Associated Press Golf great Tiger Woods will play in a one-day skins tournament in Thailand for the first time in 10 years on November 8, at the Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi.


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

bangkokpost.com Police believe the bomber responsible for the powerful blast at a Nonthaburi apartment on Tuesday was among four people killed by the explosion. They have also linked the man, a militant red shirt supporter, to at least three other bomb threats and blasts in Bangkok in recent weeks.

nationmultimedia.com The Thai baht broke the psychological level of 30 per US dollar for the first time since the currency was devalued in 1997, hitting 29.92 in the afternoon amid expectation that the currency would further appreciate on incessant inflows.

PTI The Nuclear Power Development Corporation of India is in talks with some countries of the Asia-Pacific region for the sale of its mainstay 220 MWe and 540 MWe reactors, its chairman S K Jain said. ''We are having detailed discussions (about sale of the reactors) with Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam,'' Jain told newsmen on the sidelines of a technical session at Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre auditorium in Kolkata.

bangkokpost.com A government intelligence report claims 11 men arrested at the weekend at a Chiang Mai resort received weapons training in Cambodia. The men, taken into custody on Saturday night and placed in the witness protection program, have not been charged with an offence.

Associated Press Fireworks intended for Hanoi's 1000th birthday celebration exploded prematurely, killing four people and injuring three others, police said. One Singaporean and two Vietnamese were among the dead, while another body was burned beyond recognition and would require DNA testing for positive identification.



THAILAND Tourism awards were handed out yesterday to winners from Phuket and Phang Nga, with gongs going for excellence in nine categories. The awards were presented at the Phuket Merlin Hotel in Phuket City by the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Wanaprapar Suksombul.

Excellence Award, Local Tourism Ban Bang Rong community, for homestay and canoe-kayak facilities Excellence Award, 80 Rooms and Up Kata Thani Phuket Beach Resort, Kata Noi, for quality and service standards Encouragement Award, 80 Rooms and Up The Royal Paradise Phuket, Patong, for quality and service standards Excellence Award, Tourism Industry Support Koh Yao Noi, for work on creating a quality environment Encouragement Award, Tourism Industry Support Tessaban Phuket, for work on creating a quality environment Excellence Award, Health and Wellness Day Spa at Sukko Spa Encouragement Award, Health and Wellness Destination Spa at Banyan Tree Excellence Award, Tourism and Treatment Bangkok Hospital Phuket Excellence Award, Diving and Travel Barracuda Diving

afp Cambodia's child prostitution problem is usually associated with foreign pedophiles, but the majority of clients paying for sex with children are Cambodian men, campaign groups said.

thephuketinsider.com One consequence of the lack of licenses has come up in a number of intended hotel transactions where sales have not pushed though once due diligence started and it was found that the seller lacked the required documentation. Another short term ill of the existing hotel license regime in the lack of formal guidelines for non- traditional accommodation including condo hotels and private pool villa developments which operate and are sold as hotels.

nytimes A Dutch judge turned down demands by a separatist group for the arrest of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia on charges of human rights abuse. The judge's decision came a day after Mr Yudhoyono abruptly postponed a state visit.

bbc.co.uk New Leicester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has defended the club's visit to Thailand and their decision to play a friendly against the national side. The Foxes are third from bottom in the Championship table with just two wins from their opening ten games.

guardian.co.uk Leicester City's first assignment under Eriksson has been to head to Thailand for a friendly against the national team, who are managed by Bryan Robson. The original itinerary would reportedly have taken the team to Phuket but Eriksson oversaw a switch to Pattaya.

nationmultimedia.com Hong Kong based Langham Hotels and Resorts plans to manage three hotels in Thailand over the next three years, after the opening of its first resort in Koh Samui late last year. the group will operate two hotels in Bangkok in the Prayathai and Sukhumvit areas, and another will be on Phuket. The 78villa resort in Phuket will focus on foreign tourists.

afp An Indonesian court sentenced a child serial killer to life in prison for murdering four boys - at least one of whom he raped and mutilated. Baekuni, 49, a poor streetside cigarette seller, befriended street children before raping and murdering them in his small East Jakarta home.

smh.com.au The internet puts you in charge when you're organising a trip. It lets you find out all the options available, and lets you book them when you want to. And that's one of the problems. Our lovely interwebs might just be killing the spirit of adventure.



IBAP meets on Friday to discuss Phuket economics and politics with Bill Barnett, Alasdair Forbes and Martin Carpenter on the discussion panel. Catch them at theThai Naan restaurant, on the Central Festival corner, from 7pm.

October 8 IBAP panel on Phuket's economy, Thai Naan restaurant, Central Festival corner, 7pm.
October 8-16 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
October 12 Qatar begins daily flights to Phuket
November 2-7 Phuket womens' beach volleyball, Karon beach
November 5 Phuket Charity Pro Am Golf, Blue Canyon
November 19 AustCham at the new Westin Hotel at Koh Sireh from 3pm. E: harry@ladypie.com Tel: 081 2731740
November 21 Loy Kratong Festival
November 28 Laguna Phuket triathlon
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta
December 5 Laguna Ironman title
2011
January 6-9 PIMEX boat show, Royal Phuket Marina
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi