PhuketWATCH Daily Media Wrap
PHUKET: The daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media. Beware of inconsistent imitations.
Today's Top News Items
reuters Germany's Volkswagen has won approval from Thai authorities to build a manufacturing plant for fuel efficient cars near Bangkok after months of delays. However, no decision has been made yet to proceed.
bangkokpost.com The air force is determining the cause of the F-16 crash in Lop Buri province and said the dead pilot would be promoted seven ranks to group captain.
4hoteliers.com Four Seasons Bangkok is to become the Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel & Spa on March 1 and Minor Hotel Group will make a significant investment to enhance the hotel.
Human Trafficking in Thailand
nationmultimedia.com The authorities are looking for 16 Rohingya who escaped from the Ranong Home for Children and Families yesterday. It is suspected the group fled at around 4am and may have been aided by a human trafficking gang, who could have transferred them to a hiding place.
japantimes.co.jp The problem of the Rohingya is hotly debated and complicated, but it does seem that many of these Muslim families have been living in in Burma (Myanmar) for several generations and are not recent arrivals.
Phuket World of People
bangkokpost.com Chinese tourists can be victims too, facing problems ranging from aggressive taxi drivers to scheming tour guides. In the latest incident, 33 tourists were abandoned by their guide in Pattaya.
thephuketinsider.com The new low-cost venture Thai VietJet will commence flights between Bangkok and Phuket on March 29. Service from the capital city to Krabi and Udon Thani will follow.
TAT Four of the Top Ten beaches in Asia are in Thailand, including two in Phuket and two in Krabi, according to a viewership-rated Travellers Choice listing compiled by the popular global travel website TripAdvisor.
bangkokpost.com Two French nationals have been arrested for selling contraband sportswear including team football jerseys online following a raid in Pattaya. Olivier Simon Guigui, 30, and Morgan Akcherirlian, 30, were allegedly planning to post the sportsware to customers in France.
nytimes.com Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain said that the country's authorities would do everything they could to help three British schoolgirls who were believed to be traveling to Syria to join the Islamic State militant group.
thecourier.co.uk A memorial service has been held for an Angus father killed in a Thailand motorcycle crash near Bangkok. Montrose man David Wylie, 36, died earlier this month in the country which he had made his home after moving there more than five years ago with his ???partner and son.
scmp.com Corruption within China's pharmaceutical industry is a key factor in Guangdong province becoming the production centre for the burgeoning global trade in crystal meth, a top United Nations drugs official said.
bangkokpost.com So what is Bangkok missing that upscale tourists are searching for? A quality dining and entertainment hub and a CBD night market.
skift.com China's two largest car-hailing app makers - Kuaidi Dache and Didi Dache - just announced a merger of sorts. Together they have 99.8 percent of the on-demand ride market. China has an enormous, growing population of mobile phone users and potential riders, but what does Uber really get by fighting for this hair's-width sliver of the Chinese market? Uber and its investors can't afford to acknowledge that reality, because then the dominoes start falling.
Bangkok Update The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will open in 2016 a new office in Prague, announced Santi Chudintra, Deputy Governor of Policy and Planning for TAT. Khun Santi made the announcement during an annual tourism update and outlook for the PATA Thailand Chapter.
traveldailymedia.com Work is underway on a major new luxury resort project near Phuket???s main tourist destination, Patong. Located on a hillside plot at the southern end of Patong, the new Andakira Crest Tri Trang Resort & Spa Pool Villas is being created by the Andakira Group.
Around the Asean Region
Try Phuketwan's Asean Today daily:
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/asean-today-lee-kuan-yew-icu-cambodias-orphanage-scam-brazil-firing-line-21921/
Phuket World of Sport
belfasttelegaph.co.uk Dutch striker Van Persie was injured late on in the 2-1 defeat at Swansea as Manchester United slipped to fourth in the Barclays Premier League following Arsenal's win at Crystal Palace.
AP After 10-man Chelsea was contentiously held to 1-1 by Burnley, Manchester City trimmed the gap on the leader to five points by sweeping aside Newcastle 5-0.
goal.com Luis Enrique admits that his Barcelona side did not deserve to take anything from their 1-0 defeat to Malagaat Camp Nou.
Coming Events on Phuket 2015
February 26-28 Phuket Old Town Festival
March 1-15 Heroines Festival
March 4-8 Bay Regatta
April 11-19 Phuket Bike Week
April 17-19 Songkran Festival
May 4 Additional public holiday scheduled
June 20-21 Baba wedding at Old Phuket Town
July 15-19 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek
Germany's Volkswagen has 'won the approval from Thai authorities??? It actually is Thailand who has to be glad that Volkswagen is intending to invest in Thailand. It means thai jobs, extra taxes paid to thai government. And, thai can learn more about how to take care of environmental issues. Volkswagen is a European leading company is how to preserve the environment, take care of environment, not polluting. Not like thai dropping their factory polluted dirt everywhere.
Posted by Kurt on February 22, 2015 10:40
Editor Comment:
I am sure it will be a good relationship provided VW don't look down on Thais and Thailand the way that you do.