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

World Cup Scores: SVK 0:2 PAR ITA 1:1 NZL BRA 3:1 CIV
Screening Tonight: Portugal 7:0 People's Republic of Korea 9pm Chile v Switzerland 1.30am Spain v Honduras

afp France's disastrous World Cup campaign was plunged into fresh chaos when the players refused to train in protest at the decision to send home star striker Nicolas Anelka. Amid chaotic scenes at the team's training base, the players released a statement protesting at the Chelsea striker's exclusion from the squad for a foul-mouthed outburst during the defeat to Mexico which left France facing elimination.

scmp.com New Zealand achieved their greatest result in the sport last night with a stunning 1:1 draw against defending champions Italy in their World Cup group F match. The draw puts both teams level on two points.

smh.com.au Nike's global ambush marketing of the World Cup appears to be paying off. Great news for Nike, which has not paid a cent in sponsorship to soccer's governing body, FIFA, and bad news for adidas, which has stumped up an estimated $351 million for the rights to the 2010 and 2014 World Cup tournaments. Two separate surveys show Nike is emerging as the most recognised brand of the World Cup.


theaustralian.com.au A red shirt leader on the run from Thai police has warned of ''difficult weeks and years ahead''. The warning comes as the anti-government protesters regroup after their bloody defeat by the military. Former national human rights commissioner and key red shirt negotiator Jaran Ditapichai also told The Australian that police had issued arrest warrants for more than 80 protesters who were in hiding. '''I don't how many red shirts are in the clandestine (movement) because it is secret,'' he wrote in an email, adding two arrest warrants had been issued for him.


nationmultimedia.com Miss Thailand World 2010 will be crowned on August 14 at Cape Panwa in Phuket. Aspiring contestants can register from June 29 to July 10 on the second floor of the Malinon Tower on Rama IV Road in Bangkok.


cnn.com It could be the worst mass poisoning in history. And the terrible irony is that it may all be due to an idealistic push to clean up drinking water for some of the world's poorest people. A new study published in British medical journal The Lancet says that up to 77 million people in Bangladesh are being exposed to toxic levels of arsenic, potentially taking years or decades off their lives.


4hoteliers.com According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phuket is expected to attract six million visitors in 2010, an increase by approximately 9 percent from around 5.5 million visitor arrivals in 2009. International visitor arrivals are projected to reach around 4.5 million in 2010, an increase of approximately 13 percent from the four million international arrivals recorded in 2009. [Phuketwan believes these figures are for arrivals AND departures. Phuket International Airport tallies both.]


sify.com Weeks of violent anti-government protests have failed to stop Indian tourists and others from flocking to Bangkok. Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, New Delhi, says Thailand's tourism industry is resiliently getting into recovery mode after weeks of political turmoil.


afp Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said his country must not stand ''naked'' before modern information technology, signalling his support for an Internet filter to block porn. The world's most populous Muslim-majority country has been scandalised by the recent online release of homemade X-rated videos apparently showing popular local celebrities engaging in hardcore sex.

afterdawn.com President Yudhoyono put his support behind proposals to censor the Internet in the country following the release of a sex tape featuring several popular celebrities. Nazril Ariel, a rock singer for the band Peterpan, along with Luna Maya and Cut Tari deny uploading the clips but could still face up to 12 years in prison.


bangkokpost.com Unless Thailand has changed its strategy in solving human trafficking at the root causes instead of individual round-ups, the nation would likely to remain in the downgraded rank in a US annual report and risk facing socio-political sanctions, experts said. Surapong Kongchantuk, a human rights lawyer, has called for the Abhisit administration to start addressing the core problems instead of nabbing illegal immigrants and migrant workers and deporting them.


avherald.com A Thai Airways Boeing 777-200, registration HS-TJG performing flight TG-622 (dep Jun 19th) from Bangkok (Thailand) to Osaka Kansai (Japan) with 227 passengers and 17 crew, was on approach to Osaka descending through FL180 when the airplane encountered turbulence. Three cabin crew and one passenger received injuries. The airplane continued for a safe landing in Osaka 15 minutes later. The four injured were taken to local hospitals.


theage.com.au Virgin Blue is to introduce business class, change its name and uniforms, and add larger planes to domestic routes in a bid to become a far more potent competitor to Qantas. The plans for the changes will be put to the airline's board this week.


wsj.com While all eyes will be trained on the Chinese yuan in coming days, China's decision to drop its currency peg is likely to cause bigger reverberations in the rest of Asia. The South Korean won, Australian dollar, Thai baht and Malaysian ringgit are seen as proxies for China's growth. ''It's possible the bigger currency moves will be in the rest of Asia, not in China,'' says Robert Subbaraman, economist for Nomura in Hong Kong.


bbc.co.uk A sailor has returned to shore after spending more than three years at sea without touching dry land. Reid Stowe, 58, docked in Manhattan after his 1152 day voyage, and was greeted by his girlfriend and 23-month toddler who he had never seen. Mr Stowe left in the 70-foot (21m) two-masted sailing boat in April 2007.


theage.com.au Elections promised for Burma this year have sparked an explosion in drug-trafficking into Thailand, as rebel armies, fearful of a final, pre-poll crackdown by the ruling junta, trade heroin and amphetamines for guns. Now, Burma's illicit drug trade and the country's flawed electoral process appear set to collide.



independent.co.uk As the final whistle in neared, New Zealand's fans stripped to the waist like southern-hemisphere Geordies acclaimed perhaps the greatest result in their history. New Zealand 1:1 Italy.

guardian.co.uk It may have ended in a draw, but this was a great New Zealand victory, the greatest sporting moment for a tiny nation fed mostly on rugby union and a teaspoon of cricket since we won the inaugural Rugby World Cup at home in 1987.

stuff.co.nz Central American referee Carlos Batres has fallen for the worst dive of the World Cup by the most theatrical Italian since Federico Fellini. By doing so, he cost New Zealand's All Whites a famous win over football's reigning world champions.

guardian.co.uk Didier Drogba eventually got the goal to make him feel his World Cup has started but in the most eagerly awaited fixture of the tournament so far his Ivory Coast side were well beaten by a confident and combative Brazil 3:1.

smh.com.au Brazil qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup with a 3:1 win against Ivory Coast in their Group G clash, but had star midfielder Kaka controversially sent off. Kaka was dismissed for a second yellow card in the final minutes for pushing Abdelkader Keita, but the Ivorian wildly exaggerated the impact of the shove by falling to the ground clutching his head.



June 25-26 Phuket Music Festival, Full Moon Version, at Karon beach. [Last year it was called the RoyFest. It's no longer the RoyFest.]
June 25 to 27 Second Kathu Culture Road Fair, recalling the region's history
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.
July 9-18 Phuket Flower Festival and Pineapple Sow, 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
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