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

theage.com.au Surf and boardsports retailer Billabong International has hit back at a $153 million lawsuit launched against it by its former Indonesian licensee, claiming the action is without foundation. Billabong said it believed the civil claim was highly unlikely to have any significant adverse effect on its business outside Indonesia or on the revenue, profitability and financial condition of the Billabong group as a whole.

theaustralian.com.au CV Bali Balance, a company associated with Sydney-born businesswoman Suzi Burke Suwenda, has lodged a claim in a Bali court for damages from Billabong after the Gold Coast company cancelled a distribution licence in 2005. Billabong was active in Indonesia in the early 1990s, when it gave the distribution licence to Balinese surfing legend Wayan Suwenda. But after he died in 2005, Billabong and Wayan's widow give differing accounts of how the licence was cancelled.

smh.com.au A baby elephant thought to have died in its mother's womb was born alive this morning at Sydney's Taronga Zoo. Six days after Taronga's Asian elephant Porntip went into labor, the live male calf was born at 3.27am. A team of veterinarians told the media earlier this week that they did not believe the calf had survived and that if it was delivered ''it would be a miracle''.

channelnewsasia.com Singapore remains the least corrupt country while Indonesia the most corrupt among 16 major Asia-Pacific investment destinations in a business survey.Singapore topped the annual poll by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, followed by Australia and Hong Kong. Indonesia remains the most corrupt country. Cambodia was ranked next followed by Vietnam and the Philippines.

bbc.co.uk An American medical charity has warned that thousands of Burmese refugees in Bangladesh are facing starvation. Physicians for Human Rights said government authorities are preventing the Rohingya, a Muslim minority, from receiving adequate care. It accuses Bangladesh of obstructing efforts to help the Rohingya, who have fled Burma to escape persecution.

aljazeera.net ''It is unconscionable to leave this vulnerable population stateless and starving,'' said Richard Sollom, the PHR director of research and investigations. ''Haiti after the recent earthquake had an acute child malnutrition rate of six percent, in the Rohingya camps the rate is 18.2 percent - three times higher but with no aid,'' Sollom said.

straitstimes.com Singapore now has its very own Tiger Woods in local film-maker Jack Neo, with fresh reports linking him to at least 11 women. Since his affair with 22-year-old freelance model Wendy Chong surfaced over the weekend, more women have come forward to reveal his philandering ways and advances on them.

nationalpost.com Indonesian police believe they have shot dead a top fugitive militant, wanted over the 2002 Bali bombings, in what could be a major coup in the country's fight against Islamist radicals. Police sources said the raids in Pamulang, in Banten province, were linked to a series of assaults on suspected Islamic militants in Aceh province and had been targeting Dulmatin, a fugitive member of militant group Jemaah Islamiah. The raids come ahead of a visit by US President Barack Obama on March 20-22.

nationmultimedia.com Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya briefed some 100 Bangkok-based diplomats and representatives of foreign chambers of commerce on the government's measures to handle the mass protest in Bangkok this weekend. Kasit told reporters he said in the 45 minute-briefing there would be some 100,000 protesters with 10,000 vehicles from provinces in the demonstration, which would last between 3-7 days in the capital.

voanews.com About 30 countries have issued travel advisories warning their citizens visiting or living in Thailand to avoid large gatherings and possible clashes. Sompob Manarangsan, an economist at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, says the travel and banking industries are likely to be the first to suffer if violence breaks out at the weekend in Bangkok's mass red shirt protest. ''The first one is tourism. Both domestic tourism and also the tourism from outside the country is going to be highly affected by this kind of situation and then also the financial sector," said Sompob.

bangkokpost.com The tourism industry has lost more than a billion baht in bookings because of cancellations ahead of this weekend's anti-government rally, Association of Thai Travel Agents chairman Aphichart Sangka-aree said. ''I have asked hoteliers and was told that many Chinese and Japanese attracted by the government's MICE incentive program had cancelled their hotel reservation for this weekend, and many of them deferred plans to visit Thailand during this week and next,'' Mr Aphichart said. This had cost the tourism sector more than one billion baht.

travel.gather.com Beaches, shopping, surfing and dinning, Thailand is a perfect stop for those who like there holidays to be nothing less than PERFECT. To the surprise, it is also very cost effective and from flights to accommodation you can find almost any thing in any price range. A night in Bangkok will live in your memories forever.

bangkokpost.com Airports of Thailand will extend incentives to airlines which agree to operate flights through its facilities as part of a new marketing program to increase traffic through its airports. Some Australian and Chinese carriers have asked AoT for incentives. The AoT board at its recent meeting agreed to reduce landing fees by 10 percent and parking fees by 20 percent from March to December this year as part of a renewed relief package to help airlines recover from the industry downturn.

smh.com.au China is in negotiations with 17 countries to build a high-speed rail network to India and Europe with trains capable of running at more than 320 km/h within the next 10 years. One network would run from London to Beijing and then to Singapore, according to Wang Mengshu, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. A second project would carry trains through Russia to Germany and into the European railway system, and a third line would extend south to connect Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Malaysia.

theage.com.au Travel warnings? Who cares? While President Yudhoyono is in Australia, more than half a million Australians each year are now heading to Indonesia - despite government warnings telling them to ''reconsider''. An unprecedented surge has seen the number of Australian tourists to Bali and the rest of Indonesia doubling every two years since the start of 2006. Indonesia has now overtaken the US, Britain and Thailand to become Australia's No. 2 travel destination after NZ.



March 13 Don's Last Dinner and Going Away Party from 6pm as Don's Mall in Rawai closes.
March 19 Phuket Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce (AusCham) Sundowners at Paresa Resort at Cape Sol, Kamala. 3.30 pm Seminar on sustainable/green development. Drinks 6pm.
Until March 20 Thao Thepkrasattri and Thao Srisoonthorn Fair at Thalang Victory Memorial Park, near the Heroines' Monument.
Until March 20 Annual French Gastronomy Festival at The Boathouse. Wine Chef Jean-Noel Lumineau, Thailand's only Maitre Cuisinier de France, treats discerning diners to exceptional French food.
April 3 Attempt on the mass dive record, Thai Muang, Phang Nga, 11am. Details: 076-411388.
April 9-13 Phuket Bike Week, including tattoo competitions, island rides and the Miss Phuket Bike Week contest.
April 14 Phuket Cricket Sixes begin.
May 31-June 5 Eight-nation football tournament for players over 55 at Surakul Stadium in Phuket City. Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Taiwan, Iran, Armenia competing.
May Date to be finalised for Muay Thai kickboxing competition at Laguna Phuket.
May 21-23 Paragliding on Phuket.
June 4-13 Phuket International Film Festival.