UPDATING All Day, Every Day
afp Thailand's military has detained a man for questioning after the car bomb attack which wounded seven people on the resort island of Samui as security was tightened there, police said.
reuters An Egyptian court sentenced Mohamed Badie, leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, and 13 other senior members of the group to death for inciting chaos and violence.
bbc.com Jordan Spieth will go into the final round of the Masters nursing a four-shot lead over England's Justin Rose with three-time champion Phil Mickelson heading a charging pack behind.
PhuketWATCH Daily Media Wrap
PHUKET: The daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media. Beware of inconsistent imitations.
Today's Top News Items
nationmultimedia.com Hotels in Samui are tightening security following a bomb blast at a shopping mall, while tourists are advised to be cautious in public areas. Samui Airport has banned overnight parking.
bangkokpost.com More than 200 Thais looking to spend Songkran in Japan never got off the ground after their flight failed to obtain clearance. The Asian Air chartered flight was one of three Thai flights cancelled because they lacked necessary approvals.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/525667/japan-bars-three-thai-flights
cnn.com At the Sirenusa resort, a family's vacation in paradise turned into a nightmare. Theresa Devine and Steve Esmond and their two children fell gravely ill and suffered seizures; two brothers, ages 14 and 16, remain in comas. [Pesticide misuse is blamed for at least four deaths on Phi Phi.]
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/10/health/virgin-islands-vacationers-pesticide-exposure/index.html
Human Trafficking in Thailand
Thailand Update Police dropped an investigation into allegations of slavery leveled by an Ethiopian maid at her employers a top Bangkok-based World Health Organisation official and his wife.
Phuket World of People
Krabi Update Krabi officials have begun boat-safety inspections to ensure that all tourist boats are safe during the Songkran holiday. The push comes days after the Ao Nang Princess 5 ferry caught fire and sank between Krabi and Phuket, killing 12-year-old Israeli girl, Sani Manil and destroying the baggage of scores of tourists.
afp A car bomb on the Thai resort island of Samui has wounded seven people, including an Italian girl, police said, in a further blow to the country's tarnished reputation as a top tourist destination.
stuff.co.nz The island's disaster prevention chief Poonsak Sophonpathumrak told journalists the bomb was hidden in a Honda believed to have been stolen from one of three southern Thai provinces where an ethnic insurgency has killed more than 6000 people, many of them civilians, over the past decade.
nationmultimedia.com Considering the timing and the location - shortly before the Songkran Festival in a popular tourist destination - observers insisted the attack was aimed at challenging the government. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up at popular tourist destinations in the South, including Phuket, Hat Yai and Samui.
andrew-drummond.com An autopsy on Australian Brodie Smith, who died while undergoing Ibogaine treatment to cure his methamphetamine addiction, confirms our investigation into the death of the 33-year-old on the Thai holiday island of Koh Phangan.
http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2015/04/exposed-drug-programme-bosses-who.html
nytimes.com Editorial: In a cynical sleight of hand, Thailand's military junta lifted martial law last week only to replace it with even more draconian powers for the ruling military junta led by Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha.
inquirer.net The Philippines has lifted its alert level for Filipinos in Thailand following the announcement by the country's ruling junta that martial law had been lifted.
scmp.com A nun set herself on fire while crying out for the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet in the latest in a series of self-immolations by Tibetans protesting against Beijing's control over the region, overseas rights groups said.
investopedia.com If your retirement dreams include a beautiful climate, new cultural experiences, access to affordable healthcare and a lower cost of living, you may be thinking about retiring abroad. One destination popular with retirees is Thailand, a small country in southern Asia known for its natural beauty, pristine beaches, exotic cuisine, temples and friendly people.
independent.co.uk The former head of Scotland Yard's elite robbery unit has labelled the police's handling of the Hatton Garden jewellery heist involving an estimated 60 million pounds in gems ''utterly incompetent''.
bangkokpost.com Police have arrested four executives of UFun Store Co Ltd, which operates an alleged pyramid scheme of the same name that involves 14,700 people and 10 billion baht in possible damages.
AP Cubans are hailing Saturday's historic meeting between presidents Raul Castro and Barack Obama but say they want to see their lives improve faster as a result of warming ties between the Cold War foes.
voanews.com Survivors and liberators of Buchenwald, one of Nazi Germany's notorious concentration camps, gathered to commemorate their release 70 years earlier.
the phuketinsider.com Well known Phuket hotelier Rudd Hulscher has been appointed General Manager - Operations for Outrigger Asia Pacific.
PA Women should only give birth by caesarean section if it is medically necessary, the World Health Organisation warns.
Around the Asean Region
Try Phuketwan's Asean Today daily:
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/asean-today-sweatshops-america-bikers-head-phuket-laos-darling-22241/
Phuket World of Sport
reuters Rory McIlroy did not get the Saturday miracle he needed to give himself a chance of winning the Masters and completing a career Grand Slam. Two bogeys in the final three holes extinguished any remaining flicker of hope.
reuters Swansea City equalled their highest-ever points tally in a Premier League season following a 1-1 draw with Everton in the early game at the Liberty Stadium.
Coming Events on Phuket 2015
April 13 Songkran waterplay day begins in Patong the night before
Until April 19 Phuket Bike Week
April 13, 14, 15 Public holidays
May 4 Additional public holiday scheduled
June 20-21 Baba wedding at Old Phuket Town
July 15-19 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek
Knowing I'll be labelled by Ed, I'll still post this, "Thailand, a small country in southern Asia known for its natural beauty, pristine beaches, exotic cuisine, temples and friendly people." Ok, natural beauty, most have been replaced by plantations of rice, palm oil, rubber trees etc, pristine beaches...where, so few left, if any, exotic cuisine, some yes, but so much doesn't suit the western palate, temples, probably the only true comment, friendly people, no different than many of countries. I often wonder why these people get paid when most of their "reports" are obviously so "false." Take a look at Phuket and Pattaya, take away the cheap shopping, cheap women and cheap drinks and what is really left...oh yes 10% beach for you to sit under the shade of an umbrella, on a beach that resembles a garbage dump, controlled by jetski and parasailing "mafia," hardly paradise.
Posted by Laurie Howells on April 12, 2015 07:09
Editor Comment:
Doomsaying is what you do so well, Laurie. Fortunately your views are only shared by a few whose negativity indicates they have also problems with ''life.'' Why do you bother? There are many people who enjoy pleasure where you find only pain. Fortunately, it's your problem. My advice to more observant readers is: Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.