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Americans Kerri Walsh and Nicole Branagh emerged as the winners of the
fiercely-contested Swatch FIVB World Tour beach volleyball match, in a
final round played at Phuket's Karon Beach yesterday. The U.S. team
defeated surprise opponent Marta Menegatti and Valeria Rosso of Italy,
21-23, 21-14, 15-11. Carolina and Maria Clara Salgado of Brazil won
the bronze medal match by defeating The Netherlands’ Sanne Keizer and
Marlene Van Iersel, 21-17, 21-14.
 
The title gives Olympic champion Walsh her 39th gold medal in the
tournament, an amazing feat considering she was out for the entire
2009 season and all but two events this year due to giving birth to
boys in May 2009 and 2010. "This win is so special to me; it’s my
first win as a mother of two," said Ms Walsh.

Phuket will see more visitors from Finland this season with the
expansion of flights to the holiday island and its neighbouring
province of Krabi. Finnair has announced that this winter it is
launching flights on its new wide-body Airbus aircraft.
 
Kaarina Peltonen, who is responsible for Finnair's traffic planning
said, "The addition of new flights to our most important Asian
destinations reflects the continuing growth in our connecting traffic
to Asia."
 
Phuket is already a popular destination for Finns, who have been
coming in increasing numbers over the past five years.

A 'Carnival of Colour' launch party for the 2011 calendar featuring
the lovely women of the Women's Will Power Phuket charity will take
place at the Cape Sienna Resort in Kamala on November 5, starting at
6pm. The 1,500 baht entry includes two complimentary drinks, an
all-you-can-eat buffet, a floorshow featuring seven performers, a
fashion show, door prizes, raffles, and silent and live auctions.
 
Proceeds from the party, and from the sale of the calendars, will be
donated to the Phuket Shelter House for women and children in need.
For more information visit www.wwpphuket.com or call 087 466 5140 or
087 466 5140.

Phuket will have another frenzied weekend of football at the 9th
International 7-a-side school football tournament hosted by British
International School. Last year's tournament saw well over 850
participants from schools all over Southeast Asia. More than 15
schools from the region are already registered for the event.
 
Food and refreshment stalls will be operating on campus throughout the
tournament. For more information visit www.bisphuket.ac.th.

More than 20 international golf professionals will battle it out in
the challenging Blue Canyon Country Club course on November 5 for the
Pro-Am charity golf tournament. Top level golfers including PGA Asian
Tour champions Simon Yates from Scotland, Scott Hend of Australia and
American Gerry Nordquist are set to play for the prize. Thailand's top
golfer Udorn Duangdecha is also joining the event.
 
The tournament is also open for non-professionals who register with an
entry fee of 7,000 baht for members of Blue Canyon Country Club or
9,000 baht for non members. All proceeds go to the Phuket Has Been
Good To Us Foundation, which provides English language education for
more than 700 underprivileged children.
 
More information on the tournament and charity is at
www.phukethasbeengoodtous.org.

In the Phuket King's Cup yachting regatta usually dominated by
Australians and New Zealanders, boats and crew from China and Japan
are set to give them a serious run for the trophy this year with
larger numbers of sailors from across Asia already registered for the
race.
 
Simon James, Race Director, said "The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta has a
certain prestige and participants are competitive. The competition is
intense and this regatta is seen by many as the 'one to win'. Plus the
social side is hard to beat," he said.
 
The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, which runs from December 4-11, is now
in its 24th year. Several categories of races including a cruising
class for more leisurely sailors enjoying a Phuket yacht charter make
the King's Cup both a top-level competition and a fun way to enjoy the
spectacular Andaman Sea. For more information see www.kingscup.com.

The tropical sunsets and soft sands of Phuket have always beckoned
travellers in search of romance, and now a handbook has been developed
to help those find just the right place and experience for their
wedding and honeymoon. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has teamed up
with a number of Phuket resorts to create two books, Memorable
Weddings in Thailand and Thailand Pool Villas, which serve as guides
to the most spectacular wedding facilities and services in Phuket and
beyond.
 
Phuket has long been a favourite honeymoon destination for Japanese
couples, while it is increasingly becoming a place to stage an entire
lavish wedding event for groups from Europe, Australia and especially
India.

Phuket's serene sands are set to transform into a staging ground for
top-level competitive battles, as the island is set to host the last
stop of the 2010 Swatch FIVB Beach Volley World Tour for women from
November 2-7 on Karon Beach. More than 70 of the world's top beach
volley teams from 30 countries worldwide will play. The sponsor zone
at the venue includes booths, games and beer garden. People are also
welcome to join activities including beach volley clinics and an
amateur tournament during the event. Admission is free to the public
grandstands.
 
Visit www.pentanglepromotions.com for more information.

Those seeking to improve their wellness and vitality in Phuket now
have a single source of information on the medical services available
on the island and elsewhere in Thailand. The Tourism Authority of
Thailand this week launched a new campaign to promote Thailand as a
destination for health, beauty and dental treatments. In addition to
listing Phuket's health service providers, the TAT has launched a
'Medical Tourism Blogger Contest', where bloggers who best sing the
praises of Thailand's medicos have a chance to win US$25,000 in cash
and vouchers.
 
The new website is www.thailandmedtourism.com.