RED PROTESTERS have abandoned their outpost near a bridge in Bangkok to concentrate activities in the downtown shopping heartland. Today's move is seen as an effort to intensify pressure on the government to make concessions. The move came as the death toll from Saturday's protest and violence rose to 23, with 14 people still critically ill in intensive care units and a total of 195 still being treated in hospitals. Thai media outlets report that former PM Thaksin Shinawatra has donated 100,000 baht to the families of each of the dead red shirts.

focustaiwan.tw Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has downgraded its travel alert for Bangkok to orange from red as the volatile clashes that gripped the Thai capital over the weekend have dissipated, the ministry said.


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

nationmultimedia.com A police team has been set up to hunt down men carrying automatic rifles, who in media footage were seen mixing in with the red shirt protesters during clashes, Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban, who oversees internal security, said. ''We can't let these terrorists walk free on the streets. Whoever they are, or work for, they must be arrested,'' he said, adding that red shirts were in possession of hundreds of assault rifles.

ft.com Running street battles are starting to take a toll on tourism, the lifeblood of the economy. More than 40 countries have issued travel warnings amid reports of thousands of tourists cancelling trips. The Ministry of Finance said growth in gross domestic product, once estimated at 3.5 to 4.5 percent for 2010, would be cut by 0.2 to 0.5 percent because of the unrest. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, executive director of the macro-economic policy bureau at the Ministry of Finance, said tourism and consumption-related industries would be hardest hit.

stickmanweekly.com The Thais are good at many things. Conflict resolution is perhaps not one of them. It's really hard to see any way out of this mess. For the first time in all my time in Thailand, I would say that it would be wise to look at your country's travel advisory and yeah, I would take heed of what they say. Really.

thestar.com.my The start of the Thai New Year saw many red shirt protesters take time off to celebrate the holiday. ''Today, there are not so many protesters. Many went back to their villages to celebrate Songkran. Most will come back next week and the protests will be big again,'' said taxi driver Bunaum Deemak, a red shirt supporter.

timesonline.co.uk The Foreign Minister of Thailand has called for an open debate on reform of the country's monarchy, an unprecedented proposal in a land where discussion of the role of the royal family is taboo. Speaking in Washington, Kasit Piromya drew comparisons with the monarchies of Britain and the Netherlands. Both countries tolerate criticism of their royal families, which would be regarded as a serious crime in Thailand. Mr Kasit is the most senior Thai politician to speak openly about reform of the monarchy.

telegraph.co.uk Kyrgyzstan is ''on the brink of civil war,'' according Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who warned that the country could be ripped apart by the current political upheaval. ''The risk of Kyrgyzstan breaking apart - into the south and the north - really exists,'' Medvedev warned after giving a speech at the US think tank, the Brookings Institution. Bloodshed in protests left 83 dead in the strategic Central Asian country.

huffingtonpost.com We've been to Thailand and Kyrgyzstan and we love them both. Not to make light of the situation in Thailand, but if I were forced to choose a country to visit in the midst of protest, Thailand would be it. But why is it that Kyrgyzstan's recent developments indicate a country that has ''turned'' or is on the edge of an abyss, whereas Thailand's protests represent a blip on the return to normal?

channelnewsasia.com Tiger Airways will be increasing services from Singapore to Phuket, Krabi and Had Yai from April 20. The low cost carrier announced record operating numbers for the year ended March 31. Total passenger volume was 4.9 million people, an increase of 54 percent.

nationmultimedia.com Phuket, Phang Nga, Trat, Satun and Trang are among 33 provinces listed as having a medium risk of drought. Huge drought risks are being faced by Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Phayao, Phrae, Udon Thani, Sukhothai, Phetchabun, Surin, Si Sa Ket, Amnat Charoen, Maha Sarakham and Sa Kaew.

scmp.com Two Australian pilots have been called heroes after a 'miracle' landing of a stricken Cathay Pacific plane with hundreds of passengers on board in Hong Kong.

xinhuanet.com Seven passengers were injured when the tyre burst during an emergency landing of a flight from Indonesia. The aircraft was an A330 with 309 passengers and 14 crew on board. The passengers and crew were deplaned through the aircraft's evacuation slides, Cathay said.

radioaustralianews.net.au More than 70 people have been injured after a Merpati airline Boeing 737 bounced off the tarmac and broke apart while landing in Manokwari, Papua. Director general of civil aviation Herry Bhakti Singayuda says the jet was carrying 103 passengers and six crew when it hurtled into trees and skidded into a shallow river. Heavy rain and fog are thought to have been factors.

smh.com.au AirAsia X has become the first low-cost carrier in the world to introduce flatbed seats to its planes. The new premium offering features seats with a width of 51 cm, 152-cm pitch and a length of 195.5 cm in full recline position. The news came as the airline also announced a fare sale for flights from Australia to London, with fares from less than A$1000 return.

AAP Budget airline Ryanair says aircraft manufacturer Boeing does not want to fulfil its request for planes with more seats and fewer toilets because it believes that would compromise passenger safety. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said he still hoped to convince Boeing that removing two toilets and adding seats is not a safety issue.

courier-journal.com Twenty Americans allegedly married Cambodian nationals so they could win permanent resident status in the US, paid $1000 to $5000 to get engaged, then a matching amount when they tied the knot. Organisers plied one groom with sexual favors at a Cambodian nightclub, offering him two young women identified as virgins. When one of the brides got cold feet, one of the organisers, Vuthea Niev, allegedly threatened to kill her.

afp Democratic US Senator Chuck Schumer has warned he may introduce legislation to bar airlines from imposing fees for carry-on luggage, joining a congressional chorus of outrage at such charges. Schumer urged US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to repeal a regulation that may encourage such fees by exempting services not deemed ''reasonably necessary'' - like providing in-flight snacks - from taxes.

Associated Press A court sentenced a Malaysian man to six years in prison and ordered him to be flogged with a rattan cane after he splashed acid on his wife for refusing to have sex with him, an official said. Unemployed Supian Hani Ismail, 47, pleaded guilty to ''causing grievous hurt'' by splashing acid on her after she rebuffed his demand. Supian's wife was recovering in a hospital from burns on her face, hands and other parts of her body.

postchronicle.com Animal activists in Thailand are fighting the recent lifting of a ban on Orangutan boxing matches at Safari World in Thailand. PETA spokesperson Ryan Huling made the point that the animals aren't engaged in boxing matches by choice: ''They're being forced by trainers to perform these confusing and unnatural tricks,'' he said in a CNN interview. A female orangutan dressed in a bikini circles the ring displaying the round number after each bout.

washingtonpost.com The image of Oprah Winfrey as America's benevolent earth mother is about to take a serious hit, thanks to biographer Kitty Kelley, whose book on the talk show queen is released today. ''I was astounded that the woman who seems so open and uninhibited is really so choked by secrets,''' said Kelley, who interviewed more than 800 people for the book, 'Oprah'.



On 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. The evening will assist children with scholarships. Tickets at 500 baht include a photo exhibition of old Phuket and a drink and food. More information: Adrienne, 081 477 0342.

Until April 15 Songkran Festival in Old Phuket Town
April 14-18 Phuket Cricket Sixes, Karon Sports Stadium.
April 22 Phuket's Clean Beach campaign returns with monthly volunteer efforts designed to keep Phuket sparkling
April 28GreenLOVE festival to raise awareness about local and international environmental issues and solutions, British International School 8am-3pm.
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.
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta