Shopping / Security and smart homes

Phuket Pineapple Fried Rice

Open daily 6-10pm

Most people associate southern Thailand with the idyllic beaches of Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui but few people know that just a couple of hundred miles south of the popular tourist destinations empty beaches, authentic night markets, and quaint fishing towns await.

A good place to start your journey is in Trang, some 100km south of Krabi. Trang is perhaps best known as a transit hub on the way to nearby islands which is a shame because the town itself actually offers plenty of culture, charming coffee shops and, a short ride away, long stretches of empty beaches. A large portion of Trang’s population is made up of the descendents of Chinese immigrants who came to Thailand in the 18th century and all around town you will see traces of this cultural legacy; a dim sum restaurant here, a traditional Chinese medicine shop there. Traditional Chinese coffee shops, or raan kopi as they are known locally, are great places to soak in the local culture and Yu Chiang is an especially atmospheric example. The place is owned by a family of Chinese descent and locals sit around marble-topped tables with hot cups of tea or kafae boran, strongly roasted robusta coffee which is sweetened with condensed milk.

West of Trang town you’ll find Pak Meng Beach, which is a long stretch of practically untouched strand. Unlike many of the beaches in popular tourist destinations like Phuket and Samui, Pak Meng beach is almost deserted. Bar a few shacks along the beach road selling freshly caught seafood and colourful sarongs, you are likely to have the whole place to yourself. Renting a tuk tuk from Trang to Pak Meng is easy and affordable.

From Trang, head southeast to southern Thailand’s largest city, Hat Yai. Like Trang, Hat Yai most commonly finds itself on travellers’ itineraries as a transit to nearby locations but for those willing to spend a few days there, the town has excellent southern food and a great night market.

Ingredients

• 120 gm red snapper
• 30 gm onions
• 10 gm sliced chili
• 3 gm kaffir lime leaves
• 40 gm vegetable oil
• 20 gm fish sauce
• 80 gm fresh milk
• 50 gm corn flour
• 50 gm mushrooms
• 20 gm lemon grass
• 10 gm galangal
• 2 gm coriander root
• 50 gm seasoned chili
• 20 gm lemon
• 2 gm coriander
• palm oil

Method: Coat the whole red snapper with cornflour and fry in a skillet with palm oil.

Take prepared vegetable oil, onions, lemon grass, galangal, coriander root, kaffir lime leaves and chili and mix together into a pot. Set on low heat and let the mix simmer.

Put seasoned chili, mushrooms, fresh milk, fish sauce, and lemon sauce into the simmering pot and mix all ingredients together.

When the red snapper is fully cooked, place the fish on a serving plate. Take the sauce mix and slowly it pour over the red snapper.

Avocado / Tomato / Pickled Onion / Avruga / Tendrils

Open daily from 6-10.30pm

Many of Phuket’s hotels and restaurants offer classes in Thai cooking, where you can learn directly from professional chefs.
If you love Thai food and want to learn how it’s done, it’s worth taking a day or two of your holiday to attend a Thai cooking class.
Two of the more notable offerings are at the Boathouse Wine & Grill in Kata Beach and the Blue Elephant Governor Mansion in Phuket City.

The most popular of all the temples in Phuket is Wat Chalong, built during the reign of King Rama II (1809-1842) and since subject to much extension. The temple contains several structures and halls, one of which features a gilt-covered statue of the famous and revered Luang Poh Cham, plus statues of Luang Poh Chuang and Luang Poh Gleum, all ex-abbots of the temple. The Grand Pagoda is decorated with wall paintings of scenes from the Buddha’s life and features various Buddha images.

Everyone who's done it knows it; there are so many meticulous details that go into planning a wedding. A date must be set, the venue chosen, dresses and formal wear acquired, the elaborate minutiae of flowers, linens, dinnerware and cutlery, music and a photographer must be selected, and cakes, wines and champagnes to be agreed upon to maximize the celebrations on the big day.

For most, a tropical wedding on a sun-kissed island is the type of bonding that dreams are made of. Saying “I do” to the backdrop of a breathtaking sunset represents the perfect storybook wedding fantasy but a tropical wedding doesn't have to be only a dream… In Phuket, there's a wide variety of venues, event and wedding planners, as well as suppliers, that go above and beyond their duty to make many couples' tropical wedding dreams come true.

Why choose Phuket as your wedding destination? There are so many answers to that question, beginning with the island itself: Simply put, Phuket's gorgeous. The natural beauty of the island hosts some of the very best scenery that Southeast Asia has to offer, including lush, green tropical foliage and an amazing assortment of colourful tropical flowers, such as rare species of orchids and sweet-smelling frangipani.

Phuket's beaches are world-renowned for their rugged beauty, and rightfully so. The east and west coast beaches of the island each provide their own unique slice of beach heaven. Some beaches are backed by lovely casuarina trees and native palm trees, while others roll on for as far as the eye can see. The island's beaches make for a picture-perfect postcard backdrop to your wedding day.

When did you set up the business?
in 2009 in Bangkok, just as the effects of the credit crunch in the USA were being felt around the world. At first we focused on bringing affordable accommodation options to Bangkokians with Proud and Proud X2 condominiums. The combination of a compact condo concept in a convenient location proved very popular. With Phuket's growing population (about 9,000 new residents each year) we saw a similar need for Tri Property's unique brand of affordable housing on the island.

What were you doing before?
I've always been involved in real estate. In the early years my time was split between Thailand and the United States, where I attained master's degrees in Construction Management from Western Michigan University and then Environmental Engineering from San Fransisco State University, before returning to settle in Bangkok.

The next five years were very productive. I went straight into real estate as a project manager but I'd always had a strong desire to make a unique contribution to the residential real estate market, so Tri Property was established and I haven't looked back since.

What’s unique about Tri Property?
Our aim is to stand out as a leader not a follower, which we achieve with attention to every detail. For example, when we embark on a new project, we physically test everything − from the durability of the furniture to the comfort of the seating and bedding.

Tri Property's residential projects are unique for each location as they're determined by real market demands and incorporate cutting-edge designs for multi-purpose space and convenience.

What are your main challenges?
We aim to stay ahead of the curve with design innovation for the next generation that's practical, tasteful and stylish, which sometimes means we have a particular concept that we want to develop and then have to find a way to make it possible. This usually requires input of expertise from a range of different skills.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born in Bangkok, and working with the TAT I’ve been based in Rayong province as well as the TAT office in Los Angeles, which is responsible for all of North America. My family, including my son, aged 25, are living in Bangkok.

Before coming here to work, had you been to Phuket before?
Yes, the first time I came to Phuket was about 15 years ago. There were not a lot of tourists then compared to now. The cost of living was still low and, aside from Patong, the beaches were not so crowded.

When you have free time in Phuket, what do you like to do?
I’m lucky that my office is in Phuket Old Town. I like to go out to eat chicken rice or noodle soup. Some of my favourite restaurants are Uptown and Raya in Phuket Town, and for seafood I go to Kan Eang @ Pier in Chalong. I love to play golf, and Phuket has some excellent golf courses.

What are the main priorities for you and your team at TAT Phuket?
The TAT domestic offices normally work to promote their destinations to Thai tourists, but in Phuket we also promote the island to overseas tourists. We have two jobs: the product side and the marketing side. For Phuket, we do not focus much on the marketing because it’s already well known. The priority for us is in improving the product, and we coordinate with other organisations to discuss issues such as dealing with garbage and improving the electricity supply.

What are the main challenges Phuket is facing as a growing tourism destination?
We worry about the quality of the product. The beaches, infrastructure, airport, highways, traffic – all of these things need to be managed properly and made better. When I go to other countries I see that people follow regulations. Here, there’s a lack of discipline and on this we need to improve.

How important is the marine leisure industry (yachting / luxury boat trips) for Phuket tourism?
We see this as our new potential market, in addition to other markets we’re targeting including honeymooners and the cruise liner market. Recently we discussed the budget for the next fiscal year 2014-2015 for the development of a convention centre, a deep-sea port and better linkage with other countries by sea – Malaysia, Singapore, even Myanmar. A new ferry route connecting Phuket to Krabi and Langkawi is in discussion. Phuket already has some excellent marinas including Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon. We will continue to encourage the private sector to develop and improve Phuket’s marinas, as the private sector can do a much better job than the government in this area.