theguardian.com Hong Kong police reclaimed swaths of an area occupied by pro-democracy protesters on Monday morning after hours of intense clashes which led to scores of injuries and arrests.

cbc.ca The Canadian government is working to confirm reports that Gill Rosenberg, a Canadian citizen, has been captured by Islamist extremists in Syria.

bangkokpost.com The arrest of a US rape suspect who fled to Thailand to work as an English instructor raises concerns over students' safety at private language schools.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/446329/us-rape-suspect-led-double-life

sail-world.com With racing starting on Monday and a 92-boat fleet registered (and there are always a few latecomers), the 2014 Phuket King's Cup looks to be a vintage edition of this Asian classic.

bangkokpost.com Highlighting sports tourism in her master plan, minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul believes sports will not only heal Thailand's divided society but also lift the nation's competitiveness and capability in the international arena.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/446392/sporting-chance


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 Five sites have been pinpointed by the Tourism Ministry to be developed as quality destinations as part of a rebranding plan aimed at boosting high-spending tourists. The five sites are Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Koh Pha-ngan and Nan. In Phuket, premium cruising and MICE (meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition) businesses are targeted besides sun-tanning and diving.

bangkokpost.com Two men wanted as enforcers for the alleged criminal network run by ex-CIB chief Pongpat Chayapan surrendered, and detailed violent extortions and threats of citing the monarchy that were used by members of the family formerly known as Akkharaphongpricha.

scmp.com Hong Kong students fought running battles with police outside government headquarters on Sunday night as Occupy protesters tried to storm the Admiralty compound and lay siege to Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's office.



presstv.ir ''Both Malaysia and Thailand have failed in their international obligation to provide protection to Rohingya. Even young able-bodied men sometimes don't survive the [sea] journey,'' said Dimitrina Petrova of the London-based group Equal Rights Trust.

theguardian.com Prime Minister Tony Abbott said earlier this year that the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia was the defining moment in the country's history. Yet he won election on a platform of promising to ''stop the boats'' of all asylum seekers. More than 90 percent of those arriving by boat are found to be genuine refugees,



thestandard.com.hk Police and soldiers outraged holidaymakers when they raided Surin Beach to seize parasols and sunloungers even though the objects aren't banned under existing laws. Beach vendors cheered on the tourists during a verbal clash. Phuketwan.com said local mayor Ma-ann Samran ordered the seizure of the umbrellas because he was concerned too many of them could become a problem.

stickmanweekly.com Expat society is every bit as stratified along financial lines as Thai society. From foreign executives in Bangkok earning million dollar plus annual salaries to Western retirees in far flung provinces living on less than 10,000 baht a month, it's hard to generalise about the finances of foreigners resident in Thailand. Everything has changed and today Bangkok is home to many foreigners who balk at the idea of paying 150 baht for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, while the Thais happily queue up.

bangkokpost.com For most people, the allegations against Pol Lt Gen Pongpat and friends were not shocking revelations about trusted public servants gone bad. They were confirmation of the lifestyle and daily routine at at police headquarters throughout the country. Shaking down businesses, intimidating vendors, forcing subordinates to pay for promotions and cushy duty stations - these are ingrained necessities.

ft.com Airlines are launching new and ever more lavish first-class cabins - most noticeably, Etihad's Residence, a three-bedroom private apartment which enters service next month.

cbc.ca A judge dismissed murder charges against former President Hosni Mubarak and acquitted his security chief over the killing of protesters during Egypt's 2011 uprising, crushing any hope of a judicial reckoning on behalf of the hundreds victims of the revolt that toppled him.

theguardian.com Swiss voters have roundly rejected an initiative to put a cap on immigration in the name of environmental concerns.

reuters Hong Kong is expected to report a drop in October retail sales on Monday, providing the first broad look at the impact of pro-democracy protests on core shopping areas after demonstrators blocked key roads and scared off mainland Chinese tourists.

cnn.com The premier of Taiwan announced his resignation after losing the first election since protests erupted over a controversial trade deal with mainland China. The move by Jiang Yi-huah sets the stage for significant turnover, and possibly reforms, in the East Asian island.

tourism-reviews.com According to a recent Skyscanner study, Asia and Central America have been the areas of greatest interest for the Spanish tourists in the past three years. The study comes out of an analysis of searches by more than 2.5 million unique Spanish internet users.



thestar.com.my The Government will not allow the ashes of Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) leader Chin Peng to be brought back to Malaysia, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.



belfasttelegraph.co.uk Roberto Soldado's barren run came to a timely end as Tottenham rallied to secure a much-needed 2-1 comeback win against Everton.

Phuket Update Swiss Olympian Ruedi Wild produced a clockwork performance at the Challenge Laguna Phuket taking his very first half-distance win in 4:02:43, after back to back winsin the Laguna Phuket Triathlon 2012-13. In the women's field Melissa Hauschildt (AUS) in 4:27:40 defended her title and led fellow athletes by more than 10 minutes.

nationmultimedia.com Thaworn Wiratchant crafted his way to the best birdie putt of the year to beat India's Anirban Lahiri for his long-awaited King's Cup title and a record 18th Asian Tour victory at the Singha Park Khon Kaen Golf Course.

Phuket Update Promising young Thai sailors took to the waters in Optimist and Laser dinghies to mark the first competitive class racing action under the umbrella of this year's Phuket King's Cup Regatta, in the 5th Phuket Dinghy Series. Teerapong Torkratoke put in an excellent performance to emerge winner of the Laser Class; Nattapong Yongram was overall winner in Boy's Optimist Class, with Narinmas Nitsuwan winner of the Girl's Optimist Class.



Until December 6 King's Cup Regatta

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



February 13-15 Phuket Yacht Show