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

todayonline.com Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva has warned of more possible bomb attacks after a grenade exploded on a street in central Bangkok, leaving one person seriously hurt. The grenade, in a plastic bag, exploded before dawn. A Thai man in his 30s who was scavenging for scrap was in critical condition with shrapnel in his head, police and hospital officials said. [Democrat leaders are meeting on Phuket this weekend.]

Phuketwan Update Twelve people died on Phuket's roads and five drowned during June, say the latest Phuket Public Health figures. Both tallies are down on the same period last year. The police campaign to enforce compulsory helmet laws for motorcyclists is expected to reduce deaths and injuries still further from July on but concerns remain about safety in and on the water around Phuket.

afp Singapore Airlines said it is to introduce an electronic version of its inflight magazines as part of its plans for paperless planes. The carrier said it had engaged SmarttPapers Aviation Ltd to convert three magazines - SilverKris, KrisShop and KrisWorld - into digital format and integrate them into the inflight entertainment system. Two Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will begin to offer the new feature from Saturday.

Phuketwan Update Phuket Governor Wichai Praisa-ngob yesterday signed an MoU for development of Bang Wad Dam, lifting capacity from 7.3 million cubic metres to 10.2 million cubic metres. The 300 million baht project is expected to go a long way towards ensuring year-round water supplies for Phuket.

bbc.co.uk Brazil's erotic reputation has long been attracting an unwanted type of tourist. Every week specialist holiday operators bring in thousands of European singles on charted flights looking for cheap sex. Now Brazil is overtaking Thailand as the world's most popular sex-tourist destination.

Phuketwan Update Phuket's beach volleyball world series competition is scheduled for November 2-7 at Karon beach, a meeting at Provincial Hall confirmed yesterday. Benefits to Phuket are estimated at 6000 rooms and 40 million baht in revenue.

todayonline.com Seismologist Dr Susan Hough writes: The global frequency of earthquakes is not increasing but South-east Asia has been more active in the wake of the 2004 earthquake - in particular the so-called Sunda megathrust fault, which runs offshore of Sumatra and continues northward past the Andaman Islands.
Scientists know that future large quakes offshore of Sumatra, near Padang, are not only possible - they are inevitable. Statistics tell us that, ironically, the highest chance of a big earthquake is immediately after a big earthquake has struck. The odds of subsequent large events remains elevated for several years, perhaps decades. [Ed: And that's why tsunami preparedness should still be a high priority for the Andaman.]

Phuketwan Update About 200 residents of Phuket Town's Sino-Portuguese heart met with officials including Thanyarat Atchariyachai, the chairperson of the Senate's Tourism Committee, to discuss plans for improvements, including a police museum in the old Standard Chartered Bank landmark. Some residents oppose too many ''walking street'' events.

afp Nepal's Supreme Court rejected an appeal against a murder conviction by Charles Sobhraj, the alleged serial killer, con man and prison escape artist linked to backpacker deaths in Asia. Sobhraj, is serving a life sentence in Nepal for the murder of American tourist Connie Joe Bronzich in 1975.

smh.com.au Sobhraj, who is believed to have killed up to 20 young foreigners on the Asian hippie trail in the early 1970s, appeared to have lost little of his ability to charm and deceive. Tanned and looking younger than his 66 years, the prisoner with intense black eyes, now has a beautiful 22-year-old girlfriend and has convinced a few of Nepal's most powerful figures he is innocent of the murder. '''I really didn't do it and I think I will be out - in my case there are no documents and no witnesses [to the crime],'' he said. In Thailand alone, he might have murdered 14 people.

Phuketwan Update Governor Wichai Praisa-ngob visited Vichit in southern Phuket yesterday to listen to residents' individual problems and issues first-hand. His plan includes regular visits once a week to different parts of the island.

afp A British author facing a possible jail term over his book criticising Singapore's use of the death penalty was defiant following his first court hearing. Alan Shadrake appeared in a packed courtroom to hear contempt of court charges levelled against him by the Attorney General following the local launch of his book 'Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock'. A High Court judge granted an adjournment. "Whatever they do to me, it will prove whatever I say in my book," he told reporters. ''I'm not running away. If I run away, it means I'm guilty.''

huffingtonpost.com India graciously hosted the Burmese dictator Than Shwe this week, raising the question as to why the world's largest democracy would welcome one of the world's worst dictators, a man associated with alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. New Delhi's principal interests in Burma are access to natural resources, trade routes, and dealing with non-state armed groups from northeast India, a remote area that shares a long border with Burma.

bangkokpost.com Thailand expects to buy more gas and electricity from Burma in order to secure supplies as domestic resources become depleted, says Energy Minister Wannarat Channukul. In the future if nuclear and coal-fired power plants cannot start construction due to community fears over environmental issues, then even more reserves would be needed, he added.

afp Hong Kong's travel industry watchdog slammed a tour guide for her rant against a group of mainland Chinese visitors which was posted on video-sharing website YouTube. The seven-minute tirade has filled local newspapers for weeks, stoked outrage in mainland China and heaped embarrassment on Hong Kong's tourist industry.

wsj.com US aviation regulators downgraded Mexico's safety ranking, effectively restricting its airlines from partnering with American carriers or expanding service between the two countries. The decision, announced by the Federal Aviation Administration, was prompted by concerns about lax Mexican government oversight of the country's airlines.

nationmultimedia.com Take a trip to Phuket and make peace with your fellow creatures. The southern province will again fly the yellow flags of the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival from October 8 to 16.

nursingtimes.net Drinking alcohol helps prevent rheumatoid arthritis and alleviates symptoms in those who have the condition, according to new research. People who never drink are four times as likely to develop RA compared with those who drink alcohol on at least 10 days every month, scientists claim.

cnn.com Police have found the mummified body of a man believed to have been Tokyo's oldest man, who may have in fact died some 30 years ago, officials said. Sogen Kato, who was born on July 22, 1899, would have been 111 years old if he were alive today. Police are still investigating the case, but officials told CNN they found newspapers in his room dating back three decades, and think he might have been dead for at least that long.

Associated Press The most threatened tortoise in the world is being sold openly at a plant and animal exposition in the heart of Indonesia's capital, highlighting concerns about the rampant - and growing - illegal pet trade. The country has become a major trading hub for endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles, including species from Africa, South America and Asia, said Chris Shepherd of TRAFFIC, a British-based international wildlife monitoring network.



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
October 8-16 Vegetarian Festival
November 2-7 Phuket beach volleyball world series at Karon
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