Putting down a phuket infrustructure myth

MANY o'coffee break and lunch hour have dwindled away in what to me is rapidly becoming one of the most annoying topics of debate: Phuket's transportation system, or lack thereof.

Ask most expatriate residents and self-proclaimed gurus on an indefinitely extended holiday, about the situation, and they’ll matter-of-factly infrom you that the island’s infrastructure is a product of the local mafia.

Dare to entertain such a notion and you’ll learn that the only hope for Phuket – these ever-enlightened wise men insist – is for “Bangkok muscle” to come in and sweep the island clean. That way Phuket can become just like Pattaya, Bangkok or any other place o’erthe rainbow, take your pick.

One thing in particular that gets my blood boiling is the insistence that recently implemented taxi fare standards in Phuket are unreasonable – that a 48 kilometer trip (45 minutes to an hour) from Phuket International Airport to Karon Beach at 1,300 baht is “ridiculous and a comparable trip anywhere else in the world would be cheaper”.

Let’s expel such myths once and for all.

From Hong Kong International Airport to Aberdeen (about 44 kilometers for a 40-60 minute commute) a metered taxi would cost about 375 Hong Kong Dollas or about 1,400 baht; similarly, a taxi from London Heathrow Airport to Central London would be no less than 42 UK pounds (about 2,000 baht); from Tokyo Narita Airport to central Tokyo, minimum 20,000 yen (about 7,900 baht). Indeed, comparable trips (using distance and/or time as a factor) by taxi in Paris, Berlin, Oslo, Amsterdam Sydney, Zurich, Rome, New York, and Honolulu would all cost more than 1,300 baht.

Event if this is Thailand, let’s not dismiss the fact that Phuket boasts the highest cost of living in the country. Personally, I am not willing to pay 1,300 baht to get to Karon from the airport. But if I were here on holiday with the goal of getting to my hotel ASAP, I wouldn’t hesitable to pay such a fare. However, as a Phuket resident living on modest earnings, the choice is simple: get your own wheels or suck it up and use the local public transport. Before I finally got my car, I was accustomed to using local public transportation, which is cheap and reliable during standard working hours.

If I ever needed to get to Karon from the airport on a budget, I would just catch the airport bus to Phuket Town, about an hour commute at 80 baht. From there, I would continue on a 40 baht songtaew the rest of the way, an additional 30 minutes. Creating a total price, for only a slightly extended commute, of 120 baht. Perhaps someday the proposed direct bus will do the same trip in under an hour for 100 baht or less.

In the mean time, the transport situation in Phuket will continue to improve – even if such progress happens in tiny increments. Change is inevitable, and the best changes won’t likely happen overnight.

THAI Phuket flights operating as usual

THAI Airways International (THAI) is still operating its full schedule of regular flights between Bangkok and Phuket – for now.

An officer from the ‘Enterprise Communication Department’ of THAI, asking not to be named,  ‘I have yet to receive any news about reductions in flights to Phuket.’

Her statement was in response to a report by Thai-language business daily Krungthep Turakij (KT) that last week said THAI had cut more than 500 domestic and international flights due to the decreased member of passengers resulting from the company’s flood crisis.

The report stated that affected routed included flights between Bangkok and Phuket, Haad Yai, Surat Thani, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpure, London,Paris,Zurich,Rome,Munich, Frankfurt, Moscow, Athens, Johannesburg, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Beijing, Shiang Hai, Guangzhao, Taipei, Dubai, Colombo and Mumbai.

“Perhaps Krungthep Turakij had an exclusive interview with someone, who gave them that information, but as far as I know, our current status still remains the same,” she said.

“As long as there is no official letter from management, I would confirm that all of our flights[to and from Phuket] are still operating as usual until we receive further notice,” she added.

According to the KT report, in addition to reducing the number of flights, THAI will also downsize the type of aircraft used on the routes to better suit the number of passengers, with consideration made on a day-by-day basis.

However, in a statement issued on October 30 on THAI’ Public Relations website, the airline said it will increase its seating capacity for flights to Phuket, Haad Yai and Krabi, in order to accommodate Bangkok flood evacuees fleeing to Southern Thailand.

THAI reported 4.8 billion baht in losses during the first nine months of the year, attributing the losses to foreign-currency exchange depreciation and a 41.5% increase in the cost of jet fuel compared with the same period last year.

However, during the third quarter, THAI achieved a profit of 2.4 billion baht, an increase of 10% year-on-year.

Speaking to the press, THAI President Dr Piyasvasti Amranand insisted popular destinations Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai were all unaffected by floods.

He encouraged travelers to visit these destinations, which could be “conveniently reached” via Bangkok’s still fully operational Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

The THAI president admitted that travel advisories warning against travel to Thailand had cut the number of tourists coming from China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and some parts of Europe.

THAI ‘s passenger load dropped to 65.8% last month from 74% in the same month last year, he said.

Mr Piyasvasri said the Thai government must clarify and create understanding that the flooding situation has improved, and usage the countries to lift travel warnings.

“If we can do it fast, we still have hope that our tourism industry will return to normal by December,” he said.

Marine Office allows 70 more rental jet-skis

THE Phuket Marine Office will allow amnesty to jet-ski operators so that they can register 70 jet-skis found operating illegally.

The move is aimed at ensuring all rental jet-skis in Phuket are covered by first-class insurance, Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut told the quarterly meeting of Phuket's honorary consuls last Friday,

"Since we started managing jet-ski rental operations in 2007, 219 jet-skis have been registered. However, we have found 70 jet jet-skis that are unregistered," Chief Phuripat told the consuls.

The Marine Office is not planning legal action against the offending jet-ski operators, but has instead asked them to cooperate with his office, he said.

"Also, the jet-skis will be registered for particular zones, which means that jet-skis being rented out in Patong cannot be used in other areas," he added.

Previously, jet-skis had to be registered with the marine Office under the category of cruiser and sports boat. "Under that system, there had been many problems with jet-ski insurance claims. So now we have created a category especially for jet-ski rental businesses. This system has been specifically designed for Phuket," explained Chief Phuripat.

Phuket Provincial Police Comander maj Gen Pekad Tantipong said that police had so far received about 40 reports of foreigners damaging jet-skis. "So I would like tourists who have a disagreement with a jet-ski operator to go to the police. That will make it fair for both sides," he said.

Jet-ski insurance scams have long tarnished Phuket's reputation among tourists, with pressure from consuls and ambassadors placing Phuket's top officials squarely in the spotlight.

Phuket Corals and consciences now cleaner

THE sandy seafloor suddenly gave way to the wall  of wrecked coral skirting Coral Island. The forest of dead branching corals, which should have been a Mecca of sea life, was a ghost town. The site was haunting, but  further along the reef, the barren coral landscape gave way to signs of life as a volunteer-dive team carefully picked fishing net from a coral’s branches.

Sights like this are becoming more common in Thailand’s waters. In fact, the coral reefs of Thailand and the rest of the India and Pacific Ocean area are declining at a rate of nearly 1,553 square kilometers a year, twice the rate that the rainforest is disappearing.

On October 29^th the Thailand Diving Association (TDA) dug in to make a difference at Coral Island with their annual coral reef cleanup dive, which is part of “Save the Nature @ Phuket”, a marine awareness program tun by Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phuket Marine Biological Center and the TDA.

The TDA and its volunteers collected rubbish around Coral Island and did their best to raise awareness of the ecological and economical importance of the coral reefs around Phuket.

Ninety volunteer divers, aware of the importance of coral reefs boarded two different boats on Saturday, one provided by All4Diving company and the other from Dive Master Co Ltd.

Though only 95.22 kilograms of rubbish was collected during the cleanup dive, the TDA saw this as a positive sign for the area.

For TDA representative Varaporn Jittamonta the relatively small amount of the trash collected during the dive wasn’t a story of failure, but a story of promise.

“It was a very successful day. There wasn’t a lot of garbage collected, but that’s because local people have become more aware of the importance of conserving our natural marine areas,” she said.

“This year was different, be cause there were more Thai divers helping out; last year it was all foreigners,” she added.

Mrs Varaporn believes that the improvement is a result of educational programs, such as “Save the Nature @ Phuket,” which focus on creating an awareness of the importance of nature conservation, with the hope of eventually restoring the marine systems around Phuket to a healthy state.

“Tourism in Phuket is about our natural resources. If we destroy them, we destroy our cource of income,” she said.

Calude de Crissey, owner of All4Diving, was glad to be a part of the coral reef cleanup again. Claude is also planning to participate in the Patong Beach cleanup organized by the TDA and Patong Municipality, scheduled for December 16.

Tour Director of All4Diving, David McGuire, was also pleased with the outcome of the event.

“We want out and cleaned up some rubbish. We did some good and that’s what matters,” he said.

“the thing is.it [the cleanup project] is like being faced by a raging inferno and all you have is a bucket of water to throw on it doesn’t do much, but it’s better than doing nothing,” he said.

Local beaches slated for surfing resderve shortlist

AT  LEAST three surfing locations at Phuket beaches are being shortlisted for recognition as National Surfing Reserves (NSRs).

Brad Farmer, global chair of the non-profit organization National Surfing Reserves (NSR), conducted a site insoection at Kata, Kalim and Nai Yang Beaches on November 4.

“The surfing reserve concept is a symbolic dedication whereby surfing areas are recognised as coastal resources worthy of conservation; a reserve is essentially a badge of merit, a proactive endorsement to recognise iconic natural locations around the world,” said Mr Farmer.

In Australia, Mr Farmer’s home country, the NSR project has gained much high-level support, including that of state premiers.

“Beaches are Thailand’s great income generators, so it makes sense to recognise the special attributes off the coastal resources, such as surfing areas,” he noted.

There are currently 14 NSRs in Australia, two in Hawaii and several more under review in the region, including in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and China.

“The creation of surfing reserve in Thailand, the first in Asia, is a golden opportunity for Thailand to show its forward thinking and proactive effort toward conservation on the Andaman Coast,” said Steven Martin, a coastal researcher with Prince of Songkla University’s Faculty of Environmental Management.

“Thailand is being considered for this distinction not only because of the existence of the natural resource, but because it is a safe and accessible destination with a favourable climate of environmental awareness, especially with tourism,” he explained.

Mr Martin added that surfing in Thailand is gaining in popularity and surfers are inevitably custodians of the coastal environment.

“The surfing reserve program globally promotes stewardship of the natural environment,including the reefs and aquatic life,” he said.

If anything good came out of the 2004 tsunami, it was the rise in awareness of coastal resources and the support from the Thai government alongside international organisations and NGOs

“It’s really an Honor that Brad has taken the initiative to visit Phuket and consider surf sites, such as Kata, Kalim and Nai Yang Beaches, for this internationally recognised distinction,” he added.

SSI brings dive training online in Phuket

SCUBA Schools International (SSI) is the second largest school based diving certification agency in the world, and it’s growing at the rapid rate. It’s one of only two diving agencies that holds a global divers for over 40 years, and it’s the only diving agency that offers free online training. Operating in over 130 countries and with more than 2,400 SSI Dive Centers, SSI training materials are available in over 25 languages, including Thai.

Their commitment to service is more important to them than brand marketing. SSI have, as a result, seen an annual growth of over 35 per cent year-on-year across the region, and, since opening an Area Office in Thailand in 2002, they now employ 25 staff in five full service centres (two in Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines,Indonesia), and also have certification card printing facilities in 18 locations across eight counties with at least six more planned before the end of the year.

SSI Thailand has grown to 11 full-time staff, plus four experienced Dive Medical Technicians who emphasize and ensure diver safety. In fact, they regularly visit dive operations under the SSI umbrella and conduct assessment in all areas to ensure that safety standards are maintained.

High quality operators are critical to their success – they already work closely with 20 dive operators in Southern Thailand who have all had to comply rigorously with SSI standards in order to be part of the SSI network.

Sea Bees Diving, in Chalong, was the first dive operator in Thailand to be awarded the prestigious SSI Diamond Instructor Training Centre. With over 20 years experience in recreational diving, through day trips and liveaboard safaris, it’s also a training center for those who wish to become professional instructors. They have dive centers in Phuket, Khao Lak, Pak Meng and Phi Phi.

Gary Hawkes, SSI International Training Director, states: “Sea Bees Diving reflects the quality of diving operations that SSI likes to partner with. They ensure SSI divers new and old are diven the very best in service and standards available in the diving industry.”

“For Sea Bees Diving, SSI allows us to link our philosophy of diving together with an agency that has an established and reliable worldwide network and is a relationship that benefits all – whether they’re customers or dive professionals” says Holger Schwab, Managing Director of Sea Bees Diving.

Their free online training at www.diveSSI.com is part of the social networking features of SSI’s global website and online diver network which has over half a million regular users.

Earlier this year they advertised their free online training to gap year students across Europe using the slogan “Start online today...do your dives in Paradise”. Several thousand signed up, a few thousand of whom have already completed their courses in the region and they ecpect SSI dive centres in Phuket and across the west coast to benefit from this new influx during the coming high season.

But it’s not always about diving – supporting and funding locally based ecological projects directly is an equally important part of their operations. Assising with illegal wildlife trading, beach and dive site cleanups on Koh Phi Phi, artificial dive sites in Koh Tao and environmental projects involving local schools throughout Thailand are just sone of the project SSI are actively involved with.

Central Phuket Festival to expand food zone

CENTRAL  Festival Phuket will open a number of new food and beverage outlets in its Dining and Bar Circle Zone in December, its management has announced.

Central Festival Phuket General Manager Wilaiporn Pitimanaaree told that serval new outlets would join the successful Wine Connection restaurant in mid-December as part of a relaunch for the zone, which is on the ground floor facing Wichit Sonkhram Road.

Among the confirmed new outlets will be the 300-squaremeter Urban Food, serving Asian and international cuisine. Run by an expatriate Frenchman living in Phuket, the Central Festival branch will be Urban Food’s second, following on the success of their flagsip branch at Jungceylon in Patong.

Also confirmed is Spice, serving Thai and Russian cuisine, a Chinese restaurant and a Japanese shabu-shabu restaurant.

To kick off the relaunch in style, a jazz festival is planned.

Phuket Bar owners hit by beer crisis

Phuket Bar and other businesses in Patong’s entertainment industry, as well as the thousands of other establishments islandwide, are reeling from the effect of product shortages brought on by the floods in Bangkok and Central Thailand.

Among the greatest concerns for the bars is the shortage of alcoholic beverages, which Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA) says will reach “crisis” level within 30 days if steps are not taken to bring booze back to Phuket’s party town.

“At the beginning of the flood crisis, we didn’t expect it to affect us much,” said PEBA President Weerawit Kurasombat, whose members generate more than 100 million baht annually for the local economy.

“But now we are starting to feel the effects – we are running short of alcoholic beverages,” he said.

Mr Weerawit said that even small bars in Patong make 6,000 to 7,000 baht a night from alcohol sales.

“The main income generator for each bar is beer sales. Bif bars can usually make about 30,000 baht a night from selling beer alone,” he said.

Alcohol sales comprise a critical portion of income for entertainment businesses, he said.

“Overall, between 20% to 30% of the overall income generated by entertainment businesses is from  alcohol beverage sales alone.“

“Of that income, 60% is from beer sales, 30% is from sales of whiskey and wine, and the remaining 10% is from cocktails,” he added.

“This is the beginning of the high season. If the supply situation does not improve within about 30 days, I believe the entertainment business will start showing the real signs of crisis,” Mr Weerawit waened.

Phuket Kiteboarding at King’s Cup

PHUKET King’s Cup Regatta organizers have announced that the 2011 event will include a demonstation of the exciting sport of kiteboarding to be hosted by Kiteboard Tour Asia (KTA).

The introduction of this adrenaline-fuelled sport to this year’s event will enhance the Regatta’s 25^th anniversary celebrations and emphasize the recognition of kiteboarding’s development and popularity as a sailing discipline.

Kevin Whitcraft, President of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organising Committee, expressed his enthusiasm for the introduction of kiteboarding to the Regatta’s schedule.

“We’re delighted to welcome an exhibition event by Kiteboard Tour Asia at this year’s Phuket King’s Cup. This is a bold step for us in terms of boardening the Regatta, and we hove this new element will have very strong appeal to kiteboarding enthusiasts and a younger sailing audience,” ecplained Kevin.

“Kiteboarding continues to grow in popularity in Asia, and Thailand in particular offers and accessible and exciting opportunity for anyone who wishes to see pro kiteboarding events,” he added.

Tour director of KTA, Willy Kerr, hopes the Regatta platform will help drive the sports’ following in the  region.

“This year’s Phuket King’s Cup Regatta will feature a thrilling KTA Race event which will be a unique addition on the Phuket King’s Cup. There is a growing interest in the sport across much of Southeast Asia, and we’re very excited to be able to bring this spectacle to people who may not be familiar with the styliish, cool fun of the professional kiteboarding scene.”

Twenty top-class kiteboarders are expected to take part, combining talent from Asia and international pro riders from the World Tour.

Two-time Asia Champion from Thailand, Narapichit “Yo” Pudla, will headline the surfing spectacle alongside two-time Asia Freestyle/Race Champion and two-time Japanese Freestyle Champion, Aya Oshima.

Other big names from the international circuit include; Ken Nacor, Philippines Champion and Asia Number 2; Beijing Olympics Silver Medalist (windsurfing), Ho Chi Ho; Turkish KTA Champion and Turkish Freestyle Champion Taner Aykurt; and Kathryn Bogwardt, 2010 and 2011 KTA Ladies Champion.

The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta first sailed in 1987 to celebrate His Majesty the king of Thailand’s 60^th birthday. With the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King, the Regatta is organized by the Phuket King’s CupRegatta Organising Committee under the auspices of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, in conjunction with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Rpyal Thai Navy and the Province of Phuket.
Phuket Kiteboard

Famous developers sweeping Phuket

FAMOUS Bangkok developers are queuing up to invest in Phuket's rapidly expanding realestate sector, with projects by Land & Houses, Supalai and Sansiri all being greeted by buyers with excitemnt.

But local firms are not being left behind as big names like Phuket Villa, Chao Fa Garden and Phanason stand ready to lunch new projects.

Phuket Real Estate Association president Thanan Tanpaiboon said the real estate market was growing and changing rapidly, both in term of the types of investments and the parties investing.

 "Phuket's real estate market is 100 per cent dependent on tourism and when tourist numbers are good, the real estate market thrives," Mr Thanan said.

The foreign buyer market has recovered fairly well from the recent slump, with Russian buyers in particular helping to boost the market. Many Russians who have been regular visitors to the island are purchasing condominiums here as second homes.

North Phuket is favored by foreign buyers, with an area stretching from Cherng Talay to Mai Khao being particularly popular.

A group of Russian investors are building Mai Khao Dream, a development comprising a hotel, villas and homes worth billions of baht.

Also popular is Saiyuan Road in Rawai, where many foreign funded projects have sprung up in recent months.

"Right now the zones that are most active are the areas of Mai Khao and Nai Yang," said Mr Thanan.

"The old families of Phuket ar starting to sell of the land br cause the price is good. There are investors from Central Thailand coming in and sweeping up the land to invest in hotels, accommodation and condominiums in order to be ready for the Phuket International Convention Center project," he explained.

The Thai market is continually expanding, with many new projects being opened famous developers from Central Thailand such as Land and Houses, Supallai, Pruksa and Sansiri. These developments have had a good response from customers on the island, since the brands are trusted and able to deliver their projects on schedule.

Piya Prayong, deputy managing director of Pruksa Real Estate, siad that many more Bangkok developers were likely to invest in Phuket in the future.