reuters Thailand's Cabinet agreed to lift a state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, effective Wednesday.


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

guardian.co.uk London's Heathrow airport could remain in a state of partial paralysis beyond Christmas, its owner admitted, spelling misery for the tens of thousands of passengers who face the prospect of being stranded over the festive period.

cnn.com Frustrated passengers crammed Europe's major airports as heavy snowfall forced new cancellations and delays. Hundreds of thousands of people were left stranded over the weekend, with many sleeping at airports.

telegraph.co.uk Thousands of passengers who thought they had beaten the worsening weather when they landed at Heathrow were trapped on the tarmac as the airport ran out of parking spaces. Some reports put the number of planes queuing up at one time at more than 50.

ft.com Heathrow's Terminal 3, scarred by broken travelators, exposed ceiling voids and filthy carpeting, has become an emblem of national decline. No one should have been surprised by the latest snow-induced standstill at one of the world's busiest airports.

bangkokpost.com Twenty-eight people, most of them Thai tourists, have been killed in a horrific bus smash in Malaysia. The double-decker bus overturned on a highway while returning to Kuala Lumpur from the Cameron Highlands.

mcot.net Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that at least 23 Thai nationals were killed. The Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur said the double-decker bus carried 34 tourists. The crash came about 10am.

scmp.com North Korea has agreed to allow the return of UN nuclear inspectors as part of a package of measures to ease acute tensions on the peninsula, US troubleshooter Bill Richardson said.

smh.com.au Australian Michael Sacatides, 43, a kickboxing instructor who has been living in Thailand, is charged with importing and possessing methamphetamine in Bali. He faces a possible death sentence. Mr Sacatides was arrested in October after customs officials found 1.7kg of drugs in the lining of his suitcase.

thejakartaglobe.com A Thai woman was arrested at Bali airport trying to smuggle in 1280 ecstasy pills she had swallowed. Sophawat Ueamduean, 24, arrived on board a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok.

Associated Press A man who taught English in Cambodia was sentenced to nearly nine years in prison for traveling abroad to have sex with a 14-year-old girl in what a judge called one of the most disgusting cases that has come before him. Michael Dodd, 61, was also ordered to pay $9500 in restitution.

bangkokpost.com All airlines around the world have turned to issue 2D bar-coded boarding passes (BCBP) for passengers to replace the previous generation of more expensive and less efficient magnetic strip passes.

scmp.com Hong Kong continues to be the most competitive city in China, despite lagging in growth potential, according to a series of ranking lists prepared by a leading think tank.

abc.net.au Australia has appointed a new ambassador to Burma. Bronte Moules, currently serving in Bangkok, will replace the current ambassador, Michelle Chan, in January.

etravelblackboardasia.com Away Koh Kood, Centara Boutique Collection has been named as Outstanding Secluded Boutique Hotel in the Hotel Club Hotel of the Year 2010 Awards. The resort, with only 20 bungalows and 13 tented accommodations, is located on Koh Kood, 82 kilometres off the coast of Trat province.



December 22-24 Disaster warning drills on Phuket
December 26 Tsunami sixth anniversary
December 30-January 9 Phuket Red Cross Fair, Saphan Hin park, Phuket City


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


Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket