bangkokpost.com Thailand and Malaysia have floated an idea of a joint bid for the 2024 Olympics, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said, as well as the football World Cup.

smh.com.au In a positive step for Malaysian aviation, a new airline, ''flymojo" is being launched from 2016. A Malaysian private company will operate the airline which will provide ''value'' flights in south-east Asia with a fleet of 20-40 CS-100 aircraft.

independent.co.uk The entire population of one of Vanuatu's biggest islands faces starvation within days, with all crops destroyed by Cyclone Pam, Unicef officials warned.


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 Four Indian nationals were arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport while trying to board a flight to Sydney with forged Australian entry visas. The suspects allegedly confessed that they bought the forged visas from an unidentified Thai man for US$7000 (about 230,000 baht) each.

marieclaire.co.uk The Thai government has warned women that they could face up to five years in jail if they post ''underboob selfies'' on social media.

ibtimes.co.uk Under Thailand's Computer Crimes Act 2007, any online material that can cause ''damage to the country's security or causes public panic [or] any obscene computer data which is accessible to the public,'' is strictly banned.



thediplomat.com Solving Asia's enormous human trafficking problem will require trained law enforcement and non-corrupt judicial systems. Burmese Rohingya - an ethnic Muslim minority group - face extreme persecution from the Burmese government and military. Human trafficking in Asia is one of the most serious human rights problems of the 21st century.
http://thediplomat.com/2015/03/human-trafficking-thrives-where-rule-of-law-ends/

nationmultimedia.com Thailand continues efforts to eradicate human trafficking and has received cooperation from the public and private sector, as well as NGOs. Deputy Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said the government was gathering additional information for a final submission over a Trafficking in Persons Tier 3 listing on March 31.



bangkokpost.com After repeated hold-ups, NokScoot, Thailand's second long-haul low-cost carrier, is finally ready to start flying in May. Tickets for scheduled service went on sale online late last week for two initial routes to South Korea and China.

Phuket Update Officials are still trying to determine what killed Suthat Suktuk, 45, the experienced diver and businessman from Songkhla who fell unconscious during a mass-diving volunteer project at the Similan Islands.

afp Four Thai men were charged over an anti-coup protest in a military court in Bangkok, activists said, as dozens of students rallied outside in defiance of martial law in the junta-ruled nation.

nationmultimedia.com The amount of tiny dust particles in the upper North rose beyond the safety level again and poor visibility reportedly prevented at least four flights from landing at Chiang Mai Airport. FD3161 (Air Asia) from Phuket landed at Mae Fah Luang Airport in Chiang Rai, which reportedly had its lights turned on to improve visibility.

Phuket Update The Royal Thai Navy has issued a warning to all shipping to stay away from an area of the Andaman Sea off Phuket where components of an Indian space shot are likely to fall back into the sea after launch between March 29 and April 8.

independent.co.uk Scotland Yard is to be investigated over claims it covered up child sex offences due to the involvement of both MPs and police officers. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it is investigating allegations of ''historic, high level corruption of the most serious nature'' within the Metropolitan Police force.

scmp.com A Chinese man who opened the emergency exit of an aircraft as it was about to take off on a domestic flight in China - latest in a string of such gaffes - claimed he had mistaken the door handle for a handrail to steady himself.

independent.co.uk At least 24 people in Vanuatu have been killed and 3300 have been displaced by cyclone Pam, the UN has said. One estimate said nine of every 10 buildings on the island had been destroyed.

trustedreviews.com Facebook has updated its Community Standards page to lay out exactly what it allows in terms of user uploaded photos showing nudity. The 2500 word document is significantly longer than the previous version and features a detailed section entitled ''Encouraging respectful behavior.'' Breastfeeding is ok but nipples and buttocks are out.

traveller.com.au A Frenchman tried to smuggle his Russian wife into the European Union by hiding her in a massive suitcase, without realising there had been no need for the would-be James Bond scheme. Poland's border guards detained the man.

scmp.com The head of Hong Kong's Canadian International School today rejected calls by parents and staff for him to quit as he denied suspending a teacher and sacking another to silence them.

cnn.com As US and NATO countries conduct a series of military exercises near Russia's border, Putin orders his fleet to ''full alert in a snap combat readiness exercise,'' according to state run media.

voanews.com The United States and Germany have vowed to continue punishing Russia with economic sanctions for its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, and warned of new measures if Moscow fails to fully back a cease-fire it endorsed last month.

theguardian.com Ryanair is launching transatlantic flights, which it claims could have fares as low 10 pounds, as part of an ambitious five-year growth strategy. The Irish airline's board has approved outline plans to fly between up to 14 European cities and the same number of US cities.

smh.com.au Australia will be excluded from a list of 45 countries to be offered visa-free travel to Indonesia amid heightened tensions between the countries over the imminent execution of two convicted Australian drug traffickers..

nytimes.com Under pressure on the eve of a surprisingly close election, Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Monday doubled down on his appeal to right-wing voters, declaring definitively that if he was returned to office he would never establish a Palestinian state .

ttrweekly.com Krabi provincial administration will spend over THB100 million to install bicycle parking racks at 13 tourist spots to make the province more bike friendly.

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Try Phuketwan's Asean Today daily:
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goal.com The resurgent Reds profited from a slice of luck in a 1-0 win against Swansea, but they still have not conceded in six consecutive league games and have Manchester United in their sights.

scmp.com China is to overhaul its soccer authorities in an effort to qualify for the World Cup within a decade and be seen as a potential host for the competition.



April 11-19 Phuket Bike Week

April 13-15 Songkran Festival

May 4 Additional public holiday scheduled

June 20-21 Baba wedding at Old Phuket Town

July 15-19 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek