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

thainews.prd.go.th Bids will be opened for interested public transport businesses to operate three routes in Phuket, the chief of Land Transport office Terayut Polprasert has announced. The three routes are from Phuket airport-Surin-Kamala beach. Route number two from Phuket airport-Patong-Kata Karon and route number 3 Phuket airport-Chalong-Rawai. The Phuket international airport will also consider providing drop off points for passengers.

bernama.com Genting Malaysia unveiled a US$3 billion master plan for Resorts World Miami, in the heart of the city of Miami. Midway between Miami International Airport and Miami Beach, Resorts World Miami includes a series of four hotels with a total of 5200 rooms.

voanews.com Burma's pro-military government has lifted a long-standing ban on several prominent news Web sites, including the Voice of America, Reuters news agency and the British Broadcasting Corporation, in a surprise move.

wsj.com Global companies are growing increasingly worried that Thailand's recent clampdown on Internet traffic might drag down the country's economic potential and make it more difficult to expand.

aap Qantas will trial Apple iPads as the airline takes the first tentative steps towards introducing wireless technology for in-flight entertainment.

bloomberg.com UBS, Switzerland's biggest bank, asked British police at 1am to arrest [alleged $2-billion-dollar rogue trader] Kweku Adoboli before notifying the UK financial regulator or prosecutors, according to two people familiar with the matter.

bangkokpost.com The budget airline group AirAsia denied that it would launch its first intercontinental non-stop service out of Bangkok, to London, through its long-haul affiliate AirAsia X.

upi.com Vast areas of Thailand remained flooded as the death toll from the weeks-long disaster mounted. Interior Ministry official Wichian Chavalit said at least 91 people have so far been confirmed dead, and two others were listed as missing. The inundation has affected more than 1.2 million people in 30 provinces with no immediate signs of a let up.

independent.co.uk Two people died and 16 were injured in a fire on a cruise ship operating on a popular route along Norway's craggy coast. Nine were taken to hospital, two with serious burns and smoke injuries. Police say they have accounted for everyone on board.

independent.co.uk Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government edged closer to disintegration as rebellious MPs flatly ignored her warnings about making rash statements and speculated openly about Greece leaving the eurozone.

stuff.co.nz New Zealand officials have apologised to Prime Minister Julia Gillard after a driver refused to let her on to a bus with other leaders during the Pacific Islands forum in Auckland last week, telling her instead to get on the spouses' bus.

nuwireinvestor.com Rapid economic growth, increased mortgage lending and little fear of a property bubble in the Thai property market is having a very favorable effect on house prices in many sectors, with a 12.16 percent increase in prices for single-detached homes. The Bank of Thailand also reports substantial increases in the price index for townhouses and residential land despite interest rate hikes, decreasing yield in rents and a condominium glut.

property-report.com Rising construction prices and uncertainty over the government's housing policy may affect the real estate sector significantly and worry property developers. Statistics from the Real Estate Information Center showed new house registrations in the first half of the year declined 14 percent y-o-y to around 46,300 while transferred units fell 23 percent y-o-y to 88,200.

smh.com.au British Prime Minister David Cameron says his government is doing ''everything we possibly can'' to resolve the kidnapping of a British tourist in Kenya. The Prime Minister said the kidnap of Judith Tebbutt, 56, and the killing of her husband David Tebbutt, 58, while on holiday was ''tragic.''

aap Letting transsexual Australians carry passports in their preferred gender without the need for a sex change will save them from needless embarrassment and delays, transgender advocates say. The Australian Coalition for Equality said people would now be able to travel overseas without being stopped by officials because their passport doesn't match their public identity.

theage.com.au A tall Victorian man has accused Qantas of discrimination for charging him a fee to sit in a seat with extra leg room. Adam Menzies, who is 213cm (7 feet) tall, has taken the airline to court because he had to pay extra for an exit row seat on a flight from New York to Melbourne last November.

independent.co.uk British Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has called on search engines like Google, as well as internet service providers, to bar links to websites offering pirated content in a bid to stem the proliferation of illegal downloads.



September 17-18 Honda Racing, Saphan Hin, Phuket City

September 21-24 Quiksilver Thailand Surf Competition 2011, Patong

September 27-October 5 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket

November 1-6 Women's Beach Volleyball Series at Karon on Phuket

November 26-27 9th Phuket International Soccer 7s

November 27 Laguna Phuket Triathlon

December 3-4 6th Andaman International Soccer 7s

December 4 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Laguna



March 18-28 National Youth Games, Phuket

March 29-April 1 Phuket International Boat Show, Royal Phuket Marina



November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket