A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective. Reports from national and international media, with translations into English from Thai.

dailymail.co.uk As many as seven per cent of British travellers have been victims of crime overseas in the last five years, acording to a survey of 2000 travellers. Thailand is the country where Britons are most likely to become crime victims, with one in 13 suffering a crime incident there. A total of five percent have had personal belongings stolen, with four percent having money taken while abroad, the survey found. Spain is comparatively safe, with only five times as many incidents of crime against Britons than Thailand, even though Spain receives 36 times the number of British tourists.

Associated Press Michael Jackson's personal doctor administered a powerful anesthetic to help him sleep, and authorities believe the drug is what killed the pop singer, a law enforcement official has told The Associated Press. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said Jackson regularly received propofol to sleep, a practice far outside the drug's intended purpose. Though toxicology reports are pending, investigators are working under the theory that propofol caused Jackson's heart to stop, the official said.

thestar.com.my Developing countries are increasingly concerned they will not have access to vaccines for the H1N1 flu virus because of the great demand for them and the limited amounts that can be quickly made. The vaccine is made using parts of the virus itself, and only hundreds of millions of doses can be made in a year. However, governments in developed countries have already booked almost all the doses that can be produced. Some governments are already preparing to start vaccination even before the vaccine is fully cleared for safety.

Bangkok Post The Toyota Camry Hybrid, the first mass-produced hybrid car available in Thailand, went on sale yesterday at 1.779 million baht for the top range model. Thailand's largest automaker set the sales target for the hybrid petrol-electric vehicle from August through December at about 4000 units. Delivery will start next week. More than 900 units have been snapped up in pre-sale booking orders, which started last May, mainly by customers living in Bangkok.

monstersandcritics Chinese companies seeking investment privileges in Thailand have almost doubled in the first half of 2009 despite the ongoing global economic crisis, the country's main investment promotion body says. Although Chinese foreign direct investment in Thailand is still far below that of Japan, the US and Europe, Chinese companies were ranked among the most active to pursue new investments this year, the Board of Investment (BOI) said. For the first half of 2009, 10 projects from China worth 507 million baht have already applied for BOI promotional incentives.


timesonline.co.uk Carl Moritshed writes: ''A new aspirant has taken up the challenge of bringing sartorial shame to the world's fleshpots. From Bondi Beach to Phuket, the Chinese tourist is making waves. Complaints about uncouth visitors in Thailand prompted China's Spiritual Civilisation Steering Committee to provide guides on behavior abroad. China's recovery is hailed as our salvation. Cash is hoarded, not spent on indulgence. If China is decoupling from the world economy, many want to know where it is headed. Can we afford to go there and do we want to?''

The Nation Fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra has decided to spend more than one billion baht in setting up a global television network called 'Voice TV', which will start airing from next month, a Pheu Thai Samut Prakan MP says. During his 60th birthday phone-in on Sunday night, Mr Thaksin said he would launch television channels devoted to education, the poor and selling Otop products. Though the MP declined to reveal which satellite will be used to broadcast Voice TV, he did say that the government would not be able to block its signal.

wsj.com Hillary Clinton did the civilised world a good turn last week by becoming the first senior US official to raise questions about Burma's dealings with North Korea. Too bad she countered that deed shortly thereafter by offering conditional development aid to one of the world's most repressive regimes. Burma could see ''a lot of opportunities'' if opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi were released, Mrs Clinton told an audience in Bangkok. ''This would open up doors for investment and for other exchanges that would help the people of Burma.'' The message the generals will take from Mrs Clinton's latest goodwill offer is that they can do what they want with Ms Suu Kyi and still be courted by the free world.

thestar.com.my Marina Bay Sands, the $5.5 billion integrated casino resort in Singapore, is expected to see its meeting, incentive, convention and exhibitions business run at capacity in three to five years after the resort opens its doors in January or February. When completed, the resort's MICE facilities will cater to 45,000 delegates. There will be 250 meeting rooms at the facility and the building is able to host 2000 booths. The ballroom alone can cater up to 11,000 people in a single event. The iconic development features three 55-storey hotels that will have a 375metre long SkyPark on the top. Marina Bay Sands is counting on attracting visitors from Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Thailand.

businessweek.com Kenji Hall writes: ''Japan's government has come up with a not-so-new idea for creating jobs in its healthcare sector: attracting medical tourists. For months, a panel of experts has been meeting at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry behind closed doors to discuss the merits of luring wealthy patients from Asia and Russia to Japan for top-notch medical treatment. When I first heard of the proposal a couple of months ago, the ministry official who told me about it asked that I not write about it yet. Now it seems the ministry is moving ahead with its plans.''

abc.net.au Keepers at Sydney's Taronga Zoo have picked a name for the first elephant to be born in Australia. New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees announced the three-week-old male calf would be called Luk Chai at a ceremony also attended by Thailand's Environment Minister. The name, which is Thai for ''my son'', was suggested by 10 of the 32,000 entrants in a national competition on the zoo's website. Luk Chai's mother, Thong Dee, was originally a street elephant in Bangkok but was brought to Taronga Zoo in 2006.

Reuters A vocal group of conspiracy theorists known as ''birthers'' are riling the White House with their persistent claim that Barack Obama is not an American citizen and therefore ineligible to be president. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs looked exasperated at his briefing when a reporter asked him, ''Is there anything you can say that will make the birthers go away?'' Gibbs replied. ''I have news for them and for all of us: The president was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the 50th state of the greatest country on the face of the earth. He's a citizen.''

wsj.com The medical costs of treating obesity-related diseases may have soared as high as $147 billion in the US in 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said as its new director set a fresh tone in favor of more aggressively attacking obesity. The cost of treating obesity doubled over a decade, signaling the rising prevalence of excess weight and the toll it is taking on the health-care system.


Phuket Seen As Threat to Remote Island Tribes
Latest Phuket could be the jumping off point for journeys to a remote Andaman island that are said to threaten an isolated tribe. The fate of the Jarawa people has become an international concern.
Phuket Seen As Threat to Remote Island Tribes

More Police Needed: Grateful Phuket Governor
Latest Phuket deserves credit for a ''wonderful'' Asean week, with the prospect of more in October, the island's governor says. But more regular police are definitely needed.
More Police Needed: Grateful Phuket Governor

China Invasion of Phuket Begins: Photo Special
Photo Special The first of 105 new flights from China arrived on Phuket last night, with others from Korea and Spain set to follow. It's a sign that the island is beating difficult conditions.
China Invasion of Phuket Begins: Photo Special

Phuket Red-Shirts Mark Thaksin's 60th Birthday
Latest He's the fugitive in a private jet, the former PM with a golden past that no longer glitters. And today, Phuket supporters could not quite muster 60 people to celebrate a Thaksin birthday.
Phuket Red-Shirts Mark Thaksin's 60th Birthday

Phuket's Giant Turtle Wins His Freedom
Latest A giant turtle, treated on Phuket after suffering a wound at the hands of illegal fishermen, has recovered and been freed. A microchip will track his movements.
Phuket's Giant Turtle Wins His Freedom

Phuket Surfer Riding High at Surin: Photo Special
Photo Special Phuket beaches grow more turbulent in Summer but at one of them, Surin, an American surfer is offering a commonsense recipe for survival and fun in the sea.
Phuket Surfer Riding High at Surin: Photo Special

Airport Scam: Duty Free Store Declares Innocence
Latest The duty free firm named in Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi scam declares its innocence as the airport, a transit stop for many passengers to Phuket, prepares for a crackdown.
Airport Scam: Duty Free Store Declares Innocence