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The Phuket News Novosti Phuket Khao Phuket
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Phuket TV - PHUKET XTRA: VIDEO: Triple pricing at hospitals! Farm chem ban support? Floating dead crocodile? || October 16

Phuket TV - PHUKET XTRA: VIDEO: Triple pricing at hospitals! Farm chem ban support? Floating dead crocodile? || October 16

Destination: The real Siam – Thailand’s Central Gulf Coast shines bright

Destination: The real Siam – Thailand’s Central Gulf Coast shines bright

A heavenly stay: Thai tradition meets Finnish hospitality at Villa Angelica

A heavenly stay: Thai tradition meets Finnish hospitality at Villa Angelica

The thoughtful tourist: A guide to responsible travel in Asia and beyond

The thoughtful tourist: A guide to responsible travel in Asia and beyond

Taipei 101: Discovering the overlooked Taiwanese capital

Taipei 101: Discovering the overlooked Taiwanese capital

Jamie’s Phuket: A visit to Doi Thepnimit temple

Jamie’s Phuket: A visit to Doi Thepnimit temple

TAT announces five new national parks in Thailand

TAT announces five new national parks in Thailand
« »
TRAVEL: In the Emerald Triangle
TRAVEL: In the Emerald Triangle
Monday 9 January 2012, 09:53AM
It wasn’t until recent years that low-cost airlines such as Air Asia introduced new routes that connect Phuket to destinations such as Chiang Mai in the north, Udon Thani and Ubon Ratchathani in the northeast, boosting domestic tourism.
JAMIE'S PHUKET: Making a splash in Mai Khao
JAMIE'S PHUKET: Making a splash in Mai Khao
Thursday 5 January 2012, 01:14PM
JAMIE'S PHUKET: The Splash Jungle Water Park opened in early 2010. I think everyone agreed that Phuket needed a waterpark. Ideal for tourists, for family fun in the sun. However, not everyone was so enthusiastic when it opened. Most of the tourists in Phuket stay at the main beaches – Patong, Karon and Kata. Splash Jungle opened as part of the West Sands Resort at Mai Khao Beach, just north of Phuket Airport, and that’s 40-45km from the main beaches. Location. And then the price. Full rate is B1,495 for adults and B750 for kids. In other words, for our family of four we’d pay B4,490. It’s not cheap, although they had a “local price” for a while, and also have a membership package which works well for people like us who are likely to be back.So we drove up on a Saturday, the car park was packed with about four minibuses and 10 cars. To be clear – it was not very busy. Now that’s my kind of place – a tourist attraction without the tourists! OK, it was low season and the weather was not perfect (though I ended the day with my usual mild sunburn), but I thought there would be more people here. I know it’s not “Thailand” – this place is pure watery fun, and due to the combination of price and location, I had not been there. My wife and kids had been once on Thai national Children’s Day – there was a special promotion for the day with kids getting in for free. This time we paid up for membership, so now we are sure to go again! Inside, you have changing rooms with hundreds of lockers, then you cross a bridge over the “lazy river” which runs around the whole complex – you can drift around with or without an inflatable ring (the “river” is shallow enough for even our 6-year-old to stand up in). We drifted around it a few times, passing under bridges and waterfalls. The river would be the least adrenaline-fueled attraction! We found a chair to dump our stuff – the open areas are filled with beach chairs all shaded with umbrellas. Don’t leave valuables on the chair unattended, but towels and clothes and sandals are not likely to go astray. So the idea is to bag a chair, then go and have fun! The kids all started at the kids’ play area, but that area really is for little tiny kids. So we progressed to the slides. There are many different waterslides – 3 of them head down to the same splash pool – the green slide was pretty scary! My son went down countless times, I went twice. The first time I went down I shocked the lifeguard at the bottom by shooting off the end at full speed, 110 kilos of speeding fat panda coming down! I’m generally not into adrenaline rushes, I prefer nice and easy scuba diving or a gentle bike ride. The waterslide called “Boomerango” seemed to be beyond me. Boomerango works like this: You shoot off the highest point of the slide tower down a steep ramp, shoot up the other side and then off to the splashdown pool. I was worried that someone my size might go too fast and shoot right off the top of the ramp. My kids both went on it – they kind of wandered off without Mum and Dad for a while, they had found some school friends and did the rides with them on rings for two. Next to the Boomerango is the Super Bowl – again you launch from the top of the tower down a tube and then into this huge bowl which you spin around several times and then out and down another tube in the center. Not too scary! We were impressed by the safety at Splash Jungle. There are loads of staff, there are people to help you onto the rides and people in the splashdown pools to catch you. There are lifeguards all over the place, so we weren’t too concerned about the kids going off and doing their own thing. After a few hours we were getting hungry. We decided not to eat at the park restaurants – there are three of them, and they are not that cheap. But I enjoyed the day. Fun for me, and a lot of fun for the kids. Jamie Monk works at liveaboard dive specialists Sunrise Divers. For more information call: 084 626 4646 or visit: sunrise-divers.com You can read more about Phuket on Jamie's Phuket Blog or follow Jamie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Flickr.  
Luxury in the jungle
Luxury in the jungle
Thursday 5 January 2012, 01:08PM
TRAVEL: For those in Phuket who yearn occasionally for something other than gorgeous sunsets, powdery sand and sea as azure as a property developer’s brochure, Khao Sok National Park comes as a welcome relief. No more the sound of waves on the shore, karaokes and beach discos. Here the sound effects are provided in the morning by gibbons, their whoops echoing around the hills, or by troops of macaques crashing carelessly through the trees, and in the evening by the millions of cicadas in the forest, each triggered by the next, combining into an eerie wail that goes on for minutes at a time. The best place to appreciate this has to be Thanyamundra, one of Thailand’s smallest (nine rooms) yet most luxurious resorts. Part of the Thanyapura group that includes the complex surrounding the Phuket International Academy, Thanyamundra sits at the high end of a valley, looking down on its own 60-rai organic farm and surrounded on three sides by Khao Sok National Park. Wake up early and the place is swirled in mist. As the sun climbs at the far end of the valley, the hills smoke with clouds in creation, until finally, an hour or so after sunrise, the sun breaks through. And then it’s time for breakfast. It’s all ready and waiting – your own personal butler knocked on your door the evening before and discussed the menu with you, as he does for every meal. Wherever possible, the food comes from the organic farm, so it’s fresh and tasty. The organic chicken is a special treat, and the cellar, though not enormous, is well stocked with very good wines. The butler comes and goes quietly and gently in an electric golf cart – your car is parked next to the entrance, half a kilometre away, and stays there unless you summon up the energy to go outside the resort, not easy to do when waited on hand and foot and pretty much every other part. There are no rooms at Thanyamundra. They’re all suites – bedroom, living room and two bathrooms, at the very least, with French windows in the bedroom leading to a verandah just outside.Important: each suite comes with a Nespresso machine, one of the great inventions of our age.   The service is impeccable: efficient, low-key, super-polite and solicitous without being obsequious, friendly when you feel like a chat, waiting quietly when you don’t.There’s a spa, a gym and a swimming pool that’s nearly as big as the hotel but, when it comes down to it, the winning feature of the resort is that view. It’s good for the eye, the heart and the soul. Thanyamundra is the place to get away from the getaway. To get to Thanyamundra, head north through Khao Lak and then Takua Pa. Keep right, following the road to Surat Thani. After about 60 km, the park entrance is on your left. Turn in and the entrance to Thanyamundra is about a kilometre down, on your left. For more information visit Thanyamundra.com.Thanyamundra recently placed third in Agoda’s new list of the To p 10 Eco-Boutiques in Asia 2011. It was also named one of Thailand’s “Big Six Chic Thai Retreats’’ by leading British newspaper The Independent. –Alasdair Forbes
Monkeys and mangroves in Koh Siray
Monkeys and mangroves in Koh Siray
Thursday 5 January 2012, 12:51PM
VILLAGE OF THE WEEK: Koh Siray may not seem like an island – it’s separated from Phuket only by a short 200m bridge over the Tha Jeen canal. Indeed, despite the Koh (island) in its name, modern day Koh Siray is actually deemed part of Phuket Town as it’s only around 4km from the heart of the city.
JAMIE'S PHUKET: Floating restaurants off Coconut Island
JAMIE'S PHUKET: Floating restaurants off Coconut Island
Friday 23 December 2011, 04:56PM
If you head north from Phuket Town on the main airport road there is a small side road to the right (you’ll ned to do a U-turn)leading to Laem Hin, a fishing community where you find the very popular Laem Hin Seafood restaurant. A new jetty was built at Laem Hin a few years ago to serve Koh Maphrao – Coconut Island – and allow larger boats to dock in the area. In the water just off the island, there are several floating restaurants to choose from, among them Kruvit, Bang Mud and Kru Suwit. To reach them, you need to get a longtail boat from Laem Hin – boats leave from a wooden jetty with shallow muddy water all around, and longtails jammed in like sardines in a can. The deal with the boats is that if you spend a certain amount at the restaurant you don’t have to pay the boat. While I don’t know the exact amount, don’t be worried – I think the idea is just to stop people trying to get free rides to drink a coke. On the way out to Koh Maphrao (the ride takes only five minutes) there are fishermen’s huts floating in the water too. Is this the same Phuket you see on the west coast? I think not. Things tend to be more traditional here. We chose to eat at Kruvit restaurant (full name ‘Kruvit Raft’). Even on a grey day, quite a few tables were occupied (all local people, although I did see one farang arrive later with a Thai woman). We were met by a friendly boatman who held the longtail steady so we (especially my mum, who cracked a rib on a longtail last year) could step off easily. Nothing to worry about really; the sea over here is calm as it’s very sheltered. Kruvit has space for a couple of hundred people.  We found our table near the fish tanks. Live seafood is kept in large enclosed keep-ponds built into the raft. We ate very well too, but with a restaurant like this, eating is only part of the experience. The boat ride, the view, the fresh air, getting away from the crowds... good food is almost a bonus. The bill was very reasonable (we don’t do expensive). We do eat at Laem Hin Seafood now and then and maybe the food there is better, but hey, you don’t get that floating feeling or the boat ride...   Jamie Monk works at liveaboard dive specialists Sunrise Divers. For more information call: 084 626 4646 or visit: sunrise-divers.com You can read more about Phuket on Jamie's Phuket Blog or follow Jamie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Flickr.
A good look around
A good look around
Friday 23 December 2011, 04:33PM
TRAVEL: Just inside Phang Nga province, off the main road to Khao Lak, is the 360º Restaurant. At first you might think that the name is not quite accurate. Yes, there are fine views across the peninsula to the Andaman, but it’s more like 180º.
JAMIE'S PHUKET: Chinpracha House, Phuket Town
JAMIE'S PHUKET: Chinpracha House, Phuket Town
Thursday 15 December 2011, 12:06PM
PHUKET: Phuket Town is full of gems. Much as I love looking at beaches and sea views, over the years it’s the culture and history of Phuket which has fascinated me more.
A holiday in ruins
A holiday in ruins
Friday 25 November 2011, 05:23PM
TRAVEL: “I know why you don’t have a boyfriend,” the 12-year-old souvenir seller tells me as she follows me down the road.
A beach of inactivity
A beach of inactivity
Friday 18 November 2011, 05:37PM
  Despite its Thai name meaning ‘active’, Khuk Khack Beach is far from it. The long white stretch of sand, on the Phang Nga coast just north of Khao Lak, stretches out into the sea-spray haze on either side as far as the eye can see. It’s early on a blue morning. A solitary visitor jogs along the edge of the lapping waves from the calm sea. He is not in too much of a hurry either. On the tourist map, the beach is dotted with resorts, the dots all bunching up towards the south of the beach, although few can be seen when you are on the sand. Certainly at this northern end, there are only Adamania Beach Resort and, at some distance along the beach from it, JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort. Khao Lak resort managers will tell you that many Thai and foreign tourists, especially from Europe, come to this long beach to escape the crowded western coast of Phuket. But there are hardly any visitors to be seen this morning, and very few during the day, even though the high season has just started. The white sand is, for a good change, almost free from litter. Instead, a small army of hermit crabs scuttle happily along this morning, dragging an assorted selection of mobile homes. Their little eyes on the look out with little feelers sensing the air, always ready to retreat into their shells and shut the front door at the first hint of disturbance. A little grey and white wader bobs along on the wet sand, scooting after its breakfast of scurrying wind crabs. On a branch perches a family of birds. One takes off after an insect, flashing yellow plumage on its body and iridescent blue above its wings. Now and then wrecked holiday bungalows on Khao Lak beaches, overgrown with creeping vegetation, still provide sobering reminder of the tsunami of 2004. The sunny hours are long here – you can catch up on your reading, get tanned or to have a massage in the sea breeze. As the sun slowly sets, one looks forward to sipping a cold beer and dining on freshly-cooked prawns, fish and squid. The dark horizon ahead now shows lights of local boats that are netting your seafood meals tomorrow. The moon is becoming full for the Loy Kratong festival on the walk back to your resort. It’s very comforting to anticipate the same care-free day tomorrow...   – Norachai Thavisin To get there: Drive north from Phuket Town on the Highway 402 across Sarasin bridge into Phang Nga province. Then follow Highway 4 north along the coast in the direction of Takuapa to Khao Lak town, and further north to Khuk Khack beach on your left, some 110 km from Phuket Town.
City of Kings
City of Kings
Friday 11 November 2011, 04:27PM
TRAVEL: Visit Malaysia’s federal administrative centre, Putrajaya, on a Sunday, and you are reminded of Shelley’s poem Ozymandias: “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
A quiet market town
A quiet market town
Friday 28 October 2011, 06:08PM
CHAING MAI: By comparison to the pressing crowds, oppressive heat and manic feel of Bangkok’s shopping mecca of Jatujak, Chiang Mai’s open-air Sunday market is an easy stroll in the park.
SKYPARK
MACNELS SHIPPING PHUKET
SPARTAN INTERNATIONAL
tile-it - Phuket’s Quality Tile Boutique
phukethasbeengoodtous.org
Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show
HeadStart International School Phuket
Melbourne Cup Brunch 2019
MYLANDS
Thai Residential
ZENITHY POOL VILLAS
JW Marriott Phuket
La Boucherie