Here's the latest Phuketwan MediaWATCH, a lively take on what's happening that is aimed at keeping island residents, visitors, would-be holidaymakers and advertisers in touch with Phuket's growing information world.

NEWSFRONT Latest: Samak is out of the game at last but it appears the political stand-off has a way to run. The ruling PPP is to chose its candidate on Monday for PM, and the vote in the House of Representatives will come on Wednesday. Nobody has heeded the calls from the tourism industry to end the ''state of emergency'' that is costing the country billions of baht in lost income. As usual Bangkok politicans, with one or two exceptions, seem to fixate on their futures, not Thailand's.

The Phuket Gazette: (Weekly newspaper. Price 25 baht, 52 pages with events calendar insert): The Gazette leads with 'PAD protests to continue in Phuket' and the other front page report is 'Memorial service for One-Two-Go victims. The page three lead story is the interview with the AirAsia CEO we mentioned in MediaWATCH last weekend. Inside Story, headed 'Coral Reef Squadron delayed by payment target', is a longer version of a report posted online on Thursday. Further in, there's an interesting report on fake passport detection. A heading 'Foreigners unfazed by political fanaticism' tops a report where there's no suggestion of political fanaticism. An interesting Business pages piece notes the change of character with the arrival of Starbucks and McDonald's in Soi Bangla. Hard to believe that seven Starbucks branches now dot the island when the brand has been in retreat just about everywhere. The difference may lie in McDonald's preparedness to make cultural concessions, while Starbucks does not adapt. This week's editorial 'Leave those hills alone' calls on newly elected Patong mayor Pian Keesin to keep the 80-metre building limit as it is, and the lead letter deals with the 'Miserable start' to Phuket's honeymoon tourist season. Another letter writer claims traffic circles ''allow traffic to flow freely.'' Perhaps in country lanes, but not at major intersections.

Siangtai Times: (Daily newspaper, Price 15 baht, 16 pages) It's noon on Saturday but we are able to purchase the edition for Sunday, September 14. The masthead says ''Covering Phuket & the South'' but there's a whole more inside looking at international coverage. Siangtai Times has a design that would horrify layout artists on most newspapers. It also says on the masthead in smaller type: ''The ONLY English language daily newspaper in Southern Thailand, and the newspaper with the MOST in local and international news.'' Tomorrow's news today, if the publication date can be believed. Siangtai Times is clearly printed locally because the cover photo and story reveals that the PM has decided to give up his attempt to win back his job, a piece of information that came so late it only makes breaking news on English-language websites. Timeliness, though, comes at a cost. The print rubs off on your fingers. It's black and white, no color. Inside, though, for those who don't mind, there is a broad coverage of Asian affairs and the US presidential election, together with Business and Health and Technology. Sport fills the back three pages. With better paper and production standards, perhaps the Siangtai Times would attract a wider readership.

Innovation of the Week: What better for life on the Andaman coast that Hammacher Schlemmer's Digital Camera Swim Mask? The camera is mounted in the mask on your forehead, letting your hands free to for swimming. It shoots five-megapixel stills and can take videos, too.

Coming Events: The anniversary of the One-Two-Go crash on Phuket falls on September 16. Spare a thought for the victims, and ask yourself why the full report on the crash investigation has not been released. On Monday, the new PPP candidate for PM is chosen, and on Wednesday the other MPs get to choose the PM for real.