Presented by HotelTravel.com, The 2008 Phuket International Blues Rock Festival blasts off at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa, February 22-23, 2008.

This year the festival will be huge - expanded to 12 bands total - showcasing 10 of South East Asia's finest acts and topping it off with an American headliner each night. Confirmed are Bangkok's Soi Dog Blues Band, Georgia Blues Band, Full House and Cannonball as well as The Blues Machine from Pattaya and Boy Blues Band from Chiang Mai as well as The Fabulous Hepcats from Koh Samui. We have also secured one of Australia's top blues acts, Salty Dog. The local contribution to this year's show is provided by The Groove Doctors w/Jimi Fame and American born diva Bonnie Anderson.

The internationally renowned Rich Harper Band from Los Angeles which has gathered strong following in Thailand over the past two years will return in 2008, to headline Friday night with their usual fiery style, helping to make this year’s festival a blues/rock extravaganza. Saturday night will see another top U.S. blues act: The Shari Puorto Experience from Southern California.

First held in December 2005, The Phuket International Blues Festival was organized to showcase the diverse local and regional talent and to show the world that Phuket is capable of staging international music events on a par with the best in the world. The festival is a charity event, with profits being donated to worthy organizations dedicated to Phuket’s children’s education:

1. The Phuket International Women's Club - a non-profit organization offering sponsorship of education for children and have helped, or are currently helping more than 250 children financially with their education from Kindergarten up to University, including MD.

2. The Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation - works with local educators to improve the economic opportunities and life chances of young people by funding and implementing high quality, practical English language education in government schools in Phuket.