smh.com.au A planeload of Jetstar passengers was stranded on the tarmac at Bangkok for more than three and a half hours after a mechanical problem delayed take-off. A faulty hydraulic pump was detected by the captain during his final pre-flight checks, a Jetstar spokeswoman said. The Melbourne-bound passengers were told of the problem, but were kept on board to prevent further delays.


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

Xinhua Burma is making efforts to promote its tourism industry through attending international travel trade shows and introducing the country's attractive tourist sites. Myanmar Tourism Promotion Board's Marketing Committee has eyed a series of such international events for the two current years to expand its tourism market. The two events this year which Burma focuses are the international tourism expo ITB Asia 2009 scheduled for October 21-23 in Singapore and the ''World Travel Market 2009'' slated for November 9-12 in London.


nytimes.com Alex Frew McMillan writes: Parked in the garage of Beyond, Eric Levine's oceanfront home just north of Phuket, is a racing-red Ferrari and a Jet Ski. There are two golf holes on the front lawn, a two-lane bowling alley below the tennis court and table games ranging from Foosball to air hockey.''It's basically a party house,'' Mr. Levine said of his 6000-square-meter (64,580 square feet) concrete and glass home. ''I like to say it's James Bond meets Asia. It has a very modern, Miami Vice-type feeling.''

Bangkok Post Video recordings of foreign tourists reputedly being ripped off over damage to jet skis on Phuket and other incidents have been made to damage Thailand's tourism reputation, authorities say. The producer of the video clips, Gavin Hill, and some of those involved told British freelance journalist Andrew Drummond the footage was not faked or stage-managed and there was no intention to damage Thailand. Anusorn Salay, head of a club of jet ski operators on Phuket, said the club would establish procedures to prevent disputes over jet skis.

TNA The Cabinet on Tuesday resolved to invoke the Internal Security Act in Bangkok's key Dusit district from September 18-22 ahead of this weekend's planned anti-government ''red-shirt'' demonstration when the protesters will mark the third anniversary of the coup which toppled then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The Cabinet anticipates that the rally could draw hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters from the capital and upcountry, which warrants applying the law to prevent any possible disturbance, according to Panithan Wattanyagorn, acting government spokesman.

smh.com.au Internet giant Google has unveiled its ''Fast Flip'' online newsreader, featuring stories from major media outlets, including the BBC, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Google, which launched Fast Flip at the TechCrunch50 technology conference in San Francisco, compared using the quick-loading product to flipping through the pages of a magazine ''really fast without unnatural delays''.

The Nation Thailand's Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa) has refocused the attention of its four flagship programs - the Phuket ICT Innovation Paradise, Thailand Digital Content Centre, the National Software Incubation Centre and the Global Outsourcing Centre - on supporting its research and development efforts. The mission seeks to double the contribution to gross domestic product from the country's creative industries, from the present 10 percent to 20 percent of GDP by 2012.

time.com On September 14, Aceh's legislative council used the semiautonomy granted by a post-tsunami peace agreement between separatists and the government to vote unanimously for a raft of Shari'a-inspired punishments, including possible death by stoning for adultery and whipping for homosexual activity. People caught having premarital sex could be subjected to 100 public lashes. The new laws are the strictest in Indonesia.

wsj.com Sadanand Dhume writes: The news from Aceh, the recipient of billions of dollars in international aid, challenges two widely held beliefs: First, that Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, is somehow immune to the blend of puritanical piety and Islamist politics that over the past 35-odd years has disfigured Muslim communities from Morocco to Mindanao. Second, that moderate Muslims - those who interpret their faith in personal rather than political terms - have the will and the intellectual firepower to beat back a well-organised and motivated Islamist minority.

amnesty.com Amnesty International has repeated its call for Malaysia to stop using the penalty of caning altogether, after a court sentenced an Indonesian Muslim man to six strokes of the cane and a year in prison for drinking alcohol in a restaurant in Pahang state during August. Nazarudin Kamaruddin, 46, has been remanded in prison since being charged with the offence on September 2. He has been unable to post bail or pay a fine imposed by the court.

Reuters Lotus, a glorious name from Formula One's past, will return next year with a Malaysian-owned team replacing BMW-Sauber as the 13th entry on the starting grid. The governing International Automobile Federation said in a statement that, after due diligence and an intensive selection process, it had chosen Lotus F1 over two rival bids. The new outfit will be a partnership between the Malaysian government and a consortium of Malaysian entrepreneurs.


Phuket's Scandi Season Soars 120,000 Higher
Latest Passenger numbers through Bangkok remain a little down on 2008 but Phuket and Krabi will be happy to see more Scandinavians, although at a discount rate.
Phuket's Scandi Season Soars 120,000 Higher

FIFA Tsunami Football Centre Opens on Phuket
Latest Phuket has a world class football centre, thanks to FIFA and a gift of 40 million baht. It's in memory of the 2004 tsunami but aimed at football's future island stars.
FIFA Tsunami Football Centre Opens on Phuket

Phuket Celebrity Keith Floyd Dies, aged 65
Latest Celebrity Keith Floyd, who began a new era of television chefs and a personalised restaurant at the Burasari on Phuket, has died in Britain.
Phuket Celebrity Keith Floyd Dies, aged 65

Bill Owen Remembered: In His Own Words
Latest Bill Owen was a pioneer of the travel and tours industry on Phuket who moved to MICE, and gave it everything. Phuketwan remembers the man and his passion, in his own words.
Bill Owen Remembered: In His Own Words

Phuket Scams: Governor Calls for Corruption Probe
Latest Phuket has been ''driven in neutral gear'' for a decade and now needs a thorough investigation of allegations of corruption among police and officials, Phuket's Governor says.
Phuket Scams: Governor Calls for Corruption Probe

US Aircraft Carrier, Warships Heading for Phuket
Latest The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and two warships are heading for Phuket . . . not to cause problems for jet ski operators, but to enjoy the island's delights on shore leave.
US Aircraft Carrier, Warships Heading for Phuket

Phuket's Vegetarian Warriors Take a Wild Ride
Photo Album Phuket's Vegetarian Festival 2009 will be another trip to a world where possessed ''warriors'' show how different the holiday island can be in its culture.
Phuket's Vegetarian Warriors Take a Wild Ride

MediaWATCH: 'Death for Adulterers' in Aceh
News DigestAdultery brings stoning to death; Woman seeks husband 23; Paris for perverts; Bkk Film Fest pair convicted; Obama warns Wall Street; Pirates try to take tankers.
MediaWATCH: 'Death for Adulterers' in Aceh