The News Review:

- James Packer’s giant gamble
- … The Leading nline Guide to The Andaman Jewel of Thailand…
- Across globe Elvis still the king
- Bangkok’s Independent Newspaper
- Yummy: Fried Cockroach Whole Frog Legs With Snake Blood
- Carol McGregor: Malawi Diaries

James Packer’s giant gamble
NEWS.com.au – Aug 12, 2007
nly half the size of Sydney Harbour it has just overtaken the Las Vegas Strip to become the gaming capital of the world. But the boom has only just begun. Cranes crowd the skyline as new casinos and hotels spring up on reclaimed land. And high-speed ferries stream across the Pearl River estuary from Hong Kong like trucks down a busy freeway. Macau has made its living from gambling for years but it is only since its return to China in 1999 that it has hit the jackpot. In 2001 the laws were changed to allow foreign casino operators. In 2003 the Chinese Government relaxed travel restrictions from the mainland… ther countries in the region are likely to license casino gaming because it’s such an easy way of raising revenue. And if they charge lower tax rates (as Singapore is already doing) junket operators (who currently bring Chinese punters to Macau) will make more money by taking their business there instead. But Packer and PBL are expected to build more casinos under the Crown brand – in Vietnam Japan the Philippines and Thailand for starters – if the laws allow. By selling the TV and magazine empire created by his grandfather Sir Frank Packer James has raised more than $5 billion in cash for PBL which is busy borrowing more to spend in casinos around the world. PBL already has $7 billion of other casino projects on the drawing board including two huge new resorts in Las Vegas at the unfashionable end of The Strip (which some see as another risk). ne of these will feature the tallest tower in the US at more than 500m high if it gets the go-ahead. Packer will have American majority-partners in both ventures.

… The Leading nline Guide to The Andaman Jewel of Thailand…
prleap.com – Aug 12, 2007
com offers a view of Phuket that no other site provides and caters to a range of visitors and budgets. From local history culture and traditions to resorts hotels and apartments to spas activities and site-seeing to information on relocation and securing work visas the site has it all. “As one of Phuket’s oldest sites… About Tiger Consulting Co. Tiger Consulting a Thailand registered company provides clients in Thailand and worldwide with high quality cost effective services and outsourcing solutions to support their Thailand businesses. The company specializes in Payroll Human Resource and Benefit utsourcing Accounting Legal Services Business Advice Secretarial and Secretariat Services Serviced ffices and Investment Advice. The company has strong regional affiliations with partner companies to provide similar services in Singapore Malaysia Indonesia Phillippines China Korea and India. For more information visit.

Across globe Elvis still the king
Inquirer.net – Aug 12, 2007
Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry will oblige with his renditions of Elvis numbers next month in Naples performing at a concert with Massimo Ranieri and other top Italian singers. Britain’s commemorations of The King’s death will include an afternoon party in the Midlands city of Derby featuring an all-Elvis disco and rock ‘n’ roll band along with a gathering of Elvis impersonators. In Bangkok the Asia Hotel has held an Elvis concert each year since 1997 featuring Thai impersonators. “Elvis is very important to me. I like his voice his songs and his performance. He is so perfect” said Jaruek Viriyakij the hotel’s entertainment manager wearing a glittering blue Elvis costume.

Bangkok’s Independent Newspaper
๒ดอะ ๒à¸à¸à¸±à¹à¸ – Aug 12, 2007
com the hottest online dating website told The Nation. Nuch's Bangkok-based company Sweet Singles Thailand offers an online dating service for Thai women looking for a foreign groom. "Interestingly another growing group is single women from rural provinces now living in Bangkok. They're highly educated; some even have a master's degree from a decent university" she said. "Seven years ago most of our clients had had failed marriages. Now 60 per cent of our membership is single" Nuch said… It's good business even though I have more competitors these days but I know I do it better than they do and have more experience. I run it with the good intentions of helping two people find their real long-term soul mate and a better life" Nee said. Nuch said: "Even though the money from membership is not big we can supplement it from related services like translation hotel reservations cars visa applications souvenirs and even wedding services. "The money to be made attracts more and more people to the business. The question mark is their quality and the risk for the women involved with a non-professional service. Kamol SukinThe Nation Privacy Policy © 2006 Nation Multimedia Group.

Yummy: Fried Cockroach Whole Frog Legs With Snake Blood
Lanka Newspapers – Aug 12, 2007
Snake meat with vegetables worms and baby turtles are the delicacies in specialized restaurants targeting upmarket clientele. Roasted whole frogs So what do the ordinary people eat? Sticky rice and duck pork or fish straight from the great Mekong River are their usual fare. Seafood is popular at any restaurant or hotel even though Laos is a landlocked country. The famous Thai soup Tom Yam which is seafood based is a hot favourite in Laos too. Keng no may a bamboo shoot soup or keng het bot made with mushrooms are two other favourite soups in Laos. For travellers from Bangkok the striking difference between their food and Lao cuisine is the use of sticky or glutinous rice (klao niaw) at every meal. Sitting down to a bowl of chopped raw meat a chicken`s head and a salad made of shrub leaves and sticky rice interspersed with rounds of fiery home-made rice whisky is not the normal traveller`s idea of a mouth-watering exotic meal.

Carol McGregor: Malawi Diaries
Scotsman – Aug 12, 2007
I so admire these young women for the jobs they do. Ann had previously worked in Peru. Georgina has photographed women in conditions at the mines in Congo and Sarah has dealt with child prostitution in Thailand and AIDS in Africa. Sunday July 15We left for Lake Malawi at 10am. Went to Livingstonia Beach Lodge Complex lovely beach and waves on the lake! Beautiful spot. Had a buffet lunch then went on to a tropical fish farm miles from anywhere but near the lakes. Divers catch the fish and they are put in a variety of tanks… Vincent was with us from the Malawian Education Department for Special Needs. I wonder what he would think of the equipment and resources at a school like Kingspark (where I worked in Dundee). We left around 11am and drove back to Kumbali Lodge to prepare for Ewan’s arrival!We just got to the barrier before the hotel when a vehicle came up behind us followed by Charley Ewan and Eve on bikes. We had a really quick drive into the hotel so that Ewan wouldn’t know I was there. I dashed for my room to basically hide until it was time for me to go to the reception to surprise Ewan. He had no idea and when I gave him a coke and a glass he was amazed! It was a wonderful moment and so lovely to see him again.

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