Kite surfing, which is definitely a lot of fun and action, is when you use a massive kite (more like a parachute) to let the wind pull yourself across the sea while you stand on a kind of small surfboard.

Nai Yang Beach is ideally suited for this kind of sport and the kitesurfing school is only a few meters from the entry of Nai Yang Beach when you come from the airport.

And even if you do not plan on getting wet in action: the demo day party has free drink and food (pig on a stick!) and starts at 09:00 am in the morning. The party is expected to go on into the night, with DJ Jon Bellgamba on the decks from sundown.

For additional information, visit the Thailand Kitesurfing group on Facebook or the website of Kitesurf Thailand.

Links of Interest:

• Event invitation on Facebook
  
• Nai Yang Beach Hotel Recommendations
  
• Kitesurfing School in Nai Yang Beach
• Phuket Live Weather Station in Nai Yang Beach

Especially the last two options are really to be recommended right now, because for the first time that I can remember (and I have stayed here for a good ten years), prices for parasailing have dropped. While back in high season it was still around a thousand Baht, you can go now for THb 800 and as the sea off Patong and the beach are not as crowded, the boat can drive more straight and the landing can be much less precise -- you have a good 30 meters wide of beach to come down again, enough to calm at least my mind!

As the picture shows, slightly more cloudy in Patong Beach than yesterday (see: Today's weather in Phuket Patong), but still good enough to do some watersports.

Below some slightly less happy marine life that has invaded Patong Beach, normally the domain of us humans relaxing, a Pufferfish: literally a 'fish out of water'!Links of Interest:

• Activities and water sports on Phuket Island

According to the yesterday announced ban, from April 15 to June 15 all fishermen trawling the sea floor or trawling using nets with meshing smaller than 4.7 centimeters across are banned from fishing in the area from Laem Sak at Ao Leuk, Krabi to the north end of Koh Yao Noi to the southern tip of Koh Yao Yai and back to Laem Sak and in the area from the southern end of Koh Yao Yai to halfway to Koh Bidah Nok to the southern end of Koh Lanta Yai to offshore from Klongthom District in Krabi.

The new fishing ban around Phang Nga Bay coincides with the twice-yearly spawning period of many Andaman fish species, especially tuna. The Fisheries Department found that tuna spawn in protected areas from December through March and from June through August each year, so the ban will be effective only for part of this period.

The area covered is very large, more than 2,000 square kilometers, and officials themselves have voiced that it will be very difficult to actually police in reality. Also the maximum fines of only THB 10,000 (or up to one year in prison, or both) do not really serve as a deterrent for anybody.