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

Phuket Update The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan is due to anchor off Phuket on Sunday with cruiser USS Chancellorsville and destroyer USS Preble. The destroyer USS Gridley is already off Phuket's deep sea port. About 6000 US personnel are expected to enjoy Phuket shore leave.

latimes.com The Daily Telegraph claims William and Kate are headed for a weeklong tour in south Jordan, despite a generally dicey atmosphere currently in parts of the Middle East. Rumored destinations include the ancient city of Petra and the Wadi Rum desert valley, the paper said.

postchronicle.com According to reports, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be honeymooning first at Balmoral Estate, the royal residence in the Scottish Highlands. After the initial honeymoon, the couple will be going to a secret destination - and rumor has it that place might be either Seychelles, The Great Barrier Reef, or a location in Kenya.

mirror.co.uk Fergie is licking her wounds in Thailand. The Duchess, former wife of Prince Andrew, notably failed to receive an invite to see Kate and William say their vows and jetted off to the far-flung country. Her spokesman insisted she was working on her book, 'Finding Sarah,' in the Far East paradise.

pattayamail.com After paying a visit to Phuket International Airport, AoT Chairman and Independent Director Tirapol Noparumpa indicated that the company had drawn up a project to improve the airport's facilities ''in order to heighten convenience for commuters and ease congestion within the premises.''

thephuketinsider.com Phuket's east coast looks set to play home to a new Park Hyatt with an iconic world class designer awaiting a formal launch.

aljazeera.net A brief ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia has broken down, shattering hopes for a quick end to the border conflict as the two sides exchanged fire for an eighth day. Cambodian Colonel Suos Sothea said the Thai army fired artillery shells into Cambodia again and small arms fire crackled anew around the Ta Krabey temple, which lies in a disputed zone along the frontier.

bangkokpost.com Shareholders of Serm Suk Plc, the local bottler of Pepsi, voted unanimously to terminate the exclusive bottling contract and end the company's 58-year relationship with the US beverage giant PepsiCo. Thailand has long been one of only a handful of cola markets in the world where Pepsi outsells Coke.

Phuket Update Cell phones: Officials at Phuket Prison say it has been raining mobile phones over the high walls at the jail during April, with 50 units tossed across in fall-cushioning boxes in the hope of reaching inmates.

sfgate.com Don't miss: Phang Nga Bay filled with breathtaking limestone cliffs and Maya Bay where the movie 'The Beach' was filmed. Don't bother: Going to Patong beach. It is overcrowded, jet-skis abound, and the beach itself doesn't even compare to the outlying beaches.

afp Activists who want to ban male circumcision in San Francisco have taken a step towards putting the issue to a popular vote, sparking outcry from Jewish and Muslim groups. Opponents say the ban would never hold up in court because it violates the freedom of religion clause of the US constitution.

scmp.com A top Hong Kong ICAC investigator - widely recognised as a rising star in the anti-graft organisation - has been arrested by his own colleagues and is facing accusations of corruption.

thenational.ae The southern Thai city of Phuket is great to visit all year round, although most tourists prefer to arrive between November to April when the weather is cool and the chances of getting soaked in a rainstorm are few. But the rainy season, beginning around mid-April, is the best time to grab a bargain holiday deal. Plan your trip anyway because the showers don't last very long and rarely occur more than twice a day.

scmp.com Even as the government was making public its proposals for reforming the tour industry, yet another group of mainland tourists were complaining of ill-treatment by a guide who said they hadn't spent enough on a shopping trip



PHUKET'S US Navy League is holding a welcome party Sunday night for the crew of the USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group at the Irish Times Pub in Patong's Jungceylon mall, with check-in from 6pm. Irish carving buffet 7pm. Cost: Navy League members 300 baht, visitors 400 baht.

May 1 National Labor Day public holiday
May 5 Coronation Day public holiday
May 13 Royal Ploughing Day public holiday
May New PPAO Hospital to open, Phuket City
May 17 Visakha Bucha Day public holiday
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