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Best of Phuket Awards 2011: Have Your Say

Best of Phuket Awards 2011: Have Your Say

Saturday, November 12, 2011
WE HAVE great pleasure in announcing the winners of the Phuketwan/Phuket Post Best of Phuket Awards for 2011.

Business of the Year goes to Airports of Thailand, for enlarging Phuket Airport well ahead of the rapid boom in tourist arrivals; Innovation of the Year goes to the public bus company that is doing such a good job along Phuket's west coast between the tourist beach towns; and Phuket Person of the Year goes to the smiling driver who donated Phuket's last surviving tuk-tuk to the National Museum.

Oh, sorry. We've allowed our dreams to run wild again.

But then, the Phuketwan/Phuket Post best of Phuket Awards are an opportunity to let dreams run wild and imagine ''What if . . . '' about Phuket, the wonderful island beloved by residents and tourists.

It's still a natural gem that we would like to see achieve its full potential.

The judging panel at Phuketwan and the Phuket Post, together with some outside experts in specialist areas, has reached the stage in this year's awards of coming up with nominations in several categories.

We've also broken with tradition by already declaring the winner in one category - the Environment Best of Phuket Award - even though strictly speaking, it's way too early. (Tomorrow the winner will be announced.)

In the other categories, we've narrowed down our nominations after considering some fine candidates. And it's not too late for a reader to submit a ''wild card'' for consideration in any category.

As in past years, there are no nominations for the Phuket Post/Phuketwan Phuket Person of the Year 2011 .

The judges will be holding more meetings before announcing that particular prestigious honor, won last year by former Phuket City Police Superintendent Colonel Wanchai Eakpornpit, the man who introduced the successful ''100 percent helmet'' campaign on Phuket and won national awards for his strategic life-saving campaign.

Here are the 2011 Best of Phuket Award nominations for the other categories:

Phuket Business of the Year 2011


Last year's winner: Centara/Centra

This year's nominations: The Phuket News, for adding to the depth of choice in Phuket media; Phuket International Academy, for consistently expanding the boundaries of schooling, sport and spirituality; Supercheap, for fighting inflation and establishing Phuket-owned convenience outlets.

Phuket Innovation of the Year 2011


Last year's winner: Phuket Tin Mine Museum, Kathu

This year's nominations: Saphan Hin public park, for its musical fountain and improvements to Phuket's favorite festival venue; Phuket's honorary consuls, for giving a voice to tourists and expat residents; PATA/Skal, for getting together to broaden tourism.


Phuket Resort of the Year 2011


Last year's winner: The Westin Siray Bay Resort and Spa Phuket

This year's nominations Three old favorites reinvented: : Boathouse Kata; Angsana Laguna Phuket (formerly the Sheraton Grande) and sripanwa, home of the second-best beach bar in the world, according to cnngo.com.

Phuket Good Value Restaurant of the Year 2011


Last year's winner: Uptown, Phuket City

This year's nominations: The Yellow Door, Phuket City, funky and fun food; Suay, a country cottage in Phuket City; Gitano, tasty and tangy Tex Mex.

Phuket Best Restaurant of the Year 2011


Last year's winner: Sea.Fire.Salt., Anantara, Mai Khao

This year's nominations: Yet to be confirmed in this important category. We are looking for readers' suggestions. Tell us what you think via comment below.

Comments

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My recommendations:
Phuket Business of the Year 2011:
Should be surely Phuketwan as this company contributed a lot to the island and did ''wake up'' several people in power (but they need ongoing wake up calls as they fall asleep easily)

Phuket Innovation of the Year 2011
Having correct minutes of meetings with Phuket honorary consuls and local authorities.

Phuket Resort of the Year 2011
Cape Sianna

Phuket Good Value Restaurant of the Year 2011
Kao-Man Gai Restaurant near Krungthai bank at Patong.

Phuket Best Restaurant of the Year 2011
Salvadores at Phuket Town


PS: I like your joke about successful ''100 percent helmet'' campaign'' ( I think we should accept mistakes and failures!)

Posted by Mr. K on November 12, 2011 11:04

Editor Comment:

Forty percent is a vast improvement on zero.

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Phuket Resort: Sripanwa
Best restaurant: Davinci

Posted by yay on November 12, 2011 12:15

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While were dreaming: How about the following:

1.Karon Beach Government for closing their beach road from 8AM until 11PM and running free Disney stile trolleys up and down the road so tourists can avoid the long walks in the sun and heat to go shopping or to try a distant restaurant or beach, and to avoid those nasty Tuk Tuks.

2. To the Phuket City government for starting a campaign to put Motorbike free sidewalks along the roads so people can actually walk alongside not in the road.

3.To the police who for the first time actually fined Thais in the beach resort areas more money for traffic offenses (especially parking) than they did foreigners and for there new campaign to issue warning tickets only to tourists for minor traffic violations while welcoming them to Thailand and wishing them a great day.

4.To the lifeguards on duty at the beaches for finally receiving complaints from tourists because they were told to get out of the water on red flag days. This is the only one above that has a small chance of becoming reality someday.

Posted by mike on November 12, 2011 13:56

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Phuket Business of the Year: Supercheap.
Phuket Innovation of the Year: Phuket Honorary Consuls.
Phuket Resort of the Year: Pass. Not much innovative in that area this year.
Phuket Best Restaurant of the Year: DaVinci.
Phuket Good Value Restaurant of the Year: Gitano.

Posted by Duncan on November 12, 2011 14:54

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@Mr.K: its a business price, not a non profit organisation price. ;)

Phuket Person of 2011: or better group this time: the beach rescue teams from Phukets West Coast. Most heavy work, great efforts to safe lives, but only little pay spiced up with emotional traumata. These are my Phuket people of 2011.

Posted by Lena on November 12, 2011 16:07

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Can we have a "Phuket White Elephant Of The Year" category, please?

I nominate the "Welcome To Patong" sign - or whatever it says. I don't actually know what it says because I've never seen it or tried to find it as I've been too busy avoiding the maniacs driving over Patong Hill.

Posted by Eric on November 12, 2011 20:22

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I place a double vote for Gitano, which is fair enough because there are now two of them!

Supercheap for sure because it's kicking Tesco-Lotus's ass in keeping its shelves stocked during this flood crisis. And because it is a true Phuket-born business. (Unlike the Bangkok-based Central/Centara, say)

I'd vote for the Sarasin bridge project over Saphan Hin as an innovation because it's a rare transformation of a place into a functional/attractive & truly public space, whereas the fountains, etc, in Saphan Hin to me look more like someone's pricey pet project taking over a perfectly good existing public space.

For Hon Cons, good idea, too - though I'd probably be more excited about it if my tribe (The Canuckers) was represented at the table. Selfish I know...

Posted by Lana on November 12, 2011 23:05

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Resort of the year: Laguna
Good value restaurant: the yellow door
Best restaurant: Da Vinci, 9th floor

Posted by jean on November 13, 2011 12:12

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Business of the year has to be Supercheap with their mini stores who were not only fully stocked when others were dire in what they could offer but are also bringing fresh produce to a local community that cannot make the early morning markets - good business and good health

Best Value Restaurant - Samkong Steak House in Phuket Town

Best Restaurant - DaVinci in Naiharn

Innovation of the year - of the three to choose from the Honorary Consuls meeting

Resort of the year - never go to them as I live here.

Posted by Richard on November 30, 2011 11:54


Friday March 29, 2024
Horizon Karon Beach Resort & Spa

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