Here's 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: The Nation confirms today in a report that dovetails with Phuketwan surveys that average hotel occupancy rates in all Thai tourist destinations have dropped compared with last year's high season, according to the Thai Hotels Association. While the global economic financial crisis is cited as the main reason for the decline, political unrest in Bangkok should not be ignored as a cause. Association vice president Surapong Techaruvichit says five-star hotels in Bangkok are running at 60 per cent this month, down from 75 per cent a year ago. Occupancy in Phuket is only 57 per cent, against 75 per cent last November. Hua Hin and Cha-am are as low as 30-35 per cent from 50 per cent during last high season. Worse is to come. Everything Phuketwan is being told about future resort bookings confirms that 2009 will be a horror year. Concern is universal. Phuket has plenty of attributes but currency fluctuations are already hitting at the island's core markets, Britain and Australia. A report this week says that Australia, Phuket's most reliable source of visitors, risks sinking into recession early next year after a ''very disturbing'' slide in expectation for economic growth.The ripple will widen. Nikon has just slashed 2000 jobs from its Thai workforce. We were told yesterday that one Bangkok international trading company has informed its Phuket staff that their jobs are safe, but their pay has been cut in half. Thailand's Cabinet this week approved a budget of 374 million baht for the Tourism and Sports Ministry for its short-term development project for tourist destinations, a long way short of the 1.2 billion baht the ministry had proposed. Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat was reported as saying that the money will ''enhance the industry,'' whatever that means. One newspaper claimed that part of the money would be used to ''renovate Phuket's international conference centre.'' Clearly, some people in Bangkok do not get to visit Phuket often enough. The only message we have is: Expect more pain. If you've had dengue fever, that may be good preparation. Enjoy the beauty of an enchanted island, but do not expect to grow rich anytime soon.

The Phuket Gazette: (Weekly newspaper. Price 25 baht, 52 pages with events calendar insert) The Gazette this week leads with 'Nai Yang Beach restaurant operators fight eviction' and carries the report in great detail, continuing it on Page 2. A second, much shorter report is contained on the front page, 'Phuket has second highest HIV infection rate.' Inside Story, across the pages 4-5 spread, which once provided some background on a big news issue, this week looks at how spa massage students are trained. There is a trend for the Gazette to cover news less thoroughly and use more photographs, with a big hair-styling conference (or maybe that should be big-hair styling) taking out two pages. On Letters, a letter from Two Still Angry 'Locals' is repeated on the opposite page. While the Gazette has had a run of articles and letters repeated in successive weeks lately, this is the first time the same letter has appeared on opposite pages in one issue. The Gazette, like most newspapers, has a system designed to prevent the same article appearing twice. My guess would be that someone is ignoring the system. This week's editorial criticises excessive noise in public spaces, supermarkets, restaurants and the like. We can guarantee one thing: it will fall on deaf ears.

The Phuket Post: Published fortnightly, with the latest issue due next week.

Coming Events: The aircraft that are to form Phuket's first artificial reef are to be gently placed at the bottom of the ocean off Bang Tao this coming week. But it won't be easy. Phuketwan has covered this big event since it was just an idea. On November 29 the King's Cup Regatta begins and we will be giving that plenty of coverage, too.

Taxi Horror Story: Two young British women who live on Phuket went to Kuala Lumpur for a short break and had an experience that the Malaysian tourism people will not be pleased to hear. They thoroughly enjoyed their stay, and on the final day caught a cab to head for their flight home. The problems began when the cabbie demanded that they also pay for his return fare back from the airport. ''I cannot pick up at the airport,'' he told them. Naturally, they smelled a rip-off. About this point, they also noted that the cab and the driver were not in the healthiest of states, either. After a long argument, during which the driver falsely accused them of being racists, the two travellers finally made it to the airport, where they stepped out and began shaking off the smell of the cab. The driver received his correct and fair fare. Then as he gentle put the foot down, he called out the window: ''By the way, I have dropped you at the wrong airport on purpose.'' And no, they didn't get his number.



Phuket Reef Aircraft Set For Deep Journey
Photo Album A trip to the bottom of the ocean off Phuket will soon be the final landing for some aircraft with remarkable histories. Their journey to beneath the sea begins this week.
Phuket Reef Aircraft Set For Deep Journey

Declaration of interest: Big Island Media, Phuketwan's parent print company, has a small stake in Pulse Media, which produces The Phuket Post, but no influence on the Post's content.