thephuketinsider.com An email circulating throughout the island that said international property firm Knight Frank was shutting down their Phuket office due to financial reasons is an apparent hoax.

cnn.com A man who ran a notorious torture prison where more than 14,000 people died during the Khmer Rouge regime was found guilty of war crimes Monday and sentenced to 35 years in prison. The verdict against Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, also convicted him of crimes against humanity, murder and torture.


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

Phuketwan Update Savage weather lashed Phuket on Sunday with ''all hell breaking loose'' at the final day of the Six Senses Phuket Raceweek 2010 regatta. A longtail boat sank off He island, south of Phuket. A speedboat from Chalong Pier rescued two men, one bobbing in an insulated icebox, the other in the water wearing a lifejacket. Rescue resources were severely stretched on Sunday and more storms of up to 35 knots are forecast for Monday, a public holiday.

bbc.co.uk A bomb has exploded at a bus stop in Bangkok, killing one person and wounding 10 others. The blast occurred in an area occupied by red-shirt protesters for weeks until a crackdown by the security forces in May. It came as voting ended in a closely-watched by-election in the city.

bangkokpost.com The Democrat Party's Panich Vikitsreth has clinched victory over his rival in the by-election in Bangkok's Constituency 6. The Democrat candidate won more than 96,000 votes, beating Korkaew Pikulthong of the Puea Thai Party, by almost 15,000 votes.

Seventh Six Senses Phuket raceweek ends with a blast - Bangkok Post

mtv.com Nineteen people were killed and more than 340 injured at the annual Love Parade music festival in the German city of Duisburg after a stampede beneath an overpass at the entrance of the festival. Police had closed off the festival grounds, citing overcrowding (there were some 1.4 million people inside the Love Parade), but failed to close off the entrance to a 200-meter long tunnel.

Phuketwan Update Kamala mayor Jutha Domrak arrived back from a sister city exchange trip to Nice, France, with a Phuket group led by Phuket Governor Wicha Praisa-ngob. He grabbed his case from a Phuket airport carousel but it felt too light to be his. Alert Thai Airways staff managed to find an Indian woman tourist off the same flight who had Khun Jutha's same-color and brand bag. Her bag contained only clothes, his held souvenirs worth 500,000 baht. Mix-up resolved.

abc.net.au The Korean peninsula is on high alert Monday, with Pyongyang threatening a nuclear response to massive war games being held by the US and South Korea. Hundreds of war planes, dozens of ships and thousands of military personnel are taking part in the four-day drill designed as a show of force to North Korea after the sinking of a South Korean corvette four months ago.

cnn.com At least 18 people were killed and seven injured in a rain-triggered landslide triggered in an eastern Indonesian province. The landslide took place on Buru island in Maluku province. ''The landslide was triggered by heavy rains in the area and most likely because of deforestation,'' said Priyadi Kardono, the head of the national coordination agency.

indeependent.co.uk Today a court in Cambodia will deliver its verdict on the man who ran Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng jail, from which some 16,000 people were sent to be bludgeoned to death at killing fields on the edge of the city. Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The 67-year-old ex-teacher,first of five former Khmer Rouge officials to be tried, will almost certainly receive a lengthy sentence.

topnews.us A meeting of Asean Health Ministers in Singapore has announced that the first Asean Day of Dengue Fever will be on June 15, 2011. Malaysian Health Minister stressed that health authorities across the country will be making people aware of the risks of dengue and to ensure that cases of dengue are prevented. Cases of dengue in Thailand are up 60 percent.

pr.com Luxury Travel has just launched 10 day Essentials Highlights of Thailand for luxury travelers to experiences of the wonders of Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket or Samui. This tour features the best of Thailand's cities, rural countryside, and beautiful beaches, with an emphasis on regional culture, history, arts and cuisine.

sail-world.com Sail Indonesia, the annual yacht rally that leaves Darwin in July of each year and is followed by a three month program of linked events across Indonesia, got off to another great start with 106 yachts departing. It was shorts and bare feet for both sailors and well wishers as they braved the sunny perfect weather of the Darwin winter.



July 30 AustCham Thailand Sundowners at 4.30pm at Skippers, RPM. AustCham Thailand will host this Sundowners business networking session with a marine industry theme. Contact Harry Usher harry@ladypie.com 0812731740
August 5-8 Kite Jam, Surin beach
August 6-12 Andaman Motor Expo
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