asiaone.com A Spanish woman was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport with 3.1 kilograms of yah ice crystal methamphetamine, police said. Officers apprehended Maria Neves Garcia Alcaraz, 52, on Monday, following a tip-off. Alcaraz travelled from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.


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

property-report.com Laguna Resorts and Hotels on Phuket has sold the Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket Hotel on its property for 2.6 billion baht (US$81.3 million). The buyer is Dusit Thani Ltd, the successful bidder in a closed bid tender. The Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket is a 226-room five-star luxury hotel with six restaurants, four conference rooms, a business centre, spa, swimming pool, and fitness centre. The sale must be approved by LRH's shareholders at a meeting on September 29

thephuketinsider.com The transaction comes in at approximately US$358,000 a key which in terms of hotel valuations by several industry sources is considered to be at the upper end of the scale. It's thought that some of the funds will be used for the new Laguna Hue destination resort in Vietnam.

nationmultimedia.com Accor plans to operate up to 13 more hotels in Thailand over the next three years, which will make it the largest international chain operator in the country. Paul Stevens, Accor Thailand director of operations, said the group would operate four new hotels in Bangkok with a total of 1030 rooms by 2011 and the group had also signed management agreements with eight or nine hotels and resorts in Phuket, Samui and Pattaya. Accor claims to be the largest international hotel-chain operator in Thailand in terms of number of rooms.

bangkokpost.com Public prosecutors will indict ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and 24 other leaders of the red shirt movement on terrorism charges for their role in this year's anti-government rallies, Puea Thai Party list MP Jatuporn Prompan says. Mr Jatuporn, one of the 25 facing charges, said he had learned that the Office of the Attorney-General had decided at a recent meeting to indict the red shirts.

imagetours.de (translated from the German) Aeroflot takes on new flights from Moscow to Phuket and times in the flight plan. The new link is offered only to Thailand on Saturday. Aeroflot also flies many destinations in Europe and long haul destinations worldwide.

scandasia.com At Norwegian travel agency Ving, tickets from Oslo to Phuket around Christmas have been sold out for quite a while. Ving has chosen to arrange for an extra flight to depart on the December 19. And why not do it right. The aircraft will be of the type Airbus A330 carrying a total of 354 passengers.

abcnews.go.com Steven Slater, the JetBlue flight attendant who probably found one of the most dramatic ways to quit a job ever, can leave jail once he posts $2500 bail. The 38-year-old flight attendant, who grabbed a beer and then exited the plane by deploying the emergency slide, appeared in court with a grin on his face.

ft.com India is not the only Asian economy roaring ahead. Having survived the financial crisis, most Asian economies appear to be defying gravity. This year, stretching from the Indian subcontinent to Australasia will expand by 8.6 percent, fastest pace in 20 years.

bangkokpost.com Thai tourism is being urged to look for a long-term strategy and new products, as the sector lags behind competitors due to the political chaos. ''Thailand's competitiveness has slumped due to political problems,'' said Gregory Duffel, chief executive of the Pacific Asia Travel Association. ''Foreign visitors are heading to Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, while Thailand's status as a value-for-money destination is being challenged by India, which has overtaken Thailand for the top spot.''

afp Indonesian rescuers have brought more than 70 survivors to shore after a passenger ferry sank off Flores island in stormy weather, leaving 10 dead, a rescue official said. The provincial governor has asked police to investigate claims the boat was crammed with passengers beyond capacity, causing it to capsize in rough seas off an eastern island.

abc.net.au The lawyer representing radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who was arrested in Indonesia, says the evidence against his client is fabricated. Indonesia's elite counter-terrorism unit, Detachment 88, has been engaged in a relentless manhunt since February after members of a new terrorist cell were discovered at a training camp in the province of Aceh. Indonesian police have accused Bashir of establishing the training camp.

smh.com.au The Australian embassy was among a number of foreign missions in Jakarta considered a target by a terrorist cell allegedly led by Bashir, the head of Indonesia's leading counter-terrorism agency said. He identified the US embassy as another target, a ''favorite'' for violent extremists.

smh.com.au Ramadan, which begins today, is observed differently across Indonesia. In the staunchly Islamic province of Aceh, it leads to an almost complete shutdown of cafes and restaurants during the day and a month-long holiday for schoolchildren. In the capital, the measures are less draconian. But many nightclubs, bars, saunas and massage parlors will be required to close entirely.

reuters Adventure tourism, long considered the milieu of a small group of dare devils, is becoming more mainstream, with tourists more likely to rappel down mountains, cycle or volunteer while on vacation. These adventurers are young, affluent and spent $US89 billion ($US97 billion) last year, excluding the cost of airfare and gear, according to a study by researchers at George Washington University's School of Business.

irrawaddy.org The most important expected guest was missing when Burma's ruling generals threw a welcome party for the auspicious white elephant recently captured in Burma's northwestern Arakan State. The elephant was taken to Naypyidaw to be presented to the country's top leader, Snr-Gen Than Shwe. But the elderly general was absent from the ceremony and even members of his family weren't there.



THE International Business Association of Phuket is meeting on Friday August 13 at the Dara Hotel in Phuket City. The brightly colored hotel sits diagonally opposite the Central Festival shopping centre. The topic will be Biomaxx, a newly approved biological-integrative and non-invasive treatment for malignant and benign tumors. Speakers will include leading medical personnel who have introduced this new way to treat most forms of cancer, including but not limited to breast cancer, prostate cancer, liver and kidney cancer, colo-rectal, and many more cancer types. Standard entry donation for IBAP members is 200 baht while visitors are asked to donate 400 baht. Admission includes light snacks and complimentary drinks.

Until August 12 Andaman Motor Expo
August 11-September 9 Ramadan
August 12-13 Queen's Birthday Holiday, public offices closed
August 14-15 Baba wedding, Phuket Town
August 21 Rip Curl Hunt for Young Surfers, Nai Harn beach
September 11 Phuket Surf Lifesaving Carnival, Loma Park, Patong
October 1-3 Asian Hospitality and Travel Show, Central Festival Phuket Convention and Exhibition Center, Phuket City
October 8-16 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
November 2-7 Phuket womens' beach volleyball, Karon beach
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta
2011
January 6-9 PIMEX boat show, Royal Phuket Marina
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi