UPDATE
bangkokpost.com Police have been told by the Office of the Attorney-General to prepare to take Russian Viktor Bout to Don Mueang airport on Tuesday afternoon, a source at the Crime Suppression Division said. Mr Bout is wanted in the US as an international arms dealer.
Phuketwan MediaWATCH
A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media.
afp A Briton and a Japanese man are facing possible execution in Indonesia after customs officials found drugs in their luggage at Bali airport. Customs officers said they had arrested British national Khuram Antonio Khan Garcia, 39, with methamphetamine and Japanese Morita Yuki, 35, with hashish as they arrived.
thejakartaglobe.com Yuki was arrested off a flight from Bangkok on Sunday night. Customs officials found six kilograms of hashish inside the suspect's suitcase.
Associated Press Facebook unveiled a new messaging platform that takes aim at one of the internet's first applications, email. Declaring email past its prime in the age of texts and instant messages, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company doesn't believe email is going to be a modern messaging system.
pcmag.com I don't see people leaving Gmail or any other messaging service for Facebook Messages. On the other hand, 500 million people getting a blend of social and e-mail messaging in one package, may start to demand the same from their other e-mail services.
channelnewsasia.com A grenade thrown on to a minibus in the eastern outskirts of Bangkok, currently under emergency rule, killed one person and injured eight, police said. It was not clear if the incident, around 5pm Monday, was politically motivated.
smh.com.au With taxes now accounting for more than half the ticket price of some flights, industry leaders say it's time to pull back on the government grab in order to grow passenger numbers. In a clever marketing move, Tiger Airways recently promoted a $0 fare, which sold for $A19.95 when taxes were added.
eturbonews.com North of Phuket on Cape Pakarang The Sarojin is celebrating after it was declared the Overall Winner, and also winner of Best Hotel in Thailand, at the Thailand Green Awards 2010. The prestigious Green Awards are run by Tourism Authority Thailand in association with responsibletravel.com.
pattayadailynews.com The almost catastrophic collapse of the stage at the Wonderful Phang-Nga Fair caused panic and mayhem among the audience. Luckily, no one was injured but organisers will have to improve safety to reassure visitors and locals.
dowjones French retail giant Carrefour SA said it has sold its Thailand stores to Big C, a local subsidiary of its smaller rival Casino Guichard Perrachon, for an enterprise value of 868 million euros in a sale that generated a flurry of interest from retailers seeking to solidify positions in the fast-growing region.
nationmultimedia.com A source from the retail industry said that Thailand would see more intensive neck-and-neck competition between Big C and Tesco Lotus, which would benefit consumers.
ft.com If a political struggle breaks out between Ms Suu Kyi and Burma's generals, the generals are unlikely to face complete international isolation - unless they once again resort to shooting thousands of people in the streets. Even then, past experience suggests they would eventually be forgiven by their Asian neighbors.
inquirer.net ''The night cannot get darker after midnight,'' says the old Burmese proverb. Will oil deals ensure more darkness, despite Suu Kyi's release?
hindustantimes.com India's Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata raised a storm by hinting that he had to abandon plans to launch an airline as he refused to pay bribes to authorities to secure the necessary approvals. The Tata-Singapore Airlines partnership first made a bid to enter the domestic aviation sector in 1995.
afp US scientists have warned that the full-body, graphic-image X-ray scanners being used to screen passengers and airline crews at airports around the country may be unsafe. "They say the risk is minimal, but statistically someone is going to get skin cancer from these X-rays," said Dr Michael Love of Johns Hopkins University school of medicine.
theaustralian.com.au Airbus says the Qantas A380 damaged in an engine explosion near Singapore 12 days ago handled the trauma as it was designed to do. Airbus chief operating officer John Leahy said modern aircraft were designed to new production and certification standards that included a high redundancy with the aircraft structure.
the telegraph.co.uk The US Secret Service agent who ran to US President John F. Kennedy's side when he was shot has for the first time described the harrowing moments after the assassination. According to Clint Hill, Jacqueline Kennedy wailed: "Oh Jack what have they done?"
thestar.com.my Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said: Last year, we calculated that for every ringgit spent on promotion, we got back RM158. We spent RM14 per tourist arrival while each tourist spent about RM2,256. So I used RM14 to get back RM2256.
bbc.co.uk Singer James Blunt has told the BBC that he and his unit averted World War III by questioning a US general's orders to seize an airfield taken by the Russians when he was a British soldier in Kosovo. US General Wesley Clark, who is alleged to have given the command to attack the Russian troops, declined to comment, but General Sir Mike Jackson has backed up James Blunt's version of events.
pattayapeople.com Thailiving Ferry is excited to announce the launch of its new high speed catamaran that will provide water transportation between two of Thailand's most popular tourist cities, Pattaya and Hua Hin. The trip takes three hours and 15 minutes and will be made by a high speed catamaran, 18m long, cruising at 20knots.
Phuket Coming Events
2010 Andaman and Phuket International Soccer 7s: On November 20 games will be played at Cherntalay ground (opposite the Municipality) from 8.30am. November 21 games from 9.30am, finals from 3pm. This year's tournament will support Women's Will Power Phuket Charity Group.
November 19 AustCham at the new Westin Hotel at Koh Sireh from 3pm. E: harry@ladypie.com Tel: 081 2731740
November 21 Loy Kratong Festival
November 26-28 Phuket Honda Racing Fest at Saphan Hin, Phuket City
November 28 Laguna Phuket triathlon
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta
December 5 Laguna Ironman title
December 3-5 North Phuket Culinary Arts Festival, Mai Khao resorts
December 15-20 Patong Carnival
December 16-18 2010 Asia Superyacht Rendezvous
December 17 US Consular outreach service on Phuket
December 30-January 9 Phuket Red Cross fair, Saphan Hin park, Phuket City
2011
January 6-9 PIMEX boat show, Royal Phuket Marina
January 22 QSI International fun run day at Bang Wad Dam, Kathu
January 23 The Great Phuket Rubber Duck Race Day, Laguna Phuket
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi
Latest Police say their attention to touts and ladyboy invaders has reduced aggressive approaches to tourists and petty crime in Soi Bangla and other bar and nightclub streets.
Patong a Contender for Tidy Tout Town Award
Let Phuket Games Begin with Lightrail, 750m Baht
Latest Phuket is '80 percent certain' to have a lightrail service before the 2014 Asian Beach Games, with 750 million baht likely to be spent to bring 10 billion baht in dividends to Phuket.
Let Phuket Games Begin with Lightrail, 750m Baht
Good German Neighbor Helps Italian Catch Patong Thieves
Latest There was a touch of ''little Europe'' about it as a German helped to catch a pair of thieves soon after they robbed his Italian neighbor. And there was a Thai connection, too.
Good German Neighbor Helps Italian Catch Patong Thieves
Riled Phuket Tourist Pays Extra Jet-Ski Charge
UPDATE A Phuketwan journalist in Patong encounters JJ Naiman engaged in a mediation debate with a Russian tourist at Kathu Police Station. After a lengthy mediation, the tourist pays up.
Riled Phuket Tourist Pays Extra Jet-Ski Charge
Phuket's Power Players Are Losing the Plot
News Analysis The complex local government structure on Phuket is difficult to make work at the best of times. Now, instead of improving, it appears to be growing even less efective.
Phuket's Power Players Are Losing the Plot
