bbc.co.uk Dame Elizabeth Taylor, one of the 20th Century's biggest movie stars, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 79. The double Oscar-winning actress had a long history of ill health and was being treated for symptoms of congestive heart failure.

telegraph.co.uk Survivors of a plane which crashed on Phuket killing 90 passengers, including eight Britons, have told an inquest how it took 20 minutes for help to arrive at the scene. They say that it was through "pure luck" that they survived the incident in which a McDonnell-Douglas MD 82 hit the ground as it tried to land at Phuket then caught fire.

thisisbristol.co.uk Survivor Ashley Harrow: "The first fire trucks were there in four or five minutes. They tried to apply foam from a cannon but it was not reaching the plane because of the heavy wind."


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

bbc.co.uk An inquest has heard how an aircraft skidded on to a runway in Thailand and burst into flames, killing eight Britons. Ninety people are known to have died as a result of the incident on September 16, 2007. The One-Two-Go Thai aircraft from Bangkok, came in to land in bad weather at Phuket International Airport.

dailymail.co.uk The survivors of a plane crash in which eight people died have described the horrifying moment the aircraft skidded on to the runway and burst into flames. Peter Hill, since diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, said in a statement: "The main question for me is why the pilot tried to land in such weather conditions and why the passengers were given no warning before the crash."

walesonline.co.uk Christopher Cooley, one of the survivors, said: "There was smoke inside the plane and it was full of foam. I do not remember getting out of the emergency exit. I think I got out of a hole in the plane and dropped down into some kind of swamp. I cannot remember anyone panicking I only remember some gasps as we went down.''
Victims Alex Collins and Bethan Jones, both 22, decided to fly to Phuket that day as Bangkok was "too polluted".

telegraph.co.uk One-Two-Go, the budget Thai airline that operated the flight, has been accused by the victims' families of trying to cover up a series of failures which contributed to the crash. The case was adjourned until tomorrow at 10am when the coroner is expected to hear from an air crash investigation expert.

todayonline.com Thailand's House of Representatives will probably be dissolved by May 10 at the latest, with a general election likely on July 1 or 2, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said.

nytimes.com Plans are afoot for a new marina on the other side of Phang Nga Bay, about 50 kilometers across the sea from Phuket Boat Lagoon and three kilometers off the town of Krabi on the mainland. The new marina, Port Takola Marina, is still under construction, with a first phase expected to be ready in the middle of 2012. When completed, the marina will have about 250 berths that can accommodate yachts ranging from 10 meters to 35 meters.

bbc.co.uk Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has appeared at a site in Tripoli that was recently attacked by a US-led coalition and told his followers that "all Islamic armies" should join his fight.

guardian.co.uk US forces sent into Libya to rescue two downed American airmen botched the mission by shooting and wounding friendly villagers who had come to help, witnesses have said.

telegraph.co.uk Yemen's increasingly isolated president warned that his country stood on the brink of civil war as he made his biggest concession yet by promising to step down at the end of the year.

Phuket Update The shelter for Phuket tourists in trouble is almost complete alongside Tourist Police headquarters in Yaowarat Road, Phuket City, with a coat of white paint already added since Phuketwan's visit.

bangkokpost.com Thailand's passenger traffic connecting to Japan is valued at US$1.16 billion a year, involving 2.3 million passengers and accounting for 15 percent of Thailand's international air travel revenue, according to figures compiled by the International Air Transport Association.

telegraph.co.uk An early [tsunami] warning system in Indonesia [in 2004] could have saved 150,000 lives. It wouldn't have helped so much in Japan, because the tsunami hit too quickly. But an evacuation plan could have made the difference: many people were lost as they fled to their cars and jammed the roads. The second lesson is that nuclear power is even safer than we thought.

bangkokpost.com Japanese ambassador to Thailand Seiji Kojima has vowed that food products from his country are safe amid news reports that several Asian countries have stepped up checks on Japanese imports. Local tourism operators are asking the government to offer visas of more than 30 days to Japanese tourists wanting to escape the troubles besetting their country.

bloomberg.com Singapore Air, the world's second-largest carrier by market value, will suspend one of its two daily services to Tokyo's Haneda airport from March 27, it said on its website. Jetstar will redirect half of its 14 weekly Tokyo-bound flights to Osaka after a fall in demand.

Associated Press A decades-old insurgency in Burma's east could be curbed with the help of neighboring Thailand, an official in the military-run nation said in a state media report. Burma Information Minister Kyaw Hsan's comments appear intended to deflect blame for the crisis in Kayin State onto Thailand, which allows Karen rebels a safe haven.

afp Malaysia is probably an illicit transit point for parts used in weapons of mass destruction, the home minister was quoted as saying after police seized suspected weapons equipment.

standartnews.com For a fifth year Finland is the country with the strongest protection of intellectual ownership right, but this time it shares the first position with Sweden with 8.5 points on a 10 grade scale. Bulgaria is on 64th place with 5.3 points along with Turkey, Thailand, Morocco, Croatia, Brazil and Benin.

pti Singapore is on track to receive 12 million to 13 million tourists this year and tourism receipts of 22-24 billion Singapore dollars, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Education S Iswaran said.

aap With an increasing number of women hitting the road on their own, they have now got a new option: a ladies only stay to make them feel more secure. Portal Hotel in Brisbane city offers guests a women's only floor.

thestar.com.my There is an impending water shortage in Malaysia. Malaysians use an average of 226 litres of water per person daily. Singaporeans use 154 litres (and intend to lower it to 147 litres by 2020) while the Thais manage with 90 litres.

bangkokpost.com The rebranding of Thai Carrefour stores into the Big C banner has begun in earnest with the Suwinthawong site the first to get a new look.

telegraph.co.uk Cambodia has banned foreign men over the age of 50 marrying local women in an effort to combat sham marriages and human trafficking. South Korean men in particular seek Cambodian "mail-order brides" set up by agencies.

thejakartapost.com Indonesia has pledged its support for Timor Leste to become part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a presidential staffer said after a meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. Indonesia is the Asean chair for 2011.

bernama.com Renown English Premier League clubs Liverpool and Chelsea are expected to play friendly matches against Malaysia's squad during their Far East Asian Tour in July.



PHUKET Navy League is planning a free Independence Day event on Sunday, July 3 from 10am to 7pm at Headstart International School, across the street from Makro, near Central Festival in Phuket City.

ST PATRICK'S DAY BALL. Life Home Project and Ireland's honorary consul Helene Fallon-Wood are hosting the Second St Patrick's Day Ball at the Movenpick Resort and Spa in Karon on March 26 with cocktails from 6.30pm and dinner to follow. Tickets at 4000 baht benefit the Life Home Project. Contact Khun Joojee 081 3979809 or Khun Eee or Nee 086 9469232. Tickets will be available at BAKE Chalong, Cherng Talay and BIS.

March 26 St Patrick's Day Ball, Movenpick Resort and Spa, Karon. Details 081 3979809 or 086 9469232
March 26 Earth Hour commemoration on Phuket
March 28-31 longboat races, Koh Panyee, Phang Nga
April 1 Turtle release, Banyan Tree seafront, Laguna Phuket
April 2 'To Japan from Phuket With Love' charity concert, Karon Beach
April 8-10 Phuket Bike Week, Patong
April 13-15 Songkran Festival
May New PPAO Hospital to open, Phuket City
June 12 Laguna Phuket International Marathon
June 23-26 Phuket Fun Fly paragliding, Nai Harn
October Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
November 27 Laguna Phuket Triathlon
December 4 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Laguna


March 18-28 National Youth Games, Phuket

Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket