PHUKET meteorological officials have warned of heavy storms for Phuket and the neighboring provinces of Ranong, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang and Satun during Tuesday and Wednesday, with small boats warning not to put to sea until Thursday at least.


PHUKET: A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media.

asiaone.com Police arrested five men in front of a luxury hotel in Pattaya after some foreign guests lodged an extortion complaint. The five men worked for a jet-ski rental operation on Pattaya beach. They were charged with extortion and with illegal detention.

thestar.com.my All shipping and recreational sea activities off peninsular Malaysia's northwest coast, Sabah and north Sarawak may have to be halted for a week due to rough weather. Malaysia's Meteorological Department issued a warning on strong winds and rough seas in the areas, including Phuket.

dailymail.co.uk The smiling pupils arrived at the Chiang Mai school dressed in full Nazi regalia and carrying large Swastika flags, leaving foreign parents and teachers open-mouthed. Leading the march into the sports ground was a girl dressed as Adolf Hitler - complete with toothbrush moustache. A delegation from the consulates of Britain, the US, France and Germany called on teachers to put modern history and the Holocaust on the curriculum.

smh.com.au Australian travellers are the world's biggest spenders, a new survey says. Australians forked out an average $US3636 during their last holiday, more than double the global average of $US1481, according to Visa's latest Global Travel Intentions Survey.

scmp.com An investigation was launched after a Cathay Pacific plane and a Dragonair jet carrying more than 600 passengers and crew between them had to take evasive action when they strayed into each other's path as they flew into Hong Kong.

theaustralian.com.au Two Thai men accused of murdering good Samaritan Luke Mitchell claim they cannot get a fair trial in Australia because of racism. Surad Seehaverchart, 29, and Thatiya Terdputham, 36, are fighting extradition over the 2009 killing. [Both men once worked on Phuket.]

aap Human rights activist Sophon Tatichotiphan told the hearing the extradition was a breach of the men's rights and that it was unsafe for the pair to be sent to Australia. Mr Mitchell, 29, was bashed and stabbed to death while trying to save another man.

ft.com EasyJet sent shockwaves through the aviation world after Europe's second-largest low-cost carrier said Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, its founder and largest shareholder, was planning to set up a new airline. He ''intends to set up an airline branded Fastjet''.

bangkokpost.com On World Tourism Day today, tourists should think about what tourism means for our children and how we can keep them safe. The growth of "orphanage tourism" is a concerning trend. Travellers must be very careful not to get caught up in any schemes which make children the tourist attraction.

afp The number of young people having unprotected sex in the West has risen sharply over the past two years, a survey said, with health professionals concerned the safe sex message is falling on deaf ears.

nationmultimedia.com Thai Chamber of Commerce Chairman Pongsak Assakul, acting chairman of the Coalition Against Corruption which encompasses 30 private organisations - including the Stock Exchange of Thailand and the Federation of Thai Industries - said that Sunday's rally marks the beginning of the nationwide anti-corruption attempt. FTI Chairman Payungsak Chartsutipol said that public forces would play a key role in strengthening the movement.

thejakartaglobe.com Plans are stuck on the drawing board for a massive convention center in Bali that will host the 2013 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit because one of its contractors has been denied a building permit. The 10,000-seat convention center will hold a world trade and commerce center with an exhibition hall and pavilions, as well as a world culture center. Hundreds of environmental and spiritual activists held a sit-in at the convention site to pray for the project to be scrapped for good.

bbc.co.uk The family of a British teacher seriously injured in Bali are to light 400 candles at Derby Cathedral to represent Britons seriously injured abroad without insurance over the past year. Mathew Taylor, 30, has been in a Singapore hospital since suffering head injuries in a motorcycle crash in Bali in July. His family have so far had to pay 172,000 pounds for his treatment.

dailymail.co.uk When it comes to travelling long haul, the best value can be found in Sri Lanka, according to a report into prices and currencies. Prices are down by a third on the Indian Ocean island, making it an ideal destination for budget-conscious travellers at 38 percent cheaper than Thailand, its nearest rival.

property-report.com Overall launches of condominium units in Pattaya in the first half of 2011 exceeded the total number of units launched in 2010, according to a new report on the Pattaya City condominium market. The increase was attributed to two new projects being launched in the first quarter with more than 1400 units each.

impactpub.com.au Bali Central Statistics Agency says foreign tourist arrivals in July reached 283,524. From January to July this year, 1,587,133 people have visited Bali, a 10.6 percent increase compared to the same period in 2010.

voanews.com In southern Bali's busy streets, traffic jams choke the towns. Waste is so poorly managed that during the rainy season, when rivers swell, garbage dumped throughout the island end up layering the long, white sand beaches.

thejakartapost.com It may not be the biggest nor have the most diplomats, but Indonesia's consulate in New York is number three on a list of countries with unpaid parking tickets, with about $750,000 in unpaid fines. Egypt is top, followed by Nigeria.



KATHU SHRINE
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods

JUI TUI SHRINE
Worship of Gods and Spirit Propitiation of Past Participants of the Vegetarian Festival.

SUI BOON TONG SHRINE
20.00 Worship and Propitiation of Gods

SAMKONG SHRINE
Worship of Gods

BAN THA RUE SHRINE
17.00 Worship of Gods

CHERNG THALAY SHRINE
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
18.00 Worship of Gods

YOKKEKENG SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods

SAPAM SHRINE
20.00 Worship of Gods




Until October 5 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket

November 1-6 Women's Beach Volleyball Series at Karon on Phuket

November 26-27 9th Phuket International Soccer 7s

November 27 Laguna Phuket Triathlon

December 3-4 6th Andaman International Soccer 7s

December 4 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Laguna



March 18-28 National Youth Games, Phuket

March 29-April 1 Phuket International Boat Show, Royal Phuket Marina



November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket