Associated Press A 7.5 magnitude earthquake has hit off Sumatra and triggered a local Indonesian tsunami watch. However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said historical data suggests any wave created would not be destructive.


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

todayonline.com Floodwaters from Thailand's north and north-eastern provinces reached the Thai capital yesterday, said Thai officials. The death toll from the floods has risen to 38 as almost half the country's provinces have now been affected, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

bangkokpost.cm Labor, human rights and political activists are expected to call on UN chief Ban Ki-moon to look into alleged human rights abuses by the government against Burmese immigrant workers and red shirt protesters when he visits the country on Tuesday.

mirror.co.uk David Cameron will escape the cold by taking his family to Thailand over Parliament's three-week Christmas break. The trip is likely to be controversial because Mr Cameron will be flying off to a paradise hotspot [and may even visit Phuket] just as the impact of his spending cuts starts to bite. Downing Street last night would not confirm the PM's plans but sources close to the Camerons confirmed Thailand was pencilled in for ''a well-deserved few days away.''

telegraph.co.uk A joke about a male bus passenger insulting a woman's ugly baby has been voted Britain's funniest gag ever. It goes: A woman gets on a bus with her baby.
The bus driver says: ''Ugh, that's the ugliest baby I've ever seen!'' The woman walks to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: ''The driver just insulted me!'' The man says: ''You go up there and tell him off. Go on, I'll hold your monkey for you.''


stickmanweekly.com A reader's email: Something is badly wrong when tuktuk drivers and motorcycle taxi riders are better dressed than most of their customers. Save your bare torsos, shorts and flip flops for the beach. People who go out at night looking like tramps shame themselves, as well as their countries, and repulse those of us who make an effort.

The Washington Post earlier this year published the winning submissions to its annual neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternative meanings for common words. Here are some of the winners, with a Phuket application: Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid. Intaxicaton: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realise it was your money to start with. Glibido: All talk and no action.
Some reader's new definitions of existing words are also gems: esplanade, v. To attempt an explanation while drunk. Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent. Pokemon, n. A Rastafarian proctologist. There are plenty more.

nationmultimedia.com Carlson, a US-based giant in the hospitality industry, plans to triple the number of hotels in Asia in the next five years, says president and CEO Hubert Joly. "The developing middle classes in China, India, the Middle East and Russia love to travel to Thailand," he said. The Radisson Plaza Phuket Panwa Beach opened a year ago.

aap An international eco-tourism conference at Noosa, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast will push the message this week that care for the environment is the key to the industry's future prosperity or ruin. The conference will cover topics ranging from responsible tourism development in Cambodia to running eco lodges in protected areas.

scmp.com Flight delays as a result of poor air traffic control in mainland China are "a real concern" for airlines and passengers, says Cathay Pacific Airways chief operating officer John Slosar.

asiaone.com The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has received a report that a Singapore-registered Liquefied Petroleum Gas vessel, YORK, was boarded by suspected pirates off Mombasa, Kenya. At that time of the incident, the vessel was reported to be on her way from to Mahe, Seychelles. There are 17 crew on board.

bangkokpost.com Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya says Burmese refugees in Thailand will not be immediately repatriated after the November 7 general election in Burma. The government would assess the situation in Burma following the election and would only go ahead with repatriation once it was confident that the political situation there was stable and the refugees would be safe, Mr Kasit said, visiting the Mae Sot district.

telegraph.co.uk Dolphins in the wild are teaching themselves to "walk" with their tails along the surface of water, biologists have claimed. The mammals, which are celebrated for their playful natures, are developing the skill "just for fun," according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society in Australia.

telegraph.co.uk Britain's spending cuts have been branded as "absolutely insane" by one of the world's leading currency traders, who expects the pound to tumble beyond the low it has set this year. [A falling pound would impact on tourism to Phuket.]

afp Russian tycoon Alexander Lebedev, who owns three British newspapers, will launch the country's first quality daily in 25 years on Tuesday in a risky bid to grab more of the ailing British press market.

digitaljournal.com YPI Group is pleased to announce details of the vessels that will be available for luxury yacht charter over the next six months. Sierra Romeo is an ultra stylish motor yacht with a sporty feel and a great layout. She has the capacity to sleep 12 overnight guests in 6 cabins and is served by a crew of 8. This winter she will be based in Phuket and will be available for private yacht charter at a rate of EUR 126,000 per week.



October 25 Long weekend holiday to mark the end of Buddhist Lent and Chulalongkorn Day
November 1 Yellow Submarine Divers on Phuket will launch the Donate As You Dive campaign
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 6 Thailand Property Awards, Bangkok
November 12 IBAP mets November 12 at Thai Naan restaurant to hear Woody Leonard on what's best for internet access on Phuket.
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
January 23 The Great Phuket Rubber Duck Race Day, Laguna Phuket
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi