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Dear Reader,
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| Miss Teen Thailand
2006 Amy Jacobs |
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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
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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... |
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.. |
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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...
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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... |
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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...
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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...
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"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... |
