PHUKET: The daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media. Beware of inconsistent imitations.



bangkokpost.com The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) projects total foreign tourists and revenue from them will exceed the 2015 targets set by the Tourism and Sports Ministry. The forecast is based on a strong first-half performance and an expected recovery in the fourth quarter.

AP Saudi Arabia said it has taken in about 2.5 million Syrians on religious and humanitarian grounds in the years since the country's conflict began and has offered residency to hundreds of thousands, as it sought to rebut suggestions that oil-rich Gulf states should do more to address the plight of refugees fleeing civil war.

reuters The French government has suspended its honorary consul in the Turkish city of Bodrum after she was caught on camera saying that the store she runs sells inflatable rafts used by would-be migrants.



nationmultimedia.com An arrest warrant was issued for a foreign man allegedly involved in last month's Erawan Shrine bombing. Bangkok's Min Buri Court accepted a police request to issue an arrest warrant for Abudustar Abdulrahman, or Izan, suspected of being the mastermind of the Erawan Shrine bombing, who has fled Thailand.



seattletimes.com Editorial: Thousands more people facing persecution in Myanmar, mostly Rohingya Muslims, will resume boarding smugglers' rickety boats in search of safety in Southeast Asia. The United Nations Refugee Agency expects the number to swell as the monsoon season comes to an end.

iwpr.net The Institute for War and Peace Reporting is launching its first project in Burma this month to monitor and report on hate speech, and to promote public debate and tolerance. In recent months, there has been a concerted attempt to strip the Rohingya of all remaining rights, including right of residence and the vote, by taking away that ID cards that gave them some legitimacy and showed they had a history in the country.



Phuket Update From Wednesday police in Phuket City will start towing away and impounding cars found in several new No Parking and No Stopping zones to reduce traffic snarls. The fine for parking in any of the 28 new zones plus eight new sites where right turns are forbidden, is 500 baht, plus the cost of reclaiming the vehicle. Drivers are advised to obey the signs.

Phuket Update Patong nightlife operators will send a letter to the Interior Ministry asking yet again for opening times of nightclubs and bars to be extended to 4am. The plea from the Patong Entertainment Business Association claims many tourists prefer to be out late and Patong should accommodate them.

Phuket Update Truck drivers who stopped to argue with each other in Thepkasattri Road, Phuket's main north-south route, blocked two lanes and caused long tailbacks. Phuketwan suggests trucks should be confined to non-peak hours on Phuket and large buses should be banned except on inter provincial routes.

bangkokpost.com The Labour Party in Britain has chosen Jeremy Corbyn, its most socialist leader in at least 30 years, signalling a further drift away from the free-market policies that brought the party electoral success under Tony Blair.

couriermail.com.au 10 resorts to make you rethink Phuket and plan a holiday to Thailand: Since the closure of the Evason on Rawai Beach in 2012 there has been no five-star property in the tranquil south. Now the iconic former Royal Phuket Yacht Club is about to be rebirthed. Opening in January, Nai Harn will be Phuket's only member of Leading Hotels of the World.

nationmultimedia.com Two Thais were among 238 Muslims injured when a construction crane collapsed amid stormy weather at the Grand Mosque of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat said.

bangkokpost.com British retail giant Tesco is likely to keep its operation in Thailand despite selling its largest foreign asset in South Korea to improve its poor balance sheet.



asiaone.com The reputation of sunny Singapore as a tourist destination is taking a beating with the gloom brought on by the haze. The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) level reached a new high this year of 211 - very unhealthy range - at midnight.


afp Flavia Pennetta won her first Grand Slam singles title, defeating Italian compatriot Roberta Vinci 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in the US Open women'[s final, then promptly retired at the age of 33.

reuters Anthony Martial introduced himself to Manchester United fans with a superb goal to complete a 3-1 win over bitter rivals Liverpool and cap a much-improved performance from Louis van Gaal's side.

bangkokpost.com Chelsea's miserable start to the Premier League season continued on Saturday with a 3-1 defeat at Everton, powered by a Steven Naismith hat-trick. Naismith became just the sixth player in Premier League history to score three goals after coming on as a substitute.



September Quicksilver surf carnival at Patong beach

October 15-23 Phuket Vegetarian Festival

November Patong Festival

November 20 Laguna Phuket Triathlon

November 25 Loy Kratong festival

November 29 Challenge Laguna Phuket 2015

November 29 Phuket King's Cup Regatta

December 5 HM The King's Birthday

December 26 Tsunami memorial ceremonies



January 7-10 Phuket International Boat Show