Volume 13 Issue 21 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 May 27 - June 2, 2006 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht

The Gazette is published in association with New rules define

IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS: Sea gypsies in road protest; Phuket-Spanish team ‘sailing yacht’ win tsunami memorial prize. Pages 2 & 3 By Chris Husted nition also helps with financing INSIDE STORY: A valedictory & Sangkhae Leelanapaporn new projects involving sailboats. letter from James Batt. “Financial institutions do not like Pages 4 & 5 PHUKET: The Marine Depart- business plans with elements of AROUND THE REGION: Crack- ment has announced that Thai- uncertainty,” he said. down on Full Moon Party. registered sailing vessels with a Mr Tabuteau explained that Page 8 length of 16 meters (52.4 feet) the new rules would have little AROUND THE ISLAND: Circus or less no longer need to have a effect on bareboat charters at the acts. Page 11 Thai skipper or crew on board. operational level. “There will be Phuket Marine Office no layoffs because bareboat PEOPLE: No clowning around, Chief Surin Theerakulpisut on charters did not have Thai cap- it’s Leo Sayer. May 23 told the Gazette that the tains or crew on board,” he said, Pages 12 & 13 new rule came into effect on adding that there also would be LIFESTYLE: I-Care bear tele- March 1. little effect on safety. phone; High-tech nail painting. Vincent Tabuteau, Manag- “There was no permanent Pages 14 & 15 ing Director of Asia Marine, ex- crew on board anyway. The boat ALL AT SEA: Cautionary tales plained to the Gazette that the owner carries the risk of incur- from Peter Goldsmith. Marine Department has also fi- ring higher insurance premiums, Page 17 nally provided a separate classi- but it’s a commonly accepted con- fication for sailboats, one that did DINING OUT: Zero degrees of cept. We even did a brochure for separation at Wine Connec- not exist previously under Thai bareboat charters with the TAT tion. Page 18 marine regulations. Asia Marine, [Tourism Authority of Thailand],” as a member of the Marine Alli- he said. FIRST PERSON: Bill Barnett on ance of Thailand (MAT), an in- Meanwhile, at Ao Chalong, the interest in Phuket. formal consortium of marine the Phuket Marine Office has Page 25 businesses in Thailand, is one announced it will enforce regu- BUSINESS & MONEY: Money business that has been lobbying lations designating areas for for- Talks; Bully for the beef busi- for the new rule. eign vessels to moor in an at- ness. Pages 30 & 31 “Before, sailboats had to be tempt to control marine traffic, SPORT: Rugby 10s moves to classified [by use] as for trans- prevent criminal activities and Phuket City; Yamaha street portation, cargo or fishing – but reduce damage to coral reefs. racing. Pages 32 & 33 charter sailboats are used for The Marine Department’s new definition of a sailing yacht opens K. Surin said that the regu- none of these,” he said. the door to legal bareboat charters without a Thai skipper or crew. lations are designed to tackle PROPERTY: Home of the In technical terms, the new growing disorder caused by the Week: Rawai; Construction: category defines sailing boats as classified according to their use, teau said. “Before it was so am- large number of yachts that Laem Hin Pier; Decor: Bricks; having a sail area:displacement Mr Tabuteau explained. “With- biguous that – although this never come to moor in Phuket. Gardening: Bert on Red Gin- ratio of at least 9:1. The Thai rule out a proper definition of a sail- happened – there was a worry Thai marine law dictates ger. Pages 34-37 does not state what units are used ing boat it was difficult for gov- that an insurance company might that foreign vessels must tie up for this calculation, but the Ga- ernment officials to properly claim that a bareboat charter was in Chalong Bay so that officials PLUS zette understands that it is based regulate the commercial activity improperly insured because it was can check the boat before it sails on the UK maritime law Blue of charter yachts,” he said, being operated without a profes- to other destinations, and that all QUEER N EWS 6; AROUND THE NA- code, which stipulates square though adding that most govern- sional crew. TION 7; HAPPENINGS 16; TAKE A vessels must register at Phuket BREAK 21 & 22; OUTSIDE IN, meters for sail area and metric ment departments were sympa- “But another interpretation Pier Controlling Center, also in BOOKS 23; EDITORIAL, LETTERS tons for displacement. thetic to boat owners facing prob- of the law could be that there was Chalong, he said. 24; ISSUES & ANSWERS 25; YOUTH The lack of a definition of lems arising from the lack of pro- no requirement for a professional “Anyone who ignores this ’N A SIA, HOROSCOPES, DOVEN 26 a sailboat created confusion with vision for sailboats in the law. crew because the boat was not order is subject to a fine of be- & 27; COMPUTERS 28; ON THE government departments when The new definition allevi- being used for transportation or tween 500 baht and 5,000 baht, MOVE 31; CLASSIFIEDS 38-47. applying for commercial licenses, ates a major insurance headache for fishing,” he said. and up to three months in jail, or as boat-operating licenses are for bareboat charters, Mr Tabu- He added that the new defi- both,” K. Surin stressed.

Ad-Etihad Airlines Footer K. Ann 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS May 27 - June 2, 2006 3 held on Storms smuggling damage charges 35 houses

PHUKET: Storms over the weekend of May 20 and 21 dam- aged about 35 houses, and caused damage around the island esti- mated at more than 3 million baht. The Phuket Office for Di- saster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM) reported that heavy rain and strong winds on the Satur- day night and in the early hours of the Sunday toppled trees and electricity pylons, damaging build- ings and cars and causing wide- spread blackouts. In Phuket City, 25 houses were damaged, 20 in Phuket Some of the smuggled kretek Municipality and five in Tambon cigarettes seized by excise Wichit. officers. ODPM Chief Duty Officer Swansong for the ‘Mayor of Laguna’ Chatchawan Munpolsri told the RASSADA: Two Thais and a Gazette that three power poles Taiwanese citizen have been ar- A farewell party for James Batt, Managing Director Uswarangkura, entertainer Meria ‘Nat’ Benedetti, in front of Governor Udomsak rested for their involvement in of Laguna Resorts & Hotels, was held at the Laguna former Governor of Phuket Pongpayome Vasaputi Uswarangkura’s mansion were smuggling cigarettes and batter- Beach Resort on May 22. Pictured with Mr Batt and Dr Prasit Koeysiripong. Mr Batt and his family (center) are, from left, Governor Udomsak leave Phuket June 5. (See also pages 4 and 5.) blown down, damaging a car and ies into Phuket. causing power cuts in the area The contraband, seized behind Phuket Provincial Hall from the trio in a raid by officials lasting nine hours from midnight from the Phuket Area Excise on the Saturday. In Samkong, a Office (PAEO), is estimated to burst transformer caused an be worth 5 million baht, the rich- Sea gypsies in protest hour-long blackout. est smuggling seizure in five years “In addition to this, there in the province. By Janyaporn Morel The complaint is now being the right to a fair amount of com- was damage worth about a mil- Led by Surat Sangnej of the handled by Gen Surin Pikool- pensation. They should not just be lion baht in the area of Prince of PAEO, and assisted by Marine RAWAI: A protest by a group of thong, Director of the Land Pov- thrown by the side of the road Songkla University, Phuket cam- Police, the officials on May 18 sea gypsies has led to the Rawai erty Problem Solving Subcommit- with 2,000 or 3,000 baht. I will pus,” K. Chatchawan added. searched a warehouse in Tambon road-widening project being tee of The National Command try to see an end to this problem Eight houses in Thalang and Rassada, outside Phuket City, and halted. The group, from Rawai Center for Combating Poverty by the middle of June.” two houses in Patong were dam- uncovered 9,310 packets of Village 2, complained about the (NCCP). PPHO Chief Thanit Sakiya aged, and a tree fell into the car Gudang Garam-brand kretek proposed destruction of four The land on which the four told the Gazette that he received park of Kathu Police Station. (clove-flavored) cigarettes and houses to make way for the wid- houses were built is owned by a a call from Gen Surin telling him 8,444 ABC Power batteries. ening of Wiset Rd. The project former Kamnan (tambon chief) to halt the project on the area in Investigation revealed that has now been put on hold until a who signed an agreement with the question until a viable solution can Hong Kong the smuggled goods had been solution is found. Phuket Provincial Highways Of- be found for the villagers. brought into Phuket aboard a tuna On May 19, Seksan Bang- fice (PPHO) allowing them to use “Gen Surin didn’t tell me property show boat. jak, a representative of the villag- the land. when the case will be finished, The three arrested were ers, filed a complaint with Phu- Gen Surin, however, ex- but we will continue our project sees villa sales identified as Suthawat Nupej and ket’s Chief Administrative Of- plained, “If they can prove that in other areas. In the end, we may Thongsuk Saelee from Thailand ficer (Palad) Nivit Aroonrat, call- they or their family have been liv- even have to decrease the road HONG KONG: Three villas at and Lin Chih-lung from Taiwan. ing for assistance in finding new ing on the land continuously for width around the four houses,” he The Mangosteen Resort & Spa – Nattamon Ratcharak places to live. an extended period then they have concluded. in Rawai were sold to visitors to the Tropical Asia-Pacific Prop- erty Exhibition in Hong Kong on TV correspondent dies May 13 and 14. The exhibition, organized by SURAT THANI: Phuket-based over the Asylum, which won a Asia-Pacific Tropical Homes TV correspondent Colin Hillis British Academy of Film and publisher ArtAsia Press at the died May 20 after a seizure and Television Arts (BAFTA) award Renaissance Harbour View Ho- fall at the Koh Samui ferry pier for best series. tel, featured 38 exhibitors from in Don Sak. He was 41. Before moving to Phuket around Asia, most of them from The Scottish reporter work- five years ago, he worked as a Phuket and other locations in ed with Lanarkshire Television as presenter on various Scottish ra- Thailand, as well as the Indone- anchor on its nightly magazine dio stations including Radio Clyde sian islands of Bali and Lombok, programme Live@6 and was also (Glasgow), Radio Forth (Edin- Penang in Malaysia, Sri Lanka a newscaster for the station be- burgh), Radio Borders (Gala- and Australia’s Queensland. tween 1999 and 2001. shiels), Central FM (Stirling) and The Managing Director of Earlier in his career, he was West Sound Radio (Ayr/Dum- The Mangosteen, Hajo von Kell- assistant director on the 1994 six- fries), as well as BBC radio. er, said that in addition to the un- part BBC drama series Taking Up to the time of his death expected sales, The Mangos- he had worked with Bangkok- teen picked up 20 or so good based Capital Television (CTV) leads, with several expected to for almost two years. During that come to Phuket soon. time he also covered the tsunami Virtually all of the 2006 ex- for several international net- hibitors told ArtAsia’s Colin Piprel works. they planned to return for the CTV Managing Director 2007 event, planning for which is Les Nyerges said the team had now underway. Exhibitors from been “shocked and saddened” by the Philippines, Fiji and Vietnam Mr Hillis’s sudden death. “He are expected to take part. was a focused and hardworking A wider range of products, person,” Mr Nyerges added. “We including financial services and will greatly miss his enthusiasm, yacht chartering, will also be on strength and insight.” offer in the 2007 show. May 27 - June 2, 2006 NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 Fishermen take bus home after 20-hour ordeal AO MAKHAM: Two Thai fishermen Thai Navy rescue helicopter after spend- men managed to bring themselves safely at 6 pm saying that they were alive,” he missing after their boat sank on the night ing the night clinging on to two gas tanks. to shore in Ao Makham,” Cdre Thiwa ex- said. of May 16 turned up safe more than 20 The remaining two fisherman, who plained. Cdre Phuchong explained that it was hours later having been swept by wind and had grabbed life buoys just before the ves- “The strong winds made it very dif- quite possible for the men to have been current from a position to the west of the sel went down, were separated from the ficult for us to locate the missing men; by swept all the way from Sarasin Bridge, Sarasin Bridge to Ao Makham, on the main group. the time we received a report that a boat around the south end of the island and north other side, and at the other end, of Phuket. Commodore Thiwa Daramuang, of had sunk, the men had already been car- again to Ao Makham because of the strong The men managed to climb ashore the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Com- ried a long way from the scene. The eight winds caused by Typhoon Chanchu, which at Ao Makham on the evening of May 17 mand, told the Gazette that the Navy re- crew members picked up yesterday morn- caused huge damage and considerable loss – and took a bus home. ceived a call at 6 pm saying that the two ing [May 17] had also drifted a consider- of life in the Philippines and southern The fishing boat Sin Piphat sank in missing fisherman were alive after having able distance,” he added. China. rough seas about 13 miles west of the floated to Ao Makham. Commodore Phuchong Rodnikorn However, he added, the two fisher- Sarasin Bridge after being hit by a large “Life buoys can carry people on told the Gazette that a call had been receiv- men have not yet met or talked with any wave. water better than gas tanks, though I’m ed from the men’s relatives to say that naval officers. Eight of the 10 Thai and Burmese still very surprised that both of them came both were safe and had got home by tak- Cdre Thiwa added that the Navy crew members were picked up on the ashore so far away from the Sarasin Bridge ing a bus from Ao Makham to Phuket City. rescue service is available 24 hours a day morning of May 17 about six miles west area. The strong winds and tides always “I’m not sure at exactly what time and can be contacted at Tel: 076-391598. of Phuket International Airport by a Royal bring things to the south of the island. The they got out of the water, but we got a call – Sangkhae Leelanapaporn Phuket-Spanish team Mechanics, metal win tsunami prize bashers to be moved PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Act will be used to determine By Sangkhae Leelanapaporn Industry Office (PPIO) has an- which existing businesses will be nounced that car and truck me- required to relocate, although BANGKOK: NagaConcepts of chanics’ garages and metal work- small motorcycle repair shops as Phuket in collaboration with Disc- ers’ shops in Phuket City are to well as the service centers of car O of Spain have won the inter- be relocated to an area outside and truck dealerships are likely national competition to design a of the city center. to be exempted, he said. tsunami memorial at Haad Lek The move comes as part of “We have found a suitable in Lamru National Park in Phang a zoning scheme aimed at cutting place for these businesses. It is a Nga, caretaker Deputy Prime noise and air pollution. Businesses 250-rai plot of land on Phra Phu- Minister Suwat Liptapanlop an- that refuse to comply will risk los- ket Kaew Rd, Kathu. The owner nounced May 18. ing their licenses to trade. of the land, Anuphas and Son Co, The Spanish team of archi- All new car and truck re- is hiring a consulting company to tects – Ana Somoza, Juana pair garages seeking a license will conduct a feasibility study. I ex- Canet, Eva Sebastian Pena, An- also be required to locate in in- pect this to be complete around gel Martinez Rodriguez and 10 dustrial parks, the first of which six months from now. other members – described their will be located in Kathu. “Once the study is complete, design, entitled “Mountains of Thongchai Wichaidit, Direc- the company will rent out land to Remembrance”, as intended to tor of the PPIO, explained that businesses that have to relocate. “recreate an artificial piece of Computer-generated illustration of the ‘Mountains of Remembrance’ local people had been complain- The PPIO is finding financial in- nature integrated in the park” design by Naga Concepts and Disc-O. ing about the noise and air pollu- stitutions to assist them,” he said. with the aim of providing people tion from such businesses, many “We will take strict mea- with a place to “meditate, expe- ernment wants to see it completed in a cluster: The Memorial Tower of which are thought, in any case, sures against anyone who refuses rience and teach themselves to by the end of 2008, and we are (for meditation and reflection), to be in violation of pollution con- to comply with the new zoning live with the force of nature”. preparing a letter to Bangkok in The Museum Tower (including a trol rules as specified in factory regulations,” K. Thongchai warn- Tharupan Wiriyawiwatt, an effort to add pressure for it to lookout platform), The Warning control legislation . ed. “We will not renew the li- Director of the Phuket branch of happen. But in the end, it will be Center (for education), The Res- Tackling the problem as part censes of businesses that pollute NagaConcepts (Thailand), who up to the government,” he told the taurant and Shop Tower (as a of the CEO Governor’s Develop- the city and cause complaints.” was involved in the project, de- Gazette. place to rest) and The Amphithe- ment Plan for Phuket, the PPIO The PPIO is also studying scribed winning the award as Visitors would enter the ater Tower (for presentations). has launched a plan to move pol- potential sites in other parts of the “something that happens only Mountains of Remembrance site The Thai-Spanish design lution-producing businesses to an island, including Cherng Talay once in a lifetime”. through a gate and then a hall beat entries from four other fi- industrial zone in a less-populated and Rawai, on which to set up “Winning this high-profile that “invites [them] to enter the nalists, from Australia, China, Fin- area, K. Thongchai said. other industrial parks. award against so much competi- forest”. A path through the for- land and the US. Provisions of the Factory Editorial: page 24 tion is a dream come true.” est, with meeting points and rest He worries, however, that areas along the way, will lead to the 700-million-baht budget for the memorial site and then to the construction of the memorial will sea. be either cut or delayed. At the highest point of the “I understand that the gov- site would be five towers erected

Ad-Zee Zee 2x3 K. Jena 4 PHUKET GAZETTE INSIDE STORY May 27 - June 2, 2006

James Batt, Managing Director of Laguna Resorts & Hotels, leaves Phuket next month for a new post in the United States. Here, he looks back at the 10 years he has spent with Laguna, and some of the lessons he 10 years has learned from the experience.

hen I first arrived in Politics and Religion: On a re- But what of politics? I am discuss local government, it was And my reason for hope? I Phuket, a Thai col- cent trip to the United States, I sure that if I had been born Thai, mooted that the positions of Phu think that current events in the league told me was asked whether it was true I would stand for public office. Yai Baan and Kamnan should be government may lead to another Wsomething I was to that it was the persecution of I share my enthusiasm for eliminated altogether. look at the Constitution, and the hear many more times during my Christians in Thailand that actu- matters political in Thailand with It was K. Sudjit who stood opportunity to tweak the work life here: “Phuket people say that ally saved so many of them from very few non-Thais (one of the up at the meeting, in front of the done the last time around. as long as there are fish in the the tsunami, because they had few is editor of this newspaper) chairman, Prime Minister Thak- Of course, it’s not quite as sea, and rice in the fields, then taken to the hills to avoid discov- but, probably as part of my job, I sin Shinawatra, and argued that simple as that; there are years of they are lucky, and can be con- ery at Christmas time, and were studied it more and more, and this could not possibly be the so- history, delicate customs and tra- tent with their lives.” therefore out of harm’s way. over time, I began, I think, to un- lution and that the people of Thai- ditions, which must be respected. Well, I can’t argue with the I mention this not because derstand. land would not wear such a deci- But we need a framework to pre- fact that Phuket is indeed a lucky it is such a bizarre example of As I move on from this sion, and that they must be allo- vent the “dark influences” as they place, both for its citizens and for urban legend, but because it came arena, I do so with hope; and cated a meaningful role. have been called, from hiding be- those of us who have been fortu- from a very well-educated bible here’s why: Some eight years The chairman agreed with hind such arguments to further nate“ enough to be adopted by it. scholar who had read this in a ago, Thailand framed a new con- him, and the meeting moved on their illegal causes. But it didn’t stop with fish trusted source. stitution moving much of the to another topic. You won’t be surprised to and rice. Along came rubber and Of course we all know that power down the line to local au- Second, the division of re- hear me include beach hawkers tin, and with them the migration this is a place of religious toler- thorities. sponsibility and authority. Assum- in this group, but we all have our of Chinese families to Phuket. ance. Predominantly Buddhist, The concept was right, and ing that accountability is a basic pet peeves, whether they be the And for many decades Phuket but with a large population of came at an important time in the precept of productivity, I suggest airport taxi situation (and, by the was thus luckier still. Muslims, and, yes, a few Chris- evolution of democracy in the that what we need in order to way, meter taxis are still pre- And then came the goose tians, all of whom are free to country. But as time has passed, make all of the laws work is an vented from operating at the La- with the golden egg called tour- practice their faith. I have made two observations organization adjusted to reflect guna hotels), or the interesting ism, and we would have to say As part of my life here, I and I have a feeling that recent the concept, starting with the ap- situation where boats cannot pick that nowadays we are a long way have regularly attended services events at the center of the politi- pointment of the CEO Governor. up passengers from certain from a subsistence economy of in Wats and Mosques, as well as cal arena may lead to their reso- The idea of an elected Gov- beaches “protected” by local fish and rice! our weekly Catholic Mass at La- lution. ernor for Phuket (like the one in “citizens”. Tourism and Phuket are a guna. First, the position of Kam- Bangkok) is debated from time perfect fit. A beautiful tropical It works beautifully. I have nan and Phu Yai Baan (local to time, but it is surely unlikely that Property and Title: It is quite a island, the charm of Thai hospi- learned from my Buddhist and headmen). Under the new con- a central government of one party challenge to explain Thai land title tality, and an airport big enough Muslim friends and colleagues, stitution, they were not included would let this loose when all the laws to newcomers to the King- to accept the airplanes that bring and would have to say that this in the chain of command. signs are that a Governor of the dom. It’s a bit like trying to de- the people here. Well, nearly, but has been one of the most enrich- The tambon administration opposition party would prevail. scribe the rules of cricket to an more about the airport in a mo- ing ingredients of my stay in Thai- organizations (OrBorTor) and We have been lucky to American. ment. land. municipalities (Tessaban) go have Governor Udomsak Uswar- Sure, it’s a delicate subject First of all, how do we an- The cremation service for about their work, and their orbits angkura in Phuket, but I believe even when you think you know swer the questions which confront the late Abbott of Wat Cherng collide from time to time with he will retire later this year and the rules, but I have to believe that us in our daily lives? Talay was as magnificent as any these traditional roles, but if you within the current Civil Service it is a critical nettle which needs Can Phuket sustain the religious service I can remember. drew an organization chart of lo- structure, there is still a need to to be grasped, because it isn’t seemingly exponential growth it The Muslim population of cal government, their positions tidy up the arrangements. going to get better on its own. has seen in recent years? Bang Tao is surely a model of how would be linked by a series of dot- It should be said that I was What we need is a modern- Why is law and order so one group can be free to follow ted lines. brought up in a family that served day Magna Carta – a once-and- important and so difficult to imple- their particular faith and impress I heard an interesting tale on a mixture of county councils, for-all map that shows who owns ment? the rest of us. from Sudjit Nimitkul, our former borough councils, urban district what and describes clearly what And even more enigmatic Their youth programs, com- Governor of Phuket (he is now councils and rural district coun- is in private hands (and whose questions such as what exactly munity outreach, and sense of retired in Bangkok, but I visit him cils; organizations awfully similar hands those are!), and what is is it that happens to the gentle civic pride would be the envy of every New Year, and he is doing to our OrBorJor, Amphur, Tes- under public ownership. spirit of the Thais when they get any community, of whatever faith, very well). saban and OrBorTor, so I am It’s a huge task, but Phuket behind the wheel of a car? anywhere in the world. During a large meeting to sure it can be done! would surely be a good place to May 27 - June 2, 2006 INSIDE STORY PHUKET GAZETTE 5

tor of medicine who never lost the ethic of serving the people after he had turned his attention to politics, as if his Hippocratic Oath is still in force. He is a bridge in Phuket between the Thai and non-Thai communities. Niyom Tassaneetipagorn, close to home for me – the start (well, perhaps I shouldn’t over (in our case, this is usually Phuket man who led me through say “start” because there have Singapore or Bangkok). the mysteries of Thai politics and been some starts, perhaps “com- First, what is happening its culture. He is Laguna Phuket’s plete” would be better). Hands about lengthening the runway? I government and community liai- up who would like to be on the have asked this question several son officer (and serves on our committee that makes the deci- times recently, but did not get a company’s board). sions, though! concrete (if you will excuse the And three non-Thais for expression) reply. good measure. The Phuket Convention Cen- The problem is that big air- Father Richard Woodarek. ter: I have lost count of the num- craft can land here from distant A Catholic priest who has lived ber of times this subject has been lands, but when they are laden on the island for some 40 years, raised during my time in Phuket. with passengers, fuel, and cargo teaching (I am amazed at how Objectively, I don’t really (or baggage) the runway isn’t many of Phuket’s Phu Yais know agree with the idea as it is cur- quite long enough for them to take him; he taught them all!), preach- rently conceived. A large conven- off again for the return leg. ing and reaching out to the Phuket tion center which will necessar- Second, we need to con- community. ily need to be filled for a large tinue to work with our partners John Magee, who founded part of the year with the type of in the airline industry to encour- the Phuket Gazette and who has convention traffic currently ca- age direct services to Phuket, so responsibly steered the report- tered for by the likes of Pattaya, particularly from regional mar- age of the newspaper to great would not, I would argue, be in kets. effect in gently airing the other the best interest of the island’s I have been particularly in- point of view. long-term development. terested in Hong Kong, for ex- Neil Cumming, a visionary What we should be concen- ample, which has far fewer di- who early on saw the potential trating on is increasing the spend- rect flights into Phuket than be- of the Internet and registered ing by the tourists already com- fore the tsunami. At a meeting phuket.com but who, apart from ing to the island or, as hoteliers with the Tourism Authority of his business interests which have put it, increasing the average rate Thailand (TAT) and Thai Airways done so much to promote the is- and discretionary spend of the International in late April, we dis- land, was a pioneer of charity visitor. cussed this matter again, and the work on Phuket and was a This will fuel revenue task of keeping this issue on the founder of perhaps the original growth without putting further front burner mustn’t neglected. charity fundraising group, “Help- strain on the infrastructure. ing Hands”. But if you want to be in- Property sales and the econ- He is still to this day a spon- spired by some really great po- omy: The selling of property has sor of good causes for Thai and tential, and a possible answer to become a major part of Phuket’s some people who will “get it” and and so on, but how about some non-Thai causes alike. this, go and have lunch in their economy in recent years. For some who never will. people whose labors often go un- To these “Magnificent Sev- restaurant on the top floor of the Laguna Phuket, a significant The never-will-get-it cat- noticed but whose contribution en”, and the dozens more they Royal Phuket City Hotel and take share of our profits now comes egory don’t usually stay long, but are so valuable? People like... represent, who have made my a look at the view over Phuket from this sector, and we see this we have become increasingly Poo Yai Manoch Panchalad, time in Phuket the richest years Town’s waterfront. as continuing for the foreseeable good at spotting them during the one of the leaders of the Bang of my life, I take this opportunity Then overlay Singapore’s future. recruitment process, so failures Tao community I have described to express my gratitude, and to Clarke Quay, or San Francisco’s The sector should be rec- of this sort have become a rarity. earlier. He is a healer of differ- wish you all the very best for Fisherman’s Wharf. It could be ognized as an important ingredi- Let me end by celebrating ences, a voice of common sense what I am sure will be a prosper- absolutely world-class, would re- ent of Thailand’s tourism income some “cross-cultural heroes” – in often difficult times; a humble ous and very bright future. vitalize Phuket Town, and feed (Phuket accounts for about a people who have made a differ- man; a holy man and a beacon of Chork dee Phuket! And a the downtown hotels which de- quarter of the nation’s tourism ence in Phuket largely due to his faith after the tsunami. heartfelt thank-you. serve a break and perhaps could revenue). their understanding of others. Piyanoot Hongsyok, sister of spawn a small convention center The recent arrangements to It would be easy here to in- K. Phummisak, whose manage- into the bargain. facilitate long-stay visas under- clude such luminaries as Phum- rial skills shaped the Bangkok If I were a political party taken by the TAT are an excel- misak Hongsyok (legendary for Phuket Hospital into the world- wanting to curry favor in this lent example of the kind of thing his public service in Phuket), class facility it now is, and whose province, I would jump on this op- that will help. Kanit Yongsakul, Wichit Na attention has more recently been portunity. Seriously, go and take Some relaxation on the Ranong, Anchalee Vanich-The- turned to medical tourism. a look, and dream a little. strictures concerning foreign pabutr, Eam Tavornwongwong Prasit Koeysiripong, a doc- ownership of land will be very Infrastructure: Hoteliers and difficult to achieve, but would property developers never lose have a dramatic effect on the sight of the fact that we are for- economy. tunate to have such wonderful in- frastructure. Good road networks, Cross culturalism and cross international-standard hospitals, cultural ‘heroes’: For nearly 10 an international school, and shop- years, we have insisted that ev- ping centers; a recipe for success ery manager at Laguna Phuket indeed. attend a cross-cultural seminar It was the building of the which is organized by Dr Henry airport that enabled tourism in the Holmes (the author of the excel- first place. A Thai colleague at lent book Working with Thais). Laguna jokes that his first job The course is for both Thais was chasing the buffalo off the and non-Thais and, for two days, runway when a flight was ex- it attempts to explore the differ- ” pected and unquestionably it is the ences and the similarities be- airlines and the airport which de- tween Thai and non-Thai cul- liver the guests who are our tour- tures. ism industry. Of course it is just an intro- But two things should be duction, but has produced excel- high on the agenda concerning the lent results in team-building, and provision of direct flights into encouraging managers to under- Phuket. We need these to stay stand what makes their cross- competitive as more and more cultural colleagues tick. tropical locations offer direct ser- But for all of this, I have vice without the need for a stop- become convinced that there are 6 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS May 27 - June 2, 2006

NAI HARN: Reader James Stamps commemorate Litorice sent us this photo of TRASHING this impromptu dump in the middle of an upscale villa life of renowned monk neighborhood on Nai Harn’s Phuket Soi Naya. his set of four three- Mokkhabalarama temple (Wat The photo was taken 24 baht stamps com- Suan Mokkh), in Surat Thani. th hours after the dump was set alight. Six days later, Mr Litorice wrote, it was still smolder- memorates the 100 1.5 million first day cov- ing. For several days there was no breeze and as a result a toxic fog settled on the neigh- anniversary of the ers have been printed and are borhood. birthT of Bhikkhu Buddha- due to go on sale at all post Sourly, Mr Litorice remarked, “The next time a developer touts ‘fresh exotic breezes’ dhasa (1906-1993), a revered offices on May 27, Bhikkhu as a feature of the property he’s selling, make sure he means it’s oxygen you’ll be breath- monk from Surat Thani prov- Buddhadhasa’s birthday. Price ing in and not the result of someone else’s trash disposal.” ince and founder of the Suan is 22 baht. Q u eer News ER, NOW, WHO AM I TODAY? n some places a person who Niyom Saisena, Director of frequently changes his or her Tessabaan 1 School in Ban Poti- name might fall under sus- klang, Phibun Mungsaharn Dis- picion of illegal activity. But trict, said that more than 20 of the I school’s 55 teachers had changed in Ubon Ratchathani Province’s Phibun Mungsaharn District it is both their first and last names at the pillars of society – school least once at the advice of a col- teachers and other career bu- league who is also a fortune teller. reaucrats – who change their “As a result, I find it hard to names most often. remember their names, so now I Teachers in the district have just call them by their nick- been heading for the local reg- names,” the Director confessed. istrar’s office in droves to change “It isn’t just in schools, their names, hoping the personal though; it’s common in all civil re-branding will bring them im- service departments,” he said. proved fortune – such as through One man who reported promotions or pay rises at work. positive results from such a name Aram Somsuay, an accoun- change was teacher Jakkrapan tant with the Ubon Ratchathani Chaiyingkijsiri, who began life as Educational Area District 3 Of- Somchai Chaiying before going fice, said teachers in Phibun through three name changes. Mungsaharn District were among “Before I changed my the most prolific name changers. name I was quick-tempered and “Some teachers had already moody. After changing names I changed both their given names have calmed down somewhat,” and family names four times, per- he said. suading their family members to A source in the district do the same,” he said. registrar’s office revealed that in One entire family that had the first half of May alone, more recently undergone a complete than 100 people had come to the name change , with better rea- office to change their names. son than most, were the surviv- He noted, however, that ing relatives of deceased Tessa- among this number were quite a baan 1 School English teacher few people who had already Dissanee Thongnarkthae, who changed their names as many as was murdered and dismembered four times and were now chang- earlier this month in Bangkok by ing back to the names their par- a Pakistani man she met in an on- ents had given them at birth. line chat room, he noted. Source: Kom Chad Luek May 27 - June 2, 2006 AROUND THE NATION PHUKET GAZETTE 7

dvocates for night workers urged the Ministry of Labour A (MoL) to take care of an estimated 300,000 employees working in night-entertainment venues who are not protected by employment laws and are often taken advantage of by unscrupu- lous bosses. The recent fire at Pattaya’s Route 999 a-go-go complex, which killed eight people, was a prime example of how night workers were left unprotected, said Chantawipa Apisuk, Direc- tor of the Center for Sex Work- ers’ Protection, also known as Empower. Fire exits at the Pattaya club were useless because the opera- tors locked them to stop custom- ers slipping out the door without paying, she said. Night workers, who should be protected by labor laws if they clock in and out and are paid a fixed salary, are usually not in- cluded in social-security schemes because their employ- ers claim they skip from one place to the next at short notice, she added. National Human Rights Commissioner Naiyana Supa- pueng agreed night workers should not be discriminated against, even if their place of employment falls under the Ser- EAGER TO LEARN: A policeman and his wife prepare to take their two sons to school in Bangkok on the first day of the new academic vice Places Act of 1966. year. It is a scene repeated at many places around the country as schools reopen this month after a two-week holiday. Without offering specifics, Sathaporn Charupa, Director of was introduced in Thailand in the the MoL’s worker’s protection 1980s. bureau, said his agency would be Many hospitals and hotels more strict with nightclub own- that stopped using their solar sys- ers in the future. Sex workers ‘need tems a few years after installa- tion cited poor design, difficult Medical travel soars: Moves to maintenance and lack of spare make Thailand one of Asia’s top parts available locally as reasons medical hubs have gone well, for abandoning their systems. The with a more than 50% annual in- more protection’ project should first overcome crease in the number of foreign- such barriers, otherwise the tech- ers using health services here. ized equipment for farming. We pital for 12 years, or face a fine collaborate in a project to develop nology will face even more skep- Health Service Support have to cut all unnecessary costs of 2.2 million baht. solar water-heating technology ticism, he noted. Department Director General as much as possible, and the buf- Currently, the obligatory for use by Thai industry. Supachai Kunarattanapreuk said falo option is one good way out,” period of working after gradua- However, Ministry of En- Around the Nation news round- the project, begun in 2003, had he said. tion is only three years; failure ergy representative Nitiratana up is sourced from the pages of yielded a satisfactory result. The club has enlisted 100 to comply carries a fine of Suponpis said similar technology The Nation and Kom Chad Luek About one million foreigners now households with some 300 head 400,000 baht. failed to become popular after it newspapers. use medical services in Thailand of buffalo; all of the households each year, generating almost 30 have agreed to farm with their In hot water: Following a 5-mil- billion baht in revenue. draft animals, he said. lion-baht grant by the European The most popular services “It takes a longer time to Union, the Department of Alter- among foreigners are surgery for prepare the soil for planting rice, native Energy Development and chronic illnesses, cosmetic sur- but the natural fertilizer from buf- Efficiency agreed in principle to gery and dental services, he said. faloes means farmers pay less for Japanese were the largest chemical fertilizers,” he added. group of customers followed by Americans, Britons, Taiwanese One tambon one doctor: In a and other Asian nationals, he said. bid to alleviate the chronic short- Currently, Thailand ranks age of doctors in rural areas, the second – after India – for medi- Ministry of Public Health has cal services in Asia, he added. come up with a “One tambon, one doctor” (OTOD) plan. Back to basics: After fighting The six-year project, to be- with spiraling oil costs, some gin this year, will train 4,530 new farmers in Isarn have decided to doctors. Separated from the nor- ditch their petrol-driven tractors mal university admission system, for grass-fed water buffalo. the medical students will be un- “They’re cheaper, more der the control of the Medical environmentally friendly and bet- Council, said Public Health Min- ter for our income,” said Prawat ister Pinij Charusombat. Khamphakdi, chairman of the Roi Normally, Thailand pro- Et Thai Buffalo Conservation duces about 2,000 doctors each Club. year, which is far from sufficient K. Prawat, who has led a to meet demand because hun- neighbors’ campaign promoting dreds of doctors move to private buffalo-powered farming, said, hospitals annually. “With the same cash, we now can Those trained and employed get only half the fuel we used to. under the OTOD scheme will be So we can no longer use motor- obligated to work in a certain hos- 8 PHUKET GAZETTE AROUND THE REGION May 27 - June 2, 2006

FROM THE GULF OF THAILAND By Barry Singleton

he Chief of Thailand’s Tourist Police, Pol Maj Gen Panya Mamen, vis- Tited Koh Pha-ngan on May 12 to check on security at the monthly Full Moon Party. On the night of the party, the Major General and his team inspected a 200-strong police and volunteer patrol force comprising officers from the Samui division, as well as others from the Koh Pha-ngan Police and local volun- teers. Pol Col Teerawat Namsi- taan, Chief of the local Tourist Police, invited his commander to the party, hoping to gain more support from Bangkok. During The islands around Koh Samui are finally receiving protection from exploitation, with the launch of the Eco City Plan for Koh Taen. the visit, Gen Panya held meet- ings with the Samui District Of- fice to discuss ways to improve the safety of foreigners attend- ing the event. Tourist Police crackdown Before Gen Panya’s May 9 visit, the Koh Samui Tourist Po- lice, in concert with officers from Choeng Mon police box, appre- hended a 29-year-old woman on Full Moon Party who was under investigation for drug dealing. A few days before the Full renting a speedboat to take her when the woman arrived to rent proval: On May 16, the Samui only on foot or by bicycle. There Moon Party, the police discov- to Koh Pha-ngan. the boat, K. Withaya kept her at Municipality officially announced will also be strict construction ered that Sudarat Mikeaw had Col Teerawat contacted the his house until the police came to an “Eco City Plan” for the small regulations imposed, restricting called a local village leader, speedboat owner and asked for search her. island of Koh Taen, located off the height of all new buildings to Withaya Sucksom, to discuss his cooperation. He agreed, and K. Sudarat had 21 ya bah the south coast of Samui. no more than six meters. (methamphetamine) tablets and The plan will be posted at Koh Taen covers an area of two packs of ya ice (a crystal- public offices for three months in 7½ square kilometers and is home line form of methamphetamine) order for local residents to air to some of the last extensive man- concealed in napkins and straws their grievances and concerns grove forest in the region. about her person. She admitted regarding the development of the It is also famed for a large that she intended to sell the drugs island. population of Lesser False at the Full Moon Party and was According to Warakorn Vampire Bats, and is renowned later arrested and taken to the Rattanarak, head of the Samui throughout Thailand as the only police station for further question- Municipality office, the eco-plan island in the country without any ing. includes a no-vehicle policy for dogs. the island, which means locals Eco plan posted for local ap- and visitors will be able to travel Major Cineplex opens on Sa- mui: A much anticipated three- screen Major Cineplex, located at the Tesco Lotus Superstore in Chaweng, opened its doors to the public in early May. The island’s first cinema at- tracted long queues of people to buy tickets for the first two screenings of some of the latest Hollywood blockbusters and will continue to screen major box of- fice films. The latest addition to Sa- mui’s culture and entertainment scene is sure to make an impact and some local people see it as a sign that companies are broaden- ing their services to include the residential as well as the tourist market. May 27 - June 2, 2006 PHUKET GAZETTE 9 10 PHUKET GAZETTE May 27 - June 2, 2006 May 27 - June 2, 2006 AROUND THE ISLAND PHUKET GAZETTE 11

By Janyaporn Morel

f your children have been threatening to run away and No need to join the circus, there’s no Ineed to worry. If they’re as smart as you say they are, they probably have not gone any fur- ther than the KidzSolé Circus at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa at run away Mai Khao. There they can learn to juggle, build pyramids, become human jump ropes, ride on a bi- cycle built for eight, do flips on a trampoline and fly through the air to join on a trapeze. KidzSolé Founder and Di- rector USA/Asia Ronald J. Pas- coe, or “K. Pee”, explained to the Gazette that KidzSolé started of- fering its courses at the JW the circus Marriott at the beginning of April. “We have just started our and an experience to enlighten the made an agreement for KidzSolé low-season schedule, offering senses. It’s great for corporate to make its debut in Thailand. It morning classes for children from events and team building exer- was also the first time that four to seven years old at 10 am cises,” he said. KidzSolé had ever teamed up Below, left: Flying through the air with the greatest of ease. Above: and at 11am children from eight K. Pee explained that Thai- with a Marriott hotel. Sam acted adding a bit of bounce on a ring in the ring. to 12 years old can join in too,” land’s enticing charm was one of quickly, decisively, with confi- K. Pee said. the main factors in deciding to dence and ‘positive vibes’. He did world in three languages. The re- a one-day training course and “Depending on the numbers bring KidzSolé to Phuket. in two weeks what before could sponse from the families and kids 4,000 baht for a five-day wanting to participate, we are “After having visited the not be achieved in months. This has always been positive. We course. The weekly KidzSolé also offering flying trapeze Kingdom regularly over the past is a guy and a team we wanted have already had families return- Family Circus Extravaganza is classes for all ages – from basic few years, we decided on Thai- to work with, so it was done.” ing to the Marriott two or three free to join and to watch. to advanced-level training – on land for many reasons. We love K. Pee said that so far he times just to do the circus,” he For more information, Asia’s only ‘mini rig’ at 3 pm, 4 the Thai people, the warmth, the has received very good feedback said. contact K. Pee by email to pm and 5 pm,” he added. sincerity, the kindness, the gen- from children and their families. [email protected], or Sean One of the simple trapeze erosity, the calm soothing voices, “We have been involved in All are invited to join the Panton at Tel: 076-338000 ext maneuvers taught is the “catch the beaches, the food and of this program for over 19 years KidzSolé circus training pro- 3700 or email: sean.panton@ and return”. K. Pee explains that course the famous Thai smile is and have taught it around the gram. Prices are 900 baht for marriotthotels. com flyers are taught positions on a number one. stationary trapeze on the ground “There is something that then given the opportunity to per- happens to you when you are form the trick in the greeted everyday, air. The newly trained every moment with a trapeze artists fly Thai smile,” he said. through the air, make “We chose the a catch and then re- JW Marriott for our turn back to the fly campus for several bar from where they reasons. First of all, it began. is a highly respected He said that no hotel and vacation special skills, talent or property chain world- athletic ability are re- wide. We realized we quired. All that is had the opportunity to needed is a willing- create memories to ness to take part and last a lifetime and to a desire to go beyond offer an experience to self-imposed limits. enlighten the senses “The kids gain a for all the members greater sense of and guests of the ho- worth and confidence, tel. and learn to work in “Another huge groups. They develop reason, and maybe listening skills and the main reason for us learn to trust them- being here, is because selves and their train- of two very important er,” K. Pee said. people: Sean Panton, “They are Director of Recre- taught choreographed ation and Corporate routines as they build Team Building, and confidence and over- Sam Samahrat, Assis- come fears. They also tant Director of Rec- increase their body reation at the Marri- awareness,” he add- ott,” K. Pee explain- ed. ed. The kids also get “I had contact- a chance to show off ed many resorts in their newly found talents to their Phuket to give them the opportu- parents by performing each Fri- nity to be the first hotel in Thai- day afternoon in a “grand finale” land to introduce this new and called The JW KidzSolé Family unique program. Everyone was Circus Extravaganza. interested, but nobody stepped up. “Each child has an oppor- “I had actually kept in ex- tunity to be in the show, based on cellent contact with Sam for more their ability and willingness to par- than a year. We were close to an ticipate,” K. Pee said. agreement after eight months of He added that the courses emails, until it was decided against are not just for kids. “We have a at the last moment. ‘Flying For Fitness’ program that “In January I contacted Sam gives you a total body workout again and in two weeks we had 12 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET PEOPLE May 27 - June 2, 2006

Leo, does your voice change in the tropics? People in Thailand may not know Leo Sayer, but sing That’s an interesting ques- “Woh, woh, yeah, yeah, I love you more than I can tion. Last night during the full set Happily Ever After it went a bit funny. It was all say…” and eyes light up all round. It’s by no means there, but it broke up a little bit Leo’s only hit, however; he has had a successful Recent weddings in Phuket and I think the high humidity made singing career spanning three decades. Discovered it all a bit of a fight. It’s not so much a physical thing – I mean by singer-turned-manager Adam Faith, he hit No 2 in I’m reasonably fit even though I the UK charts with his debut song The Show Must Go don’t work out, but I’ve always On. He has had transatlantic hits ever since, had this powerful voice. But the humidity! particularly in the ’80s. More recently, he made a surprise return to the top of Is this your first time in Phuket? the charts with Meck’s remix of Thunder In My Heart. Would you believe that it is? Sydney-based Leo was in Phuket with his band to play I’ve been to Samui, Chiang Mai, all over Bangkok and the South, at a party of the recent but this is my first time in Phuket. incentive group event at I’ve got many friends who Laguna Phuket for have lived here for years; some of whom live in Phuket [City] customers of electrical and in this area [Cherng Talay] components giant but I’ve never had the opportu- Hagemeyer. nity to come here before. When the tsunami happened The Gazette’s Sam I was on Koh Samui at a spa, a Wilkinson, no stranger to health place in the hills. We saw the mike himself, caught a change in the water – all of a up with Leo in the Dusit sudden it became brown from the effects of the tsunami. Laguna. As for Phuket I’ve got a couple of friends who are no Dr Sasimet Tabthieng and Pittaya Khorpanlert celebrated their in the building that was born when marriage in the Phuket Ballroom of the Royal Phuket City longer around because of it. I’ve Do you actually play an instru- Hotel on May 1. been trying to write a song about ment? I did the original track [of Thun- it. Not gratuitously, it was some- Only in the studio. I mean der In My Heart] in 1977. thing that came up from a story I there are keyboards and comput- But that’s the lasting power read about a German lady who ers and all sorts to get us out of of music and very much proof of regularly flies over and waits for trouble these days. how good songs hang around. her daughter to come back, even Good music is timeless, but I’m though she knows it’s impossible. I’ve got a guitar in the car in really not into nostalgia and I case you want to bash out a mostly listen to new music. How long have you been on the song for us. road? No, no! You would try, Does your first album Silverbird Since I put the Australian wouldn’t you? (1973) seem like an eternity band together we’ve been on the ago? road for nine months now. You were top of the charts a No, not really. I have to lis- couple of months back. How ten to it at the moment as I’m What makes a happy tourer? did that feel? doing a project with an artist A good band! Basically It’s a very strange feeling called Geoff Todd, who’s doing they’re a good bunch of friends to be in there battling with the likes pictures to accompany my lyrics. that I’m working and playing with. of Madonna and Eminem and be- So I’m looking back at a lot of They’ve become my family. It’s ing knocked off the top of the the music now and putting it all difficult to describe to the “out- charts by people who weren’t together. For me it all blurs. Some- side world” as all they can see is even around when I started. thing you wrote in 1973 could Leo standing there but it’s not like The other strange thing was sound like something you write Dararat Khonkaew and David Weale from England were married that – I work very closely with going over to England recently to right now. at the Karon Beach Resort on April 22. the musicians so it becomes a do [TV program] Top Of The shared experience. Pops. There wasn’t one person Did you ever feel like a mirror image of Elton John and Bernie Taupin? After all, you wrote the lyrics and David Courtney wrote the music while Elton wrote the music and Bernie wrote the lyrics. Not really, no. Everything that worked then was relevant at the time and none of what worked then is relevant now, so even if you listen to the music now you can’t listen to it with the same relevance, because songs grow. Nothing is held to just that time. I suppose if you’re a band like Kool & The Gang or Slade then you live in the past because the style is very much part of it. Time is something you have to wash out of your life. I’m an anti-time person, anti-nostalgia. History doesn’t make any differ- ence because, basically, the songs live in their own structure. I’ve had people from bands like Travis come up and ask, “Was that song recorded last year?” Moonlighting to them sounds like something new. I’ve never gotten too hung up on the time thing. May 27 - June 2, 2006 PHUKET PEOPLE PHUKET GAZETTE 13 The show must go on for a singer who makes us all feel like dancing There’s still thunder in Leo’s heart

they’ve got all this technology and music’s good, it’s timeless. voice? From singing on the what do they do? They write Many people say that When I street? In my day we bloody love songs! Need You is their favorite Leo No, I used to sing in school Sayer song because it encap- choirs and rock ’n’ roll bands. had Paul But isn’t repetitive music a play sulates you. Which of your There weren’t many good PA on tribal music? songs does it for you? systems in those days, so you had Simon, Perhaps. Some of the rap Oh, that song’s only a part to sing out. The guitarist would stuff is more relevant than any- of things. That’s the ballad singer. be louder so you had to get over Leonard thing else. Thunder In My Heart is now him to be heard. But we’re in a world where arguably a bigger hit than When Cohen, Bob everyone seems to have a short I Need You and that’s the soul Why are you living in Sydney? attention span. You go see King singer side. Giving It All Away In England I’m forced to Kong one week and it’s the is the singer-songwriter side. live in the past and I don’t want Dylan, Joni greatest thing, everyone talks There are lots of different to do that. I don’t think it’s about it and the next week it’s sides to it. There’s not really one healthy. I felt I wanted to come Mitchell, Neil completely and utterly forgotten. song that describes me more than to a new country and Australia is It’s as though it never existed. the others. a place where I can go and do Young, all at This short-attention-span new things. There’s a fresh “can- world is not so good for music that Who was the song One Man do” attitude. Everyone wants to their peak, so is made from passion and music Band about? go for it. that has a great amount of work It was about me! I was I mean, in England I’ve just there was a going into it. busking and, I dunno, I got run had a No 1 hit and I’ve got 20 to I have a current album over by a taxi cab! It described 30 people every day telling me lot to compete called Voices In My Head that my life so I wrote it down. why things can’t happen. There’s is doing the rounds. But because no positivity in Europe, that’s it’s not immediately commer- Is that where you got your big what’s really sad. with... cially accessible, most people don’t get the album in one sit- Which present-day artists would Nowadays you have a situ- ting, so it lives in a different stra- you say will have the same qual- ation in which songs are written tum and world. ity in 20 years’ time as they do on music sequencers and com- Again, time is not a factor today? puters and the same chorus will as [the album] might be a record There are people like David go over and over and over and that hangs around for a while, like Gray, who are obviously great the same verse will go over and Dark Side Of The Moon. songwriters and who always over. If Elvis and Bob Marley can come up with good songs. I think The craft isn’t really the come back, then Thunder In My Ben Harper is terrific. same. I mean there’s so much Heart by Leo Sayer can. All Still, there are a lot that are happening in the world and these things can live again. If the purported to be the next Bob Dylan and it just doesn’t quite happen. I don’t know how many people know – and I may be a little controversial here – but people like James Blunt and Natalie Imbruglia don’t actually write their own songs. They have co-writers and it’s all very con- structed. Don’t forget that in my day we had Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, all at their peak, so there was a lot to compete with and I don’t really think you have that same essence now. There’s not a lot now, so good songs will stand out. 14 PHUKET GAZETTE LIFESTYLE May 27 - June 2, 2006

Teenagers turn to technology to Is your nail art up to scratch? The phone, designed for simplicity with no screen or number pad, is available in five colors. By Jenjira Ruengjarus phone’s shell is also specially de- signed to withstand the rough n modern Thailand, mobile- A bear treatment that any children’s pos- phone fashion is almost im- session is likely to receive. possible to avoid. Shopping necessity The phone takes an ordinary Imalls devote whole floors to SIM card so can be used on any stores selling the newest models network. The battery has a stand- of phones – often priced at two by life of around 100 hours and a or three times the average mon- for all talk time of around 90 minutes. It thly wage – along with a plethora was released in Thailand at the of covers, decorations and ac- beginning of this year and is now cessories. children available in Phuket at OA Mo- Now a Taiwanese company bile, in Big C Super-center. is hoping to get children hooked must be downloaded from an- “Sales of the phone have not on the mobile life from an even other mobile phone. really taken off yet,” admitted K. earlier age. It is full of features to ease Aew, the shop’s owner. Guidetek’s “I-Care” kids’ the minds of those worried about “At 3,990 baht the price is telephone is aimed squarely at their children’s safety. The phone as high as for a normal phone. pre- and primary-school aged has a ‘remote activities monitor- Most parents still prefer to buy a children – and their anxious par- ing’ (RAM) function, which al- regular mobile,” she explained. ents. lows parents to phone up and lis- “Children, on the other hand, Queen shop employee Paipan ‘Ae’ Petjan shows off the nail machine. The external design is pure- ten in to what their children are love the phone. When they see ly for children under 10 years old. doing. it, they beg their parents to buy it It comes in five bright colors and It also has two SOS buttons, for them. Some parents give in is shaped like a bear, complete which when pressed will send a and buy one, but we have had with flashing LEDs in the ears. message to three stored numbers some embarrassing scenes when The phone has no screen or num- simultaneously and turn on the children don’t get their own way ber pad, just large speed-dial but- RAM function. Very useful in a and have to be dragged from the tons with pictures representing ransom-demand situation, ac- shop kicking and screaming.” mum and dad on them. It can cording to the manufacturers. store up to four numbers, but they The makers of the I-Care The I-Care Kids telephone is claim that their phones release available at OA Mobile, Big C 88% less radiation than average Supercenter, Chalermprakiat cell phones, which will be a com- Ror IX Rd. It is open every day fort to parents worried about the from 9 am to 9 pm. For further possible side effects of their chil- details contact K. Aew at Tel: dren using mobile phones. The 076-249135.

Some of the many designs available. May 27 - June 2, 2006 LIFESTYLE PHUKET GAZETTE 15 let their fingers do the talking, reports JENJIRA RUENGJARUS

new hi-tech develop- plicated patterns on fingernails in First, a foundation is applied. shop where it can be loaded into would be ready for the school ment from the world of a fraction of the time it would A basic color, either white or the nail-painting machine. holidays. fashion made its debut take to do by hand. white pearl, is used to make the Customers have brought in “When the schools are Ain Phuket recently. The craze for nail art spread pattern stand out more clearly. photos of friends, boyfriends, pets closed most of our customers are A shop in Ocean Shopping from Hong Kong and South Ko- Then a fluorescent varnish is and flowers to have painted on students, but during school time Mall, a popular teenage hangout rea to Bangkok and now is popu- painted on to make the nails ap- their nails. we have more people of working in Phuket City, has invested in an lar all over Thailand. pear brighter. “Teenagers are very inter- age,” she adds. automatic computer-aided nail- In April, Sathimon “White” When the varnish is dry, it’s ested in the nail-painting machine painting machine. Suwannapong, owner of The time for the nail-painting machine because it is new to them and is The Queen shop is on the sec- This new piece of techno- Queen clothing and accessories to do its work. quicker than doing nails by hand. ond floor of the Ocean Shop- logical wizardry can paint com- shop, decided to take advantage There are two types of ma- The application of the color is ping Mall, Phuket City, be- of the trend by bringing the first chine, one for doing one nail at a smoother, too. tween Sunita garment shop and nail-painting machine to Phuket. time and another for doing five “I installed this technology Chocolate shoe shop. It is open “The nail-painting machine nails together. at the beginning of April so that it daily from 10 am to 9 pm. is operated by a normal home The process takes about 30 computer. minutes in total and the price for “You just need to enter the painting all 10 nails starts from 50 code for the pattern you want and baht and rises to 250 baht, de- the machine will paint it. We then pending on the complexity of the use a varnish solution over the top design. so that the pattern will last for two Both long and short nails can or three weeks,” K. White ex- be painted by the machine as it plains. can be adjusted to fit any size. After choosing a pattern Moreover, customers who from the many available, there are want to use their own design, or three steps to making beautiful even a photograph, just need to nails. bring the computer file into the 16 PHUKET GAZETTE HAPPENINGS May 27 - June 2, 2006 This week

BABA BAAN: Dr Koson Tang-uthai, Adviser to Phuket Provincial Administration Organization President Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr, hands PREFAB FOUR: Peerapong Supaorus (center), General Manager of the The Metropole hotel in a certificate of appreciation to Boonsri Hongyok for allowing a seminar on Phuket City, welcomes UBC Academy Fantasia stars (from left) Panupon ‘Joe’ Ake-petch, Anusara Baba Peranakan (descendants of Chinese who settled in the region) to be ‘Preaw’ Wanthongthak, Alisa ‘Kookai’ Sim and Thanakrit ‘Wan’ Phanitwit, who were on the held in her Sino-Portuguese-style home Baan Hongsyok, in Phuket City. island recently to perform at a concert for the Phuket launch of the Honda Click motorcycle.

IN THE PINK: Artist Pongpipat Prasertkornkit (2nd from left) and guests, including Jay-Da Rodnit of Rinda Magical Art (left), attend the opening cocktail party for the ‘Modern Thai’ STATE VISIT: Phuket Gazette Managing Editor Alasdair Forbes and Chief Reporter exhibition – a series of acrylic paintings influenced by Buddhism and nature’s cycle of life Sangkhae Leelanapaporn welcome Ravindra Kumar (right), Editor and Managing – at Mom Tri’s Lobster Square Gallery. Director of India’s The Statesman, to the Gazette’s offices recently.

A HOUSE FOR A HOME: Life Home Project founder José L Gay (2nd from left) BACK TO SCHOOL: At the C&N Resort and Spa in Patong to welcome students to this and friends celebrate the grand opening of The House of the Beautiful Images year’s Hospitality and Tourism Management MBA course at Prince of Songkhla University, coffee shop and photo gallery in Soi Romanee, in Phuket City’s Sino-Purguese Phuket campus, are (front, from left) Dr Aree Tirasatayapitak; Pathummalai Pattaro, Dean quarter, on May 11. All profits from sales at the shop go towards supporting the of the Faculty of Service Industries; and MBA program director Assoc Prof Manat Chaisawat. Life Home Project, a shelter for HIV-positive women and children in Phuket. May 27 - June 2, 2006 ALL AT SEA PHUKET GAZETTE 17

By Andy Johnstone ter, “Especially as – unless cali- brated correctly – a depth trans- riton Peter Goldsmith of ducer will show the amount of SEA Marine Services Experience counts water between it and the seabed (SMS), at Yacht Haven rather than the keel and the sea- Marina, begins with a bed. B The father-and-son team “If you haven’t checked or cautionary tale. “I think it may be from one combines the essential elements had it calibrated accurately, you of David Niven’s autobiogra- of boat building and repair exper- can actually have a lot less wa- phies, and concerns a friend of tise with Peter’s 40 years’ expe- ter between the keel and the sea- his who served in the [British] rience of marine electronics, as bed than you think. It’s not rocket Royal Navy (RN) on motor-tor- well as the knowledge garnered science, but unless people think pedo boats (MTBs). Day in, day through the family’s 25 years of about it or have it pointed out to out, 24 hours a day, the sailor had sailing. them, they won’t know,” he to wear a cumbersome, hot and It is this level of experience adds. uncomfortable cork lifejacket. ‘It that brought Peter and SMS to Peter gives another ex- will save your life,’ he was told. the attention of a number of boat ample, this time the tale of a boat “He hated the thing though, owners. “When I began [SMS], in the English Channel, and of a and, when he returned to civvy a lot of people said to me, ‘It boat owner who used a channel street, he made point of of sym- would be nice to know more about marker in the water as a way- bolically dumping the detested my echo sounder, GPS, radar, point. lifejacket over the side of the how it works and how to use it,’ “He logged the marker into MTB. The lifejacket sank like a so I devised a series of short his navigation system as a way- stone.” courses on these subjects, which point and what did he do? Went The point of the anecdote, evolved into a series of articles straight into it, gouged a huge continues Peter – who spent 18 in SEA Yachting magazine,” says chunk from the bow of his new years in the RN as well as work- Peter. boat, which cost a fortune to re- ing for Inmarsat, other marine He explains – and Roger pair. He’d not bothered to look, electronics and communications agrees – that some boat owners because it is so easy for a boat to companies, and his own company are ignorant of the equipment, operate itself. The systems, how- in the same field – is that regular particularly the electronics, of a ever, are ‘dumb’, in that they sim- testing of all equipment aboard a boat. ply do as they are told.” boat is vital. “The level of ignorance is, So many people, says Pe- Marine electronics profes- in fact, huge. It’s not dissimilar to ter, need to have this basic knowl- The level of ignorance about equipment on yachts is ‘huge’, says edge, including the use of charts, sional Peter, who at the time was Peter Goldsmith of SEA Marine Services. the ignorance most of us have of semi-retired, and his wife, Sue, of our mobile phones or cars. For GPS navigation systems and Phuket-based Yachtstyle, left They want things done while ed superyacht interior refit con- most people, the simple fact that common sense, particularly if it England in 2003 and sailed to they’re away; they don’t want to tract. Can’t say which one, they work is all that matters,” they have bought a secondhand Phuket on their boat the long way be upside down in the bilges when though,” he grins. says Peter. boat with perhaps unfamiliar elec- round – across the Atlantic and they’re in Phuket,” says Peter. “He’ll also be SMS’s dogs- “Problem is, whereas you tronic systems that the owner then the Pacific. “The management of boat body,” says Peter, tongue firmly can take your car to the nearest must get used to. repairs, upgrades and on-going in cheek as Roger listens with a garage or your phone to the near- “A broad appreciation of the TSUNAMI maintenance is a growing busi- grin. est shop, it can be a bit difficult fundamentals and the systems on ness,” he says. SMS advises on However, the father-son finding help in the middle of the board and how they work is es- The journey took in Panama and the best companies suitable for exchange is obviously an in-joke sea. Also, drawing an analogy sential. Aside from the fact that Australia, and they arrived here the task, and then manages quo- for a family where seawater between marine electronics and it can save a life or a boat, people just in time for the tsunami. tations, project plans, adherance runs as much in their veins as mobile phones or computers, will simply get so much more out “[We] got knocked around, to deadlines and milestone re- does blood. Peter adds, “He’s there are so many functions that of their time on the water if they nearly drowned and the boat had porting. brilliant at boat-construction they don’t use or don’t know how know more and have the systems to be repaired. The repairs took Long-term yacht manage- techniques.” to use. checked,” he says. three months. ment and some maintenance may Roger studied yacht con- “You buy a new phone but “It is, after all, a great life “Our son, Roger, was al- also be undertaken by SMS’s struction and design in South- you don’t receive training on how out on the water, especially here.” own personnel. This can range ampton, in the UK, and worked ready here. As the months went to make the most of it, and for For more information about by, Sue and I found we liked it from simple tasks, such as turn- for numerous well-known marine many boat owners, it’s the same SEA Marine Services, contact here and decided to stay,” says ing an engine over every week industry companies supplying with their electronic equipment. Peter Goldsmith at Tel: 06- Peter. and washing decks, to a full main- materials for boat building in the “It’s the simple, basic things, 2696124, Email peterg@ Once Sue had started up tenance package that may en- UK and Australia. He played a such as knowing where the depth seamarineservices.com or visit her business, he realized that he compass 30 or more tasks a key role in the development of transducer for depth and speed the company’s office at Yacht needed something to keep him month. international yacht brands and is located on the boat,” says Pe- Haven Marina. occupied. SMS business comes from high-profile racing and super- “SMS is a effectively a all types of vessel, from small yacht projects. combination of my marine elec- speedboats to large superyachts, “We make a great great tronics background – I’m a bit of with or with out sails. team, because Roger knows ev- a ‘Mr Fixit’ – and looking after This aspect of the business erything about which I know boats for generally absentee own- has developed hand in hand with nothing.” ers. Those are the two ‘arms’ of the electronics repairs side, Pe- the business: management of the ter adds. boat itself and of all the systems The couple’s son Roger has on board. recently joined SMS. “Roger, who “Naturally enough, owners recently left Royal Phuket Ma- who are not resident on the is- rina as Hardstand Operations land and come here, say, just for Manager, will be working with me the high season, want to be out to provide project management on the water while they’re here. experience for a recently award- 18 PHUKET GAZETTE DINING OUT May 27 - June 2, 2006 menuOn the Wine, wine, everywhere, and lots of

WITH Andy Johnstone drops to drink Wine Connection

ain falls as we arrive at Wine Connection. The drops are as large as R golf balls and coming down like a barrage on a bad day in Basra. A mad dash to sanctu- ary is called for. Slightly moist from the dous- ing – not the last of the evening – we pile into the wine shop-cum- bistro to be greeted by the effort- lessly affable Paul Clark, the GM of Wine Connection Phuket. The greeting from Paul, a Californian, is warm and our an- ticipation of a splendid evening A rosé outlook on life rises as he calmly enthuses about Left, the cold plate with salmon roll, spinach and salmon quiche, the bottle of Les Palombieres chicken and pork liver paté, and quiche Lorraine. Below: Pan-grilled Cabernet Franc rosé. “New in, lamb chops. Above. No shortage of wine at this venue. and a bargain at 550 baht,” he says almost before we sit down. aplenty tonight – he pops out to Such enthusiasm is infec- say hello and introduce our start- tious and we waste no time in ers. ‘Pan-grilled savoring the refreshing, fruity – Plates of simple but daz- strawberries and a certain some- zlingly tasty bruschetta and tape- thing else I can’t quite put my fin- nade bread are presented to us. lamb chop? ger on – wine. These are emptied in double- quick time, but not before the ROSÉ OUTLOOK zingy taste of the ripe tomatoes I drool, but and the salty bite of the tapenade I must confess to having become are declared hands-down win- slightly partial to rosé of late, hav- ners. too late – ing enjoyed another inordinately Chef Eric, a veteran of pleasant one – Les Vignerons de Thailand of some 12 years – his that one’s St Tropez, again from Wine Con- CV includes eight years in hotels nection – on my birthday the oth- and restaurants in Bangkok and er week. a further four on Samui – brings already My earlier aversion to rosé his Gallic flair and va-va-voom to wines – now discarded – stem- the kitchen. med from an unpleasant experi- Next up are plates of cold been taken’ ence many moons ago with a delights including quiche Lorraine, bottle of Mateus Rosé one Christ- salmon and spinach quiche, as fries (150 baht) while Friday is a A quick scan through the Adventurous? Me? Possi- mas Eve when I should have well as a delectable homemade dinner buffet (249 baht) and an menu reveals duck breast and bly. A challenge? Not in the slight- been on my way to midnight paté of chicken and pork liver. open-to-all wine tasting. duck confit (430 baht), with the est. It is a rare delight. I first had mass. Not too smooth, not too chunky As Paul explains, he wants latter already chosen by one. tripe in Hong Kong just last month “It’s just a thought, only a – and served with heaps of bread to “…knock a little of the sophis- “Pan-grilled lamb chop?” I drool, and was eager to taste it prepared thought,” I was asked on my – Chef Eric gets a well-deserved tication off the wine business. but too late; that’s already been in an occidental rather than ori- birthday, “but what about a touch pat on the back for the terrine. “I want to demystify it or taken, too. Salmon carpaccio (150 ental manner. of pink?” I couldn’t say no to Wine Connection holds wine drinkers and people who baht)?” Alas, the companion of Tripe absorbs flavors well such a suggestion, and I have not three all-you-can-eat feasts each may want to switch from, say, honor has plumped for that. and, as prepared by Eric, it’s as looked back since. week on Monday, Wednesday beer once in a while,” ,” he says, A hushed silence descends tender as scrambled eggs. The bistro at Wine Connec- and – to get the weekend going and I find myself nodding in as I resolutely state my choice of Another dousing is in pros- tion opened October 1 last year, with a bang – Friday. agreement grilled pork tripes Anduiollette pect as the coffees and cognacs and chef Eric Lamiraux – part of On Monday it’s pepper Not that I drink beer. (330 baht), described – so it says arrive, and time has run out for a the French connection – has been chicken and boeuf Bourguignon While Paul and I are chat- in front of me on Wikipedia – as dessert. Next time – and there at the helm of the kitchen ever (199 baht); Wednesday sees the ting, the trio that makes up tonight’s “…typically an acquired taste, will be a next time at Wine Con- since. Busy in the kitchen – the downing of bowl after bowl of dining companions have been and … an interesting challenge nection – I shall start with des- bistro is buzzing with diners steamed mussels and French choosing their main courses. for adventurous eaters.” sert, possibly bitter chocolate soft cake or caramel custard because, as my grandmother used to say, “Life is too short not to have des- sert.”

Wine Connection Bar & Bistro. Open 3 pm to 10:30 pm, Mon- day to Saturday. Fisherman Way Business Centre, Chalong. Tel: 076-282411-2. Email: chefphuket@wineconnection .co.th or gmphuket@ wineconnection.co.th May 27 - June 2, 2006 SPA MAGIC PHUKET GAZETTE 19

the middle of the confusion of downtown Phuket City, I was told, is a haven where I Icould relax and be relieved of my stress. BRANCHING OUT Wound up after a hard week of work and not keen to travel out of town, this seemed an ideal solution, so I headed for The Raintree Spa on Montri Rd, oppo- site the Seng Ho bookstore. Spa The Raintree Spa is a cozy MAGIC delight set in gardens in the heart of town. It is easy to find – there is a huge tree reaching skyward from the spa’s grounds. The spa provides tradition- al Thai Swedish, “Aromatic Oil”, “Special Creamy” and foot mas- sages, body scrubs, facial treat- ments, herbal remedies, and spa and Jacuzzi relaxation packages to give the muscles a break and to revitalize the body and mind By Nattamon after working or playing hard, all Ratcharak at reasonable prices. Raintree Spa There is even a special treatment package for golfers that includes a floral foot bath, foot and leg massage with mint oil, lower-back mas- sage and a back-and- shoulder massage applied with a hot herbal compress. Owner and Manager Pannaree Na Nakorn wel- comes me with a warm smile and I am served an iced herb- al drink. “There were giant rainforest Above: blue and white porcelain echoes trees here a long Phuket’s Chinese history. Right: Nature almost time ago,” she says, comes into the treatment room – in the middle “and I wanted to pre- of Phuket City. serve the memory of them, so I named this spa after anges and limes blended with salt. them.” K. Ya Ya carefully scrubs while I The Raintree has been op- lie face down on the massage bed. erating for six months. It is deco- She says the treatment promotes rated in Sino-Portuguese style and younger-looking skin because it furnished with a collection of removes dead skin and stimu- Sino-Portuguese antiques that lates growth of new skin cells, give it a true Phuket feel. giving brighter, cleaner skin. “The products we use for After the cleanse I am our facial and body scrubs are smothered in milk for 10 minutes made from fresh local herbs,” K. as an intensive moisturizing treat- Pannaree says. “Our signature ment to promote softer skin. scrub is called Raintree Secret Last but not least, I am giv- Scrub, which is a mix of tropical en a one-hour Swedish massage fruit, herbs, sea salt and sugar. with a special scented, creamy “We have 15 certified ther- mixture of yogurt and herbs im- apists, each of them with at least ported from Bali to brighten up three years’ massage experience, my skin and make it yet softer. and we regularly retrain our ther- As K. Ya Ya applies the creamy apists and spa receptionists so balm, its herbal scent sends me customers receive a consistently to deeper levels of relaxation. high standard of hospitality.” She wraps up the massage There are 15 rooms. Of by working my shoulders, at my these, 12 have two massage beds request, to relieve the tension built each, while the other three have up from stress at work. one bed apiece and a Jacuzzi. The smell of the herbs and I choose the Tropical Fruit the sensation of the creamy rub Treatment, some 2½ hours of down remain with me well into serious pampering. My therapist the night, long after I return home. for this session is Jiriya “Ya Ya” I believe the pleasurable memo- Yindeerum, who starts by deep- ry of them shall remain with me cleansing my feet with a mix of for quite some time yet. sea salt and ripe tamarind flesh. I am then treated to a 20- The Raintree Spa. Open daily minute herbal sauna, during which from 10 am and receives the last I can definitely feel my circula- guest at 9:30 pm. The Tropical tion improving. I emerge with Fruit Treatment normally costs cheeks as rosy as a Russian 2,200 baht, but Raintree is cur- Matryushka doll. rently offering a 50% discount Next is an hour-long deep on all prices until the end of body cleanse with the Fruit Sal- June. Tel: 076-232054, 01- ad Body Scrub – kaffir limes, or- 8921001 and 01-8933030. 20 PHUKET GAZETTE MOTORING May 27 - June 2, 2006 To cut a long name

The BT-50 has an aggressive presence and powerful turbo engines that Mazda says ‘will provide leadership in the short competitive truck segment’.

Thai-made ord’s Ranger was re- torque of 380Nm at the impres- introduction of a two-door pas- viewed in these pages sively low speed of 1,800rpm, senger car, the R360 Coupé. recently, but its sister while the smaller unit produces It was also around this time, Mazda BT-50 Fcompany Mazda – Ford 140bhp and 330Nm. 1961, that Mazda built its first BEHIND controls Mazda, although it does In 1995 Ford – which con- compact pickup, the B-series THE not own a majority share – un- trols Mazda, although it does not 1500. The following year saw its pickups go on veiled its own version of the one- own a majority share – and first four-door, the Carol 600, but WHEEL ton pickup at the Bangkok motor Mazda formed Auto-Alliance it was in 1964 that the company sale soon By Jeff Heselwood show held at the end of March. (Thailand), or AAT in short, to really became a full-fledged ve- Mazda has labeled the lat- make pickups, beginning in mid- hicle manufacturer with the first est model the BT-50, although its 1998. generation of the 323. The 323 is precursor was known as the At its plant in Rayong Prov- still with us, though now known B2500. ince, AAT produces the Ranger as the Mazda3. It was reviewed General manager of Maz- pickup for Ford and the new BT- in the Gazette of January 28. da’s Overseas Sales division, 50 Mazda and assembles a num- Mazda signed a licensing Malcolm Gough, says, “In line ber of other Fords and Mazdas agreement in the 1960s with with Mazda’s global alphanu- from imported kits. West Germany’s NSU, which meric nomenclature strategy, we The first unit was delivered controlled the patents for Dr Felix have named the new truck range in May, 1998, with exports begin- Wankel’s unique rotary engine. BT-50, a global name that will be ning that December. In August In 1967 the rotary-powered used in all markets.” 2000, the plant celebrated produc- Mazda Cosmo Sport was launch- With new three- and 2.5-li- tion of 100,000 vehicles, and it hit ed. Unfortunately, early problems ter, common-rail, direct-injection the 200,000 mark 18 months later. with the rotor seals made the ve- turbo-diesel engines, the new truck AAT currently exports to more hicle a flop. But Mazda perse- delivers, says its makers, “an ex- than 130 countries. vered, and later-generation sports citing blend of sophisticated de- Mazda itself began in 1920 cars – notably the superb RX-7, sign, refinement, responsive han- as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co, and and more recently the four-door dling and dynamic performance”. by 1929 the Hiroshima-based RX-8 – make Mazda the only Gough is less poetic: “The firm was producing Toyo machine mainstream manufacturer to re- BT-50 builds on a tradition of tools. It began manufacturing tain rotary technology. Mazda heritage and values. Its motor vehicles in 1931, with a Other milestones in the aggressive presence, command three-wheeled truck. The follow- company’s history include win- of the road and powerful turbo ing year Toyo Kogyo began ex- ning the Le Mans 24 Hours race engines will provide leadership in ports to China, but it was not until in 1991, the first – and still the the competitive truck segment.” the early 1960s that the company only – victory in the famous en- The three-liter model deliv- – now called Mazda – established durance race by a Japanese car- ers 154bhp (113kW) with peak itself as a full automaker with the maker. It was also the first win by a car with a rotary engine, thereby proving beyond doubt the reliability of this type of engine. Back in Thailand, the new BT-50 will go on sale shortly, with prices starting at 452,900 baht for the 2.5-liter regular cab, while the double cab range will cost from 583,000 baht. After the Bangkok launch in March, Mazda began a lengthy road show, taking the BT- 50 to eight provinces. For more information, visit the website www.mazda.co.th or call Tel: 02-6619880 or (provin- cial toll-free) 1-800-226-408.

Jeff Heselwood may be con- tacted by email at jhc@ netvigator.com May 27 - June 2, 2006 TAKE A BREAK PHUKET GAZETTE 21 PPUZZLESUZZLES The Cryptic Crossword

ACROSS 1. Greed for love god with it? Yes. (8) Spot the Difference 5. Pica manager may make relief. (6) Can you find the seven 10. Pelt unpleasant tongue differences between the two covering. (3) cartoons below? And can you 11. Ban trouser opening in find them faster than the rest boozer! (6) of the family? 12. Missile shelter in dis- Solution on next page. turbed soil. (4) 14. With pot, rip our mess. (6) 15. Two chaps – or one arriving from space. (7) 17. Pierce writer, and French score. (9) 20. Very steep cut. (5) 21. Attend to wants of cat and queen. (5) 23. Informed by experiment, I clap Emir terribly. (9) 25. Carry plum cases. (7) Compiled by Tortuus. © 2006 27. Made restitution for DOWN America? Kill! (9) agent’s help. (6) 6. May stand, or run for 30. Swarm meet back. (4) 1. Slap part of sphygmoma- seat. (1,1) 31. Public Relations is onto it, nometer. (4) 7. Opening on the other immediately. (6) 2. Steal nothing in roof part. hand, if coolant… (7) 32. Air we heard before. (3) (7) 8. …mixed with cold nurses 34. Leave dry area. (6) 3. Forbid place to get de and rogues. (1) 35. In transport, yearn for booze. (5) 9. Styptic bit of metal. (4) appendage. (8) 4. Xylophage in North 13. Rubber time direction to queen. (6) 16. Cardinal embezzled and Scribble Space took a gamble. (10) 18. Tooth deposit for a couple of sailors. (6) 19. Seep around, and ran to language. (9) 22. Cat ringlet takes normal gravity. (7) 24. Bit of ceramic takes him to monster. (7) Solution, tips and 26. Almost hears with them. computer program (4) at www.sudoku.com 28. Point to right in stink. (5) 29. We all, almost, have wellbeing. (4) 33. Hesitant queen? (2)

EZ TRIVIA QUIZ Brain 1. Who invented the ice 6. Which Walt Disney resurfacer machine for character first appeared Buster! ice rinks, now commonly in Pinocchio, serving as referred to by his last Pinocchio’s conscience? In front of you are three name? 7. Alligators recently killed covered cartons. One is 2. The football team three women in which labeled “mustard Juventus is based in US state? packets”; one is labeled which Italian city? 8. Which cartoon character “ketchup packets”; one 3. Which was the first started a club called is labeled “mustard and indoor sports stadium to “G.R.O.S.S.” (Get Rid ketchup packets”. None have Astroturf? Of Slimy girlS)? of the cartons is correctly 4. Which small antelope is 9. Who was the principal labeled. also the name of the author of the US Decla- How can you relabel the South Africa national ration of Independence? cartons correctly if all rugby union team? 10. Which US actor is you’re allowed to do is 5. Anne Robinson has believed to be an “Oper- close your eyes, reach Sudoku is very simple: each row, each column and each “box” of hosted the UK and US ating Thetan Seven” – in into one carton, take out nine squares within the puzzle must contain all the numbers from versions of what popular the Church of one packet, and then look 1 to 9 with, naturally, no repetitions. Beware: there is only one “reality” game show? Scientology? at it? solution to this puzzle, which is on the next page. Answers on next page Answer on next page 22 PHUKET GAZETTE TAKE A BREAK May 27 - June 2, 2006 Get your brain in gear with The Monster Quiz Kids! Ask Mum and Dad to help you find the answers to these questions. They’re not easy but, if you do some research, you should be able to find the answers to all of them. 1. Where would one find 8. Hong Kong Garden was 15. Which two bands the Finland Rail Termi- a 1978 hit single for which were named in a 1968 nus? punk/goth band? Melody Maker article as “Most likely to 2. Which city was founded 9. Captain Kevin Darling is a succeed”? on May 27, 1703, by character from which Tsar Peter the Great? 1989 comedy series? 16. KP Chen founded what in Shanghai on 3. Solsbury Hill, Don’t 10. Which pop star portrayed June 15, 1915? Give Up and Games the character Lucy 17. Which province – Without Frontiers were Wagner in the 2002 film three times the size of Quick Crossword hit singles for which Crossroads? France – is the biggest British musician? in Canada? 11. Which actor placed third ACROSS DOWN 4. The world’s longest- in the 1953 Mr Universe 18. Who wrote Essays or 1. Top yachting trophy (7,3) 1. Frizzy hairstyle. running radio soap opera, competition? Essais in the 16th 6. Quick meal. 2. Direction of sunrise. the BBC’s The Archers, century? 7. Indication of gasoline 3. Computer image. is set in which fictional 12. Which musical city is 4. Precis. 19. In Stendhal’s 1830 power. village? twinned with Cologne? novel Le Rouge et le 11. Machine for moving fluids. 5. Rare. 8. Huge. Noir (The Red and 12. Sporting sides. 5. What is theme tune to 13. Which famous left-handed the Black), what do 9. Height. The Archers called? drummer plays a right- 13. Cartoon bear. 10. Computer correspondence. the colors represent? 14. Failing to win. handed kit? 15. Ladies’ fingers. 20. How many provinces 18. Publish. 16. Zulu warrior unit. 6. What does the initialism 19. Argument. 17. Gang thug. NIMBY stand for? 14. Esther Pauline Friedman are there in the was an agony aunt who Netherlands? 7. What is the Kisdon died in 2002. What was Solution below, right. Force? her nom de plume? Answers below, left

Brain Buster Puzzle Solution

You already know the carton mislabeled “mustard and ketch- Cryptic Crossword Solutions up packets” must contain only mustard packets or only ketch- Monster Quiz Answers up packets. 1. Saint Petersburg, Russia; 11. Sean Connery; If the packet you select is 2. Saint Petersburg, Russia; 12. Liverpool; mustard, you should relabel the 3. Peter Gabriel; 13. Ringo Starr; carton you took it from “mus- 4. Ambridge; 14. Anne Landers; tard packets”. Since you’ve al- 5. Barwick Green; 15. Led Zeppelin and Yes; ready used up the label “mus- 6. Not In My Back Yard; 16. The Shanghai Commercial tard packets”, the carton misla- 7. A series of waterfalls on the and Savings Bank; beled “ketchup packets” cannot River Swale in England; 17. Quebec; possibly contain only mustard 8. Siouxsie and the Banshees; 18. Michel de Montaigne; packets; since it is mislabeled, it 9. Blackadder Goes Forth; 19. The church and the army; can’t contain only ketchup pack- Quick Crossword 10. Britney Spears; 20. Twelve. ets; so you should relabel it “mustard and ketchup packets”. Solution to Cartoon Puzzle Therefore, the remaining carton has to be relabeled as “ketchup packets”; it’s the only possibility left.

EZ Trivia Answers

1. Frank J. Zamboni; 2. Turin; Sudoku 3. The Houston Astrodome; 4. The Springbok(s); 5. Weak- est Link; 6. Jiminy Cricket; 7. Florida; 8. Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes; 9. Thomas Jefferson; 10. Tom Cruise. May 27 - June 2, 2006 FEATURES PHUKET GAZETTE 23

Slippery people: “Our second night on Railay, we went to ‘The Last Bar’ to watch Thai kickboxing, a King Cobra Show, and a fire show. It was ridiculous. The Thai kickboxers were viscous. Emily and I could barely watch.” (1) Emily gets sticky

When? “The villagers enjoyed a comfort- able existence there for around 60 years. brella around. After Bangkoks downpour Beaches here are crowded and therefore On Dec 26, 2005 everything changed. i didnt want to get soaked again walking more polluted … Within minutes, the village was all but miles back to the hotel. Finally in Patong a OUTSIDE “Apart from some old buildings, erased. One house survived the rising girl told me that if you walk around with a Phuket Town is a dead end.”(7) seas.” (2) umbrella your considered gay... cause your IN a man and you shouldnt be scared of By Lis Kinswoman Bak to skool: “While your at the Phuket How far? “Khao Lak: This stretch of rain.... well im not scared, just sick of Zoo you should check out the monkey beaches 185 miles north of Phuket on the walking around in soggy clothes , well that Hello dearies. Heavens, will you just show, well worth it, while there you can sit Thai mainland has developed in the past would explain all the questions.. i dont care look at that rain. Lis hopes you’ve all and chat with a uranatang, very cute.” (8) decade as a low-key destination for divers im still gonna bring the damn umbrella with stocked up with knee-high boots, and lazy beachcombing.” (3) me.... and im not gay either.” (5) plastic ponchos and strong rubbers. 1. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/ She also hopes you’ve bought Phuket/Patong-Beach/blog-50347.html No speaky de lingo? Shame on you: Wise words: “I think it easy to forget in 2. http://www.mikenaiman.com/index_files/ “my biggest complaint is against the long many situations that it is you who are the appropriate clothes for the wet Page358.htm term Thailand residents who have not put foreigner. I find it hard to see myself as season. This week we have a year- 3. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/ in the effort to speak fluent Thai. When arrogant but I am only seeing things one late tsunami, something about Khao 2006-04-25-bonus-rebuild_x.htm one moves to a new country they are ba- way. My way. I think it wise to be respect- Lak relocating to somewhere north 4. http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/ sically adopting this country as their home ful of other cultures. There is no percent- Weekly/weekly120.html and also expecting this new country to adopt age in getting angry in Thailand. of Ranong, and more! There are so 5. http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/ them in return. “At home, it seems to me, that the many bloopers on the Net that Asia/Thailand/Southern_Thailand/Phuket- “But when khun farang basically louder you shout the quicker you solve your someone’s got to collect them… 1444813/Local_Customs-Phuket-BR-5.html thumbs his nose at Thailand as says your problem. We would, I would, not think 6. http://www.thethaibutterfly.com/bkk country isn’t good enough for me to learn twice about rocking into a police station ladyboys.htm to speak your language or learn your cus- and shouting the odds. I know my rights. All roads lead to nowhere: “The hap- 7. http://www.asiahotels.com/cityguides/ toms, then why should khun Thai be so “Try that shit in Asia and you may pening hub is Patong Beach with tourists thailand-phuket.asp happy to have us there?” (4) well not be seen again for some time. It far outnumbering Thais. 8. http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/ can be an incredibly frustrating experience “There’s too much concrete in this Asia/Thailand/Southern_Thailand/Phuket- Hydrophobic homophobia: “I was con- but you will be wise to sit on your hands area, hotels, restaurant, pubs, go-go bars 1444813/Things_To_Do-Phuket-More_ stantly asked why i was carrying a um- and shut your mouth.” (6) and shops all jumbled right by the beach. excursions_and_shows-BR-3.html

ames Eckardt is a buddy of mine, so if you expect this to be an objective review, Jgo think again. Aside from Jim’s boat comes in friendship, he’s bigger than I am – twin considerations that have tion, his stroppy granddaughter, section, because I am not a boat his editor, the immortal and gen- shaped this fawning paean to the playing second fiddle to a dog in guy. I mean, boats kill people. erally infallible Richard Baker, on excellence of his latest literary Off the a movie, giving succor to jailed Look at what happened to the the question of how many Re- work. Americans as a Vice-Consul in passengers aboard Titanic. And gatta chapters to include. Looks Thai Jinks: Madcap Mis- Songkhla, his Peace Corps stint that was a pretty big boat. like Jim won most of them. Next adventures on Land and Sea in SHELF in Africa, his education as a Ro- But Jim is a boat guy, and time listen to your editor, Jimmy. Thailand (Asia Books, 2006, 273 S Tsow on man Catholic seminarian. It’s also a race guy. There are 10 In their defense, it must be pages) is Jim’s seventh book. James Eckardt hard to believe, but this Falstaff- chapters devoted to boat races – said that these chapters are en- Aside from two novels, Running ian figure was once an aspirant from a marathon race to the livened by the antics of a variety with the Sharks and Boat People, page 28 captures his essence, and to the priesthood; even today he Andaman and Nicobar Islands of colorful crew members, with he has chronicled his own slap- the first line of his first story sets can quote St Thomas Aquinas and back, to the King’s Cup Re- much witty banter and beery ca- stick misadventures in the won- the tone: “Out onto the polo field and Hunter S Thompson with gatta, down to a lowly race be- maraderie. Boat guys ’n’ gals will derfully named Waylaid by the in Hua Hin slunk the craven equal ease. tween scruffy teams of journal- love every race, and the rest of Bimbos, On the Bus, and The Bangkok Post team: squinty- “At Sea” has illuminating ists on the Nan River. the book is a rollicking read for Year of Living Stupidly. Another eyed, slack-jawed, pigeon-toed, portrayals of Koh Samui before There are five chapters on anybody. book, Bangkok People, profiles spindly-shanked, slump-shoul- it was spoiled by upmarket greed, various King’s Cup Regattas As one who has read every a motley collection of well-known dered, pot-bellied, limp-wristed and Laem Phra Nang, which in alone. For a non-boat guy who book Jim has published, I can tes- and lesser-known Bangkok peo- woebegone wimps.” And from 1989 was what Koh Samui used doesn’t know the difference be- tify that he’s getting better and ple. there we’re up and away on a to be. But for the most part, “At tween a Hobie Cat and a spinna- better. I eagerly await his next In Thai Jinks, Jim returns roller-coaster ride of a rollicking Sea” is about boat races. I con- ker, one would have sufficed. Jim masterpiece. But, Jim: next time, to his roots and his favorite topic: read. fess that I skimmed most of this must have had many tussles with not so many boats. himself. Here he fills in the gaps The book is illustrated by 35 in his own stupendous personal sprightly cartoons – one for each history. If you begin to suspect chapter – by Colin Cotterill, a that he has a touching belief that popular author in his own right. every blink and twitch in his mis- All the cartoon characters look spent life ought to be immortal- grubby, diseased, or insane. For ized in print, you’d have it about this book, that’s exactly right. right. Thai Jinks is divided into Jim is Bangkok’s answer to two sections: “On Land” and “At Brendan Behan – a braying, Sea.” “On Land” covers a kalei- bawdy, hirsute hulk of guffawing doscope of Jim’s terrestrial ad- gusto and irrepressible exuber- ventures: elephant polo matches, ance. A matchless cartoon on what it’s like to work at The Na- 24 PHUKET GAZETTE EDITORIAL & LETTERS May 27 - June 2, 2006

367/2 Yaowarat Rd, Amphur Muang, Phuket 83000 Tel: 076-236555 - Since 1994 - Fax: 076-213971 Email: [email protected]

Zoning, private enterprise and transparency The recent announcement by the Phuket Provincial Industry Office (PPIO) that it will force car and truck repair garages and metal- workers’ shops that “cause pollution” to relocate from residential areas of Phuket City (see news pages) will come as welcome news to long-suffering residents in many neighborhoods. In order to limit the charges of favoritism that will inevitably result, the PPIO needs to establish objective criteria from the outset about which types of businesses will need to relocate. The agency states that the main factors behind the forced relocation are air and noise pollution, and that it will use existing legislation governing fac- tories for its criteria, but it is still unclear whether a business will be given chances to “clean up its act” before being ordered to relocate and, if so, how many chances. While small motorcycle repair shops tend to blight residential communities, their presence is convenient for the many island resi- dents who travel by motorbike and need to service their vehicles, and these will be allowed to stay put. At the other end of the spectrum are large service centers that have invested millions in setting up their operations in the areas they Letters currently occupy. In some cases, their presence there predates resi- dential communities that have grown up around them. The Gazette is pleased to receive mail from read- your views for publication in our next issue. Is it fair to ask the owners of such shops to shoulder the finan- ers. Please write to us at 367/2 Yaowarat Rd, We reserve the right to edit all letters. Pseudonyms cial burden of relocating to an area where many of the competitive Amphur Muang, Phuket 83000, fax to 076-213971 are acceptable only if your full name and address advantages they now enjoy will be lost? or send an email to [email protected] with are supplied. Another area of concern is transparency. The company on as much as 15 centimeters deep the beach side of the road with- whose land the new industrial park would be located, Anuphas & Let straying dogs die and 30cm or more in length or out being harassed to buy any- Son, has long enjoyed close links to Phuket City Municipality. breadth, perfect, in other words, thing. While the company has long put public needs before its own Your editorial of May 20 extol- for a motorcycle’s front wheel to It reminded me very much bottom line – for example, by allowing the Municipality to draw wa- ling the decision of the Soi Dog descend into it, causing the un- of the early days of the Gold ter from its tin mines for decades, free of charge – the decision as to Foundation (SDF) and Phuket wary rider to be catapulted over Coast in Australia, and some of where to site such an industrial park should be open to public partici- Provincial Livestock Office the handlebars of the machine. the first steps that that beach re- pation and an open bidding process in order to ensure fairness to all (PPLO) to finally bury the hat- Drivers of vehicles with sort took in growing. sides. chet and begin working together four or more wheels are at risk I do hope, however, that This is especially important for local residents and property is correct – as far as it goes. of destroying their vehicles’ front Patong does not follow the Gold owners along Phra Phuket Kaew Rd, which is also the site of con- However, it misses the key suspension in craptacular style if Coast all the way to the air-con- siderable residential property development, both planned and already point: sterilization and re-release they inadvertently deposit a wheel ditioned-shopping-mall monstros- underway. of strays never has been – and into one of these micro-abysses. ity that Surfers Paradise is now. The current plan highlights the need for zoning to be put in never will be – the solution to the To avoid these potholes re- All that Patong Beach needs place before rapid development occurs – not after. Having argued stray dog problem on an island quires the driving finesse and now is for the beachfront park- for years in favor of zoning on the island, the Gazette supports this where the vast majority of pet lightning-fast reactions of Juan ing to be sorted out and for the scheme – but it must be implemented fairly. owners fail to accept responsibil- – The Editor ity for their animals. Manuel Fangio on speed. Factor power cables to be put under- As the poll conducted on the in, too, that certain sections of this ground and it will be worth visit- Gazette website a few years ago road and others are not blessed ing. showed, a majority of island resi- with functioning streetlights and Chuck dents – both Thai and foreign – the potential for disaster is all too Chalong In association with The Nation Multimedia Group PCL would like to see an end to the plain; whose grim task will it be stray dog problem once and for to clean the mess up afterwards? Utterly bill bored all, even if it means having to put And, just as important, who Editor: Rungtip Hongjakpet Izmen down some of these unfortunate will take the blame squarely on Two large billboards have re- Managing Editor: Alasdair Forbes animals. the chin like a man instead of cently appeared near Laem Singh Deputy Editor: Chris Husted Whether at each others’ fudging a response, smiling, Beach, advertising a beer hall in Chief Reporter: Sangkhae Leelanapaporn throats or working together in shrugging and blaming an under- Patong. paid coolie? Are huge and incongruous Editorial Team: Stephen Fein, Andy Johnstone, Sam Wilkinson, Nattamon harmony, the SDF and the PPLO will hardly make a dent in the My daughter, Penelope, has boards like this legal on public Ratcharak, Natcha Yuttaworawit, Janyaporn Morel, Jenjira Ruengjarus island’s stray dog population. already come a cropper on this land? Have the appropriate ad- Unfortunately, and despite appalling stretch of road. I urge vertising taxes been paid? Does Managing Director: Rungtip Hongjakpet Izmen pseudo-scientific arguments to all readers to submit claims for the farang barmaid depicted on General Manager: Oranee Pienprasertkul the contrary, only mandatory pet repairs to motor vehicles pranged the billboard have a work permit Marketing Manager: Natthira Susangrat registration, enforced leash laws, to the head of the relevant de- for this allegedly reserved occu- partment charged with oversee- pation? Classifieds Manager: Phatsara Raktammakit dog catchers and – as a last re- sort – euthanasia, will accomplish ing this mess of potholes. I don’t know if I’m alone in Events & Public Relations Manager: Athipa Bunnak that. Sir Hugh Creighton-Ward thinking these things look a bit Publisher: The Phuket Gazette Co Ltd Name withheld by request Blackburn vulgar and out of place. Rawai Lancashire Perhaps there’s some kind Contact us of nonsense about them being al- Wholly unsuitable lowed because they also “point Advertising Sales: [email protected] Impressive Patong the way” to the (irritatingly mis- Classified Advertising: [email protected] Although the resurfacing work to spelled) Laem Singh Beach? Website Services: [email protected] Chao Fa West Rd appears to be I recently visited Patong and was That’s only my guess. moving on apace, something must impressed with how the beach- Gazette Guide inquiries: [email protected] Please don’t identify me by be done – and bally swiftly – front is starting to look, after the name, since I’m relatively new Telephone: 076-236555 (10 lines) Fax: 076-213971 about the potholes along certain much maligned makeover [by the here and already have my share stretches, in particular, the area Tourism Authority of Thailand]. of enemies, and don’t need any close to the Wang Talang duty - Families were picnicking in The views expressed in the Phuket Gazette are those of the writers and contributors more. and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, the editor, the shareholders, or the free store. the park, children were playing on “Ogden Nash” directors of The Phuket Gazette Co Ltd. The potholes there can be the swings and I could walk down Phuket Letters conveying views and suggestions are published here. Those seeking comment from government Copyright © 1994-2006 The Phuket Gazette Co Ltd officials and/or business owners are published in Issues & Answers online. May 27 - June 2, 2006 PERSPECTIVES PHUKET GAZETTE 25 Keep the momentum moving

he main mass of inter- una’s Laguna Village community national-standard hotel next to the resort. product in Phuket has, FIRST One should also not forget Tover the past 10 years, Allan Zeman’s high-end boutique seen a defined shift north. Before Andara Hotel, the Hyatt Regency that, the focus was on the tradi- PERSON slated for Nai Yang, the private tional tourist areas of Rawai, Barama Bay island project in Ao Kata-Karon and Patong. Be- Po and the upgrading of the Pearl cause of their heavy dependence ecent high-profile news stories Resort at Nai Yang to five stars. on European tourists, a key char- Rabout huge hotel deals on Further afield, in Phang Nga acteristic of these places was Phuket indicate that the island must (in particular Ko Pilai and Natai their marked high-low seasonal- Beach), the opening of the up- ity. be doing something right. From the market Allenta will show that the With the introduction of the recent 3.7-billion-baht sale of combination of white, sandy Laguna mixed-use development Crowne Plaza to Islandia Park for beaches, easy access to the air- in the mid-1990s, Phuket became 1.1 billion baht to the breaking port and more natural surround- a year-round destination, seeing ings will see development in that a more rounded market mix that news of Le Royal Meriden Yacht area move quickly. included tourists from Asia and Club being sold for a reported 1.3 Looking into the coming the growth of the meetings, in- billion baht, international financial few years there, issues do remain centives, conferences and exhi- that must be addressed for the bitions, or “Mice”, business. institutions are showing a surge of benefit of hotels and, on a larger By attracting these two new interest in the island. Phuket is scale, tourism in Phuket. market segments, Laguna was plainly doing something right. First and foremost is the able to lift both its annualized oc- current lack of a dedicated gov- cupancy and its average room Here, analyst Bill Barnett, Man- ernment or private-sector desti- rates. It also set the performance aging Director of asset manage- nation marketing body. bar well above that of the rest of ment and hospitality consulting The post-tsunami experi- the island. ence has taught us the dangers Key demand drivers for this company C9 Hotelworks, looks at of relying on the TAT and its ill- shift toward the north included its how this came about and pinpoints advised Andaman Recovery pro- closer proximity to the airport, the three areas that will require continu- motion. Instead, we must our- selection of branded products and ing attention in order to preserve the selves build overseas recognition the coming of age of the private of Phuket as a brand name and swimming pool villa, as found at momentum. destination. Banyan Tree and Amanpuri. Second is the reintroduction Moving into 2000 and the as distance from the airport, include LaSalle Investment Man- Following this shift are of direct flights to Phuket from succeeding years, Phuket was availability and cost of land, and agement, Lehmann Brothers, new building projects currently vital markets such as Hong Kong. able to draw level with Bali in the changes in hotel product (the pool Lippo Group and Deutsche Bank under development including This seems to be on collision race for the title of Asia’s pre- villas of the Four Seasons Bali or Group (DBG). Cape Yamu, to be managed by course with Bangkok’s short- mier resort destination, and to Ritz Carlton, for example) saw a The acquisition and devel- GHM (affiliated to the Chedi term focus of pushing all interna- capitalize on rate growth and shift in the marketplace. opment – now in the initial stages and the Aman group); a luxury tional traffic through the new Su- brand-name recognition. This same template is eas- – of the site formerly owned by all-pool villa resort next to the varnabhumi Airport. Key regional economies ily adopted in Phuket, and the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Marriott developed by Bill Last, improvements to the grew during these years. That trend is clear. in Bang Tao, the purchase from Heineke’s stock-market-listed infrastructure of roadways serv- growth created greater demand Despite 9/11, Sars and the EIE of nearly 1,000 rai adjacent Royal Garden Resorts; and the ing the central and southern parts from these same regional mar- Bali bombings, Phuket has re- to its existing development by 120-room Sala property in Mai of the island are badly needed, kets for good tourist destinations, mained a profitable hotel market. Laguna Hotels & Resorts and the Khao, being built by the same along with the rerouting under- and Phuket offered primary ben- Worldwide economic growth, to- DBG partnership with BCCC all group that owns the Evason on ground of power and telephone efits: favorable door-to-door gether with regional markets, the demonstrate this shift to larger Koh Samui. cables so as not to impair the travel time and political and eco- introduction of low-cost air car- projects. New mixed-use develop- natural splendor of what is still nomic stability. riers and increased demand in key At the same time, new up- ments, combining hotel and resi- Southeast Asia’s premier desti- Phuket was soon able to feeder markets (Singapore and per-tier hotels products including dential products – include the nation. eclipse Bali, which was hampered Hong Kong) contributed to tour- Trisara, Twin Palms, Treetops Bang Tao site now being devel- The recent heavy invest- by political issues and extraordi- ism in the area. Arasia, Phuket Pavilions, along oped by Durham Investments, ment in Phuket from overseas is nary events within Indonesia. A key development in 2003, with rooms extensions at the affiliated to Indonesian giant JSI; a show of confidence in the fu- Despite a golden hotel market on and a sign of a more developed Sheraton Grande Laguna, the the West Sands project in Mai ture of tourism here, but keeping Bali, there was not a marked in- infrastructure as well as an off- Banyan Tree and the Marriott Khao being developed by the that confidence will mean con- crease in hotel supply during this shoot of the maturing of the hotel Resort have increased supply in CEO of UK supermarket giant tinuing promotion and investment period. In Phuket, however, the industry, was the emergence of the north of the island. Tesco; and the launch of Lag- in infrastructure. year-on-year hotel performance the residential and holiday home of the Laguna-area properties, market. compared with that of the rest of Driven by wealthy individu- Proof of no previous marriage Issues the island, surged. als from Hong Kong, Singapore My problem concerns a visa ap- there was no marriage in the first & Informed by this, Bill Hein- and more recently Britain, a num- plication my Thai wife made to place. Is there a central office ANSWERS eke’s development of the JW ber of million-dollar estates enter the UK. We met almost that records all marriages, or are Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa quickly came to market and three years ago and married in marriages recorded only at the and adjoining vacation-ownership equally quickly were sold. November 2005. local District Offices? For your wife to be issued complex in the northwest of the On the heels of this, Bang Later the same month she If there is a central office, a letter stating that she did not island signaled a fundamental Tao, Kamala, Surin and then the made her initial application to the is it possible to search there to marry before she married you, shift in property development and east coast of the island saw a British Embassy and returned for show that my wife was never she has to take her ID card and investment on the island. boom in high-end estates capital- a second interview earlier this married before marrying me? tabien baan (house registration Looking at the maturation of izing on large land plots reaching month when the application was Steven Fletcher document), and the birth certifi- island resort markets such as Bali, the market, as well as the devel- refused. By email cate of her daughter, to the Dis- with its grass-roots cottage indus- opment of marinas such as Boat The main reason for refusal trict Office where she is regis- try in Kuta, and then larger re- Lagoon, Yacht Haven, Royal was the fact that – before we Suksan Siang-Ake, chief (Pa- tered on a tabien baan. sorts in Sanur and the mixed-use Phuket Marina, the Blue Canyon were married – she titled herself lad) of the census registration If the census registration development of Nusa Dua, and Country Club (BCCC) and the as “Mrs”, although she had never department at Kathu District officer there is satisfied that there finally to the Jimbaran area with Jack Nicklaus-designed Mission been married. She has a daugh- Office, replies: is enough evidence to prove she its premium products, it can be Hills. ter, which is why she took the Many years ago, Thai law had never married before mar- said that every market experi- Phuket post-tsunami has title. stipulated that a Thai woman who rying you, the officer will issue a ences geographical shifts over a seen continued growth in the real Is there any way we can has had children must use the title letter stating that this is the case. number of years based on a num- estate market and the return of prove that she had not been pre- “Mrs”, even if she had not mar- You will then be able to then show ber of factors. the tourists. Institutional investors viously married? We cannot ried. However, this law is no that particular letter to the Brit- In Bali, such fundamentals have entered the arena. These prove she has been divorced as longer in effect. ish embassy. 26 PHUKET GAZETTE FEATURES May 27 - June 2, 2006

In The Stars by Isla St ar

GEMINI (May 22-June 21): CAPRICORN (December 22- Stepping stones will appear as if January 20): Inspiration strikes by magic, enabling you to further just when you need it most. If you The edge progress. This will be relevant if WHAT have been feeling burned out you have been frustrated by an lately, you will receive a timely elinda Carlisle crooned, inability to move on to the next THE boost of energy from the stars. “Ooh heaven is a place level of a business project. Ro- You can count on Pisces to back on earth!” Explorers mance is in the air this weekend; you up, but Gemini is another combing the globe Scorpio has got your number and kettle of fish. If you’re single and B HEAVENS have yet to confirm this. High intends to use it. Make hay while tired of it, make contact with an school students smirk and point the sun is shining, but take time old flame who you still have feel- at Graduation Day. out to rest when it is not. HAVE ings for. There’s good chance Graduation Day: the teasing that this relationship could work light at the end of the tunnel, the CANCER (June 22-July 23): You out the second time around. summit of the mountain that has will have reason to thank your IN taken seven years of secondary lucky stars this week. You will AQUARIUS (January 21-Febru- education to climb. The question have had a narrow escape from STORE ary 19): You may heave a sigh is: does it all go downhill from Youth ’n a situation that would have been of relief as May gives way to here? costly. Unwinding should be the June. You can be forgiven for As I’m writing this, my grad- name of your game on Saturday FOR thinking that you’ve had an un- uation seems a long way off. I’m and Sunday. Keep your agenda in the middle of my exams, and ASIA fair share of problems in recent free and only do what really takes weeks, but life is about to be- I’m sitting at my desk, the per- By Ella Micheler your fancy. If you thought the YOU come smoother. One pressing fect picture of a stressed high month of May has been an event- financial problem is certain to be school student. tion to fix it all for the good of the ful one, get ready for even more solved in your favor and a per- Textbooks that would be ri- human race. It’s no wonder that action in June. THIS sonal dilemma will benefit from diculously obese if they were peo- many teenagers these days have both sides taking time out. The ple are piled up on my desk in an little interest in politics – we’re LEO (July 24-August 22): The WEEK color sapphire blue encourages attempt to touch the ceiling. Mill- considered adults when it comes only thing you should guard better luck with money. er’s Death of a Salesman is tee- to paying entrance fees in amuse- against this week is over-excite- tering precariously at the top, ment parks, but we’re not adult ment. A whirl of social activity threatening to fall on my head if I enough to be able to vote before catches you unawares, with un- visable to believe what Aqua- PISCES (February 20-March don’t read it soon to prepare for the age of 18. planned get-togethers occupying rians have to say; their silver 20): Networking is your key to my English exam. Certain politicians are no most of your time on Saturday tongues could easily lead you up success this week. Broadening The coffee cup next to me more mature than we are, and and Sunday. If you’re in the mood the jungle path. The snail’s pace your circle of social contacts will is begging to be refilled, and is some are even less so. Govern- to take a chance on romance, of May is about to give way to ensure that you have more fish probably more awake than I am, ments fight over oil the way tod- Aries needs little encouragement. faster action in June. Personal to fry in June. Travel is high- even if it’s empty. I’ve started dlers fight over a train set – ex- Wear mellow yellow to encour- relationships will give you more lighted, particularly if you have hearing voices: it’s as if the text- cept that certain governments age a tranquil mood. Those al- satisfaction and finances will be recently got back in touch with books are exuding the voices of have a nasty tendency to bomb ready in a relationship will dis- affected by benevolent astral old friends overseas. Disagree- the trees that died in making them, places they’re not pleased with, cover a new side to their conditions. Number 3 can bring ments with a partner are likely and the screams of previous stu- while toddlers will merely pull partner’s character. luck on Tuesday. towards the end of next week and dents who fell victim to their pag- these will probably be sparked off es. due to different financial aims. VIRGO (August 23-September SCORPIO (October 24-Novem- In the weeks leading up to 23): You are advised to shape up You are strongly advised to listen Graduation Day, the pressure in- ber 22): Your talent for changing to their point of view. or ship out. You will soon have direction faster than a chameleon side us builds up exponentially – regrets if you don’t make the ef- not only do we have exams to Hotels alters color will come in very use- fort to nurture a particular rela- ARIES (March 21-April 20): You worry about, but then there’s also ful this week. Scorpios who be- shouldn’t let a friend’s irritated tionship. Show how much you lieved they were firmly on the university applications, finding the care by making a spontaneous mood affect you. Words spoken right dress for the graduation din- LARGER track toward establishing a new in the heat of the moment this gesture this weekend. Financial business interest will be faced ner, the niggling regrets about the rewards are about to increase as Sunday could lead to an estrange- things you wish you could have THAN with a new set of circumstances ment that will be hard to repair. your talents have been noticed by before the end of May. Luckily, changed about your high school LIFE someone on the sidelines. The Where romance is concerned, years, and the worries of going By Graham Doven your creative energy is running give out clear signs of your inter- outlook for June is promising if high at the moment and coming out into the big, bad world all on you’re prepared to take some est to ensure that a golden op- your own. up with innovative ideas won’t be portunity doesn’t pass you by. hat’s going on in the calculated risks. a problem. Number 9 is lucky on In that sense, Graduation hotel business? 3.7 This should occur on Monday, Day is like a pin poking a hole in Monday. when Cupid is poised to lend a billion baht for a LIBRA (September 24-October an anxious puffer fish. The sec- hotel behind the 23): You are in danger of jump- hand. Number 3 is lucky on ond we get to throw those groovy W SAGITTARIUS (November 23- road that runs along the beach- ing the gun concerning a busi- Wednesday. graduation caps towards the December 21): If you have be- front? And another resort going ness arrangement. It is not ad- skies, the air escapes and we’re come romantically interested in TAURUS for 1.3 billion baht the same (April 21-May 21): You free! an Arian, you should receive en- month? often make the mistake of ex- Or are we? couraging signs this weekend. Be pecting others to behave as you Every bit of beach land left Sure, we’re adults now, honest about your expectations in would in certain situations. You on the west coast seems to be we’re free to make our own de- a relationship from the beginning are now faced with the discov- getting snapped up for new ho- cisions, to party and get tattoos to avoid disappointment in the ery that someone is really not tels, and by big names like Hyatt, near future. Work wise, you are going to do what you would do. on our asses. On the other hand, Conrad, Peninsula and the like. entering a phase when others will Remain as flexible as a bamboo we’re constrained by added re- Does this mean that we can appear to disregard your opinions. shoot to avoid disappointment in sponsibilities: paying bills, juggling expect to see a lot more bodies Keep written proof of everything love. If work commitments are a part-time job with university here in two or three years? Prob- that is said at meetings, no mat- thin on the ground, utilize your courses, having to clean up after ably. ter how trivial it seems at the free time to make progress with ourselves and feeding ourselves. “The future of the tourist time. creative personal projects. The last point is the most worry- industry in Phuket appears to be ing to teenagers – we learn cool rock solid,” says Bob James, cur- things like how many up-quarks rent President of the Pacific Asia there are in a proton, but when it Travel Association and former comes to practical things like Vice-President and Director of cooking fried rice, schools look Marketing for the Central Group away guiltily. Getting good grades of Hotels. on exams may get us into univer- “In spite of the glitch last sity, but it doesn’t guarantee suc- year, the industry is coming back cess and it’s bloody useless in very strongly in Phuket, but the everyday life. investment in hotels is Thailand- As if that isn’t enough, pre- wide, especially Bangkok. vious generations have done a “The hotel investment is fine job of screwing up the plan- stronger than the property indus- et and now expect our genera- try at the moment, when previ- May 27 - June 2, 2006 FEATURES PHUKET GAZETTE 27 Busted in the bush of adulthood From the Phuket Gazette, issue of May 1996 CHALONG: On April 14, Cha- saw the uninvited guests, they each other’s hair. Following this Shakespeare – you’re the worst Darwin was right: adaptation is long police told Siang Tai that a beat it about the bush, split up, and dubious example, it would be per- of the lot with your whiny tragic the key to survival. group of gamblers were found hit the dust. After a flat-out run fectly reasonable to bomb Cali- heroes and observations on the Of course, the reason why playing cards in Rawai district which left everyone bushed, the fornia because the new Red Hot human condition!) things are looking so bleak at the bushes. good guys arrested Chili Peppers CD is overpriced. The confusing thing is, moment is because I’ve spent The police THE TIME nine bad bush’- Science now is also far schools don’t really want us to most of the day despairing over raided the area nessmen. more difficult – you can’t just sit embrace the idea that there is no my history notes, wondering after receiving The evidence under an apple tree or jump into meaning to life – that would con- what the acronym LUST stands reports about the machine seized included gamblers hiding playing cards val- a tub and have an epiphany. All tradict everything we’ve ever for in the context of the Spanish News from the past the “easy” things have already been told about do- Civil War. (Franco their flashlights ued at 1,080 baht. been discovered (“easy” mean- ing well in exams, was a Livid and under a ‘bushel’. Big deal. The play- ing discoveries that don’t require getting into a good Science now Ugly Spanish Total- They then sent in a dozen ‘bush- ers were charged with illegal gam- super fast graphical calculators university, getting a itarian? The main crime busters’ to surround the bling, once again proving that old and millions of dollars in funding). good job, getting is also far cause of war was bushmen. However, when the adage that a bird in the buff is Now we’re left with the hard married, having cute more difficult Lots of Unresolved embarrassed strip poker players not necessarily better in the bush. stuff, such as how to save the rugrats and a dog, – you can’t Sexual Tension?) world’s natural resources, or find- then dying happily. just sit under I’m nearing ing an exact quantitative value for The question the end of the tun- Gov denies being ‘too the meaning of life. I’ve been asked an apple tree nel and the light is If there even is a meaning most frequently over or jump into a warm and inviting. to life, that is. the past few weeks tub and have Graduation isn’t just strict’ on work permits Education has improved in is, “What are your the end of our high From the Phuket Gazette, issue of May 15-31, 2001 that students are being challenged plans after gradua- an epiphany. school life, it’s the to question given truths. English tion?” beginning of our PHUKET: Phuket Governor “I’m not against foreign Literature classes do an excellent While I give adult life, our inde- Pongpayome Vasaputi has denied business people, but they should job in confusing teenage minds, the standard answer of “going to pendence. Graduation doesn’t being too strict on work permits do things by the book, and not by forcing philosophical works university”, the truth is, I only only occur once – it’s an ongoing and new company registrations. bypass the law,” he said. down our unwilling throats. have a vague idea of what I want process as we continually change In a statement made on April 26, He also said that business- At a time where we’re still out of life. The majority of my ourselves and our view of life. he insisted that he was simply men who follow the law and op- trying to figure out who we are graduating class are the same. We may not have a clue as enforcing the law. erate legally will have no prob- and what we want in life, we’re Perhaps the most important thing to who we are, but we do know “I haven’t done anything lems, and that the only people who being asked to consider the pos- I’ve learned in school is that it’s that individuality should be em- extraordinary. All I’ve done is should be worried are those who sibility that there might not be a useless to plan obsessively for the braced. In that case, my one wish ensured that procedures are fol- have lied to government officers. point to our life (Yes, I’m talking future. Things don’t turn out the for all the graduates of 2006 lowed according to Thai law. “Which country in the world to you, Samuel Beckett, and you way you want them to, no matter would be to wear our hat of “The problem before was would approve a new company too Albert Camus! And don’t how many back-up plans you choice, rather than mortarboards. that no one checked and no one in only 10 minutes?” he asked. think you can hide back there, have. You have to be flexible. I’d wear a sombrero. followed the law. If someone ap- “I’d also like to know which plied to set up a company, the country would approve a Thai officers approved the application setting up a new firm in an hour.” immediately and never checked The crackdown has had an if the company was bona fide or effect, said Veerachai Tantiwa- fine. As for the rest… not,” he explained. thanavallop, chief of Phuket Com- Gov Pongpayome told the mercial Register Office. “Be- Gazette that if foreign business- cause of the difficulties in apply- dering if they’re having a good men have problems and want ing for a work permit or setting time or not – or maybe they’re more flexibility [in investing], then up a company, we have seen a thinking about having to go out they should tell the government drop in foreign investment,” he and leave the sanctuary of the that made the law. noted. hotel or perhaps about the jour- ney back to the airport. Phuket’s hotels and resorts are certainly five star, but there is nothing five star about the rest of the island. For example, the road that carries huge numbers of people every day, winding across the is- land from Thalang through Cherng Talay, Patong and Kata to Chalong is a disaster. Tour buses thunder around The hotels are wonderful, but getting to and from them is a nightmare. the bends by the western beach- es, overtaking concrete trucks Ad-Watermark ously it was the other way round. It’s not just the airport. Can and getting overtaken by mini- 2x5 Possibly the slight slowdown [in we expect to see the infrastruc- buses carrying people to large property] is due to the current ture of the island massively up- tourist attractions. K. Ann political atmosphere, which graded to cope with the rapid Motorcycles cruise along doesn’t concern the big hotel and growth? Three times more bod- sometimes three abreast, the rid- financial institutions as much as ies probably translates into three ers yapping to each other and the private buyer. It will be very or more times the number of cars paying no attention to traffic be- temporary.” on the island’s roads. hind that cannot get past. But there are other issues It’s great to talk about ho- It’s not going to get any bet- to consider. A lot more bodies tels with five-star-plus facilities ter and nobody seems to have any means that by the time the and service and staying in such idea of a solution. It’s wonderful airport’s immigration section is establishments is no doubt very to have all these resorts, but upgraded to three times the cur- pleasant, if not a little boring at something needs to be done about rent capacity, there will be three times. the island’s infrastructure, and times more bodies arriving, with I mean, have you ever soon. three times the number of people looked at the people sitting around And it’s not only the roads standing in long lines wondering lobby lounges and bars? They al- that need attention. There’s an how there can be so much dif- ways look as if they’re waiting even bigger issue: water. Let’s not ference between Immigration in to see the dentist. even go down that road in this Issues & Answers Singapore and Immigration in They all wear a sort of blank column. I’m only allowed so www.phuketgazette.net/issuesanswers/index.asp Thailand. look on their faces, probably won- much space… 28 PHUKET GAZETTE COMPUTERS May 27 - June 2, 2006 IT ISSUES By John Seebach his week I will discuss Podcasting one of my favorite new subjects – podcasting. TThe word itself is a com- bination of the “broadcasting” and the popular Apple MP3 player, “iPod”. Pearl Jam However, it is not necessary to use an iPod to view or listen to podcasts; just about any MP3 player and for sure every PC and laptop can play them. Put simply, podcasting is the and more posting of audio – and recently video – files on a webpage or blog as an RSS 2.0 envelope or feed (RSS stands for Real Simple Syn- dication), which allows users to subscribe through a newsreader, before… such as Ipodder. Users can sign up on a webpage and choose to automati- later. The main difference is that mous newscaster or magazine. cally receive these files or manu- with podcasting the information You first rush to check which ally select and download them is received in its final format and channel or radio station is going whenever they want. Once they placed onto a portable device that to air it, and at what time. You have them on their PC or laptop, is independent of the recording then do your best to be available Simple as black and white: iPods gave the world the word they simply synchronize with their device. This allows full freedom at the scheduled broadcast time, ‘podcasting’ though it is no longer necessary to own an iPod in order favorite player such as iTunes, in downloading and listening or or, if it the interview is to be broad- to enjoy podcasting. – Illustration courtesy of Apple. Windows Media Player or Mu- watching the files. cast on TV, program your VCR The next time you check curring. Mobile blogs, called sic Match and listen or watch their Podcasts follow a simple – if you still have one. your email, your computer auto- moblogs, currently allow individu- favorite podcasts at their leisure. “publish and subscribe” model, All this is a bit hit and miss, matically connects and down- als with Internet-enabled camera Many users compare pod- but with a convenient twist. Con- so let’s try the podcasting alter- loads a copy of the podcast. phones to instantly submit photo casting with digital video record- sider this example: you have just native. You hear about the inter- Then when you plug in your images from their phone directly ers (DVR), such as TiVo, because heard that your favorite author or view, so you find a webpage that portable MP3 device, the podcast to the moblog. it allows you to “record” or down- a politician has agreed to do a allows you to subscribe to receive is automatically downloaded to The images are then in turn load the information and enjoy it one-on-one interview with a fa- a podcast of the interview. your player, where it sits until you automatically transferred to have time to enjoy it. someone else’s phone through a This is only the beginning – Macromedia Flash-enabled brow- just imagine the possibilities as ser. digital formats allow smaller files Some people are using their and MP3 players, including mo- mobile phones to record sounds bile phones, to get better. and songs and then submitting There is no end to what you them to specific websites that can subscribe to and later enjoy automatically turn them into at your leisure. podcasts that sends them to a list Podcasts are rapidly in- of subscribers. creasing in popularity because The new generation of they are simple to videophones will produce and very bring this whole inexpensive to de- This is only the thing to bear. The liver. cool thing is that At its sim- beginning – just this is all evolving plest, all that is re- imagine the in weeks rather quired to create a possibilities as than months or podcast is a per- years. sonal computer digital formats allow The exact with a sound card, smaller files and impact is impos- a cheap or built-in MP3 players, sible to predict, but microphone, sound including mobile if things continue editing freeware, as they have, we and an Internet phones, get better. will see highly use- connection with ful, if not amazing, access to a changes to the website. Because of the low cost broadcasting world in general of entry, nearly anyone with a over the next five years. computer can be a publisher, or I for one am jumping onto more accurately a broadcaster. this bandwagon in a big way. The Podcasts should not be con- implications for advertising and fused with video-on-demand loyalty programs are staggering, “VOD casts”, which are a bit so I just can’t help myself from more complex and require a inventing a few new ways to slightly larger investment in equip- shop using podcasting. My next ment and time, but still fall well step is to complete the business into the technical and financial plan and offer it up to seed capi- realm of anyone with a digital tal so let me know if you have video camera and a higher-end some extra cash laying around. desktop or laptop computer. Both of these technologies John Seebach has 25 years’ are evolving rapidly and will be- consulting experience in Infor- come major players in global mation Systems and Business media. Process Re-engineering. His As the tools to capture con- company, Island Technology, tent become more available and offers IT solutions and broad- easier to use, you can imagine the band services throughout flood of information that will soon Southeast Asia. For more infor- be heading our way. mation, send an email to john Already, variations are oc- @islandtechnology.com May 27 - June 2, 2006 PHUKET GAZETTE 29

Find more Property Classified ads at www.phuketgazette.net! 30 PHUKET GAZETTE B U S I N E S S & MONEY May 27 - June 2, 2006

MONEY TALKS By Richard Watson he logic of some organi- zations is often difficult to fathom. Indeed, Tsometimes the question should be, “Was logic used at all?” One organization to which this applies is the Group of Seven, or G7, which encompasses the “old” seven most-important economies in the world – France, the US, Britain, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada. They held a meeting at the end of April and came to the de- cision – applauded by the IMF Strange (the International Monetary Fund) – that Asian currencies should rise in value. They were not specific about which currency the rise should take place against, just that signals Asian currencies should rise in value. The result was a swift ap- preciation of the yen from around ¥118 to ¥109 per US$1. US Vice President Dick Cheney: ‘Hey, wanna come to my next hunting party?’ Photo: EPA - Matthew Cavanaugh

RESPONSE – few of them from Asia. Calls fore a pause to assess the effects moves as being “data depen- here has been much by Japanese Finance Minister of the previous interest rate in- dent”. Foreign exchange markets speculation about the This provoked a swift response Tanigaki for the Chinese to re- creases. paused in their assault on the US Dow Jones Industrial from the Japanese Minister of Fi- value the yuan were ignored. But then Bernanke changed dollar, reversed slightly, digested Average index which his tune in an interview with tele- T nance, Sadakazu Tanigaki, who The US Treasury Secretary the information but then renewed was heading for the record highs said that rapid movements in cur- announced that the US Adminis- vision business channel CNBC, their assault the next day. recorded in early 2000. rency markets were “undesir- tration policy was aimed at mak- showing that he was not as dov- Just before Chinese Presi- The “Dow” is for some rea- able”. ing the USD stronger. However, ish as everyone thought. dent Hu Jintao’s visit to Wash- son used by the media as the main However, the Chinese and the US has been singing this tune This introduced an element ington in April, the Vice-Chairman indicator of the state of US stock Indian currencies remained static for decades, possibly as far back of uncertainty to the Fed’s policy, of the Chinese Parliament said markets. In reality, the index cov- against the US dollar (USD), as as George Washington’s days. As which is not something that any that China should invest more of ers only the 30 largest companies neither country is a member of a result, markets ignore such market applauds. Markets like its foreign exchange reserves in in the US. the G7 and neither currency is statements. certainty; the news can be good, gold and other assets, obviously It is an old index, with each fully convertible – allowing them Then along came Ben Ber- bad or somewhere in between at the expense of USD holdings. of the 30 stocks having an equal to set exchange rates exactly nanke, the new Chairman of the and the market will price accord- This statement was promp- weighting in the index despite the where it suits them. US Federal Reserve, aka “The ing the prevailing circumstances. tly contradicted by the Chinese huge difference in the market Foreign exchange markets, Fed”, the US’s Central Bank. Bernanke’s words caused Central Bank. There is little doubt capitalization between the small- which already had a growing dis- Bernanke and a number of his the Dow Jones Index to fall from that this was a deliberate strat- est and the largest. taste for the USD, pushed against colleagues had been making a 25-point gain to a 75-point loss egy and not just a Chinese politi- A far more appropriate it with renewed vigor. soothing but obscure statements on the day. cian stating a personal view. measure of the health of other- Moreover, it was not just the to markets, leading speculators to When the Fed predictably Next, US Vice President wise of large companies is the yen that moved but the euro, believe there would be one more raised interest rates in May, for Dick Cheney launched a two- Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 pound sterling and many others interest rate increase in June be- the 16th time, it referred to future pronged verbal attack on the Rus- index, which is used as the ba- sian government. He accused rometer of performance of large them of using their energy sup- companies by virtually every in- plies as weapons, and he criti- stitutional investor. cized them for their slow adop- What is interesting is that in tion of democracy. 2000 the S&P 500 was trading at He was probably correct on a very rich price/earnings ratio of both fronts but the timing of these 26; it is now trading at around 15. remarks was dubious, when one A correction in stock mar- considers that Russian support in kets has since taken place, with the UN is vital if the US is going the S&P dropping about 5%, but to succeed in its moves to impose this should be viewed as a buy- sanctions on Iran. ing opportunity. Russian President Vladimir Meanwhile, global growth is Putin later made a speech that still on track. The IMF recently ignored Cheney’s remarks en- raised its prediction for global tirely. economic growth in 2006 from However, Russian national 4.3% to 4.9%. This is a very high carrier Aeroflot publicly an- level. nounced a delay in the purchase of new aircraft as “the matter had Richard Watson runs Global now become political”. Portfolios Co Ltd, a Phuket- President Putin presumably based personal financial plan- ignored Cheney’s remarks to ning service. He can be reach- avoid being invited to one of ed at Tel: and Fax: 076-381- Cheney’s now infamous “hunting 997, Mobile: 01-0814611. parties”. Email: [email protected] May 27 - June 2, 2006 B U S I N E S S & MONEY PHUKET GAZETTE 31 ON THE MOVE

Marco Groten, from the Neth- Canadian Kymberley Sproule Slovak Martin Michalik erlands, is the new General Man- has been appointed Marketing is the new Food & Bever- ager of the Evason Hideaway & Communication Manager for age Director at JW Mariott Six Senses Spa on Koh Yao Noi, Le Meridien Thailand Resorts. Phuket Resort & Spa. Pre- scheduled to open early next year. Her experience, especially in viously he was Hotel Pro- Mr Groten, a graduate in hotel public relations, includes having ject Manager with consult- management from Cornell Uni- held executive positions at a ancy firm Bed Manage- versity, has spent the past two number of international hotels ment, developing restau- years as Resort Manager at the in Thailand over the past six rant concepts for the In- Soneva Gili & Six Senses Spa in years. She will be based at the digo Pearl at Nai Yang. He the Maldives, which he joined as Bangkok Sales Office, working has worked with many top Executive Assistant Manager. for Le Meridien Phuket Beach hotels and resorts, includ- He also the supervised the Six Resort, Le Royal Meridien ing Four Seasons proper- Senses Gallery and oversaw the Phuket Yacht Club and Le ties in Hawaii, Japan, Ne- quality performance of the re- Royal Meridien Baan Taling vada and Canada, at the sort’s water activities. Before Ngam Samui. Before joining Le One and Only Kanuhura joining Soneva Gili, Marco held Meridien Thailand, she was the Resort & Spa in the Mal- positions in Phuket, Indonesia and PR Manager of the Hilton dives and the Aerie Resort the Caribbean. Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa. & Spa in Canada.

By Janyaporn Morel

ince the partial lifting of the ban on importing US US beef battles competition beef, consumers in Thai- Sland have had more He explained, “The trans- When you eat imported beef you duced gradually from its previous choice as to where to get their portation costs at the moment are have to pay a lot just for the tax,” 40% level to zero by 2020. steaks from. Some industry very high because of the rising he said. Thailand is also in talks with sources even predict that Amer- price of fuel. Whereas it used to “We sell some imported the US about implementing a ica could overtake Australia as be four dollars per kilogram of beef for hotels that order it spe- FTA. This could lead to similar Thailand’s favorite source of beef, it is now up to six for trans- cially, but overall 95% of the beef drops on the duty imposed on high-quality beef. portation alone. On top of that we we sell in our shop is from Thai- meat from the US. The ban was imposed in have to pay taxes to the Thai gov- land. I’m working with Kasetsart Jakkapong Limpavatta- December 2003 following the ernment on the transportation University to develop the quality nanon, Manager of the Market detection of Bovine Spongiform cost too. of Thai beef. The beef is from Place at Phuket Central Festival, Encephalopathy– BSE or mad- “Of the beef we have in Nakhon Pathom, Sakhon Nak- told the Gazette, “Market Place cow disease – in a cow in Wash- stock now, 100% is from Austra- hon, Suphan Buri and Ratchaburi. has four sources of beef. We have ington State. In February, the Thai lia. It takes only six hours to trans- The taste is good and the price is beef from Thailand, imported Ministry of Commerce announ- port it to Phuket. We don’t im- much cheaper than imported Angus beef from the US, and also ced that it would partially lift the port beef from New Zealand, beef. beef imported from Australia and ban on US beef to allow bone- even though it is cheaper, be- “I’ve been working with Dr New Zealand. less beef from cows under 30 cause it’s not good quality. We Chainarong Kantapanit from “Most of the beef sold is months of age to be imported into want to supply only high quality Kasetsart University for many from Australia. It is still too soon the country. beef to our customers,” he said. years to improve the quality of after the ban on [US beef] im- In Phuket, however, US Mr Brandon said that his Thai beef products to the level ports was lifted for us to be able beef doesn’t seem to have made company occasionally imports required by 4- and 5-star hotels.” to see any trends for US beef. too much impact on the local US beef but only on request for Mr Battles added, “US The beef products from the US market yet. some of his customers in Bang- beef is more expensive than Aus- that we stock are boneless steaks Ron Brandon, Managing kok. “The price of one kilogram tralian beef, but it is much higher such as sirloin and tenderloin.” Director of Phuket Meat Import- of US beef would now be about Ron Brandon of Phuket Meat quality. K. Jakkapong said that the ers, the biggest meat importer on 1,500 baht. It’s difficult to find Importers. “But in my opinion it isn’t customers who buy US beef from the island, told the Gazette, “De- customers who will pay that than importing expensive meat necessary for Thailand to import Market Place are mostly hotels spite the fact that Thailand has much when we can offer the from abroad. US beef when we can produce and restaurants, althougn there allowed some US beef imports to same quality beef [from Austra- “In my company, we now high-quality beef ourselves.” are also some retail customers. recommence, a number of beef lia] for half the price,” he added. have high quality Thai beef. We The difference in price be- The price of US beef now is products are still banned. “What people like about US supply the beef to our businesses tween imported and local beef, about 1,300 to 1,600 baht per ki- “We import very little from beef is that it has more fat, but in Samui, Phuket, Prachin Buri, however, is likely to get smaller logram, while Australian beef is the US because of the high trans- that doesn’t mean it tastes bet- Chiang Rai and Bangkok. in the future as import duties on about 300 baht cheaper. portation costs. ter. In my opinion it depends on “Now our suppliers are meat from certain countries are “I think that beef consum- “I can’t give the exact per- the cooking procedure and the helped by Kasetsart University to decreased. ers’ behavior will not change. centage of beef we import from recipe,” he explained. improve their meat products. We Under the Thailand-Austra- Americans are familiar with US America but I can say it’s very Don Battles, the owner of believe that Thai beef is good. It lia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), beef and Australians are used to small when compared with the Don’s Mall in Rawai, has been may not be better than imported which came into effect on Janu- eating Australian beef. I don’t amount we import from Austra- concentrating on developing the beef, but the taxes and the trans- ary 1 last year, the import duty think they will switch because of lia.” beef industry in Thailand rather portation costs are much lower. on Australian meat is being re- price,” he concluded. 32 PHUKET GAZETTE SPORTS May 27 - June 2, 2006 Spills and thrills in city road race PHUKET CITY: Tittipong Worakorn proved the to have another crash into him, spilling more tires better of the wet-weather riders in the third round from the safety barrier onto the track, causing two of the Yamaha Cup Race 2006 on May 20 and 21, more riders to fall. winning the Yamaha 135cc All Star race. Avoiding the pile-up, Phirapong Disata went Keen to push the bike and tires to their limits on to win the race, with Chanarong Kwan-nin fin- on the wet track marked out at Chatuchak Market ishing second, and Sukrachaet Phetyeunyong third. on Phang Nga Rd, Tittipong was snapping at the Tawatchai Rortjan won the Yamaha Auto- back tire of No 53 until the leader slid out at the matic race, with Mungkornthong Klaewkla finish- end of the main straight. ing second and Pairat Sae-tun coming third. Worawut Foongsuk, content to ride slower in In the Yamaha 110cc Family race, Jirawut the drizzle to secure points, finished second in the Ratsamee beat Kittipat Phalaphol across the finish 25-lap race, and Montri Phumchuay finished third. line, while Pairat Sae-tun claimed his second third- The spectators, who got to watch the races place finish for the day. for free, certainly got good entertainment value in The riders will move on to Nakhon Sri the Yamaha X1 One Make Race, when one rider Thammarat, where the fourth round will be held on slid into the tire barrier on the second corner only June 24 and 25. – Jenjira Ruengjarus The slippery course made for plenty of excitement. Rugby 10s moves to Phuket City By Chris Husted Mr Cotter explained that A disappointed Mr Cotter players, including the Thai na- pointed out the poor facilities at PHUKET CITY: The 8th Molly tional squad members who will be the Sanam Chai. “There is one Malone’s Phuket International joining the event, had expressed men’s toilet and one women’s Rugby 10s, originally to be played concern about being injured by toilet,” Mr Cotter said. “What at Karon Municipal Stadium this the poor-quality pitch. could pass for a changing room Saturday and Sunday (May 27 The search for an alterna- is used as a storeroom. There is Brothers Ithi and Sakan Thansiriroj (red jackets) display their medals. and 28), will now be held at Sanam tive pitch has been a saga. An no seating and no cover – we will Chai, located opposite Phuket application to use Surakul Sta- have to provide all that.” Brothers take soft tennis crown Provincial Hall on Narisorn Rd in dium, filed on April 7, was official- About 2,000 people watch- Phuket City. ly denied two weeks later on the ed the grand final at last year’s YASOTHORN: Two brothers vincial Stadium, was arranged Rugby 10s organizer Pat- grounds that the OrBorJor event. “With confirmation of the from Phuket were crowned jointly by the Sports Authority of rick Cotter, of the Phuket Vaga- “didn’t want the pitch damaged.” new venue at such a late date, champions of the Thailand Open Thailand (SAT), Yasothorn Prov- bonds FC, told the Gazette that He was told to wait, how- we now expect a lot fewer than Soft Tennis Invitation Champion- ince, and the Soft Tennis Asso- at about 3 pm on May 22 he re- ever, until the following week for that. But there are 28 teams com- ship 2006 after beating off their ciation of Thailand. Entrants ceived confirmation from the the denial to be reviewed by se- ing. That means in players alone Filipino opponents 3-0 in the final came from across Southeast Phuket Provincial Administration nior OrBorJor members. Later we’re looking at 400 people, not on May 14. It is the third compe- Asia. Organization (OrBorJor) that the that week they backed the denial including supporters and family tition they have won this year. The competition, held in event could be held at its Sanam of permission. members who come and extend Itthi and Sakan Thansiriroj, honor of the 60th anniversary of Chai ground. Attention then turned to their stay so they can also spend from Phuket City, were repre- HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s “The pitch at Karon Sta- other grounds. a holiday here,” he said. senting both Phuket Provincial accession to the throne, also dium is unplayable. It has not The British Curriculum In- Mr Cotter explained that the Soft Tennis Association and aimed to promote soft tennis, been renovated since the tsunami. ternational School denied use of Phuket Rugby 10s has been Thammasat University, where which differs little from regular Kata-Karon Municipality, which its pitch. “The pitch at Saphan Hin growing in popularity in recent they are studying law. tennis except that soft rubber balls has always been supportive of the is in a similar condition to Karon. years. “Last year the event gen- The competition, held from are used instead of conventional event, told us that they have been I had a look at it and about three erated about US$500,000 in May 12 to 14 at Yasothorn Pro- tennis balls. allocated the budget to re-turf the quarters of it was bare sand, so Phuket, as well as international pitch, but that money has yet to there was no point in even apply- publicity,” he said, adding that it come through ing for that,” he said. was also featured in ESPN’s The “They said we could get the “We were finally offered Rugby Show, whose host Justin ground re-turfed for 670,000 baht, Sanam Chai, but we had to apply Sampson will be playing for the but we don’t have the funds for again, and go through the whole Bangkok Bangers in this year’s that,” Mr Cotter said. process again,” he said. event.” May 27 - June 2, 2006 SP O R T S PHUKET GAZETTE 33 Badminton boys set to do battle in Brunei

Eam Thavornwongwongse, President of Phuket Sport Association, gives words of encouragement to Kiattisak (left) and Maneepong.

PHUKET CITY: Two students The Governor and K. Eam from Phuket selected to represent encouraged the boys to do their Thailand at the Youth Badminton best and also contributed funds Asia competition in Brunei from for the trip. June 3 to 11 are making their fi- Maneepong nodded as Kiat- nal preparations. tisak told the Gazette, “We are The boys, Maneepong Jong- worried about our studies be- jit, 15, and Kiattisak Daramuth, cause we have to go to many 16, both pupils at Phuket Wittaya- competitions and miss a lot of lai School, are to compete in the school time. doubles competition, facing oppo- “We are also worried about nents from 11 countries. Thailand the food over in Brunei, we are is sending 16 players in total, the not sure if we will like it.” other 14 from Bangkok. Kiattisak added, “We leave On May 17 the duo were Thailand for the competition on taken to meet Phuket Governor June 2. We would like people in Udomsak Uswarangkura and Phuket to cheer us on when we Eam Thavornwongwongse, Pres- go to compete in Brunei, or any- ident of the Phuket Sport Asso- where else.” ciation. – Nattamon Ratcharak Navy golf attracts big guns PHANG NGA: The Rotary An- in the region, was the Toyota daman Team of Prachuab Pan- Pearl Phuket team of Capt Krid- chai, Satchapol Thongsom and sana Thikulya, Lt Ruangsak Nok- Channarong Pichalai made the taisong and Sub-Lt Chuan Noy- best of rainy conditions at the Tab ma. Lamu Golf Course in Phang Nga Trophies were presented to to win a charity golf event orga- the winning teams by TNAC nized by the Royal Thai Navy Commander Vice-Admiral Tha- Third Naval Area Command na Bunnak. (TNAC). Some 180 golfers took part Coming in second in the in the fun tournament, which was event, held on May 20 to raise delayed until mid-day due to funds for Navy welfare projects heavy morning rains. PATONG DARTS LEAGUE Didi’s clinch league title PATONG: With one week remaining in the 22-week season, Didi’s have clinched their first-ever title in the Patong Darts League with a 3-point walkover against the now-defunct Two Black Sheep. The boys from Soi Saen Sabai got a little help from Dog’s Bollocks, who took all three points at home against OffShore, who were mathematically eliminated as a result. Any bars wishing to field a team in the next league competition, which starts in a few weeks time, are encouraged to contact Terry at Amigos in Soi Sea Dragon.

May 16 results: Dog’s Bollocks* 5 Offshore 4; Amigos* 3 Piccadilly 6; Valhalla 4 Queen Mary* 5; Shakers 5 Boss Bar* 4.(* = winner of beer leg)

Standings: 1. Didi’s (48 pts.); 2. Queen Mary (43); 3. Offshore (42); 4.= Dog’s Bollocks, Piccadilly (41); 6. Amigos (37); 7. Coyote Bar (35); 8.= Shakers, Valhalla (30); 10. Boss Bar (21). (note: one game outstanding). 34 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET PROPERTY May 27 - June 2, 2006

Construction Update by Janyaporn Morel

Above: Prapit Noopech, Chief of Public Works at Koh Kaew OrBorTor.

Construction work on the new pier (right) is now around 30% complete. Inset: The old pier. New Laem Hin pier ‘ready in September’ KOH KAEW: Despite hard rock “However, I think we can Maphrao for funerals. It is not itself will be made of concrete, the island. Local fisherman will delaying work installing the foun- finish the project on time in Sep- good for the restaurant to have and will be three meters wide and also be able to moor their boats dations for the new pier at Laem tember,” he added. bodies carried through it, so 328m long. at the pier. Hin, the pier is about 30% com- K. Prapit explained that the those people have to use the “We were given a budget of K. Prapit said that the Koh plete and is still expected to be new pier, being built by Trang other pier,” 11.5 million baht from the provin- Kaew OrBorTor will also have finished on schedule in Septem- Thong Co Ltd, follows requests K. Prapit said that people cial authorities and most of that the small wooden pier that was ber. from people in Laem Hin and on traveling to or from Koh Rang, will be spent on building the pier destroyed by the tsunami rebuilt “The project is now behind Koh Maphrao (Coconut Island) Koh Yao and Koh Khai will also itself. using concrete. The pier will be schedule. Some of the area that transport links between the benefit from the new pier. “At “The car park is just a patch 60m long and 2.5m wide, and built where we had to sink the foun- two be improved. present the private piers are not of land; we have not surfaced it. with a budget of 2.6 million baht. dations has rock that was very “People currently have to big enough to handle the volume If later we feel that it would be The OrBorTor is currently look- difficult to penetrate. rely on two private, wooden piers, of traffic between Laem Hin and better to pave it, we will have to ing for a contractor for the “Fortunately it was not too one of which belongs to a res- the surrounding islands, especially request more funds from the project, and hopes to start build- hard, so we succeeded in the taurant and the other belongs to as the number of tourist boats us- OrBorTor,” K. Prapit said. ing in June and finish by the end end,” Prapit Noopech, Chief of a construction company. ing the existing piers is increas- He added that when the pier of this year. Public Works at Koh Kaew “Although most people pre- ing,” he added. is complete, many longtail boats “The provincial government Tambon Administration Organiza- fer to use the restaurant’s pier, The project includes a 20- and speedboats will use it to ferry has plans to build a bridge to con- tion (OrBorTor), told the Ga- sometimes people have to take meter by 30m parking area with passengers to Koh Maphrao and nect Phuket and Koh Maphrao. zette. bodies from Phuket back to Koh room for about 30 cars. The pier the many seafood restaurants on If this plan goes ahead, we expect that it will connect the new concrete pier being built at Laem Hin with the 300m long pier at Koh Maphrao. This means that only a 700m-long bridge needs to be built to connect the two,” he added. May 27 - June 2, 2006 PHUKET PROPERTY PHUKET GAZETTE 35

Decor by Natcha Yuttaworawit COOL BRICKS, MON! WICHIT: As a result of their du- rability and attractive earth tones, clay bricks have been used as a building material since ancient times. In most tropical regions of the world, the wet, humid climate produces a red soil, laterite (din daeng in Thai), which is perfect for brick-making. This fact was not lost on our ancestors. A trip to the former capital, Ayudhaya, reveals that the city – or at least what remains of it today – was composed entirely of red brick. Likewise, most of the Khmer temples at Angkor were built with laterite and have sur- vived for more than 1,000 years. Incorporating attractive used brick into contemporary villa design in Phuket is the expertise of Chiang Rai native Jiroj Khun- dejmak, Managing Director of Amandari Design, who has been all over Thailand sourcing used bricks; new, factory-produced bricks fade over time and lack the character and durability of used bricks, he says.

TRADITIONAL

K. Jiroj specializes in highly- prized Mon-style oven bricks. These he collects by first locat- ing a 30- to 40-year-old Mon-style traditional brick oven, used to make charcoal, then painstakingly dismantling it with hammer and chisel and transporting the spoils back to Phuket. K. Jiroj, a landscape archi- tect who graduated with top hon- ors from King Mongkut Institute of Technology in Bangkok, has been in the brick business on the island for 18 years. His most visible work is in front of his office on Chao Fa “I spent some time in Bali, of other products for home and West Rd, where distinctive spiral so I can recreate authentic Ba- garden, including Balinese-style pillars made of the Mon brick are linese designs, either in brick or sandstone sculptures, ventilation clearly visible to passing motor- concrete, whether it be for walls, blocks, and water jars in ceramic, ists. pillars, flooring tiles or even spi- terra cotta and clay. “Designing and building ral pillars.” these pillars and structures from Prices depend on a number Garden World is on the east Mon brick is just a part of my of factors, including design and side of Chao Fa West Rd, just business,” he told the Gazette. labor costs, but the Mon bricks south of the Kwang Rd inter- “Another building material we are priced reasonably at just six section. For more information work with is colored cement, baht each. contact K. Jiroj at Tel: 09- which is available in hundreds of K. Jiroj’s shop, Garden 7240493 or visit the website at different colors. World, also stocks a wide range www.amandaribalidesign.com 36 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET PROPERTY May 27 - June 2, 2006

Gardening with Bloomin’ Bert

his week we’re going to meters, with long leaves up to start with a little pronun- about 40 centimeters in length. ciation lesson. Strangely The most conspicuous part Tenough, this has abso- of the plant is its flowers, which lutely nothing to do with plants – aren’t actually flowers at all. The or any aspect of gardening what- bright red bracts that appear on soever. I just feel that it’s incum- the ends of the stems, or inflo- bent on me to clarify a word in rescences as they’re properly the English language that has known, last much longer than been overlooked for some time, regular flowers. They don’t and consequently is often mispro- come and go overnight like many nounced. other more fickle members of the It concerns that particularly plant world. This makes the plant distinct group of people who were ideal if you don’t want to work blessed at birth with the gift of too hard in your garden. red hair, or more specifically, gin- The true flower of the red ger. Now this is where many ginger is a tiny white thing, hid- people get it wrong. These indi- den away in a sea of waxy red. viduals are collectively known as You’d hardly know it was there. “ging-ers”. Their epithet, cor- It’s almost as if the red bits are rectly pronounced, is with the “g” cheating. In reality, that’s prob- as in “girl” and the “inger” as in ably the function they serve on “singer”. Does that make sense? the plant, as the flowers them- Ging-ers are everywhere. selves aren’t up to the job of en- You can’t escape them, and more ticing the pollinating insects in, so are born every day. I can’t give they need a bit of help. them too much of a hard time as The deep-red heads are my niece is a full-blown ging-er. REDHEAD: The showy ‘flowers’ – bracts, really – last a long time, bringing color to your garden. abundant on plants that will bloom What’s interesting is that her even in pots. Red ginger in the mother (my sister) is quite insis- wild tend to gather together like tent that her daughter’s hair is giggling schoolgirls to produce a auburn, and horrified at the fact heavy bush kind of appearance. that I should have the audacity GINGERING UP The red ginger doesn’t re- do describe her daughter as a quire much to be happy, apart ging-er. from fairly rich, constantly moist Ging-ers are a proud lot, soil. Try not to let it dry out be- though. A mate of mine – a ging- tween attacks with the hosepipe, er himself – was telling me over and with enough water it will a beer recently how he and some YOUR GARDEN bloom to its heart’s content. Ex- carrot-topped friends got together pect more impressive blooms if and formed a ging-er hockey was an exchange there between gene. When combined with genes splash of color that sits on top of its home is relatively shaded. team for a game. They lost, but a genetics teacher and a medium- for brown or black hair, the red it than its human counterparts. Many people grow red gin- even sadder is that one bloke even blonde wife who was somewhat gene is obscured and often goes The red ginger is known as ger because its inflorescences dyed his hair so that he could get concerned about the chances of unnoticed. But combined with the alpinia purpurata by scien- maintain their color for a couple on the team. her offspring being redheaded, as genes for lighter hair shades it tific types. I have no idea why of weeks after they are cut from I did a bit of research about her husband’s crown is “an odd produces strawberry blond or au- there would be an Alpine refer- the plant. Stick them in a vase and this and found discussions galore ginger-brownish color”. burn hair, or even flaming orange ence in the name of a tropical leave them to it. on the subject – even in The The expert explained that carrot tops. He was probably plant, but I’m sure they have a Propagation of ginger plants Times Educational Supplement. It red hair results from a recessive making it up, but now she’s petri- very good reason. Thais call it the is done by dividing the rhizomes; fied that she’s likely to bear a king daeng, anyway. It’s dis- those tuber things that produce the ging-er. tantly related to the ginger that food flavoring in its cousin. Just I recently discovered that went into the biscuits we ate as dig down below a healthy plant people have devoted whole children – and still goes into many until you find something that looks websites to ging-ers. These Thai dishes – but this member of a bit like a giant peanut, and break people probably need to get out- the family is inedible. a bit off. Throw that in some of side, off the computer and get Even though you can’t eat that coconut-based compost for some exercise and sun on their it, it looks spectacular and will a while, keep it damp, and some- skin. Except for those with red always brighten up a corner of thing green should appear above hair, obviously, as should they the garden. As it’s attractive to the surface before too long. choose to do so they will just get bees, butterflies and birds, that Ginger has to be the plant sunburned and more freckled. corner will attract some extra at- for ging-ers. It could even be- They should probably just stay tention too. come a ging-er mascot. Thank- inside; it’s safer that way. Originating in the Pacific fully, ginger plants are more suited Getting to the point, the islands, it’s an odd plant. It looks to the Phuket sun than their hu- ging-er of the plant world is much a lot like zingziber, which is the man counterparts, and have con- happier in the heat of the day. It’s “real” ginger that we eat. How- siderably fewer freckles. They also a flaming redhead, but it ever, red ginger grows in clusters don’t usually form hockey teams seems much prouder of the vivid made up of stems of up to two either. May 27 - June 2, 2006 PHUKET PROPERTY PHUKET GAZETTE 37

Home of the Week Rawai

his five-bedroom, two-story home is located in a peaceful area popular with foreign Tresidents, not far from Saiyuan Rd. The 2,676-square-meter grounds feature well-established palms and other trees, along with lawns and plenty of greenery. A big swimming pool, an outdoor Jacuzzi in natural stone, a timber hot tub and several charming thatched-roof timber salas overlooking a large lily pond add to the tropical ambiance of the grounds. A high white wall ensures privacy and there is an attractive Bali-style entry gate and timber-gated vehicle access. The home has generous and spacious formal living and dining rooms with wide windows and doors looking out to the garden and the pool. A well equipped custom-built European kitchen, with state-of-the-art appliances and hand-glazed ceramic tiles, adjoins the dining area. Close by there is a laundry, maid’s quarters and two storage rooms.

FOUR-POSTER

Also on the ground level are three Luxurious five-bedroom resort-style home luxurious bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. The upper floor features two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, one of which has a glass-fronted whirlpool bath. The bathrooms feature handmade shower/baths, with mosaic tiles and timber-feature walls, as well as hand- made basins set into granite counters. Bedrooms have spacious built-in timber closets and there are plenty of big windows in both bedrooms and bath- rooms. One bedroom features a canopied four-poster bed with silk drapery. Facilities include Cable TV, UBC, telephone, well water and three water filtration systems, hot water heating, a septic tank and three-phase electricity. There is a covered parking space large enough for three vehicles. The asking price is 39 million baht.

To view the house on the Internet, visit http://www.siamrealestate.com/prop- erty/propage.php?n=1212 or to view the house contact Siam Real Estate, E- mail: [email protected], Tel: 076-288908 38 PHUKET GAZETTE CLASSIFIEDS May 27 - June 2, 2006 Property Gazette

Properties APARTMENT RAWAI NEW HOUSES 9 RAI For Sale IN PATONG SHOPHOUSES IN PATONG CHANOTE TITLE

NEW HOUSE IN PATONG

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For details bedrooms and a separate www.phukets.info/re/c&v. ments are fully furnished website at: www. phuket- please see our website at: bathroom. Each room has html with a built-in kitchen and besthomes.com www.phuket-besthomes. an air conditioner and a bal- bathroom. The bedrooms com cony. Living area: 200sqm; are equipped with high-qual- 3 BEDROOMS freehold land 150sqm. ity hardwood floors. The Beautiful house in Chalong. Price: 8.5 million baht. apartments further offer air Fully furnished, 3 bathrooms, (US$210,000). Please NEW HOUSE conditioning, safety box, aircon. Quick sale required. contact K. Peter at Tel: 01- PATONG BEACH 24-hour security, high-speed Consider offers around 5.3 8928526 or visit our Located on small develop- A RARE Internet, telephone and million. Tel: 06-2790837. website at: www.phuket- ment in the hills at the north OPPORTUNITY cable TV connections. The besthomes.com end of Patong beach, very ANDAMAN SEAVIEW common area includes: ga- quiet and natural setting, plots. 3-phase electricity, wa- rage, elevator, corridors and and only 2 minutes to the ter, Road access. 1,100sqm. garden. The construction beach. Only 5 out of a total 3 million baht. Ready to build. will be completed by Decem- of 8 plots left. House can be Tel: 06-2670157, 06-267- ber 2006. Prices start at CHALONG custom built, by an English 0157. Email: bannuaton@ 2.6 million baht. Please con- – LARGE HOUSE mastercraftsman builder to yahoo.com tact Khun Peter at. Tel: 01- Double-story large house with your requirements. We are 8928526 or visit: www. 4 bedrooms, large living and so sure of our quality, if you phuket-besthomes.com dining area, new kitchen and can show us a better-built RAWAI CONDO office with separate en- house, in our price range, for sale/rent. Freehold studio trance. This European-style we will give you a house for 2,500 baht/month or will sell to acquire an end-of-row VILLA SUKSAN house is 6 years old, all free. Price range from 10 to at 450,000 baht. 400m from townhouse at the Boat La- beach. Tel: 06-6865567. goon. This centrally-lo- Villa Suksan is a quiet se- fenced in and sitting in a ma- 15 million baht. Contact ture garden. Located in a quiet Andy. Tel: 01-8913466. Email: [email protected] cated position is handy for NONE CHEAPER IN cluded development of Ba- most things on Phuket. 2 KATHU location in Soi Bang Rae, with Fax: 076-296160. Email: linese villas with private RAWAI, STUNING large bedrooms, 1 en- Building-ready, flat, on 2 swimming pools combining concrete road access, under- [email protected] ground electric and telephone plot. Very beautiful plot in suite. Mooring for a boat streets, 20mx23mx29m luxury and affordability. directly behind the house. corner land. 504 sqm with ex- Starting from 5.9 million cables. Close to shopping Rawai. 2 rai near Laem Ka beach. 3.3 million baht. Tel: Full freehold title for for- tension plot of 400 sqm baht. Agents welcome. Tel: centers & schools. This prop- BEACH APARTMENTS erty is realistically priced at 07-8938747. eigners. 7.5 million baht. (20mx20m). Price, area and 06-0043008. Fax: 076- Spacious, modern, 2-bed- For further details, call K. quality the best. Near Kathu 341372. Email: info@ 5.4 million baht. Please con- tact for more details. Tel: 01- room apartments, some CHALONG SEA VIEW Ju at Tel: 09-6522458 or Waterfall. 5,750 baht per ayudhya.net For further de- with a sea view, a 2-minute 8951826, 076-289656. Fax: Only 200m from the beach. 1 see our website at: sqm. Tel: 09-9728544. Email: tails, please see our website walk to the beach, gardens, 076-289656. Email: info@ rai, Chanote title. 4 million www.baansiamrealty.com [email protected] at: www.villasuksan.com pools, clubhouse, gym, far-away.net For further de- baht. Nice and quiet. Tel: 01- sauna. Prices start from 8.5 tails, please see our website: 5376866. million baht. On-site sales PHUKET CITY CONDO RAWAI: SALE/RENT www.homesinphuket.com 32sqm, freehold, brand-new, NAI HARN HOME New detached villa:10,000 office. Tel: 06-2806624. For WITH BIG GARDEN further details, please see 680 SQM PLOT furnished, 550,000 baht. baht/month or will sell for 5 3 BEDROOM HOUSE in Rawai. Good location to Close to Central Festival. Tel: 2-bedrooms, 2-bathrooms our website at: www. million baht. 400 meters from Kathu 3 bedr detached house build. 2 million baht. Come and 01-4763623. Email: chotip_5 house in a lovely private set- bangtaobeachgardens.com beach. Please contact for in quiet village in Kathu. 64.4 have a look. Tel: 01-5376866. @hotmail.com ting. A perfect family home, more information. Tel: 06- sq/wah with Chanote title. 3 now for sale at only 6.9 mil- 6865567. Email: chotip_5@ aircon units and fitted cur- TOWNHOUSE FOR SALE lion baht. Please contact for hotmail.com tains. 2 bathrooms (master in Kathu. Beautiful location op- more details. Tel 01-893- bedroom with en suite). Not far posite golf club. 2 bedrooms, 8592, 06-2826221. Email: PATONG SEAVIEW from Patong and Phuket City 2 bathrooms, 2 floors. 1.5 mil- [email protected] house. New House, Patong and only 5 mins to Phuket lion baht. Please contact for hillside, great view, 2 bed- Country Club. Offers in region more details. Tel: 076-273- CHALONG BEACH rooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, of 3.6 million baht. Pls contact 324-5, 01-8920404. Fax: near pier. New bungalow, di- living room, Jacuzzi, 400 sqm for full details. Tel: 076-203- 076-238261. rectly on the beach. 120sqm, land. Very quiet and private. 064, 01-0876702. Email: 2 bedrooms, European 11 million baht. No agents. Tel: [email protected] SMALL PLOT – RAWAI kitchen. to sell at 2.6 million 076-344707, 01-6916147. Area 180 sqm only 500 m baht or rent for 220,000 a Fax: 076-344689. Email: BARGAIN HOUSE from beach. All facilitics. year. No agents. Tel: 076- [email protected] for sale. Kathu, 2 storeys, 3 Chanote title. 1.4 million baht. 288997, 06-270-4549. Fax: bedrooms, 3 baths, aircon, Tel: 09-6525664. 076-288997. Email: wsmfa RAWAI SALE/RENT Western kitchen, garden, @gmx.de 2-story house. 130sqm living carport, etc. Needs a little RAWAI BEACH FRONT space. 5,000 baht per month TLC, but a bargain at 2.95 Big plot of land in the best lo- LAND FOR SALE or will sell for 850,000 baht. million baht o.n.o. Please con- cation in Rawai. Good for de- Up to 5 rai. Can subdivide to 400 meters from beach. Tel: tact for more information. velopment project. Pls con- any size, or buy the lot. Call the 06-6865567. Email: chotip_5 Tel: 01-3074710. Email: tact. Tel: 07-0630700. Email: owner at Tel: 04-9940027. @hotmail.com [email protected] yuthana@juslaws .com May 27 - June 2, 2006 CLASSIFIEDS PHUKET GAZETTE 39 Property Gazette

PATONG TOWNHOUSE 1 RAI – YACHT HAVEN RAWAI PRIME LAND x 2 for sale. Each has 2 bed- 1 rai of excellent flat building IDYLLIC COUNTRY rooms with en suite bath. A land at Yacht Haven Phuket, VILLA IN RAWAI third bathroom downstairs. 200m from clubhouse facili- Open-plan living, dining & ties. This plot is opposite kitchen area. Features tele- newly-built homes on the phone line ADSL & UBC to water-view side, and from the nd rd FULLY FURNISHED both homes. Both currently 2 and 3 levels will also ob- tenanted. 9 million baht, offers tain views. Accessible from 3 ECO-COOL THAI 2-story house, parking for 2 2 rai 41sqm in developing invited. Tel: 076-296072, 01- sides and would make an ideal HOMES IN RAWAI cars, 81 sq wah (300sqm) quiet area close to Chalong. 7196088. villa development. Chanote Charming, 3-bedroom useable area, 2 large balco- Chanote title with thai com- land title, 6 million baht. For home, carefully built by nies, 5 bedrooms, 5 bath- pany. Electricity, water, flat many other plots please con- owner, set among trees in rooms, 5 aircons, large Euro- PATONG TOWNHOUSE land. Tel: 01-4776662. tact us. Tel: 076-388685, 01- 1,000sqm of walled garden pean kitchen, cable TV, etc. For sale, 3 bedrooms, 3 bath- Email: verndono@yahoo. 6776103. Fax 076-388684. with an attractive swimming Tel: 076-383959, 01-693- rooms. Large courtyard. Un- com Email: info@andamanthai pool and separate guest/ 1386. Fax: 076-383959. derground water tank, UBC, ADSL telephone line. 10 property.com or see www. granny bungalow. Private andamanthaiproperty.com plot in a quiet country area, Visit this award-winning BEACH RESORT meters away from large com- KATA GARDENS munal swimming pool. Beau- but handy access to Nai energy-efficient Thai-style on Koh Yao. 4,400sqm, 75m penthouse. The condominium tifully decorated and fully fur- LAND FOR SALE Harn and Rawai Beaches, home. It’s true, you can beat beachfront, 22 bungalows, has 278sqm of private living nished. 5.5 million baht. Of- in Cherng Talay 130 talang and Chalong. 3 bedrooms, 2 Phuket’s tropical heat with- restaurant, bar, shop, speed- space, including 2 bedrooms, fers invited. Tel: 076-296- wah. Soi Pasak, nice view. bathrooms (master en-suite), out aircon. 3-bedroom, 3- boat, Chanote title. Email: 2 bathrooms, a sunken bath, 072, 01-7196088. Sale by owner. Please call K. pool shower and separate bathroom (220sqm) home [email protected] living and dining room, Ann at Tel: 01-8933571. toilet in garden, Western- on 400sqm plot. Includes www.yaoyairesort.com kitchen, large terrace, roof- style fitted kitchen, dining pool, pond, hard wood and top garden and plunge pool, 1 RAI, YANUI room, living room, front and many extras. Priced at only CHALONG LAND parking and communial facili- 500m from beach, stunning HOUSE FOR SALE rear terraces, laundry/store- 9.5 million baht. Call Gary at 5 rai. Can subdivide to any ties. Tel: 076-398106, 07- view. Only plot with Chanote, 3-story detached house, 4 room, carport and parking. Tel: 07-8987062. size, or partner for develop- 2837161. Fax: 076-398- perfect for small resort or big bedrooms, 4 bathrooms. Ask- Guest bungalow: 1 bed- ment. Contact owner. Tel: 517. Email: jon.gibbons@ villa. Tel: 06-2670898. ing 6.5 million. Call Tel: 01- room, bathroom, living/din- 700 SQM VILLA 076-280440, 06-6831964. karonproperty.com Please see 5358555 or 01-3700660. ing room, kitchenette. All Newly built, Bali style. Valued Fax: 076-280-440. Email: www.karonproperty.com/ CHUAN CHUEN utilities; underground power at 25 million baht, selling at 19 [email protected] kata_gardens_penthouse.html Close to international school, SMALL PLOT – RAWAI and 2 phone lines. Full million baht. Stunning sea view. 3-4-bed/bathroom house. Perfect for small villa. Chanote title. Price: 10 mil- Kata. Tel: 01-5376866. HALF-RAI, SEAVIEW VILLA 3 Built-in furniture throughout, Chanote, road, electricity. lion baht. Tel: 01-4774792. In Rawai, perfect location for Attractive 2-bedroom house excellent condition. 6.9 million 200,000 baht. Don’t wait. Email: [email protected] 3 RAI, RAWAI apartment or villa. Road and for sale. Quiet, safe neighbor- baht. Tel: 04-8376440. Tel: 01-5376866. Chanote, road, electricity. Top electricity. Chanote title. 3.5 hood. Corner location. Asking spot, great price: 3.2 million million baht. Tel: 06-267- 3 million baht, negotiable. Tel: Gazette Online Classifieds – 10,000 readers every day! baht. Call Tel: 07-8938747. 0898. 09-8751154. 40 PHUKET GAZETTE CLASSIFIEDS May 27 - June 2, 2006 Property Gazette

APARTMENT IN KATA OVERLOOKING ABSOLUTE UNCLE CHAI HOUSE & Elegant one-bedroom apart- PATONG BAY BEACH FRONT BIG GARDEN ment on quiet hillside. Abso- For full details and photos, Fully furnished, 2 aircon lutely all mod cons, including please call Tel: 09-196- bedrooms. 11,000 baht per WiFi, aircon, fans, hot 8429 or visit: www. month. Located at Palai shower, cable TV, bed linen, thephuketproperty.com Green, Chalong Bay. Tel: etc. 12,000 baht a month. 01-8924311. 10,000 baht a month for long AUTHENTIC BALINESE term. Tel: 07-2675376. Email: -style luxury villa complex. 8 Phuket Private Home, a spe- RAWAI BUNGALOW [email protected] villas with private pools and cial style for the discriminat- One bed, kitchen, lounge, Jacuzzi. 3 bedrooms, 3 bath- ing renter. One bedroom. bath, quiet location 7,000 4-BEDROOM VILLA IN rooms, maid’s quarters with Long lease preferable. Aver- baht monthly. Please call Tel: Chalong. Unique! Quiet and bathroom, storage room, laun- age 15,000 baht a month. in 06-2790837. safe area on the hillside near dry room, garage for 2 cars Chalong area. Please call Chalong Circle. Resort-style and Balinese-style gardens. Tel: 01-4926883 or visit: APARTMENTS villa with aircon, UBC TV, 17.9/19.9/24 million baht. Tel: www.unclechaihome.com for rent. 2 mins from Nai Harn ADSL, tropical garden, 01-0875828. Email: homes Beach, fully furnished, Jacuzzi, 4 bedrooms and 4 @phuketpp.com Please see 3-BEDROOMS kitchen, aircon, cable TV, bathrooms. long term only. our website at www.phuket detached house. Chalong 3 wireless Internet, swimming 30,000 baht a month. Please This is TOP. Yes “Top” in paradiseproperties.com/List- bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a pool and daily maid service. contact for full details. Tel: 01- many ways. A beautiful tall ing#0330182 modern kitchen, a lovely gar- Tel: 09-0491785. Email: 6079020, 01-8235410. house in Art Deco style on den. Partly furnished. Long- [email protected] Email: [email protected] top of a hill. It is overlooking VILLA IN CHALONG term rent at 27,000 baht/ Patong bay and has great countryside: 11.5 million baht. month. Safe and quite. Tel: SPECTACULAR EXOTIC KATA sea views. It is great in size Villa near orchid farm: 9.5 mil- 01-787-2201. Email: phuket8 views. Yamu house, Cape sea front. Aspasia: luxury 2- and really outstanding in lo- lion baht. For details call Tel: @hotmail.com Heights, Cape Yamu. An out- bedroom, 3-bathroom apart- cation. Baan Suan Kamnan 01-9241447. standing period property, set ment. Spa, pools, gym, ADSL, a nice, unknown, quiet HOUSE FOR RENT in delightful gardens with quiet area. June to December. green and residential area LAND FOR SALE in Kamala. Fully furnished, amazing sea views towards 50,000 baht/month. Tel: 09- just outside Patong. Next to 27 rai on Koh Lanta, Krabi (no aircon, hot water, parking, Phang Nga Bay. 3 bedrooms, 9726017. Email: asiasail@ viewpoint “Bluepoint”. Enjoy brokers). 40 minutes from walk to beach. Please call 3 bathrooms, 2 receptions, yahoo.com For further details, lively Patong with out the Krabi Airport. 13 rai on a hill Paul at Tel: 01-4761640. study, kitchen, maid’s room, please see our website at: disturbance of it. When the with a panoramic sea view swimming pool, furnished. www.koumbele.com/kata2 former mayor (Kamnan) of and an adjoining 14 rai below. APARTMENTS Close to BICS. 70,000 baht Patong bought this hill 15 Absolute beach front of 235 Chalong. Titima Mansions; 2 per month. Please call Tel: FOR RENT IN KATHU years ago he really knew meters in length. Asphalt road bedrooms, furnished, aircon, 06-2796283. 3-bedroom home near Loch what he was buying for him- and electricity. 2 million baht/ hot shower, security and gar- Palm Golf Course & British self! The best spot of the rai. Please contact for more dens. Tel: 01-8914964. Email: International College. Swim- island! He created a quiet information. Tel: 01-5350060. beachcomberwa@yahoo. NEW HOME IN ming pool, telephone line with green and relaxed oasis for Email: [email protected] com.au LAND & HOUSES ADSL internet, fully furnished, himself and some happy Please contact for full de- UBC TV, garden & pool main- few around him. About the LUXURY tails. Tel: 01-8921715. tenance included. 45,000 baht house: 5 bedrooms, 4 bath- Properties apartments. 1 or 2 bedrooms Fax: 076-381111 Email: per month. Tel: 09-6498703. rooms. It has a pool with a For Rent in quiet area of Patong. TV/ [email protected] whirlpool bath next to it. DVD, aircon, pool, short or long FULLY-FURNISHED Great sea views in the day- term. Please email for info and NEW, FURNISHED apartment in Kata. Has aircon, time and beautiful scenery PATONG SEA VIEW photos. Email: phuket- home at Land & Houses Park. cable TV, Internet, hot from the lights in Patong in [email protected] Luxury decor, 3-bedroom, 2.5 shower, garden near beach the evening. Many features bathrooms, family den, 6 air- and swimming pool. 9,000 and extras included like TV- FOR RENT cons, appliances, 170sqm. baht per month. Furnished Satellites, professional Two buildings on Thalang Rd Guards at gates 24hrs. room with cable TV, balcony, camera security system (‘Old Phuket Town’ street). 25,000-30,000 baht/month. swimming pool. Near beach. with camera's system. Good condition. Call K. Sin- Tel: 01-7339753. Email: 7,000 baht per month. Tel: Huge water storage tanks prasert at Tel: 09-0002209. scorpion_vegas @yahoo.com 07-5333589, 06-2766597. and lovely garden. For seri- ous candidates only the fol- in Baan Suan Kamnan, a quiet lowing invitation; Come and and green residential neigh- See what you can get for borhood just outside Patong. Classified Advertisements your money instead of buy- 1- and 2-bedroom apart- ing from plans, with prom- ments available for long-term Please use this form to write your classified advertisement. ises. (House can be bought only. Something really spe- Then hand it to any of our agents. with several options like cial available soon. For when neighboring leased rental you like lively Patong but apartments/offices with want to sleep relaxed and |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| (heading) makes it a very profitable without disturbances. For investment and or with ad- for more information, call |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| joining extra land. Price de- Edwin at Tel : 06-7866350 pending on your wanted or Email: buurmanb@ "options"; but for house and hotmail.com |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| belonging land only 30 million baht. Higher depending on take-over of separate rental SERVICED APTS |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| business). Directly from GREAT DEAL owners, Please contact K. Studio apts in Chalong with Edwin at Tel: 06-7866350. rooftop spa-pool, aircon, or Email: buurmanb@ WiFi, satellite TV. Special |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| hotmail.com low season rates from 8,500 baht a month. Tel: 01- CHAOFA THANI 8938592, 06-2826221. |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| 2-story, fully furnished, semi- Email: saneroad@yahoo. detached house in secure com Classified ads are charged per line. Each line is 85 baht, estate. 45 talang wah, 3 bed- with a minimum of 4 lines (heading included) per ad. rooms, 2 bathrooms, living CHALONG room, kitchen, study, small New house for rent. Appealing All advertising must be paid for in advance. garden and big storeroom. 2.5 Western-design house. 2 Deadline for Property Gazette page: Friday 3 pm. million baht. Tel: 01-893- bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 6630. Email: baansorada@ aircon and telephone. Tel: Deadline for all other ads: Saturday 12 noon. hotmail.com 076-280466. May 27 - June 2, 2006 CLASSIFIEDS PHUKET GAZETTE 41 Property Gazette

KING SIZE BED Property Accommodation PATONG APARTMENT Accommodation The Stone Doctor Metal frame with mattress. Wanted Available 300 meters to the beach, Wanted 4,000 baht. Please contact clean and comfortable, with me for more information. air conditioning, TV, a big Specialist European stone- care products and services: Tel: 01-8919461. Email: fridge, double bed, pool and coconutgrove707@hotmail. WANTED: OFFICE LAKE VIEW 3-BDRM FURN. • Restoration parking. For more informa- com FOR RENT APARTMENT tion, please call Tel: 01- HOUSE, 20-25K • Sealing/Protection Want to rent a small office with 0825707 or see our web- Family of 4, seeking a 3 • Maintenance BOKHARA STYLE a/c in the area of Phuket City, site at: www.phuket- bdrm house in a quiet and All your maintenance, Lotus or Central. Walk-in with accommodation.info safe area for July 1st. protection & cleaning needs Carpet Size 4' x 6'. In good some promotion space on the long-term. Near Brit. Int'l for natural and manufactured condition. 4,500 baht. Please window/door. Need approx school. Furnished w/yard. stone. contact for more information. 30-40 sqm, ADSL line, bath- BIG NEW APARTMENT Screened doors/windows. Tel: 07-2658801. Email: for rent, just 5 minutes to the • Marble • Sandwash room and additional storage 20-25k.Please contact K. • Granite • Terracotta [email protected] beach. Only 500 baht per room. From 1st of June 2006. Lake-view apartments in Robert - 09-652-1799, • Slate • Terrazzo Tel: 01-8926019 . Email: day, or 9,000 baht per month. 09-6521799. Email: • Sandstone • Ceramics, etc SUPER KING BED Kathu. Fully furnished with Fully furnished for maximum [email protected] aircon, fridge, cable TV, hot [email protected] Prevent: rust, stains, mildew, Teak wood frame with head of 4 persons. Contact for full algae, scratches and footboard. British sprung water and car park.Rent details. Tel: 04-8519072. 183 baht a day (minimum Remove: builders’ residue, mattress with extra firm sup- Email: goodtasteforgoodlife incorrect sealants, rust, stains, port. Easily transportable. Only BUNGALOW 1 month). Please contact @yahoo.de HOUSE OR APT mildew, etc. Daily care & RESORT for more details. Tel: 076- WITH ADSL / PHONE cleaning products also available. 3 months old. Best price at 20,000 baht. Various items of or guesthouse. I am looking 202585, 09-1968449. Fax: PATONG LUXURY I'm looking to rent a house Tel: 07-2824930, 076-271217 to rent a bungalow resort or 076-202911. Please Email: for at least 1 year. I require old English silver, need to be 1- and 2-bedroom apartments Fax: 076-271218 viewed. Large collection of guesthouse in the Rawai or ketmaneeclayton61@ in Central Patong. Please air conditioning and ADSL Email: [email protected] Beanie babies suitable for little Chalong areas. Email: hotmail.com email for more information and or a phone line that can have [email protected] ADSL quickly. I have two girl. All have labels. Best offer. photos. Email: suites@yahoo. Tel: 76-062712758. Email: com small parrots. ADSL is a NEW BUNGALOW must and is needed 100 davidandannatandy@hotmail LONG-TERM RENTAL Available 1 June to 30 Octo- percent without exception. A.N.T. .com in Kathu. 1- or 2-bedroom ber: New bungalow in a quiet 2 NICE HOMES Tel: 610-8532828. Email: CONSTRUCTION LTD house in Kathu required as cul de sac. 2 double bedrooms, KAMALA howardbloom@pc- We specialize in building Household soon as possible, preferably 2 shower rooms, full inventory. 2 beautifully-appointed, fully- man.com homes of the highest qual- semi-furnished but not impor- All you need is beach towels. furnished homes 250m from ity. We are not the cheap- Services tant. However, it must have a 11,000 baht per month, or beach. See 02R & 03R est, but are most likely the phone line and a small garden. 18,000 to include four door houses icon. Please contact Building best. If you want it done Addition to family forces Isuzu pick-up with 1st class in- for more information. Tel: Products & right, contact Andy. We LOCKUP STORAGE move from Patong. Can pro- surance. No deals; this is a 01-8931360. Email: noi@ also have, for hire, Bobcat Household goods, car & vide reference from present good offer. Please contact for phuketinvestments.com Services skidsteer loaders with at- motorbikes. 24-hr security. landlord for past 17 months. more information. Tel: 076- tachments, cherry pickers, Please call for more info. Tel: 01-8022800. Email: 388657, 07-8917408. Email: and generator sets. Tel: 01- Tel: 01-0825707. [email protected] moonrakermanagement@ 8913466. Fax: 076-296- hotmail.com 2 NICE HOUSES LANDSCAPE/VILLA Kata & Rawai 6 months 160. Email: antc@phuket. HOUSE WANTED DECOR plus. Low-season bargains. Landscape design and villa ksc.co.th in Kata, Karon or Chalong. I KARON APARTMENT Household Serious inquiries only. Please maintenance, including pool am looking for a house with 2 Center Karon 50m from contact for more informa- design, desk, Thai salas, Services to 3 bedrooms at a maximum beach 2 rooms, 2 balcony, WOODWORK tion. Tel: 09-0633185. sprinkler systems, lawn. We Needs price of 3 million baht. If you cable TV, wifi, aircon. Only For boat & house. We specialise Email: friendlyfrog43@ also offer garden Accesso- have one. Tel: 01-8948588. long term. 17,500 baht per in woodwork for houses and yahoo.com ries, ceramic pots, etc. We Email: [email protected] month. Tel: 06-2718254. boats - own factory and CHILD MINDER speak English, French and boatyard, furniture, kitchens, Positions available for 2 per- Thai. Please contact for built-in and moveable bars, re- sons. Friends and/ or family more information. Tel: 09- pairs anything that has to do with members. 10,000 baht per 7290800, 01-5976387. woodwork. Tel: 01-9683118, month. Please contact via. Fax: 076-237304. Email: Fax: 076-243089. Email: Email: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

SAFEWAY STORAGE Household Property Documents: 200 baht per Services month, - 20 container: 4,200 Items baht per month, - Self store: from 650 baht per month, - Site of- NEW AIRCON fice: 5,200 baht per month, - ELECTRICAL 6,900 baht. 12,500 BTU. Mobile toilet: 2,200 baht per SERVICES All new, never used. A great month. Tel: 076-281283, 01- UK certified electrician. Please deal! Tel: 072-702276, 07- 1251873. For further details contact for more information. 2702276. Please contact please see our website: Tel: 01-6919907. Email: for more information. Email: www.safewayphuket.com [email protected] [email protected] MOTHER & CHILD DESIGN & BUILD international. Childcare center SONY WEGA 28" TV Want to build your own house "Aiming for Excellence for all with home theatre system, and don’t know where to start? Your Child's Needs" Opening in surround sound, stand and 2 Builder let you down? Fed up Rawai (near Don's Mall) 12 DVD players. One year old, with looking at artists’ impres- June 06. Accepting children never used, still have receipts sions? Talk to the experts at SC aged 18 months to 5 years. En- for 60,000 baht. Will accept Design for all your planning, de- rolment now available. For infor- 30,000 baht. Genuine bar- sign and construction require- mation, please contact 07- gain. Tel: 05-7862404. Email: ments. Please contact. Tel: 09- 1069890 (for English) or 01- [email protected] 2878667. Fax: 076-246282. 6532122 (for Thai). Email: Email: admin@amtechnik. com [email protected]

ONLY EVE VISA RUN To Andaman Club promotion price now til 02/08/06. Price Looking for land to buy? 1,650 baht includes lunch at See more classified ads at the hotel, transfers, insurance, breakfast, soft drinks, visa, www.phuketgazette.net/classifieds aircon ship. Call Eve. Tel: 076- 289201, 01-5352637. 42 PHUKET GAZETTE CLASSIFIEDS May 27 - June 2, 2006 Boats & Marine

Gazette Online Classifieds 10,000 readers every day! May 27 - June 2, 2006 CLASSIFIEDS PHUKET GAZETTE 43 Island Job Mart

CASHIER AND WAITRESS required at Kamala sauna and garden restaurant. Sal- ary approx 5,000 baht per month. Please contact K. Taa for more details. Tel: 076-279223, 09-019- 7163. Email: websteram3 @tiscali.co.uk

F&B MANAGER WANTED Sunset Beach Resort is look- ing for an F&B Manager. Please send CV or contact for more information. Tel: 076-342482-5. Email: info @sunsetphuket.com

M&E TECHNICIAN/ SITE SUPERVISOR required for large residential development at Baan Yamu, Phuket. Send details of qualifications and previ- ous experience to the above email. 01-9062942. Email: [email protected]

PART-TIME WORK available. No fixed hours. Pay by commission. Prefer English- speaking females. NOT selling timeshare! Tel: 07-8973108. Email: [email protected]

THAI FEMALE MODEL Dutch female lingerie and swimsuit model will be in Phuket from July 11 till 21 for a private photoshoot. She is looking for a Thai model to join the photo session (no experi- ence required). Contact di- rectly. Email: natnylons@ yahoo.com

REAL ESTATE SALES Due to expansion, Siam Real TEFL TEACHER Estate requires experienced, BEACH CAT FIBERGLASS BOATS required. Lovely teaching po- independent, self-starting, self- WANTED FOR SALE sition off Phuket Island. Con- employed farang sales per- Wanted: sailing catamaran tract available, good wages sons. Must have personality up to 20 ft. Hobie, Nacra, and conditions. Please contact and must know the island. En- AHPC, etc. Fixer OK. Tel: for more information. Tel: joy independence, high com- 03-1725610. Email: 076-346 188, 01-2728805. missions, quality leads and full [email protected] Email: director.school@ back-office support. Require gmail.com Thai company, work permit and car. It’s up to you how 25FT CUSTOM 20ft Bayliner Trophy on TROPICAL HOMES much you make! Please con- FISHING/DIVE BOAT tandem-axle trailer, no en- Sales-orientated staff required tact for more information. Tel: Marine ply/fiber/epoxy, gine, very good condition. for rapidly expanding real-es- 076-288908. Email: richard teak deck and woodwork, 16 foot Banliner ski boat tate company. Driving license @siamrealestate.com Please center console, hard roof, with 85hp engine+ skis on and good command of written see our website at: www. new Yamaha 85hp, steel trailer. Please call Tel: 09- and spoken English is a must. siamrealestate.com trailer. All US/EU standards. 4731165 for more informa- Basic salary plus commission. Speeds to 26 knots. Must tion. Please see our website at: HOUSEMAID see! 900,000 baht. Please www.tropical-homes.net Housemaid with some English. contact for more informa- TAYANA 55 SLOOP 9am to 5pm, Monday PATONG INN HOTEL through Friday, 1 hour for tion. Tel: 07-1323150. 1993 model in excellent con- CLEANING STAFF LAW FIRM Staff wanted for hotel bar and lunch break. 6,000 baht per Email: skiyemen@yahoo. dition full aircon and Genset. for guesthouse in Karon. Must seeks an accountant, secre- restaurant on Patong Beach. month. Please contact for com Recently refitted teak decks speak some English. Please tary and lawyer. Please send Must speak some English. more info. Tel: 01-0816862. and rigging and many other call for more information. Tel: resumé to: scphuket@yahoo. Please call K. Nim at Tel: 07- Email: belindarevett@hotmail. extras. For more information 06-2718254. com 8914894. com PHUKET RACEWEEK and an inspection call Simpson KING’S CUP Marine. Tel: 076-239768. Crew needed for Phuket Raceweek (27-30 July) and NEW 2006 FIRST 7.5 Looking for a job? Still haven’t found the perfect candidate? King’s Cup (2-9 December). Beneteau’s latest design yacht Experienced or not, let's for the sailing enthusiast. Just talk. Tel: 66-76383080. arrived. See it at the Boat La- Find more Recruitment Classifieds at Fax: 66 -76381934. Email: goon or call for more details. [email protected] Simpson Marine. Tel: 076- www.phuketgazette.net! 239768. 44 PHUKET GAZETTE CLASSIFIEDS May 27 - June 2, 2006 Island Job Mart

Employment Wanted

LADY WHO SPEAKS ENGLISH Looking for work in Phuket. Please call K. Aum for more information. Tel: 01-084- 9918. Email: aumlopburi@ hotmail.com

HOUSEKEEPER CLOTHING DESIGNER available. For foreign clients only. Fair spoken and written Clothing designer/pattern English. Please call for more maker required for new busi- information. Tel: 06-9469997. ness venture. Must be quali- fied, experienced and speak BA DEGREE fluent English. Please con- in intn’l tourism. Dutch female, tact for more info. Tel: 04- 26, looking for office job in 8373870. Email: domtaylor marketing, e-commerce, man- @mac.com agement. Email: suzanne@ suzannessource.com TRAINER/ bodyguard wanted. Lady, 23, 163cm, 45kg, fit and very 25% Discount on Classifieds for Shopper Card Holders pretty, looking to hire black, white, Thai, or any male who is physically strong to be coach/trainer/bodyguard. IF YOU... Please email photo and de- scription. Pay is negotiable. Place your ad in these pages; Email: [email protected] Present your Shopper Card; and

STAFF NEEDED Pay for the ad at our offices, - CUSTOMER SERVICES you’ll enjoy a 25% discount* AND have your ad appear free of - SALES STAFF charge in the Phuket Gazette Online. - GRAPHIC DESIGNER We are looking for a compe- With more than 10,000 visitors a day, the Island Trader Online is tent and highly-motivated person to join our advertising Thailand’s most active classified marketplace. and media business in Phuket City. Must be a Thai *Ads may be submitted in person or online (phuketgazette.net/classifieds), but national with good spoken must be paid for at the Gazette offices. The discount is not available when and written English, driving payment is made at our agents. license, car and motorbike, and computer skills. Previ- The Phuket Gazette Co Ltd ous experience required. Please call for more info. 367/2 Yaowarat Road, Phuket City Gazette Classads – 10,000 readers a day! Tel: 076-236637-8. Tel: 076-236555 Fax: 076-213971 May 27 - June 2, 2006 CLASSIFIEDS PHUKET GAZETTE 45 Tout, Trader & Trumpet

KATHU, HAIR SALON Articles Bulletins Lease for sale modern air-con- INVESTOR SOUGHT Business Products & Services for Sale ditioned shop. Located near Housing project in the hills at main-road junction. Has living the north end of Patong accommodation at rear. Fix- Beach. Site already has ture and fittings:130,000 roads, electricity and water O2 POCKET PC baht for quick sale. Tel K. supply, plus planning per- FOR SALE Araya. Tel: 07-9996621. mits. Project already has 30 Like new, 17,000 baht; and million baht invested, and new Sony Cybershot. GUESTHOUSE has 3 houses sold. 6 re- Please call K. Giorgio. Tel: w/ land for sale, Patong. 10 maining plots. Looking for 01-2945441. ground-floor rooms, close to silent partner for investment beach. Approx 1 rai. 8.5 mil- of 15 million baht. Please lion baht. Tel: 076-342280, contact Andy. Tel: 01-891 GUITARS FOR SALE 01-978-1956 or send Email: 3466. Fax: 076-296160. Takamine 12,000 baht. palm@phuket. ksc.co.th Email: [email protected]. Epiphone Les Paul 6,000 co.th baht. Squire strat 10,000 BAR FOR SALE baht. Fender amp 5,000 Popular and successful bar in baht. F/Case 2,000 baht. Soi Seadragon for sale. Pool BUSINESSES VISA & LEGAL Tel: 01-5379196. table, darts, own sound sys- FOR SALE SERVICES tem. 5-year lease. 5.7 million Great businesses in one of baht. Serious offers consid- the best locations in Patong MOBILITY SCOOTERS ered. Tel: 07-8838721. are for sale, including: Latest models. Portable 3- Business BAR FOR SALE - a 15-room guesthouse wheel, 4-wheel, latest mod- Opportunities in Patong. Going cheap. Tel: - a tour agency els. Full service by distribu- 07-8930847. - a 60-seat restaurant tor. For catalogs and prices please contact Ecobrand. - a rental business PATONG - an Internet café Tel: 02-9656291, 01- Guesthouse in Patong, 13 8750860. Fax: 02-965- rooms plus owner’s unit. Please contact for more in- 6294. Email: ecobrand@ Large kitchen, reception, of- formation. Tel: 01-082- truemail.co.th 0039, 01-0911662. Email: fice, bar. 5 years old, fully fur- Company Registration 2,229 [email protected] MOTHER & CHILD nished and equipped. Quiet baht; One Year Visa 5,999 INTERNATIONAL location, main road. Direct baht; Retirement Visa 5,999 COFFEE MACHINE CHILDCARE from owner, 5-year contract, baht: Work Permit 5,999 CENTER for sale. Complete set. Call 3.6 million baht. No key INVESTMENT baht; UK & US Visa 16,999 “Aiming for Excellence for Tel: 07-8930847. money. Contact for info and OPPORTUNITY baht. No more visa runs – all Your Child’s Needs”. photos. Tel: 076-344707, 01- Big returns, low risk. We are get a one-year visa for only Opening in Rawai (near 6916147. Fax: 076-344689. financing mortgages for for- 5,999 baht. Establish your PRO BODYBOARD Don’s Mall) June 12. Ac- Email: [email protected] eigners with a guaranteed Thai company today to buy New Mike Stewart Comp cepting children aged 18 buy back in event of NP land or start your business for 42"+ Balin cover. only 14,000 months to 5 years. Enrol- loans. We are looking for only 2,229 baht! Property baht. The best bodyboard in the ment now available. Please FOR SALE serious investor(s). Please title search, sales contract market. Please contact for call 07-1069890 (English) German carwash technol- contact for more informa- and land registration. more infomation. Tel: 09-592- or 01-6532122 (Thai). ogy. Wash 100 cars or tion. Tel: 04-0639223, 01- Thailand’s LARGEST legal 6482. Email: ant_maluca@ Email: charliecooke@ more a day. Selling, installa- 7888280. Email: david@ service network. Always yahoo.com btinternet.com tion, service, training, invest- katabeachproperty.com low prices by our licensed ment. Email: carwash_ Thai lawyers. Please con- SUPER KING-SIZE BED BAR ON BANGLA [email protected] KAMALA tact. Tel: 076-345277 (24 - Teak frame with headboard hours). Email: info@siam- Sportsbar located on Soi restaurant & bar. Famous for VISA TRIP and footboard. British spring legal.com For further details, Bangla, not on one of the pizza + Texmex: 40 seats, air TO RANONG mattress with extra-firm sup- 2-STORY SHOP please visit: www.siam- port. Easily transportable. Only side-sois, for sale. Quick conditioning, equipment, sale, moving back to Eu- FOR RENT legal.com Double-decker tour bus (not 3 months old. Best price at stock, and furniture. For sale minibus), toilet, films/music, rope. Tel: +46-709588- On Phuket Rd. Good loca- 20,000 baht. at 500,000 baht + rent 6,000 snacks and drinks, on-board 444, 07-2661571. Email: tion next to a dentist. 5m x baht per month. Call after 5 EVE VISA RUN buffet lunch. No extra to - Various items of old English [email protected] For de- 30m. 240,000 baht per pm. Tel: 03-1753996. to Andaman Club. Promotion pay, fully inclusive. Only silver, must be viewed. tails, please see our web- year. Please call for more price until August 2: 1,650 1,500 baht. Every Monday, - Large collection of Beanie ba- site at: www.banglabar.se info. Tel: 01-8924311. bies suitable for little girl. SHOP FOR RENT baht, includes lunch at the ho- Wednesday, Friday and Patak Rd, Karon Beach. West tel, transfers, insurance, Saturday. Please call for All have labels. Best offer. of central Karon, 50sqm, no breakfast, soft drinks, visa, more information. Tel: 04- Contact. Tel: 06-2712758. FOR SALE BUSINESS key money. 200,000 baht aircon. Call K. Eve at Tel: 076- 745- 7024. Email: davidandannatandy@ IN PATONG FOR SALE per year. Tel: 06-2718254. 289201 or 01-5352637. hotmail.com One of the best bar/restau- Nice office located in a busi- rants in Patong. Almost on ness area. 50sqm, fully fur- TITLEST GOLF BAG the beach in a busy hotel nished with all office equip- Big size, as new. Maroon and area. Many customers all ment and ready to start. 1.8 Agents for Classified Advertising black. I am asking only 5,500 day long, all seasons. 2 Bars, million baht. Company car is baht for it. Tel: 06-5952833. large restaurant, in total available if required. Please Email: ukdj007bond@yahoo. more than 100 seats. contact for more informa- PHUKET co.uk Kitchen with all equipment, tion. Tel: 09-8750017. pool table, 7 TVs, fan cool- Email: talayjan@yahoo. K.L. Mart Tel: 076-280400/3 BABY COT, STROLLER ers, cabins and more. Very com Solid timber cot with innerspring nicely decorated. Contract Patak Rd, Chalong Fax: 076-280403 mattress, matching change for 3 more years. Rent table and 3-wheel stroller. All 85,000 baht per month. FOR THE SERIOUS Earth Language School Tel: 076-232398/9 Australian Safety Standard ap- Take over a running place. INVESTER Phang Nga Rd, Phuket City Fax: 076-232398 proved. 3½ years old. Great Email: patong-bar-for-sale@ Location Koh Lanta, Krabi. condition. Tel: 06-9537624. hotmail.com Pub and restaurant for sale Sin & Lee Tel: 076-258369 Email: michaella_trigg@ with 11-year lease. Theater, Thalang Rd, Phuket City Fax: 076-211230 yahoo.com.au cooking area and garden. In PHI PHI ISLAND a plaza on the middle of Taurus Travel Tel: 076-344521/2 KITEBOARD Great business for sale in Klong-dao beach main road. for sale. I have two kiteboards the best location. 14 years Some shop units available, Aroonsom Plaza Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd, Patong Fax: 076-344523 for sale urgently. Both are contract. First to see will 1-3-year lease. Call K. Nat- Airush brand. Never used. Will take. Please email for more chara. Tel: 06-9998767. 41 Minimart Tel/Fax: 076-324312 go to best offer. Tel: 01- info. Email: patong05@ Email: spencerwiltshire@ Srisoontorn Rd, Cherng Talay 8235410. Email: frank@ gmail.com hotmail.com bathline.info 46 PHUKET GAZETTE CLASSIFIEDS May 27 - June 2, 2006 Tout, Trader & Trumpet

THE COMPUTING LEARN THAI PRIVATELY mastery. Established in PERSONAL TRAINER One-on-one lessons with quali- Personals Patong Beach, Phuket, since C.T.S sessions available. fied and experienced teacher 2004, Interall Co Ltd keeps a Contact Ben Dunnet. Tel: in the privacy of your home or qualified and experienced pro- 03-1905007. Email: pro- office. Read it, hear it, ask BACKGAMMON fessional team at your beck and file@ bbpics.com about it, and absorb it online. I Retired businessman looking call in each of its departments speak English comfortably and for backgammon players on and occupations. Installé CARPETS & SHAWLS will answer your questions Phuket Island. Please call depuis 2004 à Patong Beach, Handmade carpets, kilims & clearly and precisely. I offer a for more information. Tel: Phuket, Interall Co Ltd met à real pashmina shawls (we can free online lesson to show you 076-386113, 01-577- votre service des profession- wash & repair too). Please how it works. All you need is 8443. nels qualifiés et expérimentés contact. Tel: 07-8187591. MSN messenger. Simply add dans chacun de ses Email: jkashmiry@hotmail. me – [email protected] – départements d'activité. com and then phone me to set a YOUR FUTURE Email: [email protected] time for your free trial. I am FORETOLD Please visit: www.interall- GIFT OF MYSTERIES happy to provide references thailand.com from successful students, but Richard de Meath, interna- Tae Raenon Veenae Albama- tionally renowned clairvoy- cia, American mystic, invites serious inquiries only, please. Tel: 09-7482572. ant and Tarot Grandmaster, Miscellaneous communion with English- will reveal the secrets of speaking farang and Thais in- your future. Please contact. for Sale terested in studies of ancient Personal Tel: 44-(0)12028. Email: JAPANESE TEACHER Club Japanese teacher (TEFL) is mysticism on Phuket. 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Price 1,600 baht I would like to do this at know somebody who is sell- I am looking for an attractive, LEARN THAI per lesson, incl. lunch for two. home. Is there any midwife, JEAB’S JUMPING ing one, please email details slim Thai girl, age 25-40, for AT HOME For more information call Mr nurse or doctor in Phuket Castles and slides for to me at: interested in natural birth companionship. I am in Patong Charming Thai lady teacher Sasha, of Thai House Phuket children’s parties. 7 models [email protected] who would come to our for 3 months. Email: soinanai gives Thai lessons at your Co Ltd, at Tel: 09-7257814. to choose from. Tel: 01- home? Also looking for a @yahoo.com 8939742. Email: zimbo@ home. Full course with con- NURSING CARE "mae baan" who knows netvigator.com Please see versation practice and home FUN DATING Nursing care offered at your how to take care of mother our website at: www. Computers study material. Beginners or Looking for fun? For a date? residence or hospital. 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Tel: Over The Moon activity DOG TRAINER 05-7855389. COMPUTER 04-6433915. center for children. Looking for a German-speak- Pets 1) Biostar iDeq-200T SFF. Intel * Yoga ing dog trainer for my Thai dog P4 3.0, 512MB memory, ATI * Dance of about 5-6 months old. LEARN THAI PRIVATELY Please call Tel: 01-2596052. One-on-one lessons with quali- 9600 PRO graphics, 80GB ANXIETY * Art COCKER SPANIEL HDD, Sony DVD burner. fied and experienced teacher fear, depression. Free English * Library Male Cocker. Brown. One 18,000 baht. HOME TEACHER year old. All jabs up to date. in the privacy of your home or language support group. * English/Thai Lessons office. Read it, hear it, ask 2) XFX 6600GT AGP graph- in the Cherng Talay area for Friendly and great with kids. Email: lobroadway2004@ Location: Cherng Talay, children 6-8 years old. Math, about it, and absorb it online. I ics card. 4,000 baht. yahoo.com 2,000 baht. Must go to speak English comfortably and Please contact for more infor- close to Laguna Phuket. English, Thai. 5 days/week. good home. Tel: 076- will answer your questions mation. Tel: 06-2839806. Please contact Barbara for Please contact for more infor- 203064, 01-0876702. clearly and precisely. I offer a Email: [email protected] PERSONAL TRAINING more information. mation. Tel: 076-239112. Email: davestacey16@ free online lesson to show you Tailor-made physical training Tel: 09-6472651. Email: damian@electrical- hotmail.com how it works. All you need is at all levels. Scheduled sessions marine.com MSN messenger. Simply add PHOTOCOPY at home or outside area. First me – [email protected] – REPAIRS lesson free. Tel: 07-2808077. and then phone me to set a Friendly farang fixes copiers time for your free trial. I am and faxes and has laser HEALING & PSYCHIC happy to provide references toner refills. Please call Readings in the comfort of from successful students, but George for more informa- your home. Please call serious inquiries only, please. tion. Tel: 06-9724805. Alexander for more informa- Tel: 09-7482572. tion. Tel: 09-7367148.

ASK KHUN WANIDA! MOMMA DUCK

Problems with an extra-marital affair? Questions about Thai culture? Having communication problems?

Read her advice in the Phuket Gazette.

Fax: 076-213971 or email: [email protected] File Missing 48 PHUKET GAZETTE May 27 - June 2, 2006

See ISSUES & ANSWERS at www.phuketgazette.net