independent.co.uk A Brit expat convicted after being filmed inciting people to burn down a Bangkok shopping centre said it was a ''miracle'' he had been freed. Jeff Savage, 48, will be deported after pleading guilty to breaching an emergency decree imposed to halt bloody anti-government protests.


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

World Cup Semifinal: Germany 0:1 Spain Final: Spain v Netherlands, Sunday night

bangkokpost.com Carles Puyol scored the only goal of the game to send Spain into the World Cup final against Holland following a 1-0 victory against Germany.

independent.co.uk A British expatriate flew home from Thailand to strangle a devoted housewife so her ex-husband could inherit a ''pot of gold'' of nearly 500,000 pounds, a court heard. Sharon Birchwood, 52, was left ''cruelly trussed up'' with parcel tape and electrical cord on her bed by Paul Cryne, a jury was told. Cryne is alleged to have carried out the murder in Ashtead, Surrey, on behalf of Graham Birchwood, who had gone shopping at the time. Cryne was at Heathrow awaiting a flight back to Thailand the next day.

yourlocalguardian.co.uk Mr Cryne was extradited from Thailand and arrived in the UK in August last year. The court heard how Birchwood received a phone call from Mr Cryne on his mobile at 8.10pm on December 4, to inform him the job had been done, before setting off to Heathrow airport where he stayed overnight waiting for his morning flight.

getsurrey.co.uk Failed businessman Graham Birchwood pretended to discover his wife's dead body at her bungalow in Ashtead three days later, having plotted the murder so he could sell her 400,000 pounds home, claim her 75,000 pounds life insurance and then start a new life abroad. The plan was foiled only by ''painstaking forensic work'' which recovered traces of Mr Cryne's DNA from Mrs Birchwood's right hand, it is claimed.

afp Famed Russian conductor Mikhail Pletnev has been charged in Thailand with raping a boy aged under 15, a crime that carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, Thai police said. Pletnev, artistic director of the acclaimed Russian National Orchestra, was released after he posted 300,000 baht bail following his arrest in Pattaya. Pletnev is a long-time resident of the resort town where he has a spa business, gives music classes and owns several houses.

guardian.co.uk The Pattaya Daily News reported that Pletnev's arrest came after a Thai associate, Traiphop Bunphasong, was arrested on Sunday and accused of running a child prostitution racket. Pletnev suggested that images of child pornography might have been stored or viewed on a computer at his home without his knowledge. He said he had paid Traiphop to look after two of his properties while he was abroad.

Associated Press Evidence against Pletnev included a statement from the alleged victim, said police Lt. Col. Omsin Sukkanka. ''The boy said he had lived in Traipob's house for a year and was raped by Pletnev twice. The first time was in the middle of last year and the second early this year,'' Omsin said.

topnews.com.sg Carrefour denied it is selling its outlets in Malaysia, Singapore, or in Thailand. The Bangkok Post even reported that Carrefour communicated to potential buyers and that the British supermarket chain Tesco was the one expressing utmost interest in purchasing Carrefour's stores.

bangkokpost.com Executives of Carrefour Thailand insisted that it was still business as usual for the French retail chain. But they admitted any plans to divest local operations would depend on the French parent, said Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot, who spoke on the telephone with Eric Uzan, chief executive of CenCar Co, the local operator.

afp The price of a hotel in many European cities is continuing to decline, according to data from hotel price comparison site Trivago. The average price of a hotel in Europe's top cities was just 108 euros this month, with 38 of the 50 cities indexed posting a fall. Spanish cities and the Scandinavian region have seen 20 percent falls. The cheapest place to book a room is Granada, at only 66 euros a night.

nationmultimedia.com Opposition Pheu Thai Party threatened to file an official complaint against Natural Resources Minister Suwit Khunkitti and forestry officials if they failed to investigate the questionable acquisition of Surat Thani plots allegedly owned by two key Democrat Party figures. A spokesman said the Khao Phaeng ''scandal'' was a land-grab and much larger than the Sor Por Kor land scandal on Phuket that unseated the Democrat-led government under Chuan Leekpai years ago.

Phuketwan Update Mauritius, Seychelles and the Maldives scooped most key overall awards for the Indian Ocean in this year's prestigious World Travel Awards. The small, private Cocoa Island in the Maldives was awarded the title of Indian Ocean's Leading Boutique Hotel. The Maldives also got the vote for romance in the new category of Leading Honeymoon Destination and the reef-fringed sandy shores of Baros took the title of Leading Hotel. W Retreat & Spa won Leading Spa Resort in a hotly contested category with 14 nominations.

globaltimes.cn Foreign tourist arrivals to Bali amounted to 952,073, an increase of 9.43 percent over the January-May period last year. Australians totalled 22 percent, Japanese 10.54 percent, Chinese 10.54 percent, Taiwanese 8.77 percent and Malaysians 5.76 percent.

expatriatehealthcare.com Travelmood research revealed that Thailand is back to its pre-April position of the most searched-for destination on the operator's website. The country accounted for one in three (31 percent) of all online searches in June, up from 16 percent in May.

motorsport.com Red Bull Racing is pleased to announce it has agreed a one race deal with 'Amazing Thailand,' which will become a partner for the British Grand Prix. The deal will see the 'Amazing Thailand' logo feature on the sides of the RB6 cockpits throughout the race weekend.

chicagotribune.com Q for tennis star Venus Williams: What is your favorite vacation destination? A: A place that I loved visiting and where I would really enjoy taking another vacation is Thailand. It is very peaceful and relaxing. The people are so friendly and beautiful. From the hustle and bustle of Bangkok to the beaches in Phuket, I love going there. The food is incredible as well. Seafood, curry - you name it. I indulge in all different types of food when I am there.

afp The growing popularity of Western junk food is fuelling a diabetes boom across Southeast Asia, Australian researchers warned. Studies found about 11 percent of men and 12 percent of women in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City had type two diabetes without knowing it, on top of the four percent of people who are diagnosed sufferers. ''Dietary patterns have been changing dramatically in Vietnam in recent years, particularly in the cities as they become more Westernised,'' said Tuan Nguyen of Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research. ''There are fast food outlets everywhere.''

ceiasia Regional event organisers say Phuket remains an option for incentives, though they will remain cautious about the rest of Thailand until the situation is clearer. ''Companies are still considering Thailand within their long-term plans,'' says Worapot Srabua, CEO of Oriental Events on Phuket. ''With Phuket relatively unaffected by the problems in Bangkok, we believe encouraging results are there to be won.''



smh.com.au Spain will now seek to add the World Cup to their European Championship and fulfill the destiny of a passionate footballing nation when they take on the Netherlands in the World Cup final in the early hours of Monday morning. A wonderful header from a Xavi corner by veteran centre-half Carlos Puyol 17 minutes from time was enough to break stubborn German resistance and give them a 1-0 victory in a semi-final in which Spain emphasised their credentials to be acclaimed the world's best team in comprehensive fashion.

afp It won't come as much of a consolation to heartbroken German fans, but at least Paul, Germany's now world-famous ''Octopus oracle,'' has maintained his perfect record. The ''psychic'' creature has correctly predicted all six of Germany's World Cup games and, amid excruciating drama broadcast live on national television, plumped for Spain, causing anguish up and down the country.

guardian.co.uk Fears that the World Cup would be accompanied by a surge in domestic violence appear to have been realised, with one police force recording the greatest number of incidents since 1 January on the day England were knocked out of the tournament. On June 27, when England were defeated 4-1 by Germany, Greater Manchester police logged 353 incidents of domestic violence.



July 9-18 Phuket Pineapple Show and Flower Festival, Saphan Hin park, Phuket City
July 21-25 Phuket Six Senses Race Week, Evason, Rawai
July 24 Third Worldwide Photo Walk, with at least one walk for photographers on Phuket
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
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