ISSUE 3 July 2009

Welcome to this month’s edition of Otter’s Tales! We have so much in this issue,

including a wedding, a trip to the Big Buddha, octogenarian Easy Riders, Thai traditions

explained, splashy fun at Thailand’s Water Festival and more. If you want to learn about

Thai fruit you’ve come to the right address and here is where to check to see if you’re a

lucky winner. Unfortunately this month we have found no adjectives to describe Tim’s golf

expertise – apparently the Oxford Dictionary ran out of adequate words.

LifeguardsMany return guests have told us that one of the

reasons they do so is because of the calming

effect of Cape Panwa Beach. But not all of Phuket’s

beach life is so tranquil. Phuket’s west coast beaches

are tempestuous from April to November with crash-

ing waves and deadly undercurrents.

From this summer on lifeguards will be on

duty at 12 of the most popular west-coast

Phuket beaches. New signs have been

erected here alerting tourists to the

dangers of swimming during the

‘summer’ season.

So watch out if you are on a west coast Phuket beach from April to

November: those lovely green waves don’t always mean that the sea is

welcoming.

The Cape Panwa tides may be low but they’re much safer than

the west-coast summer maelstroms.

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What’s on in Phuket

- Rain in Phuket

Hotel Happenings

- Happy families

Wedding

- Ed and Karen

Thai Traditions

- Wat Chalong and

Big Buddah

- Cape Promthep

- Thai Fruit

Thai Traditions

- Jai Yen Yen

- Thai age

- Thai feet

Quizzes

- Quiz on Thailand

Cape Panwa

Happenings

- Songkran

Meet a guest

- Octogenarian Easy Riders

Guest fest

- Sue

Meet a member of staff

- Kanchit

9 Questions

- Natee

Up and Coming

- More privileges

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The newsletter is named Otterʼs Tales after Bobby the friendly Otter who was a resident of the Cape Panwa Hotel for nearly 10 years

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Cape Panwa Beach

Cape Panwa Beach

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W h a t ’ s o nI N P H U K E T

Ed and Karen’s Special Day

Ed and Karen had a beautiful day – blessed beneath the tree

next to Panwa House. Dinner and drinks shared at Panwa

House followed with Spirit Balloons released on the beach.

Congratulations. Click here to see a recent wedding at Cape

Panwa Hotel posted on youtube:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=N32s6gZoG9k

The Ladies

Rain in PhuketHere’s a thought: If the Earth was made for Man – as some claim – why is 75% of the

globe underwater and why don’t we have gills or dorsal fins? And, on another note,

why do Tim and Claude stay away from the swimming pool so much? Still, there’s

nothing quite like a tropical downpour, is there? Watching the rain pouring down is

somewhat therapeutic and because there’s so much of the stuff, there’s no shortage,

right? Wrong: Phuket has only one dam – Bang Wat Dam, in Kathu – and although the

island has various craters from its tin-mining days that are sourced for water they are

gradually disappearing, victims of the island’s ‘development’. So please bear this in mind

and stay conservative in your water use during your stay.

Happy familiesRochidee (our famous, in Cape Panwa

anyway, Room Divisions Manager)

welcomed a new member of staff to the

Cape Panwa Hotel family last week – Khun

Kriengsak, our new Front Office Manager.

Our lovely ladies at the front take care of

him and now Rochidee is dreaming of

a holiday in a far away place – Australia

again?

Kriengsak and staff

H o t e lH A P P E N I N G S

Panwa Princess Yacht Trip

Ed and Karen

Tim and a game of Golf

Tim got 5 bogies last week…… But lost

6 golf balls. Did you know that Tiger

Wood’s mother was half Thai?

– 3 –

Fruit of the month:

Mangosteen (Mongkut)

Tarty, sweet and with a soft inner texture and a tough purple

exterior, the Mangosteen has been named the Queen of exotic

fruits. To open, simply press the fruit in your hands and the thick

skin will crack, making it easy to expose the delicious interior. Be

wary of the purple skin juice as it can stain clothes permanently.

Some segments have a soft stone in them.

