Associated Press Muslim insurgents disguised as paramilitary rangers attacked troops protecting a school in southern Thailand on Wednesday, killing four soldiers and wounding two more, police said.


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

PHUKET'S tuk-tuk drivers are beaten up in stern.de, Germany's multi-milion readership magazine. In a long article, the author reports on ''highwaymen'' who ''lurk in front of hotels, all gruff grumble with 'Where you go? Tuk tuk?' That may be amusing on the first day. But soon it just sucks.''
The magazine reports on Phuket's ''Mafia,'' the savage bashing of Phuket expat Kurt Trotnow over a 100-baht fare, and the excessively high Phuket charges compared to Bangkok. ''The tuk-tuk mafia has a firm grip on Phuket,'' the magazine says. ''Whoever tries to break their power, we must expect the worst.''
The magazine labels the tuk-tuks a ''serious threat to Phuket tourism,'' with the number of German visitors in decline. It then goes on to look at Phuket's jet-skis.

pattayapeople.com On Saturday at 2am, Tourist Police arrested five men for threatening a group of tourists. These greedy fellows burst into the Marriot Resort and Spa, located next to Royal Garden Plaza, to harass a group of tourists into paying for the damage of a jet-ski, or else face bodily harm.

TNA PM Yingluck Shinawatra took a vow to oppose all forms of corruption, create a culture of honesty and stick to good governance to prevent corruption and bribery. She led a gathering to pledge not to abuse power by cheating and exploiting the public's interest for their own benefits, but to strictly respect and abide by regulations and law.

breakingtravelnews.com Thailand is preparing to play host to the World Travel Awards, Asia & Australasia Ceremony. According to STR Global data for August, Bangkok's occupancy levels climbed by 26.7 percent to 65.3 percent, followed by Phuket, with a 25.2-percent increase to 71.8 percent.

reuters Amnesty International condemned the indiscriminate murder of civilians by insurgents in Thailand's southern border provinces, saying the killings amounted to war crimes. A report issued by the London-based human rights group also said security forces were guilty of excesses, including extrajudicial killings, that endangered civilians.

Associated Press Amnesty International called on Muslim guerrillas in Thailand's southernmost provinces to stop targeting civilians, saying that noncombatants accounted for two-thirds of the nearly 5000 deaths reported in the conflict since insurgents took up arms in 2004.

andrew-drummond.com The Simon Wiesenthal Center is calling on Thailand's Christian leaders to condemn a Nazi parade at the Sacred Heart Preparatory School in Chiang Mai led by students who participated with Seig Heil salutes.

andrew-drummond.com A fake Facebook created with the name Andrew Drummond and loaded with highly inflammatory marks which would automatically be ruled as lese majeste in Thailand was last night detected, monitored, then closed.

afp A financial trader in London caused a storm of outrage by suggesting that world leaders cannot do anything to prevent a global market collapse, saying that investment bank Goldman Sachs ruled the world. A Goldman Sachs spokeswoman said the bank had no comment.

thestar.com.my Tune Hotels Group plans to invest about US$450 million over five years to establish 90 Tune Hotels: ''We are looking at Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, where we have plans for at least five hotels in each location.''

thejakartaglobe.com Indonesia has been appointed to a team of three countries responsible for the safety of 25 other tsunami-prone Indian Ocean nations, the UN Agency for Development said. From 2012, the present service will be superseded by the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System operated by Indonesia, India and Australia.

reuters Two subway trains collided in Shanghai injuring more than 200 passengers, three critically, prompting public anger two months after a crash between two high-speed trains and renewing concerns about China's aggressive rail building plans.

aap Weary long-haul passengers described chaotic scenes at Sydney Airport as a Customs strike triggered delays in arrivals. Up to 3000 workers walked off the job at airports around the nation to protest at stalled pay negotiations, sparking delays of more than an hour for incoming passengers.

breakingtravelnews.com RCI has announced new affiliation agreements with Hon Tam Resort & Spa in Vietnam and Patong Bay Garden Resort on Phuket.The beach front resort offers 71 charming and affordable rooms with a range of styles to meet the varied needs of the modern international traveller.



dailymail.co.uk Rarely have we seen anything more shocking, more extraordinary - the club's highest paid player at that, simply refusing to go on when his team were two goals down and there remained more than 34 minutes to do something about it. Carlos Tevez will never play for Manchester City again.

telegraph.co.uk Switzerland's Basle come from two down to lead Manchester United 3-2 at Old Trafford in the Champions League only to see their opponents equalise in the 90th minute.

espn.co.uk Gervinho, Laurent Koscielny and Theo Walcott have joined the list of absentees for Arsenal's game against Olympiakos on Wednesday.

smh.com.au Italy boosted their World Cup hopes with a vital bonus-point win as Japan's tournament ended on a low and France were forced to deny rumors of a player mutiny against their outspoken coach. Italy 27, US 10.



SAPAM SHRINE PHUKET
07.00 Street Procession in Phuket Town
15.45 Food Offering to Warriors

KATHU SHRINE PHUKET
05.00 / 18.00 Worship of Gods
16.00 Warriors Propitiation
16.30 Food Offering to Warriors
19.30 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation

JUI TUI SHRINE PHUKET
19.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.45 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation

BANG NEOW SHRINE PHUKET
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors

SUI BOON TONG SHRINE PHUKET
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Worship of Gods

SAMKONG SHRINE PHUKET
15.09 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Propitiation of Seven Stars

BAN THA RUE SHRINE PHUKET
17.30 Food Offering to Warriors
18.30 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation

CHERNG THALAY SHRINE PHUKET
15.00 Food Offering to Warriors
15.30 Blessing Bang Tao Village
19.00 Worship of Gods

YOKKEKENG SHRINE PHUKET
15.30 Food Offering to Warriors
20.00 Birth-Death Gods Propitiation at Koh SireH Beach



Until October 5 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket

November 1-6 Women's Beach Volleyball Series at Karon on 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

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



November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket