bangkokpost.com A western woman reportedly jumped from the sixth floor to a swimming pool when the fire broke out, while the other victim who died was an Asian man who was found dead on the seventh floor. At least 10 people, mostly foreigners, were injured.


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

bangkokpost.com Two foreigners are reported to have died after a fire broke out at the Grand Mercure Park Avenue Hotel on Soi Sukhumvit 22 in Klong Toey district last night. The fire broke out around 9.40pm.

AP Several tourists were injured Thursday night by a fire at a high-rise hotel in Bangkok's main tourist district. Formerly known as the Grand Mercure Park Avenue, the hotel has 221 rooms and is located off Sukhumvit Road, a tourist and residential district popular with foreigners.

nationmultimedia.com The fire broke out on the fourth floor of the 15-storey hotel on Soi Sukhumvit 22. A body was later found by fire fighters. Guests on the seventh floor suffered from inhaling smoke.

huffingtonpost.com Headline: The Fire Next Time in Bangkok. Despite the political upheaval of the past decade, Forbes calculated that Thailand's 40 wealthiest citizens have increased their combined wealth by a staggering 46 percent. Thailand's growing affluence has not trickled down to the masses.

AP More than 200 animals, including kangaroos, flamingos, red pandas and white lions, were seized from a private zoo in Thailand's largest recent wildlife bust. Most of the animals were non-native species intended to be sold domestically or smuggled elsewhere.

afp As well as five tigers, police found 13 albino lions, two orangutans, and two camels, along with many other species. Thailand is a hub of the international black market for protected animals.

newsday.com The zoo raid was a follow-up to one made in Bangkok a month ago in which eight suspects were caught at a slaughterhouse in Bangkok dismembering tigers, elephants and zebras for meat and to fashion trophies.

Phuket Update Full moon parties have been growing on Phuket but last night's party on Phangan, near Samui, was expected to attract 30,000 when the island only has 15,000 beds. The party was delayed a night for Makha Bucha Day.

centreforaviation.com airberlin plans to cancel service to Bangkok from both Dusseldorf and Berlin Tegel this month as part of a network re-alignment with new shareholder Eithad Airways. airberlin will also shift its Germany-Phuket flights to originate in Abu Dhabi, the hub of Etihad.

bangkokpost.com Bangkok Airways' conservative approach to business has allowed it to sustain profitability last year and this even as rising fuel costs plague carriers. The privately-owned airline posted a 46.7 percent jump in net profit last year to 1.22 billion baht and expects to see 1.6 billion in earnings this year, 33 percent growth.

skynews.com Benefits cheat Stepgen Kellaway, 54, who used taxpayers money to fund his Russian wife's breast implant operation before faking his own death, has been jailed for 32 months. Kellaway was tracked to Thailand where his passport had been stolen and he was sleeping rough inside Bangkok's Suvarnabhuni Airport.

bangkokpost.com The introduction of the third-generation Apple iPad and the One Tablet per Child scheme are heating up Thailand's tablet computer market. Thailand tablet shipments are expected to reach 1.5 million units this year, up from 400,000 last year. The new iPad will ship to the Thai market next month.

AP The new iPad includes one intriguing feature that I wish I could have tried. There's a new microphone icon on the iPad's virtual keyboard that can be pressed to dictate emails or other notes on the device.

nationmultimedia.com Bill Barnett writes: As my own Phuket landscape is changing by the moment, other parts of Thailand continue to lag the breakneck speed of the two P's (Pattaya and Phuket, with Hua Hin thrown in for good measure). Hua Hin is virtually bursting at the seams. It won't be long before the sprawl goes all the way to Burma.

bangkokpost.com Thailand's sole dedicated private jet terminal has reopened as its operator moves strenuously to rebuild traffic lost during the four-month closure of flood-ravaged Don Muang airport. The terminal has been operating well below its capacity of 30 flights a day.

abc.net.au Indonesian police have uncovered evidence that asylum seekers are subjected to a culture of violence and abuse at an immigration detention centre. They're investigating immigration staff accused of torturing an Afghan asylum seeker to death last week.

thestar.com.my Malaysia has been recognised as the safest country in Southeast Asia and 19th the world, in the Global Peace Index report for 2011. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said this was proof of the dedication, commitment and hard work of Royal Malaysia Police and related agencies.

guardian.co.uk Barack Obama's former nanny, a transgender woman named Evie, has been overwhelmed after being catapulted from anonymous slum-dweller to local celebrity in Indonesia. She has even had a promising job offer.

pattayapeople.com The tip-off that came from 20 people arrested in Pattaya the previous day proved correct, as 30 people, including young children, were indeed found in the rented rooms near Naklua pier. All of them confessed to being brought into the country after paying agents in both Laos and Cambodia. They earned a living from begging on the streets.

thesun.co.uk Monkees star Davy Jones, 66, ignored warning signs of the heart attack that killed him, it has been revealed. The British-born pop idol dismissed chest pains as indigestion.

todayonline.com Indonesia welcomed Singapore's decision to grant domestic workers a weekly day off starting next January. There are more than 200,000 domestic workers in Singapore, mostly from Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India.

hertfordshiremercury.co.uk Koh Yao Noi: Paired with Koh Yao Yai, the large island of Koh Yao Noi is equidistant to Phuket and the Krabi mainland and remains one of the few unspoilt Thailand destinations. With panoramic views of Phang Nga Bay, a dramatic limestone cliff backdrop, and fantastic rock climbing opportunities, this is the perfect setting for an energising vacation.

theage.com.au Our next stop is Koh Hong, an island with more of those white-sand beaches and a lagoon ringed by limestone cliffs. Lunch has been provided by Rayavadee. Sun, ocean and Thai food - it doesn't get much better.

guardian.co.uk Adults aged 45 and over are more than three times as likely to drink alcohol almost every day than those under 45. Campaigners believe that is a sign that the middle aged, especially women, are ignoring the serious health risks associated with excessive drinking.



bbc.co.uk Manchester United face an uphill battle to reach the Europa League quarter-finals after a shock 2-3 first-leg defeat by a fearless Athletic Bilbao side.

sportinglife.com Brazilian defender Xandao condemned a below-par Manchester City to a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their Europa League tie against Sporting. The Portuguese side controlled most of the last-16 encounter.

theage.com.au Game-buster Clint McKay's feats with bat (28/32) and ball (5/28) inspired Australia to a 16-run victory over Sri Lanka to claim the tri-series title.



Until March 15 Festival of the Two Heroines, Thalang

March 10-11 Weekend fairs begin at Boat Lagoon, Phuket City

March 29-April 1 Phuket International Boat Show, Royal Phuket Marina

April 6-8 Phuket Bike Week

April 12-13 Songkran New Year Festival

April 23-28 Phuket Pride Festival

April Opening of Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, three waterfront gardens that will dwarf Kew in London and provide ''green lungs'' for the city.

May 5 Krabi celebrates the province's 140th anniversary

May 26-June 5 National Youth Games, Phuket



November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket