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

thainews.prd.go.th A Thai tsunami watch was cancelled after no waves were detected in Thai waters on Sunday. On Phuket, sea gypsies in Laem Tukhae on Ko Sireh, east of Phuket City, evacuated to safe shelters at a local school. They said they felt the earthquake. Some however kept up their routines while waiting for official warnings and kept eyes on the seawater level. In Patong on the west coast, residents and tourists carried on as normal, some sunbathing and walking on the beach.


livemint.com Tsunami buoys in India's warning system have either been stolen or destroyed by fishermen. ''Four out of the six buoys installed for this purpose (tsunami warning) do not seem to be working,'' said a spokesman. Six redesigned floats, as well as six new ones, are to be installed by May 2011.


discovery.com How tsunami warnings fail, and how to fix them: To some extent, that's already a rule of thumb for tsunami warnings - if you live in a low-lying area and a tsunami warning has been issued, leave. But this is more than just splitting hairs; accurately communicating risk to the general public will prevent unnecessary alarm when warnings are issued, and will lower the frequency of false alarms, which can save lives.


Does Body Spray Make You Irresistible to Women?
(Axe, Old Spice Turn Up the Heat Marketing Body Sprays and Washes to Young Men) - abcnews.go.com


bernama.com Local tour operators and agents have been advised not to do anything that could cause tension following a blockade staged by Thai van and bus operators in Danok to prevent Malaysian-registered buses and vans from entering the country since Friday. Kedah Immigration Department Director Mohd Zulfikar Ahmad said the matter could only be resolved by Thai authorities as it occurred in their area of jurisdiction. Yesterday, about 30 buses and vans ferrying 1000 tourists from Malaysia were stranded in Danok when they were denied entry into the country.
''The ICP will only be given to owners of private vehicles entering Malaysia, but we discovered a tourist van operator from Thailand using it to ferry tourists,'' he said. Kedah Tourism Ministry Office Director Anuar Abdul Razak said they would hold talks to resolve the issue.


bloomberg Thai demonstrators again delayed a decision on when they will end protests, testing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's patience after he offered a reconciliation plan that included cutting his term short by 13 months. The protesters, who largely support exiled former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, want legal cases they filed against government officials to progress, leader Jatuporn Prompan said.


voanews.com Thousands of new protesters from the Thai countryside have descended on the capital of Bangkok, complicating efforts to end demonstrations that have paralysed the city. US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Kurt Campbell met with government officials and opposition activists. He said he hopes anti-government protesters seize the opportunity.


nationmultimedia.com State pawn shops in Phuket, Phichit, Phitsanulok and Mahasarakham have made available large amount of money to aid parents who need the cash for children's school supplies. Parents are able to trade their valuables such as gold or electronic devices for cash with a lower rate of interest than private pawn shops.


ninemsn.com.au Malaysian thieves who stole a car on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur quickly returned the vehicle, complete with a written apology, after realising it belonged to the local police chief. ''The car was in good condition with only minor damage to the lock on the front left door,'' said deputy police chief Khaw Kok Chin.


xinhuanet.com The US embassy has warned that sporadic violence may occur throughout the Philippines before, during, and after the May 10 Philippine national and local elections. Following this assessment, the embassy urged Americans to exercise a high degree of the caution.


cnn.com The elections will determine whether Ang Ladlad (''Out of the Closet'') - which represents lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender Filipinos - will get the maximum three seats allowable for a marginalised or underrepresented party in Congress. ''We consider it a milestone in Philippine human rights,'' said Leila De Lima, head of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines. ''They are really always victims of discrimination, exclusion and even violence.''


nytimes.com At a mall food court, where she was sitting with reporters covering her campaign for the House of Representatives, Imelda Marcos inserted iPod earbuds on either side of her bouffant coiffure. She had gamely accepted an offer to listen for the first time to 'Here Lies Love,' a new rock opera by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim that chronicles her rise from country girl to the first lady of the Philippines. Removing the earbuds, tilting her head slightly, she said in an exaggerated tone, ''I'm flattered. I can't believe it!''


bangkokpost.com About 300,000 people in Thailand have died from cancer annually since 2000, the Public Health Ministry reported. ''Cancer is the most common cause of death for the past decade,'' Public Health permanent secretary Paichit Sarachit said on Sunday. About 152 people died of cancer a day, or about six per hour.


smh.com.au The Australian cruise industry achieved record passenger figures last year, with the number of Australians taking a cruise holiday rising 11 percent to 366,721. ''I'm astounded by the result, particularly when you consider so many industries reported a decline in 2009,'' Karen Christensen, the chairman of the International Cruise Council Australasia, told cruise executives recently.


turkmenistannews.net A gang of men in an Indonesian jungle have poisoned an endangered elephant in order to remove its tusks for sale on the ivory market. The 15-year-old male elephant was butchered on an oil palm plantation in Aceh province. After killing the elephant, the men removed the tusks, cut up the carcass and threw the remains into a river.


au.greekreporter.com The Thai capital is always my preferred stop-over destination; the social unrest there wouldn't change my mind on that. Why? For me, Bangkok is that unique cultural experience which you look for when travelling, and the quality of luxury accommodation available for a stop-over at a reasonable price is fantastic. '''The recession has affected all carriers,'' says Sudhagun Divaveja, Thai Airways General Manager for Greece. '''The industry has responded by reducing costs and adjusting capacity. This gives customers an opportunity to travel on very attractive fares and enjoy great service at a great price''.


THE Phuket visit by US warships USS Shiloh and USNS Earhart is being hailed as a great success by the Phuket Navy League after the first all-crews event at the Malibu Bar on Soi Bangla in Patong proved ''a real hit.'' ''Compliments have been passed back to us from both ship's officers and the Navy and civilian personnel,'' a league official reports. The next visit will be hosted by John Butler's Honky Tonk Bar. Patong taxi drivers even joined a tour of the USNS Earhart and on Sunday US Navy personnel helped restore paintwork at Patong Hospital.

OPUS ONE, the new upmarket Phuket restaurant that replaces Silk at Surin Plaza, opened at the weekend with violin strings replacing the dance party sounds more familiar at Stereo Lab, the Surin beachfront club also owned by the same group. The restaurant offers soft music and French food from 11.30am to midnight daily. Silk recently moved to the Andara Resort in Kamala.

IMPIANA PHUKET on the beach road in Patong held a cooking class for 54 at the Sala Bua restaurant during the week. The representatives of the Extra Miles company were from Australia, Singapore and India. Phuket was first choice for the annual team-building in Thailand this year. Well-known chef Ronnie has left Sala Bua after many years and his replacement is an Italian, Angelo Magliaro.



May 21-23 Paragliding on Phuket.
May 23 Tourism Authority of Thailand bicycle ride around Old Phuket Town. A guided tour, with meals and a t-shirt, for just 100 baht. Bookings from May 10. Details: 076 217138 or 076 211036.
May 31-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 13 Laguna Phuket International Marathon. Fun runs, too.
July 21-25 Phuket Six Senses Race Week, Evason, Rawai
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta

2011
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi