PHUKET: The daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media. Beware of inconsistent imitations.



wsj.com Thai Airways International PLC unveiled a rehabilitation plan that calls for the troubled carrier to cut a tenth of its routes in a bid to lower costs and increase revenue. The revamp of Thai Airways is among the first attempts by Thailand's ruling junta to stabilise and revive some of the country's state-owned enterprises since it seized power.

reuters The restructuring includes measures to cut operating costs, boost revenue and sell some non-core assets, said Kulit Sombatsiri, director general of the State Enterprise Policy Office.

nytimes.com The most senior US diplomat to visit Thailand since the military seized power in May called for the lifting of martial law and delivered harsh words to the junta. Daniel R. Russel, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said he had been sent by the Obama administration to tell the military leaders that the US would not ''paper over problems.''



bangkokpost.com Human trafficking is under the spotlight again as US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, Daniel Russel, is visiting Bangkok. Thai officials are eager to convince him - the most senior US official to visit Thailand since the coup last year - that the country has kick-started several initiatives to combat this modern-day slavery. Activists have cautioned that promises are not enough to do away with human rights abuses.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/460359/trafficking-shame-is-quick-to-resurface



bbc.com The red-shirts know that the military is drafting a new constitution which will at the very least shift the electoral arithmetic in favor of other parties, and enhance the powers of staunchly anti-Shinawatra bodies like the Constitutional Court and Anti-Corruption Commission. Under these conditions, a repeat of their last four election victories will be much harder, if not impossible.

straitstimes.com Slowly but surely, the pieces are being put in place to eradicate Ms Yingluck's powerful clan and network from Thai politics.

bbc.com Ten people have died in a fighter jet crash at an air base in central Spain, the defence ministry says. The Greek F-16 jet ''lost power'' during take-off, crashing into other planes and exploding at Los Llanos airbase in Albacete, the ministry said.

bangkokpost.com The sky is the limit for low-cost carriers (LCCs) that have made their presence felt even more deeply in Thailand. No-frills carriers have been aggressively expanding their footprint in the country's airline business in such a way that they will soon take a lion's share from full-service operators.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/tourism/460257/budget-airlines-reach-for-the-sky-in-thailand

kyodo news Malaysia's budget airline AirAsia Group announced that it is abolishing its fuel surcharge for all group airlines following the drop in global crude oil prices.

Phuket Update Two men who appeared to stop to help Akarapon Chumnamanee, 27, when he crashed his bike in Baan Muang Mai on Thepkrassattri Rd, robbed him of his wallet containing 10,000 baht an ATM card and two telephones. Police interviewed Khun Akaraphon in hospital to gain a description of the heartless thieves.

nationmultimedia.com Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha ''made a fashion statement'' yesterday, appearing in his official khaki uniform for the first time. ''This is the uniform of the government. I am a government official,''' Prayut said, as he attended a meeting on state enterprise policies.

smh.com.au Narendra Modi's daring fashion choices have won plaudits in the past, but the Indian leader's decision to wear a suit with his own name printed all over it sparked a barrage of mockery on social media.

afp An asteroid the size of a mountain is about to shave by Earth, in a rare type of flyby that will not be seen for another decade, astronomers.

theguardian.com Demis Roussos, the Greek pop and rock singer who became an unlikely international star in the 70s and 80s, famed for his soaring, high-pitched voice and voluminous kaftans, has died aged 68.

Phuket Update Trisara, Phuket's most luxurious private pool villa resort, has been included in Conde Nast Traveler's dream list of top hotels in the world. It was one of only four hotels in Thailand and the only one on the island of Phuket to make the cut in the 2015 Gold List published in the January edition of the magazine.



reuters Southeast Asia needs regional aviation regulators to streamline a fragmented safety framework and ensure common standards for aircrew training in the booming industry, AirAsia's group chief executive officer said. ''It's time for Asean institutions to step forward, for commonality and for standardisation, and for quality,'' AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes told Reuters at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Try Phuketwan's Asean Today daily:
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/asean-today-scores-police-killed-mas-airline-site-hacked-executions-week-21779/



smh.com.au Golfer Robert Allenby ran up a $US3400 ($A4324) bar tab at a Honolulu strip club the night he claims he was bashed, according to a US report.

metro.co.uk Lance Armstrong has said he thinks he should be forgiven for doping, and yet asserted that he would probably do it again if he had to. Speaking to the BBC, the disgraced cyclist said that he would not cheat if he were racing in 2015, however ''if you take me back to 1995, when doping was completely pervasive, I would probably do it again''.



January 30 US consular outreach, Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort