The red parade of bodies towards the PM's house had begun before 11am.

moodiereport.com International passengers at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport grew by 12.04 percent to 3,054,477 in March compared to the same month last year. January to March saw a growth of 19.31 percent in total international passengers at Suvarnabhumi to 9,142,801.


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

smh.com.au Red-shirt protesters will parade the bodies of their ''heroes'', those killed in the protests, through the streets of Bangkok today, carrying them to the Prime Minister's house in an inflammatory gesture. An immediate solution to the crisis, particularly one without further violence, is looking increasingly unlikely.

thesun.co.uk Shocked Brits have told of their terror as they were caught up in riots in Bangkok that left 21 people dead and nearly 900 injured. Sarah Colvin, 19, was caught in crossfire. She said: ''People started running and screaming and we were being shot at.'' Teacher Kim Shilton, 34, said: ''Bombs were going off, people were shooting, and the hotels were trying to keep their guests inside all along the road.''

timesonline.com It is impossible to separate truth from rumor or propaganda. Who fired the shots that lifted the top off the skull of at least one red shirt protester - soldiers on the ground or rooftop snipers? Who killed the four soldiers - red shirts or misfiring troops? Elements of the army must be asking if this is once again their moment.

straitstimes.com ''We have communication with them but not negotiation yet,'' the PM's spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told foreign media at the fortified military base from where the government administers emergency measures. ''You cannot negotiate when people are ... breaking the laws,'' he said, referring to the protest sites.

businessweek.com ''The bloodshed incident will pull Thai tourism sector to the bottom again,'' said Charoen Wangananont, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association. ''A lot of travelers have cancelled their plans to visit Thailand.'' Damage costs and a decline of tourist arrivals are yet to be estimated.

bangkokpost.com The tourism sector has lost more than 35 billion baht due to the rally and the bloody confrontations. The Federation of Thai Industries, which made the tourism claim, also predicted the violence could take one per cent from the 2010 gross domestic product.

abc.net.au One of those killed was Japanese cameraman Hiroyuki Muramoto, who joined the ABC in Asia in 1993 before going to work at the Reuters news agency. Reuters said Mr Muramoto was shot in the chest and had no pulse by the time he arrived at a nearby hospital.

afpThe US hopes Thailand's new year serves as an opportunity for "reconciliation," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said following the country's worst political violence in 20 years. Seventeen civilians and four soldiers were killed and more than 800 people injured.

malaysiakini.com The body of Poland's president Lech Kaczynski arrived back home Sunday as his stunned nation mourned the elite victims of a jet crash in Russia that has left intense focus on the pilots' last actions. After observing a nationwide two-minute silence for the 96 dead, tens of thousands lined the route taken by the hearse from Warsaw airport to the presidential palace.

usatoday.com President Obama issued a grim warning about the threat of nuclear terrorism as he kicked off three days of summitry with five world leaders. ''If there was ever a detonation in New York City, or London, or Johannesburg, the ramifications economically, politically and from a security perspective would be devastating,'' Obama said before meeting with South African President Jacob Zuma.

smh.com.au Australians are getting bigger all over, with the most common bra cup size increasing from a B to a DD in the past 50 years. Women's health experts blame a range of environmental and hormonal factors, while lingerie specialists say some women have realised they have been wearing the wrong bra size for years.

The German airline Lufthansa has added a 30-seat beer hall to its recently opened and revamped business-class lounge at Munich Airport. Draught beer from Munich's Franziskaner brewery is served, along with pretzels, sausages and meatballs.

theage.com.au Recently, I was curtly told by a stewardess that if I didn't put away my magazine, which featured a quite preposterous pair of breasts on the cover, that I would be escorted off the plane. I was shamed silent but the guys flanking me, neither of whom I knew, went all shock-jock: '''How dare you! He's not breaking the law! Outrage! Summon the Captain!'' ''It demeans me as a woman,'' she replied.



Until April 13 Phuket Bike Week, including tattoo competitions, island rides and the Miss Phuket Bike Week contest.
April 12-13 Water festival on the Beach in Patong
April 13-15 Songkran Festival in Old Phuket Town
April 14-18 Phuket Cricket Sixes, Karon Sports Stadium.
April 22 Phuket's Clean Beach campaign returns with monthly volunteer efforts designed to keep Phuket sparkling
April 28GreenLOVE festival to raise awareness about local and international environmental issues and solutions, British International School 8am-3pm.
May 31-June 5 Eight-nation football tournament for players over 55 at Surakul Stadium in Phuket City. Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Taiwan, Iran, Armenia competing.
May Annual Phuket seafood festival.
May Date to be finalised for Muay Thai kickboxing competition at Laguna Phuket.
May 21-23 Paragliding on Phuket.
June 4-13 Phuket International Film Festival, Coliseum Cineplex, Phuket City.
June 13 Laguna Phuket International Marathon. Fun runs, too.
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta