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

bangkokpost.com The Excise Department will strictly inspect land transactions in highly popular tourist destinations where tax evasion is said to be widespread. According to a senior official, property sales in Krabi, Samui and Phuket have mushroomed in recent years, skyrocketing property prices in some areas 100-fold from a decade ago. Developers are attempting to accumulate land banks for resorts and residential projects, the source said.

openpr.com New flight routes from Chongqing, one of the five central cities in China, to Phuket have been directed due to the increase of Chinese tourism to this destination. Sichuan Airlines will be operating this service on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. A recent poll by a China travel website ranked Phuket the sixth most popular holiday destination.

thepeninsularqatar.com Thailand's main opposition party nominated the sister of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as its candidate for the top post in coming elections, a decision likely to inflame tensions in the country's highly polarised politics. Yingluck Shinawatra, 43, has little political experience and is seen as a stand-in for Thaksin.

bangkokpost.com The Democrat Party is hoping to win at least 200 seats in the election, party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban said. The party expects that about 66 of its party list candidates will win seats in the House and that the remainder will be won by constituency candidates, Mr Suthep said.

nationmultimedia.com The Japan National Tourism Organisation and the Thai Travel Agents Association will work together for the first time to help restore two-way tourism after the number of visitors to both countries dropped with the quake and tsunami in Japan. Thailand has lost about 300,000 visitors.

heraldsun.com.au A Melbourne-bound Qantas A-380 flight carrying 249 passengers was forced to divert to Adelaide after crew discovered it did not have enough fuel. A Qantas spokesman said the low supply was not the result of a leak.

news.com.au Travellers are certainly among the most exploited, vulnerable and yet compliant of all consumer groups.

heraldsun.com.au Thailand's representative to Fifa has promised to file a complaint for defamation after corruption claims. "I deny all accusations. They are wrong," Worawi Makudi told a press conference in Bangkok, referring to allegations of corruption levelled against him by a British official.

radioaustralianews.net.au Burma's military-backed government has announced all current prisoners' sentences will be cut by one year. A message by President Thein Sein, read out on state TV, said those who faced the death penalty would have their sentences reduced to life imprisonment.

jeriusalempost.com Princess of Thailand, Dr HRH Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol, met with President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem, where she expressed her fondness for Israel and said she even added an Israeli name to her name, Tzila. She was slightly injured in a traffic accident but insisted on going to meet the president.

bangkokpost.com Upscale hotels in Bangkok are likely to engage in a price war over the next few years, given the oversupply of luxury rooms. Starwood is betting on the prospect with plans to add at least five mid-scale hotels under its Four Points by Sheraton brand by 2014.

eturbonews.com Sri Lanka is achieving similar yields per tourist night as that of Thailand and Malaysia, despite the lack of supplementary tourism offerings. Sri Lanka has about 15,000 hotel rooms and 70 percent or more require substantial upgrading.

dnainfo.com US officials turned over five hand-carved human skulls dating from the 18th and 19th centuries to Indonesian authorities. The artifacts - believed to be "headhunting" trophy skulls from the Dayak tribe of Borneo - were shipped in a package from Bali with a declared value of under $5, which raised suspicions.

telegraph.co.uk Professor Stephen Hawking, the eminent Cambridge scientist and cosmologist, has dismissed heaven as a ''fairy story for people afraid of the dark.'' Asked how we should live he replied: ''We should seek the greatest value of our action.''



May 17 Visakha Bucha Day public holiday
Until May 22 Phuket's nightly village fair of local products, food and entertainment, Saphan Hin, Phuket City
May 31 New PPAO Hospital to open, Phuket City
June 12 Laguna Phuket International Marathon
June 17 Phuket Property Dot Com Pro Am Invitational, Laguna
June 23-26 Phuket Fun Fly paragliding, Nai Harn
July 3 Phuket Navy League US Independence Day fair at Headstart International School
July 15 Asarnha Bucha Day public holiday
July 20-24 Six Senses Phuket Raceweek
August 12 HM The Queen's Birthday public holiday
October Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
November 26-27 9th Phuket International Soccer 7s
November 27 Laguna Phuket Triathlon
December 3-4 6th Andaman International Soccer 7s
December 4 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Laguna


March 18-28 National Youth Games, Phuket

November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket