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Phuket art lovers will get the chance to peruse, ponder and buy a range of artwork from 30 local artists at the Spin Art Exhibition being held at Brush Restaurant & Beach Bar in Kalim Beach on October 8. All proceeds will go to the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation, a charity that runs children's education programs.
 
For more information call 076 340348 or email info@underwood-phuket.com.

The newly-launched Phang Nga Bay Conservancy organisation is planning
a regular clean-up effort, with the first event set to be held on
October 15. Sponsors and volunteers are welcome to get involved in the
clean-up event focused on the stunning Phang Nga Bay's sea, beaches
and mangroves.
 
An initiative of the International Business Association of Phuket, it
is aimed at being an event that the whole family can join, to "not
only create an awareness of the pollution issues that we face but also
ensure that the next generations also appreciate the importance of
behaving in an environmentally responsible way."
 
For more information, visit the website: www.phangngabayconservancy.org.

Parents wondering what to do in Phuket on their family holiday now
have a fun guide that offers the best things to do and see for the
seven-to-14 year old jet set. Phuket is one of six world travel
destinations selected for the KidsGo! travel guide series. The five
other locations are New York, London, Sydney, Bali and Hong Kong.
 
The guide features maps, attractions information and tips on the local
culture, and there's an interactive website as well for the more
tech-savvy tweens and teens to explore.
 
Find more information on the Phuket KidsGo! guide at
www.kidsgotravelguides.com/phuket. Hard-copy guides are available now,
for HK$80 (320 baht), and ebooks are coming soon.

Bangkok is set to come alive with the 'Oscars' of the travel industry,
the World Travel Awards for Asia & Australasia, being held this
evening (September 28) at the Dusit Thani Bangkok. Regional industry
leaders from India to Singapore, Hong Kong and mainland China,
Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand are joining the event in
anticipation of scooping up some accolades.
 
The event comes on the back of news from STR Global data that Thailand
enjoyed the highest growth rates in hotel occupancy for the
Asia-Pacific region last month. Bangkok's occupancy levels rose by
26.7 percent to 65.3 percent, followed by Phuket, with a 25.2-percent
increase to 71.8 percent. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has
revealed that it's aiming to attract 19.5 million international
tourist arrivals by 2012. (Source: breakingtravelnews.com)

Tomorrow marks the start of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, an annual
event honouring the nine Emperor Gods who temporarily inhabit the
bodies of marching mediums during nine days of processions and
activities at Phuket's Chinese shrines. Weird, wild and intense, this
is probably one of the world's most photographed festivals, featuring
parades of men (and some women) with their faces pierced with an array
of implements, or performing daring acts of self-flagellation.
 
This year's festival runs from September 27 to October 5 at various
locations around Phuket, mostly around the Chinese shrines in Phuket
City. Visit www.phuketvegetarian.com to see the full schedule of
events.

Top tourism professionals from across the region are coming together
for a dinner and discussion on Phuket's tourism future. Members from
Skål International Phuket and South Thailand and the Pacific Asia
Travel Association (PATA) Thailand Chapter will meet at the Movenpick
Resort & Spa Karon Beach on September 24, with speakers and
discussions on the topic of how to work together to promote the
destination. Others in the travel industry are welcome to join the
event.
 
Visit www.skalphuket.org or www.pata-thailand.org for reservations and
more information.

The Quiksilver Thailand Surfing Competition will be held from
September 21-24 at the north end of Patong Beach. Hundreds of
thousands of baht in cash and prizes are up for grabs in the short
board, long board and women's divisions, and this year for the first
time surfers aged 35 and over will be joining in on the new master's
division.
 
The competition is now part of the Asian Surfing Championship (ASC)
tour with contests held in Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand.
For more information see www.quiksilver.in.th.

Amateur photographers looking for a fun morning out and great photo
opportunities will want to join the Worldwide Photo Walk in Phuket
Town on October 2. The Walk is a global social photography event where
photographers choose a picturesque urban location to get together and
walk around, shoot photos, and generally have fun with other
photographers. At last year's event more than 33,000 people joined at
over 1,100 locations around the world.
 
This year's Walk just happens to coincide with Phuket's Vegetarian
Festival, so Phuket participants will have some added colour and
excitement to catch on film. The Phuket walk will run from 7am to
10.30am near Bang Neow Shrine in Phuket Town. Entry is free.
 
Leading the walk is professional photographer Karim Khamzin, who may
be contacted on 08 6266 4406 or karim@PhuketPhotoPro.com for more
information. More details on the Walk in general may be found at
www.worldwidephotowalk.com.

The results are in for the 2011 Conde Nast Traveller magazine's
Readers' Travel Awards and Phuket has earned a tenth-place rating in
the best island destination category. Topping the list was the Greek
Isles, followed by the Maldives and Bali. Among the ten criteria
readers used to grade the islands, Phuket earned high scores for value
for money and for people/hospitality. Thailand as a whole also earned
high scores, with the Kingdom placing fourth overall in the best
country category.