Kata Gardens Luxury Apartments

26/12/2014

This is a hot property...4 bedrooms, sleeps 8-10 = 8 adults and 2 people

26/12/2014

Today, 10 years have passed since the tsunami tragedy....

At the time I worked as a general manager in a Phuket West coast resort...It was my day off, and rather than staying in the hotel where I normally lived 7 days a week, I decided to go to my home on the East coast the night before to see how things were there...

At around 8 o'clock or so the next morning my bed and windows started rattling for a good minute or so. I thought nothing of it, since shocks are not unusual in Phuket, until someone came an hour later yelling at my window to get out because 'the water is coming'. While I gathered my things and drove up, and stayed on a hillside, people who had fled the West Coast told me of the devastation and flooding. I drove down the hills to the East side of Phuket to buy food for almost everyone from the few shops that were open.

Calls to my resort went unanswered, and the whole mobile phone network was completely overloaded and unusable.

New warnings were given every hour or so of possible further waves as a result of after shocks.

In the final analysis, several people perished in the resort, while many guests and expat staff were evacuated from the hills they were lucky enough to escape to. I met many foreigners in the ensuing days who had flown in to volunteer.

The resort never reopened, and I have since never slept in a ground floor accommodation by the sea, be it in Phuket or Phang Nga province.....

25/12/2014

Fireworks display in Phuket town countdown....

PHUKET: -- Dancing and music and, of course, fireworks will light up three nights at the end of the month as the New Year is officially celebrated from Monday to Wednesday next week (December 29-31).

The Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation, in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, is hosting its annual “Colorful Countdown 2015.”

Headlining the event, on New Year’s Eve, will be Thailand’s top “Life” band, Carabao.

The festival will kick off at the Sanam Chai playing fields opposite Phuket Provincial Hall, on Monday, beginning at 6:30pm with a Cultural Ambassadors Contest that celebrates Thai culture.

The contest is open for young people aged between 13 and 20 who are skilled in performing folk art from any region of Thailand.

Both individuals and teams are welcome to join and compete for a B10,000 grant and trophy.

Here is the programme for the three nights:

Monday December 29

6:30pm-8pm: Cultural Ambassadors Contest
8:40pm-10pm: Super Dance Samkong
10pm-Midnight: Look Thoong concert by “Pre Sadert”

Tuesday December 30

7pm-9pm: Pop concert by “Kee Bacon”
9pm-10pm: Pop concert by “F Waranyoo” band
10pm-11pm: Pop concert by “Fay Fang Kaew”
11pm-Midnight: Pop concert encore by “F Waranyoo”

New Year’s Eve

7:30pm-10pm: Super Dance Samkong
10pm-11:30pm: Carabao concert
11:30pm-12:05am: Countdown 2014-2015 – fireworks
12:05am-1am: Hip-hop concert by “B-King Kantee”

25/12/2014

For holiday rental....superb 180m2, two bedroom apartment with oversized terrace....

24/12/2014

24/12/2014

Aiming for huge increases in Chinese package tour visitors, but will that come at the expense of individual high spending Western visitors?

The Thai tourism industry is expected to face another tough year, judging from a slow economic recovery in key markets. But stakeholders are optimistic that arrivals will soar from 25 million in 2015 to 29 million in 2016.

The tourism sector accounts for 10 per cent of the economy and the Kingdom has been listed as a top global destination for years. But now the Tourism and Sports Ministry has set 2015 as a year for restructuring and rebranding the country's image in a bid to boost competitiveness.

21/12/2014

Beach vendors permitted back with restrictions....

During a meeting at Provincial Hall yesterday (December 19), Governor Nisit Jansomwong announced the drafting of an interim plan that brings back Phuket beach vendors for the next three months.

20/12/2014

Illuzion Patong, for a whole night's worth of glitzy entertainment.

20/12/2014

Illuzion is a new Las Vegas style entertainment venture in Bangla Road. December 19th was their grand opening, and the show and service were magnificent. We warmly recommend this extravaganza.....

Only pity is that people were smoking inside (in contravention of Thai law)

18/12/2014

Special offer for this superb 4 bedroom pool villa near Yanui beach, and not too far from Nai Harn beach... Recently added to our collection of exquisite holiday rental properties this villas was never rented out before....The villa is fully serviced by a live-in maid. Rentals from THB 12,500 per night as an introduction. Price includes everything

18/12/2014

Special offer for this superb pool villa near Yanui beach, and not too far from Nai Harn beach... Recently added to our collection of exquisite holiday rental properties this villas was never rented out before....The villa is fully serviced by a live-in maid. Rentals from 12,500 per night as an introduction. Price includes everything.