The page has not only a daily forecast, but also a 7-day forecast and a weekly summary. The monthly forecast has to be seen with a grain of salt, but might nevertheless be helpful to those who plan their Phuket holiday right now.

Links of Interest:

• Phuket page of the Thai Meteorological Department
• Phuket live rainfall radar
• Phuket weather guide
  

Links of Interest:

• Online version of this newsletter
• 10year promotion: Stay 10, pay 9 on ALL hotels in Thailand
• Hotels in Phuket
  

The Buddhist Holy Day of Asaha Bucha (Thai: อาสาฬหบูชา) falls on the 15th night or 15 kham of the full moon during the eighth month of the Buddhist Lunar calendar, Asaha (Thai Pali: อาสาฬห) being the name of the eighth month in the Pali language. Last year, this was July 29, this year it is today.

Asaha Bucha is worshiped because of three important events occurring on the day called the "Triple Gem":

1. Firstly, it is commemorating the first sermon given by the Buddha called the "Dhammachakapavattama Sutta" concerning the "Four Noble Truths" presented to the Buddha’s first five disciples. The sermon set in motion the "Wheel of Dhamma", which is the meaning of "Dhammachaka".
2. Secondly, the day is considered to be the birth of Buddhism as the Buddha departed the location where he obtained his enlightenment two months earlier and then coming to a forest area in the city of Pharansi where he showed favor to five ascetics who became his followers.
3. Also recognized on the same day is the first person listening to the Buddha’s sermon realizing the truths contained therein and becoming the first Buddhist monk creating the Buddhist order “Sangha” and is known as “Sangha Day” as well as Asaha Bucha.

Links of Interest:

• More Phuket events and holidays in July
  

As reports in local media go, one of the workers was buried initially by the mud falling from a steep incline in the construction project of a new apartment block in Soi Nanai, where a retaining wall to prevent the plot of land behind becoming instable was being built. Two of his comrades tried to help the man and were also buried by earth falling on them during their rescue attempt. All three suffocated before they could be dug out with heavier equipment.

See more in this YouTube vide from Andaman News:


Links of Interest:

• Discussion of this incident
  

The World Medical Health Tourism Conference (TWMHTC) is one of the initiatives in making Phuket as the major destination for health and wellness in Thailand. The event will help open more doors for local investors into the international market, as well as for the global health care community to explore the possibilities of outsourcing medical treatments to Thailand.

It is believed, that the presence of well-equipped hospitals, the service-from-the-heart hospitality of the Thais and the world-renown Thai spa and wellness centers around the country help create a unique and rejuvenating experience for medical travelers in Thailand.

Furthermore, it has been estimated that the conference will bring an economical windfall to Phuket of about 10 million USD over the two weeks time. Although, the formal conference runs only for 3 days, many post and pre-conference activities are planned.

By securing Thai Airways as the major airline carrier and the Hilton Arcadia Hotel Phuket as the venue, all is looking good for a hugely successful event at this early stage.

All of Thailand may benefit from this conference as that many conference delegates have indicated that they would like to travel and explore more places in Thailand apart from Phuket and Bangkok.

Links of Interest:

• SOS Medical Tourism
• Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa
• More recommended hotels in Karon Beach Phuket
  

Getting to Koh Yao Noi
First off, it was very easy to get there. Most resorts of the islands will organize pickup for you form your hotel in Phuket or the Phuket airport. For those with their own transportation -- like me -- it is a beautiful drive past the Heroines Monument and Bang Pae Waterfall (location of the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project). In less than 45 minutes I reached my destination, Bang Rong Pier.

Due to current oil price increases, the person ferry from Bang Rong pier in Phuket to Koh Yao has become more expensive than before, but is still a very affordable THb 150 per person, independent if you want to reach Koh Yao Yai or Koh Yao Noi. Hiring a speedboat is of course more comfortable (and much pricier), but detracts in my opinion very much from the beautiful atmosphere of the passing landscape in the slower ferry.

Ferry ride to Koh Yao Noi
The ferry ride to Koh Yao Noi went on for over one hour. Already a short while after leaving Bang Rong Pier, the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay came into view. From the boat one had the same view one will have after completion of the monstrous large Cape Yamu project, that stretches over several kilometers of Phuket hillside, which I visited a short while ago.

The first stop of the ferry was Koh Yao Yai, where one could opt to disembark. This is the larger of the two islands, and with several large resorts on it, namely the Elixir Resort on the southern end of Koh Yao Yai on 250 meters of beachfront.

Driving over Koh Yao Noi
Just a hop further on was then Koh Yao Noi, where we got off the boat at Manoh Pier. Like on the mainland, taxis and tuk tuks are the public transport option. If you stay for longer than the day (or even then) it is well wort to rent a motorbike (being aware that fuel is much mor expensive than on the mainland); better still a bicycle.

I took a tuk tuk to Pa Sai Beach, the one with the best view to the limestone cliffs of Phang Nga; for only THb 50 it was a fast 8 kilometer drive. It became quickly apparent that there were currently only very few tourists here, only simple restaurants were open and the beach was totally deserted. Alone on a tropical beach just a few kilometers from Phuket!

Neighboring Pa Sai Beach top the north is Klong Jark Beach, which offers even better views of the limestone cliffs off the coast.

Accommodation on Koh Yao Noi
If you are on a very tight budget or do not mind simple living circumstances, there are a good number of bungalow resorts scattered along Pa Sai Beach. For THb 300 it is easy to find a room, no aircon and a mosquito net. An especially nice place was Sabai Corner Bungalows right on the corner of Pa Sai Beach.

Besides bungalow resorts for the budget-minded, Koh Yao Noi has a number of larger resorts, that have the services matching the dreamlike view from Klong Jark Beach. Foremost, the 4-Star Evason Hideaway Koh Yao Noi with their world-famous Six Senses Spa is here to dazzle you and make you wish you would never have to go away from this small island. Also on Klong Jark Beach is the 3-Star Koyao Island Resort, which offers 15 villas on the beach.

Far to the north of Koh Yao Noi is the Paradise Koh Yao, maybe the most famous resort of the Koh Yao Islands. "The Paradise Boutique Beach Resort is part of a worldwide movement to reconnect people with nature and to restore the simple sensual pleasures of free and fresh living."... and that is exactly what you will find in this 4-Star resort.

Life on Pa Sai Beach and Klong Jark Beach
At least currently, life on those two beaches will be very quiet. As mentioned, large restaurants are closed, there only seem to be a handful of beach bars to begin with and also the bungalows seemed largely deserted. Klong Jark Beach has at least one or two beach bars, namely the Pyramid Bar.

However if one is not after the raging nightlife of Phuket or Phi Phi, then this is the place to go: walks along the beach, bicycling over the island, kayaking with the awe-inspiring panorama of the Phang Nga limestone rocks, this is how you can easily fill a number of days.

Links of Interest:

• Hotel recommendations on Koh Yao
• Koh Yao Noi Image Gallery
• More Koh Yao information
  

A few rock formations frame the beach add character to it and make for some the best fishing and snorkeling opportunities on the island, giving home to corals and fish. The mid-section of the beach however is pure sand without any stones, which invites for swimming.The natural beauty of Laem Singh Beach is enhanced by the fact it sits well below the road which lends a serene and quiet feeling that is not always present on other beaches in Phuket. It is one of the still relatively undeveloped beaches of Phuket frequently missed by visitors who are unaware of its location: there are only two restaurants at the bottom of the hill allowing for a snack right in the sand.

Laem Singh Beach is also well-known for its beautiful sunsets, which I could witness today as well.

Links of Interest:

• Laem Singh image gallery
• Surin and Laem Singh Beach in June
  

And a second opinion, this one from Thien's Dive Logbook:

July weather has been spectacular, with calm wind, flat sea, 30m visibility in the Racha Islands area, and whale shark sightings daily in Phi Phi and Shark Point Marine Sanctuary. I love LOW SEASON :-)

In the meantime, our friend Miso visited Kata Beach today:

Coming from Phi Phi Island, I went to Kata beach for the afternoon. The beach was so different from Railay Beach and Koh Phi Phi: not nearly as beautiful, but it was really fun. The waves were huge and dotted with surfers. We immediately dove in and body surfed for awhile, before having a dinner at our guesthouse

From Google's Warning Advisory about the Phuket Gazette Website:

What is the current listing status for phuketgazette.net/news/?

Site is listed as suspicious - visiting this web site may harm your computer.
Part of this site was listed for suspicious activity 1 time(s) over the past 90 days.

What happened when Google visited this site?

Of the 87 pages we tested on the site over the past 90 days, 13 page(s) resulted in malicious software being downloaded and installed without user consent. The last time Google visited this site was on 07/10/2008, and the last time suspicious content was found on this site was on 07/09/2008.
Malicious software includes 2 scripting exploit(s). Successful infection resulted in an average of 2 new processes on the target machine.
Malicious software is hosted on 5 domain(s), including crtbond.com, usaadw.com, ausadd.com.
1 domain(s) appear to be functioning as intermediaries for distributing malware to visitors of this site, including crtbond.com.

There will be two flights a week on Thurs and Sat with departure from Tokyo at 10am and arriving in Phuket at 3.25pm on the same day.

Previously the flight was canceled due to the dwindling number of tourists visiting Thailand after the tsunami. Thailand has since rebuilt and rejuvenated the affected areas and tourism is yet again thriving.

Links of Interest:

• Japan Today
  

The great thing about Phuket weather is that no matter how wet it may be at one point, you can be sure that the rain won't last very long. Furthermore, once the rain stops, everything in Phuket will be dry faster than it takes you to get your raincoat off.

Following this thought, the local weather should not really be a deciding factor if your stay here on Phuket is great or not. Even though there can be some heavy rainfall at many points during the year, but even during the wettest months, the weather on Phuket Island is much more forgiving than back home in the West.

Phuket also has the luxury of being next to the Andaman Sea, as such a large body of water evens out the temperature difference between the day and nighttime. And in general, the weather here is hot throughout the year anyway, so some intermittent rain will actually help you to freshen up.

And last but not least: since all of the famous beaches of Phuket are located on the western side of the island, you will get to see great sunsets every single day of your stay there, with towering cloud formations reflecting the rays of the evening sun, as my photograph of the evening mood on Patong Beach demonstrates nicely.

Patong Sunset on July 8th, 2008

Links of Interest:

• Live Weather Station, Nai Yang Beach Phuket
• Sunny Nai Yang Beach and the Dewa Phuket
  

I was having a lunch right on the beach at a group of food stalls outside the new Dewa Phuket development, eating on a mat on the sand with a small table in front of me. Grilled mackerel is here like in Rawai the food I would recommend.And with regard to Dewa Phuket, now sold to 65%:

Towards the Nothern tip of Phuket's renowned West Coast, and surrounded on all sides by the Sirinath National Park lies the tranquil haven of Nai Yang beach. Stunningly set within the "Pearl of the Andaman", is a new gem known as Dewa Phuket. Mere paces from the soft bronzed sands, and set amongst coconut trees and tropical flora, this West coast facing integrated resort offers an enviable choice.
Vacation within Dewa Resort & Spa and enjoy the romantic ambiance of this a small, chic, sophisticated boutique hotel with their elegant pool villas.
Alternatively, allow Dewa Residence to host your memorable vacation within their equally opulent 1 & 2 bedroom apartments.

Links of Interest:

• Dewa Phuket
• Hotels on Nai Yang Beach
• Indigo Pearl Resort
• Phuket Live Weather Station in Nai Yang Beach
  

Links of Interest:

• Phuket weathercam on Karon Beach
  

After furter treatment by marine biologists from the nearby Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) in Cape Panwa, the three lucky survivors were taken back to sea by boat.


As local newspapers wrote, the rescue comes one week after the carcass of a female striped dolphin was discovered washed ashore at Baan Dan in Thalang and nine days after a pod of false killer whales beached at Koh Racha. The last was one of the largest mass strandings of cetaceans in the region and it is unknown if there are common reasons for this unusual events to occur several times in a row.

It is still unclear why the three rough-toothed dolphins, adult specimens of more than 100 kilogram weight and 20 years of age, went into the coastal mangrove forest, as their natural habitat is the open sea. They are generally thought to be rare in the waters around Phuket Island, however not much is really known about abundance and distribution of the species. Also a pod of normal size seems to be around 20 individuals, up to 50, not only three dolphins.

Rough-toothed dolphins are long-beaked dolphins with a smooth and stocky body adapted to their lives on the high oceans; the large flippers are also set further back on the body than in most other cetaceans. Rough dolphins are counter-shaded with white bellies and black to dark grey backs.

Links of Interest:

• False killer whales beach at Koh Racha
• Description of Steno bredanensis by the CMS
  

I myself was out walking on a sun-drenched Patong Beach, where the low ride around 17:00 made for perfect walking conditions, the beach at its maximum width with firm sand.

While to usual sun-bathers were gone back to their hotels and maybe preparing for one of the famous seafood dinners one can have in Patong's beach road, a last few tourists had a look at the beach from above from a parasail. With the beach that empty and wide a nearly riskless undertaking, while still having the full amount of fun.

And only towards the end of my walk, a single cloud started to battle the sun, momentarily winning before it was consumed by the evening sun.

From PhuketWan:

Chez Bernard is worth visiting as much for the setting as the food. It's basically one big piece of driftwood, leaning around a large tree trunk. The tables and chairs spill out onto the sand, under umbrellas.
Bernard can sometimes be seen here, eating an extremely late breakfast, all long blond hair and a classic brown eagle profile.
Breakfast will be followed by a smoke and a coffee. Expats who have clearly seen better days and wish there were more of them ahead come here to fill the air with French.
While Patong is fast becoming international franchises for a generation of travellers who can't tell the difference between the taste of one country and the other, at least at Chez Bernard there's still a chance you will find some sand in your sandwich.

Contact: Chez Bernard, 49 Thaveewoong Rd, Patong Beach, Phuket 83150, Thailand
Tel.: +66 01 677 0711

Links of Interest:

• Some pictures of Chez Bernard on Patong Beach
• PhuketWan about Chez Bernard in Patong Beach
  

The blackout, from 9 am to 5 pm, will affect Chao Fa East Rd, from De Wara Thani Village, Soi Taiad, Land & Houses Park (Seewalee 3 and 4), Choke Thip Villa, Soi Jarin-U-Thit and Chalong Police Station.

This information is subject to change without notice. For more information or to check the latest status, call 076-211663.

Kalim Surfing Contest
With the monsoon rolling over Phuket in July, the surf picks up on Phuket beahces on the west coast, Foremost is Kalim Beach, where far-away storms in the Indian Ocean generate waves high enough for an annual surfing contest. Read more here.

Six Sense Phuket Raceweek
Annually, the Phuket Raceweek and their sponsor Six Senses attracts a crowd of yachties from around the world. It is one of the better known events in the region, only second to the Kings Cup Regatta in December. Read more here: www.phuketraceweek.com

Bastille Day
Something for the French visitors of Phuket, or those that want to 'feel French' for a day: some hotels and restaurtants on Phuket organize celebrations for Bastille Day, for example this year there are events at Movenpick and Wine Connection Chalong.

Asaha Bucha Day and Buddhist Lent Day
July 17 and 18 are public holidays, and bars will be closed. Asaha Bucha Day commemorates the day Buddha gave this first sermon after enlightenment to his five disciples. Buddhist Lent Day marks the start of the annual three-month monsoon rains retreat. Read more here.