Rally round Phuket

PHUKET: Following the very successful Grumpy Old Men’s Club (GOMS) rally and car treasure hunt last year, the organizers this year have invited a number of Phuket’s foremost business, social and community organizations to join a great family day out and raise funds for their organization’s ongoing projects.

The now-renamed Phuket Invitational Car Rally (PICR), to be held on March 11, will be joined by members from the British Business Association Phuket (BBAP), International Business Association Phuket (IBAP), The Lions Club of Patong Beach, Australian Chamber of Commerce Thailand (AustCham) and the Tourist Police Volunteers. Other supporting organizations are welcome to join.

The 145-kilometer route, starting and finishing at Chalong Pier, is designed to take entrants to some of the more remote areas of Phuket, but all on tarmac roads. It is not a race but a social event that will test the navigational, timekeeping and driving skills of the teams.

To ensure entrants stay strictly on route, photographic evidence of places or buildings passed is required by the officials, so a camera or mobile phone with a camera is a must.

“Only 50 vehicles will be allowed to enter, so it’s first come, first served and important to get your entry in early. This year we are delighted to welcome back sponsors Kan Eang @ Pier, VSET and DaVinci Restaurants together with new sponsors The Flying Hanuman and AutoExpress.com who are taking the lead as Title Sponsor,” said Peter Smith, one of the organizers.

We welcome entries from members of all participating organizations and their families. Application forms which can be downloaded from PhuketInvitational.com should be handed in at Chalong Pier Beer Garden, together with the fee of 2,000 baht. Forms are also available at Chalong Pier Beer Garden,” he added.

A team is one vehicle with Driver and Navigator plus any guests and or family. The cost is 2,000 baht per car, which includes food at lunch stop and finish, t-shirts for the driver and the navigator. Entry for Guests (over 12 years old) are 250 baht each and children (12 and under) are free of charge, and food is included.

Additional commemorative t-shirts will be available at check-in.

“Want to join and have a great day out, find parts of Phuket you never knew existed and enjoy some new and interesting activities along the way? Just go to the website, check the information and download the Application Form and return it with your entry fee,” said Peter.

The Phuket Gazette is a sponsor of the PICR.

— Neil Quail