Phuket.com Magazine

January 2007

Dear Reader,

Miss Teen Thailand 2006 Amy Jacobs

We are excited to be starting the New Year by chatting with Phuket resident – and new Miss Teen Thailand 2006 – Amelia Jacobs. Then it’s two trips to Phi Phi’s islands for sun, sand, and speedboat snorkelling. On our way back we swing by the airport for an update on flights serving Phuket. And, as promised, this month's Health column looks at the island's up-and-coming plastic and cosmetic surgery business. Check it out to see how much a Botox treatment costs in paradise.

Enjoy and Happy New Year 2007

Rungtip Hongjakpet Izmen
editor@phuket.com

Flying High Again
Phuket's fight to get back on its feet after the tsunami of 2004, has been quite a saga. This month last year most of Phuket's hotels were struggling to get business partly because many airlines - including the country's flag carrier, Thai Airways International, had drastically cut back their services following the tsunami. But that's all changed now. Read more...

Le Royal Meridien
This month’s featured destination is the Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club. Aaron Mahan went to see what this five-star hotel has to offer in the hotel review section. We discover the new Sunday Brunch in the hotel news section. Then we chat with the General Manager Denis Thouvard, in the hotel interview section.

Buying a Condo in Phuket
There are two types of luxury condominium and apartment in Phuket: those under international brands such as Laguna Property at Bang Tao Beach or Mövenpick Residence on Karon Beach, and those that have local brands, such as the Royal Phuket Marina in Phuket City, or The Heights or Kata Gardens, both in Kata. Read more..

Phuket Personality:
Amy Jacobs, Miss Teen Thailand 2006

Amelia Jacobs is good-looking, with a fresh smile, but she is not just your average Phuket teen. She is the new Miss Teen Thailand. "I didn't think I would win the contest. I was so nervous when the MC asked me questions up on stage. I was so nervous that, at one point, I had to ask him to repeat the question. But I tried very hard to pull myself together and answer as best I could. I guess in the end they liked my answer," says the teen queen, whom everyone calls Amy. Read more...

Ratri and Charoen Seafood
Sam Wilkinson proudly presents two superb restaurants in this edition of Phuket.com Magazine. Try Ratri Jazztaurant, near Kata Beach, for a special and intimate dining experience or head to Charoen Seafood in Kamala Beach for a taste of Thai home-style cooking. From upscale atmosphere in serene surrounds to no-frills feasts in a refuge from the ruckus, Sam shows just how versatile the Phuket food scene is. Read more...

Phi Phi by Speed Boat
I'm now a believer in the goodness of speedboats; they're speedy. Having made far too many trips between Phuket and Phi Phi by ferry, I feel qualified to claim that this is the best way to travel between islands - at least until I can afford a helicopter. With the wind on your face and three throaty engines rocketing you over the water, it's like being in an Italian convertible that floats. Classy. Read more...

Phi Phi Island: An update
In the stretch of Andaman Sea that separates the provinces of Krabi and Phuket, you'll find the regal sister islands of Phi Phi Don and (uninhabited) Phi Phi Ley, along with a handful of miniature island paradises. People come here religiously; it's something of a legend among Thailand fanatics. And it's not unwarranted, as its many faces cater to just about any taste. Explore. Party. Relax. Or do all three. Read more...

Phuket Health
Plastic and cosmetic surgery is a young and booming business in Phuket. Dr Sanguan Kunaporn, one of the pioneers, admits that he had no idea it would take off in the way that it has. Fifteen years ago he was working as a surgeon in the province's government hospital, Vachira Phuket. He also had a private practice, the Phuket Plastic Surgery Clinic, and was developing a name for his expertise in male-to-female sex reassignment surgery - turning men into women. Read more...

Wat Chalong
Wats - or Buddhist temples - are among the most important symbols of Thailand, partly because the majority of Thais are Buddhist and partly because they are so beautiful. In Phuket alone, there are 29 Buddhist temples spread around the island.
In fact, this small island is also home to many other religions. There are Hindu and Sikh temples, Christian churches, mosques and Chinese shrines. Outside the wats there are also many more Buddhist shrines. Read more...

Visit a Thai House
To your delight, you receive an invitation from a Thai friend to visit his or her home. Here are some things you should know before you say, "Yes, I would love to."

Do bring a small gift for your hosts or their children. No need to break the bank - it can be something as simple as fruit or some sweets or cake. This is more polite than going there empty-handed. Read more...

Top 10 Thai Dishes
What’s the next best thing to eating Thai food? Voting for it, of course. We have noodles and soups. Rice and seafood. Cashew nuts and coconuts. With descriptions that will make your stomach growl and photos you’ll swear you can smell, our interactive top ten list is as mouth-watering at the Internet gets. Have a drool towel handy, and don’t say we didn’t warn you. Read more...

"Moments of Color" Art exhibition
A Phuket-based artist, Varaporn Ponrit (or Khun Map), is displaying her collection of acrylic on canvas abstract paintings from January 4 to 30, 2007. The 35-year old painter was born in southern Thailand and trained at the two most respected art schools in Bangkok: Thaivichitsilp Art School and Poh-chang Art Institution. Her travels through Spain, France and Italy in her former career as an interior designer strongly influence the work she does today. Read more...

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