The Phuket News July 26, 2019

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FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

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ROTI VENDOR HITS EGYPTIAN TOURIST WITH MEAT CLEAVER > PAGE 3

VANGUARD

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NEWS

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Temples warned on tourist scams

LIFE

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Inside scoop on artisanal gelato Phuket Vice Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai faces the press at Karon Police Station last Thursday (July 18). Photo: Tourist Police

AIRPORT VAN PRICES INCIDENT THROWS PHUKET TOURISM IMAGE INTO INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

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eading figures in Phuket’s tourism industry have spoken out over the handling of the incident that saw two Australian tourists file a formal complaint against a passenger van driver for allegedly overcharging them to take them from Phuket International Airport to the

hotel in Kata where they were staying.

Reports of the incident spread across the internet like wildfire, and saw Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha overnight calling for all people, and especially officials, to take action to prevent any scams or deceitful behaviours that take advantage of tourists.

The tourists, Kate Chipperfield and Lauren Meinties, filed their complaint

saying they were charged B3,000 for the journey – a figure strongly denied by the van driver, Phuriphat Chankaew, at Karon Police Station last Thursday (July 18). Police did not reject to Phuriphat’s claim.

Police eventually settled on fining Phuriphat B2,000 for illegally having his passenger van at the airport to pick up passengers, saying that no more action could be taken as the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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price was settled through a private negotiation between the driver and passengers.

The high price was the result of a “misunderstanding”, police said.

Meanwhile, Airports of Thailand (AoT), the public company that operates the airport, fined Phuriphat’s accomplice Narumon Jumpatong B2,000 for illegally roaming the halls of the terminal soliciting customers...

SPORT

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War Elephants turn to J-Stars

News 2

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Brit expat posts B90k bail on animal cruelty MERVYN HARDING, THE Brit expat living in Rawai who was charged with attacking a dog in Nai Harn last week, has been released on B90,000 bail, police have confirmed.

Harding was presented with charges of animal cruelty and trespass in Phuket Provincial Court last Thursday (July 18) after he was caught on CCTV attacking a dog with a metal rod in the early minutes last Tuesday morning (July 16).

Harding was released just hours after his arrival at the court, The Phuket News confirmed on Monday (July 22), despite police assurances that he had been denied bail at police request.

“I insisted that he be denied bail. Now he is being held in the detention cells at the court,” Capt Weerayut Tanyasirisukvorakul of the Chalong Police said last Thursday.

On Monday, however, Capt Weerayut’s response was simply, “I don’t know what to say. It is the Phuket Provincial Court’s decision.”

Capt Weerayut said that it will take about a month for Harding’s case to be heard in court.

“Meanwhile, I am waiting for the Criminal Record Division of Royal Thai Police in Bangkok to confirm whether

Dangerous surf kills three in less than 24 hours > p5

B10mn farm fraud Woman arrested over investment scam Eakkapop Thongtub editor@classactmedia.co.th

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Mervyn Harding, a British expat living in Rawai, has been released on B90,000 bail while waiting for animal cruelty and trespass charges to be heard against him in court. Photo: Chalong Police (blurred at police request) he has a criminal record in Thailand. This will take about three weeks or a mouth,” Capt Weerayut said.

Asked what would happen if Harding repeated his behaviour, Capt Weerayut said, “It is a criminal charge to hit a dog. The Phuket Provincial Court might not allow him to post bail again.”

Capt Weerayut also said he did not believe Harding was flight risk.

“I am not worried about him fleeing because Phuket Provincial Court is holding his passport and notified Phuket Immigration already. He is not able to travel out of Thailand,” Capt Weerayut said.

The Phuket News

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

46-year-old woman from Songkhla has been a r rested i n Phuket for fraud and money laundering after conning three people into donating about B10 million to help a needy farmer, police have reported.

Cherng Talay Police moved in and arrested Hunsaa Punjoo, 46, from Singhanakhon District, Songkhla, at a house in Srisoonthorn, central Phuket, at about 9:30am last Sunday (July 21).

Hunsaa was taken into custody under arrest warrant no. 940/2019 issued on July 2, police said.

Five officers from Cherng Talay Police and eight officers from Phuket Provincial Police were involved in making the arrest.

Another 12 officers from Crime Suppression Division (CSD) Subdivision 1, nine officers from CSD Subdivision 6 and a further nine CSD subdivision deputy commanders were also all named in the report, giving a total of 43 officers named as involved in the investigation and placing Hunsaa under arrest.

The case dates back two

Hunsaa Punjoo, arrested in Phuket, has been taken to Bangkok for further questioning. Photo: Royal Thai Police Crime Suppression Division (CSD) years ago, when Hunsaa solicited donations to help a farmer in financial distress in her home district Singhanakhon in Songkhla province, explained Col Thongchai Yooket, Chief of Crime Suppression Division’s Subdivision 1.

The investigation began after three victims filed police complaints against Hunsaa in November-December 2018, he said.

The victims said that Hunsaa had told them that the

money would be used to pay back a loan the farmer had with the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC).

After the loan had been fully repaid, the BAAC would allow the farmer to take out a new loan of a larger amount, from which the farmer would be able to pay back the donations with interest, he said.

All three victims were elderly, Col Thongchai noted.

“They thought giving the

money was a good way to help a struggling farmer, so they gave nearly B10 million to Hunsaa,” he said.

“Some of them also gave their own assets to the suspect to exchange for cash,” he added.

Col Thongchai also explained that Hunsaa had paid some money back to the victims so they would continue to believe they would eventually be fully repaid, and to encourage them to make further donations.

The three victims became suspicious after the “interest payments” stopped.

“After investigating, the victims learned that the story was fake and decided to inform police at the Crime Suppression Division,” he said.

Investigation by police had now confirmed that Hunsaa’s claims about the money were false, he said.

Hunsaa now faces charges of fraud and money laundering, Col Thongchai confirmed.

Hunsaa has accepted the charges, police noted in their report.

“The suspect will be taken to Crime Suppression Division’s Subdivision 1 headquarters for further investigation,” Col Thongchai said.

Airport van price incident marks drivers’ free reign

Continued from page 1 ...to his van as a transport service.

No explanations were given as to how the van was allowed into the airport passenger pickup area or how Narumon openly solicited customers inside the main terminal undetected despite the alleged high security measures in place at Phuket’s key tourism portal.

“The Phuket Land of Transport Office (PLTO) Chief should prevent such incidents from happening again. This problem does not happen in a country where laws are strictly enforced,” said Thanusak Phungdet, President of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce.

“Officials should set up signs showing the fares that are supposedly already installed in the visible public areas (at the airport). Then tourists can see the prices and make decisions before using the service without any need to negotiate,” he added.

“The fares should also be shown on the Phuket International Airport website, and the fares charged need to be checked by the PLTO every year so

Governor Phakaphong felt it necessary to call in public transport operators to explain ‘good service’. Photo: PR Dept they are fair for tourists and for drivers,” Mr Thanusak stressed.

“I will present this idea and push this issue hard in my next meeting with Phuket Governor soon,” he said.

Mr Thanusak agreed with PM Prayut that much lies at stake in the damage that can be done to Phuket’s tourism industry by such incidents. “This has without doubt damaged Phuket’s tourism image. It has been shared many times on social media and impacted us in a negative way,” he said.

Kongsak Khoopongsakorn, President

of Thai Hotels Association Southern Chapter, was no less damning in his assessment. “I find that this kind of problem always happens in nighttime…

It would be better if tourists get a receipt showing the fare paid and the distance travelled to prevent overcharging and further ‘misunderstandings’,” he said.

Phuket tourism stalwart Bhuritt Maswongssa, General Manager of the Patong Resort Hotel and key member Tourism Development Committee of South Andaman Tourism Development Area under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, openly admitted that the issue of tourists being overcharged by transport drivers at the airport was not new.

“We have had this problem for a long time,” Mr Bhuritt told The Phuket News.

“The standard of services for tourists needs to be clearer, safer and more satisfying. It depends on our action and how we enforce the law,” he said plainly.

“Don Muang airport and Suvarnabhumi airport can solve this problem, Phuket International Airport must be able to do it, too,” he said. thephuketnews

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Temples warned over scams against tourists The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

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huket Vice Governor Thanyawat Chanpinit this week warned two temples in Phuket to be careful to not engage or support any activities that may be construed as scams targetting tourists.

V/Gov Thanyawat also ordered relevant officials to “take care of customers and tourists, and to prevent any kind of scamming”.

“Officials have to strictly do things under the law and if they find illegal activities, they can proceed immediately,” he said.

The warning came during inspections of Ladthi Wanaram temple (Wat Tai) in Chalong and Sawang Arom temple in Rawai on Tuesday (July 23).

The entourage of officials inspecting the temples included representatives from Phuket City Municipality and the Phuket branch of the National Office of Buddhism (NOB).

The inspection was ordered by Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana, noted a report by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department.

However, no mention was made of any illegal or suspicious activities actually being perpetrated at either of the two temples.

The report by the Phuket office of the

Roti vendor Surachai Raksub, 32, is now facing charges of attempted murder. Photo: Chalong Police

Roti vendor slashes tourist with cleaver

The warning came as Phuket Vice Governor Thanyawat Chanpinit inspected Wat Tai in Chalong and Wat Rawai on Tuesday (July 23). Photo: PR Dept PR Dept noted that complaints filed in November 2017 saw an administrator at Wat Tai being accused of giving temple land to a private company to build a blessing hall and sell amulets at inflated prices to Chinese tourists.

The ensuing investigation saw the Phuket NOB office allow the private company to continue to sell items and artefacts while it continued its investigation into alleged price-gouging and other irregularities.

The Phuket PR report on Tuesday noted that the Phuket NOB branch had

filed requests for the officials at the NOB headquarters in Bangkok to check the land boundaries of the temple land and to check whether the rental contract issued to the private company abided by NOB regulations.

Somkiet Kaewsakul, who heads Puttatham Co Ltd, in 2017 told the press, “Chinese tourists have visited the temple for more than 10 years.

“The items and artefacts are all real.

We did not force anyone to buy them.

The prices range from around B1,000 to more than B10,000,” he said.

Police silent on probe into student killed by electrocution in public park PHUKET CITY POLICE have refused to answer any questions about the investigation into the death of 18-year-old student Khaled “Nikki” Nour, who was killed by electrocution from touching a floodlight pole at a public basketball court at Suan Luang (King’s Park) more than a week ago.

Mr Nour, a first-year student at the Prince of Songkla University Phuket campus, was killed by electric shock from the pole at about 6:30pm on July 13 while playing basketball at the courts in the popular public park, which is administered by Phuket City Municipality.

His friend and classmate Cherdsak “Enzo” Vaiano was also injured by electrocution at the same time. Mr Cherdsak has recovered from his life-threatening ordeal and has been discharged from hospital.

Phuket City Police Chief Col Sompong Thiparpakul last week confirmed that the families of both Mr Nour and Mr Cherdsak had filed @thephuketnews

Phuket Vice Governor Prakob Wongmaneerung (2nd from left) and Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana (3rd from left) pictured at Siriroj International Hospital immediately after the incident on July 14. Photo: Phuket City Municipality complaints to police over the deadly incident, but declined to confirm any details filed in the complaints, notably especially whether the complaints sought charges of criminal negligence.

Col Sompong has maintained his refusal to answer any questions about the investigation, despite the fact that Mr Nour was killed by local amenities provided by the local government in a public area.

“We are still investigation this case. I just need to wait for the results about it from Forensic Science police,” Col Thiparpakul told The Phuket

News on Tuesday (July 23) Col Sompong refused to confirm which persons were under investigation over the death.

All he would repeat was that if any charges were pressed, it would be for negligence.

Lt Anuwat Raksayot, the Phuket City Police officer tasked with investigating Mr Nour’s death, stood by his superior-ranking officer’s policy of silence.

“I must keep the investigation details for relations only. Sorry,” was all he would comment.

The Phuket News

A ROTI (PANCAKE) VENdor is facing charges of attempted murder and carrying a weapon in public for slashing an Egyptian tourist with a meat cleaver on Soi Ta-iad in Chalong last Friday night (July 19). After the attack the foreigner was rushed to a local hospital with a sevencentimetre gash on the back of his neck.

Police were notified of the slashing at 7:40pm.

Officers led by Chalong Police Chief Col Therdthoon Sroisukphaphan and his deputy Lt Col Sanun Chanrong arrived at the scene in front of a FamilyMart store to find a foreigner lying on the ground with a bleeding wound on the back of his neck.

Chalong Police identified

the victim as Makmoud Amr Mahmoud Abbas, 29, from Egypt.

The man who slashed Mr Abbas was present at the scene when police arrived.

The report identified him as Surachai Raksub, 32, a local roti vendor originally from Koh Lanta in Krabi.

He was taken to Chalong Police Station for processing and his knife was seized as evidence.

Police have not elaborated on how Surachai came to slash Mr Abbas with the cleaver.

Early reports in Thai media claimed that the foreigner was using foul language while waiting for his roti, angering the vendor, who grabbed the cleaver and attacked Mr Abbas.

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Environmental damage, prices too high, says poll The truck levelled two trees on the central reservation before flipping onto its side.

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Driver survives sleepy wipeout A 25-YEAR-OLD TRUCK driver has been charged with reckless driving causing damage to government property after he fell asleep at the wheel on Thepkrasattri Rd in Mai Khao early last Friday morning (July 19), with the truck hitting the central reservation, levelling two trees before flipping onto its side.

Capt Akkarapon Siwilairong of Tha Chatchai Police was called to the scene, on Thepkrasattri Rd southbound in Moo 3, Mai Khao, at 5am.

Officers along with Mai Khao rescue workers arrived to find the truck, belonging to Nong Fanta Transport Co Ltd, on its side and its driver, Sattawat Nabsoongnern, 25, stuck in the cab with his right leg broken in two places.

Sattawat said that he fell asleep and the truck hit two trees on the traffic island and overturned.

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The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

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he environmental damage caused by tourism and the cost of living in Phuket are both far too high, according to a vast majority of people responding to an online poll by The Phuket News.

The poll, which ran for just over one week and obtained nearly 800 responses, was launched at the request of Piramon Tisapramotkul, a student at Glenlyon Norfolk School in British Columbia, Canada. Mr Piramon is to include the results in an economic paper he is writing on the sustainability of tourism in Phuket.

The poll comprised two questions: 1) “Do you think the cost of living in Phuket is too high?”; and 2) “Do you think the environmental damage from tourism is too high?”

“I understand that there will definitely be limitations to the replies to the poll, but regardless, the poll is still an extremely valuable data source,” Mr Piramon admitted.

However, he added, “The results of the poll will be used in my paper to justify whether the government should implement more policies from tax to prohibition to regulate tourism in Phuket.”

An overwhelming response to both questions – more than 80% to each – marked that the environmental damage done and the cost of living were both

Sun, sand and sea can be enjoyed for free in Phuket, but many other things come at a pretty high price. Photo: The Phuket News / file too high.

In response to the question “Do you think the environmental damage from tourism is too high?”, 85% voted “Yes, the environmental damage from tourism is too high”.

A further 12% voted “The environmental damage from tourism in Phuket is acceptable compared with other tourist destinations around the world”, while the remaining 3% voted “No, the environmental damage from tourism is low”.

Responses to the question “Do you think the cost of living in Phuket is too high?” were nigh identical: 85% voted “Yes, the cost of living in Phuket is too high”; 11% voted “The cost of living in Phuket is appropriate compared with liv-

ing in other cities in Thailand”; and 3% voted “No, the cost of living in Phuket is not too high, prices could be even higher” (decimal place differences were rounded down thus not totalling 100%).

Only 10.47% of foreign visitors to Phuket believed that the cost of living in Phuket is appropriate compared with living in other cities in Thailand. Some 5.42% thought prices could be higher.

Similarly, 13.50% of local expats who took part in the poll voted that the cost of living in Phuket was appropriate, with just 1.10% saying prices could be higher.

Thai nationals were disaffected, with 7.87% saying that prices on the island were appropriate and 3.94% believing that prices could be even higher.

Man, 72, killed by makeshift power plug A 72-YEAR-OLD MAN DIED AFTER being electrocuted by an exposed power wire while fixing his roof in Pa Khlok.

Capt Sophanat Nayao of the Thalang Police was called to the home, in Moo 4 Pa Khlok, at 5:50pm last Saturday (July 20).

Police and rescue workers arrived to find the body of 72-year-old Saem Intharat on a portable bed at the humble abode.

Officers noted that Mr Saem was dressed in cream coloured shorts and was not wearing a shirt. They found no traces of a struggle or a fight on his body.

Mr Saem’s daughter, Boonkert Intharat, 42, told police that her father had climbed up onto the roof to make repairs using an electric drill.

While she was doing chores in front of the house, she heard her father’s voice and something hitting the ground.

Ms Boonkert said she rushed behind the house to find her father on the ground, motionless and with an electrical cable he was using as an extension lead still in contact with his neck.

She removed the power cable from touching her father before checking him and calling the

Pa Khlok resident Saem Intharat, 72, was electrocuted by a power cable he was using as an extension lead. police and rescue workers, she said.

She later had his body moved to the portable bed.

Ms Boonkert accepted her father’s death as an accident and began making funeral arrangements, Capt Sophanat noted.

Photos provided to The Phuket News plainly showed that an extension socket had been added to the power socket on the cable, with the power wires exposed.

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FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

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Surf kills three in 24 hours

Filipino tourists overpowered by strong waves, man falls from rocks Eakkapop Thongtub & Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

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wo Filipino tourists drowned after being dragged away from shore in strong surf at Freedom Beach, south of Patong, late last Wednesday afternoon (July 17).

While an intensive search was launched for the two men, a Thai man drowned near Karon Beach after being washed into the sea by a large wave while he was fishing with a friend.

Explaining how the two Filipino men – Angelo Bien Rafael Cortez, 29, and Noah Ibay, 40 – came to be missing, Karon Chief Police Col Prawit Sutthirueangarun said, “Mr Cortez and Mr Ibay were among a group of 13 tourists who came to Phuket together.

Eleven of them, including Mr Cortez and Mr Ibay, went down to Freedom Beach late Wednesday afternoon with some alcohol.

“Six of the 11 went into the sea, but only four came back. Mr Cortez and Mr Ibay had disappeared among the

@thephuketnews

The search team scours the rocks near Freedom Beach for any sign of missing Filipino tourists Angelo Cortez, 29, and Noah Ibay, 40, The bodies of both men were later recovered. Photo: Karon Police waves,” he said.

Two other men, John Jerard Tanghal, 30, and Tanghal Paciano Jose, 51, needed rescuing and were taken to Patong Hospital, where they were confirmed safe.

Col Prawit Sutthirueangarun noted that the wind and waves hampered search efforts. The men had disappeared into the sea after the International Surf Lifesaving Association (ISLA) issued a surf danger warning, and a weather warning had been

issued for Phuket and the Andaman coast, including an advisory from the Phuket Marine Office calling for all small boats to stay ashore.

It also came while there were no lifeguards on duty at Freedom Beach – just as there are none at Surin beach – and while lifeguards rolled out red “No Swimming” flags to mark areas where it was dangerous to enter the water.

“We had to delay our search this morning because of the weather. We must wait

for the wind to ease so it is safe for our search team also,” Col Prawit said last Friday morning (July 19).

“We will expend the search area to Tai Kua Beach, which is located south of Freedom Beach, and we will search along the rocks and the shore to find them,” he added.

However, even then hopes that the missing men were still alive were quickly fading.

“I believe that both men are not alive because there have been strong waves during

recent weather, and they might have been pushed against the rocks in the area,” Col Prawit said.

“A f ull d ay has now passed, and with this strong weather they should have been pushed back to somewhere along the shore by now,” he said.

The extensive search by lifeguards, police, rescue workers and Navy searchand-rescue personnel found and recovered Mr Ibay’s body from rocks near Freedom Beach last Friday afternoon.

Police delayed confirming that the body was that of Mr Ibay until Phuket Governor Phakkaphong Tawipatana had met with Val Simon Roque, Consul-General from the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok, together with the family of Noah Ibay, at Phuket Provincial Hall the next day.

The body of Mr Cortez was not found until last Sunday (July 21), when fishermen saw it in the water at about midday near Koh Keow (Green Island), halfway between Phuket and Phi Phi Island.

The body was brought

ashore at Chalong Pier in Phuket at about 5pm. Phuket Vice Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai late Sunday afternoon confirmed the body was that of Mr Cortez.

While the search was launched for the two Filipino tourists last Thursday, Prawit Pipatchanachai, 38, originally from Nong Bua Lamphu province in Northeast Thailand, drowned after being washed from rocks while fishing with a friend at the north end of Karon Beach.

His body was finally found and brought ashore at Karon Beach that night by Kusoldharm rescue workers at about 9:40pm.

Mr Prawit’s friend Waithin Pimsa, 26, also from Nong Bua Lam Phu, told police that he and Mr Prawit both work at a hotel in Patong.

The men were fishing on the rocks when Mr Prawit was washed into the sea by a large wave.

Mr Waithin raised the alar m and a search was launched, but Mr Prawit’s body was not found until some 12 hours later.

Opinion 6

OPINION

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EDITORIAL

Somewhere in between

he a n nou nce me nt by new Tourism and Sports Minister Pitak Ratchakitprakan last week that he will work towards legalising ride-sharing and accommodation-sharing platforms – namely Grab and Airbnb – has got people’s attention.

Both forms of “sharing” platforms have globally shaken up their respective markets, and a poor joke is that proponents for both keep clamouring that their popularity marks the arrival of a new world order forged by the Age of the Internet, where the people rule.

If a deregulated – or selfregulated – market is what the people want, then the government is stuck with the dilemma of having to serve the people who elected it and protect them from their own choices.

To this, let’s just keep in mind why hotel and taxi laws were passed in the first place,

and Thailand didn’t pull its versions out of thin air – they were copied from Western countries with developed economies.

We can always argue that some laws are made for the benefit of a few people, while others for the benefit of most people – but we can all agree that most laws are not introduced to prevent good people from going about their business, they are introduced to protect the unsuspecting public from bad people.

Enter the need for at least some laws and regulations.

Thailand has not been alone with this quandary. Governments around the world have tried in vain to contain the likes of Airbnb and Uber, to no avail.

We can giggle about how well laws are enforced in this fine country, but there is no argument that this week we witnessed just how fast harm to a tourism destination’s repu-

tation can be done by just one unregulated driver. The news spreads faster than ever, and playing catch-up saying the damage has been contained never has the same reach.

And this comes while Thailand is struggling to come to terms with its new identity on the global tourism stage. Thailand can no longer sell itself solely as a cheap destination for the mass market, and has yet to form a solid foundation in its varied attractions to create a dependable baseline that is nowhere near as buoyant as it is now. In tourism, Thailand right now is finding itself somewhere in between and the flatlining growth in tourist arrivals shows it clearly.

Perhaps the solution for our ride-sharing and accommodation-sharing future lies right there, somewhere in between what the people want, and what they really need.

TOP 10 STORIES ON thephuketnews.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Search launched for Filipino tourists lost in dangerous surf Body of second missing Filipino found off Phuket Phuket weather warning remains in effect Brit expat behind bars for attacking Phuket dog Weather warning for Phuket remains in effect Egyptian tourist slashed with a cleaver on Phuket’s renowned Muay Thai street Phuket told to brace for more rain, warned of flash floods, landslides Search for Filipinos lost in Phuket surf continues Phuket Opinion: Hit the dog Phuket Poll: Environmental damage, prices too high

Visit thephuketnews.com for all the latest news

HAVE YOUR SAY Unfair fares

Re: Australian tourists file formal complaint after being overcharged by passenger van driver Well done girls for standing up to the daylight robbers.

By the way, there is an airportRawai shuttle bus service that you can use. The fare is about B100 one way.

Arporn Jumnongrak What a way to spend your holiday over a few hundred baht…

David Pritchard Re: AoT confirms overcharging Phuket van driver not registered to pick up airport passengers, tout illegally roams terminal Finally someone is doing their job. Media revisiting this issue of illegal vehicles operating from the airport could be beneficial in preventing the practice from being forgotten.

Great article!

Sean M Ulvihill It’s highly unlikely the fine was more than B1,000, so he’ll probably continue ripping off tourists – same as the slow loris touts that ply the island’s beaches. The van should have

been confiscated and sold, and the proceedings used to compensate his passengers.

Geoffrey Morris

But you know what? The people making a mess are not the same people cleaning up.

Jan Farø

Re: Phuket airport van B3k fare ‘ just a misunderstanding’, say police They will never get it. People save for a trip and travel thousands of miles to relax and have a holiday. They don’t do it to be harassed, cheated, abused, ripped off or beaten.

This will be swept under the rug without penalising the tout, the company that owns the van, the airport and village people who allowed the van to operate or the crook who is in the next van waiting to do same.

MartinK

Why is there a mess in the first place? How hard is it to take your trash with you and put it in the garbage? Common sense and courtesy.

Guy Bouchard

Trash heroes

Re: Why beach clean-ups work It’s great to see the majority of people doing the cleanups are foreigners who don’t even live there! Local officials and people need to understand tourists don’t want to swim and lounge on a polluted beach and in polluted water. They will just go somewhere else.

Dino Dissidomino

A lot of the rubbish comes from inland and is washed out during rain storms where it joins more rubbish from fishing boats to be washed ashore on the next tide. Education is the only long-term answer.

Richard Joynes If there were no clean-ups anywhere on the island, we’d be living in a dump.

Steini Pé

RIP Mr Cortez and Mr Ibay

Re: Body of second missing Filipino found off Phuket I’m sure his family is grateful for so much effort expended in his body’s recovery. A heartbreaking exercise, but well done to all involved.

David Stuart-Fox

House rules

Re: Cambodia orders strict registration of foreigners Waiting for Vietnam to make the next such headline, followed by the ‘So long Vietnam, I'm heading to East Timor, where they actually appreciate me’ brigade to follow…

Steven Layne This happens across the world. If you a have a lessee in your house or a guest in a hotel, you need to register.

I don’t understand what the problem is! Like or not, if we decide to live in a different country, we have to deal with their own rules.

Cesare Fazzari Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines and Indonesia are loved countries by scammers, mobsters and those hiding from being prosecuted or jailed.

Unfortunately, the administrations from these countries do not know how to separate the good guys from the bad guys, so the new regulations hurt all foreigners with hassle and papers to fill out.

Seafarer Divers Charlie Phuket

Have an opinion? Comment on stories at thephuketnews.com thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

THAILAND NEWS

7

Milking mucus for more baht

Thai farmers on the cash trail with serums made of snail slime THAILAND

AFP

G

iant snails inch across a plate of pumpkin and cucumber in central Thailand, an “organic”diet to tease the prized collagenrich mucus from the molluscs, which to some cosmetic firms are more valuable than gold.

The snails at Phatinisiri Thangkeaw’s farm were once the scourge of rice farmers, loathed for eating the buds of new crops.

“Farmers used to throw them on the road or in the rivers,” Phatinisiri told AFP. “But now they sell them to me to earn extra money.”

With her 1,000 snails, the teacher makes an extra B10,000 to B20,000 a month.

It is one of more than 80 farms in Nakhon Nayok province, two hours from the capital Bangkok, cashing in on the global snail beauty market, estimated at $314 million, (B9,7 billion) according to research group Coherent Market Insights.

Giant snails on a plate of pumpkin and cucumber, an ‘organic’ diet to tease collagen-rich mucus from the molluscs, which to some firms is more valuable than gold. Photo: AFP

The precious slime is patiently “milked” from the glands of the snail by dripping water over it using a pipette.

Its raw form is sold to Aden International, a Thai-based cosmetics company that primarily ships its products to Korea and the US. The sole snail slime producer in Thailand, Aden was started three years ago as a business-savvy solution to the snail infestation in Nakhon Nayok, said founder Kitpong Puttarathuvanun.

And his bet paid off – Kitpong sells the serum under the Acha brand, but also supplies Korean and American cosmetic companies with a dried powder at B1.8 million per kilogram, he said.

Gold is currently worth $46,300 (B1.431mn) a kilo.

Compared to Aden’s snail slime, the mucus produced in China – milked daily instead of once every three weeks in Thailand – is valued at about B80,000 per kilogram, Kitpong said.

“We found that our slime was very intense because the snails eat everything, includ-

Cross-dressing teacher row sparks rights investigation in Buriram BURIRAM T H E NAT IONA L H Uman Rights Commission (NHRC) has been asked to help a male teacher at risk of being fired from a school in Buri Ram because he wears women’s clothing in class.

It would be “wrong” if he had to leave the school over the dress-code issue, NHRC member Angkhana Neelapaijit commented after receiving a petition from the Rainbow Sky Association on Monday (July 22).

A dismissal is usually ordered when a state official commits a disciplinary violation, she said, adding the NHRC will look into the case. The names of the school and the teacher were withheld.

The cross-dresser, who works as an assistant teacher at the school, was given a warning about wearing dresses and subsequently got low grades in performance assessments, except for his teaching, according to the @thephuketnews

Thailand’s transgender community enjoys a high profile, but still faces major hurdles in the mostly conservative country. Photo: AFP / file Rainbow Sky Association.

The LGBT advocacy group backed its accusation with an audio clip it claimed was a conversation between the assistant teacher and the school director, who allegedly told him if he did not change

his behaviour, he might not pass his next assessment.

The group said the teacher had no problem when he previously taught at another school, which gave him more freedom of expression.

Bangkok Post

Phatinisiri Thangkeaw milks a snail of its serum at her farm in Nakhon Nayok. Photo: AFP ing vegetables, grains and even mushrooms… producing good quality slime,” he said, explaining that the mucus can be used to heal sunburn and “heal wounds”.

Somkamol Manchun, the doctor in charge of the purification process, said snail mucus contains collagen and elastin

– ingredients that “can make skin firm with less wrinkles”.

It “triggers the skin cells… and helps heal the skin”.

At the moment, no scientific studies have been done on the curative qualities of snail serum and slime, but snail farmer Phatinisiri is already feeling the market heat up.

Two years ago, she was the first in the area to try farming the slime, she said, and villagers readily gave her what they considered pests.

“Now I buy snails at about B25 baht to B30 per kilogram,” she said. “But many people are doing snail farms now so the competition is high.”

8

THAILAND NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

Trafficking rescues this year near record highs THAILAND Bangkok Post

T Reps from 31 animal welfare advocacy groups hold posters calling for Thailand not to send Thai elephants abroad. Photo: Bangkok Post

Elephant welfare on minister’s mind THAILAND NATIONAL RESOURCes and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa will look into calls to stop sending Thai elephants abroad under animal exchange and research programmes, following concerns about their health.

In his first promise made during the first day at the ministry on Monday (July 22), Mr Varawut said he too “disagrees” with such exchanges after listening to a petition lodged by 31 animal welfare advocacy groups.

Safe Elephant Foundation president Saengduean Chailert criticised some state agencies for signing elephant delivery deals with foreign countries but rarely

making follow-up checks on their condition.

A German zoo earlier asked Thailand to lend an elephant for study purposes, but Thai officials did not bring it back though the loan period had ended, Ms Saengduean claimed.

In another case, an elephant from Kanchanaburi “died on a plane” en route to China, she said, adding that these incidents are worrying as elephant numbers in Thailand are low.

The country currently has less than 4,000 registered elephants, a sharp drop in numbers recorded several years ago, Ms Saengduean said.

If exports continue without strict controls, “Thailand will risk losing more domesticated elephants,” she said.

Bangkok Post

he number of human trafficking victims rescued in Thailand is set to hit a record high this year, according to government data, with demand for cheap labour in neighbouring Malaysia causing a jump in the illegal trade.

Thai police have rescued 974 trafficking victims – mostly from Myanmar – for the year to date, compared to 622 for the whole of last year and a previous annual high of 982 in 2015, according to data released last week by the Thai government's anti-trafficking division.

Thailand has come under scrutiny in recent years for slavery and trafficking, especially in its seafood and sex industries.

The US State Department this year in its human trafficking report kept Thailand on a watchlist and criticised the Southeast Asian country for not doing enough to tackle the problem.

“There’s a high possibility that figures this year will reach a record high, with many victims telling us they were planning to work in Malaysia,” said Pol Col Mana Kleebsattabudh, deputy commander at the anti-trafficking division.

There are about 4.9 million migrants in Thailand, making up more than 10% of the

Rohingya woman with her baby after she was found by Thai authorities, just two of the 974 trafficking victims rescued this year so far. Photo: AFP country’s workforce, according to the United Nations. Most are from poorer neighbouring countries including Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

Mr Mana said most of the rescued trafficking victims were recruited by middleman and agencies for B20,00030,000 to work in factories in Malaysia.

Many were rescued while being transported towards the southern Thai border with Malaysia.

“What we find is these people are being kept in bad conditions in forests and shacks far from communities, which shows the bad intentions of those bringing them,” Mr Mana told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“More importantly, the victims don’t see themselves as being deceived and often endure the hardship in order to get to their destination.”

Mr Mana said the spike in arrests could lead to an increase in smugglers and traffickers using alternative sea routes instead, which lowers the risk of being caught by authorities and is cheaper.

The most recent case by sea was on June 11, when a fishing boat carrying at least 70 Rohingya Muslims was found stranded on the southern island of Koh Lipe, said Mr Mana.

The boat had come from Bangladesh and had been at sea for two to three days before running out of oil and

being swept away to the island, where two speedboats picked up some of the people, leaving 71 on the beach, he said.

“They slept on plastic sheets next to each other like animals. This is inhumane,” he said of the cramped conditions.

Adisorn Kerdmongkol, a coordinator at the Migrant Working Group, a network of non-governmental organisations working on migrant workers' rights, questioned whether all those rescued by Thai police were trafficking victims or being smuggled.

Unlike trafficking, which is control over another person for the purpose of exploitation, smuggling is merely illegal entry into another country.

Amendment of cannabis law sought BANGKOK NEW PUBLIC HEALTH Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered ministerial

regulations to be revised to help 3,000 folk practitioners, including activist Decha Siripat, prescribe cannabis without violating narcotic laws.

Without the amendment,

these practitioners will not be allowed to use cannabis because the 2018 Narcotic Act permits only professionals – such as doctors, pharmacists, dentists and licensed Thai

traditional medical practitioners recognised by the Thai Traditional Medical Professions Act – to prescribe cannabis to their patients.

Mr Decha and 3,000 other practitioners received a fiveyear-certificate from the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTTAM) to tend to their patients, but they are not treated as professionals under the law.

To acquire that status, they need to undergo a year-long process to get approval from the Ministry of Public Health.

“The amendment is an attempt to help users of cannabis taking the drug for medical reasons. We want to make sure patients and medical practitioners of cannabis medical treatment will be free from legal problems,” Mr Anutin said on Monday

From left Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Khaokwan Foundation president Decha Siripat and Bhumjaithai Party adviser Julpas Kruesopon after a meeting to discuss medicinal use of cannabis. Photo: Bangkok Post (July 22). He was speaking after a meeting of advocacy groups.

The move comes after the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) last Friday announced it could not approve the “Decha Oil” formula cannabis-extract oil because Mr Decha was not a profes-

sional under Thai Traditional Medical Professions Act. Mr Decha is president of the Khaokwan Foundation, a sustainable agriculture advocacy group. Three years ago he started giving away his own version of cannabis oil to patients for free.

Bangkok Post thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

BUSINESS NEWS

9

Getting a foothold on freehold

Foreigners can own property in their own name, if it’s done right THE PHUKET PROPERTY GUIDE Thai Residential phuket@thairesidential.com

A

ny foreigner buying a property in Thailand must always contend with one major hurdle: they are prohibited from owning land. For the sake of clarity, this refers to any villa, estate house, shophouse or townhouse, the ownership of which is inextricably tied to the land. In other words, “landed property”.

Someone reading Thailand’s Land Code may be a little confused by what the letter of the law says about foreigners owning land in the Kingdom. Instead of specifically prohibiting foreigners from owning land, the letter of the law surprisingly states that foreigners (referred to as “aliens”) are allowed to own land.

This is a direct quote from the Land Code Promulgating Act (Section 86): “Aliens may acquire land by virtue of the provisions of a treaty giving

@thephuketnews

Condominiums are not always high-rise buildings. They can be clusters of low-rise buildings, townhouses in developments with specific licensing, or even sprawling villalike units. Photo: Shutterstock the right to own immovable properties…”

What Section 86 does not mention is that the last treaty extending such a right expired in 1970.

So while the intent of the Land Code Act is pretty obvious, the literal wording is not there. In any other country, you may think that

this creates a loophole in the law which you can exploit.

But in Thailand, the lawmakers’ intent – also called “The Spirit of the Law” – can and does form the basis of some legal decisions.

In the absence of any treaty, the spirit of the law in the case of Section 86 of the Act above is clearly to

forbid foreign ownership of land in Thailand. And this “spirit” is regularly enforced.

The laws regarding freehold condominium ownership, on the other hand, are considerably clearer and far more agreeable.

Ownership of a freehold condominium is fairly clearcut. Under Thai law, there may

be up to 49% foreign ownership of a condominium. This means a minimum of 51% of the unit area in any condo development must be owned

by Thai nationals, which may also include Thai companies.

Clearly, this the best way for foreigners to own property in Thailand because they can own a condo fully and legally.

With the title in their own name, condo ownership is permanent and in perpetuity until the foreign owner makes a decision to sell it.

Freehold condominiums also enjoy favourable legislation on inheritance, that is to say a foreigner is entitled to pass a Thai condominium on to an heir.

Condominiums are not always high-rise buildings.

They can be clusters of lowrise buildings, townhouses in developments with specific licensing, or even sprawling villa-like units, which you barely realise are semidetached. (There will be more on types of property in later articles in this column.)

In each case, however, your condominium title will

give you a “fractional interest” in the building. This means you technically own part of the common area such as the swimming pool, gymnasium, gardens, car park and the reception area.

When you receive a title to your condominium unit, it should not only specify the square footage (metreage) of the actual unit, but also the total common area. It should then state what percentage interest in the common area is owned by the unit.

It is also worth noting that the fractional interest will also correspond to the voting interest each owner holds in the owners/residents association.

If you are seeking nothing less than full titled freehold ownership, then you must look at a condominium or condolicensed residence.

This article is from the 2018/2019 ThaiResidential Phuket Property Guide. To download the 2019/2020 Guide visit: https://thairesidential. com/phuket-property-guide/ or call +66 9484 11918.

10 BUSINESS NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

The great disappearing trick

Tourism arrivals, spending hold despite fall in Chinese arrivals TOURISM

The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

T

he total number of tourist arrivals and revenue generated for the country during the first half of 2019 show limited growth compared with figures for the same period last year, but the number of Chinese arrivals fell by nearly 5%, according to the latest statistics released by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MoTS) on Monday (July 22).

A total of 19,769,347 tourists visited Thailand from Jan-June (H1) this year, up 1.48% on H1 2018, the MoTS reported.

Total revenue generated through tourist arrivals for H1 2019 was given at B1.0224 trillion, also up 0.94% for the same period last year, the statistics showed.

The growth comes despite arrivals from Mainland China falling 4.73%, from 5,931,153 during H1 2018 to 5,650,474 in H1 this year.

Spending by Chinese tourists during the half also fell, from B323.46 billion last year to B310.47bn this year (-4.02%).

Asian source markets still held strong, with arrivals from Hong Kong

Tourists are still coming to Thailand, but the demographics are certainly changing. Photo: TAT increasing 5.83%, bringing an 8.4% increase in spending.

Likewise, visitors from Japan rose by 10.83% for the six months year-onyear, from 779,925 to 864,379, bringing a 14.57% increase in spending during the six months, from B32.58bn last year to B37.32bn this year.

Arrivals from Russia fell 2.99%,

from 850,989 last year to 825,556 this year, with a 4.1% fall in spending, from B64.35bn in H1 2018 to B61.713bn in H1 this year.

European arrivals also fell yearon-year, down 1.86%, from 3,537,934 last year compared with 3,604,954 in H1 last year. Spending also fell 2.33%, from B264.962bn in H1 2018

to B258.779bn 19 in H1 2019.

Visitor arrivals for all the Scandinavian source markets fell year on year: Sweden -10.65%, Denmark -3.25%, Finland -14.91%, Norway -0.18%.

However, visitor arrivals from the UK rose 1.38%, from 497,862 last year to 504,754 this year, with

a 1.3% increase in spending, from B39.89bn last year to B40.40bn this year.

Arrivals from Eastern Europe also rose, by 4.25% year-on-year, with a 1.26% increase in spending to B21.818bn.

Also growing were arrivals from the US, rising +4.8% year-on-year to 595,226 in H1 2019, spending B45.287bn in the first half of the year.

The number of visitors from Australia, however, continued to fall, from 384,644 in Jan-June 2018 to 377,260 this year (-1.92%), with a corresponding fall in spending from B31.04bn last year to B30.39bn this year (-2.09%).

Meanwhile, visitor arrivals from India during H1 2019 continued to boom, from 788,703 last year to 978,785 this year (+24.1%), with a 27.54% increase in spending from B30,857bn last year to B39.354bn this year.

Average spending per capita by tourists from India rose from B39,124 in H1 2018 to B40,207 in H1 2019.

However, while average spending per capita by Australian tourists to Thailand fell marginally from B80,698 for H1 2018 to B80,561 in H1 2019, the average Australian tourist still spent twice as much as the average Indian tourist.

Cross Hotels & Resorts doubles down on Patong HOSPITALITY HOTEL MANAGEMENT company Cross Hotels & Resorts has continued its strategic expansion in Phuket with the announcement on Monday (July 22) of its third hotel management agreement on the island.

Cross Hotels & Resorts announced the signing of a hotel management agreement with PT Three Land Co Ltd for its third Phuket property, X2 Vibe Phuket Patong Center.

Set to open in mid-2021, the hotel is located a 10-minute walk to Patong Beach and Bangla Rd, explained the announcement.

X2 Vibe Phuket Patong Center will offer 323 guestrooms, all-day dining restaurants, a café and bar, a meeting room and fitness facilities.

“Key features include specially designed family rooms and state-of-the-art kids club, large adult swimming pool with sunken DJ bar, underwater speakers, relaxing music and cocktails,” the announcement read.

The announcement follows the debut of X2 Vibe Phuket Patong in September 2018 and

X2 Vibe Phuket Patong will soon have a sibling hotel in Patong. Image: Supplied the signing of Away Phuket Le Coral, located near Natai Beach, north of Phuket, in May this year.

X2 Vibe Phuket Patong, on Haad Patong Rd, is located close to key tourist attractions, a large shopping mall and a two-minute walk from the beach. It features 136 modern rooms and villas and facilities including a large central swimming pool and sundecks, a spa, a fitness centre, a restaurant and bar and meeting facilities.

Away Phuket Le Coral is currently undergoing renovation with completion scheduled for late this year. Located on the beachfront of Natai Beach in Phang Nga Province, the

hotel is a 40-minute drive from Phuket International Airport. Featuring 58 suites, it offers nature-inspired designer rooms, a sea view infinity pool, a restaurant and bar, a spa, island tours, treks through virgin jungles and rafting adventures along scenic lakes and rivers.

Cross Hotels & Resorts CEO Peter Lucas said the company was very pleased to be signing its third hotel in Phuket within the past 12 months.

“It is a significant milestone to be adding X2 Vibe Phuket Patong Center to our growing portfolio of hotels in Phuket – officially recognised as one of Asia and indeed the

world’s best places to visit,’’ Mr Lucas said.

“It reinforces that we are delivering on our stated development aspirations of acquiring quality hotels with large inventories in the world’s most popular visitor destinations and gateway cities.”

“Phuket has been clearly identified as a key target destination for Cross Hotels & Resorts now and into the future,’’ he said.

Cross Hotels & Resorts EVP Commercial Paul Wilson said the company was passionate about delivering unique commercial solutions for hotel owners and enriching experiences for our guests.

“We operate distinct and aspirational brands for scalable and sustainable growth and have a strong pipeline of future acquisitions in place.

“The signing of our third hotel in Phuket is very exciting and only the beginning of what we have in store for this thriving global destination,” he said.

Cross Hotels & Resorts currently operates 25 hotels across three distinct brands: X2, X2 Vibe and Away in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.

The Phuket News

Anthony Dupont has been appointed General Manager of the luxury five-star Phuket resort Paresa in Kamala.

Photo: Supplied

Paresa resort names new GM HOSPITALITY LU X U RY F I V E - STA R resort Paresa on Kamala’s “Millionaires Mile” has announced the appointment of its new General Manager, Anthony Dupont.

Mr Dupont, a Phuket resident originally from England, has seen his career take him to over 40 countries.

He entered the industry upon completing his master’s degree in development economics in the UK and began his path in the leisure industry as a tour leader with Explore

Worldwide, constantly on the move globally over the next 10 years.

Moving to Bangkok after a year in Sri Lanka whilst working for a large destination management company, he first entered the hotel industry with Aman Resorts in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, noted the announcement.

Relocating to Phuket saw Anthony in positions of Director of Sales and Marketing at The Sarojin, Ani Villas and Indigo Pearl and finally Executive Assistant Manager at The Slate, the announcement added.

The Phuket News thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

The Lion King remake is the cat’s whiskers

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

12

A plan to tackle plastic pollution in Phuket

14

THE INSIDE SCOOP

I scream, you scream, we all scream for… gelato Amy Bryant editor1@classactmedia.co.th

T

here were a lot of things I didn’t know before my visit to Pluto Ice Cream’s HQ in Wichit.

1. Gelato and ice cream are distinctly different desserts (and you should really read up on that before meeting passionate Italian gelato chefs). 2. Gelato universities are a thing.

3. Thailand has a strong appetite for Pluto’s frozen treats which have been shipped and served across the country for almost two decades.

If you’ve been on the island for any significant stretch of time, there’s a strong chance you’ve sampled Pluto’s gelato yourself. You might not be aware of it, though, as Pluto specialises in events and wholesale, providing their desserts to hotels, resorts and restaurants often in the customer’s own branded tubs. A shame, really, given that the company logo is a memorable and meaningful one: a portrait of founder Giovanni Durante’s beloved dog, a pint-sized Pinscher, sporting a bow tie in the colours of the Italian flag. Giovanni brought the pup in question, Pluto, with him when he moved from Toirano, Italy to Koh Phi Phi in 1994. Although Pluto passed on some years ago, he is immortalised in the company name.

Koh Phi Phi was a different island when Giovanni and Pluto landed there in the ’90s. Not untouched but certainly not tainted by overtourism. In fact, the absence of electricity at night forced Giovanni to close his restaurant on the island as it was impossible to serve evening diners.

In 2001, some years after a consistent power supply was introduced, Giovanni set up a handful of gelato shops and stalls across the island. But just as business was picking up pace and the company was establishing itself – supplying major resorts such as JW Marriott and Le Meridien – the tsunami hit and Giovanni was forced to build the company up again from scratch.

Thailand continued to place obstacles in Pluto’s path over the proceeding years – customers’ restaurants shut down by the military during coups, staff infected with SARS and bird flu, sales hampered by the hangover of the financial crisis – but the company has always come out on top.

Two Pluto shops remain at Koh Phi Phi’s Tonsai Bay, and in 2010 Giovanni set up a European-standard factory in Phuket, allowing Pluto to supply over 100 hotels and resorts in Phuket, Khao Lak, Krabi, Koh Samui, Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. In high season, that means 1,000 kilograms of gelato per day zipping around the country by van and even plane for next-day delivery. Pluto caters to customers outside of the hospitality sector too, and are soon to launch on Foodpanda for that very reason.

What sets Pluto apart, and perhaps explains the company’s lengthy and fruitful career, is the bespoke nature of their products. All gelato is made to order and they don’t hold any stock. Not a single tub. Customers are free to request weird and wonderful flavours, and Giovanni and Director of Sales and Marketing Dario Schena are yet to turn down an order.

Gorgonzola and pear? Sure. White and black truffle?

Why not. Porcini mushroom? They’ll give it a go. A host of local flavours, such as pandan, coconut and Thai @thephuketnews

Pluto HQ.

Photo: JÉSHOOTS/ Pexels milk tea, and classic flavours, like chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, are also bespoke in that they can be made softer, richer, sharper, sweeter, sugar free, dairy free and more according to the customer’s preference.

Giovanni and Dario both studied at Carpigiani Gelato University in the suburbs of Bologna where they learnt the art and science of creating this artisanal iced treat and left as qualified gelatieres, joining some 12,000 graduates who have completed one of the school’s 500 courses. They credit the university for their creativity and experimentation with gelato, and Giovanni’s embossed diploma hangs proudly on the wall of his office alongside a portrait of Pluto.

So gelato is serious business. But what is the difference between gelato and ice cream? While the key ingredients are similar – milk, cream and air – the proportions and churning of those ingredients make all the difference. You get more bang for your baht with gelato, whose slow churning process gives it a dense texture with up to 25% air. Ice cream, on the other hand, is whipped, giving it a light, fluffy texture that’s up to 60% air, causing it to melt quickly. More milk and less cream makes gelato much lower in fat, around 4-9%, or even 0% with some fruit gelato. Ice cream, however, is cream and egg heavy and so has 18-30% fat. Ice cream also tends to be made on an industrial scale with artificial flavouring while gelato is artisanal,

Dario and Giovanni launch their next project: Pluto coffee. prepared in smaller batches with fresh, natural ingredients. And the higher serving temperature of gelato means easy access to those rich and natural flavours.

But now that begs a further question: why is the company called Pluto Ice Cream? For ease of understanding, essentially. When Giovanni set up Pluto, he felt ice cream was a more familiar term in Thailand than gelato, although he’s since seen a growing understanding of the differences.

Pluto Gelato certainly feels more apt a name (and not just because it rolls off the tongue nicely). Like gelato, Pluto has substance, is authentic to the core and hasn’t been quick to melt in the heat of the problems Thailand has thrown at it over the years.

The Pluto Ice Cream factory is located at 34/58 Moo 1, Wichit, 83000. Contact them by phone on (+66) 76 393 398 or by email at sales@icecreamthailand.com or visit www.icecreamthailand.com for more information.

12 ENTERTAINMENT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019 Now showing in Phuket.

A roaring success

The Lion King remake a cinematic masterpiece to change CGI forever David Griffiths

D

isney’s plan to reimagine some of their most iconic films seems to have divided audiences around the world. The hatred that was levelled at The Lion King before its world premiere was unprecedented and, as it turned out, completely unwarranted. The outrage didn’t stop what is arguably the world’s most powerful movie studio, though. In the week before The Lion King’s premiere, Disney released a trailer for the reimagined Mulan and announced the casting choices for The Little Mermaid.

Maybe I’m a little different to some movie fans but

I went into The Lion King with a tinge of excitement. The film’s director Jon Favreau (yes, the same guy who plays Happy Hogan in the Marvel universe) had previously created a piece of cinematic brilliance with his reworking of The Jungle Book, while Disney itself had been on a winner with Aladdin. My excitement, it turns out, was not misplaced because what we have here with Favreau’s The Lion King is a true masterpiece that has the potential to change the visual aspects of cinema forever.

It’s true that the film does not venture away from the original story.

Young Simba (voiced by JD McCrary) finds himself the innocent victim when his uncle, the villainous Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor), hatches a plan to kill and dethrone his father – the good King Mufasa (James Earl James).

Convinced by Scar that he is the reason that his father died, Simba (later voiced by Donald Glover) flees to the wilderness where he befriends a warthog named Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) and the adventurous meerkat Timon (Billy Eichner). Meanwhile, Simba’s best friend Nala (Beyoncé) is left back in a vicious new world run by Scar and his cruel army of hyenas.

What makes Favreau’s version of the classic tale stand out from the wellloved original is the visuals. Just like he did with The Jungle Book, Favreau and his team have created CGI animals so realistic that at times it feels like you are actually watching real, live animals performing for the camera. Unlike the darkened landscape in The Jungle Book, which saw some of the realistic imagery lost, in The Lion King, when the CGI animals are placed on the beautiful canvas that is the African wilderness, everything comes to life in a way that we have never seen on the big screen before.

Not only do the visuals make you feel like you’re watching a David Attenborough documentary instead of a Disney film, but Favreau, the awesome director that he is, often takes the audience on a journey, following one of the animals as they run or, better still, seeing the action from the point of view of one of the lovable creatures.

The realism that these visuals create does also make the film seem a lot darker than many would have found the original. In the animated version,

seeing the tiny lion cub Simba being threatened by Scar and his army seems pretty tame when you compare it to what you see here. Here it really does look like a real lion cub is about to meet its fate from an over-zealous uncle. The result is that the film takes on a darker tone like the original story of Hamlet (which inspired The Lion King) which in turn makes for more suspenseful viewing for the audience.

The realism also leads to the film’s only real downside. With the animals looking so realistic, when they move their mouths to sing it sometimes looks really awkward. While it’s easy to imagine an animated warthog or lion singing, the sight of a realistic animal doing the same thing looks just plain weird at times. And I have to admit that while the cast do a good job performing the new versions of the classic songs, they pale into significance in comparison with the original tracks – nobody can ever match the great Elton John.

Pushing all that aside, though, the casting of the characters for this retelling seems to have worked very well.

The comedy trio of John Oliver (who voices Zazu), Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner do such a great job that they almost steal every scene they’re in.

Chiwetel Ejiofor captures the menacing nature of Scar amazingly well, and retaining James Earl Jones as Mufasa is one of the smartest ideas that the filmmakers could have had. It is also good to hear Beyoncé do such an amazing job as Nala because it often feels that her acting talents are forgotten.

The man who really needs to take a bow for The Lion King, though, is Jon Favreau. This film cements Favreau as one of the best directors of this generation. The man rarely makes a bad film – even Cowboys & Aliens was a winner in my eyes – and when you group The Lion King with The Jungle Book, you can say that he has changed the look and feel of CGI forever.

Favreau’s The Lion King is a cinematic masterpiece.

David Griffiths has been working as a film and music reviewer for over 20 years. That time has seen him work in radio, television and in print. You can follow him at www.facebook.com/subcultureentertainmentaus thephuketnews

CULTURE 13

The melting pot THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

Luk kreung people in history and popular culture SIRINYA’S WORLD

Dr Sirinya Pakditawan pakditawan@googlemail.com

I

t’s been a while since I’ve explored the influence of luk kreung (i.e. half-Thai people) on popular culture. Today it seems that a great number of part-Thai people are prominent in Thai popular culture. However, this phenomenon is not new considering that the first luk kreung actors appeared in the 1940s to 1960s. This, nevertheless, is not widely known nowadays.

In a previous article I discussed the topic of interracial marriage prior to the later decades of the 20th century, mentioning that those relationships were mostly limited to small groups of people in cultural contact zones. However, interracial marriages became more common in the late 1960s and 1970s in Southeast Asia due to the Vietnam War. Consequently, in that time period more mixed-race children were born.

Luk kreung in history I’d like to begin with a historical example from the 19th century. Of course, you’ve certainly heard of the famous Siamese twins Chang and Eng Bunker. The twins were born in 1811 and brought to the United States in 1829 where they became known in “freak shows”. Later, the conjoined twins became American citizens and got married to sisters Sarah and Adelaide Yates. In total, they had 21 children. Their descendants now number more than 1,500, many of whom meet annually in North Carolina, where Chang and Eng settled.

Perhaps you also remember the family of Mhom Mali, a Russian lady, and General Mhomjao Thongtekhayu Thongyai? The General was one of a few men of royal heritage who got married to Western women in the early 20th century. Mhom Mali and the General settled in Hua Hin and had four children. Their oldest luk kreung son M.R. Chakthong Thongyai, born in 1913, became a prominent politician.

He became the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives. He was also a Senator. There is likely no other half-Thai person to achieve this position in the Thai government. He died in 1998 at the age of 85.

His sister M.R. Pakpring Thongyai, born in 1916, became famous too

Sarah, Eng, Chang, Adelaide, Albert and Patrick Bunker. @thephuketnews

Kukrit Pramoj and M.R. Pakpring Thongyai. because she got married to Kukrit Pramoj, the 13th prime minister of Thailand who was also an actor. He acted alongside Marlon Brando in the American movie The Ugly American (1963). What is more, Pramoj is the author of the classic Thai novel Four Reigns (Si Paendin).

Luk kreung in early popular culture I’d like to turn to the amazing Amara Asavananda, a Thai-French actress and beauty pageant girl from the 1950s. There is one picture in which I would have mistaken her for Elizabeth Taylor. She was the second runner-up of Miss Thailand in 1953 and became Miss Universe in 1954 which took place in the United States.

Born in 1937 to Luang Prajerdaksonlak (Sombhoj Asavananda) and Madam Prajerd-aksonlak (Georgette Asavananda), Amara was a well-known actress in Thai movies from the 1950s.

In 1966, she married Police Lieutenant General Ankoon Purananda and eventually received less acting roles. Later in the 1970s, she still worked as an actress but only got supporting roles. She has two daughters, Apichaya and Anoma.

There is another luk kreung actress from that era called Kesarin Patamawa. Perhaps she is not as well known as Amara but she is ThaiFrench too. Like Amara, Kesarin was one of the first luk kreung in Thai showbiz and pop culture in the 1950s.

She was also an actress who was active in movies from 1958 to 1962.

Last but not least, there is also a luk kreung politician and Thailand’s leading philanthropist that I’d like to mention here: Mechai Viravaidya, born in 1941 of Thai-Scottish origin.

In Thailand he is known as Mr Condom because he promoted not only condoms but also family planning and sexual-safety awareness in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1973 he founded a nonprofit organisation called ‘Population and Community Development Association’. His main aim was to improve the living conditions of the rural poor. He also founded a restaurant chain called Cabbages and Condoms where custom-

ers get a condom with the bill. With this project, he wanted to make condoms as common and accepted as cabbages.

I hope I’ve provided you with a window into the past, introducing you to some of the first luk kreung people in history, politics and Thai popular culture. Thanks to my Thai-American friend Steven Layne for this lead.

Amara Asavananda.

Sirinya Pakditawan is half-Thai and holds a PhD from Hamburg University. She enjoys writing about Thailand, with a focus on culture, art, history, tradition and on the people. To read the original story, and many more, be sure to check out Sirinya’s blog: www.sirinyasthailand.de

14 ENVIRONMENT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

Cleaning up Phuket

The organic vegetable gardens on Koh Siray use tyres filled with soil and compost.

Using nature’s tools to create a healthier, happier community Palmer Owyoung

I

f you live in Phuket for long, you’ll inevitably hear people complaining about the plastics problem on the beaches, or the polluted klong water leaking into the ocean. But very few people ever try to find solutions to address these issues, and so the Asia Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), Kamala Green Club and Oceans for All have worked together to come up with a few solutions using mushrooms (mycoremediation) and plants (phytoremediation) to repair the damage that we’re doing to the ecosystem.

The plan doesn’t just address the klongs but also how as a community we can do our part to fight climate change, clean up the plastics problem, restore coral reefs, clean the oceans and contribute to the economic wellbeing of the island that we call home. Because these solutions use the tools that nature has given us, none of these projects cost more than B200,000 to implement.

In fact, most cost between B10,000B100,000.

Contrary to popular belief, much of the plastic that we see on the beach isn’t left behind by careless beachgoers.

Some of it comes from Indonesia but the majority of it comes from people far away from the beach who litter or from the wind blowing waste out of garbage bins. The plastic then makes its way into storm drains, which empty into the klongs and eventually into the oceans.

While beach clean-ups are important and have their place, they will never be enough to keep beaches clean.

Here is our five-step plan for cleaning the environment.

Prevent plastic from entering the ocean We will do this by installing debris nets into the klongs. So rather than only trying to collect the rubbish once it’s been deposited into and then regurgitated by the ocean, we intend to capture the rubbish before it has a chance to enter it. This will prevent it from breaking down into microplastics and it will also catch a larger amount of waste before it can be washed out into the sea or be eaten by fish.

Clean the klongs using mushrooms (mycoremediation) Our second solution is to utilise mushrooms to remove oil, heavy metals, bacteria, fecal matter, sulfates, nitrates and other contaminants from the klong water. Mushrooms are a big stomach and they can digest almost anything. These filters could easily be made using a combination of coffee grounds and different strains of mushrooms placed in burlap sacks. This is successfully being done to clean up sewage in Washington and Oregon at the moment.

Mushrooms have also been used to clean up forests contaminated with oil and nuclear waste, and there is even a strain of mushroom named pestalotiopsis microspora that’s capable of breaking down and digesting plastics.

Create a community compost Approximately 50-60% of household waste is compostable, which means it can be kept out of landfill and help to reduce the amount of CO2 and methane

gas that’s coming from them. Composting is one of the most important things we can do to fight climate change and it can be used to enrich soil to produce healthy fruits, vegetables and herbs from community gardens.

On Koh Lanta, they’ve created a programme with some of the hotels to generate income by buying the compost back from local Thai workers and using it as fertiliser.

Seaweed and shellfish farming Our fourth proposal involves planting seaweed and shellfish farms along the coasts. This will have two benefits. The first is that it will provide a habitat for fish and other sea animals. The second is that it will absorb CO2, heavy metals, sewage, nitrates and phosphates from detergent that’s sometimes carelessly tossed into the ocean.

Seaweed is the fastest-growing plant on the planet and can sequester five times more CO2 than the quickest-growing tree can. This method is currently being used in the different parts of the United States to fight climate change and repair dead zones in the ocean.

Coral reef restoration In Miami, Florida, they’re breeding corals that are resistant to climate change and replanting them in the ocean using a unique fracturing method that shortens the growth cycle to several months to a year rather than several years to a decade. We can replicate their success and repair the dead or dying reefs around Phuket.

Coral reefs are important because they sequester CO2, are an important source of food, provide a habitat for fish, filter dirty water and protect our coastlines from erosion.

Welcome to Koh Siray Koh Siray is a small, quiet island on the east coast located next to Phuket Town.

Despite its beautiful views, it’s not a place commonly frequented by tourists or even expats living here. It’s the poorest area of the island and is home to about 10,000 people. Nevertheless, it’s one of the most important communities in Phuket because it’s home to two ports where up to 200 tons of fish a day are caught. This represents approximately 80% of the fish caught on the island.

Unfortunately, the klongs where they live are clogged with plastic and filled with disease-causing bacteria and fecal matter. Many of the children living in the village are developing skin rashes and illnesses. The pollution is flow-

Plastic in the Koh Siray klong. ing into the waters that surround the island, which is then ingested by the same fish that are likely to end up on your dinner plate.

This makes Koh Siray the ideal place to implement our clean-up plan. Dr Peter Harris of APEN has been working with the local leaders of the community on Koh Siray for several years, including the mayor and some of the local schools in the area, to build compost sites and gardens. He was influential in getting the Australian Navy to visit on April 29, 2019 to help clean up the beaches and provide waste bins, composting materials and gardening tools.

There remains a lot of work to be done, but if we are successful on Koh Siray we will be able to clean up the rest of Phuket as well.

The plan is solid, scientifically sound, low-tech, relatively inexpensive and proven to work by other communities around the world. It uses the tools nature has given us rather than using harsh chemicals to clean up our mess.

Working towards a greener, cleaner, plastic-free Phuket isn’t just good for tourism and the environment. Neighbours who know each other and are working towards a common goal tend to be friendlier which makes for a happier and healthier community to live in.

What can you do?

Support our efforts by visiting GoFundMe.com, searching for ‘Koh Sirae’ and making a donation.

Join the strategic planning forum chaired by Rassada Municipality at The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, Phuket on September 4. The event will bring together stakeholders who would like to see vast improvements in sustainability, health and wellbeing and waste reduction in the area. Contact Dr Harris via email at apenseek@gmail.com for more information.

Palmer Owyoung is a writer who has recently joined the APEN team to create a collaborative approach to waste reduction on Koh Siray and around Phuket. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

EDUCATION 15

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

Celebrating differences In an uncertain world, schools must teach a love for our common humanity EDUCATION CORNER Neil Richards

A school should be a place of exploration and opportunity, and not a well-worn track emerging out of the past and disappearing into the future.

I

remain ever mindful of my first visit to Phuket, just a little over 41 years ago. It is a hard place to forget, of course, but in my mind’s eye I see only a smattering of tourists, on slow roast, in a pristine natural environment. In this pre-internet age, life and travel seemed much slower, perhaps less convenient and more uncomfortable, but certainly more rewarding for the effort required. I have to get my mind’s eye up to date (as well as my technology skills): Phuket is still beautiful, but the world has arrived. In fact, regrettably perhaps, this is true for almost every place on the planet – the world has finally arrived and is clamouring to get in. And what a burden this now places upon us all, but especially upon teachers as they struggle to interpret and determine the educational needs of the future.

What should we teach in a world where all human knowledge and all human frailty are but a quick, slick click away? How do we guide our children against a backdrop of voices that enter the sanctity of our own homes, uninvited and far more strident in their demands upon our time, our hopes and our fears? How can we ensure that we prepare children for an emerging world, and not the world of our nostalgic past or our wildly optimistic futures? Our schools must be grounded in the reality of a rapidly changing, highly connected, unpredictable world, and yet remain true to the essential values that provide emotional security and promote world peace.

It is far too easy for educational platitudes to roll off the tongue, and we all want to be reassured in this uncertain world. But education is not about schooling. Human beings cannot help but learn – it’s what we do – but learning is not enhanced in any

Kids across Asia to learn lifesaving tips from loved cartoon characters

P

arents will be able to breathe easy knowing that characters from The Powerpuff Girls, We Bare Bears and The Amazing World of Gumball are on hand to save the day by teaching their children lifesaving tips.

SAFE STEPS Kids, a new safety awareness programme developed by Prudence Foundation in partnership with Cartoon Network and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), launched earlier this month. The programme aims to equip millions of children across Asia with actionable information designed to save lives in the event of emergencies or disaster situations.

The programme includes a series of kid-centric, practical and easy-to-understand tips through a medium they know and love.

SAFE STEPS Kids comprises a series of 12 50-second public service announcements. Each video features a set of characters from a well-known Cartoon Network series who will anchor the @thephuketnews

storytelling process to raise awareness and provide educational information.

The messages, which address three types of key life-threatening issues, are approved by the IFRC. The videos complement a series of collaterals that will be distributed to schools and communities across Asia.

The first category of videos to launch focuses on disasters, featuring the irrepressible superhero trio The Powerpuff Girls. Later in the year, the first aid episodes will be rolled out, featuring the We Bare Bears characters followed by videos on road safety featuring characters from The Amazing World of Gumball.

These videos will air on Cartoon Network in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as on Cartoon Network’s social and online video platforms, websites and apps.

Watch the videos at www.safestepskids.com/disasters or www.youtube. com/cartoonnetworkasia The Phuket News

BISP, together. Photo: BISP environment that stifles creativity or seeks relevance in the past. This is the real challenge for schools: to provide a context for the natural curiosity of children; to provide for creativity and initiative; to encourage risk-taking; to dance with the family and community; and ultimately to examine, share and enjoy our common humanity.

To embark on any journey safely requires a reliable moral compass, along with encouragement for curiosity and openness, and, of course, the ability to interpret and enjoy the scenery along the way. Surely, it is only in the uncertainty that each generation finds fulfilment.

And therefore a school should be a place of exploration and opportunity,

and not just a well-worn track emerging out of the past and disappearing into the future. It should be a place that enables all students to identify their unique talents, and not just their shortcomings within a narrow range of academic disciplines. Fundamentally, a school should be a place to celebrate difference and where each member of the community is able to learn about learning itself, and, most importantly of all, a place to care for the ‘other’.

Neil Richards is the Headmaster at British International School, Phuket.

For more information, visit them at www.bisphuket.ac.th or call them on +66 (0) 76 335 555.

16 ART

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

A change of scene A surprising discovery in Houston. Photo: vjlawson2001 / Flickr

Greek theatres were the home of catharsis. Photo: kirkandmimi / Pixabay

The flying thespian continues his travels THE PLAY’S THE THING! Joel Adams

A

fter finding a thriving theatrical community in Ashland, Oregon, I was on my way to Houston – that’s right, Houston, Texas – a place probably considered by most to be a cultural wasteland, but they’d be very wrong.

Houston has world-class museums, both for art and natural history, and numerous venues for live theatre, and all these venues are traditionally packed with people thirsting for what is on offer. In fact, as we were entering Houston on the freeway, we saw an exit to ‘Theatre District.’ I thought, “Wow, you don’t see that everywhere you go.”

So live theatre is far from dead.

I quickly counted twelve professional theatre venues in Houston, showing such things as Seussical the Musical, Aladdin: The Musical, The Three Musketeers, Murder on the Orient Express, Woyzeck, Hot Mikado, The Debbie and Doyle Show, Shakespeare and more. When I got there, I tried to

get tickets for a few of them and found them mainly sold out. I was able to go to the Broadway road show of the hit musical Aladdin with my daughter and was completely wowed.

I’m not a big fan of musical theatre, so in order for a musical to impress me, the singers/actors have to deliver their roles and songs with enough energy to convince me that the degree of emotion they are feeling is such that there is nothing else to do but burst into song and dance. And the cast of Aladdin did just that. It was funny, well-acted and well-danced with gorgeous costumes, décor and very clever, tight staging.

There was even a functional flying carpet whose strings I could not find.

Now how did they do that? Okay, it was pure escapism, but hey, it was fun, and best of all, the house was packed with all ages enjoying themselves.

Speaking of energy, you might say that the energy we see onstage and in productions, musicals or otherwise is too big to be true to life. However, think about it, do you ever feel like bursting with emotion, whether it’s anger, joy, excitement or any other feeling in the emotional spectrum? Sure you do, but you control yourself and keep within acceptable limits because

society has taught us that’s how we’re supposed to behave. But when acting, it is not only acceptable, it is necessary to let those emotions out. There is a case, therefore, to say that theatre is actually truer to life than most of us are on a daily basis.

The Greeks loved theatre and especially tragedy because of catharsis.

The dictionary definition of catharsis is: “a. the purification or purgation of the emotions (such as pity and fear) primarily through art; b: a purification or purgation that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tension.”

Nobody could say that the Greek plots represented actions that most people experience in their lifetimes – things like fratricide, infanticide, patricide coupled with mother marriage, etc – and yet the emotions that led to these deeds taking place are universal, so seeing and performing in theatre affords us the chance to experience strong emotion and energy without having to suffer the negative consequences.

Okay, back to my theatrical travels, I am now on my way to Dubai where I will be training three groups of young people in a thing called story theatre.

We will practice for five weeks, culminating in a show on August 22.

What is story theatre? Story theatre is the dramatic presentation of one or more stories told by a group of actors who play multiple roles and provide narration. It’s characterised by the use of simple “scenery” like chairs and tables arranged to suggest various settings, simple props like scarves or cardboard tubes used in different ways in more than one story, and costume pieces like aprons, glasses and hats.

Music is also often incorporated into story theatre performances.

Story theatre was developed in the 1960s as a definite theatrical art form

by Paul Sills, the son of Viola Spolin who is often credited with being the mother of improvisational theatre.

Paul put a series of story plays together in a show called Story Theatre. This show went from its Chicago birthplace to a very successful run on Broadway.

I have spent some time this year

performing story theatre and have done such plays with kids at HeadStart International School including Thank Goodness!, The Girl Who Cried Wolf!, Harry Potter, How it Began and Harry Potter and the Magic Mirror.

This summer I will be using stories from the Middle Eastern folkloric hero Juha, who might rightfully be called a comic sufi. I will report on how this goes next month, but let me close by giving you a synopsis of one of my favourite Juha stories.

One day in Baghdad, a beggar at the main gate to the market has an awful day so that at the day’s end he only has one copper coin and a crust of bread for a full day of begging. He laments that he doesn’t even have enough money to buy vegetables to eat with his bread.

Just then, a delicious smell wafts in the air, and the beggar’s stomach grumbles terribly at the odour. A rich man’s cook is preparing a wonderful soup just next to him. The beggar gets the idea he could just wave his bread in the steam of the soup to get some of the taste on it. This he does through the window when the cook isn’t looking, but the rich man himself sees him and calls for the constable to arrest him for trying to steal his soup.

A crowd has gathered, Juha among them, when the beggar explains that he wasn’t trying to steal, he only wanted to wave his bread in the steam.

The rich man says, “Well then, you can do that, but you have to pay me.” The beggar protests he has no money. Juha interjects that he would pay for the beggar to wave his bread in the steam of the soup. When the beggar has done so and gone his way happily, Juha pulls out his coin pouch, shakes it and turns to go. The rich man cries out, “Wait a minute! You haven’t paid me!”

“Yes, I have,” Juha says, “the sound of money for the smell of soup”.

Joel Adams is building a vibrant theatre community right here in Phuket.

You can contact him at theatrixphuket@gmail.com or by phone on 093 6490066. Facebook: Theatrix Group thephuketnews

18 ISLAND SCENE

Pen and Nittaya.

Mary and Anna.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

Karen, Laura, Annie and Sarah.

Laura and Maggy.

HIGH SPIRITS AT PHUKET INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S CLUB JULY LUNCH Rainy season downpours couldn't dampen the spirits of the Phuket International Women’s Club (PIWC) who travelled from across the island to Les Diables at Boat Lagoon for the monthly PIWC luncheon on July 18. The restaurant and patisserie served up a delectable set menu for the ladies, including a selection of their signature cakes for dessert.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

ISLAND SCENE 19

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

Caroline Laleta Ballini with friends from Magazines Latitudes.

Paul Michotte, Isabelle Phillipot, Pond, Julien Klein and Marie Phillipot.

KATA ROCKS OPENS CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITION WITH RECEPTION Kata Rocks launched an exciting contemporary art exhibition on July 19 with a private, invitation-only cocktail reception. The exhibition, in collaboration with Magazine Latitudes, showcases the unique work of prominent Thai artist Narath Boriboonhiranthana. Titled ‘The Remembrance’, her work explores the intersection of Art Nouveau and traditional Thai art. The exhibition runs until August 20.

Kata Rocks Managing Director Richard Pope, M2 Plus Managing Director and Founder Pakamard Mary Sudjit and Infinite Luxury Club Manager Kunrapats Yodsapa.

Pakamard Mary Sudjit, President of German Standard Armin Michel and PA at The Passport Resort & Yacht Club Adele Liu Yi Jia.

M2 PLUS THROW PARTY TO CELEBRATE OPENING OF SECOND SHOWROOM Last month saw the opening of M2 Plus’ second showroom in Cherng Talay by Phuket’s best-known interior designer Mary Pakamard. The new showroom displays luxury outdoor furniture by Belgian furniture brand Jati & Kebon alongside fitted Italian kitchens from Aran Cucine and Valcucine. Managing Director and Founder Pakamard Mary Sudjit has also expanded her own line to include handcrafted terrazzo bathtubs and basins.

OUTRIGGER LAGUNA PHUKET GOES GREEN WITH HOST OF NEW ECO-MEASURES

The resort hopes the reusable bottles will help kick plastic habits.

Noi of Phuket Child Watch and RPL president Richard Hearne with staff and kids at Bang Lung Pitak Daycare Center.

Guests, hosts and management are all on board in the fight against single-use plastic.

On July 1, Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort implemented phase one of their environmental measures as part of their global conservation initiative to safeguard oceans and island environments.

Plastic bottles and straws are now nowhere to be seen at the resort, and all takeaway containers are produced from recycled materials. Staff also received reusable bottles they can refill from the resort’s reverse osmosis machines, as well as bags for life.

RPL Committee members Ding, Eric and Richard with students from the Good Shepherd Vocational Training Center.

RAWAI POOL LEAGUE DONATES GOODS TO LOCAL CHILDREN IN NEED Kind souls of Rawai Pool League (RPL) recently donated a host of goods and electrical equipment to the Bang Lung Pitak Daycare Center, and a commercial oven to the Good Shepherd Vocational Training Center. The donations were gratefully received by both centres, the former who care for children of prison inmates and those working on construction sites, and the latter who provide vocational training to Thai and Myanmar residents. The funds came from players, captains, bar owners and friends of RPL. @thephuketnews

20 EVENTS

FRI

26 JUL

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

SAT

27 JUL

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.

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

Squid, Salad buffet, Choice of potatoes and sauces, bread, buns and garlic bread. Reservation recommended.

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

TUE

30 JUL

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 Sunday Roast Buffet Light and Fresh Buffet

ALL YOU CAN EAT BBQ RIBS

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.

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.

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.

SUN Open to all children from 5 - 12 years of age. American curriculum intensive. English course with the option of Map testing at the end of the camp. Each student receives 2 Tee shirts and a cap as well as daily snacks and lunch. Sign up today at phuket@qsi.org or call 076 304 312.

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.

The Phuket Drum Circle 7th Year All you can eat BBQ Ribs night

QSI Summer Camp 2019

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.

Thai Night Buffet

28 JUL

The Phuket Drum Circle will celebrate the 7th year anniversary on Sunday July 28 in Naiharn Beach from 4:30 pm to about 10:00 pm. This event is always free and open to the public. Participants can drum, dance, or enjoy the scenery and good vibes. Experience the magic of community drumming and dancing! For updates and videos visit the Facebook page: Phuket Drum Circle

MON

29 JUL

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.

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

All you can eat BBQ night 6pm – 11pm: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Burgers, Sausages, Prawns and thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

EVENTS 21

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

WED

31 JUL

FRI

2 AUG

Grow Boating Networking Evening

Ribs, beats, brews Wednesday Devour our succulent pork rib set complete with sweet corn chowder, blue cheese salad, 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

1 AUG

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 @thephuketnews

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. Please contact us if you would like to be our drinks sponsors. Sponsorship is available from 10,000 baht and includes a generous advertising package from The Phuket News. 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/ groups/491098897758155/ or our Website https://www.thaiyachtingbusinessassociation.com/

Kata Rocks - Four Hands Michelin Starred Dinner 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

FRI

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.

THU

15 AUG

The Exotic Fishing Thailand 1.5 Million Baht Tagged Fish Challenge

Dot Property Thailand Awards 2019 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. Here’s what you need to know about the can’t miss event. Sunniya Kwatra.

SAT

EVERY DAY

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

Children First Charity Event

Celebrate Thailand’s finest developers by nominating them for the industry’s most prestigious awards. With a professionally run judging system supervised by the

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, Exotic Fishing Thailand, Phang Nga, exoticfishingthailand@gmail.com, English 088 379 9377 and Thai 081 199 5922.

21 SEP

9 AUG

PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards 2019

FRI

1 NOV

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.

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, JULY 26, 2019

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York 1. Famous Mexican drug lord El Chapo was sentenced to life in prison last week. What does ‘El Chapo’ mean?

2. This month, Djokovic beat Federer in Wimbledon’s longest ever singles final. How long was the match?

3. Name the colours of the Google logo, in order.

4. What was first ever Western-made film to air on television in North Korea?

5. What is the second largest Thai island, after Phuket?

Answers below, centre

SUDOKU

Medium

Across 1. Chest muscle 4. Unceasingly 8. ROI 14. ___ moment 15. ___ record 16. Eggstone 17. Temperature controls, briefly 18. Pioneering 1982 sci-fi film 19. Hammer user 20. Drake hit lyric, “I only love.....”

23. “___, old chap” 24. Debauchee 25. Deep down 29. Deductive 34. Malt kiln 36. Get together 37. Beyonce and Jay-Z hit lyric, “Stack my money fast and go (fast, fast, go) ...”

44. Breezed through 45. Buck passers?

46. Dramatizes 50. More tightly fitted 55. Air force, abbr.

57. Fit 58. Sophie hit song phrase 65. Zoomed 66. Org. with eligibility rules 67. Roman 3

68. Oust 69. Hit hard 70. Maddox, to Angelina 71. Eye site 72. Whereabouts 73. Part of some addresses, abbr.

disapproval 30. Personal statement intro 31. Original manufacturer’s item 32. Southern soldier 33. OJ’s judge 35. Legendary Nugent Down 37. Airline regulator 1. Guamanian singing 38. N.C. State is in it star 39. Fix 2. Enclose in a sac 40. N.F.L. stats 3. Algiers’ district 41. Calendar pages, 4. Cornerstone abbr. abbr.

5. Miles of “Psycho” 42. Longing for 6. School that Ian 43. Baton Rouge sch.

Fleming (and 47. Win a hotdog James Bond) consumption attended contest, e.g.

7. Time off 48. Comfortable with 8. Pay 49. Road crew goo 9. Gadabout 51. Phone trio 10. Mélange 52. Loud 11. Shoot 53. Mama Cass ___ 12. Couple 54. Amber and balsam 13. Prefix with hertz 56. Finland natives 21. Design sense 58. “The jig ___!”

22. Emu’s extinct 59. Not stereo cousin 60. Sail holder 26. Inspiration for “You’ve Got Mail” 61. Wall-to-wall carpet measure 27. International 62. Type of palm Bollywood star 63. Café au ___ (last name) 64. Severe blow 28. Sound of

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1) ‘Shorty’; 2) Four hours and 57 minutes; 3) Blue, red, yellow, blue, green, red; 4) Bend It Like Beckham; 5) Koh Chang.

GOT YOUR NUMBER

ISLAND VIEW

2.5

petabytes (or a million gigabytes) is the estimated storage capacity of the human brain.

99.9

percent of all species that have ever existed on Earth are now extinct.

416

days how long the average person spends in the bathroom in their lifetime.

500,000 new Facebook profiles are created every day. That’s six new profiles every second.

16 million

people living today are thought to be direct descendants of Genghis Khan.

Source: Uberfacts

Monkey business at Khao To Sae. Photo by Jeffrey Ephreim Villanueva Villegas Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket? Email it to execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

This week in history July 26, 1953 Fidel Castro leads an unsuccessful attack on the Moncada Barracks, thus sparking the Cuban Revolution.

July 27, 1890 Vincent van Gogh shoots himself.

The bullet cannot be removed and he dies 30 hours later.

July 28, 2005 The Provisional Irish Republican Army calls an end to its thirty-

year-long armed campaign in Northern Ireland.

certain impeachment – the only time a U.S. president has done so.

July 29, 1981 A worldwide television audience of over 700 million people watch the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

July 31, 781 The oldest recorded eruption of Mount Fuji. The most recent eruption was 1707.

July 30, 1974 Watergate scandal: U.S. President Richard Nixon releases subpoenaed White House recordings

Richard Nixon in 1974. after being ordered to do so by the Supreme Court. On August 9, he resigns in the face of almost

August 1, 1992 Thai Airways International Flight 311 travelling from Bangkok crashes into a mountain in Nepal killing all 113 people on board.

Source: Wikipedia thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 23

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

Jobs

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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.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 25

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 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, JULY 26, 2019

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

classifieds@thephuketnews.com

HOME IMPROVEMENT

MARINE SERVICES

OTHER

PROPERTY SERVICES

TRAINING

ADVERTISE HERE

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 27

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 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 UR

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Car rental @fair prices

We offer car rentals at affordable prices. Monthly from 10,000 Baht. Daily from 400 Baht. Call us to find out what we offer.

10,000 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.

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@thephuketnews

CARS, TRUCKS FOR SALE

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The Phuket News

MEMBERSHIPS

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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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, JULY 26, 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, JULY 26, 2019

SPORT 29

War elephants ready to rise

New national coach hitches wagon to Thai trio of J-League stars FOOTBALL Bangkok Post

N

ew national coach Akira Nishino has praised the three Japan-based Thai stars who he said will be among the main players in his War Elephants squad.

The trio, who are playing in the J-League, are Chanathip Songkrasin (Consadole Sapporo), Theerathon Bunmathan (Yokohama F Marinos) and Thitiphan Puangjan (Trinita Oita).

The 64-year-old Japanese was appointed coach of the Thai senior and U23 sides last week.

“Playing in the J-League proves the three players have potential. I expect that they will be my main players for the Thai national team,” Nishino said on Monday (July 22).

“Regarding the other players, I want to watch them play and see their performances.

The most important thing for players of the national team is that they must have spirit and dignity to play for their country.”

@thephuketnews

His first task will be the qualifying round for the World Cup, with Thailand hosting Vietnam in their opening game.

The other teams in their group are the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Malaysia. The eight group winners and four best second-placed teams advance to the next round.

The coach, who guided Japan to the last 16 round of the 2018 World Cup, said although he does not have much time to prepare the team to face Vietnam, his job is made easier because of the availability of a number of good Thai players.

Over the years, Thaila nd h ave st r ug g le d t o score due to paucity of fine strikers and the fact that the Thai domestic league is dominated by foreign marksmen.

“It is the same problem everywhere in Asia. In the JLeague, many teams also use foreign strikers,” Nishino said.

SCG Muang Thong United star Teerasil Dangda has been Thailand’s No.1 striker for years but has struggled to find

Akira Nishino says Thailand has the talent to qualify for the World Cup and the Olympics. Photo: AFP the back of the net for his club and country.

Young star Supachai Chaided is seen as his successor but the Buriram United forward has scored only two goals in the league this season.

Earlier, Nishino said the Thai players had the ability to make it to the World Cup finals and the Olympics.

Thitiphan Puangjan, left, and Theerathon Bunmathan pose before a training session earlier this year. Photo: Bangkok Post

Chanatip Songkrasin, known to Thai fans as ‘Messi Jay’. Photo: Bangkok Post

30 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

Russian boxer Maxim Dadashev dies after fight BOXING

AFP

Cowboys top Forbes list for the fourth straight year. Photos: AFP

Forbes’ list names Cowboys richest club SPORT THE DALLAS COWBOYS top Forbes’ list of the world’s most valuable sports clubs for the fourth straight year as English Premiership giants Manchester United slipped four places to sixth.

In figures released on Tuesday (July 23), Forbes pegged the value of the Cowboys at $5 billion (B154bn).

The NFL club owned by Jerry Jones generate twice as much sponsorship and seating revenue at their AT&T Stadium than any other team, the financial publication said.

Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees jumped from fifth last year to second, its value coming in at $4.6bn (B142bn).

The values take into account earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation.

Some 26 of the NFL’s 32 teams appear on the list of the 50 most valuable clubs in the world.

The Yankees are among seven Major League Baseball teams to feature. La Liga giants Real Madrid ($4.24bn, B130bn) and Barcelona ($4.02bn, B124bn) and the NBA’s New York Knicks ($4bn, B123bn) round out the top five.

Manchester United saw their value drop from $4.12bn (B127bn) to $3.18bn (B98bn).

United endured a dismal 2018-19 campaign, finishing sixth in the Premier League and missing out on a place in the Champions League.

AFP

R

ussian boxer Maxim Dadashev has died from brain injuries sustained in a fight in Maryland, the Russian boxing federation announced on Tuesday (July 23).

The 28-year-old underwent emergency brain surgery in Washington after his superlightweight bout with Puerto Rican Matias last Friday (July 19) was stopped after the 11th round by his cornerman James “Buddy” McGirt.

Dadashev was unable to walk to the dressing room and was immediately hospitalised, and was later operated on to relieve pressure from swelling on his brain.

McGirt, who said after the fight he “couldn’t convince” his fighter to stop but opted to throw in the towel when he saw him “getting hit with more and more clean shots as the fight went on”, told ESPN he was wracking his brain wondering if he could have done things differently.

Russian boxing chief Umar

Dadashev suffered brain swelling in his light-welterweight fight with Subriel Matias at The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Photo: AFP Kremlev told Russian media that Dadashev’s body would be repatriated home and that his family would receive financial aid.

Dadashev took an unbeaten 13-0 record into the 140-pound non-title fight.

Dadashev, whose manager Egis Klimas also handles Vasiliy Lomachenko and Ser-

gey Kovalev, turned pro in April of 2016 and relocated to Southern California to pursue his ring ambitions, eventually signing with promoters Top Rank.

Dadashev was rated in the top five by two world sanctioning organisations going into the fight in suburban Washington DC, an elimination

bout for the right to become mandatory challenger for Josh Taylor’s IBF title.

Matias dominated, and after the 11th round McGirt could be heard telling Dadashev “I’m going to stop it, Max,” even as Dadashev shook his head.

McGirt, himself a former two-weight world champion, then told the referee: “That’s it.”

The final countdown: Tokyo marks one year until 2020 Olympics OLYMPICS TOKYO ON WEDNESDAY (JULY 24) entered the final leg of its marathon Olympic preparations, marking a year until the 2020 Games open with officials promising a high-tech but eco-friendly event.

Organisers have battled everything from fears over deadly heat to persistent questions about the cost of the Games and how Tokyo won its bid.

But as the final countdown began, they were touting speedy progress

on venue construction and pledging a Games that will be “a springboard for the creation of a new Tokyo”.

“One year to go, all of the excitement is growing here,” John Coates, chairman of the International Olympic Committee’s coordination body, said this week.

He added that “unprecedented” ticket sales and applications by 200,000 people for 80,000 volunteer positions had shown the enthusiasm building for the 2020 Games.

High-tech showcase Half of the new permanent venues

have been completed, and organisers say construction of the rest is on track.

While cooler weather this summer has assuaged fears raised by a deadly heatwave last year, organisers say they have a raft of safety measures planned in case temperatures soar.

Tactics from misting towers to flower beds were showcased starting this week at a test event for beach volleyball.

With the countdown underway, organisers have also been stepping up efforts to promote the Games as a showcase for Japan’s high-tech

know-how.

Japan’s reputation as an industrial innovator has flagged since the last time it hosted the Games, in Tokyo in 1964, when it wowed the world with bullet trains.

But government and businesses are hoping to dazzle visitors with everything from driverless airport transport to robot greeters and mascots.

Organisers also want the Games to be the “most sustainable ever” and are making everything from medals to podiums from recycled materials.

AFP

Tokyo on July 23 entered the final leg of its marathon Olympic preparations, marking a year until the 2020 Games open with officials promising a high-tech but ecofriendly event. Photo: AFP

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FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

SPORT 31

Juventus stunned by Harry Kane’s wonder goal as Tottenham triumph in Singapore. Photo: AFP

Joelinton will don the black and white of the Magpies next season. Photo: AFP

Off-season splash continues

Newcastle’s record-breaking signing; Kane scores from half field FOOTBALL AFP

N

ewcastle United have signed Brazilian forward Joelinton from Hoffenheim, the Premier League club said on Tuesday (July 23) in what is the biggest transfer fee in their history.

The 22-year-old will wear Newcastle’s number nine shirt – made famous by Alan Shearer among others – after agreeing to a six-year deal reported to be worth up to 45 million euros (B1.5 billion).

Joelinton Cassio Apolinario de Lira started his football career at Brazil’s Sport Recife, before joining Bundesliga side Hoffenheim.

He played on loan for Austria’s Rapid Vienna for two seasons before returning to Hoffenheim, where he scored seven goals in 26 games last season in the Bundesliga, as well as notching three goals in the German Cup. Solskjaer targets more signings Manchester United manager

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said the club is working on one or two more signings as he hopes to hit the ground running in the new campaign after stuttering badly towards the end of last season.

Solskjaer enjoyed a stellar start after replacing Jose Mourinho in December, winning 10 and drawing two of his first 12 Premier League fixtures.

But a stunning slump in form saw the side finish sixth in the standings, 32 points behind champions Manchester City.

Aware that his imbalanced squad needed a major overhaul, Solskjaer has already recruited midfielder Daniel James and fullback Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with the club strongly linked to England central defender Harry Maguire and Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes.

Sheffield break club record Premier League newcomers Sheffield United broke their club transfer record to sign France Under-21 striker Lys Mousset from Bournemouth.

Mousset agreed a threeyear contract with the newlypromoted Premier League side, who are reported to have paid £10 million (B384mn) to complete the deal.

They set a new transfer record by signing Callum Robinson from Preston earlier this month, having already broken it once to bring Luke Freeman to Bramall Lane from QPR. United have also signed former Manchester United forward Ravel Morrison and Everton defender Phil Jagielka.

Pre-season stunner Harry Kane scored a stunning 93rd minute winner from the halfway line as Tottenham Hotspur edged Juventus 3-2 in an entertaining pre-season friendly in Singapore on Sunday (July 21).

T he England capt ai n latched onto Lucas Moura’s short pass and launched a first-time shot high over a scrambling substitute keeper Wojciech Szczesny as Spurs rallied past new manager Maurizio Sarri’s Italian champions in front of a delighted National

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS Run #1747: Saturday July 27 Run Start Time: 4pm Hares: Singha, No Hope, Fungus Location: Heroines Monument – East 2.7 km Directions: 1. At Heroines Monument circle turn East [4027] toward Paklok. Drive approximately 2.8km and turn left HHH. Continue 500m to laager HHH. 2. NOTE: The land owner makes this our final time here if, once again, the children are not under supervision concerning moving the rocks/gravel, if the dogs are not kept on leashes, and with no defecating in the laager area, or our use of the owner’s water, which was left running last time after washing dogs and one car. Parents and dog owners please be responsible for your kids and dogs, or stay home!

Bus pick-up: Patong @ Expat Hotel: 14:30 | Kamala @ Aussie Pub: 15:00 More info: phuket-hhh.com

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Stadium crowd.

“It’s probably one of the best goals of my career. I noticed the keeper was often off of his line and thought if I get a chance to shoot I will and it just went in,” Kane said in a post-match interview.

A youthful Spurs dominated the first half as Juventus struggled to adapt to their new coach’s “Sarri-ball” tactic of playing out from the back with short, quick passes.

VAR coming to EPL Premier League interim chief executive Richard Masters admits VAR is certain to cause “controversy” when the technology makes its English top-flight debut in the forthcoming season.

The video referee system will be used for the first time in the Premier League after its introduction was delayed for a year to allow time to develop the system.

VAR has been used in England in the FA Cup and League Cup, as well as in numerous other foreign leagues and tournaments including the Champions League.

It hasn’t been a huge success, with complaints from managers and fans about the slowness of the system and mistakes made by the officials.

“I have no doubt it will create some controversy because it is about the big decisions but we are prepared for that,” Masters said.

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Rugby League 15:00 17:00

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Knights v. Wests Tigers

17:00 19:00

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Friday 26th July

Aussie Rules 16:30 19:30 Cricket

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Saturday 27th July Rugby Union 14:00 16:00 Championship, Brisbane

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Port Adelaide v. GWS Giants

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Titans v. Warriors

16:30 18:30 Rugby Union 20:00 22:00 Motor Racing 20:00 21:30

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Storm v. Manly

Currie Cup

Cheetahs v. Griquas

Formula 1

Qualifying, Hockenheim

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17:00 00:00

Test Match, Lords

England v. Ireland, Day 4

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Ladies Singles Final

Aussie Rules 10:00 13:30

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Western Bulldogs v. Fremantle

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Coast v. Essendon

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20:00 22:30

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German Grand Prix

Sunday 28th July

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editor3@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

Most valuable teams in sports worldwide >p30 Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel looks on in his car in the pits during the third practice session at the Monaco street circuit on May 25, 2019 in Monaco, ahead of the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix. Photos: Yann Coatsaliou / AFP

PAYBACK TIME

German Grand Prix is Vettel’s shot at redemption BOX OF NEUTRALS

Michael Lamonato michael@boxofneutrals.com

Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel (front) leads Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton during the Formula One Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne last year. Photo: Williams West/ AFP

I

n a season formerly tipped to deliver a Ferrari championship, it’s remarkable how small a figure Sebastian Vettel has become in 2019.

First the Ferrari SF90 turned out to be nowhere near as quick as it seemed during preseason testing.

Then Red Bull Racing became the first non-Mercedes winner of the season in Austria. Now young-gun teammate Charles Leclerc has started giving him a run for his money.

Now, after 10 rounds and facing the halfway point of the season, Vettel is fourth in the championship standings and an all but unassailable 100 points behind leader Lewis Hamilton.

Indeed the previous two rounds of racing, two thrilling grands prix contested between teammate Leclerc, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes duo Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, have served to only underline Vettel’s new found anonymity – that is until lap 37 of the British Grand Prix.

Despite being gifted third place by a fortuitously timed safety car, Vettel had nonetheless come

under siege from Verstappen. The Dutchman slipped past him at the end of the Hangar straight, and in a clumsy attempt to return fire Vettel rear-ended him into Vale, sending himself tumbling out of the points and dropping Verstappen to fifth.

It was far from the first costly error committed by the four-time champion in the last 18 months, but the timing was poignant. One year earlier he’d been in sparkling form to snatch British Grand Prix victory from Hamilton and consolidate his title lead.

It was the last time he looked like a title-winner, as one journalist acerbically quipped as Vettel limped back to the pits, for the subsequent race in 2018, the German Grand Prix, was the beginning of a marked decline in the Ferrari driver’s form.

Having established a dominant lead from pole position at the Hockenheimring, Vettel crashed out of the race on his own as rain began lightly sprinkling the circuit. To add salt to the wound, Hamilton won with a storming drive from 14th on the grid to take a lead in

the championship standings he’d never relinquish.

Vettel has won only one race since – the Belgian Grand Prix in August, where Mercedes was out of sorts – and has been dogged by rumours that he’s considering retiring from the sport given his own mistakes, Leclerc’s growing confidence and, most importantly, Ferrari’s lack of competitiveness relative to Mercedes.

The Silver Arrows have been in superlative form this season, but the hot weather at the Austrian Grand

Prix two rounds ago proved the five-time constructors champion isn’t infallible. Among the steamy Styrian mountains both Hamilton and Bottas were forced into a race of extreme temperature management while Max Verstappen duelled with Charles Leclerc for victory. Bottas only just salvaged a podium, while Hamilton crawled home fifth.

The European heatwave abated the following evening and stayed away long enough to ease Mercedes’s way to a one-two finish at Silverstone, but Hockenheim, ensconced in south-west Germany’s Upper Rhine valley, is forecast to be another sizzler.

Temperatures are forecast to peak at 37°C this weekend, presenting a stern test for Mercedes machinery, and the circuit’s long straights should present Ferrari the chance to press home its advantage.

Of course this is far from an open goal for Sebastian Vettel.

Thunderstorms also threaten to disrupt proceedings, and even if he can keep his SF90 on the road this year, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, engaged in what is sure to be a generational duel, will also have to be overcome.

But after a bruising and demoralising season of defeat, the German Grand Prix presents Sebastian Vettel’s best shot at redemption. thephuketnews