bangkokpost.com Crime Suppression Division police on Tuesday arrested a woman with 89 fake US$100 notes while she was about to exchange them for Thai baht at a bank in Bangkok's Prawes district.

AP In a countersuit filed in a US court, comic Bill Cosby alleges seven women made ''malicious, opportunistic, and false and defamatory accusations'' against him. Cosby is seeking monetary damages ''to the maximum extent permitted by law.''


PHUKET: The daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media. Phuketwan closes on December 31.



bangkokpost.com A police officer suspected of raping a Lao woman killed two higher-ranked officers at Pluak Daeng police station in Rayong before being shot dead by a colleague Monday afternoon.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crime/794324/accused-rapist-cop-kills-2-fellow-officers-in-rayong

nationmultimedia.com Up to 800,000 foreign tourists are expected to visit the country in the next two weeks, but total annual arrivals is likely to miss the 30 million target predicted by the private sector.

bangkokpost.com The government is playing down plans to include citizens' incomes and occupations in government-issued identification cards which has sparked public uproar. The saga was set off when Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha said at the weekend that wage and job data should be included on Thai ID cards by 2017.



AP Pervasive human trafficking has helped turn Thailand into one of the world's biggest shrimp providers. Despite repeated promises by businesses and government to clean up the country's seafood export industry, an Associated Press (AP) investigation has found that shrimp peeled by modern-day slaves is reaching the US, Europe and Asia.

smh.com.au Woolworths, Coles and Aldi are embroiled in a child labor scandal, with all three Australian supermarket chains confirming they sell prawns or seafood supplied by a Thai company at the centre of the allegations.

reuters The world's largest canned-tuna maker, Thai Union Group Plc, said any migrant labor abuse in the seafood industry was unacceptable.

bangkokpost.com The police chief has set up an inquiry into Pol Maj Gen Paween Pongsirin's claims he received threats to his life from ''influential people'' while chief investigator of the high-profile Rohingya human trafficking case. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha said he would like Pol Maj Gen Paween to return home and tell him what had actually happened.

nationmultimedia.com A senior police investigator seeking political asylum in Australia can testify in next week's trial via a video-link if he wants, said Prayuth Sattayarak, deputy head of the Attorney General's Human Trafficking Case Office.



Phuket Update Giles Selves will take the reins as general manager of Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Resort. He joins Anantara after 19 years with Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Lutz Mueller - a familiar face on Phuket - has been appointed as General Manager at Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort, having spent 22 years with Marriott International.

Phuket Update Chalermpon Cheuanaka, 56, who lived with his wife on the edge of a mangrove forest on Maprao island just east of Phuket and often swam back and forth, was found dead in the water with his possessions in a plastic bag. There are no suspicious circumstances.

Phuket Update Phuket police arrested a confessed drug addict who broke into the Vichit home of Kazakhstan national Anastassiya Zakhapenkova, 31, and stole jewellery and cash valued at about 2.4 million baht in a safe on November 26.

theguardian.com Barack Obama sought to reassert himself as commander-in-chief on Monday, standing with military top brass at the Pentagon and warning leaders of Islamic State: ''You are next.''

independent.co.uk Chancellor Angela Merkel won a standing ovation from her ruling Christian Democrats after pledging to ''tangibly reduce'' the number of refugees entering Germany. In her keynote address at a party congress, Ms Merkel effectively threw down the gauntlet to the rest of Europe and insisted that it share the burden.

theguardian.com At least 43 police officers were killed when a bus in a convoy in northern Argentina blew a tyre and veered off the side of a bridge, bringing the poor state of the South American nation's roads into focus.

thejakartapost.com Khao Lak is a destination on the rise in Asia, says tripAdvisor. A tranquil hideaway, Khao Lak is situated just 80km north of Phuket and is dotted with scenic beaches and unparalleled spots for water activities. Soak up the sun and enjoy the warmth of the glistening sand before diving in the crystal clear water along the famous White Sand Beach.

traveller.co.au Toothy karst peaks rise dramatically out of the sparkling sea and inside some of them you'll find hongs and their unique lagoons. Phuket is the main base for excursions and most hong tours start off on a day charter.



atwonline.com Malaysia and Hong Kong airports are seeing a slowdown in passenger numbers, reflecting a general easing across Asian economies.



afp Tears flowed after KAA Gent became the first Belgian team to reach the Champions League last 16 and a draw against Germany's Wolfsburg means their Cinderella fairy tale goes on.

telegraph.co.uk Chelsea were dreadful for 65 minutes and the statistics make abysmal reading for Jose Mourinho, who is clinging on by his fingernails. Leicester City 2-1 Chelsea.



December 25 Christmas Day

December 26 2004 Tsunami memorial ceremonies

December 26-January 5 Red Cross Fair, Saphan Hin, Phuket City



January 7-10 Phuket International Boat Show