reuters A tsunami advisory for northeast Japan has been lifted, public broadcaster NHK said, two hours after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake offshore Fukushima prefecture early on Saturday triggered a 20cm tsunami in the region.

bangkokpost.com Deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will celebrate his 65th birthday on July 26 in Paris, a Pheu Thai source says. Celebrations in Thailand will not take place.


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 The heads of AirAsia and Jetstar Asia have urged Thailand to reduce airport charges to restore tourist arrivals lost during the prolonged political turmoil. ''Low fares are a great way of bringing people back to Thailand,'' said AA's Tony Fernandes.

aap Thailand's junta is planning to keep control of national security under a planned interim government, despite international calls for a return to full civilian rule. The junta, formally known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), will remain in place alongside a government that is set to be appointed by September, army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said.

xinhua Thailand's national reform council, which is expected to start operation in October, will consist of 250 members to represent 11 social groups, General Prayuth said. Each of the 11 groups will nominate 50 candidates while 76 other representatives will be chosen from 76 provinces, and then the 626 people will vote among themselves to fill the 250 seats in the council.

washingtonpost.com Slovenia has suspended four of its ski officials for allegedly rigging the results of pop violinist Vanessa-Mae to help her qualify for the Sochi Winter Olympics. The Slovenian Ski Association says it found evidence that races were ''fixed at the behest of Thai ski officials.''

aap Global regulator CITES has given Thailand until August 2015 to take action against the illegal ivory market or the country could face a trade ban.



afp With just over 48 hours to go before Sunday's showpiece at the Maracana Stadium, both finalists were at their respective base camps wrapping up preparing to head to Rio de Janeiro.

World Cup Final Sunday
Germany v Argentina.
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AP Poachers have killed and sawed the tusks off a 50-year-old elephant that performed in Thai royal processions and was featured in Oliver Stone's 2004 movie 'Alexander,' the manager of the Ayuthaya conservation center where the animal was kept said.

nationmultimedia.com Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, one of the largest hospital networks in Southeast Asia, plans to increase its portfolio from 35 to 50 hospitals by the end of 2015. One of seven new Thai hospitals will be on Phuket.

bangkokpost.com Thaksin Shinawatra fans cancel an annual merit-making ceremony for the birthday of the former premier, who agrees the junta doesn't need the distraction.

nationmultimedia.com Umbrellas and beach chairs owned by food shop owners are being removed from Phuket's Nai Thon and Nai Yang beaches after tourists complained that they were shooed away by owners if they sat nearby without paying or eating at the shops. Shops that have not been demolished have been given a 30-day removal deadline.

bangkokpost.com There is reportedly an order from the ''big boss'' for all Pheu Thai members and red shirts to lay low and let the NCPO run the country. It is not that Thaksin Shinawatra is giving up politics; he just does not think the military council can pull off efficient national administration and will finally be defeated at its own game.

bbc.com George Clooney has refused to accept an apology from the Daily Mail's website over a story claiming his fiancee's mother objected to their marriage. The paper was ''the worst kind of tabloid. One that makes up its facts to the detriment of its readers.''

Phuket Update Phuket tour staff thrown out of work by companies using their own buses for tours of Phuket visited Phuket Provincial Hall to appeal for official help: ''They have their own buses, which are not registered in Phuket, and their own drivers, who are not from Phuket.''

bangkokpost.com A Burmese (Myanmar) naval patrol boat sank a Thai fishing trawler and towed another boat after the two craft strayed into Myanmar waters. All crew members survived unharmed. [The trawler was based in Ranong, north of Phuket.]

watoday.com.au An Airbus A380, was forced to make an emergency landing in Perth on Thursday night after a passenger became ill during a flight from Melbourne to Dubai, it has emerged.

afp Israel's aerial bombardment of Gaza claimed its 105th Palestinian life as Hamas pounded central Israel with rockets and Washington offered to help broker a truce.

reuters Hamas's armed wing said it fired rockets from the Gaza Strip at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion international airport and warned airlines not to fly to Israel's main gateway to the world.

thephuketinsider.com One of Phuket's premier upscale resorts, Trisara, is launched a new educational facility on July 21. The Trisara Academy is focused on improving the hospitality skills of Thais.

thetimes.co.uk A plane crash that killed a British pilot in the Democratic Republic of Congo may have been caused by a crocodile escaping in the cabin, a coroner's court was told.

ap At raucous rallies, radical monks encourage violence against minorities and implore Sri Lankans to preserve the purity of the Buddhist majority. Muslims are a particular target.

cnn.com A fireball the size of a small truck, which shot through the sky over Australia, was space junk from Russia's Soyuz rocket, astronomers said.

independent.co.uk The popular wisdom that a couple of glasses of wine a night can actually help your heart could be misguided, according to new research showing that even the smallest amount of alcohol can have an impact on health.

smh.com.au Patong Beach may be touristy, but when saving nearly 50 percent on accommodation, those seeking a more authentic Phuket can use their savings on a tuk-tuk or two to venture further afield. A deal on Centara's Blue Marine Resort and Spa at Phuket, Thailand, includes five nights in a superior room for two for $312, a saving of 43 percent off the usual rates.



bbc.com A Cornish businessman has been stranded in Bali since February after losing his passport. Agung Mantra, originally from Indonesia, owns two shops in Perranporth, has lived there for 14 years and is a married father of one.

dawn.com Bangladesh said it has barred official marriages between its nationals and Burma's Muslim Rohingya refugees, whom it claims are attempting to wed to gain citizenship.

time.com The Singapore government has ordered the National Library Board (NLB) to remove from library shelves and destroy three children's books that portray gay, lesbian or unconventional families. The multi-award winning 'And Tango Makes Three' recounts the real life-inspired story of two male penguins raising a baby chick at New York's Central Park Zoo.

news.com.au An Australian who was involved in a motorcycle crash that killed an Indonesian woman could face charges carrying up to six years in jail. West Java police have kept Jake Drage, 23, in custody since last Monday's collision.

wsj.com In the wake of lost flight MH370, carriers, equipment makers and communication-service providers are moving to voluntarily ensure that the more than 120,000 airline flights world-wide each day - including those on polar or long overwater routes lacking traditional radar coverage - will report their position at least every few minutes


independent.co.uk Liverpool have confirmed that Luis Suarez has left the club to join Barcelona on a five-year deal contract. The transfer fee is reportedly 75m pounds.

theguardian.com Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona for a fee of around 30m pounds in a move manager Arsene Wenger will hope gives them a real opportunity of capturing a first Premier League title for more than a decade.

standard.co.uk Racing drivers could roar through the streets of London in just a year under laws being rushed through by David Cameron. Mayor Boris Johnson welcomed the chance for a ''spectacular'' Monaco-style Grand Prix in the capital.



Until July 13 Kathu Culture Street Festival

July 16-20 Phuket Race Week yachting, Cape Panwa

August 11 Special holiday for Queen's Birthday

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