afp Malaysian authorities held a sombre mass funeral for 21 suspected ethnic Rohingya found in human-trafficking graves last month, with fellow Muslims praying for the unidentified victims to find a place in heaven.

straitstimes.com Thailand has stepped up screening for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) at Suvarnabhumi Airport to include all passengers from seven countries where infections have been confirmed.

nzherald.co.nz Jordan Spieth has won his second major of 2015 after capturing the US Open title at Chambers Bay in Washington today. The Masters champion is now in line for a grand slam after a one stroke victory, becoming the youngest US Open champion since Bobby Jones in 1923.


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 When Krabi police traced the plate number, it led them to Pol Sen Sgt Maj Bunlue Phetkho, 41, from Border Patrol Police 426, now recovering from shooting injuries at a private hospital in Phuket. Police say Pol Sen Sgt Maj Bunlue admitted shooting dead Prasit Charungnooin a fit of rage when Prasit passed him on the road ''recklessly'' as the policeman was driving to see his wife in Surat Thani last Tuesday.

Full story
http://bangkokpost.com/news/general/599820/detectives-fall-victim-to-fallacy

nationmultimedia.com Thailand's ultra-luxury resort brand Trisara is set to increase its presence on Phuket in a bid to capture emerging markets while also expanding locally and abroad for the first time. Wealthy Chinese tourists are expected to contribute to Trisara's growing base of royalty customers in the coming decade.
Full story
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Montara-Hospitality-Group-eyes-young-wealthy-Chine-30262781.html



abc.net.au As Thai and Malaysian authorities continue their hunt for hidden graves of refugees in a remote border jungle, the biggest gravesite of all may have been discovered hidden in plain sight. "Alom had his throat cut," Buraq said, gesturing a slash across his throat, then pointing to a nearby house. ''Slaughtered by that smuggler there.''
Full Report
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/06/22/4257490.htm

bangkokpost.com If Thailand stays on Tier 3 or moves to the Tier 2 Watch List does not matter. What matters is that action - prevention, suppression and persecution - against human trafficking continues.



nationmultimedia.com The US Embassy in Bangkok expressed regret and apologised after a veteran Thai politician was identified as an ''anti-Thaksin activist'' in a formal invitation for him to attend an Independence Day party.

nationmultimedia.com According to Krisada Tansakul, president of the Thai Hotels Association's Southern Chapter, which covers Phuket, all 14 beaches in the resort-island can again boast their true beauty. Small shops, umbrellas and chairs are now things of the past at Pattaya and beaches across the nation.

phuketgazette.net Editorial: This is surely the last chance we will ever get to put an end to the international embarrassment that is the jet-ski rental industry in Phuket.

washingtonpost.com Newspapers that used to allocate their resources to deposing dictators and ferreting out corruption are now using them to publish snapshots of their readers' cats.

dailytelegraph.com.au Two young Americans who smashed the face of Melbourne man Jack Hansen-Bartel in Thailand have changed their pleas to not guilty despite admitting their actions.

news.com.au The Australian was arrested on a private criminal charge by his attackers for allegedly assaulting them. This leaves Thailand's system open to distortion by wealthy people who can afford endless legal fees and, at times, payments into the right hands, Jack Hansen Bartel's mother Annie Hansen told News Corp.
Full Story
http://www.news.com.au/national/australian-jack-hansen-bartel-fighting-for-justice-after-being-bashed-in-koh-samui-thailand/story-fncynjr2-1227408631400

bangkokpost.com Myanmar admits the prime benefit of the new Myanmar-Laos Friendship Bridge is to help Golden Triangle drug traffickers make and move their product faster.

smh.com.au About 1400 passengers of the Polish airline LOT were grounded at Warsaw's Chopin airport after hackers attacked the airline ground computer systems used to issue flight plans, the company said.

bangkokpost.com Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra celebrated her 48th birthday Sunday by performing a religious ceremony and merit-making activities at Wat Saensuk in Min Buri district.

AP Millions of yoga enthusiasts bent and twisted their bodies in complex postures across India and much of the world on Sunday to mark the first International Yoga Day.

bangkokpost.com A series of raids - including on Phuket - have caught 40 South Koreans who set up online gaming websites in Thailand to avoid even harsher anti-gambling laws in their own country.

wsj.com Al Jazeera journalist Ahmed Mansour will face a Berlin judge Monday, the news organisation said, after his detention by police on an extradition request of the Egyptian government stirred criticism in Germany. Two Al Jazeera journalists are currently on trial in Egypt in connection with allegedly spreading false news and supporting a terrorist organisation. A third, Australian Peter Greste, was deported earlier this year after serving more than a year in prison on the same charges.

news.com.au Japan has become a hot destination as the exchange rate weakened from about 80 yen to the US dollar in late 2012 to its current level of about 123 yen. Foreign visitors exceeded 10 million for the first time in 2013 and rose to 13.4 million last year.

nationmultimedia.com The Avani Bangkok Riverside is set to open in December, with the hotel aiming to cater to both leisure and business travellers - mostly from abroad. Avani Hotels & Resorts, the new hotel chain operator of Bangkok-based Minor Hotel Group, has invested Bt2.2 billion to build the property, which will offer 249 rooms on the Chao Phraya River.



straitstimes.com Dozens of Scoot passengers were up in arms after a flight from Singapore to Perth was delayed for more than 22 hours over the weekend. The passengers were asked to board the plane then disembark twice, and finally asked to return home without any reimbusement for taxi fares, according to a passenger's email.

Try Phuketwan's Asean Today daily:
Full Report http://phuketwan.com/tourism/asean-today-rohingya-graves-says-report-injustice-thailand-scoot-flight-delay-22697/



theage.com.au Australia sealed their progression to the quarter-finals of the 2015 FIFA World Cup with one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by stunning one of the favorites, Brazil.

bbc.com France set up a fascinating quarter-final tie against Germany at the Women's World Cup after brushing aside South Korea.



MORE THAN 1.5 billion Muslims around the world mark the start of Ramadan June 17, a month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts.

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