asiancorrespondent.com On Saturday, tourists posted on the Thai Visa forum that they had arrived at the border at Mae Sai only to be turned away after being told that no one would receive the visa on arrival stamp from that crossing. Tourists looking to extend their time in Thailand will now need to exit to apply for a proper tourist visa or will need to fly out and back in every 30 days to obtain a new entry stamp. The latter will only be an option for a few more months, however. Visa runs by air will also be prohibited beginning August 12.

afp Thailand's authorities warned that opposition efforts to hand power to an unelected regime risked unleashing new violence, as rival protesters prepared for a showdown over the fate of the crippled government.


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



dailymail.co.uk The first leg of the inaugural International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) has been shifted from Bangkok to Manila for November 28-30 because of the political unrest in Thailand. Picked by Bangkok in the March draft, Britain's Andy Murray, Frenchman Jo Wilfried-Tsonga and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus will now represent team Manila.

bangkokpost.com As the shell of a caretaker cabinet looks on, rival camps step up the rhetoric. Red shirts say any attempt to involve the Senate and courts in naming an interim government could lead to civil war, while PDRC leaders demand action by Monday . . . or else.

nationmultimedia.com ''There is no prime minister, no caretaker, just an acting prime minister with little power. The time has come for the Senate to appoint one,'' Suthep Thaugsuban declared on television. ''The people hope there will be a new prime minister of the people by Monday. If not, we will have no choice but to take action by ourselves. We can't allow the country to continue like this anymore.''

bbc.com Thousands of Thai government supporters are holding a large rally just outside Bangkok, their first since the prime minister was ousted earlier this week. Opposition protesters are staging another march, with riot police on standby in case of clashes.



chicargotribune.com An Australian naval vessel carrying an underwater drone involved in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 left port on its second mission to scan part of the Indian Ocean where the longest sonar ''ping'' was heard over a month ago.



bangkokpost.com Phuket park chief Cheewapat Cheewatham claims an unrelenting campaign of threats and attempted bribes waged against him by ''influential'' land owners forced his decision to request a transfer from Sirinath National Park: ''I have to step back now for my safety.'' He has overseen probes of 1500 land plots, some occupied by luxury resorts.

theaustralian.com.au Spurred by increasing competition and the demands of more discerning diners, the scene in Phuket is changing as resorts seek an edge that will set them apart. In their sights are ''troodies,'' the growing army of travelling foodies who plot their whole holiday around where to eat dinner. [The author was a guest of three much-praised resorts.]

thefusejoplin.com Phuket, Thailand, is an amazing travel destination. Not only is it bustling with entertainment and nightlife, there are also a number of absolutely stunning natural attractions in the area, making it hard to decide exactly how to spend your time and money. Must Do 1: Phi Phi island.

thanhniennews.com Thai immigration authorities will stop a discriminative practice that requires tourists from a number of countries, including Vietnam, to present cash and pose for an offensive photo before allowing them to enter the country from Cambodia.

bangkokpost.com Nok Airlines net profit plunged 90.2 percent in the first quarter, which it attributed to more intense industry competition, Thailand's political turmoil and the weaker baht against the US dollar.

dailymail.co.uk Married British diplomat Alys Harahap, 30, is being investigated by the Foreign Office over complaints she conducted a romance behind bars with convicted drugs baron Julian Ponder on the tropical island of Bali.

bangkokpost.com Thailand should be liable to potential US sanctions for failing to crack down on trafficking in migrant workers, a group of human rights and labour organisations said in a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry.

bbc.co.uk US First Lady Michelle Obama has said her family is ''outraged and heartbroken'' following the mass abduction of Nigerian schoolgirls.

nytimes.com As the final ballots of South Africa's fifth post-apartheid election were tallied, the results handed the governing African National Congress a victory with 62 percent of the vote - nearly the same share it won in 1994, the year it assumed power under Nelson Mandela in the nation's first truly democratic election.

abc.net.au An unhappy marriage can triple the chances of a man going to an early grave, a landmark study into the health hazards of unhappy private lives has found. Women reported much the same stresses from a demanding spouse but it was less likely to kill them.



leicestermercury.co.uk Leicester City have been soaking up the sun and the adulation of the Thai public during their week of celebrations in Bangkok and Phuket.

afp Inter Milan handed club veteran Javier Zanetti a memorable send-off with a 4-1 win over Lazio which secured their place in next season's Europa League.

afp World number one Rafael Nadal will face Japan's Kei Nishikori in Sunday's Madrid Masters final after he romped past fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-3.



May 13 Visakha Bucha Day

July 11 Arsanha Bucha Day

August 12 Queen's Birthday

September 24-October 2 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket

October 23 Chulalongkorn Memorial Day

November 6 Loy Kratong

November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket

December 5 King's Birthday

December 10 Constitution Day

December 25 Christmas Day

December 26 10th Anniversary, 2004 Tsunami

December 31 New Year's Eve