Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak accepted a protest letter today at Provincial Hall in Phuket City from a group of protesters who oppose change to Article 112 of the Penal Code covering lese majeste, which the Bangkok-based Nitirat group and others want amended or repealed. Vice Governor Somkiet promised to pass on the group's letter to the Ministry of the Interior.


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

smh.com.auThe world's largest travel website, TripAdvisor, was censured by Britain's advertising watchdog and warned that it must not claim that all of its user-generated reviews are from real travellers. the watchdog upheld complaints that the travel site did not verify the reviews to the extent that it could guarantee they were all genuine.

nationmultimedia.com Of the 21 countries that issued teror alert travel advisories, nine - the US, China, Germany, France, Israel, Brazil, Norway, Netherlands and Denmark - have either withdrawn or eased their warnings. However, 13 countries, namely the United Kingdom, Australia, Austria, Taiwan, Greece, South Korea, Japan, Canada, Sweden, Italy, Romania, Ireland and New Zealand, have retained the warning, said Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul.

bangkokpost.com Seven employers' confederations will team up with the Federation of Thai Industries to file a petition with the Administrative Court to stop the government implementing its 300 baht daily minimum wage policy. The petition is expected to be submitted after the new wage rise is enforced on Phuket and in six other provinces on April 1.

nationmultimedia.com Taxi motorcyclists nationwide pay 684 million baht each month in protection fees to so-called mafia, an inquiry initiated by a son of Deputy PM Chalerm Yoobamrung found.

pattayapeople.com A bus carrying Chinese tourists overturned on the Pattaya Tollway, leaving nine injured, two in comas. The driver fled the scene.

andrew-drummond.com Angry demonstrators rallied outside the British Embassy as a Thai woman married to a retired Scottish kilt-maker threatened to kill herself outside the mission on St. Valentine's Day. Supporters gathered around Kanokrat Booth, 42, waving banners saying ''Stop Judging Thai People'' and ''Marriage is not a love service and needs no probation'' after Mrs Booth was again turned down for entry to Britain to fight human rights and divorce cases.

telegraph.co.uk In the past week tensions between Britain and Argentina have risen significantly following the deployment of one of the Royal Navy's most powerful warships to the Falklands. Navy sources have warned Buenos Aires that its entire air force would be wiped out if it tried to attack.

buenosairesherald.com ''Great Britain has always been the face of imperialism and colonialism around the world,'' said Argentinian Vice President Amado Boudou.

pattayapeople.com Hundreds of Russian tourists were left stranded in Pattaya this week after the collapse of the Russian tour agency based in Moscow. The Russian managing director of the Pattaya branch, Olga Shendrik, was detained after it was discovered she was working in Thailand without a work permit.

smh.com.au The owner of a Sydney brothel has been charged with human trafficking offences after the Salvation Army discovered three woman allegedly being held as sex slaves. A 42-year-old Chinese-Cantonese man allegedly trafficked the young women from Thailand to work at his brothel. Australian Federal Police will allege the women were told they were travelling to Australia on student visas but upon arrival had their passports confiscated and were taken to the brothel and held against their will.

thejakartaglobe.com A total of 54 Rohingya refugees stranded on the open sea off North Aceh were rescued by Acehnese fishermen. They are thought to have been en route to Australia. This is the fourth time that Rohingya refugees have been rescued in Acehnese waters.

mizzima.com Hungry and dehydrated, the seafarers were crammed into one wooden boat whose motor broke down. ''Their condition was serious,'' one rescuer said. ''Passengers were calling out for help, food and water.''

heraldsun.com.au At least eight asylum seekers trying to reach Australia have died after their boat capsized near Malaysia. Up to 25 people mainly from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq, were on the boat travelling to Indonesia - a key transit for asylum seekers trying to get to Australia.

smh.com.au Rescue crews saved more than 200 Papua New Guineans from drowning after the MV Rabaul Queen ferry they were travelling on sank in open waters. Fears remained for the 150 still missing.

Associated Press US police say a Transportation Security Administration agent stole $US5000 in cash from a passenger's jacket as he was going through security at John F Kennedy International Airport, the latest in a string of thefts that has embarrassed the agency.

voxy.co.nz Kiwis will now be able to fly non-stop to the popular holiday destination of Bali with the launch of Air New Zealand's new twice weekly service between Auckland and Denpasar Airport.



reuters Pop superstar Madonna said it was a dream come true to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday and conceded she was feeling pressure at the idea of singing in front of the huge live television audience.

afp Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has engaged in a heated exchange with a prosecutor at his tax evasion trial as he angrily denied telling jurors ''a pack of lies''. Redknapp is accused of hiding money from British authorities in a secret offshore bank account.

smh.com.au Sri Lanka's cricketers are owed as much as $US 5million due to a cash crisis within the country's governing body. They continue to pad up as they put the honor of playing for their country above their financial worries.



February 23-26 10th Thai International Travel Fair, Bangkok

February 24-25 Phuket Blues Festival, Laguna Phuket

March 29-April 1 Phuket International Boat Show, Royal Phuket Marina

April Opening of Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, three waterfront gardens that will dwarf Kew in London and provide ''green lungs'' for the city.

May 5 Krabi celebrates the province's 140th anniversary

May 26-June 5 National Youth Games, Phuket



November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket