Tourism slump over – damn it!
Posted by admin on February 3rd, 2010 filed in Activities, Beach life, Day tripping, Dining, Diving, Family fun, Living here, Partying, Property, Shopping, The locals, Tourist tips, UncategorizedComment now »
Just when you think that there can’t possibly be anymore ‘farangs’ in Phuket, the news comes that tourism is set to increase even more here.
Apparently, and unbeknown to me, Phuket and Thailand as a whole have been experience a bit of a slump in visitor numbers recently.
The latest air passenger numbers tell a different story, however. Even the recent difficulties with Cambodia and the notorious ‘sit-in’ don’t seem to have put them off.
Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, which is the main gateway to Phuket, has seen a rise of almost 30 per cent on last year’s peak season passenger figures.
In total, the amount of happy sun seekers on their way to Phuket’s sunny shores between Christmas Day and January 5th were no less than 1,668,863 this year. Pretty amazing for just 10 days.
Apparently the biggest resorts in Phuket are already reporting a better month this February than last month, and while I’m pleased that our local business are thriving, I can’t help feeling a bit like a kid with a new toy when I hear about figures like these.
Can’t these people find their own piece of paradise and leave mine alone?
An unlikely place for road rage
Posted by admin on January 29th, 2010 filed in Living here, The locals, Tourist tips, UncategorizedComment now »
I know that sometimes driving in Phuket can be a pretty hairy experience, but I have to admit that news of a road rage killing shocked even me.
Road rage is pretty common in hectic places such as London and Rome, but who would have thought that driving on Phuket’s coastal roads could ever get that stressful.
Sure, you may come across the odd upperty tuk-tuk driver who’s a bit happy with his horn every now and again, but this latest incident is beyond belief and allegedly provoked by a ‘farang’.
Pittaya Srijitraporn, 32, this week confessed to stabbing German Wolf-Dieter Eugen Kesselheim, 66, three times in a fight. Mr Kesselheim, who was apparently beeping the his horn and swearing at the motorcyclist near the Chalong Circle on Wednesday, died from his injuries.
It is not clear why the altercation occurred, but Srijitraporn claimed that he stabbed the German tourist after his was held in a headlock prior to stopping his bike.
The Thai national said that he didn’t think his actions would kill Mr Kesselheim and that he often worked with tourists. He is well known around the Kata viewpoint area for helping photographers take pictures of sea eagles.
Any chance of a cheap ride?
Posted by admin on January 20th, 2010 filed in Activities, Beach life, Day tripping, Family fun, Living here, Partying, Shopping, The locals, Tourist tips, UncategorizedComment now »
Ever been ripped off by a tuk-tuk driver after a night out when you’re too drunk to know better? Well those days might be over.
Phuket Governor Wichai Praisa-ngob this week said that a trial of metered tuk-tuks could be rolled out in Karon and Kata this year.
The move comes as an attempt to solve the transport problems in Phuket that essentially revolve around tourists and expats being ripped off by opportunist tuk-tuk and taxi drivers.
It’s true, that despite living in Phuket for quite a number of years now, tuk-tuk drivers still try it on with me simply because I have a white face. My protests that I actually live here and know what the real price is also doesn’t always cut it, especially in the most touristy areas, as the drivers know they can always refuse me and pretty much guarantee picking up a less difficult customer who will simply take their first price without question.
While I’m sure the tuk-tuk drivers aren’t going to welcome this proposal with open arms, foreigners who are in Phuket for more than just a short holiday certainly will.
A sobering thought
Posted by admin on January 15th, 2010 filed in Activities, Beach life, Living here, Partying, Property, UncategorizedComment now »
As a writer, it’s part of the profession to enjoy a drink or two on the weekends, but now a new development on Patong Beach is making me consider a change in career altogether.
A company known as the European Bartenderschool (EBS) have spread their wings a little farther than Europe and opened up what must surely be the greatest classroom in the world in Phuket.
The organisation, who train 1,500 students every year in their other centres in London, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Oslo, Copenhagen and Greece, is Europe’s largest bartender training company.
The brand-new contemporary centre can be found towards the southern part of Patong beach, where an 18-metre bar sits atop the centre’s roof so the future bartenders can practice pouring, shaking and stirring until they get it right.
As well as great views of the city, there is even a pool up there for so they can cool off after a hard afternoon of mixing drinks.
I’ve always quite fancied myself as a cocktail shaker, and at only five hours a day, Monday to Friday for four weeks, it strikes me as an opportunity worth staying sober for.
Too cold for Kate
Posted by admin on January 7th, 2010 filed in Beach life, Living here, Partying, The locals, Tourist tipsComment now »
Apparently, much to my upset, I have missed English supermodel Kate Moss strutting her stuff on a Phuket beach this week. Despite reports from my friends and family of torrential snow and gale force winds in London - where the super model normally resides - she was apparently shivering over here, as if chilled to her delicate bones.
While, granted, she had apparently just gone for a dip and was wearing nothing more than a skimpy bikini, surely it hasn’t got quite that cold here yet. And the lack of clothing is no excuse, as I’m told that she doesn’t wear that much more on a night out in the Big Smoke.
Despite living in this part of the world for quite a while now, I am still not accustom to the heat. While the locals and the veteran expats stay as cool as cucumbers in their jeans and sweaters in the baking sun, I am still running for shade wherever I can find it, and you’d be lucky to ever catch me out of a pair of shorts.
I imagine this is also the case with our Kate, as although I have no doubt that she sees her fair share of exotic places, at the end of the day, she still lives in London, and, therefore, has no right to complain about the weather anywhere else in the world.
In reality, however, I am not offended by Kate’s shivering in Phuket. I just hope that the chilly sea winds have not dissuaded her from returning again sometime, when I would be on hand to offer her my jumper as I continue to swelter in the heat.
Year of breakthroughs for island
Posted by admin on December 27th, 2009 filed in Activities, Beach life, Day tripping, Family fun, Living here, Property, Shopping, The localsComment now »
The police in Phuket are planning to bring in a new process of mediation for dispute settling to cap off a year full of innovative developments on the island.
The island’s court system has seen a similar principle hailed as a breakthrough and so the security forces may soon follow suit.
Phuket chief justice Varangkana Sujaritkul told reporters that she did not see any problem involving corruption with the plans. She added that there would always be a minimum of two parties involved in any process, making the potential for bias negligible.
There were a number of interesting innovations introduced to Phuket in 2009 such as the ‘keep beaches clean’ campaign, ‘Summer on Phuket’ concept of marketing, music on the beach Roy Fest festival, plus jet-ski insurance.
Next year will see the banning of free plastic bags in the majority of the island’s retailers in a bid to tackle excess waste.
Phuket scuba industry takes a dive
Posted by admin on December 20th, 2009 filed in Activities, Beach life, Day tripping, Family fun, Living here, Shopping, The locals, Tourist tipsComment now »
The diving industry in Phuket is facing a crisis with massive competition and high costs causing operations to form a grim opinion of the future. The recent suicide on a boat by hanging of a popular expat and business owner has been linked to the downturn as well as infighting between industry players.
While some companies are refusing to be downhearted about recent development, the general picture is one of the need for a ’shakeout’ of the weakest organisations. Some have dubbed the 2009-10 high season the ’sigh’ season as the admittedly large numbers of returning visitors have less money’s to spend on perceived luxuries, such as diving.
The expense of the pastime has pushed some fans to chose other areas to practice their hobby. And many dive instructors working in Phuket shops have been hearing tourists complain about the prices quoted.
The problems experienced within the Phuket industry have been exacerbated by the entry cost to Surin and Similan National Parks. Thailand’s prime diving destinations now charge 200 and 400baht per day for diving.
Concern over tsunami warning system
Posted by admin on December 13th, 2009 filed in Activities, Beach life, Living here, The locals, Tourist tipsComment now »
THERE is growing alarm that the lessons of the 2004 Tsunami have still not been learnt and thousands are at still risk by the lack of a reliable warning system.
Around 230,000 people perished in the Boxing Day disaster and tens of thousands of those lives could have been saved if mechanisms existed to advise populations of the impending peril.
And five years after the catastrophe questions are being asked whether the region is ready for an incident on a similar scale.
Geologists have expressed surprise that the Jakarta earthquake of September 30 was not accompanied by a tsunami warning.
The 7.9-magnitude quake killed more than 1,100 people on land and also triggered a minor tsunami, but no warning was issued.
And a tsunami warning buoy donated by the US and located off the coast of Sumatra has not been working for most of the year after its battery expired.
The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami was triggered by an earthquake measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale in the ocean by Sumatra. It was an unusual vertical lift as two tectonic plates collide that caused the huge wave which claimed lives in 11 countries across the region.
Despite many local deaths in Phuket, there are no plans for commemorative event to mark the occasion on the resort island.
Shops to charge for plastic bags
Posted by admin on December 5th, 2009 filed in Activities, Beach life, Day tripping, Family fun, Living here, Shopping, The locals, Tourist tipsComment now »
Tesco-Lotus and 7-Eleven are the only exceptions to an extraordinary agreement by all Phuket’s major retailers to charge for plastic bags.
Phuket Provincial Hall was the site of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ceremony which was administrated by Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop.
The scheme to cut down on the island’s plastic waste is the first of its kind in the Kingdom, and will be introduced on February 14.
Jungceylon, Central, Robinson, Carrfour, Supercheap, Phuket Grocery, Big C, Family Mart, Index Living Mall, 108 Shop, SB Furniture and Homepro were amongst the signatories.
Officials said 7-Eleven and Tesco-Lotus were still both waiting to hear from their Bangkok store headquarters for final approval regarding the scheme.
Makro was the other big name not to sign but the store has never distributed free plastic bags. Phuket produces around 500 tonnes of garbage every day, double what the Saphan Hin incinerator can burn. What is left over is left to pile up within low-lying landfills by the site.
In 2007, toxic waste overflowed from the landfill into nearby waterways, destroying millions of fish that were farmed in the area.
Kata’s new economy hotel
Posted by admin on November 27th, 2009 filed in Activities, Beach life, Living here, Partying, Property, The locals, UncategorizedComment now »
A new hotel is set to open on Kata Beach next week which will be revolutionary in only having around one staff member to around each of its four guests.
This cost-cutting measure is certain to make the three-star ibis Phuket Kata a roaring success, according to company bosses, as the normal ratio for international hotels is usually one-to-one.
The Accor group is launching this addition to its “worldwide economy hotel brand” as it continues to set new standards of utilising technology to make its hotels cost-effective.
So the whole resort will have around 260 rooms but only 80 staff members under general manager Frederic Garnier.
And once again it is the world wide web which is the instrument of change here, as well as a centralised system of accounts based in Bangkok.
The ibis Phuket Kata is the brand’s sixth new hotel opening during its 18-month lifetime and adds to its claim to be Thailand’s ”leading brand of economy hotel”.
The only downside will be if you happen to be looking for a job in Phuket’s hospitality industry, as should it succeed, there are sure to be many more that follow suit.