Cricket training for Phuket's HeadStart students

About 55 children aged between 8 and 14 took part in the coaching session, part of efforts by the Phuket Cricket Group (PCG) to develop cricketing skills among young people on the island. PCG chairman Mark Ashman said children at the HeadStart session were enthusiastic and looking forward to playing children from other schools in the upcoming Sawasdee youth cricket league, which will be held at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) on Saturday, March 2 and Saturday, March 16. The PCG has been rolling out cricket training to schools across Phuket, to develop skills for a regular junior cricket league at the ACG. Students from Kajonkiet school visited the ACG in Thaland for coaching last month, and this month the PCG coaches visited HeadStart. The Youth Academy has also been holding regular Saturday-morning coaching sessions at the ACG. Coach John King said the children at the sessions were now equipped with basic cricketing skills and the Sawasdee league would take their cricketing to the next level. The PCG Youth Academy is sponsored by Property Care Services (PCS), who have funded the purchase of cricket equipment for the schools and after-game refreshments. Muay Thai legend Yodtong Senanan dies, aged 75 Muay Thai Legend and Sityodtong founder Kru Yodtong Senanan passed away earlier today in Phuket . A revered teacher, trainer and fighter his death will be mourned all over the world. Born in Banpong Kru Yodtong had around 50 Muay Thai fights but discovered that he had an amazing aptitude for instructing others and decided to focus his efforts on teaching rather than competing hismelf. He founded the Sityodtong camp in Pattaya which is now over 50 years old and has produced famous fighters such as Samart Payakaroon, Kongtoranee Payakaroon, Nuengpichit Sityodtong, Detpitak Sityodtong, Chartchai Sityodtong, Yoddecha Sityodtong, Daotong Sityodtong and Yodsanan Sityodtong. His influence spans the globe and there are Sityodtong camps in Boston and Los Angeles while Evolve MMA in Singapore was founded by one of Kru Yodtong’s long term students, Chatri Sityodtong.

Megaparty fo New Year may move to Patong

Sydictive representatives confirmed to last night they are exploring the option of moving the event to Patong Beach, saying with 12 days to go they can no longer afford to negotiate with those at Surin Beach who oppose the event. “We would like to release official facts later on once our engineer, production designer and architect have confirmed with us everything is feasible,” a spokesperson said. The shock move came following an appointment party organisers had with two general managers of hotels in the Surin Beach are, who demanded “substantial” amounts of compensation, organisers said. One hotel, which organisers refused to name, requested B3.5 million as the “strict minimum required to ensure that some of our guests are compensated for the disturbance,” an email said. Another hotel also requested “a couple of million baht”, the organisers said. “The two hotels have almost 100 per cent occupancy – we know this only based upon the booking information they showed us in the meeting,” a Sydictive representative said. “But they have notified us that they would like us to compensate them for all the rooms and that they will be allowing their guests to stay there free of charge because of the “disturbance” that will be caused to them. “Even before our team has discussed this in detail, you can probably see from the figures that it is not a feasible proposition for us. “With 12 days to the event, we cannot afford to lose any more time to ‘negotiate’ with them any longer. “We have already had to use our limited resources on trying to accommodate and compromising to their needs. And at this point, time is simply a luxury we do not have.” The organisers of the megaparty have said in the past that they had already spent B66 million and expected the entire outlay would be B120 million. “It was a really hard decision … to make. And we would like to express our deepest and most sincere apologies to the shop owners and hotels who have supported us throughout. Of course, if they would like to come join us at Patong Beach we would be more than happy for them to [do so].” Sydictive representatives said they would be taking a 30 per cent cut of food sales by vendors, and 60 per cent of beverage sales. “The vendors will provide the food. The restaurants will provide the food that they want to (or their speciality if they would like) whereas we will provide the alcohol. As we have an official alcohol sponsor (and one that most clubs/bars use), they will be ordering through us to them at factory price, and we will have stocks on hand during the days of the event should they run out of any alcohol. “Personally, I understand that the restaurants will be quite concerned that it means that there will be a cut out of their profit. On the contrary, our proposal is only as follows for two reasons: “Number one, we are bringing in customers (as we provide the entertainment, the renovation of the venue and the safety and security). “Number two, food and beverage pricing – our menu prices will not be roadside low-end pricing. The pricing will be [set at a level] to ensure that everyone makes money and the partygoers can enjoy good food at an affordable price. “

Movie about 2004 tsunami of Phuket shuns ‘disaster’ label

But the Spanish director of The Impossible insisted that the film – which starts with a spectacular recreation of the huge wall of water crashing onto a beachfront resort – is far from a typical “disaster movie.” “Even if the film tells the story in a very direct way, the conclusions it comes to are very complex, more complex than those usual with disaster movies,” Juan Antonio Bayona said. The earthquake-triggered tsunami on December 26, 2004 killed some 230,000 people around the Indian Ocean, including large numbers of tourists caught in the resorts of Thailand. In the Spanish-financed movie, based on the real story of a Spanish family and filmed in the south of the country, McGregor and Watts play a couple on holiday with their children in Thailand, and separated when the tsunami hits. “There was something immediately symbolic in the story of this family, which caught my attention when I heard about it for the first time,” Bayona said after a November 4 screening at the American Film Institute festival in Hollywood. After the tsunami crashes ashore and separates them, the seriously injured mother finds herself with her eldest son, while the father played by McGregor manages to save the two youngest children. The movie portrays the battle for survival amid the havoc wreaked by the wave, from devastated hotels to an over-crowded hospital.

It opens with a family enjoying a luxury holiday in spectacular beach surroundings – before the wall of water hits. “When we were looking for funding, the first thing we were told was, if we were going to make the film, we had to see” the catastrophe itself, Bayona said. “In a film like this about the tsunami, you have to see the monster face to face, and plunge your camera inside it to make filmgoers really feel what it was like to be there.” The young director focused intensely on what the characters are thinking and feeling – notably the eldest son, played by Tom Holland – with techniques including unsparing close-ups and omnipresent music. “The film starts with a shock, in a more documentary style, and as it progresses it takes on a more melodramatic tone... “We want people watching to feel emotions as intensely as the characters themselves,” Bayona said. AFP

Double champion to lead field at Laguna Phuket Triathlon 2012

Newly crowned 2012 Ironman and Ironman 70.3 triathlon double world champion Leanda Cave of Britain will lead a strong line-up at the Ironman 70.3 Laguna Phuket on December 2st. The 34-year-old Cave, who won the Ironman 70.3 world championship in Las Vegas last month and the Ironman world championship in Hawaii two weeks ago, has confirmed her participation in the third Ironman 70.3 Laguna Phuket.

"She has signed up for our Ironman 70.3 just hours after becoming the world champion in Las Vegas," said Debbie Dionysius, Laguna Phuket's assistant vice president of destination marketing. Cave is expected to face a tough challenge from Phuket defending champion Melissa Hauschildt of Australia who was fourth at this year's world championship in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the 19th Laguna Phuket Triathlon will take place on Nov 25. Australia's Belinda Granger and Czech Radka Vodickova are vying to become the event's first-ever women's triple champion. Italian Massimo Cigana, the tournament's first-ever triple champion, will return to defend his title in a bid to be a four-time champion. He will face stiff opposition from elite pros such as Chris Lieto.

Patong hospital flood prevention measures done for 2012 @ 2012-10-30

A larger expansion project – which includes construction of the hospital’s first Intensive Care Unit (ICU) – is due to finish by September 2013. Mr Pumin met with Phuket Vice-Governor Sommai Preechasilpa today and confirmed that construction had began on flooding prevention measures, which include a waterproof wall around the area, raising the road inside the hospital, and a new improved drainage system. The upgrade will cost B16 million, and will be finished by January 7. Patong Hospital is often flooded during the rainy season because it is in a low lying area. In addition, the project to expand the hospital by 60 additional patient beds, and add 13 private rooms, an ICU department, a new delivery room, a medical stock room, and sterilisation room was almost 15 per cent complete. Around B69.5 million has been earmarked for the project. “However, the budget only covers the building. It is not for new medical instruments, so we will use the hospital savings to buy them, and then get some more funding,” Dr Pumin said.

US Navy leaves Phuket, Indian Navy arrives at Ao Makham @2012-10-12

The Sujata operated for 19 years as an offshore patrol vessel but is now used exclusively for training. The cadets spend six months on the 101-metre-long ship, exposing them to life at sea, shaping their skills on bridge watches, chart work, small arms handling and communications. The ship arrived complete with its own 11-piece orchestra, which swung into action for an on-board reception last night, playing Indian music as guests from the local diplomatic community, the Royal Thai Navy and others arrived. Later, the versatile musicians played the music for a karaoke session.

The ship will leave on Monday for the return voyage to India waters. So today Phuket have many tourist by national army .

Free Wi-Fi service for all on its way to Phuket @ 2012-10-01

Free Wi-Fi is on the way for residents and visitors to Thailand with the introduction of the latest government project, ICT Free Wi-Fi for Tourism, TTR Weekly reports. The project will offer more than 2,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the country, 323 of them in the south, including Phuket. Under the ICT project, people must register to gain access, using their ID card numbers or passport numbers in the case of tourists. After registration, users will get free access to Wi-Fi hotspots anywhere in the country for up to six months, though sessions will be limited to just 20 minutes online, with a two-hour wait before users are allowed back on again. Launched late last week, the project is a joint effort of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The latter claims the project will help the government reach its tourism revenue target of B2.2 trillion in 2015. In the first phase, ICT Free Wi-Fi for Tourism will cover 1,616 hotspots across Thailand by the end of the year, mostly in tourist destinations. Apart from the 323 in the South, 253 hotspots will be installed in tourist districts in Bangkok, 446 in the central region, 201 in the eastern region, 325 in the North and 67 in Isarn. The project will uses CAT Telecom as the service provider, offering a speed of 2 Megabits per second for downloads. Details of how the project will be applied in Phuket have yet to emerge. Chuan Sutontatspidok, CAT’s Phuket director of marketing and service, told The Phuket News that his office had sent a plan for up to 1,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in Phuket, half in the Patong area and half in Phuket Town. But he had not heard anything back yet. “The research has been done. The next step will be the go-ahead from the ICT. I believe we can have all the Wi-Fi points working before 2015,” he said. Free Wi Fi is part of the Smart Thailand project of the ICT Ministry, which includes a target of high-speed internet for 80 per cent of people living in Thailand by 2015, and 250,000 Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the country by 2017. This is not the first project to offer free Wi-Fi access to tourists. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has already launched Green Bangkok Wi-Fi, which offers around 20,000 hotspots. True Internet is the provider for that project. Earlier this month, Pattaya announced it will offer free Wi-Fi for tourists covering areas from Na Kluea in north Pattaya, south to Jomtien beach, with a download speed of 2 megabits per second. In the case of Pattaya, users must register first. Registration lasts three months, with a maximum of five hours’ use per month. But Phuket will have more Wifi user in 2013 .