A senior Philippine official urged the Hong Kong government on

A senior Philippine official urged the Hong Kong government on
Wednesday not to cut the wages of foreign maids in the territory.
The call came during a visit by the Philippines' Secretary of
Labor Patricia Sto Tomas to Hong Kong, where the government is
facing pressure from employers to cut the minimum wage of maids
to alleviate the pain of an economic downturn. --Reuters

Thailand said on Wednesday it expected foreign tourist arrivals
to the country in 2001 would rise by about 4 percent from 2000
despite the impact of the Sept.11 attacks and a crackdown on
Thailand's nightlife. Thai tourism authorities said tourist
arrivals this year would rise to 9.9 million from 9.51 million in
2000.--Reuters