The 'Next Phuket'; Fear Strikes KL; Inside Phuket Como; Events

bangkokpost.com The long delayed plan to build a third runway at Suvarnabhumi airport, code-named BKK, has been greenlit as authorities now see the urgency of addressing the airport's overcrowding

3news.co.nz Staff at a Phuket hospital are refusing to perform surgery on a New Zealand man because he can't pay the bill for previous operations, according to his family. Sean Kenzie, 27, was seriously injured when he was knocked off his moped last week and has been in a Phuket hospital since.

voanews.com Thailand's Constitutional Court ruled in favor of plans by the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to move ahead with constitutional reform. The court's decision has eased political pressure that had been building ahead of the ruling, with pro-government groups threatening mass demonstrations if the court had ruled to halt a constitutional amendment bill before parliament.

bangkokpost.com Economists and business executives expressed concern over the rampant patronage systems, corruption and populist policies that have stifled productivity and stalled the pace of economic reform. Banyong Pongpanich, the chairman of Phatra Capital, said the prevailing social mentality of waiting for handouts has slackened awareness to tackle fundamental problems.

todayonline.com Authorities in Thailand and Cambodia have rejected reports that Cambodian troops fired on a Bangkok Airways passenger jet after mistaking it for a spy plane.

Phuket People

dailymail.co.uk Earlier this month they holidayed in St Tropez. And now Cristiano Ronaldo and his Russian model girlfriend Irina Shayk are on their second break of the month. The 27-year-old Real Madrid footballer is making the most of his time off this summer and has whisked his stunning beau to Thailand.

worldarchitecturenews.com Details have been released of a new hotel on Phuket. Designed by architects Denniston with interiors by Paola Navone, Point Yamu by COMO is a 79-room complex with 30 villas, a spa and two restaurants, and a collection of exclusive private residences, due to open in July 2013. The interiors will be of contemporary design, with bright blue and orange tones reflecting the sea views and warm hues of Buddhist robes.

todayonline.com Malaysian authorities are under pressure to address widespread concern over public safety following a spate of abductions, assault and robberies. These cases have created a climate of fear among Malaysians, as well as expatriates working in Kuala Lumpur.

thejakartaglobe.com Indonesia's Bangka island, near the northeastern tip of Sumatra, can be on par with Phuket as a tourist destination. ''I believe Bangka tourism can be as good or even better than Phuket, provided the authorities are able to make policies keeping in mind the aspirations of local communities,'' said Wanna Cholpraves, the Director of International Tourism Cooperation from Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

nytimes.com President Thein Sein of Burma (Myanmar) addressed a dinner of American business executives in Siem Reap, Cambodia, inviting them to invest in his impoverished country after an absence of 25 years.

thephuketinsider.com A new 198 unit low-cost condo project has been launched near the entrance of Laguna Phuket. The seven-storey 198 unit ZCAPE is being developed by local firm Tri Property Co, Ltd.

bangkokpost.com Cambodia announced it would withdraw its military personnel from the the Provisional Demilitarised Zone near Preah Vihear temple on Wednesday.

wsj.com A summit of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Phnom Penh ended amid tense disagreements over how to address territorial claims in South China Sea, which is claimed by China and in part by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

abc.net.au Twenty-six people were killed in South Africa when a goods train ploughed into a truck carrying farm workers at a level crossing, according to authorities.

reuters Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman promised Germany's Jewish and Muslim communities they would be free to carry out circumcision on young boys despite a court ban which has provoked concerns about religious freedom.

Sourced: phuketwan