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

scmp.com The man killed in a shoot-out with Indonesian police on Saturday is believed to be a florist who went missing from his job at the Ritz-Carlton in Jakarta the day the hotel was bombed last month, a senior anti-terrorism officer said. Rejecting reports identifying the dead man as Southeast Asia's most wanted terrorist, Noordin Mohammad Top, the officer told the Post that the florist, named Boim or Ibrahim, was an undercover militant who was also involved in a plot to blow up President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

mmail.com.my Police say it could take two weeks to confirm the death of Asian terror mastermind Noordin Mohammed Top, reportedly killed in a dramatic standoff with police special forces. Noordin was reportedly killed on Saturday in a hail of gunfire and explosions from US-trained counter-terrorism forces who surrounded his suspected hideout in remote Beji village, Central Java, according to local media. The 17-hour siege of the farmhouse was the culmination of a series of raids and arrests of his accomplices, which uncovered a plot to attack President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's home outside Jakarta, police said.

smh.com.au If reports of Noordin's death prove to be wrong, it bodes ill for Indonesia's fight against violent Islamic extremism. Confirmation of his escape will mean, as analyst Sidney Jones puts it, ''the legend grows.'' Noordin has used his ability to elude capture - he has escaped two earlier armed raids on safe houses - to create an almost mythical persona that is thought to be extremely potent in recruiting fresh faces willing to blow themselves up.

AFP Burglars made off with jewels and cash worth 11 million euros ($15.6 million) from the hotel room of a Saudi princess in Sardinia, Italian newspapers report, sparking a diplomatic incident. ''The thieves used a master key. In 10 minutes at dinner time, without making any noise, they managed to remove the safe from a suite occupied by the Saudi princess,'' who was not named, the daily La Stampa reported.

The Nation With economies of most countries bottoming out, exports are expected to bounce back in the fourth quarter. Re-employment of some laid-off workers and better domestic spending have convinced the government and businessmen that an economic recovery may be around the corner. Board of Trade of Thailand chairman Dusit Nontanakorn predicts that although global economic uncertainties remain, exports should start picking up from now.


Bangkok Post Andrew Biggs writes: ''Somebody says hundreds of tourists were 'maimed or murdered' in Pattaya. It turns out last year five British tourists were murdered in Thailand out of a total of 12 foreigners. Whatever the total, when you compare it with the large number of tourists who came to Thailand last year, a fact slowly emerges that is sure to unnerve even the most hysterical letters-to-the-editor writing westerner - Thailand is a very safe country for tourists.''

asiasentinel.com Dr Pavin Chachavalpongpun writes: ''Undeniably, Suvarnabhumi Airport represents a mini-Thailand, sullied by corruption, dark influences, cheating and a struggle for power and money. But what makes it even more undignified, is that those behind the airport's criminal network have targeted tourists, thus internationalising their notoriety at the expense of the country's tourism sector. The reality is that the law enforcement agencies seem reluctant to sort out the problem, and the longer it persists, the more damage will be done.''

wsj.com Europe's Mediterranean countries are feeling the economic crisis this summer as holiday destinations such as Greece, Portugal and Spain stagger through one of the worst tourist seasons in years. From the Costa del Sol to Cyprus, tourist arrivals in the Mediterranean are down 10 percent or more, outpacing an eight percent world-wide slump in tourism. Along Europe's southern coasts, tourism revenue has plunged even more starkly than the drop in arrivals. Struggling hotel and tour operators are slashing prices, as visitors seek out bargain holidays and plan for shorter stays.

bbc.co.uk Mark Lester, a former child star and long-time friend of Michael Jackson, says he could be the father of one of the late pop star's children. Speaking to the News Of The World, Lester said he had donated sperm to the King of Pop and was willing to take a paternity test. ''I believe Paris could be my daughter,'' he said, and noted she bore a physical resemblance to his daughter, Harriet.

Bangkok Post Airlines including the long-haul budget carrier AirAsia X, Malaysia's AirAsia, AirAsia Indonesia and, most recently, Garuda Indonesia have now all embraced Thailand's ''wai'' as a standard greeting for passengers. The wai's globalisation started early this year with the Malaysia-base AirAsia X and AirAsia before the Indonesian flag carrier introduced the gesture in June, part of a major transformation aimed at joining the elite of Asian airlines.

dailymail.co.uk An increase in the number of dodgy Third World planes is only part of the reason air safety has started hitting the headlines with such regularity. Amazingly, as recently as the Sixties, you were 10 times more likely to be involved in a serious aviation incident than you are now. Carolyn Evans, head of Flight Safety at the pilots' union, suggests the media picks up on only a fraction of incidents. '''There is a lack of basic skills,'' she says, accentuated by the lack of real experience of what happens when complex computer systems malfunction.


Phuket Massacre: Three Shot Dead, One Wounded
Updating Report A killer in a pickup executed a horrifying massacre on Phuket early today, killing three people and wounded a fourth at a party near Chalong Circle. All were shot in the head.
Phuket Massacre: Three Shot Dead, One Wounded

Jet-skis Action: Governor Orders Photo Gallery
Latest Phuket appears to be following Bangkok airport in cleaning up its tourist scams and ripoffs with the Governor of Phuket ordering photos and fingerprints for all jetski operators.
Jet-skis Action: Governor Orders Photo Gallery

Governor Hails Phuket Drug Gang 'Bust'
Latest Members of a gang accused of bringing methamphetamine onto Phuket are paraded as part of the authorities' message against illegal drug consumption.
Governor Hails Phuket Drug Gang 'Bust'

Five-Star Phuket Dial-a-Scam Escape Bid Foiled
Photo Album The leader of an alleged scam gang operating from five star luxury on Phuket made an escape bid as police began interrogating a gang of 40 over the fraud scheme.
Five-Star Phuket Dial-a-Scam Escape Bid Foiled

Bride, Groom Find Love on Phuket: Photo Special
Romantic Photo Special Join a young Australian couple as they marry in one of Phuket's most romantic settings, with a chapel full of happy tourists looking on.
Bride, Groom Find Love on Phuket: Photo Special


MediaWATCH: Island Where Tourists Aren't Wanted
Latest Phuket wants tourists, but perhaps not the kind that appear to enjoy Mediterranean islands. The case of the flaming flasher sparks a war of words between Greeks and Britons
MediaWATCH: Island Where Tourists Aren't Wanted