bangkokpost.com SET-listed property developer Land and Houses Plc (LH) plans to spend 14 billion baht to build Terminal 21 shopping centres on Phuket and in Pattaya. [Thailand's major retailers are all targetting Phuket.]

theage.com.au US President Barack Obama angrily called for stricter gun laws after the latest mass murder in Oregon and took aim at the powerful National Rifle Association gun lobby for blocking reform.


PHUKET: The daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media. Beware of inconsistent imitations.



nationmultimedia.com The US has recognised Thailand's solid progress in fighting the worst forms of child labor. In the 'Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labour 2014,' a new report compiled by the US Department of Labor, Thailand has been put in the ''significant advancement''category - the highest category - with 12 other nations.

bangkokpost.com Coup supporters led by activist monk Phra Buddha Isara protested at the US embassy over ''Washington support'' and shelter for anti-government critics.



nationmultimedia.com Police have stepped up their investigation of a Thai man suspected of supplying the explosives used in the Erawan Shrine blast. The suspect, Aod Payungwong, has no identity card despite standing trial several times and being convicted of a crime, it was revealed.



reuters Myanmar's historic elections next month are likely to worsen the plight of the country's oppressed Rohingya Muslim community, with a new, hardline Buddhist party on the brink of becoming a formidable force. Rohingya make up about one-third of Rakhine's population and many are virtual prisoners in camps or in segregated villages, subject to restrictions on travel and, in some areas, access to healthcare and education.



Phuket Update A foreigner operating a parasail rental business at Phuket's iconic Cape Promthep has been badgering visitors and telling them to keep clear of the area, according to local officials. Parasailer speedboat staff on Phuket's public Patong beach also constantly clear the beach, while jet-ski operators tout for business there.

nationmultimedia.com The government has partly retreated from its controversial plan to merge the country's Internet connections into a single gateway after widespread criticism and heavy pressure from netizens. Government figures said the plan was merely in the feasibility-study stage and the pros and cons of the proposal were being weighed.

dpa The EU will wait until December before deciding whether Thailand has done enough to fix illegal and unregulated fishing, an official in Brussels says.

bbc.com The White House says Russian air strikes against militants in Syria are "indiscriminate" and threaten to draw Russia more deeply into the crisis. Spokesman Josh Earnest said Russia was carrying out random air strikes against the Syrian opposition.

reuters Hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria to join a major ground offensive on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad's government, Lebanese sources said, a further step in the rapid internationalisation of a civil war in which every major country in the region has a stake.

smh.com.au Sweden continues with its renowned family friendly policies by shifting to a six hour working day. Businesses across the Scandinavian country are implementing the change so workers can spend more time at home or doing the activities they enjoy.

nationmultimedia.com Most Thais are expected to make domestic leisure trips rather than overseas visits during the remainder of the year due to their lack of disposable income and a general economic decline in the region, executives of MasterCard said. Phuket, Chiang Mai and Samui are the most popular destinations.

bangkokpost.com Budget restrictions may force the navy to review its plan to buy three Chinese-built submarines, new RTN chief Admiral Na Areenij admitted.

smh.com.au The gunman who slaughtered at least 13 people and wounded 20 or more at a community college in rural Oregon ordered his victims to stand up and state their religion before he began shooting, a witness has told a local newspaper. The gunman was killed during a shootout with police.

smh.com.au Australian of the Year Rosie Batty has called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to close Australia's offshore detention centres, saying they are ''by their very design, unsafe and dangerous places''. ''The people forcibly held there are those who sought protection in this country. They deserve care, not punishment.''

nationmultimedia.com Sirinath National Park in Phuket is a good example of how tackling forest encroachment is complicated. Sirinat covers around 13,750 rai (2300 hectares) of land. About one-third, or around 3500 rai, has allegedly been encroached upon and divided into plots. At least 710 of these plots have had land-ownership documents issued, with officials insisting that there were only a few land-utilisation documents that could be used to turn into those documents.

independent.co.uk It has been a bone of contention between dinosaur experts for the past 35 years - did dinosaurs become extinct as a result of a massive asteroid impact or were they snuffed out by stupendous volcanic eruptions? The answer is both, according to the latest study into the controversy.



straitstimes.com Hazy conditions are expected to continue on Friday, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) set to be between the high end of the unhealthy range and the middle of the very unhealthy range.



nationmultimedia.com Tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal arrived in Bangkok for a sold-out exhibition match between the world's current and former No. 1 players on Friday.

afp Frederic Michalak became France's all-time World Cup points scorer as his country became the first team to reach the quarter-finals with a 41-18 win over Canada.



October 15-23 Phuket Vegetarian Festival

November Patong Festival

November 20 Laguna Phuket Triathlon

November 25 Loy Kratong festival

November 29 Challenge Laguna Phuket 2015

November 29 Phuket King's Cup Regatta

December 5 HM The King's Birthday

December 26 Tsunami memorial ceremonies



January 7-10 Phuket International Boat Show