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

nationmultimedia.com Phuket, Ratchaburi and Mae Hong Son have been declared ''hot spots'' and added to 10 other provinces, including Bangkok, that are under heightened police security during the runup to the July 3 election.

foxnews.com Thailand has ordered a crackdown on the ''alarming trend'' of foreign tourists having religious images tattooed on their bodies. The Culture Ministry will push for a law banning people from etching sacred images on their skin.

globalpost.com Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombat says that an uncomfortably high number of foreigners are interested in tattoos with sacred Buddhist and Hindu images, according to a new survey on Phuket. ''Some of the tourists deem religious tattoo patterns a fashion without any religious respect while some probably have those tattoos because of ignorance,'' reports the National News Bureau of Thailand.

pattayamail.com Religious tattoo patterns are very popular among foreign tourists and can be as expensive as 20,000 baht each.

asiancorrespondent.com Kidding aside, does this mean that Angelina Jolie has to remove some of her tattoos? Also what is evident by that move of the culture minister is the monopoly claim over Buddhism or faith in general and more or less defining what that is and how one should behave within that realm (like they are trying to impose their vision of ''Thai-ness'' in general). If only the Vatican would complain in the same fashion about the countless Jesus and crosses motives . . .

bangkokpost.com More than 20 Thai private organisations announced a concerted drive to force political parties to treat corruption more seriously, warning they would take matters into their own hands if need be. Ahead of the July 3 election, a meeting of the groups said it was prepared to establish an independent body to fight corruption.

pattayamail.com Perhaps it is advisable to avoid going out late at night as with bag snatchers and shooters on the streets, Pattaya is no longer a safe place to live.

ft.com Thailand has raised its benchmark lending rate by a further 25 basis points as part of its continuing battle against inflation as figures released on Wednesday showed it rose more than expected in May.

nationmultimedia.com Bangkok is ranked first among Asian cities based on the estimated number of international arrivals by air and the level of visitor expenditure this year, according to the findings of a study conducted by a leading credit-card company. It is estimated that Bangkok's expenditure per visitor is $1252, which is ranked third globally after New York ($2671) and London ($1274).

bernama The international airport in Bali received a bomb threat on Wednesday, an official at the airport said. Police are combing and carrying out an investigation at the airport to ensure the validity of the threat, officials at the airport told Xinhua news agency by phone.

nzherald.co.nz The arrest of two New Zealand citizens caught allegedly trying to smuggle methamphetamine into Tokyo's airport is just the latest example of the dangers of drug trafficking, say NZ police. The two, a 26-year-old male and a 25-year-old female, had travelled by Thai Airways from Bangkok.

smh.com.au Qantas has been forced to ground a passenger jet after five rats were found in emergency medical equipment on board. Flight attendants found the rats in the cabin of a Boeing 767 aircraft 10 minutes before passengers were due to board. Qantas was unsure last night how the rats got there.

aap One of Australia's leading brain surgeons says a new report into the potentially harmful effects of mobile phones should serve as a "wake-up call" to users and the telecommunications industry.

scmp.com China's government must carry out more research on the link between mobile phones and cancer so that people can make informed choices, according to a cancer specialist and the man who introduced the first smartphone to Hong Kong.

nytimes.com Japan underestimated the danger of tsunamis and needed more robust back-up systems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, a team of inspectors from an international nuclear watchdog said in a preliminary report on the nuclear disaster.

businessday.com.au Tiger Airways chief executive Tony Davis has sold another large parcel of shares in the budget airline, casting renewed doubts about his confidence in its longer-term outlook.

bangkokpost.com Phuket is a very good choice for architecture students, to give them a chance to see new resorts and spa hotels mushrooming all over town, enjoy the sea, sun and white sandy beaches, and find out for themselves why Phuket is consistently rated among the top 10 holiday destinations in the world.

bloomberg The number of million-dollar households in the world expanded by 12 per cent last year, led by Singapore, the Boston Consulting Group has said.

nytimes.com Tune Hotels, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, plans to have 100 hotels by 2015, mostly in cooperation with business partners. Its first hotels in Thailand and the Philippines are due to open later this year.

onlineprnews.com As any traveler in Bangtao, Phuket, Thailand will tell you, staying here for just a few days simply isn't enough for a holiday. With its scenic beaches, serene environment, and laid-back atmosphere, Bangtao is a place that fits most people's idea of the ultimate getaway.

eturbonews.com Today, Chiang Rai is a traveler's paradise, endowed with abundant natural attractions and antiquities. Attractions range from ruins of ancient settlements and Buddhist shrines to magnificent mountain scenery and hill tribe villages.



Until June 25 Kalim Kinetic Art Fair, Brush, Kalim
June 6-11 Phuket Snooker Championships, Patong
June 3-12 Southern Prison Produce Fair, Saphan Hin, Phuket City
June 10-11 Traditional Baba wedding festival, 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 1-6 Women's Beach Volleyball Series at Karon on 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