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

washingtonpost.com Thailand's deposed leader Thaksin Shinawatra marked his 61st birthday Monday with tweets from exile that called for peace, a day after a grenade exploded in downtown Bangkok that left one person dead and 10 wounded. There have been no claims of responsibility for Sunday's blast at a bus stop in a busy shopping district.

bangkokpost.com The bomb blast on Ratchadamri Road, which killed one person and injured 10, has shattered hopes for lifting the emergency decree in the capital. the blast near the bus stop in front of the Big C department store underlines the concerns of the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation that the situation has not returned to normal in the capital and some provinces.

csmonitor.com Sunday's by-election in Thailand offer a window on the continuing divide, and hints at the enduring strength of the red shirt opposition. The result - an incumbent victory over a robust red-shirt opposition challenge - suggests that these political divisions persist and will resist any easy fix. It also points to the resilience of the red shirts, the rural-based protest movement that emerged with the backing of ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra after a military coup in 2006.

bodoglife.com The fact that Ron Fanelli was a bit of a loudmouth was no secret. His rumored brutal treatment of women was perhaps a bit more concealed, but not surprising to those that knew him. The downward spiral his life had taken was one of those discussions that poker pros have over a few drinks late at night, thanking God that they've managed to keep it together through the rough times. [This appears to be a rewrite of Victoria Cohen's column on Fanelli under another byline and it repeats the false accusation that Fanelli dismembered the body of Phuket bar hostess Wanpen Pianchai after her murder. Her body was naked but intact when found in a suitcase on June 24.]

straitstimes.com Survivors expressed anger and disbelief that a key player in the genocide that wiped out a quarter of Cambodia's population could one day walk free. Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, the first major Khmer Rouge figure to face trial more than three decades after the "killing fields" regime, was sentenced to 35 years in prison, but will spend only 19 in jail - 11 years were shaved off for time served and another five for illegal detention in a military prison.

washingtonpost.com When the CIA's top clandestine officer, Jose Rodriguez, told a colleague at the agency's secret prison in Thailand to destroy interrogation videos, he left the lawyers off the note. The destruction of the tapes wiped away the most graphic evidence of the CIA's now-shuttered network of overseas prisons, where suspected terrorists were interrogated for information using some of the most aggressive tactics in US history.

vanityfair.com Michael Hayden, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2006 to 2009, thinks that US use of force against Iran is inevitable. Hayden said that he believes Iran will ''get itself to that step right below a nuclear weapon, that permanent breakout stage, so the needle isn't quite in the red for the international community.''

nationmultimedia.com Cape View Resort and Spa has clinched a 567-million baht loan agreement with Kasikornbank to finance its new development on Phuket's Kalim Beach. The four-star Kalima Resort and Spa, of 168 rooms will mainly target European tourists, especially those from Scandinavia, for the high season, and Asian markets during the low season. Some marketing activities are being planned in cooperation with Blue Marine Resort and Spa.

ft.com Demand for private medical services has been growing in Asia as incomes rise, propelled by soaring economies. However, healthcare has not been immune to the global financial crisis. At Bangkok's Bumrungrad Hospital, one of the best established medical tourism destinations, profits improved in 2009, but are still 22 percent down on the pre-crisis peak of 2007.

necn.com Fifty French tourists begin the Thailand phase of their vintage car rally in the southern province of Songkhla. The group with their 1947 Citroen Traction will travel to 14 provinces around Thailand until August 14.

bangkokpost.com Thailand and Burma will continue their talks on the reopening of the border at Mae Sot on Friday after Burma refused to lift its ban on cross-border traffic. Burma insisted during the two-hour meeting it would keep the border closed.

Press Association Snooker great Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins died from ''lack of nourishment'' after refusing to eat properly, his friend and fellow snooker star Jimmy White has revealed. White said the Northern Irishman, who died aged 61 after a long battle with throat cancer, was surviving on Guinness and small amounts of pureed food.

asiatraveltips.com Impiana Hotels, Resorts and Spa has opened the Impiana Private Villas, Kata Noi, Phuket. The boutique resort, with its 4 Private Villas and 7 Suites, each with a private infinity pool and 24-hour personal butler service, is perched above the Andaman Sea at Kata Noi, Phuket.

etravelblackboardasia.com The soon to open Westin Siray Bay Resort and Spa Phuket will offer 2010 room nights for 2010 baht or $59 per night in the lead up to their much anticipated opening scheduled for August. This opening offer is subject to currency fluctuations, 18.7 percent tax and service charge. Facilities in the 261-room resort include six food and beverage outlets, threoutdoor pools, a childrens' club, a business center and four meeting rooms.

eon.businesswire.com Denture wearers can replace their removable dentures with dental implants and a permanent dental bridge in 10 days in Bangkok or Phuket. Dental implant specialists use a special dental implant system, developed in Europe, to secure the dental bridge to the dental implants in just one trip.



July 30 AustCham Thailand Sundowners at 4.30pm at Skippers, RPM. AustCham Thailand will host this Sundowners business networking session with a marine industry theme. Contact Harry Usher harry@ladypie.com 0812731740
August 5-8 Kite Jam, Surin beach
August 6-12 Andaman Motor Expo
October 1-3 Asian Hospitality and Travel Show, Central Festival Phuket Convention and Exhibition Center, Phuket City
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta
2011
January 6-9 PIMEX boat show, Royal Phuket Marina
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi