AMERICAN pop singer Britney Spears and tennis star Rafael Nadal are coming to Samui for a holiday.

Twenty-seven-year-old Spears has reportedly chosen Samui for a much-needed rest for her and her crew after her successful “comeback tour” of Europe.

No. 1 ranking tennis player Nadal, 23, may also come to Samui in September before playing in the PTT Thailand Open 2009.

According to the Siam Rath newspaper, Spears will come to Samui for a grand vacation before resuming the last leg of her concert tour scheduled in Australia and other parts of Asia.

Siam Rath said that a list of five-star resorts on Samui was presented to Spears for her to choose from. She chose Sila Evason, which she has reportedly agreed to rent for a week for 180,000 British pounds.

However, her agent did not disclose the date of her visit to safeguard her privacy.

Foreign media, including websites (such as splashnewsonline.com) and bloggers, have also reported her trip to Samui, without any mention of dates.

A US blogger, who is a professional travel writer, said on June 16 that Spears also invited her ex-husband Kevin Federline, who has been accompanying their two sons during her recent jaunt in London, along with his girlfriend Victoria Prince, to Samui.

The Spanish professional tennis player is expected to take part in the PTT Thailand Open 2009 scheduled for Sept. 26-Oct.4 at  the Impact Arena in Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok.

According to Suwat Lipatapanlop, head of the Tennis Association of Thailand, they would arrange for Nadal to visit a destination outside Bangkok before he plays in the tournament.

They were considering Phuket, Krabi or Koh Samui, he said.

“We have not yet decided on the place. We are looking for the most suitable destination,” Mr. Suwat said.

Tourism stakeholders on the island are keeping their fingers crossed that the visits of the two famous celebrities to Samui will materialize since the visits, they said, would help a lot in promoting the island’s tourism.

The fact that Spears has chosen to come here proves that Samui still has that drawing power and magic as a holiday destination, they said. --