reuters The FBI is investigating the massacre of 14 people in California by a married couple armed with assault rifles as an ''act of terrorism,'' officials said, noting the wife was believed to have pledged allegiance to a leader of the militant group Islamic State.


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 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom on Friday sent her best wishes in a message to His Majesty the King on the occasion of his 88th birthday on Saturday.



bloomberg Thailand is stepping up security at embassies and tourist destinations after receiving intelligence that 10 Syrians with links to Islamic State entered the country to carry out attacks against Russian interests.

dw.com Thai officials announced that they have heightened security at all popular tourist spots, but especially the island of Phuket: ''There is no reason to panic. Increased security measures have already been in place since the bomb attack in Bangkok in August.''

thestar.com.my Malaysians travelling to Thailand have been asked to be wary in the wake of intelligence reports that Syrian militants are planning terror attacks in the kingdom.



voanews.com In Bangkok, a meeting of senior regional government officials called for greater coordinated action in dealing with irregular migration in the Indian Ocean. Most of those on the move are Muslim Rohingya.

AP An Indonesian court overruled defense objections and decided to proceed with the trials of five Thais and three Indonesians accused of human trafficking in connection with slavery in the seafood industry. Indonesian police have found that hundreds of foreign fishermen were recruited in Thailand and brought to Indonesia using fake immigration papers and were subjected to severe labor abuses.

nationmultimedia.com To deal with the problem of illegal fishing, the authorities have terminated the operation of more than 8000 illegal fishing trawlers, the Command Centre for Combating Illegal Fishing (CCCIF) said.



nationmultimedia.com A fast-track recruitment of foreign aviation experts will be completed within a month so they can help Thai-registered aircraft meet international standards. The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and other related agencies were ordered to outsource the work to experts since there are around 400 aircraft that need to be inspected.

Phuket Update A Phuket judge has dismissed a 10-million-baht dereliction of duty lawsuit filed against Cherng Talay Mayor Ma-ann Samran. It's not yet clear whether the occupiers of two restaurants and bars on Laypang beach will appeal. Mayor Ma-Ann was following National Council for Peace and Order instructions in demolishing the businesses.

Phuket Update Thalang Police Superintendent Colonel Chanuchan Cholsuwat said that Thamrong Pramno, 33, was fined 1000 baht after waving a long metal bar at another motorist in a road rage incident recorded on video by another Phuket motorist.

bangkokpost.com An accused southern militant became the third person to die in military custody since October when he mysteriously perished during questioning at an army camp in Pattani.

smh.com.au Three people have been arrested in relation to the suspected murder of Australian surfers Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman, Mexican prosecutors from the state of Sinaloa have said. Two bodies were discovered in a burnt-out van after they went missing two weeks ago.

Phuket Update Under a five-day scheme, more than 700 inmates at Phuket Prison of good behavior have been granted special permission for family visits and will spend ''quality time'' with them under the Family Reunion for Prisoner project,

telegraph.co.uk 21 reasons to visit Thailand. Ahead of the king's birthday in Thailand, we celebrate 21 reasons to visit the land of Buddhas, beach football and beautiful luxury escapes.

thestar.com.my A Malaysian businessman was shot dead in southern Thailand, about 45km from the Malaysian-Thai border. The incident occurred at about noon when Lee Ah Han, 54, was driving his Thai-registered car to the Hat Yai airport, some 20km away.

bangkokpost.com New Zealand's safe-travel website warned travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Thailand due to the possibility of civil unrest in Thailand and the threat of terrorist attack. The advisory did not specially mention Russian intelligence.

bbc.com A mass shooting by a married couple that left 14 people dead in California is being investigated as an act of terrorism, the FBI says. FBI Director James Comey said there were indications that the couple had been radicalised.

telegraph.co.uk Germany has reportedly drawn up plans to prevent sharing intelligence with its Nato ally Turkey as it prepares to support international air strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).

reuters Maoist cult leader Aravindan Balakrishnan, 75, known as Comrade Bala, used sexual degradation and physical and mental violence to keep the women under his control, turning his '70s commune based on Communist teachings into his own personal cult with members who believed him to be a god, prosecutors said.

stuff.co.nz A Malaysian military man Muhammad Rizalman bin Ismail, 39, believed in black magic, including a spell that meant if he defecated outside a woman's house she would fall in love with him, a New Zealand court has heard. Rizalman has pleaded guilty to indecent assault.

Xinhua Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in South Africa that his country will roll out 10 major plans to boost cooperation with Africa in the coming three years.

bangkokpost.com According to one report, Thailand's plans for more coal-fired power stations - namely the Thap Sakae, Thepa, Krabi New, Mae Moh and Prachin Buri power stations - will kill an additional 2040 Thais, together with 1750 people in neighboring countries, making a total of 3190 Thais and 2150 from Thailand's neighbours per year.

janes.com The Royal Thai Navy's Coastal Defence Command is replacing a number of the service's coastal guns with long-range missiles and is currently reviewing several options. According to a senior RTN official who was speaking at the Coastal Surveillance conference held on 1-2 December in Kuala Lumpur, the replacements are being sought in light of advances in naval weapons technology that put a number of important infrastructures on Thailand's eastern seaboard at risk.

wptz.com Open in 1952, The Atlanta is also one of the most photogenic hotels in Bangkok for those who aren't intimidated and have a great sense of humor: ''The Atlanta's brazen dauntlessness in the midst of the Sodom and Gomorrah of the 21st century has turned it into a respected Bangkok institution in the eyes of the more decent portion of humanity, and an object of ridicule and attack in the eyes of the degenerates.''

trbusiness.com

voanews.com Senior diplomats told VOA the Thai government wants to have a dialogue with Myanmar for a plan of action so both countries can avoid the paralysis that occurred in May when thousands of irregular migrants were abandoned at sea.



bangkokpost.com The 2015 Wake Park World Series will attract wakeboarders from 30 countries with both men's and women's events taking place in 13 divisions, including intermediate, open, professional wake-skate and professional classes. The final leg of the world's elite wakeboarding competition will be staged 0n Phuket from December 11-13.

afp Brazilian legend Ronaldinho will arrive in Singapore next week to establish a football academy in the soccer-mad city-state, a local club said.

afp Zlatan Ibrahimovic set up one goal and notched two more to break yet another scoring record as Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain crushed 10-man Nice 3-0.



December 5 HM The King's Birthday

December 10 Constitution Day

December 11 Thailand Ride for Dad

December 11-13 2015 Wake Park World Series on Phuket

December 26 Tsunami memorial ceremonies



January 7-10 Phuket International Boat Show