The dormitories will be closed for three months, from July to September, and all the athletes had to move out by July 13. Caretaker SAT Governor Chalermchai Boonyarak explained that a Bt36 million budget had just been approved and would have been terminated if the restoration work did not start this month. Now the homeless athletes have another question for the SAT: What would the SAT have done if the budget had been approved in November, one month before the Asian Games starts? - The Nation.

Willi's cheer squad nods off

It was not surprising that national team fencer Wiradech Kothny was in superb form and looked happy throughout all matches at the recent Thailand Open Fencing Championships. Thai-German fencer, whose nickname is Willi, brought his own supporters from home. In the crowd cheering him on was his two-year-old son Morgan, who came with his mother to watch and encourage his father.

However, perhaps the competition took too long - the area where Morgan was seated was close to the action, but had to serve as a bed for Willi's little son to take a nap until the world No 84 won his first gold medal in the men's sabre event. - The Nation.

Tammy is an ace at shopping

What's the best cure for losing a match at Wimbledon? The answer is to make use of your prize money. That was why Thai qualifier Tamarine Tanasugarn was still shopping in the heart of London only a few hours before her flight home. Apparently feeling a lot better after losing to 2005 junior Wimbledon champion Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in round three, Tammy, along with shopping companion Sonchat Ratiwatana, bought day passes on London's Underground and made haste to the city's famous shops.

It was not known how much she spent, but it would be a small amount compared with the £21,210, or Bt1,484,700, she earned from the All England Club this year. With her hands full of Marks & Spencer products, Tamarine still managed to squeeze in time for the famous Harrods, where she bought plenty of the must-have Harrods bags.- The Nation.

Dussakorn is off to play in Vietnam

Money speaks louder than words for Thai football player Dussakorn Thonglao. Dussakorn has played for BEC Tero Sasana for years, but decided to move to Vietnam and play for the Hoang Anh-Gia Lai FC in the new season after his contract with the local team expired. Dussakorn, who played a key role in several of the Thai team's victories in international tournaments including at the last SEA Games, said Hoang Anh-Gia Lai is a strong club team in the region and the V-League will also give him opportunities to display his talent.

However, he declined to mention the salary he will get when he plays in Vietnam. "It's not bad. I don't want to say how much I will get when I play for the Vietnamese team. One thing for sure is that it's much higher than what I received from BEC Tero Sasana," he admitted. - The Nation.

Pharkphum's gone to the dogs

Many of Thailand's boxing stars, such as Atlanta Olympic gold medallist Somluck Khamsing and Khaosai Galaxy, the former WBA junior bantamweight champion, go into the restaurant business when they hang up their gloves, but not Pharkphum Chaengponark. The Bangkok Asian Games champion, who obtained a Masters Degree in Science (Sport Science) from Srinakharin Wirot University this year, is running Dog Gallery, a pet shop which provides a variety of small-breed dogs. It is located behind the Seri Center.

However, his fans wonder why this robust boxer prefers only small dogs, something that doesn't really fit with his tough-guy image as an award-winning boxer. "I have had a big dog and it was very difficult to take care of," he said. "When he died, I became interested in a small one. I'm very happy to do what I love. I love dogs and I have a chance to share my views with other animal lovers here," said the 30-year-old. - The Nation.