The Phuket News August 2, 2019

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

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HEALTH CHECK

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Woman charged for ‘pimping’ underage girls

LIFE

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Welcoming new life at Phuket’s gibbon project An officer at the Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town holds up the application form for an extension to stay for those applying under a Non-immigrant O-A visa. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

PHUKET IMMIGRATION CONFIRMS MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE FOR O-A VISAS NOT IN FORCE Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

F

oreigners applying for an extension stay under a Non-immigrant O-A visa, nicknamed the “retirement visa”, still do not yet have to provide proof of mandatory health insurance coverage as warned to be introduced “imminently” by senior officials in Bangkok months ago.

Phuket Immigration Police Chief Col Kathathorn Kumthieng confirmed to The Phuket News this week that his office has yet to receive an order instructing his office to start enforc-

ing the mandatory health insurance requirement, approved by the Cabinet on April 2.

The insurance policy must provide up to B40,000 coverage for outpatient treatment and up to B400,000 for inpatient treatment during their stay in the Kingdom of Thailand, Dr Natthawut Prasertsiripong, Chief of the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Health Service Support, announced in May. The requirement applies to all new applicants for one-year nonimmigrant O-A visas, and for those applying to “renew” their one-year

permits-to-stay, Dr Natthawut said.

Officials wasted no time in providing support for enforcing the policy. The Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC), the national regulatory agency for issuing insurance policies, worked with private insurance providers to develop and offer seven policies to match the new requirement made available through a special website set up at longstay. tgia.org.

All seven policies have been approved by the OIC. However, as of Wednesday (July 31), no Royal Thai Embassies or

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consulates abroad contacted and checked by The Phuket News made any mention of the mandatory health insurance requirement in their details of visa requirements for O-A visas.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) as of Wednesday also made no mention of mandatory health insurance as a requirement for being issued a “Non-Immigrant Visa O-A (Long Stay)”.

Likewise, Col Kathathorn confirmed to The Phuket News on Wednesday, “Mandatory health insurance is not required when applying for a one-year extension of...

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Baby boy abandoned on rented room doorstep > p5

A matter of mistrust

Woman charged over official molesting girls to start a new family in Rayong.

The girls were left to stay with Sakon while their mother sends back about B2,000 to B3,000 per month for living expenses,” Col Weerayuth explained.

Col Weerayuth declined to reveal any more details about Ms Suphata, including how aware she was of the current situation involving her two daughters.

The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

Chalong Traffic Police are planning a large -scale emergency exercise simulating a major accident in the Chalong Underpass. Photo: Highways Dept

Underpass safety to be put to test CHALONG POLICE ARE DRAWING up plans to stage a full-scale emergency drill simulating a major accident in the Chalong Underpass, Chalong Traffic Police Chief Lt Col Suchart Singha has revealed.

Col Suchart broke the news at the monthly Governor Meets the Press meeting held at the Ramada Plaza Chao Fah hotel on Chao Fa West Rd last Thursday (July 25).

Col Suchart explained that feedback about the underpass since its official opening by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on July 8 had been good.

“The feedback from the public has been positive because the traffic flow is better than before. The rate of accidents has decreased and people can travel more conveniently,” he said.

However, Col Suchart also noted, “In the future, sooner or later an accident will happen in the underpass, and this may cause traffic jams due to the difficulty of removing vehicles from the tunnel.

“Also, due to the fact that the underpass is one lane each way, and the lanes are separated only by traffic poles that are not strong enough (to prevent vehicles from crossing into the oncoming lane), there is the chance that the vehicles heading in opposite directions will collide head-on.

“Therefore, we must conduct a drill with related agencies, such as municipal rescue workers, hospitals, and police officers working together,” he said.

No further details were available at this stage, Col Suchart said.

“We are currently in the process of drafting the plan,” he explained.

Salima Tomard

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woman entrusted with caring for her friend’s two daughters has been charged for her role in allowing a local official to sexually molest them, Col Weerayuth Sitthirattanakul, Chief of the Thai Muang Police in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, has confirmed.

Sakon Podee, 55, was arrested during the initial follow-up investigation following the hunt for Supasak “Sak” Pokabud, the fugitive ex-president of the Thung Maphrao Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) in Thai Muang District.

Supasak is wanted for molesting one of the daughters, just 13 years old.

Phang Nga Governor Siripat Pattanakul in explaining the case to the press earlier this month said that Supasak is partially paralysed down his right side, but can walk and talk.

“From questioning, police have determined that the girl and her sister were both molested,” he said.

The girl and the sister lived together with Sakon, and before any of the molestations took place, Supasak had explained to Sakon that he had been to see a traditional Chinese medical therapist nine times, and was suggested to find a girl to hug and kiss to alleviate his partial paralysis, Gov Siripat told reporters.

Both girls knew about Supsak’s “condition”, but did not suspect that he would force himself on them, he said.

“Police will later question the grandmother to see if this is a case of human trafficking,” he said.

Col Weerayuth explained to

Sakon Podee, 55, is presented the warrant for her arrest, which included human trafficking charges. Photo: Thai Muang Police The Phuket News last week that officers confronted Sakon in front of a house in Moo 10, Ban Kuan Rad, Thung Maphrao, Thai Muang District, on the morning of July 14.

“We took her to Thai Muang Police Station for questioning and to determine whether any other persons were involved in this case,” Col Weerayuth said.

Sakon denied the allegations, leading police to request a warrant for her arrest, which was granted the next day, he said.

“Sakon was presented the charges at Phang Nga Provincial Court at 11am on the Monday (July 15). I requested for her to be denied bail, and she remains behind bars now,” Col Weerayuth said.

Sakon was charged for human trafficking as listed in the arrest warrant and under Section 283 of the Criminal Code, which lists the charges for the provision of minors for performing sexual acts for other persons, and the role of accomplices in providing minors

for sex services.

Section 283 also details the charges for persons remaining complicit in knowing such activities but failing to report them to authorities, and the charges for people abusing their positions of trust with child victims.

“Sakon denied all the charges against, and remains in custody,” Col Weerayuth said last Friday (July 26).

NOT GRANDMA While questioning Sakon, police learned that Sakon is no blood relation to the two girls, despite many initial reports identifying her as the girls’ grandmother.

“Sakon is not real grandmother or stepmother. She is no blood relation at. She is just friend of the girls’ mother, Ms Suphata,” Col Weerayuth told The Phuket News.

“Ms Suphata (family name withheld) trusted Sakon to take care of the girls. That’s all,” he added.

“Ms Suphata left the girls’

STILL LOOKING Meanwhile, police are continuing their search for Supasak, Col Weerayuth confirmed.

“We are still looking for Supasak. He escaped by car, but not his own car. We don’t know where he is. It is hard for us to find him.

We have not found him yet, but we won’t give up,” he said.

“We have tracked him to outside Southern Thailand now, but it is taking time to hunt him down because he knows that we are looking for him,” Col Weerayuth said.

Meanwhile, the 14-year-old girl involved in the molestation that started the hunt for Supasak remains in the care of officials from the Phang Nga office of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Col Weerayuth confirmed.

“They have yet to reveal any details of where the girl will stay next,” he said.

While the main focus has been on the 13-year-old, Col Weerayuth added, police were also investigating the alleged molestations of the girl’s 16-year-old sister, who when the news broke openly admitted that Supasak performed the same acts on her.

Sexual assault on the 16-yearold has now been added to the list of offences on the warrant for Supsak’s arrest, Col Weerayuth said.

Mandatory health insurance for expat retirees still on hold Continued from page 1 ...stay on a Non-Immigrant O-A Visa.”

While acknowledging that many visa requirements required by the MFA and permit-to-stay requirements required by the Immigration Bureau were the same, Col Kathathorn said that any requirements mandated by any other government department as irrelevant to his office.

“It doesn’t matter what any other official or government agency says or thinks, there has been no change

about the requirement to have health insurance,” he said.

Col Kathathorn also assured that he would do his best to give “fair warning” to foreigners if the rules do change.

“We will announce any change at least 60 days before new rules come into effect. Phuket Immigration is always in line with other organisations. We do not instigate urgent action without a plan,” he said.

Col Kathathorn did point out that mandatory health insurance was required for a “Non-Immigrant

Visa O-X (Long Stay 10 years)” – a special visa created by Cabinet in November 2016 specifically for foreign retirees to stay in Thailand.

The O-X visa is available to foreigners 50 years or older, and only to holders of passports from Japan, Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, the US and the UK. “The Non-Immigrant Visa O-X is valid for 10 years. The recipient is granted a five-year permit to stay on entry, and is renewed for another

five years after that,” he said.

There are currently no foreigner staying in Phuket on an O-X visa, Col Kathathorn confirmed.

Col Kathathorn on Wednesday was unable to give a specific number of foreigners staying in Phuket on an O-A visa.

However, he did confirm that Phuket Immigration from January through December last year issued extensions to stay to 4,909 foreigners staying in Phuket on some form of Non-Immigrant O type visa.

From January to July this year,

Dr Natthawut Prasertsiripong of the Ministry of Public Health announces the mandatory health insurance on May 8. Photo: MoPH Phuket Immigration issued extensions to stay to 2,422 persons staying in Phuket on a form of Non-immigrant O type visa. thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

DSI investigates MaAnn for alleged corruption

A r t i w a r a ‘ To o n’ Kongmalai with Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana at Phuket Provincial Hall on Tuesday (July 30).

Photo: PR Dept

The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

O

fficers from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) inspected the wastewater-treatment plants at Surin Beach and Bang Tao on Tuesday (July 30) as they began their investigation into alleged corruption by MaAnn Samran, Chief of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor).

The twin systems together cost more than B355 million, but stand accused as gross failures in treating wastewater before it flows into Bang Tao Bay. The DSI investigators were led by Pol Capt Prasit KhanSai, Chief of DSI Operations Center Region 8. Joining him were special investigators Supachai Khamkhum and Pantamit Chuibumroong.

During their visit the investigators questioned Mr MaAnn and inspected the plans and the government contracts to build and operate the wastewatertreatment systems.

Present to observe the inspection were Danai Yardee and other representatives from local community groups including the Local Fishery network, the Coastal Community network, the Conservation Network of the Gulf of Thailand-Andaman coast, and the Natural Resources Recovery network.

Mr Danai said that the investiga-

Toon Bodyslam to run for govt hospitals

The investigation by the DSI into alleged corruption by MaAnn Samran follows untreated wastewater flowing onto Bang Tao Beach in May, prompting the Phuket Governor to call for immediate action. Photo Eakkapop Thongtub / file tion was in accordance with DSI order 142/2019, issued on July 18.

Mr Danai and Chamroon Kerndum together filed formal complaints with the DSI office in Surat Thani, the regional office for the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the regional Ombudsman’s Office, also in Surat Thani, in June.

“We will review this as a special case later. We will consider whether the equipment provided is the same quality as specified in the contract… The Terms of Reference (in the government contract) will also be examined because complainants reported corruption in the

project, which cost more than B300mn,” Capt Prasit explained on Tuesday.

“The construction and treatment system may not be the same as specified in the contract, and it may take more than six months to conclude this investigation,” he added.

In response Mr MaAnn told The Phuket News on Wednesday (July 31), “It is just the normal process of a complaint being investigated. A complaint has been filed, so the DSI came down to follow up the complaint as it is their job.

“I assure you that some information provided to the investigators is beyond the truth,” he said.

Thief caught selling B256k watch collection on Facebook

A T H I EF W HO STOLE an estimated B256,000 in high-end watches has been arrested after trying to sell the watches on Facebook Thalang Police Chief Col Theerawat Liamsuwan presented the suspect, Attachai “Ung” Maneesri, 31, at a press conference at Thalang Police Station last Friday (July 26).

Attachai was arrested at a location in Moo 3 Cherng Talay at about midday last Thursday (July 25), Col Theerawat said.

He was wanted on arrest warrant no. 202/2019 issued on July 19, Col Theerawat added.

Col Theerawat explained that at 9am on July 9, Thalang Police were notified of a breakin at The Cider House Bar and Bottle Shop in Moo 4, Srisoonthorn, Thalang.

Police rushed to the scene and found that the thief had entered the premises by breaking a glass window at the front of the bar and stolen a collection of watches and some personal documents from a safe.

A mong the valuables stolen were a silver Guess watch valued at B20,000, a gold Guess watch valued at @thephuketnews

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Thalang Police Chief Col Theerawat Liamsuwan presented the suspect, Attachai Maneesri, 31, at a press conference at Thalang Police Station last Friday morning (July 26).

B22,000, a dark grey Guess watch valued at B24,000, a Concord watch valued at B40,000 and an Alpha watch valued at B150,000, Col Theerawat explained.

T hen, specif ically at 10:09am on July 11, Thalang Police discovered photos of watches matching the descriptions of those stolen from the safe posted as for sale on the “Want Buy Want Sell Friendly Price Phuket Krabi” ( ี่ ) Facebook group.

A subsequent police investigation soon identified Attachai as the person who

had posted the photos of the watches for sale.

The officers requested Phuket Provincial Court to issue a warrant for his arrest, which was granted on July 19, Col Theerawat added.

Attachai will be charged under Section 335 of the Criminal Code, Col Theerawat confirmed.

So far police have recovered only three watches, Col Theerawat noted.

“The other two, the suspect has promised police that he will get them back later,” Col Theerawat said.

Eakkapop Thongtub

ROCK CELEBRITY ARtiwara “Toon” Kongmalai of the popular Thai rock band Bodyslam met Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana on Tuesday (July 30) to discuss details of a near-300km run in October to raise funds for five government hospitals in Southern Thailand.

Funds raised will go towards buying medical equipment for the main government hospitals in Trang, Krabi, Phang Nga and Pattani provinces, as well as Phuket’s main government hospital Vachira Phuket Hospital.

The event is also to raise awareness of staying healthy through exercise.

Joining Mr Artiwara in meeting Governor Phakaphong at Phuket Provincial Hall were representatives from Laguna Resorts and Hotels and the Kaokonlakao Foundation

(“Run step by step together” Foundation).

The Kaokonlakao Foundation was instrumental in co-ordinating donations raised from Mr Artiwara’s renowned 2,191km, 53-day run from Betong on the Thai-Malay border to Mae Sai, Thailand’s northernmost point on the ThaiMyanmar border, to raise funds for 11 government hospitals.

So far the foundation has raised more than B88 million.

Last month, Mr Artiwara completed a two-day, 187km marathon from Nong Khai to Khon Kaen to help underfunded small hospitals in the Northeast region.

This time he will run from Trang to Phuket on Oct 24-27 to raise more funds for government hospitals.

For details of how to make a donation, visit the donations webpage at Kaokonlakao.com.

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PHUKET NEWS

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After the all nighter

A vendor takes part in the fire-safety training. Photo: Phuket City Municipality

Gas leaks spur market fire drill GENERAL MANAGER

Jason Beavan 086 479 7471

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VENDORS AT THE PHUket City Municipality Fresh Market on Ranong Rd in Phuket Town underwent firesafety training on Tuesday (July 30) ahead of a major fire drill held at the market on Wednesday. The training and fire drill came after three separate cooking gas leaks at the market just last week.

The drill was held from 10am to midday, during which the market building was evacuated and fire trucks were deployed to practice their response.

Phongsak Sirithat, Chief of the Phuket City Municipality office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) apologised for any inconvenience, but noted that Ranong Rd was not closed during the exercise.

Tanyaluk Sakoot

Woman, 19, killed as bike hits parked van Eakkapop Thongtub editor@classactmedia.co.th

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19-year-old woman was killed and two of her friends seriously injured when the motorbike they were riding slammed into the back of a parked pickup truck on Wiset Rd in Rawai early Tuesday morning (July 30).

Lt Col Prasit Ra-ob of the Chalong Police was notified of the accident at 4:50am.

Arriving at the scene with rescue workers, officers found Wassana “Jul” Bangachak, 19, already dead.

Her two female friends, Ratchanee Lakkoh, 22, and Kanlaya Chiewchan, 25, were rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town for treatment of their injuries sustained in the crash.

Police confirmed that no helmets were found at the scene.

Col Prasit reported that the young women were travelling on the one black Honda wave motorbike at speed when it struck the back of a company pickup truck parked beside the road.

The initial accident report noted that the three women were travelling from an entertainment venue in Chalong to Rawai – but failed to note which entertainment venue the women had just left.

Police at the scene early Tuesday morning. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The report did note that police had requested for the two surviving women and the body of Ms Wassana to be tested for alcohol.

A senior-ranking officer at the Chalong Police, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Phuket News on Tuesday that at that stage police were not sure which of the women was driving the motorbike at the time of the accident.

Police also had yet to question the two surviving women, whose injuries were described as serious.

“Police believe they were drunk. Officers have requested the hospital to check for alcohol in their blood. Also, police cannot confirm who was the driver and who were passengers,” the officer said.

The officer also refused to identify which entertainment venue the three women had left.

“It is under investigation now. They did not work there, they just hung out there,” he said.

“Both (surviving) ladies are not ready to speak. The condition of their injuries is serious,” the officer added.

Embassy silent on meat cleaver attack THE EGYPTIAN EMBASSY IN BANGkok has declined to confirm or deny whether the Egyptian man struck in the neck with a meat cleaver by an enraged roti (pancake) street vendor in Phuket on July 19 is the son of an Egyptian diplomat.

In the attack, Egyptian tourist Makmoud Amr Mahmoud Abbas, 29, suffered a cleaver knife wound to the neck by roti vendor Surachai Raksub, 32, in front of a FamilyMart store on Soi Ta-iad in Chalong.

Mr Abbas was rushed to a local hospital with a seven-centimetre gash in his neck.

Posts on Thai social media sites online reported that Mr Abbas was the son of the Egyptian Ambassador to Uruguay.

An official at the Egyptian embassy told The Phuket News last Thursday (July 25) that the embassy was aware of the incident, but had not yet taken any action on it.

“We saw it in the news, but have not yet been formally notified of the incident,” the official said.

The official declined to comment on whether Mr Abbas was the son of Egyptian Ambassador to Uruguay Amr Mahmoud Abbas Abdelhadi, or related in any way to any member of the Egyptian diplomatic corps.

Meanwhile, Chalong Police confirmed

Police at the scene of the attack on July 19. Photo: Chalong Police that roti vendor Surachai is facing three charges.

“Surachai Raksub, 32 years old, has been charged with carrying a weapon in a public place and using a weapon to injure another person. He has also been charged with attempted murder,” confirmed Capt Somkiet Sarasin of the Chalong Police.

“We presented him to Phuket Provincial Court in the morning on July 20, and he was handed over to court custody,” he said.

“Surachai was arraigned and I insisted that he be denied bail,” Capt Somkiet said.

However, Capt Somkiet admitted that he did not know whether the court upheld his request. Asked where Surachai is now, he said, “I am not sure.”

Tanyaluk Sakoot

Guns, drugs and B1.4 million in pickup trucks and motorbikes were seized by officers in making the six arrests. Photos: Phuket Provincial Police

B1.4mn in assets seized in 10 days of drug raids PHUK ET PROVI NCIAL Police have announced the arrests of six drug suspects within just 10 days. The arrests, from July 19-28, saw the seizure of 1,933 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills, 57.82 grams of ya ice (crystal meth) and B1.425 million in assets.

Among the items seized in making the arrests were an Isuzu D-MAX and a Toyota Revo pickup truck, two motorbikes as well as a CZ 9mm handgun and a Colt 11mm pistol.

The six arrested were

named as: Phanon “Noom” Santiwechrasami, 36; Watcharapong “Golf ” or “Get” Kaewchaluay, 32; Yongyuth “Yuth” Boonthong, 37; Aphichat “Nam” Santiwechratsami, 37; Sarimphon “Pleng” Thanakotchakorn, 26; and Korawit “Em” Nuinoom, 26, The arrests were made in Kathu, Rassada, Phuket Town and Phuket Villa 3 housing estate in Wichit.

The report by police did not mark whether any of the arrests were linked.

Eakkapop Thongtub thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

Push to publicly show drug prices hits hiccup

PHUKET NEWS

5

Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

T

he deadline for all hospitals to publicly display prices of medicines that passed on July 20 has been deferred to Aug 15 at the earliest, The Phuket News has confirmed.

Under the new law, brought into effect on May 29, all hospitals must publicly disclose the drugs provided, the manufacturer, the drugs’ brand names, how much the hospital purchased the drugs for and how much they are selling them for, confirmed Sasiphimon Mongkon, Chief of the Phuket Provincial office of the Ministry of Commerce, which has been tasked with implementing the new regulation in Phuket.

The new law is being implemented through the Department of Internal Trade (DIT), under the Ministry of Commerce, following the order by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha in June.

That order came after the government recognised surveys that reported that some private hospitals in Thailand were found to be charging their patients from 300% up to 16,000% higher than the recommended prices.

“All hospitals across Phuket had until June 30 to submit full lists to the Department of Internal Trade in Bangkok,” Ms Sasiphimon explained to The Phuket News last week.

The baby boy was found on the woman’s doorstep early Monday morning. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Baby boy abandoned on rented room doorstep Wichai Pochanakit, Director-General of the Department of Internal Trade, explains the new regulation on May 29. Photo: DIT “But we had to extend that deadline due to internal problems in the department. Now all hospitals throughout the country have until Aug 15 to submit their full lists of medicines with prices and other details to the DIT,” she said.

“After Aug 15, the DIT will check the information provided by all hospitals throughout the country. Then they will create a QR code for each hospital. The faster hospitals send the details, the faster they can receive the code,” she explained.

Ms Sasiphimon said that no new deadline had been issued for hospitals to display medicines prices.

“That depends on how quickly the

DIT can issue a QR code for each hospital,” she said.

“When hospitals receive the QR code, they have 15 days to install a standing sign or other form of notice to show their patients in the hospital area,” she added.

“The head office of the DIT will inform our office which hospitals have been issued a QR code, and we will follow up by making inspections to make sure the information is publicly displayed,” Ms Sasiphimon said.

“If a hospital is to increase a price of any medicine, they must first inform the DIT 15 days before the price change takes effect,” she added.

Blacklisted over lost passports claim A RUSSIAN MAN AND his Kazakhstani wife heading for Phuket were arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport last week for falsely reporting that they had forgotten their passports in an attempt to avoid being caught for overstaying.

Russian national Evgenil Turan, 33, and his wife Kamilya Khairullina, 27, of Kazakhstan, were arrested last Tuesday (July 23), Pol Maj Gen Vorapong Thongpaiboon, chief of the Tourist Police Bureau (TPB) Division 1, told a media briefing last Thursday (July 25).

The couple presented themselves to the Tourist Police office at Suvarnabhumi airport at around 10:30pm, Gen Vorapong said.

The couple told police that they were denied boarding a flight to Phuket because they forgot to bring their passports.

The couple said they wanted to file statements with police so they could use the police report as identification to board the plane, Gen Vorapong added.

Tourist Police officers escorted the pair to Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station to file the reports, but they noticed that the pair acted suspiciously, Gen Vorapong said. @thephuketnews

Russian national Evgenil Turan, 33, and his wife Kamilya Khairullina, 27, of Kazakhstan, were arrested on Tuesday (July 23). Photo: Tourist Police After the couple filed the reports, the officers took them back to the Tourist Police office at the airport and had immigration officers and airport police jointly question them, said Gen Vorapong.

The officers then discovered the couple had their passports in their bags. The passports showed Mr Turan and Ms Khairullina had overstayed their visas by more than seven months.

Further investigation by police discovered that the couple had filed similar reports with police in other places in Thailand, Gen Vorapong said.

“They then used the statements and their driving licences as identification when

travelling in the country to avoid being caught for overstaying,” he said.

Their actions posed a security threat, said Gen Vorapong.

Mr Turan was charged with overstaying his permit to stay in the country, reporting false information to officials, and providing false information to officials in order to obtain a document that could be used to harm others.

M s K h a i r u l l i n a wa s charged with only overstaying.

Both Mr Turan and Ms Khairullina were blacklisted for five years, Gen Vorapong confirmed, and handed over to police at Suvarnabhumi for legal processing.

The Phuket News

A BABY BOY BELIEVed to be only seven to 10 days old was found abandoned in front of a woman’s rented room early Monday morning (July 29).

Lt Sopanat Nayao of the Thalang Police was called to the scene, in Soi Taphang in Moo 4, Thepkrasattri, at 5:30am.

Sasikan Chuaychu, 32, from Yantakao, Trang, told police that she was sleeping when she was woken by the sound of a baby crying in the hours before dawn.

She opened her front door to find the baby boy

swaddled in a cloth on her doorstep.

Beside the baby was a plastic bag containing a milk bottle and diapers.

Where the umbilical cord had been severed was still a raw wound, and rescue workers soon at the scene rushed the baby to Thalang Hospital for care.

Lt Sopanat said police are continuing their investigation, including checking CCTV in the area, in the hope of identifying and contacting the mother or other relatives of the baby boy. Eakkapop Thongtub

Opinion 6

OPINION

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

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PURIYA BEAVAN Editor

CHRIS HUSTED

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084 307 7408 execeditor@classactmedia.co.th Fifteen years working in news and covering local issues and events in Phuket, with 18-month hiatus spent working for the Brunei Times on Borneo. From Queensland, Australia; 10 years living in the UK before moving to Phuket in 2000.

Degree in business management.

Spare time spent sailing or with family.

AMY BRYANT

Lifestyle Editor

editor1@classactmedia.co.th Former freelance writer and editor for a music news and reviews website in the UK. Now turning her hobby into a career with The Phuket News and broadening her scope from music to, well, everything. Likes the weird and wonderful.

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NITAD ‘TAE’ MANEE THANAPONG ‘OAK’ KHAO-AMPHAIPHAN NIRAVIT ‘MOS’ VORAVANITCHA Graphic designers

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he excise tax on sugar in drinks to be brought into effect in October (see page 14) has been a long time coming. For decades Thai health officials have warned about how much sugar now features in the average Thai person’s diet.

Observers have also quite rightly noted that the weight explosion throughout Thailand over the past two decades has come as many Thais become increasingly exposed to Western food and Western lifestyle. Yet the true evil agent of change as rightly identified by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (SorSorSor), operated under the Ministry of Health, more than 10 years ago was – and remains – economics.

It’s no secret that even in Western countries the urban poor suffer the worst quality diets as fast food is cheaper,

EDITORIAL

Bittersweet more readily available for those working long hours and brings some form of privilege to the lives most urban poor lead – whether they realise they are actually urban poor or not.

As the SorSorSor points out, even in Thailand readyto-eat meals provide energy, but are unhealthy, fast food is cheaper and there is more variety, and as with any product the cheaper the food, the less quality.

This “combo” has seen the number of Thais becoming overweight spiral upwards, and sugary drinks have played a key part. The tax will not spark an overnight health epiphany, but it will do what all taxes do – it will make a dent in the number of sugary drinks the average person consumes, and that’s a good thing. Reducing the number of sugary drinks by just one a day can have a dramatic effect on a person’s

TOP 10 STORIES ON thephuketnews.com weight, and health, over the course of a year.

But how much are we supposed to believe that this new tax is purely to improve people’s health when Toon Bodyslam – a genuinely inspirational figure for Thais wanting to lead healthier lives – was back on the island this week to yet again run to raise funds for government hospitals? Let’s repeat that – for government hospitals.

And it’s not like the government doesn’t already reap its share of tax from sugar production, with the likes of Mitr Phol, Thailand’s main sugar producer, expecting group total revenue for 2019 to stand at B90 billion.

With the money to be harvested from this new excise tax, the government could easily pay for a new submarine, or two, if that’s what they really wanted.

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Baby boy abandoned on rented room doorstep Phuket set for King’s Birthday public holiday long weekend Phuket police to call in experts to help identify body of foreigner Phuket tourism leaders speak out on airport van, taxi fares Phuket fights tourism decline with sustainability platform at PHIST 2019 Phuket Opinion: Somewhere in between Phuket-bound couple blacklisted for false lost passports claim to avoid overstay Phuket thief caught after trying to sell B256k watch collection on Facebook Woman arrested in Phuket for B10mn farmer investment fraud One dead, two injured as motorbike slams into parked pickup van

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HAVE YOUR SAY Taken for a ride

Re: The Vanguard: Phuket tourism leaders speak out on airport van, taxi fares Still an embarrassment to the island. I for one would stop hiring a car if taxis were predictable and consistent on meter use and pricing. Make it like Bali and the Blue Bird taxis. Very rarely does one of them refuse to use the meter, and if they do then you just get out and take the car behind.

Wayne Simmonds Give GrabTaxi a go. Much cheaper and my experience has been good. Clean cars/ vans, polite drivers and reliable. Download the app. Fare is locked in when you book and the driver calls you to confirm the booking. It also connects your location via internet road maps.

Gary Smith Meters for taxis were invented about 100 years ago.

Why can they not use them in Phuket? They should also be set at the same rate as Bangkok.

Why should Phuket taxis be able to charge four times more than other taxis in Thailand?

Timothy

I’ve had one [taxi driver] turn [the meter] on after I insisted. It went up so fast that the price ended up B50 higher than the fixed upon price!

Nemo Cools

B1k and took care of the job well. I know private hospitals might be cleaner but I wonder if the pros justify that extra B24-49k…

Aranck Frena

Waiting list

Crash course

Re: Deadline for hospitals to display medicine prices pushed back First they have to do their own pricing to see what other hospitals charge so their ultrahigh prices don’t keep them out of business.

James Bahr This isn’t difficult. These hospitals know exactly how much they spend and how much they charge. They have rooms full of people keeping very accurate records. They could print up signs showing this information right now. So what’s the hold up?

CaptainJack69 I just went to a private hospital for treatment. They wanted to charge B50k for the best solution or B25k for the cheapest. And they had poor advice. I then went to a government hospital to compare and they charged me just under

Re: Police drafting plan for major accident exercise for Chalong Underpass Or you could’ve just built a wider underpass with a concrete central divider! Or you could set up a decent driving test centre with tougher tests or you could penalise offenders with steep fines and loss of driving license for a year, or, or, or…

Dale Sheldon Could have thought of this five years ago during the planning phase… Oh wait, was there a planning phase?

Meandering Mikeo It’s embarrassing that, having come this far, the underpass still needs adjustment. Four years of construction to have it like it is. In comparison, the Hong Kong-Macau bridge took just five more years and is the world’s longest sea bridge…

Missnanah Patsa

A difficult start

Re: Baby boy abandoned on rented room doorstep Happy to hear he’s still alive. Why [didn’t they] put him up for adoption or give him to someone who wants him? Please make sex education better so young girls or women who can’t afford contraception don’t get pregnant.

Make the pill cheaper or hand it out for free.

Aishah Møllerr Pedersen

Green future

Re: Hospital to distribute first batch of pot oil in August Thailand is ahead of the rest of East and Southeast Asia when it comes to medical uses for marijuana. It’s good to see.

Neil Wanida Pinard Good. But why not let a licenced private sector help meet that high demand?

Marcus Cesare A common sense medicine from nature has to be better than chemicals. I hope the programme helps those in pain.

James Bahr

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

THAILAND NEWS

The hunt for the artful Phra Dhammajayo is to be rejuvenated, by order of the new Justice Minister, Somsak Thepsuthin – once the former abbot’s disciple. Photo: Apichit Jinakul / Bangkok Post

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Phra Dhammajayo is believed to have fled the country. Photo: Bangkok Post

Spotlight back on rogue monk

DSI steps up bid to net monk connected to embezzlement case THAILAND Bangkok Post

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he Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has renewed efforts to arrest Phra Dhammajayo, the former abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, after Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin ordered the DSI to step up its probe into the multi-billion-baht Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative (KCUC) embezzlement case.

The 75-year-old monk is wanted

@thephuketnews

for allegedly laundering money and receiving stolen property in connection with the scandal, but previous DSI-led operations in 2016 and 2017 failed to nab him.

Mr Somsak wants the DSI to “speed up and follow up” the investigation into the embezzlement, which involves monks at Wat Phra Dhammakaya and the temple-linked Khun Yay Maha Ratana Upasika Chandra Khonnokyoong Foundation, DSI chief Paisit Wongmuang said on Monday (July 29).

Authorities will discuss leads

they hope will help them track down Phra Dhammajayo as well as look closely at the temple’s management.

It was earlier believed the former abbot was living in the temple compound in Pathum Thani’s Klong Luang district, but new information reportedly suggested he might have fled aboard.

Mr Somsak’s move to deal with the high-profile KCUC case comes about a week after reporters asked him on July 19 whether he was worried about legal action against

Phra Dhammajayo as the minister is known to be a disciple of his. He refused to comment, saying only that he would stick to the law.

The KCUC scandal made headlines after the cooperative’s former chairman, Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, confessed to embezzlement between 2009 and 2013 which affected 50,000 members.

He was accused of siphoning off a total of B12 billion and transferring B932 million to Phra Dhammajayo, some monks under the Wat Phra Dhammakaya network

as well as the foundation, which allegedly used the money to finance the construction of a globe-shaped building inside the temple.

The scandal returned to prominence after a report that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who chairs the DSI’s Special Cases Commission, would oversee the agency directly.

“That should be good,” reacted Mr Somsak, saying the premier’s supervision will allow the DSI to work with other agencies more easily.

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THAILAND NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

From prison to lattes

While incarcerated, new mother finds career path CHANTHABURI Bangkok Post

Chumphae Suksa School officials give a backpack equipped with wheels to the student with scoliosis, through her mother. Photo: Bangkok Post

E-books being considered for students KHON KAEN THE EDUCATION MINISTRY IS considering having students use e-book readers instead of textbooks, after a girl in Khon Kaen suffered a spinal deformity doctors suspect was caused by shouldering a heavy schoolbag.

It had not been concluded that the weight of the books was the only cause of the girl's deformity, but it should be “partly blamed for affecting the student's body”, Deputy Education Minister Kalaya Sophonphanich said on Tuesday (July 30).

The Mathayom 3 (Grade 9) student was admitted to a private hospital in Khon Kaen on Monday (July 29) after she fell ill and developed a fever.

“Her backbone was bent,” her mother said, showing an X-ray image she obtained from the hospital.

The mother said she was convinced that her daughter's bag was the cause.

The girl had first complained of back pains three years ago when still in Mathayom 1 (Grade 7).

Khunying Kalaya looked into the issue. One of the solutions she proposed was that students use lightweight ereaders, which can store a large volume of textbook files.

“However, reading on an e-book screen for a long time, like seven to 10 hours a day, is also worrying,” she said.

Excessive use of screens may have a negative impact on students' eyes, while craning their necks to read is also bad for their posture, she added.

Bangkok Post

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aunching her career as a barista behind bars wasn't exactly how former drug convict Oui*, a vibrant young mother, envisioned her life turning out.

A lapse in poor judgement while in her late 20s put her on a disruptive path of peddling and consuming drugs. The ramifications of this eventually got her a jail term of five years at Chanthaburi Provincial Prison, later reduced to three due to a royal pardon.

She was 31 when caught and sentenced for drug offences.

To get away from overthinking she immersed herself in activities offered to female inmates by Chanthaburi Provincial Prison which, realising the importance of vocational training, has been providing classes for them to learn how to make Thai traditional beverages which include coffee and milk tea among others.

These drinks are bottled and sold at the Ruen Chan Krua Thai restaurant in Chanthaburi province.

Thanks to the Kamlang jai project under the royal patronage of HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati, Oui and other inmates began to carve a future for themselves.

Oui recalls how excited she became when their first modern espresso machine was brought into class, and training on making different types of coffee and milk beverages commenced.

As she had previous experience in working at a coffee shop, Oui was picked for apprenticeship opportunities and workshops.

“It took me jail time to realise just how passionate I was about becoming a barista,” mused Oui on the day of her release. “I am grateful for all the training I was able to receive during my incarceration.... However, it did not take long for me to become the top barista. I also developed a knack for

Learning the tricks of the trade in prison, Oui's skills as a barista continue to grow from strength to strength. Photo: Bangkok Post

The prison provided training that helped Oui find employment after her release. Photo: Bangkok Post remembering just how each person liked their drink. When the prison had visitors, I was often called on to oversee the beverages.”

Despite numerous regrets, Oui believes every life experience, good or bad, has a purpose. She desires to focus on the positives.

“I have to make up for lost time.”

“Taking drugs for me was not so much about getting away from my personal problems but rather

Getting the taste just right and being service-minded comes naturally to her. Photo: Bangkok Post to fill in the boredom. I had just become a mother, and life had become monotonous.... Drugs had made me drift further away from my loving parents and young son, who was only two months old when I was incarcerated.

Oui says the biggest hurdle in prison was losing her freedom and adjusting to a rigid life of rules and regulations. For female inmates with children and elderly parents, the experience of serving

a jail sentence can be a living hell because you are helpless in your efforts to be there for your loved ones.

“During my incarceration, the most heart-wrenching moments for me were missing out on my sons' first steps and having to leave him with my ageing parents, who themselves were not in the best of health. The biggest lesson I learnt was to not take people you love for granted.”

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

BUSINESS NEWS

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‘Condotels’ the new normal Phuket’s Hotel Residences surge tops global property market PROPERTY Bill Barnett

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quick look at the incoming Phuket hotel pipeline of new inventory coming online that has now surpassed 15,000 units, and over 8,400 are hotel-branded residences.

The sheer number tops any other Asian resort market, but looking inside the numbers, the vast majority of keys are relatively small-sized units in condominium hotels. The tables have now turned from luxury to resort-grade entry level and midscale real estate.

To understand the market let’s start at how to define the asset class which C9 Hotelworks terms ‘Hotel Residences’.

Essentially this covers properties that sell individual units in the real estate market and operate as either hotels or else are branded by hospitality operators. Other often used terms are condotel, hotel-branded residences and hospitality-led real estate. Vacation ownership or timeshare is not included in this classification.

Turning back to Phuket and keying into key trends in the current marketplace, the highlights according to our extensive research is as follows: Hotel Franchising and Soft Brands We have seen a number of global hotel brands such as Wyndham rack up numbers in their pipeline through a growing number of franchisetype agreements. ACCOR on the other had has taken a soft brand approach with their MGallery collection which somehow addresses brand standard issues and allows more diverse properties into a chain scenario.

Size and Price Matter Post GFC, the reality of a shift away from the legacy luxury markets has continued.

Regional Asian segments and a growing number of Thai buyers are not dominant. We often say there are only two moving parts in real estate, how much it costs to develop and how much you can sell it at.

The new demographic is geared to lower absolute selling prices which today often lays in the USD100,000-200,000 range. Most developers now focus on absorption or sales pace of cheaper units instead of trying to push higher yields so it’s a volume play. While hotel operators have often promoted pricing premiums @thephuketnews

One clear sign that a cycle has topped is when investment or speculative transactions represent the vast majority of property sales, writes Bill Barnett. Image: C9 Hotelworks for brands, today the ultimate absolute selling point is mainly the magnet for faster sales.

Freehold has been realigned as the preferred method of ownership for both foreigners and Thais, hence the shift into condominium-type structures which allow foreign ownership of properties.

Mainland Chinese Developers An increasing number of larger projects in the pipeline are now directly or indirectly being sponsored by Mainland Chinese property developers/ investors. In many cases, these projects are focusing only on a single geographic source market and their sales and marketing is primarily geared to Chinese. Branding is often a key issue for these volumeoriented projects, which is latched onto the rise of hotel franchise agreements.

Based on our extensive experience in consulting for hotel residences across all of the Asia Pacific markets, there is cause for concern in certain practices and learning from historical demonstrated real estate and tourism cycles: Investment Buyers Dominate Market One clear sign that a cycle has topped is when investment or speculative transactions represent the vast majority of property sales. One could call this the opportunistic train and we typically see sales and marketing tactics like doubledigit or long-term guaranteed returns or yields aggressively promoted.

A key learning in this area is that investment type returns for hotel residences are a function in resort markets like Phuket of the tourism sector and not real estate driven.

Supply and demand are an essential part of the equation as is the ongoing effectiveness of hospitality management.

Given the current challenging tourism conditions in Phuket and mounting concerns over the impact of a China slowdown and decline in tourism numbers, these are signs that the level and term of guaranteed returns are a growing risk to property buyers.

While the trend of property developers of hotels is now passing operating and investment risk to unit purchasers in hotel residences offerings.

One final thought on this subject is the risk associated with the security of long-term guaranteed returns to buyers given these are not widely regulated. Typically, these returns are neither secured against bank guarantees or managed escrow accounts which may come under pressure when hotel trading levels drop. Buyer beware.

Mismatch of Products: Real Estate Versus Hotels A critical issue facing hotel residences lies in when developers shift the buying base from end users or long-term rental focused and look to compete in the hotel space.

Reality bites as the products are rarely apple to apple in comparison.

For hotel residences that are premised on investment returns in the hotel market, the natural competitors are pure hotel properties. In many cases the real estate offerings with full kitchens, an overall lack of outlets and facilities and interior fit-out are being promised to obtain comparable average rates as dedicated hotels. Customer perception is often like serviced apartments, that products like condominium hotels while of-

fering more space, are priced below traditional hotels. The result is a disconnect for investment buyers in their expected long-term returns. Real estate developers are mostly focused on maximizing saleable space, whereas hotel-type developers in resort markets understand the need to sacrifice some space for aspect, green and inherently lower-density.

One other key factor in this space is the fragmented ownership structure for hotel residences and ability to manage the asset, upgrade and remain competitive in the hospitality sector. Hotels are asset heavy propositions long term and typically over a ten-year period as much as eight per cent of revenue goes into maintaining these assets.

Single-owned hotels are able to renovate and upgrade due to a cohesive ownership approach. Once large number of co-owners enter the equation, often hotel residences fail to reinvest at a similar level as their hotel-only competitors with the knock-on effect being lower rates and decreasing yields.

Where Do We Go From Here?

There are many good examples of hotel residences having long-term value and returns.

In many instances these are mixed-use projects like the Banyan Tree, where a core hotel is operating and a smaller inventory of units are hotel residences so essentially there

is a hotel owner ensuring the operating strategy is sound and performance measured to the market.

The influx of Phuket’s hotel residences is now going into unfamiliar territory with many projects having 100% of the units being sold and a co-ownership regime of hotels now a new twist in the market.

Whether developers or unit owners are ready for this shift remains a key question.

Finally, on the subject of hotel residences as the only alternative available to developers in a challenged real estate sector, C9’s view is that strong opportunities are appearing in niche segments such as developers building projects to hold product and manage long-term rentals, retirement estates and co-living.

All of the aforementioned types are focused on long term sustainable cash flow. As Phuket urbanizes, these may be a preferred development alternative to the current surge in hotel residences which are now facing off in the same playing field as single-owned hotels.

10 BUSINESS NEWS

Department of Airports deputy chief Witthawat Pakdisantikul said the airport expansion is expected to be completed by 2022. Photo: Dept of Airports

Trang Airport receives major capacity boost TOURISM TRANG AIRPORT IS BEing expanded to increase its handling capacity as more tourists are visiting the coastal Andaman province, according to Deputy Transport Minister Thaworn Senneam.

The minister was speaking during a visit last Saturday (July 27) during which he was briefed on the expansion plan.

The project involves expanding the runway to the west of the airport and building a new passenger terminal as well as a new tarmac.

Department of Airports deputy chief Witthawat Pakdisantikul said the airport expansion is expected to be completed and ready for use by 2022.

The project is being fi-

nanced by the combined budgets of the next two fiscal years, according to the department.

“Trang offers visitors beautiful beaches and the sea, and it is one of the prime tourist destinations on the Andaman coast, with plenty of potential,” Mr Witthawat said.

When completed, the new passenger terminal will be able to welcome up to 1,200 passengers per hour or 3.4 million per year, up from 800,000 passengers per year at present.

The deputy department chief of economic affairs said the new longer runway will accommodate larger aircraft, which could attract international airlines to the province.

Bangkok Post

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

TAT awaits approval to launch tourism stimulus TOURISM

Bangkok Post

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he Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is seeking the green light from the Tourism and Sports Ministry for comprehensive stimulus plans to revitalise the ailing tourism market.

The number of foreign visitors in the first six months of this year grew only 1.48% year-on-year to 19.76 million, according to the latest report from the ministry. This was attributed to numerous negative factors including the global economic slowdown, trade tension between China and the US, and the strong baht.

Tourism receipts gained only 0.94% year-on-year.

The TAT must introduce plans to prop up three main markets – domestic, short- and long-haul international tourists, said TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn.

All these plans will be raised for discussion soon with the new tourism minister, Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, he said.

To boost the domestic market, the TAT is planning to join with parcel delivery service providers such as Thailand Post and Kerry Express to help transport goods that exceed airlines’ baggage limits for a low charge. The plan is to encourage travellers to spend more when they travel, especially via budget airlines that have

TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said his agency is eager to work with other parties to offer campaigns to improve the tourism market. Photo: Apichart Jinakul / Bangkok Post strict weight limits, Gov Yuthasak said.

To lure foreign tourists, the TAT is considering partnering with airlines and travel agents to target tourism markets, particularly China, which fell nearly 5% in the first six months this year, he added.

Earlier, Thai AirAsia chief executive Santisuk Klongchaiya said the airline is set to discuss with TAT a campaign designed especially for the Chinese market.

Early this year, TAT signed letters of intent with large Chinese companies such as China Travel Services and Alipay of Ant Financial Services Group to cooperate on facilitating Chinese tourists

visiting Thailand. TAT offices in Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Kunming are also working on campaigns to lure tourists during China’s golden week, which will run from Oct 1 to 7.

In terms of digitisation, to target younger tourists, the TAT is working with Shopee, a Singapore-based online shopping platform, to sell excursion packages in Thailand. Such products are expected to be launched very soon.

Earlier this year, the TAT signed a contract with Expedia, with more online travel agents in the pipeline to promote Thai tourism on their platforms.

TagThai app to offer full services TOURISM TAGTHAI, A TOURISM application supported by 49 public and private agencies, is set to offer full service sometime in October after six months of delay.

S u p a w a n Ta n o m k ieatipume, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), has encouraged members and other hospitality services to register, enabling them to showcase products and services on the platform.

THA is among 30 private organisations and 19 state agencies that signed agreements to promote the application, created by Thai Digital Platform Social Enterprise Co. Ms Supawan said the TagThai application will open more sales channels for hotel operators to reach independent travellers, a growing segment.

She said only 12,000 hotels are registered locally, meaning it will take a while to compete on the platform with foreign online travel agencies (OTAs).

There is no charge for joining the platform, and non-THA operators can join the application as well, said Ms Supawan.

Officials and the private sector sign a memorandum of understanding for a soft launch of tourism application TagThai in January. Photo: Tawatchai Kemgumnerd / Bangkok post TagThai had a soft launch several months ago, but the full service will begin in a few months.

The app will offer a variety of functions and marketplaces for operators, especially for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in a bid to add value to the Thai tourism industry.

A source from Thai Digital Platform Social Enterprise said the app will charge a low commission from sales, probably 10%, which is lower than foreign OTAs. The application will only feature legal or registered hotels to build trust among visitors, especially regarding safety.

SOS and alert functions linked to tourist police and the nearest police stations will be provided.

The application will feature Chinese, English and Thai languages.

Besides the TagThai application, Ms Supawan said hoteliers can use the Thai Mice Connect digital platform to broaden their services for operators, especially for those in the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions business.

Thai Mice Connect platform will be available on Oct 15 in Thai and English language versions.

Bangkok Post thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

A taste of Tuscany at L’Opera in Laguna

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Why do red flags fail to deter swimmers?

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Dokmai nestles in her mother’s fur.

CALL OF THE GIBBONS Baby Dokmai marks continued success of Gibbon Rehabilitation Project

Amy Bryant editor1@classactmedia.co.th

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rrive at the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (GRP) in northern Phuket at the right time of morning and you’ll be greeted with an impressive and beautiful cacophony of song by the resident apes. Initiated by one or two confident vocalists, the chorus is quickly joined by the project’s other supporting artists and escalates in pitch and volume before it reaches a crescendo and echoes out into the surrounding forest.

These vocal displays reveal the singer’s species, sex and identity to other gibbons – and those versed in ape lingo – and can be heard as far as two miles away through dense forest canopy, making gibbons the loudest of all land mammals.

Soon, a new voice will join the GRP chorus as the project welcomed a baby gibbon into the world in the early hours of July 16. The female white-handed gibbon, named Dokmai, is the sixth member of the project’s Tonmai family. Each member of the family is named after an element of the jungle: there’s the mother Tonmai, meaning tree, the father Rakmai (root), mischievous sisters Baimai (leaf) and Yodmai (canopy), their brother Kingmai (branch) and now Dokmai (flower).

The names are a reflection and celebration of the gibbons’ vital role in protecting the forest. Known as “forest planters”, gibbons carry seeds from fruits they eat and drop them through defecation across the @thephuketnews

jungle. A single gibbon can distribute around 100,000 seeds a year, growing some 10,000 trees.

The Tonmai family was rescued in June last year from an abandoned zoo in Phuket after a tip-off from a local ranger. GRP workers found the malnourished family of five packed into a small, rusty cage on the forest floor and, with no sign of a key, were forced to cut the cage open to release them.

“After a month of feeding them here, they were super strong,” says Thanaphat Payakkaporn, secretary general of the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand (WARF), under which the GRP operates.

“A healthy family like this has a strong chance of being released back into the wild, maybe in as soon as six months. But we’re also considering matching Dokmai with a male once she reaches sexual maturity. There are too many males in the jungle at the moment!”

Thanaphat’s love for these threatened animals is in his blood, and his knowledge of them unparalleled. His mother, Pornpen Payakkaporn, co-founded WARF in 1992 after years of rescuing exotic pets across Thailand at a grassroots level. As secretary general, Thanaphat continues her work not as a paid job but as what he describes “a full-time hobby and passion”.

While the GRP has a history of rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing other wildlife – tigers, leopards and civets in other parts of Thailand – their focus in Phuket remains on white-handed gibbons who were poached to extinction on the island in the early ’80s.

Hunters captured the babies in order to sell on as exotic pets or to touts who paraded the frightened creatures on beaches and in bars, seeking payment in

The GRP welcomed Dokmai to the world on July 16. return for photos. Entire families, between 10-15 gibbons, were shot dead for that one prized baby who was often mistreated then promptly abandoned once they reached sexual maturity, aged 5-6, and became aggressive, grew long, sharp canines and began their loud calls. This unimaginably cruel practice saw wild gibbon numbers spiral on the island.

Since 1992, the GRP has successfully reintroduced the white-handed gibbon back to the Phuket forest, and there are currently 32 at the release site in the Khao Pra Thaew Non-Hunting area. But taking a gibbon from rescue to release can be an incredibly timeintensive, trial-and-error process. Not all cases are as simple as that of the Tonmai family, who could be swinging free between the trees in a matter of months; some gibbons require as much as 10 years of rehabilitation and others may not be fit for release at all.

Continued on page 12

12 COMMUNITY

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Sherpa, born at the GRP site in 2010, was released with his parents in 2012 and continues to thrive in the forest.

“I always say that the GRP is gibbon school but out there in the jungle is gibbon university!” laughs Thanaphat. “We teach basic skills first: how to sing, how to find food, how to brachiate [swing between branches] etc.

And we find them a partner. They have a better chance of survival if they’re released as a family unit. But matchmaking is always difficult. We usually have to try with two or three partners before they settle.”

Cupid’s arrow doesn’t always strike first time, and there are a host of other issues to contend with to ensure a formerly captive gibbon can survive in the wild: adapting their diets from human food; treating injuries, diseases, addictions and trauma; and adjusting their sleep schedules.

As the gibbons progress, they’re moved into (spacious) cages deeper and deeper in the forest and human contact is increasingly limited. Visitors to the GRP are able to see five of the project’s 29 gibbons. Housed in the lower row of cages, each one faces obstacles to their release. Gibby, for example, is a goldencheeked gibbon, a species not native to Phuket; Tam’s missing hand and foot, from injuries inflicted by her former

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

The GRP, located in Thalang, is well worth a visit. owner, hinder her ability to brachiate; and Bo was released six times but always made his way back to the GRP, preferring life there.

“We’ll never give up on these gibbons though,” explains Thanaphat. “As a research division, we speak to experts around the world. We’re still learning.”

Those that are released aren’t tagged as the GRP seeks to give the gibbons a normal, natural life without the need to recapture. Instead, the team take weekly early morning hikes to monitor the families from the forest floor while they sing, swing, snooze and scavenge 30 foot up in the canopy.

Gibbons are fiercely territorial which makes the task of locating them each week a relatively straightforward one.

The GRP helps with ‘supplemental feeding’ after release, using a basket that’s pulled up into the trees, until the gibbons have explored their territory and learnt to forage for themselves, which can take a further two years.

“Releasing the first group was easy.

We just picked a spot where there was enough food. But it’s becoming difficult to create enough distance between each family now,” says Thanaphat. “When we’re finding an area, we look at the

geography, the food sources, whether there’s an easy escape route if another group is coming. We look at the technique of their swing and which trees fit that. We’ve studied all 500 species [of plant and animal] in the jungle.”

The sheer scope and impact of the work the GRP does is staggering.

Thanaphat’s diligent team of just nine run the world’s longest-standing and most successful gibbon rehabilitation project without a single baht of government funding, not even from the entry fee to Khao Pra Thaew National Park, where the GRP is located. Their work is fuelled by kind volunteers and generous donations.

But their efforts do not go unnoticed. In recent times, the GRP has observed a pattern of behaviour in the gibbons. Older released gibbons have been returning from the wild to the project site, not for food, not for shelter, but simply to spend time with the staff. These same gibbons have then returned to the forest and passed away shortly after. The team are looking into this recent phenomenon, but it seems that what this highly intelligent and emotional animal is doing is nothing more than saying “thank you.”

Thanaphat Payakkaporn.

The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project is located at 104/3 Moo 3, Pa Khlok, Thalang, 83110. Open daily from 9am4:30pm. To report a captive animal, call the Department of National Parks hotline on 1362 and email grp@gibbonproject.org. To sponsor a gibbon or enquire about volunteering, visit www. gibbonproject.org. Follow the progress of the gibbons at www.facebook.com/GibbonRehabilitationProject

thephuketnews

DINING 13

A night at L’Opera THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

Authentic Italian cuisine sings at Laguna THE CULINARY DETECTIVE Chris Watson chriswatsonth@gmail.com

L

’Opera has recently taken over a prominent position on Tinlay Place at Laguna, joining several other restaurants in what is fast becoming a mini culinary hotspot. Strolling through the impressive entrance, I am greeted with a warm welcome from Paolo, L’Opera’s resident patron.

Paolo is also a highly recognised member of the Association of Italian Sommeliers and the Worldwide Sommeliers Association – both internationally revered. This venture is the latest addition to the L’Opera Group which also runs several other successful restaurants across Asia.

The interior is an attractively decorated space in warming tones of golden brown and orange with splashes of mustard yellow, reminiscent of that distinctive ochre shade prevalent in the villages that sit along the Mediterranean coastline. It is rustically furnished with wooden beams, a matching polished wooden floor and comfy leather and rattan chairs, lending a casual yet stylish air to the room. Vistas of Tuscan landscapes dot the walls, almost making one believe one is vacationing somewhere in a rural Italian village.

Paolo is charming and effusive and urges my dining companion and I to leave our menu choices in his capable hands. Much of the unique quality and appeal of Italy stems from the variety found within its 20 regions. Each region has its own individuality, culture reflected through art, architecture and cuisine. L’Opera, whilst embracing predominantly Tuscan cuisine, also offers the best of other regions.

Whilst we await Paolo’s return, I am aware of an unobtrusive and appropriate soundtrack in the background. Yes, you’ve guessed it, Italian opera! Opera was born in Italy around the year 1600, and for those non-aficionados, Italian is the one and only language of opera, regardless of the origin of the actual opera itself. Many famous operas were written by both Italian composers such as Rossini and Puccini and also by foreign composers, the most well known being Handel and Mozart. Everyone recalls The Three Tenors and the aria Nessun Dorma, even if only from its adoption as a World Cup anthem.

Paolo arrives carrying a colourful pizza margherita, straight from the wood-fired oven which imparts this crispy crusted classic cheese and tomato combination with a pleasant, slightly charred and smoky flavour. Originating from Naples, the home of the pizza, margherita is for many Italians a representation of the country. Created in 1889 by a renowned chef following the unification of the Kingdom of Italy for Queen Margherita of Savoy, it is a pizza @thephuketnews

The charming Paolo. modelled around the Italian flag: tomato for red, mozzarella for white and basil for green.

Our pizza is followed by a signature chef’s dish of vitello tonnato from Piedmont in the north west, comprising thin slivers of tender veal bathed in a creamy mayonnaise dressing, flavoured with tuna and garnished with piquant anchovies, capers and lemon. The tradition dictates a fivehour resting period to fully develop the flavours you seek to appreciate in this deceptively simple classic. This one has definitely felt the love!

Pasta served here is an artisanal variety from Gragnano, a hilltop village near Naples. The village established its reputation as the location of the first pasta factory in the world to be awarded IGP certification. Its celebrated dried pasta is made from combining the finest semolina with spring water from the surrounding mountains.

Paolo then brings us taglierini al profumo di tartufo, or thin egg noodles in truffle sauce, an authentic Tuscan recipe. Tuscany has the enviable distinction of being a source of both black and white truffles, the so-called ‘diamonds of gastronomy’, as much because of their rarity and resulting price. This dish does not disappoint. We are also offered an equally satisfying spaghetti with fresh Italian buratta and tomatoes. Whilst slightly less decadent than our previous truffle dish, the buratta contributes a creamy, almost buttery texture which, when partnered with the sweet flesh of the cherry tomatoes, elevates this dish to a new level of taste.

Alternatively, one can choose a homemade ravioli from a short selection, including a tasty parcel filled with seafood in a smoked salmon sauce.

King prawns, sole or a number of Angus steaks are also available, including both rib-eye and tenderloin served in a creamy porcini mushroom sauce or yet again truffle sauce. In Tuscan cuisine you will find just about everything can be infused with truffle, from balsamic vinegar to pecorino cheese!

To end our evening, Paolo insists on us sampling several desserts, including

L’Opera’s ochre restaurant front.

Ravioli scampi. a panna cotta with surprising honeyed truffle and sweet balsamic, and a signature zuccotto, a semi-frozen sponge dessert originating in Florence containing a local artisan Italian gelato made here in Phuket.

Following the traditional Italian after-dinner lemon refreshment, in the words of that famous operatic pop song, sung by the Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli, ‘Con Te Partiro’, and for those less fluent, it is sadly ‘time to say goodbye!’ Tonight, we have experienced a little corner of Italy, authentic Italian dishes with typically convivial Italian family spirit.

L’Opera Ristorante Italiano is open daily for lunch from 11:30am-2:30pm and for dinner from 6-11pm.

Fettucine rustica. (+66) 95 468 2248 contact@loperaphuket.com www.loperaphuket.com Chris is a former Michelin Guide Inspector who, following an international career in hospitality spanning 30 years in both the Middle East and Asia, has now settled in Thailand and contributes a monthly restaurant column.

14 HEALTH

Sweet tooth

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

Thailand consumes over four times the recommended amount of sugar Bangkok Post

We can’t just demonise a particular kind of food as the sole culprit. Instead, it’s important to look at the overall picture.

I

n 1997, the average Thai person consumed 19 teaspoons of sugar a day. That’s more than three times the amount of daily sugar intake recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), which is only six teaspoons.

A decade later, the number had risen to 25 teaspoons per day. A further decade plus has passed and, despite various campaigns and initiatives to tackle the nation’s excessive sugar intake, is currently around 28 teaspoons – more than four times the WHO’s recommended amount.

Thais with a sweet tooth, especially diehard fans of pearl milk tea, are reeling from the staggering figures released earlier this month by the Foundation for Consumers that reveal a long list of bubble tea brands serving drinks containing more than the WHO’s recommended sugar level. Of the 25 brands that were tested, 23 were found to be serving beverages that exceeded the threshold. All 25 brands underwent laboratory testing for calories and preservatives like sorbic acid and benzoic acid. The worst offender contained a staggering 18.5 teaspoons of sugar – more than three days’ worth in one go.

Thanit Vinitchagoon, dietitian at the Institute of Nutrition under Mahidol University, says there are various factors that contribute to Thailand’s sugar addiction. Among them is a food environment that has become more diverse.

The recent report on sugar in bubble tea is a wake-

up call that will hopefully give Thais second thoughts the next time they think of ordering one. But according to Thanit, this is far from the only area of concern when it comes to sugar consumption in the country.

“We can’t just demonise a particular kind of food as the sole culprit,” he explained. “Instead, it’s important to look at the overall picture as to how people consume sugar, fats, sodium and all that. Sugary drinks tend to be looked at as particularly problematic in part because they’re liquid. Unlike solid food, drinks don’t make people full, which means they can be quickly and continually consumed, sending a lot of sugar into the body.”

In 2017, Thailand implemented a new excise tax on drinks with sugar content in an effort to put pressure on manufacturers to cut the amount of sugar they put in their products. A further tax expected to be imposed in October. However, Thanit is of the opinion that it’s hard to be sure whether this will be effective.

“When it comes to the efficiency of excise taxes on sugary drinks, two different sectors need to be taken into consideration,” he said. “For those whose purchasing power is heavily influenced by price, then it might affect how they choose their products. But for consumers for whom price is not a factor, taxes are unlikely to affect them as much.

They probably won’t care too much if the price of their favourite beverage rises by, say, B5.”

Telling consumers to cut their sugar intake, said Thanit, ignores the complexity of the issue. Of course, state support is paramount but Thanit believes that only campaigns which are based on positive reinforcement ideology will work, by introducing consumers to healthier choices of foods but letting them decide. This way they will feel encouraged towards behavioural adjustment instead of threatened.

Sugar tax pushes innovation Thailand’s beverage industry plans to become more innovative with products as the second phase of the excise tax on sugary drinks comes into force. A new alternative sweetener and products with less sugar may be introduced, reformulating existing ingredients for them to be healthier or less sweet.

Sugary drinks subject to the tax are carbonated soft drinks, energy and electrolyte drinks, fruit and vegetable juices and sweetening agents. From October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2021, sugary beverages including carbonated soft drinks, ready-to-drink green tea, coffee, energy drinks and fruit juice will be taxed at a higher rate under the new excise tax structure.

A source from Thailand’s beverage industry who requested anonymity said with the second round of the excise tax

on the horizon, healthy beverage alternatives are expected to be introduced in the fourth quarter.

Apart from new formulas, several beverage manufacturers are reformulating existing beverages, while some companies are exploring business opportunities in other healthier product sectors to keep their sales growth.

“In addition to carbonated soft drinks, which recently announced higher prices, fruit juice companies are considering adjusting prices because of higher production costs,” said the source.

Ekkapol Pongsathaporn, managing director of Tipco Foods, the maker of fruit juice, said the company has been preparing for the last two years by creating more healthy product options.

“We’ve prepared several measures to cope with the government’s measures, including new product choices and the reformulation of existing items or price hikes, which will be reconsidered next year,” Ekkapol said.

Kanya Dilokruengchai, managing director of World Food International Co, the distributor of M-Joy mixed fruit juice, said the company has already adjusted all product formulas. “Following formula adjustments, consumers’ response remains positive,” said Ms Kanya. “We still expect to be able to maintain our sales at B520 million, on par with last year.”

Nongnuch Buranasetkul, president of Oishi Group, said the company has gradually adjusted sugar levels of Oishi green tea since last year. The company also launched Oishi gold sugar-free green tea to the market.

“Healthy drinks have been available in the market for a long time, but have not received a sufficient response from consumers,” Nongnuch said. “Healthy product lines draw a better response from consumers when they are better educated and have a better understanding.”

Prayoth Benyasut, deputy directorgeneral of the Internal Trade Department, said makers of carbonated soft drinks, fruit and vegetable juices do not need to ask for prior approval from the Internal Trade Department for a price hike because they are not on the state price control list. They are required to inform the department once they have adjusted their prices.

“The department’s stated role is to supervise the adequacy of products and prevent any hoarding by business operators to the extent that there is shortage,” he said. “For such drinks, there is unlikely to be any shortages in the market.”

Pitsinee Jitpleecheep, Phusadee Arunmas and Arusa Pisuthipan thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

TRAVEL 15

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

The lure of the sea Without lifeguards to back them up, red flags can be fatal Daren Jenner

I

t starts with that distinctive smell. It has a unique quality – familiar to some, new to others. Yet one fact is universal to both the salty dog and the first-time visitor: people the world over are drawn to the sea.

As we draw near to the beach, that moist, vibrant smell gives way to the sound of breaking waves. Even before reaching the shore, many of us are already anticipating the feel of the warm tropical water on our skin. The ocean is calling. Despite the presence of red flags and dangerous surf, some won’t look both ways. They won’t think twice. Into the water they go. If it’s during monsoon season in Phuket, some will not come out.

Why do they do it? Research shows that being near the ocean triggers activity in the region of the brain that processes memories, even in those that have never been to the sea before. When humans feel, taste, hear or smell water, instinctual and emotional responses automatically kick in. For many, being near the ocean creates feelings of awe, peace and joy. Without even realising it, the decision to enter the water is made.

Tourists who spend their limited holiday time and hard-earned money to come to Phuket, and other beach destinations worldwide, are often determined to heed the call of the ocean, despite the presence of red flags, warning signs and dangerous surf. This is a serious global problem, and is not unique to Thailand.

According to the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA), colour-coded warning flags that fly at beach access points are designed to notify swimmers if it is safe to enter the water. However, these “passive” means for providing beach safety information often fail, leading to the widely-seen spectacle of swimmers playing in dangerous surf conditions, often directly in front of red ‘no swimming here’ flags.

“The flag system is intended as a tool for lifeguards to inform the public about surf conditions,” explained Chris Brewster, past president of the USLA. “The flag system presupposes that if people don’t understand or

@thephuketnews

Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot / file choose to ignore the flags, that there are lifeguards present to protect them,” he added. “Using warning flags without lifeguards is like offering fire safety education but providing no firefighters.”

Worse still, many of Phuket’s beaches, while just as dangerous as those with red flags, have no flags displayed at all, nor lifeguards on duty.

Modern, trained lifeguards do much more than carry out actual rescues, Chris explained. “It’s important to understand that the job of a lifeguard is prevention – rescue is the last resort.”

For every actual rescue, lifeguards carry out more than 100 “preventative actions” such as warning swimmers about the emergence of rip currents or separating swimmers from other conflicting aquatic activities, such as boats or surfboard riders.

“Preventing drowning is not about waiting for someone to get into distress and rescuing them, but rather

preventing the distress in the first place,” Chris said.

“If lifeguards are not on duty, the preventive role – from warning to rescue – is lost and drowning deaths will continue to occur.”

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by, And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking, And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

– Sea Fever by John Masefield Daren Jenner is a bodysurfer and Ocean Lifeguard in Southeast Asia. He is also the International Surf Lifesaving Association (ISLA) Marine Safety Officer for Phuket.

16 PETS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Photo: Kenny Louie

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

Photo: Meli1670 / Pixabay

Once bitten, twice shy

The human behaviours that cause dogs to bite and how to avoid them UNLEASHED Russell D Russell info@k9pointacademy.com

“T

he safest way to approach a dog is to walk towards them so they can see you, reach your hand out first and let them smell it.” If you’re telling this to your kids, please stop! Right now! This is basically an old wives’ tale and completely ignores what we know about canine behaviour and sociology. It is also the reason so many people, particu-

larly children, get bitten.

Making direct eye contact, forcefully reaching into their personal space and, worse still, trying to put your hand or face directly in theirs are all quite dominant and aggressive behaviours in the dog world. Most do not appreciate this invasion of their space and it is exceedingly easy for them to bite you if they want to send a message.

The simplest and safest way to approach a new, unknown dog, including those owned by family, friends and neighbours, is simply not to. “But wait!”, I hear you cry, “I really want to pet that gorgeous-looking dog! I want to stroke his fur and give him a cuddle!” Sure, and if I saw Scarlett Johansson at the bar, I’d think the same thing – but it doesn’t mean I get to.

Instead, we work on the 80/20 rule: approach 80% of the way and let the other party approach the other 20% if they want to. If they don’t approach, that’s their first way of telling you “please leave me alone”, at which point you need to understand that if you continue to proceed, you’re doing so against their will.

It also really doesn’t matter how cute the dog is. Even the sweetest, most adorable dogs can do some pretty serious damage to your (or your child’s) hand. The appearance of a dog as “cute” is absolutely not a reliable predictor of whether or not they may bite.

Most people have real difficulty accepting that dogs generally do not like being hugged or, more specifically, entrapped. Only primates (e.g. monkeys, gorillas, humans, etc.) enjoy and practice hugging in the animal kingdom.

This is the number one reason small children are bitten by dogs. Many dog bites occur when someone is hovering over a dog, oblivious to the signals they’re sending. It’s not always obvious to the casual observer why the dog bit, but in many cases it’s because of the hover before the hug. A lot of dog fights also start with one dog attempting to hover over the other.

Don’t let small children play with dogs without proper adult supervision.

If the children are very young, the adult needs to be physically next to the child

when a dog is present to prevent dog bites. Young kids may inadvertently poke an eye or pull a whisker, for example, which may result in a growl, a show of teeth, an air snap or a soft hold before an actual bite – these are all signs to say “back away”.

In the same vein, don’t bother a resting or sleeping dog. Dogs are animals and can be primal in their instincts.

Startling a resting or sleeping dog can bring out those instincts which frequently include biting the first thing they see.

I also have no idea why some dog owners feel the need to put their hands in their dog’s food bowl while they are eating. Ironically, this can ultimately lead to resource guarding, the very thing you think you’re training against.

Just let them eat, or chew their bone, and outside of this, teach them some redirection and focus work.

Never, ever reach in the middle of two dogs fighting in order to separate them. This is probably the best way I know to get a bad dog bite. What you will receive is a redirected bite from a dog that is not necessarily meaning to bite you, but is just biting the thing that is getting in the way of the altercation with the other dog. Even if it’s your own dog, their reactions are way quicker than yours.

Good dog bite prevention starts with never assuming an unfamiliar dog is 100% comfortable with you, even if the dog’s owner says they are. Your own personal dog is liable to be far more tolerant of various (annoying) behaviours that you subject them to (e.g. “My Fido loves being cuddled by me.”). Just because he tolerates it from you (or even loves it), doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll willingly accept it from anyone else.

If you would like some more information on canine training, or behavioural issues, then please to contact us on 091 654 1960, email info@k9pointacademy.com, or check our website www.k9pointacademy.com. CPA is the only K9 organisation in Thailand accredited with the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), and as an American Kennel Club (AKC) Evaluator. thephuketnews

EVENTS 17

Playing for laughs THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

Don’t miss live comedy at the Marriott on August 5 The Phuket News editor1@classactmedia.co.th

E

ach month, StandUp Asia brings some of the best international comedic talent on the circuit to vibrant, multicultural audiences at the Marriott Resort, Merlin Beach. This month, on Monday, August 5, Rory Lowe from Australia, Hannan Azlan from Malaysia and Umar Rana from Pakistan will take to the stage for a one-night-only extravaganza of funny.

Here’s what to expect.

Rory Lowe “He’s even funnier than he is insane.” – Tame Impala (the band, not the animal...)

High jinks with Rory Lowe Born in the UK but raised down under, Rory Lowe is one of the youngest comedians on the international headliner circuit. Armed with dreadlocks and a well-honed comedy mind,

Rory tears down milestone after milestone with such precision and effortless delivery, you’d never see it coming.

Beginning his foray into stand-up comedy at the tender age of 19, it took Rory two years to debut his first solo show I’ve Got Problems at the Perth Fringe World, which proceeded to sell out across Western Australia.

Rory went on to sell out every single one of his Melbourne Comedy Festival runs, as well as his tour of the West Coast of the US supporting the debaucherous bear Bert Kreischer.

Arguably Rory’s biggest gig so far was MCing at the Big Day Out Festival, blowing the minds not only of audiences but also of Grammy-nominated psych-rockers Tame Impala.

His material is described as honest and his delivery laid-back in an Aussie sense. Rory Lowe is a powerhouse performer that’s as unpredictable as he is funny, leaving audiences gasping for air as he packs the next punch.

Hannan Azlan “A revelation.” – ArtsHub Australia Hannan Azlan delved into the world of stand-up comedy in 2015 and has been fooling around with a ukulele

The Goat Festival is coming

T

he annual goat festival will be held at the Phuket Gateway, at the northern tip of the island at Tha Chatchai, this month, Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana announced on July 24. The festival, to be held August 26-28, this year is to be called ‘16th Thailand Goat Festival 2019 and Andaman’s Amazing World of Livestock Phuket.’

Speaking at the launch event on the grass field in front of Phuket Provincial Hall, complete with a small corral of goats, Governor Phakaphong explained that the annual event is held to support goat farmers across the country.

Goats feed a host of important industries, said Ampan Wentanti, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Livestock Development (DLD) and special guest at the launch event. About 377,000 goats are eaten in Thailand each year, with 100,000 exported to Malaysia annually, and about 40,000 to Laos and Vietnam.

“We support all three steps of goat farming: producing, farming and transforming,” Mr Ampan said. “In each step of farming, we provide support by giving semen to improve the quality of goats reared – especially milk goats – producing plants that serve as quality goat food and taking care of goats,” he added.

The term “transforming” related to creating many different products from the goats, Mr Ampan explained. @thephuketnews

Photo: Greg Geiger / Pixabay “We support the development of both meat and milk products. Goat milk can be transformed into ice cream, yogurt, soap and even included in cosmetics,” he said.

“Goat meat can be cooked to become a curry with roti or be served barbecued, and standard farms can effectively strengthen their processes of transforming raw goat into these products,” he added.

The goat festival this month will feature training activities conducted by the DLD, a goat meat cooking competition, academic seminars and network building for goat farmers.

The event will also include the traditional ‘Goat Angel Competition’ beauty pageant and showcase agricultural products.

The Phuket News

on stage ever since. In 2016, she became the first and youngest ever woman to win the worldrenowned Hong Hannan Azlan has a ukulele Kong Internaand she’s not afraid to use it. tional Comedy Competition.

Likable on stage and off, Hannan has gone on to gig everywhere from Australia to the UK, from Estonia to Cambodia. Having been described as both “a musical genius” and “gross”, Kuala Lumpur’s naughtiest comic treads the fine line between rowdy material and witty crowd work, leaving audiences rolling on the floor.

In 2018, Hannan was the first Malaysian woman to be chosen for the prestigious Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Comedy Zone Asia, and made her Australian television debut on ABC’s Comedy Up Late.

Her theatre training and musical prowess soften the blow of the controversial topics she covers, from white privilege to the Islamic State.

Umar Rana “No-holds-barred jokes.” – Time Out Founder of Comedy Masala, Singapore’s most popular weekly comedy show, Umar Rana is a No holds barred with stalwart of the Umar Rana.

Southeast Asian comedy scene.

Umar has close to two decades of comedy under his belt and has been named as one of the top ten comedians in Asia.

Umar is best known for his ability to make an audience hate him in one minute and laugh uncontrollably in the next. He’s worked with the likes of Bill Burr and Rob Schneider, and made his television debut on Comedy Central Asia’s Stand-Up Asia! in 2016.

Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 8pm.

Tickets are on sale now from B350 (early bird), 650 THB (show only), B950 (burger, two Moosehead beverages and show), B1,200 (hotel buffet and show) or B1,450 (VIP, free-flow drinks from 7-10pm and meet-and-greet with the comedians). Get your tickets via Phuket Ticketmaster.

18 ISLAND SCENE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

MAI KHAO TURTLE RELEASE HELD TO MARK HM THE KING’S BIRTHDAY Hundreds of well-wishers, Phuket residents and guests gathered at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa’s beachfront on July 27 to see the release of 40 green sea turtles. A number of guests of honour were also in attendance, including the governor of Phuket and officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, the Phuket Marine Biological Center and Sirinath National Park. The event marked His Majesty The King’s birthday, with the release symbolising long life, prosperity and good luck.

Matthias Y. Sutter (right), GM of JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, with wife Elia and children Sebastian and Adriana.

Guests of honour ready to release the turtles, who were raised at the Phuket Marine Biological Center.

Thumbs up for the turtles’ new life in the ocean.

The event was turtley awesome.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

ISLAND SCENE 19

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

Officials making merit at Phuket Provincial Hall, providing food and other goods to 68 monks.

Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana leading officials in pledging an oath of allegiance to be a good servant for the country and King.

A candle-lit blessings ceremony at the front of Phuket Provincial Hall.

Governor Phakaphong presiding over the candle-lit ceremony.

PHUKET CELEBRATES HIS MAJESTY THE KING’S 67TH BIRTHDAY Thousands of people turned out to take part in the official ceremonies and to join the community projects conducted on July 28 in honour of His Majesty The King.

Festivities ranged from merit-making in the morning, to cleaning up Saphan Hin, to donating scholarships to poor students to handing out female necessities to women inmates at Phuket Prison. The day’s events concluded with a candle-lit ceremony at Phuket Provincial Hall.

The candle-lit ceremony brought the auspicious day to a close.

Volunteers took part in a number of community projects, including planting vetiver grass.

Volunteer group readying to release fish in the Rassada mangroves. @thephuketnews

Volunteers painting kerb stones at Saphan Hin.

The 112-year-old Phuket Provincial Hall up in lights for HM The King.

The Phuket Red Cross providing lunch and donating female necessities to 409 women inmates at Phuket Provincial Prison.

20 EVENTS

FRI

2 AUG

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Kata Rocks - Four Hands Michelin Starred Dinner Mussels night @ Shakers 1.2kg mussels served with French fries, your choice, your style: natural, marnière, Provençale, garlic and cream or Thai style. Reservations recommended B295 P/P. shakersphuket@gmail.com 081 891 4381.

ALL YOU CAN EAT BBQ RIBS Come join us for our WEEKLY BBQ EVERY FRIDAY served ALL DAY & ALL NIGHT at Two Chefs Kata Center, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong. Indulge in All You Can Eat BBQ Pork Ribs, Chicken and Sides for ONLY 495 BAHT! Our BBQ is famous at Two Chefs! Come try us out and enjoy our mouthwatering pork ribs, flavor-bursting chicken and more! Join us for Live Music from 8-Late Performed by Our Famous Two Chefs Band! Come for the FOOD Stay for the Fun. www.twochefs.com Kata Beach 076-333-370 Karon 076-286-479 Patong 076-344-914.

Kata Rocks is hosting Chef Thomas Diepersloot from Michelin-starred Restaurant Voltaire in Leersum, the Netherlands. This will be a very exclusive “FOUR HANDS” dinner event; Chef Thomas will partner with executive chef Laia (one of the leading female chefs in Phuket) to present a six-course dinner in one of the iconic Penthouse Sky Pool Villas, limited to 20 guests, for two night only (2 and 3 August). Priced at THB 6,000 net per guest for the six-course menu with drink pairings overlooking the Andaman Sea. Make your bookings today at dining@katarocks.com

SAT

3 AUG

The Grow Boating Networking Evening for August 2019 will be held at The Port of Call Bar and Restaurant, at The Ao Po Grand Marina from 5pm onward. We are delighted to announce that Simpson Marine, Asia’s leading yacht dealer, have agreed to be our drinks sponsors. See www.simpsonmarine.com There will be a light buffet sponsored by the Port of Call bar and restaurant and special prices on your favourite beverages. Come and join in the fun, everyone is welcome. There is no entry fee, just drop your business card or register at the bar. To join our mailing list please send an email growboatingphuket@gmail.com Grow Boating is kindly supported by our media partner The Phuket News, Live 89.5 radio and Phuket News TV. The Grow Boating Networking Evening is organised by the Thai Yachting Business Association. Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/

under 10 eat free (1 paying adult = 1 child free). Reservation, Dream Beach Club, reservations@dreambeachclub.com, +66 (0) 98 048 3500.

