PHUKET: Like a ball being hammered back across the net, the women's beach volleyball tournament is returning to Phuket this year after a ''holiday'' in Chonburi province.

Pentangle Sport Promotions Managing Director Geoffrey Rowe said yesterday that ''regulations have changed and the cost is less'' to stage the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event at Phuket's Karon beach.

He was speaking to journalists at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket City. The dates for this year's event are October 29-November 3, with 60 teams expected to participate.

Prizemoney would be $US100,000, he said. The event is televised and popular with Phuket residents and tourists.

Counting last year's event at Bangsaen beach, this would be the eighth staging of the event.

The difference between Phuket and Bangsaen is that 80 percent of the audience on Phuket are foreign while 80 percent of the audience in Bangsaen were Thai, he said.

''On Phuket, conditions are good,'' he said. ''It's the only event on the world tour held on a natural beach.''

He added that beach volleyball was ''very expensive'' to stage and that there was always a need to find more sponsors.