bangkokpost.com There has been no let up to the heavy rain and associated flooding across southern Thailand, disrupting transport and day to day businesses. About 90 percent of land and plantations in Narathiwat is flooded, with the water between 40 and 50 centimetres deep.


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

HEAVY rain continued to lash Phuket overnight with flooding and landslips now a prime concern. Conditions are even worse on Samui, where 36 domestic and international flights were cancelled up to 6pm. Flights to and from Phuket were among those suspended. Tourists are also reported to be stranded on the Similan islands.
At least nine people are believed to have been killed in floods in Nakkhon Si Thammarat and four neighboring provinces. More heavy rain is forecast on Phuket through until Wednesday and possibly beyond with waves up to four metres posing a danger at sea, the Bureau of Meteorology on Phuket told Phuketwan today.
Phuket, Phang Nga, Ranong and Satun are all subject to flood and landslip alerts. The temperature has dropped to 23-29 degrees.

ttglive.com Torrential rain has caused flooding across southern Thailand, hitting tourist areas such as the island of Koh Samui. Ferry services between Koh Samui, the Suratthani mainland and Koh Phangan island, made famous because of the monthly full-moon party, have been suspended. Ferry operators took the decision after waves reached four-metres high in the Gulf of Thailand.

accuweather.com Abnormally heavy rain, striking during the local dry season, has unleashed flooding affecting tens of thousands in southern Thailand. The cloudbursts pelted the Malay Peninsula between Bangkok and the Malaysia border, where authorities declared disaster areas in 34 districts across five provinces, reports said.

Phuket Update Food and Drug officials in Thailand have found 74 of 97 samples of food imported from Japan to be contaminated with radiation, including sweet potatoes.

independent.co.uk Radioactive water was pouring from a damaged reactor at Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant last night, with officials warning it will soon reach the sea. The contaminated samples were found outside the reactor building for the first time, causing concern that soil and sea in the surrounding area will be poisoned.

cnn.com About 17,000 people remain missing after Japan's earthquake and tsunami, so officials believe more bodies will be recovered. Even if they can be identified, the crematoriums on Japan's northern coastline are either damaged from the tsunami or already full. A shortage of gas has meant bodies can't be taken to other parts of the country for cremation.

monstersandcritics.com Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has approved a plan for the Royal Thai Navy to purchase six secondhand submarines from Germany for 7.7 billion baht, a newspaper reported.

etravelblackboard.com The Tourism Authority of Thailand is to adopt a high-profile presence at the North America Golf Tourism Convention to be organised by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators between May 18 - 21 in Monterey County, California. Thailand is the only Asian country to be featured as a major sponsor of this event. With more than 100 buyers of golf tourism expected to participate.

afp Indian police said they had arrested four people, including a government aviation official, in a growing scandal over pilots flying with fake qualifications. Cases of pilots exaggerating their flying time while training and other irregularities have emerged since a captain who made several bad landings was found to have submitted faked paperwork to gain her licence.

bangkokpost.com Nok Air has begun aggressive moves to expand its domestic network to cover smaller cities with an expanding fleet of turboprop aircraft. The budget airline will launch four new routes next month while nearing the close of a deal to lease four ATR 72-500 turboprops from Denmark-based Nordic Aviation Capital.

smh.com.au According to The Economist, the destination with the highest room "rack rates" is Moscow, which averages around $416. But the Hotels.com survey measures the prices actually paid by its users and found the capital of Oman, Muscat, the worst at around $296.

cnn.com Thirty one countries have abolished the death penalty but China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Yemen remain among the most frequent executioners, according to a new report from Amnesty International.

cnngo.com My favorite Phuket beach: Banana Beach is pretty hard to find if you don't know where to look. Just finding the road passing by its entrance is tricky for most visitors, probably one of the reasons it is still peaceful. BB's on Phuket's west coast, between the Trisara and Andaman White Beach resorts, just off route 4018.

smh.com.au For those who lament the passing of Thailand's glory days, when dirt-cheap accommodation on deserted beaches was the norm, Koh Kood is a revelation. The island, however, is ripe for exploitation, its stunning coves and beaches surely the dream of any money-grabbing developer.

telegraph.co.uk When the historians of the future get around to pondering the 21st century, they might conclude that humankind was divided between those who obsessively embraced technology and those who had lives. Frankly, it doesn't look good for anyone who thinks a tablet is what you take for a headache.

Phuket Update A funeral service will be held for well-known Phuket expat Lionel Cleary at Rawai temple on Tuesday evening from 7 pm, with mourners advised to arrive early. Cremation is set for about noon on Wednesday, although no precise time is available yet.



IBAP with Indochine's Michael Ma as the guest speaker is at Indochine on April 8.

PHUKET Navy League is planning a free Independence Day event on Sunday, July 3 from 10am to 7pm at Headstart International School, across the street from Makro, near Central Festival in Phuket City.

Unti March 31 Four days of traditional longboat races, Koh Panyee, Phang Nga
April 1 Turtle release, Banyan Tree seafront, Laguna Phuket
April 9-10 Phuket 'mini concert' to aid Japan
April 8-10 Phuket Bike Week, Patong
April 12-17 Phuket International Cricket Sixes
April 13-15 Songkran Festival
May New PPAO Hospital to open, Phuket City
June 12 Laguna Phuket International Marathon
June 23-26 Phuket Fun Fly paragliding, Nai Harn
July 20-24 Six Senses Phuket Raceweek
October Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
November 27 Laguna Phuket Triathlon
December 4 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Laguna


March 18-28 National Youth Games, Phuket

Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket