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

bangkokpost.com The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects at least 100,000 Chinese tourists to spend the coming Chinese New Year in Thailand, up from 60,000 last year. Chinese tourists are increasingly travelling on their own and using the internet to pick destinations, instead of relying on tour agents. For Chinese New Year, the TAT will spend about 20 million baht on promotions in Phuket and other key destinations.

aap Budget airline Tiger Airways said it had raised $S247.7 million in its initial public offering to help fund its ambitious plans in the growing Asian market. The IPO, first by an Asian carrier in five years, means the Singapore-based carrier will have a market capitalisation of $S781.3 million. Tiger flies from Singapore to destinations across Asia including Phuket and Penang.

nytimes.com Literally, a cry from the heart: "I work for a hospital - Sacre Coeur in Milot, 75 miles North of Port au Prince. We were not damaged. We have room for 100 patients, we have over 20 Haitian doctors onsite including a medical trauma team and an orthopedic team arriving today. Helicopters can land very close to us, only ONE landed yesterday with 4 patients! People are dying in the streets AND in the hospitals in Port-au-Prince. We have a full-service hospital with two ORs and are NOT being utilized."

straitstimes.com On a flight on December 23, drunk Estonian ship engineer Beljanin Vadim tried to kiss a passenger seated next to him, and was eventually placed in restraints as he kicked, screamed and tried to bite others on board. The 41-year-old was fined a total of $15,000 yesterday for behaving in a drunk manner and putting the safety of an aircraft in danger.

associated press Vandals threw a rum bottle at a mosque in the first attack on a Muslim house of worship after almost a dozen similar assaults on churches in Malaysia the past week. Police have dismissed the attacks as vandalism, but they have caused disquiet in multiracial Malaysia and raised fears of more widespread religious tensions.

smh.com.au Japanese summer hordes treat Enoshima's beaches with total contempt. For two months during the summer the beach is a pigsty. Fast food wrappers, empty beer and soft drink cans, dog turds, broken glass, rotting fruit, a million plastic bags and a billion cigarette butts. The smell of decay makes one want to dry retch. It is futile trying to escape the crud by getting into the water - it feels like an oil slick. And faeces floats everywhere.

smh.com.au Sex romps at a Queensland resort are giving nudists a raw deal, say more serious naturists. The White Cockatoo resort at Mossman hit the headlines with reports of poolside sex and partner swapping, and that was from its owners Tony and Lenore Fox. The timely free exposure hasn't hurt their advertising campaign aimed at selling the resort for $1.5 million, with a flood of prospective national and international callers.

asiaone.com Police have arrested more than three dozen ''professional foot masseuse'' hailing from China and Indonesia during raids at several foot-massage centres in Miri, Malaysia, after finding that they had been massaging more than the feet of their male clients. As many as 38 people were arrested at one massage centre, including both masseuse and their clients. Clients were released after having their statements taken.

foxnews.com Cambodian police arrested an American on charges that he drugged a 12-year-old girl and took pornographic photos of her. Ronald A. Adams, 51, was arrested at his home Friday after a complaint from the girl's mother. Provincial prosecutor You Tith Vattanak said Adams was charged Sunday with illegal drug use and possession of child pornography, and could face rape charges after medical tests.

heraldsun.com.au A nightclub in Singapore is offering free drinks to women according to their bra size according a report in the China Press, MyFox National reported. ''Fill My Cups'' nights are all the rage at the OverEasy nightclub, complete with promotional posters proclaiming ''Booze for your boobs.'' The stunt has been called both humorous and distasteful.

mcot.net Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Swiss Ambassador to Thailand Christine Schraner Burgener signed an agreement for unlimited air services between and beyond their respective national territories. At present, 15 direct weekly flights are operated from Thailand to Switzerland and vice versa, with 14 flights between Bangkok and Zurich and one flight linking Phuket and Zurich.

upi Burma's Supreme Court heard an appeal against the extended detention of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but a ruling may be a week away. The 64-year-old Suu Kyi, who has spent 14 of the last 20 years under house arrest, is appealing a sentence last year which further extended her detention by 18 months allegedly for violating detention rules because of an American, who swam across a lake and stayed in her residence. She denied the charges, saying she had asked him to leave.

nytimes.com Cambodia has refurbished Routes 5 and 6 to connect Phnom Penh with the Thai border. Cambodia is halfway through a road-building spree and the new roads make the temples of Angkor Wat a comfortable drive from the Thai border - and a short day's drive from Bangkok. The roads also put more remote historic sites within easy reach for tourists.

luxurytravelmagazine.com One of London's most legendary and historic luxury hotels, The Connaught in fashionable Mayfair, has undergone a renovation and welcomed the Aman Spa to the hotel's new West Wing in collaboration with Amanresorts. Reflecting both the hotel's inimitable style and Amanresorts' Asian-inspired aesthetic, every detail of the Aman Spa is finely tuned to offer guests optimal relaxation and comfort. The ambience is warm and welcoming, with an air of refreshing simplicity.

etravelblackboardasia.com The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced that Ryo Ishikawa, a young Japanese player who is a rising star in world golf, has accepted its invitation to be the ''Golf Ambassador of Thailand.'' Ishikawa, known as the ''Bashful Prince,'' will help promote Thailand as a tourist destination with a focus on promoting golf tourism to Japanese visitors.




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

February 7 Wichit Municipality mini-marathon over 4.5 kilometres and 10.5 kilometres. For more information call 076-525100 or 080-6481363.

February 26-27 Phuket International Blues Rock Festival 2010 at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa, Karon.

April 9-13 Phuket Bike Week, including tattoo competitions, island rides and the Miss Phuket Bike Week contest.