Phuket’s own Full Moon Party

Werewolves' party in Karon Beach

Following the success of the internationally renowned Full Moon Parties on Koh Pha-ngan in the Gulf of Thailand, Mali Waterfront Restaurant & Bar on Karon Beach has decided to stage a series of Full Moon Parties on Phuket.

The parties, scheduled for August 16, September 14, October 12 and December 12, will feature fire dances, a sand stage, DJs, games, and more. The parties will run from 22:00 to 01:00. Entry will be free and drinks will range in price from 180 to 200 baht, with beers at just 90 baht.

Mali Waterfront Restaurant & Bar has made name for itself as a popular meeting place for locals, both expatriates and Thais. For more information, please contact 542/1 Patak Rd., Karon Beach, Muang, Phuket 83100 or Tel: +66 (0)8 3107 6677.

Mom Tri to open restaurant at Royal Phuket Marina

Royal Phuket Marina

Hotel guests and residents living in the east and north of Phuket have long complained about the relative scarcity of gourmet restaurants in their area. Gulu Lalvani, founder and chairman of the Royal Phuket Marina, was one of them.

He tired of sailing his boat to the south of the island in order to be able to dine at Mom Tri’s Boathouse, one of his favourite restaurants. So he invited the owner, ML Tridosyuth Devakul – better known as Mom Tri – to open a restaurant in his world-class marina, which is on the east coast, just north of Phuket City.

As a result, Mom Tri’s Boathouse Regatta restaurant is due to open on 1 November 2008 and is expected to establish itself as another excellent wine-and-dine venue from the award-winning Boathouse team – General Manager Louis Bronner, Maître-Cuisinier de France Jean-Noël Lumineau, Wine Director Georges Ciret and Chef Somboon.

Grand Etapes Françaises chef to be part of Boathouse team

Mom Tri’s Boathouse Lobster Square

Chef Jean-Noël Lumineau is a recent addition to the full-time team, although he has visited Mom Tri’s Boathouse in January every year for many years, to conduct the annual Boathouse Festival Grand Crus & Gastronomie, an extravaganza of French cuisine.

Previously, Chef Jean-Noël ran the restaurant at the Château-Hôtel Le Prieuré in Anjou, for decades one of the noted Grand Etapes Françaises group. His trademark cuisine combines traditional quality with inventive use of the natural, intense flavours of the best local produce in season.

Now he is relocating full-time to Thailand, where he will work his magic on the Mom Tri Restaurant Group in general, in collaboration with Chefs Tummanoon and Sura. Meanwhile, Mom Tri’s Gung restaurant on Lobster Square in Kata, a casual seafront venue next to the Boathouse, is undergoing a transformation and will reopen, also in November, as Mom Tri’s Oasis.

It will feature an extended beachfront restaurant, an open Tapas Bar, and three boutiques with fine antiques, exclusive designer jewelry, and luxury handicrafts and curios.

Stuntmen put on spectacular show

Phuket Stunt Show in Rawai

The island’s most talked-about permanent family entertainment show opened recently, 1.5 km west of Chalong circle, on the road to Kata Beach. The “Aqua Spectacular” at the Phuket Stunt Show Stadium features jaw-dropping action with Hollywood-quality stunts and pyrotechnics in an adventure show that revolves around treasure hunters and pirates.

The show has non-stop fire, explosions and other special effects, jet-ski stunts, sword and gun fights and high-board diving, all served up with the highest of high-tech lighting and a generous helping of comedy.

The show has been years in the making, starting with three event directors from Norway and Sweden, who formed a company in February 2004 specially to create the show. The 800-seat outdoor stadium finally opening to the public on June 14, 2008. The show, claimed to be “the most dynamic attraction in South East Asia”, takes place every day of the week except Wednesday. The gates open at 18:00 and the show runs from 19:30 to 21:00. Book it at special rates...

Limits set on visitors to famed islands

Surin Islands

Quotas to limit the number of visitors to the Surin and Similan Islands came into force on July 1 in an effort to protect the environment at these popular marine national parks, both renowned as world-class diving destinations.

Now, daytime visitors to the Surin Islands may not exceed 500, with no more than 50 being allowed to stay on the islands overnight. For the Similans, the number of daytime visitors is now capped at 1,400 a day, with no more than 120 being allowed to stay overnight.

Similar quotas have been brought in at other important national parks in Thailand, including Huai Nam Dang National Park and Doi Suthep-Pui in Chiang Mai, the Erawan National Park in Kanchanburi Province and Phu Kradueng National Park in Loei Province.

For more information write to Mu Koh Similan National Park at Mu 1, Thap Lamu, Tambon Lam Kaen, Amphoe Thai Muang, Phang Nga 82120 (Tel: 076-421365 or 076-595045) or Mu Koh Surin National Park, Amphoe Khura Buri, Phang Nga 82150 (Tel: 076-491378 or 076-419028).

By Rungtip Hongjakpet Izmen