boutique Wednesday to Saturday and for “Even as a child, I’ve always menu of light appetizers and main dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. loved being in the kitchen. I did my courses that combine surprising Reservations can be made at intern training at Toque which gave taste combinations that can be found E:[email protected] or call on CRISPY: Even the ‘Fish and Chips’ are a healthy option. Photos: Marc Mulloy me the chance to work with the nowhere else. Her crispy pork belly 081 271 2320.

CULINARY ART: Clockwise are the Lemongrass pork burger, apple crumble. and vanilla meringue with caramel mousse (with ice-cream)

FINE ART: A bronze sculpture by Chinese artist Yue Minjun looks on. December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 41 Complete and finished NO ENGLISH dictionary has been able to adequately explain the difference between the words ‘complete’ and ‘finished’. However, in a recent linguistic conference held in London, attended by some of the best linguists in the world: Samsundar Balgobin, a Guyanese, was the clear winner. His final challenge was this: BUSTED BUS: This Phuket bus was being towed by a water truck until “Some say there is no difference the bumper came off. Photo: Mark Shedden between ‘complete’ and ‘finished’. Please explain the difference between ‘complete’ and ‘finished’ in a way that is easy to understand.” Foiling the Here is his astute answer: "When you marry the right woman, you are ‘complete’. But, when you marry the wrong woman, you are ‘finished’. And when the right one e-scamsters catches you with the wrong one, Washington, Dr Diim Michael, you are ‘Completely Finished’ Grace Ace, and Princess Sonia His answer was received with Brown. Some may even belong to a standing ovation lasting ages and other species, like Mr Julius Gull it entitled him to receive a case of 25 year old Eldorado rum for his and Georgina Yak. SIGNING OFF: At least Kindergarten teachers are welcome. Occasionally the senders are answer. quite prestigious. I once received a request from Saif Gaddafi, the YOU’VE received them. I’ve son of the late dictator, who received them. Everybody who wanted to liberate a large fortune uses the Internet receives them. from Libya. His mother, Mrs If there’s one experience common Safiya Gaddafi, and his sister, Miss to all of us, it’s the e-mail scam. Ayesha Salamatu Gaddafi, made Typically this takes the form of similar requests. an e-mail from somebody with an I even received a message exotic name like Abu Musa, from Madame Christine Lagarde, Blessing Konkobo, or Mr Bright head of the International Mon- S Zongo. etary Fund, offering to release a Sometimes the writer asks for huge amount of blocked money money, often with a touching into my hands. Oddly enough, message in the ‘Subject’ box, Madame Lagarde was running such as ‘MY HEART CHOOSE the IMF from Ouagadougou, YOU’ or a heart-rending ‘PLEASE Burkina Faso. I AM CRYING TEARS FOR Puzzled as to how I should HELP’. respond to such messages, I But the approach varies. Of- consulted a knowledgeable friend, ten the writer professes to be a the illustrious Eustace T bank manager or a finance min- (“Bubba”) Hogwaller of Skunk ister who needs to transfer a Junction, Tennessee. “It’s a huge amount of money into your scam, Curm,” he informed me. bank account. The owner of the “Don’t answer them e-mails. Just money has perished or disap- delete ‘em. Them fellers’ll get peared in some convoluted way, into your bank account and clean and the writer needs to get the it out faster’n a Pattaya bargirl.” money out of the country for Despite this unkind slur on the reasons that are sometimes integrity of some of the charm- murky. In return for your coop- ing maidens of Pattaya, I sensed eration, he offers you a that his assessment rang true. handsome cut of the boodle. Of Nevertheless, I was tempted course, you have to supply your to respond to women with banking details, and sometimes names like Princess Bea Mungo. even your internet password. I envisioned Princess Bea as a I am fascinated by the stunning embodiment of African writers’ names. Most of them royalty – a dusky, sloe-eyed sound vaguely African to my beauty of blouse-busting untutored brain: like Vincent mammarian magnificence, smol- Zango, Waraka Koko, Miss Love dering with lust and hungry for Kabore, and Wahib Dicko. I the erotic ministrations of a ma- wonder what the mother of Dr ture and distinguished gentleman Pissa Abubaka was thinking when like myself. But then experience she named him. triumphed over fantasy, and I hit But hold! We must not malign the “Delete” key. the noble citizens of Africa. Nikolai Sintsov is not an African name, Ye Olde Curmudgeon can be nor Chen Hoa, nor Madame Mei scolded for his cynicism c/o Changpu. Many of the names are [email protected], except when not nationality-specific: for he’s fantasizing over the rich instance, Beauty Johnson, Smith endowments of Princess Bea Mungo. 42 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012 Marginal Choices Plants for a marshy environment

MARGINALIZED: Water Iris’ habitat is typically along the fringes of lakes and rivers. Photo: Tundra Ice SUB-TROPICAL: Iris Louisiana Black Gamecock. Photo: Henryr10 THERE has been domestic fish In the former category, you One, (juncus variegata) a are called “falls” – and they come lots of hot air ex- pond. And nor- might include the eponymous variegated form known as the gold in a huge range of colors (iris pended about mally they are not lotus, though in natural conditions, strike rush, has beautiful yellow means rainbow). marginals during “floaters” such as it does tend to spread out across stripes along the length of its Moreover, they are vigorous the run-up to the lilies (nympheas) entire lakes, and certainly the narrow leaves. I have not seen it growers, some producing blooms American presidential or water hyacinths, but erect grow- varieties of cyperus mentioned in in garden centers, but it is worth as tall as two meters in height. election. In political terms, ers with tall, stiff stems and foliage. earlier articles. Tall and graceful, the prospecting for. Sedges tend to be As with all these plants, they are “marginals” are states where a few In fact, the waxy, emersed leaves Egyptian papyrus will enhance the characterized by hollow, hairless, good for containers, but will need key votes may swing all the seats not only tend to appearance of any water garden. At circular stems, rushes more feeding with fertilizer tablets either in a Republican or Democratic repel water, but utilize light in the least one variety can be cultivated often have flat, spathe-like leaves. placed in the mud. direction. In the case of Florida, all way of terrestrial plants, photosyn- in temperate regions, so if you still Both sprout from rhizomes Many varieties have been 28 members elected to Congress. thesizing in the same manner. have a residence outside the beneath the surface of the water, developed in the southern USA: for Marginals can be very important. These plants can also be grown tropics, it is worth thanking about. and can cope with infertile soils – example, “Black Gamecock” a deep In the world of flora, marginals in pots, but preferably with more The papyrus, with its cylindri- including sandy ones. purple Louisiana hybrid; others, have different connotations. True, mud than water, in order to simu- cal stems, is actually a sedge. With conventional irises, one more familiar to Europeans, include they exist in marginal situations, late their natural marshy habitat. And Like the rush family, of which the is in the realm of plants, as the yellow flag iris (pseudocorus). straddling the divide between they will need feeding. It is worth bulrush (typha angustifolia) is with marsh-loving canna lilies Like sedges and rushes, they are land and water, plants that dividing these marginals into two the best known and most widely or calocasias, that may survive generally temperate or sub-tropical; flourish in shallow water, or mud, groups: those that need to have their distributed, both rushes and without constant moisture. Not whether they can tolerate conditions or in soil that is more-or-less feet permanently in shallow water sedges are familiar waterside the case though with water irises, here is open to speculation. permanently moist. or saturated soil; and those (canna plants in temperate regions, which come from wetland More crucially, they normally lilies, for instance) that can put up useful because they fringe habitats, and prefer permanently If you have a question or a garden grow, as the name suggests, at the with somewhat drier conditions for the margins of lakes, streams water-logged soil. They have large, that you would like featured, you margins or fringes of expanses of short periods: for example when and rivers. Look out for them. attractive, tri-sepaled flowers can email me anytime at: water – lakes, rivers, even your pond levels temporarily recede. Some varieties also grow here. which droop – hence the blooms [email protected] Tip of the Week What’s in a name? AS FAR as plants are concerned, quite refer to abundant and large a lot. They have common English flowerers. Rotundifolia suggests names and Thai equivalents, but round leaves, variegata bi-col- also botanical names – usually ored foliage. Nocturnum implies two Latinate words with the a night flowerer, mutabilis second epithet providing useful blooms that change color. information about such matters Japonica revealsa of Japanese as growth habit, type of foliage, origin, chinensis a Chinese size or shape of blooms, or even one. Every so often these medicinal properties. Tongue- epithets, which are linked to the twisting they may be, but these plant’s name – the first word – botanical names are recognized the contain surprising information. world over by many horticulturalists. In the case of allamanda Worth remembering. Allamanda cathartica cathartica, the second word shows For example fragrans means sweet Photo: Ramesh NG that this climber can be used as a smelling, floribunda and grandiflora respectively purgative (cathartic). Or once was… December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 43 Tale of a titan THE historian Robert A Caro has of writing that has largely gone won just about every literary out of style in English prose and award that it is possible to win. can be a delight to read. His debut biography in 1974 was Caro’s prose is, however, The Power Broker: Robert Moses overwrought and repetitious and and the Fall of New York. The promoting civil rights. Robert all of his books would benefit urban planner (and destroyer) Kennedy’s character was no less from editorial pruning. However, changed the face of New York, complex than Johnson’s. he has attained such a lofty for better or ill, while never hold- “Bobby Kennedy’s behavior literary eminence that no one ing an elective office. This is a during the Cuban Missile Crisis seems to have the temerity to try. story of raw political power. had not been the first indication Caro details exhaustively how And what better subject for that behind the Torquemada Attorney General Robert Kennedy raw political power than Lyndon glower, the prosecutor’s jabbing tormented Johnson while he Johnson? Caro has been work- fist, the insistence that all surren- languished in the powerless ing on a five volume biography office of the Vice President. of the former US president for Then came John Kennedy’s nearly 40 years until the over- ‘Beneath an idealization of his assassination in Dallas on all title The Years of Lyndon father, the need to attain his November 22, 1963. Johnson. approbation, which seemed to Johnson showed impec- The fourth volume of the cable leadership in the chaotic series is The Passage of Power be a constant motivation in his life transition, including a tour de (Alfred A Knopf, New York, – that beneath all this, there was force speech 2012, 712pp) and covers the before the joint houses of years 1958 to 1964, ranging something more, something Congress. He was now back from Johnson’s six years as quite different, within Robert as Master of the Senate and Democratic Majority Leader began pushing through all the during which time he wielded Francis Kennedy.” long-stalled Kennedy pro- unprecedented power as the grams for tax cuts, education Master of the Senate. ders be unconditional that made and, most of all, civil rights. But his ultimate ambition was the adjective ‘ruthless’ an apt Johnson’s Voting Rights Act to become President, one that he description no matter how deeply in August 1965 would enfran- constantly pronounced as a boy. he resented it, beneath an ideali- chise American blacks and He was also deathly afraid of zation of his father, the need to change the face of political LITERARY LEGEND: Robert A Caro (below) has managed to win almost humiliation, of becoming the attain his approbation, which power forever. Johnson would every prestigious award for historical biographies that exist. failure that his father was, and seemed to be a constant motiva- bestride Congress like a titan, this prevented him from contest- tion in his life – that beneath all until his downfall over the ing the 1960 primaries that saw this, there was something more, Vietnam war in 1968. John F Kennedy advance to the something quite different, within Caro is 77-years-old. Each of Democratic nomination in the Robert Francis Kennedy.” his books about Johnson took convention at Los Angeles. The above sentence is typical around a decade to write. Let’s To win Texas and other of Robert A Caro, the lofty hope he’s around at 87 to present southern states, Kennedy tapped Augustan tone, the orotund and the final volume of Johnson’s Johnson as his running mate. serpentine sentences. It’s a kind presidential years. Liberals, labor chiefs, civil rights leaders and, most of all Robert Kennedy, were appalled and You might also enjoy: adamantly opposed. Bobby made WILLIAM Manchester was a hugely no less than three trips to successful popular historian and Johnson’s hotel room to dissuade biographer whose books include The him from accepting the offer. Last Lion, Volumes 1 and 2, Goodbye Bobby hated Johnson. Darkness, A World Lit Only by Fire, Yet Johnson was not merely a The Glory and the Dream, The Arms master politician, capable of steal- of Krupp, American Caesar, The Death ing an election when necessary. of the President, and assorted works He was also a sincere believer in of journalism. the causes of fighting poverty and Going back to the ‘Drawing Room’

By Chris Hudon feel, using a lot of black and white stylized sketches. The vibe inside STROLLING through Phuket is that of an artist’s personal Old Town one night last week, I studio. The large main room has happened upon a hidden treasure easels scattered about, which called ‘The Drawing Room’, display quirky paintings ranging where a local Phuket artist named from realism to abstract pieces. Aree Kongpol was showing his An overfilled ash tray piled high work in an exhibition entitled with cigarette butts sits tucked Buddhist Art for 15 years. away in the corner – a telling sign The Drawing Room is an art of the many late nights spent in gallery on Phang Nga road, nestled pursuit of the ‘creative process’. among the many quaint Sino- Walking to the back of the Portuguese buildings that define downstairs studio you’ll find Phuket Old Town. The gallery has mixed-media displays. Follow those a space upstairs that is being used displays around the corner and up to rotate exhibitions of local artists. the stairs to find the exhibition hall. BLACK AND WHITE BEAUTY: A Downstairs has a comic book For more info call: 081-326-2084 painting hangs in The Drawing Room. 44 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012 December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 45 Father of the Nation By Nanthapa Pengkasem celebrated as a Father’s Day in Thailand. ON December 5, HM King Having a lifelong interest in Bhumibol Adulyadej, or King agriculture, the King has developed Rama IX of the Chakri Dynasty, agriculture-related projects that the longest reigning Thai include soil management, drought monarch, will turn 85 years old. and flood mitigation, and wastewa- Looking back in time, the ter management, among others. circumstances surrounding HM A gifted inventor, the King has King Bhumibol’s 1946 ascension engineered modern and cost to the throne couldn’t have been effective machines to solve more remarkable. difficult farming and environ- Born the second son to Prince mental situations such as the Mahidol of Songkhla, the brother Royal Rain and the aerator for of King Prachadhipok (Rama polluted water, for example. VII), neither the King nor his But for the Thais, he is most elder brother Ananda Mahidol were renowned for his philosophy of in any way expected to be part of Sufficiency Theory or setsakit por HM The King with President Barack Obama during Mr Obama’s visit in November. Photo: The Nation the long line of the Chakri Dynasty pieng, that he proposed to the that had ruled Siam since 1782. nation during the economic crisis Sufficiency Theory flies in the face sources and do not exploit status, ethnicity or religion.” His father, Prince Mahidol na in the late 1990s. of the King’s wealth, many farm- others. We lead simple and eco- Since 2005, HM The King has Songkhla, was the heir presumptive Sufficiency Theory advocates ers up and down the country will nomical lives. When we are been residing at Siriraj Hospital due but when he passed away and the a livelihood of moderation and a tell you otherwise. focused, wisdom comes. The to health issues. This has in no way childless King Prachadhipok died in development model based on small Thamrong Jaibut, farmer and King’s theory is not only applicable prevented him from doing his 1935, the crown was, by law of incremental steps devoid of high member of Khao Hin Sorn Devel- to farming but to other areas of life “duty”, as he still receives govern- ascension, bestowed on Bhumibol’s risks or speculations. opment Education Centre, says: as well. It actually teaches us that ment and foreign dignitaries, reads, elder brother Ananda when he was Giving a definition, the King says: to sustain our livelihood, we must writes and plans more development 9-years-old. “..Self Sufficiency doesn’t also be good citizens. The result of projects. However, when King Ananda mean each family has to grow the Sufficiency Theory is that As preparations to celebrate died in 1946, the crown was once their own food or weave their small communities can be HM The King’s birthday are more passed on, this time to his own clothes. That is too the building blocks of a se- underway in Bangkok and younger brother, the present King extreme. In fact, it could cured nation.”1 throughout the country, and his Bhumibol. He was 18 then. mean wealth as long as In 2006, on the 60th songs are being played in HM King Bhumibol returned to the money earned is not anniversary of his rule, schools, government offices and Switzerland, where he had lived the result of exploita- the Unites Nations even shopping malls, the whole since then, to study law and tion of others..” Development nation looks forward to his political science and his uncle, During the two Programme (UNDP) customary appearance and Rangsit, Prince of Chainat, was decades of its appli- presented to HM speech at Ananta Samakhom appointed Prince Regent. HM the cation, setsakit por King Bhumibol the Throne Hall in the Grand Palace King returned to Thailand in 1950, pieng has become first Human Devel- on December 5. when his coronation took place. the byword for many opment Lifetime The Thai people hope that in His full name – Bhumibol Adulyadej Thais who genuinely Achievement Award in this time of fragmented and – means ‘The Strength of the embrace the concept recognition for his tire- partisan politics, a father’s words Land: Incomparable Power’. and successfully apply less work. may help ease anxieties, erase The King is a great achiever. He it to their lives. In his speech accompa- doubts and confirm beliefs. Most has been called the revolutionary While the foreign press is nying the presentation, of all, they hope that HM The king, the reformist king, the happy to point out that King UNDP’s then Secretary General King will work his usual magic development king, the jazz king Bhumibol’s wealth based on as- Kofi Annan credited the King with and through his speech unite the (he has composed no less than sets held by the Crown Property HM The King cares for the poorest “Extraordinary contribution to nation once and for all. fifty songs), and the people’s Bureau (oblivious to the fact that and most vulnerable people. human development,” and called engineer. To the Thais however, the resources of the Crown are him “the world’s Development 1 Excerpt translated from Following in he is known fondly as “the Father passed on from monarch to mon- “Our community is now strong King, who reached out to the poor- the Footsteps of the Father, edited by of the Nation,” or Por Luang. arch, and don’t belong to the King because we are united in our aim est and the most vulnerable people Suwat Asawachaicharn, Sarakadee Indeed, his birthday is also alone). As for the argument that to be self reliant. We pool our re- of Thailand regardless of their Press, Bangkok: March 2012.

HM The King addressed the nation from the balcony of Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall on FATHER’S DAY: HM The King turns who turns85 this week has many agriculural projects. his 84th birthday in 2011. Photos: The Nation and Bureau of the Royal Household 46 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012

SUDOKU: Each row, column and 3x3 sub-grid must contain the number 1-9 once only. © Kevin Stone (brainbashers.com) correct note right (7) 27. Or fever, perhaps without cease (7) 30. Unaware of what is happening, wonderful! (6) 31. Buddhist repositories of holy Across: relics moving past us (6) 8. Provide new furs, covering 32. Supplement for a horseman (5) back in hotel (7) 35. Lower whirling saber (5) 9. Drunk in sticky dressing (9) 36. Learner left morning article on wool 13. Stay in the gatehouse (5) producer from the mountains (5) 14. Change later, perhaps (5) 37. Fashionable to say what you 15. In diplomacy, lie could be a think, Bill (5) tangible feeling (7) 39. A point in Phuket, males can be 3. Set out, sailor left one small 11. Suddenly moved and began (7) 30. Pursue superficially in bad turn, 16. Spoil scattered tail, being first class (4,3) building. Accepted (11) 12. The French dean, shaken, had black the French (6) combative (7) 41. Paul, I can make spicy rice (5) 4. Made clear, caught disorganized an inclination (6) 32. Correction about mental 17. Right, file out to get gun (5) 42. Is led around edge (5) I fled IRA (9) 19. Yearned surprisingly for con- image (8) 18. For a song, a new small beach 43. Pants for sad girls (4,5) 5. Does this forest timber burn to a clusion of the twelve months (4,3) 33. Staggered about, leered (6) on Phuket (5) 44. In goal, an unusual North African powdery residue? (3,4) 21. Secures hotel in walking street (7) 34. More obviously unattractive to 20. Note rent changed, put on man (7) 6. Nice clasp fixed note in writing 24. Voter is a component part (11) a greater extent (7) record (5) instrument holder (6,4) 26. Compacted with comperes to move 38. One in, and maybe a South Asian (6) 22. Hunter reeks badly out East (6) Down: 7. Lied about shop selling ready to around the South on the date (10) 40. Else could be fish (4) 23. Be permitted to a way to make 1. Dispatch red rum in turn (6) eat food (4) 28. Strong fastening (9) a false report (6) 2. Bury one round river in the 10. Light liquor! Fine lamb! 29. Reaches far and wide, having Cryptic crossword compiled by 25. Persistent one second, mark hinterland (8) Ecstasy! (6) left warp up inside vessel (7) Patong Bill. Answers on page 31.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23-Dec 21): possibilities that others are blind CANCER (June 22-July 23): to know a water sign romantically In the world of work, to. Romance is up and down until Your intuition can be is made harder when friends get water that you believed the middle of the month. Aquarians affected by cloudy astral involved. The stars suggest that was under the bridge can who recently experienced a conditions this week. you will have to wait a while flow back during the first half of parting of the ways should hear Cancerians should wait until the before spending quality time alone December. The stars suggest that something that cheers them up middle of the month before making with this person. Your lucky Sagittarians do whatever is this weekend. Number one can any moves that cannot be undone. number this week is two. necessary to put this matter firmly be special. The stars suggest that property behind them. Romance with an TAURUS (April 21-May 21): matters are best put on hold until LIBRA (Sept 24-Oct 23): earth sign blossoms, but a water PISCES (Feb 20-March 20): Those born under the the start of next year. Where Finances fall under the sign’s interest is lukewarm. Those Pisceans are likely to be Taurus will have to face romance is concerned, an air sign spotlight for those born celebrating a birthday during the more selective about some facts as December wants to get closer, but an earth sign under the sign of Libra days ahead will make important who they spend time begins. Taking on extra work is gives the wrong impression. Num- during the first week of December. commitments in the coming year. with during December. There are forecast to become too much to ber two can be fortunate this week. Your earning power remains Your lucky number is seven. signs that recent disagreements handle and the stars advise being strong this month, but being too have shown you how important it realistic about present commitments. LEO (July 24-Aug 22): sympathetic to another air sign’s CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 20): is to know who your friends Where romance is concerned, your Your curiosity is aroused plight could cost you more than The stars indicate that really are. In the realm of romance, efforts to ignore another earth by what you see and hear expected. Budgeting ahead for the December will be a time another water sign has your best sign’s interest could reach as the month of December holiday season is recommended – to make or break it at interests at heart when they breaking point. Sunday is an commences. Romance can also those with a fire sign partner are work. Strong energy at the start introduce you to someone who can auspicious day to make your be influenced by this mood of the advised to make spending limits of the month should be utilized to become special in your life. feelings clear. Number nine appears moment – a passing encounter this clear. Number seven can bring your advantage; taking a stand Number five comes alive this week. important for Taureans this week. weekend may lead to a relationship good fortune this week. against another earth sign can put with an air sign. Cutting a you in an influential position. ARIES (March 21-April 20): GEMINI (May 22-June 21): financial tie becomes possible, and SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 22): Those who are tiring of playing a In the world of work, the Giving an honest opinion the stars forecast that Leos will Short cuts are not well waiting game where romance stars advise that you have is one thing, but too end the year with a healthier bank starred for those born with a water sign is concerned made a good impression much criticism will not go balance. Number six stands out under the sign of should face up to facts. Number on someone without being aware down well with others this week. this week. Scorpio during the first half of three brings good luck this week. of it. Expect another fire sign to A fire sign is particularly likely to December. The temptation to take make an attractive offer during the take your words the wrong way VIRGO (Aug 23-Sept 23): an easy way out at work will be AQUARIUS (Jan 21-Feb 19): first half of December. This could midweek. Where affairs of the Personal relationships can strong, but the stars advise that Those born under the result in important decisions heart are concerned, the stars be put to the test during hard work is the only route to sign of