smh.com.au An Australian woman has been raped while a knife was held to her throat during a violent robbery at the villa where she was staying with family in Bali. The 28-year-old from Perth was attacked after being woken by an intruder who had entered her room at Villa Damais in Kerobokan.

THREE more motorcycles burned in separate incidents on Phuket this morning. The first in Tung Thong was followed by a Honda Wave on fire in Kalim at 10.45am and a third outside a Kamala hotel soon after. That brings the recent tally of ''hot'' bikes to 32, with most attributed to loan sharks dissatisfied with slow-paying clients.

RAIN is forecast today for Phuket, Phang Nga and Ranong, with a 60 percent chance of storms. Captains of small boats are advised to consult local forecasts before putting to sea.

bangkokpost.com A singles-oriented bar in Australia is running a contest for a free trip to Thailand, and all the plastic surgery you can eat, so to speak. the promotion is blatantly sexy, aimed primarily at women who might want to ''improve'' their breasts, butts or legs.


PHUKET: The daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media. Beware of inconsistent imitations.

bangkokpost.com The need for AoT to determine the future of Phuket airport is becoming ever more critical against the backdrop of surging passenger traffic to Phuket, whose popularity as a global destination keeps increasing. Sita Divari, AoT's chairman, said the alternatives include adding further capacity at the airport's current site, building a greenfield airport in Phangnga province to the north or using Krabi airport, some 180 kilometres from urban Phuket, as a relief airfield. The scenario for post the 2015 expansion is Phuket airport returning to square one, meaning it would once again become as heavily overcrowded as it is now.

Phuket Update As Phuketwan has reported, the option to enlarge the present 5.8 billion baht expansion from a maximum capacity of 12.5 million passengers to 15 million could be achieved by extending the new terminal into space currently occupied by staff quarters. At current rates of growth, this would also quickly be absorbed. What AoT planners neglect to consider is whether that's big enough. Phuket is in danger of sliding into oblivion if its carrying capacity is exceeded, something AoT needs to seriously consider.

Phuket Update Another motorcycle was set on fire on Phuket early today, with police from TungThong called to investigate the blazing bike about 3.30am.

tvnz.co.nz At least five people were killed and 15 injured when a suspension bridge collapsed near Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya. Police said several motorcycle drivers and their vehicles fell into the Pasak river on Sunday while they were crossing the bridge in Tha Ruea district, 109 kilometres north of Bangkok, Associated Press reports.

woodworkingnetwork.com American businessman Nicholas Springer is missing in Thailand and may have been abducted, says the US State Department. Springer was in Pattaya, Thailand, building a cabinetry and wood products manufacturing plant in a development project established by him and his business partner, Harvey Sims.



thephuketinsider.com Amcham's Greater Phuket Chapter together with the local membership of AustCham and BBAP (British Business Association Phuket) will stage a joint social networking event at the new Pullman Arcadia Resort at Naithon Beach. The tribes have merged and every nationality is invited to join for sundowners to meet old friends or make new ones on May 10.

nationmultimedia.com Casa de la Flora, a luxury resort in Khao Lak, is raising its profile in both the international and domestic markets after its doors were opened almost two years ago. The resort is cashing in on the growing tourism industry in Phang Nga province, which has rebounded completely after being hit by the deadly tsunami in December 2004.

smh.com.au At the annual White House Correspondents dinner, President Obama joked: ''I know CNN has taken some knocks lately, but the fact is I admire their commitment to cover all sides of a story, just in case one of them happens to be accurate.''

independent.co.uk Richard Branson writes: Travel advisories stopping people visiting countries due to terrorist attacks should be banned. The reason for this is that they are exactly what the terrorists want.

afp Rebels from Thailand's restive south said they wanted ''liberation'' from the kingdom and laid out a catalogue of demands, a day ahead of talks aimed at ending a bloody nine-year insurgency.

bangkokpost.com The Barisan Revolusi Nasionals five demands issued ahead of today's peace talks with the government will be ''hard to accept,'' National Security Council (NSC) chief Paradorn Pattanatabut says. Demands include Malaysia acting as ''mediator.''

times.co.uk Two guests have died in an incident at an Essex hotel indoor swimming pool, police said. A man in his thirties and a woman in her twenties were found in the water at Down Hall Country House Hotel in Hatfield Heath.

cnn.com Bangladesh authorities say they have arrested the owner of the collapsed building that killed hundreds as a desperate search for survivors continues.

bloomberg.com More than 1400 cases of arson, fighting and other election-related crimes have been recorded by police since Malaysia's parliament was dissolved for polls which will determine whether Najib Razak's government can extend its five-decade grip on power.

straitstimes.com Only three people know the color of the indelible ink that will be used in next Sunday's general election in Malaysia, the New Straits Times reported.

AP A possible gas explosion ripped off the side of a five-story residential building in France's Champagne country, killing at least three people and injuring 14 others, officials said.

express.co.uk Trish Harbord's Top 10: 8 On Thailand's west coast, you'll find the 'Pearl of the Andaman,' the country's largest island of Phuket. Famed for bars and clubs, it is also a great family destination and the Cape Panwa Resort has something for all.

smh.com.au People are starting to push back against privacy threats. An AVG Technologies survey found many adults were turning away from social media. Of those who agreed social media had eroded their privacy at work, 23 percent said they now avoided social networks.

buyingbusinesstravel.com Tom Otley talks to CEO Chanin Donavanik: Thailand is considered a cheap destination, but we have to convince visitors that we have more than that to offer. Bangkok is good value, but Phuket is achieving $300 a night for a five-star price, so some parts have been doing quite well and others have yet to catch up. our MICE business is upwards of 20 percent and we are hoping to grow that to 25 percent this year.

birminghammail.co.ukA Midland kickboxer suspected of murdering a US marine in Thailand has been accused of fighting with fellow prisoners. Lee Aldhouse, currently being held in Phuket jail while he stands trial, is considered to be the worst behaved inmate, it has been reported.

eturbonews.com A great many tourists and Westerners in Bali can tell you how they paid a bribe to a traffic cop to get out of trouble. It's generally about $20 but it adds up when you consider how many people they stop and ''fine'' in a shift.

metro.co.uk HommeMystere are hoping their new range of lingerie for males, which includes thongs and padded bras, will change the landscape of men's underwear.



twentyfour7football.com David Beckham was sent off after coming on as a late substitute for Paris Saint-Germain in a 1-0 win away at Evian, ending the night with eight men. Beckham went in with a studs-showing challenge. Following the end of the game, goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu was also shown red, making him PSG's third player to be dismissed.

mirror.co.uk Frank Lampard's spot-kick in Chelsea's 2-0 defeat of Swansea took him to 201 goals for the Blues, just one behind guest of honour Bobby Tambling, who met the midfielder after the game.

hereisthecity.com Manchester United's summer tour will start in Thailand against the Singha All Star XI in Bangkok and from there they will also visit Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong and Sydney; all places where they have massive fan bases.



Navy League Phuket is holding a two day American Independence Day picnic July 6-7 at Phuket Aero Park seven kilometers east of Heroine's Monument. Free entry, air show, American beer. navyleaguephuket.org for specifics. Sponsors needed.

April 28 Kata-Karon Mini-Marathon, Karon Park

May 1 National Labor Day

June 9 Laguna Phuket International Marathon

July 17-21 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek

October 5-13 Phuket Vegetarian Festival

November 9 Asian Cup Triathlon Sprint, Patong

November 10 ITU Long Distance Series triathlon, Patong

November 17 Loy Kratong Day

November 24-December 1 Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest. Laguna Phuket

December 5 HM The King's birthday



November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket