Murray Wins Open, First in 76 Years; Phuket Targets Toll; Tourists Flock to Thailand; Phuket Events

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

bangkokpost.com Thai tourism has recovered, with international tourist arrivals to Thailand during the first eight months of this year increasing by 8.66pc year-on-year to 14.3 million. A report by the Tourism Department says that last month alone, arrivals rose by 11.5pc year-on-year to 1.92 million on the back of growth from the Middle East (51.39pc), Oceania (26.13pc), South Asia (21pc), Africa (17pc), East Asia (11.74pc), the Americas (9.31pc) and Europe (0.05pc).

Phuket Update Officials aim to reduce Phuket's road fatalities from 116 in 2011 to 50 in 2014, Phuket Public Health Deputy Director Dr Wiwat Seetamanotch says. Reaching the target depends on obliterating more Phuket black spots, encouraging more people to wear safety helmets and reducing the levels of drink-driving, a conference heard. Signs are encouraging - the road toll has already been reduced from above 200.

afp An Indonesian terror suspect has surrendered himself and confessed to a suicide bomb plot against Buddhists in Jakarta to protest against Burma's treatment of Muslim Rohingya, police said. A man who identified as Muhammad Toriq turned himself in, national police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar said. The suspected militant fled his house in a Jakarta suburb last week after neighbors reported seeing smoke rising.

nationmultimedia.com The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry launched a new satellite map that will be used to resolve conflicts on forestland encroachment. The new 1:4000-scale map was introduced at a public forum focused on the problem of forest encroachment held by the ministry at Chulabhorn Research Institute. The amount of land marked off as forest reserves in Thailand has dropped drastically from 171 million rai in 1961 to 104 million rai in 2004 due to massive encroachment by farmers and acquisition via illegal ownership papers.

nationmultimedia.com Red Bull heir Worrayuth Yoovidhya will meet police tomorrow to acknowledge that he faces an additional charge of drunk driving over the hit-and-run crash in which a policeman was killed last week, Thong Lor police said.

thejakartaglobe.com A British woman is set to be tried in Bali for allegedly smuggling 4.7 kilograms of cocaine to Bali, an offense punishable by death. Drugs with a value of $2.5 million were found in the luggage of Lindsay June Sandiford, 56, when she arrived from Bangkok in May.

abc.net.au French president Francois Hollande says there will be no exceptions to his plan to impose a 75 percent tax rate on millionaires. Mr Hollande's comments came after France's richest man, businessman Bernard Arnault, announced he was applying for Belgian citizenship.

Phuket People


TWINPALMS Phuket, perhaps the island's most exciting and stylish contemporary resort, is holding its anniversary party on September 22 at Catch Beach Club, Surin Beach, from 8pm to 2am. All are invited. The dress code: sexy white.

foxnews.com A Thai man has been arrested and accused of illegally raising six tigers on top of an apartment building on Bangkok's outskirts after police busted a larger tiger-trafficking ring. Environmental police acting on a tip found four adult and two juvenile tigers on a rusty caged compound on the rooftop of a four-story apartment in a residential neighborhood.

Phuket Update For the first time, officials at Phuket's Good Taste Food Festival from September 14-22 have banned non-biodegradeable containers. No alcohol will be sold, although patrons will be permitted to bring their own.

thedrinksbusiness.com The event, running for 15 years, has responded to the demands of local food vendors and the Stop Drink Network, who are keen to wipe out alcohol-related problems that have marred past festivals.

theborneopost.com Singapore has decided to ban male natives from Sabah and Sarawak below 35 from working in the island republic after a series of crimes and fights.

bikyamasr.com The Singapore government has set the new restrictions after a string of murders have been reportedly been carried out by Malaysians from Sabah and Sarawak.

nationmultimedia.com Today every member of Asean claims to be a free and just society, but where do these countries stand vis-a-vis the rights of ethnic minorities? Although there is lot of discussion about rights within the region, there is no coherent legal framework or strong laws to fight against systemic prejudice, blatant discrimination and the undermining of the rights of minorities.

PA Police were investigating whether a man whose body was found in a residential street in south west London was a stowaway who fell from a plane.
The man, believed to be in his 30s, suffered multiple injuries.

balidiscovery.com The chairman of the Bali Chapter of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, Cokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, has warned that the uncontrolled building of new hotels is certain to lead to oversupply, and aggressive and unhealthy price competition.

Phuket World Sports Wrap

theage.com.au Officials are investigating th death of top-level Australian Rules Football player John McCarthy of the Port Adelaide club, who was found dead in mysterious circumstances at The Flamingo in Las Vegas while on a post-season holiday with other players.

Sourced: phuketwan