Round up of Thailand news with AJW

TODAY

WEATHER: A hot, cloudy and wet day once again in Bangkok.

Temp 33C

Euro = 39.91 THB
US = 31.50 THB
UK = 49.54 THB
CHF = 33.24 THB
AUD = 32.07 THB

SET Index
1,171 (-0.19 percent)

YESTERDAY

Temp 32C

Euro = 39.63 THB
US = 31.46 THB
UK = 49.35 THB
CHF = 32.99 THB
AUD = 31.83 THB

SET Index
1,163 (-0.20 percent)

A ROUND UP OF THAILAND'S NEWS

(Bangkok Post)

- World: Anti-army demo in Egypt. Obama unable to move Russia, China on Syria. UK stops, turns around Syria-bound Russian ship. Judicial coup ousts Pakistan PM.

- Bangkok: Yingluck says committee will study US request for U-tapao. "Talent" exec. admits producer approached painter, denies she received payment.

- LCC: The cabinet approved a plan to fully reactivate Don Mueang airport for low-cost airlines and relieve congestion at Suvarnabhumi airport.

- U-tapao Airport: Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has denied that the absence of the United States' request to use U-tapao airport from the cabinet agenda Tuesday was a sign the government was backing away from the plan. The US has asked to use U-tapao, in Rayong province, to conduct a regional climate study by Nasa between August and September.

OTHER NEWS

- Falklands: The dispute over the Falklands Islands reached the G-20 summit in Mexico on Tuesday when the leaders of Britain and Argentina had an uncomfortable talk on the conference's sidelines.

British Prime Minister David Cameron approached Argentine President Cristina Fernandez to talk about banking reform, and during the conversation asked her to respect the view of islanders, said Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman.

Fernandez responded by trying to hand Cameron an envelope with UN resolutions that called for Argentine-British dialogue over the Falklands Islands. But Cameron "refused to take the envelope, turned around, and walked off," Timerman said.
(ABC)

- Top 20 cities:The MasterCard index report analyzes visitor traffic and cross-border travel spend in 132 major cities worldwide.

The UK capital city of London once again emerged victorious by securing global dominance in the global index survey, by being voted the world's top destination for the second year running. Making up the other places in the top 10 were Paris, Bangkok, Singapore, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Madrid, Dubai, Frankfurt, and Kuala Lumpur, with the cities of Seoul, Rome, New York, Shanghai, Barcelona, Milan, Amsterdam, Vienna, Beijing, and Taipei completing positions 11 to 20, respectively.
(MC)

- Mubarak: Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, 84, has reportedly suffered a stroke in prison and is reportedly "clinically dead," according to sources.
(Telegraph)

- Phi Phi Deaths:The Canadian embassy in Bangkok has asked authorities to delay autopsies on the bodies of two Canadian sisters who died under mysterious circumstances on Koh Phi Phi last week until their relatives fly into the country.

The tourists died in an unusual manner and the post-mortems would be comprehensive and cover all possible causes of death.

Officials found bleeding under the sisters' nails, in the whites of their eyes, and in their cheeks.

Officials of the Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Bureau of Epidemiology have collected samples of suspicious substances on the island to help determine the cause of death.

Forensic experts reported that both women had suffered severe vomiting and diarrhea before they died. They said there were many possible causes of death including exposure to pesticide or arsenic mixed with a narcotic.

Dr. Paijit Warachit, permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry, said provincial health officials, especially those in popular tourist destinations, have been ordered to check food safety in their jurisdictions.

- Football Euro 2012 results: England 1-0 Ukraine, Sweden 2-0 France. Knock-out matches: France vs. Spain on Saturday and England vs. Italy on Sunday.

Wayne Rooney returned from suspension to fire England to the top of Group D and into the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 as a 1-0 victory over Ukraine set up a date with Italy on Sunday.
(Goal)

- Australia: TOURISM Australia will up the ante in Indonesia by establishing a physical presence in the market by year-end and by spending significantly more money on wooing Indonesian visitors.

According to Tourism Australia Managing Director, Andrew McEvoy, strong efforts would continue to be expended in the mature markets of Singapore and Malaysia, but an increased focus would be placed on Indonesia, the second fastest-growing source of arrivals for the country after China.

"Indonesia is a strong market for Australia. We have good aviation access and Jakarta has a lucrative middle class," said McEvoy, adding that the marketing budget set aside for Indonesia in the 2012/2013 financial year was 150 percent more compared to the year before.

He explained that while the first creative was responsible for launching the campaign and bringing the Australian personality to life, the second was more emotional and projected "a sophisticated image."

Similar to when the campaign was first introduced in 2010, customizable tools such as widgets will be offered to travel consultants, allowing them to list relevant packages alongside pre-loaded featured experiences ranging from indigenous tourism to food and wine. Aussie Specialists with Facebook pages can also pull content from Tourism Australia’s online repository.

Maggie White, Tourism Australia Regional General Manager, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Gulf, said that in a market with high repeats like Singapore, the NTO needed to continue to "give new news," and that the current campaign was a good platform to do so.

Meanwhile, McEvoy let on that marketing spend on mainstream versus digital media was now 50:50, compared to 80:20 five years ago. He added that the ongoing campaign features a strong social media element, which attempts to harness the power of "Facebook jealousy" among travelers.
(TTG)