irishexaminer.com Irishman Colin Callanan, 29, drowned in a diving incident off Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand at the weekend. Mr Callanan had been living in Perth for six years. He is survived by his six-year-old son Lee. Details of the incident have yet to emerge.

guardian.co.uk The Lion Air pilot whose jet fell into the sea while trying to land in Bali has reportedly described how he felt it ''dragged'' out of its trajectory and into the water. Investigators are considering whether a powerful downdraft of wind caused the crash in which all 108 passengers and crew survived despite the Boeing 737 cracking in half on impact. ['Windshear' plus error by an Indonesian pilot were blamed for a 2007 crash on Phuket in which 90 died and 40 survived.]

bbc.co.uk Adam Scott collected the first major of his career after beating Angel Cabrera in a sudden-death play-off at the Masters. Both players finished 72 holes on nine under and could not be separated at the first play-off hole, before Scott holed in from 15 feet at the 10th to become the first Australian to win at Augusta.


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

afp All eyes are on North Korea to see if it marks the birthday of late founder Kim Il-sung on Monday with a missile launch, despite tension-reducing noises from Seoul and Washington.

nationmultimedia.com The number of inbound travellers to Thailand is anticipated to increase by 18.6 percent this month to about 2 million and generate 83.7 billion baht in revenue, up 20 percent over April 2012, according to Kasikorn Research Centre.

rt.com Five people died and 19 were injured after a bus carrying Russian teenagers crashed outside Antwerp, Belgium. The vehicle rammed through a barrier, and then fell off an elevated highway. At least 19 people have been injured, 5 are in critical condition.

scmp.com The dramatic crash of a Lion Air plane into the sea off Bali has raised fears Indonesia's fastest-growing carrier may be putting passenger safety at risk.

metro.co.uk Air crash investigators have found one of two flight data recorders from the wreckage of the plane that crashed into the sea in Bali. They hope the recorder will help determine what caused the Boeing 737-800 passenger jet to overshoot the runway and crash.

scmp.com The deadly new strain of bird flu has spread further in China, with two people in Henan province confirmed as infected with H7N9, the first cases in the region.

rttnews.com At least 11 people were killed and 50 others injured in a hotel fire in central China's Hubei Province. Two Xiangyang firefighters said the fire started in an Internet cafe on the floor below the hotel in a five-storey building.

saipantribune.com Asiana Airlines asked 1825 of its cabin crew members for their preferences for different travel purposes. Phuket topped the list for couples with 26 percent, though Sydney won out with 29 percent when flight attendants were asked about honeymoons.

nytimes.com The Indonesian government has given the leaders of strife-torn Aceh Province until Tuesday to annul a bylaw passed last month that declares the banner of a former armed separatist movement to be the province's official flag and seal.

asiaone.com Travel agencies in Singapore plan to pull out all stops to meet an expected surge in demand during the eight potential long weekends scheduled for 2014. Civil servant Dylan Wang, 29, said: ''I plan to use the long weekends to travel around the region to places like Bangkok and Phuket.''

reuters.com Top 10 coastal drives around the world: 9. Northeast Loop - Phuket, Thailand. While the majority of the resorts on Phuket are centered on the south and western shores, a few VirtualTourist members suggested driving along the Northeast loop to get a ''behind the scenes'' view of island life. By turning off Route 402 at the Heroines Monument circle, drivers head on an 11 km loop on the far Northeast tip of the island.

hindustantimes.com A trip to Phuket means diving into crystal clear, warm waters around the famous Phi Phi islands, swimming with exotic marine life, breathing fresh air or watching yet another breathtaking sunset while sipping a Mojito? The destination is famous for its white sands, deserted beaches and emerald waters.



Agencies Sergio Aguero scored a stunning header as Manchester City held off a spirited Chelsea side to complete a 2-1 win in a breathless FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Agencies Robin van Persie ended his scoring drought as Manchester United moved nearer the Premier League title with a 2-0 win at relegation-haunted Stoke.

afp Tear gas, stun grenades and knuckle-dusters provided a grim, bloody backdrop as hooliganism returned to haunt Europe's top leagues this weekend. From London's showpiece Wembley Stadium to Munich's glittering Allianz Arena and at the 2004 Olympic Stadium in Athens, fans fought hit-and-run battles with riot police.

telegraph.co.uk Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini has emerged as the favourite to take over as Chelsea's next manager, with Roman Abramovich unmoved by Jose Mourinho's attempts to get his old job back.

goal.com AC Milan secured a 1-1 draw against close rivals Napoli at San Siro to keep up their bid for Champions League football next season, with Mathieu Flamini playing the role of hero and villain.



ISLAND BLISS and Trisara are holding a Ready-to-Wear Collection Fashion Show 2013 5pm-7pm on April 27 at Trisara, 800 baht admission or 1200 baht with post-runway dinner, goes to the Good Shepherd Phuket. rsvp sales@trisara.com

April 13-17 Songkran New Year Festival

April 13 Angsana Laguna Phuket with XANA and Attica invites guests and Phuket locals to celebrate Thai New Year with a full day program. Entrance is freewith a lot of fun activities from Songkran water wars parade to Miss Songkran Competition and much more.

April 14-21 Phuket Bike Week

April 22-28 Phuket Pride Week, with the theme ''Same Same Not Different.'' Grand Parade 4pm April 27.

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