A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective. Reports from national and international media, with translations into English from Thai.

latimes.com Hundreds of people, including friends, family and former co-stars, attended a funeral service for actor David Carradine at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. It was invitation only, and security guards stood outside the hall. The funeral, attended by more than 400 people, lasted for more than two hours. Among the guests were Michael Madsen, Jane Seymour, Tom Selleck, Frances Fisher, Daryl Hannah, Lucy Liu, Ali Larter, Edward James Olmos, Rob Schneider and James Cromwell. Carradine's naked body was discovered last Thursday hanging in the closet in his luxury suite at a Bangkok hotel.

Bangkok Post The Lands Department does not have a policy to scrutinise acquisitions in which illegal use of Thai nominees on behalf of foreigners is suspected, says director-general Anuwat Maytheewibulwut. ''Each year there are 5.5 million land-related transactions handled by the department and we receive around 1000 complaints,'' he said. He said it was probably a misunderstanding that the department would scrutinise every transaction suspected to have a Thai nominee owning land for foreigners. In fact, an investigation will be initiated only if there is a complaint.

antara.co.id Indonesia's tourism grew 1.35 percent from January to April 2009 with foreign tourist arrivals reaching 1.89 million, up 28,570 from around 1.86 million recorded in the same period last year. Director general of marketing of the ministry of tourism and culture, Sapta Nirwandar, said growth in the first four months increased optimism that the target of 6.5 million foreign tourist arrivals in the 2009 Visit Indonesia Year would be met. Last year the number of foreign tourist arrivals in the country reached 6.4 million. ''We should be grateful that tourism industry in Indonesia still grew despite current global economic crisis,'' he said.

The Nation The government has given the Tourism Authority of Thailand 1.4 billion baht to stimulate tourism in the second half of the year. About 40 percent will be aimed at the domestic market and the rest at foreign visitors. Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT's deputy governor for marketing communications, said the agency would air commercials on Euronews, Bloomberg, Star World, National Geographic, CNBC and Channel New Asia. The ads will also run on the Discovery Channel soon. The agency plans to do more advertising through local TV, newspapers, magazines, billboards, bus bodies and websites, particularly in Japan, China, South Korea, the US and India.

CNN The trial of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was delayed again on Friday and will resume in late June, court officials said. Burma opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been held in confinement for 13 of the past 19 years. Closing arguments in the trial were originally scheduled for June 5 and had been rescheduled for Friday. But on Friday, a judge said the trial at Insean Prison, where Suu Kyi is being held, near Yangon will be adjourned until June 26.

Associated Press Singapore investors will probably wait until after elections next year before pouring more money into Burma, former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong says, according to television station Channel News Asia. Goh made the comments at the end of a four-day trip to meet military leaders. Singapore is one of the biggest foreign investors in Burma, with annual bilateral trade of more than $1 billion.

Associated Press Singapore's top customers, the US, Japan and Europe, are mired in the biggest global slump since World War II and may take years to recover their normal growth. Singapore founder Lee Kwan Yew, currently an adviser to his son, prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, says it's improbable that China along with other Asian nations can pick up the slack. It will take ''decades'' for Asians to shake off their traditional caution and spend rather than save, he says. Singapore has little choice but to sway with the global winds of trade and finance.

gulf-daily-news.com A delegation representing Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry will travel to Thailand on June 24.''The week-long visit will herald new horizons for co-operation and highlight untapped investment and trade opportunities,'' BCCI chairman Dr Essam Fakhro said. He was speaking as he met Thai Trade Commissioner Kiat Sittheeamorn. Led by Dr Fakhro, the delegation will also visit the Philippines to hold talks on boosting co-operation. Dr Fakhro urged Bahrain and Thai businessmen to take advantage of bilateral economic relations, boosting trade exchanges and setting up joint ventures.

timesonline.co.uk Thaksin Shinawatra has denied that he has a financial interest in the proposed takeover of Portsmouth Football Club. The Premier League had indicated that it would veto the sale of the club to Dr Sulaiman al-Fahim if reports of involvement on the part of the former Prime Minister of Thailand were confirmed. But Shinawatra contacted Portsmouth to confirm that he is not one of al-Fahim's backers.''I am not involved with Sulaiman al-Fahim's bid in any way,'' a statement by Shinawatra said on the club's official website. ''I have no interest in Portsmouth FC and furthermore I have no plans to become involved in any football club in the future.''

thestar.com.my Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva talks again about a ''colour change'' to heal the wounds and unite the country: ''To my knowledge red and yellow makes orange. And orange stands for innovation. And I think innovation is what we need, to find a way out of the political problems over the past few years. If the Red Shirts feel that the constitution should be more democratic, I can agree with them. If the Yellow Shirts feel that there isn't much accountability in government, I can agree with them, too.''

afp news agency Debris recovered so far from Air France flight 447 seems to indicate the jet plunged suddenly into the Atlantic Ocean and did not explode in the sky, Brazilian experts say. Almost two weeks after the Rio-Paris flight disappeared at sea, former pilot Ari Germano, who has written a book about air crashes, says the images suggested that the Airbus A330 passengers were caught by surprise and the tragedy unfolded so rapidly that the crew did not have the time to react.

Phuket Gazette Four people died in the sea off Phuket beaches in the space of three days, says a front-page report. An article on a Hong Kong man who fell ill with swine flu after holidaying on Phuket is also on the front page. An Editorial urges Phuket local authorities to back a series of Western orchestral concerts. A letter-writer says coverage of murders and road deaths has been a ''disgrace.'' What expats really talk about and want to see, says the letter writer, is an end to double-pricing and smoother traffic flow.

smh.com.au Times are tough. Writer Anne Summers on New York: ''At Bergdorf Goodman, the Fifth Avenue department store, this week, Carrie Bradshaw wannabes could get 30 percent off their Manolo Blahniks or their Balenciagas. It seems every shop in Manhattan now has a permanent sale but not much merchandise is moving, except to tourists who are being welcomed with open arms by the city's vendors. Everyone's investments have lost value, retirement incomes have evaporated and people are fearful about what might lie ahead.''


Phuket Revolutionaries 'Plotted Overthrow of Vietnam'
Latest Phuket was the place where a group of Vietnamese ''revolutionaries'' plotted to overthrow the Communist government of their country, police say.
Phuket Revolutionaries 'Plotted Overthrow of Vietnam'

Aussie, Swiss Take Phuket Marathon Titles
Sport An Australian and a Swiss led home 4500 competitors in an array of events to suit everyone at the Laguna Phuket Marathon Titles. Athletic Singaporeans turned out in large numbers.
Aussie, Swiss Take Phuket Marathon Titles

Monsoon Riders Patong Surfing Photo Special
Photo Album The Monsoon Riders surf title is the first of three to be held on Phuket this season, with a lifesaving carnival in Patong in mid july, too. Check the waves.
Monsoon Riders Patong Surfing Photo Special

Phi Phi Deaths Riddle: 'No Findings' Autopsy Claim
Latest The mystery of what killed two tourists on Phi Phi remains as a local health officer claims in a local newspaper report that autopsies on the women victims failed to produce a result.
Phi Phi Deaths Riddle: 'No Findings' Autopsy Claim

Virus Alarm: Patong Faces Swine Flu Spray
Latest Clubs and bars in Patong are to be sprayed with cleansers to stop the swine flu. However the spread of the virus is already a pandemic, which means it cannot be stopped.
Virus Alarm: Patong Faces Swine Flu Spray

No Panic Required: Patong Joins Swine Flu 'Club'
Latest Cases of swine flu reportedly contracted in Thailand indicate that health authorities would be wasting their time by reacting too strictly to outbreaks in Patong and Pattaya.
No Panic Required: Patong Joins Swine Flu 'Club'

International Hospitality Expo Set For Phuket
Expo Planned Wining, dining, good food and Thailand hospitality are expected to be on view at the first Phuket International Hospitality Show this September.
International Hospitality Expo Set For Phuket

Phuket Still Linked to Slavery and Trafficking
Latest The release of a brochure on people trafficking highlights the part Phuket played in a notorious smuggling incident. Not a lot has changed since then.
Phuket Still Linked to Slavery and Trafficking

Patong Beer Mat Aussie Denied Disneyland Trip
Latest Annice Smoel, who pleaded guilty to stealing a beer mat from the Aussie bar in Patong to conclude a nightmare holiday on Phuket, now says she is barred from the US.
Patong Beer Mat Aussie Denied Disneyland Trip

Phuket King's Cup Races on for Young and Old
Latest This year the King's Cup promises to be even better than last year's best ever, with changes coming to encourage youthful sailors and somewhat mature yachts to compete.
Phuket King's Cup Races on for Young and Old