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

news.com.au Virgin Blue plans to ramp up its Melbourne operations using long-haul offshoot V Australia to launch direct flights to Los Angeles, Phuket and Johannesburg. The ramp up of Melbourne operations, to be announced today, includes direct flights from Melbourne to Phuket from December, and between Melbourne and Johannesburg from March. The once-a week Melbourne-Phuket service will start December 3.

theage.com.au V Australia is ramping up its international operations by launching direct flights to Phuket and Johannesburg. The Virgin Blue offshoot will commence twice weekly direct flights from Brisbane to Phuket on November 22 and direct flights once per week from Melbourne to Phuket on December 3. It will also commence direct flights from Melbourne to Johannesburg, South Africa, on March 13. To celebrate the launch, special sale fares to Phuket and Johannesburg will go on sale today at 1400 AEST on the airline's website.

bloomberg.com Japan's economy grew for the first time in five quarters as a revival in exports and consumer spending helped the country climb out of its worst postwar recession. Stocks fell on concern the recovery won't last. Gross domestic product expanded at an annual 3.7 percent pace in the three months ended June 30, following an 11.7 percent decline in the previous quarter.

independent.co.uk When John Yettaw boarded a plane in Rangoon, the American senator who secured his release hailed the moment as a possible first step towards better relations between Burma and the West. But as the man whose exploits gave the junta an excuse to further detain Aung Sun Suu Kyi headed away from the notorious Insein prison, a fresh debate began on whether the West should pursue greater engagement with the country.

The Nation US Senator Jim Webb, who helped free an American from Burma over the weekend, yesterday called for diplomatic pressure on China to nudge the military-ruled country towards democracy and national reconciliation. ''I believe that China has an obligation to use its influence to resolve the situation,'' Webb said. He arrived in Bangkok from Burma with the American, John Yettaw, who caused trouble for opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi by swimming across a lake to her home in May.

telegraph.co.uk A member of the Burmese travel industry writes: Investment sanctions and tourism boycotts although well meaning, actually play into the hands of the Burmese government, by concentrating more power and lucrative trade and business deals in a tight inner circle of business associates and military families. It is absolutely right to be concerned about visiting Burma, but careful investigation and research on how and where to spend the tourist dollar can make a significant and positive difference as well as send out the right message.

mt.m2day.org Hakim Joe writes: The Myanmar government is not the sole Asean member that finds ways to incarcerate and victimise its political opposition and to repress civil liberties. The other six democratic governments have done exactly the same. Cambodia (banishment of Sam Rainsy), Indonesia (autocracy under Soekarno), Malaysia (jailing of Anwar Ibrahim), Philippines (assassination of Benigno Aquino), Singapore (jailing of Dr. Chee Soon Juan) and Thailand (military coup ousting Thaksin Shinawatra) have at one time or another suppressed human rights by force. Brunei is still effectively under martial law and the word of the Sultan is law. Laos and Vietnam are one-party socialist (communist) states that tolerate no opposition.

Reuters Indonesian police are investigating an email sent to a local website claiming to be from fugitive Islamic militant Noordin Mohammad Top and threatening to carry out more attacks. Top is the suspected mastermind behind last month's twin suicide bomb attacks on Jakarta's JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels, killing nine people and injuring 53.

hospitalitynet.org Dietmar Kielnhofer writes; The present challenge our industry faces is that of demand generation. We cannot influence demand factors, they are largely beyond our internal control mechanism, in particular in Thailand with all its socio-economic and political problems. There is no such thing as a blanket approach to rate dropping. It is all managing the details, account by account, segment by segment. It is a tedious and resource consuming endeavor. But done intelligently the rewards are above average.

Xinhua Tremors were felt in Singapore on Sunday afternoon after an earthquake of 6.9 on the Richter scale hit Sumatra of Indonesia, local media reported. According to TV broadcaster Channel News Asia, tremors were felt at 3:40 pm local time on Sunday, two minutes after the strong earthquake shook Sumatra, some 560 kilometers away from Singapore.

smh.com.au It seems swearing is everywhere, with one language expert suggesting Australians have some of the foulest mouths in the world. The University of Queensland's Roly Sussex, a professor of applied language studies, said that in terms of attitudes to swearing, the US and Australia were on opposite ends of the spectrum, with Britain in the middle.

Associated Press Motola, a Thai elephant who lost a foot and part of her leg when she stepped on a land mine 10 years ago, happily if tentatively stepped out Sunday after being fitted with an artificial limb. In her first stroll with the permanent prosthesis, the 48-year-old female walked out of her enclosure for about 10 minutes, grabbed some dust with her trunk and jubilantly sprayed it in the air.

Bangkok Post Editorial With this year's tourist arrivals expected to fall far below the previous forecast of 13.5 million people, it is understandable that the operators and the government will have to review their financial plans and marketing strategy to keep the business going. It is also vital, however, that they not fail to recognise the magnitude of the problems caused by tourism crime. Without serious and systematic efforts by all concerned to deal with the problem, it is possible the goose may one day no longer be able to lay the golden egg.

nytimes.com Hong Kong climbed out of recession in the second quarter, joining a rising number of economies in Asia and some in Europe reporting surprisingly buoyant growth as the global downturn moderates. Heavily reliant on trade and banking, the Hong Kong economy lurched into a recession when the financial world convulsed and Western demand for exports plummeted after the Lehman Brothers collapse 11 months ago. But Hong Kong's economy grew by a seasonally adjusted 3.3 percent in the second quarter from the first quarter, more than analysts had expected

scmp.com Hong Kong's richest person, Li Ka-shing, believes the worst of the global financial crisis is over but there is still a long way to go before an economic recovery. The worst may be behind us, but there would not immediately be a v-shaped rebound. That was impossible, the chairman of Cheung Kong (Holdings) and Hutchison Whampoa said at the companie'' interim results announcement. ''If you suggest that the overall economy will recover at the end of this year, I disagree. But if [you] say it'll not get worse, I agree,'' Mr Li said.

smh.com.au When Dutchman Joannes Rutten and his grandson boarded a Sydney-bound flight last week, they were looking forward to a few weeks' rest and relaxation Down Under. Instead they were left scratching their heads when their plane touched down on an island off the north-eastern coast of Canada. Sydney, Australia, they soon discovered, is a long way from Sydney, Nova Scotia. They set out from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport with Air Canada on Saturday, but headed west instead of east. The hapless travellers finally arrived in Australia on Wednesday, five days after setting off from Amsterdam. Joannes' bags have now gone missing.


Five-Star Phuket Affair Ends in Tragedy: Two Die
Latest A murder suicide at a five star island resort close to Phuket leaves colleagues in shock at a love story with a tragic ending. It's the latest in a spate of violence in the region.
Five-Star Phuket Affair Ends in Tragedy: Two Die

Phuket 'Needs Lease Changes, End to Corruption'
Latest A property industry leader says the structure of leases in Thailand should be extended to encourage buyers, and corruption on Phuket needs to be fought and beaten.
Phuket 'Needs Lease Changes, End to Corruption'

Phuket Boost as Air Asia Plans More Flights
Latest Tourism seems to be turning up for Phuket as along comes news of a move to make the island a genuine geographic ''hub'' for regional international flights.
Phuket Boost as Air Asia Plans More Flights

Phuket and Asean: No Decision Yet, PM is Quoted
Latest Phuket may yet upset Cha Am and Hua Hin by winning back the Asean summit set for October. That's the implication of the latest reports quoting the Prime Minister.
Phuket and Asean: No Decision Yet, PM is Quoted

Two Shot Dead: Riddle of Bodies in Andaman Park
Photo Album Do you know these people? The bodies of a Western man and a Thai woman, both shot dead, have been found in a beautiful Phang Nga national park north of Phuket.
Two Shot Dead: Riddle of Bodies in Andaman Park

Phuket Drownings Rile Fans of World's No.4 Beach
Latest Karon rates No. 4 on a world list of ''Top 10 Beach Holidays for Families'' but it's also right up there when it comes to drownings, too. A critic lashes Phuket's lifeguard system.
Phuket Drownings Rile Fans of World's No.4 Beach

Laguna Heading Towards Resort Brand No. 8
Latest With one resort about to divide and another brand soon to arrive, Laguna Phuket continues to grow and adapt with changing times. Brand No. 9 might not be far away.
Laguna Heading Towards Resort Brand No. 8


MediaWATCH: President Obama Set to Visit Asia
Latest US President heading to Singapore in November; Les Paul dies; Malaysia rejects net censorship; CIA in Thailand; terrorists farewelled; Europe tourism badly hit.
MediaWATCH: President Obama Set to Visit Asia