bloomberg.com Thailand will approve peaceful, short protests in a sign it's preparing to lift a state of emergency. A nationalist group called the Thai Patriot Network plans to gather 10,000 people in front of PM Abhisit Vejjajiva's office on Saturday unless authorities clarify the status of a border dispute with Cambodia, the Bangkok Post reported today, citing Veera Somkwamkid, the group's leader.


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

dpa An annual military reshuffle in Thailand is expected to see the general responsible for the April-May crackdowns become army commander-in-chief, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva confirmed. General Prayuth Chan-ocha is set to become the Army's next commander-in-chief, replacing outgoing chief General Anupong Paochinda, who will retire on September 30. Prayuth is considered a hardliner.

bangkokpost.com Bung Kan district in northeastern Nong Khai is to become the country's 77th province. Cabinet approved an Interior Ministry proposal to create the new province.

thestar.com.my Human trafficking syndicates are now smuggling their victims to Australia via Indonesian and Thai waters. Syndicates had changed their modus operandi following action by Malaysian authorities. Marine police have alerted their counterparts in Indonesia, Australia and Thailand on the new development.

bangkokpost.com Thai Airways International has turned to a joint investment in a new low-fare airline with Tiger Airways because Nok Airlines could not come up with a marketing strategy to expand its business, THAI board chairman Ampon Kittiampon said. Nok Air was not in a position to expand its international routes and therefore THAI had joined forces with Tiger Airways Holdings, he said. However, there was no conflict between THAI and Nok Air.

mcot.net Four Iranian men in their twenties were arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport in separate crystal methamphetamine smuggling cases involving a total weight of 1.7 kilograms of the drug, valued at six million baht, said Customs Department Director-General Somchai Sajjapong.

nationmultimedia.com Drug dealers from at least six parts of the world are targeting Thai customers, aiming at revellers in Bangkok's night entertainment venues, deputy Customs Department director-general Narin Kalayamitr said. Police in Phuket arrested six Thais, including three women, and seized 17 bags of ice flakes weighing 21.8 grams and 90 amphetamine tablets allegedly in their possession.

cybergolf.com The government of Thailand has embarked on an ambitious program to develop and position the royal kingdom as 'Asia's Golf Hub.' The initiative is directed at the global golf industry with a view to making Thailand the key market for golf tourism, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution. Spearheading the thrust will be the 2010 Asia Pacific Golf Summit scheduled to be staged in Bangkok on October 18-20.

guardian.co.uk With the financial crisis a thing of the past, authorities in Singapore are looking at ways of letting in a fresh wave of immigrants. This year 100,000 foreign workers should be needed to cope with the powerful surge in the city-state's economy, with 18 percent growth for the first half of the year.

Associated Press Malaysia said it will tighten visa requirements for tourists from eight countries because many foreigners have taken advantage of easy entry procedures by overstaying. From August 15, the authorities will stop issuing visas on arrival to visitors from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.

bernama The latest Young Asians survey by global market research firm Synovate shows the lives of Asia's youth revolve around their mobile phones, as personal ownership of mobiles has increased from 60 percent in 2008 to 64 percent in 2010. According to China's Xinhua news agency, it also showed that Hong Kong jumped from 82 percent to 87 percent of youth owning a mobile.

reuters More than 72 million US adults, or 26.7 percent, are obese, up one percentage point in two years, the US government reported. Obesity has become ''a major public health threat'' and is steadily worsening, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

news.com.au A majority of foreign female visitors find Italian men humorless, infantile, feminine and unathletic, according to a survey. Italian men still win points for being gallant, well-dressed and attentive. But 79 percent of the 1000 foreign women interviewed for the tourist and gastronomy magazine Vie del Gusto said they would not fall for an Italian.



FRESH from starring roles in two recently released major motion pictures in Thailand, 'That Sounds Good' and 'Pop Star,' actor-DJ Montonn ''Jay'' Jira is coming to Phuket. He's performing at Breeze, on Patong's beach road, on Saturday, August 7, 10pm-3am. Admission is 250 baht with one drink included.

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
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