afp Over a thousand Thai anti-coup protesters marched across Bangkok Sunday despite junta warnings to end rallies.

theage.com.au Police have removed three bodies from the apartment of a 22-year-old Californian man after a shooting rampage that left six dead and seven in hospital. The shooter, Elliot Rodger, was killed after an exchange of gunfire with police.


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



wsj.com The Obama administration scaled back engagements with Thailand in response to this week's coup, canceling a major military exercise, a police training program and several planned high-level exchanges. But the US stopped short of declaring a total freeze in military-to-military relations, reflecting the administration's reluctance to undercut long-standing ties with a key Asian ally.

bangkokpost.com Coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha dissolved the Senate to take full control of lawmaking authority and sacked the national police chief, along with the head of the DSI and the defence permanent secretary.

bangkokpost.com The coup makers widened their net to include prominent scholars and commentators as scattered protests against the military takeover continued. However, some of those ordered to report to authorities refused to do so.

news.com.au At least three people have been killed and 55 injured in a spate of bombing attacks in Thailand's deep south, where an Islamic insurgency has raged for a decade, the military and Thai media reports say.

bangkokpost.com Foreign tourists are being urged to take greater care when visiting Thailand, with 31 countries and territories adjusting their travel advisories after Thursday's coup.

nationmultimedia.com Foreign tourists navigating Bangkok's temples lamented the taming effect of a military coup on the city's rowdy nightlife but otherwise shrugged off any safety fears despite warnings by foreign governments. As a junta closed its grip on power and soldiers keep watch in the capital, its historic heart was still busy with foreign holiday-makers ambling nonchalantly in Thailand's famed sunshine.

abc.net.au Australian expat David Bell has been living in Thailand for more than 30 years, and says Bangkok is ''probably the safest city in the world to be in right now''. Mr Bell says the biggest problem is the censoring of the media.

japantimes.co.jp Thai instability stretches back decades, with more than 20 prime ministers since 1946. Until Thaksin's term from 2001 to 2005, no prime minister had ever served a full term. Turmoil has worsened since 2006 as the nation has divided into two camps: red and yellow.



bangkokpost.com A French national has been arrested on charges of using fake electronic cards to withdraw money from ATMs on Phuket, police said. The suspect, also accused of supplying marijuana to tourists on Phuket, in theory faces 200 years in jail.

AP ''Since you're reforming politics, you might as well reform your music,'' said one of many postings on the junta's Facebook page, which had over 230,000 likes, up exponentially from earlier in the day.

nationmultimedia.com Darren Buckley, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand, said the coup would only have any value if it led to a functioning government in the near future, in which case the economy might be able to escape further damage.

nzherald.co.nz New Zealander Philip Smith, 59, has reportedly been arrested in Thailand after police raided an illegal gambling den in the seedy tourist hotspot Pattaya. Smith took bets from six Australians on horse races telecast from Australia at the Ned Kelly bar, police allege.

Phuket Update Police stations on Phuket will be given video conference capabilities so tourists and expats can be provided with translators in Bangkok, a top-ranking policeman announced on Phuket.

bbc.com The wreckage of the yacht Cheeki Rafiki crewed by four UK sailors missing in the North Atlantic was found with its life raft still on board, the US Coast Guard says. There was no sign of the crew.

usatoday.com In what authorities are calling ''the work of a madman,'' a gunman in a black BMW went on a drive-by shooting rampage in a Santa Barbara student enclave that left at least seven people dead, including the attacker, and seven others wounded.

cnn.com Three people were killed and another was seriously injured in a shooting Saturday at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels, Belgian officials said. no motive has been determined.



themalaysianinsoder.com Following the statement issued by the Health Ministry today, that two Cadbury chocolate products contained pig (porcine) DNA, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has suspended with immediate effect the halal certification for the two products, Bernama reported.

balidiscovery.com Bali's population is now estimated at 4 million, a number that does no include a large floating expatriate population and the daily influx of tourist visitors, both foreign and domestic, approaching 10 million in the course of a year.

aap Indonesia has launched new efforts against child sexual abuse, after a high-profile case prompted public outrage and sparked unprecedented scrutiny of the problem in the conservative country.



independent.co.uk Real Madrid 4 Atletico Madrid 1: Home-grown superstar Gareth Bale keeps on running and finds his appropriate reward

telegraph.co.uk Chelsea have agreed to sell David Luiz to Paris St-Germain for a fee of about 48million pounds - a world-record for a defender - and are planning to invest the funds in a top-class midfielder.



July 11 Arsanha Bucha Day

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