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Four-metre python removed from Karon resort
Four-metre python removed from Karon resort
PHUKET: Rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation branch in Patong removed a reticulated python some four metres long and weighing an estimated 20kg from the grounds of a resort in Karon last night (Mar 11).
PM, ministers postpone COVID-19 inoculations
PM, ministers postpone COVID-19 inoculations
THAILAND: Cabinet ministers abruptly postponed their COVID-19 inoculations planned for today (Mar 12) after several European countries suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine on reports of adverse reactions in some patients.
After student bitten, Bang Kaew dogs to be caged, muzzled
After student bitten, Bang Kaew dogs to be caged, muzzled
PHUKET: The dog that chased and bit a 15-year-old girl while she was walking to school on Tuesday must remain caged to prevent further attacks on people walking by, Phuket City Municipality Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Chalermporn Piyanarongroj has announced.
Electricity outage to affect north and south of Heroines Monument
Electricity outage to affect north and south of Heroines Monument
PHUKET: The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has announced that the electricity supply will be temporarily shut off along the east side of Thepkrasattri Rd both north and south of the Heroines Monument on Thursday (Mar 18) as work is carried out on installing new high-voltage cables.
The Quarantine Runner
The Quarantine Runner
MARATHON: Should you be faced with the scenario, how would you likely spend your time during COVID-19 quarantine? Relax and do very little? Watch an endless amount of TV? Catch-up on current affairs, box-sets and movies? Learn a new language? Read a series of books? Write a book even? For Phuket resident Naruttama “Nick” Jarat the answer was none of the above. Instead he decided to take a leaf out of Forrest Gump’s book and run. And run. Then run some more. Nick, 37, recently spent two weeks in quarantine at a hotel in Bangkok after he and fellow crew members had delivered a yacht to a customer based in the Philippines. Faced with the daily restriction of his hotel room’s four walls and the ensuing boredom this would bestow on such an active character, Nick decided to use his time as productively as possible by conitnuing his hobby of running. In total he had amassed more than 140km by the time his quarantine ended. Nick and the crew left Phuket on Dec 4 and sailed their client’s 115-foot boat to Manila, arriving on Dec 17. The client had invited friends for a nine day cruise which took in island hopping, snorkelling and New Year’s Eve celebrations at sea. Nick worked onboard as the head chef. They flew back to Bangkok on Jan 19 after a mix-up with the initial immigration stamps in Manila meant they had to stay aboard the boat until the situation was resolved and they could leave the country. On returning to Thailand, Nick and three of his colleagues stayed at the Radisson hotel in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit 13 where they served their mandatory quarantine, paying B43,000 for the two-week stay. Managing to see out the first day ok, Nick knew he would very soon get restless. However, that same day a friend who had recently undertaken quarantine in New Zealand messaged him to say she had run 10km one day in her hotel room in a bid to pass the time. A keen runner since a youngster, this was a light-bulb moment for Nick who decided to not just emulate his friend’s feat but to take a it a step or two further. “On my second day of quarantine I ran 15km, non-stop,” Nick told The Phuket News. “The room was relatively small but I was able to run back-and-forth in the corridor from the front door to the window, using my watch and running app on my phone to track the distance and time. “I made sure I had water and fruit to hand so I could grab it when needed and not interupt my running, which I did barefooted. I completed that first run in one hour and thirty minutes.” Nick then staggered a further nine runs across his remaining 12 days of quarantine, running an impressive 144km in total. “I managed 20km on day 8 in 1 hour 49 minutes,” he beamed. “Although day 10 was my highlight – I managed 42km that day in 3 hours and 55 minutes!” Focused Nick said the manner in which the quaratine was handled by hotel staff was very professional. “We had to remain in our room without exception for the first five days,” Nick said. “We had temperature checks twice a day during that time, once in the morning, once in the evening. “After five days we took the mandatory COVID swab test and were then allowed to go onto the roof of the hotel for fresh air but were not permitted to use any of the facilities such as the gym or pool. That’s why I took to running in my room,” he added. “I’ve always been an active person,” Nick said. “When I was a child I walked 3km to school every day for years. I took up running seriously when I was 31.” He also inspired one of his fellow quarantine mates to take up the activity, although he did not achieve anywhere near the kind of distance that Nick accomplished. “Even a small amount of exercise is better than nothing during quarantine,” he said. “I would find it very challenging to be so inactive for that length of time.” On arriving back in Phuket post-quarantine, Nick immediately took to the streets of his Pa Klok neighbourhood for a 14km run. Did he find it strange running once again in a more familiar or natural environment? “Actually I did, yes,” he replied. “The one thing I did notice when running in the room is how much more focused you become – there are no distractions or potential dangers that are presented when on the streets such as traffic, other people, etc.” It was that laser focus generated in his hotel room in Bangkok that allowed Nick to breeze through his quarantine and not be at all desuaded if he had to do it again. “We are waiting on the finalisation of a contract with a client which would mean delivering another boat to the Philippines,” Nick said. “I would be more than happy to take on quarantine again if necessary. “It would be a great opportunity for me to beat my personal best,” he concluded with a smile. Nick is part of a 25-strong running group that regularly meet and take on routes in the Pa Klok area. Anyone interested in joining in the fun can contact him on 091-154-4569 or Naruttama4569@gmail.com Nick’s quarantine-run breakdown was as follows: Day 2: 15km, 1hr 30mins Day 4: 21km, 2hr 5mins Day 6: 7km, 40 mins Day 7: 11km, 1hr 2mins Day 8: 20km, 1hr 49mins Day 10: 42km, 3hr 55mins Day 11: 11km, 1hr Day 12: 15km, 1hr 30mins Day 13: 11km, 1 hr Day 14: 1hr, 2mins
IOC to buy vaccines from China for Tokyo, Beijing Olympic competitors
IOC to buy vaccines from China for Tokyo, Beijing Olympic competitors
WORLD: Competitors at this year’s Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Games will be offered coronavirus vaccines bought from China, Olympic chief Thomas Bach announced yesterday (Mar 11).
Moderna seeks to enter Thai vaccine market
Moderna seeks to enter Thai vaccine market
THAILAND: US-based pharmaceutical company Moderna has confirmed it will be submitting an application to Thai health authorities this month to approve its COVID-19 vaccine, a health official said yesterday (Mar 11).
Free detainees, Thai government tells junta
Free detainees, Thai government tells junta
THAILAND: The government has asked Myanmar to release detainees against the backdrop of intensified protests in which eight more protesters have been reported killed.
German Engineer - Translations
German Engineer - Translations
We are looking for native German engineers for technical translations English-German (manuals). Good understanding of technical English required.
PHUKET XTRA: VIDEO: Thailand looking to reopen by October || March 11
PHUKET XTRA: VIDEO: Thailand looking to reopen by October || March 11
PHUKET XTRA - March 11 || Brought to you by PVCPhuket.com Can Thailand open by October? |:| Six days Songkran |:| Investigating 253 more cops over gambling |:| ’Big Joke’ reinstated |:| 58 new Covid cases Hosted by: JP Mestanza || #Phuket
Phuket to pilot ‘Sandbox model’ to receive foreign tourists from July: Tourism Minister
Phuket to pilot ‘Sandbox model’ to receive foreign tourists from July: Tourism Minister
PHUKET: Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn next Friday (Mar 19) will present to the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) his proposal to pilot in Phuket the ‘Sandbox’ model to welcome foreign tourists to the country.
Phuket gold shops checked for security, police ramp up patrols
Phuket gold shops checked for security, police ramp up patrols
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police have started inspecting gold shops in Phuket Town to ensure they have adequate security measures, and have dedicated officers to regularly patrol areas where gold shops are located.
‘Freak of nature’ Sonny Bill Williams hangs up his boots
‘Freak of nature’ Sonny Bill Williams hangs up his boots
RUGBY/BOXING: Dual-code superstar Sonny Bill Williams announced his retirement from rugby today (Mar 11) but the New Zealander isn’t giving up on sport, saying he wants to concentrate on his boxing career.
Restrictions to end ‘by October’
Restrictions to end ‘by October’
BANGKOK: Thailand will be fully reopened by October and all COVID-19 restrictions lifted, if all sectors continue to cooperate with the government in its containment efforts, the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) hinted on Wednesday (Mar 10).
Songkran Holiday extended to six days
Songkran Holiday extended to six days
BANGKOK: The Songkran holiday will be extended to six days this year, after the Cabinet has approved a special holiday on April 12. The Songkran festival break will now run from Saturday through Thursday, April 10-15.
Mother asks for B100k dog bite compensation
Mother asks for B100k dog bite compensation
PHUKET: The mother of a 15-year-old girl is seeking B100,000 compensation after her daughter was chased and bitten by a dog as she walked to school in Phuket Town yesterday (Mar 10).
BISP students climb the national tennis ranks
BISP students climb the national tennis ranks
TENNIS: Three British International School, Phuket (BISP) students are working their way up the national tennis rankings after their recent success on the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand’s (LTAT) national tournament circuit.
International superyacht stays now extended to more than two years
International superyacht stays now extended to more than two years
PHUKET: The Thai Yachting Business Association (TYBA) has announced that in addition to the recent new Thai Customs regulation allowing superyachts with a Thai charter permit to operate in Thai waters under clarified VAT and import arrangements, the superyachts themselves are now allowed an extension of the temporary import allowance, changed from ‘6 + 6 months’ to ‘2 years and 6 months’.
Japan marks decade since 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster
Japan marks decade since 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster
WORLD: Japan today (Mar 11) marks 10 years since the worst natural disaster in the country’s living memory: a powerful earthquake, deadly tsunami and nuclear meltdown that traumatised a nation.
Man, 25, dies as car hits power pole at high speed
Man, 25, dies as car hits power pole at high speed
PHUKET: A 25-year-old man died after his car hit a roadside power pole at high speed in Koh Kaew last night (Mar 10).