THE government today removed state of emergency conditions for three provinces - Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Ubonratchathani.


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

koco.com An Oklahoma woman said her 23-year-old son was fatally stabbed outside a bar on Phuket on Saturday. DaShawn Longfellow was from Norman and a Purple Heart recipient after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. ''The guy from the embassy called, Tim Swanson, and he called me to inform me that my son was killed in a stabbing over an incident at a bar,'' said his mother, Tammy Longfellow. She said she wants her son to remembered for his strength. She said her son joined the Marine Corps after graduating from Norman High School in 2005. DaShawn Longfellow had five siblings and a girlfriend who are mourning him, his mother said.

nydailynews.com A British kickboxer is being hunted by police for allegedly murdering an American tourist in Thailand. Authorities are combing the island of Phuket for 28-year-old Lee Aldhouse, who they believe killed Dashawn Longfellow, 23, on Saturday.

thesun.co.uk A British kickboxer is on the run after a US Marine was stabbed to death while on holiday in Thailand. Police are searching the resort island of Phuket for Lee Aldhouse, 28, who is suspected of killing Dashawn Longfellow, 23, after a fight at a bar.

asiaone.com Singapore-listed Banyan Tree Holdings said it had sold one of its hotels in Thailand to reduce its exposure to the country's political risk and was looking to invest in new projects in China. The premium hotel and resort developer will make a gain of around S$68.4 million from the sale of Dusit Laguna Phuket, which will be used for investments and to reduce the firm's bank borrowings. ''The frequent political events in Thailand have prompted us to accelerate our plans to re-balance our asset portfolio in order to reduce our exposure to some countries and increase in others, particularly China,'' Executive Chairman Ho Kwon Ping said.

channelnewsasia.com Banyan Tree has sunk deeper in the red for the second quarter, more than doubling its losses on-year to S$9.2 million. Revenue grew just two per cent to S$60.7 million, held up by its Maldives and Phuket hotels. ''We have more than 60 percent of our total assets in Thailand, and in the past, we thought that we would not actively divest; (so) we would just reduce that mix by growing elsewhere. As a result of what has been happening, we decided to accelerate this whole process, not just by growing elsewhere, but also by actively reducing that concentration in Thailand. We would hope to get it to be below 50 percent for sure over the next few years,'' executive chairman Ho Kwon Ping said.

siangtai.com Phuket police conducted a crackdown on Saturday on vendors selling cigarettes, flowers and other items in Patong roads. In the process, they stopped a suspicious looking Russian* [actually a Syrian, one reader points out] tourist and on searching him discovered 0.5 grams of marijuana. The 32-year-old man was arrested and is awaiting a court appearance.

bangkokpost.com The Democrat Party will hold a forum to gather the opinions of motorcycle taxi drivers, many of whom are Puea Thai Party supporters, as polls indicate the opposition party is enjoying a slight edge in popular support. Most of the city's motorcycle taxi drivers joined the recent red shirt rally. A survey showed there are more than 700,000 motorcycle taxi drivers nationwide, with about 180,000 in Bangkok.

andrew-drummond.com Briton Raymond Hyde is the latest victim in a series of killings by Thai wives who can't wait to get their hands on their inheritance. Hyde, 68, was beaten to death in the couples' luxury retirement home in Hua Hin. He had told her he was leaving her 200,000 pounds, the house, and a bar business. Bunnag, 38, has been remanded with her boyfriend and her brother is a fugitive. The British Embassy in Bangkok processes on average 70 marriages a week, mainly between older Britons with young Thai wives.

irishtimes.com This year looks set to become the hottest year on record worldwide, following confirmation that global average temperatures for the first seven months of 2010 were the warmest since records began in 1880. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which gathers meteorological data worldwide, last month was the second warmest July on record (after 1998) with an average temperature of 16.5 degrees over land and oceans.

nationmultimedia.com Coffee machine makers the Aroma Group expects its overall revenues to perk up to one billion baht in three years along with the steady growth in coffee entrepreneurs. The trend towards drinking freshly brewed coffee has encouraged the company to set up Aroma Academy branches in Phuket and Chiang Mai by the year-end, in addition to those in Bangkok.

express.co.uk Mike Tyson, once ''the baddest man on the planet,'' is set to become a missionary, saying he wants to go and ''live in a hut'' in Burma. The troubled former heavy- weight boxing champion says that he hopes helping people in need will give him back his pride. Now the 44-year-old says he is full of shame and is determined to do some good.

independent.co.uk The Thai government is now supporting moves to slash hotel prices and holiday packages to destinations across the country - and it's embarking on a charm drive designed to remind the world why Thailand has long been such a popular spot for travelers. the Thai Chamber of Commerce, which recently reported that hotel occupancy in the capital has reached 40 to 50 percent - still a ways off from what is considered ideal but a lot more positive than the 10 to 20 percent lows experienced during the civil unrest experienced during March and May.

nationmultimedia.com Aside from budget airlines, Thais are also treated to budget hotels. There are so many hotels that offer low room rates despite the deluxe ambience. Years ago, you could not have checked in a room in Phuket, with a large swimming pool, and pay slightly above 1000 baht. Now, I'm dreaming about more budget products. Chief among them should be budget hospitals.

cleveland.com We wanted an isolated and unique tropical experience at some point on the trip - Fiji and Tahiti were considered - but Jon's love of Thai food clinched it. Several months ago, after the State Department issued a travel warning to Thailand following a coup in Bangkok, we thought we might have to reroute [from Phuket]. Turns out, coups there are rather routine (and the State Department lifted its warning last month). All part of the intrigue, we have decided to suppose.



August 21 Rip Curl Hunt for Young Surfers, Nai Harn beach
August 29 Patong Rotary Golf Scrambles and fun dinner for charity at Laguna. Details: 081 8929207
September 4 Rip Curl Hunt for Young Surfers, Kata beach
Until September 9 Ramadan
September 11 Phuket Surf Lifesaving Carnival, Loma Park, Patong
September 18 Rip Curl Hunt for Young Surfers, Surin beach
October 1-3 Asian Hospitality and Travel Show, Central Festival Phuket Convention and Exhibition Center, Phuket City
October 8-16 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
November 2-7 Phuket womens' beach volleyball, Karon beach
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta
2011
January 6-9 PIMEX boat show, Royal Phuket Marina
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi