rian.ru US officials attempted to force a confession from Russian alleged arms dealer Viktor Bout during an extradition flight from Thailand to the US, a senior Russian diplomat said.


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

mcot.net Thailand's Foreign Ministry brushed aside an international study which ranked the kingdom among the extreme risk nations, saying it did not reflect actual situation in Thailand. Sixteen countries including Colombia, Thailand, the Philippines and India were classified as being at "extreme" risk of attack, with Thailand ranking seventh in the Terrorism Risk Index complied by the UK-based Maplecroft company, a global risks advisory firm.

bbc.co.uk Russian suspected arms dealer Viktor Bout has pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges, hours after he was extradited to the US from Thailand. The former Russian air force officer is accused of trying to sell arms to Colombian rebels and supplying weapons used in Africa and the Middle East.

mcot.net The extradition of Russian arms trafficking suspect Viktor Bout to face trial in the US was carried out in accordance with established Thai judicial procedures and the case should not be escalated to hurt the warm relations between Thailand and Russia, Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya affirmed.

smh.com.au "I stood there, an American citizen, a mom travelling with a baby with special needs formula, sexually assaulted by a government official. I began shaking and felt completely violated, abused and assaulted by the TSA agent. I shook for several hours, and woke up the next day shaking." Pat-down airport security experience of Erin Chase, a blogger and author.

afp More than 100 angry Ryanair passengers sat in a dark cabin without food or water for four hours, refusing to leave their plane after it was diverted to Belgium, authorities and passengers said. The passengers, mostly French tourists, were supposed to land near Paris after returning from holidays in Morocco.

cnn.ccom The US Food and Drug Administration told the manufacturers of seven caffeinated alcoholic beverages that their drinks are a "public health concern" and can't stay on the market in their current form. Experts have said the caffeine used in the beverages can mask the effects of alcohol, leaving drinkers unaware of how intoxicated they are.

guardian.co.uk There are two league tables which shame Singapore. The first, compiled by the campaigning group Reporters Without Borders, places the country 136th in the world for press freedom - below Iraq and Zimbabwe. The second is the rate at which Singapore executes convicted criminals: arguably higher, per capita, than any other country in the world.

bloomberg.com Carrefour, world's second- largest retailer, canceled plans to sell its businesses in Malaysia and Singapore after a strategic review, according to a person familiar with the situation. The Paris-based company decided it would create more value by keeping the units than by selling them, said the person, who declined to be named as the plans have yet to be disclosed.

eglobaltravelnews.com.au Singapore Airlines has placed its 11-strong fleet of Airbus A380 aircraft back into the air while Qantas may wait till December before returning its A380s to service.

afp The retirement age in Germany will rise as planned from 65 to 67, Labor Minister Ursula von der Leyen said, as Europe's top economy battles the constraints posed by a shrinking population.

afp Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano has killed 273 people since it began erupting late last month, with more than 300,000 people forced to live in makeshift camps.

bangkokpost.com The tourist island of Koh Phangan is in for a major upgrade as the government is building a network of roads 73 kilometres long linking seven key points on the island.

yahoo.com/marie-claire Victorian marketing executive Sienna* agrees. Her 2007 Thai nip-tuck was botched when she was given someone else's name tag and ended up with a facelift she didn't even want. She'd booked an upper-eye lift and liposuction on her thighs, but woke from the anaesthetic to realise with horror that neither procedure had been done. Instead, her face had gone under the knife.

todayonline.com Phuket has been fast ramping-up its cool quotient with hip hangouts, but the lure of Andaman Sea and its lush jungle surroundings can never be ignored.

skynewswire.com The property market in Phuket is booming because of the spectacular beaches and mountain hideaways. There is a wide variety of styles and locations to choose from ranging from breezy hillsides to secret valleys, mountain retreats and beachfront properties. These are offered with different levels of luxury so there's always an array of choices in Phuket villas for sale for different budgets.

cnngo.com Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson will serve passengers in full cabin crew drag on an AirAsia flight after losing a bet to AirAsia owner Tony Fernandes over whose Formula 1 team performed better this season.

monstersandcritics.com An ongoing audit by the government has revealed at least 30,000 ''ghost'' civil servants on the national payroll. Cheam Yeap, who heads parliament's finance committee, said the fictitious staff were uncovered during investigations that began in April into provincial bureaucracies, the military and the police.



2010 Andaman and Phuket International Soccer 7s: On November 20 games will be played at Cherntalay ground (opposite the Municipality) from 8.30am. November 21 games from 9.30am, finals from 3pm. This year's tournament will support Women's Will Power Phuket Charity Group.

November 19 AustCham at the new Westin Hotel at Koh Sireh from 3pm. E: harry@ladypie.com Tel: 081 2731740
November 20-21 Korean Film Festival, Patong
November 20-21 2010 Andaman and Phuket International Soccer 7s
November 21 Loy Kratong Festival: Phuket's Tin Mine Mumeum to open.
November 26-28 Phuket Honda Racing Fest at Saphan Hin, Phuket City
November 28 Laguna Phuket triathlon
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta
December 5 Laguna Ironman title
December 3-5 North Phuket Culinary Arts Festival, Mai Khao resorts
December 15-20 Patong Carnival
December 16-18 2010 Asia Superyacht Rendezvous
December 17 US Consular outreach service on Phuket
December 30-January 9 Phuket Red Cross fair, Saphan Hin park, Phuket City
2011
January 6-9 PIMEX boat show, Royal Phuket Marina
January 22 QSI International fun run day at Bang Wad Dam, Kathu
January 23 The Great Phuket Rubber Duck Race Day, Laguna Phuket
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi