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

Phuket Update Thunderstorms are predicted for Phuket today and through until Friday but the island appears likely to escape the deluge in southern Thai provinces that is now reviving painful memories of severe 2011 flooding.

bangkokpost.com Heavy rain and flash floods are causing New Year's havoc in the South, with one man feared dead, eight hikers missing, and evacuations ordered. Many tourists from Malaysia and Singapore who celebrated the New Year in Had Yai have been left stranded in hotels because they cannot use the road to Sadao, which borders northern Malaysia.

xinhua The National Disaster Warning Centre of Thailand issued a warning for people in eastern provinces of the South to prepare for heavy rain and the danger of floods and mudslides. Most of the southern provinces were greeted by incessant heavy downpours during the New Year holiday.

nationmultimedia.com Songkhla, Yala and Nakhon Si Thammarat in the South have been heavily inundated by flash flooding after days of heavy rain. The yellow flag, which denotes readiness for evacuation in 24 hours, was in force yesterday afternoon, when Had Yai Mayor Phrai Phatthana said it was meant largely for those living in low-lying areas. A red flag means emergency evacuation could be announced immediately.

nationmultimedia.com Asked to identify the behavior of the politicians and bureaucrats they disliked most in the past year, 79 percent of respondents in an Assumption University Abac Poll cited corruption. More than 55 percent of those surveyed pointed to bad manners, 55 percent to favoritism, 52 percent to failure to tackle red tape, and 52 percent to abuse of power.

examiner.com Tourists thinking about traveling to Thailand might reconsider booking hotels and having vacations at Thai beach resorts. If there is another tsunami, even one smaller than the 2004 disaster, Thailand has no way of warning people before it happens. In fact, seven years later, the country is in no better of a position than it was the day before the 2004 tsunami, so the result of such an event would likely be the same - massive damage and enormous loss of life. [Examiner.com is popular with US readers.]

scmp.com After 17 years on the run, a member of Japan's Aum Shinri Kyo doomsday cult that caused a deadly Tokyo subway gas attack surrenders to police to face charges of kidnapping and causing a man's death.

straitstimes.com The two-hour free bus tour of Singapore offered since 1987 to passengers in transit at Changi Airport is to be revamped. The Changi Airport Group wants to refresh itineraries for the current two options - the Colonial Tour, which showcases the Singapore River and the civic district, and the Cultural Tour, which highlights Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam.

christiantoday.com Karoen Poot, of the Netherlands, shared his experience as a mission worker in Thailand with the Mission-Net delegates. He said that many Buddhists relate to idea of Jesus as someone who will take them out of bondage and captivity, and bring an end to all suffering. Some Buddhists want to ''try'' Jesus in the sense of ''What can he do for my problem?'' he said.

afp Seventeen people were arrested in Malaysia after police broke up a student gathering for greater academic freedom, in what the opposition and activists said was a campaign to stifle dissent.

nst.com.my The editor of the Malaysia Today news portal, who is in exile in the United Kingdom, sat down with the New Sunday Times at a hotel suite in Singapore for over two hours to discuss Malaysian politics, looking fresh after his holiday in Phuket.

straitstimes.com The Singapore Police Force may enlist the help of Interpol to track down New Zealander Robert Stephen Dahlberg. This means Dahlberg, who jumped bail after he was charged with causing hurt during a fracas, may have cops from New Zealand, Hong Kong and Britain on his tail.



bangkokpost.com South Korea's Ji Dong-Won struck in injury time as Sunderland dramatically beat Premier League leaders Manchester City 1-0 at the Stadium of Light. The result left City locked on 45 points with Manchester United and ahead on goal difference alone.

guardian.co.uk Liverpool have been urged to abandon any thoughts of appealing against the eight-match ban and 40,000 pound fine that Luis Suarez received for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra, with a leading anti-racism campaigner warning the club that their vehement support of the Uruguayan is damaging their reputation.

telegraph.co.uk For Everton, the victory suggests that another strong second half to the season could happen. West Bromwich Albion 0-1 Everton.



Until January 8 Red Cross Fair, Saphan Hin, Phuket City

January 14 Children's Day, Phuket

January 23 Chinese New Year

February 24-25 Phuket Blues Festival, Laguna Phuket

April Opening of Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, three waterfront gardens that will dwarf Kew in London and provide ''green lungs'' for the city.

May 26-June 5 National Youth Games, Phuket

March 29-April 1 Phuket International Boat Show, Royal Phuket Marina



November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket