yorkpress.co.uk Riding instructor Damien Midgley, 37, is on the run in Thailand from a six-year prison sentence for sexually attacking children during lessons. Midgley fled abroad then was sentenced in his absence for abusing four children under 13.

news.com.au Australia has claimed a thrilling victory in the first Test against India, spinner Nathan Lyon completing the job with seven wickets for the innings and 12 for the game.


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



bangkokpost.com His Majesty the King has granted permission to the royal consort of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to relinquish her royal title.

scmp.com The British government has demanded an investigation after a computer failure at one of Britain's two air traffic control centres caused a major disruption of air traffic into and out of London.

telegraph.co.uk A computer failure that led to southern England being closed to air traffic could be repeated because software used to control flights dates from the 1960s, it has emerged.

theguardian.com Thailand has denied the existence of any secret prisons, or reports of any torture taking place on its territory, after the publication of the US Senate's inquiry into the CIA's interrogation techniques on alleged terror suspects.



palmbeachpost.com A 43-year-old Palm Beach man is fighting extradition to Thailand, claiming he is being set up for a life sentence by a wealthy Las Vegas businessman who is trying to steal his idea for a lucrative venture. Shawn Abraham Shaw is accused by Thai authorities of drugging and kidnapping a wealthy businessman, identified only as AMA, tying him up and threatening to kill him if he didn't pay $3 million.

nnt The Ministry of Transport has approved the proposed fare hike for meter taxis registered in Bangkok. According to the Ministry of Transport, it is time to allow meter taxi drivers to adjust the fare rates considering the higher cost of living and an increase in energy prices.

bangkokpost.com Catch a cab in Bangkok area from Saturday and expect to pay more, with fares to increase at first by 8 percent, and then later by another 5 percent to a total of 13 percent.

ttrweekly.com Thailand's Ao Nang, in Krabi province, is ranked third in TripAdvisor's top 10 Asian Destinations on the Rise 2015, but it was outranked by Danang in central Vietnam which took first place in Asia and the world.

ft.com China's taxi app war looks set to become a three-way fight as Baidu, the Beijing-based search engine, is set to invest in Uber, the US car hailing company, according to people familiar with the matter.

telegraph.co.uk Priests' vows of celibacy may have led to paedophilia, the Roman Catholic Church in Australia has said, in what is believed to be the first such admission by Catholic officials worldwide.

shanghaiist.com Air Asia flight FD 9101 from Bangkok to Nanjing was forced to turn around about 90 minutes after it took off due to two Chinese passengers who'd created a disturbance on the plane.

travelfish.org Those who appreciate their luxuries and want to avoid the bigger resort islands will probably find everything they desire on Lipe (pronounced lee-pay). But on such a small and remote island, huge popularity comes at the price of environmental degradation, gouged prices, hasty development and increasingly greedy and careless people - both Thais and foreigners.If you haven't been here for years, be prepared for a shock.

krabi Update Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort has won ''Asia's Top 5 Family Hotels'' at the recent NOW Travel Asia Awards 2014.

independent.co.uk It is increasingly difficult to find the rustic hippy beaches that originally made Thailand famous. But Koh Phayam, off the coast of Ranong in the Andaman Sea, strikes a balance between castaway and convenience.



channelnewsasia.com The Malaysian government has made it compulsory for all foreign visitors to have a return ticket or a flight out of the country in a bid to stem the number of illegal immigrants.

thebeijinger.com Conde Nast Traveler's readers just named The Mulia in Bali, Indonesia, the best beach resort in the world. Lo and behold, Garuda Indonesia can fly you there next week for RMB 1970 roundtrip.

smh.com.au A 51-year-old Australian woman travelling through Malaysia's main international airport en route from Shanghai to Melbourne was searched by police and found to be carrying 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.

ibtimes.co.uk ''Extraordinary'' footage has emerged of the ocean floor being scoured for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said that the sonic pictures revealed important details about the seafloor, which would help the massive search for the plane that disappeared on March 8.



smh.com.au Australia has set India a total of 364 to win the first cricket Test on the fifth and final day.

nationmultimedia.com As sailing enthusiasts digest the success of this year's regatta, the Phuket King's Cup has been hailed as a breeding ground for Thailand's next generation of world-class sailors.



nationmultimedia.com With the private sector, including modern retailers, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is organising New Year countdown 2015 celebrations in seven major tourist destinations. The main venues are Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai (Mae Sai), Chon Buri (Pattaya), Songkhla (Hat Yai), Phuket and Khon Kaen, with the celebrations set to run from December 25 to January1.

December 25 Christmas Day

December 26 10th Anniversary, 2004 Tsunami

December 31 New Year's Eve



February 13-15 Phuket Yacht Show