Phuket
Duncanson keeps perfect record

PHUKET: Australian Scott Duncanson, a former junior world sailing champion, has a perfect record so far in this year’s Evason Phuket Race Week with five wins from the first five races.
Duncanson, aboard the Phuket 8 Somtam Express in the sportsboat racing class, is ahead of another Phuket 8, Josh Lee’s Lee Marine Vino, with Wade Lewis’ Team Simpson Marine – with a combination of New Zealanders and Hong Kong residents as crew – third overall.
Conditions were almost perfect for sailing yesterday. There was light rain and light breezes just before the start, but once the gun was fired the skies cleared, the sun appeared and the wind lifted to about 14 knots on average.
Some of the closest racing seen yesterday was among the big keelboats in the IRC1 class. David Lindahl’s La Samudra and John Vause’s Ruby Tuesday fought neck and neck around the course during both the races held for their class today before Lindahl came out on top.
After four races, La Samudra leads the overall standings in the class with three first places and one second, while Ruby Tuesday is second overall after one first place and three seconds.
Keith Garry has been a model of consistency on his boat Beaux Esprits, with four third places from the four races held so far in the IRC1 class.
Last year’s winner of the IRC2 class, Mick Kealy on Minx, is on track to take the honours again this year after two firsts and two second places for the overall lead.
But hot on his heels is Cinders, skippered by Stuart Crowe, who has two first places, a second and a fourth. Jim Kane on Chetak is third overall in the class.
The fastest sailing boats in Thai waters at the moment are the Firefly catamarans. Designed and built in Phuket, two of the slick felines are contesting the multihull racing class at Raceweek this year.
Marc Cuddenec’s Chi Machine, launched just a few days before the start of the regatta, is making a great racing debut and has won three of the four races in its class so far. But breathing down its neck is another of the lightning-quick Fireflys, Moto Inzi, which is second overall in the class after one first place and three seconds.
John Stall’s Charro has been left in the wake of the two Fireflys, but has still managed a very creditable third place in every race so far, to hold third place overall.
The bigger, heavier catamarans sailing in the multihull performance cruising class are led overall by Chris Runnegar on Chameleon, followed by Bob Mott on Kilo and Jerome Perignon on Aliocha.
Probably the most photographed boats taking part in Race Week are the Classics. Leading this class overall is Gunther Nutt’s Kerida, which has finished first on handicap in both races contested so far.
Tom Howards’ Seraph, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this week, is second overall after finishing fourth and second on handicap in the first two races, followed by Julian Hill’s Sanook.
In Club Class, Greg Plunkett’s Princess Isabella leads overall after two first places, with Kevin Ashby’s Lily is second overall and Richard Bell’s Sun Flyer is third.
Racing continues today off the southeast tip of Phuket with good winds and more close racing expected.
The event is organized by Image Asia and sponsored by Evason Phuket Resort & Six Senses Spa, Raimon Land, Royal Phuket Marina, Latitude 8 Yachts, Lee Marine, Big A Resort, Phuket International Hospital,
Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, Sunsail, Boat Lagoon Marina, Electrical Marine, Emergency Asia, Monsoon Valley Wines, Phuket Inter Woodwork, SY Seraph, SIMRAD, Asia Marine, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
– Alan Parkhouse
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Tourism
The Area Hotel Quarantine – tweaking Thailand’s arrival options

We spoke about the new proposal for an Area Hotel Quarantine last Friday and in Thailand News Today. The mandatory 14 day quarantine (magically extended a couple of days at many facilities at the foreigner’s cost) remains the key sticking point for the return of tourists or travellers, in any significant or useful numbers. A number of visas and quarantine programs has done little to increase the numbers of foreign arrivals to Thailand.
The proposal, leaked out as a ‘discussion’ pending cabinet talks and a final decision, has not received much support from the overseas community that are trying to travel to Thailand, or former expats that are trying to get back. Many of the comments believe the 14 days, even restricted to a larger set of walls, is still too restrictive, costly and inconvenient.
“It would also be nice if the two weeks quarantine was not part of the visa! You get a two month visa minus the two weeks.”
“It’s still a prison if you can’t get out. Voting with my feet”
“There’s just not going to be any tourism until Thailand stops this 14-day quarantine nonsense.”
The proposal allows guests to leave their hotel rooms after the first 3 days of a 14 day stay. The proposal is on the agenda for the next CCSA weekly meeting. The proposal was mooted at a meeting last Thursday and chaired by Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
After the first 3 days, guests would have another swab test before being able to spend the remaining 11 days meandering around the rest of the hotel complex (so, suddenly, REALLY large hotels in great locations become much more attractive). But they wouldn’t be able to leave the hotel property.
The Area Hotel Quarantine is being seen as an accommodation for the hardest hit tourist zones in Thailand – Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani (the 3 islands of Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao) and Chon Buri (Pattaya). In all cases the key tourist zones are desperate for the government to ease restrictions or do something… anything… to help boost travel to the battered tourist economies that rely, mostly, on the visits from tourists.
After the 14 day AHQ the visitor will be free to travel anywhere around Thailand.
Last Thursday’s conference call says that Ministers are trying to come up with ways to start re-opening up Thailand to more travellers from next month by expanding the options and slowly easing restriction.. They also want to re-open talks with neighbouring countries and other countries deemed ‘low risk’, or with high vaccination uptake, with travel bubble options, hopefully by May.
About vaccinations, the government is also considering plans to have a no-quarantine option for visitors to come to Thailand as long as they’ve been vaccinated. But the Public Health Ministers says they are looking at the lead from the World Health Organisation about how to administer this sort of ‘vaccine passport’ access as there needs to be a greater body of knowledge about the efficacy of various vaccines. The International Air Transport Association is also in discussion with airlines and governments about restricting access to international travel for people who have been vaccinated.
It was also disclosed this week that some foreigners in the first batch of golf quarantine, where they have to stay in their room for 3 days then can roam around the golf course and play golf, have tested positive for the coronavirus after the test on the third day of their stay. Another batch of Villa Quarantine tourists, visiting Phuket at the end of February, have all returned negative test results.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
(The hotel depicted in the main photo may, or may not, be associated with the Area Hotel Quarantine program)
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Crime
2 Phuket Town nightclubs shut down after allegedly violating multiple laws

2 Phuket Town nightclubs are shutting down after allegedly violating multiple laws. The Maldives and H20 on Lim Sui Ju Road, on the south end of Phuket Town were ordered by the Phuket Governor to close immediately, with the Maldives being ordered to close for 5 years.
The order comes after the Phuket City Police inspected the Maldives club, arresting the manager for operating an entertainment venue without a permit, allowing people under 20 years old to work or “use services in the venue,” and for selling alcohol without a permit.
Governor Narong cited his authority under Section 4 of NCPO order 22/2558 to order the Maldives nightclub to be closed for 5 years, from March 5, 2021 to March 4, 2026.
The order also prohibits the operators from opening any other entertainment venues during the same period. The H20 nightclub was ordered to close by a provincial order after Phuket City Police say they inspected the venue and charged the operator for selling or providing shisha, or baraku, without permission.
The owner was also accused of operating an entertainment venue without a permit and violating the provincial order for enforcing Covid-19 safety measures. But it is unknown what penalties were handed down to the operator of the H20 nightclub, unlike the Maldives operator, who received a penalty.
Instead, the governor cited the Revolution Council announcement of 1959, to shut down the establishment for 30 days from March 5, 2021 to April 3, 2021. The orders noted that both operators of the clubs have the right to appeal the closures, having 15 days to file an appeal directly with the Phuket Governor.
Meanwhile, Phuket is set to open its doors to vaccinated, international tourists by October, pending the government’s approval. The local government’s initiative, named Phuket First October, proposes vaccinating a majority of its population over 18 years of age in time for the high season.
The move would allow thousands of vaccinated Europeans to enter Thailand, while locals would be protected from the virus symptoms.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Drugs
Early morning drug busts in Phuket yield 9 arrests

An early morning drug bust in Rawai, Phuket has yielded 9 arrests. The first raid yesterday consisted of 30 task force members who raided a sea gypsy shack near the beachfront in Rawai.
43 year old Saroch Homhuan, and 34 year old Juree Bangjak, were arrested and charged with posession of a Category I drug with the intent to sell, after police found 9 pills of methamphetamine, or yaba in Thai, over 6 grams of crystal meth, or ya ice in Thai, and 3 other “items of evidence.”
31 year old Suriyan Na Takuathung, and 29 year old Prathip Areerop, were arrested and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell, and possession of a Category 5 drug respectively. Police say they found 20 pills of methamphetamine, 0.92 grams of dried marijuana and 5 items of drug paraphernalia.
Police also raided 2 houses in Moo 2, arresting 5 suspects, named as 21 year old Vikrom Kongwiriyakul, 32 year old Narunat Chanthamuwong, 18 year old Chanchai Damrongkaset, a woman named Chantha Hansaithong, and 21 year old Warut Rodphan.
Warut was allegedly found with a bottle containing 500 millilitres of kratom juice. Police also say they seized 150 grams of kratom leaf dregs which are used to boil leaves in order to make the juice. Police charged him with posession of a Category 5 drug.
Police say they confiscated a total of 13 litres of kratom juice from 4 other suspects, which was contained in 10 bottles along with other ingredients and equipment to produce the drug cocktail called ‘4×100.’
All 9 suspects were taken to the Chalong Police Station in which only 1 agreed to undergo drug rehabilitation.
The raids come after the Phuket Provincial Government ordered officers of the Muang District Office to target villages where drugs are prevalent. A spokesman for the government said police will continue to remove drug traffickers from the community while working to improve the quality of local people’s lives so they don’t have to use drugs anymore.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
- Protests3 days ago
Thai anti-government group to reach outskirts of Bangkok after 250 kilometre walk
- Opinion2 days ago
Americans tend to misuse the Buddha image, but a Florida nightclub takes it too far – OPINION
- Food Scene2 days ago
Bring on the heat… here’s our list of the spiciest Thai food
- Coronavirus (Covid-19)2 days ago
OPINION – Vaccinating against Covid-19, why wouldn’t you?
- Thailand2 days ago
Why Thai locals make homes for the spirits
- Thailand2 days ago
Updates on international travel to Thailand
- Chiang Mai3 days ago
Thailand to introduce “area quarantine” for international visitors from April
- Cambodia3 days ago
Cambodian dog slaughterhouse shut down, owner says he is “ashamed”