telegraph.co.uk Thai authorities have started deploying 50,000 troops on to the streets of Bangkok ahead of rallies by anti-government protesters from Friday that they fear could turn violent. Suthep Thaugsuban, the deputy prime minister, who is overseeing the security operation, said "full deployment" of 30,000 soldiers, 10,000 police and 10,000 civilian volunteer forces had begun.

TNA Only uniformed SWAT team members are authorised to carry weapons, Khun Suthep said. Civilians wearing uniforms they are not authorised to wear, or counterfeited uniforms or other clothing showing that the wearer is intending to misrepresent himself as an official in any capacity will be apprehended and legally prosecuted.

TAT Advice Some preventive measures have already been put in place, including setting up of checkpoints and patrols in the inner area of Bangkok. In this connection, additional checkpoints will be set up in Bangkok and other nearby provinces. There would be temporary closure of a few thoroughfares around important government buildings. Rapid deployment units have also been set up to ensure timely responses in case any incident occurs.


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

thestandard.com.hk All Hong Kong package tours to Bangkok have been canceled for one week from today after Hong Kong's government hoisted the travel red alert for the first time. Under a red alert, second-highest level in a three-tier Outbound Travel Alert System, travellers are advised to avoid non-essential trips and adjust their travel plans because of a ''significant threat.'' [Flights direct to Phuket, 900 kms south of Bangkok, are not affected.] The highest level is black.

nationmultimedia.com Taiwan and the Philippines have warned their citizens about the safety issue should they plan to visit Bangkok this weekend. The two countries advised their citizens to avoid the major protest areas in Bangkok if they have to be in Bangkok this weekend and next week.

radioaustralianews.net.au Thailand's main international airport, besieged by protesters in 2008, says it has contingency plans for anti-government rallies expected in Bangkok. Suvarnabhumi Airport says it has plans to deal with travel disruption or a possible blockade.

xinhuanet.comSecurity has been tightened as tension rises over Bangkok, but analysts say that no side would win the fighting, neither the government nor the pro- Thaksin movement. Somchai Phagaphasvivat, a veteran political analyst told Xinhua that he expects the turnout of the ''red- shirted'' protestors at 100,000 to 200,000, not one million claimed by the organisers. [About 500 protesters are on the way to Bangkok from Phuket.]

bangkokpost.com Members of 17 tourism associations met with PM Abhisit Vejjajiva for a briefing. ''Authorities responsible for maintaining law and order in Bangkok and vicinity will not carry any weapons. They will not use force against the protesters,'' acting government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn quoted Mr Abhisit as saying.

wanderlust.co.uk Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office is warning British travellers that impending anti-government protests in Thailand may cause severe disruptions in central Bangkok and throughout the country. ''Anti-government protesters in Thailand have announced plans to hold large demonstrations over the course of this week. We advise British nationals to exercise caution throughout the country and avoid large gatherings, which may turn violent.''

bangkokpost.com Maiyarat Pheerayakoses, the president of the Domestic Travel Association, said the private sector wanted to send a message to all parts of society, especially the protesters, that Thai tourism, which earns about one trillion baht a year, was on the road to recovery, and everyone needed to help to prevent any violence. ''Tourism income is for all people and the country, not for tourism entrepreneurs alone,'' she said.

Associated Press Security at an Amsterdam airport has clamped down after journalists successfully smuggled bottles of liquid on flights bound for Washington and London. Schiphol Airport was the departure site for Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian student, who flew from the airport to Detroit on Christmas Day with explosives in his underwear.

nytiomes.com A fugitive Islamic militant killed by Indonesian security forces traveled to Indonesia from the Philippines within the last few months, police officals said, an admission that raised concerns about the country's ability to keep known terrorists from moving across its borders. They said the militant, Dulmatin, was a master bomb maker and a senior member of Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian terror network with links to Al Qaeda. Police have blamed Dulmatin for setting and triggering one of the bombs in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people.

wsj.com The International Rubber Consortium, a cartel of the world's three largest natural-rubber exporters - Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia - has asked Vietnam to join the club. IRCo already produces 75 percent of the world's natural rubber, but without Vietnam's rubber plantations, the group lacks clout. This became evident as rubber prices plunged to a five-year low in 2008. IRCo's response - to reduce exports by 700,000 metric tons - was undercut by Vietnam's producers, which actually boosted output last year.

