bangkokpost.com Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha issued a strongly worded condemnation of the fresh violence and warned that the army will take action if it continues.

Thailand Update Thailand's Electoral Commission ruled today that the July 20 national election, planned to replace the nullified February 2 poll, ''is no longer possible'' because of political unrest.

reuters The captain and three senior crew members of a South Korean ferry that capsized in April killing more than 280 passengers, many of them school children, were indicted for homicide, a senior prosecutor said.

dnaindia.com Hundreds of Chinese nationals fled to Cambodia to escape the anti-China riots in Vietnam in which at least 20 people are reported to have been killed, Cambodian police said. Factories were set on fire in an angry reaction to Chinese oil drilling in a part of the South China Sea claimed by Vietnam.

bangkokpost.com Thailand's economy is in danger of contracting in the first and second quarters and continuing its sluggish trend for another two or three years due to the political impasse, warns a former Bank of Thailand chairman, Virabongsa Ramangkura.


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 At least 50 countries have maintained warnings for their citizens to remain cautious and avoid visiting protest venues in Bangkok. Kuwait and Iran have advised their nationals to leave Thailand.

AP Thailand's political lexicon has a new term: the Holy Traffic Cone. The term went viral this week after a series of vicious attacks on motorists who moved traffic cones that anti-government protesters had arbitrarily placed near rally sites.

usnews.com Move a traffic cone placed by people who have spent six months taking over various areas of this politically volatile capital and you could get beaten, stabbed or shot. For many Thais sick of the chaos, it is a chilling thought, but also a chance to meme.

wsj.com Images of Thais prostrating before the so-called ''holy cones,'' sometimes offering gifts such as garlands or lukewarm bottles of Fanta and other soft drinks, have become an Internet meme here in recent days. It doesn't hurt that the Thai word for ''cone'' is similar to a Thai term for ''penis.''

reuters Furious Turks heckled Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and jostled his entourage as protests erupted in several cities over a coal mine disaster in which at least 274 people died, making it the worst industrial accident in the nation's history.



nnt Krabi has joined the 'Smoke Free Province' campaign promoted by ASH Thailand, and local officials and the group held a planning seminar.

planetearth.uk Two-stroke scooters, ridden by billions across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, are the leading source of some of the most dangerous traffic pollution, say scientists. Researchers add that banning or restricting two-stroke scooters could drastically improve air quality in many cities around the world.

dailymail.co.uk An ''untouchable'' drugs baron who ran a worldwide heroin and cocaine dealing ring from a mansion in Thailand is facing 20 years in jail after being arrested at IKEA in Amsterdam. Craig Allen, 50, was extradited to Britain where the sentence was imposed.

nationmultimedia.com Amari Estate Co is targeting local and foreign buyers for two residential projects worth at least Bt4 billion from 2015-16 in Phuket and Phang Nga's Khao Lak. ''We may launch both projects or maybe only one, depending on the market and the economy at that time,'' chief executive officer Yuthachai Charanachitta said. Amari has sold 60 percent of the Bt300 million Amari Residences Phuket.

independent.co.uk Many times in recent years Thailand has been faced by a crisis. But the current situation may be different because there appears to be no obvious way out.

post-gazette.com Unless one believes that the best government is no government, the situation in Thailand is close to catastrophic.

nationmultimedia.com The government should introduce measures to increase average tourist spending, as well as transform Phuket into a shoppers' paradise and boost economic growth, according to the Thai Retailers Association.

nationmultimedia.com People's Democratic Reform Committee leader Thaworn Senneam has denied that explosives found at Lumpini Park belonged to PDRC guards. He said the Explosives Ordinance inspection after the protesters had left the rally site had been conducted by the police alone with no other observers.

independent.co.uk Publisher's restrictions led Bob Marley to attribute authorship of 'No Woman, No Cry' and other songs to various people including a friend who ran a soup kitchen on the proceeds until his death in 2008, a court dispute about the songwriter's cash legacy has been told.

northdevonjournal.co.uk Westcountry beachgoers have been advised not to urinate on themselves after getting stung by jellyfish. Vinegar is said to better neutralise the toxicity of a jellyfish sting.

Phuket Update Source 1: Police are treating as suspicious the death of an American found half-naked in his hotel in Patong last night. Source 2: Police today ruled out the possibility of criminal activity in the death of a 57-year-old American tourist whose body was found in his room at a Patong guesthouse.

nytimes.com NYT public editor Margarget Sullivan: ''Journalists need to make every effort to get beyond the spin and help readers know what to believe, to help them make their way through complicated and contentious subjects.''

stuff.co.nz Extravagant parties, head-butts and constantly smelling of farts are all part of the life of an air stewardess, according to one retired stewardess. Mandy Smith, 40, has released a book about her 10-year stint flying.



elevenmyanmar.com A border-based rights group has accused Thai immigration authorities for extorting and mistreating Myanmar migrant workers on the Mae Sot-Bangkok expressway. Immigration officers at each of seven toll gates were asking migrant workers to pay Baht 100 each, often confiscating their documents and treating them rudely.

scmp.com The Hong Kong government issued an amber travel warning for Vietnam after protesters there vandalised hundreds of foreign-owned factories and torched at least 15 of them.

channelnewsasia.com Three factories in two Singapore-run industrial parks were set on fire as Vietnamese protesters staged anti-Chinese riots on Tuesday night, the park's management said. The Singapore Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City have separately requested Vietnamese authorities to restore order urgently.

cnet.com Vimeo doesn't allow porn on its site, but it does let users upload ''artistic'' and ''non-sexual nudity.'' However, in the eyes of the Indonesian government this is still pornography. Indonesia announced that it ordered all Internet service providers based in the county to block the video distribution and streaming site, according to the Associated Press.

cnn.com The underwater search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is on hold - and probably will be for at least four days - because of a malfunctioning part on the submersible Bluefin-21 and a broken transponder on the Bluefin's mother ship, the US Navy said.



bangkokpost.com Cape Panwa Hotel in Phuket and Media Business Services are holding ''Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek 2014,'' one of the region's top regattas.



July 11 Arsanha Bucha Day

July 16-20 Phuket Race Week yachting, Cape Panwa

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