bbc.com The US has suspended $3.5m in military aid to Thailand and urged the country's army to restore civilian rule ''immediately''. Washington also urged tourists to cancel trips and halted non-essential visits by US government officials.

Phuket Update ''I think flexibility for tourism areas may happen soon,'' Governor Maitree Intrusud is being quoted as saying about the 10pm curfew, which he raised at yesterday's meeting with authorities.

bangkokpost.com As the sun set on Bangkok Friday night, Thailand's sappy soap operas flickered back on to television just as suddenly as they'd vanished a day earlier.

bbc.com Thailand's military has ordered 35 more people, including prominent academics, to report to them by Saturday afternoon as their crackdown continues.


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



scmp.com Thailand's military government detained former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and members of her family after summoning her and other ministers for talks a day after the military seized power from her caretaker government.

washingtonpost.com Thailand's military junta attempted to tighten its grip on this teetering country, summoning members of the ousted government and imposing travel bans on scores of prominent political figures.

bangkokpost.com He [the general] then stood up and spoke in a loud voice: ''I'm sorry. I have to seize the ruling power.'' It was 4.32pm. At that point some of the attendees still thought he was joking.

How the General Decided on a Coup
http://www.bangkokpost.com/most-recent/411419/insider-report-on-coup-decision/

bangkokpost.com A reform council and a national assembly will be set up to fill the void and work on national reform before a new election can be held, diplomats in Thailand were told. General Prayuth Chan-ocha met 87 diplomats from 58 countries on Friday.

nationmultimedia.com Military junta chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha pushed forward a reform agenda and made the payment of debts to farmers under the rice-pledging scheme a top priority after Thursday's coup, which he called a sacrifice for the nation to build unity and end conflicts.

time.com For tourists hoping to lap up Thailand's renowned cuisine and relax at its idyllic beaches during the coming months, travel experts say it's unlikely they'll be directly affected by the country's latest putsch. However, the industry on the whole might not be so lucky.

cnn.com The military said air passengers with arrival and departure flights scheduled during the 10pm-5am curfew are permitted to travel to and from the airports at any time, and are advised to carry a printout of their flight itinerary.

AP There was virtually no military presence on Bangkok's streets, which were less crowded than usual but still filled with vendors and people heading to work. There were no reports of overnight violence.

dailymail.co.uk Le Meridien hotel in Chiang Mai sent a letter to its guests to explain that a nationwide curfew was in place following the military takeover, meaning they would not be able to leave the hotel between 10pm and 5am. To make up for the inconvenience and lack of official information about the situation, the hotel reportedly offered free wifi so guests could access international news reports and extended the bar's happy hour.

bbc.co.uk Ms Yingluck is one of more than 100 political figures summoned by the army.

bangkokpost.com About 50 people, including students, led by the Thammasat for Democracy group, marched from the university to Democracy Monument in a symbolic protest against the takeover. By evening, the number of people joining the anti-coup march rose to about 400.

Human Rights Watch ''Military rule has thrown Thailand's rights situation into free fall,'' said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. ''The army is using draconian martial law powers to detain politicians, activists, and journalists, to censor media, and to ban all public gatherings. This rolling crackdown needs to come to an end immediately.''

AP Thaksin [Shinawatra] lives in self-imposed exile to avoid corruption charges, but he still wields enormous influence over Thailand's political affairs and remains at the heart of the ongoing crisis.



news.com.au Underwater scientists have labelled the search for MH370 a ''debacle'' and say Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was playing politics when he prematurely announced the black box pingers had been found.




nationmultimedia.com A lot of business and leisure tourists have reportedly cancelled trips to Thailand this week. The tourism sector quickly recovered from the 2004 tsunami disaster that affected many beach resorts, including Phuket and Phang Nga.

thephuketinsider.com A second 250-berth Krabi maritime development, the Port Takola Yacht Marina, is planning to open its first phase of development in January 2015.

Singapore Airlines said that its flights to troubled Bangkok are operating as scheduled, but that it will continue to waive fees for refunds or rerouted trips for customers flying in or out of the Thai capital.

independent.ie The US Navy has found the hull of the missing yacht Cheeki Rafiki - though there is no sign of the four-strong British crew on board the flooded vessel.

scmp.com WikiLeaks has announced that Afghanistan is the second country to have been targeted by the NSA's massive cellphone data spying program, defying warnings that the revelation would endanger lives.



3news.co.nz A British woman has been found dead in her rented villa on Bali, an embassy official says, while Indonesian police suspect the victim was murdered. Police said Anne Marie Drozdz, 40, was found dead in Ubud and that there were signs her villa had been broken into.

AP A 67-year-old Vietnamese woman died after setting herself on fire in downtown Ho Chi Minh City in protest against China's deployment of an oil rig in waters claimed by Hanoi, state media reported.

theweek.co.uk We should not allow distinguished Gurkha warriors to be the ultimate guarantors of Sharia law in Brunei. It's time for the British to pull out. If the Sultan wants his security guaranteed then he should apply to the Saudi Arabian Army.



telegraph.co.uk Chelsea have agreed to sell David Luiz to Paris St-Germain for a fee of about 48million pounds - a world-record for a defender - and are planning to invest the funds in a top-class midfielder.



July 11 Arsanha Bucha Day

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