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

bangkokpost.com Thailand's government has called a meeting of nine ministries related to the economy today to discuss measures to deal with the looming impact of the eurozone debt crisis on the Thai economy.

lfpress.com A small-town grocer who lost both of his daughters on a disastrous vacation to Phi Phi earlier this month has accused Thai authorities of covering up the true circumstances of their deaths. Carl Belanger, who will bury Noemi, 26, and Audrey, 20, on Saturday, made the accusation during an emotional interview with QMI Agency.

24hmomtreal.canoe.ca The slowness of the investigation and the lack of communication officers are at the heart of criticism by the father against the work of Thai authorities. Work he described as "rotten" and "corrupt". "The authorities say they found the bodies 12 hours after death. According to our calculations it was 48 hours," suggests Mr Belanger, who also believes that the hotel and the Thai government have something to hide.

bangkokpost.com The Tourism Authority of Thailand's creative tourism campaign is geared towards the growing trend of environmentally concerned travellers and community tourism. Target groups are independent travellers, especially generation X and Y tourists from Singapore, Japan, Australia, the UK, Germany, Scandinavia, the US and Canada.

bernama The tourism sector in Thailand's southern Andaman Phuket province has called for local authorities to install more close circuit televisions (CCTVs) throughout the resort island to boost security and confidence among locals and international visitors, Thai News Agency reported. The Phuket tourism sector has urged the local government to install additional 10,000 CCTVs with a budget of some two billion baht throughout the southern resort island, apart from some existing 2250 units.

cbsnews.com Two Thai men suspected of killing an Australian tourist have admitted to the crime, saying they meant only to slash her pocketbook strap and did not mean to stab her. A crowd of 200 people shouted angrily at the handcuffed men during a reenactment on Phuket, accusing them of bringing bad publicity to an area that depends on tourism.

theage.com.au As a sign of the seriousness with which Thailand regards this latest case, there has been direct involvement by the country's Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra. And the Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police came to Phuket from Bangkok when two men were arrested after fleeing Phuket.



nationmultimedia.com John Gray runs an ecotourism and sea canoe business in Phuket where he's known affectionately as ling yai (big monkey) and is in Palawan in the Philippines for a month shooting a documentary: "Palawan is an ideal model for ecotourism and sustainable development for Thailand. Where else would you find a street without a single cigarette butt and candy wrapper."

thewest.com.au Former Skywest Airlines director Miles Cattle has died after a motorcycle crash in Phuket. The 63-year-old, who had been living on the Thai holiday island, died on Sunday after he lost control of his Harley- Davidson. He reportedly hit a roadside concrete pillar and had severe internal chest injuries.

bangkokpost.com Orient Thai Airlines says it is too late to back off from relocating its base from Suvarnabhumi airport to Don Mueang despite being denied incentives to switch.

thejakartapost.com ''Tourism is a disaster for the poor. When the tourism sector is developed, the price of people's daily needs become more expensive and, particularly for the poor, unaffordable,'' Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika said in an evaluation meeting of the island's poverty reduction program.

telegraph.co.uk Pastor Kong Hee and four senior executives of the City Harvest Church - a Christian group registered as a charity - were arrested by Singapore's Commercial Affairs Department, a police unit set up to fight financial crime. Officials said they were suspected of diverting at least Sg$23 million earmarked for charitable projects and spent money on a bid by the pastor's wife to launch an evangelical music career in the US.

thejakartapost.com Bali needs to improve the quality of its human resources in the tourism sector to be more competitive in anticipation of a flood of foreign workers into the island. Bagus Sudibya, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Tourism Industry Association in Bali, said that in many cases there was still a mismatch between the supply of workers from tourism schools and demand from the tourism market.

cnngo.com Phuket is a tourist playground and is the largest island in Thailand - approximately the same size as Singapore. Despite its size and popularity the province still has some surrounding islands offering solace, best explored by chartering a boat from one of Phuket's many yacht rental companies. And just so we're clear, the "Ph" at the beginning of Phuket is pronounced "p," not "f."

theglobeandmail.com The Rohingya are widely viewed in mainstream Myanmar as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even though many have lived in Myanmar for generations. Anti-Rohingya sentiment was institutionalized by the old military junta, which refused to give them passports, restricted their movement inside the country and routinely used them as forced laborers.

incentivetravel.co.uk The Lifestyle Agency has been appointed to handle the UK public relations for Paresa Resort in Phuket, Thailand. This design led boutique hotel has been built into the cliff tops overlooking the Andaman Sea in the sought after exclusive area of Kamala Bay.



dailymail.co.uk Andy Murray Wimtook his customary place at the tail end of the Wimbledon tv schedule then proceeded to hand out the most brutal beating to seasoned Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

smh.com.au Australia is without a representative in the second round of the men's draw at Wimbledon for the first time since 1938, after 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt followed beaten 20th seed Bernard Tomic, Matt Ebden and Marinko Matosevic out of the tournament on day two.



July 1 US Independence Day picnic, Headstart International School of Phuket, from 11am

July 18-22 Phuket Raceweek

July 21-22 Toyota motor racing at Saphan Hin, Phuket City



November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket