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Thailand’s largest and arguably most popular island, Phuket, lies in the Andaman Sea, off the west coast of southern Thailand, and is a province in its own right. In December 2004 the island was devastated by the tsunami that hit so much of Asia, and many coastal resorts and villages suffered terribly.
Fortunately, Phuket is a wealthy province, and today, thanks to a major re-building programme, the island is back in business, and visitors are unlikely to see any noticeable damage.
Phuket is largely mountainous, its highest point being Mai Thao Sip Song at 529 m (1,745 ft), and much of it is forested. From the 16th century until relatively recently, tin mining was important to the economy, and the culture of the Chinese workers has informed that of Phuket.
Other influences include Portuguese and Islam — some 35 per cent of the population are Muslims. Phuket has been known as a holiday island since the 1980s, and its beaches sprout new resorts, restaurants and dive operations with every passing year.
Most of the best beaches — huge swathes of white sand, or little sheltered coves — are on the west coast, but those towards the northern tip are much less visited. Patong, the most popular, is very highly developed, and Phuket City is awash with tourists shopping and partying the night away.
The island’s interior is worth exploring, with rubber plantations, rice fields and fruit groves providing employment for islanders who live traditionally, a world away from the international tourism scene.
Khan Phra Thaeo National Park, just 20 kin (12.5 mi) from Phuket City, is a must — its hills and valleys are covered with tropical rainforest, and it contains a Lar gibbon rehabilitation centre. These charming creatures are endangered, and this project is important to their survival.
For family holidays or short breaks, visit Flight Centre. Flight Centre has a wide range of holiday packages including great value Tasmania holidays.
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Office workers’ attention is being diverted every three minutes by answering the phone, being alerted to an incoming email, responding to an alert on their BlackBerry, reacting to an instant message or a Tweet, or clicking on internet-based distractions such as YouTube or Facebook. These distractions consume much as 28% of an average knowledge workers’ day (Basex research).
As we receive more and more e-mail messages and other technology-based interruptions, it can feel like being hit by a digital deluge. Without the skills to manage e-mail and other devices effectively, many people are wasting time just trying to keep up instead of gaining productivity through technology.
These tactics for distraction management can significantly increase your productivity:
1. Turn off the alarm or visual alerts: You wouldn’t let the postman empty a mailbag on your desk 50 times a day and you certainly wouldn’t let them ring a bell with each delivery. That’s exactly what you are doing if you check each e-mail when it arrives. Turn off the alarm or visual alert and take control of your e-mail and your time.
2. Learn how to turn off or manage alerts on mobile devices: As more and more people synchronize their phones and mobile devices they are being distracted by email alerts, meeting reminders at all sorts of inconvenient times. These alerts can ensure you are being distracted at home as well as work!
3. Treat e-mail like regular mail: Try to check your e-mail at regular times in the day, i.e. early morning, mid-day and late afternoon. Even if you receive a high volume of e-mails, you shouldn’t check more than four times a day. Checking email regularly can give you a very busy feeling but it is deceptive as it is unlikely you are focusing on your key priorities.
4. Take control of your in-box: Subscribe to e-mail services selectively. Ask friends or colleagues who frequently send jokes or huge files to stop. Get a separate e-mail address for personal communication or one that you give just to key contacts, similar to an unlisted phone number. Set up rules to automatically delete or file low priority emails.
5. Focus on your priorities: Commit 10 -15 minutes each day to plan for the next day. Ensure as part of this process you make “appointments with yourself” to focus on key priorities and projects.
E-mail, mobile devices, instant messaging and the like can save businesses considerable time and money, but managing these tools is a skill that’s just as important to acquire as other essential management skills such as communication, planning and prioritizing.
Priority Management is a training company specialises in time management training. Our “Working Smart” series integrates the underlying principles of Best Practice time, productivity, information and workload management into applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, GroupWise, the BlackBerry and paper.
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