Phuket’s Multihull Solutions Regatta got off to a great start as PRO Simon James, back from a hiatus in the Welsh hinterlands, was able to fit in three races for all classes on day one between squalls and pounding rain.
Fourteen boats were entered in the regatta, but at the start of the regatta the crew on The Sting woke up, took one look at the weather and went back to bed. Charles Robinson’s Star Trek was dealing with problems in another galaxy and then warming up for the first race, Richard Delaney’s Pulse Red broke its rudder, so there were 11 boats raring to go for the 10:30 start time on the first day. Tide tables being what they are it was imperative that PRO James get the boats off early so that the crews could be back at the host Phuket Yacht Club by mid-afternoon when the tide receded.      
The skies really opened up near the end of the third race and everyone received a thorough soaking but spirits were high. This was the fifth regatta the Club has staged since the onset of COVID, and for many it is just such a relief and respite to be out doing something and competing against the backdrop of all the restrictions brought on by the pandemic. 
This is the eighth regatta where Multihull Solutions has been the title sponsor since they started their sponsorship of the event back in 2014. The winners of the previous regattas are as follows:
2020 – Fugazi; 2019 – Phantom; 2018 – Fugazi; 2017 – Thor; 2016 – Hurricane; 2015 – Hurricane; 2014 -   Java
Paul Stamp has now taken over as the Southeast Asian Manager for Multihull Solutions and was graciously on hand to officially start the regatta, Andrew deBruin has moved back to the company’s new office in Brisbane where he will oversee the company’s operations in Asia.    
It was great to see PYC Commodore Scott Duncanson on the water again as he was steering Fugazi in this regatta. Scott has done a wonderful promoting and organizing the club’s junior sailing program. 

​This superb two-storey property is located on 333 twah (approx. 1,320 sq m), making it one of the largest plots in a peaceful residential area of popular Bangsaray. It features four double bedrooms, four bathrooms, European kitchen, snooker room and lounge areas. Other highlights include a large swimming pool, landscaped garden, a fish pond and waterfall, plus a two-tier sala with small gym. Built by the current owner, the house and land have plenty of potential for reconfiguration and expansion. This sale presents a great opportunity to join Bangsaray’s booming property scene. Price 15.75 million baht.

By Robin Westley Martin

In these dark days of Covid, people from all walks of life in Thailand are facing desperate situations, with some even considering suicide as a way out. Offering them a lifeline are the Samaritans of Thailand, a group of volunteers who work tirelessly to make sure that those in difficulty always have someone to talk to.

Khun Trakarn Chensy, Chairman of the Samaritans of Thailand, has devoted most of his free time to the charity since 1997. In this inspiring article, he explains how the organization works and what it takes to become a volunteer.
               
What can I do? Where can I go? How can I feed my children? When can I go back to work? Why does no one care?
The torment caused by Covid-19 that has spread across the world does not only affect people physically, by becoming sick. It also affects us mentally. And the resulting stress and trauma can be even more debilitating than the disease itself … it affects whole families, from children to senior citizens – even if they have not caught the disease themselves.

Families in lower income groups have been particularly hard-hit. In Thailand many of them toil from day-to-day, in the subsistence economy; they sell their wares on the street; they wheel food-carts around; they work as taxi drivers; they work as maids, as cleaners in the hotel industry, as tour guides; they work in restaurants, in the entertainment industry, and more.
Much of this work has dried up over the last eighteen months, and so have the meagre savings they may have scraped together over the years. Many are in dire straits, and as things have recently become so much worse during the third
Thailand wave of Covid-19 infections they are in despair. Depressed. Hungry. Sick. Worried. Nowhere and no one to turn to for help. And in their desperation, as they hit the all-time low, many have chosen to take the final solution … suicide.

She tells how she first laid eyes on Anders at an awards ceremony: tall, extremely good looking with thick hair and blue eyes. He was delivering a speech that really impressed her. They met later at a private party and fell madly in love. It was meant to be, says Anna.
Since 2016 the couple and their two children have resided in downtown Bangkok.
As a young girl, Anna lived in northern Sweden, and then moved to Gävle for her university studies. Immediately after graduation she headed to Stockholm to begin a career in the pharmaceutical industry.
As far back as she can recall, Anna displayed great interest in people’s health, or perhaps more appropriately, their lack of good health. As proof of that interest, she went on to earn a degree in the new field of wellness.
 
Beginning her career as a sales representative, she eventually became responsible for five countries marketing various different portfolios as product manager.
“It was a hectic time and I often felt guilty as I did not have as much time for my family as I had wished. Thankfully my family did not blame me for being so dedicated to my work.”
The chance to live a less stressful life came in 2016 when her husband was offered a job in Bangkok. The family did not hesitate to leave Sweden for a new adventure in Asia, but the children were, at the beginning, not too thrilled.
Anna saw a possibility to take a break, to reflect on her life and relax. The first years in Bangkok were spent concentrating on her own wellbeing. But it didn’t take long before she started to study to become a PT (Personal Trainer).
She wanted to get in shape, but coaching was her real passion, so when she heard about ICF (International Coaching Federation), the world’s biggest coaching organization, she decided to study the subject and eventually became an Executive and Life Coach. In March 2018, Anna won the highest credentials in exam.
Today Anna coaches and organizes workshops and training session, but she has already taken the next step in her career.

Earlier this year, Anna won The Advanced Toastmasters Club Completion Southeast Asia 2021 award.

Ruth Gerson talks to Dr. Dimple Aorora, an Ayurvedic medicine and wellness practitioner.
The awareness of holistic health and wellness has become prevalent in people’s lives in recent years, even more so with the advent of Covid. It is not however a new trend; nurturing good health was a way of life in ancient India where Ayurvedic wellness was practiced thousands of years ago.
Still widely used in India today, Ayurvedic medicine has changed and refined over the years and is now available outside of India, including in Thailand. Meet Dr. Dimple Arora, an Ayurvedic medicine and wellness practitioner.

Educated and trained in Pune, India, in advanced Ayurvedic medicine at the Internal Academy of Ayurveda, earning the degree of Master of Ayurvedic Medicine (MDAM), Dr. Arora followed her studies with a Diet and Nutrition course on line from London.
 
Talking with Dr. Arora about her work, one is immediately taken by her enthusiasm and dedication to her craft. She says it has been her life’s mission and passion since early age. Dr. Arora, who was born and has lived in Thailand most of her life, spent her formative years studying in India at the Himalayan foothills. When asked what compelled her to take this path in life, she discloses how she was inspired by observing her grandmother heal herself from numerous inflammations, the body having had rejected medicines given by her doctors. She knew then what she wanted to do with her life, “It is my Path,” says Dr. Arora with a smile.  
 
Dr. Arora started her career in Thailand consulting at the Suchada Marva Healing Center in Bangkok, at a time of little awareness of Ayurvedic healing. Much of her work was freelancing, giving talks at hospitals and spas all over the country – “spreading the knowledge,” she says. In 2010 she set up her own wellness center after the launch of her book the previous year, ‘A New Age Manual for the New Mothers - Postnatal and Beyond.’

137 Pillars Hotels & Resorts have added a luxurious new offering to their collection with the launch of 137 Pillars Spirit, their sleek Azimut 55 flybridge motor yacht, based out of Yacht Haven Marina, Phuket.
 
137 Pillars Spirit can accommodate up to 12 people for a chartered half or full day cruise with optional catering, or explore further afield on overnight excursions and onboard staycations. 
 
The yacht can accommodate up to six people overnight with two double cabins and one twin.  The master cabin has its own en-suite. Join Captain Boonchom and his experienced crew from Asia Marine for an enjoyable and memorable cruise. 
 
While scheduled options include the following, personalized itineraries can be arranged in accordance with guests’ specific requirements.  Catering showcases delicious Thai cuisine with a vegetarian menu option and a choice of beverage packages.
 
Phang Nga and Surrounding Islands
 
Some of the smaller islands off the coast of Phuket offer unique sights and are easily accessible by boat.  The pristine waters are excellent for snorkelling and diving, with inviting sandy beaches perfect for swimming and relaxing.  Sail through sparkling lagoons and see the majestic limestone cliffs and overhanging rock formations.  Canoes can be rented from local suppliers to sail into interior lagoons to see spectacular tropical rainforest.

Chef’s short description
Chef Pakpilai Chainman, Head Chef at Sirimahannop
Chef Pakpilai Chainman is the highly skilled chef, funny, friendly and easy-going. Chef Som (as she is better known) demonstrates the authentic charm and elegance of Thai culture and cuisine. Chef Som started out as Commis at Thien Dong, the Vietnamese restaurant at Dusit Thani. She was then appointed by the popular Ku De Ta restaurant in Bangkok, where she created the menu of contemporary Asian cuisine. Having moved into the hotel dining sector, she worked at some of Thailand’s most impressive international properties, including The St. Regis Bangkok and, more recently, Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park. Now, still only 36, she brings her immense talent to Sirimahannop, which is docked on the banks on Bangkok’s “River of Kings”.

​By Robin Westley Martin
 
People visit Thailand for any number of reasons; the great weather and beaches; the temples and culture; the nightlife; the fantastic food, and a myriad other attractions. This also applies to non-Thais who live here, but with travel options likely to remain limited for a while, visitors and locals who have been double-jabbed might be looking for other ways to spend their time rather than simply lazing on the beaches or taking in the temples.
 
We are now 20 years into our new millennium, and people the world over are more aware than ever of the need to preserve the flora and fauna of our planet, and to take care of the forests and jungles. We need to do this for our own enjoyment, and for that of our children, grandchildren, and the generations to come.
 
Residents and tourists cannot go wrong by getting back to nature in one of Thailand’s wonderful national parks. And the third largest of these parks, Khao Yai, is only a two-hour drive from the concrete spires and traffic jams of Bangkok. Thailand’s first commissioned park, it opened to the public in 1962, and remains the most popular with visitors.
 
Thailand now boasts 127 national parks, including marine retreats that are home to enigmatic whale sharks and multi-hued fish making their way through coral reefs, dense tracts of rainforest, humid jungles and mangrove forests, blossom-covered hills, mountains and valleys, winding cave systems, bird sanctuaries, and hundreds of waterfalls.
 
As Thailand slowly starts to welcome back visitors, they will be greeted by natural grandeur as well as amazing peace and quiet.
They will find themselves brushing through the lush, dew-dropped tropical vegetation in the mornings, enveloped by a miasma of never-smelt-before aromas, as well as living side-by-side with the varied local wildlife. And the chance to collect stunning photos to be shared on Instagram around the world.