PHUKET (5 Dec 2008) – The group stage of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2008 will see the attendance of close to 500 journalists from around the region.

The city of Jakarta is playing hosts to Group A which features hosts Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar and Cambodia.

In Group B which is based in Phuket will have hosts Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Laos.

The number of media representatives in Jakarta numbers 218 with the breakdown being 127 journalists, 57 photographers and 34 television journalists.

The majority of the 218 media representatives came from hosts Indonesia with only seven journalists from abroad – two from Malaysia, two from Singapore, one from Myanmar with the remaining two being from TV BBC.

In Phuket, the number of media representatives is 157 although unlike Indonesia, the majority of them are from Vietnam with 118.

Thailand have a media force of 29 while the rest are from Malaysia.

There are no media representatives from Laos or Cambodia.