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

NEWSFRONT Latest: We came through Bangkok this weekend with red people stepping off buses and the yellows in control of both major airports, and more yellows waiting at roadsides to be trucked to the capital. Police presence around the airports was intensifying as officers cut the supply lines to the occupiers. None of this is an indication that a peaceful settlement is coming. Having laid waste to Thailand's tourism industry, the yellow people have nowhere to go. Will they give in without a fight? We hope so, for the sake of us all. Look for our detailed news report, updating soon.

The Phuket Gazette: (Weekly newspaper. Price 25 baht, 52 pages with events calendar insert) The big news story this week, the blockade of Bangkok's major airports, happened too late to make the Gazette. In any event, or rather, because of an event, it would have been covered by a four-page advertising wrap for the King's Cup. It's often a dilemma for publishers as to whether to sell advertising wraps because converting the front of the newspaper to advertising space usually reduces newsstand sales. On Phuket, deadlines for print media have been improving, but not fast enough. Editors will continue to be frustrated when a big story breaks too late to make their pages. The front page story this week is the sinking of the Sky Dive Reef off Bang Tao beach, the kind of event that Phuket editors like because the story can be put on a page early in the week in the knowledge that the conclusion will come a few days later, and the newspaper will seem timely. The most interesting article this week is the Governor's letter. Governor Preecha Ruangjan expands on his comments about development on the island, an issue that drew a good deal of attention to Phuketwan when we broke the news exclusively on November 18. The new governor appears to be a straight-shooter and makes his view plain about the need for a better balance between development and the environment. What he says supports the Phuketwan view that ''sustainable'' development often means different things to different people. ''Development must be restricted,'' he says. ''Those who are building properties without regard for the environment have to realise that if they do not stop developing in a way that damages nature, they are ultimately destroying themselves because tourists will no longer come here.'' Who decides when Phuket moves from being underdeveloped one day, to overdeveloped the next? Who calls a halt? Perhaps Governor Preecha is the man for that awesome task.

The Phuket Post: (Fortnightly magazine, Price 20 baht, 24 pages with 12-page Property Plus liftout and four-page advertising insert) The Post leads Issue 94 with the King's Cup and, like the Gazette, has no coverage of the airport blockade. It also went to press too late to cope with the revised start of the King's Cup. Very much a lifestyle product these days, the Post devotes lots of space to bright photographs of people enjoying life on the island. We note that this seems to be precisely what the Gazette is doing, too. The Post has added a Letters section. With so much space devoted this week in both publications to a yachting regatta, the conclusion of readers may be that the Post and the Gazette are growing to look more alike.

Innovation of the Week: Phuketwan's Version Two is on display now, offering more news and information, and in a visual fashion. When a big story breaks, we are there. Nobody does it better. Our readership now compares favorably with all the other English media outlets on the island.

Coming Events: The King's Cup has been delayed and now starts on Tuesday, another blow delivered by the Bangkok airport seizures.



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