bangkokpost.com Five family members were found dead in Bangkok on New Year's Eve in an apparent murder-suicide committed by the family's breadwinner. The landlord of the family's rental home in Bang Yee Rua of Thong Buri district found the bodies of Anan Charuphankit, 64, his 14- and 16-year-old children, his mother and sister.

smh.com.au During the ABC's New Year's Eve special, fiancial expert Alan Kohler presented his ''Chunder Bell-Curve,'' forecasting ''a little light barfing early in the evening; mainly kids and leftover mince pies''. He prophesied a sharp rise in vomiting across the country around 9pm.
http://www.watoday.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/abc-finance-guru-alan-kohler-gives-new-years-eve-spew-forecast-major-ralphing-20150101-12gbki.html

thetimes.co.uk Fears were growing for 98 passengers on board the burning Norman Atlantic car ferry amid fresh claims of chaos and negligence from the crew of the stricken vessel.

bbc.com The Times focuses on ''how the rich and famous partied''. Roman Abramovich's yacht shindig had to make do without a performance from Beyonce, the paper suggests, as she was on the Thai island of Phuket with husband Jay Z.


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



nytimes.com Thirty-five people have been killed in a stampede during New Year's celebrations at the popular riverfront Bund area in Shanghai, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

bangkokpost.com A driver who refuses a breathalyser test will be assumed drunk and faces jail and a heavy fine under the drink-driving law that has been strengthened to give police more power to deal with stubborn intoxicated drivers.

xinhua Road accidents killed 58 people and injured 517 others across Thailand on Tuesday, the first day of the accident-prone New Year week, a transport official said.

bangkokpost.com An international panel evaluating world human rights organisations has recommended the downgrading of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC).
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/453435/national-human-rights-commission-of-thailand-nhrc-faces-downgrading-for-incompetence



scmp.com The sheer volume of flights in the skies over Southeast Asia is putting pressure on outdated air traffic control and on pilots to take risky unilateral action in crises such as that possibly faced by the AirAsia Flight QZ8501.

news.com.au As rescuers pulled the seventh body from the AirAsia crash site, fears bad weather could shift other victims' bodies to the shores of Borneo have forced rescue teams to man the coastline.

scmp.com Radar data being examined by investigators appears to show the doomed AirAsia plane made an ''unbelievably'' steep climb before it crashed.



bbc.com Liberia has lifted a curfew imposed to curb Ebola in an effort to let church-goers attend New Year's Eve services, a government official has said.



mirror.co.uk Beyonce and Jay Z have jumped on the New Year holiday bandwagon and despite only leaving Iceland a matter of days ago after their Christmas break, have been to Thailand and Burma since. The couple took a short break from Phuket to visit Bagan in Burma on Tuesday.

sabah.com.tr Ali Koc, one of Turkey's two richest individuals, greeted new year with his family on the island of Phuket in Thailand. Mr Koc is chairman of Ford Otomotiv and a Koc Holding board member.

news.com.au Italy's coastguard says it narrowly averted a catastrophe after people smugglers set a cargo ship with 900 people on board on a collision course with the country's rocky southern shoreline.

euronews.com Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his new year address that the Crimean peninsula's ''return home'' to Moscow's control is an important chapter in Russia's history.

news.com.au Australian journalist Peter Greste's court appeal will begin in Egypt's top court today. Earlier this week, the Al Jazeera correspondent and his two colleagues - Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed - clocked up a year in prison.

reuters The number of journalists who died in targeted killings, bomb attacks or shootings around the world rose to 118 in 2014 from 105 the year before, with Pakistan being named the most dangerous country for the media, the International Federation of Journalists said.

scmp.com SCMP leaders of the year, Xi Jinping and Pope Francis, are men who show true courage.

qz.com Samsung Electronics is struggling to maintain and grow its lead in the most important technology market, and the South Korean company now thinks changing its traditionally rigid corporate culture is key to regaining momentum.

news.com.au It will cost more for an Australian passport from today, with the fee for adults increasing by $6 to $250. Australians who fall in love with foreigners will also have to cop a 50 percent increase in the application for partner visas from today.

thephuketinsider.com A new hospitality led residential condominium project has been launched next to the entrance of Laguna Phuket, called Oceanstone. Developed by Millstone Limited the property has 84 units priced for THB2.5 million.



bangkokpost.com Thai companies splurge on stakes and acquisitions, aiming to gain an edge over regional rivals when the AEC arrives and the global economy recovers, write Post reporters.

See Phuketwan's new Asean Today column
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/asean-today-borders-flood-toll-rises-military-presence-boosted-burma-future-unclear-21638/



smh.com.au It has been nine years since Australia joined the Asian Football Confederation and on the eve of the region's largest football tournament landing down under, the confederation has been left exposed with an embarrassing mishap - omitting the map of Australia from their logo.



Phuket International Boat Show returns to southern Thailand's beach destination from January 8 to 11.



January 6-11 Phuket International Boat Show

January 21 Australian embassy outreach to Phuket Call 02-3446300, e: consular.bangkok@dfat.gov.au

February 12-15 Phuket Yacht Show