reuters A total of 175 people were exposed to Thailand's only case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and the patient's condition has improved, the health ministry said.

smh.com.au Aussie billionaire James Packer has found love with US singer and self described diva, Mariah Carey. The pair - a match made in high maintenance heaven - have been photographed holding hands while holidaying in Capri.

bernama Strong southwesterly winds and rough seas in waters off Phuket, Condore, Reef North and Palawan are expected to persist until Tuesday.


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 central bank has trimmed its 2015 growth projection to 3 percent from 3.8 percent on weak exports but revised up its 2016 forecast to 4.1 percent from 3.9 percent.

Phuket Update The final regulations and requirements for a one-year permit that will allow foreign-flagged superyachts to charter in Thailand were announced at a public meeting in Phuket. The chartering licence is expected to be signed off by the Ministry of Transport next month.

bangkokpost.com Transport Minister Prajin Juntong acknowledged government efforts to address aviation safety concerns raised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation had failed.



nationmultimedia.com The Public Health Ministry has put Thailand on a nationwide alert for MERS after one foreigner tested positive for the virus at a Bangkok hospital on Thursday, with various measures being implemented to ensure it does not spread.

bangkokpost.com One of the big problems with Mers is that it takes time to diagnose - in this case, several days - so that people who might have been exposed have scatteredto many places around the country and even abroad. It is not that easy to find them.

nnt Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong and Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) Director Kajonsak Kaewjarat jointly inspected the International Communicable Disease Control Checkpoint at Phuket International Airport to ensure residents and tourists the province's readiness to handle deadly MERS virus outbreak in the famous tourist destination.

reuters South Korea's health ministry said that no new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) had been recorded, the first time in 16 days.



watoday.com.au It's official, Australians are losing interest in Bali, with a four percent drop reported in Aussie arrivals - after a long time of sustained growth.

Phuket Update Key Phuket tourism hospitality figures Claude Sauter, Brice Borin and Jirapa ''Sii'' Eawsakul have been re-elected unanimously as the new executive committee for 2015-2017 for Skal International Phuket & Southern Thailand.

AP A man was in critical condition in a London hospital after he was found stowed away in the undercarriage of a plane that had just completed a 10-hour flight, and police are investigating whether a man found dead on a west London rooftop fell from the same plane.

theage.com.au At least 53 people have died after consuming illegally brewed alcohol in India's western city of Mumbai, police say.

AP The white gunman charged with killing nine people during a shooting spree at a Charleston church should get the death penalty, South Carolina's governor said.

bangkokpost.com The Labor Ministry is reminding Thai transgenders working overseas that cross-dressing in Middle Eastern countries can get them thrown in jail.

afp Warring forces in South Sudan have carried out horrific crimes against children, including castration, rape and tying them together before slitting their throats, the UN has said.

reuters Descendants of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington shook hands at Waterloo on the 200th anniversary of a battle that ended French imperial hegemony over Europe and ushered in a century of fragile peace.

afp The hulking shell of the world's largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, slid into the waters off western France, with workers aiming to have it ready for a 2016 inaugural trip. The ship will have room for some 6360 passengers and 2100 staff members.



kyodo news Vietnamese authorities have detained eight suspected Indonesian hijackers of a Malaysian oil tanker who abandoned the vessel with its 22 crew and fled after authorities closed in on them by sea and air, officials said.

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skysports.com Tiger Woods posted the worst 36-hole total of his professional career as he crashed out of the US Open at Chambers Bay. The 14-time major champion improved marginally on his opening 80, but his second-round 76 left him at 16 over for the tournament with only Darren Clarke below him on the leaderboard.

watoday.com.au Tiger Woods threw his club, kicked the ground and even tried tying his shoes after a poor tee shot on the eighth hole to see if he could shake himself out of his season-long funk.

Sport's top court has overturned a four-year ban on the British-Thai violinist Vanessa-Mae, who was accused of cheating in races to qualify for skiing competitions at the 2014 Olympics in Russia.

Coming Events on Phuket 2015

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