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

Phuketwan Update Rain failed to dampen the colorful finale to the Phuket Vegetarian Festival with crackers and smoke filling the air of Phuket City until late last night. Prancing entranced warriors ended their nine days of abstinence and became normal Phuket residents once more.

Phuketwan Update There's no shortage of foreign capital looking for a home on Phuket. Wang Gutyuam, President of China's Shangmao Group, told Phuket Governor Tree Ackaradecha this week that he was looking to invest one billion baht on the island. A light-rail from the airport to Phuket City is one of the most popular potential projects.

independent.co.uk Paris Charles de Gaulle airport could run out of fuel by Wednesday if strikes continue, warned the Civil Aviation Authority. The protest movement has been triggered by plans to raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62.

thephuketinsider.com A group of more than 300 hotels are contemplating suing TripAdvisor for defamation over online reviews. Among the claims: TripAdvisor has failed to take appropriate action when offered evidence of falsehoods.

todayonline.com Indigo Pearl, one of Phuket's much-loved resorts, was named Asia's Leading Design Hotel at the World Travel Awards 2010. It was acknowledged for its excellence in product and services worldwide among 185,000 industry professionals.

nationmultimedia.com Many gays and transgender people in Southeast Asia continue to suffer discrimination and 70 percent of transgender people in the region end up as sex workers, an international conference on human rights in Southeast Asia held in Bangkok heard.

asiaone.com Thailand's fugitive former PM Thaksin Shinawatra is preparing to step up his political activities from exile ahead of elections next year, the opposition said. ''He said he is ready to give advice about economic problems, advice to candidates during campaigns and advice about party policies,'' said spokesman Prompong Nopparit.

mirror.co.uk The latest holiday costs barometer from Post Office Travel Money shows eurozone favorite Spain has the best-value family trips. Thailand remains good value, despite its politically turbulent year and sterling's 10 percent drop against the baht.

mirror.co.uk Rolling Stone Keith Richards launched a stinging attack on Mick Jagger, mocking the size of the singer's manhood. In a new autobiography, 'Life,' Richards writes: ''Marianne Faithfull had no fun with his tiny todger. I know he's got an enormous pair of balls - but it doesn't quite fill the gap.''

bangkokpost.com Bangkok entrepreneurs are becoming more interested in investing in businesses on Phuket amid positive signs that the ''ultra villa'' segment is recovering faster than the rest of the property market, says Bill Barnett, managing director of the property consultancy C9 Hotelworks. ''It's peaceful here and they feel it's a sustainable model - it's a great excuse to come to Phuket.''

asiatraveltips.com The number of rooms emerging Asian hotel investment company, Red Planet Hotels, has under construction surged past 1000 this week, fuelled by the injection of fresh investment capital. The company is developing a portfolio of Tune hotels in China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Bangladesh.

dvb.no A new campaign promoting Burma and three other countries as a single tourism destination has reignited debate on the ethics of travel to the military-ruled Southeast Asian nation. Tourism ministers from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Burma announced the Four Countries: One Destination campaign at an international travel expo in Ho Chi Minh City this month.

smh.com.au UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed ''grave concern'' at the Burmese junta's refusal to free opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi before a November 7 election. The UN chief accused the government of being ''slow and incomplete'' in meeting political commitments.

freemalaysiatoday.com A check by FMT revealed that many Malaysians feel that the proposed 100-storey Warisan Merdeka tower is a sheer waste. They said the money should have been used for education and other more important sectors.

dailymail.co.uk Bling: The new iPhone's handset is wrapped in more than 500 individual diamonds totalling 100 carats and is worth more than five million pounds. A British designer was commissioned to make two by a mega-rich Australian businessman: ''I doubt it will get used because it is worth so much money.''

guardian.co.uk Leaders of the few remaining countries where tigers are still found in the wild are preparing for a make-or-break summit in Russia. The Global Tiger Summit in St Petersburg next month will bring together the 13 countries that still have wild tigers, including Thailand.

msnbc.msn.com There were two separate warnings that an American businessman was plotting a terrorist attack in India with the Pakistani extremist group that carried out the Mumbai assault on the Taj hotel. But the second warning, given by the man's wife to the US Embassy in Islamabad just a year before the attack, was never passed to the FBI in New York, according to US law enforcement officials.

nytimes.com Soldiers in a US Army platoon accused of murdering Afghan civilians for sport say they took orders from a ringleader who collected body parts as war trophies, were threatened with death if they spoke up and smoked hashish on their base almost daily.



SEA GYPSIES at Baan Laem Tukkae on Koh Sireh, east of Phuket City, are holding a twice-yearly traditional festival from October 21 to 23.

November 2-7 Phuket womens' beach volleyball, Karon beach
November 5 Phuket Charity Pro Am Golf, Blue Canyon
November 6 Charity golf at Tab Lamu, near Khao Lak: Call Sam on 089 875 1995 E: sam@khaolakappeal.com
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
December 15-20 Patong Carnival
2011
January 6-9 PIMEX boat show, Royal Phuket Marina
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi