Another day, another Phang Nga Bay snap, this time of Cristiano, 27, fishing with Russian beauty Irina, 26.


PHUKET: Somewhere out there today, the world's most expensive footballer is enjoying himself under a cloudy Phuket sky, just like the rest of us.

We can prove that he's actually enjoying himself because the photo above was posted on Twitter overnight.

And look. the usually serious Cristiano Ronaldo is actually smiling!

Phuket - and the region around it, including Phang Nga - does wonderful things, and making Cristiano Ronaldo smile is just the latest of them.


Here's what he had to say in his Tweet:

''I'm enjoying my vacations and just been informed that I've been nominated for the ESPYS awards. It's not my first time but it's always a pleasure to be part of such a shortlist.''

An Espy Award (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) is an accolade presented by the American cable television network ESPN to recognise individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance.

Was it news of the Espy that made Ronaldo smile? Or the fun time he appears to be having on vacation at the Six Senses Yao Noi Beyond Phuket hideaway haven?

Perhaps, we suggest, jumping to wild conclusions, it may have even been the photographer. We suspect that the happy snapper was Irina Shayk, a holiday companion to make most men smile.

We hope that the latest news - that Lionel Messi was voted Best International Athlete at the Espys - does not wipe the smile from Cristiano's face.

There are plenty of reasons why he should keep smiling. For a start, the views from the Six Senses Yao Noi are superb.

And Ronaldo remains the most expensive footballer in history, having moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a transfer worth a cool $131.6 million.