Line to cut. ID crime. Patong rental shops send copies of tourists passports to Interpol - PDF Free Download (2024)

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1 ANDAMAN Edition phu*kET S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 Now NATIONWIDE Killer Songkran heatwave Officials issue warning after heatstrokes lead to three deaths INSIDE TODAY April 19-25, 2014 phu*ketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht Line to cut EXCLUSIVE ID crime Patong rental shops send copies of tourists passports to Interpol By Chutharat Plerin NEARLY one-third of rental shops in Patong have started to send photos of renters faces and passports to the Interpol branch in Bangkok via the online application Line in an effort to identify stolen passports and protect against passport theft on the island. The push for tighter security follows the news that two passports stolen in phu*ket had been used to board missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 six weeks ago. Royal Thai Police Commander Adul Saengsingkaew has ordered police to check for fake passports being used on the island, especially those used to rent vehicles, explained Maj Gen Apichat Suriboonya, head of the National Central Bureau Interpol Bangkok office. In response, 23 of the 80 registered rental operators in Patong have joined the Line messaging group, through which they send images of renters and their passports to officers in Bangkok. Continued on Page 4 A motorbike rental operator uses Line to send a picture of a tourist s passport to Interpol. Aussie Feds check in on island crime GLENN Tankard of the Australian Federal Police arrived on phu*ket, to ask airport officials to target bags of undisclosed cash in a joint effort to stem the tide of transnational crime. Full story on Page 42 SPECIAL REPORT Unexpected motherhood THE recent abandonment of a newborn baby in Karon highlights the pressures and choices women face when they unwantingly and unexpectedly conceive. The Gazette s Chutharat Plerin explores the struggles and options of soon-to-be mothers. Full story on Pages 6-7 Wastewater issues haunt west coast AS KARON hotels face the threat of closure for releasing untreated wastewater into the sea, health concerns that arose from foul water this time last year returned to haunt Bang Tao Beach this week. Full stories on Pages 4-5

2 2 phu*kET GAZETTE phu*kET NEWS April 19-25, 2014 Property The Garden Luxury Mall seeks to capture highend spending. Page 13 Business Yacht Solutions signs deal with Azimut Yachts Thailand. Page 17 Events West End comedy play comes to phu*ket on May 3. Page 34 People Thai Cowboy Manoo talks about the art of rope tricks. Page 37 In Focus AFP assists Thailand with curbing transnational crime. Page 43 Sport ITF Seniors Tennis Tournament wraps up at Thanyapura. Page 47 DNA tests confirm body found is missing Russian UNOFFICIAL DNA results and dental records have confirmed that the decapitated body found in Cherng Talay on March 29 is that of missing Russian Alexey Slabinskiy. We ve heard unofficially from the Forensic Office in Surat Thani that the remains are those of Mr Slabinskiy, and the teeth found match the dental records for Mr Slabinskiy held by Bangkok Hospital phu*ket, phu*ket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Arun Kaewvatee announced on April 12. Police have not yet determined Mr Slabinskiy s cause of death, Col Arun added. The two suspects in the murder of Mr Slabinskiy, Oleksandr Boychuk, 44, and Aleksandr Novichkov, 58, are believed to still be in Thailand. We have friends and associates of the suspects under surveillance, but so far we don t have information about the men s whereabouts, Col Arun reported. However, we will make arrests soon. Mr Slabinskiy disappeared with his girlfriend Iana Strizheus on March 7. Ms Strizheus was later found alive and returned home on April 4. Woranut Pechdee One-stop yacht shop to open for trial run By Woranut Pechdee TWO years behind schedule and 70 million baht in the making, phu*ket s long-awaited one-stop yacht center will open on Monday for a two-week trial period. Officers involved in yacht-arrival services, such as immigration, customs and the harbor master, are now moving into their new offices, phu*ket Marine Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut said. The rotunda-style building at the end of Chalong Pier, originally slated for completion in 2012, has an administration room, immigration office, customs office, plant and animal quarantine area, and an office for phu*ket Marine officials, he noted. All yachts entering phu*ket waters must report to the one-stop center and register on a 15mnbaht GPS locator system. Yachts will be tracked by the Automatic Identification System (AIS). The control center for the system is at the one-stop shop. Relay towers have been installed in Karon, Rawai and at the phu*ket Deep Sea Port at Cape Panwa. Yachts arriving in phu*ket will have to log in to this system so we can track the whereabouts of each vessel, said Mr Phuriphat. Missing toddler found dead THE body of missing 3-year-old Kongpob Nong Gorya Chuerket was found in the lagoon at Nai Harn Beach on Monday afternoon, Chalong police confirmed. Nong Gorya went missing on April 10 from his home in Rawai, and was last seen crossing the road while his parents were busy working at their store in the construction camp where they live. We were notified by local residents that a body had been found in the Nai Harn lagoon, about 100 meters from the camp where Looking for a place to stay? See more classified ads at Mr Phuripat announced the April 21 opening for the one-stop yacht shop. Ten more relay towers will be installed within the next three months; six throughout phu*ket, two in Krabi and two in Phang Nga. phu*ket Governor Maitri Inthusut hopes that the one-stop yacht center will raise yachting standards in phu*ket and benefit the island as part of the future Asean Nong Gorya lived, Lt Kraisorn Boonprasop of the Chalong Police told the Gazette. Police officers arrived at the scene and found Nong Gorya s grieving parents, along with about 30 local residents, standing near the water. Nong Gorya s parents recognized the Angry Birds Nong Gorya. Photo: Supplied shirt and blue shorts that Nong Gorya was wearing when he was last seen, and were able to identify the body, said Lt Kraisorn. Woranut Pechdee Economic Community (AEC), which comes into effect next year. When the one-stop service center is officially open, it will make phu*ket a more attractive place for international yachting, Governor Maitri said. It will also be beneficial for phu*ket as an integral part of the AEC. Hunter shot dead, police investigate A plainclothes officer inspects the gun Mr Wisut was shot with. POLICE are investigating claims that a man shot dead on April 9 while hunting with friends died from his.22 rifle accidentally discharging while the men were climbing a hill in the dark. When we arrived, the body of Wisut Polsanay, 46, was lying in the back of a pick-up truck with a single gunshot wound to the head, said Maj Kittipoom Tinthalang of the Thalang Police. Naret Klintrai, 32, told police that he was walking behind Mr Wisut when he heard a gunshot. We were walking up a hill. I heard a gunshot, then Wisut fell to the ground, he said. Maj Kittipoom said police are investigating foul play. We are not yet convinced that it was a hunting accident, he said. Thawit Bilabdullar

3 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET NEWS phu*kET GAZETTE 3 Abandoned baby discovered in bed of pick-up truck POLICE are searching for the Hotel staffer Anchalee Singsoon, up and I was shocked to see a mother of a newborn baby boy 39, discovered the infant baby in the bed of my pickup. found abandoned in the bed of a in the back of her truck after she The baby, wrapped in a towel pick-up truck in front of a luxury arrived for work at the Dream Sea and placed inside a black garbage phu*ket resort on April 10. Pool Villa resort at about bag, weighed about 3.2 kilograms The baby is healthy and is 10:30pm. and still had his umbilical cord attached, being cared for at Vachira phu*ket I parked in front of the resort, said Lt Col Jakkawat. Hospital, said Wichit Police and I hadn t gotten far when I heard We are checking CCTV cameras Deputy Superintendent Jakkawat a lot of dogs barking at my truck. in the area, he said. Boontaweekulsawat. I went back to see what was Kritsada Mueanhawong The newborn boy was healthy. Holiday heat kills three Aussie gov t warns against Deep South By Saran Mitrarat DOCTORS at Patong Hospital have confirmed that three foreigners died on Tuesday after collapsing from heatstroke. Russian tourist Igor Kiselev, 59, was rushed to hospital for medical treatment after he passed out at Karon Beach, Patong Hospital Director Sirichai Silpa-archa confirmed to the Gazette. He died en route to the hospital. Medical staff tried for one hour to revive him before they pronounced him dead at 4:30pm, Dr Sirichai said. He showed no signs of assault. We suspect that he died from a heart attack brought on by heatstroke. Hours later, British national Walter Frederick Bell, 62, was rushed to Patong Hospital after collapsing in Soi Kebsup, near the Patong beach road. Despite our efforts, he was pronounced dead at 7:10pm, Dr Sirichai said. The third victim, a Myanmar national named by one hospital staffer as Aung Aung, 41, was also rushed to Patong Hospital after collapsing at Karon Beach. Mr Aung was later pronounced dead from suspected heat exposure. Dr Sirichai said that he had yet to confirm with medical staff that A Russian and a Myanmar national collapsed on Karon Beach, and a British man in Patong. Photo: Leslie Porterfield all three men had been drinking alcohol, which would have elevated the men s body temperatures. However, he did note that Mr Bell and Mr Kiselev had both arrived from colder climates. The heat could have had a drastic effect on their bodies, especially if they had been celebrating Songkran by having water fights in the sun, he said. Staff at the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) in phu*ket reported that the heat blasted up to 35.2C on Tuesday. We expect the heatwave to continue for at least the next three days, said one TMD staffer. We urge everyone to take precautions to prevent being overcome by heatstroke. Motorcyclists watch smoke from a recent blast in Yala. Photo: The Nation THE Australian Government s Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade has upgraded its travel advisory, warning travellers that extremists in the Deep South provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat may be targeting westerners. The advisory also includes Songkhla province, home of Haad Yai, in its warning. Travel, including by train between Thailand and Malaysia, is not advised due to high levels of ongoing violence in these regions. Bombings and shootings are commonplace in these areas... Reporting indicates that extremists may be planning to target westerners in the southern border provinces, the report states. Australians in Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla provinces may be caught up in violence or terrorist attacks directed at others. If you are in these provinces, you should consider leaving. If you decide to stay in the southern provinces, you should ensure you have the appropriate personal security measures in place. The heightened travel advisory follows a series of co-ordinated bomb attacks in Yala last weekend. phu*ket Gazette

4 4 phu*kET GAZETTE phu*kET NEWS April 19-25, 2014 Bang Tao fouls, B320mn project halts By Saran Mitrarat AS BLACK water continued to spill over Bang Tao Beach in Cherng Talay, officials reported that the 320-million-baht wastewater-treatment project scheduled for completion next year has stalled. Our big wastewater treatment project is only 30 per cent complete, but construction has stopped, Ma-ann Samran, president of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor), said last Saturday. The company said that the cost of living in phu*ket is too high and some of their staff couldn t afford to live here, so they returned to their home provinces. I have been in touch with the company and still believe the project can be finished in two to three years. The project, which included two treatment plants one in Bang Tao and another in Surin and seven pumping stations, was originally scheduled for completion in August The explanation of the faltering wastewater plant project was delivered to phu*ket Governor Maitri Inthusut during the governor s inspection of the Bang Tao Canal and the beach. However, Mr Ma-ann was not asked to explain when construction ended or what penalties if any the company would face for defaulting on a government contract. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) readings taken of canal water in the days preceding the inspection showed readings five times above normal. Despite the readings and local boatmen s complaints of skin problems caused by the water, Governor Maitri washed his hands and face in the water and declared it safe to swim in. Mr Ma-ann assured that a slew of short-term solutions will be put into effect, including inspections of local establishments to make sure wastewater is treated before it is released into the canal. We are targeting 10 unregistered restaurants and some laundromats that we believe are releasing untreated water, he said. Although boatmen said that they believed hotels in the area were also releasing untreated wastewater, no hotels were mentioned at the inspection. Officials announced other steps Beachgoers contemplate whether to cross the black water flowing from Bang Tao Canal into the sea. aimed at preventing black sediment from reaching the beach and improving water flow in the canal. Steps of wood or sand bags will be built into the base of the canal to trap sediment as it flows by, and a section of canal 1.6km long will be dredged and the banks reinforced, Mr Ma-ann said. We ve already received 15mn baht for that project, he said, but we don t have any bids yet. Another 1.5mn baht has been secured to dredge 200 meters of the canal near the sea where longtail boats are berthed. From page 1 Getting this information allows us to check for the use of fake and missing passports, and could eventually lead us to an organized crime network, Gen Apichat said. Asking operators to photograph renters also should help ensure that passports are returned to the correct person, and having the information in our database means we can use it later in the event of a problem. Gen Apichat, along with many other officers, said that police are powerless to prevent any rental operator from to hold tourists passports as collateral, as has been a regular practice in the past. To my knowledge, there is no law in Thailand prohibiting foreigners from handing over We ll add EM balls to the water to make it clear, Mr Ma-ann added. In the meantime, the approximately 100 boatmen who work in the area said they will continue to rush to take a shower as soon as they get out of the water and warn their children to stay away from it. Interpol uses Line app to fight passport theft their passports to another person as per their own agreement. We can only launch a campaign to raise awareness among rental operators against keeping the documents as collateral, he said. Although we do not support holding customers passports [as collateral], we have to understand that operators take a risk when they rent out their property to strangers. Operators, aside from sending photos to Bangkok, need to make sure that information on the rental contracts is thoroughly filled out, including the renter s name, nationality and address in phu*ket. They should also call the hotels to make sure the customer is staying there. See Anything to declare on page 40.

5 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET NEWS phu*kET GAZETTE 5 Wastewater showdown Karon hotels could face closure for releasing untreated water By Saran Mitrarat THE president of the Karon Hotels Association agreed last week that hotels should be shut down for releasing untreated wastewater into the beach town s canal. Angkana Tanetvisetkul voiced her support for drastic action at a public meeting led by phu*ket Governor Maitri Inthusut aimed at improving the wastewater and garbage problems in Karon. The meeting was held to address issues in preparation for the Asian Beach Games, which will be held in Karon in November. I fully support closing hotels that release wastewater into the canal without treating it, Ms Angkana said. However, I d like to say that it is unfair to blame all hotels in Karon. Most of us have our own wastewater treatment systems. And please keep in mind that we are the group of people directly affected by this type of bad press. We play a big part in attracting tourists to Karon by advertising internationally. I think it s time for everyone to help solve this problem and restore Karon s good image. Governor Maitri explained the steps that have already been taken More than 200 residents and officials gathered to discuss solutions to the Karon wastewater problems. to correct the problem of polluted water flowing across Karon Beach, which first occurred this year on February 24 and was subsequently shown to be connected to the city s inadequate wastewater treatment system. We ve already made some short term solutions, the governor said. We ve dredged the Nong Harn Canal and installed a net to trap garbage so it doesn t reach the sea. We have set up sand bags in a stair shape in the same location to slow the flow of water, allowing sediment to settle and not go into the sea, and we dug an emergency treatment pond to contain water that sometimes overflows from the pumping station nearest the sea. Long-term solutions have been left up to the Wastewater Management Authority of Thailand (WMA), as Karon Municipality officers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the authority on March 13 to take over management of wastewater. Gov Maitri reminded the group of 200 residents and officers that a healthy environment was important for attracting tourists to the area, and asked for their help in making sure Karon would be ready for the Asian Beach Games. Public menace. Photo: Irfarn Jamdukor Governor gets behind probe of lake-filling GOVERNOR Maitri Inthusut last week lent the weight of his office to the investigation of a lake-filling project in Samkong with the aim of assisting Rassada Municipality to file a police complaint. The project, at Srisuchart Grandview housing estate, began as a municipality-ordered anti-erosion measure, but has become a noisy, dusty, public nuisance and health threat, according to residents. Six government offices were tasked with investigating land titles, company documents, legality of the lake-filling, impact on the environment and on local residents and whether the lake is in fact a lake or an old tin mine. Our action follows numerous complaints made by residents and business operators about the effects of the lake-filling, said Governor Maitri. Saran Mitrarat

6 6 phu*kET GAZETTE phu*kET NEWS April 19-25, 2014 phu*ket Provincial Hall up and running after protests, holiday IT WAS business as usual at phu*ket Provincial Hall on Thursday, after offices officially re-opened on April 8 and closed four days later for Songkran. Provincial Hall had been forced closed by anti-government protests for four and a half months. The opening followed an order from People s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) leader Suthep Thaugsuban. Mr Suthep called protest coordinators from every province to a meeting in Bangkok on April 5, phu*ket protest co-ordinator Amnuay Kumban explained. Mr Suthep told us to allow provincial halls to re-open so government officers could go back to work. We followed his instructions, Mr Amnuay said. Governor Maitri Inthusut and other officials have returned to their offices in Provincial Hall, an employee in the Public Relations department confirmed. The hall closed on November 27 when thousands of protesters massed, presented Governor Maitri with a bouquet of flowers Anti-government protesters presented Governor Maitri with a bouquet of flowers before forcing the closure of Provincial Hall. Photo: Gazette file and asked him to shutter the building. He obliged, but carried on working at various locations outside the hall. Mr Amnuay did not promise that the hall would not be closed again. It all depends on Mr Suthep, he said. Woranut Pechdee Unwanted THE discovery of a newborn boy abandoned in the bed of a pick-up truck in front of a luxury resort last week has highlighted the issue of unwanted pregnancies on phu*ket. Many women, not knowing which way to turn, abandon their babies or seek illegal abortions. The Gazette s Chutharat Plerin explores what options are available for pregnant women who are not prepared to be mothers. THE baby boy, weighing in at 3.2kg, still had his umbilical cord attached when he was found (see page 3), much like the newborn boy discovered alive on December 8 last year in front of the home of Srisoonthorn Mayor Worrawut Songyot. Five other unwanted babies were found dead in phu*ket last year: three newborns dumped in the trash and two fetuses, the apparent result of illegal abortions. The Srisoonthorn baby was taken to the phu*ket Shelter for Children and Families on Koh Sireh, as will be the baby found last week, once it is released from Vachira phu*ket Hospital. UNWANTED These babies are abandoned for the simple reason that their mothers didn t It s not only teenagers who find themselves in this position, but adults too Jiranun Cheamcharoen of the phu*ket Shelter for Children and Families intend to get pregnant and are not ready to raise them, explained Jiranun Cheamcharoen, who runs the shelter. It s not only teenagers who find themselves in this position, but adults too. If you have sex without a contraceptive, it can create a problem. Another reason may be that abortion in Thai society is considered a sin, and not an acceptable solution for unwanted pregnancy, Ms Jiranun said. Abortion is legal only in certain circ*mstances: when the pregnancy is the result of rape or may physically harm the mother, or when the mother has mental or physical problems which make her unable to care for a child, she said. Getting approval for a legal abortion is a lengthy process and requires the approval of a panel of experts: doctors, psychologists, lawyers and social welfare workers. Asked whether there were illegal abortion clinics in phu*ket, Vachira phu*ket Hospital psychologist Yaowanit Nongkom, who works with the panel, said, I don t think so. If there were, I would know, because any time a woman is admitted to the hospital who appears to have had an abortion, I must be informed. There was one case a few years ago when the operator of an illegal abortion clinic in Phun Phol was arrested. Six women died before we were able to make that arrest. However, in June last year a retired male nurse admitted to performing over 20 abortions after having been arrested moments before starting an operation in a hotel room. People learned about my service through word of mouth. I do not have a clinic, Prapak Thiparat told police. WHERE TO TURN FOR HELP Anyone facing an unexpected pregnancy, or who has a friend who is, I want you to know that you have options, said Ms Jiranun. We are here to talk about what s on your mind, about what it means to raise a child. We welcome you and want to help you through your difficult time. You can either call us or drop by the shelter. We have officers standing by around the clock. The shelter starts by helping women accept their unwanted pregnancies, then helps them prepare for their lives ahead. We empower people to live. This includes training them for jobs so that they can support their children, Ms Jiranun said. If she is a teenager who is afraid to tell her family, we can help mediate. Sometimes the family will support the girl and sometimes they won t. If they

7 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET NEWS phu*kET GAZETTE 7 babies not to be abandoned don t, she comes to stay at our shelter, where we take care of her until she gives birth. We provide medical care and psychological counseling for free. LOVING SUPPORT More than 80 per cent of the women who come to us for help, saying they don t want their babies, decide to keep them, Ms Jiranun said. One reason may be the shelter s very flexible policies, which allow women to leave their babies for extended periods of time. We have two babies here temporarily. Their mothers will be back in a couple of years or whenever they feel ready to raise their child, she said. If a woman decides not to take her child back, it is sent to a girls or boys home. BABY LEGALITIES Abandoning a baby is a crime, and a woman who does so faces up to three years in prison, a 6,000 baht fine, or both. However, most judges will not send these mothers to prison, Nucharee Longkaew of the Patong Police said, but will give them a suspended sentence. The babies still need to be taken care of, she said. Should the child die as a result of the abandonment, the penalty The boy was found in the back of a pick-up truck. [Photo edited for public decency.] Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong is much stiffer. If the death is determined to be unintentional, the mother faces jail time of three to 15 years. A death determined to be brought about intentionally is murder, punishable by death or up to 20 years in jail. BIRTH OF JOY The success of helping a woman become a caring mother is what keeps Ms Jiranun moving forward, despite all the difficulties of her job. One in particular she will never forget: About two years ago, a woman who already had a child came to see me. She was married, but had separated from her husband because they fought all the time. She moved back to phu*ket with her child to live with her family, and he stayed in Phang Nga. Time passed, and the woman started a relationship with a man in phu*ket. She conceived, and when she told her boyfriend, he denied any responsibility. She felt she couldn t tell anyone. Her family already had difficulties the mother was a barbeque pork vendor and her sister was HIV positive and she didn t want to burden them. When she called me to tell me her story, she said she had two options: either have an abortion or kill herself. I talked to her for a long time and then asked her to meet me the next day. We talked again, but she still wanted to get rid of the baby, so we called in our interdisciplinary team. The team concluded that an abortion was not warranted because the woman did not meet any of the criteria that allow them. She stayed with us during her pregnancy and our team supported her completely. One day she decided to tell her family. They came to the shelter to see her, which was a tremendous relief for her. Then we started planning what to do with the baby. She said she wanted to leave it with the shelter after it was born. I convinced her to at least breastfeed the baby for three months. Then she really amazed me she said she wanted to tell her exhusband. She said she missed him and wanted to get back together with him. I counseled her to be strong and warned her it could be a painful experience. She said she had nothing to lose. She called the man, who was still in Phang Nga, and he took her back, along with the baby. I respected him very much, being willing to raise a child that was not his.

8 8 phu*kET GAZETTE phu*kET NEWS April 19-25, 2014 phu*ket doesn t need any more tuk-tuks, says tuk-tuk leader SEVEN months after his last appeal to legalize tuk-tuk drivers on the island, Sakol The group sent a letter to tuk-tuk ranks explained Mr Sakol on April 10. Srisompoch has filed yet another asking drivers to sign up, and promised to complaint, but this time it was against drive forward the legalization process. legalizing them. Mr Sakol argued that there are too many In September, Mr Sakol led a group of legal tuk-tuks on the island, and that more legal drivers to file a third formal complaint would take away his income and that of against the illegal tuk-tuk trade in Patong. other established, legal drivers. We filed a complaint with the phu*ket He also postulated that the letter the Kata- Land Transport Office [PLTO] because we Karon group sent may have been a scam. heard of a group of tuk-tuk drivers in Kata- This group might be trying to trick drivers who want to become legal into paying Karon calling for illegal drivers to sign up with them in order to become legal, them. If the PLTO is not planning to register more legal tuk-tuks in the area, they need to make that clear. The PLTO affirmed they have no plans to open registration to legalize any more tuk-tuks on the island. We would also like officials to more strictly regulate the taxis already on the island. We have not seen them do anything to get rid of the illegal ones, added Mr Sakol. Jaturong Kaewkasi of PLTO confirmed that same day that the Region 8 Police continue to combat illegal taxi services in phu*ket. Kritsada Mueanhawong The PLTO confirmed it will not register more tuk-tuks. Photo: Jeremie Schatz One dead during dangerous days By Saran Mitrarat AFTER five days of the Songkran Seven Days of Danger, phu*ket s death and injury toll stood at one dead and 21 injured as the Gazette went to print on Wednesday. Between midnight on April 14 and midnight on April 15, four road accidents were reported, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation phu*ket office (DDPM-phu*ket). Three involved motorcyclists, two of whom had blood-alcohol levels higher than the legal limit, and one involved a flipped water truck. phu*ket s sole fatality was Nannika Boonchorn, 27, from Chaiyaphum, who died in a headon collision with a motorcycle with a sidecar last Sunday. Her blood alcohol level was BAC, DDPM-phu*ket noted. The Seven Days of Danger campaign started at midnight on April 11 and will run until April 18, said Preeyap*rn Torwong of DDPM-phu*ket on April 12. Officials set up 24 checkpoints throughout the island, and breathtested motorists suspected of drinking and driving, Ms Preeyap*rn told the Gazette. Extra buses, drug and alcohol Motorists were stopped at checkpoints throughout the island during the Seven Days. Photo: Woranut Pechdee tests for drivers and GPS to monitor speeds were ordered to ensure that travellers made it home safely for the Songkran holidays. Ten extra buses were on standby at phu*ket s Bus Terminal 2 on April 11, the first of the seven dangerous days, to cope with the 50 per cent increase in travellers as officials rolled out new disciplinary regulations for drivers who failed drug or alcohol tests. The new regulations give drivers two chances, after which their licence to drive a bus is permanently revoked, said Terayout phu*ket police praised DEPUTY National Police Chief Gen Aek Angsananont praised the phu*ket Police as excellent and inspiring in preserving the safety of tourists while he was in phu*ket last weekend. Gen Aek explained that Royal Thai Police Commissioner-General Adul Saengsingkaew had directed officers to boost their efforts to eradicate crime during the Songkran Festival. Prasertphol, Chief of phu*ket Land Transportation Office (PLTO). The first time a driver fails a drug or alcohol test, we will send him to rehab and suspend his licence for 20 days. If a driver s assistant tests positive, he will also be sent to rehab and suspended After meeting Gen Adul I thought of the phu*ket Police. They are excellent in crime suppression; they arrest a lot of suspects, including foreign criminals. The phu*ket Police inspire confidence in tourists safety, he said. He highlighted such aspects as patrols in tourist areas and the ability of police to quickly render assistance to people in need. Woranut Pechdee from work for 15 days. The owner of the bus will be fined 5,000 baht, Mr Terayout said. The second positive test will send drivers and assistants back to rehab. Drivers licences will be suspended for 60 days and assistants suspended from work for 30 days. The owner will be fined 10,000 baht. A third positive test will result in rehab and revoked licences for drivers, Mr Terayout said. Assistants testing positive will be sent to rehab and their staff cards revoked. The owner will be fined 40,000 baht. We ve also ordered that GPS be installed in the buses, said PLTO officer Jaturong Kaewkasi. If the driver goes over 90kmh, an alarm will go off in the bus. If he maintains that speed, the owner of the bus will be notified. On April 11, Governor Maitri Inthusut said, We want to make sure those who wish to travel can, and those who do travel make it home safely. Driver drug and alcohol tests continued throughout the seven days of danger. Additional reporting by Chutharat Plerin Baby turtles wash ashore Many babies made it. Photo: phu*ket PR TWO baby sea turtles washed ashore two phu*ket beaches last Sunday shortly after a turtle release took place in Mai Khao. We believe the turtles were released earlier that day because their flippers had tags on them, and they washed ashore because they were not strong enough to swim on their own, said an officer from the Marine Endangered Species Unit of the phu*ket Marine Biological Center (PMBC). The year-old turtles have been taken to PMBC until they are strong enough to be re-released. Kritsada Mueanhawong

9 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 9

10 10 phu*kET GAZETTE NATIONAL NEWS April 19-25, 2014 University promotes safe sex. Photo: Writing on The Mall Uni condom machine cuts down on teen pregnancies BAN Wang Daeng School in Sa Kaew s Wan Nam Yen district has been praised for cutting down on young pregnancies by installing a condom dispensing machine. Sompong Jitradap, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University s faculty of education, pointed out that installing the condom dispenser would help counter the problem of teenage pregnancies, which is on the rise among Thai students, reported The Nation. Efforts made by the Education Ministry and related agencies to solve this problem have not been successful because there have been no moves other than campaigns and meetings, Mr Sompong said. He noted that people should understand that installing a condom dispenser did not promote sex, because this boat has already sailed. Mr Sompong urged the Education Ministry to seriously address the problem of teenage pregnancy, and promote children s interest in Thai culture and religion. Citing his discovery of the condom dispenser installed at Ban Wang Daeng School and its success in reducing teenage pregnancies, he said he had now changed from a naysayer to a believer. Mr Sompong made the discovery while visiting 12 schools in the provinces to address education management issues. He said the installation of the condom machine in the school had stemmed from a proposal from students, which proved that youngsters were already becoming responsible and knew that they should protect themselves. Scrap-metal shop owner facing court over WWII bomb THE owner of a scrap-metal shop that was Mr Suwit did not say if evidence the ripped apart by a huge explosion, killing eight agency was compiling was against or in support workers earlier this month will be penalized of the owner. if found to be in violation of occupational The Employment Department said that safety regulations, reported The Nation. three of the people killed in the explosion were Uemphorn Suebniam could be subject to Cambodian, including a child, and were also up to a year in jail, a 400,000 baht fine or entitled to protection under Thai labor law both, the Labor Protection and Welfare Department and their families to compensation stemming said on April 11. from their deaths at work. Ms Uemphorn will soon be summoned for Director-general Prawit Khiangphol said questioning by the department, said department insurance would be soon required of Thai deputy director-general Suwit Sumala. employers that hire migrant workers. The shop after the blast. Photo: The Nation Prem put forward to mediate PRIVY Council President Prem Tinsulanonda should act as a mediator to broker between authorities in all sectors to draft a covenant under royal command on how the country is to be ruled in times of crisis, a group of retired prominent bureaucrats proposed on Monday. Former supreme commander Saiyud Kerdphol, the leader of the group, which calls itself Rattha Bukkon, or Man of the State, said that once the covenant was issued, the public was expected to accept it, reported The Nation. Retired Gen Saiyud did not say whether the covenant would lead to reform or whether his group s proposal was in support of the anti-government People s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), which is pushing an agenda of reform before the next general election. Our role is to advise on who in society would take which roles. The content of the covenant would be decided by the people who would take over, he said at a press conference titled The Way Out for Thailand: When [Prime Minister] Yingluck Is Illegitimate to Govern, Both Legally and Practically held at a Bangkok hotel. Gen Saiyud said Gen Prem had been informed of the proposal that he take on the mediator role, in the form of a written request and published articles, but he had not yet given a reply. Gen Saiyud stressed that this mediator role was a position that would not exercise the HM The King s power under the Constitution s Article 7. The group regard Gen Prem as a statesman whose status is not merely ceremonial, but carries with it a duty to serve the country and the HM The King Bhumibol Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda s name was put forward to mediate the drafting of a royal command on how to manage the current political deadlock gripping the nation. Photo: The Nation Adulyadej under his royal command. On this basis they want him to commence the process of issuing a covenant, as the country is in trouble, Gen Saiyud said. We wish to see Statesman Prem broker between authorities in all sectors, including the judiciary, the military and social leaders, to work out a covenant for HM The King to endorse, he said. He said his group s proposal was immediately actionable, as the create any difficulties for him. The dean of the National country had endured enough Institute of Development hardship. Even [if] the PDRC s Administration s Faculty of Law, reform is implemented and leads to the setting up of a new government after the election, the other side would likely begin to resist it and repeat what the PDRC has done, which would lead to the country s crisis continuing. Gen Saiyud said independent academic Pramote Nakhonthap who attended the session had coordinated between Gen Prem and the group. Mr Pramote repeated later that his group s proposal would not encroach on the HM The King s authority, or Banjerd Singkaneti, said that the group s proposal recognized that such a move could avoid a political vacuum, such as the current stalemate, although another option was available exercising Article 7 through a Senate speaker after such a vacuum developed. Whichever way leads to success, I think all efforts are welcome from members of the public to come up with initiatives to find a way out in the meantime, he added. Red-shirt leader sought for lese majeste THE Criminal Court on April 11 granted a police request to issue an arrest warrant for a red-shirt leader accused of lese majeste. Police sought the warrant for the arrest of red-shirt leader Wuthipong Kotthamma-khun, also known as Ko Tee, who is accused of insulting the monarchy in an interview given to a Swedish journalist during a red-shirt rally in early February, reported The Nation. A video clip showing him giving the interview has gone viral. The government s Center Mr Wuthipong. Photo: The Nation for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) said its examination of the clip found that Ko Tee s interview might have violated the lese majeste law in Article 112 of the Penal Code. Police, on April 11, were hunting for Ko Tee and were trying to reach the Swedish journalist for more details about the interview, said Pol Maj Gen Naraboon Naenna, acting commander of the Crime Suppression Division. He said a police team of more than 30 investigators were dealing with this case. Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army, said Ko Tee drew widespread hatred for insulting the monarchy.

11 April 19-25, 2014 REGIONAL NEWS phu*kET GAZETTE 11 Philippines typhoon relief mired in debt By Erik de la Cruz A UNITED Nations human rights expert on Tuesday urged international creditors to cancel the Philippines debt and give it unconditional grant aid instead of new loans to fund massive posttyphoon reconstruction. The Southeast Asian country, hit hard five months ago by Super Typhoon Haiyan one of the strongest storms to make landfall anywhere estimated the total cost of a four-year reconstruction effort could surpass the current estimate of 361 billion pesos ( billion baht). The Philippines outstanding external debt was US$58.5bn (1,889bn baht) at the end of 2013, according to the central bank. I welcome the international support provided to the Philippines in the aftermath of the cyclone, but am concerned that more than US$22 million [710mn baht] leaves the country everyday, paying off overseas debts, Dr Cephas Lumina said. Dr Lumina is an independent expert tasked by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor the effects of foreign debt on the enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights. Super Typhoon Haiyan, which swept ashore in the central Philippines on November 8, displaced around four million people from their homes, and destroyed 500,000 houses, the United Nations estimates. Tyhoon survivors live in temporary shelters near ships that ran aground, nearly 100 days after super Typhoon Haiyan devastated Tacloban city in central Philippines last November. Photo: Reuters Damages to infrastructure, hospitals, schools and public services were estimated at US$12bn (387.6bn baht). While around US$3bn [96.9bn baht] has left the country to service its debt since the typhoon struck, the country has received so far only US$417mn [13.4bn baht] for its strategic response plan by international and private donors, about half of the total relief requested, Dr Lumina said in a statement. The Philippines, excluded as a lower middle-income country from international debt relief initiatives, is expected to pay US$8.8 billion (284bn baht) to service debt this year alone, the United Nations reported. By definition, loans for reconstruction cannot generate returns to enable the debt to be paid, Dr Lumina said. International lenders should rather consider cancelling debt, to ensure that the country can recover. About a fifth of the Philippines external debt as of end-2013 was owed to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, according to the United Nations. The country s top bilateral lenders are Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, the agency said. There was no immediate comment from Philippine Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima on the United Nations statement. Manila has set aside funding of 54bn pesos (39bn baht) for the rebuilding effort. At least 80bn pesos (58bn baht) more would come from concessional loans offered by the World Bank, the ADB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Reuters In brief Yudhoyono admits defeat in Indonesia legislative polls PRESIDENT Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as chairman of the Democratic Party, has congratulated the three political parties which, according to preliminary counts, are expected to secure the most votes the April 9 election. As late as Tuesday, the General Elections Commission had yet to confirm the official tally as it reported that 759 polling stations would have to restage the vote due to discrepancies. Among the oddities was a fictitious polling station in East Java. Jakarta Post Russia to extradite billionaire fugitive THE Russian Interior Ministry has submitted a new request for the extradition of businessman Sergei Polonsky from Cambodia, Voice of Russia reported Wednesday. A Cambodian court in January freed the Russian tycoon wanted by Moscow over allegations he embezzled tens of millions of dollars in a real-estate scam, and suspended extradition proceedings against him. Cambodia Herald MH370 search may take months A US Navy underwater drone sent to search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on the floor of the Indian Ocean could take up to two months to scour a 600 sq km area where the plane is believed to have sunk, US search authorities said on Tuesday. The first mission by the Bluefin-21 underwater vehicle was cut short on Monday after it exceeded its 4.5km depth limit and returned to the surface. The Star

12 12 phu*kET GAZETTE INTERNATIONAL NEWS April 19-25, 2014 In brief Third earthquake in one week rocks Nicaraguan city AN EARTHQUAKE struck Nicaragua early on Monday, following two others late last week. The quake damaged at least seven houses in and around the capital Managua, but there were no immediate reports of deaths or serious injuries. 10,000 illegal guns seized in China CHINA has seized more than 10,000 illegal guns in the southwestern province of Guizhou, state television reported on Sunday, marking its largest haul of illegal firearms as it steps up efforts to crack down on violent crime. Police in the city of Guiyang seized 10,500 guns and 120,000 forbidden knives, China Central Television (CCTV) said. Libya opens trial of Gaddafi s sons LIBYAN prosecutors opened the trial of deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi s sons and former officials on Monday in a major test for the North African state s transition to democracy. The men face charges ranging from corruption to war crimes related to the deaths during the 2011 uprising, which expanded into a civil war that eventually ousted Gaddafi. The former Libyan leader was later killed after his capture. Japan town ready for nuclear re-start THE Sendai nuclear plant in southern Japan is edging closer to restarting two nuclear reactors that have been an economic engine for its town for nearly three decades. The plant is on the fast-track for a safety review by the Nuclear Regulation Authority and could come back online as early as August. Proponents hope Satsumasendai will be a test case for a nationwide effort to bring other nuclear plants back onto the grid in coming months. Thousands march in Paris, Rome against austerity TENS of thousands of people took part in protests in Paris and Rome on Saturday organized by hard-left parties against government economic reform plans and austerity measures. The protest in Rome turned violent when a large splinter group threw rocks, eggs, firecrackers and oranges at riot police. Riot police with batons charged the group, and protesters fought back. One man lost a hand when a firecracker exploded before he could throw it. French police said that about 25,000 joined the protest, which came after new Prime Minister Manuel Valls unveiled planned tax and spending cuts on April 8, vowing to bring down A French man dressed as a banker and posed on April 12 during the protests. Photo: Reuters Putin, Obama have tense exchange about Ukraine By Jeff Mason and Arshad Mohammed UNITED States President Barack Obama told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a tense phone call on Monday that Moscow would face further costs for its actions in Ukraine and should use its influence to get separatists in the country to stand down. Armed pro-russians seized more buildings in eastern Ukraine earlier in the day, expanding their control after the government failed to follow through on a threatened military crackdown. In a call that the White House said Moscow requested, Mr Obama told Mr Putin that those forces were threatening to undermine and destabilize the government in Kiev. The president emphasized that all irregular forces in the country need to lay down their arms, and he urged President Putin to use his influence with these armed, pro- Russian groups to convince them to depart the buildings they have seized, the White House said in a statement. The president noted Russia s growing political and economic isolation as a result of actions in Ukraine and made clear that the costs Russia already has incurred will succeed in an environment of increase if those actions persist. Russian military intimidation on [He] said that while he continues to believe that a diplomatic cation within Ukraine, and Ukraine s borders, armed provo- solution is still possible, it cannot escalatory rhetoric by Kremlin France s public deficit and following on the heels of pro-business reforms announced earlier this year by Hollande. The French Communist Party, on its Twitter account, estimated Saturday s turnout at 100,000. The protest in Rome was smaller, drawing several thousand, according to witnesses. They called for affordable housing and took aim at Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his plans to reform labor rules to make it easier for companies to hire and fire employees. Mr Renzi is seeking to make sweeping reforms, including tax cuts, to revive Italy s ailing economy where youth unemployment has risen to well over 40 per cent. Reuters Violence continues as pro-russians detained a man on Monday who they say provoked them. Photo: Reuters officials. The Kremlin said Mr Putin told Mr Obama that Russia was not interfering in Ukraine and urged Washington to use its influence to prevent bloodshed. The European Union agreed on Monday to step up sanctions against Moscow by expanding a list of people subjected to asset freezes and visa bans. A senior administration official described the call between Obama A UTAH woman was arrested and booked on suspicion of murder on Sunday after police found the decomposing bodies of seven infants stuffed in separate cardboard boxes in her former home, authorities said. The current owners of the home in Pleasant Grove, Utah, called police after finding an infant s remains while cleaning out their garage, Pleasant Grove Police Capt Michael Roberts said. and Putin as frank and direct, a diplomatic construction that usually means tense. The next round of US sanctions, which would be the fourth imposed since the Ukraine crisis began, is likely to target Russians close to Mr Putin as well as Russian entities, three sources familiar with the discussions said on Sunday. US officials declined to identify a timeline on Monday for further sanctions. Reuters Seven dead babies found in boxes in woman s garage Police found six other newborns, all wrapped in separate cardboard boxes, Capt Roberts said. Six of the newborns appeared to have died from asphyxiation and the seventh was believed to be stillborn. Megan Huntsman, 39, was arrested and booked into the Utah County jail on suspicion of six counts of murder early Sunday, and the investigation is continuing, Capt Roberts said. Reuters

13 April 19-25, 2014 PROPERTY phu*kET GAZETTE 13 The Garden to grow luxury spending By Mark Knowles RECENTLY opened in Thalang, The Garden: phu*ket Luxury Mall is seeking to capture a slice of the lucrative luxury goods retail market that has previously been centered in Bangkok. The mall, which is seeking to become phu*ket s premier destination for luxury shopping, is the brainchild of the Tawee Suwan Group, who has been in the high-end jewelry business on the island for four generations. The Garden development is spearheaded by the younger members of the family, brother and sister Patara and Pawadee Suwannakarn, who recently returned to the island after completing their university studies in the UK. We [Tawee Suwan Group] started off in the jewelry business, and now we have expanded into property development with The Garden: phu*ket Luxury Mall, said Mr Patara. While they have branched out from jewelry and into property, Mr Patara said it was a conscious decision to remain focused on the luxury goods retail market. We didn t want to stray too far from our core business of jewelry and luxury goods, he said. Located on the northbound side of Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang, near Tesco Lotus, the customdesigned building is situated on seven rai of land and has 2,000 square meters of floor space. The location of the mall is perfect, as almost everyone who comes to phu*ket has to pass by. Also, being on the outbound side [of Thepkrasattri Road], it is the perfect place for people to stop on their way to the airport to buy luxury goods for themselves and their loved ones, said Ms Pawadee. We are also ideally located near the luxury residential locations on the island such as Laguna, Bang Tao, Surin, Kamala and Cape Yamu, she added. The Garden contains 22 retail spaces, each 50sqm in size. So far, 10 of these are occupied by Tawee Suwan jewelry store. The remaining 12 retail spaces are currently available to tenants and Mr Patara said they are seeking bigbrand anchor tenants that want to gain a foothold in the island s burgeoning luxury retail market. We are seeking anchor tenants who have the same motivation and enthusiasm as us, and want to grow the business together, he said. For businesses seeking to establish a larger store, there is the option of removing dividing walls and joining two or more of the high-ceiling 50sqm units. Mr Patara said that they are seeking tenants who wish to operate cafes and restaurants in the complex, as well as a variety of high-end luxury goods retailers. There is also plenty of room available for smaller retail booths to be set up in the open spaces of the building, and Mr Patara welcomed interested parties to contact him and discuss which space would be suitable for their business. Parking is ample, with 40 parking spaces in front and another 80 at the rear, as well as four bus parking spaces. The building s lighting design has also been specifically set up for the display of jewelry, utilizing the section of the color spectrum that is optimal for viewing diamonds, precious stones and metals. Mr Patara said design of the modern, minimalist building was heavily influenced by the work of renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who was a key pioneer of modernist architecture. Materials such as steel, marble, wood and glass feature heavily and the centerpiece of the building is a large exhibition space, which was inspired by London s Covent Garden. The space has a large entrance-way designed to accommodate cars, and even small yachts, as part of exhibitions or product launches. We ve called it Event Hall, and we have the potential to bring in fashion shows, art exhibitions, The design of the modern, minimalist building was heavily influenced by the work of renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and features the extensive use of steel, marble, wood and glass elements. Photo: Supplied jewelry fairs, luxury product launches, music events and exhibitions. We are also able to host parties and weddings, said Ms Pawadee. The land on which The Garden was built is a former coconut plantation that has been in the family for many years. Mr Patara said that the land, which he and his sister frequently visited in their childhood, has huge sentimental value and in developing it they wanted to preserve as much as possible. This is evidenced in the towering coconut trees in the front and rear of the property that give the development its unique feel. Each of the coconut trees is more than 40 years old. We tried to conserve as many of the coconut trees as we could and integrate them into the minimalistic design of the building. We have also used coconut wood through out the building in keeping with this theme, explained Mr Patara. For more information about The Garden: phu*ket Luxury Mall, or if you are interested in becoming a tenant, please contact Patara Suwannakarn on or by at: patara@taweesuwan.com Pawadee and Patara Suwannakarn. Photo: Mark Knowles The grounds feature towering 40-year-old coconut trees, a sign of their former life in a coconut plantion.

14 14 phu*kET GAZETTE PROPERTY April 19-25, 2014 Gone in the blink of an eye HUMANS blink 10 to 15 times a minute. Start rolling out the timeline and you start edging up over 20,000 blinks a day or more harrowing yet, perhaps 40 million blinks in a lifetime. Ferris Bueller said, Life moves pretty fast. If you don t stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it. Proverbially, the things you miss might be in the blink of an eye. On a recent sunny day in Hoi An, on the central coast of Vietnam, I took a few minutes out of a business road trip and took a look around. Unlike many Americans, Vietnam holds some special memories for me. I first worked there in Ho Chi Minh City, and then in Hue in the early 1990s, as the country was just opening up for a free market push. Sure, things were chaotic with the US embargo still in force when you had to move around the country in aging Russian commercial jets, and forget about credit cards, they were useless. Life at that time was decidedly slower, given that government censors had to check every incoming fax, and any word or phrase that was suspect was blacked out like a cold winter s night. Still, recalling evenings in the city, the Vietnamese would take to the streets on their bicycles and pretty girls would flow by wearing their With the magnetic draw of the East impossible to resist, I came to Asia to live in Books by Theroux, Maugham, Conrad and Greene bore testament to a time and place which has somehow slowly vanished right before our very eyes traditional ao dai. Who needed television? The human theater was on show for all to see, and if the ancient, faded TV set beckoned, there wasn t anything to watch anyway. With the magnetic draw of the East impossible to resist, I came to Asia to live in Books by Theroux, Maugham, Conrad and Greene bore testament to a time and place which has somehow slowly vanished right before our very eyes. How many blinks did it take? Well, I ve long lost count by now. Despite the angst of the been there, done that crowd, who are now on a North Korean road show hosted by Dennis Rodman, I can t help but be nostalgic when I spend a warm day on Danang s China Beach. Gone are the bicycles, so too the long white ao dais, and in came motorbikes, cars, jeans and heels as high as the nearby Marble Mountains. In the year 2014, everyone around the globe somehow has a universal vision of what the world should look like or what we can aspire to. For those of us in the travel industry, the power of progress is a double-edged sword, and as is often the case in life s biggest dilemmas, there is no right answer. Change, development and tourism impact culture and tradition wherever they go. Imagine international tourism as bigfoot on a mad drinking spree crashing through the delicate webs of Asian culture and heritage, leaving giant footsteps Out with the old and in with the new many of Asia s traditional ways of life have been swept aside by progress. This modern street scene in Hanoi is a far cry from the bicycles and cyclos of old. Photo: Dragfyre permanently etched into the landscape and changing it forever. It s inevitable that things, people and places change. Is exotic still in vogue? To what degree will the West go in pursuing its vision of what the world should look like? And still, as I take to the night, sitting on a street corner in Danang on one of those familiar little blue plastic chairs eating a Banh Mi, I can believe that the past is still around, though the vision is fading faster and faster with each and every arriving jet plane. The moment of truth does arrive as I head home, and instead of hopping onto a pedal-powered cyclo, it s into a metered taxi, with the driver gripping a smartphone like there is no tomorrow. I still miss those cyclo rides home, a little wobbly from the beer ba ba ba or 333. Staring up into the dark sky Photo: Yeowatzup and seeing a few shining stars in the Vietnamese night did I see this moment coming where the world changed in an incalculable blink of the eye? Disappearing Asia is still there for those willing to look, but don t blink too often you might just miss it. Bill Barnett is Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks, he can be contacted through: c9hotelworks.com Department will set standards for property THE Business Development Department will cooperate with condominium, office-building, and detached-home enterprises to set up standards for operating building assets in order to ensure fair treatment and living standards for residents. The move is part of the preparations for the seamless market under the Asean Economic Community (AEC), which is expected to see more foreigners coming to live and work in Bangkok. Also, the plan will ensure good living standards for Thais, as many of them live in condominiums. Pongpun Gearaviriyapun, director-general of the department, said he would soon call a meeting with involved enterprises such as condominium and detached-home firms to discuss plans on setting up standards for operating the assets of condominium owners and houses. The plan is expected to be finalized in a year and implemented in The department will spend about 4-million to 5mn baht on the project. It will use models from the United States, Hong Kong and Australia. Pongpun said the project would help increase the standards of Thai enterprises and ensure quality living for condominium and other home-buyers. Also, it will help increase the competitiveness of Thai enterprises under the AEC, as other Asean and non-asean enterprises, such as from the Philippines, mainland China and Hong Kong, are highly interested in investing in the property business in Thailand. The project will clarify residents assets and those of the community. No individual or company should have the authority to reap benefits from public areas or assets. According to the department, 1,093 property developers and enterprises have registered with it. It also plans to develop standards for Thai logistics and franchise businesses in the future. The department recently launched a project called a linkage to help develop traditional retailers and wholesalers to ensure they survive amid the aggressive expansion of modern retailers. The Nation

15 April 19-25, 2014 PROPERTY phu*kET GAZETTE 15

16 16 phu*kET GAZETTE BUSINESS April 19-25, 2014 Plan for the unthinkable OVER the past decade the number of wellknown and sadly, often very well-liked, expats who have perished on phu*ket s deadly roads seems to have increased at an alarming rate. Indeed, the most recent case has given me cause to revisit a topic nobody likes to speak about, yet the failure to address it could lead to some very horrible consequences for your loved ones should the unthinkable come to pass. For every case we read about, where a long-term expat or tourist has passed away, there is almost always a loving family left behind, and also very often, small children. What is not usually thought about is that if proper protection has not been put in place, the mourning of the loss of their loved one is just the beginning of their nightmare. Being a single mother in the West is hard enough, but most often the earning potential of a local mother in Thailand is simply not sufficient to continue to support a family with the same standard of living they have become accustomed to. International education costs being what they are, the difference this could make to the future of a small child could be enormous. Sadly, most often a very inexpensive life insurance policy can mean the difference between a child s future needs being met, or a mother struggling to get by in the midst of a tremendous loss, yet very often people do not put one in place. Unfortunately, many advisers in my industry are simply not very interested in the topic because it doesn t pay as well as investments, yet in any highly regulated jurisdiction these protections are required to be in place before the conversation about investments is even allowed to begin. Human nature also makes most people avoid doing anything about it because we naturally would like to believe car accidents or cancer are things that happen to other people and not us. Thus, we are quite happy to plan for retirement, but not for an untimely demise. The sad thing is that it is the ones we love, not ourselves, who will suffer if this comes to pass. One common objection I have heard often here in Thailand is that many expats are afraid their wives will kill them if they put a big life insurance policy in place. Unfortunately, while I think many are just maybe a tad bit too jaded, this is something many out there actually fear. Putting aside my own feelings that if you really feel that way about your partner you likely have no business trusting them to mother your children. You can set up a trust as beneficiary and ensure the money goes towards education or set a reasonable budget for living expenses and so on. I like to look at life insurance, as well as health insurance, as the one time in my life Consider the situation of loved ones if you were to meet an untimely demise. Photo: Gazette File I really hope that I am making a losing bet. If you have loved ones you care about, especially if there are small children in the picture and your partner does not have the earning potential to adequately meet their education needs, please do them a huge favor and get yourself covered. David Mayes MBA lives in phu*ket and provides wealth management services to expatriates around the globe, focusing on UK pension transfers. Faramond UK is regulated by the FCA and provides advice on taxation and pensions. He can be reached at david.m@faramond.com or Toyota announces recall TOYOTA is recalling 6.4 million vehicles globally, including 206,000 Fortuner and Innova in Thailand, over five separate issues. In a statement, Toyota Motor Thailand (TMT) said that the recall shows the company s care for customers safety, even though no irregularities of the vehicles have so far been reported in Thailand. We insist that the recall means all customers are alerted to bring their cars to service centers for checking and fixing. This process will involve no expense, to show our responsibility for our products and Toyota s care, said Senior Vice President Vudhigorn Suriyachantananont. TMT noted that the vehicle s spiral cable, which is attached to the driver s side airbag, needs replacement. It may be damaged when the steering wheel is turned and result in the airbag not being deployed in a crash. According to Toyota, other issues include problems with seat rails, steering columns, windscreen wipers and a glitch with the engine starters that poses a fire risk. Toyota said it was not aware of any vehicle crashes, injuries or fatalities caused by these conditions. However, it said it had received two reports of fires in connection with the engine starter problem. Toyota has announced a recall of their Fortuna (pictured) and Innova models in Thailand. The carmaker said that approximately 2.32 million vehicles are affected by problems with the seat rails; some 760,000 vehicles because of a potential defect with the steering column bracket and nearly 160,000 vehicles to replace the windshield wiper motors. The Nation Finnair to fly to phu*ket and Krabi Finnair is to offer scheduled flights to phu*ket three times per week beginning in November. Photo: Aero Icarus IN THE upcoming northern hemisphere winter season , Finnair, the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland, will introduce scheduled services to Krabi and phu*ket in Thailand. Both of these destinations were previously served only on a charter basis. Flights to phu*ket (HKT) will be operated three times a week starting November 14, and to Krabi (KBV) twice a week starting December 10. Both routes will be operated with Airbus A340 aircraft. The number of weekly flights to Nagoya, Japan (NGO), will also increase from four to five per week. The additional flights are scheduled to depart on Tuesdays in November and December and Wednesdays from January to March. All Finnair flights to Nagoya are operated with Airbus A330 aircraft with full-flat seats in business class. Additionally, Finnair will reopen its service to Tromso (TOS). The Arctic city in the far north of Norway will be served from Helsinki three times a week from January 1 until March 28, The route will be operated by Flybe Finland with Embraer E90 aircraft. phu*ket Gazette

17 April 19-25, 2014 BUSINESS phu*kET GAZETTE 17 Azimut navigates into Asia PINNACLE Marine, exclusive dealers for Azimut Yachts in Thailand, this week announced the appointment of Yacht Solutions as their service agent. Yacht Solutions will begin offering a fully integrated service program for Azimut clients in Thailand. This partnership brings together one of Thailand s most reputable and experienced superyacht refit companies with a world leading yacht brand. Yacht Solutions offers shore support service including refit, management, charter, after-sales service, safety equipment servicing and maintenance to ensure class standards are met. Azimut, has clients in over 130 locations worldwide and operates the world s most comprehensive sales and service network for production and mega-yachts. Gareth Twist, managing director of Yacht Solutions commented, We have been in the marine refit and maintenance business in Thailand for over 12 years, and we have been looking to partner with an international brand which has an active interest in expanding their business into Asia. The arrival of Azimut Thailand shows both great confidence in Pinnacle Marine and the Asian yacht market. We are very excited to be working so closely with Azimut Yachts Thailand, and our aim is to ensure that the yacht owning experience is hassle-free and enjoyable. We pride ourselves on being able to offer expert and honest advice to yacht owners and a commitment to offering comprehensive after sales service and support which is available 24/7. Recent trends show that there has been a year-on-year increase in the number of superyacht purchases in the region. Azimut expanding its network into Thailand shows confidence in the region and it is expected that Azimut yacht sales will benefit from having their own accredited dealers across the world. There is definitely a demand for such prestigious yachts which are impressive in terms of quality, luxury and reputation. Yacht Solutions is a proud ambassador of this iconic brand; we are dedicated to customer service and attention to detail which Azimut s discerning clients expect, continued Mr Twist. COMMON GROUND: Grant Saunders of Pinnacle Marine (left) and Gareth Twist of Yacht Solutions. Photo: Supplied Grant Saunders, managing director of Pinnacle Marine noted, This agreement represents each company s strong commitment to providing Azimut customers with a single source and point-of-contact for all their service requirements. Yacht Solutions have a reputation for excellence in customer support and service and will support Pinnacle Marine both with pre-delivery and after sales service for all the new and secondhand yachts we sell. This arrangement will highly benefit our clients and make Pinnacle Marine unique in the market due to us offering unsurpassed levels of service care. phu*ket Gazette OTOP: A billion baht affair THE Thailand One Tambon One Product (OTOP) Fair to be held in Patong on April is expected to boost phu*ket s income from OTOP events beyond the billion-baht mark for the year. The Patong event is expected to bring the island s income from OTOP events for Fiscal 2014 to 1.08 billion baht for the local economy, a 22% increase on sales realized last year, said Chaiya Khamsaad, chief of the phu*ket Community Development Office. Patong has many tourists who I think will take advantage of the cheap prices for quality goods that they will take back to their home countries as souvenirs, Mr Chaiya said. OTOP has become a famous brand within Thailand, synonymous with the renowned products and local delicacies of each province. All these will be available at the fair. Another drawcard to the event will be live entertainment, Mr Chaiya added. There will be a wide variety of stage performances highlighting the traditional cultures of each part of Thailand [North, Central, South and East]. People will have the opportunity to come and experience these performances for free and view exhibitions set up by communities demonstrating their individual local cultures, he said. The genuine value for money will be obvious every day. Mr Chaiya praised the efforts by phu*ket Governor Maitri Inthusut to promote OTOP events in phu*ket The continued support from Governor Photo: Gazette File Quality goods at cheap prices will be available. Maitri for OTOP events has been an instrumental factor in us being able to break the billion-baht mark, he said. Saran Mitarat

18 18 phu*kET GAZETTE OPINION April 19-25, 2014 Babies thrown away CHILD welfare and safety issues have been much in the news recently and our special report in this edition (see pages 6-7) explores for our readers some of the options available locally to young mothers who are either unwilling or unable to support children they have given birth to. Few news stories generate greater emotional resonance than reports of abandoned babies. Yet with the incredible transformation in the way news is propagated in the digital information era it is very easy to forget that child abandonment issues are nothing new. Starting from the very beginnings of recorded history in ancient Egypt is the story of Moses, whom the Book of Exodus recounts to have been a foundling. In many cultures since then it was considered acceptable for people willing to take in homeless children to essentially keep them as slaves. Reminders of this harsh reality from the not-too-distant past remain with us through folklore, including in many of the fairy tales that we read to our own children, and are in Thai soap operas as well. The fact is that child mortality rates in this day and age stand at record low levels that our more ancient ancestors, who lived as hunters and gatherers, could most probably never have imagined. Yet these reduced mortality rates, coupled with increasing urbanization, vastly improved medical services and other benefits of modernization over the past few centuries have also kept numbers of unwanted or abandoned children far higher than could ever have been sustained by more traditional societies. One now largely forgotten chapter in the history of how humanity has dealt with child abandonment comes from the US, where for almost eight decades starting in the 1850s, an Orphan Train Movement saw some 250,000 orphaned, abandoned or otherwise homeless children transported from squalid East Coast cities of the US westward to foster homes in rural areas. For some it was a passport to a promising new life, but for many others the result was a life of mistreatment, abuse and servitude. The point of this brief historical review is not to dwell on the fact that misery, like everything else, is relative; nor is it to imply that the two apparently aborted fetuses and three newborns found dead on phu*ket last year are to be considered acceptable. Rather, it is to keep the issue in perspective and to appreciate how far we have come. This allows us to look to the future with a sense of purposeful optimism, not dystopian fear fuelled by information overload. Volume 21 Issue 16 Aghast that a child could be abandoned Re: Gazette online, Baby found abandoned in phu*ket pickup, April 11 What a shame! I m really mad at the person who did this. You didn t think that this is a precious gift that can change your life. I have two wonderful kids; that s why I reacted like this. Eiz Gahunia Facebook but keep in mind Re: Gazette online, Baby found abandoned in phu*ket pickup, April 11 Do you really think that the mother abandoned her baby just because she is selfish and doesn t care for the baby she has carried for nine months? Think again. If there were a socio-economic study of the people who leave their kids for others to find, it might show that they are quite alone with no connections and faint ability to provide a good life for the babies. Instead of judging, fight for the right of abortion, fight for basic economic support for everybody. Pekka Oilinki Facebook Helmets on babies Re: Gazette online, 10-year-old taken off life support after phu*ket motorbike accident, April 9 It is just horrible to watch so many Thai parents drive around with young children (even babies) helmetless on motorbikes. If a parent does this, their driver s license should be taken and an extremely high ticket should be given. I fully understand that not everybody can afford a car and that as adults we can decide not to wear a helmet, but please, make your children wear a helmet when you take them on your bike. Jan Bert Nuyten Facebook Do you have an opinion to voice? Editor@phu*ketGazette.net Time for credit cards Re: Gazette online, phu*ket rental shops send passport pictures to Bangkok via smartphone application, April 12 There has to be an easier way to protect both the renter and the shop. Why not take a credit card for deposit if there are damages? If not returned on time then alert authorities. Or keep only the departure card. Gregor Anton Facebook or just use a copy Re: Gazette online, Motorbike rental passport leads to phu*ket arrest of Spanish nunchuk mugger, April 8 Well done by the police in catching the criminal. A photocopy of the passport would have produced the same result. Giving the original passport to a vehicle rental agency opens a tourist to graft, corruption and accidental loss. Both the police and embassies agree that giving passports as collateral is not a safe practice. Skip Gazette forum Cop image cleaners Re: Gazette online, phu*ket Police under fire: Chalong Police face cleanup under new station chief, April 12 It would be good to see a real police chief who takes his job seriously and tries to make sure his officers do the job they are paid to do: protect, not extort, the community and tourists. A few more like him would cer- tainly clean up the tainted image the Thai police have been left with after all the bad publicity regarding corrupt officers extorting tourists and businesses and getting caught red-handed. Tez Gazette forum Up bus driver fines Re: Gazette online, Speed, seats and safety targeted in Songkran bus blitz, April 12 My suggestion: The first time a driver fails a drug or alcohol test, send him to jail for five years and ban him permanently from getting any category of driving license. These people have the lives of dozens of passengers in their hands. Why should they be treated so lightly? Chas Gazette forum No need for stinging Re: Gazette online, Irishman among three arrested for drug dealing in phu*ket, April 9 Police led a sting operation? I had a walk from Jungceylon to the beach road via Bangla, and three people offered me drugs. It s so easy to get drugs anywhere from motorbike taxis, hanging around outside Burger King on the beach road, or in a shop doorway at the bottom of Bangla on beach road. Do the police walk about with their eyes shut? Ricky Black Facebook Growing pains Re: Gazette online, Another phu*ket beach befouled by wastewater, again, April 11 It s a shame. Growing is not always a good thing for a town if it is not done properly. Mariana Mena Facebook

19 April 19-25, 2014 OPINION phu*kET GAZETTE 19 Keeping workers out of harm s way CONSTRUCTION sites pose the greatest danger to workers in phu*ket. Because of this, we are very thorough with our safety inspections, which is why there are not a lot of accidents. Most of the time, dangerous situations on construction sites are created by employees who don t follow safety regulations. Almost every time I go out, I see workers not following regulations. The other major cause of danger is workplace pressure. One of the riskiest periods is when the project is nearing its deadline, as sometimes workers start to rush. Work safety regulations were last updated in Every employer is supposed to study Labor Protections and Welfare Regulation BE 2554, and know the information in it. The regulation requires employers to train employees and give them the equipment they need to stay safe while they re working. Part of the law also says that companies doing the most dangerous work must employ safety experts. Not knowing the regulations is not an excuse, and will not exempt employers from being punished if they don t obey them. The highest penalty for an employer whose safety practices lead to worker injury, death or disease is one year in prison, 400,000 baht or both. Our officers do work-safety inspections at least once a month. We don t inform companies that we re coming, so they can t prepare. We don t fine a lot of employers. Normally, if we find a safety Saijai Luesup, 48, has been Chief of the Workplace Safety Department of the phu*ket Provincial Labor Protection and Welfare Office for almost four years. She has a bachelor s degree in Public Health with a focus on occupational safety from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. Here, she talks about the most dangerous job on the island, and how she keeps workers safe. violation, we give the company 30 days to fix the problem, then inspect again. In this fiscal year, which started October 1, I have only pursued fines in four cases. All of them involved the death of an employee. One worker died after rocks fell on the backhoe he was driving. Most of the big construction companies follow our safety regulations. It s often the smaller sites that don t, maybe through lack of awareness, or financial difficulty, or just through carelessness. Safety regulations stipulate that employers must supply their staff with safety equipment. On a construction site the basic equipment is a safety hat, safety gloves and safety shoes. We are flexible according to the work, and sometimes allow workers to wear plastic boots instead of safety shoes if it seems appropriate. Employers are also responsible for making their employees follow safety regulations. On their part, employers can punish employees who don t follow the rules, normally by suspending them without pay. It s not only construction sites that we inspect. Other kinds of businesses are gas stations, chemical and biological labs, quarries, hospitals, shopping malls and even five-star hotels. Something we keep our eye out for at hotels is improper storage of chemicals, such as cleaning liquids or pesticides used by gardeners. These products should not be stored near food. I ve seen plates of food on housekeeping carts next to cleaning fluids, and I ve seen gardeners sitting next to their containers of pesticide eating lunch. These are unsafe practices. If I had to give one piece of safety advice to construction companies, it would be this: Take extra care of your employees as deadlines approach. Check on them more often, and be sure to follow the overtime regulations stipulated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. Yala Town is set out in the shape of a spider web. Photo: Google maps When home is a dangerous place I WAS born and raised in Yala, but have lived in phu*ket for about three years. Many outsiders think that Yala is horrible because of the violence. My friends in phu*ket don t want to visit me when I go home, and I understand why. There are a lot of negative stories about Yala in the news. Teachers are assaulted, schools are burned, and many people are scared to go to work. On April 5, I was at home visiting my family and went to a souvenir shop to buy some gifts with my mother. The next day, there was an explosion in that same shop. My mother called to tell me as I was riding a bus back to phu*ket. I was shocked, and felt sorry for the people who were killed and injured. I had another near miss before I came to live in phu*ket. I was riding my motorbike and had stopped at a traffic light. It turned green, and just as I started to drive forward there was an explosion behind me. I stopped and saw that a lot of people had been hit and needed help. I couldn t do anything... just cry. Later, I found out that one of my friends had been killed there. A lot of people in Yala have died By Waritnan Aoming Do you have an opinion to voice? Editor@phu*ketGazette.net and a lot of families have lost someone. The way we live has changed my family stays inside our house after 7pm because we are scared to go out. If we do go out at night, we take great care. But if you ask me if I was afraid living there, I would tell you no. Yala is my home, and I love it. It might sound strange, but I got used to the situation. We don t have explosions every day and I still remember how livable and peaceful it was when I was a child. Back then, a lot of people visited because there are so many beautiful things to see. In Betong, for example, there are mountains, hot springs and cool weather. And Yala Town was designed in a lovely way, much like a spider web. A lot of different groups are responsible for the bombings. I want to ask them, Why are you doing this? What do you want? And I want to tell them, Stop doing bad things. It s enough. We want to be a peaceful place again. Rules and privileges for babies born in the Kingdom I would like to know about the rights and benefits of a child born in Thailand. At what age do they need to get a visa? A lot of Filipino babies are born in Thailand, and we are not properly educated about this situation. Aside from the social security payments a working parent receives monthly, I do not know anything about the rights of those born here in the Kingdom. Brenny Cherng Talay Phuma Thammakul, Chief of phu*ket Provincial Social Security Office (PPSSO), replies: If you have made social security payments for more than seven months before you gave birth, these are three benefits you can take advantage of from the PPSSO: 1) Payment up to 13,000 baht for the birth of each child. Please note this benefit is paid only once, regardless of which parent claims it. 2) Payments totaling 50 per cent of your salary for three months. You must file the appropriate documents and apply within one year of giving birth. 3) Monthly payments of 400 baht per month until the child turns 6 years old. These rights exist only while you continue to make payments to the Social Security Fund. Chalam Attatham, Director of the phu*ket Primary Educational Service Area Office (PPESAO), replies: Any child born in Thailand, whether Thai or not, has the right to study for free from kindergarten to high school. The only conditions are that the child must pass the general school entry test and study at a government school. There are 49 government schools in phu*ket. Lt Col Wipa Archawakoon of the Royal Thai Police Immigration Bureau s Division 6 replies: Any babies of foreign nationality born in Thailand can stay legally in the country until the child is 15 years old. However, the child s right to stay in the country during those first 15 years is dependent on the immigration status of the parents. Free education. Photo: Ibrahim Lujaz If the parents must leave the country because their permits-tostay are about to expire, then the child must also leave the country with them. Please note that immigration officials will require the child s birth certificate to be presented at the point of exiting the country. A copy of the child s birth certificate will be made and attached to copies of the parents passports. Once the child has exited Thailand, the child will need a passport of his or her own and an appropriate visa in order to reenter the Kingdom.

20 20 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014

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22 22 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 Properties For Sale OCEAN VIEW CONDO Eighth (top) floor, ocean view, 30sqm, fully furnished, 5-minute walk to beach, 2-minute drive to airport. Cash sale at 2.79 million baht. Tel: PRIVATE POOL VILLA BANG TAO Private 1-bedroom pool villa for sale in top condition with a large roof top sala. Only 800m to the Beach. Price: 9.5 million baht. Tel: (English & Thai). info@phu*ketserenityvillas. com, las.com/saledetails.php?no m=rb001 OCEANFRONT VILLA Luxury brand-new villa, fully furnished and ready to move in, 3 bedrooms 4 bathrooms with infinity 10m long swimming pool and truly beautiful sea view. Located in a small development, only 50m from the sea and 3 minutes from Ao Po Grand Marina. For sale: 19.9 million baht or long-term rent: 150,000 baht per month. Tel: montha_ phu*ket@yahoo.com FOR SALE / RENT SEA VIEW 1 bedroom apartment at Eden Resort Karon. Only 15 apartments in complex. Fully furnished, gym and 20x5m swimming pool. Please call LAND WITH SEA VIEW 200sqm with a beautiful view. Located on 50 Pee Road, Patong. 4.9 million baht. Tel: (English), (Thai). jasonsfriday6@gmail. com KARON SEAVIEW LAND 300m to beach, yellow zone, for 7-storey condo, 25 million baht. Tel: (English). mail1950@free net.de POOL VILLA NAI HARN 6.4 MB Amazing value for money! 2- bedroom pool villa with garden in secured estate, Nai Harn. 6.4 million baht. Must see. No agents. Tel: (English). 2-STOREY RESIDENCE Well situated 2-floor townhouse with 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, large lounge, kitchen and carport on 104sqm land. Well maintained and ready for immediate occupancy in a safe residential estate. Priced to sell at 2.95 million baht. Tel: (English), (English & Thai). pe tersoffshore@hotmail. com GRAND BOAT PLAZA Single house, 3 bedrooms, 51sq wah, for sale in Samkong. Near BIS and Central Festival. Price: 5 million baht. Tel: sasinatn@gmail.com 4-BEDROOM VILLA FOR SALE Bang Tao area, big pool, 2 living rooms, office, fully furnished, auto gate, Chanote, 500sqm land and 350sqm house. Quick sale! 11 million baht only. Tel: CONDO SURIN BEACH 1-bedroom condo for sale, fully furnished, very close to Surin Beach. Tel: (English & Thai). nwr_suk@hotmail.com 2-BEDROOM CONDO IN KATHU Brand-new, fully furnished, ready to move in, modern 2- bedroom/2-bathroom 60sqm condo with spacious 100m long swimming pool, fitness center, 24-hour security, car park. Located in Kathu, just a short drive to Central Festival, golf courses & schools. Rent: 15,000 baht per week or 40,000 baht per month. Sale: 4 million baht. Tel: PATONG SEAVIEW LAND & VILLA Sea view villa on a secluded 3.25 rai plot. A natural spring on the property flows all year, providing all water requirements. Lush gardens and Eden-like setting. Tel: (English), (English & Thai). LUXURY POOL VILLA Within unique development 8,700,000 baht. Please call LAND CHANOTE phu*kET 1 to 5 rai, Sakoo, 10 minutes south of airport. 5 minutes to beach. 3.5 million baht per rai. Tel: kanchanajit09@gmail.com 2 POOL VILLAS NEXT TO PIA HOUSE FOR SALE Bang Tao, 2 bedrooms, fully furnished, Chanote title, from 3 million baht. Tel: LAYAN LAND FOR SALE 18 rai, subdivided 8.5 million baht per rai. Tel: rugg dan@gmail.com 3 BEDROOMS 2 BATHROOMS IN COMPOUND Villa in good compound with sport club. Furnished, opposite Laem Hin Seafood & Maeju, near PIADS. Tel: LAND IN SOI SALIGA RAWAI 850sqm land for sale in this popular upmarket Soi. Close to international primary school. Full Chanote and house registration, electricity and water supply. Price: 5.5 million baht. For more information, please call Classified Advertisem*nts Please use this form to write your classified advertisem*nt. Then hand it to any of our agents. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (heading) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Classified ads are charged per line. Each line is 140 baht, with a minimum of 4 lines (heading included) per ad. All advertising must be paid for in advance. Deadline for Property Gazette page: Friday 3 pm. Deadline for all other ads: Saturday 12 noon. Ready to move in. Villa 1: on 1,100sqm land, 16.9 million baht. Villa 2: on 2,200sqm land, 21.9 million baht. Brand-new, each with 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 12m swimming pool. Guest bungalow with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom. Perfectly located in a development with underground electricity and security, only 800m from Mission Hills Golf Course, less than 10 minutes to airport, phu*ket International Academy and Ao Po Grand Marina. Tel: mon tha_phu*ket@yahoo. com

23 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 23 Properties For Sale LARGE SEAVIEW HOUSE AT LAYAN 3 rai, Chanote. Price: 54 million baht. Tel: ruggdan@ gmail.com LUXURY VILLA Just 3 minutes from BIS, 900sqm land, 350sqm building, 3 bedrooms + maid room, 4 bathrooms, studio, 14x4m swimming pool, fish ponds. 15 million baht. Contact Alex. Please call LAND KAMALA 1KM FROM BEACH 700sqm, quiet, foreign neighbors, Chanote, electricity & water supply. 3.2 million baht. Tel: (English & Thai). MAI KHAO LAND FOR SALE 7 rai, 17 million baht. Tel: LAND SALES 1.5 rai land: 30 mins from Bang Tao Beach, for hotel & condo. 2 rai land: Soi Pasak m from Pasak Road, for housing condominium. Tel: , BANG TAO HOUSE 2 bedrooms, fully furnished, 350sqm land, Chanote. For more information, please call CHEAP LAND & HOUSE FOR SALE Land of 35 rai and a house with aircon, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and kitchen at Tambon Bornok, Prachuap Khiri Khan, 20km from Prachuap Khiri Khan town. The land is 1.3km from Petchkasem Road. Price is only 10 million baht. Nor Sor 3 title deed. Please call LAND NEXT TO LOCH PALM Land on main road next to Loch Palm golf course. Ready to build, Chanote, perfect for commercial or residential development. Tel: LAND & HOUSES 88 NEW Chalong, only pool villa, 75sq wah, 3 bedrooms, exclusive modern interior design, corner house. Urgent sale: 9.75 million baht. Contact Thilo. Tel: AO PO SEAVIEW LAND 1.5 rai. Constructed access road. Chanote. 300m from Grand Marina. 10 million baht. For more information, please call CHARMING HOME NEAR BEACH Big lot, 15m pool, 3 bedrooms, office, 4 baths, fully furnished, secure, like new, freehold. For more details, please call (English). la-sale-phu*ket.com LAND & HOUSE FOR SALE Location: Phanom District, Surat Thani, near Khao Sok National Park. - Land: 120 rai + rubber plantation, 8 years old. 6 million baht. - House: 1-rai area, furnished, 2 bedrooms, 2 aircons. 2.2 million baht. Please call , HEROINES' MONUMENT Pa Khlok land for sale. 6 rai, 18 million baht. Please call ,000 BAHT KAMALA LEASEHOLD Hotel room, 30sqm, complex has 2 pools and jacuzzi. Tel: BEAUTIFULLY FURNISHED CONDO Attractively furnished and fully equipped, 4th floor, 37 sqm, 1-bed condo in the Royal Place. Please call (English & Thai).

24 24 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 Properties For Rent KATA BEACH APARTMENT 600 baht daily, WiFi, aircon, kitchen, 1 bedroom, nice and clean. Tel: nalumana2000@ yahoo.com LUXURY 1-BEDROOM APARTMENT Fully furnished, serviced apartment, 65sqm, central Patong, short or long-term rent. Tel: ianscondo@yahoo. com PATONG QUIET HOUSE 2-bedroom,1-bathroom house, large pool and enclosed yard, great for pets or kids, furnished, very nice, long term rent: 40,000 baht per month. Tel: (English), (Thai). benlee53@ hotmail.com PATONG NICE APARTMENT Mid-Patong, very nice, large, furnished, 1 bedroom, kitchen, light and airy apartment. Tel: CHEAP RENT FOR LUXURY POOL VILLA 6 months on lease, near Laguna, has all, 25,000 baht per month. Tel: KHOK KLOY COTTAGE Modern 2 bedrooms, riverfront, furnished, peaceful. 15,000 baht per month. Tel: BEAUTIFUL HOUSE WITH POOL Located in Pa Khlok, nice 3 bedrooms with enclosed private garden and large swimming pool. Long-term rent: 45,000 baht per month. Tel: , (English & Thai). desmot@icloud.com HOUSE & POOL 14,000 BAHT / MONTH Furnished, aircon, WiFi, cable TV, swimming pool. Long term only. For more information, please call info@wel come-inn.com, comeinn-phu*ket.com 2-BEDROOM 2-BATHROOM HOUSE For rent. Fully furnished, located near Thalang Residence, 10 minutes to Bang Tao Beach, and airport. 18,000 baht per month. Tel: vicky_grc@ hotmail.com LUXURY VILLAS IN RAWAI 3 and 4 beds. Short and long term. Great prices for long term! Fully serviced. Private swimming pool for every villa. Contact owner. Tel: HOUSE AT CHALONG FOR RENT 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, fully furnished, 3 aircons. 30,000 baht per month. Tel: FOR RENT RAWAI / NAI HARN Vassana Residence and Palm Breeze Resort. Low season prices starting at 30,000 baht per month for long-term rent. Sea view rooftop deck and bar over looking the Andaman Sea. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. LCD TV in every room, washing machine in every apartment, swimming pool. 160sqm in size, free WiFi. Tel: BEDROOM HOUSE FOR RENT Located between Tesco Lotus and Bangkok phu*ket Hospital, opposite Club House Pool. Tel: For further details, please see our website at phu*ketvillasamkong HOUSE FOR RENT Fully furnished, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 4 aircons, small garden, quiet area. Rent: 17,000 baht per month. Please call bcarrent@hotmail.com PATONG NICE SEAVIEW CONDO Immaculate 14th floor unit, quality renovation. Please send for video tour. Tel: peterocon nor1980@hotmail.com TOWNHOUSE phu*kET TOWN In Supalai City Hill Estate, very quiet, safe, convenient. 3 years old, 2 storeys, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, WiFi, decorated, shady garden, well-maintained by original owner. For sale: 2.8 million baht ono. Or longterm rent: 10,000 baht per month. For more information, please call ste phenfein@gmail.com SURIN BEACH 1-2 bedroom(s). 300m to beach. Fully furnished. Direct pool access. Tel: (English). jgs tryker@gmail.com NEW FURNISHED MODERN VILLA Brand-new, fully furnished, modern 3-bedroom / 3.5-bathroom villa with private swimming pool, garden & car park. Free WiFi, TV, drinking water + pool & garden maintenance. Starting at 65,000 baht per month (5 minutes to Ao Po Grand Marina & Mission Hills Golf Course and close to BIS). We speak English, French & Thai. Tel: , srdu pouy@gmail.com, www. tropical-house.net B.L. APARTMENT At Kathu, 1 bedroom, 1 living room, aircon, cable TV, hot shower, ADSL, swimming pool, garden and car park. Rent: 7,000 baht per month. Tel: THAI VILLA AND POOL Luxury 2 bedrooms in Nai Harn, long term: 37,500 baht per month. Please call mervyn.croc ker@yahoo.com NEW COZY POOL VILLA Bang Tao close to Tesco Lotus and beaches, 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, maid's room, private pool, furnished, aircon, parking, small garden, long term: 45,000 baht per month. Tel: FOR RENT CHALONG- RESIDENCE Pool villa with seaview, terraces, 5 bedrooms with ensuite, on 1 rai of land. A huge 685sqm of living area, big hall, office, maid room, European kitchen, fully furnished. Sala, attractive pool and bar area, alarm system security. Located opposite Wat Chalong on the way up to the hill. Rent: 140,000 baht per month. Tel: , schulz. th@gmx.de

25 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 25 Property Services CONSTRUCTION SERVICES All types of construction undertaken, by our own workforce, under western management. Contact us for more details and a free quotation. Competitive prices. Tel: (English), (Thai). ajb@thaiworldconstruc tion.com struction.com BUILDER CAN WORK NOW Home construction, repairs, renovations at fixed prices. Tel: (Khun Peter). For further details, please see our website at HOSPITALITY MGR. AVAILABLE Hospitality GM for all types of pre-openings from A-Z, also management of resorts, estates, condos, marketing, interim management, feasibility studies. resortgm@ gmail.com PDS phu*kET DRAIN SPECIALIST At phu*ket drain specialists, we can guarantee that you will receive a quick and efficient service for everything from blocked drains to drain repairs to pipe replacement. Our team of highly qualified staff have a wealth of experience. in dealing with blocked drains. We operate a 24hr emergency service and ensure a quick response time. when you have a blocked drain, you know who to call. phu*ket drain specialists. we guarantee we will beat any quote. Tel: (English), (Thai). Property Services Wanted HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT And rental/marketing management for resorts, condos, villas, estates by experienced hoteliers. Property Wanted INVESTMENT PROPERTY Wanted in phu*ket, Phang Nga or Khao Lak areas, cash buyer. Tel: peter callen@live.com IN KATA, KARON, PATONG Experienced hoteliers provide property management (with own maintenance staff) and effective rental services. resortgm@gmail.com APARTMENT / HOUSE NEEDED Our customers need urgently apartment rentals up to 25,000 baht per month, and house rentals up to 40,000 baht per month. For long and shortterm contracts. Only Kata, Karon, Rawai, Nai Harn, Chalong. Tel: Please call or visit our website at VILLA / GUESTHOUSE / HOTEL WANTED For purchase or rent long term: rooms, no more than a 30- minute drive from Patong. Must be in a quiet location and have a sea view from at least 30% of the rooms. Tel: PRIVATE POOL VILLA 3-bedroom private pool villa located minutes from the famed Laguna area. Tel: (English & Thai). RENT PATONG-ROOMS AT 9,000 BAHT Or apartment with pool: 15,000 baht. Tel: thamad17@yahoo.com KATA POOL APARTMENTS Modern one-bedroom apartments, central in Kata. Long term only. From 16,500 baht per month (English & Thai). info@kata beachdream.com More info at THE NCHANTRA POOL SUITE 1-3 bedroom private pool suites for sale and rent. Tel: , Fax: info@nchantrapoolsuite.com NEW MODERN TOWN HOUSE New, fully furnished town houses (completed in 2013) for rent. 3 bedrooms, water heater, 2 aircons, built-in kitchen, WiFi, etc. 25,000 baht per month. Tel: intira.boonsith@ gmail.com ORCHID KATHU HEIGHTS Serviced apartment, studio. 1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, rooftop, pool, free WiFi. Tel: , heights-phu*ket.com Accommodation Available DELUXE BEACHFRONT CONDOS 2 bedrooms, also 1 bedroom, kitchen, lounge. The Point near Central Festival, many facilities. Tel: DISCOUNTS ON SERVICED APTS Our serviced studio and two-bed apartments are now available at discounted rates! Great location near the Big Buddha, pool, aircon, furnished. Tel: (English), (Thai). info@chalongapartment. com SEA VIEW 3-BED VILLA, PATONG Luxury villa of character w/ Patong sea view. Estate pool, private and secure. 60,000 baht per week; 200,000 per month; 1 million baht per year plus utilities, service extra. Minimum deposit of 20,000 baht. Tel: (English & Thai). natawa paeng@gmail.com KATA NEW SEA VIEW APARTMENT New 1 and 2-bedroom apartments. Long and short terms. Sea view, huge balcony, TV panels, WiFi, free parking. Sea view, pools, gym, expensive furniture in side. osa.com@ me.com The best choice for living! For further details, please see our website at cooolrent.com Holiday Homes & Villa Rentals phu*kET TOO BUSY? Try our hideaway villa with pool, housekeeping and WiFi. Only 40 mins to the airport and 10 mins to the beach. Tel: (English). FREEHOLD POOL VILLA Freehold pool villa. From 1.1 million baht 800m from Nai Harn Beach. Tel: kay@phu*ketandaman realestate.com LUXURY PATONG Special rate. Daily, 2 weeks and monthly. Tel: (English & Thai), (Thai). Fax : nanaivillaphu*ket@gmail.com GREAT 1, 2, 3-BED APTS KATA Spacious, huge terrace, kitchen, with or without private pool, walk to 2 beaches in less than 5 minutes. resort gm@gmail.com 2-BED PRIVATE POOL VILLA Close to Nai Harn and Rawai Beaches. fully Furnished. Available immediately for 1-3 months rental - 45,000 baht per month. Tel: coconutparadisevillas@gmail. com asia/coral-island-villa.html HOUSE+POOL 14,000 BAHT / MONTH Furnished, aircon, WiFi, cable TV, swimming pool. Long term only. Tel: (English & Thai). info@welcomeinn.com For further details, please see our website at inn-phu*ket.com Building Products & Services WOOD WORK FOR BOAT & HOUSE All for wood and more! - Internal wood Works - Teak Woodworks and decking - Boat repairing - Anti-fouling - Office, house, building renovation - Built-in furniture, kitchens, flooring, deckings and more. Tel: , (English), (English & Thai). Fax: info@procarpentering. com For further details, please see our website at www. pro carpentering.com Household Items FLOATING BEAN BAGS Floating bean bags for your pool or private chair at the beach. Hot selling! ZeeZeeInterior. Tel: office@zeezee interior.com For further details, please see our website at www. zeezeeinterior.com MODERN KITCHEN & APPLIANCES For sale. Complete with all modern appliances, fridge and dining table. Please call for photos. Bargain price at 85,000 baht. Tel: , Classified Advertisem*nts Please use this form to write your classified advertisem*nt. Then hand it to any of our agents. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (heading) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Looking for land to buy? See more classified ads at Classified ads are charged per line. Each line is 140 baht, with a minimum of 4 lines (heading included) per ad. All advertising must be paid for in advance. Deadline for Property Gazette page: Friday 3 pm. Deadline for all other ads: Saturday 12 noon.

26 26 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 COOK / CHEF Cook wanted in a small Ban Moon noodle bar, to cook basic Thai and European food. Room available as part of wages. Tel: (English). Please call or micknppr@hotmail. com OFFICE ASSISTANT Siam Real Estate requires a Thai office assistant with English and computer skills, based in Rawai. Must be organised and have good communication skills. Tel: Send CV to dew@ siamrealestate.com PR & MARKETING The View Condominium. - Female, years. - To promote the property with prospective customers at our booth - Coordinate with recruiters - Collaborate with team - Language: English and Russian or English and Chinese. Tel: , sales@theview phu*ket.com, info@theview phu*ket.com MARKETING FOR PROPERTY We are now looking for marketing executives to join our succ essful real estate company. Thai nationals only. We are looking for staff at Jungceylon, Homepro Chalong and Kamala Beach. Good spoken English is a must. High salaries and commissions will be given. Send CV to info@ phu*ketcondoshomes.com or call , (English). homes.com WEB DEVELOPER / PROGRAMMER Bachelor's degree in related field. Knowledge of PHP, Javascript, jquery, MySQL required. 2 years experience, English speaking. Send CV to hr@luxuryvillasandhomes.com NATIVE ENGLISH TEACHER Brainy House is looking for part-time native English teachers. Start as soon as possible. Tel: , (English & Thai). keng. na.ranong@hotmail.com ADMIN HOTEL WANTED Experience needed in Microsoft Excel and Word. Daily record on cash income, stocks, timecards, and booking vouchers. Good comments in English writing and speaking working under GM. Tel: (English). c@bayshoreprojects.com LOOKING FOR MANAGER AT WAKE PARK Aged 25 years or older, permanent resident of phu*ket, Russian speaking with excellent knowledge of English and preferably Thai. Official papers (no benefits, work permit), salary starts from 30,000 baht. Tel: Please send CV to opaopa543@mail.ru YACHT STEWARDESS Thai national, 2 females, good English, salary+ tips. Tel: (Thai) info@yacht-charter-thailand.com NANNY Must be experienced with child care. Needed after school and weekends for two young boys. Thai only. Tel: BRANCH MANAGER ISS Facility Services require Branch Managers for 2 new locations in Had Yai and Koh Samui. Preferred applicants are English-speaking Thai nationals, degree educated with previous experience in property or hotel management. Excellent salary and benefits on offer. Tel: , scott.d@ th.issworld.com HOUSEKEEPER NEEDED To manage and ensure the cleanliness of our operation. Must be a dynamic team worker with a pleasant personality. Contact us. Tel: , (English & Thai). Fax: jtissi er@aquamaster.net MARKETING EXECUTIVE We are now looking for marketing executives to join our real estate company. We are looking for staff at Jungceylon, Homepro Chalong and Kamala Beach. Good spoken English is a must. Send CV to info@phu*ket-con dos-homes.com or call , PERSONAL ASSISTANT A private family is looking for a personal assistant to be located in Bang Jo, phu*ket, full time, start as soon as possible. Must be fluent in Thai & English educated, love animals, be flexible with work hours, be a fast and motive worker. Attractive salary offered, please CV to sherin. peace@gmail.com RAW FOOD CHEF WANTED Thai national: raw food chef, good salary + benefits! Tel: TEACHERS WANTED ELT phu*ket is looking for English, Science and Maths teachers. Very competitive salaries, bonuses and benefits. Apply within , max beardsley@gmail.com Employment Wanted OFFICE ASSISTANT Multiple positions are now open, also for licensed tour guides, tour Operation s Staff. Must be Thai and have good English or Chinese commu nication skills. Send CV via or fax. Fax: info@very - thai.com Website: www. very-thai.com/jobs Gazette Online Classifieds 10,000 readers every day!

27 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 27 EUROPEAN CHEFS We are hiring Sous Chef and Executive Chef. We want both full-time. Good salary and work permit for the right candidate. Tel: net PROJECT SECRETARY (THAI) WANTED At least 3 years experience in the construction industry. Able to speak, write and read English and Thai. Full understanding of Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook and Word). Salary based on experience, excellent benefits. Send your CV to info@avcphu*ket.com PHP PROGRAMMER Seeking a PHP programmer with experience in Code Igniter for a long-term project. Tel: (English & Thai). john@jpdigi taltech.com ENGLISH-SPEAKING GUIDES Phi Phi Island. We are looking for 2 English-speaking guides for our overnight boat tour which leaves from Phi Phi Don. The job is to entertain and keep our customers safe. If you look after our customers well, we will look after you. Contact Siripan. Tel: MARKETING ASSISTANT Proficient in Word, Excel, uni graduate preferred. Photo shop online experience valued highly. Tel: RECEPTIONIST WANTED For small guesthouse near the beach in Patong. Good salary and benefits. Some spoken abd written English and computer skills prefered.contact John. Tel: jmiles@iinet.net.au YOGA TEACHER WANTED Qualified yoga instructor to teach at phu*ketFit Resort. Please apply with resume and qualifications. Tel: liam@phu*ketfit. com EARN 30, ,000 BAHT/MONTH Cruise ship staff needed. Work 3-7 month shift. All expenses paid. Must speak English. Tel: (English). Send resume / photo to jobs@sea staffing.com 3 WAITRESSES FOR RESTAURANT Three English-speaking waitresses wanted for restaurant. Thai national only. Tel: liam@phu*ket fit.com TEACHERS WANTED Chalermprakiat School is looking for native English speakers. A bachelor's degree and TEFL are required. Tel: Send your CV to swpk_mlp@yahoo. com, please contact Clark KARON CLIFF Hostess, maid, engineer, waiter, and kitchen staff wanted. Tel: FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANAGER New 4-star hotel in Malaysia looking for young and energetic expat to run the food and beverage department. Previous experience in similar position not required but this position requires a strong kitchen background. Nazri@an casanet.com Looking for a JOB? Looking for a better candidate? Find more Recruitment Classifieds at

28 28 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 Business Opportunities HOTEL FOR SALE 27 rooms (bar, restaurant and pool table), 5 minutes walk to beach (good location), well established. 6 years left on current contract. 3.9 million baht (negotiable). Tel: (English). lyntoncraig@gmail.com Bulletins RESTAURANT FOR SALE, KAMALA Restaurant and bar for sale, clean and big place with 140sqm house. Sale: 1.4 million baht. Cheap rent: only 20,000 baht per month. Tel: NEW GUESTHOUSE PATONG BEACH 12 rooms and 3 apartments. Rent: 90,000 baht per month. 2 years on contract, will be extended every 3 years. Sale: 1,900,000 baht. Tel: adrenorange house@hotmail.fr LEGAL INCOME PRODUCER phu*ket Country Home, large 5-bedroom, 4-bathroom bungalow, bed & breakfast potential. In Chalong. High season: 15,000 baht per day income. No Thai taxes. 10 million baht. Garden/koi ponds/waterfall. Please call (English). HIGHLY RATED PATONG HOTEL Successful, 2 years old, 17- room guesthouse. 1.5 million baht or best offer. Tel: (English). mar cusmccown@gmail.com, com/ HOTEL SEA VIEW BEACH 1KM 24 rooms and apartment, very good profit, 4 years old, Chanote full property, 1km from the beach. Tel: christian10thai lande@gmail.com KARON GUESTHOUSE 2 minutes walk to beach, located on the tourist road, 5 storeys, 7 furnished bedrooms. Price: 13 million baht. Tel: PATONG MASSAGE SHOP NANAI 8 beds, 5 chairs, staff accommodation. Wide shop front, rear access. Quick sale needed. 350,000 baht or best offer. roy_baldman@ yahoo.com GUESTHOUSE FOR SALE / RENT Rawai. Too much to list. For more information, please call ttpit stop@hotmail.com INCREDIBLE PROJECT INVESTMENT Luxury project for sale. 50% process done. Only 5 million baht. Tel: aopo project@gmail.com MARKETING EXECUTIVE We are now looking for marketing executives to join our real estate company. We are looking for staff at Jungceylon, Homepro Chalong and Kamala Beach. Good spoken English is a must. Send CV to info@phu*ketcondos-homes.com or call , (English). andres@ phu*ket-condos-homes.com SPACE FOR RENT 110sqm. Only 200m from Patong Beach. Perfect location for restaurant or shop. Contact Tatiana. Tel: , mangusstin@mail.ru RESTAURANT FOR RENT PATONG 250sqm, fully equipped and furnished with license, on Sai Nam Yen Road, close to Sai Nam Yen Plaza. Tel: LUXURY APTS. PATONG Twice the size, yet half the price. 100sqm each plus terrace. Fully furnished, pool, great location. Would consider villa swap to Nai Harn area. Priced to sell 11.9 million baht. Tel: bricothailand@ hotmail.com RESORT FOR SALE Small high yielding resort for sale in Rawai. Three, 2-year-old 3/4 bedroom pool villas on one rai. Perfect pension plan. Price: 19 million baht. Please call (English) or caperawai@gmail.com THAI CO., LTD. FOR SALE Name: Scuba-Travel-Trade Co., Ltd. No property! Just clean papers. Price: 9,999 baht + lawyers bill + etc. Tel: (English). dieter_seubert@ya hoo.de LIMITED PARTNERSHIP FOR SALE Limited partnership for sale, 6 years in business, entitled to work permit. Price: 3,000 baht plus the fee for changing directors and company location. Tel: (English). dbruehwi@blue win.ch

29 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 29 AUSTRALIAN TAX & ACCOUNTING Australian Taxation & accounting services for Australian expatriates in Thailand & abroad. Please contact Anabel. Tel: com or silva-accounting.com For further details, please see our website at NEW CARDIO TENNIS Ditch the gym, grab your racket. Non stop 60-minute fun workout with music. Only 300 baht per person. Lessons hitups also available. For more information, please call , Your court or ours. Please visit our website at WHEATGRASS JUICE Lumpoons Coffee House. At Chalong. Please call FREE ITALIAN ESPRESSO MACHINE Coffee capsules machine on loan, good organic Italian coffee, fair prices, 6 blends available, direct import into phu*ket. Tel: , fepig ada@yahoo.it Business Products & Services SEO-SOCIAL MEDIA INTERNET A customized campaign by our SEO specialists will improve your Google ranking and focus your internet marketing efforts. Free quote. julianburgess@myway. com VISA SERVICES UAE and Singapore for 3 days. Tel: sky75@list.ru MASSAGE THERAPY AT YOUR PLACE Thai traditional massage: 500 baht per hour. Aromatherapy massage: 1,000 baht per hour. Call for reservations. Open daily 9am- 10pm. Tel: WORLDWIDE AIR TICKETS Our service is for domestic and international flight tickets. Open daily from 8.30am to 9pm. Delivery service. For more information, please call , FT SEA CONTAINER For sale: secondhand sea container 40ft. I can send a photo. Please contact Rob for more information. Tel: (English). vb331@hotmail.com STRESSED OVER PARTIES? Plan your party for all your supplies at Party Always. We are located at Wana Park Cherng Talay. For more information, please call karen_leong sk@yahoo.com.sg Club Memberships Available GOLF MEMBERSHIP FOR SALE phu*ket Country Club membership. 560,000 baht. Includes transfer fee. Family membership. Contact Mark. Tel: (English. homeinspector@cs loxinfo.com Office Equipment OFFICE DESK 3PCS LEATHER Dark-wood color with chairs. Desk: 80x38cm with return 54cm and draws. 15,000 baht. Tel: Personal Services INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING US licensed counselor. Children-Adults-Families. phu*ket mental health counseling. Tel: (English). parwgk@aol.com Education Miscellaneous For Sale Pool Tables SNOOKER Like new, marble top, 1.35 x 2.35m. 25,000 baht (new 66,000 baht). Tel: christian10thai lande@gmail.com Personals BACKGAMMON Players wanted. Tel: phu*ket connection@yahoo.com

30 30 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 Saloon Cars Rentals TOYOTA AVANZA door, black, new condition, only 6 months used. 500,000 baht. Tel: CHEVROLET AVEO 2008 BASE 1.4L, fabric interior, good power, serviced at manufacturer, nice condition, insurance till December Price: 240,000 baht. Tel: (English). bytheair@gmail.com PROTON NEO AUTO 1.6L, 2-door, sport black, gray leather, new 17-inch alloy, 1 lady owner, drives well, 67,000km. Price: 285,000 baht. Tel: BMW F10 520D 2011 Black with beige interior. 54,000km, 2 years of BMW Thailand warranties left. Price: 2.75 million baht. Tel: andreas. caudwell@gmail.com MERCEDES SL 1987 Excellent condition, automatic, aircon, new interior, bodywork, mechanics, 2JZ engine, drives perfectly, new soft top, hard top, phu*ket Blue book registered. 1.1 million baht or reasonable offers. Please call jonhassall@ aol.com RELIABLE CAR FOR SALE Honda City Type Z, one owner, great reliable car in A1 condition. Tel: (English). jay neymac@yahoo.com.au HONDA CITY TYPE Z ,000km, good condition, automatic, gray color. Tel: (English). victes@gmail.com TOYOTA HIACE MINIBUS Toyota Hiace Minibus 2004 model. Excellent condition. 300,000 baht ono. Tel: (English & Thai). info@amazingbike toursthailand.asia HONDA CIVIC AUTO 85,000 BAHT 1995, good car, 178,000km, engine top 1,600cc, all works. Tel: , (English). CAMRY 2.0G FOR SALE 82,000km. Black color. New paint. First-class insurance. 675,000 baht. Tel: SILVER PROTON SAGA 1.3 Year 2011, automatic, 1 owner, 15,000km with insurance. 300,000 baht. Tel: NISSAN TEANA 250 XV V6 Excellent condition! One owner from new. No accident, April 2010, 60,000km, all services done, registered, tax until August Price new: 1.55 million baht. Now: 870,000 baht (negotiable). Car is in Hua Hin. For more information, please call , (English). MOTORBIKES FOR RENT / SALE Bikes for sale, 16-18,000 baht. Also bikes for rent at low, long term, low season rates. Special rate for teachers renting long term. High Street Rentals, located in Kamala on the main road next to SCB bank. Tel: (English & Thai). haroldmccarthy@ gmail.com CAR RENTAL ALL MODELS AUT or MT, delivery service, first-class insurance. Tel: ronny 2507@hotmail.com A1 CAR RENT With accommodation, fully insured. Tel: a1carrent@ gmail.com Motorbikes CARS FOR RENT Short or long-term rent with first-class insurance. Delivery service. Please call or send to bcarrent@hotmail.com Pick-ups 2009 ISUZU D-MAX SLX One owner car in excellent condition with only 68,500 km, SLX with computer, etc. Tax and insurance paid until January. Must sell, just 450,000 baht ono. Tel: hilltribe import@yahoo.com.au ISUZU CAB LS Wheels & Motors Please use this form to write your classified advertisem*nt. CHEVROLET CAPTIVA LTZ Year 2010, for sale, excellent condition. Price: 890,000 baht. Tel: HARLEY-DAVIDSON Fat Boy, very low mileage, many extras, too many to list. Many one-of-a-kind parts, powder coated black. Kept inside always. A must-see bike. For more information, please call CHOPPER HONDA STEED 400cc for sale, in good condition. Green book. 65,000 baht (one extra bag and a bigger tank made of stainless steel follow). Tel: (English). D-Max 4WD, automatic, ,000 baht. For more information, please call TOYOTA VIGO PRERUNNER New, 4-door, 5-speed, auto. 3.0DCT engine. Airbags, ABS, extras. 830,000 baht or best offer. Tel: (English), (Thai). matt@ worldwidealoha.com _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (heading) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Classified ads are charged per line. Each line is 140 baht, with a minimum of 4 lines (heading included) per ad. All advertising must be paid for in advance.

31 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 31 RIB WILLIAMS 325 TURBOJET Williams 325 turbojet for sale. 2010, excellent condition. 40 knots in 4 seconds! Sunbrella covers. Price for new unit: 991,620 baht. Price now: 550,000 baht! Tel: (English), (Thai) @inbox.ru FAST FOLDING TRIMARAN American designed 29ft fast, folding Trimaran for sale with trailer. Suitable for racing or cruising. Thai registered, ex-pat owned. Tel: (English). For full details and price, please go to 50FT BERTRAM SPORTFISHER 1989 Bertram 505 convertible. Price: 7 million baht. Tel: sfiori@ hotmail.com HOBIE CAT 17 Catamaran for sale: Hobie 17 with wings, road trailer, beach trailer. Tel: (English). skgf@skgf.asia SELLING YOUR BOAT? Just around the corner, now is the right time to get her listed, Boatshed phu*ket. com are always looking for new listings, big or small, power or sail, to meet the demand for quality boats. Contact Alan Giles. Tel: VOLVO PENTA 380HP Marine engines for sale: Volvo Penta TAMD71B, 6 cylinder, 380hp, 2500 rpm, turbo charged. 1) Engine number , with reverse gear box Twin Disc MG-507, 198:1, 5M ) Engine number with reverse gear box Twin Disc MG-507, 198:1, number 5M Net Weight: 850kg per engine. Two silencers: MGS IN /OUT 5, 45. Price: 1 million baht per engine. Tel: (English & Thai). rm2@food comthailand.com SOLUTION TO THIS WEEK S Cryptic crossword NEW ALESSANDRO MARCHI Hypalon RIB (LOA 24'). High quality Hypalon tubes. Free Chart plotter and VHF, 175hp 4-stroke Suzuki O/B. Bimini and trailer. 1,695,000 baht. Contact Andaman Boat Sales. Tel: boats@anda manboatsales.com FOR SALE: HOBIE BRAVO 12' Fantastic little Hobie Catamaran. Great for kids and adults wanting a fun dinghy boat responsive in light wind. Length 12'. Sail area: 86sqf/ 8sqm. mail.com or call our Thai mobile: , or to Singapore: CAPELLI RIB FOR SALE Capelli RIB, 8m. 250hp Yamaha 4-stroke outboard motor with 361 hours. Garmin GPS with Blue chart for Southeast Asia. 860,000 baht. Tel: , (English). Fax : neef@ wana doo.fr 13-METER CRUISER Wooden hull cruiser registered for 17 people. Cost 1.6 million baht, but will sell for 700,000 baht. Just refurbished. Tel: (English). phil@krabikonnect.com please see our website at www. krabi kon nect.com/ #!boat-for-sale/c10mg NOTATION: Abbreviations: UPPER CASE Normal spelling: lower case Anagrams (indicated in clue by words out, possibly, strangely, wild, or similar): italic Synonyms: bold Spelt backwards or upwards: after word (rev), (up) or similar Letters left out: underlined Similar sound: italic underlined Across: 9.SCUPPERS: sinks 10.LIE: L-i.e. 11.BACKER: backer 12.LINTEL: tenill 13.EXTRACT: take out 14.UNTO: U.N.-T.O. 15.GENUFLECTS: gen-cutself 17.BENEFICE: ifbeen-c.e. 18.ITERATE: it-rate-e 19.OPAL: Op.-a-L 21.NOSIER: riseon 24.LIVELIFETOTHEFULL: theevillotfulfile 27.WARREN: war-re.-n 29.ISLE: I'll 30.EARLOBE: E- labor-e 33.MACARONI: C-aroman-1 35.YEARONYEAR: ayeoryearn 36.GANG: ga-n-g 37.FILINGS: slingif 38.TANNIN: aintin 40.SAVIOR: orvisa 41. SOI: so-i 42.GREENING: G-R-engine Down: 1.ACCIDENTAL: dicecant-a-l 2.SPOT: spot 3.FELLFLAT: leftalfl 4.ESSENCE: scenes-e 5.PERAMBULATE: per-atumblea 6.ABSTINENCE: banscentie 7.SCRUFF: S-C-ruff 8.PENTACLE: cantleap 10.LOTUS: lot-u-s 16.UPRIVER: IVpurer 20.PETAL: pleat 22.SQUALLY: LLquays 23.OFFICIALESE: officesalei 25.LINEOFFIRE: ireeloffin 26.LIBRARIANS: brainsrail 28.ALABAMAN: A-La-B.A.-man 31.APOSTLES: stopsale 32.MASSAGE: Ma's-sage 34.ANGRIT: igrant 35. YANUI: any-u-i 39.NONE: no-n-e Looking for a boat? See more classified ads at

32 32 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 Aircraft For Sale HAVE A PASSION FOR AVIATION? If you have an aircraft for sale or an interest in aviation and wish to learn how to fly or buy an aircraft or arrange a private flight, etc. Website: newsletter TECNAM P-92 - Price: 1.5 million baht - Registration: U-B08 - Year of Manufacture: Equipment: Full standard equipment - Engine: Rotax HP 350hrs. Tel: AIRPLAY ALTIS MICROLIGHT Superb trike with Konig radial engine. Great economical fun. Little used. Please contact for more information. Tel: (English & Thai), (English & Thai). kajoda1954@yahoo.co.uk YOUR HELICOPTER Flying and owning your own helicopter has just become possible. Free complete flight instruction course with your purchase. pat@ aeropromgr.com 1999 ROBIN 2160i I would like to sell my Robin aircraft or trade it for a 4-seat Cessna or Piper (based in Hua Hin). The Robin: TTAF 300hrs. SMOH 60hrs. This is a well-equipped, two-seat aerobatic aircraft. Has the Christen inverted oil system. Excellent inside and outside. King KMA24 audio panel, KX155 nav/com, KI203 vor, KY197A comm, KN64A dme, KR87 adf, KT76A transponder, CSPA400 i-com, FP5 fuel computer, CHT, OAT, Pitot heat. Price: 4 million baht. Please contact Thom. thos_w@ hotmail.com General Aviation Aircraft for Sale Aircraft Sharing Aircraft Wanted Aircraft Charter Aviation Services Flying Lessons Please use this form to write your classified advertisem*nt. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (heading) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Classified ads are charged per line. Each line is 140 baht, with a minimum of 4 lines (heading included) per ad. All advertising must be paid for in advance.

33 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 33

34 34 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 Time to laugh out loud THEATER fans are in for a treat with the announcement that the hit comedy Boeing Boeing will be performed at the Angsana Ballroom Laguna on May 3 at 6:30pm. Having done the rounds in Broadway and the West End, with a string of rave reviews, Boeing Boeing is now coming to phu*ket and looks set to be a hilarious, laugh-outloud performance not to be missed. The play follows the story of swinging bachelor Bernard, a successful architect living in Paris, who thought he could easily cope with his three air hostess fiancees. It is all a question of timetables and his reliable, long-suffering housekeeper Bertha (played by Sarah Stringer) who reluctantly plays the role of a romantic airtraffic controller. When old school chum Robert (played by Kiven Tillet) arrives, Bernard relishes the chance to show his wide-eyed friend his first-class operation at work. Unfortunately, schedules change, flights are delayed and a new turbo-charged Boeing aircraft is introduced: chaos ensues in this hysterical whirl of mayhem and matchmaking. This smash hit revival of a 1960s farce by Beverley Cross (from a French original) won a Tony Award for best play revival and stars accomplished actor Robert Colvin in the lead role of Bernard. The three air hostesses, Gretchen, Gloria and Gabriella are typical stereotypes of their country Germany, America and Italy respectively. Danielle Court is the brash, glamorous American working for TWA who tries to control Bernard, Jessica Holland is the sexy, romantic Gabrielle from Italy and completing the trio is Lauren Court as Gretchen, the strident domineering Lufthansa stewardess. They all convincingly play their roles with exuberant pizzazz and perfect comedic timing. This fast-paced satire stays on the boil with split-second perfect timing. Doors slam with regularity as the stewardesses are ushered from the bedrooms to the bathroom and the sitting room. It s exhausting to watch and the performers must be worn out by the end of the play. All the essential elements of farce are deftly executed by this highly talented cast, as the situation becomes more and more complicated. The following is an extract of a review from the respected MD Theater Guide in the UK: This powerful comedy hits your gut with two-hours of non-stop laughter. Boeing Boeing is a refreshing, humorous and stunningly attractive play, and as you get lost in the physical appeal and unique characters, you ll want to keep watching to see where this potential train wreck will lead. Boeing Boeing follows the life of Bernard, a charming and charismatic man with a specific taste and insatiable appetite for women. He has an appetite so substantial that he has committed himself to three fiancees. Robert Colvin naturally settled into the role of the worldly and highly organized Bernard. He was able to physically convey his distress and despondency in ways that made for great comedic and downright priceless moments, but nothing was more charming than the women in Bernard s life. If you are looking for a play that will keep you on your toes with a talented cast and a bit of sex appeal, then Boeing Boeing is the play for you. Broadway, West End, now Boeing Boeing comes to phu*ket. Photo: Supplied For a riotous good time make sure you get your tickets today for this fantastic Gazette Headline Event presented by Jagota and promoted by Events International. Tickets are available for 1,200 baht at: Les Diables at the Boat Lagoon and Laguna Canal Village. Call for more information and ticket bookings. phu*ket Pride Week 2014 THE phu*ket Loves You Club (PLU) has just announced its line up of events for phu*ket Pride Week 2014 with eight days of fun and celebrations planned. The theme for this year s Pride Week is Celebrating Who We Are. All through the week there will be parties and events which not only will offer the opportunity for all people, be they gay, straight or undecided, to come together and have fun while celebrating their diversity and the fact that we live in a mixed and understanding society as well as raise money for HIV charities in phu*ket. The PLU s goal is to raise 1 million baht, which will go to help support their partnered charities. The Life Home Project sponsors the education of children living with HIV or who have parents with HIV, thus giving these children a better future by helping them to break the cycle of poverty or stigmatization in which they are often trapped. The Community Project where they work with groups like the Sabaidee Clinic, where local people can go for free HIV and STD testing, receive safe sex advice and obtain free condoms. All during the week at many venues around phu*ket, you will see the official charity/donation buckets, all monies raised from these will go to PLU/PRIDE charities. All profits made from the week s events will be donated to PLU/PRIDE charities. phu*ket Gazette Full detailed listings and more phu*ket Pride Week runs from April Photo: Gazette File information on phu*ket Pride week 2014 and all the events can be found on the web site: phu*ket-pride.org and Facebook page: prideinphu*ket Some of phu*ket Pride Week s events include: Sunday, April 20 Pride week Opening Pool Party at CC s Hideaway from 6 to 11pm. Monday, April 21 All day pool competition by Kiss Bar and Sundowners, held at Sundowners Bar in Soi Paradise, Patong. Tuesday, April 22 Gay day cruise to Raya Island. This gay day cruise to Raya Island promises to be a day to remember. Wednesday, April 23 Volleyball tournament morning and afternoon. This very popular beach volleyball competition, is to be held in front of La Flora Hotel on Patong Beach. Lounge 69 Pride Week Grand Opening at Aquarius from 8pm to late. Thursday, April 24 Gala dinner at the Millennium Resort Hotel Patong 6 to 11pm. Friday, April 25 Garland party at CC s Hideaway from 4 to 11pm including Mr phu*ket Pride 2014 contest. Saturday, April 26 Sunset Beach Party at Iguana Beach from 5:30 to 11:30pm. Sunday, April 27 Grand Parade on Beach Road in Patong, starts from Soi Tan at 3pm. Tea Dance Street Party. Barbecue by Bistro Restaurant in Soi Paradise including a big charity prize draw.

35 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 35 Easter Buffet Dinner April 20, 6pm-midnight. Easter Buffet Dinner at Two Chefs Large buffet including: Easter bread, pickled herring, smoked salmon, beet salad, liver pate, Easter ham, Easter eggs, Swedish meatballs, chicken & fish fillet skewers, beef Stroganoff, apple pie with homemade vanilla sauce, waffles with raspberry jam, Swedish chocolate balls and much more. All this and much more for only 695 baht, with children at just 350 baht, including a welcome drink. There will be egg painting for all the kids and live music from the famous Two Chefs house band from 8pm till late. Come for the food and stay for the fun! For more information call April 20 Two Chefs May 1. Labor Day Public holiday for all commercial workers, but government offices will remain open. May 3, 7-9pm. Boeing Boeing - A laugh out lout comedy play! Broadway. West End. Now in phu*ket. A swinging bachelor, in a love affair with three stewardesses at the same time. Their flights are expected to land at different times, but as luck would have it, the three muses of his life touch down at the same time! It s hilarious. Don t miss this the fun! Cast and crew from London. For a riotous good time make sure you get your tickets today for this fantastic Gazette Headline Event presented by Jagota and promoted by Events International. Tickets are available for 1,200 baht at: Les Diables at the Boat Lagoon and Laguna Canal Village. Call for more information and ticket bookings or indiafilmworks@gmail.com This event is sponsored by PGTV and the phu*ket Gazette. May 5. Coronation Day Coronation Day commemorates the accession to the throne of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej on May 5, May 17, 10am-6pm. IELTS in phu*ket An International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test will be held in phu*ket and organized by phu*ket Australian Visa and Student Services (AVSS). To register for the test contact: or , avsssouth@gmail.com or go to theavss.net May 23, 6-11:30pm. Beatles Tribute Night at Two Chefs. We serve a large buffet with smoked salmon, pulled pork burgers, roast beef, stuffed pork tenderloin, Yorkshire puddings, grilled rib eye steaks with bearnaise sauce, pork crackling, lamb stew, bloody mary mussels, strawberry tarts, chocolate cup cakes, apple crumble pie and much more. All this plus the show and a welcome drink for only 795 baht for adults, 395 baht for kids. The famous Two Chefs house band will be doing a full 20-song set with the most famous Beatles classics. We start serving the buffet at 6pm, then at 9pm the Two Chefs Beatles Tribute show will begin. Make you reservations now! karon@twochefs.com, visit the website at: twochefs.com, or call May 24. Visakha Bucha Day Visakha Bucha Day is observed on the day of the full moon during the 6 th lunar month, which usually falls in either May or early June. It is a day to commemorate three important incidents: the birth, the enlightenment and the passing away of the Buddha. These events are believed to have fallen on the same lunar day and month (but on different years). May 31, 7-9pm. Bollywood Party Nite at XANA Beach Club. Indian DJ, Indian dancers and an Indian feast. Watch, learn and groove with them the Indian way! This Bollywood themes night of music and dance will feature Bollywood hits, hip hop, funk, house and soul music. It s a Bollywood affair, so dress as you like and breathe in the colorful spirit of India. Call for more information and ticket bookings or indiafilmworks@gmail.com This event is sponsored by PGTV and the phu*ket Gazette. June 7, 9am-midday. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs A family musical held at phu*ket town s Simon Star Theater. A wonderful experience for children, parents and grandparents! A great visual treat with dances, music and pictures to be taken with your favorite character. Call for more information and ticket bookings or indiafilmworks@gmail.com. This event is sponsored by PGTV and the phu*ket Gazette. June 12 to July 13. FIFA World Cup in Brazil Football (soccer) fans around the world look forward to the excitement of the 20 th edition of the World Cup. This year will be played in arguably the top footballing nation on the planet. Here in phu*ket, most of the games will be aired live in the morning hours, though many restaurants and bars will certainly screen reruns of all the matches. June 28 to July 27. Ramadan Muslims worldwide, or roughly a quarter of the planet s population, observe Ramadan as the 9 th month of their calendar, a time for fasting during the day hours and feasting at night. July 11. Asarnha Bucha Day This full-moon day of the 8 th lunar month (traditional Thai calendar) commemorates the Buddha s first sermon to his first five disciples after attaining Enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago. Evening candlelit processions are staged at all Thai Buddhist temples. July 12. Buddhist Lent This day of a full moon marks the start of the Buddhist Lent, or rains retreat the three-month annual retreat observed by Theravada practitioners. It is the traditional time for Thai males to ordain as monks, informally observed as the start of the rainy season, when the southwesterly monsoon is in full force. August 12. Her Majesty the Queen s Birthday HM Queen Sirikit Kitiyakara s 82 nd Birthday, celebrated as Mother s Day in Thailand. Her Majesty s birthday is a public holiday. November 6. Loy Krathong One of the most beautiful festivals in Thailand. It is traditionally performed on the full moon night of the 12 th lunar month, which usually falls in November. A Krathong is a banana-leaf cup containing flowers, a candle and incense sticks which will be floated away in a canal or river. The idea is to worship the River Goddess and at the same time to float away any bad luck. Loy Krathong is not a public holiday in the Kingdom. November phu*ket International Sportfishing Tournament Registration is on the evening of November 19 from 6pm onwards, at the Tamarind Bar & Grill in Chalong. The weigh station will be at the Tamarind on all three fishing days, November The final evening and prize giving party will also be held at the Tamarind. In an effort to showcase individual team skills, the rules of the tournament (PIST) this year have been designed to allow teams to fish the event as they would while fun fishing. This annual event, now in its 15 th year, is proudly sponsored by the Gazette and PGTV s phu*ket Today show, the island s only nationally broadcast television program (aired daily on True Visions channels 85 and 59). For more information send an to uweschittek@yahoo.com

36 36 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 The discovery of a culinary oasis By Jeremie Schatz HIDDEN behind an unassuming facade just across from Karon Beach lies a sprawling oasis of lush tropical plants, trickling fountains, thatch-roofed salas and a warren of intertwining paths, one of which leads to Pacifica restaurant. One of four restaurants nestled within the luscious grounds of the Movenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach phu*ket, Pacifica is a classy all-day eatery that is open to resort guests and the public alike. If you re not a guest, you may not realize that the restaurant exists, but you may wish you did. I am not a traditional chef, I have given that up a long time ago, says Executive Chef Roland Kaiser. Since leaving his home country in the late 80s, Chef Roland has travelled extensively creating works of culinary art at respected restaurants around the world before ultimately coming to the position he now holds at Movenpick. As Chef Roland is a selfproclaimed non-traditional chef, many of the dishes he offers are an amalgamation of traditional Western-style dishes with Asian culinary influences. He says the menu has, A little bit of Asian influence, but still with a Western way of presentation and cooking to a certain extent. For example, the prawn pasta with a creamy red curry sauce originally sounded as if it should be approached with caution when, in fact, it should be sought after. Think smooth and luxurious Italian white wine cream sauce meets spicy and potent red coconut curry with quail eggs, cherry tomatoes and fresh prawns. It s buttery but spicy, creamy and coco-nutty, it might be odd sounding, yet it tastes like a natural combination. Maybe we ve jumped the gun a little bit here, because the starters were nothing to scoff at. Chef Roland has taken super-fresh tuna, seared it just enough to preserve the perfect texture, cloaked it in white and black sesame seeds, floated it on a raft of vibrant green steamed asparagus and surrounded it with wasabi mayonnaise, balsamic vinegar reduction and sneaked in a sweet mango salsa. The fact that mangoes are in season has not been overlooked. You will also find them accompanying the smoked duck wrap along with fresh coriander, tomatoes, onions, and hoisin sauce and a side of steamed veggies. Share it in wrap form as a starter, or order the larger sandwich and keep it all to yourself. As a light option on a hot afternoon, take a look at what Chef Roland calls the Sea Quest salad. A bed of cool, crisp greens, cucumbers and brilliantly colored bell pepper slices serve as the base for seared tuna, smoked salmon and prawns with some zingy red onion for good measure. The baked salmon is a very popular choice, and it s easy to see why, with its crunchy shell of crushed cashew nuts with sides of squashed and buttery carrots and roasted garlic herb potatoes. For the poultry lover, the baked chicken with green curry sauce (served on the side) comes highly recommended, perched atop a mound of garlic mashed potatoes and served with steamed greens and cherry tomatoes. If you have yet to be overwhelmed by the flavorful choices on Pacifica s eclectic dinner menu, their deserts will surely do the trick. Maybe the rich black and white chocolate mousse lavished with cognac-soaked black Executive Chef of Pacifica Restaurant Roland Kaiser. Photos: Jeremie Schatz cherries will tickle your taste buds or the tantalizing cheesecake with, you guessed it, mango salsa. If you had the spicy red curry cream pasta, you may perhaps be interested in the pistachio ice cream with mango tapioca to cool the sizzle. Movenpick s Pacifica is the perfect hideaway from the bustle of Karon s beach road, where you can enjoy some fantastic fusion dishes, along with a variety of top notch classic international dishes and refreshing co*cktails in a five-star setting with service to match. Do yourself a favor, try one of Chef Roland s exotic creations, and enjoy a truly novel culinary experience. Red curry pasta marries a white wine cream sauce with spicy red curry. The Sea Quest salad. The decadent and delicious black and white chocolate mouse. Indulge at Boathouse s Easter Lobster and Jazz Brunch Boathouse Wine & Grill in Kata is hosting its last island-famous Lobster Brunch of the season this Easter Sunday, April 20. The brunch will feature unlimited Maine, western rock, rock lobsters and French oysters in the Boathouse s generous seafood bar. For meat lovers, there will be succulent roasted leg of lamb and grilled flank steak galore. That s not all, there will be plenty of tasty brunch specialties as well, so go ahead and skip your breakfast! Don t forget to bring the kids, the Boathouse s resident caricaturist will be drawing away while the little ones are busy Easter egg hunting by the beach. Also featuring on the day will be La Parisienne Band, a French and jazz duo from New York. The very talented and versatile duo s repertoire ranges from nostalgic French jazz and American tunes to funk, disco, retro and pop. Reservations are highly recommended. Sunday, April 20, from 11:30am to 3pm, at Boathouse Wine & Grill, 182 Koktanode Road, Kata Beach. phu*ket Gazette Prices: 1,800++ baht per person for lunch only; 2,150++ baht includes a bottle of wine per couple; 2,450++ baht includes a bottle of Chandon Brut per couple; and 3,000++ baht includes freeflow of all beverages. Book online at: boathousephu*ket.com or call: The brunch will feature unlimited Maine, western rock and rock lobsters.

37 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 37 A fistfull of rope phu*ket cowboy: Manoo AKA Mike Roper and the art doing of rope tricks By Jeremie Schatz WITH more people on the planet, nearly infinite methods of communication and a travel culture that sees people from all walks of life turning up in the most unsuspecting places, there is no telling where you might find influences from foreign cultures. For example, if phu*ket entertainer Manoo Suwanmaneesilp hadn t somehow gotten the chance to see old black-and-white westerns from the US when he was a kid, it s unlikely he would have adopted his cowboy persona Mike Roper. With a drastically different landscape than the American West, and lacking the history of a strong beef and cattle market, cowboy culture can seem a little out of place here in the Land of Smiles. But that hasn t stopped some Thais from becoming enamored by cowboy culture and adapting some of the wild west into their own lives. One thing Mike saw in those old cowboy movies that struck a chord with him was the creative and nimble rope skills that the wranglers of the west developed to be able to do their jobs, and eventually elaborate on to show off. And if his name didn t give it away already, Mike has, to an extent, aligned his identity with that of the rope slinging kings of the west. There is no lasso school in Thailand, and certainly very few individuals who have figured out how to perform these difficult tricks, so Mike has been on his own, I ve learned it over five years. I learned it myself, says the unassuming 73- year-old. However, there is only so much that can be deduced from old cowboy movies, so Mike did the logical thing. The first time I saw it was in a movie and then I started practicing then I started learning more from the internet. Not only does Mike have an arsenal of rope tricks that he has been perfecting over the years, he has done his research and learned the history of the tool turned sport, It is the hallmark of the Mexican cowboy, and later on it spread to North America and Canada. Believe it or not, Mike isn t the only cowboy enthusiast in Thailand. In the north, about two hours from Bangkok, is Chokchai Farm, a popular weekend getaway for Thais and a type of informative museum on western cowboy culture. Although he would like to, Mike has yet to make the pilgrimage to this little slice of west in the east. Mike is keen on sharing his skills with others, he is not only available for hire for entertainment at restaurants, clubs and parties, but he is also willing to teach his hard-earned skills to those who are interested in carrying on the lasso tradition. To learn takes considerable patience and many don t have the nerve to continue, I used to teach my nephew, but finally he surrendered, exclaims Mike. Lasso is much more than swinging a rope around and tossing it over something. You must know the types of rope to use which need to be a certain thickness and stiffness as well as the appropriate knots to use. When asked if it is a skill someone can learn if they pick up a length of rope, Mike simply stated, No, if you don t know the technique, you cannot do it. Interested in learning rope tricks or would like to hire Mike Roper to demonstrate his abilities at an event? Contact him on or mikeroper2003@gmail.com 73-year-old Manoo Suwanmaneesilp, AKA Mike Roper is a self-taught master of the art of cowboy rope tricks. There are dozens of tricks in Mike s repertoire. Mike dresses the part too Native American style. Mike s passion for all things cowboy related started when he watched westerns as a kid.

38 38 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 Containing nature I WAS hot and bothered searching for a property in a new development perched on a Chalong hillside. No house numbers. Only gleaming white walls and steep concrete roadways. Forty degrees, no greenery or so it seemed and I was here to offer advice about a garden? A neighbor pointed me in the right direction, and I was met by a friendly face, ushered into a beautiful home, and lo and behold confronted by plants everywhere. Not a garden in the conventional sense, but a series of manufactured garden sites built-in troughs, rectangular concrete pots and walls, either with containers atop, or with hidden, soil-filled gullies from which plants cascaded down or reached upwards. Plants in miraculous profusion that immediately gave the property a wonderful sense of verdancy. And verdancy is the right word. For most of the plants and amazingly, the project has only been going since last June had been chosen for their attractive green foliage or variegated leaves which offered a soothing contrast to the snow-white walls. The owner, Ted, from Seattle, Washington, not only knew a great deal about tropical plants, but had an unerring sense of where to put them. And conditions were varied from full-on tropical sun to deep shade. Consider some examples. Beyond the swimming pool with potted golden crinums atop the wall, was the distant serenity of Wat Chalong. The pool s surround- Not a garden in the conventional sense, but a series of manufactured garden sites. Photos: Patrick Campbell ings boasted lush rhapis palms a keynote tree in this garden as well as golden allamandas, even dieffenbachias and aglaonemas enjoying some protection from the sun. At the side of the house, in a corridor with a ground-level trough stretching the full length of the main wall, were wrightias and heliconias, already five feet tall. And at the back, at the base of the high retaining walls in an equally umbrageous setting where the pebbles were still wet and the jungle humidity palpable, were classic shade plants such as bird s nest and Boston ferns, more rhapis palms, a ginger bursting into pink flower, a clump of redconed costus, exotic rostrata heliconias, a couple of elephant ears and even a pair of foxtail palms to add height and variety to the display. The rims of the high outside walls, in full sun, were dominated by hybrid bougainvilleas in a range of colors, and by cascading tithonias, with their star shaped yellow flowers all contributing to a wonderful contrast. On the upper level of the property, where the aspect was open and sunny, climbers issued from large pots. A flowering coral vine (antigonon) and a fragrant myriopteron, whose masses of tiny white flowers had just finished blooming, a climbing lemon-colored allamanda, a white, trumpet-shaped ipomoea, immediately caught the eye. Above these climbers, Ted had installed some horizontal trellis and his vines, aided by unseen lengths of taut twine, were moving rapidly towards this support. In no time at all they would cover these frameworks. By way of contrast, there were two massive bromeliads in fiery hues of orange and yellow. What advice could one proffer? In truth, not a lot. Nonetheless, readers should be aware that there are important general principles for container gardening. Because plants have less soil in which to develop root systems, they need better quality compost, more fertilizer and more moisture than those in open ground. Of course, not all of them need equal amounts of water. Here in Chalong, thanks to a daily watering regime, almost all the shrubs were in good nick. But bougainvilleas for instance, hate saturation, as do desert plants such as adeniums, whereas Heliconias and gingers need plenty. A few shrubs were not ideally situated for example the dwarf tabernaemontanas could usefully be moved to a new area since they like full sun. Exchange them with the potted aglaonemas. The pale green foliage of the wrighteas suggested they might need a nitrogen or iron based feed. The array of house plants including indoor palms and a lucky zamioculcas will probably need a short holiday outside at some point. While space here is at a premium, it might be worth trying one or two different climbers, perhaps a passion flower, maybe a flame vine (pyrostegia) with its masses of brilliant orange trumpets, or a spectacular chalice vine. We also talked about planting a creeping fig (ficus pumila) with its dense foliage, against a wall, and Ted was keen to have some clumps of purple spiderwort or tradescantia to soften the outline of the pool enclosure. Minor cavils. Here is an object lesson in how to plan and foster a garden where the container is king. If you have a question or a garden that you would like featured you can me at: drpaccampbell@gmail.com. Further information about this gardening series and Patrick's other work can be accessed at: patrickaccampbell.wordpress.com Tip of the week Seeds The rims of the outside walls were dominated by hybrid bougainvilleas. NOW that the first rains have mercifully arrived, it is a good time to initiate those outdoor tasks that require moist, workable soil. So, plant out newly acquired container plants, and sow any seeds, especially annuals zinnias, sunflowers, gomphrenas, impatiens, celosias, etc. that have been waiting for the right conditions. To sprout, all seeds require adequate moisture and a friable, loosetextured soil that provides oxygen, especially if they are going straight into open ground. Many plants get off to a better start if seeds are sown in containers, and the resultant seedlings transplanted to small separate pots after four to six weeks, or once they have developed a second set of leaves. In pots, you can provide the right soil mix, control light and moisture levels and protect seedlings from birds and insects. For example, individual plants can be moved from a lowlight, sheltered spot to a sunnier position before being transferred to the garden proper. The time to sprout seeds for your garden is near. Photo: Rasbak

39 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 39 Losing his touch I USED to have high hopes for PJ O Rourke as the Fresh Prince of American Journalism. If Tom Wolfe had invented the New Journalism in the 1960s and Hunter S Thompson Gonzo Journalism in the 1970s, PJ O Rourke broke new ground in the 1980s with Holidays in Hell fiercely funny dispatches from chaotic hellholes and communist sumps around the world. He would later cover the Gulf War in Give War a Chance, but since then he has been content to rusticate himself in New Hampshire and pontificate on passing political mores. He has written 16 books in total, some of them very funny. In his new book, he is losing his touch. Great title though: The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way and It Wasn t My Fault and I ll Never Do It Again, (Atlantic Monthly Press, New York, 2014, 263pp). He has covered this material before. The essence of his life story is that he was born a Boomer in 1947, turned drug-happy hippie radical in the 1960s and reverted to a conservative Republican in the decade that followed. This book is his meditation on his own generation and it has some good lines. Of his parents generation he writes: During the 1960s we would talk about our parents, as a group, in a way that today we would be embarrassed to talk about militant Islamic fundamentalists, as a group. Our depth and breadth of prejudice would shock every one of our twenty-first century sensibilities, if we ever thought about it. Which we don t because, later still, we got all soppy and sentimental about the Greatest Generation just in time to put them in nursing homes or the grave. First, O Rourke takes us on a I could go on cherry-picking clever quotes, but the general tone of this book is meandering and flaccid, straining for jokes and settling for puns and word play jaundiced tour of his Boomer boyhood in 1950s Toledo, Ohio: street games, summer camp, scouting, Sunday school, sports and schoolboy pranks. Meanwhile, what were the girls doing? I don t know. Boys didn t notice. Boys didn t notice anything that wasn t loud, fast or about to explode... And girls weren t married to us yet, so we didn t make them explode. Then came the teenage years and the vital discovery of beer. Beer was the multivitamin of Baby Boom male adolescence... Beer made us brave, cheerful and sick all over the kitchen floor. The effects of beer were extraordinary. What else could have made a teenage boy mop the kitchen? Why was this generation so opposed to the Vietnam War? The Baby Boom was having a party, and the Vietnam War interrupted it. Try it yourself. Go to a beer blast at midnight and suggest all the guys leave, get buzz cuts and do pushups. And then came drugs, Ring around the roach clip. Pocket full of bad trips. Grass, speed, acid. We all fall down. Spinning and giddy, we spoke as children, understood as children, thought as children, and instead of putting away childish things we got put away for them in jail and mental institutions. I could go on cherry-picking clever quotes, but the general tone of this book is meandering and flaccid, straining for jokes and settling for puns and word play. This is the literary equivalent of vaudeville slapstick: anything for a laugh. Only at the end does O Rourke rise to a rhetorical crescendo of good sense with his observation that Baby Boomer values are, willful, careless, rash, vain, indulged, and entitled, and have taken over North America, Europe and the PJ Rourke s latest offering may mark the end of an era. Photo: Cato Institute wealthier parts of Asia and South America. He notes that this bodes ill for leaders of men bent on world domination. For totalitarianism to work, everyone has to keep a straight face, he exclaims. The Baby Boom was laughing at the communists. Finally, on November 9, 1989, the East German communists, being sensitive to ridicule the way Germans are, gave up on Marxist/Leninism, and the Berlin Wall came down. Boomers around the world respond with gales of laughter to strutting dictators, looking around for their followers and wondering why everyone is following Keith Richards. It will be a terrible world for Authority. The Baby Boom will not countenance it. We turn our face from Authority. Indeed we turn our ass toward it. We moon Dominion.

40 40 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 The hospital deathbed scene is a common trope in almost all Thai soap operas. Photos: exact.co.th The femme fatale and the heroine typically vie for the love of the leading man. A sidelong glance at Thai soaps By Patrick Campbell ANY farang who lives with a Thai partner will be familiar, possibly all too familiar, with the rarefied world of television soap opera. As I watch, I wonder what impact these soaps are having on the Thai psyche. That they are amazingly popular is beyond doubt. Viewing figures are massive; they are watched religiously in most households, and especially by women, every night. My partner would not miss an episode of her favorite soap for the world. Certainly they do preach a doctrine that espouses the notion that good ultimately will triumph. But on the distaff side, it can also be argued that soaps do nothing to educate, or stimulate a critical appraisal, that people just want to identify and empathize unthinkingly with their heroines and heroes. Surface values such as beauty, glamor, wealth, self- assurance, even an element of deception, are applauded; there is no encouragement of Brechtian alienation where the spectator stands back from the action and thinks dispassionately about all these shenanigans. The use of violence, moreover, and especially of firearms sets an unhealthy example. After all, gun crime is a daily and deadly event in the bustling streets of Thailand. It has even been proposed by one critic that Thai soaps may be in part responsible for the spate of recent political unrest in the kingdom, that the genre s apparent disregard for responsible conduct, its glorification of outrageous behavior, has entered the national psyche. While this is an extreme position, the diagnosis may contain a germ of truth. Conversely, soaps may promote, at least in more politicized eyes, a growing sense of resentment that the classist status quo, foregrounded by such melodramas, needs to be changed and dramatically. The genre is of course a global phenomenon: everywhere it is driven by suspense, by an open narrative structure that poses an unspoken question at the end of each episode what happens next? The Thai soap opera, like many aspects of the Kingdom s culture, has developed its own very distinctive features. Occupying two hour, prime-time evening slots, the vast majority of TV serial dramas, known as lakorn, privilege Thailand s high society, with opulent settings emphasizing the wealthy lifestyles of the characters. The mise en scene thus owes more to American soaps such as Dallas than to any European tradition. Houses are invariably portico mansions with lavishly appointed furnishings and manicured gardens, outside settings are exotic, palm-fringed beaches or famous landmarks, cars are expensive Porsches, Mercedes and BMWs, the clothes of the youthful leads are haute couture, of the older generation, expensive Thai silk. The actors, men as well as women, look like Vogue models, their glossy black locks straight from a shampoo commercial, their overstated makeup camouflaging every blemish. Not a hair or false eyelash out of place, even in situations of great emotional stress or life-threatening danger of which there are plenty. The plots are generally formulaic, even archetypal, with a pivotal emphasis on youthful romance, on the trials and tribulations that true love must endure before it finally wins through. While the putative hero and heroine are typically identified in the first episode, there are both innocents and serpents in paradise, each identified by recognizable signifiers: the good are usually the most beautiful and most elegant women, or the most debonair men; the scheming woman, sometimes a jilted lover, is likely to be the over-dressed one with The putative hero and heroine are typically identified in the first episode, both innocents and serpents in paradise, each identified by recognizable signifiers: the good are usually the most beautiful and most elegant women vivid scarlet lips and a pouting demeanor, and the evil man, as in the Western versions, often the character with a thin mustache and shifty eyes. The cast also includes older and supposedly wiser characters: one common stereotype is that of the powerfully assertive matriarch who exercises control from the wings another, that of a taciturn father-in-law involved in shady business deals. If katoeys are part of the plot, then they usually have predictable roles, acting as a safety valve for the temporary relief of dynastic tension. Music is another important signifier. As in international cinema, it is an atmospheric device, offering, for example, clues about a sudden hike in dramatic intensity or a shift in a character s internal feelings. Flashbacks are common currency: for example, if the heroine is musing, or dreaming about past events, the scenes are generally shown in monochrome, a convention immediately understood by the audience. In a typical scenario, the femme fatale, and there is sometimes more than one, is probably in love with the male lead and desperate to do anything to get her man. The laws of soap demand that she must fail, ultimately, but along the way there will be deception and manipulation, violence and even suicide and murder. In keeping with Thai superstitions about ghosts (pee), the dead, wild of hair and red of eye, sometimes return to haunt the living. The machinations of the serial medium demand many twists and turns. In a recent episode of Eesaa, the bad character, her evil plotting exposed, first seeks forgiveness from her motherand then drowns herself, her tear-stained face sinking slowly beneath the moonlit waters. In a camp moment, the hysterical heroine then throws herself, weeping and distressed, on the shrouded corpse of her rival. All soaps have deathbed scenes aplenty, and moving incidents in hospital wards are de rigueur, a hushed environment where it is touch and go as to whether the victim will pull through. All grist to the melodramatic mill. Paradoxically, however, and in accordance with the strict Thai laws of censorship, there is no nudity, no simulated sex, not even open-mouthed kissing. When the lovers finally get together, they gaze adoringly into each other s eyes and maybe brush lips, but full physical (and still clothed) contact is reserved for attempts always unsuccessful at sexual harassment or rape. Modesty must be preserved. True romance must triumph over horrid reality. In the world of the soap opera, it always does

41 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 41 The Queens of Pattani IN THE year 1572, Pattani Darussalam, an ancient kingdom on the Malay Peninsula, was faced with many woes. The death of Sultan Manzur Syah followed a civil war in which the ruler s male heirs battled each other for the crown. Eventually, all of the sultan s male heirs were either killed in the conflict, or assassinated. The Pattani ruling dynasty soon found itself without a male ruler. In 1584, the sultan s daughter, Princess Ijau, was reluctantly chosen to ascend the throne. The event ushered in the period of Four Queens, a time of peace and extraordinary prosperity during which Pattani was ruled by Queen Ijau and the three other female rulers who succeeded her. Queen Ijau ruled Pattani for 31 years. Her sister Queen Biru ruled for seven years. Queen Ungu, their sister, succeeded them and reigned over Pattani for the next 12 years. Of the three royal sisters, Queen Ungu was the only one who got married. Years before she became queen, Queen Ijau arranged for the young Princess Ungu to marry Sultan Abdul- Ghafur Mohaidin Syah, ruler of Pahang, another influential kingdom on the Malay Peninsula. Princess Ungu gave birth to a daughter, Princess Kuning. After the twelve-year reign of Queen Ungu, her daughter became Queen Kuning, the fourth female ruler of Pattani. Queen Kuning would go on to rule Pattani for another 15 years. Queen Ijau had arranged for her sister to marry the ruler of Pahang in order to strengthen Pattani s ties with neighboring states. During the mid 16 th century, Siam s influence in the Malay Peninsula was waning. In fact, the once powerful kingdom, with its capital in Ayutthaya, was now fighting for its own survival against Burmese invaders. The queen saw it as a fine opportunity for Pattani to assert its independence by building closer ties with other Muslim states closer to home. Marriage was a diplomacy tool for rulers and was not undertaken for love. Queen Biru did the same when she married her niece Princess Kuning to Okya Decho, the son of the ruler of Nakhon Sri Thammarat, in order to strengthen ties with Siam during the early 17 th century. Princess Kuning was only 12 years old at the time. Her mother, Princess Ungu, watched in dismay. Not long after, in 1624, Queen Biru died and the crown passed to Princess Ungu. One of her first acts as queen was to call off the wedding arrangements between Okya Decho and Princess Kuning. Instead, she arranged for the young princess to be remarried to the Sultan of Johore. Compared to Queen Biru, Queen Ungu was staunchly against Siam s dominance over her state. When news reached Nakhon Enraged at the queen s bold action, King Prasart Thong of Ayutthaya raised an army in late 1633 and planned to march on Pattani and subjugate the kingdom back into Ayutthaya s suzerainty Sri Thammarat of the new arrangements, Okya Decho was furious. He sent words of grievance to the King of Siam and asked for permission to declare war on Pattani. The king ordered Okya Decho to assemble a naval force and sail to Pattani and put an end to the state s defiance. When Queen Ungu received news of the imminent naval attack, she sent word to Pahang and Johore to ask for assistance. Both states sent their troops to help Pattani. The Siamese, who were not familiar with naval warfare, lost to the combined Malay forces. The war lasted a week and ended with Okya Decho returning to Nakhon Sri Thammarat empty-handed. Queen Ungu died in Her daughter, Princess Kuning, succeeded her as queen of Pattani. Unlike her mother, Queen Kuning knew that for lasting peace to prevail between her kingdom and Siam, she had to foster Pattani s relationship with Ayutthaya. Jaramias van Vliet, a Dutch official of the Dutch East India Company wrote that Pattani had always been a tributary state of Ayutthaya. In the year 1630, however, Siam was in turmoil once again. King Prasart Thong had staged a coup against the ailing King Narai. Queen Ungu, ever defiant against the Siamese, refused to recognize the legitimacy of King Prasart Thong and refrained from sending Pattani s yearly tribute to Ayutthaya. To add insult to injury, she even sent troops to attack Phatthalung and Nakhon Sri Thammarat, and seized two merchant vessels from Ayutthaya. Enraged at the queen s bold actions, King Prasart Thong of Ayutthaya raised an army in late 1633 and planned to march on Pattani and subjugate the kingdom back into Ayutthaya s suzerainty. However, unfavorable circ*mstances forced the Siamese commanders to delay the campaign for a year. On the brink of war with the powerful Siamese kingdom, a worried ruler of Kedah, Pattani s neighboring state, intervened and mediated talks between the two kingdoms. King Prasart Thong changed his mind and Ayutthaya sent a diplomatic mission to negotiate with Pattani. When Queen Ungu died in 1635, her successor Queen Kuning adopted a policy of peace with Siam. Pattani continued to send tributes to Siam. In 1641, Queen Kuning herself visited Ayutthaya. The golden age of the four queens of Pattani came to an abrupt end in 1651, after Queen Kuning failed to resolve an internal conflict between Rajah Sakti, ruler of Kelantan, and a prince within the queen s court. The ruler of Kelantan staged a coup and seized power from Queen Kuning. Unable to resist, the queen fled her home country in order to seek refuge in Johore. On the way to Johore, however, Queen Kuning died on her royal vessel near the shores of Kelantan, ending the legendary golden period of the four queens of Pattani, a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity that lasted for almost a century. This map shows the location of the modern Thai state of Pattani (number three). Map by: Don-kun

42 42 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 Riders from around the world flock to Patong for one of the largest motorcycle events in Asia ON April 11, Patong Beach welcomed thousands of motorcyclists and enthusiasts to phu*ket Bike Week. With two decades of successful Bike Weeks under its belt, phu*ket s party central has pulled it off again with a full schedule of activities amid a sea of bikes, babes and brews. Hawker stalls lined the boardwalk north of the stage, offering an eclectic mix of items including alligator heads, every type of leather garment and accessory imaginable, Western and American Indianthemed knick-knacks, Darth Vader helmets, motorcycle parts and accessories and, of course, motorcycles themselves. As groups of dozens of big-bike riders poured in from all over Thailand, and as far away as Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore, Governor Maitri Inthusut took the stage to inaugurate this year s Bike Week. It was an extraordinary feast for the eyes, and salivating motorcycle lovers were dripping with envy at the sight of burly BMW adventure bikes, rumbling chrome-covered Harleys and high-revving racing sport bikes. phu*ket Town s Four Stroke motorcycle shop had quite the display of tricked-out sport bikes Photos: Jeremie Schatz including a pair of primary-colored Yamaha R1s, twin dark and deadly 1,300cc Suzuki Hayabusas, the Union Jack s pride and joy a Triumph Street Triple and the 193 horsepower BMW HP4. A number of the bikes displayed were for sale if you re in the market for a fast machine. Perhaps the true spirit of the event can be credited to the American symbol of two-wheeled freedom Harley Davidson. Harleys were definitely not in short supply with examples of all shapes and sizes, and models ranging back for decades on show. Enormous fairing-shrouded touring bikes sat beside low-slung hogs and custom choppers. No self-respecting celebration of twowheeled motoring would be complete without a generous helping of beautiful women something soft and gentle to balance the brutal power and cold steel. Scantily clad models draped themselves over bikes to pose for photos and first-round contestants of Miss phu*ket Bike Week gathered to let the crowd get an up close and personal sneak-peek. Bike Week will continue, and conclude, this weekend at Saphan Hin in phu*ket Town. Final rounds of the custom bike and Miss phu*ket Bike Week competitions will take place as well as a motorcycle safety course and stunt show.

43 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 43 Anything to declare? Airport officials asked to target bags of undisclosed cash as Australian Federal Police work together with phu*ket authorities to stem the tide of transnational crime By Chutharat Plerin OFFICERS at phu*ket International Airport have been asked to target people carrying large amounts of undisclosed cash in the ongoing battle against transnational crime. The request comes from Glenn Tankard of the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Mr Tankard was in phu*ket last week in his role as head of the Thai Transnational Crime Coordination Network (TCCN) central office in Bangkok. Immigration at the airport should look out for suspicious people, such as those who do not declare that they are carrying US$10,000 or more, said Mr Tankard. Excess, undeclared money is a standard indicator that someone is involved in money laundering, which only arises from other crimes This is something very small that immigration can pick up on that could paint a bigger picture of a possible criminal network. Catching people who are trying to smuggle in large amounts of undisclosed cash can expose international criminal networks, including drug smugglers, wildlife smugglers, human traffickers and arms dealers, Mr Tankard added. The AFP officer explained that his recent four-day visit was to follow up on a joint Thai-Australian initiative targeting transnational crime, for which a meeting of phu*ket s top-ranking police offic- ers was held in phu*ket Town in August last year. The joint project [TCCN] has been going on for about eight years. The key is the computer database in which Thai police collect and analyze intelligence, especially data about transnational crimes across the borders of Thailand, Mr Tankard said. I came down here [from Bangkok] just to talk to staff who work in the transnational crimes unit, to make sure there are no problems with hardware. The system was initially installed at phu*ket Provincial Police Station in phu*ket Town about six years ago and at phu*ket International Airport at the end of last year, so staff at the airport might need more training. THE DATABASE The database called the Case Management and Intelligence System (CMIS) links all 30 TCCN units across the country, allowing them to share intelligence on transnational crime. Maj Gen Apichat Suriboonya, head of the National Central Bureau Interpol Bangkok office, explained to the Gazette that the CMIS also allows officers to crosscheck information about every wanted criminal in the Interpol database, which compiles information from Interpol s 190 member countries. The system can also identify all Airport Customs Director Montira Cherchoo shows where drugs were hidden in luggage. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong passports reported to Interpol as lost or stolen. The CMIS is regularly updated with the latest reports from Interpol. All the information is uploaded to our central server in Bangkok, which all TCCN units can search, Gen Apichat said. It can search passports in the system by name, telephone number or any relevant information about the person. It can also match a face to a name. ON THE LINE The CMIS is the same database used to verify passports taken as collateral for rental cars and motorbikes in phu*ket, which rental operators in Patong now submit to Interpol via the smartphone application Line (see page 1). However, Mr Tankard said that the Line project was outside his remit. I am aware of the operation launched by Interpol to check information about lost and stolen passports from all provinces in Thailand, including phu*ket, but I believe it is an operation being run solely through Interpol, he said. All the information sent is collected in Bangkok. The information is put into the shared system so that we can find links between stolen passports and use them to identify individuals who might be involved in the lost and stolen passport trade. GOING LOCAL Following the discovery that two passports stolen in phu*ket were used to board missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, Gen Apichat told the Gazette that he would like to see the CMIS made available to Patong Police Station. Having the CMIS in Patong can help identify any passports reported as lost or stolen that are being used by other people [other than the genuine holders]. However, Mr Tankard said he had not been notified of any request to assist in setting up a CMIS access terminal in Patong. We are always looking into installing the software at more locations in order to gather more information, in phu*ket and other tourist destinations. However, we have yet to decide when we will set up another transnational crime center in phu*ket. We are looking into it.

44 44 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 Just across the bay Photos: Jeremie Schatz By Jeremie Schatz TYPICALLY, upon hearing any reference of Krabi, the first thing that springs to mind could be stalactite-studded Railay, party island Phi Phi or any one of the other 154 awe-inspiring islands that draw millions of visitors a year to this quiet province on the Andaman Sea. Without a doubt, visitors who come to this little corner of the world would be doing themselves a disservice by not witnessing its seaside splendors. Alternatively, Krabi s 4,708 square kilometers of rugged karst interior offers plenty of attractions and opportunity for adventure to those willing to venture inland. Just because you turn your back to the sea doesn t mean that you have to stray too far from the water. A 60km drive southeast of Krabi Town on Highway 4 through verdant green jungle, giant sentinels of limestone and orderly rows of rubber and palm oil trees will lead you to the Khlong Thom District and the emerald pools. Keep an eye out for signs and head left on The route is clearly marked from here. You will also see signs for hot springs, but at the time I went the thought of soaking in 40C (104F) water, with an ambient air temperature not much less than that, did not sound appealing. The emerald pools are certainly not off the beaten track; this is a realization exemplified by the pay parking at the entrance to the pools. It s a popular spot, especially among local Thais, and for a good reason. Farangs will have to fork out 200 baht, slightly higher than the 20 baht Thai fare, to enter the National Forest that conceals the pools, and then take a leisurely 800 meter hike to the first watering hole: the Emerald Pool. At first glimpse you realize that the pool was aptly named. The clear, green-tinged waters practically glow and change color slightly throughout the day. Make no mistake, a late afternoon visit will result in the pool being filled with local kids, which is fun in its own way. To In addition to the highest peak, the park boasts some impressive waterfalls such as the three-tiered Huay Sa Khe falls and the fivetiered Huay To falls get the place all to yourself, sacrifice sleeping in and get there early visitors start flooding in by 9am. Food and refreshments can be had at the entrance to the park, making it easy to lounge about all day. There is plenty to explore in the area as the cascading limestone pools are everywhere, and raised boardwalks will lead the way through some incredible natural scenery. Be careful, the limestone is often very slippery and the kids love to laugh hysterically when people learn this the hard way. Even closer to Krabi Town lies the 50sqkm Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, which features the province s highest peak at 1,397 meters tall. To get there, head southeast from Krabi on Highway 4 for a quick 2km and make a left on 6017 there is a sign, but go slow in the left lane so you don t miss it. From there, follow the small, wooden signs to the park headquarters. The whole journey is only a 20 minute drive from downtown Krabi. In addition to the highest peak, the park boasts some impressive waterfalls such as the three-tiered Huay Sa Khe falls and the five-tiered Huay To falls. Both are a quick stroll from park headquarters and are wonderful places to kick back and have a picnic. The water is nice and cold, and a welcome respite from the hot weather. Another compelling reason to visit Phanom Bencha is the abundant wildlife that you may not spot elsewhere. In fact, the brilliant plumage of wild peaco*cks can be spotted before you even get out of your car or climb off your motorbike. Other interesting species include tapirs, serows, wild boar, Asiatic black bears, mouse deer, panthers, civets, gibbons and plenty more. Krabi s naturally colorful pools and Phanom Bencha National Park are just a couple of locations across the bay worth a visit. They are perfectly suited for a day trip with the family, or guest houses and hotels can be easily found if you are not in a hurry to get back. Later in the day, the emerald pool takes on an vibrant aqua-marine color. To see the clear, rich green of the emerald pools, go early before the families, but stick around to mingle with the friendly locals.

45 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 45

46 46 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 Words from the wise Drugs, blackmail, corrupt police... sounds like a bad TV show. MacGyver Patricia: What do you do? James Bond: I travel, a sort of licensed trouble shooter. Thunderball Hard Medium SUDOKU: Each row, column and 3x3 sub-grid must contain the number 1-9 once only. Kevin Stone (brainbashers.com) Across 9. Sinks holes in the gunwales (8) 10. Be situated left, that is (3) 11. Supporter caught baker out (6) 12. Ten ill rebuilding part above the door (6) 13. Take out a short piece of text (7) 14. Up as far as United Nations Transport Officer (4) 15. Informal information, cut self badly if gets on knees (10) 17. If been wrong, Church of England gives ecclesiastical appointment (8) 18. Go over it, tear around East (7) 19. Work a line in precious stone (4) 21. Rise on becoming more inquisitive (6) 24. Out East the evil lot fulfill, unfortunately have a very satisfactory existence (4,4,2,3,4) 27. Warn about, re. rabbit holes (6) 29. A detached piece of land? I ll say! (4) 30. Note labor troubles echo hearing organ soft part! (7) 33. About caught a Roman cooking one Italian dish (8) 35. Aye, or yearn agitatedly now, compared to twelve months ago (4,2,4) 36. New gag out for mob (4) 37. Sling if broken small slivers (7) 38. Bitter tasting substance maybe ain t in (6) 40. Arrangement or visa for a rescuer (6) 41. Therefore I find a small street in Thailand (3) 42. Grand river engine moving, improving the environment (8) Down 1. Dice can t upset a learner by chance (10) 2. Place for a dog? (4) 3. Did not meet expectations, Liberal left Alf upset outside (4,4) 4. Intrinsic nature of scenes out East (7) 5. For each, a tumble, a spoiled walk round (11) 6. Ban scent, i.e. showing self denial (10) 7. Untidy man in second century frilly neckwear (6) 8. Can t leap about for an arcane symbol (8) 10. A great many turn South for a water-lily (5) 16. Four could be purer out towards the source (7) 20. Untidily pleat part of a flower (5) 22. Violently windy, lines in quays broken (7) 23. Office sale I organized in bureaucratic language (11) 25. Wildly I reel off, in the expected path of bullets (10) 26. Brains rail about book custodians (10) 28. After the manner of graduate male, a chap from a Southern US state (8) 31. Followers stop sale organization (8) 32. Mother s wise healthy manipulation (7) 34. I grant could be English in Thailand (6) 35. Any move socially acceptable I find in a phu*ket beach (5) 39. No new note, not one (4) TAURUS (Apr 21-May 21): This is an auspicious time to examine close relationships and how they affect your life. Taureans should realize what they need to do where a water sign is concerned. It may be necessary to be a little cruel to be kind, but this person will respect you more in the long run. Those with a birthday during the coming week will find it easier to put their own interests first in the year ahead. GEMINI (May 22-June 21): Emotional tension is eased this week and Geminis are able to let go of troubling personal issues. A calmer cosmic climate allows you to focus on practical work and business matters. This is an auspicious time to catch up with old contacts and make new ones. Your love life brings more pleasure, with focus on another air sign proving that a relationship is as important to them as it is to you. CANCER (June 22-July 23): Delayed events in the world of work get the green light from the cosmic climate this week. Cancerians who are involved with a new project can expect to cause a stir and should start to receive the recognition they deserve. In your personal zone, a revelation by an earth sign sheds new light on a situation that has been confusing. A fire sign romantic partner can use more support than you have been giving. LEO (July 24-Aug 22): Where work and business are concerned, Leos benefit from the astral atmosphere this week the stars are smiling on your plans to expand. In the realm of romance, a relationship with another fire sign heats up just when you were wondering whether all the effort was worth it. Love with a water sign is affected by doubts over this person s sincerity. Sunday is an auspicious day for a heart-toheart conversation. VIRGO (Aug 23-Sept 23): You can feel the need to break away from a relationship that is consuming more energy than you are receiving from it. If this relates to the world of work, Monday is the best day to take action. The stars advise that cutting ties with a personal connection should be done in a low-key way. Dreams of faraway places can prompt Virgoans to make travel plans for the summer. LIBRA (Sept 24-Oct 23): Your free time is precious at the moment and Librans will have to select carefully which invitations they accept. The social scene is buzzing this weekend, but you should take care not to burn the candle at both ends. A busy working week lies ahead after Monday, with last minute travel highlighted to be necessary. In the realm of romance, you might feel sentimental about lost love with a fire sign. SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 22): Your leadership skills are strong, but it may be wise to tone them down during the second half of April. The stars indicate that friction at work will arise from a heavyhanded approach. An air sign s inability to meet deadlines requires tactful handling and another water sign s tendency to skim over details might just be because they don t understand the full picture. Finances are most fortunate midweek. SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23-Dec 21): The stars are on your side this week. The astral atmosphere supports those Sagittarians who know it would be sensible to cut their losses before things become too tangled. Where finances are concerned, a water sign encourages you to tap into talents that served well in the past. Romance with an earth sign becomes more settled, but a relationship with an air sign is affected by misunderstandings. CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 20): Uncertainty dissolves and Capricorns are forecast to feel refreshed by this week s cosmic conditions. Your creative energy is heightened by inspiration from an unlikely source. Those who have allowed others to have more free rein in the world of work will be ready to return to the driver s seat. The stars show that you will know now who can be trusted to get the job done and who still needs a guiding hand. AQUARIUS (Jan 21-Feb 19): Being around people they can easily relate to is what Aquarians should aim for this weekend. A sensitive mood can mean that you will feel uncomfortable with those whose outlook is too different from yours. The stars show that you will learn of a family celebration that could mean planning a trip in the near future. Money matters are highlighted to be positive midweek a payment can come sooner than anticipated. PISCES (Feb 20-Mar 20): Life settles down into a slower rhythm during the second half of April. Pisceans who suspect that others are trying to push them in the wrong direction will find the right way to stand their ground. There are hints of a key development regarding business or work and this should happen by the end of April. Conserving energy in the meantime is advisable. Lucky days for love are Tuesday and Wednesday. ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 20): Arians who felt they were facing too many obstacles should be relieved this week. The stars show that your quest to solve a workrelated dispute should end without relationships being damaged. The social scene is sparkling this weekend another fire sign is forecast to include you in an invitation to have the fun you need. In the realm of romance, your partner has a pleasant surprise in store.

47 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 47 ITF Seniors Tennis Tournament a success THANYAPURA S phu*ket ITF Seniors Tennis Tournament organizers said they were very pleased to see such a great turnout of players at the event, which took place from April 7 to 12. Many players also expressed their gratitude to the event organizers and praised the quality of the facilities where the tournament took place. It was a good start for ITF Senior Grade 5 this year, with plenty of competitive play between international players from as far afield as America, Sweden, Britain, Sweden, Brazil and Portugal, as well as those from countries closer to home, including Japan, India, Malaysia and Singapore. Several players stated that they wished to return next year and praised the excellent organization that went into the smooth running of the tournament, said Virapol Cholvibul, director of sport events at Thanyapura. We now aim to hold this kind of tournament again next year, as many of these players said they wanted to come back to play with us again. phu*ket Gazette Thongchai caps a top week at the Masters 13-time Asian Tour winner Thongchai Jaidee. Photo: Supplied EURASIA Cup star Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand capped a memorable week at the Masters Tournament when he signed off with a one-over-par 73 to finish in a share of 37 th place at the year s opening Major last Sunday. The 13-time Asian Tour winner, who led Team Asia to a stunning fightback draw against Europe last month, made the cut at the Augusta National for the first time in three appearances, and completed a week to remember with a four-day total of seven-over-par 295. Compatriots Sukree Onsham, Thaworn Wiratchant and Prayad Marksaeng are the other Thais who have played at the Masters, but it is Thongchai who now holds the distinction of being the first Thai to feature in all four rounds at the Masters Tournament after carding rounds of 73, 74, 75 and 73. Asian Tour honorary member Vijay Singh of Fiji also took a share of 37 th place alongside Thongchai after closing with a 75, while Korean ace KJ Choi signed for a final 71 to take a share of 34 th place on 294. American left-hander Bubba Watson won his second Masters title in three years by posting a 69 to don the green jacket again with a 280 total. phu*ket Gazette THE high season is nearly over, traffic is fading to near tolerable levels and the lines of beach chairs are slowly receding. However, for those who brave the southwest monsoon and killer rip tides to test their skills on the west coast surf breaks, the high season is just beginning. Surfing in phu*ket is definitely a seasonal undertaking, with surfable waves being mostly nonexistent from December through to May. Between those months you can find wave-riding fiends pacing the beaches showing signs of withdrawals. Other than the lack of wavegenerating storms during the dry season, the primary reason we miss out on long range swells is because Sumatra blocks much of the energy from the perpetual storms that are raging farther south. However, our friends to the north in Khao Lak get a little more of that wave energy, and that is why they can host a surfing competition this month while the seas are calm and friendly here in phu*ket. Running from April 26 to 28 at Pakarang Beach in Khao Lak, the first annual Khao Lak Surfing Contest is getting board riders of ITF Seniors Tennis winners Men s Singles V35 Sean Lai Kok Seong (MAS) V40 Daniel Rajsky (CZE) V45 Virapol Cholvibul (THA) V50 Kittipong Chantara (THA) V55 Peter Brantdahl (SWE) Men s Doubles V35 Sean Lai Kok Seong (MAS)/ Hugo Spratley (Por) V45 Virapol Cholvibul (THA)/ Teerawut Totarat (THA) V50 Sanjai Kumar (IND)/Sharad Tak Women s Singles V35 Dueanphen Phokhamrak (THA) V40 Bongkoch Boratisa (THA) Women s Doubles V35 Bongkoch Boratisa (THA)/ Sirowan Jittakoran (THA) Mixed Doubles V35 Bongkoch Boratisa (THA)/ Kittipong Chantara (THA) Surfers get ready to shred all ages and abilities pumped up and ready to paddle out. Surfers can enter in one of six divisions: longboard, men s shortboard, women s, kid s (under 15), beginners adult and beginners kid s. Entry fees are 600 baht per division and free for children under 15. Entries must be received by 9am on April 26. First-place contestants in each division will win a brand new board from sponsors Firewire and Saltwater Dreaming. Mood music is to be provided by Photo: Brocken Inaglory The first annual Khao Lak Surfing Contest runs from April 26 to 28. phu*ket s own Dubwise, who will be queuing up the finest in reggae, dub and dancehall. This a great opportunity for phu*ket wave-riders to get a jumpstart on the season, enjoy some friendly competition and explore the surf scene in Khao Lak. Surf s up! Jeremie Schatz For more information and to register for the Khao Lak Surf Contest, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/ khaolaksurfingcontest

48 48 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 Wolfpack dominate in Kata The Republic phu*ket Football Ground hosted last weekend s game. Photos: Supplied The Wolfpack beat the Galah Cricket Team to retain the title. AUSTRALIA S Wolfpack retained their title by winning the 11 th Annual phu*ket International Cricket Week 2014 Kata Group International Cricket 7s at Republic phu*ket Football Ground last weekend. Captained by Australian Indoor Cricket Team champion Will Badger, the Wolfpack fought back to defeat the Galah Cricket Team, who had been admirable opponents during the Kata 7s. Wolfpack had defeated phu*ket Cricket Week first-timers Montagu Bay Sharks from Tasmania, Australia to claim a KAMALA Lawn Bowls was the host of a Champions League Pairs Tournament that took place on April 12. The tournament, sponsored by Baan Natacha guest house in Kamala, saw sixteen bowlers compete in a league format with the top two teams in each group progressing to the knockout semifinal and final stages. Group A was hotly contested with three teams finishing with four points each and bowls difference deciding the top two. Group B was dominated by the top two teams, one of which finished the group stages undefeated. The semi-finals were played between the top team in each group taking on the second place team in the other group. The form book was confirmed as the top two teams in the divisions triumphed to meet in the final. Of note was the fact that the semi-finals teams consisted of six different nationalities. Unable to close the gap Photo: Supplied Rich Tuck and Rob Knight won the Champion League Pairs Tournament. Underdogs Gregg Layton and Dean Graydon took on Rich Tuck and Rob Knight in the final, and up until the 7 th end, held their own against the favorites. But a score of five points to Rob and Rich opened up a gap that Gregg and Dean were unable to claw back. The final score was14-10 in favor of Rich and Rob, who took the trophy and were crowned Champions League winners at the celebration buffet at Baan Natacha that evening. For more information about bowls in phu*ket contact lawnbowlphu*ket.com coveted spot in the Cup division final. In this game, Wolfpack s Matt Jenkins started well by hitting a four to the offside and followed up with other nice shots before retiring on 31. Scott Maitland, who opened with Jenkins, hit a magnificent six and formed a formidable partnership of 61 to win the match. The Galah Cricket Club had defeated Sedwick Cricket International Cricket Club of Sixes (SICCOS) earlier, setting up a rematch from day one where they had beat the Wolfpack. The Galah s Matt James hit an unbelievable one-handed six with incredible ease off the bowling of Jordan Moose Ilsley. The Wolfpack got off to a strong start in the Cup final against the Galahs with Matt Jenkins first ball getting out Galah s Peter Dickie for a Golden Duck. This was followed by David Newham hitting the best shot of the tournament a big six down the ground off Steve Hancox s bowling. Newham continued to show outstanding skill with the bat to make 20 runs before being bowled. Steve Hancox later took a sensational catch on the TOP of the Gulf Regatta celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with top sailors from around the world heading to Pattaya to compete in Asia s largest multi-class regatta from May 1 to 5 at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club. Regularly attracting more than 250 boats and 600 sailors from over 30 countries, Top of the Gulf Regatta is known around the world for its competitive sailing from a diverse fleet of boats. This year organizers expect one of the boundary, diving to safely dismiss Jake Wright. Will Badger limited the Galahs to only six runs off his over. Earlier CBBs had won the Bowl division final by defeating the Rowdies by 23 runs. CBB President Bob Tiny Phillips bowled tightly in the last over to seal victory for the CBBs. This feat earned Tiny the player of the finals in the Bowl division. The Wolfpack s Matt Jenkins took player of the tournament; with Will Badger being presented with the Spirit of Cricket award. Steve Hancox completed the three-fer for the Wolfpack Top of the Gulf Regatta to celebrate 10 years Back row, from left: Captain Bundit Kongyai, Chief of Yacht Racing Association of Thailand office (4th), Supatra Angkavinijwong, Deputy Managing Director of Ocean Property Co, Ltd (5th), William Gasson, Chairman of Top of the Gulf Regatta 2014 (6th). Photo: Supplied most competitive fleets yet with boats and crew from Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and from as far away as England and the US. Top of the Gulf is the only regatta in Thailand to be operated from a marina. Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Southeast Asia s largest marina and home of the regatta since the beginning, provides an ideal in-water and onshore base for the regatta. The Nation when he was announced as the player of the finals in the Cup division. phu*ket Gazette For information about the tournaments: cricketsixes.com and phu*ketsixes.com or mmaher.padmir@bigpond.com

49 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 49 US uninterested in World Cup WHEN the US men s football team lines up in Brazil to play their first game of the football World Cup in June, their home support may be tepid at best. Two in three Americans do not plan to follow this year s tournament, according to an ongoing Reuters/Ipsos poll. Only 7 per cent said they anticipated following it closely. It s been 20 years since the United States hosted the World Cup, an attempt at the time to bring football to a mass American audience. Two years later, a new professional league Major League Soccer (MLS) began. The league has grown from 10 to 19 teams. The arrival of international stars such as David Beckham and Thierry Henry to play for MLS teams in recent years has boosted the sport s popularity. The owners of successful English Premier League team Manchester City, in partnership with the New York Yankees, are due to debut the NO SOONER had the seemingly ageless Miguel Angel Jimenez secured fourth place at the 78 th Masters on Sunday than he turned his attention to winning back a place in Europe s Ryder Cup team. The Spaniard capped a memorable week by reeling off four birdies in the last nine holes to finish with a 71 and a fourunder-par total of 284, four behind championship winner Bubba Watson of the United States. Jimenez featured in the Ryder Cup in 1999, 2004, 2008 and He missed out on the remarkable comeback victory over the Americans in Illinois two years ago and is determined to win a place on Paul McGinley s side in Scotland in September. I m going to play on the Senior Champions Tour next week and then I plan to focus on the Ryder Cup, the cigar-puffing 50- year-old told reporters at Augusta National. I need to play on the European Tour for that. I would like to help Europe defend the Ryder Cup. I would love to do that. Jimenez said his sparkling form this week and that of fellow 50- somethings Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples was down to im- New York City Football Club for the 2015 MLS season. A Beckham-backed Miami team is also in the process of being established in order to join the league. But football still has a long way to go before its marquee event can stake a claim alongside football s Super Bowl, the National Basketball Association finals and baseball s World Series in American minds, the poll shows. Eighty-six per cent of Americans said they either know nothing or only a little bit about the World Cup, and more than two-thirds did not know Brazil is the 2014 host nation. Jose Vargas, 48, does plan on watching the World Cup in Houston, where he has lived since coming to the United States in But he will be supporting his birth nation: Colombia. And while he says that football is popular among his Hispanic friends, he does not think a diversity of Americans is that enthused. Soccer is really a sport that s followed in Latin America and Europe, he said. ABC/ESPN paid US$100 million (59 million pounds) in 2005 for the broadcast rights in English to FIFA events from 2007 to 2014, including this year s World Cup, while Univision paid US$325 million for the Spanishlanguage rights. The poll does show that onethird of Hispanic Americans will be following the tournament or some teams closely, double the percentage for respondents overall. Hispanics comprised 16 percent of the total US population in 2010, according to census data. Kelli Cousineau, 33, and her family will not be watching the World Cup at home near Phoenix despite her having played football a sport that has a lot of following, she said. The other sports in junior high. She switched to volleyball for like basketball, baseball and football are considered all-american. a chance at a college scholarship and says that football still isn t The results taken from the ongoing online poll and include taken as seriously. It s just not the Jimenez turns attention to the Ryder Cup team Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez plans to focus on securing a place on the Ryder Cup team. Photo: Brian Snyder proved fitness levels and equipment. They are being more healthy, he explained. I love the game, I love competing and probably that is the reason. Technology helps too, of course. But if you don t know how to hit the ball then technology doesn t do anything. Jimenez, who recorded his best major finish when he was tied for second behind Tiger Woods in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, believes a Champions Tour player could one day prove victorious in one of golf s big four championships. Why not? Couples played nice, Langer played nice, I played nice too, he added. If you don t want to be here at 50 you shouldn t be here. Reuters LI HAN of China knocked out World No 4 Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in the quarter-finals of the Que Singapore Open. Ratchanok, who beat her opponent in their last three meetings, started slowly before raising the level of her game to take an lead. However, she made a plethora of unforced errors to drop the opening game in just 15 minutes. The second game was a seesaw affair with the players 11-all at one stage. Ratchanok continued making unforced errors and never recovered. Meanwhile, women s top seed and Olympic champion Li Xuerui went past Taiwan s Tai Tzu-ying in straight games, in a far more convincing display than her three-game struggle against Japan s Minatsu Mitani in round two. Li won in 27 minutes to stay on course for a repeat of last year s final with defending champion and fellow Chinese Wang Yihan, who downed India s eighth seed PV Sindhu 21-19, Trick-shot Lee romps World No 1 Lee Chong Wei turned on the style and even had Photo: Matt Sullivan Two-thirds of Americans don t plan on watching the World Cup. responses of 1,416 adult Americans from April The credibility interval, a measure of precision, is plus or minus three percentage points. Reuters Intanon out of Que Singapore Open Thailand s Ratchanok Intanon succumbed to China s Li Han. Photo: B20180 time to attempt a trick shot as he sped into the Singapore Open semi-finals. The Malaysian took just 29 minutes to demolish Thailand s Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk in breathtaking fashion, at one point even trying a shot from underneath his leg which fell short of the net. It was exhibition stuff from Lee, who is the tournament s red-hot favorite after three of the top four seeds were late withdrawals, drastically weakening the men s singles field. The Nation

50 50 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014 phu*ket medal winners While Phelps s un-retirement did indeed create a flurry of excitement in social media, those who know him best were not shocked by the announcement on Monday. Photo: Jeff Haynes/Reuters Phelps return makes few waves By Steve Ginsburg THE news that Michael Phelps was returning to the pool with an eye toward possibly participating at the 2016 Summer Olympics was greeted with a big yawn by fellow swimmers. While Phelps s un-retirement did indeed create a flurry of excitement in social media, those who know him best were not shocked by the announcement on Monday. I wasn t surprised, 17-year-old Olympic champion Katie Ledecky said after a workout at her swim club in Bethesda, Maryland. The swimming world has known for a while that he s been training the past year, so it wasn t too big of a surprise. I m definitely excited that he s going to be swimming in Mesa. Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all-time with a total of 22 medals, has not competed since the 2012 London Games. The Baltimore native will headline an April meet in Mesa, Arizona, with fellow Olympians Ledecky and Ryan Lochte. The 28-year-old, 18-time gold medalist returned to the US Anti-Doping Agency registry over nine months ago and has been subject to out-of-competition testing. Dara Torres, a winner of 12 Olympic medals, said she knew all along that Phelps would return to the pool. I just kind of giggled when I heard the news, she said on Tuesday via telephone from her Boston home. I knew it. I just knew that was going to happen. Phelps is entered in the 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly and the 50m butterfly at the Mesa event, the fourth stop of USA Swimming s Arena Grand Prix Series. Novak makes own luck at Monte Carlo Torres, who won her medals over five Olympics and missed out on a ticket to the 2012 London Games by nine one-hundreths of a second in the US trials, is convinced Phelps misses competing. I have never seen anyone as competitive as me except for Michael Phelps, said the 47-year-old Torres. I am so competitive it s ridiculous. You have someone like Michael and now he s in the real life. He s playing golf, he s doing things here and there. But it s not the same as something you ve been doing your whole life. For me personally, I missed the sport. I love the sport. But most of all I missed competing. If you re a very competitive person, it s very tough to let that go. Torres, who competed against swimmers half her age as her career wound down, believes Phelps will have to adjust his training on the road to the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. All the years he never took a break, it s going to be different for Michael, she said. As far as recovery goes, it s going to be different but as far as him doing his best times, I don t think his age will be a factor. It s human nature, that your body is used to doing something at a certain level when you re younger. The biggest thing for me, mentally, was understanding that I can t do what I used to do training-wise. The hard part is knowing you can t do what the young kids are doing. You re older, you don t recover like you used to. Ledecky is convinced Phelps will be focused and give it all he s got. It should be fun to see what he can do, she said. No matter what he does, he s already accomplished so much anything extra will be amazing to see. Reuters NOVAK Djokovic opened his Monte Carlo Masters title defense with a demolition of Spanish qualifier Albert Montanes on Tuesday to reach the third round. In his first claycourt match of the season, the Serbian world number two won 11 games in succession from 1-1 in a 45-minute stroll on center court. Djokovic, bidding to become the first player to achieve an Indian Wells-Miami-Monte Carlo Masters treble in the same season, ended his opponent s ordeal on his first match point with a volley, having broken five times and saved four break points. Fifth seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic was made to work hard to dismiss Russian Dmitry Tursunov , while Spain s David Ferrer, the sixth seed, stormed into the third round with a thrashing of Frenchman Jeremy Chardy. But it was Djokovic who had the easier day. For the first match on clay, it was great. I lost only one game, so there were not too many flaws in my game that I could recall, said Djokovic, who has been nursing a wrist problem for a week. I have a certain problem that I carry for the last week or so with the wrist, he explained. Djokovic, who 12 months ago ended Rafael Nadal s eight-year reign in the principality, has won the last four Masters events he has played, prevailing in Shanghai, Paris, Indian Wells and Miami, and also won the 2013 ATP World Tour Finals. Earlier, Frenchman Michael Llodra beat Polish 16 th seed Jerzy Janowicz in first-round action and French ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga struggled to secure a thirdround spot in a defeat of German Philipp Kohlschreiber. Russian Mikhail Youzhny was the other seeded casualty to go down as the 13 th seed was beaten by Italian Andreas Seppi (4) in the first round. Top seed Nadal and former world number one Roger Federer, seeded fourth, were to enter the fray on Wednesday when they were to face Russian qualifier Teymuraz Gabashvili and Czech Radek Stepanek respectively in second-round matches. Reuters Photo: Eric Gaillard/Reuters Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns the ball to Albert Montanes of Spain during the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco.

51 April 19-25, 2014 phu*kET GAZETTE 51 Gunners aim for Europe Arsenal up to fourth at 67 points with only four games left By Tom Hayward ARSENAL striker Lukas Podolski struck twice in a labored 3-1 win over West Ham United on Tuesday as the FA Cup finalists maintained their push for a Champions League place by moving back into the English Premier League top four. Germany international Podolski equalized before the break and capped a fine display with the third goal, after Olivier Giroud had put Arsenal in front 10 minutes into the second half, as Arsene Wenger s side worked hard to claim the three points. The result takes Arsenal up a spot to fourth on 67 points with four games left, one place and one point ahead of Everton, who have a game in hand against mid-table Crystal Palace on Wednesday as the Champions League qualification race heats up. West Ham s Matt Jarvis gave the resolute visitors a deserved 40 th minute lead over a tired-looking Arsenal, who were taken to penalties by FA Cup holders Wigan Athletic in the semi-finals last Saturday, when he nodded home a loose ball in the area. The home side s response was swift, though, and they levelled in the 44 th minute when Podolski found space in the Hammers box and his precise, driven finish beat goalkeeper Adrian. Frenchman Giroud, who has struggled to find his best form in recent weeks, made it 2-1 when he controlled the ball sublimely with his left foot before striking a low shot through Adrian s legs with his right after 55 minutes. Podolski then blasted in his second after being set up by Aaron Ramsey s precise header from a Giroud cross to seal the win in the 78 th minute. It was a hard-fought win and a very enjoyable win as we had to dig deep on Saturday, Wenger told Sky Sports. We were under absolute pressure to win the game, on top of that it was a derby and, after giving a lot on Saturday, it was difficult. Maybe we could have scored more, I was satisfied with the mental response of the team tonight, the focus tonight of the team was outstanding, added the Frenchman. Having led the Premier League for much Arsenal's Lukas Podolski celebrates after scoring his second goal against West Ham United. Photo: Reuters / Eddie Keogh of the season, Arsenal s capitulation since late January has been so drastic they have gone from title contenders to a side struggling to earn a place in Europe s elite competition. Before the visit of West Ham they had picked up eight points from 21 while the form of Everton, who have won seven straight games including a 3-0 win over Arsenal earlier this month, means the Gunners Singapore Airlines wins F1 race title sponsorship SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) has been unveiled as the new title sponsor of the city-state s Formula One race in September as the carrier bids to promote its brand to motor racing s global audience. The September race will see the carrier s brand prominently displayed around the Marina Bay Street Circuit, although financial terms of the deal announced on Tuesday were not disclosed. We are thrilled to be taking up the title sponsorship of one of the most exciting races on the F1 calendar, and we are especially pleased to be doing so in the leadup to Singapore s 50 th birthday next year, Singapore Airlines CEO Jules Bianchi. Photo: Reuters Goh Choon Phong said. Singapore Airlines has always supported the development of both sports and tourism. Through our involvement with the world s first F1 night race we will be able to enhance both for the benefit of Singaporeans and visitors alike, he added. Reuters face a real scrap to secure qualification. The win ended a run of four league games without a victory for Arsenal and Podolski immediately turned his attention to the next league game at FA Cup final opponents Hull City on Sunday as they aim for a 17 th straight Champions League campaign. The Champions League is very important and we must focus on the next game to ensure that we can qualify, he told Sky Sports. It was important to score before halftime and for us to get a win in a local derby. The FA Cup is after the season, we leave it now and we focus on the Premier League because everyone wants to play in the Champions League. The atmosphere is amazing and it is important for the club, Podolski said. Reuters

52 52 phu*kET GAZETTE April 19-25, 2014