nationmultimedia.com The public and private sectors need urgent government assistance to rebuild the tourism industry. Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa is planning to ask Cabinet to waive visa fees and aircraft parking charges at Suvarnabhumi Airport.


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

monstersandcritics.com TAT Phuket director Bangornrat Shinaprayoon said: ''We [Phuket] will also soon have more direct flights from Russian cities besides Moscow.'' Chang Island has also indirectly benefited from an influx of Russian tourists to Phuket. ''They are booking all the rooms in Phuket, Samui and Krabi, so the Scandinavians and Germans can't get bookings there and are coming to Chang instead,'' said TAT's Trat director.

cnn.com The commercial heart of Thailand's capital is still at risk of flooding, with the next 10 days likely to be crucial in the battle to keep dry.

UPI Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she has no plans to resign amid growing criticism of the government's handling of severe flooding. ''People pin their hopes on us. I would be dressed down thoroughly if I quit because of this problem,'' Yingluck said.

insurancejournal.com Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide says ''the long-term economic impact of this event is set to be far reaching and no reliable estimates can yet be made as to the impact the flooding will have on the global economy. Officials estimate that flood conditions in the Bangkok area are likely to continue for several more weeks.''

bangkokpost.com The restoration of inundated Don Muang Airport is still up in the air. Authorities have no clue when operations can resume.

nationmultimedia.com A professor from Chulalongkorn University says his team has devised a strategy to free the country from flooding disasters. But the holistic New Thailand solution will take 50 years to implement.

cbc.ca The provisional New 7 Wonders of Nature are: South America's Amazon rainforest; Vietnam's Halong Bay; Argentina's Iguaza Falls; South Korea's Jeju Island; Indonesia's Komodo national park; The Philippines' Puerto Princesa Underground River; South Africa's Table Mountain.

stuff.co.nz An Auckland motel owner has been found guilty of organising a child sex tour to Thailand, but not guilty of promoting sex tours. The name of the 47-year-old motel and property owner was suppressed.

guardian.co.uk Police have arrested more than 170 members of the English Defence League after reports of repeated threats to attack Occupy protesters camped outside St Paul's Cathedral on Armistice Day.

afp US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton led a session of foreign ministers of the 21-member APEC bloc devoted to disaster resilience after a year of tragedy including earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand and floods in Southeast Asia. Clinton said that an Internet platform to fight disasters would provide open data along with social media tools so that both officials and ordinary citizens in the region can better cope.

adelaidenow.com.au Eight months after Australian Navy chiefs threatened an alcohol ban, Singapore police were called to a brawl involving three crew of the warship Waaramunga. According to one source, the Warramunga's Asian cruise was described by crew members as a ''piss trip'' to consume as much alcohol as possible in each port.

aap The Warramunga sailor found dead during shore leave in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, has been named as 33-year-old Leading Seaman Boatswain's Mate Bradley William Livingston.

afp US President Barack Obama will use a visit to Australia next week to announce that America will permanently station Marines in the northern city of Darwin - a sign of heightened concern about China's intentions in nearby waters.

cnn.com US Army Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs has been sentenced to life in military prison, found guilty of murdering three Afghan civilians, illegally cutting off pieces of their corpses to keep as ''souvenirs'' and planting weapons to make the men appear as if they were Taliban fighters killed in legitimate firefights.

guardian.co.uk Two Malaysian states are set to change their Islamic laws to punish Muslims who engage in homosexuality, increasing the prospect of gay Muslims being punished under both federal and state religious laws and adding to concerns about rising intolerance.

smh.com.au There were just 432,200 international visitors to Australia in September according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released this week, compared with 790,600 cashed-up locals jetting off overseas. It was a nine percent plunge from the same period last year.

smh.com.au I eat more new things on this 10-day trip across Isaan in Thailand than I have in the past 10 years. Ant eggs, crickets, pandan toffee, fermented fish, sun-dried pork, catfish and many mystery greens. Most of what we eat is delicious.

thejakartaglobe.com Bali restaurants Mozaic and Sarong have cracked the Miele Guide's list of Asia's top 20 restaurants. The Miele Guide ranks Asia's top 20 restaurants and lists a total of 500 restaurants in 17 countries across Asia.

thejakartaglobe.com Celebrity Paris Hilton has been raving about Bali during an extended vacation, telling her more than 5.3 million followers on Twitter that the resort island is one of the most ''incredible places I have ever been.''

scmp.com Some say it's for luck. Others choose 11.11.11 because it's easy to remember. Whatever the reason, sweetness filled Hong Kong as a record number of couples tied the knot on the date with six ones

property-report.com The judging process has now been completed for the inaugural South East Asia Property Awards 2011, with a shortlist of winners selected in 28 categories, including Best Developer, Best Development, Best Condo and Best Villa Development for every country around the region as well as awards for Best Architectural and Interior Design and a Green Development Award.



supersport.com Saudi Arabia beat Thailand 3-0 in their Asian qualifier for the 2014 World Cup, handing former Netherlands and Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard his first victory in the competition.

heraldsun.com.au Australian captain Lucas Neill has demanded his side react like ''a wounded animal'' after their World Cup campaign hit its first major road block with a 1-0 defeat against Oman. The loss in Muscat means Australia still needs at least a point from its two remaining games, the first of them on Tuesday night against Thailand.

nationmultimedia.com Thailand put their SEA Games campaign back on track following a 4-0 victory over Cambodia in their Group A match in Jakarta.

telegraph.co.uk Mike Tindall's England rugby career looks certain to end in disgrace following a 25,000 pound fine for ''serious misconduct'' at the World Cup. Tindall has also been dropped from England's Elite Player squad.

dailymail.co.uk Keith Andrews, Jon Walters and a double from Robbie Keane secured a victory which has put Ireland on the brink of qualifying for next summer's Euro 2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine. Estonia 0 Ireland 4.

afp South African captain Graeme Smith hailed ''one of the great comebacks in history'' after South Africa sealed an eight-wicket win by lunch on the third day of the first test after bowling out Australia for 47.



November 19 The Khao Lak Community Appeal and the Foundation for Education and Development are holding the second Khao Lak Charity Golf Tournament at Tab Lamu Navy Golf Course. Last year the two charities raised 420,000 baht for their causes, with a great turnout. Details: 081 5441837.

November 26-27 9th Phuket International Soccer 7s

November 27 Laguna Phuket Triathlon

December2-5 Phuket Musiq Festival, Saphan Hin, Phuket City, nightly

December 3-4 Sixth Andaman International Soccer 7s

December 3-10 King's Cup Regatta, Kata beach

December 4 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Laguna



Late February Phuket Blues Festival, Laguna Phuket

May 26-June 5 National Youth Games, Phuket

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



November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket