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

telegraph.co.uk TripAdvisor is in real danger of becoming a victim of its own success. With some 25 million-plus users a month, it wields enormous power and the hotel industry knows it. Many within the industry are now doing all they can to manipulate its anonymous reviews. And who can blame them? A series of bad TripAdvisor reviews can ruin a hotel's business. No wonder then that European hoteliers are seeking to persuade the EU Commission to overhaul the rules governing website reviews to ensure that they have been posted by genuine guests.

thelocal.se If November is the month when the fewest children are born, that would make February the least erotic month. Urban legend has it that most Swedish babies are born nine months to the day after the feelgood festival of Midsummer Eve, when cavorting is on everyone's mind. The New York Times has said that the roots of sexual liberation in Scandinavia are the state-sponsored social movements for women's rights, sex education and health care, plus freedom of expression.

bloomberg A British tourist and her partner returned home after being detained in Dubai on charges of illegal extramarital sex after reporting that she was raped, the UK Consulate in the emirate said. The 23-year-old woman, of Pakistani Muslim origin, was allowed to depart after dropping allegations she was raped by an employee of a luxury hotel in Dubai. She and her 44-year-old companion spent two days in jail after reporting the rape on New Year's Day and then four weeks on bail, The Sun said.

afp Indonesia said it will enforce a ban on buffalo at street protests after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed his hurt at being compared to one of the bucolic beasts. Yudhoyono confirmed his reputation as one of the more sensitive world leaders when he spoke out against protesters who stuck his picture on one of the powerful but docile farm animals during a protest in Jakarta last week.

cnn.com Sumo grand champion Asashoryu held a tear-filled press conference to announce his retirement in the wake of allegations about his drunken assault on a man outside a Tokyo nightclub last month. The 29-year-old, who became the first Mongolian to earn the highest ranking in Japan's most revered sport in 2003 and only the third non-Japanese, apologised in a statement broadcast on television.

baltictimes.com Parliamentarians in Lithuania are moving to discipline two of their own for skipping out on duties. Linas Karalius, 36, stands accused of skipping a number of parliamentary sessions in favor of extending his current vacation in Thailand, local news portal alfa.lt reported. Fellow MP Aleksandr Sacharuk is accused of having used Karalius' MP card to cover for his absence by voting in his stead. The story gained prominence in the public when the vagrant parliamentarian posted some racy pictures - including ones of himself posing with scantily-clad Thai women - on his blog.

smh.com.au A former porn star and alleged mistress of Tiger Woods says she is outraged by a new range of golf balls adorned with head shots of the golfer's lovers. Veronica Siwik-Daniels says the line, branded ''Tail of the Tiger: the Mistress Collection,'' is offensive and promotes violence towards women.

theindependent.co.uk Just when you thought it was safe to go back between the sheets, a group of researchers claim that they have found the G-spot - in France. At last week's gynaecologists' conference in Paris organiser Sylvain Mimoun declared that 60 percent of women have one, and that proper ''interaction'' with it can make it increasingly ''functional''.

afp Indonesia's Garuda vowed to rigorously enforce safety measures as part of efforts to revitalise the struggling airline ahead of a planned public listing this year. Company president and chief executive Emirsyah Satar said the flag carrier had been strictly complying with international standards since being taken off a European Union aviation blacklist after more than two years.

businessweek.com A Malaysian court has charged a woman and her son with killing their Indonesian housemaid, a judge said, in the country's latest case of alleged abuse against foreign workers. Canteen operator K. Letchmy, 55, and university student K. Kannan, 26, did not enter pleas when they were charged with murder. If found guilty, they could face death by hanging.

thestar.com.my One-year-old Wong Wai Jing and her mother, June Tan, 47, have been listed in the Malaysian Book of Records after a one-month survey confirmed that the 10-year-old frozen embryo used to conceive Wai Jing was indeed frozen for the longest time to successfully produce a child in the country. ''There are other embryos that were stored for longer periods in Malaysia, but they have not been used or were discarded,'' said Dr Chung Chow Cheang, who performed the in-vitro fertilisation.

radioaustralia.net.au Professor Jessica Meeuwig, Centre for Marine Futures, University of Western Australia: As we're fishing out the oceans we start at the top of the food chain, we deplete those species then we move further down and at the end of the process you end up with not much other than jellyfish. And we do have areas where jellyfish have become a plague problem, such as the Black Sea. I see no reason why with care we can't keep eating seafood, I think the lesson is to say that we do actually need to act and make sure that we're not overfishing and make sure that we create opportunities for stocks to recover.

telegraph.co.uk Avram Grant, the Portsmouth FC manager, has been assured his job is safe after club officials spoke to him about the disclosure that he had been seen visiting a brothel. Mr Grant, 54, may be questioned as a potential witness by vice squad police investigating the ''massage parlour'' which he visited in December last year. The married father-of-two was wearing a club tracksuit when he emerged from the brothel in Horton Heath, near Portsmouth's training ground in Eastleigh, Hants, when he admitted he was aware that the premises was a brothel. The middle-aged landlord, who declined to give his name, said: ''I don't very often come around here but as far as I was concerned it was a genuine Thai massage parlor.''

rep-am.com The secret second life of James Crowley, 51, life is emerging as his calculated new life, complete with a condominium, investments, three bank accounts and routes to prostitutes in Thailand. His wife Kathleen believed he made trips to Thailand on business. Police say Crowley, now charged with fraud, typically spent $300 for a rendezvous with a prostitute at a company owned condominium intended for visits by business clients and representatives from factories owned in Thailand and Germany

asahi.com Justice Ministry officials from Tokyo began interviewing asylum-seekers from Burma about possible resettlement in Japan, a move that many people say is long overdue. At the Mae La camp near Mae Sot, Japanese officials met with several Burmese families who are seeking refugee status. Tokyo plans to accept, on a trial basis, 30 Burmese refugees in fiscal 2010, part of 90 in total to be accepted by fiscal 2012.

cctv.com Since Phuket is rich in tin, I bought a lot of tin products as souvenirs. Tin accessories are all handmade. Tropical fruits and seafood, wow, Bon appetite!(sic) It's a shame that I only stayed there for one day, which didn't give me enough time to travel to other islands. I definitely will find a chance to go back and experience more about this wonderful place.



Until February 7 Phang Nga Bay Regatta. More than 60 yachts are expected to enter in six classes. More information: http://www.bayregatta.com

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

Until February 14 Phuket OTOP (one village, one product) Fair at Saphan Hin public park in Phuket City. About 300 booths, nightly performances, local and national products, good food. Hundreds of visitors expected each evening.

February 13-19 Chalong Temple Fair.

February 14 Valentines Day, Chinese New Year.

February 19-21 Old Phuket Chinese New Year Festival, Old Phuket Town.

February 25-28 Phuket Gay Festival in Patong.

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

February 26-28 Phuket Spicy Soccer 7s at Fifa Phuket Tsunami Centre.

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

May Date to be finalised for Muay Thai kickboxing competition at Laguna Phuket.

May 21-23 Paragliding on Phuket.

May31-June 5 Eight-nation football tournament for players over 55 at Surakul Stadium in Phuket City. Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Taiwan, Iran, Armenia competing.

June 4-13 Phuket International Film Festival.

Phuket Summit: Governor to Meet Expat Consuls
Breaking News A precedent setting meeting is to take place on Monday between Phuket's Governor and 16 expat consuls. Gatherings four times a year will discuss all expat and tourist issues.
Phuket Summit: Governor to Meet Expat Consuls

Phuket Navy Sea Rescue Deal to Lift Safety
Latest Phuket's approach to safety at sea is improved still further as the Navy signs a deal that will bring faster and more effective methods into operation from now on.
Phuket Navy Sea Rescue Deal to Lift Safety

Phuket's Red Flower Rally Marred by Scuffles
Photo Album A peaceful rally by red shirts outside Phuket's Navy base was marred today when locals tried to snatch the flowers before they could be presented to officers.
Phuket's Red Flower Rally Marred by Scuffles

Phuket Becomes Tourism Target: Outlook Positive
Latest Peak season and Q4 figures show an upsurge of interest in Thailand, and the feedback from industry sources reinforces the message: Phuket is making a great start to 2010.
Phuket Becomes Tourism Target: Outlook Positive

MediaWATCH: Finns Plan 'Getaway' to Phuket
Phuket News Digest Finland may offer Thailand to elderly; Brits told 'keep it clean'; Singapore show pulls exhibitors; Temple visitors told to wear sarongs; Koh Prayam to relax; Nine year old gives birth.
MediaWATCH: Finns Plan 'Getaway' to Phuket