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Marking the 84th birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyedej of Thailand, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta fleet completed an awe-inspiring sail pass on its way to the start of the first day of racing yesterday. Led by Royal Thai Navy yachts, participating ships sailed past H.T.M.S Chonburi and two further Navy vessels, saluting or standing up to an image of His Majesty before making their way to the competition starting point.
 
This is the 25th Anniversary of the classic boating spectacle, and this particular year marks His Majesty the King’s 84th Birthday with the largest fleet of vessels, new sponsors, the introduction of a Kiteboard Class and increasing competitiveness in the Dinghy Class.

Phuket is host to some of the world’s top sportsmen and women this week with two international racing events underway. Some rainy weather will give an added wet dimension to the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship race today (December 4), which includes a 3.8km swim, a 180km cycle and a 42.2km run at the Laguna Phuket Resort.
 
Meanwhile, dozens of competitive sailors are aiming for the top prize at the 25th annual King’s Cup Regatta, with five days of racing starting tomorrow. Inclement weather has already added some excitement to this year’s competition, with some moored yachts pushed to shore by strong winds and getting stuck in the soft sands of Kata Beach.
 
More information on the Ironman 70.3 championship is at www.ironmanphuket.com and for the Phuket King’s Cup visit www.kingscup.com.

North Phuket resorts are teaming up again to present a celebration of fine food at the second annual North Phuket Culinary Arts Festival, at Mai Khao Beach from December 2-4.
 
The first evening’s festivities take place at the SALA Phuket Resort & Spa and Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa, where the epicurean set will enjoy their fare at a super-long dining table specially designed for the event. On December 3, Anantara Phuket will host the Infinity Sunset Grill, a culinary experience set to the backdrop of Phuket's finest sunset with cool DJ tunes to dance the night away. The final day moves to JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, which will bring The Brunch of your Life, a bounty of sophisticated tastes from the JWM kitchens and bars for the entire family to enjoy.
 
Single pass tickets are 1500 baht net per person and a full weekend pass ticket is 4,000 baht net per person. Children under seven years old dine free of charge, while there’s a 50% discount for children under 12 years old. Order your tickets in advance by email to events@northphuket.com or buy them at one of the host resorts from December 2-4.

Thai spas picked up five of the 25 coveted top honours for innovation and quality in spa standards at the seventh annual AsiaSpa Awards ceremony held in Hong Kong recently.
 
“This is huge kudos,” says Andrew Jacka, President of the Thai Spa Association. “Thailand has again walked away with 20 per cent of these prestigious awards. This underlines not only the professionalism that the Thai spa industry has achieved over the past few years, but also highlights some of our unique strengths - our cuisine and our regional domination of the medical spa industry.”
 
Among the Thailand spa winners were Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa in Koh Samui,
TRIA Integrated Wellness in Bangkok, The Peninsula Spa by ESPA at The Peninsula in Bangkok and Coqoon Spa at The Indigo Pearl Phuket resort.
 
More than 300 leading spa professionals gathered at Hong Kong's The Mira Hotel in early November for the stunning ceremony that recognizes the industry's top spas, personalities, destinations and products.

Phuket visitors and residents will be treated to three nights of world music in honour of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 84th Birthday Anniversary (7th Buddhist Cycle) at Saphan Hin in Phuket City from December 2-5.
 
Performers include Northern beauty Lanna Cummins, the Southern Fun of KoKaiNaiSon, the Central Plains Rap of “Na Yong” & Team as well as the granddaddy of Isarn World Musiq, Nga Caravan & the Siam Beat of Kun Inn, USA’s “AMERICANA”, the BATUCADA drums of Brazil, Phuket’s own “URUK” Sea Gypsies, the Middle East World Musiq Superstar Hassan Hakmoun & Todd Tongdee’s “HIMMAPAN” World Musiq & Dance show. Some 30 booths of Phuket World Food & exhibitions on His Majesty’s Music round out the festival’s fun.
 
The festival will run from 4pm to midnight each day. Free entry to all!
 
For more information call organiser Todd Thongdee at 081 -616-8202, email himmapan@yahoo.com or visit phuketworldmusiq.com.

Island beat music lovers in Phuket have much to celebrate this week with the arrival of the acclaimed Thai reggae band Job2Do, set to perform in two locations. Tonight (November 23) the band is putting on a free concert in Rawai to add some closing Rasta grooves to the community festival that has been running since last weekend. There will be other entertainment all evening, while Job’s set to take the stage at 9pm.
 
Then, on November 25, Job2Do will play at the beach club of Indigo Pearl on Nai Yang Beach as the headline performer for the resort’s Nai Yang Beach Party Grand Opening Season event. The party starts at 6pm and the entry fee is 250 baht per person, available at the beach club or at the resort’s reception desk.

Phuket fishing fans will get the chance to reel in their catch for prizes at the Phuket International Sportfishing Tournament, running from November 24-26 in Chalong. Those who catch the most in overall weight in a range of eligible fish including barracuda, black marlin, sailfish and tuna will take top honours, while those who release the most will earn a special prize as well.
 
The competition starts at 8am daily from Chalong Bay, with the day’s catch tallied at the Tamarind Bar and Grill area every evening. A number of different boats are available to charter for those wishing to enter the tournament.
 
Visit www.phuket-international-sportfishing-tournament.com for more details.

The best Phuket resorts and travel experts are set to gather at the Royal Phuket Marina this weekend (November 18-20) for the Asian Hospitality and Travel Show. Exhibitors include tour operators, resorts, food and beverage distributors and travel media.
 
The featured keynote speaker for the trade-only event on November 18 is Michael Nurbatlian, the E-Commerce Manager at the InterContinental Resorts Thailand, who’s regarded as a pioneering force in the hospitality digital marketing and social business.
 
The show opens to the public on the final two days, with exhibits, contests and lucky draws to enjoy from 11am onwards. For more information visit eventsthailand.net.

Get ready to shake it for a cause with a night of African drum jamming and dance in support of the local art village and Bangkok flood victims. On November 19 from 5pm, the Love Art Studio will be hosting two special guests, a drummer from Krabi and another from Senegal, to lead the sessions, and all are invited to join the event.
 
The entrance fee of 50 baht will go towards helping flood victims as well as projects in the local art community. Food and drinks available.
 
For directions and more information visit theloveartstudio.com.