bangkokpost.com A total of 62 countries have issued travel advisories for their citizens planning on visiting Thailand, 19 of them with a red alert, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

theguadian.com Six climbers missing on a mountain in Washington state in the US are presumed dead. Helicopters have detected pings from emergency beacons buried in snow far down the slope from the mountaineers' last known location, a Mount Rainier national park official said.

latimes.com To choose the Thaksin regime is to guarantee the death of democracy for Thailand's foreseeable future. To support the army, may, just may, be the only way to restore it.

Thai coup holds promise of democracy
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0529-thompson-thai-coup-20140529-story.html

bangkokpost.com There have been no reports of anti-coup protesters showing up at eight major spots in Bangkok. Roads around those locations are still open to traffic as usual, reports said.

afp One volcano plume is affecting northern Australia and impacting Darwin and is expected to linger for at least 18 hours. Another is located over central Australia, which could cause problems for overland flights, while a third is about 100 kilometres from Denpasar airport on Bali: ''All of the plumes will be affecting aviation.''

Phuket Update Phuket FC drew its away game against Racha Navy 0-0. The island team's quest for promotion has faltered.


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



reuters Thai police and soldiers flooded downtown Bangkok to pre-empt further protests against a May 22 coup after the army chief said a return to democracy would take more than a year.

bangkokpost.com More than 6000 troops and police will be deployed to brace for anti-coup demonstrators planning gatherings at eight locations in Bangkok and Samut Prakan today. Police yesterday arrested a man holding an anti-coup placard near the McDonald's store in Ratchaprasong about 1pm.

nationmultimedia.com There has been a mixed response to the junta's first reconciliation event, held at an area in Pathum Thani known for having a radio station that supports the ousted government. National reconciliation is the first step of the three-step roadmap that will culminate with elections.

bangkokpost.com Twenty-two people were brought before a military court in Khon Kaen, charged with violating martial law, possessing firearms and explosives and being involved in terrorism. The accused - 21 men and one woman - were all arrested on May 23, the day after the coup was declared, at an apartment building next to Nong Khot Lake in Ban Ped sub-district of Muang Khon Kaen.

nationmultimedial.com The Nation's senior reporter Pravit Rojanaphruk was released after seven days in military detention.

dw.de The US and Australia have suspended military cooperation with Thailand, urging leaders of the country's military coup to swiftly restore democracy. The Thai military leadership has called for greater patience.

buenosairesherald.com General Prayuth, who ousted the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra after months of sometimes violent protests, appealed for patience from Thailand's international allies after outlining his reform plan to the Southeast Asian nation.

ap When the outside world hears the words ''military coup,'' it imagines tanks in the streets and a country under lockdown. That is not the scene in Thailand, where most things have remained the same. The military is trying to keep a low profile, and some people have noted that they've seen troops only on TV.

bangkokpost.com The Department of Land Transport will introduce a tougher driving licence examination from today to boost road safety. Department chief Asdsathai Rattanadilok Na Phuket said 80 percent of road accidents nationwide were caused by a lack of discipline and alertness on the part of drivers, prompting the DLT to review its licence requirements.



independent.ie Irish teacher Denis Bates, 30, who had been working in Thailand died after he was injured in a motorbike accident on the paradise island of Phuket.

swindonadvertiser.co.uk Briton George Alexander Coogan Bright died after falling from the balcony of a Thailand hotel. Mr Bright, 24, plummeted from a room near the top of the Pattaya Hilton Hotel, landing on a second floor balcony. Police are investigating.

Krabi Update Officers from Thai Navy Ordnance disarmed a WWII Japanese torpedo brought to Krabi by fisherman on Tuesday.

craveonline.com JW Marriott Phuket is among the places to go if you want to stay miles away from the World Cup in Brazil while getting a similar experience for less.

thejakartapost.com The Bali chapter of the Indonesian Tourist Industry Association (GIPI) sees the situation as an opportunity for Bali to boost the number of foreign tourists, especially because Thailand's coastal tourist destinations, including Phuket, are competing with the Island of the Gods, as Bali is also known: ''Bali will see an increase in the number of foreign tourists who initially planned to visit Thailand but then canceled their trip.''

english.chosun.com Korean low-cost carriers have set their sights on long-haul flights to Hawaii, Sydney, Singapore and even some European cities. Some are looking to buy larger jets capable of carrying 280 to 300 passengers: ''The only way to achieve a breakthrough in growth is to offer long-range flights that go beyond Phuket.''

scmp.com Six members of a religious cult have been arrested for killing a woman at a McDonald's in China's Shandong province in a case that has prompted national outrage over the failure of onlookers and restaurant staff to intervene.



straitstimes.com Malaysian police said they were trying their best to track down Gareth David Huntley, 34, who disappeared on Tuesday on a solo waterfall trek in Malaysia's scenic Tioman Island off the state of Pahang. Mr Huntley was due to start work as a portfolio analyst in Singapore.

independent.co.uk The mother of Gareth Huntley has urged British Prime Minister David Cameron to ''make one phone call'' to Malaysia's leader ''before time runs out''.

bangkokpost.com Even with their own difficulties, Burma (Myanmar) journalists have expressed concerns at the new regime their Thai counterparts are operating under. But National League for Democracy (NLD) executive committee member Nan Khin Htwe Myint made the point: ''In Thailand, once the country's situation returns to normal, the army gives power back to the people. In Burma [Myanmar], it's been different.''

dailymail.co.uk A 20km-high ash cloud from the volcanic eruption of Mount Sangeang Api in Indonesia is playing havoc with Australia's flight paths. Darwin remains cut off to all air services and thousands of people have been left stranded in the city after the ash cloud blew over the Northern Territory coast line, forcing the airport to close.

theage.com.au A Virgin Australia spokeswoman said the eruption caused the cancellation of all Darwin flights and flights to Denpasar, Bali, out of Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.

American Forces Press Service Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met with defense leaders from Japan, Vietnam, China, South Korea and Malaysia while participating in a major forum in Singapore where key leaders in the Asia-Pacific region gather each year to discuss security challenges and opportunities.

scmp.com The defence chiefs of China and the US engaged in a blunt exchange of words at an Asian security forum. US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel warned that Washington ''will not look the other way'' if Beijing seeks to restrict air traffic or freedom of navigation at sea.

independent.co.uk A horrific crime in which 38 men allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl is being used by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party to argue for the introduction of harsher Islamic penal laws, hudud, to punish rape.

eturbonews.com The Jakarta Post warns that Bali will soon reach a saturation point in terms of its carrying capacity, natural resources and physicals space. A lecturer from Bali's Udayana University Tourism School, Nyoman Sukma Arida, said: ''There have been crucial changes in Balinese culture and the lives of its people due to the flood of tourists and tourism development.''

nypost.com Angry Muslims in Malaysia demand a Jihad, or holy war, be declared on confectionery company Cadbury and their parent company after traces of pig DNA were found. In response Cadbury Malaysia is pulling Cadbury Dairy Milk hazelnut and Cadbury Dairy Milk roast almond from shelves in the Islamic country, Reuters reports.

dvb.no Troops clashed at the Burma-Bangladesh border as tensions boiled over while Burmese soldiers were returning the body of a Bangladeshi killed in a skirmish two days before, AFP has reported.



bbc.com Two men and a woman have been killed in a collision between a vehicle and spectators at the Jim Clark Rally in the Scottish Borders, police have said.

afp Rafael Nadal shrugged off another bout of back pain to charge into the last 16 of the French Open with an imposing 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 win over Leonardo Mayer of Argentina.

afp British newspaper The Sunday Times alleged that a former top Qatari football official paid $US5 million to get support for the emirate's campaign to host the 2022 World Cup.

bbc.com US golfer Phil Mickelson has denied any wrongdoing after the FBI launched an insider trading investigation. The golfer, one of the US's richest and most-admired sportsmen, said he was co-operating with the government inquiry.



July 11 Arsanha Bucha Day

July 16-20 Phuket Race Week yachting, Cape Panwa

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