bbc.co.uk The capital may be recovering but in the north-east of Thailand, red-shirt supporters are still reeling. The fear is that without places to meet openly the anti-government movement might go underground and become further radicalised. Thailand's deep divisions, so brutally exposed by weeks of bitter protest, are far from being healed.


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

guardian.co.uk Police in Britain conceded that they might never know exactly what made Derrick Bird - a seemingly sociable, outgoing man who had just become a grandfather - shoot dead his twin brother and 11 other people, many seemingly at random, in a succession of small towns and villages around Cumbria. Bird, those who knew him said, enjoyed going to local pubs, tinkering with his car and scuba diving, travelling regularly to places such as Thailand.

telegraph.co.uk As Bird, 52, travelled down through coastal towns he fired out of his window seemingly randomly at passersby. Some he hit more than once. At times he was seen to beckon bystanders towards his Citreon Picasso before opening fire when they approached.

bbc.co.uk One Whitehaven taxi driver - who did not want to be named - told the Press Association that an argument broke out between Mr Bird and three other drivers on at the Duke Street rank on Tuesday night. "All of the taxi drivers were friends. I don't know what caused [the argument], but something must have happened last night. Derrick Bird took off in his car and went home."

nationmultimedia.com The Finance Ministry is considering stimulating domestic travel by offering hotel guests tax deductions for their room bills. ''The earnings from the tourism industry are not worth much, maybe 6 per cent of gross domestic product, but it involves a lot of workers,'' Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said.

daytondailynews.com/ap The US State Department has lifted its travel warning on Thailand, saying safety has improved after political unrest. A department statement said the travel warning for Americans issued last Thursday was no longer in effect "due to improvements in safety and security conditions throughout the country."

nationmultimedia.com A nurse shot dead inside the Pathum Wanaram Temple had just two wounds on her body, Central Institute of Forensic Science director Khunying Dr Porntip Rojanasunan said. She was speaking out against the autopsy result released by the National Police Office's Institute of Forensic Medicine, which said Kamonkate Athart sustained up to 10 gunshot wounds - three in the chest, six in the arms and legs and one in the back.

indiatimes.com Record low scoring and a 13-year-old boy claiming a spot among the top finishers made the opening day of the Mercedes-Benz Masters in Thailand an exciting one. Stealing the limelight was teenager Pinsawat Pariwat who lives on Phuket and shot 67. Wisut Artjanawat, Ratsak Hansapiban, Pattaraphol Khanthacha and Singaporean Lam Chih Bing lead the way after at Laguna Phuket Golf Club with course record five-under-par 65s.

telegraph.co.uk British men planning to marry Indonesian women will have to pay a 38,000 pound ''security guarantee'' in a new law tabled by the religious affairs ministry. The law is designed to ensure women are financially secure in case of divorce and to prevent foreigners entering convenience marriages to set up businesses or buy property. It requires the man to deposit 500 million rupiah in a bank account. If the couple divorce, the wife is entitled to the money. After 10 years of marriage, the money becomes ''shared property''.

Associated Press The crew of a Libyan-owned cargo ship pounced on their sleeping Somali captors, disarmed the pirates and killed five of them, regaining control of their vessel that had been hijacked almost three months earlier. A sixth pirate who survived the attack by the MV Rim crew managed to lock himself in a room and call other pirates to say they had been overpowered before the crew took him hostage.

dvb.no The Bangladeshi government has said that it will take the fiery debate over the crisis afflicting the country's nearly 400,000 Burmese-origin Rohingya refugees to an international forum if talks with the Burmese junta continue to prove fruitless. A former Bangladeshi ambassador, Muhammad Zamir, said that the UN General Assembly should adopt the issue, given Burma's membership, and that the UN refugee agency should set up camps inside Burma for the Rohingya.

abc.net.au There are doubts about whether US president Barack Obama will make his trip to Australia and Indonesia later this month. Mr Obama is due to leave the US for a once-postponed week-long trip in less than a fortnight. Now US reporters are asking whether Mr Obama will put off his trip again to stay to deal with the huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

luxist.com Phang Nga's Beyond Villa property: It's just not often that we get to see a 65,000-square-foot single-family home with a 5400-square-foot master suite. It's listed in the high-$20 million range under one of those deals where if you have to ask, you probably can't afford it. But where is it written that we can't drool?

inmycommunity.com.au Cruise ship ports on the islands of Malaysia and Thailand offer travellers the chance to explore beautiful beaches, see fascinating temples, taste exotic cuisine and enjoy the gracious hospitality of locals. According to Cruiseabout Western Australia, travellers keen to take a cruise to Asia more often than not will request itineraries that visit places like Langkawi and Phuket. Langkawi is brimming with culture and mystery, and has some of Malaysia's best beaches. Likewise, there are plenty of opportunities for sightseeing in Phuket.



bangkokpost.com Police are planning tough measures to crack down on football gambling during the World Cup 2010, which kicks off on June 11. Illegal football bookmakers would be targeted and police officers found to turn a blind eye to the gambling or who are involved in gambling could face disciplinary action, Metropolitan Police Bureau commander Santan Chayanont said. Police will also be keeping an eye on loan sharks.

todayonline.com People like a flutter and betting on football matches is big business, but in parts of Asia it is illegal and police across the region are cracking down ahead of the World Cup. In Malaysia, where European football is hugely popular, sports betting was made legal this month to the ire of conservative Islamists, but the licences will not be ready in time for the World Cup.



World Cup at Duke's in Kata! We're a small sports bar with the right attitude..... www.dukesbigboard.com



Until 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.
June 4-13 Phuket International Film Festival, Coliseum Cineplex, Phuket City.
June 4-13 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