Aquarius should being made about where you want recommend allowing another air the first half of December. success. This is an auspicious have the wind in their to see yourself in the future. sign to learn from their mistakes. Another earth sign’s actions may time to consider learning new sails as December starts. You will Romance sparkles on Tuesday and Money matters are auspicious on come as a disappointment, and skills, with associated travel well be in the right frame of mind to Wednesday. Your lucky number Sunday and Monday. Geminis’ Virgoans could decide to take starred. Number nine has good reach compromises and see this week is eight. lucky number this week is four. distance from this person. Getting luck written on it this week. December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 47 The 2012 season’s ‘Buttoned’ up No 1 driver, and Felipe Massa also drove brilliantly. It was bittersweet to see Michael Schumacher in his last race, and it was disappointing to see him allow Vettel to pass him so easily. But Schumie never INTERLAGOS was a stunning played a correct game. event with weather changes that Button won the first and last kept us guessing to the end. It races of the season, and one in was thrills and the middle. He spills all the will be humming. way, to end one Hamilton left of the great F1 on a low, headed seasons in for the outer splendid form. darkness that is Sebastian Vettel had a chance to Mercedes. McLaren is looking so lose the Drivers’ Championship, strong. Red Bull has a great car, and it seemed he had done so at but it was not as strong as the beginning of the race. McLaren at the end of the year. Fernando Alonso had a chance Force India has had a technol- to give it to Vettel the way he did ogy agreement with McLaren, in Abu Dhabi in 2010. Neither which has helped them a lot, but driver did that. Vettel battled back, that ends this season. So, for next and Alonso battled on. year, Force India has announced Louis Hamilton had a chance to a further 50 million pounds leave McLaren on a win; it might sterling investment.That is RACING LINE: Alonso goes through the S of Senna turn, followed by Webber, Hulkenberg and Vettel. Photo: AFP be his last chance for a long time. interesting, given the apparently dium ceremony, which will have liams and Force India. Alonso fight until the end. But, I’m not Then Nico Hulkenberg looked shaky state of its promoter’s hurt. He will be thinking how it said: “We were clearly slower sure we’ll be this lucky in the like he would finally make Force businesses. might have been if he had not failed than them in pace so this is some- future.” India a winner. In the end The Hulk Alonso came second but his to finish in Belgium and Japan. thing we must improve next,” he Next week I shall give a took Louis out of the race, and we body language looked as if he had There will be hard questions at added, “We can be a little bit roundup of the season, which did not get what we wanted to see. come last. I understand he could Maranello after being behind Red slower but not that much and this was a year of two distinct halves. Jenson Button drove hear the Red Bull pits blasting ‘We Bulls, McLarens and, in the last year it was something strange, But for now it’s a long wait excellently to show he can be a are the Champions’ above the po- couple of grands prix, behind Wil- combinations that allowed us to to the next race. Tiger would like more major success TWELVE months after ending a two-year However, he has not triumphed in the was nice to not only win but to go head-to- victory drought at the tournament he hosts, majors since the 2008 US Open at Torrey head against Zach and to do it the way I Tiger Woods is excited about his prospects Pines and has set his sights on removing did,” the 14-times major champion said. “I for 2013 as he prepares to defend his World that blemish from his otherwise glittering had to earn it. Challenge title this week. record during his 2013 campaign. “Against a guy like Zach, he’s not going His one-shot triumph over fellow Ameri- “I’ve had some really nice years, some to go away. That really started the year off can Zach Johnson at last year’s World really good years in there, but winning a for me on a positive note, and consequently Challenge set the tone for a successful 2012 major championship just takes it to a whole I ended up winning three times this year. PGA Tour campaign highlighted by three new level,” said Woods, who will celebrate “But there are always things we need to wins, the only disappointment being his his 37th birthday next month. work on, and this off-season we have a list continued barren run in the majors. “I know how it feels when you win a of things we want to get done. That’ll start “I’m very excited because last year at this major championship, and it feels incredible. probably a couple of weeks after this event.” YEAR OF THE TIGER: Woods in action. point in time I was still not quite where I It lasts with you, and that’s something that Woods, who has been working with coach wanted to be physically,” Woods, who has “At the outset of the year I didn’t really I would like to have happen again. Sean Foley on the fourth swing change of his battled assorted knee injuries during his ca- putt well. Towards the end of the year I “That’s something I haven’t done since professional career, faces a strong field this reer, told reporters at Sherwood Country really started putting well. My short game ’08 so it’s something I’m hoping I can do week in the US$5 million invitational event. Club on Tuesday. has really come around... I am becoming next year.” Among the 18 players competing at “This year has been fantastic in that more consistent.” Woods has fond memories of his World Sherwood are US Open winner Webb regard. I’ve felt good. I’ve played a full Woods won his 72nd PGA Tour title at the Challenge victory last year at Sherwood Simpson, 2012 FedExCup champion Brandt schedule for the first time in a very long Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, then fol- where he birdied the last two holes to snatch Snedeker and Ryder Cup player Ian Poulter time, and I’m just very pleased with what lowed up with victories at the Memorial a one-shot win from Johnson. of England I’ve done overall with my game. tournament and AT&T National. “I hadn’t won in a little bit there, and it – Mark Lamport-Stokes/Reuters

Thailand motor through in Suzuki Cup

THAILAND qualified for the semi finals of the AFF Suzuki Cup after an emphatic 4-0 victory over Burma. A hat trick from Teerasil Dangda and a headed goal from substitute Apipoo Suntornpanavej eased Thailand to victory on Tuesday night at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok. The victory put them at the top of Group A with maximum points after two games. The Philippines beat Vietnam 1-0 in the other match on Tuesday night. The Philippines were in second in Group A with Vietnam and Burma joint bottom on one point at the time of going to press. Thailand played Vietnam on Friday in their last Group match. The semifinals will be played on December 8. 48 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012 Rocket man sails

Photo: Helena Darvelid/VestasSailrocket

THE Vestas Sailrocket 2 broke the world this year in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, sailing 500–meter speed record three times UK. She was then shipped to Namibia in a week at Walvis Bay, Namibia in Novem- where initial trials, system checks and ber. Australian Paul Larsen piloted the Vestas low to medium speed sailing up to speeds Sailrocket 2 and he is a familiar face to sail- of 40 knots, were carried out over six ors in Phuket as Davinci’ brought Paul out weeks. to skipper Davinci’ catamaran in the Multi Paul told the Phuket Gazette last year Hull Class sailing regatta at Phuket Race why Walvis Bay is a great location, Week in 2011. “We chose Walvis Bay in Namibia for Martial arts maniacs Paul and his team initially broke the the wind conditions in the area that spill record on November 16 when Sailrocket 2 out from the headland and coastal dunes By Chris Hudon of the intercepting fist’,” says Stewart reached an average speed of 59.23 knots – ideal for our requirements. to half a dozen students standing at smashing the original record of 55.65 knots “A massive amount of power is gen- LAST week at the Underwood Art attention. “What he sought to do was set by kite surfer Rob Douglas.They then erated by using the speed of the boat Factory, as storms swept the island in simplify combat into its highest level raised the record to 65.45 knots with a peak itself to make more wind. I start off at waves, alternating intense heat with thick by doing what he called ‘stopping them speed of 68 knots. 90 degrees to my course with a good humidity, half a dozen Phuketians took at the gate’. The record was ratified by the World wind and as the boat accelerates, the part in a two-day self defense and Stewart explains that it essentially Speed Sailing Record Council (WSSRC) and wind created by the boat speed is added weapons training seminar. means not having to block is open to all water borne sailing craft, from to natural wind. It’s like being able to Taught by Mr Mark an attack and then return kite surfers to maxi multihulls. convert a strong breeze of 32kph into a Stewart, an American a blow, thus fighting a Vestas Sailrocket 2 was launched in April gale force of 80kph,” he said. – AS who has toured the world war of attrition. JKD teaching self defense for teaches followers to stop several decades, many of someone from getting the seminar’s techniques close enough to your Dinghy series finished are those used by law body to attack you by enforcement and military attacking them first, professionals. using offense as defense. The event attracted Two days and six people of all skill levels and hours later, students combined parts of Bruce said they were beginning Lee’s personal martial art to feel the brunt of the ‘Jett Kune Do’ with the Filipino art of Kali lengthy workout. Not to be deterred (sword/knife fighting). in the least, local Dubstep, DJ, Matt Have you ever thought about what you Rogers said, “I really feel like we’ve would do if someone attacked you or your all bonded over the last two days. I THE final series of the Phuket King’s Cup The top three Optimist sailors are: loved ones with a weapon? Probably not, wish we could keep it going.” Dinghy Series was held at the Thai Naval 1st Anaphat Ngamdee (Chonburi) since most of us don’t ever plan to be in Stewart is off traveling again but Base in Panwa last weekend. 2nd Sumet Pandam (Phuket) such a situation. But, what if? Wouldn’t says he’ll be doing online training Established with the aim of providing 3rd Surassawadee Sukpraw (Phuket) it be nice to know basic ways to disarm beginning in the new year. He currently youngsters with an opportunity to sail The top three Laser sailors are: and/or avoid that person? instructs at seminars all over the world competitively in Phuket, and test their skills 1st Auckarapong Chayim (Chonburi) These ‘what if’ scenarious are what – including in Bangkok and Pattaya. against sailors from other regions, Santi 2nd Teeranai Petcharat (Phuket) the seminar addressed. Kanchanbandhu, a member of the Phuket 3rd Jittawat Boonrat (Songkla). “Basically Bruce Lee created Jeet The event was organized by Som Sanuk King’s Cup Regatta Organizing Commit- The top three sailors from each class Kune Do (better known as JKD) about Entertainment and BlueWave radio. For more tee spoke to the Phuket Gazette about what will now race at the International Dinghy 1967. JKD in Cantonese means, ‘Way info on JKD or Mark Stewart visit: ijkd.com. the Dinghy Series has achieved, Class in the King’s Cup against sailors “ It was the perfect set up for the fleet from Burma, Singapore and China. as we had different locations this year. We started at Nai Yang, then Bang Tao and The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta will be held now here at Panwa. A lot of kids from December 1-8 and is is proudly sponsored different clubs competed with each other by the Phuket Gazette, PGTV and the and they can learn from each other. We nationally televised Phuket Today show on also had an advance sailing clinic during UBC/True Visions. Phuket Today, co-produced every race,” he said by PGTV and MCOT World, will be “In the fleet, we can see a good level of providing coverage of this event. The half-hour development which is in contrast to the show runs six times a day, seven days a week, beginners that started three years ago.” on channel 99. – Andrew Scott Annissa on the crest

PHUKET’S young surfing star, As the top female grom surfer in Annissa Flynn, has done it again, Asia, she has earned herself an invi- this time winning at Asia’s home tation to next year’s World Grom of surfing – legendary Kuta Beach Search Final to be held at the home on the island of Bali. of cold water surfing in Australia, In the Open Women’s division, Bells Beach in Victoria. Annissa won every heat and the fi- Annissa will represent Asia and nal, establishing a good points lead Thailand against talented surfers on the Asian Surfing Tour (AST). from Australia, the US, Hawaii, Bra- In the groms event (boys and zil and Japan, who have won their girls under 16), Annissa was the respective regional competitions. only female surfer to make it to It will be the first time Annissa the finals stage. Despite leading in has surfed outside of Asia and the early stages of the heat, she will be a big step up in terms of eventually lost to the boys. the quality of the competition. IN THE CURL: Annissa surfing December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 49 A Wild day at Laguna triathlon By Andrew Scott

THE Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) was held last Sunday and nearly 700 athletes from across the world gathered on Bang Tao beach close to the Dusit Thani Hotel for the 6.30 am start. The first leg of the triathlon was a 1.8–kilometer swim in the sea and across the lagoon towards the transition area, where the athletes then jumped on their bikes and set off on a 55km bike ride up the coast towards Nai Yang and back down to Laguna passing through Thalang and Cherng Talay. After the grueling, hilly bike ride, a 12km run through the Laguna complex lay in store for the athletes, before finally finishing to the cheers of the gathered spectators and the RUNNING WILD: Swiss Olympian Ruedi Wild won the Laguna Phuket Women’s winner Radka Vodickova (center) at the finish. vocal MC Whit Raymond urging Triathlon, in just under two and a half hours. them across the finish line. and TAT, the chance to talk about end, said: “When I did the race in about his passion for the ‘More a time of 2:58:49. On the Saturday before the Tri- the Triathlon along with Debbie 2001 it was the most amazing race Than Sport’ foundation and how Top amateur male finisher was athlon, race organizers, sponsors Dionysius, AVP Destination Market- I had ever done and a lot of pros he wants to help the ‘Fully Ben Greenfield of the USA, who and some elite athletes gathered at ing and the elite athletes. Chris now see it as their bucket list race.” Booked’ learning campaign while took ninth position with 2:47:02 and the Banyan Tree Hotel for a press McCormack was making his Defending men’s champion in Phuket. the top amateur female was Nickey conference. Last year’s men’s win- debut at Laguna Phuket Triathlon Massimo Cigana told those gathered The men’s event was won by Barnard of South Africa who fin- ner Massimo Cigana and last year’s and the superstar of the sport jok- that he was excited to race again at Swiss Olympian Ruedi Wild, ished in 3:10:44 the 67th overall to women’s winner Radka Vodickova ingly said that the reason it has taken Laguna but he was feeling a bit sick. making his debut at the Laguna take the fourth women’s place. were joined by Chris McCormack, him so long to compete is because Women’s champion Radka Phuket Triathlon, in just under Top Thai male finisher was Jaray Chris Lieto and Belinda Granger. he is lazy and a hopeless organizer. Vodickova believes the LPT is two and a half hours. Jearanai who finished 17th in The friendly press conference Belinda Granger, who competed in the best experience out of all the In the women’s field it was 2:52.15; and top Thai female was gave event sponsors, Thai Airways her 10th Laguna Triathlon last week- races and Chris Lieto talked another Olympian,Radka Vodickova Nampetch Porntharukcharoen the of the Czech Republic, who tri- 280th overall in 3:40:10. umphed with her third Laguna The relay section was won by Phuket title to bring heartbreak for Tabitubbies of the UK in 2:49:48, Australian Belinda Granger, the fel- with Outrigger Laguna Phuket sec- On Your Bike for Rich low two-time Champion also vying ond in 2:59:25 and another Thai for Triple Crown in her 10th team, AJ Bruckner, third in 3:12:05. TRIATHLETE Richard Holland set out on his bike in the early hours of October 11 in Dubai to train for appearance at the event. Lieto, McCormack and Cigana the upcoming Laguna Phuket Ironman 70.3, when he was hit from behind by a car. He sustained Wild finished in 2:29:22, with a will have a chance for revenge this multiple life threatening injuries, including broken ribs, punctured lungs, a fractured sternum, frac- swim of 23:06; bike of 1:22:29; and weekend when they race the Iron- tured right fibula, and severe injuries to his brain. This tragic accident left Rich in a coma and thus he run of 41:22, he was followed home man 70.3 Laguna Phuket against cannot compete in the upcoming Ironman 70.3 as planned. in second place by Germany’s Tim Wild and some 150 other athletes To show their support and spread the appeal for Rich and cycling safety, several of his friends Meyer in 2:29:3, with Alberto who raced last weekend at the LPT. and fellow athletes from Dubai (and around the globe) will be competing in the Ironman event in his Cassadei of Italy third in 2:31:42. Ironman 70.3 is on Sunday honor. They, and anyone else who would like to show their support, will be donning ‘Back On Your But it was a disappointing day for December 2, at Laguna. The com- Bike’ wrist bands. The Back On Your Bike campaign has been established to raise money for Rich’s defending champion and three-time petition consists of a 1.9km swim, medical recovery. title holder Massimo Cigana, who a 90.1km bike ride and a 21.1km The campaign hopes to raise a minimum of US$1.7 million. Given the uncertainty of Rich’s recov- could only manage fourth place in run. The athletes cover a total dis- ery period, this target is based on calculations from his first month of treatment and the projected 2:33:41. Lieto finished seventh in tance of 113.1km (70.3 miles). amount of rehabilitation treatment he requires. This amount was validated by information available 2:40:29 and legendary two-time from the DANA Foundation, which calculates the lifetime expense of a coma patient to be between Ironman World Champion Chris The Laguna Phuket Triathlon is US$600,000 and US$1.88mn. McCormack of Australia finished proudly sponsored by the Phuket Reachable fund raising goals have been set for the various stages of Rich’s recovery process. The eighth in 2:45:44. Gazette, PGTV and the nationally first fund raising target is $150,000 to cover his immediate medical costs and the next few months of Radka Vodickova finished first televised Phuket Today show on rehabilitation. The target will be adjusted as more is learnt about Rich’s recovery prospects. in 2:50:41 with a swim of 24:16; UBC/True Visions. Phuket Today, co- Rich and his friends planned to celebrate his 30th birthday while in Thailand (Rich turns 30 on bike of 1:34:11; and run of 49:43. produced by PGTV and MCOT World, November 30). Rest assured that his friends and fellow triathletes will celebrate in his honor. Granger followed her home in provided coverage of this event. The 2:57:14, and Edith Niederfringer of half-hour show runs six times a week, For more information on Back on Your Bike, how you can participate, or to donate visit: backonyourbike.com. Italy was the third woman in, with starting every Sunday at 7:10pm PIST hooks all as Sunshine Village cleans up THE fourth Phuket International Sportfishing Tournament, held last weekend, produced a thrilling end to three great days, particularly for two teams. The Danish Clean team trailed by a minnow required to catch Team Captain Hook as the boats headed LET ME GO: Sailfish caught and released by the Clean Team. Photo: D Noble out under grey skies for the final sea, finally a bite took and a stun- overall title. The Danes collected day of competition. ning Sailfish was snared, two trophies, including “Most Ian Tubby, captain of Thai Two photographed and released. Caught and Released Billfish”. On, implemented an all-or-noth- Back on semi-dry land, at the Other notable winners were: ing strategy, along with the Danish Tamarind Bar, the all important Rachel Boyd, best lady angler and raiders, to try and reel in the leader ultimate weigh-in took place. Louis Kapschefsky as best junior. and steamed to Koh Racha Yai for Team Captain Hook clocked 426 The event raised 63,000 baht for the big fish. points maintaining their slender the Phuket Sunshine Village. With the help of the God of the advantage by 19 points to take the – Dean Noble 50 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012 Pearl outshined by Capitals Phuket United fall 3-5 to Bangkok Futsal Club in Thailand Futsal Premier League home debut

By Steven Layne the locker room ever-determined to level the score. THE island’s professional five-a- Cheering from the vocal crowd side soccer club fell 3-5 to Bangkok intensified as Phuket increased FC, in an intense match-up in pressure on the ball. Phuket Town last Saturday. Bangkok’s defences were tight, Played in front of nearly 1,000 and their keeper Katawut maintained spectators at Phuket’s 4,000-seat good positioning for the most part. Indoor Sports Complex in Saphan Phuket finally got their break on Hin, the match was both sides’ third the 33rd minute with a long shot out match of the 30-fixture, GMM by Nattapong Buachai, bringing the Sport Thailand Futsal Premier score 2-3 and much of the crowd League (TFPL) 2012-2013 season. to their feet. Marking the Andaman Pearl’s Bangkok found themselves in home debut in the elite TFPL, the foul-trouble, having reached the five match opened with both sides foul limit. Had they fouled again, enjoying equal attacking pressure. Phuket would have had a penalty It was the visitors who broke kick – but that never happened. the ice, three-quarters of the way With the clock winding down, into the first half, with Nawin Phuket employed a strategic ‘power GOLDEN BOYS: Nattapong (8), Moreira (15) and Santos (25) each have two Rattana-wongsawat scoring on the play’ formation, bringing their keeper goals this season. Also pictured, Saharat In-pun (10) Photo: Steven Layne 15th minute. out of the net to help on the attack. Maiwichit said: “It was a fun game. Capitalizing on the Bangkok However, the tactic proved to As the away-team, we had to be momentum, Thawit Kingkaeo work in favor of the visitors, who patient and bear with the pressure... doubled his side’s lead a minute managed to capitalize on the vulner- Phuket fans were quite vocal. The later, while Pratchaya Srimanta able Phuket defense to score two fans have a part and can affect the found the back of the net two min- consecutive goals by Phubet result, but I’m satisfied with how utes after that. Kongthong and Warut Wung my team kept with it to win...” Stunned, the Andaman Pearl re- Sammma-al on counter attacks. Phuket Head Coach Suphol grouped and in the final minute of With the score 5-2 to the visitors, Sena-peng was regretful: “In the the half, Brazilian import Jackson Phuket pushed on, and Moreira second half, we had many chances Santos made good of an assist from scored from the right wing in the to come back, especially when the his comrade Rogerio Moreira to put final seconds of the match to bring score was 3-2, and we had Phuket on the board with a beauti- the final score 3-5. momentum. However, we couldn’t Phuket’s next match is an ful strike from the left wing. Speaking to the Gazette after the finish, and a few mistakes in the away fixture to be played on Down 1-3, Phuket came out of match, Bangkok coach Wisaan end cost us this game.” December 8 against Surat Thani. Islanders name new head coach PHUKET FC introduced their newly-signed head coach to the media last Saturday. Paniphon “Tu” Kerdyaem, a former coach of Thai Premier League team, Army United, fills the vacancy left by Anurak “June” Srikerd, who coached Bang Jo United at the Futsal World Cup, and with Bankok Christian College boys. Photos: Tanapong Khongpatcharasak the struggling team in the final six matches of last season. On loan from premier league, Pamuk Achiryachai and Coach Tu. Bangkok Glass, Coach June could not continue with Phuket despite pleads from fans and team Bang Jo United boys executives for him to lead the team in the 2013 season. The new coach, Tu, has coached several division-2 regional teams including Kasetsart University FC, Loei City and Chachoengsao FC. Most recently, he helped Army United finish runners up in this year’s Thai FA Cup, losing to Buriram United in the final. Under his ‘bring it’ to Bangkok leadership, BGFC finished in 10th place of the 18-team elite league. Coach Tu remarked: “I consider [myself] lucky... As soon as AFTER winning four Southern and players from Bangkok Glass FC. had in my life!” The team was Army United canceled my contract, Phuket FC contacted me. Then Thailand football tourneys, Phuket’s The kids were given a tour of invited back again the next night to I met with the club president, Pamuk Achiriyachai who told me all own Bang Jo United U11s were in- the football pitch, owners boxes, watch Russia and Argentina play. about the team’s plans and goals for next season. vited by Thai Premier League club, journalist zone, teams’ locker room, The following day saw a high “I promise to the Phuket people that my team and I will give it our Bangkok Glass FC and the Foot- executive offices, fitness facilities intensity 7 v 7 friendly match everything to meet the goal of getting the team promoted to the Thai ball Association of Thailand (FAT) and the training field. between Bang Jo United and league.” A spokesperson from Phuket FC said that the club’s budget to visit Bangkok last week. Once the tour had finished, FAT national champions Bangkok Chris- next season will be between 40 and 60 million baht. – Steven Layne Bang Jo toured Bangkok Glass’ arranged for a van to take the kids tian College youth squad. home ground, Leo Stadium, to the Huamark Indoor Arena to The game was attended by The first match started out with closer, decided in a penalty shoot- watched the Futsal World Cup and watch Paraguay play Portugal and scouts from the Thai national team Bangkok Christian taking a 5-0 first out. Bang Jo keeper, Nong Bate, played a match against the Thai Japan against Ukraine in the FIFA and various Thai Premier League half lead. The second half started made an amazing save before Micah National Champions U12 squad Futsal World Cup second round. team representatives. with two quick Bang Jo goals by Duchowny knocked in the final pen- from Bangkok Christian College. Nine year old Bang Jo striker Faad Although the Phuket side fielded Hassan Yayee and then an exciting alty to win the game for Bang Jo. It was the first trip to Thailand’s Thaksin exclaimed after the games: players ranging from seven to third goal by 7-year-old Jonah All of the kids had a great time capital for ten out of the fifteen “I never thought I would have a eleven years old, they still held their Duchowny. Unfortunately, it was and made lots of new friends Bang Jo kids. The team was chance to see the Futsal World Cup. own against the much stronger and not enough and they lost 8-3. along the way. Phuket was well greeted at Leo Stadium by coaches That was the most fun I’ve ever older side from Bangkok. The second match was much represented. December 1 - 7, 2012 PHUKET GAZETTE 51 52 PHUKET GAZETTE December 1 - 7, 2012