bangkokpost.com Blood tests on villagers near a gold mine in Phichit found that more than half were contaminated with toxic metals, leading authorities to believe thousands may have been poisoned.

afp Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke picked up his boxing career at 62 years old - and beat his far younger opponent in the second round.

nationmultimedia.com Police have arrested an American man for sex crimes allegedly committed in the US and Thailand. Thomas Andrew Erickson, 47, who is also known as Andrew McLean or Barry Stewart, was nabbed in Samut Prakan while in possession of fake US and British passports.

bangkokpost.com After running afoul of taxi operators and Thai regulators, the ride-sharing service Uber says it's willing to work with authorities to improve urban transport.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/446148/uber-willing-to-comply.


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 Retailers and suppliers have agreed to join the Commerce Ministry in a campaign to cut consumer prices for seven days from December 24-30 as part of the government's "New Year gift" despite warnings of the campaign triggering hoarding.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/446072/7-days-of-happiness-in-store

reuters Gunmen set off three bombs and opened fire on worshippers at the central mosque in north Nigeria's biggest city Kano, killing at least 120 people and wounding hundreds more.

nbcnews.com Malaysia Airlines removed a marketing tweet that some deemed insensitive as air officials continue to search for one of its jets, missing since March with 239 people on board. ''Want to go somewhere, but don't know where?'' the tweet said.

bangkokpost.com Lists of bribes allegedly made by a reputed oil smuggler in Pattani province show corruption may have touched nearly all government agencies in the South, national police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang said. [At least 14 government organisations are known to take bribes on Phuket for corrupt behavior in Patong.]

bangkokpost.com Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the decision to block the website of the Thai branch of Human Rights Watch (HRW) was taken because the group breached national security rules. Most internet users quickly found a way around the blackout.



reuters China lashed out at Turkey for offering shelter to roughly 200 Uighurs from the western Chinese region of Xinjiang who were rescued from a human-smuggling camp in Thailand. Thai immigration officials declined to comment and the Thai foreign ministry did not respond immediately to a Reuters query.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/445978/uber-declared-illegal-in-thailand-drivers-face-heavy-fines

reuters Many of Burma's Rakhine villages now consist of only children and old people, as the young ones have left in search of jobs in Malaysia and Thailand. Some even take smuggling routes and fall victim to human traffickers.



property-report.com Former Phuket resident Andy Street of Tawan Properties has contacted Property Report to set the record straight: ''I still intend to deliver all that the buyers require.'' Mr Street, now living in Britain, does not deny that the 48 owners in the project have been asked to contribute cash to a deal that will see the bank repaid and the title deeds released. If an agreement cannot be reached, the creditors may seize the property.

AP Police around the world have arrested 118 suspects in a global investigation into online fraud that targets the travel industry, a crime said to cost airlines $1 billion a year. The European Union police coordination agency Europol said the arrests were made during two days of coordinated action this week at more than 80 airports in 45 countries.

bangkokpost.com Ride-sharing service Uber is operating illegally in Thailand and its drivers will now face heavy fines for using improper cars and fare structures, Department of Land Transport director-general Teerapong Rodprasert said.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/445978/uber-declared-illegal-in-thailand-drivers-face-heavy-fines

liverpoolecho.co.uk The family of Darren Taylor, 34, who was killed in Thailand in 2013, is devastated after his suspected murderer's trial was put on hold. According to Taylor's family, James Anthony Durnan, 23, who is standing trial for Darren's murder, has been allowed home to spend Christmas with his family before the trial resumes on January 19.

cnn.com The aunt of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un suffered a fatal stroke while she was on the phone with him, arguing about her husband's execution, a defector says.

independent.co.uk Thailand's military-appointed legislature started impeachment proceedings against ousted former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra over a loss-making rice subsidy program, seen as a further step to try to end the political influence of her powerful family.

news.com.au Two Australian tourists have died and seven others are injured, after a van collided with a milk tanker in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty.

nationmultimedia.com Accor Group will continue to expand its hotel portfolio in Thailand, expecting a more stable political and economic environment next year to bring about a return of tourists to the country. Gross domestic product should do well next year with growth of 4 percent being predicted, said the regional chief operating officer, Patrick J-M Basset.

bangkokpost.com Some tourist destinations including Bangkok face a hotel oversupply, but Accor still believes many non-branded hotels will shift to hire branded chains thanks to their strong marketing and distribution.

bbc.com Police have been called to supermarkets across the UK amid crowd surges as people hunt for ''Black Friday'' sales special offers. Manchester Police appealed for calm after attending seven Tesco shops, at which three men were arrested and a woman was hit by a falling television.

news.com.au UKIP's growing support is not just for its much publicised platform to tighten immigration and nationalist approach for a Britain for the British it's also because the electorate want something fresh, less proscriptive like the Tories and Labour and someone like its leader Nigel Farage, rarely photographed without a beer pint in his paw, who is less politician and more common man.

afp Sri Lanka's police arrested 37 nationals turned back by Australian authorities on the high seas after attempting to seek asylum, in the first such case in four months, an officer said.

washingtonpost.com Four Russian military ships sailed through the English Channel and dropped anchor alongside the coast of France, an incident that NATO called routine but still had resonance at a time of Cold War-level tensions between Russia and the West.



news.com.au Immigration authorities in Bali are cracking down on foreigners working there without the appropriate visas and have nabbed 11 people including four Australians, with one due to be deported tonight.

reuters Two Germans, who could face jail and caning in Singapore for breaking into a train depot and spray-painting graffiti on a carriage, have been charged with two extra counts of trespassing, a court heard.

theguardian.com Indonesia's president has ordered officials to eat local street food at meetings instead of fancy foreign fare and stop holding lavish parties, the latest moves by the new government to crack down on bureaucratic excess.



afp Two people have been banned from Twickenham for two years after being found to have aimed homophobic abuse at referee Nigel Owens, the Rugby Football Union announced.

news.com.au Alan Cowell, writing in the New York Times, noted Australia ''prides itself on the skill and courage of its players'' while noting the unusual circumstances surrounding the fatal blow suffered by batsman Phillip Hughes.

dailymail.co.uk Phillip Hughes died in a freak accident. I'm sure helmets will rightly be adapted to try and prevent it happening again, and everyone who plays the game will be far more keenly aware of the obvious dangers that come with facing a hard cricket ball coming fast at your head.



November 29-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