Travel warning revision to benefit Phuket

– A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: Britain’s Foreign Office eased its advice against travel to the Thai capital yesterday as Bangkok slowly returned to normal after protests and riots.

Britain had advised against all travel to Bangkok, including Phuket and Thailand in general, earlier this month as battles between the military and anti-government protesters raged.

Reuters reports a Foreign Office statement that, “We are now advising against all but essential travel to Bangkok [only]”, and that “This replaces the previous advice, which advised against all travel to Bangkok.”

Phuket winning on the water

Travel Daily News
The Royal Phuket Marina (RPM) has been voted ‘Best Developer – Waterfront Development’ at the 2010 Cityscape Awards for Real Estate in Asia. The annual awards, presented in Singapore last week, recognise outstanding real estate development in Asia.

RPM’s luxury ‘Aquaminium’ condos feature private ‘drive-in’ boat berths and sumptuous interiors. The ultra-luxury residences have been snapped up by investors, setting a record price for condominium sales in Phuket.

Earlier this month, the Phuket boating scene also garnered an accolade as the ‘Best Asian Maritime Capital’ in the annual Asian Boating Awards 2010, hosted by Asia-Pacific Boating magazine.

Phuket condos, Hong Kong focus

Property Report Asia
Ocean Villas Group have selected the SMART International Property and Real Estate Expo in Hong Kong to launch its latest ocean view condominium project in Phuket.

More than 750 million baht has been invested in the project, which is located on prime ocean view land within a few kilometres of Patong on the west coast of Phuket.

The launch takes place at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Conference centre on June 5-6. 

The Smart Expo is regarded as Hong Kong´s leading real estate investment exhibition, and features worldwide real estate opportunities and free seminars on how to make the most of property investments. 

New face at Phuket Mövenpick

E travel blackboard
The Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket is pleased to announce the appointment of Prasit O-Charoen as Director of Rooms for the 356-room property.

Backed by 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Mr Prasit was most recently the Director of Rooms of the Eastin Hotel Makkasan Bangkok, from 2007 to 2010.

Mr Prasit will now be in charge of ensuring the ‘seamless delivery’ of services from the guests’ arrival and check-in through to their departure.

Tsunami orphans perform

The Herald Series
Thai children orphaned by the 2004 tsunami performed dances and songs for Thames Valley Police staff in England on Monday.

The youngsters live at an orphanage funded by a charity set up by former UK police officer Gill Williams, who retired from the force in January.

She was part of a team sent to Thailand in the days following the disaster to help recover and identify bodies. Ms Williams later set up ‘Hands Across The Water’ after seeing the devastation first hand.

Four girls and a boy from Takua Pa, a small village 50 miles north of Phuket, performed for staff as part of a three week tour of Britain to raise the charity’s profile and give the youngsters an experience of a foreign country.

— Gazette Editors