PHUKET is likely to be a prime beneficiary in the alliance announced today between Jetstar and AirAsia. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said: ''The aviation market in Asia is a growth market, and has proven resilient over the past 12 months despite the tough operating environment, with significant growth in passenger numbers forecast in the region.''

smh.com.au Qantas subsidiary Jetstar and Malaysia-based low-cost carrier AirAsia have formed an alliance which the airlines say will reduce costs, pool expertise and result in cheaper fares. The airlines said the key to the agreement was a proposed joint specification for the next generation of narrow-body aircraft. Both airline groups will also investigate opportunities for the joint procurement of aircraft.

centreforaviation.com Jetstar and AirAsia are claiming a world-first in the establishment of their new alliance. The agreement includes the development of cooperation in areas such as future fleet specification, airport passenger and ramp handling services, shared aircraft parts and 'pooling' inventory arrangements for aircraft components and spare parts; passenger disruption arrangements.


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

wsj.com Thai Airways International executive chairman, Wallop Bhukkanasut, resigned amid allegations that he and his wife evaded excess baggage charges on a flight. Mr Wallop, his wife and an associate loaded 398 kilos of luggage onto a November 14 Thai Airways flight from Japan to Bangkok, and more than 150 kilos of that amount was excess baggage.

bangkokpost.com Thai Airways Chairman Ampon Kittiampon said the investigating committee, headed by THAI board member Kanit Sangsubhan, would continue its inquiries despite the resignation. The panel is due to deliver its findings on Monday. The investigation would cover all THAI staff involved in the scandal and would reveal those responsible for allowing Mr Wallop to take the excess luggage on board without being charged.

businessspectator.com.au Qantas and AirAsia are set to brief the market on a major strategic initiative today as speculation of a tie-up between Jetstar and AirAsia gathers momentum. Chief executive Alan Joyce, Jetstar chief executive Bruce Buchanan and AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes may unveil a possible strategic partnership.

thai news agency The number of international tourists this year is expected to reach 16 million as targeted if there are no serious political disturbances nor epidemics, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Speaking on the first day of assuming the TAT governorship, Governor Surapon Sawetseeranee said he would attempt to increase the number of arrivals to the target set by Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa.

abc.net.au Indonesian police arrested six people for the alleged performance of a ''sexy dance'' at a cafe in the early hours of New Year's Day. The dancers performed at a live music cafe in Bandung, south of Jakarta. ''They were wearing minimal clothing and performing in public, which can stir desires,'' a police spokesperson said.

bangkokpost.com Cabinet has approved a budget of more than 177 million baht for the military to purchase crowd control equipment. The budget is in addition to the Internal Security Operations Command's previous request for 70.8 million baht to buy riot gear - including batons, shields, helmets and bullet-proof vests - which received the green light yesterday. Military officers have played an increasingly active role in maintaining public order at demonstrations over the past year.

guardian.co.uk The rapid introduction of full body scanners at British airports following the attempted Christmas Day bombing over Detroit threatens to breach laws which ban the creation of indecent images of children. Privacy campaigners claim the images on the machines are so graphic they amount to ''virtual strip-searching'' and have called for passengers' privacy to be protected.

bbc.co.uk US security agencies had sufficient intelligence about a plot to blow up a plane but failed to share the information, President Obama says. He spoke after being updated on security reviews since the bomb attempt, and vowed to defeat future al-Qaeda plans to kill Americans.

reuters.com Canada plans to introduce full-body scanners at all its major international airports to tighten security after the failed attack last month on a US-bound plane. The scanners, which see through clothing, will go into nine airports, including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, starting this month. Passengers will be given a choice of being subjected to a full-body physical search.

Phuketwan Update Eight people died on the roads on Phuket during the seven-day New Year holiday period, far worse than the three deaths of 2008-9 and above the seven deaths of 2007-8. Rain is believed to have been a contributing factor. Australian tourist Roger Stephen Quinn, 55, was among the dead. Ninety two people were admitted to Phuket hospitals with injuries. Thailand's national toll of dead was 347.

smh.com.au Google has begun selling mobile phones directly to consumers, although the Nexus One, based on Google's Android platform, will initially only be available in the US, Britain, Singapore and Hong Kong.

afp Singapore's Resorts World Sentosa said it will open phase one of the city-state's first casino complex on January 20, beginning operations at four luxury hotels. Festive Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel Singapore, Crockfords Tower and Hotel Michael will offer 1350 rooms and 10 restaurants. Resorts World Sentosa said it is working with authorities to obtain approvals for its Universal Studios Singapore theme park and will announce the opening date for the casino when its receives notice of its licence.

afp The prime suspect in one of the worst political massacres in the Philippines pleaded not guilty when he appeared in a special police court yesterday on 41 counts of murder. The case against Andal Ampatuan jnr, accused over the killing of 57 people in November, has thrown the spotlight on corrupt practices in the Philippines' political and justice systems.

ninemsn.com.au Police are hunting a gang of construction workers who they believe bashed an Australian man to death with tree branches in Cambodia. John Edward Thompson, 47, was found dead early last week near a construction site on a deserted road leading to the five-star Sokha hotel in Sihanoukville.

telegraph.co.uk The number of British visitors to the Indian resort of Goa has fallen dramatically in the wake of a series of murders and rapes of foreign tourists. New figures have shown peak-season visitor numbers are down by almost one-third on last year. Once a harmless hippy heaven, today Goa is regarded by many as a ''gangster's paradise'' plagued by drug gangs, corrupt policemen and sex offenders.

latimes.com Landslides and a tsunami destroyed the homes of about one-third of the population on a Solomon Island, but lives were likely spared as residents with memories of previous disasters fled quickly to higher ground, officials said. From the air, extensive damage could be seen on a remote western island after a 7.2-magnitude temblor triggered the landslides in the Pacific Solomon Islands on Monday.

australian associated press It's rare that one hotel can take credit for kick-starting a tourism boom, but there's little doubt Club Med's investment over 20 years ago sparked Phuket's global appeal. Harvard-educated architect Mom Luang Tri Devakul - known as Mom Tri - designed the Club Med resort on Kata Beach that led to Thai Air starting daily flights to Phuket from Bangkok. Intense development followed after the resort opened in 1985, setting off a golden age of tourism.

*Phuketwan modestly nominates 'Excess Baggage Packs a Wallop', the headline on today's first edition of MediaWATCH, as heading of the decade so far.


Until January 9 Red Cross is reckoning on a lot of people wanting to win a house on Phuket in probably the island's biggest lottery draw ever. Losers? There won't be any. The Red Cross Fair at Phuket City's Saphan Hin park runs until January 9.

January 8-10 Kamala Festival.

January 9 Children's Day, usually marked by events at all Phuket parks and at many resorts, too.

January 24 A new kind of raw gourmet food is gaining popularity for its unrivaled health benefits including weight loss and anti-aging. Mom Tri's Villa Royale is holding the first raw food workshop on Phuket. The half-day workshop will feature celebrity raw food chef and author Ani Phyo, demonstrating six recipes adapted for Thailand. The 1pm-5pm workshop is 800 baht in advance or 1000 baht on the day. Call 076 333 569 for Sylvie or e: pr@villaroyalephuket.com