wsj.org FedEx Corp. said it would buy Dutch parcel-delivery firm TNT Express NV for about $4.8 billion to expand in Europe.

bangkokpost.com Economic cooperation and defence issues will top the agenda in talks between Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, who is paying an official visit to Thailand.


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 Underpasses will be built at Bang Khoo and Chalong intersections, Department of Highways director-general Chusak Gaywee said at the opening of Phuket's first. Within two years, Phuket will have four underpasses, he said. The contractor for the construction of two hairpin-turns at 1.8 billion baht would be hired by June.

nationmultimedia.com South Korea has started banning charter flights from Thailand over safety concerns after Thai negotiators from the Civil Aviation Department failed to convince officials to ease restrictions.

slate.com A remarkable adventure came to a dramatic end Monday: The captain of the rogue fishing vessel that had been tailed by activists for more than three months apparently sank his ship off West Africa rather than face arrest with a load of illegally caught fish.

smh.com.au In what was described as a ''weird and surreal'' experience, Sea Shepherd crew members have now rescued 40 people from the alleged poaching vessel, the Thunder. [A second pirate ship is being held off Phuket.]
http://www.watoday.com.au/environment/incredibly-strange-captain-cheered-as-pirate-ship-sank-sea-shepherd-rescuers-say-20150406-1mfkle.html



afr.com Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar have been subjected to systematic repression. Medecins sans Frontieres has said Rohingyas are the most in danger of extinction among the world's minorities.



dailymail.co.uk A Scot has bled to death in Hua Hin after cutting himself on a mirror he smashed in a fit of rage. Police say Iain MacKay, 40, is believed to have been severely injured kicking a mirror in a bar where his girlfriend worked. Mr MacKay is said to have been angry that his girlfriend was talking to another man.

nationmultimedia.com A revised draft registration is goading foreign investors into turning small independent hotels into registered inns. Investors from Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China and Malaysia have expressed interest in acquiring small and independent hotels in Bangkok and tourist cities like Phuket and Pattaya, a source said.

bangkokpost.com A 29-year-old American woman played demolition derby through Pattaya Sunday, smashing 13 vehicles and causing minor injuries on a 30-minute police chase against traffic. The Pattaya One news website reported that she was assessed a heavy traffic fine and agreed to pay for all the damage she caused in exchange for not being jailed.

reuters The rouble's sharp decline is exacting a toll on Southeast Asian tourism as Russians think twice about doubling their budgets for their next beach holiday in Vietnam, Thailand or Cambodia. In January, Russian visitors to the Philippines dropped 12 percent.

bangkokpost.com Being arrested in any jurisdiction can be a horrendous experience. For a foreigner in Thailand, this is especially so. The language and cultural differences can be particularly challenging.
http://bangkokpost.com/news/special-reports/518295/arrested-development

abc.net.au French special forces have freed a Dutch hostage who had been held by an Al Qaeda-linked group in Mali for more than three years. France's defence ministry said soldiers found Sjaak Rijke, 54, as they carried out a raid on suspected Islamist militants near Tessalit in north-east Mali.

bangkokpost.com The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is using a Discover Thainess gimmick to lure foreign tourists to visit 12 overlooked provinces most people miss on their trips.

reuters The Kenyan air force has bombed two al-Shabab camps in Somalia, a defence force source said, in the first major military response to last week's attack by the militant group on a Kenyan university.

bangkokpost.com Orders fell six percent for the Bangkok International Motor Show this year due to economic problems.

thephuketinsider.com A new beachfront development, The Residences at MontAzure in Kamala has the island property trade buzzing.



Try Phuketwan's Asean Today daily:
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/asean-today-slaves-rescued-thai-fishing-boats-terror-attacks-planned-aussies-lost-firing-squad-challenge-22198/



afp Manchester City's Premier League title defence is in tatters after a surprise 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace left the champions nine points adrift of leaders Chelsea.

bbc.com Blackpool were relegated from the Championship with six games still to play as Rotherham United beat Brighton 1-0.



April 6 Public Holiday

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