smh.com.au The US magazine National Enquirer says Tiger Woods confessed to his wife Elin Nordegren that he slept with as many as 120 women during their five-year marriage, but neglected to mention the 21-year-old daughter of a neighbor. ''This is the worst betrayal ever,'' she told him ''I can't believe you had sex with that girl in our own neighborhood. That's it - I'm divorcing you!'''


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

VISITING Phuket yesterday for tax and tourism meetings, Finance Minister Korn Jatikawanit revealed that Phuket's long-awaited conference and sports centre, to be erected on 150 rai to the north of the island at Mai Khao, received formal approval at a meeting of Thailand's Cabinet on Tuesday. The budget for the project is 2.6 billion baht.


telegraph.co.uk The Tourism Authority of Thailand has criticised Britain's Foreign Office for advising against travelling to the South-east Asian country. The Foreign Office's advice that Britons should avoid all but essential travel to Bangkok was extended to the whole of the country yesterday. The decision leaves hundreds of holidaymakers with little choice but to cancel or postpone their trips, even if they are not travelling to Bangkok, where the vast majority of protests have occurred.

turizmtatilseyahat.com Thailand's tourist board has urged tour operators from around the world to keep sending customers to the country's unaffected areas. Thailand's Tourism Authority have insisted that though Thailand is going through violent protests, much of the country's major destinations are safe for visitors.


nytimes.com Thailand is square on the radar of Jeff Waldman, a 27-year-old carpenter from San Francisco. For him, the chaos means one thing: great travel deals. ''Ticket prices - if you forecast out about two months in advance, they're $1400 or $1500, round trip,'' he said. ''Right now, if I leave today, it's $840. I'll probably head off to Thailand in the next three weeks or so.''
''Statistically,'' he's concluded, ''I could get hit by a car here a lot easier than I'd get caught up in some protests in Thailand, because I'm not standing in the middle of the protest area.'' At the same time, he's aware that the situation can change in an instant. ''If Thailand erupted into civil war tomorrow, I don't think that I'd be going,'' he said. ''But a few little protests that are scaring off some of the less-risky travelers? I'll absolutely take advantage of that.''


aljazeera.net One soldier has been killed during fierce clashes between security forces and anti-government red shirt protesters in Bangkok. The clashes on Wednesday came after police and soldiers opened fire with rubber bullets and live ammunition to halt a convoy of red shirts headed for a rally on the outskirts of Bangkok.

scmp.com Amid the chaos, security forces appeared to fire accidentally on a group of troops, at least four motorbikes crashed, and soldiers threw their hands in the air. The army defended its use of live ammunition. ''Real bullets were used because soldiers and police are human and protesters attacked officials first,'' an army spokesman said.

bangkokpost.com Security authorities have ordered Bangkok police to close all roads around the red shirt rally site as of last night to increase the pressure on the anti-government group. The dead soldier was shot in the head by another soldier while riding a motorcycle towards the National Memorial during the clashes, the source said. He was one of the members of the army's rapid deployment force.


businessweek.com Sandra Bullock is dumping her two-timing husband and welcoming a new guy into her life - a baby boy she is adopting as a single mother. Divorce papers were filed Friday in Austin, Texas, where the 45-year-old Oscar-winning actress has a home. The bombshell, set off by Bullock in an interview with People magazine, published online Wednesday, was the news that she brought a newborn son home to California earlier this year and has been raising him unbeknown to almost anyone.


propertywire.com The Bangkok property market has proved quite resilient in recent years but political unrest will hurt foreign sentiment, while local buyers are likely to take events in their stride. The violent turn is likely to have a far greater effect on resort markets. ''For Pattaya, Samui and Phuket the impact will be felt immediately, not only in terms of less new demand for buying resort properties, but also the hotel occupancy will be down and the businesses that service the tourism sector will continue to suffer. So that is the area where it's quite a different story,'' said Robert Collins, managing director of Savills (Thailand).


foxnews.com The Boy Scouts of America - a group founded on the principles of building character and improving physical fitness - have introduced a brand new award for academic achievement in video gaming, a move that has child health experts atwitter. A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous and kind - and completely addicted to Nintendo Wii.


smh.com.au Australia's goverment will today announce a tobacco excise increase to lift the price of a packet of cigarettes close to $20. In what is being hailed as a world first, it will also announce mandatory standard packaging for all tobacco products, a move likely to incense the $9-billion tobacco industry. From January 1, 2012, all cigarettes will be sold in plain boxes.


cnn.com The World Health Organisation commended China for repealing a 20-year-old ban on foreigners with HIV and AIDS from entering the country. The ban also restricts entry and travel for people with sexually transmitted diseases and leprosy. ''China's decision to categorically remove HIV/AIDS from the list of conditions subject to entry restrictions is a significant step in the right direction,'' said Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO's director-general.


scmp.com On Saturday, Shanghai opens the doors on what is billed as the greatest world's fair in history. More than 70 million people are expected to walk through the gates during World Expo 2010's six-month run to marvel at pavilions from 192 countries and 52 international organisations. But the fair's massive 5.28 square kilometre site pales into insignificance when compared with the extraordinary changes that have been taking place across the city.


dailymail.co.uk As those stranded by the volcanic ash crisis continue to find their way home, the affected carriers could share in a two billionpound taxpayer-funded compensation bonanza. The European Union has agreed to allow state help for airlines. They will be offered emergency loans and allowed to postpone payments of charges. Up to 35,000 British passengers are still stranded in Asia, Africa, America and Australia.

afp Losses to Europe's air and tourism sectors caused by the ash cloud from Iceland could hit $3.61 billion, the EU's top transport official said. Damage calculations - some 100,000 flights were cancelled with around 10 million passengers affected over a week - were being made from industry stakeholders in Europe.


todayonline.com Malaysia has launched pink women-only train coaches to prevent sexual harassment and to give Muslim women the option of travelling separately from men, officials said. Malaysian Railway offers the special service between Kuala Lumpur and the western port city of Klang, and plans to expand it in two weeks.


smh.com.au Airlines are rapidly stepping up the pace of installing self-service technology, from check-in kiosks and automated boarding gates to fingerprint and iris scans at airport security checkpoints. Do-it-yourself technology is even replacing lost-baggage counters, with airports moving towards do-it-yourself kiosks for reporting missing luggage. There will come a time in the not-too-distant future when self-service will be the only option in many airports and those who resist now will find themselves left behind.


reuters.com Indonesian police have arrested a couple who made meatballs from protected monkeys, an animal conservation group said. The pair poached dozens of rare Javan langurs, also known as silver-leaf monkeys, from the east of Java, according to a statement released by Indonesia-based animal protection group ProFauna.


xinhua Singapore on Wednesday unveiled the inaugural Asia Fashion Summit. Singapore's Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Finance and Transport, Lim Hwee Hua, said that the event sets out to be the central driving force for the development of Asia as its strategic fashion hub, as the first Asian information exchange for fashion matters.


Phuketwan Update Registration is now open for what the organisers describe as ''Thailands favorite regatta.'' Held from July 21-25 at the Evason Phuket and Six Senses Spa on Phuket's southeast coast, Six Senses Phuket Raceweek is the first regatta in the 2010/2011 Asian Yachting Grand Prix Championship.



Until May 4 a local products show called 'The Best Thai Products' will be held at Saphan Hin public park in Phuket City. About 250 products are on display, with food available.

Two farewells are taking place for popular Phuket writer-musician Tony Kelsey-Stead, who died of leukemia in Britain recently. On May 2 the Andaman Players will put on a free show at The Green Man pub in Chalong from 6.30pm, with donations welcome for Tony's partner Fon, who is now in hospital. On May 4 from 6pm at Friendship Beach in Rawai, tribute will be paid by musicians who played with Tony.

April 29 Mom Tri's Boathouse on Kata Beach, 7pm, first of several popular Boathouse literary events of summer 2010. Bjorn Turmann, internationally recognised writer/speaker, will relate stories of his experiences with fiction, film and whatever else happens to be on his mind that day.
April 30 Lions Club Of Phuket Pearl is holding a jazz concert and dance night, performed by children from the Phuket Academy of Dance, at the Royal Phuket Marina. Details: 081 477 0342.
May 1 The Phuket Has Been Good To Us foundation, first fund-raising ball, Sheraton Grande Laguna Resort, 6.30pm-Midnight.
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.
May Annual Phuket seafood festival.
May Date to be finalised for Muay Thai kickboxing competition at Laguna Phuket.
May 21-23 Paragliding on Phuket.
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