PHUKET: Resorts on Phuket are gearing up for a better high season this Christmas and New Year, although fresh factors come into play virtually every week as every destination tries to stay ahead of events.

Prolonged flooding around Bangkok is making international television news consistently this week. That's inevitably going to impact on some travellers whose first choice was Thailand . . . until they watch tonight's bulletin.

Saving Bangkok central from floods probably means new Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, photographed yesterday shedding tears on a helicopter, also saving a sizeable number of resorts from a less-than-bountiful Christmas and New Year.

Then again, some travellers who do the traditional 10 days in Thailand - three days in Chiang Mai, three days in Bangkok, and four days on Phuket - may be looking at more time on Phuket now.

And, some resort managers must be wondering, will the Bali earthquake send more Australians in Phuket's direction?

''That's logical but unlikely,'' said Larry Cunningham, manager of the Chava Resort at Phuket's Surin beach. ''Bali is teflon-coated. Nothing seems to put off Australians from travelling there, not earthquakes, not rabies outbreaks, not claims of the bashings of tourists.''

With record traffic through Phuket International Airport, direct flights have proved to be Phuket's own teflon for natural and manmade disasters in Bangkok. And today, although the television news broadcasts around the world won't say so, the sun is shining over Phuket.

Peak time bookings on Phuket from December 20 through January are reported to be consistently encouraging, Phuket resort managers say, with the island again in the fortunate position, as it was last year during Bangkok's political upheaval, of being less affected than other parts of Thailand.

Andrew Sawadipukdi, GM at Phuket's Kata Beach Resort, says there are now two kinds of tourists - the advance bookers who so far have this Phuket high season looking better than last season, and the late bookers.

''We hope the European financial crisis doesn't put people off coming,'' he said. ''So far it's looking as good or better than last season.''

A spokesperson at the Horizon Beach Resort and Spa Phuket, who preferred not to be named, said Scandinavians, Germans and other Europeans remained a strong part of their market, which already seemed set to top 80 percent for December.

Tourists were slower to book now but this high season was shaping as better than the past couple of high seasons, said Twinpalms executive manager Sonjai Tunkoo. The Surin resort hadn't seen too many bookings from Russia and China, Khun Sonjai said.

Europe was also still the main market for Phuket Graceland Resort in Patong, said owner Suchart Hirankanokkul, who is also President of the Thai Hotels Southern Chapter, although Russians were growing in numbers.

Charter flights had helped to keep Phuket arrival figures high, said Somboon Jirayoot, president of Phuket Tourist Association and MD at the Patong Merlin Hotel.

Trends for Patong were in line with last year, said Holiday Inn General Manager Wolfgang Meusburger. ''China is the new market but Chinese travellers are very different,'' he said.

''Europeans will come for three or four weeks and spend a lot of time on the beach. The Chinese are here for four to six days and shopping is a big part of what they want to do,'' he said.

As for Patong, he said, despite the critics, it always seemed to attract more holidaymakers than any other part of Phuket.