MON

5 AUG

Sunday Roast All Day, All Night Come enjoy a Traditional Sunday Roast EVERY SUNDAY at Two Chefs Kata Center, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong. Indulge in our Traditional Sunday Roast ALL DAY & ALL NIGHT for ONLY 445 Baht! Enjoy a Large ALL YOU CAN EAT selection of your favorites! Featuring: Roast Aussie Beef, Pork Loin and Chicken. Roasted or Mashed Potatoes. Roasted Mixed Vegetables Flavored with Thyme and Garlic.

Yorkshire Pudding and Gravy. Enjoy Live Music from 8-Late Performed by Our Famous Two Chefs Band! Come for the FOOD - Stay for the Fun. RESERVE Your Table Now Online at bit.ly/TwoChefsReservations Check out more details on our website at bit.ly/TwoChefsEvents Reservations, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong., Kata Beach 076-333-370 Karon 076-286479 Patong 076-344-914.

All you can eat BBQ night 6pm – 11pm: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Burgers, Sausages, Prawns and Squid, Salad buffet, Choice of potatoes and sauces, bread, buns and garlic bread. Reservation recommended.

B395 P/P. shakersphuket@gmail.com 081 891 4381.

XANA BAREFOOT BBQ

All you can eat Sunday Roast Buffet Light and Fresh Buffet

Grow Boating Networking Evening

SUN

4 AUG

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

The Watercourt is presenting a line of tasty Italian Cold Cut, Gourmet Salads, Hearty Soup, Flavourful Desserts and Seasonal Fruit. From THB 1,200 net per guest (Choice of Meat & Seafood grilled - Additional). Banyan Tree, The Watercourt,fb-phuket@banyantree.com, 076 372 400.

All you can eat BBQ Ribs night 6PM – 11PM: All you can eat BBQ Ribs served with salad buffet, potato salad & choice of sauces. Reservation recommended. 295 baht P.P. shakersphuket@ gmail.com, 081 891 4381.

Experience barefoot dining with freshest seafood from the Andaman Sea while watching a fire performance and listening music from our DJ. Every Monday and Thursday from 18:00 – 22:00 hrs at XANA Beach Club. Price THB 1,450++ fbreservation-lagunaphuket@angsana.com +66 (0) 7635 8500.

Beef, Pork and Lamb – Cauliflower, Broccoli, Peas, Carrots, fried mushrooms, grilled tomatoes – Yorkshire pudding – roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes – gravy, mushroom sauce, mint sauce. Reservations recommended. B350 P/P. shakersphuket@gmail.com 081 891 4381.

The Sunday Brunch Club & Pool Party

Rory Lowe Phuket

The Hottest Pool Party and Sunday Brunch on Layan beach is here! Join us every Sunday 12pm-4pm for the Sunday Brunch Club & Pool Party featuring over 120 delicious items. Live Performance by Jez Swan / Duo Expressions Followed by our resident DJs, Live musicians, Live Saxophone rocking the party til late...

Complimentary Pick Up Service Provided!

Dream Member Price THB 1590++ Adult Brunch THB 1890 ++ Add Free Flow to Brunch THB 1500++ (12pm - 4pm). * Kids

Stand-up Asia is proud to present another rapturous night of laughter at the Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Merlin Beach, featuring Australian comedy prodigy Rory Lowe, with support from Hannan Azlan (MAS) and Umar Rana (PAK)! Three world class comedians for the price of one, this show promises to leave you rolling on the floor and laughing your belly sore! From 350baht (early bird). Contact Magic Rock for details. Email: sammy@magicrock. com.sg, aidan@magicrock.com.sg thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

EVENTS 21

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

TUE

6 AUG

ad, moist cornbread and finished off with a bread and butter pudding. DJ Q will keep the soul flowing and your toes tapping as you wash down those tender ribs with a bucket of craft brews. Full Rack set 1,400 Baht, half Rack set 1,100 Baht. Reservations, SALA Phuket, events@salaphuket. com, 076-338-888.

THU

THU

15 AUG

FRI

1 NOV

8 AUG Dot Property Thailand Awards 2019

Thai Night Buffet Experience Authentic Thai Food. Let’s take a tasteful journey through Thai cuisine, Baan Talay is feature a tempting selections of traditional Thai food and local Phuket delicacies. Enjoy with a variety of live station; Thai papaya salad, spicy soup and much more to give a true taste of Thailand. THB 950++ per person. Every Tuesday from 6 pm to 10 pm. Reservation, Angsana Laguna Phuket, fbreservation-lagunaphuket@angsana.com, 076 358 500.

ANDAMAN CATCH TUESDAY Every Tuesday our culinary team prepare a special Andaman Catch menu featuring our fish of the day selection prepared in one of three ways, a special seafood appetiser and a sweet finish dessert. Pair your catch with one of our sommelier selections special offers, available Tuesday only. 950* Baht. 18.30 - 22.00 www.salaphuket.com Advance bookings are recommended - 076 33 8888. *Subject to 10% service charge and 7% value added tax.

Sala Phuket.

WED

BACK TO THE ’70s & ’80s EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT Don’t miss out on our newest, exciting weekly event at Two Chefs. Come and join us for our special Cajun Grilled Chicken Breast served on a wooden plate with mashed potato, red wine sauce, and bearnaise sauce for ONLY 395 THB. Have a sweet tooth? Treat yourself to the Two Chefs banana flambé served with vanilla ice cream for ONLY 95 THB. Sit back and enjoy one of our drink specials as you listen to the famous Two Chefs band performing all your favorite retro hits and more! Live music starts from 8:30pm and goes late at all of our Two Chefs locations.

Reservations are highly recommended.

You can book on our website at WWW. TWOCHEFS.COM or find us on Facebook at WWW.FACEBOOK/TWOCHEFS THAILAND. Come for the food, stay for the FUN! Reservations, Call us directly at Two Chefs Kata Center 076-330-065, Kata Beach 076-333-370, Karon 076-286479, Patong 076-344-914

FRI

@thephuketnews

Celebrate Thailand’s finest developers by nominating them for the industry’s most prestigious awards. With a professionally run judging system supervised by the award-winning team of BDO, one of the world’s largest auditing and accountancy firms, the Asia Property Awards is the gold standard in real estate. Gala Dinner & Awards on 9 August 2019 at The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok.

Email: tanattha@propertyguru.com

The Exotic Fishing Thailand 1.5 Million Baht Tagged Fish Challenge From Nov 1st to March 1st. Test your fishing skills Phuket and Catch a Monster fish and Monster Prize.

50 tagged fish with 50 prizes valued at over 1.5 Million baht. Anyone can enter for just 1,000 baht in addition to your daily fishing ticket ................. Exotic Fishing Thailand, Phang Nga, exoticfishingthailand@gmail. com, English 088 379 9377 and Thai 081 199 5922.

EVERY DAY

Prime at Rock Salt

Children First Charity Event

PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards 2019

Devour our succulent pork rib set complete with sweet corn chowder, blue cheese sal-

SAT

21 SEP

9 AUG

7 AUG

Ribs, beats, brews Wednesday

Dot Property Winning Weekend is a little more than two months away, but excitement for the historic event continues to build. The four-day showcase will include the Dot Property Thailand Awards 2019 winners presentation, an exclusive winners party and the return of Thailand’s number one property show. Bangkok’s premier shopping and lifestyle destination, EmQuartier, will host the 1st annual Dot Property Winning Weekend. To learn more about this “can’t miss” event, contact Sunniya Kwatra at sunniya@dotpropertygroup.com

A charity journey from day into night under the theme “Swing for Good” where you will enjoy a fun golf tournament throughout the day at Laguna Golf Phuket. As the sun sets, sit back and unwind in a unique “Battle of the Chefs” charity dinner gourmet experience, complete with delicious food, free-flow beverages and live entertainment – all to support children in Phuket. Register your interest now at just THB18,000 per team of four and help to raise big bucks for children in need.

Prime at Rock Salt is the home of smoke and fire at Naiharn Beach. An exclusive eatery, Prime offers a collection of roasted, smoked and chargrilled creations from its custom-designed kitchen. The al fresco dining experience is completed with panoramic ocean views across Naiharn Beach.

Open Daily 6.00 – 10.00pm at Naiharn Beach For more information and bookings, please call +66 76 380 200 or rocksalt@thenaiharn.com

Kata Rocks Presents Contemporary Art Exhibition Kata Rocks will host an exciting contemporary art exhibition, in collaboration with Latitudes Magazine, when prominent Thai artist Narath Boriboonhiranthana showcases her unique style from 20 July to 20 August 2019. Titled ‘The Remembrance’, her work explores the intersection of Art Nouveau and tradition Thai art. Narath creates delicate paper cut art pieces inspired by her personal history and vivid imagination. marketing@infiniteluxury.com

22 TIME OUT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York 1. How many metres tall is Phuket’s Big Buddha statue?

2. The Polka Tulk Blues Band was the original name of which heavy metal band?

3. The new UK prime minister Boris Johnson makes models of what in his spare time?

4. Goat meat is the most consumed meat per capita worldwide. True or false?

5. What animal is Bagheera in The Jungle Book?

Answers below, centre

SUDOKU

Hard

Across 1. Cartoonist Goldberg 5. Spice-bottle shelf 9. Gym exercise 14. Oil cartel 15. Puerto Rican hit singer 16. “The Sound of Music” family name 17. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner 18. Stag 19. Improper 20. Russian classic 23. Bump off 24. Pioneer auto maker 25. Qty. 28. Agitate 31. Green assistant?

33. Horror writer 36. Bridges of TV’s “Sea Hunt” 39. Chic French magazine 40. American classic 44. Look at flirtatiously 45. Place to sweat in 46. Ottoman governor 47. Macbeth and Macduff, e.g.

50. Scornful cries 52. Legendary Giant 53. Likable 56. Hop dryer

author 27. Wee 29. Land in l’océan 30. Arcing shots 32. C-G connectors 33. Shot 34. Should, with “to” 35. Star quality 37. Oui! 38. Defeat decisively 41. Barbie’s beau 42. Genetic initials 43. Internet service 48. Covering Down 49. Cookie Monster’s 1. Tomato type original name 2. Turn over 51. Uncivilized 3. Gambling game 4. Calorie filled treat 54. Tree that is 5. A flower in the source of Florence chocolate 6. Marc Antony’s love 55. Smiley face, for 7. Biblical spy one 8. Scandinavian 57. Divider of logs currency 58. Growths 9. Song division 59. Silent 10. “___ la Douce” 11. Olympic skater 60. Vigor and liveliness Babilonia 61.

Kennel cry 12. FedEx rival 13. Letter addition, 62. Wed., on Thurs.

63. Printer paper abbr.

64. “Are you a man 21. Mound ___ mouse?”

22. Firm ending 65. Early second25. Go off script century date 26. Winnie-The-Pooh 59. French classic 63. Substitute doctor 66. Drink 67. “Just _____ bit” 68. Not fresh 69. Barely open 70. 1000 dollars 71. “Gaspard de la Nuit” composer 72. Sound on Old MacDonald’s farm 73. Once

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1) 45 metres; 2) Black Sabbath; 3) Buses; 4) True; 5) A black panther.

GOT YOUR NUMBER

ISLAND VIEW

7

percent of men suffer from paruresis, an anxiety disorder that makes it impossible to urinate if other people are nearby.

24

people have been born around the world in the time it’s taken you to read this sentence.

177

animators worked on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, more than twice the typical animated film.

28,000

species are officially threatened, according to the Red List of Threatened Species compiled by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

14 billion

is how much Americans spent shopping online while intoxicated last year.

Source: Uberfacts

Nai Harn Beach. Photo by Kiattikul Chumanee (Jom) Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket? Email it to execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

This week in history August 7, 1974 Frenchman Philippe Petit performs a high wire act between the twin towers of the World Trade Center 1,368 feet (417m) in the air. He performs for 45 minutes, making eight passes along the wire.

August 2, 1990 Iraq invades Kuwait, eventually leading to the Gulf War.

warehouse, where they find and arrest Jewish diarist Anne Frank, her family and four others.

August 3, 1492 Christopher Columbus sets sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain, starting his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

August 5,1861 In order to help pay for the war effort, the United States government levies the first income tax as part of the Revenue Act of 1861 (3% of all incomes over US$800).

Christopher Columbus sets sail.

August 6, 1991 British scientist Tim Berners-Lee releases files describing his idea

for the World Wide Web. WWW debuts as a publicly available service on the Internet.

August 4, 1944 The Holocaust: A tip from a Dutch informer leads the Gestapo to a sealed-off area in an Amsterdam

August 8, 1967 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is founded by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Source: Wikipedia thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 23

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

Jobs

N GE UR

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Personal Assistant

For retired UK/CAD businessman in high end resort. Good English, some driving, shopping etc.

Part Time OK. Brian 089 054 4354. @thephuketnews

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

ART HOUSE DEVELOPMENT

Looking for Russian speaking marketing representative with good communication skills high motivated and confident training will be provided. info@arthouse.asia, 089 594 6888

GE UR

NT

House keeper / maid Nai Harn

Seeking a full time maid / house keeper at a private villa in Nai Harn. Please text your facebook link along with a message to 099-398-5375 for consideration.

Bobby, 099-398-5375.

GE UR

NT

Accountant

Assistant to an entrepreneur. Managing a variety of new startups as well as personal accounts. Must be a qualified graduate accountant, speak perfect English. Will be required to Create/Interrogate management accounts and provide accurate information feed back. +447968753409 simon.phillips@ ct-automotive.net

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 25

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

Trades & Services

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

ADVERTISING SERVICES

CLEANING SERVICES

CORPORATE SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

MARINE SERVICES

MARINE SERVICES

MARINE SERVICES

@thephuketnews

26 CLASSIFIEDS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Trades & Services

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

classifieds@thephuketnews.com

HOME IMPROVEMENT

MARINE SERVICES

OTHER

PROPERTY SERVICES

TRAINING

ADVERTISE HERE

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 27

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

Buy & Sell BOATS, YACHTS FOR SALE

G UR

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Bought 30th Dec 2015 we paid baht 1,500,000 sell for 890,000 or nearest offer. 062 956 5777.

Car for sale

Chevrolet Trailblazer LTZ 2.8 CC. 4X4 For sale English 095 420 9662 Thai 082 629 1419 janthisa jaikwang, 199/14 หม ู ่ 5 ตำ�บลศร สี นุ ทร อำ�เภอ ถลาง จังหวัดภ เู ก ็ต, info@lifestyleinthailand.com, B 725,000

Refurbished Restaurant & Bar

Car For Sale

Recently refurbished restaurant & bar for sale in Karon, Phuket, with accom located above. CCTV fitted throughout the building. The business is up for sale for 1.9MB or near offer and includes all fixtures, fittings and stock at point of sale. 062 210 1368. newconceptbars.thailand@gmail.com

Ford Fiesta 2012 For sale English 095 420 9662 Thai 082 629 1419 Janthisa Jaikwang, 199/14 หม ู ่ 5 ตำ�บลศร สี นุ ทร อำ�เภอถลาง จังหวัดภ เู กต็ , B 250,000 info@lifestyleinthailand.com, 0826291419

CARS, TRUCKS FOR RENT U

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Car rental @fair prices

MEMBERSHIPS

Low season prices Monthly from 10000 Baht.

Daily from 400 BHT. High Season from 12000 monthly. All our cars are in very good conditions at affordable prices. From 10000 BHT monthly, Stig Johansson, 110/78 Moo 2 T Paklok A Thalang 83110 Phuket, stigisaan@ gmail.com, 0848474377.

CARS, TRUCKS FOR SALE

FORD WILDTRAK 2014 FOR SALE

2.2L Double Cab 4WD 6 GearAutomatic.

One owner. 50,000km. ARB Crash Bars.

New Tyres. English: 081-958-1055 Thai: 081-606-5772 580,000 baht, pauljames@ expathotel.com, 0819581055

@thephuketnews

Willing to sell or rent your property in Laguna area? Please contact me raisa@rl-property. com +66 (081) 737 1687 (Viber, WhatsApp, Line) Raisa Sheludkina, Railand Property International., 46., Lagoon Road.,Cherngtalay. ,Thalang.,Phuket 83110., raisa@rl-property. com, 0817371687, 076324448.

Car for sale

Speedboat for Sale

BUSINESSES FOR SALE LE

Willing to Sell / Rent Property in Laguna?

9 months old, 9,000KM, first class insurance.

Like new. THB 360,000. Andy, Call 082 281 5976 ENG/098 059 8714 THAI

14.2 m Speedboat, named Rayao DD, is still in a good condition with 3 engines, four-stroke engine, Yamaha manufacture. The boat is owned by 1 owner for 1 year (2018) with well maintenance. 4,400,000, Jane, social@karonseasand.com, 062 842 486.

SA

PROPERTY WANTED

Mitsubishi Mirage 10/2018

Big A S+S Swan 55

S+S Swan 55 , must let here go.Getting to old! In perfect running cond.. El winches Yanmar,all sails.and more. bigasail@yahoo.com , 0869401860.

T EN

@thephuketnews

CARS, TRUCKS FOR SALE

LE

The Phuket News

BLUE CANYON GOLF MEMBERSHIP

425,000 THB and Seller pays the transfer fee. For more information call 098 946 0709. Rob George.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS BABY GRAND w/ DISC PLAYER

“Classic” Baby Grand Piano with “Disc Player”. In perfect condition. 7 years old. Original price 428,000 THB. 170,000, Phuket Town, daryldavies9@gmail. com, 080 159 5239

PROPERTY WANTED The Chava Surin - Freehold

Hi, Am looking for a Freehold Condominium Unit at The Chava in Surin. Please email details to mick11468@@gmail.com . Many thanks! Michael

House Wanted in Chalong

4 Bedroom House Wanted in Chalong for under 10 million baht. Please email me at mick11468@gmail.com

Allamanda 2 Bed Freehold

Hi, Am looking for a 2 Bedroom Freehold Unit at the Allamanda in Laguna.

Budget is 8million baht. Can contact me on wandererthomas1@gmail.com Thanks in advance!

Mandala Condo Freehold Wanted

Foreign Freehold Wanted for Mandala Condominium in Kamala. Please email details to mick11468@gmail.com.

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ENT

3 Bedroom Condo Wanted

Looking for 3 Bed Condo/Apartment any area of Phuket for 3million Thai Baht or thereabouts. Please email mick11468@gmail.com. Thanks! B3,000,000, Mike

SPORTING GOODS, EXERCISE GYM EQUIPMENT TREADMILL

LIFE FITNESS F1 TREADMILL - FOLDABLE Brand new: THB 35,000+(VAT) from retail price of 188,000 Compact foldable treadmill. 35000, carolinelaleta@gmail.com, +66869504961

28 CLASSIFIEDS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Buy & Sell PROPERTY FOR SALE Super villa for sale

Super villa for sale. 4 bed, 4 bath, 450 sqm private pool villa, 500 sqm land, Heavily reduced price 14.9M. Call +66 (0) 92-6950329 15.000.000,-, +66 (0) 92-6950329.

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Apartment Block in Soi Ta-Eiad

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RPM by owner

Unique luxury condo 2 bed, 2 bath, 155sqm. Foreign FREE HOLD. Architect remodel in tropical white. Jacuzzi. All round beautiful views. Completely furnished to a high standard. Very motivated owner leaving Thailand. Available to agents. Priced just REDUCED to 15MB or offers. Contact Brian (Owner) 089 054 4354, 076 360 943. bggvirgo@gmail.com

OCEAN FRONT LAND

7 Rai with 185 meter of ocean frontage, 800 meter from Yacht Haven Marina on Phangnga side, water, electricity, concrete road on the back of property, building permission for 12 two storey pool villas. For sale direct by owner for only 6 mln Baht per Rai. + 66 95 0147888.

Karon 1 Bed Condo for Sale

Karon Butterfly hillside condo for sale just 800m from beach. Amenities close by. Fully furnished and condo facilities. Great investment in great area of Phuket. Shuttle Bus to Beach and Rental Program. A must see!!!! B4,300,000, Dmitry , phuket@thairesidential.com

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Paul MOORHOUSE

‘Frontline’ sea view villa overlooking G Ao Yon Bay and the southern islands.

UR Magnificent property with private elevator, 4 bedroom suites/6 bathrooms as well as 2 living areas, European design kitchen, games room, bar, sauna, steam room and wonderful pool deck with in-ground jacuzzi, infinity pool and waterfall. Fabulous property reduced to 65 million Baht for quick sale. 0898737075.

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1 Bed Condo in Kamala

Great 1 Bed Condo just 200m fromKamala Beach. Comes with pool and on- site restaurant. Fantastic location and not to be missed. Fully furnished with appliances. Homestay or investment. B5,417,000. Call Andy. 083 800 1888

OCEAN FRONT VILLA

@thephuketnews

LE

44 sqm Condo for sale at THB 5,200,000 – Parking space included – Quiet Unit – email: sale. hd.design@outlook.com - 66937198098.

3 Bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 10 meter infinity swimming pool, maid quarter, fully furnished and ready to move in, usable area of over 330 sqm, very convenient located in a gated community at the south end of Aopor, 50 meter from the ocean, 150 meter from the new Sheraton Grand Bay Resort , 3 minutes from Grand Aopor Marina, 20 minutes from Airport and shopping centers, for sale directly by owner 22.9 mln. + 66 95 0147888.

The Phuket News

PROPERTY FOR SALE

CONDO FOR SALE THE DECK PATONG

Amazing residential block for sale comprising of 5 x 190sqm fully furnished 3 Bedroom Units. Highest quality fixtures and finishing’s with exceptional build quality. All units have internal surround sound systems and wireless internet routed in the walls. Full Western kitchen in all units. Rooftop Salt Water Swimming Pool with 8 person Jacuzzi and bar. Spectacular panoramic views. Units currently being rented out with almost 100% occupancy, so fantastic investment opportunity. Potential returns of 9% per annum. B61,500,000, Tina, phuket@thairesidential.com

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Wonderful 1 Bedroom Condo near Central Festival area. Just 10 minutes to Panwa Beach. A must see!!! Fully furnished and conveniently located.

Amenities close by as well as tourist attractions. Full condo facilities.

B2,500,000, Tina, phuket@thairesidential.com, 0948411918.

2 Bed Condo Bangtao Phuket

Mandala Condominium - Wonderful spacious condo. Great location near Bangtao beach and Laguna. 184sqm with private pool and tropical gardens. B15,900,000, Andy, 083 800 1888

Dream Village Phuket house

2bed 2bath 295sqm land 100sqm living + veranda, compl. renovated: new water, electric., tiles, paint in/out, windows, 3A/C, built in kitchen. 0870608400 English/German. Email: picharly@gmail.com, B4.9mill.

Royal Phuket Marina 2 Bed

2-Bedroom Royal Phuket Marina Condo. Seen to be believed. 195m2 Stylish, Tastefully-Decorated Condominium Fully Furnished Overlooking Yacht Marina an absolute bargain @ 13.5 Million BahtTina, phuket@thairesidential.com, 948411918.

2-Bed Furnished Kathu House for Rent

2bd/2bth furnished house for rent in Kathu near Loch Palm Golf Course. See link for more photos and details. www.kathuhouseforrent.com B13,500, May or Wes, wes@pillarmarketing.com, 0899733276

1 story building for rent

150m2 Located in Allamanda 1 Laguna Phuket is available for rent. The building has its own drive in, at this time only short term rental available. 096 646 6287

PROPERTY FOR RENT 4-Bedroom House for rent

4 Bedrooms / 4 Bathrooms furnished house for rent.

7 minutes to BIS. Newly renovated. Swimming Pool and Garage. 65,000, Owner, Baan Suan Loch Plam, heitmann@hlbthai.com, 081-8996557 (Eng)/ 0887602825 (Thai)

Rawai 1 Bed Seaview Condo Sale

Fantastic seaviews. Fully furnished. Condo facilities including pool and gym. Close to amenities. This 53sqm condo at Babylon Sky Garden is a great buy. B4,297,277, Andy, phuket@ thairesidential.com

1 Bed Condo Sale Rawai

Saturdays Residence beautiful condo in Rawai. Tastefully decorated with class. Short drive to beach. All condo amenities. Looks so good that you do need to see to believe. You will fall in love at first sight. B6,300,000, Dimitry, phuket@thairesidential.com, 082 030 7199

1 Bed Condo in Kamala

MontAzure Twinpalms Residence-Great condo located in Kamala. The ultimate in luxury.

Has got to be seen to be believed. Fantastic facilities in this resort condo. B15,800,000, Tina, 0872699206.

Lovely condo at Utopia Kata for Sale. Completed in 2017 and close to Kata Beach. Fully furnished. Close to restaurants and amenities. Great views. Rental programme. Full facilities. Dimtry, 082 030 7199. B7,100,000

Mai Khao beach condo. Great new condohotel. 470 meters from the sea. 36 sqm.

Wonderful place in Phuket. B3.5mn, +66812958526, Victoria.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Phuket Town 1 Bed Condo

1 Bedroom Condo Kata Sale

Mai Khao 1 bed condo for sale

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

PASAK LAND 3.9MB 510 sq.m. Chanote

Condo in Patong for Rent

Full-furnished studio with 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, living room, kitchenette, mountain view, and free wifi.

2 Rooms available; 66 sq.m and 88 sq.m. Start from 25,000 THB/month, Jane, social@karonseasand. com, 062 842 4861.

Property for rent YAMU

Very big house. 400sqm, Land 4400sqm. Available 1st May. 4 bedrooms- 4 bathrooms , swimming pool.

Close BIS, UWCT. Must see. Long term lease 110,000 baht/month including pool+ garden service. Khun DIDIER, aouichedidier@hotmail.com, 093 717 9343 (English+French)/ 089 552 9303 (Thai).

Shop for rent at Amari Phuket, Patong Beach

Located at Amari Phuket's lobby building. Size: 33 sqm.

Partly furnished: shelves, counter, air-conditioner and telephone line. 40,000 THB/month (negotiation available). Khun Mallika, mallika.t@amari.com, 076 340106 #8006

PROPERTY FOR RENT

COMMUNITY

PASAK LAND 3.9MB 510 sq.m.

Chanote

Private location in prestige area.

Outstanding Value. Call owner (Alan): 084 0657590.

Villa in Patong prime location

One of the last Villas available in Patong. in top condition. 24 hour security. 3 bed, 3 bath, 160sqm living. Fully furnished, garden.

Ms. Manatchanok, 0800409411

Villa Mission Heights Big Pool

3bed, 3 1/2 bath, 330sqm living, 900 sqm land, very quiet area, 2 km mission hill golf, 6km UWC, 8 km airport. owner finance. 0870608400 engl/ german 12.9MB, picharly@gmail. com

Beach Front Land

* 128 meter of white sand beach frontage * amazing views * 9 Rai , Secure Nor Sor 3 Kor tittle * located on Koh Yao Yai * 20 minutes boat drive from Phuket * public road with water and electricity * ideal for high end development * ready to build * sale direct by owner *ONLY 11.9 Mill. Baht / Rai montha_phuket@yahoo.com, 095 014 7888

Renovated 3bed Home Boat Lagoon

AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY: Beautifully renovated & decorated 3bed+mezzanine, 250 sqm contemporary house featuring: boat berth, rooftop jacuzzi, open kitchen, wine cooler, 2 parkings, storage & laundry area. B 75,000 per month, Henry Cumberlege, hcumberlege@gmail.com

Stunning Ocean Views!

4 bed/bath large pool villa. Privately located in Cape Heights Cape Yamu.

Furnished. Gardens. Fiber WiFi. 80,000/rent long term or 30 million to sell. Richard, Cape Yamu, Phuket, richarddesmondcapeheights@yahoo. co.uk, +66824203270, WhatsApp

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

Teams in Thai Football League play in the red FOOTBALL

Bangkok Post

T

hailand’s top domestic football league is generating more revenue but the teams are still struggling to make profits, a research house says.

The Economic Intelligence Center (EIC) said revenue from the top Thai League jumped 16.5% from B1.9 billion in 2014 to B3bn last year.

But the league still suffered losses of B192 million last year – down from B255mn in 2014 – the research arm of Siam Commercial Bank has reported.

“More than half of the football clubs in the Thai League operated at losses in 2018,” the EIC added.

The research compiled data from the Business Development Department, the official Fifa website and transfermarkt. com, a website that tracks transfers of football players around the globe.

Sixteen teams play in Thai League 1 this season. Slightly more than half of the revenue

Despite the country’s top domestic football league generating more revenue than ever before, TFL squads continue to struggle to make consistent profits. Photo: Bangkok Post was concentrated in the top three clubs last year, according to the EIC. The EIC did not give details but the top three teams in the table in the 2018 season were champions Buriram United, Bangkok United and Port.

The average number of

football fans in the stadiums was 4,515 per match in last year’s season, a figure that rose to 5,800 for the current season, according to the Thai League.

Siamsport, a sports website, said last year an obstacle to luring more spectators to Thai

Stretching for stronger surfing R ECENTLY THE TH AI National Surfing Federation asked me to help prepare their best surfing athletes for the 2019 World Surfing Championships and the 2019 South East Asian Games. The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) was interested in how to train for such a unique sport, and what priorities needed to be implemented, to build stronger surfing athletes.

In the upcoming months, I will introduce you to the Thai National Surf Team athletes and keep you posted on what we are doing to prepare for the 2019 surfing championships.

I will also provide insights into the surfing training and coaching methods, employed to improve performance.

Of course, there are many factors to consider as surfing requires tremendous coordination, courage and skill.

However, one quickly realises that flexibility impacts every surfing athlete, and performance in the water is always impacted by how one’s body can move on land.

So we started by “going @thephuketnews

Athletic performance among surfers can benefit greatly from simple stretching. Photo: AFP back to basics” and regularly stretching out any areas of tightness (think weakness) in each surfer’s body. This is such a simple concept, yet often over looked by many athletes. Restoring physiological balance within the musculoskeletal system not only increases flexibility for function, it also reduces the likelihood of injury, increases energy levels and helps with mental focus for competition.

To improve surfing flow, I teach athletes to think about creating flow throughout their entire bodies. This cannot happen if areas are restricted or immobile.

To really understand this, we participated in a Yoga Republic FLOW class with Jack Farras here in Phuket. Jack

has worked alongside many surfing athletes in Bali. He demonstrated that properlytaught yoga is a brilliant way for athletes to understand themselves, and know what areas to work on to improve athletic performance.

If you want to perform better, find areas of weakness or tightness in your body and stretch out. Doing this regularly will lead to a stronger and more flexible body – and that, my friends, is great for everyone.

Hayden Rhodes is the product and performance consultant for SEARA International and Head Coach for the Thai National Surfing Team. Follow the team on Instagram at S.U.R.F.X

domestic football matches was that the competition was a two-horse race. Only Buriram United and SCG Muangthong United have been champions over the past 10 seasons, it said.

Buriram United also are top of the table this season after 20 matches.

SPORT 29

Brazil police end Neymar rape probe over lack of evidence FOOTBALL POLICE IN BRAZIL PROBing rape allegations against football superstar Neymar have closed the case due to a lack of evidence, according to the Sao Paulo attorney general’s office.

The police decision was sent to prosecutors on Tuesday (July 30), who will have 15 days to evaluate the case, a spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office told AFP. A final ruling on the case will be made by a judge.

A spokesman for Neymar said he was not able to comment on the police decision.

Neymar has vehemently denied allegations he raped a Brazilian woman in a Paris hotel in May. The ugly affair, which has dominated headlines and conversations in the soccer-mad country for weeks, overshadowed Brazil’s preparations for the Copa America.

Hosts Brazil went on to win South America’s showcase tournament earlier this month without their biggest player, who was injured in a warm-up friendly before the opening match.

The scandal blew up on

Photo: AFP June 2 when Neymar published a video on Instagram, where he had first been in contact with Najila Trindade, revealing that he had been accused of rape.

In defending himself against allegations, Neymar’s video was accompanied by WhatsApp messages and images of his encounter with her - without her consent, possibly breaking Brazilian law.

The drama quickly snowballed. Extracts of a televised interview with Trindade, in which she accused Neymar of “aggression together with rape,” aired one hour before a Brazil vs Qatar match.

In the following weeks, Neymar was questioned by police over the WhatsApp messages and appeared before police in Sao Paulo, where Trindade filed her complaint.

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, polls have shown that most Brazilians believe Neymar is innocent.

AFP

30 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

A painful home GP to forget

Mercedes tempts fate on Armageddon weekend in Germany BOX OF NEUTRALS Michael Lamonato michael@boxofneutrals.com

F

ormula One has cultivated several idioms over the years, and at the German Grand Prix Mercedes may have developed another: never come to work in fancy dress.

The German marque’s home race was a celebration marking Mercedes’s 200 th Formula One grand prix and its 125th year of competition. Its cars were painted partially white in honour of the original German national racing colour, and for qualifying and the race the team dressed in 1950s-era clothing reminiscent of its first days in F1.

And what a time to celebrate — Mercedes has this year’s quickest car, and the generation’s quickest driver, Lewis Hamilton, used it to take pole position easily after both Ferrari drivers withdrew with power unit problems.

It was set to be a glorious slamdunk event — but it was all a little

Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton steers the car after a crash during the German Formula One Grand Prix at the Hockenheim racing circuit on July 28, 2019 in Hockenheim, southern Germany. Photo: AFP too perfect.

“We have many friends here, being the title sponsor of the grand prix and being in Germany,” team principal Toto Wolff warned ahead of the race.

“From a pure karma perspective you could say that everything that could go wrong will go wrong if you dress up like we do to celebrate the 125 years of Mercedes.”

But even the ever-cautious Wolff

couldn’t have imagined just how extensively wrong his weekend would go.

In soaking rain Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas got away to a perfect start to control the first half of the race, but slowly the slippery conditions loosened the race from Mercedes’s grasp, and Hamilton, comfortably leading and ordinarily a master in the wet, crashed at turn 11, shattering his front wing

and requiring a change.

He scrambled back to the pits, picking up a penalty for skirting across the track to get there, but the team wasn’t ready for his arrival. For 50 comical seconds the renowned slick garage crew bumbled around the pit box, picking up tyres and dropping them again, searching for a new front wing and eventually tending to the car.

The stop took Hamilton out of contention and the penalty later dropped him out of the points, but Bottas’s subsequently delayed stop then lost the Finn positions – not that it mattered, because he later crashed out of the race while attempting to recover.

Red Bull Racing, meanwhile, navigated Max Verstappen perfectly through the carnage to take the chequered flag first. Following was Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who was herculean in his rise from last on the grid to second place, and Daniil Kvyat, whose sensational strategy earnt him and Toro Rosso an unlikely podium.

Mercedes walked away from its milestone race with two measly points for Hamilton, earnt only

after drivers ahead were penalised post-race.

“When you want to do particularly well things can go wrong,” Wolff lamented afterwards. “Maybe you get distracted and maybe you are doing things differently to how you would normally do, I don’t know.

“We’ve got to think about what went wrong today and that, if things come together… this ends in an Armageddon weekend for us.

“Sometimes you’ve got take a slap on the nose and learn. These are the days which make us better.”

Of course Mercedes still controls both championship tables, and a single rain-affected chaotic grand prix isn’t about to slacken its stranglehold on the sport, but the German Grand Prix will nonetheless give the team with 125 years of motorsport experience and 200 F1 race starts to its name plenty to dwell on ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

But as the sun sets on a particularly painful home grand prix that promised so much more, perhaps no lesson will prove as pertinent as never bringing fancy dress to the workplace.

Beale pens new Super Rugby contract Barret an All Black until 2022 RUGBY THIRTY-YEAR-OLD Wallabies back Kurtley Beale has signed a new one-year contract, after opting against joining an exodus of Australian players following the World Cup. The decision keeps Beale with his much-depleted Super Rugby side the NSW Waratahs, whose fly-half Bernard Foley is headed to Japan and whose star fullback Israel Folau was sacked over homophobic comments.

“I’m really enjoying my rugby here in Australia,” Beale said in an interview on Fox

Kurtley Beale in action for the Waratahs in 2019. Photo: AFP Sports television, saying he was “very excited to put pen to paper”.

Wallabies David Pocock, Will Genia, Christian Lealiifano, Will Genia, Samu Kerevi and Quade Cooper are all moving to Japan after the World Cup, according to re-

ports, while another phalanx of players are shifting to Europe.

Beale has 83 Test caps and currently plays in the centres, but can play in most positions across the backline, making him a valuable squad player.

The John Eales medal winner said he was keen to win some silverware with the Sydney-based Waratahs.

“I feel like there’s a lot more to achieve in Australian rugby with the Waratahs as well, I know there’s a new generation of players coming through and I feel like I can put myself in positions to be able to achieve some special moments.”

AFP

RUGBY V ER SAT I LE BAC K Jordie Barrett signed a threeyear contract extension Tuesday (July 30) that will keep him with the All Blacks until the end of 2022.

The 22-year-old has scored eight tries in 10 Tests since making his international debut against Samoa in 2017.

“Staying in New Zealand rugby is really important to me,” he said.

“I’m enjoying playing alongside my mates and I’ve got further aspirations and goals I want to reach while I’m playing in New Zealand.”

While Barrett is locked in with the All Blacks for another three years, his future with Super Rugby team the Wellington Hurricanes remains uncertain.

His contract includes an option to switch Super Rugby teams after next year’s season

Jordie Barret scores one of his four tries in a 66-3 rout against Italy in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico last year. Photo: AFP and Barrett said he was keen on playing at some point with his brothers.

One sibling, Scott, is with the title-winning Canterbury Crusaders, while eldest brother Beauden recently moved from the Hurricanes to Auckland Blues.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said Barrett, who can play anywhere across the backline, had “a big future” in the game.

Jordie Barrett (centre) making his first start for the All Blacks against the British & Irish Lions

“He’s an outstanding, talented young player who has soaked up everything he can in the All Blacks environment and grabbed every opportunity with both hands,” he said.

The news comes after South Africa snatched a last-minute 16-16 draw with a shaken All Blacks over last weekend in their Rugby Championship encounter in Wellington.

Less than two months out from the World Cup, the Springboks have proved they have serious credentials to claim a third world crown, while silencing those who believe New Zealand are hot favourites to defend their title.

The teams next meet in their opening World Cup pool game on Sept 21 in Yokohama, Japan.

AFP thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

SPORT 31

City to meet Liverpool in pre-season showdown FOOTBALL

Bangkok Post

J

urgen Klopp says Liverpool’s Community Shield clash with Manchester City on Sunday (Aug 4) will have no bearing on their battle for the Premier League title.

The two sides will renew the rivalry that saw them take the title race to a tense final day last season.

City eventually claimed their second successive Premier League crown by a single point as Liverpool’s bid for a first title since 1990 reached a painful conclusion.

Klopp’s men made amends for that angst just weeks later as they beat Tottenham in the Champions League final and the Reds are expected to fight it out with City for the major honours again in the coming campaign.

A win against Pep Guardiola’s team at Wembley would be a welcome psychological boost for Liverpool.

But, having seen his preseason plans disrupted by the absence of key players such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and keeper Alisson due to the Copa America and African Cup of Nations, Klopp isn’t putting too much stock in the result of the curtain-raiser to the English top-fight season.

“For me, it has nothing to do with the rest of the season,” Klopp told reporters.

“It’s a game and, even if we only have eight players available, I would like to try to win it.

“If we win it, good. Will it have an influence on the season? I don’t think so.

“If we lose it, not good.

Will it have an influence on the season? No, again, I don’t think so.

“We have to prove our-

@thephuketnews

Live Sports TV Schedule *Times may be subject to change

SPORT

START STOP

EVENT

TEAMS / INFO

Rugby League 15:00 17:00

NRL

Knights v. Wests Tigers

17:00 19:00

NRL

Rabbitohs v. Dragons

Aussie Rules 16:30 19:30

AFL

N Melbourne v. Hawthorn

Rugby Union 00:00 02:00

Currie Cup

Cheetahs v. Lions

Friday 2nd Aug

Cricket

17:00 00:00 The Ashes, Edgbaston England v. Australia, Day 2

Saturday 3rd Aug Rugby Union 20:00 22:00

Currie Cup

Pumas v. Sharks

22:10 00:00

Currie Cup

Blue Bulls v. Griquas

23:30 01:30

EFL

Notts Forest v. West Bromwich

Aussie Rules 11:00 14:00

AFL

GWS Giants v. Sydney

13:30 16:30

AFL

Fremantle v. Geelong

16:30 19:30

AFL

Melbourne v. Richmond

Rugby League 13:00 15:00

NRL

Manly v. Newcastle

16:30 18:30

NRL

Cronulla v. Souths

Motor Bikes 20:00 21:30

MotoGP

Qualifying, Brno

Motor Racing 20:00 21:30

Formula 1

Qualifying, Budapest

Soccer

Cricket

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson (centre), clears the ball away during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on January 3, 2019. Photo: Oli SCARFF / AFP selves during the season, not in one game. If I have to say this would be the statement for the season, I would be really mad.”

Klopp admitted he was surprised the Community Shield isn’t taken more seriously in England as he prepares to take part in the match for the first time.

“It’s a final. This is the first time that I realised nobody sees it like that to be honest.

A ‘curtain-raiser’ is unbelievable,” he said.

“We think constantly about the game and how we can prepare for it and then everyone thinks, ‘Oh, do they really play?’

“That’s not too cool, but it’s how it is. I don’t know exactly why people play this competition if it means nothing. Why don’t we cancel it then?

“In Germany I won it five times, but nobody mentions it. We played every year.

The Super Cup, you win it,

nobody cares, you lose it and some care.”

Evra calls it a career Meanwhile, Former France and Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has called time on his playing career, according to the Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport.

Evra made his name with Nice and Monaco before Alex Ferguson signed him for Manchester United in 2006. He went on to make almost 300 appearances for the club, winning five Premier League titles and a Champions League title.

He moved to Juventus in 2014, winning two Serie A titles, before spells at Marseille and West Ham. He also played 81 times for France and captained them at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa which became famous for the French team strike at Knysna as they were eliminated in the group stages.

Evra said that he is now

turning to coaching.

“I started the course for the UEFA B licence as a coach in 2013,” he said. “Now, I want to finish that so that I can take the A licence. In other words, in a year and a half I will be qualified to manage a team.”

17:00 00:00 The Ashes, Edgbaston England v. Australia, Day 3

Sunday 4th Aug Soccer

21:00 23:00 Int’l Champions Cup

Tottenham v. Inter Milan

21:00 23:00 FA Community Shield

Liverpool v. Man City

Rugby League 13:00 15:00

NRL

Dragons v. Eels

Aussie Rules 13:30 16:30

AFL

GWS Giants v. Sydney

Motor Bikes 15:30 20:00

MotoGP, Brno

Grand Prix of Czech Republic

Motor Racing 19:15 20:00

Formula 1

Raceday, Hungaroring

20:10 22:30

Formula 1

Hungary Grand Prix

Cricket

17:00 00:00 The Ashes, Edgbaston England v. Australia, Day 4

Sport

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editor3@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

Back to basics: The key to surfing > p29

England batsman Dawid Malan (L) cuts a ball away in front of Australia’s wicketkeeper Tim Paine (R) and fieldsman Cameron Bancroft (C) on the first day of the fifth Ashes cricket Test match at the SCG in Sydney on January 4, 2018. Photo: William West / AFP

FIRST BALL

England seek a ‘double’ as Australia eye Ashes history CRICKET

AFP

E

ngland returned to ‘Fortress Edgbaston’ for the first Test against Australia on Thursday (Aug 1) looking to round off an already memorable season by completing a World Cup and Ashes double.

If the World Cup remains the pinnacle of the 50-over game, for England and Australia there’s nothing quite like a renewal of Test cricket’s oldest rivalry.

But now there’s arguably more at stake for both sides

than the series result.

For England, a home season billed as the most important in a generation started brilliantly with their impressive run to a first men’s World Cup title.

International cricket in Britain emerged from behind its satellite television paywall for the first time since the celebrated 2005 Ashes so that millions could watch England’s nerve-shredding Super Over win against New Zealand at Lord’s earlier this month.

Building on that groundswell of support is a key part of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s post-tour-

nament strategy. Regaining the Ashes represents an ideal chance to keep those new followers on board, even if none of the five Tests are on free-to-air television.

For Australia, an Ashes series win under the dignified leadership of Tim Paine would help draw a line under the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa that led to long bans for former captain Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

All three batsmen are likely to feature at Edgbaston, with Bancroft set to hear the same booing that greeted Smith and Warner during the

World Cup. Australia have not won an Ashes in England for 19 years, with their batsmen struggling against the heavily stitched Dukes ball on pitches that offer seam movement.

Yet the first Test will be Australia’s opening first-class match of the tour, although the likes of Bancroft, who has been captaining English county side Durham, have recent experience of local conditions.

The way an England side featuring several World Cup stars were dismissed for just 85 by Ireland at Lord’s last week before winning the first

Test between the countries tells its own story of ongoing top-order woes.

England captain Joe Root plans to move back to number three to help shore up a top order featuring novice Surrey openers Rory Burns and Jason Roy. James Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test wickettaker, is set to return from a calf injury to lead an attack that could feature World Cup hero Jofra Archer.

Australia have not won at Edgbaston in any format since 2001, a run that includes their recent World Cup semi-final loss to England, when Roy

made a sparkling 85.

England, by contrast, have won their last 11 internationals at the raucous Birmingham ground.

But a congested schedule, the result of officials cramming an Ashes into the same season as a lengthy World Cup, could have a bigger bearing on the series, the first in the ICC’s new World Test Championship.

“I really believe it’s a big ask for the fast bowlers on both sides to play five Tests in six weeks,” said Australia great Steve Waugh, the victorious captain in the 2001 Ashes, who is mentoring the current squad.

India to travel to Pakistan for Davis Cup tie TENNIS INDIA’S TENNIS TEAM WILL travel to Pakistan for their Davis Cup tie, the country’s governing body chief confirmed Monday (July 29), despite strained relations between the nations.

Sporting ties between the two nuclear-armed countries, which have fought three wars since gaining independence from the British in 1947, are frozen with

India accusing Pakistan of exporting terror.

Long-running political tensions were heightened in February after a deadly suicide attack – claimed by a militant group based in Pakistan – in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 40 Indian troops.

But the All India Tennis Association (AITA) said the government had no issues with the players crossing the border for the Asia/ Oceania Group 1 tie to be held on Sept 14 and 15.

“Yes, they are set to tour Pakistan,” AITA president Praveen Mahajan told AFP. “We informed the government about it and they were OK with it.

India cut bilateral cricket ties with its neighbour after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, with authorities blaming Pakistani militants.

Some Indian fans and ex-players called for the team to boycott its recent cricket World Cup match against Pakistan. After India’s victory, a top minister described

the triumph as “another strike” on enemy territory.

An Indian team last toured Pakistan in 1964 for the Davis Cup, where they defeated the hosts 4-0.

Pakistan lost 3-2 when they toured Mumbai in 2006.

Until a few years ago, Pakistan was forced to host its home Davis Cup ties at neutral venues as teams refused over security concerns.

But Mahajan said India has not demanded any “special security” arrangements for the upcoming

India’s Prajnesh Gunneswaran says it’s ‘very special’ to play the first Davis Cup tie in Pakistan for 55 years. Photo: AFP tie to be played at the grass courts of the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad.

AFP thephuketnews