Juvic Pagunsan from the Philippines won the Mercedes-Benz Masters Thailand with a runaway seven-stroke victory at Laguna Phuket while Thai teen prodigy Pinsawat Pariwat finished tied fifth. Starting the day with a four-stoke lead, Pagunsan closed with a five-under-par 65. Thai Udorn Duangdecha claimed outright second after shooting a 68 while Lam Chih Bing from Singapore was third.


A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media. PLUS World Cup Watch, every day.

mirror.co.uk Mass killer Derrick Bird was once deported back to Britain for erupting in a drunken rage at Doha airport. He lunged at his pal after being teased about money. Qatar officials put him in a secure area to sober up, then later put him on a plane back to Britain. The group of single taxi drivers from Bird's Whitehaven rank - all in their late 40s and early 50s - travelled to Thailand together for a holiday three times a year.

independent.co.uk So the hunt is on for the signs that can reassure us that Bird was always a bit dodgy, and that despite all evidence to the contrary, people knew there was something not quite right about him. The Sun is leading this search, revealing that he stole from his employer 20 years ago and was a frequent sex tourist to Thailand. Indeed, his Thai jaunts were with fellow cabbies, some of whom are among the innocent, decent victims mourned by The Sun.

slate.com Thailand ''sexpat'' forums are full of speculation on what will become of the country and how it will affect their lives of debauchery. Many of them are living on pensions and retirement. They don't want to move, but the unpredictability of the situation have left them uneasy and looking for alternative locations. Finding another place in Southeast Asia where sex is so easy and the locale for it so accessible is a tricky task. Thailand is a perfect blend of cheap, nonthreatening, and permissive.

bangkokpost.com Thailand's tourism rescue package worth 21.5 billion baht is to go before economic ministers for approval next week. The comprehensive package would include a 10-billion-baht fund for soft loans for small and medium-sized enterprises, another 10 billion for large businesses and 1.5 billion baht for tourism-related personnel such as tour guides. Attachai Burakamkovit, permanent secretary for the Tourism and Sports Ministry, said the proposals were suggested by the tourism industry as it has lost an estimated 130 billion baht from recent political riots.

smh.com.au With direct flights available from Brisbane and Melbourne to Phuket, the Australian government's travel warnings to the whole of Thailand seemed overkill at best. Six Senses managing director, Ana Maria Tavares last month lamented not only Bangkok's civil unrest that have dissuaded holiday-makers but a raft of other uncontrollable factors that have plagued the resort since its opening in November, 2008. ''We're nearly empty and we should be about 60 per cent full,'' she said.

straitstimes.com While criticism of foreign media coverage is not unusual in a conflict situation, a feature of the current Thai situation is that individual journalists have been targeted in widespread and largely Internet-based hate campaigns, which at times have raised concerns about their personal safety. The unhappiness among some Bangkok netizens is shared by the government.
The criticism levelled at the foreign media - in particular CNN and the BBC - is that their coverage was simplistic, culturally biased and an inaccurate reading of the true situation in Thailand.

newsweek.com Thailand let one natural wonder after the next become overdeveloped by resorts and condo complexes, undercutting an important element of the Thai brand. In a 2008 report, the Washington-based National Geographic Society looked at Phuket, historically Thailand's premier island resort, and found that its ''original charm as an astonishingly beautiful, unspoiled, and culturally rich destination has been completely lost.''

ft.com EasyJet says it will become the world's first airline to test technology that enables aircraft to detect and avoid volcanic ash to mitigate future travel disruption. The company is organising a trial of an infrared system called Avoid (Airborne Volcanic Object Identifier and Detector) that has been developed over the past 20 years by a senior scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Air Research.

gamingzion.com Add another country to the list of those gearing up the law enforcement as we approach the World Cup kickoff on June 11. Police forces are reportedly establishing 24-hour centers to combat illegal on-land and Internet betting in Thailand. An estimate from the Thai Chamber of Commerce's Economic and Business Forecast Centre showed that Thai people will spend 37.2 billion baht (approximately $1 billion) wagering on the 2010 World Cup. In police actions during Euro 2008, over 1000 people were arrested in Thailand for illegally gambling on football matches, with nearly one million baht in cash seized - numbers that would appear to be quite small if the Thai Chamber is correct.

news24.com Singapore hopes to become the Cannes of Asia in 2011 when it stages the ScreenSingapore film festival, which will premiere Asian films and previews of US blockbusters and hopefully attract Hollywood's A-list. Scheduled for June, organisers say it is ideally placed between the Cannes film festival in France and the big Hollywood summer film season. ''Asia is going to be the primary source of growth in the film and entertainment business in the years to come as the focus of the industry shifts from the mature American market to areas outside of the US,'' said Greg Coote, chairman of ScreenSingapore.

indiatimes.com Juvic Pagunsan from the Philippines put himself on the threshold of his maiden victory on the Mercedes-Benz Tour on Friday at Laguna Phuket golf course by taking the third-round lead. The 32 year old, who has collected a wealth of victories during his impressive career, fired a five-under-par 65 for a four-shot lead over Thailand's Pattaraphol Khanthacha and Udorn Duangdecha. He leads the tournament on 14-under-par.

timesonline.co.uk Six of the nine activists killed in Monday's raid on an aid convoy were shot by a single Israeli commando who is now being considered for a medal of valor. Israeli reports of the likely award for the soldier - credited with saving his injured comrades as passengers attacked them with clubs, knives and even the guns they had captured from the commandos - are expected to inflame the row with Turkey over the attack on the flotilla.

peopledaily.com.cn At least 10,000 people went on streets in Kuala Lumpur to protest against Israel for attacking the humanitarian aid convoy heading to Gaza last Monday. The people, mostly Muslims, walked all the way from two nearby mosques to the US Embassy to express their dissatisfaction over Israeli commandos for attacking the ship in international waters and killing nine activists.

peopledaily.com.cn Malaysia has called upon Israel not to take any drastic action that would harm the humanitarian activists on board the cargo vessel Rachel Corrie. Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman said there was no reason for Israel to suspect that the ship would pose any security threat as those onboard comprised of members of non-government organizations, members of parliament and journalists. Every single item on board the vessel such as educational materials, toys and construction materials had been inspected.

independent.co.uk Indonesia proposes to demand a 55,000-dollar ''security guarantee'' from foreign men who marry Indonesian women. Enraged brides-to-be are threatening to flee the country and marry their boyfriends abroad if the government approves the plan, which is part of a wider marriage law reform being pushed by Muslim conservatives. And befuddled foreign grooms are asking why they are being targeted when stories of foreign men being exploited by gold-digging women are rife.

guardian.co.uk Fresh claims that Burma is trying to acquire the know-how and material to build a nuclear weapon, based on information provided by a former army officer, are published today, renewing concern about the extent of the junta's military ambitions. Unrealistic experiments and crude engineering suggest that success may be beyond Burma's reach, say researchers for an opposition Burmese media group. They base their claims on information provided by Sai Thein Win, a former major in the Burmese army, who is said to have been trained in Russia in missile technology. He has since defected from Burma.

chicagotribune.com President Obama is putting off his June trip to Indonesia and Australia, postponing the trip for a second time this year as the oil spill in the Gulf continues unabated. Obama called the leaders of both countries last night to convey his regrets, according to a senior administration official. The president said he plans to reschedule a trip so that he can visit both countries soon.

independent.co.uk With the rise of the internet, many people no longer book traditional sun, sea and sand trips and the EU is looking at extending package holiday protection rules to cover "dynamic packages" where flights, hotel or car are booked separately. Last year, some 27 million holidays taken by Britons did not enjoy this financial protection.

guardian.co.uk New research has found that teenagers' brains continue developing far longer into adulthood than previously thought. Adolescents may look like young adults but their brain structure resembles that of much younger children, according to the study to be published in the Journal of Neuroscience on Wednesday.

irishtimes.com Gemma Reeves writes: My boyfriend and I went to Thailand for a week and hadn't booked anything. We found an amazing beach resort for the last few days with no one else in it. I have never mentioned the name of it as I'm afraid it will be overrun. Ever since, I said if we had the money we would go back. My dream is that it would be empty and I'd wake in the morning to the sound of the ocean in a beach hut.



skysports.com Ivory Coast have suffered a massive World Cup blow with Didier Drogba has been injured. Unconfirmed reports suggest the Chelsea hot-shot has fractured his right elbow, which would rule him out of Sven Goran Eriksson's side for the finals. The skipper left the field clutching his right arm in the 2-0 friendly success over Japan in Switzerland after a seemingly innocuous clash.

guardian.co.uk Rio Ferdinand was ruled out of the World Cup with a knee ligament injury sustained in training. The Manchester United centre-half is braced for up to eight weeks in rehabilitation after twisting the joint as he stretched to tackle Emile Heskey in the last few minutes of England's morning session.

bbc.co.uk Liverpool are to begin their search for a new manager after Rafael Benitez left the club by mutual consent. Managing director Christian Purslow and former boss Kenny Dalglish, who is also the club's academy ambassador, are charged with finding a replacement. Fulham's Roy Hodgson has been suggested as a candidate for the vacant post.

afp A vicious free-kick by Deng Zhuoxiang earned China a 1-0 win over France on Friday as Les Bleus slumped to a dispiriting defeat in their last World Cup warm-up game. France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has been one of the most vocal critics of the lightweight Jabulani ball designed for the World Cup and he was completely bamboozled by the dipping trajectory of Deng's 68th-minute strike.

guardian.co.uk A second consecutive finals appearance may not bring improvement for Australia. Mark Viduka has retired and Harry Kewell has been hampered by injury. It will be hard to match 2006 when they reached the knockout phase. Eleven members of the provisional squad, including Mark Schwarzer and two other goalkeepers, are English-based.



June 5 Final of eight-nation football tournament for players over 38 at Surakul Stadium in Phuket City. Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Taiwan, Iran, Armenia competing. The final starts at 6pm tonight.
Until June 13 Phuket International Film Festival, Coliseum Cineplex, Phuket City.
Until June13 Prison Products Fair, each evening at Saphan Hin park, Phuket City. On-stage entertainment, food stalls, refreshments, furniture for purchase.
June 13 Laguna Phuket International Marathon. Fun runs, too.
June 25 to 27 Second Kathu Culture Road Fair, recalling the region's history
July 21-25 Phuket Six Senses Race Week, Evason, Rawai
July 4 US Phuket Navy League Independence Day free family picnic at the Headstart International Learning Center directly across from Makro (near Central Festival) in Phuket City from 10am-7pm.
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