foxnews.com At age 55, men have an average of 15 years of sexual activity ahead of them, while women average just 10, according to a new survey of middle-age and older Americans. ''Overall, men were more likely than women to be sexually active, to report a good quality sex life, and to be interested and thinking about sex on a regular basis,'' lead researcher Stacy Tessler Lindau, director of the Program in Integrative Sexual Medicine at the University of Chicago, told LiveScience.

news-sentinel.com ''For sanitary reasons, there are no Burmese people allowed,'' read the sign that was posted on the door of Ricker Oil Co's coin-operated laundry in Fort Wayne, Texas - until an irate passerby alerted the offices of the Burmese Advocacy Center and the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, igniting a firestorm of protest in the media and on the Internet culminating in an apology from company president Jay Ricker.

straitstimes.com Resorts World Sentosa was dealt another blow when a sluggish booking system took centrestage on the day tickets to its star attraction - the Universal Studios theme park - went on sale. Perpetually busy phone lines and an equally unresponsive online booking system left many potential customers of the park, which opens next Thursday, seething with frustration.

todayonline.com The Puduraya bus terminal located in the heart of the Malaysian capital will be closed for four months from March 19 to allow for upgrading works and to provide better comfort for travellers. Meanwhile, a new integrated transport terminal is being built at Bandar Tasik Selatan to replace Puduraya as the transport hub for buses. It is set to open this year.

tefl-chalkboard.com Anyone travelling to Thailand to take up a TEFL job will no doubt be on the look-out for areas that they can go during their down-time and one travel company has recommended the island of Koh Phra Thong. People teaching English in the Thai city of Kuraburi may already be aware of this little island paradise, which can be found of the country's west coast, in the Andaman Sea.

afp Conservationists warned that Malaysians' voracious appetite for turtle eggs could drive the marine creatures to extinction on its shores. Turtle eggs are sold openly in markets in parts of Malaysia. Turtles once arrived in their thousands to lay eggs on Malaysian beaches, but are now increasingly rare due to poaching and coastal development.

todayonline.com Jetstar is having a network-wide sale in which all-inclusive, one-way tickets to destinations such as Penang and Kuala Lumpur start at $18 - Phuket, $28; Bali, $38; Ho Chi Minh and Bangkok, $48; Darwin, $88; Perth, $128; and Melbourne, $198. Travellers can also get discounted fares to destinations beyond the region.



businessofcinema.com Director Paresh Mokashi's debut film, 'Harishchchandrachi Factory' will be the opening film at the second Phuket Film Festival which runs June 4-13 on Phuket. Director Mokashi will be attending the festival. 'Harishchchandrachi Factory' was India's entry to the 2010 Oscars in the Foreign Language Film category. Film Festival movies will be shown at the Coliseum Cineplex in Phuket City.
''We're honoring India not only as their cinema industry turns 100 years old but because of the close relationship between Indian filmmakers and Thailand,'' said Scott Rosenberg, managing director of AMW International, organisers of the Phuket Film Festival.

March 13 Don's Last Dinner and Going Away Party from 6pm as Don's Mall in Rawai closes.
March 19 Phuket Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce (AusCham) Sundowners at Paresa Resort at Cape Sol, Kamala. 3.30 pm Seminar on sustainable/green development. Drinks 6pm.
Until March 20 Thao Thepkrasattri and Thao Srisoonthorn Fair at Thalang Victory Memorial Park, near the Heroines' Monument.
Until March 20 Annual French Gastronomy Festival at The Boathouse. Wine Chef Jean-Noel Lumineau, Thailand's only Maitre Cuisinier de France, treats discerning diners to exceptional French food.
March 27 Lights out at Le Meridien Phuket Resort and Spa in support of Earth Hour. Since 1987, the resort has minimised its impact with waste reduction, efficient energy management, water conservation, and green programs.
April 3 Attempt on the mass dive record, Thai Muang, Phang Nga, 11am. Details: 076-411388.
April 9-13 Phuket Bike Week, including tattoo competitions, island rides and the Miss Phuket Bike Week contest.
April 14-18 Phuket Cricket Sixes, Karon Sports Stadium.
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 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.