UPDATE
World Cup rugby latest New Zealand 37, France 17; England 67, Romania 3.
Phuketwan PhuketWATCH
PHUKET: A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media.
dailymail.com Britain is preparing to rip up centuries-old rules by introducing passports which do not contain details of the holder's sex. The move is designed to spare transgender people and those who have both male and female sexual organs from having to tick 'male' or 'female' on their travel papers.
afp Forty percent of foreign men visiting the Philippines are sex tourists, the US ambassador to Manila said in comments that were quickly disputed by the government. US ambassador Harry Thomas told a forum of Filipino judges and officials that corrupt officials were involved in a very visible sex trade, and challenged the legal profession to eliminate the ''scourge''.
bbc.co.uk A British MP has called for insurance to be made mandatory when travelling abroad after the family of a man injured in Bali was handed a huge medical bill. Mathew Taylor, 30, has been in hospital in Singapore since July after suffering serious head injuries in a motorcycle crash. His care has so far cost his family 172,000 pounds.
nationmultimedia.com A second Siam Niramit Theatre will open in Phuket in December. Costing about two billion baht to build, the 50-rai complex will consist of a 1750-seat theatre with a stage for live performances; a floating market; and a Thai village. Foreign travellers stay longer in Phuket - five to seven days on average - compared to only one or two days in Bangkok.
guardian.co.uk The Thai prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, is facing criticism for allowing her brother, the deposed leader Thaksin Shinawatra, to summon government ministers for a meeting by webcam from his self-imposed exile abroad. Thaksin went into detail on plans for a big increase in the minimum wage and a rice intervention plan, it said, adding that he would chair similar meetings each week.
nationmultimedia.com Chiang Mai has been nominated as Thailand's representatives of cities under a Unesco scheme to promote local and creative cultures, a senior Culture Ministry official said. Pattaya and Phuket are set to be nominated later.
Associated Press A beach resort in Muslim-majority Malaysia has scrapped a publicity event for an international Miss Bikini pageant after officials warned it could promote indecent behavior. The Pangkor Island Beach Resort had planned to host a preview of the pageant, which is scheduled to take place in Thailand later this year.
globalpost.com Malaysian men, many fellow Muslims, border-hop into insurgents' turf for paid sex. Now, after a bloody Sunday night bombing spree in their favored brothel town, Malaysia's government is warning its men to stay away. The attacks signal jihadis' heightened brazenness and stomp out any flickering promise of peace talks.
afp Singapore's drug enforcement agency admitted it had under-reported the number of people arrested for drugs offences between 2008 and 2010 due to a statistical error. As a result, the picture showed the drug situation in the city-state was improving during the period when it fact it got worse each year, the Central Narcotics Bureau said.
Media Release Maikhao Dream Hotels & Resorts recently hosted dinner for Russian travel agents from the city of Krasnoyarsk. This hosting was done in conjunction with Pegas Touristik, one of the largest inbound Russian operators for Thailand. The elaborate dinner was held in Dokbua Restaurant, the fine dining restaurant featuring modern Mediterranean cuisine and a private wine cellar. Dokbua Restaurant is located in Maikhao Dream Villa Resort & Spa, Phuket, a beachfront resort that offers five thousand square feet private pool villas.
superyachts.com Gulu Lalvani is one of the unsung heroes of Thailand's tourism revolution. Whilst most people associate tourism in South East Asia with gap year students and budget backpackers, Mr Lalvani has helped Thailand attract a more lucrative variety of traveller by creating a truly world class marina residence on Phuket.
Phuket Parties
THE FIRST-EVER joint Skal and PATA event on Phuket will be held at the Movenpick Resort and Spa Karon Beach on Saturday September 24 from 5.30pm, with leading tourism officials attending, with a delegation from Bangkok. Phuket resort GMs, travel and tourism industry leaders are invited to join. The cocktail and dinner event can be booked by emailing Arnupab Satakorn on Arnupab@PATA-Thailand.org
TWINPALMS, noted for holding some of the best parties on Phuket, is celebrating its seventh anniversary on Saturday September 24 with an event at the Catch Beach Club in Surin from 8pm to Midnight that features performers and the intriguing dress code: white (latex welcome.) Telephone: 076 316657.
Phuket World Sports
independent.co.uk Sebastian Vettel insists that he's not really too worried about tying up his second consecutive world championship here this weekend, but it's inconceivable that he hasn't done the maths. A third-place podium finish could wrap things up for him, but only if Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton don't finish ahead of him.
Phuket Coming Events
Until September 24 Quiksilver Thailand Surf Competition 2011, Patong
September 27-October 5 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
November 1-6 Women's Beach Volleyball Series at Karon on Phuket
November 26-27 9th Phuket International Soccer 7s
November 27 Laguna Phuket Triathlon
December 3-4 6th Andaman International Soccer 7s
December 4 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Laguna
Phuket Coming Events 2012
March 18-28 National Youth Games, Phuket
March 29-April 1 Phuket International Boat Show, Royal Phuket Marina
Phuket Coming Events 2014
November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket
