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 Hundreds are turning out for the ''Dao Din 14'' who will deny all charges at court on Tuesday, while the chief Military Court judge promises a fair trial.

theage.com.au As their government scrambled to pull together a new package of proposals to take to Brussels, Greeks have been hit with more bad news: their banks will stay shut until at least Thursday - and may run out of cash altogether by the end of the week.

nationmultimedia.com Thailand tourism is expected to suffer minimal further impacts from the Greek debt crisis as the industry has already been hit by the economic problems in Europe since 2013, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

bangkokpost.com School administrators have been told to run background checks on foreigners applying for work as teachers to weed out convicted pedophiles, an Education Ministry official said.



nytimes.com Many Rohingya ended up trading one nightmare for another. Some were confined for weeks to fetid, cramped holds reeking of vomit and excrement. Some were detained in prisonlike way stations in southern Thailand, subject to beatings and torture as the smugglers extorted payments from their families. Hundreds died during the journey each year, from starvation, dehydration and, at times, brutality.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/world/asia/myanmar-rohingya-refugee-crisis-malaysia.html



Phuket Update Construction of the long-awaited Chalong Hospital is expected to begin next year with a budget of 105 million baht, Phuket health officials have announced.

bangkokpost.com Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha rejected rumors he and his wife had wired tens of billions of baht to Singapore.

bangkokpost.com The US company that runs Singapore's casino towers is confident Thailand will eventually approve gambling and is laying out cash to get media attention

thediplomat.com The detention of 14 student activists in Thailand underscores the ruling junta's rising crackdown on dissent and free expression, signaling a deeper descent into strongman-led authoritarian rule. While army commander cum Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has strongly consolidated his rule after a year in power, his government is nonetheless tightening its grip amid plans to delay elections deep into 2016.

nationmultimedia.com An Iranian tourist drowned at Patong Beach on Saturday after getting dragged out to sea by a strong current. Hasan Fhakhr, 30, was pulled out of the water near the Patong Police box at about 6.30pm by lifeguards.

bangkokpost.com Police have closed the Khon Kaen Zoo and opened an official investigation of Sunday's collision of two sightseeing buses that killed five people.

irishtimes.com The Islamic State group has released a video showing the killing of 25 government soldiers in the historic town of Palmyra in central Syria. Hundreds of people were seen watching the killings. It was not clear when the video was filmed.

skynews.com.au Ten years after losing her legs in the 2005 London bombings, Australian woman Gill Hicks has paid tribute to the ''strangers'' who risked their lives to save her. On Tuesday, Ms Hicks will join other survivors and their rescuers to silently remember the innocent people who died in the July 7 bombings a decade ago.

nationmultimedia.com Four of the 10 most affordable cities worldwide for short breaks are in Southeast Asia with Hanoi at No 1 ($732.18 ) Bangkok ranking No 4 ($822), Kuala Lumpur seventh ($914) and Manila ninth ($925).

bangkokpost.com Riverfront roads nationwide are to be inspected for the risk of subsidence aggravated by the drought after some recently collapsed.

AP Thai customs officials said they seized 250 kilograms of ivory - or about 130 tusks and pieces - hidden in crates being shipped from Africa to Asia. The haul was headed from Congo to Laos and transited through several countries in between, said the deputy director-general of Thailand's Customs Department, Chamroen Photiyod.

reuters An Iraqi plane accidentally dropped a bomb on an eastern Baghdad neighborhood, police and residents said, killing at least five people and destroying several houses.

themalaysianinsider.com As Malaysia's two major carriers make capacity cuts, deploy smaller planes and postpone the delivery of new aircraft with a view to cut costs amid intense competition from rivals in the region, analysts expect Malaysian airports to handle a lower number of passengers this year.

thetimes.co.uk Gatwick is preparing to challenge a major three-year inquiry into runway capacity amid claims that its conclusions were based on data that was ''heavily biased'' in favor of Heathrow.

cnn.com Oslob's reputation as a whale shark spotting area began, it's said, when a tourist noticed their presence in the area and hired a fisherman to take him out to see the big fish. Since then, its fame has spread. Maintaining a distance of four feet is crucial - there's a fine of $56 or even jail time for anyone who touches them.

Phuket Update While there's a cry that the legacy Europeans have abandoned Phuket, it is entirely untrue. Western Europe as a group grew 8 percent this year. Change may not always be viewed as good, or necessarily bad, but it's inevitable, writes Bill Barnett.

dailyrecord.co.uk The Lady Boys of Bangkok are used to having things pinched - but they didn't expect their kilts to be snaffled. Five custom-fitted kilts and sporrans were taken from the Thai performers' marquee in Baxter Park, Dundee.



washingtonpost.com Health officials in the Philippines reported that the country's second case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome was diagnosed in a 36-year-old foreign man who had flown in from Dubai.

Try Phuketwan's Asean Today daily:
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phuketwatch-mers-strikes-philippines-trade-rohingya-revealed-ringgit-year-low-22775/



smh.com.au Australian Simon Gerrans was one of five riders to abandon the Tour de France after a horrific high speed crash on the right-hand side of the road with 55km to go in the 160km third stage from Antwerp to Huy in Belgium. The collision also claimed the day's yellow jersey wearer, Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, who completed the stage but later withdrew after breaking two vertebrae in his back.

theguardian.com The US women's national team thrashed Japan 5-2 on Sunday night to clinch their third World Cup - and the TV ratings hit the heights too, with the match becoming the most watched soccer game in US history.



July 14-16 Trial of Phuketwan journalists at Phuket Provincial Court

July 15-19 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek