PHUKET'S ducks are being plucked by the hundreds and spoken to individually and earnestly in readiness for the second Great Phuket Rubber Duck Race at 4pm on Sunday.
This is the true Phuket athlete's answer to those more gruelling annual events at Laguna Phuket, the triathlon and the marathon.
The duckathon, second of its kind, allows the ducks to do all the work.
With the sit, waddle and natter being the duckathon equivalent of the swim, the ride and the run, Phuket's trained armchair athletes will be able to do what they do so well all afternoon long until they feel weary and fit.
Organisers say 1000 ducks have already entered, but there's room for one or two more trained winners yet. So splash out now, as the more intelligent ducks tend to quack to each other, and some fabulous prizes could be yours.
This year's event is bigger and better and brings all the fun of the fair to the Phuket Charity Foundation Race Day. From 10am to 6pm, the food and the fun will keep on coming at this fair, with the setting at Laguna Phuket converted to a duck-watcher's paradise.
Dragon boat racing begins at 10am, with the official opening ceremony at noon and a ''Delightful Ducklings'' costume contest at 12.30pm. On stage, the Phuket Academy of Dance will perform at 1.45pm with master illusionist Joe Conrad due to pluck a duck out of a hat at 3.15pm.
The great duck race at 4pm won't see the end of it - there's the cardboard box race just before then and more dragon boat racing through until 6.30pm.
All afternoon, organisers promise classic car rides, closeup magic by Dan Berlin, trampoline fun, a beat the goalie contest, an art corner for kids, and food and drink from plenty of Phuket establishments.
But pluck your duck now and speak to it earnestly, before it's too late.
South east Asia's finest racing ducks are still on sale at 40 local shops and outlets at 150 baht each. Best waddle down there now, because sales cease on January 20, although Internet purchases can be made until midnight on January 21.
Plenty of the fastest and sleekest ducks are being kept for sale at the fair on the day, though.
The top prize is three days and two nights for 10 people aboard the gorgeous yacht Silolona, but if your duck hasn't been spoken to earnestly enough to get across the line first, there are plenty of other prizes.
Next year, so the organisers tell us, they hope to let the ducks watch the true Phuket athletes race.
For more about the event and the Phuket Charity Foundation, go to www.phuketcharity.org/
This is the true Phuket athlete's answer to those more gruelling annual events at Laguna Phuket, the triathlon and the marathon.
The duckathon, second of its kind, allows the ducks to do all the work.
With the sit, waddle and natter being the duckathon equivalent of the swim, the ride and the run, Phuket's trained armchair athletes will be able to do what they do so well all afternoon long until they feel weary and fit.
Organisers say 1000 ducks have already entered, but there's room for one or two more trained winners yet. So splash out now, as the more intelligent ducks tend to quack to each other, and some fabulous prizes could be yours.
This year's event is bigger and better and brings all the fun of the fair to the Phuket Charity Foundation Race Day. From 10am to 6pm, the food and the fun will keep on coming at this fair, with the setting at Laguna Phuket converted to a duck-watcher's paradise.
Dragon boat racing begins at 10am, with the official opening ceremony at noon and a ''Delightful Ducklings'' costume contest at 12.30pm. On stage, the Phuket Academy of Dance will perform at 1.45pm with master illusionist Joe Conrad due to pluck a duck out of a hat at 3.15pm.
The great duck race at 4pm won't see the end of it - there's the cardboard box race just before then and more dragon boat racing through until 6.30pm.
All afternoon, organisers promise classic car rides, closeup magic by Dan Berlin, trampoline fun, a beat the goalie contest, an art corner for kids, and food and drink from plenty of Phuket establishments.
But pluck your duck now and speak to it earnestly, before it's too late.
South east Asia's finest racing ducks are still on sale at 40 local shops and outlets at 150 baht each. Best waddle down there now, because sales cease on January 20, although Internet purchases can be made until midnight on January 21.
Plenty of the fastest and sleekest ducks are being kept for sale at the fair on the day, though.
The top prize is three days and two nights for 10 people aboard the gorgeous yacht Silolona, but if your duck hasn't been spoken to earnestly enough to get across the line first, there are plenty of other prizes.
Next year, so the organisers tell us, they hope to let the ducks watch the true Phuket athletes race.
For more about the event and the Phuket Charity Foundation, go to www.phuketcharity.org/