Phromthep to undergo a faceliftThe stunning Phromthep Cape at the southernmost tip of

Phuket is one of the most visited and photographed sites of

the island. It attracts about one million visitors a year. But,

let’s face it; it’s all a bit run down. Grassy areas have been

trampled by Canon-and Nikon-toting tourists, the car park’s

as full as a DIY centre on a Saturday afternoon and the cape’s

signature Palmyra trees were hit by weevils this year, killing

off several of them.

To tackle all of this, local

officials have started a

restoration project with

replacement Palmyras

and an irrigation system

installed to keep the

grass healthy and green.

A public planting will

take place later this year and visitors will be discouraged from

walking on the green sections.

Let’s hope it doesn’t suffer the same fate as Nai Harn Lake,

where dozens of monks and officials, accompanied by a

large crowd of well wishers, congregated three years ago

to plant lakeside and beachside palms along with a whole

gamut of exotic plants. Then they simply let them die off

because no one had been appointed to water them.

A trip to see Big BuddhaIt seems that every time a

Buddah image is erected

it’s ‘the world’s biggest’.

Well, to put the record

straight, Phuket’s Big Bud-

dah, at the top of Kata Hill

and overlooking most of

the south of the island, is

not. The biggest, that is.

Still, the huge white statue

and its lesser golden

companion are a pretty

impressive sight and one well worth paying a visit to. The

image is six kilometres from Chao Fa West Road and quite

a steep climb in parts. Park down at the base, where a

makeshift marquee stands accompanied by a host of dona-

tion boxes. Some people stop to

pray with the Buddhist monks

there and there’s a background

of chanting while a monk deliv-

ers a sermon. If you’re feeling

sprightly you can bounce up

the 72 steps to the images and

ring the bell up at the top – if not then take

it in stages, there’s plenty of opportunity to rest on the way up.

The views from the top are magnificent: you can gaze along the

mountainous backbone of Phuket, look down upon Chalong Bay

and the neighbouring islands, peek out over the Andaman and

even see the Racha Islands

to the south of Phuket. It’s

blessedly cool up there and

the ideal spot to take pan-

oramic photos of the island.

See you up there!

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– 4 –

T h a iT R A D I T I O N S

Jai Yen, Jai Yen! Keep Cool!There have been a couple of recent ‘cultural misunderstand-

ings’ between visitors to Phuket and the island’s authorities

that we really wish hadn’t happened but nevertheless did – so

let’s learn a few lessons from them.

Simon Burrowes

Simon came to Phuket a few months ago to help train a Thai kick-boxing champion.

However, things went awry when he was checking out of the country. An immigration

official decided to take a closer look at his passport photo and discovered that: a) on it

Simon was not wearing a shirt (an offense under Thai law) and: b) the photo had been

trimmed out of a larger one (another offense).

Simon lost three important things: His non-refundable flight home, (his plane left during

passport inspection); his temper… and subsequently his freedom. Three months later and

a spell in jail it’s all over, thanks to anonymous Thai donors who paid his way back to the

UK, but Simon says he’ll never forget his experience.

Annice Smoel

Annice was celebrating her mother’s birthday in Patong’s Aussie Bar where, she claims,

two friends rolled up a rubber beer mat (approx worth – AU$60 and weighing more

than three kilos) and placed it in her bag. As she left the premises the bar’s security

apprehended her. She lost her cool and ended up leading the local chief of police

through a brief, but in-depth colourful romp through the dictionary of Australian

obscenities that resulted in a charge of robbery and a large iron door slamming behind

her. Annice pleaded guilty and was freed, mostly due to the Phuket Governor’s timely

intervention and the threat of one year in prison hanging over her.

The Lesson: It’s best never to display open anger in Thailand, or for that matter in any

Buddhist country, and least of all to people in authority. Most Buddhists interpret raised

voices and open insults as the lowest form of

communication and it is the angry person

who will lose face.

The Afterthought: Annice Smoel, rather predictably, sold her

story to an Australian magazine and tried to use the proceeds

to finance a flight for her and her kids to Miami’s Disneyland.

She was refused a tourist visa to the

USA because of her Thai fracas.

The FeetAs mentioned in the last edition, touching

a Buddhist’s head is considered rude in

this society as it represents the highest-re-

spected part of the body. Proportionately,

the feet are considered the least-respected

part of a Buddhist’s anatomy and there-

fore to point your foot at anything and

anyone – especially to someone you are

referring to – is not acceptable. Likewise,

to wear shoes in a Buddhist’s house is akin

to parking your SUV on your host’s lawn,

back home. Please remove your footwear

when entering a Buddhist institution,

office or house. A good hint: If in doubt,

when you see a rack of discarded shoes,

The Elders Elders take predence in Thai society. If you,

even in your early 50’s are referred to as

‘Papa’ or ‘Mama’ this is a sign of respect

and you should revel in it. In later life,

elders are traditionally taken care of by

their offspring, resulting in (without, as yet,

social security) a tight-woven society. If you

are invited into a Thai family’s habitat you

are indeed privileged. Bring a modest gift,

take off your shoes before entering and be

prepared to be the centre of attention for

the rest of your stay. If you, however, are

referred to as ‘Papa’ or ‘Mama’ in your 40’s

it’s time to hit the fitness room.

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– 5 –

Win & Prizes: Please post or email your answers to us and we will announce the winners in our next Otter’s Tales. Prizes

include T-Shirts, baseball caps and more and can be collected on your next visit or email Tim to have it posted out to you.

1) How many heroines are celebrated at Phuket’s Heroine’s

monument?

2) How long is Phuket from north to south?

3) Multiple choice answer: What country was the source of

thousands of emigrants to Phuket during the tin-mime boom

of over 100 years ago? a) Australia b) Indonesia c) China

4) Multiple choice answer: In Thailand, people (should) drive

on what side of the road? A. a) Left b) The quickest route to

the next noodle stand c) Right Left

5) What is the name of the present Thai Prime minister?

6) ‘Bhukit’ – one of Phuket’s earlier monikers means what in

Malay? a) Hill, b) mountain?

7) Which Phuket town was the previous seat of government?

8) In which season do the red flags fly on Phuket’s west

coast?. a) November to April b) April to October c) All-year

round.

9) How do you say “How are you?” in Thai?

10) How do you say in Thai, “Oh my God, I’ve just stepped

on your feet, rubbed your head (see Thai traditions in this

issue) and driven on the wrong side of the road all the way

back to the hotel.”

Wet, wild and wetterCape Panwa celebrates Songkran 2009.

CROSSWORD & QUIZ

Down1. Bell shaped with a green or red waxy skin.2. Pink skin with green scales and the juicy fl esh has small edible black seeds.3. Circular fruit with a purple tough shell but with white fl eshy fruit segments inside.4. Circular with a hard green skin - eat with sugar salt and chili.6. This smells!!!!7. Red and brown pods covered with soft spines (my fav).10. A grapefruit but no bitter taste.

Across5. Best eaten with sticky rice.8. Red or orange skin when ripe - usually cylindrical in shape.9. Small brown sweet balls with translucent fruit inside.11. Circular, red and is covered with soft green spines.12. Pink or red brittle bumpy hard skin with white fruit inside.

Cape PanwaH A P P E N I N G S

Songkran –

G U E S TF E S T

THE WINNER OF

– 6 –

On my last visit to Cape Panwa, on a

Friday gathering under the beachside

palms, I overheard the most extraor-

dinary conversational snippet. What I

thought I heard and eventually turned

out to be true was: “Beth and I clocked

3,200-plus kilometres on a rented

Honda Dream last year but this year

we’re taking it a little slower as Beth just

turned 80 and has trouble cocking her

leg over the back seat.”

Understandably, I was instantly drawn

as a moth to an altar of lit candles.

Tim took Chaz and Beth to a

seafood buffet and asked them a

few questions

Q Is it true that on your last visit to Cape

Panwa you clocked over 3,000km on

your rented Honda Dream?

A Yup; Beth and me did 3,234 kilome-

ters on the Honda Dream.

Q What on earth did the owner of the

bike say when you returned it?

A The owner of the bike was an em-

ployee of the Cape Panwa at the time

and was not at all fazed.

Q Your favourite Phuket destination?

A We love to visit Promthep Viewpoint

and around Chalong.

Q Any hairy moments?

A In general, Phuket’s a great place to

discover by bike but we were in line for

a license check one time at the Chalong

roundabout but the Duty Police Officer

recognized us and waved us through

and smartly saluted us as we jumped

the queue. Then there was the blind

man crossing the road. we did see an

accident and when we made the deci-

sion to slow down this year I must admit

the family was happy.

Q Is there anything like a Honda Dream

in Australia?

A Not really, but I did have a Tiger

1,000cc 56 years ago.

Chaz and Beth

M E E T A

G U E S T

Chaz and Beth – Born to be Wild

Octogenarian Easy Riders

Kanchit – a friend foreverKanchit started working at the Cape Panwa

Hotel over ten years ago and the changes

that he has seen are too many to mention

here.

He started as a porter in the kitchens and

was swiftly moved to the beach and is now

a Boat Attendant.

He is married to Wantana who also works

with us at the Cape Panwa Hotel and they

have one little boy…….

He is also a successful fisherman in his spare

time – but he will not give up his day job.

from the last edition of Otter’s tale were

Please contact us as to how you would

like to receive your prize.

Lynne Price and Paul Easton

Kanchit

t th C P

Kanchit at work

MEET A MEMBER OF

S T A F F

Well done Sue

Sue is a regular guest of the Cape Panwa

Hotel. She recently ran 5k in the ‘Race for

Life’ in the UK to raise money for Cancer

Trust in her home town in the UK. If you

have anything that you would like us to

put in our Newsletter please send it to us.

– 7 –

Which is easier – being at work or at home?

A) Easy answer – being at home is so much harder because there are so many things

that I have to do – here I have just one – to take care of the guests.

How did you meet your wife?

I met my wife here!! And now we have two precious little boys

How come your English is so good?

We learnt some at school but I wasn’t much good at it there – in the hotels was the best

place to learn and I have worked in quite a few.

Man Utd or Liverpool?

Manchester United – (a chorus of singing sounds across the beach) no problem. And Eric

Cantona is my hero (the singing starts again).

Your favourite restaurant in Phuket and best beach??

Easy 101 just outside Phuket Town; they make the best Som Tam in the world. (With a

smile) Cape Panwa Beach – my children like to swim on Ao Yon Beach because it is near

our home – Patong is also fun because it is busy and really long.

What do you like to do on your day off?

Fishing in my friend’s long-tail boat and playing takraw (Thai football).

Who is your favourite singer?

I like soft rock and most of all Elton John.

Who is your favourite movie star?

Pierce Brosnan – as James Bond.

Best place for a massage in Phuket Town?

For a relaxing massage we go near my house – to Panwa Beach Garden Spa.

You can contribute, too! Please send us your holiday photos and we’ll post them in

Otter’s Tales. Please post to am@capepanwa.com

›› Thai Traditions - Loy krathong

›› Thai Traditions - Thai fruit

›› Quizzes

›› What’s on in Phuket

›› Meet a member of staff - The Band

›› Hotel News - Play pool in the Lighthouse

›› Hotel News - Suites

›› Meet a guest

Cape Panwa O N L I N E

Be sure to check our blog at www.capepanwa.blogspot.com for the very latest happenings

at Cape Panwa

U p &C O M I N G

PRIVILEGESC A R D

with Khun Natee

u e s t i o n s

Natee works on the beach and the boats of the Cape Panwa Hotel. Natee was voted the staff member of the month for April using the Cape Panwa Blog.

Guest Loyalty Program

With the introduction of our GM cocktail

parties we have also introduced a Guest

Loyalty Program for all of you who have

visited us previously. We would like to say

thank you to the great many people who

choose to come back.

There are two cards (gold or silver) and they

have different benefits, from a dinner at

Uncle Nan’s Italian Restaurant to a Siamese

Massage at the Spa. If you are lucky enough

to have a gold card you can visit the Cape

Lounge everyday during your stay. And

every guest who has been here 10 times or

more will receive a free cruise on our brand

new Panwa Princess Yacht!

More details of this Loyalty Program are

available from the website

www.capepanwa.com.