FOND PHUKET FAREWELL FOR FLAMBOYANT FOODIE FLOYD

       Original celebrity chef left behind many memories for staff, friends and patrons alike after falling in love with the Land of Smiles By Phil Teese
       Celebrity chef Keith Floyd, who died of a heart attack in the UK last week, was planning to live in Thailand so he could teach under-privileged teenagers how to cook.Floyd,65, who opened his Floyd's Brasserie at the Burasari Hotel on Phuket's Patong beachfront in 2007, loved Thailand, and it seems Thailand loved him. More than 70 friends and fans gathered at his restaurant on Thursday night to tell tales about him, and relive old memories of the larrikin who won hearts wherever he went.
       Most of the stories were about his outrageous outbursts, but there was also a serious side to the chef who started out as an army cook and ended up hosting 18 top-rating TV cooking programmes which were broadcast in more than 40 countries.
       A spokesman for the Burasari said Floyd spent three or four months a year on Phuket and was planning to move there permanently.
       "He wanted to be more actively involved in running the restaurant, and he wanted to do something to help underprivileged Thai teenagers," she said."He wanted to get involved in social responsibility activities to develop training and education schemes, and to teach young Thai people the cooking skills which could lead to future careers as professional chefs."
       Conor O'Leary, the Burasari's former residential manager, said Floyd was quirky, and always unpredictable.
       "Everywhere he went, he would buy a new mobile telephone and a new SIM card, but he would keep it switched off because he didn't want anyone calling him. If you wanted to talk to him on the phone, you would have to send someone to find him and tell him to turn on his phone. One impressed, and that was night he was in his hotel the end of the interroom when the room view."phone rang. He picked MrO'Leary said it up, abused the caller whenever Floyd was in for bothering him, and Phuket, he would sit at hung up.the entrance to the res"That happened taurant and personally three times, until finally welcome every single the receptionist rang guest as they arrived.and told him the caller "But he would never he kept hanging up on sign autographs or pose was his good friend,for pictures on their way Mick Jagger, wanting to in," he said.invite him to a party."MISSED: Keith Floyd doing "He always told them Mr O'Leary said one what he loved best.he would happily pose TVcrew came off for a photograph on second best after filming an interview their way out, but only if they enjoyed with him in the Phuket restaurant.their meal. It was his little way of getting "He cooked up a lobster, then threw feedback from his customers.it straight at the camera, leaving it "But he was very generous and he dripping in thermidor sauce.was always giving away bottles of "The cameraman was definitely not expensive champagne, for any excuse he could think up. If someone told him it was their first time in Thailand,that was good enough reason for a free bottle of champagne.
       "He wanted absolutely everyone who came into his restaurant to go away happy."
       Lily Udomkunnatum, the Burasari group's managing director, said life with Floyd always included copious servings of both tears and laughter.
       "One night when things were quiet,he ushered the whole seven tables of guests into the bar, and wrapped them in toilet paper. I was stunned, but in no time, everyone was up dancing and having a great time, and it was the most magical time," she said.
       "Floyd was always honest, sincere,and a true lover of life."
       Ms Lily said one night after a performance in Singapore, the cab driver taking her and Floyd back to their hotel recognised the celebrity chef, and started excitedly asking him questions.
       "The driver even pretended to lose his way so he could spend more time talking to Keith," she said.
       Phuket publican Howard DigbyJohns described Floyd as "shambolic,lusty and passionate about everything he did"."He had a beautiful Bentley car which was his pride and joy, and when he lost his licence for drink driving - he was seven times over the legal limit - he kept that car polished and shiny so people wouldn't know he had been disqualified from driving."
       Mr Digby-Johns said Floyd had been married four times, and each marriage had ended in divorce.
       "His life was a wonderful roller coaster ride. He met disaster and triumph frequently, and treated them both equally. He managed to hit all the extremes, and he did it with gusto."