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

nationmultimedia.com A People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) rally on Saturday would only make the Preah Vihear temple issue more complicated, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said. PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang has called for a demonstration in front of the PM's office to demand the government revoke the memorandum of understanding on boundary demarcation signed with Cambodia in 2000. The MoU, which recognises the Siam-French demarcation map, would allow Cambodia to claim Thai territory, Chamlong said. [A handful of Phuket PAD are expected to join the protest.]

bbc.co.uk A Russian pianist accused of raping a 14-year-old boy in Thailand has pulled out of concerts planned for Edinburgh and London. Mikhail Pletnev, who conducts the Russian National Orchestra, said he needed time to deal with the allegations against him. He had been due to conduct concerts in London on 18 August and at the Edinburgh Festival on 19 August.

nationmultimedia.com Thailand's resort-investment market remains attractive to investors, according to global firm Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.Senior vice president for Thailand, Andrew Langdon, said resort destinations like Phuket, Samui, Pattaya and Hua Hin continued to attract interest. The Phuket hotel market has achieved monthly year-on-year growth and is expected to maintain this trend.

ft.com Korn Chatikavanij, Thailand's finance minister, told the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Bangkok he sees two main areas of opportunity for the country: tourism and food production. Thailand's 14m tourists account for some 7.5 percent of GDP - but Korn is talking about taking it to a whole new level. ''We should be thinking in terms of 40, 50, 60m people a year,'' he said. Thailand needs to share the fruits of tourism, for example letting South Korean tour operators and golf course owners set up shop in Thailand so operators will have a vested interest in persuading their nationals to come.

pattayadailynews.com Chanin Donavanik, CEO of Dusit International, told a tourism conference that there are too many business families in Thailand who see hotel developments as a prestigious business, building properties which then incur huge losses as over supply cripples yield: ''We have investors that do not know what they are doing.''

thehindubusinessline.com Interview with Raymond Bickson, MD & CEO, Indian Hotels Co: We just came from Phuket which is a joint venture with Taj, in which Oriental Hotels too has a stake. It's a Taj Exotica there and we are selling villas as well, luxury residential villas at $5 million a villa; because the market was tanking in Phuket we held off for the last two years. Now the tourists are coming back. We invested $172 million in Boston. Overall we have invested $600 million, $110 million in the Pierre, $60 million in San Francisco, $40 million in Sydney - over a half-a-billion in just these projects!''

afp Green turtles are returning to Malaysia in their hundreds after being nearly wiped out, but experts warned that the species is still headed for oblivion if habitat loss is not stopped. Turtle nesting sites are dotted along peninsular Malaysia's east coast, but the leatherbacks which were once common have now virtually disappeared.

suttonguardian.co.uk A lodger wanted by police for the 2008 murder of his landlord has been arrested in Thailand. Stuart Crawford fled after the killing of 67-year-old Michael Ryan at his Sutton flat. Mr Crawford has been laying low in Thailand since the body of Mr Ryan was discovered and was caught by Thai police after an international arrest warrant was issued.

todayonline.com Indonesia denied it was considering a ban on BlackBerry smartphone services in line with similar moves from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, but did not rule out the option. Communications and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring said: ''We've been following developments in other countries and we actually have similar concerns.''

radioaustralianews.net.au Burma has created the world's biggest tiger sanctuary by more than tripling an area designated as a reserve for the endangered big cats. The wild cat group Panthera and the Wildlife Conservation Society say the entire Hukaung Valley in northern Burma has been declared a protected tiger zone.

independent.co.uk Among malaria specialists, where gloom prevailed a decade ago, the buzzword now is ''elimination'': no more malaria deaths by 2015 and no more malaria a decade or two after that. Some call it the Bill Gates effect. Almost three years ago, the world's biggest philanthropist threw down a challenge to the global health community to eliminate malaria in his lifetime. His call had a galvanising effect.



FRESH from starring roles in two recently released major motion pictures in Thailand, 'That Sounds Good' and 'Pop Star,' actor-DJ Montonn ''Jay'' Jira is coming to Phuket. He's performing at Breeze, on Patong's beach road, on Saturday, August 7, 10pm-3am. Admission is 250 baht with one drink included.

Until August 8 Kite Jam, Surin beach
August 6-12 Andaman Motor Expo
August 11-September 9 Ramadan
August 14-15 Baba wedding, Phuket Town
October 1-3 Asian Hospitality and Travel Show, Central Festival Phuket Convention and Exhibition Center, Phuket City
October 8-16 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
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