bangkokpost.com Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha expressed concern about the risk of civil war if the political conflict continues, proposing the formation of a people's assembly comprising ''all colours'' to help heal the divide.


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 Thai Airways (THAI) president Sorajak Kasemsuvan has resigned from the post citing health problems. He was appointed president of the national carrier in October. As of the end of September, THAI had losses of 6.53 billion baht this year.

nationmultimedia.com Despite the ongoing political tension, the Tourism Council of Thailand is still optimistic about next year's performance and projects 29.92 million foreign tourist arrivals, against an estimated 26.69 million for this year: ''Thailand is so amazing. Anything can happen.''

traveldailymedia.com According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, 958,921 Indians travelled to Thailand in the first 11 months of 2013, up 4.1 percent year-on-year. And the tourism board is now confident that the full-year figure will exceed the record total of 1,015,865 Indian arrivals to Thailand, registered in 2012.

euronews.com Thailand's capital has seen a fresh wave of demonstrations, as anti-government protesters call for electoral reform. Rallied by opposition leader Suthep Thaugsuban, crowds waved banners containing anti-corruption slogans.

economist.com The only thing certain in Thailand these days is unpredictability.

bangkokpost.com The foreign press is getting it wrong, the protesters are not demanding less democracy, but a less-flawed democracy, says Veera, criticising a New York Times correspondent.

nationmultimedia.com A group of retired police and military officers urged the military's top brass to choose ''the side of righteousness'' and demand the government implement political reforms before the February 2 election.

ft.com Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's most famous prisoner, flew to freedom in Germany, barely 24 hours after Russian president Vladimir Putin promised to pardon him.



andrew-drummond.com In case some of you have not spotted it Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian of Phuketwan have been accused of libel under the Computer Data Act by a Captain Panlob Komtonlok of the Royal Thai Navy in relation to part of a Reuters report on the plight of the Rohingyas.

bangkokpost.com Press freedom advocacy groups have called for the navy to drop criminal defamation lawsuits against two Phuket-based journalists, labelling the case a form of intimidation.

radioaustralia.net.au An Australian journalist faces up to five years in a Thailand jail after being accused of defaming the country's navy: ''Basically it's a matter of the reputation of the Thai navy seemingly being more important than the treatment of Rohingya.''

nst.com.my ''Unless the government withdraws the case, its impact will be felt far beyond those reporting on abuses against the Rohingya - and could have a choking effect on all investigative reporting in Thailand,'' said Human Rights Watch Asia director Brad Adams in a statement.

washingtonpost.com The lawsuit filed by a captain on behalf of the Thai navy charges that the website violated Thailand's 2007 Computer Crime Act, which bars the circulation of material deemed detrimental to national security or that causes panic.

cpj.org ''Rather than shooting the messenger, the Royal Thai Navy would be better suited launching an internal investigation into the serious allegations of abuse that have been raised,'' said Shawn Crispin, the senior Southeast Asia representative of the NY-based Committee to Protect Journalists. ''This type of legal intimidation aims ultimately at discouraging media reporting on allegations of serious human rights abuses.''

afp Morison said a ''huge industry'' had evolved over the last five years to smuggle Rohingya, with some being held by traffickers in ''secret camps in the jungle'' where they are ''abused and mistreated'' until they pay for their onward passage.

irrawaddy.org ''This just makes us keener to know who is mistreating the Rohingya in the secret camps along Thailand's southern border, and how they reach there by sea,'' he added.

Media Statement Our story was fair and balanced and Reuters has not been accused of criminal libel. Barb Burg, Global Head of Communications, Reuters

thejakartapost.com After failing to reach its target of being rabies free by 2012, Bali's administration has revised its target to 2015 due to the re-emergence of rabies cases throughout 2013.

scmp.com China's notorious smog has spread from major city clusters around Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to inland cities in central and western provinces and in the country's north.

pattayamail.com Finally high season has arrived in Pattaya and along with the cooler weather we have the usual influx of fat shirtless men sporting their sweaty torsos.

sundayworld.com Grandpa Johnny Oris, 86, who won romp with two hookers in a 'Get Your Grandpa Laid' radio contest, choked to death as he hurried his dinner on way to have a threesome. He told the show he had not had sex since his wife died more than a decade ago, and was awarded the encounter at the legal Moonlite Bunny Ranch brothel in Nevada.



iaaf.org Thailand dominated the athletics events at the 27th edition of the South East Asian Games, which end after five days of competition in the city of Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. There were no Asian records but a plethora of other high class marks, including eight Games records, six SEA records, five new SEA junior records and 35 national records.

scmp.com Former NBA star Dennis Rodman held try-outs for a North Korean team to face a dozen NBA veterans in an exhibition game on leader Kim Jong-un's birthday next month - though he hasn't convinced all the players on the American team that it's safe to come to Pyongyang.



January 9-12 Phuket International Boat Show, Royal Phuket Marina

March BMW Golf Cup International World Finals 2013 at Blue Canyon Country Club

September 24-October 2 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket

November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket