QUEER NEWS 4; AROUND THE

NATION 7; HAPPENINGS 9; HORO-

SCOPES 14; KIDS 17; BOOKS,

COMPUTERS 18; FITNESS 19;

EDITORIAL & LETTERS 20; IS-

SUES & ANSWERS 21; MOMMA

DUCK 22; MOTORING 26; GAR-

DENING 32; CLASSIFIEDS 33-39.

PLUS

NEWS: Apartments in PatongTower up for sale; US givesB2m in anti-terrorism gear topolice. Pages 2 & 3

INSIDE STORY: Prison laborwithout chains. Pages 4 & 5

AROUND THE ISLAND: Spatreatment for pamperedpooches. Page 6

AROUND THE REGION: Landreclamation woes on Samui.

Page 8

PHUKET PEOPLE: A crusadingdiver surfaces and airs hisviews. Pages 10 & 11

LIFESTYLE: Khunying cocktail;windchimes and mobiles.

Page 12

TRAVEL: Inspiring Indonesia.Page 16

STOOL PIGEON: Roosting inthe metropolis. Page 19

FIRST PERSON: Police critiquefrom former top cop. Page 21

BUSINESS & MONEY: Steelshortage raises buildingcosts; Money Talks; On TheMove. Page 23

SPORT & LEISURE: LagunaPhuket Triathlon; King’s CupRegatta update. Page 24

GOOD LIVING: Grande grub atGekko. Page 29

PROPERTY: Home of theWeek in Patong; Grove Gar-dens construction update.

Pages 30 & 31

Underpassesplan shelved

November 27 - December 3, 2004Volume 11 Issue 48 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 20 Baht

The Gazette is publishedin association with

IN THIS ISSUE

PHUKET: Two proposed under-passes on the bypass road willnot be built in the immediate fu-ture, Deputy Prime Minister Su-wat Liptapanlop has announced.

During a recent visit toPhuket, DPM Suwat said theproposals for the underpasses –at the Samkong and DarasamutSchool intersections – will noteven be considered until the wid-ening of the bypass road is com-pleted.

The Phuket ProvincialHighways Office has pressed forthe underpasses, arguing thatthey will relieve traffic conges-tion, but DPM Suwat counteredthat the road widening will solvethe problems.

“Road widening will createmore space on the road for traf-fic, and allow more vehicles at atime to pass through the intersec-tions,” he explained.

The Office of Transportand Traffic Policy and Planning(OTTPP) estimates that, even so,underpasses will be neededwithin three years.

DPM Suwat said, “TheOTTPP will look this projectclosely in a couple of years. Ifthere are still problems, the un-derpass project will be launchedimmediately.”

During a flying visit toPhuket in August, Prime Minis-ter Thaksin Shinawatra rejectedthe proposals for the under-passes, describing the 800 mil-lion baht budget as “too high”.He asked sarcastically, “Are theygoing to be decorated withpearls?”

At his meeting, held on

By Kamol Pirat

November 19 at the Pearl VillageHotel at Nai Yang Beach, DPMSuwat addressed another conten-tious issue, the continuing sagaof where Phuket’s proposed In-ternational Conference and Ex-hibition Center (ICEC) will besited.

Little new light was shed onthe issue, however. Indeed, if any-thing, things became murkier.

At the meeting, SantichaiEuajongprasit, Vice-Governor ofthe Tourism Authority of Thai-land (TAT), quoting the findingsof a study conducted by aconsultancy, said that existingland at Saphan Hin was the most

suitable site for the ICEC, withMai Khao the second choice.

The proposal to reclaimland from the sea off Saphan Hinscored lowest in the report.

Proximity to city-centerhotels as well as sea views werethe deciding factors in theSaphan Hin proposal coming outon top.

K. Santichai was, however,unable to specify preciselywhich plot of land in Saphan Hinwould end up as the site of theICEC.

DPM Suwat said that Phu-ket Governor Udomsak Usawa-

Continued on page 2

Deputy PM Suwat Liptapanlop believes the road widening projectwill solve traffic problems.

PHUKET CITY: Investigatorsfrom the Ranong Town PoliceStation came to Phuket on No-vember 21 to question GermanRaoul Alexander Dieter Wildtand two Korean tourists whowere injured in the November 12collision between a water truckand a minibus carrying passen-gers on a “visa run” to the bor-der near Ranong.

The driver of the watertruck was allegedly speedingwhen he lost control and causedthe accident. Mr Wildt, a diveinstructor, was the most badlyinjured. He suffered a crushedleg that required amputation be-low the knee, a broken rib, spi-nal injuries and damage to hisleft arm and hand.

Two Koreans receivedlesser injuries, one of them re-quiring 44,000 baht’s worth ofsurgery for a broken nose. Thisamount was paid out under thestatutory insurance coverage onthe minibus, said KotchakornRattanaphan, Manager of the Ra-nong Office of the AndamanClub, which owns the vehicle.

Pol Sub Lt Chatchai Pong-singto, of Ranong Town PoliceStation, told the Gazette that theofficers were still awaiting medi-cal reports from Bangkok PhuketHospital, where Mr Wildt is be-ing treated, before filing charges.

Mr Wildt, who is uninsur-ed, refused treatment at RanongHospital, where he was takenimmediately after the crash. Hetold the Gazette he would haveto remain at Bangkok PhuketHospital at least three moreweeks.

Medical fees have alreadyreached 428,000 baht, and thereis mounting concern over whowill foot the final bill. Friendsand colleagues have been rais-ing funds.

By Gategaeo Phetsawang

Concern overGerman’svisa-run crashhospital bills

N E W S2 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

From page 1rangkura and Phuket City MayorSomjai Suwannasuppana – aswell as state agencies includingthe TAT – had been given the taskof finding suitable land at SaphanHin and had been told to presenttheir findings to him within amonth.

The issue was furtherclouded when the Deputy PM or-dered the TAT to investigate siteson state land at Mai Khao Beach,and to look at the possibility ofbuilding the ICEC at the pro-posed Chao Fa City.

Suwalai Pindrapab, the Di-rector of TAT Region 4, sug-gested as recently as November16 that the ICEC could be sitedin the planned Chao Fa City.

DPM Suwat said, “Thegovernment already has the bud-get earmarked for the ICEC andif we find suitable land, then theproject can begin immediately.

“If the private sector [ChaoFa City] can show why their siteis suitable, then the governmentmay consider their proposal at thesame time [as the others].”

– Editorial, page 20

Underpasses put on hold

PHUKET: Rising Russian tennisstar Anna Chakvetadze has beenconfirmed as one of the playersin the 2004 Paradorn Super Tourwhich stops off at Laguna BeachResort this weekend (November27 and 28).

Ms Chakvetadze, 17, re-places Karolina Sprem, who is

Russian star for Paradorn toursuffering from a persistent viralinfection.

Moscow-born Ms Chakve-tadze, who will play singles andmixed doubles matches againstTamarine Tanasugarn, defeatedFrench Open champion andWorld No 4 Anastasia Myskinaat this year’s US Open. PATONG: Eighty apartments in

the tallest building in Phuket,Patong Tower, will come underthe auctioneer’s hammer on De-cember 12, some 13 years afterplanning permission for the 32-story block just off ThaweewongRd was first given.

Siripong Chechang, chiefof the Public Works Departmentof Patong Municipality, on No-vember 22 addressed concerns bysome potential buyers that thebuilding was constructed ille-gally.

It was pointed out by someresidents of Patong that the build-ing is far higher than the limit setin a 1992 ruling by the Ministryof Natural Resources and Envi-ronment (MNRE), which prohib-its buildings more than 12 metersin height within 30m of the high-tide mark.

K. Siripong said, however,that Patong Tower does notbreak the rule because planningapproval for it was granted in1991 – the year before theMNRE’s 12-meter regulationcame into effect.

Explaining the long gapbetween planning permission

Apartments in PatongTower up for auctionBy Kamol Pirat being granted for Patong Tower

and the auction of apartments 13years later, Benjaporn Panya-Ngarm, customer service super-visor for the new owners, DivineProperty and Development Co,said that the property had foryears been classed as a non-per-forming loan, or NPL.

“The original developerborrowed funds from Siam Com-mercial Bank and some [un-named] foreign banks, but wasunable to repay on schedule and[the Tower] was declared an

NPL. Divine Development andProperty bought it from the banksthis year.”

The auction is due to takeplace on December 12 at theAroonrat Hall at the Patong Re-sort Hotel.

Prospective buyers of the80 units must deposit 100,000baht to enter the bidding.

“We believe that this is thefirst auction of its kind in Pa-tong,” said K. Panya. “There willbe no minimum bid and the auc-tion will be clean,” he promised.

November 27 - December 3, 2004 N E W S P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 3

PHUKET CITY: Phuket CityPolice have charged four youthsin connection with a gunfight thattook place outside Phuket Gro-cery Co, near Robinson depart-ment store in the early hours ofOctober 31.

After a tip-off from an in-formant, police arrested NateeSrisamut, 20, and Niwat Sae-tan,19, along with two youths aged16 and 17.

After searches of the sus-pects’ homes, one .38 pistol, one11mm pistol, a sawed-off shot-gun, a holster and a quantity ofammunition were recovered.

The four are alleged to bemembers of a gang which be-came involved in a shootout witha rival gang. They have beencharged with firearms offensesand with disturbing the peace.

Police said the 16-year-oldhad been arrested in August lastyear on a robbery charge, andalso in September this year forpossession of illegal drugs, whileNiwat had been arrested fordrugs possession last year.

Gunfightyouths

charged

KATA: Bride Amanda Gud-gin and groom Steve Hancock,from Melbourne, made asmall bit of history on Novem-ber 18, when they were wedat the Kata viewpoint.

Ms Hancock, in a tradi-tional white wedding dress,explained to the Gazette thather family used to live in HongKong. “We have been regularvisitors to Phuket since 1977,”she said.

Her father, Kim Gudgin,said proudly, “I think this is aromantic place, and I’m veryhappy today.”

The Chief of Karon Mu-

nicipality, Tawatchai Tong-mang, said that the modestceremony, comprising a priestand a dozen or so relatives,was the first Christian wed-ding to be held at the Kataviewpoint.

“We couldn’t allow themto hold the wedding partythere because it’s a tourist at-traction, so they just had thewedding ceremony there,” K.Tawatchai said.

However, he added, “Wewould be pleased if more lov-ers were interested in beingmarried there.”

– Siripansa Somboon

YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE: Amanda and Steve enjoy theirfirst married kiss, at the Kata viewpoint.

Stage of the union

PHUKET CITY: As part of itsfight against terrorism, the USDepartment of Defense has do-nated anti-terrorism equipmentworth about 2 million baht toRoyal Thai Police Region 8,which includes Phuket.

In a ceremony at PhuketProvincial Police Headquarterson November 17, David Turner,Chief of the US Defense Depart-ment’s Force Protection Detach-ment at the US Embassy inBangkok, presented the equip-ment to Provincial Police Region8 Deputy Commissioner Pol MajGen Phuvadol Krasae-In.

The donation followed thesuccessful completion in Septem-ber of a five-day anti-terrorismtraining course organized by theUS Defense Department. Fifty-seven police officers from Phu-ket, Phang Nga, Krabi and KohSamui completed the course,which was held at the PatongResort Hotel.

Accepting the donation,Gen Phuvadol said that eventhough the possibility of terror-ist attack in Region 8 is regardedas remote, his officers were notbeing complacent.

“After the training, the De-fense Department donated thisequipment so that we could

implement more effectively whatour officers had learned duringthe course,” he said, adding thatit was the first time Region 8police had had access to suchequipment.

The donation includedlights and mirrors to check un-der cars for bombs, hand-heldmetal detectors, and other equip-ment designed to thwart terror-ists before they can strike.

“The Bali bombing made usaware of the need to prepare our-selves for any situation withinour area of control,” the generalsaid, as he thanked the DefenseDepartment for its support andvowed to include security aspectsas a part of continuing policetraining.

Speaking in fluent Thai, MrTurner said he had been honoredto present Provincial Police Re-gion 8 with the equipment, whichwould help ensure continued se-curity in Phuket and other partsof southern Thailand.

He also said he was look-ing forward to continued mutualsupport and cooperation betweenthe US Defense Department andthe Royal Thai Police.

US gives B2min anti-terrorgear to policeBy Anongnat Sartpisut

PHUKET CITY: About 500people, including local leaders ofthe major faiths in Thailand, helda mass session on November 17to pray for peace to return to thetroubled provinces of Yala,Pattani and Narathiwat.

The congregation gath-ered at Phuket Provincial Hallin support of the government’scall for mass prayer, whichPhuket Governor UdomsakUsawarangkura explained wasinspired by HM Queen Sirikit’sspeech on November 16 to more

than 1,000 people, includingPrime Minister Thaksin Shina-watra, the Cabinet and leadingfigures from throughout Thai-land.

“Her Majesty wanted allThai people to show they are con-cerned about [the trouble in theSouth] and that they want the area

500 pray for peace in the troubled Southto be peaceful again,” he said.

After the Governor’sspeech, religious leaders repre-senting Muslim, Christian, Sikhand Buddhist communities ledprayers for peace in the South,and for innocent people to bekept safe from harm.

– Kamol Pirat

PHUKET CITY: All 131 displaystands at this year’s Phuket andAndaman Travel Trade Showhave been booked, according toTourism Authority of Thailand(TAT) Regional Director SuwalaiPinpradab.

The show is scheduled totake place at the Royal PhuketCity Hotel on December 3-5.

On December 3 and 5 theshow will be open to the travelindustry only, but on December4, it will be open to the public.

December date fortravel trade show

PHUKET CITY: Phuket Gover-nor Udomsak Usawarangkurahas said that the government ismonitoring reaction to its contro-versial early-closing policy forentertainment venues, but that itis still “early days”.

Speaking at his regularpress conference at the Provin-cial Hall on November 15, theGovernor also stressed that he didnot have the power to alter therules for Phuket.

Despite vociferous protestsin Phuket, Gov Udomsak saidthat the law must be obeyed, butthat the government would con-tinue to evaluate its effects.

The law had been in effectonly a couple of months, saidGov Udomsak, adding, “For themoment, we in Phuket have toobey the law.”

Government ‘ismonitoringearly closing’

THAILAND: Architects, plan-ners, engineers, and project own-ers in Thailand are invited to en-ter the 80-million-baht interna-tional Holcim Awards, a compe-tition intended to promote inno-vative approaches to sustainableconstruction techniques.

Nomination of projectsmust be submitted to www.holcimawards.org before March31 next year. The total prizemoney for the awards totalsUS$2 million (80 million baht).

B80m in prizesfor sustainableconstruction

I N S I D E S T O R Y4 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

Laboring Queer News

The heavy door slamsshut, and the prisonerthinks he has seen thelast of the outside world

for however many years he hasbeen sentenced to.

But prisoners in Phuketmay end up seeing life on theoutside sooner than expected –if they choose to join one of thework parties Phuket ProvincialPrison assembles to perform ser-vices to the community, such ascutting trees, clearing drains andcleaning roads.

Seree Udom, who becamechief of the 997-inmate prison atthe beginning of October, ex-plained, “Prison policy is to workonly with and for state agencies;

Few residents may be aware of this, but one of thereasons Phuket City’s streets have been relatively

water-free this rainy season is that drains and guttershad been cleared by inmates of Phuket Prison.

The prison regularly supplies work parties of prisonersto carry out public works.

Forget images of penal chain gangs, though: as theGazette’s Kamol Pirat and Sangkhae Leelanapapornfound out, everyone concerned is keen to highlight therole that such work can play in rehabilitating prisoners

and preparing them for life outside prison walls.

we don’t do any work for the pri-vate sector.”

Bodies such as Phuket Pro-vincial Administration Organiza-tion (OrBorJor), Phuket CityMunicipality and Phuket Provin-cial Highways Office will ap-proach the prison and ask forprison labor.

If the prison decides to getinvolved with a project, staff se-lect members for a working party– which has to be done carefullyas it will mean allowing the pris-oners to leave the confines of thejail.

Said K. Seree, “We chooseonly prisoners who have beensentenced to two years or less injail, and they must not have com-

BANGKOK: Lingerie vendorDusit Jansorn was taking nochances when he parked his533,000-baht pickup overnightnear his home in Bangkok. Heput a lock on the brake and – justto be on the safe side – he re-moved the steering wheel.

But when 30-year-old K.Dusit returned to his parkingplace the following morning,there was no sign of his belovedpick-up.

K. Dusit and his girlfriendOrawan Auemkleub, 25, took thenow-redundant steering wheelwith them when they went to thepolice station to report the theft.

Police believe the vehiclewas stolen by a gang of threethieves who, knowing K. Dusit’sroutine, had brought along pliersto hold the steering column inplace while they drove the pickupto a place were they could attacha new steering wheel.

K. Dusit’s said he hadworked hard for many years tobe able to afford the pickup, andits theft had financially ruinedhim. Source : Khao Sod

Stealer’swheel

AFTER DEATHDO US PART

BANGKOK: Not knowing what to do after her husband’s suddendeath, an elderly blind woman stayed with his body in their shed inRat Burana District.

On the morning of November 22, neighbors and police found67-year-old Muan Rungruang sleeping and hugging the body of herdead husband, Tieng Boonyong, who had died four days earlier. Theirdog Jumbo was curled up alongside his deceased master.

K. Muan said K. Tieng, a stevedore, had looked after her sinceshe lost her first husband. She has been blind since the age of 35,when sulfur splattered into her eyes from a fertilizer bag she wascarrying. Her first husband had died in the shed as well.

She later met K. Tieng, who was working in the area.“He took care of me until his last breath. I loved him so much,”

she said, adding that K. Tieng had a chronic chest problem and diedbecause they couldn’t afford treatment.

“Before he died, he lay down on my lap when I was trying togive him some boiled rice. He got three spoons down before sayinghe couldn’t stand the pain anymore,” K. Muan said, adding that K.Tieng finally passed away on her lap.

She cried for help but nobody heard her in this rural area, whereresidences are far from each other. With nobody coming to her aid,she was forced to stay in the shed with her dead husband until neigh-bors and police came calling. K. Muan hadn’t eaten since K. Tiengdied. “All of our nine dogs ran away, except Jumbo,” she said.

A social worker offered to take her to a welfare home for theelderly, but she refused. She insisted that she would live out the restof her days in the shed with her loyal dog.

As K. Tieng’s body was brought into the morgue for an au-topsy, K. Muen wept, saying that she wanted to cremate him butcould not afford it. So police and members of the press pooled theirmoney together to pay for the funeral ceremony.

Source: The Nation

I N S I D E S T O R YNovember 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 5

for a new life outside

mitted any drugs offences – gov-ernment policy is not to allowdrug dealers and addicts to joinprison work parties. Governmentpolicy also says that women maynot be in work parties.

“To be selected for a workparty, a prisoner must have goodbehavior record, a registered ad-dress outside prison and relativeswho guarantee that he will notrun away.

“And he must want to be ina work party, because no one isforced to join; it is entirely vol-untary.”

The prisoners receive com-pensation for their labor. Some-times they are paid in cash, some-times not, but each gets one daydeducated from his sentence forevery day he spends in a workparty.

If the prison charges a pub-lic body for a work party’s ser-vices, 80% of the money ispassed on to prisoners. The re-maining 20% is kept by the

prison, to cover expenses such asthe cost of transport to the laborsite, tools, food and allowancesfor the wardens who accompanythe party.

Prisoners are not allowed tohave cash while they are incar-cerated, so the money they earnis kept in a special account andhanded over to them when theyleave jail at the end of their sen-tence.

Members of work partiesmust wear uniforms that makethem easily identifiable if they tryto escape.

Outside the prison they areaccompanied by one warden forevery five prisoners, but they areneither chained nor handcuffed.

Their movements are re-stricted, though. They must stayin the area where they are work-ing; anyone who wants to leavethis specific area must first getpermission from the wardens.

Not that K. Seree sees thereis much cause for concern. He

said, “I don’t think the prisonerspose a threat to anyone, becausethey have no opportunity to com-mit a crime while they are out.”

He admitted, “Yes, prison-ers have escaped from work sitesin the past, but only a few, andthey didn’t get very far before thewardens caught them again.”

The Gazette talked to oneprisoner who has been in a workgroup, who can be quoted onlyunder the pseudonym “Ae”.

Ae said that after being inprison, and away from otherpeople for such a long time, hefound it difficult to adjust to be-ing on the “outside”, even if itwas for only the length of a work-ing day. In addition, he was em-barrassed and ashamed to be aprisoner.

He said, “It took me threeor four days to adjust to being‘out’, but now I am happy.

“After a week, I felt just likeanyone else, and now I am proudto help the community by clean-

ing the roads or the klongs orother places. And the wardens letme talk to my relatives if theycome to see me, too.”

Ae said he had chosen tojoin a workparty and hadbeen assignedto one becauseprison staffwere satisfiedwith his con-duct in prison.He could selectwhich jobs hewent on.

There aretwo main ben-efits of being ina work party,he said. Thefirst is that itcuts the timehe will have tospend in jail,and the secondis that he ispaid for work-ing.

He said, “Being in a workparty has changed me because it’staught me about what it’s like tobe an ordinary person, and tostick at a job.”

While women may not beallowed to join work parties, theyare expected to undertake voca-

tional training, such as needle-work and making fishing nets,while in jail.

Similarly, male prisonersare expected to take advantage of

training in ba-tik making,bamboo andrattan craft,d e c o r a t i v em e t a l w o r k ,welding andcarpentry.

I t e m smade by theprisoners aresold, and afterthe productioncosts are de-ducted, theprofits are di-vided equallybetween theprisoners andthe prison.

P r i s o nchief K. Sereesaid, “Inmates

can be trained in many occupa-tions while they are in prison. Wewant to give them skills to allowthem to earn a living when theyleave here.

“That way, we hope, theywill have jobs and a good futureand won’t feel the need to com-mit crimes.”

‘No one is forced tojoin; it is entirely

voluntary.’– Seree Udom,

Phuket Prison Chief.

BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG: Prisoners get ready to clear out a klong to help ensure thatmonsoon deluges do not flood Phuket City.

A R O U N D T H E I S L A N D6 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

LIFE CANBE RUFF

With the boom in theisland’s spa indus-try, perhaps it wasinevitable: Phuket

now has its first full-service spa– for dogs.

Panida Sriaram, Owner ofRaksatt Dog Spa & Salon, toldthe Gazette that dogs react to spatherapy and beauty treatments inmuch the same way that peopledo. They get a deep sense of re-laxation in the spa, followed bya real self-confidence boost in thesalon.

Some people might be ap-palled at the idea of a dog spa,but for many pet owners nothingis too good for the four-leggedmember of the family. Why, theyreason, should the pleasures ofspa therapy be limited to humansalone?

The Gazette visited the sparecently and saw Beckham, a 1½-year-old poodle, getting his veryfirst spa treatment. First, he wasgently immersed in warm bath,the water aromatic with the herbsselected specially for discerningcanine tastes.

The massage therapist thengently massaged Beckham andpoured warm water over hisbody. Beckham tried to climb upout of the oak tub at first, but helater calmed down and began tosavor the experience of breath-ing in the combination of Thaiand Chinese herbs and rose pet-als.

“The aroma bath comfortsthe dogs. First-time customersmay squirm a bit initially, butbefore long they are soothed bythe aroma and their stress levelsfall,” said K. Panida.

She explained that orangeand lemon are two aromas thatdogs seem particularly fond of,and that the herbal bath helps

impart a healthy radiance to thedog’s fur and skin.

“Every dog has its ownnatural, unique body odor. Thebath reduces this natural odorsomewhat, but our treatmentshelp enhance the natural odor andmake the dog more fragrant andthe fur softer, silkier – and morehuggable,” she said.

After the spa, Beckham wasremoved from the tub for the next

By Gategaeo Phetsawang

phase of therapy – warm com-presses of Thai and Chineseherbs applied by two therapists.

Next was stone therapy.“We press special stones andherbal powder upon the thighsand back,” explained K. Panida.“There are eight different kindsof stone, each used to graduallyrelieve a specific condition.

“This therapy can be usedin combination with veterinary

uling a treatment regimen forFido is the cost. Like most luxu-ries, spa therapy for dogs doesnot come cheap: a basic one-hourspa course ranges in price from800 to 1,200 baht, depending onthe size of the dog.

The shop also offers a fullgrooming service. Raksatt’s spe-cialty is “fancy” styling and colorhighlighting, using a hydrogenformula imported from Japan.

The salon is not solely forcosmetic purposes, however: thedogs can also get a shampoo tohelp ward off fleas and ticks orchemical treatment for hairwhich has become damaged andcoarse.

Owners of dogs withlight-colored fur may like totry giving Rover a little morepizzazz by trying out the sal-on’s popular highlighting ser-vice. But highlighting doesn’twork well on dogs with darkfur, K.Panida said – it justturns them orange.

“Dogs are just like people.They like to be admired and areproud to show off when theyknow they are looking good. Youcan see it clearly during dogshows,” she said.

Dogs have “bad hair days”too, she explained. Like humans,getting a bad haircut can totallyput some dogs off being groom-ed, especially if someone tries tocomb out tangled fur too roughlyor accidentally cuts the dog’s skinwith scissors.

She recommends dailycombing for long-haired breedsin order to familiarize the dogswith grooming and keep theircoats up to snuff.

Raksatt Dog Spa & Salon, open11 am to 10 pm daily, is at P2parking area at Central FestivalPhuket. For more information callTel: 076-209244-5.

Rose petals too: Toy poodle Beckham gets the full treatment during his first visit to the spa.

treatment to cure illnesses moreefficiently,” she added.

K. Panida recommendsdogs come in for spa therapyabout twice a month, though itdepends on whether the dog is injust for relaxation or whethertherapy for a specific conditionis required, in which case weeklyvisits are recommended.

Another factor that may beworth considering when sched-

A R O U N D T H E N A T I O NNovember 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 7

‘Cell phones for peace’ idea slammedA government campaign

led by Deputy PrimeMinister WissanuKrea-Ngam to encour-

age young people in the DeepSouth to use cell phones to voteand play games during popularradio and television shows wasslammed by southern residents.

DPM Wissanu instructedstate-run radio and television net-works in the region to create“phone-in programs” to encour-age audiences to vote or com-ment on particular subjects, say-ing the form of local participa-tion could help defuse the currentunrest in the Deep South.

Religious leaders, however,wondered who would actuallybenefit from the plan.

“I don’t know who willmake money from the extraphone usage, but the parents ofthe children will definitely endup paying the bills.

“Why don’t they initiatesomething that will be really use-ful for our children or make themmore knowledgeable?” said reli-gious leader Nimu Makajeh.

Prime Minister ThaksinShinawatra’s family owns thebiggest cell-phone operator in thecountry, Advanced Info Service.

Sin tax structure: Informationand Communications Technol-ogy (ICT) Minister SurapongSuebwonglee is pushing for a“sin tax” on online gaming simi-lar to those levied on alcohol andtobacco.

Proceeds would be used toprevent and remedy the harmfuleffects from Internet addiction.

A girl waits patiently as her mother attends prayers to mark the end of the fasting period ofRamadan, at the Central Mosque in the troubled province of Pattani.

The Excise Department ex-pects a feasibility study for tax-ing online games to be completein a few months. The ministry isalso seeking Cabinet backing tobe given sole authority to regu-late online-game providers andInternet cafés.

If it is granted the powers,gamers under 18 would be lim-ited to playing online games to amaximum of three hours a day,while the 10 pm-to-6 am restric-tion for young players would re-main in force to prevent possibleaddiction, K. Surapong said.

Running on empty: Natural gasreserves in the Gulf of Thailandwill run out in 15 years if theEnergy Ministry continues todepend on gas as fuel for newpower plants, an official at theEnergy Policy and Planning Of-fice warned.

Between 2001 and 2015,about 18 power plants with acombined capacity of 13,000megawatts are expected to comeonstream.

If the government does notspecify the type of fuel to be usedby the new power plants, they

will turn to natural gas becauseof its lower cost. This will drainthe country’s reserves to thepoint where natural gas wouldeventually need to be imported,the source said.

Last month, Energy Minis-ter Prommin Lertsuridej said thatthe country’s natural gas reserveswould last for more than 30years.

Fair’s fair: The Election Com-mission (EC) has ruled that thegovernment’s promotional fair atImpact Arena Muang ThongThani earlier this month did notviolate election laws.

The announcement cameafter both the Mahachon andDemocrat parties filed com-plaints to the EC alleging thatthe five-day exhibition, duringwhich free gifts were handed

out, was a ruse by the rulingThai Rak Thai party to bolsterits chances in the upcoming gen-eral election.

EC Secretary General Ek-kachai Warunprapha said thegovernment had acted within le-gal parameters in using the na-tional budget to publicize itsachievements.

Take the money and run: Morethan 100 people – including sev-eral lottery winners – wereevacuated from the GovernmentLottery Office (GLO) on Novem-ber 17 following a bomb hoax.Officials evacuated the buildingafter a woman twice called theGLO before noon to say a bombwould go off at 2 pm.

A couple who won a 50-million-baht jackpot showed upto receive their winnings beforeofficials ordered the evacuation.The couple immediately cashedtheir check and deposited themoney at a nearby bank.

A police bomb-disposalteam, using three sniffer dogs,scoured the area but found nodevice. Police are investigatingthe incident.

Girls at risk: Public Health Min-ister Sudarat Keyuraphan said60% – or 42,000 – of the 70,000Thai youngsters aged between 15and 24 who are infected withHIV are young women.

The sexual behavior ofThai girls and young women haschanged rapidly, with 9% of girlsaged 15 to 19 admitting to hav-ing had sex. Many young Thaisengaged in unprotected pre-mari-tal sex without fully understand-ing the potential consequences oftheir actions, she said.

Around the Nation news roundupis sourced from the pages of TheNation and Kom Chad Lueknewspapers.

a r o u n d t h e r e g i o n8 p h u k e t g a z e t t e November 27 - December 3, 2004

Nathon reclamation faces opposition

f r o m THE

By Commander Sammy Swan

At the end of October the government re- leased ambitious plans t o r e c l a i m m o r e

than 500 rai off the coast of Koh Samui ’s capital, Na thon. M a n y l e a d i n g local figures have already spoken o u t a g a i n s t t h e p r o p o s a l , which they see as unnecessary and potentially damaging to the environment in and around Na-thon.

T h e g o v e r n m e n t claims that the t w o - k i l o m e t e r stretch of beach land that has been earmarked for the project is already seriously polluted and damaged, but many local citizens disagree.

The head of the Nathon Citizens’ Club, for example, expressed concern that outsiders had been brought in to conduct the feasibility study. He pointed out that they would not be the ones who would stay to face its consequences.

“The sea and beach areas around Nathon have been a popular spot for more than a hundred years,” he said. “There are still plenty of fish and crabs

l i v i n g i n t h e waters there and this project would destroy the local fishing industry.

“ B e f o r e any construction starts there must b e a b s o l u t e guarantees in place that this will not happen.”

Meanwhile, the head of the local office of the Department of the En vironment and Natural Resources on Samui said that land reclamation s h o u l d b e a n option only after oth er ideas have been considered,

and that the local peo ple should ask them selves wheth er such an ambitious and expensive project is really necessary.

Water worries: Despite heavy spending on improving freshwater supply over the past few years, the Samui local authorities say that the island is still facing

the possibility of serious water shortages during the dry season.

The Samui Waterworks Department has therefore signed a 15-year contract with the East Water Co, to buy water from a desalination plant that uses reverse osmosis to produce potable water from sea water. The supply will start flowing in March next year.

The target supply is 2,500 cubic meters a day, at a total daily cost of 114,000 baht, which will probably mean an increase in the cost of water to consumers. Water shortages are a recurrent problem on Samui, and visitors and citizens are continually being

asked to be prudent when using the island supply.Governor’s goals: Surat Thani’s new Provincial Governor Vichit Vichaisan recently announced his priorities in dealing with the problems that he feels are of major concern to the province.

The three main issues he plans to address are waste disposal and cleanliness, traffic congest ion, and underage drinking and revelry.

He said he will pay special attention to the introduction of recycling, especially with regard to fertilizers, and he will develop a program to improve local driving skills and therefore improve people’s safety on local

roads.Gov Vichit said that he

also intends to place heavier restrictions on young people, banning them from places intended for adults only, and the authorities will crack down on establishments that allow youngsters to break the law.

He added that most adults in the province are particularly concerned that young local peo-ple are forgetting traditional Thai values, such as respect for the family and cultural traditions. He said he hopes to ensure that basic

SEA SAVIORS: Bangkok Marine Police trainers and officers recently held their annual seven-day course on first aid, CPR techniques and other crucial life-saving skills on Koh Samui. On the last day of the course, a real-life drama took everyone by surprise. No drill this – a swimmer was spotted in grave difficulties in the sea. He was rescued and brought to shore unharmed.

Cdr Swan is a writer with Koh Samui’s community magazine.

h a p p e n i n g sNovember 27 - December 3, 2004 p h u k e t g a z e t t e 9

This week

MERRY MERIDIEN: Of the 300 or so guests at the November 13 grand opening of Le Meridien Khao Lak, in Phang Nga, were (from left) resort General Manager Jean-Louis Ripoche, guest of honor Arsa Sarasin, and resort owner ML Vitya Chakrabandhu.

WELL-WORN TRADITION: Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwannasuppana (2nd from right) was among the guests at the wedding of Chiravut Gornjaringkiet (2nd from left) and Pannaree Na Nakorn at the Royal Phuket City Hotel on November 16. The bride wore a gown that has come down through her family from 100 years ago.

WELL-FURNISHED FRIENDS: Sumittra Nimkornchai and Vichaipol Narayam (3rd and 4th from left, respectively), owners of the Villa & Hut furniture store on Chao Fa West Rd, celebrate the opening of their store on November 14 with (from left) Chalermrat Dilokpat, Dr Sriyada Palimapan and Pol Col Chalit Thintanee, Deputy Commander of Phuket Provincial Police.

EXTRACURRICULAR PARTICULARS: Ray Berttula (left), Director of QSI-Phuket international school, and teacher Cindy Schade (2nd from left) drop in during the grand opening of Khun Woody’s Bakery in Patong to check up on QSI-P student Justin Leonhard (right) – and to sample some of the famed cookies made by Justin’s dad, baker and computer guru Woody Leonhard.

NO STRINGS ATTACHED: Phuket Gazette Managing Editor Alasdair Forbes welcomes to the Gazette offices (from left) Chintana Daengdej, Managing Director of Phuket International Night Bazaar, and Pisutr and Surin Yangkhiaw-sod, respectively Director and Artistic Director of the famed Joe Lewis Puppet Theater, which will stage shows at the Bazaar from

BREEZIN’ IN: BodyWize Club Manager David Weale (2nd from left), and Jill Robson, (seated) Spa Director of fitness-center operator Asian Wind, join forces at the recent party to celebrate the installation of Cybex fitness equipment at Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort.

P H U K E T P E O P L E10 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

Taishiro Miyayauchi isfluent in Thai; indeed,it is easy to assume heis Thai. And he is, in a

way – he was born in Thailand,to Japanese parents who ran apearl and jewellery business.

His name is a bit of a give-away, too: “The ‘Tai’ of my firstname means ‘Thai’; my parentsgave me that name because I wasborn here,” he explained.

After attending Japaneseand international schools in Thai-land, Mr Miyayauchi studied atAssumption Business Adminis-tration College in Bangkok.

He said, “While I wasstudying at college, I was alsoworking part-time for a tourcompany in Bangkok. I becamea full-time tour guide after Igraduated, and worked mainlywith Japanese people visitingThailand.

“I also qualified as a divemaster in Phuket,and opened myown businesshere seven yearsago.”

Diving wassecond nature toMr Miyayauchi .He explained,“I’d been used tobeing underwatersince I was veryyoung, because Iused to dive withthe staff at myfather’s pearlfarm. That’s why I was not afraidof diving, or of being underwa-ter.”

In fact, that love of the wa-ter is one of the main reasons MrMiyayauchi has settled inPhuket. He said, “I’m not reallybothered whether I live inBangkok or Phuket, but the thingabout Phuket is that I’m close tothe sea and can go diving.

“That said, if the traffic inBangkok wasn’t quite so bad, I

might be tempted to go backthere, to be near my parents, whoare getting older now.”

That love of the sea is alsoa cause of sadness for MrMiyayauchi, as he has watchedsome of Thailand’s beaches de-teriorate over the years.

He said, “I have beenwatching the beaches in Pattaya

and Chonburi be-come more andmore damagedsince I wasyoung.

“I have seenu n s p o i l e dbeaches ruined bythe rubbishthrown on thesand and in thesea, and by un-treated wastewa-ter being dis-charged into thesea.

“Now the same thing ishappening in Phuket. The firsttime I came here, about 14 yearsago, I saw beautiful beaches andthis miraculous underwaterworld. But it’s all so differentnow.

“I’ve decided to speak outabout protecting the beaches be-cause someone has to do it andas no one else seems preparedto do it, that someone has to beme.”

The garbage isn’t just un-attractive, it’s also downrightdangerous, particularly for ma-rine animals such as sea turtlesmsaid Mr Miyayauchi. “The turt-les see a plastic bag floating inthe water and think it’s a jelly-fish, and as jellyfish are part ofthe turtles’ diet, they’ll eat theplastic bag. And chances are, itwill kill them.

“Untreated wastewater canbe toxic to fish.”

As a dive master and theowner of a diving business, healways tells his customers andstudents to treat the marine envi-ronment with respect.

He said, “They are close tothe coral, and they should act re-sponsibly towards this naturalresource, but even if tourists dodamage coral, the harm they dois nothing compared to thatcaused by anchors dropped byirresponsible crews of fishingboats and pleasure craft.

“We have come across somany yachts where the crew re-ally couldn’t care less wherethey drop anchor; we’ve evenmet crews who prefer to stopover a reef because they canhook the anchor into the reef, sothere’s less chance of the boatfloating away in the night, whichthey say might happen if theydon’t anchor properly in thesand! Not surprisingly, that’s

“I don’t presume to ask anyone to help me protect thesea, but if someone who knows better than me will tell mewhat I can do to help protect the sea, I will be more than

happy to do it.”So says Taishiro Miyayauchi, director of the MarineProject dive shop in Patong. Mr Miyayauchi, the firstJapanese PADI Course Director in Thailand, is well

known for his attempts to persuade locals and visitors totake more care of the sea around Phuket. He spoke with

Dhirarat Boonkongsaen about his crusade.

THE QUIETCRUSADER

‘People seem to be … treat-ing the sea with more res-pect.’– Taishiro Miyayauchi

P H U K E T P E O P L ENovember 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 11

caused an awful lot of damageto the coral.

“Once, when I saw some-one doing that, I went to them andtried to make them understandwhy they shouldn’t be doing it.But they didn’t listen. Instead,they shouted at us.

“So, later, we dived downand quietly moved their anchoroff the coral.

“That was the most drastic

action we have taken, but the boatwas out of the jurisdiction of thepolice, so we had to take care ofthe situation ourselves.

“If the sea became too pol-luted for my dive business to con-tinue, I could find other ways ofearning a living easily enough,but I still feel someone should bemaking a fuss about protectingthe sea. I’m not even askingpeople to be active in doing any-

thing, just not to do anything thatwill harm the sea.”

There may be hope for thefuture, though. Said Mr Miya-yauchi, “The Thai tourists of to-day seem to be different; in fact,many Thai people have changed

or are changing theirways.

“In the past, wecould tell where a boathad stopped becausewe would find gar-bage, plastic bags,glass bottles, cans, allsorts.

“But recently,people seem to be im-proving their behavi-our and treating the seawith more respect.

“We’ve just donesome work at KohRacha with a sea con-servation group, fromBangkok, of all places.

“We’re also oftenasked to do work withPhuket Marine Biol-

ogy Center (PMBC), whichsometimes asks us for help if theydon’t have enough staff to dosome underwater work.

“We’re happy to help, al-though we do sometimes ask formoney to cover our fuel costs.”

Most of Mr Miyayauchi ’spaying customers are from Japan,because, he says, Thailand offersdiving that is superior to Japan’s.

He explained, “The waterin Japan is so cold, it’s not goodfor diving, plus there is no beau-tiful coral to see as there is inThailand.

“Phuket might not beAustralia’s Great Barrier Reef,but it’s still second-to-none in theworld as a diving destination.”

He continued, “The Mal-dives have some very beautifulreefs too, because they are pro-tected by strict laws and every-one cooperates to enforce them,but, that said, I think people’s at-titudes are far more importantthan any laws.

“We have laws for road us-ers, but we still have lots of caraccidents. Only when peoplerealise that bad driving causesaccidents will they stop drivingbadly. I hope they’ll soon have asimilar realisation about protect-ing the sea.”

Taishiro Miyayauchi takes time underwaterto contemplate the state of Phuket’s marineenvironment.

L I F E S T Y L E12 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

After even the moststressful day, there issomething relaxingand calming in the tin-

kling of a windchime moving ina breeze.

And as this is the time ofyear when Phuket is supposed tobe at its breeziest, what betterexcuse is there to invest in awindchime?

Windchimes make differentsounds, according to what theyare made from – shell, metal,terracotta, wood, or dozens ofother materials.

Whether made from bam-boo or coconut shell, woodenwindchimes stirred up by abreeze can make a sound likeflowing water, bringing a senseof nature into the home.

Metal chimes, on the otherhand, make a more lively, tin-kling sound.

It’s easy enough to find awindchime that appeals to theeyes as well as the ears, as there

Imay not be akhunying and Imight not have

been on holiday,but I certainly feltlike both aftersampling “Khun-ying on Holiday”,one of the special-ity cocktails offer-ed at Malina’s Barat the AspasiaPhuket Resort.

A khunying isa distinguishedlady, and there issomething aboutthis fruit-and-al-mond concoction that sets itapart from the masses, while atthe same time having a relax-ing effect, putting one mostdefinitely in a holiday mood,but without rendering one in-capable.

And what better place toappreciate the delights of a“Khunying on Holiday” thanits (her?) birthplace: Malina’sBar, with its stunning view ofKata Beach?

Like a khunying herself,the cocktail is rich, fragrantand well put-together. SansriSangmontree, the resort’s Foodand Beverage Manager, ex-plained, “The main alcohol isBacardi, but there’s also Ama-retto, which is sweet and has ataste of almonds and chocolateand a fragrant aroma.

“There’s also orange andpineapple, and these, combinedwith the Amaretto, mean thereis no need to add syrup.”

The cocktail is served in

a wine glass, whichis appropriate, be-cause, like mostfine wines, it is notstrongly alcoholicand is best appre-ciated when sip-ped slowly ratherthan knockedback.

And that’sexactly what I did,enjoying thewarming effect ofthe alcohol as mytaste buds wereentertained by theflavor, which was

sweet and sour, yet at the sametime refreshingly bitter.

Khunying on HolidayIngredients for one cocktail:

1oz Bacardi;½ oz Grand Marnier½ oz Amaretto3oz orange juice3oz pineapple juice

To decorate:1 pineapple slicelime leavesmint leaves1 Maraschino cherry.

Method:

Put the ingredients in a cock-tail shaker with three or fourice cubes and shake until wellblended.

Pour into a wine glass anddecorate with the pineappleslice, lime and mint leaves, andMaraschino cherry.

– Anongnat Sartpisut

are so manydesigns toc h o o s efrom.

Thereis probablynot a roomin the homewhere a windchime would be outof place.

Some people have a tin-kling wind-chime on their bal-cony, while others hang a sooth-ing wooden chime indoors, abovea door or window, where it canbe caressed by a zephyr.

Think again about mobiles;they are not just to be hung

above a baby’s crib for the de-light and amusement of infants.

Toyed with by the lightestof currents, a mobile can bring avisual delight to a room, and canbe found in charming and intri-cate designs and in everythingfrom earthy tones to vivid, eye-catching hues.

One for the ladies Catchingthe wind

Birdsand otheranimals, geometric patterns, andeven mobiles of happy Thai hill-tribe folk are some of the amus-ing designs available in Phuket.

Catch sight of their silentbeauty as they catch the high sea-son breeze.

A selection of windchimes andmobiles can be can be boughtfrom the following stores: BanHutthakam, 9/23 Moo 1,Chalermprakiert Rd, Kathu;Shinawatra Homemart, 29/1-4Thepkrasattri Rd, Koh Kaew,Muang; and Chang Thai, BoatLagoon, 23/113 Thepkrasattri Rd,Koh Kaew, Phuket.

November 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 13

14 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004H O R O S C O P E S

In The Stars by Isla Star

SAGITTARIUS (November 23-December 21): Birthday celebra-tions go off with a bang for thosecelebrating coming of age thisweek. You will be particularlyimpressed by a generous gift thatcomes from an unexpectedsource. On Wednesday you maybe subject to a bout of absent-mindedness, so note appoint-ments carefully and take extracare of personal possessions.Romance has the opportunity tocome alive this Saturday, but youneed to put in extra effort.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 20): You can expect toenjoy golden opportunities duringDecember. The only thing thatcan hold you back from makinggains is low self-esteem. Medi-tate on how much you haveachieved this year and you willrealize that there have been defi-nite improvements in all areas ofyour life. Taurus holds the key toa mystery, but is unwilling to re-veal details. Some gentle persua-sion should work wonders.

AQUARIUS (January 21-Febru-ary 19): No matter how temptedyou are to capitulate in an ongo-ing dispute, you are advised tostand your ground. Others maybe trying to move the goalposts,but justice is on your side. Per-sonal relationships are well-starred; if you are unsure about

how someone really feels aboutyou, good news will add sparkleto the weekend. Wear the colorsky blue to cultivate an airier at-titude toward life.

PISCES (February 20-March20): A spot of beachcombing thisweekend is likely to be beneficialin more ways than one. Yoursense of fairness will be affrontedtoward the end of next week, butyou should refrain from highlight-ing others’ greed; what goesaround will eventually comearound. Although you are not usu-ally too concerned about mate-rial gains, it will be impossible torefuse the offer of a lifetime onMonday. The number 8 is lucky.

ARIES (March 21-April 20): Ar-range to spend this weekend withpeople you feel most comfortablewith. An edgy mood can besoothed by seeking a relaxing at-mosphere and avoiding chal-lenges. On Monday, expect awelcome breakthrough regardingmoney. As the week progresses,most Arians will notice improve-ment in their finances; so will oth-ers and you can expect to be ap-

proached for a loan on Thursday.Pisces is about to declare a ro-mantic interest.

TAURUS (April 21-May 21):Taureans have a week of twistsand turns ahead. Luckily, your en-ergy levels are high as the monthends and you will be able to coasteffortlessly through the comingunpredictability. You may, how-ever, be starting to wish thatsomeone special would act morereliably. A romance recently be-gun is not likely to turn into thecommitted relationship you werehoping for, but the sea is a fertileplace.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21):Losses and gains are very muchon the agenda this week. Yournatural ability to go with the flowshould enable you to regardevents philosophically; you mayrest assured that the balance willend up very much in your favor.On Wednesday or Thursday youwill have to be patient when deal-ing with a friend who has a chipon his or her shoulder.

CANCER (June 22-July 23): It will

be necessary to show respect inthe right places early next week.Many Cancerians will come upagainst red tape when negotiat-ing agreements and you should beprepared to stand back while thewheels turn slowly. A wave ofcreativity causes you to take anobjective look at your immediatesurroundings this weekend; if re-decorating is on the agenda, in-corporate earthy tones to tuneinto nature’s rhythm.

LEO (July 24-August 22): Com-pleting assignments and meetingdeadlines occupies your time formost of the week, but tying uploose ends now will enable youto relax more next month. This isan auspicious time to chase upunpaid debts; others are startingto feel guilty about not paying, sostrike while the iron’s hot. Plan ashopping spree for Tuesday whenyour bargaining skills will be hardto resist.

VIRGO (August 23-September23): You will hold the trump cardthis weekend. Knowledge gainednow will stand you in good steadearly next year, particularly

where a tricky business deal isconcerned. For the time being, becontent to remain camouflaged inthe background. Aquarius hassomething to confess on Mondaywhich will come as a big surprise.Later in the week the number 9may bring luck.

LIBRA (September 24-October23): December will be the monthfor working toward your finan-cial goals. Stumbling blocks thathave hindered your path duringNovember will be bulldozed away,leaving the way clear for smoothprogression. Use the comingdays to prepare a detailed plan,asking for professional advice ifin doubt. Librans presently enjoy-ing a shower of romance will notbe cooling down for the foresee-able future. Wear citrus shadesto sharpen your senses.

SCORPIO (October 24-Novem-ber 22): Those born under the signof Scorpio would do best to con-tain their emotions this weekend.A heated domestic atmospherecan easily blow up into a crack-ling bonfire if you’re not careful.If you’ve recently begun an ex-ercise routine take care not tooverdo things as physical vulner-ability is likely during the comingdays. You are advised to sit onthe fence for a while longer be-fore committing to a businessagreement.

The week ahead

November 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 15

F E A T U R E S16 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

Doing the Jakarta JiveAnyone who has seen

the movie The Year ofLiving Dangerously –with a slightly wobbly

performance by Mel Gibson asthe Australian journalist caughtup in the final throes of theSukarno regime – might notcount Jakarta among the list ofmust-sees. More recent eventshave put the Indonesian capitalin the news for all the wrong rea-sons.

But step into Sailendra atthe JW Marriott – which bore thebrunt of the car bomb of just overa year ago – and the restaurant isall smiles and clattering cutleryand the heady aroma of open-kitchen fusion.

Security has been steppedup, of course, but the boys in thepeaked caps deliver a broad grinas they inspect the soft under-belly of your taxi with a mirror.

And everywhere else in thecity there’s a spirit of renais-sance, epitomized by a buildingmania that seemingly wants toconvert every spare square cen-timeter into yet another shoppingcenter.

Jakartans love nothingmore than strolling around a mall,occasionally dipping into thefood court but otherwise simplyhanging out.

And with the city’s trafficmired in macet, as gridlocks aretermed, every neighborhoodneeds its own retail romper room.Which is not to say that tradi-tional markets are disappearing– if anything they seem to be en-joying a similar boom.

Two areas that reward ex-tended exploration are MerdekaSquare, where Bung (it means“brother”, as opposed to “bribe”)Sukarno erected a massivemonument to independence.

The bauble at the top is sup-posed to be either solid gold, orcoated with gold leaf, or justsomething shiny.

Ordinary citizens of a cyni-cal frame of mind are wont to sayit describes their condition in life– with wealth permanently out ofreach. Jakarta’s sense of humorremains untarnished, whateverthe political situation.

With a new president now

TALESTRAVELER

B y E d P e t e r s

OF A

safely installed, thecountry is hopefullyforging into a profit-able future, yet one ofthe most interestingparts of town is Kota,the old Batavia wherethe colonial Dutchused to hold sway.

Head for theformer town square to

get your bearings. On the southside of the square is the historymuseum, while on the west anentire four-story mansion is givenover to a puppetry expo at theMuseum Wayang.

To the east, Bafai SeniRupa houses fine arts and there’salso an interesting display of ce-ramics.

If all this sounds like toomuch culture-vulturing, remem-

ber they are all a short stroll fromeach other, and admissioncharges are so low you can dipinto each for a mere half an houror so.

If you fancy whetting yourwhistle, the Café Batavia on thenorth side of the square nevercloses, and is famed for its inter-national dishes, its photo galleryof Hollywood stars, and the mir-rored urinals in the gents’ lava-tory, though not necessarily inthat order.

And if doing the JakartaJive gets to be too much – townplanning still remains somethingof an abstract quality – there isalways an avenue of escape at thecity’s biggest amusement park,Taman Impian Jaya, which trans-lates as “Dream Land”.

Its rides, parks and lakes areopen 24 hours a day – thoughmany attractions close at night –and all for a mere 7,000 rupiah –about 30 baht.

Above: Climbing to the top of the Monas monumentaffords the best views of the city. Top left: Shoppingmalls are springing up everywhere, but traditionalmarkets still do a roaring trade. Left: Jakarta’s fewremaining lakes and parks act as the city’s lungs.

S M A L L W O R L DNovember 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 17

Get your brainin gear with

The Monster Quiz

the Fthe Fthe Fthe Fthe Fun Pageun Pageun Pageun Pageun Page

for allfor allfor allfor allfor all

the Fthe Fthe Fthe Fthe Familyamilyamilyamilyamily

KKKKKIDSIDSIDSIDSIDS

Hidden in the grid below are the names of at least 20famous soccer players. The words may read vertically,

horizontally or diagonally. They may also read right-to-left or down-to-up. See if you can find more than your

family or friends. Score: More than 10, good; more than15, very good; 20 or more, excellent.

Hidden Words

B R E W J Z W I R N R K X H X

P O D V K I H U Y E Q C S A T

W N F E C U D J U E H H J K E

Z A L Z V D I A E S Z Y T G E

S L S P O D B O J K S C U Z S

S D G C J N E B M E X V T E F

L O K D E X I N N N M F U L F

M D A K Z C S V M S N G M A Y

R S C M N N O T L R A H C Z U

P E M C L I N T O C K E M N R

B E B E A T T I E I R V S O C

O D L H R Q C Y I O C A E G M

H C A E R V R V O E H H R R L

B B J N Z J U M O A F L K J N

E K E Z O Y R M C U R M A O E

S R X C B D D R E N A D I Z V

T O I Y K P A V N T P L K Z A

B B P N K H R R T B J O N A M

J M X T H A A H A S C D A G R

F R W M K X E M E M B O X E E

L O V X U W U F K P D N R Y A

U S Z E S H E N R Y V A N Z W

Q P S I U N E W O Y E N O E U

H M E R D X M M U H X R E Y S

M M D G A W K M S J W T W K N

ANSWERS TO LAST

WEEK’S

MONSTER QUIZ

Brain Buster!!

The poison in the punch came from the ice cubes. When Jim drank thepunch the ice was fully frozen. Gradually it melted, poisoning the punch.

SO

LU

TIO

N T

O

LA

ST

WE

EK

’S

CR

OS

SW

OR

D

Jim went to a party and drank some of thefruit punch. He then left early. Everyone else

at the party who drank the punch subse-quently died of poisoning. Why did Jim not

die?

Across

1. Act as referee.6. Protect against disease.10. Born, in France.11. Not at all well.12. Odyssey or Beowulf, for ex-

ample.15. Sole.17.u You can’t have it and eat it too.18. A space.19. Watcher of sports.22. Starts.

Down

1. Probe into.2. Computer key.

3. Phang Nga Bay transport.4. One essential of Morse code.5. They bill and coo.7. One-eyed giant.8. Put a spell on.13. Italian river.14. Very big.16. Pleasure craft.20. Seamstress’s essential.21. Japanese airline (initials).

1. Who was the firstpresident of America?

2. What animals didLincoln keep on theWhite House lawn?

3. Which bird did Ben-jamin Franklin suggestshould be the nationalemblem of the USA?

4. Who coined thefollowing words:disgraceful, hostile,obscene, puke, per-plex?

5. Which book was thefirst to be writtenusing a typewriter?

6. How many paintingsdid Vincent Van Goghsell in his lifetime?

7. Which two Beatles arestill alive?

8. Who said, “To punishme for my contempt forauthority, Fate made mean authority myself”?

9. Which is the mostdensely populated placein the world?

10. What is the highestpeak in the USA?

11. Which sport was origi-nally called mintonette?

12. What weapon in thePhilippines evolved intoa popular toy world-wide?

13. What is the fastest-growing plant?

Never a Cross Word!

1. Charles Lindbergh; 2.Nahuatl; 3. Microwave oven;4. Kathleen Turner; 5. The In-ternational Golf Club in Mas-sachusetts; 6. Empire StateBuilding; 7. William HenryHarrison; 8. Van Rijn; 9. Coca-Cola; 10. Outer space; 11. Is-rael; 12. Former Russian Pre-mier Nikita Krushchev; 13.Tennis; 14. 1929; 15. Ichthy-ology; 16. Ophthalmologist;17. Strawberry; 18. 33; 19.1981; 20. California – the origi-nal name for Los Angeles.

14. John Dunlop, whoinvented car tires, waswhat by profession?

15. Which fictional char-acter was based onsurgeon Joseph Bell?

16. In which year was thefirst plastic materialproduced?

17. How many quires arethere in a ream?

18. The oceans hold whatpercentage of theEarth’s water?

19. What, to the nearest10 years, is the typicallifespan of a crocodile?

20. Who killed JesseJames?

Answers next week

F E A T U R E S18 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

An Orwellian nightmare

Off theSHELFBy James Eckardt

COMPUTERKHUN WOODY’S

In Secret Histories (John Murray,London, 2004, 232pp) Emma Larkinsets out to retrace the footsteps ofEric Arthur Blair, an imperial po-

liceman in Burma from 1922 to 1927,who would later become George Orwelland write of his experiences in the novelBurmese Days.

Although Orwell died in 1950, 12years before General Ne Win seizedpower in Burma and led it down the di-sastrous “Burmese Road toSocialism”, his novels AnimalFarm and Nineteen Eighty-Four are regarded by Burmeseintellectuals as prophetic oftheir nation’s fate – the firsttwo parts of a dark trilogy.

“The towns and citieswhere Orwell was posted spanthe geographical heart of thecountry and, in a sense, it isstill possible to experienceBurma as Orwell knew it – al-most a half century of militarydictatorship has given it the air of a coun-try frozen in time,” Larkin writes in herprologue.

“But a journey through Orwell’sBurma would lead through an even ee-rier and much more terrifying landscape:

a real-life Nineteen Eighty-Four whereOrwell’s nightmare visions are beingplayed out with a gruelling certainty.”

Thus, Larkin journeys throughMandalay, the Irrawaddy Delta, Rangoon,Moulmein and the hill station of Katha,which formed the backdrop to BurmeseDays.

Larkin was uniquely equipped forthe task, having mastered the Burmese lan-guage at London’s School of Oriental and

African Studies. Her visits toBurma spanned nearly a de-cade, during which she spun anever-denser web of contacts.She combines great sensitivitytoward her interview subjectswith highly poetic arts of de-scription.

The book’s subtitle –Finding George Orwell in aBurmese Teashop – is apt, asLarkin spends a lot of time inthe ubiquitous teashops, talk-ing with educated Burmese. In

Mandalay, she is even part of an im-promptu Orwell Book Club.

Traveling as a single, Burmese-speaking woman, Larkin meets a widerange of people: students, professors, jour-nalists, booksellers, pastors, engineers,

vendors, waiters, retiredAnglo-Burmese teachers, themany policemen who arekeeping track of her, and evena sinister Burmese army colo-nel.

In a second-hand book-shop, she meets Kyaw Thein,an elderly poet. “He was oneof those courtly old Burmesegentlemen I met from time totime in Burma who spoke aquaint old-world English andhad an air of sadness that lingered aroundthem like cigarette smoke. Kyaw Theinrecited a few of his poems to me there inthe dingy upper reaches of the market,within the stench of an overflowing rub-bish bin. They were beautiful and simpleverses about love and loss and loneliness.‘I can only write love poems,’ he said withsome embarrassment. ‘The censorswarned me away from writing about any-thing else. They told me, “Bawa akyaungm’yah neh” – “Don’t write about life.”’”

Orwell once wrote about totalitari-anism: “If you want a vision of the future,imagine a boot stamping on a human face– forever.” There is a dreary sameness inthe stories that Larkin’s subjects tell, aconstant refrain of futility and despair. But

day-to-day life still goes on:“Dugout canoes glided

along the river,” she writesof the Irrawaddy Delta.“Bamboo groves were occa-sionally revealed, producingpatches of luminous greenlight. A gaggle of peoplescampered across one open-ing, bright pink and purpleshoulder bags hung likesashes across their torsos.Naked boys wearing cloche

hats made of palm leaves slid withwhoops and shouts down a muddy em-bankment into the river. A lone womanwrapped in a lilac tamein knelt on a stonein the canal with her back toward us,slowly combing her waist-length hair.”

Massacres of minorities, forced la-bor, rampant drug trafficking, politicalprisons, economic destitution, rigid cen-sorship, the complete ruin of educationand medical care – it’s all true. But Larkinis struck by the normality of life inBurma, people going about their busi-ness, laughing, talking, smoking che-roots, going to the movies.

“What did you expect?” a Burmesefriend asks her, “That we would all besitting around on the pavements crying?”

Lately, my email inboxhas been overflowingwith questions about therecent announcement

by the Communications Author-ity of Thailand (CAT) about itsso-called “high-speed” Internetservice – HiNet.The questionsbewlow, and myreplies, prettymuch sum upwhat I and otherHiNet users think of the service

QI just read the Phuket Gazette article [issue of No-

vember 13] that quoted the As-sistant Vice-President of CATTelecom’s Service DevelopmentDepartment as saying that thehigh-speed Internet line betweenPhuket and Bangkok for theTT&T/CAT low-cost broadbandservice runs at only 8 Mbps

(megabits/second). That’s a typo,right? Shouldn’t it be 800 Mbps?

PSKamala

ANope. As I un

derstand it, right nowthere’so n l y

one line be-tween Phuketand Bangkokcarrying traffic

for the CAT’s HiNet and T-Netservices from TT&T – and thatline runs at 8 Mbps.

To put this in perspective,realize that anybody in HongKong who signs up for ADSLbroadband automatically gets an8-Mbps line. It’s installed indays, sometimes hours, almostanywhere in greater Hong Kong,for the equivalent of a few hun-dred baht.

By comparison, all of Phu-ket’s HiNet and T-Net bandwidthcombined – for the entire island– matches the bandwidth doledout to a single apartment-dwellerin Hong Kong. Koreans get more.Singaporeans get a little less.

That same article says thatCAT is planning to boost the con-nection speed for that line to 155Mbps, sometime next year. Con-sider this: if the average apart-ment block in Hong Kong has 20units on each floor, the implica-tion is that Phuket’s entire HiNet/T-Net connection will (someday) have about as much band-width as one apartment buildingin Hong Kong.

QTT&T and CAT have beenselling a 2-Mbps service to

consumers in Phuket for the pastsix months. How can they sellhundreds of 2-Mbps lines here inPhuket, but only connect them toone 8-Mbps line that runs off theisland? Isn’t that fraud?

JLPatong

A No person I have spoken toknows how many HiNet ac-

counts have been sold in Phuket.I’m not a lawyer, but the wholesituation stinks. My HiNet ser-vice has bobbed up and down forweeks. Much of the time, mynominal 2-Mbps line deliversonly 300 Kbps – 15% of the ratedspeed. Sometimes I get 500Kbps; sometimes HiNet simplydoesn’t work.

It now appears that TT&Tand CAT have stopped installing

new ADSL lines. I’m also get-ting rebuffed on all attempts atinstalling TOT lines, and wouldventure to guess that TOT is suf-fering from the same problems.

QWhat can we do about it thisridiculous sitiuation?

AIf you have HiNet, and itkeeps dropping out on you,

I’ve found that sim-ply unplugging theADSL modem,waiting 15 sec-onds, then plug-ging it back inagain will bring theline back, at leastoccasionally. Otherthan that, I don’thave any good sug-gestions.

About 16months ago, pro-minent Bangkokpoliticians prom-ised the people ofPhuket that theywould receivecheap, reliable ADSL as a“Christmas gift”. AlthoughADSL didn’t arrive on the islanduntil long after Christmas 2003,for six months or so Phuket re-ally did have cheap, fast, reliableInternet access. Now we’re star-ing at the Ghost of ChristmasPast.

From what I’ve seen, de-mand for reliable broadband onthe island is almost infinite – ifthe government can get its acttogether, the people of Phuketwill rapidly absorb every avail-

able baud. We haven’t eventweaked the nipple of the iceberg.

Most disappointing, frommy point of view, is the idea thatsome people actually believe (asCAT’s spokesman asserted) thatone 155-Mbps line from Phuketto Bangkok will “make it unnec-essary to create a direct link tothe Internet from Phuket, as waspreviously planned.”

As many ofyou know, anInternet backboneline passes withina few kilometersof Phuket. Patch-ing into the linewould requireHerculean politi-cal effort, but if itwere to happen,Phuket would sud-denly be on a parwith other Asiancomputer hubs.It’d put us on thecyber map. Aslong as we’re teth-ered to a wimpy

Bangkok link, we’ll all get third-class service.

In the meantime, the com-panies that were competing tobring cheap Internet access havebeen shoved out of the way. Thegovernment’s 1,000-baht-a-month offering simply sucked upthe entire bottom end of the mar-ket.

Right now, I’m looking atIsland Technology’s ADSL ser-vice, as well as the ones from JI-Net and CS/Loxinfo. None of theoptions are cheap. But at least

Why CAT’s service is kitty litter

From what I’ve seen,demand for reliablebroadband on theisland is almostinfinite – if the

government can getits act together, the

people of Phuket willrapidly absorb every

available baud.We haven’t even

tweaked the nipple ofthe iceberg.

F E A T U R E SNovember 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 19

Let the goodtimes roll...

As it seems that this gov-ernment has no inten-tion of changing itsviews on entertain-

ment venue closing times any-time soon, it looks like Phuket’sfun spots are simply going tohave to find ways to cope – justas they appear to be doing inBangkok.

Up in the capital recently,Stool Pigeon noticed that theclosing times were being strictlyenforced in two of his old haunts:Nana Entertainment Complexand the dingy but lovable Wash-ington Square area.

The action around Nana hasspilled out from the Entertain-ment Complex right onto SoiNana, where a number of newbeer bars (new to Stool Pigeonanyway) now get going in the lateafternoon.

When Stool Pigeon lived inBangkok, the idea of headingdown to Nana before 10 pm wasunthinkable, but that was beforethey had the BTS – and it wasalso back in the days when mostbars would, as a point of honor,stay open all night if just onepunter chose to remain.

Although Nana bar ownersare complaining about the 1 amclosing, commerce in the areaseems to have adjusted to accom-modate the change: there were farmore streetwalkers, touts, foodvendors, flower children andtime-share hustlers crowding thesidewalks than ever before.

Businessappears to bebooming, evenbefore sun-down. Andwhat was oncehidden awayfrom view nowrepresents an in-your-face ob-stacle course fori n n o c e n tschoolchildrentrying to maketheir way homethrough the al-ready difficulturban terrain of downtown Bang-kok. Some kids were even ped-dling trinkets to drunk foreign-ers while still in their school uni-forms.

But unlike Phuket, wherequestions about the early closingtimes elicit responses rangingfrom bewilderment and confu-sion to fury and indignation, inBangkok many customers at leastseem to be taking it in their stride.

A bargirl: “I like knowing Ican leave at 1 am, it gives memore time with my kids.”

A foreign customer: “Idon’t like paying bar fines – andnow I don’t have to.” (Bar fines

Just about everybody I talkto these days knows andunderstands the impor-tance of a regular fitness

program, and many dream ofbeing strong, fit and healthy.

But one of the biggestmyths doing the rounds is thatone must exercise every day inorder for it to be beneficial.

“Keep moving and be ac-tive,” say the experts. “Daily ac-tivity is good for you.” Of courseit is, but for somepeople this appearstoo much of adaunting task and,consequently, theydo no exercise atall.

So just whatshould you do?

First of all,let’s back up anddeal with starting afitness program.

Unless youhave some past ex-perience in fitnessand have your owngym equipment, Irecommend you join a fitnessclub or hire a personal trainer tohelp get you started.

Just as important is to talkto the club manager, fitness in-structor or personal trainer first.Ask what regime will be set foryou in order to for you to reachyour goals. Yes, you must havesome goals – so write themdown.

Twice-weekly fitness pro-

gram: One of the most commonmistakes made is when peoplejoin a club and jump in way overtheir heads by training every day– sometimes for several hours aday – for a couple of months.They then giving up becausethey haven’t seen much im-provement and because they feeltired.

Giving up is a often a di-rect result of having undertakenthe wrong fitness program. Thebody cannot take that degree ofexercise day in, day out. People

in Nana now cost up to 600 baht,but I was told far fewer of themwere being paid.)

When returning fromWashington Square, my taxiturned into the bedlam of SoiNana at closing time. The roadwas impassable.

Tuk-tuk drivers in Patongare unanimously opposed to earlyclosing, and most even took partin the failed protest last month.But that doesn’t seem to be thecase with their counterparts in thecapital, where tourists make up aconsiderable – but not an over-whelming – majority of fares:

My taxi driver: “The earlyclosing times are good. Thaksinis right. He’s the strong leader we

have needed allalong. Peoplewho fight theg o v e r n m e n t ,like the terror-ists in the South,have all beenbrainwashed.How would youlike it if yourcountry lookedlike this?”

An inter-esting question,and one wellworth ponder-ing. I’m not sure

whether I would mind it or not,but I am sure that my motherwouldn’t approve.

Rare bargain: After quite a bitof pavement pounding I think Imay have found the best value ac-commodations in the Nana area:It’s called Orchid House, and at550 baht a night you get UBC TV,hot water, a fridge, a king-sizebed with a firm mattress and, bestof all, no disgusting mite-and-fungi-infested carpeting on thefloor. Just nice, clean tiles.

Cyber surcharge: The OrchidHouse is a rare bargain in the

Nana area, where ripoffs and out-rageous overcharging tend to pre-dominate. One Internet shopthere has the audacity to charge50 baht for 15 minutes – yet itwas packed with foreigners.

When one considers that agood Internet café in Phuket City,like the plush AK Internet inSamkong, charges just 15 baht anhour, the price differential worksout at a factor of more than 13:1.

But that’s only half thestory. The connection speed atAK Internet is also about 10times faster than its competitorin the capital. Calculating the dif-ference in megabytes/second/baht (if such a unit exists), thefactor would have to be more like130:1— nothing the Nana shopcan justify by having to payhigher rent.

InterNanational: But that’s whyNana continues to boom: it hasestablished itself as a centralpoint in Bangkok where naïveforeigners, who either don’tknow or don’t care that they arebeing ripped off, tend to congre-gate. Many of Patong’s residentswould feel right at home there.

The Nana area does have itspositive points, though. The Thaiword nana can be translated as“various” or “different”.

In the case of Soi Nana, itis almost certainly an abbreviatedform of the word nanachaad,which means “international”.

The name is apt. On anygiven day, there are probablymore international “financialtransactions” taking place withina one-kilometer radius of theNana Intersection than there arein the entire American state ofMinnesota.

It’s all pure foreign income,and it just keeps rolling in – nomatter what the government doesto try and regulate it.

miss a day’s exercise, then twodays, then a week and beforeyou know it, a month has gone.Then they stop altogether.

Good results can beachieved by doing just two 30-minute workouts each week.This regime may not get you fitenough for the Olympics but itwill make you fitter and leaveyou feeling good about yourself.More is better – obviously – buttwice-weekly exercise works

and it may promptyou to do morewhen you areready for it.

A typicaltwice-weekly pro-gram should fea-ture:

•18 minutesof weight trainingincluding one ortwo sets of 12-15reps of compoundexercises – such assquats, deadlifts,lunges and benchpresses – to workthe major muscle

groups;•12 minutes of cardiovas-

cular exercise such as treadmill,bike, outdoor running, briskwalking or swimming.

Start off with a few min-utes rest between the weight-training sets if you need to. Youwill notice that as your fitnessimproves you will need less restbetween sets.

You can effect a noticeablechange in the exterior of yourbody in just 30 days, with re-duced body fat and increasedmuscle strength.

There should also be somevery positive changes going oninside you. These should includea lower resting heart rate, lowercholesterol, lower blood sugarlevels and lower blood pressure– to a name just a few.

Slow but steady

FANATICFitness

By Joe andPensri Lewis

Pensri & Joe Lewis are fitnessand equipment consultants atFitness R Us. Tel: 09-8663736Email: jlewis@loxinfo.co.th.

Does this stuff really work? Letus know by email to:stoolpigeon@phuketgazette.net

E D I T O R I A L & L E T T E R S

- Since 1994 -

367/2 Yaowarat Rd, AmphurMuang, Phuket 83000Tel: 076-236555Fax: 076-213971Email: info@phuketgazette.net

Letters conveying views and suggestions are published here. Those seeking comment from governmentofficials and/or business owners are published in Issues & Answers on the facing page.

The Gazette is pleased to receive mail from read-ers. Please write to us at 367/2 Yaowarat Rd,Amphur Muang, Phuket 83000, fax to 076-213971or send an email to editor@phuketgazette.net

with your views for publication in our next issue.We reserve the right to edit all letters. Pseud-onyms are acceptable only if your full name andaddress are supplied.

Letters

Editor: Rungtip HongjakpetManaging Editor: Alasdair Forbes

Deputy Editor: Chris HustedChief Reporter: Sangkhae Leelanapaporn

Investigation Team: Dhirarat Boonkongsaen, Gategaeo Phetsawang,Kamol Pirat, Anongnat Sartpisut, Siripansa Somboon

Desk Editors: Stephen Fein, Andy Johnstone, Alison Winward

Managing Director: Rungtip HongjakpetMarketing Manager: Oranee Pienprasertkul

Website Services Manager: Natthira SusangratDistribution Manager: Passara Kaewbumroong

Financial Controller: Benjawan LukthanPublisher: The Phuket Gazette Co Ltd

Contact us

Advertising Sales: adsales@phuketgazette.netClassified Advertising: classads@phuketgazette.net

Website Services: anna@phuketgazette.netShopper Card inquiries: shopper@phuketgazette.netGazette Guide inquiries: guide@phuketgazette.net

Telephone: 076-236555 (10 lines) Fax: 076-213971

In association with The Nation Multimedia Group PCL

Copyright © 1994-2004 The Phuket Gazette Co Ltd

The views expressed in the Phuket Gazette are those of the writers and contributors anddo not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, the editor, the shareholders, or the direc-tors of The Phuket Gazette Co Ltd.

20 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

– The Editor

Ignoring markets may be fatal

Driven off the beachby howling jet-skisOn my second day in Phuket, Iwent to my favorite beach inThailand, Karon Beach – emer-ald-blue sea, like a painting, andastonishing sunsets, just awe-some!

I have been to many places,but in my opinion Karon is oneof the most beautiful beaches inthe world. It’s a jewel.

I fell in love with the beachfour years ago, and despite whata foreigner once said in the Ga-zette about people coming toPhuket not for its beauty and pris-tine nature but for something else(he probably meant the bars inPatong), I still think Phuket hasnature worth protecting. Let thebarflies hang around in Pattayaor Patong, because the alcoholhas blinded them to their beauti-ful surroundings.

But when I returned to myfavorite beach, what did I see?Jet-skis and parasails, sights Ihoped I would never see atKaron. I knew they were inPatong, but I was happy theywere kept out of Karon.

During my previous visitearlier this year, things were stillpeaceful. Now it’s all screeching,like I would hear if I was in thedentist’s chair having my teethdrilled, and the stink of gasolineeverywhere, and why? Just to letsome local fisherboys have theirown business and a higher in-come?

A few jet-skis now domi-nate the whole beach. Even ifthey have no customers, the op-erators are on them the wholetime. It’s terrible. I cannot believethe stink, noise and disturbance.

How many of the visitors toKaron are so blind, deaf and un-

caring about anyone and any-thing but their own fun? Notmany, I’m sure.

Now I will have to look foranother destination, after fouryears of good holidays. I’m dis-appointed.

K KollitschAmsterdam

As a Thai woman who is not inthe sex business, I suggest thatthe real cause of the “flesh trade”is not easy to resolve – or evento see, and many people don’tunderstand what the real rootsare.

I don’t mean to offend any-one who says education and bet-ter social security will help withthis [Letters, Gazette, October30], but education isn’t necessar-ily the answer. It’s more aboutmorals – people must know howto weigh the good and bad, thenchoose to do good rather thanbad.

Students nowadays arehappy to do whatever it takes tobuy the latest fashion accesso-ries, so long as they don’t haveto use their brains or work forthem.

These students are edu-cated people, and educatedpeople don’t use labor, they usebrainpower to find work thatdoesn’t require their physical la-bor.

Why? Because they thinkthat as their bodies are theirs, thatthey have every right to do what-ever they want with them – aslong as it doesn’t harm otherpeople.

As reported in a Thai news-paper recently, high-school girlsare offering live Internet shows

for a 300-baht phone card. Themore you pay, the more you see.Pay enough and you can ask thegirl out.

Why are these girls doingthis? Because they know they aregood looking and they exploittheir looks to the full.

“Who cares?” they think,“I’m not hurting anybody, in fact,I’m making people happy. It’seasy, fun and I get money for it.”

Believe me, morality is theonly solution to the flesh-tradeproblem.

How can you remain goodwhen the goodness in your heartis up against an evil environ-ment?

How far can your strengthand determination go to win outagainst evil?

These are the real questions– and when we find some an-swers to them we will be able tosolve the problem.

Sinee HansKoh Kaew

Morality in an evilenvironment

We live on an island with one ofthe most dynamic – and certainlymost fascinating – property mar-kets in the world.

However, when turning tothe property section of the Ga-zette of November 13 for insightand information, we find insteadalmost an entire page devoted toa pointless rant [Graham Doven’sLarger Than Life column] abouthow Aussie women with a job todo are seemingly unwilling tomake themselves window dress-ing for ogling men – and otherdrivel.

What a shame!Lana Willocks-Chanhom

Chalong

Not so intellectualproperty

Phuket’s Malaysian rival, Langkawi, opened its 71,400-square-meterMahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC) next to the island’sairport some 15 years ago. Like the proposed Phuket InternationalConvention & Exhibition Center (ICEC), it can host meetings of upto 3,000 people.

But apart from the Langkawi International Maritime and Aero-space Exhibition once every two years, a travel show and a car show,the MIEC has seen very little business – hardly the way to recoupthe millions of ringgit the government invested. Had this been a pri-vate-sector project, one suspects it would have been mothballed longago.

The MIEC is perhaps an extreme example, but it does providean example for those who believe that Phuket only has to build theICEC to entice hundreds of thousands of people from around theworld to line up and book space.

That dream is unlikely to be fulfilled. For a start, Phuket iscoming from way behind. It would have to compete with such re-gional expo giants as Hong Kong and Singapore, which have spentdecades building up their clientele and refining their products. Phuketwould also face competition from Bangkok, with its well-establishedexpo facilities, not to mention excellent facilities further afield inSouth Korea, China and particularly in Japan.

All these rivals have well-established supporting infrastruc-ture – local transport, international flights and accommodation.Phuket does not. The roads to the favored sites are small and clogged.The airport cannot accommodate flights by the largest aircraft, somany visitors must come via Bangkok, adding hours to the journey.

The major concentrations of hotels in Phuket are nowhere nearthe proposed sites. Only one hotel near the Saphan Hin site could bedescribed as being of international standard. The same is true of MaiKhao Beach. The proposed Chao Fa City site has, as yet, no hotels atall. Putting conventioneers up in hotels on the west coast would cre-ate a logistical nightmare.

It also has to be realized that the MICE (meetings, incentives,conventions and exhibitions) industry is at least as vulnerable – prob-ably more vulnerable – than the tourism industry. While there willalways be tourists who will brave or ignore economic uncertainty,health scares or terrorist threats, conventioneers and exhibitors stayat home in times of uncertainty.

Thus far, all discussion of the ICEC has been about the poten-tial benefits to Phuket, but little has been heard about market re-search. That’s an omission that must be rectified before the projectgoes any further.

P E R S P E C T I V E SNovember 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 21

Phuket native Pol Lt Col Wijit Sanguansak, 78, retired after 58years of service in the Royal Thai Police, where he served as an

Inspector in Chumphon before finishing his career as Deputy Super-intendent in Surat Thani. He is now on the Kusornlatham Foundationcommittee and also sits on the Governor’s advisory committee.

He is now a vocal critic of local police, who he feels are failing intheir responsibility to keep local roads safe.

He is also dismayed that the Chalong police have failed to in-vestigate the destruction of a section of wall constructed by theKusornlatham Foundation around the controversial ‘paupers’ grave-yard’ at Friendship Beach.

Police need to smarten up their actPERSON

FIRSTTraffic police in Phuketdon’t care about theirduty. They turn up todirect traffic in front of

schools in the morning, then theyjust disappear all day before re-turning when the schools get out.

Yes, they set up check-points [to collect fines], but theydon’t make a sustained effort atenforcing traffic law, which istheir duty.

Senior police don’t monitoron-duty traffic police these days.In the past, Superintendents hadto make inspections every morn-ing and find ways to solve trafficproblems. I think every trafficpolice box should be monitoredby senior police officials.

Ensuring that every driverhas a licence is one requirement,but currently many police neglectto do this. It’s common for offic-ers to stop motorists, collect afine, and then send them on theirway. Some officers even say it’snot their responsibility to keepunlicenced drivers off the roads– that the Transport Office areresponsible for this.

But that’s not true. Policehave a duty to check all vehiclesfor this and other violations.

The majority of drivershere have little knowlege of traf-fic law. When issuing fines, po-lice should educate violators asnecessary, otherwise they willjust keep making the same mis-takes.

In my day, police were ableto control traffic to a reasonabledegree. I understand that thereare a lot more cars on the roadsnow, but I still think they shouldbe capable of carrying out theirduties in this regard. Whyshouldn’t they? There are moreroadsigns in Phuket now thanever before.

Also, police aren’t suffi-ciently committed to punishingserious offenders, such as thosewho flee accident scenes. Policeshould investigate, pursue andarrest such offenders. They havethe responsibility and authorityto do this, but they seldom exer-cise it.

When I was stationed inChumphon, I once arrested a po-liceman who ran over someone,killing him. I made the arrestmyself, but when I took him into the station, I was asked by theSuperintendent to sign off hisrelease on bail.

But I didn’t do it because Ididn’t think it was right andmight affect the investigation.After that, everybody understoodthat I did things by the book andleft me alone.

But here there are seldomany arrests for hit-and-run driv-ers who kill people, and this justencourages people to flee acci-dent scenes – because they aren’tworried about the police.

And when the police do

catch people who cause acci-dents, they only fine them. It’s nowonder there are so many repeatoffenders.

The whole thing boils downto the police not being seriousabout controlling traffic. LastDecember, I was pulled over fornot wearing a seatbelt. I had justpulled out of the Wachira PhuketHospital parking lot when mymobile rang, so I hadn’t buckledup yet.

I showed the low-rankingofficer my old police ID card, buthe gave me a 200 baht ticket any-way. When I got to the PhuketCity Police Station they told meI didn’t have to pay the fine, butI insisted on doing so just to showthem up.

Although I am an adviser tothe Governor and have other im-portant connections, I never tryto use them in cases like this.

Another bad point of thetraffic police is that the careersof officers who issue the mostfines are fast-tracked. This cre-ates a temptation [to write out as

many tickets as possible, in theeasiest way possible].

Nowadays, the police aresetting up more checkpoints thanever and fining traffic violators.They should also take away theirlicences and keep them until theviolator has passed a test on traf-fic regulations.

When I was a police officer,we had to follow the the regula-tions closely when issuing fines– and produce evidence. Nowa-days it seems that everything isleft up to the officers’ discretion.And nowadays just about everyofficer has his own private car.

On television, police arealways complaining that theydon’t get enough cooperationfrom the public. I don’t thinkthat’s true. Most people are will-ing to give cooperation to gov-ernment officers, as long as theyget some back.

It’s a two way street. If youaren’t good and fair to people,how can you expect them to co-operate?

I was assigned to Chum-

phon, Takua Pa and many otherplaces where I didn’t know any-body. I was even sent off to dealwith communist insurgents, butI never had a problem establish-ing a rapport with the localsbased on good faith.

Nowadays, [the police] arenot creating public confidence,but rather resentment and evenhatred.

I feel sorry when I go tomeetings and the subject of thepolice is raised. When I say badthings about the police, they askme “Hey, you were a police of-ficer – why are you always say-ing bad things about them?” I re-ply that I am just speaking truth-fully and fairly.

I have heard many visitorsfrom Bangkok and other placescomplain about driving skills inPhuket. They wonder why peopledon’t follow the traffic rules here,passing wherever and wheneverthey want and failing to stay intheir lanes.

The police must get seriousabout their duty [and crack downon moving violations] here.

The other big problem ispolice don’t bother making outreports for people – because theyare too lazy. They only enter theevidence in the daily log “as evi-dence” [that something hap-pened].

If I went to report some-thing to the police and they re-fused to make out a full report, Iwould charge them with derelic-tion of duty under section 147 ofthe penal code.

But most people are afraidto charge police, because nowa-days you see a lot of stories aboutpolice involved in crime andmurders to silence witnesses.This is also a big part of the prob-lems in the Deep South.

I was interested and disturbed toread in Issues & Answers in thePhuket Gazette of September 23,2004, about the need for all visi-tors to carry their passports, or acopy, with them at all times.

I must confess that I wastotally ignorant of this require-ment, though I have been travel-ling to Thailand annually for thelast 15 years or so.

I should welcome clarifica-tion on the following point:

Is it necessary for the copyof the passport to be made onceone is in Thailand, so as to showthe immigration stamp and dateof entry? Or is it sufficient for acopy to be made outside Thai-land, which would of course pro-vide all the other identificationdetails, as well as the visa?

Mark H. BurrillHonolulu

Pol Lt Col Panudej Sookwong,Superintendent of the PhuketTourist Police, replies:

You should get the photo-copy of the passport made afteryou come into Thailand. Thatway we can check everything –name, nationality, date of entry,expiration date of visa and pass-port, last destination and so on.If you make the copy before youcome to Thailand, we cannotcheck all this information.

If you are worried aboutlosing your passport, you canleave it in the hotel and have thefront office manager or anotherperson in authority sign the pho-tocopy and write his name andposition on it to verify it is anaccurate copy.

However, the Gazette notes thatthe “photocopy rule” appears

not to apply everywhere. PolMaj Phanthana Nutchanart, ofthe Bangkok InvestigationTourist Police (Division 2),stresses:

Tourists must carry theirpassports with them at all times.This is an international rule.

A passport is like an IDcard; if you don’t have it withyou, the police may arrest you.

What should a copy ofmy passport show?

I went to Phuket ProvincialTransportation Office (PPTO)and took along all the documentsthe chief said I would need whenhe replied to my previous ques-tion about buying a car as a tour-ist. But the man behind thecounter refused to complete thetransfer because I was a tourist.

How can I now proceed,given that officers at the PPTOwon’t do as their chief has pub-licly stated?

StevePhuket

Teerayuth Prasertphol, ChiefTechnical Officer of the Phuket

Buying a car as a touristProvincial Transportation Of-fice (PPTO), replies:

It is possible that the offcieryou saw didn’t realize that a tour-ist may own a car. You shouldbring the documents I referred toearlier [see Phuket Gazette, Sep-tember 18] and ask for me at thePPTO.

Want to know how to get something done?Can’t understand some of the dafter things thatseem to go on in Phuket? Want to pitch an ideato Phuket’s authorities or institutions? Then this

is the forum for you.Submit your queries or suggestions to us andwe’ll ask the appropriate people to respond to

them.

Write to: The Phuket Gazette, 367/2 Yaowarat Rd, Muang,

Phuket 83000. Fax 076-213971, or submit your issue at

www.phuketgazette.net

ANSWERS&Issues&

F E A T U R E S22 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

By Wanida Hongyok momma@phuketgazette.net

MommaDUCK

Dear Momma Duck,Before I came to Thailand

three years ago – the first time Ihad ever visited the country – Itried to learn as much about theculture as I could from books andthe Internet.

I don’t know whether I mis-interpreted the information Ifound, whether it was simplywrong or just out of date, butthere were a number of Thai so-cietal norms reported that I haverarely seen put into practice.

One example was to dowith the eating of rice. I recallreading that it was customary toacknowledge the importance ofrice by – almost as a way of say-ing “grace” – eating one spoon-ful of plain rice before launch-ing into the rest of the meal.

In my time here, in manydifferent settings, in restaurantsand in the homes of Thai peopleall over the country, I have yet tosee a single person do this. Is thatcustom simply “old-fashioned”now?

I also read that both the veryyoung and the very old – but par-ticularly the aged –are veneratedin Thai culture. Apart from cer-tain ceremonies carried out atSongkran, I have rarely seen theelderly being given a great dealof respect.

Doors are not held open for

them, drivers do not stop for themat pedestrian crossings and theyare often left sitting alone in res-taurants while their families carryon around them. “Respecting theold” appears to be little more thanempty words.

In contrast, during the timesthat I have enjoyed the companyof bargirls for the night, hardlyone of them has not, before retir-ing to bed, bowed and touchedher head to the pillow thrice, as,I understand, practicing Bud-dhists are supposed to. However,the number of Thai girls I haveknown who did not work in barsnever did this.

Isn’t it ironic that these“working women”, sometimesthought of as pariahs, are in factkeeping alive some of the old tra-ditions, while the “good people”ignore them?

Thomas Fowler, Phuket

Dear Thomas,Your observation is quite

acute. I feel that during my life-time there have been manychanges in our practices, al-though the underlying beliefs re-main similar. I suppose the activi-ties you describe can be consid-ered part of the “old fashionedway”.

In the archaic form of Thailanguage, rice is called Pra Mae

Prosop, which means “MotherRice”, and the ritual you de-scribe was to show respect andthink about how much effort andpain it takes for a farmer to growrice.

Today, we still teach ourchildren about the way to eat ricebut the practice ofeating a spoonful ofplain rice to start ameal has fallen bythe wayside, atleast in the urbanareas.

Another fac-tor is that most ofthe new, urbanizedgeneration of Thaishave never plantedrice – or any othercrop – and haveprobably nevereven seen farmwork firsthand.They simply haveno idea about theb a c k - b r e a k i n gwork of planting and harvestingrice.

In Phuket, active rice fieldsare disappearing at an alarmingrate and I can think of only acouple of places where you canstill see rice in the fields.

With this lack of reality forurban Thais to witness, we can-not really blame them for not un-

derstanding the importance ofrice. When I was young mymother always reminded me tofinish the rice that was left on theplate, but the “throw-away” cul-ture has certainly arrived, withlittle concern about taking onlywhat you can eat. It bothers me

when I see theamount of foodwasted at big wed-dings in fancy ho-tels.

As for thepractice of respect-ing the elderly, thatvaries very muchfrom one person toanother, but I doagree that it isslowly disappear-ing.

However, asyou have probablynoticed, there is abig difference be-tween the respectand politeness

Thais exhibit face-to-face withpeople they know and their be-havior in public with people theydon’t know.

All the examples you gaveare from the “public” arenawhere we are often not as politeand respectful as you might seein the cultures of northern Europeor the Americas.

We don’t stop for anyone atpedestrian crossings, much lessfor old people to cross. Indeed,you could easily cause an acci-dent if you happen to stop ab-ruptly at a pedestrian crossing, somake sure that you check yourrear-view mirror first.

We’re also not very good atqueuing, although the idea iscatching on in some banks andother places.

However, at home and infamily groups and at occasionssuch as weddings or funerals,you’ll see us being very respect-ful to the elderly

Regarding your commentabout the seemingly unusual tra-ditional behavior of bar-girls, theanswer is really quite simple –they tend to come from poor ru-ral areas where most ritual tradi-tions are still practiced.

Urban Thais tend to regardsuch practices old-fashioned, andnot trendy.

My perspective is that whatis in your heart and the way youlive is much more important thansimply going to the temple regu-larly, but traditional rituals havean important place in binding acommunity together.

And yes, I do indeed thinkthat some bar-girls are “goodpeople”. They can be as “good”as any other group.

Are the old traditions dying out?

B U S I N E S S & M O N E YNovember 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 23

Building cost hike led by steel shortage

Europe will suffer from weak dollar

TALKSMONEY

By Richard Watson

ON THE MOVE

By Kamol Pirat

PHUKET: Every first-year eco-nomics student knows that theprimary cause of inflation – re-gardless of the commodity in-volved – is too much moneychasing too few goods.

Phuket’s current housingboom is a case in point and thesame immutable law of inflationis having an effect on the pricesof construction materials them-selves.

According to Ratree Dub-soke, Chief of the Phuket Provin-cial Internal Trade Office(PPITO), the prices of many con-struction materials have risen byat least 5% in the past year.

In some cases, the rise inprices has been spectacular.Steel, particularly reinforcingbar, or rebar, has risen in priceby around 38% in Phuket, with a

10-meter length of 12mm rebarthat sold for 87 baht last year nowselling for 120 baht.

Figures from MEPS (Inter-national) Ltd – a UK-based steelindustry consultancy companythat monitors steel prices andtrends – show that the price ofrebar worldwide increased bymore than 45% in the first fourmonths of this year. The price hassince fluctuated but without sta-bilizing.

Indices for the Asian rebarmarket echo this, showing an in-crease of 34% in the year toApril, with prices continuing tofluctuate since then.

A recent headline at theMEPS website, www.meps.co.uk, sums up the situation by say-ing that steel prices are “…un-paralleled in recent history”.

K. Ratree attributes the risein the cost of rebar to increases

in the costs of the raw materialsrequired for steel production.There has been a worldwideshortage of coke, necessary tofire the furnaces, and steel pro-ducers have passed on their in-creased costs to consumers.

But demand remains highin almost every market, espe-cially Europe, Asia and the US,and the consumer is paying.

K. Ratree said the PPITOhas checked with five steel-prod-ucts suppliers in Phuket – thoseknown to have supplies in excessof 100 tons of steel – and foundthat none of them is stockpilingrebar or other building materialsin an effort to drive up prices ar-tificially.

There has also been signifi-cant increases in the costs ofother building basics, includingone item commonly used in theThai market – the 10m x 22cm x

22cm concrete foundation pile.Prices in 2003 were 1,596

baht per unit, but 2004 has seenthe price rise to around 1,703baht, an increase of around 7%.

Although standard-sizedconcrete blocks of 39cm x 19cmx 9cm are, at 10 baht apiece, oneof the cheaper essentials of mostbuildings, this price still repre-sents an 11% increase on 2003prices.

Surprisingly, the price ofcement has not increased at any-thing like the same rate. “Tiger”brand cement, manufactured inThailand by the Siam CementGroup, still retails at 122 baht fora 50-kilogram bag, the same priceas last year, while the company’s“Elephant” brand Portland ce-ment sells for 137 baht per 50kgbag, an increase of less than onebaht form last year.

The increased prices will

inevitably be passed on to theconsumer, pushing up the pricesof new homes.

One project manager, Kier-tichai Keawbumrung, of theRoyal Estate Park housingproject, acknowledged the rise inprices of almost all raw materi-als, including wood, which, hesaid, had increased by between30% and 40%.

“These rises have definitelyhad an impact on the cost ofbuilding, and the increased priceof each [new] house will be haveto be borne by the buyers.

“The government shouldhelp the construction industry bystabilizing the prices of, for ex-ample, steel and oil. This willhelp the industry and the con-sumer,” he said.

Whether the governmentwill heed such calls remains tobe seen.

Last week’s article cov-ered, among otherthings, reasons for thecurrent weakness of

the US dollar. It was interest-ing to note that after that articlewas written, US Treasury Sec-retary John Snow came outwith a statement on the eve of a10-day visit to Europe and madethe same points.

To recap, the US is notconcerned with the rise of theeuro against the dollar. The eurozone must do more to stimulatedomestic demand by imple-menting structural reforms, es-pecially to labor laws, as wellas reduce taxation, stimulate pri-vate initiative and address thepension problem.

These are vital require-ments that need to be addressedurgently. One look at the zone’seconomic growth statistics bearsthis out. The latest figures forthe third quarter of 2004 showthat the German economy grewby just 0.1% in the quarter andthe Euro zone as a whole by only0.3%.

Japan has announced itsgrowth for the third quarter andit mirrored Germany, a meager0.1%. This was well below ex-pectations, but as machineryorders and industrial productionfigures had also caused disap-pointment, the lackluster GDPfigures were no surprise.

However, while Mr Snowis correct in what he says, thatis not the whole story. Certainly,most of the US current accountdeficit can be explained by loweuro zone and Japanese domes-tic demand. This does not affectexports to the US, but it doesaffect exports from the US tothose economies.

The US has two areas itmust address. First: the budgetdeficit. This was acceptable in2001 and 2002, and maybe in2003 when the US economy wasin a tight position and govern-

ment spending was a usefulstimulus.

However, those days arepast and government spendingmust fall so that the national debtdoes not spiral out of control.Many people point out that thewar in Iraq is an expensive busi-ness, but at a projected cost ofUS$130 billion for this yearalone, it goes nowhere near ex-plaining the massive deficit.

The second problem is so-cial security costs. Mr Snow iscorrect that euro zone states mustdeal with the public pensionproblem. European demograph-ics are frightening – and combin-ing an aging population with alow birth rate and unemploymentbenefits for an average of 9% ofthe working age population, it isno wonder that the three largesteconomies of the zone are run-ning unhealthy budget deficits.

France, for example, is try-ing to curb its budget deficit byusing the proceeds of privatiz-

ation. However, that isakin to using savings tomaintain lifestyle. Thelong-term solution mustbe to increase income orreduce expenditure.

Returning to theUS social security prob-

lem, the US is seeing its “babyboom” generation approach re-tirement. The US demographicsituation is not as bad as that ofmost European countries, but itis still serious.

The US Federal Reservehas now released its minutesfrom its meeting on November10. These, too, reveal concernabout social security and the bud-get deficit, and this is not for thefirst time.

The real problem is thatboth the Republicans and Demo-crats continually avoid these is-sues because they do little to gainvotes in an election.

At least in the US they havegood economic growth, and thatbrings in government revenue inmany ways, including higher cor-porate tax receipts. That said, thegrowth is still going to be insuf-ficient to cut the budget deficitto a reasonable level.

In the meantime, the USdollar will continue to suffer.

European finance ministers arenow muttering about interveningin currency markets to supportthe dollar, not because they wantto save America, but becausethey are terrified that export de-mand could dry up with an ex-pensive euro.

If the US dollar continuesits slide against other major cur-rencies, it is likely to fall furtherthan most analysts are currentlypredicting. This is because mar-kets tend to overreact, and cur-rency markets are no exception.

In addition, many hedgefunds and other currency partici-pants are already “short” on thedollar, betting that it will fall fur-ther, and will increase their finan-cial commitments if it proves tobe a successful strategy. In fact,there may be a role for centralbank intervention to boost thevalue of the dollar if only to cre-ate a two-way market and causesome speed bumps to appear onthis downhill dollar road.

Lenka Juraskova, from theCzech Republic, has been ap-

pointed Mar-keting Commu-nications Man-ager of the JWM a r r i o t tPhuket Resort& Spa. She hasa master’s de-gree in English,

American studies and philologyfrom Charles University inPrague. Her experience includesworking as spokeswoman andMarketing Director for thePrague International Music Fes-tival, and as a translator and in-terpreter for the Czech govern-ment.

Somphop Vilailert, 41, fromAyudhaya, is the new Food and

Beverage Man-ager at LeRoyal MeridienPhuket YachtClub. K. Som-phop graduatedfrom KhooKhaeng Busi-ness Institute

with a mini MBA. His experiencein F&B includes working asManager of Henry J Bean’s Barand Grill at the Amari WatergateHotel, and with the Dusit ThaniHotel and the Regent Bangkokhotel, all in Bangkok.

Siripen Amornsirichutipon,from Phang Nga, has been ap-

pointed SpaManager of theHilton PhuketArcadia Resort& Spa. K. Siri-pen has a de-gree in commu-nication artsfrom Sukhothai

Thammathiraj University inBangkok. Her experience in-cludes working as Assistant SpaManager at the Banyan TreePhuket, and as Spa Manager atthe Rayavadee Resort in Krabi.

Richard Watson runs Global Port-folios Co Ltd, a Phuket-based per-sonal financial planning service.He can be reached at Tel and Fax:076-381997, Mobile: 01-0814611. Email: imm@loxinfo.co.th.

24 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004S P O R T & L E I S U R E

PHUKET: At least 59 yachts areexpected to race off Phuket andsurrounding islands in the 18th

Phuket King’s Cup Regatta,which will be held from Decem-ber 4 to 11.

At the time of writing, no-table absences from the list ofstarters were Plis Play, whichwon last year’s King’s Cup lessthan two weeks after beinglaunched in Malacca, and RayOrdoveza’s Clariden-Karakoa,which came second.

However, Neil Pryde, in HiFidelity, will be back vying foranother King’s Cup trophy to addto his collection, as will PeterAhern in Yo!, which won top hon-ors in 2002.

Ruby Tuesday and Di Hardwill also be back to compete in

PATONG: In a top-of-the-tableshowdown, OffShore Bar down-ed Happy Days 7-2 to go aheadby two points at the top of thestandings.

Happy Days salvaged apoint by winning the beer leg.

November 16 results: FatBoy Saloon 0 Nag’s Head* 9;Happy Days* 2 Offshore7; In-

CHERNG TALAY: Australiansdominated the Laguna PhuketTriathlon 2004 this morning, tak-ing the top three places in themen’s professional competition,and winning first place in thewomen’s professional category.

2002 winner Craig Alex-ander, from Sydney, crossed thefinish line first, completing thecourse in 2 hours 33 minutes 7seconds. Hot on his heels was lastyear’s winner Simon “Tommo”Thompson, from Canberra, whocrossed the line just 53 secondslater.

Fellow Aussie RichardCunningham came third, com-pleting the triathlon in 2:36.50.

Speaking with the Gazetteafter completing his third Lagunatriathlon, Alexander said, “Twoyears ago I won by four to fiveminutes. I had a large lead goinginto the run, so I could afford totake it easy. I think this one wasdefinitely harder.

“What can I say? That washard work. That was definitely avery hard-fought victory.”

Australian Nicole Hackett,in her first Laguna triathlon, wonthe women’s professional cat-egory, completing the course in2:53.06. Hackett already has anoutstanding athletic record; she

was a member of the AustralianSydney 2000 Olympics squad,2000 Women’s World Champion,and has been ITU World Cham-pion three times.

2002 and 2003 women’sprofessional champion CarolMontgomery, from Canada,came second in 2:54.53, followedby American Barb Linguist whofinished in 2:57.46.

The first Thai across thefinish line was Chadarak Chai-gamjorn, who completed thecourse in 3:09.36 to place 30th.The next two Thais to finish wereWuttipat Bunjang (3:15.59), whocame in 38th, followed by SantitiUntabal (3:18.40) in 45th place.

The Phuket Hash HouseHarriers – with swimmer LeeHorwood, cyclist K. Kirkkongand runner K. Annop, were thefastest team in the competition,completing the course in 3:06.12.

Fellow Thai team SGLP II,comprising Torsten Richter,Sukchai Kaotan and AndrewJessop, came second (3:10.02),while the Phuket Water Taxi teamof Bill O’Leary, Pichet Ponglangand Thomass Flindt, with a com-bined age of 103, finished in thirdplace with a time of 3:21.52.

The first individual fromPhuket to complete the coursewas Priwan Inkaew (3.26.31),who came in 74th overall.

Aussies dominateLaguna triathlonBy Dhirarat Boonkongsaen& Gategaeo Phetsawang

Craig Alexander (left) and Simon Thompson cool down after takingfirst and second places in the triathlon.

Between* 5 Champs 4; Picca-dilly 5 Amigos* 4; Two BlackSheep* 3 Didi’s 6; Shakers vValhalla postponed; (*Winnersof beer leg).

Standings after Novem-ber 16: 1. OffShore (33); 2.Happy Days (31); 3. Piccadilly(29); 4.= Champs, Didi’s, Nag’sHead (27); 7. In-Between (26);

8.= Amigos, Two Black Sheep(19); 10. Shakers (10); 11. FatBoy Saloon (9); 12. Valhalla (1).

November 30 fixtures:Amigos v Valhalla; Champs vDidi’s; Happy Days v Two BlackSheep; In-Between v Fat BoySaloon; OffShore v Nag’s Head;Shakers v Piccadilly (Hometeams first).

Offshore go 2 points ahead in darts league

the IRC class, as will VirojNualkhair in Octopussy, whichlast year came second in theclass, though it seems La Sa-mudra will not be back to defendher title as IRC champion.

Other local favorites al-ready entered in the regatta areScott Duncanson’s Somtam Ex-press and Stuart Crowe’s Cin-ders, both of which are expectedto do well.

The number of boats regis-tered so far is considerably lessthan the numbers that competedin the past couple of years.

However, the regatta’s or-ganizers say that they expect thepattern of previous years to befollowed, with a hefty number oflast-minute entries.

– Chris Husted

Plis Play leads Hocux Pocux 2 as she heads to victory in lastyear’s King’s Cup Regatta. Plis Play is staying away this year,while Hocux Pocux 2 will be competing in the premier cruisingclass. – Photo by Guy Nowell

59 yachts registeredfor King’s Cup

300,000 join inmass aerobicsPHUKET CITY: An astonishing300,000 people in Phuket tookpart in mass exercise sessionsaround the island on November20 to honor Their Majesties theKing and Queen.

The Chief of Phuket Pro-vincial Health Office, WanchaiSattyawutthipong, told the Ga-zette that Phuket came second interms of turnout out of 30 provin-ces with populations of 500,000or less. Samut Sakhon was first.

At Surakul Stadium, PhuketGovernor Udomsak Usawarang-kura and 5,000 students, govern-ment officials and others gath-ered to get some exercise and,immediately afterwards, to markthe opening of the Phuket Games.

The Games are being heldto decide which youth teams willcompete in 22 different sports inthe 21st National Youth Games,to be held at Chaiyaphum fromMarch 20 to 30.

A total of 1,324 athletes

from 14 southern provinces aretaking part in the Phuket Games,competing in athletics, badmin-ton, basketball, boxing, bike rac-ing, dancing, golf, handball, Thaiboxing, pétanque, rugby, takraw,snooker, soccer, swimming, tabletennis, tae kwon do, tennis, vol-leyball, beach volleyball, shoot-ing and weight lifting.

– Gategaeo Phetsawang

Gov Udomsak goes for the burnin the mass aerobics session.

November 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 25S P O R T & L E I S U R E

See ISSUES & ANSWERS

at

www.phuketgazette.net

M O T O R I N G26 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

WHEELBEHIND

By Jeff Heselwood

T H E

Mitsubishi Motors,along with its Thaisubsidiary, Mitsu-bishi Motors Thai-

land, is to launch the locally-pro-duced Grandis minivan under thename Space Wagon.

This will be the first timethis model is produced outsideJapan for the local market and forexport.

The high-roofed “peoplecarrier” was introduced by Mit-subishi in 1983. Confusingly, itwas known as the Chariot in Ja-pan, the Colt Vista in the UnitedStates and the Space Wagon inEurope.

The original Space Wagonshad engines ranging from a mod-est 1.6 liters to 2 liters, but thelatest model boasts a 2.4-liter unitproducing 165bhp (121kW) withmaximum torque of 217Nm.

Driving the front wheels,the power plant is mated to ei-ther a five-speed manual or afour-speed automatic transmis-sion with “sports” mode. Theshift lever is dash-mounted, so asnot to encroach on passengerspace.

Seating up to seven in com-fort, the Space Wagon is unusualin that there is actually space foreveryone – not the case with mostof its rivals, in which the thirdrow of seats is generally bothnear-inaccessible and suitableonly for very short journeys.

The 2.4-liter motor featuresgasoline direct injection (GDI),a system pioneered by Mitsubishiand now licensed to a number ofother major manufacturers.

Advantages of the GDI en-gine are improved power deliv-

Jeff Heselwood may be contactedby email at jhc@ netvigator.com

Watch thisSPACE

ery, reduced emissions and lowerfuel consumption.

It took Mitsubishi engi-neers several years to perfect theideal combustion chamber and

piston shape to ensure full burn,and they had to try a variety ofinlet tract designs before arrivingat the optimum length and con-figuration.

In independent tests theGDI motors were found on aver-age to improve fuel economy byan astonishing 30%. In addition,torque was increased by as much

as 10% and carbon dioxide emis-sions were reduced by 30%.

All of this seems too goodto be true, but Mitsubishi standsby the figures and claims its GDIengines will meet standards as farahead as 2010.

In terms of safety, the SpaceWagon has been criticized by theinfluential EuroNCAP authori-ties, doing badly in the frontalimpact tests, with the driver’sairbag striking the occupant be-fore it was fully deployed.

The latest Space Wagonsare equipped with dual frontairbags and front seat belt pre-tensioners.

The car scored well, how-ever, in side impact tests, with thetesters noting that “its occupantssit above where a conventionalcar may strike” and the SpaceWagon “came close to scoring amaximum in these tests”. It wasalso rated highly for pedestrianprotection.

The Space Wagon is builtat Mitsubishi Motors Thailand’splant in Laem Chabang, in ChonBuri, and the company aims tosell 400 vehicles a month in theKingdom, with the rest of pro-duction being exported.

Mitsubishi Motors Thai-land’s President and CEO, Hisa-yoshi Kumai, said, “The new ve-hicle has been developed to meetthe demands of a new generationof customers.

“It is the culmination ofyears of effort by our engineers,who have produced a car that of-fers emotional design, smart per-formance and stylish utility.”

He added, “Thailand pres-ently manufactures and exportsthe Strada and Lancer, and withthe addition of the Space Wagonwe are planning to begin exportsas early as next year.”

Obvious rivals to the Mit-subishi are the Honda Stream,(Gazette October 23, 2004) andthe Ford Focus C-Max, althoughthe latter is considerably moreexpensive.

The Space Wagon, how-ever, was one of the first in thiscompact MPV segment andshows no sign of losing its domi-nant position in the market.

November 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 27

Ad-Central

Full page

28 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

G O O D L I V I N GNovember 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 29

chefGuest

By Jenna Wise

For luxury diningright by the beach,the Gekko Steak &Seafood LizardLounge at the She-raton Grande La-

guna Phuket is a wonderful set-ting.

Executive Chef Glen Rob-erts, from Australia, had workedin six other countries over 22years before arriving at theSheraton a year ago, but hadnever worked in Asia.

“I was pleased to have theopportunity to come to the Shera-ton because I hadn’t been to Asiabefore,” he explains.

“I have worked a lot in Aus-tralia, where I prepared food forvisiting prime ministers and roy-alty, including the Queen of En-gland.”

At the Sheraton, Glen re-cently prepared a meal for ThaiPrime Minister Thaksin Shina-watra and Malaysian Prime Min-ister Abdullah Ahmed Badawi.

They were doubtless im-pressed by both the choice avail-able from the eclectic menu andthe contemporary style of the res-taurant, reflecting the naturalbeauty of the sea and sand in thebackground.

Guests can cook their ownbarbecue from noon until 8 pmevery Sunday, for which four dif-ferent styles of menu are avail-able. Another popular option isthe “choose your own salad”,where staff bring a wide selec-tion of fresh salad ingredients tothe table and guests choose theirfavorites which are then freshlytossed and served with specialdressings.

Naturally, however, thereare also items on the menu thatrequire diners to do nothing morethan eat. Here’s how to make acouple of them.

Lobster and Avocado Tian

with Tropical Fruit Chutney

For eight peeople

Ingredients:

800g Phuket lobster;320g avocado;160g onion;240g tomatoes;240g double cream;40g finely-chopped garlic;160ml white wine;oil for frying.

For the Tropical Fruit Chut-ney:300g diced papaya;300g diced pineapple;200g diced mango;200g diced red onion;20g finely-chopped coriander;6 teapoons lime juice;3 teaspoons fish sauce;3 teaspoons sugar;Salt and pepper to taste.

For the lemon dressing:15g plain yogurt;5g chopped coriander;1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.

To decorate:2 wonton skins;30g lettuce;Fresh coriander.

Method:

Make the tropical fruit chutneyby combining all the ingredients;leave at room temperature for 30minutes before serving.

Make the lemon dressingby blending all the ingredientstogether well.

Poach the lobster, drainwell and cut the meat into 1-inchcubes.

Cut the onion, tomatoes andavocado into 1-inch cubes. Mixthese with half of the lobster meat

and the garlic, cream and whitewine.

Cut each wonton skin intotwo triangles and fry in hot oiluntil golden brown.

Place a small cake mold orother cylindrical object measur-ing about 3-4 inches in diameteron the plate and lightly press themixed fruit chutney and lobsterinto it.

Remove the mo ld carefullyand put the remaining lobstermeat on top.

Decorate with the wontonskins, fresh coriander and lettuceleaves, with lemon dressingdrizzled on the side.

Lemongrass Soup with

Pistachio Ice Cream

For four people

Ingredients:

680g lemongrass soup;240g pistachio ice cream;40g mango;40g strawberries;40g kiwi fruit;

8 ice cream wafers;4 fresh mint leaf;8 stalks lemongrass.

To make the lemongrass syrup:250g water;150g sugar;100g lemongrass stalk.(This aromatic syrup will keep

well in the fridge to use forother desserts).

To make lemongrass soup:500g good quality vanilla ice

cream;100g lemongrass syrup.

Method:

To prepare the lemongrass sy-rup, flatten the lemongrass stalkswith a hammer. Put the stalks ina large pan with the water andsugar.

Bring to the boil and sim-mer gently for about 30 minutes

with the lid on. Let it cool andthen strain.

To prepare the lemongrasssoup, simply add the syrup to theice cream and blend well so thatit becomes foamy.

Cut the mango, strawber-ries and kiwi fruit into bite-sized pieces. Put these intobowls and cover with the lem-ongrass soup.

Place the wafers in the bowlagainst the side, and float a scoopof pistachio ice cream on top ofthe soup. Decorate with lemon-grass stalks and a mint leaf.

Gekko Steak & Seafood LizardLounge, Sheraton Grande La-guna Phuket, 10 Moo 4, Bang TaoBay, Phuket 83110. Tel: 076-324101-7. Restaurant open: 6 pmto 11 pm Monday-Saturday andnoon to 8 pm Sunday.

Dreams of the LizardLeft, Lemongrass Soup with Pistachio Ice Cream; Center, Executive Chef Glen Roberts; Right, Lobster and Avocado Tian with

Tropical Fruit Chutney.

30 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004P H U K E T P R O P E R T Y

Home of the Week Patong

Three years old, this five-bedroom, three-storyhouse with northerlyviews across Patong

Bay is a well-designed exampleof the “modern Thai-style”house.

The lowest floor has a bed-room and a bathroom and, up-stairs, the second-floor living anddining areas feature an attractivecombination of marble and woodfloors.

This floor also has a well-equipped Western-style kitchenwith granite work tops, a two-door fridge-freezer and a graniteand wood breakfast bar.

There is also a second bed-room with en-suite bathroom lo-cated on this level as well asdoors to a terrace and the gardensat the back of the property .

The gardens, although notlarge, feature fresco walls, palmtrees, a lawn and a sala for es-caping from the sun.

The terraces and outdoorareas are paved in sandwash andceramic tiles, and are both coolunderfoot and pleasing to the eye.

The remaining three bed-rooms, each with an en-suitebathroom, are on the third floor.

Top-quality fittings areused throughout, includingwooden window frames, furni-ture and bathroom cabinets. Theinterior design makes much useof local materials. Ceramics and

sanitary ware are all of high qual-ity and attractive design, as arethe door and window drapes.

Although the house is de-signed to allow plenty of natural

ventilation, it also has air-condi-tioning and ceiling fans.

Additional features includea maid’s room and a gym. Thereis undercover parking, UBC TV,

well water and single- phase elec-tricity.

The house is offered forsale, fully furnished, for 20 mil-lion baht. The title is Chanote.

For more information contact Ri-chard Lusted, Siam Real Estate,at Tel: 076-280805. Email: info@siamrealestate.com. Website:wwwsiamrealestate.com.

November 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 31P H U K E T P R O P E R T Y

Construction Update by Anongnat Sartpisut

CAPE YAMOO: Putting andchipping greens, tennis courts,massage and sauna facilities, anda restaurant and bar are just a fewof the amenities that will be avail-able to residents of Grove Gar-dens on Cape Yamoo, on Phu-ket’s east coast.

Built as a “resort-style”residential development, GroveGardens is close to both the BoatLagoon and the Royal PhuketMarina, and all properties offerviews of the islands of Phang NgaBay.

Construction of the 36-home development – which com-prises 12 two-bedroom apart-ments, 12 three-bedroom apart-ments and 12 three/four-bedroomtownhomes – begins next monthwith an expected completion dateof April 2006.

The two-bedroom apart-ments – built in three blocks withtwo units upstairs and two down-stairs – will provide 95 squaremeters of air-conditioned spacecomprising a living and diningarea, kitchen and bathroom and12sqm of balcony. Apartmentsalso have common access to aroof terrace.

The three-bedroom apart-ments – built in a similar format– will have 150sqm of air-condi-tioned living space and a 20-sqmbalcony. The ground-floor unitswill have private gardens whilethe upstairs apartments will haveindividual roof terraces.

The townhomes will eachhave a total area of 330sqm. Thiswill be made up of 220sqm ofliving space, 64sqm of terrace –including a 12sqm plunge pool– a balcony and a 46-sqm roofterrace.

Lars Ydmark, managingdirector of developers LertsatPhuket Co Ltd and property man-agement company Tri-Asia, saidthat the properties should appealnot only to people looking for ahome but also to those lookingto invest in the vacation rentalmarket. Tri-Asia will market the

Rising in the East

properties as vacation or long-term lets.

Fifteen of the 36 units havebeen sold off-plan, with demandbeing strongest for the 5.5-mil-lion-baht two-bedroom apart-ments – seven have been sold sofar. The three-bedroom apart-ments are offered at 9.5 million

baht and five sales have alreadybeen made. The townhomes –three have sold so far – are forsale at 13.5 million baht each.

For more information, call Tel:076-239820 or Email: lars@tri-asia.com or visit www.grovegardensphuket.com

P H U K E T P R O P E R T Y32 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

G ardening with Bloomin’ Bert

Pride of place on Nai Harn BeachThe Bert belt has had to

be loosened in recenttimes, and by quite afew notches. Some of

my so-called friends have evenaccused me of becoming a bit ofa bloater.

I feel that I have a valid ex-cuse – I put it down to my recentchange of allegiance fromHeineken to Tiger.

The more cynical of thosewith whom I have been knownto quaff the odd polite beer seemunconvinced by this argument,and put my ever-expanding girthdown to the sheer volume of thestuff I consume, rather than qual-ity or brand.

Whatever the reason,enough is enough – I finally hadto admit that I needed some ex-ercise. So I got off my behind andwent over to Nai Harn for a walkalong the beach, bound for thesource of inspiration of thisweek’s column – Le Royal Me-ridien Phuket Yacht Club.

I was met on arrival by K.Papan, the bell captain, who waskeen to show me around thegrounds. I was immediatelystruck by how proud he was ofthe gardens and everything thatsurrounded him.

This is a hotel where gar-dening has been transformed into

a passion, with the full-time gar-dening staff of 10 people work-ing flat-out to keep the grounds– and everything else – lookingspectacular.

All the hotel’s rooms are setinto the side of the hill, each witha sea view. Nobody likes hotelrooms that all look exactly the

same, and the Yacht Club hasovercome this through the liberaluse of bougainvillea (fueng faain Thai). Every balcony has twoor three of them, all in full bloombut in different colors.

The variety of colors on thebalconies lifts every corner. Thishas got to be the plant that domi-

nates the hotel – it’s ev-erywhere. I’m sure thehotel has every bougain-villea hue that’s everbeen invented.

As we continuedour tour, it became ap-parent that not a singlepart of the grounds hasbeen left untouched.They’ve even put plantson the roofs.

There are helicon-ias (thammaraksa) bythe thousand. Not thequiet, subtle ones, butthe vivid, dangling zig-zag ones that grab yourattention whenever youturn a corner. You canalmost hear them snick-ering.

Even rock wallsdon’t escape. Ferns andother bromeliads havebeen encouraged to growin the most unlikelyplaces. There are walls

that you would assume containnothing of any nutritional value,and yet the gardening staff havebeen able to convince ferns thatsurvival is actually possible. In-deed, these plants aren’t just sur-viving – they’re thriving. Theylook as though they’re enjoyingevery minute of it.

The trees weren’t touchedwhen the hotel was built, with theresult that there are now somemajestically mature specimensaround the grounds. Bromeliadshave been introduced to thesetoo, with some incredible fernsand spectacular orchids clingingon in the most natural way pos-sible. These people know whatthey’re doing.

Le Royal Meridien PhuketYacht Club has a rather unique

way to honor its special guests –it buys them a plant, and puts itin the garden with a name plaque.K. Papan told me that someguests who come back year afteryear always enjoy seeing how“their” plant is doing.

In addition, just about ev-ery different species of plant ismarked somewhere in the gar-dens with a plaque giving itsname in English. Good idea.

There is one corner that hasbeen devoted to more “useful”plants. Lemon grass, kaffir limebushes and pandanus all growwith enthusiasm.

Guests are actually encour-aged to sample them, and it’s notunknown for the kitchen staff topinch the odd pandanus leaf towrap food.

There is also an area of aloevera. Apparently, the hotel staffare quite used to acting as herbaltherapists, dispensing cut leavesto those guests who have spent alittle too long baking on thebeach. A little of the gel frominside the leaves, when rubbedonto the skin, gives instant relieffrom sunburn.

At night, the gardens comealive in a very different way.Lights have been put inside manyof the larger plant pots to amaz-ing effect – fueng faa fullyfloodlit from the inside out.

I should do this more often.Who knows, I might even lose alittle weight in the process.Where’s next?

Want to know moreabout a plant

in your garden?

Email Bloomin’ Bert at:bloominbert@hotmail.com

Every nook and cranny of Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club is filledwith plants. Photo by Andy Johnstone

C L A S S I F I E D SNovember 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 33

Property GazettePropertiesFor Sale

NEW HOUSES

FOR SALE

Single house, 204sqm, forsale at 2.2 million baht. Twinhouse, 204sqm, for sale at2 million baht. Located atChao Fa East Rd. Pls contactKhun Ya for more info. Only6 units! Tel: 01-5973398.

KATA BEACH HOUSE

Good price and near the sea.Pls contact for details. Tel: 06-5958512, 01-9704638.Email: nalumana@phuket.ksc.co.th

4+2-BEDROOM

HOUSE IN KAMALA

Top-quality 4+2 bedroomhouse in Kamala, nearPhuket FantaSea and only10 mins walk to the beach.4 master bedrooms on 1st

floor with en-suite bath-room. 2 bedrooms on g/f –one can also be used as anoffice (2 phone lines) – theother as a maid’s room withattached bathroom. Largeliving/dining room with openEuropean kitchen, as well asa Thai kitchen. Fully fur-nished – all rooms withaircon and ceiling fan. Pricedat 18 million baht. For moredetails please contact FranzBrun in Kamala. Tel: 076-279075, 01-4761415.Email: fbrun@loxinfo.co.th

TOP OF KAMALA

Direct access to the mainroad. Underground power &water supply, and excellentlocation with views over-looking the bay. ContactPhuket LandSearch for de-tails. Tel: 076-290509.Email: sales@phuketland.com

LUXURY HOMES

IN PATONG

New 2-story homes – cov-ering 150sqm – with car-port, large living/dining roomwith aircon, 3 bedrooms and3 bathrooms. Freehold land,4 million baht. Please con-tact for details. Tel: 01-895-7597. Email: info@phuket-besthomes.com Website:www.phuket-besthomes.com

PATONG BEACH

condo for sale with freeholdtitle. Property has a fantasticview, measures 92sqm and ispriced at 2.2 million baht, pay-able in installments. 1.2 millionbaht initial payment, the re-maining 1 million baht trans-ferred at the Land Office. Fi-nancing available. Pls contactfor info. Tel: 09-4740227.Email: chotip_5@hotmail.com

LIGHTHOUSE

FOR SALE

The famous Lighthouse Res-taurant – with five water-front luxury rooms and threeoffices – in Ao Chalong is se-riously for sale. Potential todevelop residential units onunused property. Pleaseemail for more info. Email:maipenrai@hushmail.com

PLOTS IN RAWAI

Various plots in a housingproject available with verygood infrastructure. Plot sizesrange from 400sqm to 1,750sqm and start at 1.45 millionbaht. Tel: 01-6067410. Email:info@siam-business.com

LAND FOR SALE

71 sq wah near CherngTalay, just 4km to beach.Price is 500,000 baht,Chanote title. Pls call forinfo. Tel: 01-6078567.

LAND FOR SALE

Directly on the Banyan TreeGolf Course at Laguna Phuket.1,050sqm/262.45 sq wah.Price: 7.872 million baht. Plstelephone or email for furtherinformation. Tel: 076-239864.Email: hktmkt@ksc.th.com

NEW SINGLE HOUSE

for sale by owner. 2 stories, 3bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, fullyfurnished with a mountainview. 560sqm, 69m. Pls callfor info. Tel: 07-2799500.

HOUSE FOR SALE

90 sq wah with full title, twobedrooms, aircon, sat TV,large kitchen and living roomand big garden. Located in asought after area of Kamala.3 million baht. Pls contact fordetails. Tel: 01-6064648.

CONDO 4 SALE

Patong Beach. 1-room apart-ment for sale. Cash 550,000baht. Freehold title. Pls contactfor details. Tel: 09-4740227.Email: chotip_5@hotmail.com

KATA BREAKERS

2-bedroom apartment onbeach/canal with views,pools, spa and gym. Unique 5-star. Tel: 01-4961100. Email:subs@createlabs.com

ON THE

GOLF COURSE

6 rai available, from just 15meters from hole 18 at theMission Hills Golf Course. 4million per rai or 20 millionfor all 6. Call for details. Tel:06-6834996.

RAWAI CONDO

for sale. 250,000 baht totalprice, payable in instalments.150,000 baht initial payment,the remaining 100,000 bahttransferred at the Land Officeafter 1 year. Freehold title. Plscontact for more details. Tel:09-4740227. Email: chotip_5@hotmail.com

LAND FOR SALE

in Phuket Country Club.Please contact for more de-tails. Tel: 09-8718333, 01-6913351.

C L A S S I F I E D S34 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

Property Gazette

LUXURY GOLF VIEW4-bedroom villa with 370sqmof living area and 912sqm ofland for sale in Kathu. Theproperty is built to full Euro-pean standards. 85sqm swim-ming pool. Only 5 minutes toDulwich College. Please con-tact for more information.Tel: 06-6848758. Email:proline.publishing@1nj.deFor further details, please seeour website at: www.1nj.de

½ RAI AVAILABLEin Rawai. 800sqm. Flat, goodroad, wall, electricity, water,ready to build. 1.6 millionbaht. Pls contact for moreinfo. Tel: 07-8987062. Email:ebseng@yahoo.com

RAWAI HOME3-bedroom, 2-bathroom(150sqm) modern Thai-stylehome on 1 rai (1,600sqm) ofland. Stays cool without aircon.Only 6.9 million baht. Pls call formore info. Tel: 07-8987062.Email: ebseng@yahoo.com

SEAVIEW LANDFor sale: 1-1.5 rai of beautifulhillside land with astonishingsea views in Kalim, close tothe beach. Pls contact formore info. Tel: 076-345118,09-8749570. Fax: 076-340830. Email: mlch65@yahoo.com

URGENT SALEKathu, 3-bedroom, 3-bath-room house with land andgarden, Western kitchen,aircon, patio, carport, etc.3.75 milion baht or offers. Plscontact for more info. Tel:01-8370396, 01-3074710.Email: cawleym@loxinfo.co.th

GOLF COURSE LOTS1 rai serviced building lots fac-ing the 8th tee of a Jack Nick-laus course with ocean views.Please contact for more info.Tel: 09-9725226. Email:bgbphuket@yahoo.com

BANG TAO BEACHLuxurious, large 2-bedroomapartments in an exclusivedevelopment. Phase 1 sold outin 9 days, Phase 2 now selling.tel. Pls contact for more info.Tel: 09-9725226. Email:bgbphuket@yahoo.com

RAWAI TOWNHOUSE3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fur-nished, aircon & TV. Yearlyrental, 15,000 baht per month.Also for sale, 2.7 million baht.Pls contact for more details.Tel: 01-3709661. Email:one5thaue@yahoo.com

PropertiesFor Rent

LAND IN KAMALA1,200sqm, along the road,ready to build with a 2.6-meter-high wall around theproperty already. Priced at2.95 million baht. Pls call forinfo. Tel: 01-5691143.

APARTMENTfor rent. 50 sqm. Good positionand location on Nanai Rd. Onlyavailable for a year-long rental.Please call for info. Tel: 07-8904518.

RAWAI RESIDENCEApartment/studio with airconand fan, fully furnished and300m from the beach, for rentat 7,000 baht/month or 350baht/day. Pls contact for moreinfo. Tel: 09-4743418, 07-2738944. Email: chotip_5@hotmail.com

PATONG RESIDENCE1- or 2-bedroom apartmentswith kitchen and pool, and only350m from the beach, for rentat 9,000 baht/month. Pls con-tact for more details. Tel: 09-4740227. Email: chotip_5@hotmail.com

BEACHFRONTcondo. Fully furnished condofor rent at Kalim Bay in Patong.High standard, 2 bedrooms,fitted kitchen, pool and manyother facilities. Pls call for de-tails. Tel: 01-8920038 .

LONG-TERM LEASENew, fully furnished house inPalai Green with 2 airconbedrooms, hot shower,kitchen, living room, garageand beautiful garden. Locatedin a quiet area near ChalongBay. Please call for more info.Tel: 01-8924311.

NAI HARN, RAWAI2-bedroom beach-residencevilla townhouses with livingroom, kitchen and parking.500m from beach. Price9,000 baht and up per month.Phone or email for more de-tails. Tel: 09-4743418. Email:chotip_5@hotmail.com

PATONG APARTMENTSfor rent. Clean, comfortablecondos with all-new interiordécor, big fridge, aircon,cable TV, double or twinsingle beds, swimming pooland parking. Please call Tel:01-0825707. Email: phuket-accommodation.info

SURIN BAY AREALong-term lease now availablefor a 3-bedroom house withaircons, 2 bathrooms and anoutdoor kitchen opening up to1.2 rai of screen-fenced gar-dens. At present, unfurnishedor partially furnished as re-quired. Good for pets, kids andprivacy. Large covered out-door area and separate bunga-low. Garden maintenanceprovided. Offers over 30,000baht/month considered. Inter-ested parties please call. KhunShirley. Tel: 06-2692020.Email: surinhse@phuket.ksc.co.th

NICE HOUSE IN PATONGNice house with garden forlong-term rent in Patong. 2bedrooms, nice kitchen, air-con, UBC, phone line, full fur-niture, hot water and car park.15,000 baht/month. Tel:076-398331, 06-0505528.Fax: 076-398331. Email:michaelromkowski@hotmail.com

HOUSE FOR RENTLand & house. Lovely 6-bed-room house, partly furnishedwith parking and garden. Only25,000 baht/month, or20,000 baht/month for long-term rent. Tel: 07-2842296,06-9402759. Fax: 076-233-384. Email: siripornasianw@yahoo.com

OFFICE BUILDINGon the main road of KaronBeach for rent long or shortterm. Please email or visitwww.phuket-excursion.comFor more details. Email:amorn9999@ yahoo.com

SUPERBPRIME-VIEW HOUSE

Thai-Balinese teak-roofedhouse for rent. 1 masterbedroom w/large balconyand open sea view + 2 ad-ditional bedrooms. Alsohas a small guesthousewith master bedroom anda dynamic view. High-sea-son and long-term rentalnow available. 200,000baht per month. Longerterms negotiable. Pleasecontact for more info. Tel:076-344044. Email:pococonnor@hotmail.com

NEW HOUSEFOR RENT

79 sq wah with 3 bed-rooms, 2 bathrooms, gar-den and parking area.Calm, nice location near theHeroines’ Monument, sur-rounded with mountainviews and only 20 minutesfrom Phuket City. For rentat 15,000 baht/month. Plscontact for more info. Tel:04-0514949. Email:mammos56@yahoo.com

CHOICE OF2 OR 3 UNITS

in a 4-story commercialbuilding. Can build a 36-room guesthouse and thedownstairs space is good fora restaurant, fitness spa orbar. Opposite 3 hotels inKaron. Please call for moreinfo. Tel: 07-0926799.

BEACHFRONT LANDfor sale. 10 rai at Khao YaoYai, near the pier. 80 metersof beachfront, priced at 36million baht. Pls call for details.Tel: 01-6078567.

NEW HOUSE3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms,kitchen, living room and park-ing. 25,000 baht/month. Plscontact for more info. Tel: 06-682296. Email: smith@taurus-travel.com

NEW HOUSEfor rent/sale. 75 sq wah with3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms,fully furnished, UBC and gar-den. Just 800m from the Hero-ines’ Monument and a 10-minute drive to Bang Taobeach. Tel: 01-8935503.Email: mvanichakul@hotmail.com

2.2 RAI BEACHFRONT2.2 rai of absolutely beach-front land at Khok Kloy, inPhang Nga – with Chanotetitle – for sale. Price: 18 millionbaht. Please call for details. Noagents, please. Tel: 01-477-8988, 07-8891717.

Get your Phuket Gazette fromthese outlets in the capital:

Don Muang AirportTel. 02-5731120

Se-Ed, Mahboonkrong Building, zone B, Phayathai Rd,PathumwanTel. 02-6117165

Se-Ed, Silom Complex, 4thfloor, Silom Rd, BangrakTel. 02-2313244

Se-Ed, Silom Center, Rama 1 Rd, PathumwanTel. 02-6581153

Se-Ed, Panthip Plaza, M-floor, Petchaburi Rd, RajatheweeTel. 02-6566070

Se-Ed, Fortune Town Building, Ratchadapisek Rd, HuaykwangTel. 02-2485668

Se-Ed, Central Rama 3, Satupradit Rd, YannawaTel. 02-6736342

Q Mart, Grand Hotel, Sukhumvit Rd, Soi 11, KlongtoeyTel. 02-6511200 ext. 3452

C Mart, Centre Point, Petchaburi Rd, Soi 15, RajatheweeTel. 02-6536690-8 ext. 4030

Duangkamol, Sukhumvit Rd, KlongtoeyTel. 02-2526261

Bangkok

Do Not DrinkTap Water!

C L A S S I F I E D SNovember 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 35

Property Gazette

AccommodationAvailable

ROOM IN PATONGRoom with aircon, good loca-tion. 950 baht/day. Pleasecheck for availability. Tel: 06-6822969. Email: smith@taurus-travel.com

ROOM FOR RENTin Karon. Nice, clean roomwith aircon, TV & privatebathroom. For more informa-tion, Email: amorn9999@yahoo.com or visit ourwebsite at: www.phuket-excursion.com

CONDO ROOM 4 RENT5 min walk to Patong beach.980 baht per night. Fully fur-nished with sea view, aircon,hot water, cable TV, etc.Please contact for more infor-mation. Tel: 09-6455134.Email: js_0704@hotmail.com

POOLSIDE ROOMSLocated in Chalong, from 500baht/day, all inclusive. Pls con-tact for more info. Tel: 09-5943209. Email: olebay_th@yahoo.co.uk

SUPERB BUNGALOWLocated in Chalong, 1 bed-room, living room, kitchen, 2aircons, terrace, patio, sharedpool/sauna. Weekly at 7,500baht or monthly at 25,000baht. Pls contact for details.Tel: 09-5943209. Email:olebay_th@yahoo.co.uk

ATSUMI VILLASTotal tranquility in a tropicalgarden setting in Rawai. King-size bedroom, lounge/kitchen,aircon, hot water, UBC, DVD,stereo, POS ADSL & phone,yoga & massage. 2,500 baht/night to 16,000 baht/monthfor long stay. Pls call for moredetails. Tel: 01-2720571.

PATONG CONDOBook your holiday in a nicelydecorated room with aircon,fan TV, hotwater and kitchen-ette located in central Patong10 min to the beach. 500 bahtper night. Condo is also forsale. Tel: 01-8948446. Email:sfrkata@hotmail.com

HILLSIDEBUNGALOWS

for rent. Fully furnished 1-or 2-bedroom bungalows ona quiet hillside in Kata-Karon, within walking dis-tance from shops andwhite sand beaches. Fullcooking facilities, air condi-tioning, satellite/cable TV,DVD player, hot watershower, laundry service,free maid service, freedrinking water, mini bar, pri-vate balcony with seatingarea and tropical gardens.Free resort facilities withinwalking distance, including5 swimming pools, tennis,sauna, health and fitnesscenter, motorbike rental andfree car parking. Best prices:daily or monthly. Contactfor details. Tel: 076-286-095, 07-1055561. Email:leehowden@hotmail.comor hillsidebungalows@hotmail.com

PATONG ROOMspecials. En-suite rooms, fanonly or aircon. Available now,{April to October}. Fan onlyroom, 7,500 baht per month,including electricity & laundry.Please contact for pics and formore info. Tel: 076-342280,01-9781956. Email: palm@phuket.ksc.co.th

PATONG ROOMSAircon or fan only, your ownshower, fridge, 24-hr security,bar/reception, satellite TV &pool table. Please call for picsand for more info. Tel: 076-342280, 01-9781956 Email:palm@phuket.ksc.co.th

SPAS R USSteam room/sauna and ac-cessories, and portable hottubs from USA. Quality equip-ment, designed and installedfor your needs. Business andresidential. California SpaDesign. Please call Tel: 076-263269, 09-1950610.

BuildingServices

HouseholdServices

LOCKUP STORAGE500sqm steel shed with 24-hour security. Individual unitsfrom 6 cubic meters. Buy yourown lock and you keep thekey! Call Tel: 01-0825707.

AccommodationWanted

PATONG HOME+POOLNeed minimum 2 beds andsmall space for study/office(or for use as a 3rd bedroom).Prefer private pool but wouldconsider shared. Can con-sider fully furnished, partlyfurnished or no furniture.Need spacious living room.Very long-term commitment(3 years or more) for the rightproperty. Must be in Patong orvery close (Kalim, Kathu,etc). Good tenant with refer-ences; very flexible on allterms. Tel: 07-8914882.Email: mail@seftonhanley.com

MAID/NANNYFamily with 2 kids seeks a live-in helper for child and householdcare and Thai cooking. An op-portunity for long-term employ-ment for a trustworthy personwho is gentle with kids. Tel:04-8398141. Email: benoit.beaufils@censydiam.com

HouseholdServicesNeeded

LIVE-IN MAIDLive in maid and driver urgentlyrequired. English speaking pre-ferred. Clean and trustworthy.Tel: 076-200617, 01-917-0377. Fax: 076-200618.Email: nuntiya@psa.co.th

Classified ads are charged per line. Each line is 60 baht,

with a minimum of 4 lines (heading included) per ad.

All advertising must be paid for in advance.

Deadline for Property Mart page: Friday 3 pm.

Deadline for all other pages: Saturday 12 noon.

|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| (heading)

|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|

|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|

|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|

|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|

|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|

Classified Advertisements

Please use this form to write your classified advertisement.

Then hand it to any of our agents.

Find more Classified Property ads at www.phuketgazette.net!

Looking for a home?www.phuketgazette.net

P-CON

Phuket Constructionand Home Services Co Ltd

Roofing, floor, walls, tiles,cleaning, painting,plumbing, aircon,

electrical systems, repairsand other work done by our

professional team.

Call: 06-5933464Fax: 076-263204

Email:p_con@thaimail.com

SAFEWAY STORAGESelf store with 24hr securityfrom 600-2,200 baht/month.For more info pls call or visitwww.safewayphuket.comTel: 01-8924804, 01-125-1873.

GREEN APPLEInterior design, renovation,home extension, mainte-nance, (home, pool & land-scape) and painting of kitchen,bathroom & wood furniture.Pls call Pong for more info.Tel: 05-0691633.

C L A S S I F I E D S36 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

Island Job Mart

WEB / GRAPHICALDESIGNER

Important Phuket com-pany is looking for: Webdesigner or Graphic de-signer or IT professional.Important: must be able tospeak English well! Pleasecontact for more informa-tion or to apply. Tel: 07-6281510. Fax: 07-628-0775. Email: daniel@informaticplus.com

LIVE-IN HOUSEKEEPERneeded for retired gentle-man. You can have yourown bedroom, bathroomand motorbike. I need you tohelp me walk my dogs threetimes a day, clean the house,cook some meals and run afew errands. One day aweek and some afternoonsoff. Some English and adriver’s license would behelpful. Contact for details.Tel: 076-381648. Email:frankvisakay@hotmail.com

ADMIN STAFFrequired. Applicant musthave experience in account-ing, working on a computer,and be able to speak English.Pls contact for info. Tel: 076-281401-2, 01-0794137.Fax: 076-281400. Email:sdephuk@loxinfo.co.th

MARKETING / BIZrelations. Bluesky Alliance, agrowing travel service com-pany, is seeking qualifiedstaff for marketing/businessrelations. Applicants mustmeet the following qualifica-tions:

- Exceptional communicationand negotiation skills in bothEnglish and Thai.

- Ability to build businessrelationships and solve prob-lems.

- Self-driven and ability towork independently underminimal supervision.

- Working or trained experi-ence in the hospitality indus-try.

Please email or fax yourresumé for consideration. Tel:076-248459, 09-4740065.Fax: 076-248754. Email:career@bluesky-alliance.com

PINATA(party supplies). Shop assis-tant urgently needed. Formore information or to applyplease call Tel: 09-4824668or 06-5933276, or Email:muggymind@hotmail.comFor more info about Pinata(party supplies), please seeour website at: www.pinatapartyplace.com

SECRETARY NEEDEDfor dive center in Karon. Musthave good English skills anda car driving license. Tel:076-398040. Email: info@sunrise-divers.com

SEEKING A NANNYPart time, also some clean-ing. Childcare experience &references are necessary.Must speak English and haveown transportation. Pleasecontact for more information.Tel: 07-2760141. Email:kat@helicam-asia.com

SALES EXECUTIVE

Invited to apply for a chal-lenging position in Phuket.Franke (Thailand) will opensoon in Phuket and weneed a colleague to handleand expand our business.Requirements include: atleast 1 year of sales expe-rience, preferably in kitchenequipment or sanitaryware, Thai nationals only,bachelor’s degree, aged upto 40 years, and have agood command of writtenand spoken English. Pleaseemail resumé and coverletter to:

FTH-info@franke. com

www.franke.co.th

ADMINISTRATOR,secretary. Coordinate andadminister a small, smart of-fice with a Western manager.We would like candidateswho can organize informa-tion for easy access. Pls con-tact for more details. Tel:076-236616, 01-8952206.Fax: 076-236617. Emailsiamuk@loxinfo.co.th

OFFICE ASSISTANTInbound tour operator is seek-ing office assistant to join ourteam. Applicants must beable to speak and write En-glish. Computer knowledgerequired. Thai nationals only.Please contact for more info.Tel: 01-5535002. Emailsales@thailandholidays.de

EXPERIENCEDINSTRUCTOR

Dive Asia is looking for aSales Manager for ourPatong office. Success-ful applicant should be adiving instructor, be flu-ent in German and Eng-lish and have previousexperience in sales. DiveAsia offers a competitivesalary and will supply awork permit. For moreinformation, please callTel: 076-330598, Fax:076-284033, or Email:juergens@diveasia.comor see our website at:www.diveasia.com

AGENTS WANTED

Real estate company basedin Chalong needs (Thai andEnglish-speaking) agentslooking for new properties,mainly in the north ofPhuket. For more info or toapply please call Tel: 076-381772, 04-0535780,Fax: 076-383756, Email:info@ayudhya.net or seeour website at http://ayudhya.net

C L A S S I F I E D SNovember 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 37

Island Job Mart

25% Discount on Classifieds for Shopper Card Holders

IF YOU...Place your ad in these pages;Present your Shopper Card; andPay for the ad at our offices,

you’ll enjoy a 25% discount* AND have your ad appear free ofcharge in the Phuket Gazette Online.

With more than 10,000 visitors a day, the Island Trader Online isThailand’s most active classified marketplace.

*Ads may be submitted in person or online (phuketgazette.net/classifieds), butmust be paid for at the Gazette offices. The discount is not available when

payment is made at our agents.

The Phuket Gazette Co Ltd367/2 Yaowarat Road, Phuket Town

Tel: 076-236555 Fax: 076-213971

EmploymentWanted

MASSAGE THERAPISTWell-established (10 years)health spa is looking for maleand female therapists spe-cializing in Thai massage andtraditional treatments.Please contact us for moreinformation. Tel: 673-279-0051, 67-38814180. Fax:673-2790053. Email:cantikbeautyline@hotmail.com

CHIEF ACCOUNTANTThe Mangosteen Resort &Spa, the 5-star luxury bou-tique resort in Rawai, is look-ing for a Chief Accountantwith at least 5 years of hotelexperience. English-languageand computer skills areneeded. Please submit yourCV by post or email. Tel:076-289399. Fax: 076-289389. Email: myfuture@mangosteen-phuket.com

LIVE MUSIC DUOMusic and songs from Spainand Brazil by international gui-tarists from Europe. Ideal foryour high-class restaurant.Pls call for more information.Tel: 01-2720571.

PEOPLE-RELATEDwork sought. Articulate, flex-ible Englishman with exten-sive experience in hotel andtourism industry looking forrelated opportunities inPhuket. Guest relations andsales and marketing a forte.I have a BA in Thai Languageand Southeast Asian studies.Tel: 053-810352. Emailsaxbyalex@hotmail.com

CHEFS, COOKS& ADMIN STAFF

REQUIRED

Molly Malones Irish Pubrequires skilled chefs,cooks & administrativepersons with experience inwestern/Euro-style cook-ing and restaurant admin-istration respectively.Please apply in person orsend your CV by email orpost to: Molly MalonesIrish Pub. 94/1 Thawee-wong Rd, Kathu, PatongBeach, Phuket 83150.Tel: 076-292771, 076-296706. Fax: 076-292-774. Email: mollymalones@loxinfo.co.th

TEACHERS REQUIREDEnglish, Spanish, Chinese,Math, Physics and Chemis-try teachers required till endof May ’05. Pls call for moreinformoation. Tel: 076-282-232, 01-9794140.

Gazette Online Classifieds 4,000 readers every day

C L A S S I F I E D S38 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004

Tout, Trader & Trumpet

Boats &Marine

ArticlesFor Sale

USED OFFICEequipment. Aircons: SaijoDenki 26,000 BTU, 25,000baht; Uni Air 18,000 BTU,6,000 baht. Desk+countershowcase, very low price. Plscall Tel: 01-8931739.

SNOOKER TABLEFull-size snooker/pool tablewith all accessories. As new.Pls call for details. Tel: 09-9725226.

ROYAL-CLASS RATTANfurniture, opposite PhuketShooting Range in Chalong.Please call for details. Tel:076-280415, 09-7255194.

MOTOR BOAT 27FTFiberglass, 2x120 hp Nissandiesel, Thai flag, trailer and din-ghy. 300,000 baht. Pls call fordetails. Tel: 09-7275673.

SAILBOATThai-registered, 25ft sailboatfor sale. Has about US$4,000in charter bookings currentlyin hand. Asking US$20,000.Best offer gets the boat. Plscontact for more info. Tel:076-383080, 06-9401860.Email: bigasail@samart.co.th

BOAT FOR SALE29-foot fiberglass motoryacht with Thai registration.2 x 280hp Mercruiser en-gines. Price: 3.5 million bahtono. Please contact for moredetails. Tel: 076-239864.Email: hktmkt@ksc.th.com

SPEEDBOATfor sale. 256 Mercury engine,holds 8-10 people. Price only300,000 baht. Please call forinfo. Tel: 06-9511366.

Bulletins

PATONG GUESTHOUSEfor lease. 10 min walk to thebeach. 10 rooms with kitch-en, office, pool table & satTV. 6.5-yr lease, asking 3million baht. Pls call for picsand info. Tel: 076-342280,01-9781956. Fax: 076-290-383. Email: palm@phuket.ksc.co.th

Business Opportunities

GUESTHOUSE 4 SALEnear the Sheraton, Sofitel andcentral Krabi. 70 meters fromthe beach. Pls call for moreinfo. Tel: 01-3703109.

SAFE PATONGinvestment. Consistent in-come all year. Easy to managebuilding with a mix of tenants.5-year lease with fixed lowrent. Key money only, 1.8million baht. Exceptional value.Tel: 01-9241447. Email:junaworn@hotmail.com

RESTAURANT: B10KRestaurant with equipmentfor rent in Chalong. Close tomain road and has a seaview. 10,000 baht. Contactfor details. Tel: 09-2917162.Email: somthawin_pw@hotmail.com

BAR FOR SALELocated in Kamala. 350,000baht. Tel: 04-0631041. Email:longmadoogil69@hotmail.com

PARTNERSHIP OFFER!I am a German businessmanoffering a 50% partnership ina newly established ltd co inPhuket (Holiday Ownership).I have 15-years’ experiencein Europe and Thailand andgood connections here inThailand. Work permit is noproblem! Business begins im-mediately, all prepared, nowaiting time! Participation:25,000 euros. Pls contact formore info. Fax: ++-1-320-213-9083. (USA) Email:lifestylexxl2001@yahoo.de

DISTRIBUTORWork on your own. Freedom,health and good earningswith Herbalife. Pls call formore info. Tel: 07-8054344.

LIMOUSINEconcession. Profitable limou-sine operation for rent at anestablished resort in Phuket.Requires professional limou-sine operators with a mini-mum of 2-3 recent-modelsedans to be standby, uni-formed drivers. Available fromDecember 1, 2004 onwards.Interested parties please emailfor terms of reference. Email:gmseasia@gmail.com

SPA FOR RENTProfitable spa operation forrent at an established resortin Phuket. Requires renova-tion and professional man-agement. Available fromFebruary 2005 onwards. In-terested parties please emailfor terms of reference. Email:gmseasia@gmail.com

RESTAURANTBaitong Restaurant in Karonis now for sale. Please call formore information. Tel: 076-323334, 09-7244307

BRAND NEW BARNever-opened, fully-fitted barand restaurant with living ac-commodations. Includesshop/office, car park, brickBBQ, pool table, new soundsystem and flat-screen TVwith UBC. Too much to list,must be viewed. Ill healthforces reluctant sale. 3-yearlease, 900,000 baht. If genu-inely interested, act quickly!Please contact for more info.Tel: 09-2892297. Email:bountyasia@ yahoo.com

FACTORY 4 SALEDrinking-water factory - 450sqm - on Koh Lanta, Krabi,for sale at 1.2 million baht.Pls call Tel: 01-8931739 fordetails.

BUSINESS WANTEDLooking to rent an inexpen-sive bar, restaurant, shop orguesthouse in Patong withexcellent potential in a goodlocation. Pls call for more in-formation. Tel: 01-8162066.

Find more Classifieds Property ads at

www.phuketgazette.net!

DIVE EQUIP 4 SALEBCD Sea Quest, size M/L, wetsuits. Long, short & ABC stuff– only used 2 seasons. Pls callfor info. Tel: 01-0844032.

BusinessProducts &

Services

SAFEWAY STORAGE

Self store with 24-hr secu-rity from 600-2,200 baht/month. For more info callTel: 01-8924804, 01-1251873 or visit www.safewayphuket.com

PHUKET STORAGE

Rawai yard with coveredparking for boats & cars.We can customize yourshelving needs in our as-sorted sized lockers. 100baht per cubic meter. CallTel: 09-9088675.

COCONET - WIRELESSInternet access. Hotspots forInternet cafés, restaurants,bungalows, hotels, resorts,and apartments. Attractmore customers and increasesales with our value-addedsolution. Generate new in-come with prepaid cards, andaugment advertising with theservice. Base installation only3,900 baht. Visit website orcontact for more info. Tel:076-280249, 06-9535697.Email: info@net-seven.comhttp://www.net-seven.com

RAWAI PROPERTYshop. Let us help you to sell orrent your property. Please callus to list your property in ouroffice and on our website orvisit www.ounphuket.com formore info. Tel: 06-6831147.

ACCEPT CREDITCARDS ONLINE

When you sign up forPayPal, you can start ac-cepting credit card pay-ments instantly and youcan also add a shoppingcart to your website plusmany other selling tools. Asthe world’s number oneonline payment service,PayPal is the fastest way toopen your doors to over 40million member accountsworldwide. Best of all, it’scompletely free to sign up!For further details, pleasesee our website at http://www.paypal.com/us/mrb/pal=PDQPTEW42XVJGTel: 076-263250, 09-6461378. Email: jim@motorcowboy.com

RANONG DAY TRIP1,300 BAHT

Tour bus (not minibus).Big seats, price includeslunch, dinner and snacks.No extra charges. Pleasecontact us for details. Tel:04-7457024. Email:kingrw80@hotmail.com

PHUKET CITYWell-known, successful foodoutlet with solid expat cus-tomer base. Unique, easy torun and good turnover. Quicksale due to other commit-ments. Pls call for more info.Tel: 07-2736315, 01-893-5135.

Do Not Drink Tap Water!

BEAUTY SALONfor sale. Completely remod-eled and fully equipped. Greatlocation, low monthly rent &good profits. 240,000 bahtfor quick sale. Tel: 07-897-7249. Email: tipriya@hotmail.com

PUB FOR SALEThai pub with live musiceverynight. Fully equipped,good profits & low rent.395,000 baht for quick sale.Tel: 07-8977249. Email:tipriya@hotmail.com

C L A S S I F I E D SNovember 27 - December 3, 2004 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E 39

Tout, Trader &Trumpet

Wheels &Motors

Pickups

RentalsSaloon Cars

4 x 4s

VISA RUNwith Phuket Air. Daily to HaadYai at 11 am. Arrive Phuketat 6 pm. Only 2,950 baht.Please contact for info. Tel:076-344521, 06-6822969.Email: smith@taurus-travel.com

Computers

COMPUTERSEnglish Computerman – newand used PCs, repairs, parts,accessories and software.ADSL Internet - no phone, noproblem. Tel: 09-4735080.

SONY DIGITALcamera. Sony Mavica CD300.3.3 Megapixels, 6x zoom. Asnew, perfect condition. Cost42,000 baht; selling for lessthan a third of that: 11,000baht. Please call

Tel: 01-

8922824 for more informa-tion.

BusinessServices

PersonalServices

RUSSIAN NATIVEI am looking for a native-speaking Russian for conver-sation, two hours a day. I willbe in Patong for 2 months,from December 04 to January05. Please send me your de-tails. Email: ivangroznii@libero.it

PersonalServicesWanted

Personals

AREE (“TIP”)PORNSAWAS

I need to contact AreePornsawas, nickname Tip,of Songkhla Province. Herlast known address was/isAmphur Thalang, Phuket.Any family or friendsknowing where Khun Tip is,please contact Arthur withher new phone number.Please, Tip, it is urgent thatI contact you. Email:fourseasons@dodo.com.au

BACKGAMMONpartners. Retired businessmanis looking for playing partnerson Phuket. Please call Tel: 076-386113, 01-5778443.

Phuket’s Most Trusted &

Reputable Supplier of the Finest

Quality Used SALOONS,

SEDANS, JEEPS & PICKUPS

New cars or trade-ins –we have what you’re

looking forFor more info pls call us at

Tel: 076-224632, 216243

www.suremotor.com

SILVER BMW 318i

Lovely condition inside andout, Alpina wheels,120,000km, Just serviced.Bargain! 195,000 baht. Plscall for details. Tel: 06-6875349, 01-2717701.

MOTORBIKESFOR RENT

Yamaha Nouvo automatic,Honda Wave 125S, HondaWave 110S, HondaPhantom(new model). Call oremail for the best price. Tel:076-296443, 09-7258575.Fax: 076-296443. Email:office@gasserweb.comBook ONLINE at http://www.gasserweb.com/motorbike_rentals.htm andget 20% discount.

CHEAP CARS

’93 Suzuki Jeep, 120,000baht. '94 Honda Civic,190,000 baht. Both aretaxed & insured. Pls call forinfo. Tel: 01-0825707.

JRD ‘SNOW’125R SCOOTER

As new, rarely used, only1,500km! Safety yellow, inperfect condition. Cost40,000 baht, now selling for28,000. Please phone Tel:01-8922824.

Motorbikes

ISUZU D-MAXCAB 4

Highlander-3000, turbo, 4-door, automatic with14,000 km. 11 months old.Sells for 790,500 baht new,will sell for 590,000 baht.Tel: 07-2845344.

GRAND CHEROKEE

1998 model, good condi-tion, 176,000km, full op-tions, dark green, first-classinsurance. 540,000 baht.Pls call for more details. Tel:07-2836716.

INT'L DRIVERSLICENSE

5,000 baht, valid up to 10years; or 6,000 baht forvalidity up to 20 years.Sole agent in Thailand.Please call for more de-tails. Tel: 04-0068736.

TUTOR NEEDEDTutor required for UK 2005A-level student during visit toPatong over Christmas &New Year. Subjects: History(The Roosevelts); ReligiousStudies (New Testament);Business studies. Please call ifyou think you can help! Tel:004-4797326. Fax: 00-442-0779. Email: gaskelljacobs@hotmail.com

LEARN THAI AT HOMEThai conversation and les-sons in your home withcharming Thai lady. Also ba-sic English lessons for Thais.Tel: 01-7971497. Email:churee77@hotmail.com

THAI LESSONSnow available in Phuket. Needto learn Thai? Don’t hestitate tocontact me for more details.See you soon. Tel: 04-058-7988, 04-0587988. Fax: 04-0587988. Email: lovelyananda@hotmail.com

THAI THE KNOTintroductions. We introducesincere gentlemen of any ageworldwide to respectable,beautiful marriage-mindedThai ladies. All our ladies havegood jobs working in offices,banks, hospitals, etc. VISA:We also offer a visa service toenable your Thai lady to enteryour country of residenceworldwide. British managerresident at our Thailand office.View our ladies on our websitetoday! Or telephone David.Tel: 02-664 0241. Email:team@thai-love-hearts.comFor further details, please seeour website at: www.thai-the-knot-intro.com

TOYOTA SPORTRIDER3-liter diesel, 4WD, 7-seater,full leather interior, top of therange VCD, CD/MP3 soundsystem, full first-class insur-ance, available for rent at verygood rate for long term. Thisprivate expat car will be avail-able from 30/11/04. Be quick!Contact by email or phone Tel:06-9525071. Email:bossphuket@fastmail.fm

HONDA PHANTOMJanuary 2002 Phantom. Excel-lent condition. Carefully main-tained by farang owner.60,000 baht. Tel: 01-539-5329. Email: grahamtre@hotmail.com

HONDA WAVE RIMSBrand new, factory originalspoked rims. Front and rear.Never used. First 1,000 bahttakes both. Tel: 01-8941994.Email: tomkat@phuket.ksc.co.th

FORD EXPLORER1996, red, 4.6-liter petrol, au-tomatic, top-of-the-range full-option model. Immaculatecondition inside and out. Costnew: 3.5 million baht. Will sellfor 870,000. Tel: 091-378-970. Email: bangkokney@ethailand.com

’93 MAZDA FAMILIASmall Mazda pickup truck.1500cc, alloy rims, runs excel-lent and looks excellent.Green. Email for a picture.90,000 baht obo. Please con-tact for more details. Tel: 66-078849975. Email: shmiggy3@yahoo.com

A1 CAR RENTALS

Toyata cars & pickups forrent with first class insur-ance. Special price for long-term rentals. From 13,000to 28,000 baht per month.For more info. Tel: 09-8314703.

HARLEY WANTEDI would like to buy a Harley-Davidson, preferably with1,450cc engine. Please emailme details and price. Email:somchai-silapong@usa.net

Wanted

90 BAHT A DAYMotobike for rent, 90 baht/day or 2,000 bht/month. Tel:076-214794, 06-6837162.Email: somthawin_pw@hotmail.com

40 P H U K E T G A Z E T T E November 27 - December 3, 2004