sky.com Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters have returned to the streets in Egypt as President Hosni Mubarak refuses to quit. Deaths of as many as 100 have been reported. Travel alerts to avoid non-essential visits From Britain's Foreign Office and Australia's DFAT.

Phuket Update Hotels in Phuket have been fully booked for the Chinese New Year from February 2-8, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket office, Bangornrat Shinaprayoon, told mcot.net. From China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia, they will circulate US$33 million, she said.


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

cnn.com The streets of Cairo appeared calm after thousands of angry Egyptians defied a curfew and faced police tear gas as they marched for change. The US had appealed for restraint but sounds of gunfire rang out near a Cairo police station and in the coastal city of Alexandria.

nationmultimedia.com Prince of Songkla University lecturer Sakanan Plathong has called for the closing of diving sites and creation of artificial reefs. "Constructions near the sea must also be strictly regulated," he added during a brainstorming session in Bangkok on the coral bleaching crisis. An independent diving guide said he recently brought a tour group to a national park in the Andaman and officials offered him a 40 percent discount on fees if he did not demand receipts or tickets.

bangkokpost.com This week my faith in the Thai legal system has been completely restored. On Thursday an assistant undertaker at Wat Phai Ngern Chotanaram was sentenced to 8008 months in prison for conspiring to hide 2002 aborted foetuses! Thank God for that. Who helped in the disposal of bodies in the following cases? The 2500 estimated dead during the war on drugs in 2003. The 85 dead at Tak Bai. The 92 dead at Ratchaprasong. We must catch the ''undertakers''' involved in these cases immediately.

ft.com Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Burma's opposition, has rebuffed calls by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to lift international sanctions, saying neither recent elections nor her release from house arrest signalled fundamental political change.

afp Burma came under pressure in the UN human rights council to speed up genuine democratic reform, as Western nations blasted "alarming" abuse and some Asian neighbors sought more change. "The human rights situation in Burma is alarming," Sweden said in a statement to the 47-nation assembly.

theaustralian.com.au The face is that of a nine-year-old boy but his eyes reflect the burden of following his father through the Burmese jungle with an assault rifle. The child, whose name is Po, was caught up in fresh fighting last week between the Burmese junta and rebels of the Karen ethnic group. In the worst alleged abuses, civilians have been forced at gunpoint to walk ahead of troops as human shields in areas infested with landmines.

cnn.com International flights to the Indonesian island of Bali were canceled Friday because of volcanic ash, according to a transportation official. Airlines are asking passengers to check flights before the scheduled date of departure for updates.

smh.com.au A wind change is expected to push an ash cloud from Indonesia's Mount Bromo directly over Bali this morning, causing more chaos for thousands of stranded passengers. Between Jetstar and Virgin Blue, there are at least 1500 Australians stuck in Bali and 3000 more awaiting to fly from Australia.

todayonline.com Indonesia's anti-graft body arrested 16 former and sitting Members of Parliament for alleged involvement in a bribery case linked to the appointment of a central bank senior deputy governor. The arrests come at a time when the authorities have been criticised for not taking a stronger stance against corruption

wsj.com Singapore Airlines said its fiscal third-quarter net profit fell 28.6 percent from a year earlier after the company set aside money to pay fines for alleged price fixing by its cargo unit, while adding that tapering advance passenger bookings and rising fuel costs are clouding its outlook.

reuters A demand for shark fin soup in east Asia and overfishing are causing shark populations to fall worldwide, a new report says. The report, entitled 'The Future of Sharks: a Review of Action and Inaction,' was released by wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic and the Pew Environment Group. A 10-year-old international plan to conserve sharks has largely failed and only 13 of the top 20 shark-catching countries have developed national plans to protect the endangered creatures, the report says.

usatoday.com The president of a start-up carrier in Thailand has described himself as a pioneer for being the first airline boss in that nation to seek out transsexuals as flight attendants. PC Air says it hopes to begin operations by April, operating charter flights to destinations in Asia.

voanews.com A train crash and ferry fire in Indonesia killed at least 14 people in separate incidents that left hundreds injured. The two accidents raised new questions about the state of the country's transportation infrastructure.

smh.com.au Qantas is to fly from Sydney to Dallas four times a week from May 16, at 13,804 kilometres world's longest 747 route. The return service will stop in Brisbane because passengers will have to be offloaded to make the extra 441 kilometres to Sydney.

gulf-times.com Malaysian authorities said they have acted against ''husbands for hire,'' local men who marry foreign women for money, allowing them to stay in the country and work illegally. The ''husbands,'' often impoverished middle-aged men including rubber-tappers and fishermen, agree to the fake marriages to allow the women to obtain a one-year permit.

sabotagetimes.com 12 Untamed Islands To Get Lost On: Koh Yao Noi is a large island in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, equidistant to Phuket and the Krabi mainland. While the pace of development is accelerating on Koh Yao Noi, the island remains a quiet refuge, far removed from the crowds of Phuket. The islanders are keen to preserve their traditional ways, so dress modestly and refraining from drinking alcohol outside the restaurants and resorts.

straitstimes.com Prices of private residential properties in Singapore have gained 17.6 percent in 2010 compared to a 1.8 percent rise in 2009, the Urban Redevelopment Authority said.

nationmultimedia.com "We plan to open two to three new Burger King restaurants this year, two of which will be in Bangkok and one upcountry, at Central Festival Phuket," said Nongchanok Stananonth, assistant vice president of Burger (Thailand), local franchisee of the US-based Burger King chain.

wired.com A text message from a wireless company prematurely exploded a would-be suicide bomber's vest bomb in Russia on New Year's Eve. The bomber was planning to detonate near Red Square, but her wireless carrier sent a ''Happy New Year'' SMS while she was still at a safe house, killing her. If true, this might be the only time that a wireless carrier's SMS message has ever been useful.



February 3 Chinese New Year Festival, Phuket
February 8-10Old Phuket Town Festival, food and walking street fest
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi
February 18 Makha Bucha public holiday
February 23-26 Phuket Gay Pride Festival, Patong
February 25-26 Phuket International Blues and Rock Festival 2011
February 26-27 Phuket Spicy Soccer 7s, Phuket International Academy
March4-6 Pool Asia Expo and Conference, Hilton, Phuket
March 14-19 ADFEST 2011 at Movenpick Resort, Phuket
March 27 Earth Hour commemoration on Phuket
April 13-15 Songkran Festival
May New PPAO Hospital to open, Phuket City


Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket