Last Day on Day 4

Day 4 - 17 Aug 2025
Last record of the recent ALSW trip in Phuket. Forgot what did I do in the morning; probably having hearty breakfast with friends whom we met only once a year during ALSW. In order not to miss the mass group photo at Golden Dragon Monument at 12noon, we arrived early to take photos with friends. This time we had not one but two national flags for the mass group photoshoot. Love it!

We walked to the Phuket City Hotel under the scotching hot sun for the final closing ceremony, what a blast with the 'yellow pencil' passed to Urban Sketchers Pune for the next ALSW. Very sure the tag is "ALSW2016Pune"!

Well, the spirit was so high we continued to walk to the Sunday Night Market at the old town and I did a sketch after having my dinner at Little Phuket. Ya, I didn't eat much or forgot to eat at the closing ceremony. The night ended in the high note with another group photo at Soi Pradit lined with beautiful graffiti art.

See you in Pune next year!

Parade at Phuket Old Town on Day 3

Day 3 - 16 Aug 2025
The hightlight of the day was the colourful parade for the opening ceremony of Thailand Biennale at Phuket Museum. No wonder the grab driver said it was closed! I could still sketch with other sketchers outside the museum with the huge red bear in muaythai outfit. I took pictures with gorgeous locals dressing up for the event. Just noticed I wore the same matching purple, soft pastel colours too.

In the afternoon, I sketched the big 7-colour on the wall of Tu Kab Khao restaurant. That's where I witnessed the parade. I saw the artists I met earlier at the park next to the Golden Dragon Monument holding the banners in the parade walking past me. The entire road was closed for about an hour or two and the whole street came alive with music and dance! It was very quickly back to normal with cars and people strolling at the sidewalks, wow, just so nimble and efficient!

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Raining on Day 2

Day 2 - 15 Aug 2025
It was drizzling in the morning so I did not join any group going down to Phuket Old Town or the beach. Instead, with the permission of the hotel arranged by the event organiser, 3 of us went up to 9th floor of the Phuket Merlin Hotel to sketch the panoramic view.

Afternoon was spent to attend the chapter admins' meeting and took a slow stroll to town before having dinner at Chuan Chim, another Michelin award restaurant where we met KK. The food was really good and had to wait for quite a while for our food.

Phuket Phuket

Phuket Sketches

I did two loose Arches and two Etchr Accordion Sketchbooks for this trip Asia-Link Sketchwalk Phuket 2025. The sketches were posted individually and this is the collage of all of the sketches including the collected stickers.

Thanks for a memorable experience.

Dr Sketch

Day 3 - 16 Aug 2025
Dr Sketch session at event center. I was a little late but my patients are so patient waiting for me. I prescribed more "Grammar Pills" in art and design. Fun time.

People on Day 1

Day 1 - 14 Aug 2025
777 participants from 26 countries for the event in Phuket not to mention those came without the tickets. It was impossible to say hello to each and everyone daily. Thanks to those who said hello and took photos and sent to me. I am not good in taking photos with people so here is a collage on people I met on Day 1. Interestingly, I could identify by my outfit to know which day these photos were taken.

Registration was to start at 1pm so I went to local coffee shop for my breakfast with the recommendation of our Grab driver. I did a sketch at Aroon Restaurant with Michelin awards from 2019 to 2025. I met a couple of sketchers in the shop and along the way. Many sketchers already busy sketching as I strolled leisurely before settling down with another sketch at the Golden Dragon Monument and met a group of Thai artists preparing for the Thailand Biennale Phuket 2025. Photos of Biennale at my post.

I also met a group of Taiwanese sketchers led by their teacher. Very busy saying hello and catching up with old friends plus meeting new ones during registration from 1 to 5pm. Party began soon after with a sumptous welcome dinner and spectacular performances. What a blast and fruitful day.

Last sketch in my sketchbook on Wat Klang

This is the last sketch I did in my second Etchr Accordion Sketchbook. I felt that there must be a sketch of Thai Temple in this trip so I went to Wat Mongkol Nimit Phra Aram Luang or Wat Klang as most sketchers did at the Phuket Old Town.

Wat Mongkol Nimit was constructed in 1880. The temple was originally called Wat Klang because of it location in the centre of Phuket Town (‘klang’ means middle in Thai). The main feature of Wat Mongkol Nimit is its shrine hall. The shrine hall is richly and elaborated decorated designs featuring gold leaf, along with blue and red paint. The gable end of the roof by the front entrance is particularly impressive. The other major feature at Wat Mongkol Nimit is its large chedi. A chedi is a type of tower which contains holy relics and is a place where Buddhists come to meditate. The Thai version of the chedi is similar to the stupa built at Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka, India and Nepal. You can spot it on the left side of my sketch.

Wat Mongkol Nimit is a busy working temple with lots of resident monks, many of whom study at the religious school located in the temple grounds. I took some photos of the school building and also found two beautiful Thai style houses at the back of the compound where public toilets were located.

It was a quiet Monday morning with few tourists and cars in the compound until a group of young girls in their Thai costumes brightened up the atmosphere. Thai coustumes were so elegant, so pretty but they were all wearing sneakers under their long silky skirts!

Food in Phuket

Sketches done will be posted separately. First record of Phuket will be a collage of food I eaten. I tried to frequent the local coffee shops besides the popular tourists' eateries, cafes and restaurants.

Don't play play, even the dark, gloomy local coffee shops I went all have Michelin awards from 2019 to 2025. Yummy and delicious food they served. I didn't go to the other crowded modern cafes and pubs where there were demo sessions.

Phuket offers abundant seafood from prawns, squids, crabs and various fishes to unique local seven-colored lobster which I sketched but didn't try. Next trip!

Places I went in that order by day:
Wonderlounge, Merlin Kitchen, Cafe Amazon, One Chun Restaurant, Aroon Restaurant (first sketch here), Roti Thaew Nam, Chuan Chim, The Tent Phuket, Little Phuket, Limelight and Tu Kab Khao. I also bought instant noodles at the airport, HA!

Asia Link Sketchwalk will be in Phuket next year