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 China has reiterated its request for Thailand to allow its nationals to visit without a visa, the same privilege as its diplomats and government officials, Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Sihasak Phuangketkeow said while on an official visit in Beijing.

bangkokpost.com The summary justice of cancelling passports will be strongly criticised at home and abroad. Common wisdom currently holds that the Chinese are grinning and making great diplomatic headway simply by remaining silent.

bangkokpost.com The Thai military has not responded to an appeal from the United States asking it to rejoin the annual Cobra Gold military exercises, after Washington earlier threatened to relocate the long-standing joint operation to Australia next year in response to the coup.



afp Mario Goetze scored a superb extra-time winner as Germany beat Argentina 1-0 to become the first European team to win a World Cup held in South America.



bangkokpost.com A 14-member team of police, backed by the military, has moved in to tackle corruption on Phuket and is taking on the authorities that have allowed the problems to fester.

The Great Phuket Cleanup
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigation/420246/the-great-phuket-cleanup

nationmultimedia.com Phuket Pearl Group, a pearl producer in Phuket, plans to promote its "Amorn Pearl" trademark internationally. Phuket Pearl Group employs about 50 technicians and workers, but several hundred pearl oyster farmers are in the supply chain.

radioinfo.com.au Aussie announcer quits: Since the military took control of the government Phuket station Live 89.5 FM has been off air, along with thousands of small commercial stations. Aussie Kirsty Meyer is one announcer affected by the enforced shut down.

businessinsider.com.au We're in a hotel near the Malaysian capital's airport with our fingers crossed that we'll be heading home tonight. And I'm not happy. In 30 years of travelling, it's the first time this has happened to me on an international flight.

Here's What Happened When My Family Was 'Bumped' From A Malaysia Airlines Flight To Australia
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/heres-what-happened-when-my-family-was-bumped-from-a-malaysian-airlines-flight-2014-7

thesundaily.my Washington should adopt a more nuanced stance towards the Thai coup for several reasons. With its rapidly growing economy and rising consumer income, China offers a faster-growing market for Thai goods and services than the US.

wsj.com Thousands of Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip fled their homes for UN shelters after the Israeli military warned them with leaflets and phone calls to evacuate ahead of an intensified offensive.

nnt A poll shows Thais are confident that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) will successfully reform the country and give their moral support to the council. The poll, conducted by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, found that people were most confident in the council in terms of reform and its campaign ''Returning Happiness to Thailand'' (85.63pc), saying it had clear plans, commitments and determination. The council's social regulation came second (74.90pc), followed by anti-corruption (72.22pc).

nationmultimedia.com Letter: Thailand's bloodless coup is condemned. Egypt's violent, bloody coup of a year ago - overthrowing a government whose election America supported - is simply not categorised as a military coup, or a coup of any kind, and American aid continues to flow.

timesofindia.com At least 133 Sunni militants were killed on Sunday in fierce clashes with security forces across Iraq, officials said.

afp US technology giant Apple is fighting Chinese claims that the iPhone threatens national security through its ability to track and time-stamp a user's location.

news.com.au A United Airlines flight from Hawaii to Guam has been diverted to the remote island of Midway. It's believed an odor in the cabin forced the emergency landing.

stickmanweekly.com One of the hardest decisions to make for any long-term expat here is to get up one morning, look in the bathroom mirror, and say ''The Thailand thing isn't working for me and I need to move on.'' I've seen far too many expats (good friends in many cases) just stumble from year to year - often existing on very little income - and shying away from making that all-important decision. Should I stay or should I go?

nationmultimedia.com Amari Phuket is scheduled for renovation and additional rooms by the end of 2016. Onyx Hospitality Group, one of the biggest Thai hotel-management firms, plans to raise its presence among global players by operating 15 more hotels domestically and overseas over the next three years.

4hoteliers.com In Asia, Phuket was at the forefront of the resort property push with the innovation of hotel managed private villas.

nationmultimedia.com Laotians and others with money to spare can also take advantage of the many services from Udon Thani International Airport, including flights to Phuket, Samui or even South Korea.



telegraph.co.uk A policeman was killed and a second kidnapped after heavily armed gunmen opened fire at a Malaysian diving resort off Borneo island, a fresh escalation of violence in the tourist hotspot of Mabul island, a security official said.

straitstimes.com The shooting on Mabul island is the latest in a spate of abductions in Malaysia's remote Sabah state, home to some of the world's top diving sites, with travel agents saying the violence has already hurt visits to the area.

phnompenhpost.com Police in Phnom Penh are investigating the presumed murder of American teacher of English William Glenn, 43, after a body was found bruised, bound and wrapped in a curtain. He had spent the past decade teaching in Thailand.

thetimes.co.uk Most polls suggest that Joko Widodo, the liberal governor of Jakarta, has a small lead in last Wednesday's Indonesian election.



smh.com.au ''I'm ashamed I didn't come out earlier because I didn't have the courage to do it,'' Ian Thorpe told British interviewer Michael Parkinson. ''I wanted to make my nation proud of me. I didn't know if Australia wanted its champion to be gay. I am telling the world I am,'' he said.



July 16-20 Phuket Race Week yachting, Cape Panwa

August 11 Special holiday for Queen's Birthday

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