cnn.com Two Thai police officers were killed and eight people injured in overnight violence that lasted into early Saturday in areas where anti-government protesters are camped out. The first attack - a drive-by shooting - killed two police officers.


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

bangkokpost.com The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship has confirmed its backing of PM Abhisit Vejjajiva's reconciliation road map and it may announce today when it will disperse its rally at Ratchaprasong intersection. The red shirts also ignored the moves by their rival, the yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy and the multi-colored group, which came out to oppose the road map.

bbc.co.uk A Thai policeman has been killed and another wounded in a drive-by shooting in Bangkok, police say. The attack occurred in the Silom financial district, close to the area where red shirt protesters have been barricaded. Blasts later wounded another four policemen.

reuters Canada has joined Britain in lifting its warning against all but essential travel to the whole of Thailand, although it remains in place for Bangkok, but the US, Australia and other countries were still advising against travel anywhere in the country. Arrivals at Bangkok's main Suvarnabhumi airport dropped by a third in April.

telegraph.co.uk I don't understand why the Foreign Office issued a warning advising against all but essential travel to Thailand. Evidently, this is more of a political or bureaucratic move than a necessary requirement - reader comment.

bangkokpost.com Marine scientists have been closely watching massive coral bleaching in the Andaman Sea, believed to be the worst case in Thai waters for 20 years. Coral reefs in the Andaman Sea off Phangnga, Krabi and Phuket, including popular diving sites such as the Similans, Phi Phi and Surin, have been damaged by the phenomenon. The bleaching is likely to extend as far as Satun province, and could get worse if sea temperatures continue to rise, said Niphon Phongsuwan, a marine biologist at the Phuket Marine Biological Centre.

theage.com.au Trillions of dollars have been wiped off the value of sharemarkets around the world as nervous investors flee to safety during the Greek debt crisis. Analysts say that investors spooked by the Greek crisis fear it could spread to other heavily indebted European countries, slamming the brakes on the global economic recovery.

nytimes.com As stock markets gyrated, investors began to focus on the risks to European banks if severe budget-cutting led to a double-dip recession and another credit squeeze in Europe. While direct exposure to Greece appears to be limited for most banks, their vulnerability to larger countries with debt problems is much greater.

afp With televisions beaming images worldwide of riots in Greece and newspapers speculating on financial meltdown, Greeks are worried about one of their most precious assets: tourism. ''I'm not even looking at booking figures at the moment,'' said George Drakopoulos, general manager of the association of Greek tourist enterprises. The high season for tourism is only just beginning, but the prospects are already looking shaky.

latimes.com Despite falling short of a majority in Parliament, Conservative leader David Cameron claimed the right to head Britain's next government Friday, inviting the smaller Liberal Democrats to join him in an effort to soothe world markets nervous over legislative stalemate. ''The world is looking to Britain for decisive action,'' Cameron said.

bbc.co.uk The chaos which led to hundreds of voters being turned away from polling stations will ''never happen again,'' the Electoral Commission's head has said. Jenny Watson promised a ''thorough review'' after some voters said they were ''fuming'' at being denied a vote.

smh.com.au As news spread of the shock departure of Indonesia's reform icon and finance minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, this week, one senior markets trader in Jakarta gave an almost despairing view of the country's prospects of overcoming its entrenched culture of corruption. ''It's just a massive task,'' he said. '''It like brain surgery. No, it's more difficult. It's like you have to alter Indonesia's DNA.''

smh.com.au A US airport security screener allegedly beat up his colleague for poking fun at the size of his penis during testing of full-body image scanners. Rolando Negrin was arrested after attacking a Transportation Security Administration worker at the parking lot of Miami International Airport, The Miami Herald reported.

voanews.com Members of Burma's now defunct opposition party, the National League for Democracy, have split to form a new party and contest this year's controversial elections. The National League for Democracy confirmed that some members have split off to form a new party to be called the National Democratic Force. The split came after authorities dissolved the NLD for failing to register as required under the military government's strict election laws.

reuters.com South Africa are to open the new 46,000-capacity World Cup stadium at Nelspruit with a home friendly against Thailand next week. Bafana Bafana's May 16 match against the side coached by former England captain Bryan Robson had originally been planned for the end of the month but has now been brought forward, South Africa's Football Association said in a statement on Friday.



May 8 The Middle Way Team will be at the Meditation Center of Phuket for a one-day retreat taught by an English Monk by the name of Venerable River Bhaddako. Details: 083 1391757
May 21-23 Paragliding on Phuket.
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