Aussies go Thai, at the double
Cut-price carriers and direct flights to Phuket have bumped up the numbers, writes Alan Morrison.

Australians are invading the holiday island of Phuket in record numbers, with "G'day" becoming almost as popular a greeting as the Thai expression "Sawadeekap".

Advance figures from the Tourist Authority of Thailand reveal that Australian visitors to the island doubled in the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year.

The Australian invasion is largely sustaining the island's leading industry through the monsoon season - thanks to a growing number of direct flights from Down Under.