The Nation Fugitive ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra claimed that the interview published on Times online was a total lie and distorted, adding that it had caused misunderstanding among readers and Thais. ''I condemn Times online for reporting lies and causing confusion on the matter. I want everyone to know that I and my family are loyal to Their Majesties and are ready to sacrifice our lives,'' he said.


timesonline.co.uk Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor of The Times, spoke to the ousted Thai Prime Minister at his home in Dubai. Edited excerpts from their conversation: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6909258.ece


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

PHUKET seems to be becoming a magnet for European beauties. Forty contestants in the Miss Belgium 2010 competition will be on the island from November 16 until November 23, in the prelude to the contest final. The group of 55, following in the flightsteps of recent Miss Poland and Miss France competitors, are flying XL Airways of France. The island's stunning surroundings appear to be doing the trick. About 40,000 Belgians visit each year, but expect more in 2010.

radioaustralianews.net.au Thailand's fugitive former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, will visit Cambodia on Thursday in his new role as government economic adviser. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen says Mr Thaksin will give a speech to officials. Since Wednesday, when Cambodia announced Mr Thaksin's appointment, both countries have recalled their respective ambassadors.

Bangkok Post ''Thaksin will be at the Ministry of Economy and Finance on November 12, to hold a briefing with more than 300 Cambodian economics experts,'' Hun Sen said at Phnom Penh International Airport.''Please let Thaksin share my burden of boosting the economy of Cambodia,'' Hun Sen appealed to Thais yesterday. ''If Thais want to close the border, Cambodia will follow. If Thais close the border, all trade between Cambodia and Thailand will be cut off.''

timesonline.com The appointment of Mr Thaksin as an ''adviser'' by PM Hun Sen has angered and humiliated the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and raised suspicions that Mr Thaksin is plotting a political comeback from a base in Cambodia. The two countries have withdrawn their ambassadors and there are fears of military skirmishes along their disputed border after deadly clashes last year.

Phuketwan Update Virgin Atlantic Airways, Visa, India Tourism, TUI Travel and Silversea Cruises were among companies that triumphed during the World Travel Awards Grand Final in London at the weekend. World winners included: Etihad Airways, World's Leading Airline; InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, World's Leading Hotel Brand; London, England, World's Leading Destination; Dnata, World's Leading Travel Management Company and Regency Travel and Tours, Qatar, World's Leading Travel Agency.

thestar.com.myMalaysia swept seven Asian awards at the prestigious World Travel Awards 2009's regional finals. Malaysia Airlines bagged Asia's Leading Airline award, while Resorts World Genting scooped Asia's Leading Family Resort and Asia's Leading Casino Resort titles. Tourism Malaysia's ''Malaysia: Truly Asia'' tagline was also voted Asia's leading marketing campaign.

Associated Press US President Barack Obama plans to meet with the PM of Burma along with other Southeast Asian leaders next Sunday, in a high-level affirmation of the new policy by Washington of engaging the military-ruled country despite its dismal human rights record. The meeting between Mr Obama and leaders of the 10-member Asean will take place on the sidelines of the annual summit meeting of the Apec forum in Singapore.

theseoultimes.com Burma must free Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest and allow her to participate in a nationwide election, otherwise the vote will not be credible and US economic sanctions will not be lifted, a US State Department official warned after meeting her in Rangoon. After ''listening'' to Mrs Suu Kyi, however, US State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary Scot Marciel was unwilling, or unable, to reveal what she said.

scmp.com President Obama is arriving in a region where China's rise is rapidly changing the strategic assumptions that have governed stability for decades, where a new left-leaning government in Japan is creating headaches for its old ally the US, and where North Korea remains predictably unpredictable. Then there are the diverse nations of Southeast Asia, where many have for years felt neglected by Washington.

xinhuanet.com An earthquake measuring 6.7 magnitude on the Richter scale rocked eastern parts of Indonesia on Monday morning, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said in Jakarta. Reports of minor damage followed. Indonesia sits on a vulnerable quake-hit zone so called the ''Pacific Ring of Fire'', where two continental plates meet.

smh.com.au An underwater landslide on the continental shelf could send a tsunami to Sydney that would swamp the low-lying suburb of Manly and damage more than 1000 buildings, a study has found. The report by the Tsunami Research Centre at the University of NSW said it was '''likely''' that a piece of the continental shelf would one day break off but did not say when.

thejakartaglobe.com More than 3000 people gathered at Jakarta's Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on Sunday to show their support for the embattled Corruption Eradication Commission. The demonstrators, most of whom are among the more than one million people who have signed up as fans of the commission on social network Facebook, were entertained by top Indonesian rock bands.

bbc.co.uk A warship built with steel salvaged from the World Trade Center has been put into service in New York. Hundreds of US Navy officers and sailors and also families of 9/11 victims attended the commissioning of the USS New York in Manhattan. ''No matter how many times you attack us, we always come back,'' US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said.

scmp.com Cruising must shed its association with gambling for the burgeoning cruise-ship market to grow in Hong Kong and the region, according to a leading operator. ''Unfortunately for Asia, today cruising is still associated with gambling,'' said Pier Luigi Foschi, chairman and chief executive of Costa Crociere. ''Cruises to nowhere are equal to gambling. That is the unfortunate association.''

nypost.com Taek Jho Low, a 20-something from Malaysia, has burned through hundreds of thousands of dollars at New Yorks hottest nightspots. In September, during Fashion Week, sources said, Low helped rack up a $160,000 bar tab at Avenue, including several $900 bottles of Cristal champagne. At chic 27th Street hangout Pink Elephant, Low routinely spends $50,000 to $60,000, according to the club's owner, David Sarner. One night, Low enjoyed himself so much that he kept the revelry going - all the way to Malaysia, Sarner said. ''He ended up flying eight of our [waitresses] to Malaysia for a party,'' he added.

independent.co.uk It has been 20 years since Aman Resorts opened its flagship, Amanpuri, in a coconut grove on the west coast of Phuket and introduced the island to the idea of private villa holidays. Nothing has been the same since: it placed Phuket firmly on the map, helped kick-start a decade-long property boom, and now, on the horrifyingly overdeveloped west coast, there isn't a slice of ocean-front land left untouched.

smh.com.au A question for Richard Branson: Are there any places you're still excited about travelling to?
I'm going to Bali in a few months for a holiday and I can't wait. I've been there a few times but not for about 25 years, so I'm hoping it's as good as I remember. Also I've never been to South America before, so I look forward to properly exploring that continent one day.

guardian.co.uk The prospect of an American company, Kraft, buying Cadbury poses an intriguing question over the possible Americanisation of British chocolate. Chocolate, after all, is one of the few foodstuffs for which Britain can claim a good culinary reputation. Hershey's licensed version of one Cadbury's classic contains some unfamiliar concoctions including lactose, soy lecithin and an emulsifier listed as PGPR - short for polyglycerol polyricinoleate. In fact, under a quirk of US labelling laws, British-style Cadbury bars cannot even legally be marketed as ''chocolate'' in the US because they contain vegetable oil, which, under the Food and Drug Administration rules, is not a component of chocolate.

reuters.com The US jobless rate unexpectedly jumped to 10.2 percent last month, a 26-1/2-year high, adding to pressure on the Obama administration to do more to tackle unemployment even as signs of recovery mount. The Labor Department said that employers cut 190,000 jobs in October, more than the 175,000 markets had expected but fewer than the 219,000 jobs lost in September.

thejakartaglobe.com a recent World Economic Forum-sponsored report ranked Indonesia 81st out of 133 countries in terms of competitiveness. Among neighbors, Singapore (10), Malaysia (32), Thailand (39) and Brunei (69) fared much better. But if it is any consolation, we bested the Philippines (86), Vietnam (89) and Cambodia (108). Clearly, something is amiss here, but this has not prevented tourism officials from setting a target of seven million foreign tourists visiting Indonesia next year.

scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com Asked what the event means to her, teenage French student Julie Pirovanix said: ''I see the fall of the Berlin Wall as a revolution, the end of a war, the end of separation. It divides two eras - before, it was oppression, people did not have the means to express themselves; afterwards, there was choice, freedom of expression.'' The then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, far from being moved to join the dancing in the street, actively lobbied against a unified Germany, fearing the threat it might pose to the international power balance.

pr-inside.com A watchful eye on holiday in Thailand will instantly notice in 10 seconds that smiles are upon the faces of shop clerks, hotel staff, in cafes and restaurants, as this is very much imbedded into their culture and way of life. The world has some catching up to do to even begin to match the value and the amazing experience that a Thailand holiday offers to visitors. Thailand has set the benchmark on hospitality, service, price, attitude, while showcasing their God given amazing nature and beauty.

smh.com.au Several of the concepts presented at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg earlier this year make use of a second storey for seats. Jacob Innovations elevates alternate seats in economy by the height of a conventional step. This increases leg space and the angle of seats, two of the most important factors governing passenger comfort. ''The 45-degree recline together with the footrest make the difference between the ability to sleep or not for most people,'' the designer says.