Holidaymakers in Phuket might have seen an interesting fence recently at the Sappaya Spa. Its happily Hindu owner asked contractors to build the fence using the Shiva Linga motif to bring him good luck: but the result is that others think the spa is being guarded by 18 large penises.

Locals flooded the Phuket culture office with complaints. But really, it's not that kind of spa. The owner has agreed to get the contractors back in to create 18 Lotus flowers instead.

[Photo: MaRkoP...]

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· Outcry Prompts Spa to Tear Down Fence [SMH] ]]> amandak 2007-01-31T05:41:07-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/1/10/4505/68286
If you're headed for gorgeous Phuket soon, make a special trip to the small island of Koh Sireh, divided from Phuket only by a small water street. There's a miracle going on there in the form of a lucky banana tree that predicts winning lottery numbers.

Don't believe us? Well, reports say that many people have had success with this method: "They rub a mixture of powder and water on the tree's trunk, then wait to see what number the solution resembles as it dries."

The real winner, however, seems to be the local entrepreneur whose set up a drink stall nearby and says she sells soft drink to a couple of hundred visitors a day. Her numbers have definitely come up.

Related Stories:
· Banana Tree Predicts Numbers [Ananova]
· Kate Moss and Pete Doherty 'Marry' in Thailand [Jaunted] ]]> amandak 2007-01-10T10:50:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/1/2/93930/51792
Supermodel Kate Moss took her junkie boyfriend to the smartest place a junkie can holiday...Thailand! She and ex-Libertine rocker Pete Doherty got 'married' in Phuket this weekend, though the legal validity of the ceremony is doubted. The tabloids are reporting that they'll tie the knot for real in London later this month.

Kate most likely footed the bill for their stay at Amanpuri, an Aman property where a five-bedroom villa runs about $9000 a night--pretty standard for the chain. The resort was rumored to be riddled with celeb guests at the time--also pretty standard for the chain. Another secret celebrity-friendly Aman outpost in the region is Amanpulo in the Philippines.

Given the good judgement she's shown recently, we trust Kate will drag Pete to Bali next.

Related Stories:
· Let's Hope Homegirl Got a Prenup [Dlisted]
· Thai bride Kate to marry Doherty again in London [Daily Mail]
· Crack Now Basically Legal in UK for Pete Doherty [Gawker]
]]> djk 2007-01-02T09:39:30-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2005/7/20/174110/892 The Vegetarian Festival, held each fall in Phuket, Thailand, commemorates events of about 200 years ago, when Chinese opera singers visiting the island were saved from deadly illness by adopting a vegetarian diet for a month. To this day, the islanders celebrate this occurrence, but they don't do it merely by laying off the shrimp and chicken for the period. Instead, hundreds of men (and some women) pierce their skin as a sacrifice for the community as a whole. What do they use? As the Fortean Times reports, "Anything will do, it seems, from swords and daggers, to candles, chillis and straws. Even sharpened, ornately carved table legs, lawnmowers, small sailing boats, shards of glass, bicycle chains or two-meter (6.6 ft) metal poles weighed down with pineapples are used."

Related Stories:
·   The Vegetarian Festival, Phuket [Fortean Times -- warning: photos are extremely bloody]
·   Phuket Events & Festivals [Phuket.com]
·   Photos from 2004 Festival. [Phuket.com -- again, graphic. ]
Thanks, Neal!]]> johnrambow 2005-07-20T17:41:10-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/