A Thai opposition politician close to fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra was shot in an attack which the government said appeared to be politically-motivated with an election looming. Pracha Prasopdee, a lawmaker with the opposition Puea Thai party, was hospitalised after being shot in the back late Tuesday on the outskirts of Bangkok.


A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media.

reuters.com Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva hopes an early [ July 3] election will be a "new beginning" for his divided country, but the result could just as easily be more unrest and policy paralysis as neither faction is likely to accept defeat gracefully.

bangkokpost.com Thai experts are unconvinced by an independent investigation which suggested that a 23-year-old New Zealand tourist died from excessive exposure to a lethal toxin used to kill bedbugs at a Chiang Mai hotel. A meeting yesterday, attended by doctors and experts from various agencies, ended with no conclusion on the deaths.

stuff.co.uk Despite Sarah Carter and three other tourists dying at Chiang Mai's Downtown Inn, it has remained open. The father of New Zealander Amanda Eliason, who required emergency heart surgery, said: "It's just a different world over there and they rely so much on tourism that they try to protect it and hide things."

nationmultimedia.com Phuket remains listed among 14 provinces across the country are at risk of flash flooding, violent storms and mudslides following anticipated heavy rain throughout this week.

smh.com.au Football's governing body Fifa is facing the most serious allegations in its recent history after it was alleged that the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups was riddled with corruption and inappropriate behavior by executive committee members.

hospitalitynet.org Barely a week goes by where we don't read that a developer is building another five star luxury hotel on a beach location or in a city that is already overbuilt with hotels. The quest to follow tourist dollars goes on unabated with a ferocity that is second to none. In their mission for profit, developers know no boundaries and show very little concern for nature and the potential social upheavals their development may have on the local culture and ecosystem.

thephuketinsider.com The hangover from the global financial crises is setting the stage for some Phuket developers to not push through with projects, and look at exiting land investments.

nytimes.com Microsoft announced that it would buy Skype Global for $8.5 billion, in its largest acquisition. In Skype, Microsoft is buying the leader in Internet voice and video communications, with 107 million users.

wsj.com Google is preparing to unveil a new online music service similar to a service recently launched by Amazon, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that escalates the battle to create the next generation of Internet businesses for storing and listening to music.

mcot.net Thailand and Cambodia have agreed that a roadmap will be drawn up for the two countries to withdraw their troops from the areas surrounding Preah Vihear temple and the adjoining community, according to a Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman.

Associated Press Police say they are hunting two suspects who have attacked numerous women with an acid-like liquid while roaming Kuala Lumpur on a motorcycle. Authorities have yet to detect a motive.

aviationrecord.com Singapore Airlines passengers will soon be able to flip through a library of new release magazines. The airline is expanding its e-Magazines project by adding another 20 international titles to the range of publications that can be read on the inflight entertainment system's screens.

MCT American Airlines has announced that it is testing an in-flight video system that enables passengers to wirelessly stream movies and TV shows from an onboard library to their laptop computers and other electronic devices.

afp Newlyweds Prince William and Catherine have begun their honeymoon, St James's Palace said, while trying to keep the couple's destination a closely guarded secret. Newspapers said they had flown to the Seychelles to stay on an isolated island.

mirror.co.uk The Duchess of York said not being invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding was "so difficult" for her to cope with. In an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey, Sarah Ferguson revealed she spent April 29 in Thailand.


IBAP meets at IndoChine on May 13 to hear Robert Mather on 'Phang Nga bay ecology, mangroves & sustainability.' Mr Mather is responsible for developing the International Union for Conservation of Nature's presence and program in Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, as well as managing a new project on Building Coastal Resilience to Climate Change in eight provinces of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

May 13-22 Phuket's village fair of local products, food and entertainment, Saphan Hin
May 13 Royal Ploughing Day public holiday
May 31 New PPAO Hospital to open, Phuket City
May 17 Visakha Bucha Day public holiday
June 12 Laguna Phuket International Marathon
June 17 Phuket Property Dot Com Pro Am Invitational, Laguna
June 23-26 Phuket Fun Fly paragliding, Nai Harn
July 3 Phuket Navy League US Independence Day fair at Headstart International School
July 15 Asarnha Bucha Day public holiday
July 20-24 Six Senses Phuket Raceweek
August 12 HM The Queen's Birthday public holiday
October Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
November 26-27 9th Phuket International Soccer 7s
November 27 Laguna Phuket Triathlon
December 3-4 6th Andaman International Soccer 7s
December 4 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Laguna


March 18-28 National Youth Games, Phuket

November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket