afp Rescuers have pulled a 15-year-old boy alive from the rubble five days after the Nepal quake killed at least 5500 people.

9news.com.au The spiritual advisor to a mentally ill prisoner who was executed alongside the Bali Nine pair said the Brazilian man was so unwell with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder he did not fully comprehend what was happening.

rfa.org Five months after the death in custody of a three-year old ethnic Uyghur boy in southern Thailand, questions remain over the circumstances leading to his demise and the conditions facing some 370 other Uyghur refugees detained for more than a year after fleeing northwestern China's Xinjiang region.
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/death-04292015161150.html


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



nationmultimedia.com Two million foreigners visited Thailand during April 1-27, an increase of 22 percent. The number is expected to soar next week due to the long holiday, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports said. [April 2014 was filled with Bangkok street protests.]

wsj.com Thailand's faltering economy pushed the central bank to unexpectedly cut its policy rate, as poor exports and slower-than-predicted economic recovery continued to exact a toll on business.

bangkokpost.com The search for earthquake survivors continues as Their Majesties the King and Queen send a donation of 10 million baht to help devastated Nepal.



nationmultimedia.com Highway Police rounded up 26 Myanmar workers packed into an SUV in Kanchanaburi's Phanom Tuan district and arrested the Thai driver. Police found nine women and 17 men - all undocumented - crammed into the vehicle designed to carry up to 10 passengers.



bangkokpost.com The trial of two Myanmar migrants accused of murdering two British tourists last year on Koh Tao is set to resume Thursday on Samui.

newsmax.com Nicholas Kallsen, 48, best known as Brad Pitt's co-star in the 1990 Fox series ''Glory Days'' and Pitt's former roommate, died this month in Thailand from a suspected overdose. Kallsen's friend Michael Dorrian confirmed his death on Facebook. Pitt and Kallsen were both up for a role that Pitt eventually got in 1991's ''Thelma & Louise,'' but Kallsen overslept and missed his audition.

bangkokpost.com Editorial: From the sea in Satun to Phangnga, the estuary ecology made up of mangrove forests and swamps is very rich and considered one of the country's few sources of abundant marine life. The government and supporters of the the Pak Bara deep-sea port in the Andaman Sea have failed to inform the public that myriad heavy industries and the supertankers which will serve those industries will cause adverse impacts.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/546391/port-comes-at-too-high-a-cost

smh.com.au The Abbott government quietly scrapped an instruction to the Australian Federal Police last year requiring it to take Australia's opposition to the death penalty into account when co-operating with overseas law enforcement agencies.

watoday.com.au A Bali boycott will only serve to hurt Indonesia's most vulnerable and will not help an already neglected relationship between Australia and Indonesia, says Asia expert Gordon Flake. A Jetstar spokesman said forward bookings for flights to Bali remained steady.

nationmultimedia.com Airports of Thailand has established a working group tasked with tackling aviation-safety issues. The company is now completing the renovation of Phuket International Airport and Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok.

reuters Thousands of demonstrators marched in Baltimore demanding justice and police reform as 3000 troops stood by to enforce a curfew imposed after Monday's civil unrest over the death of a 25-year-old black man.

abc.net.au The French government says it is investigating claims that its peacekeepers sexually abused children in the Central African Republic.

bangkokpost.com The Post's Spectrum magazine was awarded the gold medal for excellence in newspaper feature articles for ''Ten Years Ten People'' on the 2004 Phuket tsunami at the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) Asian Media Awards 2015.

Phuket Update Are bomb scares really worth reporting? Incidents happen across the world every day and are usually ignored by most media outlets because they happen so frequently and cause unnecessary alarm. For some reason on Phuket, they've suddenly become newsworthy. With rare exceptions, Phuketwan will continue to ignore them.

afp Samsung retook the lead in the global smartphone market in the first quarter, as gains in emerging market sales helped it overtake Apple, a research group said.

traffic.org The use of slow lorises as props is now firmly established in Phuket's tourism areas, with confiscations of specimens having no noticeable impact on the numbers being used by touts, who face comparatively small penalties if caught, finds a study.

traveller.com.au Flying has become more crowded, less personal - and with issues of safety and security of increasing concern. A little insider knowledge can make all the difference. Here are 50 tips from The Tripologist to help you fly smarter.
http://www.traveller.com.au/air-travel-tips-50-tips-on-how-to-make-your-flight-perfect-1mf7pq

ttrweekly.com Malaysia Airlines sells promotional fares for travel from Thailand to Australia until the end of this year. The promotional one-way fares, inclusive of taxes and fees are for departures from Bangkok, Phuket or Krabi and start at THB8145 to Perth, THB8740 to Darwin, and THB9885 to Adelaide.



aap The executions of eight people went according to the plans of Indonesia's Attorney-General, who isn't worried about any resulting diplomatic ''ripples''.

Try Phuketwan's Asean Today daily:
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/asean-today-saved-slaughtered-amazing-grace-coup-grace-frenchman-firing-line-22359/



skysports.com Chelsea came from behind to beat Leicester City 3-1 at the King Power Stadium and move within one win of claiming the Premier League title.

afp Liverpool's 1-0 loss at Hull City left them seven points below the top four in the Premier League table, probably ending their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

afp Tiger Woods confirmed he plans to play in the US Open and British Open this year as he attempts to build on a top-20 finish at the Masters.



May 1 With the addition of Monday as an extra public holiday, government offices shut down from Friday and reopen on Wednesday, May 6.

June 20-21 Baba wedding at Old Phuket Town

July 14-16 Trial of Phuketwan journalists at Phuket Provincial Court

July 15-19 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek