MediaWATCH: Thailand Bookings in Freefall

Outbound tour agencies in Singapore report a decline of up to 80 percent in travel sales to Thailand. Two companies have even stopped advertising their Bangkok packages this month. They observed that customers are diverting travel plans to neighboring destinations such as Cebu and Bali. For now, agencies say that travel deals to Bangkok this June look set to remain unpopular.

Thais point out that the Foreign Office is not warning against travel in the whole of Sudan, the whole of Iran or even the whole of Iraq. Thailand of course is hugely dependent on tourism and the unrest is already strangling the economy. The advice as it stands today looks like an exaggerated exercise in covering one's behind.

Why can't the Thai appreciate what they have? To Thailand's west lies Burma, which last held democratic elections in 1990. To the north lies Laos, a closed, impoverished little nation where hammer and sickle flags fly. To the east lies Cambodia, ruled by a kleptocratic, elective dictatorship.To the south lies Malaysia, which does have a democracy of sorts, but the US State Department's human rights report, published last month, noted that ''significant obstacles prevented opposition parties from competing on equal terms with the ruling coalition. Some deaths occurred during police apprehensions and while in police custody. ''

Thailand's central bank raised its 2010 economic growth forecast to 4.3-5.8 percent on Thursday, buoyed by a strong rebound in exports, but it would have been stronger if not for weeks of political unrest, the Bank said. Economists are meanwhile revising down their forecasts. ''Due to the political crisis, the economy may slip into contraction in the second quarter from the previous three months, and grow much slower on an annual basis at 5.5 percent compared with 6.9 percent anticipated earlier,'' said David Cohen of Action Economics in Singapore.

Consumer confidence in Malaysia continues to rise in correspondence with improving economic conditions. The Asian Consumer Confidence Index by InsightAsia registered an increase of 13 points to 125 in the first quarter of 2010, sustaining the trend of the previous two quarters that has lifted the index well above the neutral point of 100.

China overtook France to occupy the fourth place last year in the ranking of the world's top spenders on international tourism, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation said yesterday. Chinese tourists splurged $US43.7 billion dollars ($A47.3 billion) on their travels abroad in 2009 despite the economic downturn, propping up other economies by eating out, occupying hotel rooms and visiting attractions, it said in its latest bulletin.

A senior Iranian cleric says women and girls who dress provocatively cause earthquakes.Interestingly, American clerics seem to be of similar mind. The late televangelist Jerry Falwell blamed the September 11 attacks on feminists, abortionists, pagans and gays, while Pat Robertson put January's earthquake in Haiti down to Haitians' ''pact [with] the devil. The urge to blame women for everything, but especially for nature's mischief, persists.

Almost two years after Cyclone Nargis killed nearly 140,000 people in Myanmar, the repression of rights in areas hit by the cyclone continues and the humanitarian space in the country is shrinking instead of growing as originally hoped, a report released on Thursday said. ''Civilians in cyclone-affected areas continue to be subjected to various forms of forced labour, everyday restrictions on movements, and infringements of the rights to freedom of expression and association,'' according to Human Rights Watch's new report.

Cambodia warned foreign diplomats that it was not appropriate to criticise its government in a letter sent to embassies that noted the South-east Asian country is not a "banana republic". The Foreign Ministry's letter said there have been many occasions in which diplomats have ''indulged themselves to criticise or give lessons'' to Cambodia. Such behavior is ''not acceptable'', said the letter, which was addressed to all diplomatic missions and dated Monday.

Amid mounting frustration over taxation and banking problems, small but growing numbers of overseas Americans are taking the weighty step of renouncing their citizenship. said Jackie Bugnion, director of American Citizens Abroad, an advocacy group based in Geneva. ?��Before, no one would dare mention to other Americans that they were even thinking of renouncing their U.S. nationality. Now, it is an openly discussed issue.?��

A 10-year-old Australian girl who survived being stung by the world's most venomous creature, the deadly box jellyfish, may have rewritten medical history, an expert says. Schoolgirl Rachael Shardlow lost consciousness after being badly stung by the jellyfish while swimming in a river in Queensland with her brother in December, but lived to tell the tale. ''When I first saw the pictures of the injuries I just went: 'You know to be honest, this kid should not be alive,''' said Jamie Seymour, professor of zoology and tropical ecology at James Cook University.

 Until May 4  a local products show called 'The Best Thai Products' will be held at Saphan Hin public park in Phuket City. About 250 products are on display, with food available.

Two farewells are taking place for popular Phuket writer-musician Tony Kelsey-Stead, who died of leukemia in Britain recently. On May 2 the Andaman Players will put on a free show at The Green Man pub in Chalong from 6.30pm, with donations welcome for Tony's partner Fon, who is now in hospital. On May 4 from 6pm at Friendship Beach in Rawai, tribute will be paid by musicians who played with Tony.

April 30 Lions Club Of Phuket Pearl is holding a jazz concert and dance night, performed by children from the Phuket Academy of Dance, at the Royal Phuket Marina. Details: 081 477 0342.
May 1 The Phuket Has Been Good To Us foundation, first fund-raising ball, Sheraton Grande Laguna Resort, 6.30pm-Midnight.
May 31-June 5 Eight-nation football tournament for players over 55 at Surakul Stadium in Phuket City. Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Taiwan, Iran, Armenia competing.
May Annual Phuket seafood festival.
May Date to be finalised for Muay Thai kickboxing competition at Laguna Phuket.
May 21-23 Paragliding on Phuket.
June 4-13 Phuket International Film Festival, Coliseum Cineplex, Phuket City.
June 13 Laguna Phuket International Marathon. Fun runs, too.
July 21-25 Phuket Six Senses Race Week, Evason, Rawai
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta