The villagers protested this week after a group of Muslims were arrested by police officers in an attempt “to protect the Pa Bang Khanun Reserved Forest.” There were thirty arrests made; they were arrested for trying to clear the protected forest land to build a new cemetery for the Muslims of the area.

“Around 500 angry villagers blockaded Phuket’s Thepkrasattri Road for two hours yesterday.” This occurred just hours after the Muslims were arrested.

The imam of Prusompan Mosque, Sukhum Waree, says that “the Phuket Forest Office had promised Phuket Islamic Office the land two years ago,” though the transfer had yet to be made official.

“Mr. Sukhum explained that the old cemetery used by the villagers was set on just 7 rai and was too small to serve the more than 1,000 residents of the three nearby villages.” The construction of a new cemetery was certainly necessary.

The crowd of villagers protested the arrests; by midday, the road in front of the Thalang Police Station was closed. The protestors were demanding the immediate release of all those Muslims who had been arrested.

“Long traffic jams built up on either side of the blockade, causing tourists to miss their flights from Phuket International Airport.”

A crisis meeting at the Thalang Police Station was held, of which the imam Sukham Waree was in attendance, as well as senior police officers, local politicians and community leaders.
The arrests were made at 8am. “By 2pm it was agreed to release the 30 arrested people and allow them to continue to clear the land as planned.”

Elephant Riding – This is one animal that won’t mind if you’re a couple pounds over weight; or even thirty. And this is not your typical, lap-around-a-dusty-exhibit-at-the-zoo elephant ride. You can ride these elephants through their natural habitats on the island, and see various features of the jungle. Report any elephant care facilities that look like they’re abusing or neglecting the animals, and choose only those companies that look like genuinely care for Thailand’s most treasured indigenous animal.

Horseback Riding – You can go anywhere on Patong Beach on horseback, –probably not the actual public beach though, seeing as horses don’t use a litterbox or toilet when they need to do their business. But you can certainly ride through the island’s jungles, and see Patong’s exotic wildlife, birds, and flora.

ATV Exploring – If you like to go fast, but could never get the hang of a dirtbike, or motorcycle, you’ll love renting an ATV in these areas, speeding around the island, and kicking up sand! It’s a great way to get dirty, and have a blast. Be sure to choose rental services that look safe, and if possible, are insured.

Try these other great land activities in Patong!

• Mountain Biking
• Bungy Jumping
• Rock Climbing

The Thai-Chinese religious groups and Muslims held mass prayer meetings in Phuket to pray for the King’s recovery. Thousands of well-wishers crowded outside Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital and events have been organized around the country in honor of the king.

Over a thousand Muslims gathered in prayer at the Dubai Mosque, Koh Kaew, which is also the location of the Phuket Islamic Office. And in the evening, over a thousand Thai-Chinese lit candles and prayed for the King in a ceremony at the Jui Tui Shrine. This display of faith and hope of the people united together for their monarch is wonderful.
The King seems to be revered and beloved by most Thais. Indeed, he has repeatedly brought calm in times of turbulence and is considered the country’s moral authority as well as a unifying figure.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej has reigned through a score of governments, democratic and dictatorial. In his six decades on the throne, he has taken an especially active role in rural development and is respected for his dedication to helping the country’s poor.

The King’s condition does seem to be improving; his fever has been reduced and his lung infection seems to be responding well to medication, as shown by chest X-rays.

The devotion of the people to their leader is inspiring and quite different from the apathy countries like the USA and the UK seem to have towards their political leaders. This seems to show how the people are far more united and share common values, despite any differences.

Ocean Canoeing – Ecotourists and Patong visitors who just want some peace and quiet for a while don’t have to languish away in a high cost spa their whole vacation long; there’s another way to enjoy nature, the water, and the wildlife of Patong. Such a lazily, slowly rowing your way to the various tiny outlying islands around Phuket, most of them uninhabited, with plenty of animals to watch.

Snorkeling – Snap on the mask, head down, and paddle with your flippers; you don’t have to dive to see some pretty neat things in the water, especially if you’re far enough away from the usual swimmers to see a few brave fish. And if you are near the swimmers, you’ll also have a fine view of a few bikinis.

Diving – If you want to see more than bikinis and bait fish, rent a tank, a suit, and some flippers, and have a look at some of the exotic, unique wildlife beneath the waters near Patong Beach. You’ll find all kinds of fish along the natural reefs, but don’t break any off! The reefs around Phuket have been smashed and torn to pieces, and are only just now started to grow again.

Try these other great water activities in Patong!

• Surfing & Wake-Boarding
• Fishing
• Sailing & Para-sailing
• Jet Skiing & Water Skiing

Five years ago, Phuket was hit and severely damaged by “the Boxing Day tsunami” of December 26, 2004, which was caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake, and suffered extensive damage. The Indian Ocean Earthquake caused tsunamis which wreaked havoc in eleven different countries and killed thousands of people. As many as 250 people were reported dead in the Phuket area of Thailand, including some foreign tourists in the area.

Many businesses in the area suffered extreme damaged. Many major chain stores and restaurants were completely destroyed. The devastation to the area took months and months to restore, and even then not fully.

The tsunami caused extensive damage, however much of the Phuket’s administrative and emergency services were untouched by the devastation along the coast and it is likely that this is one of the chief reasons why the island has been able to bounce back so quickly from the terrible ordeal.

Because of this past tsunami that had been caused by an earthquake; Phuket was practicing caution by issuing the tsunami warning after the Sumatra earthquake this September. Fortunately no tsunami occurred and Phuket remains safe and undisturbed this season.

Heed any warnings, however rare that might be to occur, and keep aware of the natural events occurring near the area. Have a wonderful time in Phuket, and I hope you enjoy a safe season.

So for all interested, you can go on over to the free computer clinic on the 11th, 18th, and 25th, from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. On the 11th, it’ll be at the Laguna Sandwich Shoppe, and on the 18th and 25th you can find them at the Chalong Sandwich Shoppe location.

October 5th through 6th from 1:00 pm until 11:30 pm the Recycle Art & Music Festival event is scheduled, where there will be live music, performances, and art exhibitions, with a focus on environmentalism; there’ll be a bicycle ride around Phuket to clean up garbage. Located at Rawai Art Village, Sai Yuan Road, Nai Harn.

October 6th from 7:00 pm until 11:00 pm is the Show Time! Wine Dinner with Francis Ford Coppola wines event. Dinner will be served under the stars, accompanied by a selection of Coppola’s wines, and then a film.

October 8th through10th from 8:00 am 6:00 pm, there’ll be the Software Park Forum, or IT Architect Conference, located at the Merlin Beach Resort is an valuable event for local software business owners, vendors, etc., for promoting mutual benefits from new opportunities in the field.

October 9th through November 9th from 7:30 to 12:30 am, the Art Men 5 at Hung Fat’s exhibit goes on for a month, and on display will be modern art, created with found items and natural elements from the island.

October 10th from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm is the PIA Worldcup Football Festival event; men everywhere will be overjoyed! And probably quite a few women too.

October 10th from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm the Annual Pro Dive Event 2009 will be held at the Aqua Master on Chalong Pier. They’re serving refreshments, demonstrating new products and equipment, and there’ll also be prize drawings.

October 11th through the 13th from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm there will be Asia’s First Alternative Ownership Conference held at Millennium Resort Patong, for hotel and resort owners mainly, looking for new equipment, products, and opportunities in the industry.

October 14th from 8:00 pm until 11:00 pm the Punchline Comedy – Live Int’l Stand-up Comedy event at Holiday Inn Resort Phuket, Patong, –look forward to a great evening of comedy!

October 17th from 7:00 pm until 2:00 am the Beach Fun-Fest at Catch Beach Club, located at the Twin Palms resort, –charity event, fnds will go to a Children in Need program, ticket prices are 1,000 Baht.

October 18th through the 26th the Phuket Vegetarian Festival will be held all throughout Phuket as part of an annual holiday, –something great for tourists and locals!

October 20th through the 22nd from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm Phuket International Academy 350 Sports Camp, held at the Academy for kids 8 through 14, the cost per day is 500 Baht.

October 23rd is Chulalongkorn Day, and a Public Holiday; celebrates the King, Rama V, who abolished slavery in Thailand (then Siam).

October 23rd through the 25th from 8:30 am till 10:30 pm is Adventure Weekend at the Banana Adventure Camps, mainly an event for adolescents and teens, supervised, though parents are welcome to join; there’ll be BBQ, drinks, light sports, and other activities.

October 25th from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm is the Sunday Sunset Party held at Le Jardin at Mercure Patong Phuket, unlimited beer and wines, and cocktails on tap, for 490 Baht, as well as hot and cold hors d’ouevres.

The first Thai fighter to be famous was Nai Khanom Tom, said to have defeated nine Burmese men in order to win his freedom. Muay Thai has a violent history, and is amongst the most infamous of martial arts, regardless of the modern safety rules, and restrictions on fighters.

Throughout Patong, tourists may run into the occasional demonstration, though most of these are either amateur, or staged, however, it’s not hard to find the real deal in Patong.

The best place to find real Muay Thai is at the Patong Boxing Stadium on Sai Namyen Road, where journalists of every possible geographical origin speak of the incomparable atmosphere that seems to demand one thing: blood. No lie, it’s an incredibly violent sport, so if your thing is watching minimal contact wrestling, or the strictly regulated American boxing, you’ll be in for a shock.

The traditional boxing match begins with a ceremonial dancing ritual, that begins with the “wai khru”, in which the boxer bows three times to their trainer as a sign of respect, and commences the dance, called the “ram muay”. During the ram muay, the boxer wears a headband earned from their trainer after years of dedication to the martial art.

Another excellent option, if you like the club scene, is Club Lime, that serves as a bar, club, and restaurant that has DJ’s playing real music, rather than regurgitated, endless techno on loop, serving as a backround for what is merely a place to pick up prostitutes. Club Lime is an actual club; for dancing and enjoying the food and night life. You can find Club Lime opposite Loma Park near Club Andaman Resort.

Now, the real deal in Patong Fine Dining, is along Rat-U-Thi Road; this is where you can find all the action your palate can handle, whether you’re fond of Italian, American, or just can’t get enough of delicious Thai cuisine.

There you’ll find the Jean-Pierre at the BYD Lofts, which offers class and comfort, serving tasty European cuisine at prices that won’t make you shudder. You can lounge on a sofa while you eat, with your elbow cock on a large pillow. The Playhouse is my personal favorite; it’s a restaurant and a theatre, where you can catch classy cabaret shows, every night but Sunday. The prices are affordable, though not cheap. They also run a cooking school, “Manathai” and can be found just opposite of the Paradise Complex.

If you do decide to take one of the Patong girls out for a “date,” the bar will require a bar fine; a fee from you to cover the loss for taking the girl with you, which ranges from 200 to 500 Baht for an evening. Then the girl will also want you to pay her which can vary from 1000 to 4000 Baht.

Stay safe, of course. And be careful. If you stay with a girl for more than one night, expect to be stalked. After two nights, the girl will see you as her “boyfriend” and expect you not to “cheat” on her with other girls, “working” girls or not. She will also expect you to pay for her meals, tickets, etc., as well as give her gifts like jewelry. She will also ask you for your email address which she will use to continue asking you for financial assistance. If you send emails back, they will most likely be read by other family members helping her. And the emails she sends requesting money will probably the same email she will send to all her other “boyfriends.”

Another thing to be wary of; the katoey (ladyboys) of Patong are not always tourist friendly. They may have a nasty streak. They have been known to steal and pickpocket tourists. They will also expect payment if you take a photograph of them.

Have fun in Patong, but be careful; most of the people living here are very poor and are desperate to make a buck.

There’s a vendor selling lunch! Thirsty? A vendor selling drinks! Bored? Vendors selling games, toys, clothes, jewelry, silks, knick-knacks, and anything else you can possibly imagine. And if you don’t want something, all you have to do is politely say, ‘no thank you’ and they’re on their way again.

Of course, there are a million other things to do, the most sedentary of which involves having the closest attractive guy or girl rub sun tan lotion on your back — or your front, — and just lay their and enjoy the atmosphere. Or you could go snorkeling, swimming, and enjoy the warm shining waters of Patong Beach.

Then there are the water sparts, such as jet skis, or boating further out. Parasailing and surfing are also very popular, and when it starts to cool off, some of the beach-goers get together, throll up a volleyball net, and start a game that anybody can join. If you want to relax and have a massage in the shade, they can be found every few hundred feet, waiting for customers. Whether you’re fighting the waves in a kayak, or licking ice cream under an umbrella, Patong Beach is more than just swimming and sunbathing!