The Times: realistic or romantic about Phuket?
PHUKET: In a world-beating feature in the travel section of the New York Times this weekend, Phuket makes the grade as one of the world’s 44 “most compelling” destinations to visit in 2009. See the rankings here.
Interesting and encouraging indeed. But local residents may find an agent provocateur lurking just below the surface in an editorial sub-ranking where it’s announced that Phuket is now the planet’s Number One Luxury Destination… well, for 2009 at least. Believers, revelers, doubters and the disappointed need only click on the page’s ‘Luxury’ filter for verification of the island’s newfound status.
Has The Times been hoodwinked by property sales types and five-star public relations? Whatever one’s views, hopes and visions for Phuket, “44 Places to Go in 2009” is a ‘must read’ for anyone with an interest in the island.
Footnote: In the page at the link referenced above, the Gazette was unable to activate in Firefox The Times’ link to their important story on Phuket, or to access the page at which readers are invited to “recommend” Phuket. However, these links did work in Internet Explorer.
