dailytelegraph.co.uk Thai special forces fired on unarmed civilians sheltering in a Buddhist temple from an elevated rail track after troops crushed an opposition protest last May. A state inquiry into the deaths of six people in May when central Bangkok was paralysed by the anti-government demonstrations has contradicted the Thai military position that no one was killed in the temple.


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

nationmultimedia.com Starting in January, a government crackdown on street people, especially those with mental illnesses, will commence across Thailand. The unfortunate people are to be cared for in five Mitr Maitree Homes - in Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima and Nakhon Si Thammarat.

mcot.net Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he could dissolve the House of Representatives either in March or April, and call for a fresh general election if peace prevails in Thailand, the economy improves and, most importantly, election rules are acceptable to every concerned party.

nationmultimedia.com Dissolution of the House of Representatives may take place in the first quarter of next year, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said, hinting at a snap election before March or April. Abhisit also said the repeal of emergency rule was on track for Cabinet debate on Tuesday.

scmp.com Jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo was honored as this year's Nobel peace laureate in a moving ceremony in Oslo, with his conspicuous absence poignantly symbolised by an empty chair.

cnn.com Keeping dissidents locked up, blocking prominent intellectuals from leaving the country and blacking out news reports - China is pulling out all the stops to keep news about Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo out of public sight.

dailymail.co.uk Jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Russian officials said. The Kremlin urged non-governmental organisations to consider ''nominating Assange as a Nobel Prize laureate''.

marketingweek.co.uk TAT has been trying to widen its appeal as more than just a student backpacker destination for some years and will increase investment in targeting upmarket tourists with a focus on weddings and honeymoons, spa and wellness and golf. Additionally, the body will address a new family audience with messages emphasising responsible travel and green tourism.

thailand-business-news.com The National Wage Committee has agreed to raise the daily minimum wage around the country by between 8 and 17 baht. The Social Security Office says about two million Thai workers and two million migrant workers will benefit from the increase. The increase of 17 baht in the minimum wage in Phuket, from 204 baht to 221 baht, is the highest in the country.

onasia.com Winners of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand/ OnAsia photojournalism contest 2010 have been decided. To see all of the winning photographs as well as those of the photographers receiving honorable mentions, click on www.onasia.com

afp France will be the world's most visited country in 2010 followed by the US, with China and Spain battling for third place, the UN World Tourism Organisation says. By 2020 China will be the the world's most visited country as well as the top source of foreign tourists.

gulf-times.com Philippine police arrested an alleged Singaporean drugs courier shortly after his arrival at Manila airport. Soa Kiam Hwee, 36, was taken into custody after he arrived from Thailand with about four kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride, a banned stimulant locally known as ''shabu''.

smh.com.au There are at least 10 accredited agents in Australia selling the dream on behalf of the space tourism company Virgin Galactic, and its product could be just 18 months away. A $212 million commercial spaceport, which will be called Spaceport America, is nearing completion in New Mexico.

bbc.co.uk One of Indonesia's most-wanted Islamic militant suspects has been arrested at his home, police say. Abu Tholut, 49, is suspected of helping to set up a militant training camp in Aceh province, recruiting militants and raising funds for "terror activities".

thestar.com As the US searches for new ways to nudge Burma toward democratic change, it may find an unexpected ally in China, according to secret diplomatic cables. Internal State Department correspondence shows a much less adversarial relationship between the US and China over Burma than the language of official statements or years of posturing at the UN might suggest.

bangkokpost.com Dockworkers and foreign businessmen have seen evidence of alleged secret nuclear and missiles weapons sites being built deep in the Burmese jungle, a leaked US diplomatic cable said. The ruling party in Burma has dismissed reports of its nuclear intentions and brushed aside Western concerns about possible cooperation with North Korea.

mizzima.com On the heels of the largest influx of Burmese refugees to Thailand in a decade, assistance organisations are calling for a global response in ensuring a holistic system of aid is in place for those displaced.

smh.com.au In Bangkok at 11pm try: Moon Bar on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree hotel; Sky Bar, on the 63rd floor of Bangkok's second-highest building, the State Tower; or the sky-high Roof Top Bar on the 83rd floor of the 88-storey Baiyoke Sky Hotel (Bangkok's tallest building). For a riverside location and a view, you can't beat Three Sixty Lounge on level 32 of the Millennium Hilton Bangkok, which recently started to offer picnics under the full moon in its rooftop garden, complete with candles, black-and-white movies and deluxe picnic hampers (1500 baht a couple).



Until December 11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta Sail Past today
December 15-20 Patong Carnival
December 16-18 2010 Asia Superyacht Rendezvous
December 17-19 Phuket Street Show Festival, Old Phuket Town
December 17 US Consular outreach service on Phuket
December 30-January 9 Phuket Red Cross fair, Saphan Hin park, Phuket City


January 6-9 PIMEX boat show, Royal Phuket Marina
January 22 QSI International fun run day at Bang Wad Dam, Kathu
January 23 The Great Phuket Rubber Duck Race Day, Laguna Phuket
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi