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

bangkokpost.com Political instability and sharp gains in the baht are having a profound effect on the medical tourism industry, turning regional competitors into a major challenge, say international experts. The strengthening baht has made Thailand's medical tourism industry less competitive in terms of costs, especially compared with India.

nationmultimedia.com State hospitals will likely face a financial crisis if the government goes ahead with its plan to let civil servants use their benefits at private hospitals, according to Public Health Ministry officials. Director of the state-owned Vachira Phuket Hospital, Dr Jetsada Jongpaiboonpattana, said the Finance Ministry was testing the plan by letting state officials be treated at private hospitals in emergency cases only.

smh.com.au Qantas flight attendants were forced to restrain a man after he reportedly threatened to kill fellow passengers during a flight from Melbourne to Hong Kong. The 23-year-old Israeli man was reportedly upset about his economy class seat.

Phuketwan Update Outrigger has signed management contracts for hotels in Bali, China and Vietnam and is in discussions for additional properties in Phuket, Phang Nga, Samui, Pattaya and Bangkok, the Maldives, Vietnam, China, Korea and India. The brand's Australia-Pacific operations are being consolidated on Phuket.

indiatimes.com The baht scales another 13-year high at 29.85 per dollar in early trade while other Asian currencies are mixed, making it the second-best Asian performer in 2010 after the yen with a 4.5 percent rise in the past month and 11.6 percent this year. Its rise prompts tentative central bank intervention.

smh.com.au The Australian dollar soared to 99.18 US cents - its highest point since the currency was floated in 1983 and well ahead of the 98.5-US-cent record set in July 2008 before the latest rally - before retreating to 98.25 about two hours later

guardian.co.uk With the success of its "two sizes bigger" bras, Marks & Spencer is about to give men a boost with what it calls "frontal enhancement" underpants. These offer a greater "side profile" and come with a "hidden front pouch" to "shape and enhance your silhouette".

cnn.com Rescuers in Chile have just another 89 meters left to drill and are expected to break through into the area where 33 miners are trapped by Saturday, Chilean Mines Minister Laurence Golborne said.

thejakartaglobe.com House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie said that Indonesia was more democratic than the US due to the religious and ethnic diversity of its government. ''The United States, which is said to be an established and a large democratic country, only recently elected a Muslim,'' he said.

dow jones The founder of modern Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, said he'd be a "different man" if not for his late wife Kwa Geok Choo as he paid tribute to her contributions to the Southeast Asian city-state at her cremation.

mysinchew.com Li Xiuqi, 29, said her grandparents had no shower at home until after Kwa suffered her first stroke during a visit to London in 2003, giving the couple's children an opportunity to renovate the old family bungalow. "They levelled the bathroom floor and installed a shower. This was a big deal because all these years, my grandparents had still been bathing with the old-fashioned system - scooping from a tub of water the same way they bathed me when I was little!"

thejakartapost.com The South Jakarta prosecutors office has issued an arrest warrant for former chief editor of Playboy Indonesia magazine Erwin Arnada as he failed to surrender himself. The Supreme Court has sentenced Erwin to two years in prison for public indecency.



SINCE Phuketwan plucked two sentences from a long British interview with actor Michael Douglas, 66, scores of other sites have picked up on his plan to visit Phuket and tour the world with his family once he beats throat cancer. showbizspy.com added:> ''From now on I'm going to spend all my efforts on the people I'm closest to. When you're younger you are so self-involved, self-obsessed. As you get older, all of a sudden, you begin to appreciate relationships, be understanding about the foibles of life, more forgiving - and you've got more time for the kids.''

AUSTRALIAN runner Sally Pearson won the 100 metres gold at the Commonwealth Games, only to be disqualified hours later for a false start. She and her husband are planning to visit Phuket for a week-long holiday. She has a chance at redemption in the 110 metres hurdles.



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.
Until October 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