TWO MEN in black wearing anonymous masks and carrying guns robbed a 7-Eleven store in Bangkok's Don Muang district at 3.10am, taking just 40 seconds to make off on a motorcycle with 1600 baht in cash and two bottles of Johnny Walker Black Label. Police do not believe it was a political act.

guardian.co.uk Whereabouts of former CIA analyst Edward Snowden a mystery after he does not catch expected flight from Moscow to Cuba.

AP Islamic militants disguised as policemen have killed 10 foreign climbers and a Pakistani guide in a brazen raid against their campsite at the base of one of the world's tallest mountains in northern Pakistan. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility.

smh.com.au Cricket Australia has sacked head coach Mickey Arthur on the eve of the Ashes. The former South Africa coach, whose contract was due to run until the end of the World Cup in March 2015, was informed of the decision over the weekend.

news.com.au No net, no harness. Daredevil Nik Wallenda has just become the first man to walk across the Grand Canyon on a tightrope.


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 The Tourism Authority of Thailand sees potential opportunities in penetrating secondary cities in Germany to draw more German tourists to Thailand. Turkey, a favorite destination for Germans, is currently mired in political unrest, so Thailand should take this chance to attract more German tourists.

eturbonews.com A tourist from India drowned yesterday in heavy surf at Phuket's Kata beach. It was the third drowning on the island's holiday beaches in the space of three days. The Lifeguard Service, Phuketwan and more recently the Chinese Ambassador have made the point that repeated warnings are required to prevent needless deaths.

andrew-drummond.com The New York based Committee to Protect Journalists is backing Andrew Drummond, a British journalist who faces a series of law suits and under Thailand's criminal libel and computer crime acts. Drummond has published a series of exposes showing how foreign fraudsters claiming ''influential friends'' have been fleecing visitors and expats in Pattaya.

foxnews.com A demonstration by 1500 members of the 'V for Thailand' movement - an enigmatic protest group spawned over social media whose supporters wear the masks of comic book hero 'V' - was the fourth this month outside the CentralWorld complex in the heart of the city.

bangkokpost.com The plan to create a Thai offshoot of Vietnam's no-frills carrier VietJet Air has been firmed up with a joint venture agreement set to conclude in Bangkok on Wednesday.

cnn.com Ecuador's foreign minister confirms leaker Edward Snowden is seeking asylum as he flees Hong Kong for Moscow under the guidance of WikiLeaks lawyers, infuriating US officials.

foxnews.com Nelson Mandela's health has deteriorated and he is now in critical condition, the South African government said. The office of President Jacob Zuma said in a statement that he had visited the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader at a hospital and was informed by the medical team that Mandela's condition had become critical in the past 24 hours.

examiner.com A Guinean man was arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkokafter he was found with illegal rhinoceros horns worth more than 10 million baht (S $320,000). The man said the luggage was not his and that it belonged to his Guinean friend who arrived in Thailand before him.

cbc.ca Malaysian authorities declared a state of emergency in a southern district where a smoky haze blamed on Indonesian forest fires has triggered one of the country's worst pollution levels in years. The worst of the smog has shifted from Singapore to southernmost Malaysia.

bbc.co.uk Singapore is currently shrouded in smoky haze, from forest fires in neighboring Indonesia, and the pollution levels in the city-state have hit a new record-high for three days in a row. White murky gloom has enveloped the city, bringing a pungent smell of burning. Many people are choosing to stay at home and the streets are noticeably emptier.

globalpost.com If one more year passes without major strikes against Thai trafficking syndicates, the US State Department will be forced, by law, to hit Thailand with sanctions. For four years running, a US State Department annual 'Trafficking in Persons' report has labeled Thailand with its next-to-worst ranking.

nationmultimedia.com Unilever has offered its Burmese workers employed at factories in Thailand a choice to return to their home country, according to a report by Eleven Media. Harish Manwani, chief operating officer, announced earlier this month that the multinational consumer goods company is planning to launch its first factory in Burma next month.

salem-news.com Matthew Smith, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, said: ''The world should not be blinded by the excitement of Burma's political opening. Rohingya are paying for that approach with their lives.'' Now it is due time for the Rohingya to take their own security as ''Self-Defense.''

scmp.com A night-time attack by gunmen dressed as police in which nine tourist climbers, including two Chinese, were killed was among the worst attacks on foreigners in Pakistan in a decade.

nytimes.com Flash floods and landslides in northern India have killed at least 1000 people in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in the past week and with thousands missing or stranded the toll was expected to rise.

cnet.com Appearing on CNN, Apple's co-founder Steve Wozniak says he admires Edward Snowden. He also worries that his own creations and those of fellow technologists have been used, as it were, against the people.

nationmultimedia.com Bartercard (Thailand) is venturing into Pattaya, aiming to lure new members in the tourism industry. Bartercard operates six branches in Thailand, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.

theage.com.au ''No matter how much we crave it, authenticity is hard to come by in this country,'' writes Reed Tucker in an article for Time magazine 50 Authentic American Experiences. ''The problem is that so many of the famous destinations listed in guidebooks don't have anything to do with the local culture or the people who actually live there.''



supersport.com Thailand face a Fifa-imposed suspension on Monday after a lowly fourth tier club refused to balk at pressure from the world governing body to drop a court order halting controversial reforms that has left the game in crisis.

bangkokpost.com Pattaya FC will withdraw its lawsuit against the Football Association of Thailand today to prevent Fifa sanctions, according to their lawyer, Peemadej Amornsukon.

independent.co.uk For 38 years and 16 competitions England had gone without winning a global one-day trophy and now that will rise to 40 and 17 after their befuddling defeat to India in the Champions Trophy final.

afp England needed 19 off the last 12 balls for victory but lost four wickets for three runs in eight balls.

bbc.co.uk Championship club Brighton sacked manager Gus Poyet during a game he was covering as a pundit for BBC Sport. Poyet learned of his fate while appearing as a pundit on Sunday's live Confederations Cup coverage and says he will appeal against the sacking.

afp Serena Williams tried to defuse her war of words with Maria Sharapova as the Wimbledon champion claimed she had apologised to the Russian for criticising her private life. Serena arrives at Wimbledon hoping to win the title for the sixth time.



June 22-24 Baba style traditional wedding, Old Phuket Town

July 6-7 Phuket Air Show and Family Picnic, Phuket Air Park

July 17-21 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek

July 22 Arsarnha Bucha Day

August 12 HM The Queen's Birthday

October 5-13 Phuket Vegetarian Festival

October 23 Chulalongkorn Memorial Day

October 29-November 3 Womens' volleyball, Karon beach

November 17 Loy Kratong Day

November 24-December 1 Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest. Laguna Phuket

December 5 HM The King's birthday



January 9-12 Phuket International Boat Show, Royal Phuket Marina

November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket