Business
A beacon of light: Lighthouse Restaurant on Chalong Bay

PHUKET: Located right on Chalong Bay near the Kan Eang pier, the Lighthouse restaurant and bar has earned near historical status among expats, tourists, and yachties alike. After being built in 1988 and managed by American Jimmy Pearson, Jimmy’s Lighthouse Bar and Grill enjoyed years of operation until recently when the doors shut and only a defunct restaurant and memories remained.
“When I first saw it, I thought – would there be a lower lighthouse anywhere in the world,” said new owner Dickie Bell. Bell and business partner Steven Edwards recently took on the project of revamping the bar and restaurant as well as adding a coffee shop.
Following a host of renovations, on December 7, after lying dormant for 10 months, the legendary establishment has reopened under new ownership.
Bell had been interested in part ownership of a friend’s bar and when that fell through, he started looking elsewhere. “I started looking around and came across this; it was out of commission at that stage”.
It turned out to be good timing, “It was put on the market only two days prior,” said Bell. Bell explained how year after year of heavy use had taken its toll and what it took to give the restaurant a new life. The wood floors have been stripped of paint and refinished, the rosewood bar has regained its warm luster and the furniture that hasn’t been replaced altogether has freshly burnished brass and new wicker threaded in.
The building also boasts five rooms for rent located on the second floor, all with commanding views of Chalong Bay and its turquoise waters and emerald islands.
The new menu will offer the best of both the Thai and Western culinary worlds. New items will be cycled through every couple of months but keep an eye out for the fresh catch of the day (you are a literal stone’s throw from the water after all) as well as t-bone steaks and a Sunday afternoon roast.
A full bar is available with many classic libations on hand and a special hard-to-find (at least in Phuket) treat – a singular traditional Irish Stout on tap. Surely one could find worse things to do with their time than watch the sky burst into blazing orange at sunset over the Andaman sea with a cold stout in hand.
Regardless of where the sun may be, there will always be the option of accompanying that stout with some Aussie Rules football or other sports that will be playing on one of the five big-screen TVs peppered throughout the restaurant.
Even though the Lighthouse was never actually a real functioning lighthouse, it is bound to continue on as a favorite place for sailors and yachties to kick back with some food and drink while watching their boats bob in the sea.
— Jeremie Schatz
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Business
Governments & old media versus social media – who will win? | VIDEO

We look at the recent changes made by the Australian and Indian governments to except control over the world’s biggest social media platforms. India has issued strict new rules for Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms just weeks after the Indian government attempted to pressure Twitter to take down social media accounts it deemed, well, anti social. There is now an open battle between the rise of social media platforms and the governments and ‘old’ media that have been able to maintain a certain level of control over the ‘message’ for the last century. Who will win?
The rules require any social media company to create three roles within India… a “compliance officer” who ensures they follow local laws; a “grievance officer” who addresses complaints from Indian social media users; and a “contact person” who can actually be contacted by lawyers and other aggrieved Indian parties… 24/7.
The democratisation of the news model, with social media as its catalyst, will continue to baffle traditional media and governments who used to enjoy a level of control over what stories get told. The battles of Google and Facebook, with the governments of India and Australia will be followed in plenty of other countries as well.
At the root of all discussions will be the difference between what governments THINK social media is all about and the reality about how quickly the media landscape has changed. You’ll get to read about it first, on a social media platform… probably on the screen you’re watching this news story right now.
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Business
The social media giants in battle with ‘old’ media and world governments | VIDEO

“The rules signal greater willingness by countries around the world to rein in big tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Twitter that the governments fear have become too powerful with little accountability.”
India has issued strict new rules for Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms just weeks after the Indian government attempted to pressure Twitter to take down social media accounts it deemed, well, anti social.
The rules require any social media company to create three roles within India… a “compliance officer” who ensures they follow local laws; a “grievance officer” who addresses complaints from Indian social media users; and a “contact person” who can actually be contacted by lawyers and other aggrieved Indian parties… 24/7.
The companies are also being made to publish a compliance report each month with details about how many complaints they’ve received and the action they took.
They’ll also be required to remove ‘some’ types of content including “full or partial nudity,” any “sexual act” or “impersonations including morphed images”
The democratisation of the news model, with social media as its catalyst, will continue to baffle traditional media and governments who used to enjoy a level of control over what stories get told.
The battles of Google and Facebook, with the governments of India and Australia will be followed in plenty of other countries as well.
At the root of all discussions will be the difference between what governments THINK social media is all about and the reality about how quickly the media landscape has changed. You’ll get to read about it first, on a social media platform… probably on the screen you’re watching this news story right now.
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Business
Turbulence ahead for Thailand’s aviation industry | VIDEO

When the airlines, in particular, were asking the government to put their hands in their pockets for some relief funding in August last year, it was genuinely thought that international tourists would be coming back for the high season in December and January. At the very least local tourists and expats would head back to the skies over the traditional holiday break. And surely the Chinese would be back for Chinese New Year?
As we know now, none of that happened. A resurge in cases started just south of Bangkok on December 20 last year, just before Christmas, kicking off another round of restrictions, pretty much killing off any possibility of a high season ‘bump’ for the tourist industry. Airlines slashed flights from their schedule, and hotels, which had dusted off their reception desks for the surge of tourists, shut their doors again.
Domestically, the hotel business saw 6 million room nights in the government’s latest stimulus campaign fully redeemed. But the air ticket quota of 2 million seats still has over 1.3 million seats unused. Local tourists mostly skipped flights and opted for destinations within driving distance of their homes.
As for international tourism… well that still seems months or years away, even now.
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