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

sky.com A major aftershock has shaken the northeast of Japan - prompting a tsunami warning for the coast devastated by last month's earthquake. The warning issued after the 7.1 magnitude quake was subsequently cancelled by the Japanese meteorological agency.

Phuket Update Guitarist Yuki Masahiko of Japanese rock band Lucifer will join Thai stars at a ''walking street'' event on Thalang Road in Old Phuket Town on April 9 and April 10. He will appear on-stage at Queen Sirikit Park at 11pm.

bernama.com The two-week flood in southern Thailand has taken a toll on the tourism industry with estimated revenue loss of 2.5 billion baht.

Associated Press Cambodian police say fishermen rescued 92 foreign tourists whose boat capsized, apparently after drunken passengers started dancing and made the boat unstable. The tourists hired the boat to go to an island near Sihanoukville.

bangkokpost.com Thailand is expected to lose billions of baht in tourism revenue following the southern floods, Tourism Council Of Thailand advisor Kongkrij Hiranyakij said. Severe flooding in the south is expected to reduce the number of visitors travelling to Thailand during the high season by 30 percent, comprising 100,000 to 150,000 domestic tourists and 70,000 foreigners, Mr Kongkrij said. [Phuket's weather is normal for late high season.]

indepthnews.net One would think that the triple disaster in Japan, unleashed by the 9 magnitude earthquake, and unprecedented flooding and mudslides in the south of Thailand would motivate government officials from around the world to agree on binding steps to halt global warming. But the reality emerging from the UN Climate Change conference in Bangkok is far removed from compelling logic.

property-report.com People's sentiments have begun to change, from never believing that such catastrophes are real to thinking what they would do if such events happened to them and their families. But no one knows when and where it is going to happen and it is pointless to live in anticipation, fear or panic.

nationmultimedia.com Of the 227 imported food items and ingredients checked for radioactivity in Thailand between March 16 and Wednesday, 156 samples passed, while 71 are undergoing testing. Vegetables hanawasabi and mitsushiba, brought in by airline passengers, failed inspection.

nationmultimedia.com "Safety areas" for Songkran water fights and celebrations are to be designated at 60 locations in 44 provinces this year, a network of antialcohol and accident prevention groups said. [Statistics show that in recent years, Phuket at Songkran has been as safe or safer than at other times of the year.]

bangkokpost.com The PTT, Bangchak Petroleum and other oil traders have announced they will raise pump prices of petrol by 40 satang per litre from 5am on Friday.

Associated Press An apparent Nato airstrike slammed into a rebel combat convoy, killing at least five fighters and sharply boosting anger among anti-government forces after the second bungled mission in a week blamed on the military alliance.

voanews.com The chief of US military operations in Africa says the situation in Libya is moving toward a stalemate that would leave Moammar Gaddafi in power for an unknown period. General Carter Ham, commander of US Africa, spoke to the Senate's Armed Services Committee.

smh.com.au The Australian dollar has pushed its way through the 105 US-cent mark overnight before edging back slightly to 104.6. [A stronger Aussie$ means better value for Australian tourists to Phuket.]

smh.com.au A gunman roamed the halls of an elementary school in Rio de Janeiro and killed 10 children, lining them up against a wall and shooting them in the head at point-blank range, before shooting himself.

afp Malaysian rights activists and politicians called for a royal inquiry into a second mysterious death at the country's anti-corruption body, which has now suspended two officers. Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission officials found the body of 56-year-old customs deputy director Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed outside their offices after he had come to meet the graft-busters.

theage.com.au An intruder who triggered the evacuation of the Qantas domestic terminal at Melbourne Airport twice slipped past security. Up to 6000 people had to be ushered out of a terminal after a man was spotted slipping into the "sterile" area through an exit.

bloomberg A second US air-traffic controller who slept on an overnight shift, this time on purpose, is in the process of being fired, Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt said.

businessweek.com In South Korea, piracy has cut so deeply into legal home-video sales that major studios have closed their regional home-entertainment offices because sales aren't high enough to support the operations, says Jeff Blake, head of film distribution for Sony. "There are titles we can't exploit beyond theatrical [release] because of piracy," Blake explains.

Associated Press Liverpool will tour the Far East this summer, playing matches in China, Malaysia and South Korea as part of the team's preseason preparations. The Reds will open with a match in Guangzho, before games in Kuala Lumpur and Seoul in their July tour.



BIKE WEEK from April 8-11 is expected to draw thousands of visitors to Patong with highlights including a tree planting campaign, a tattoo contest, island rides and Miss Phuket Bike Week.

JAPAN and flood relief concerts April 9-10 in Queen Sirikit Park and a walking street fair in Thalang Road Phuket City hope to raise six million baht for quake and tsunami victims in Japan and flood victims in Thailand. From 5pm.

SARASIN Songkran. A first-time three-day fair and concerts from April 11-13 sees Phuket joining with neighboring Phang Nga to celebrate Thai new year on the obsolete Sarasin Bridge that links the provinces.

April 8 IBAP with Michael Ma at Indochine
April 9-10 Phuket 'mini concert' to aid Japan
April 8-10 Phuket Bike Week, Patong
April 11-13 Sarasin Songkran on the bridge between Phuket and Phang Nga
April 12-17 Phuket International Cricket Sixes
April 13-15 Songkran Festival, Phuket City, Patong celebrations
May New PPAO Hospital to open, Phuket City
June 12 Laguna Phuket International Marathon
June 23-26 Phuket Fun Fly paragliding, Nai Harn
July 3 Phuket Navy League US Independence Day fair at Headstart International School
July 20-24 Six Senses Phuket Raceweek
October Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
November 26-27 9th Phuket International Soccer 7s
November 27 Laguna Phuket Triathlon
December 3-4 6th Andaman International Soccer 7s
December 4 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Laguna


March 18-28 National Youth Games, Phuket

Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket