cbc.ca Thailand's prime minister says the government is willing to hold talks with activists who have been demanding new elections, but only if they stay peaceful and stop tossing donated blood at government buildings.

Associated Press Thousands of demonstrators remained encamped in the historic heart of Bangkok, vowing to engage in "class warfare" until the government is ousted. A 2000-vehicle protest rally was planned for Saturday, but Thursday appeared to be a rest day after four days of mass demonstrations


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

smh.com.au Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock has pulled out of the British premiere of her movie The Blind Side, as reports in the US allege her husband cheated on her with a tattoo model. Warner Bros said the Hollywood star, who won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in the movie, was not able to travel to Britain for ''unforseen circumstances''.

Bang Showbiz It's two days since Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes announced their split and rumors of another woman have started to swirl. Oscar-winning Winslet, 34, was growing more and more frustrated by her director-husband's friendship with young English actress Rebecca Hall, London's Daily Mail reported.


Chinese Banker Divorce Turns Nasty After Husband And Mistress Publicly Humiliated Over Email And The Web - businessinsider.com

businessinsider.com On the very same day, December 18th, 2009, on an afternoon flight, you and Yale took off for the beaches of Phuket and shopping streets of Bangkok for Christmas vacation. Diane, as a fellow woman, I often wondered if the level of ecstasy this vacation had brought you equates to the level of devastation this vacation had brought to my children and me.

afp Social-networking star Facebook surpassed Google to become the most visited website in the US for the first time last week. Facebook's homepage finished the week ending March 13 as the most visited site in the country, according to industry tracker Hitwise.

ft.com Dramatic scenes of red-shirted protesters hurling blood at the house of the Thai PM might have made great theatre but the ''million-man march'' aimed at toppling the government appears to be fizzling out. ''You say you are going to get a million people out on the streets and you only get 100,000?''said James Klein, head of the Asia Foundation in Bangkok. ''It means that you don't have the strong emotional backing you thought you had.''

wsj.com Political analysts warn that as the demonstrators grow more frustrated, there might be a critical turning point: Either they will choose to return home content with having noisily made their point, or opt to riot, as they did in April 2008, resulting in two deaths and badly damaging Thailand's reputation as a safe holiday destination. Crowd numbers at the main site have dwindled to less than half the 150,000 people that police estimate turned out Sunday night.

bangkokpost.com Even though she misses her home, children and friends in Mukdahan, hardcore protester Pengsri Uprara said she would not return until the red shirts had achieved victory. She said she intended to be part of the demonstration as long as the protest seeks to topple the ''illegitimate'' government.

businessweek.com Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose supporters are protesting in Bangkok, has arrived in Montenegro from Dubai on his private jet. Police say he has Montenegrin citizenship and that they have no legal basis to arrest him. Thaksin also has Nicaraguan citizenship.

xinhuanet.com Wang Xue, an employee with the Beijing Youth Travel Service, told the Global Times that all tour groups from March 11 to 23 have been canceled or postponed. Another travel agency, Comfort Travel Service, has also stopped booking trips to Thailand between March 15 and 23. ''Because the government only gave a verbal warning, instead of a written one, CTS can't get the money back from Thai Airways International,'' said Bai Jin, an employee with CTS. ''All other costs, including the Visa fee, are non-refundable.''

straitstimes.com Northern Thailand has been polluted by a thick haze for the past few days, forcing Chiang Mai International Airport to turn on its runway lights and the authorities to put out more cloud-seeding flights. Mr Surapol Leelawaroros, director of the 16th conservation area's forest fire operation division, said this year has already seen 1502 wildfires damaging about 1711ha of forest land.

pravda.ru Thailand police are investigating a number of crimes committed against Russian tourists in the country. During the weekend, one tourist was raped and two were mugged at a Pattaya resort. A Russian lady was raped by a cab driver on the way to a luxury hotel, Pattaya Daily News reports. The crime was committed on a remote beach of Pattaya on Sunday around 4:30 am.

telegraph.co.uk A father-of-two died in a freak accident when a plane crashed on top of him as he jogged along a beach in South Carolina. Robert Jones, 38, was struck from behind by the plane. Police said he had been unable to hear the plane because its engine had stalled and he was listening to his iPod. The four-seat Experimental Lancair IVP can be built from a kit.

smh.com.au TheBangkok-based owner of New Zealand's Lake Okareka Lodge, Lebua Hotels' president Rattawadee Bualert, hails from a Thai family that made its fortune in real estate. The company is marketing its newest resort with the lure of privacy - one person or couple can book the whole place and only one party is accepted at a time - as well as a 24-hour butler, a personal chef, a climate-controlled wine cellar and private massages.

theage.com.au An electronics manufacturer with a history of making false environmental claims has been caught doctoring fridges to make them appear more energy efficient. Consumer magazine Choice chief executive Nick Stace said the fridge was an extreme example of a company making false or misleading environmental claims, known as ''greenwashing''. ''This fridge is both a potential danger to your food, your wallet and the environment,'' Mr Stace said.



March 19 Phuket Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce (AusCham) Sundowners at Paresa Resort at Cape Sol, Kamala. 3.30 pm Seminar on sustainable/green development. Drinks 6pm.
Until March 20 Annual French Gastronomy Festival at The Boathouse. Wine Chef Jean-Noel Lumineau, Thailand's only Maitre Cuisinier de France, treats discerning diners to exceptional French food.
Until March 26 Thao Thepkrasattri and Thao Srisoonthorn Fair at Thalang Victory Memorial Park, near the Heroines' Monument.
March 19-28 Local Phuket Food Festival, Saphan Hin, Phuket City
March 27 Lights out at Le Meridien Phuket Resort and Spa in support of Earth Hour. Since 1987, the resort has minimised its impact with waste reduction, efficient energy management, water conservation, and green programs.
April 3 Attempt on the mass dive record, Thai Muang, Phang Nga, 11am. Details: 076-411388.
April 9-13 Phuket Bike Week, including tattoo competitions, island rides and the Miss Phuket Bike Week contest.
April 14-18 Phuket Cricket Sixes, Karon Sports Stadium.
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.