theguardian.com Gains in disaster preparedness in Indonesia following 2004's devastating tsunami could be wound back due to cuts to Australia's foreign aid budget, aid organisations have warned.

channelnewsasia.com Thailand's tourist haven of Phuket faces scepticism that drills and information plans needed to respond to a tsunami warning system installed after the December 26, 2004, tsunami are up to scratch.


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



heraldsun.com.au In Melbourne as the third cricket Test between Australia and India begins on Boxing Day, the crowd will pause to remember the victims of the 2004 tsunami. The big wave killed 18,000 Indians - and about 230,000 people overall.

bangkokpost.com The constitution writers who rubbished calls for a directly elected prime minister in Thailand have turned the proposal on its head, and now call for a system with a premier who may not be elected at all.



dpa The glamorous packaging of Thai seafood in supermarket fridges around the world stands in contrast to the picture that emerged this year of the industry's abuse of trafficked workers, including 20-hour shifts, beatings and deaths.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/452072/thailand-struggles-with-dark-side-of-vital-fishing-industry

geographical.co.uk The plight of the persecuted Rohingya is particularly troubling, as more than 100,000 have fled to neighboring Thailand. Myanmar's pledges to address their victimisation have been ignored.



herald.ie The devastation was so widespread it felt like relief workers didn't know where to start.

newser.com 369 victims haven't even been identified - even after what's considered a heroic effort by the Thai Tsunami Victim Identification unit.

smh.com.au Boxing Day was the last day of their holiday and they were eating breakfast at their elevated, hillside resort in Phuket that overlooked the ocean when the wave came in. It was about a kilometre away and Mr Quaedvlieg kept waiting for it to break.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/boxing-day-tsunami-anniversary-customs-chief-executive-roman-quaedvlieg-recalls-rescue-efforts-20141225-12dino.html

bbc.com A decade ago, one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded struck off the coast of Indonesia, triggering a tsunami that swept away entire communities around the Indian Ocean. About 228,000 people were killed as a result of the 9.1 magnitude quake and the giant waves that slammed into coastlines on 26 December 2004.

reuters Among the victims were thousands of foreign holidaymakers enjoying Christmas on the region's sun-kissed beaches, striking tragedy into homes around the world.

theaustralian.com.au Hoteliers in Khao Lak, which suffered the worst losses of tourists and locals in Thailand, said recently that there had been no officially-mandated tsunami drills in four years. Some resorts have their own drills and disaster plans, but others says they don't want to reawaken tsunami fears among guests. [Ed: Shameful. If you are booking, ask the resort about its tsunami plan. if it doesn't have one, go elsewhere.]

abc.net.au Across the southern coastline in Thailand, infrastructure has been rebuilt, but the emotional and physical scars are still with the locals.

independent.co.ukDeath rates were highest among young children, older adults, and women in their prime (aged 25 to 45-years-old). Of course, strength and ability to swim were key for survival but, it turns out, household composition also mattered. Stronger members helped the more vulnerable.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/indian-ocean-tsnuami-how-this-natural-disaster-sparked-a-huge-fertility-boom-9944873.html

dpa The outpouring of aid and assistance in the wake of the tsunami has not always had the intended result. In the south of Thailand, where more than 5000 people died, mostly in coastal communities, one village received 400 fishing boats to replace 100 lost ones. The area was quickly overfished.

nationmultimedia.com Wichit Na-Ranong, one of the country's most recognised hotel veterans and owner of Indigo Pearl Group in Phuket: ''Sweden was the first country to send charter flights directly to the island [after the disaster], followed by a mass of European tourists, while Asian visitors at the time felt the fear of death, but soon afterwards flocked to the island.''

theaustralian.com.au Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket director Anoma Vongyai says prayer and healing ceremonies have been important in welcoming visitors back to Thailand. The 23rd and last Australian victim was officially identified in Phuket on Friday 19 August, 2005. The man was a 50-year-old Australian citizen living on Phuket. [Gemany and Sweden lost more than 1080 people between them.]

standard.net Two trawlers, weighing each about 60 tons and ironically named ''Angel'' and ''Demon,'' were swept by the wave into the village of Nam Khem. The Angel boat carried three people to safety, while the wave brought Demon through town, crushing light poles, vehicles, buildings and at least 100 people to death, according to news reports.



dvb.no Burma's government and upper house of parliament have pledged to provide financial and moral support to Burmese migrants Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, who are due in court on Friday to face charges of murdering two British tourists on the Thai island of Koh Tao.



bangkokpost.com A four-month delay in holding a general election is "unwise and unjustified," the US State Department said after being briefed officially on the new schedule by the government. The goal to return Thailand to democratic vote will not be held until February, 2016, at the earliest, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krue-ngam told US Charge d'Affaires W Patrick Murphy.

ibtimes.com Beyonce is spending her holidays in Phuket, Thailand, with her rapper husband Jay Z and daughter Blue Ivy, local media reports said.

voanews.com Traffic came to a halt in downtown Hong Kong when bundles of money flew out of a security van. Local media reported about $460,000 of the missing $2 million had been returned to police.

independent.co.uk Swathes of the UK could be covered in snow on Boxing Day - with some areas being warned to expect up to ten centimetres (4 inches) on the ground.

news.com.au Russian President Vladimir Putin has scrapped New Year's holidays for government ministers because of the unfolding economic crisis.

bbc.com Taxi booking firm Uber has apologised for raising fare prices during a deadly cafe siege in Sydney last week. The firm raised fares by as much as four times its normal rate when demand shot up during the siege that left three people dead.



time.com Bar manager Phil Blackwood from New Zealand and two Burmese nationals will go on trial Friday, charged with insulting the Buddhist religion after posting a promotional advert on Facebook showing the Buddha wearing headphones.

hrw.org President Joko Widodo of Indonesia should create a joint fact-finding team to ensure a credible, impartial investigation into the December 8, 2014 deadly shootings in the remote town of Enarotali in Papua, Human Rights Watch said.



The ''Colorful Countdown Phuket 2015'' will usher in the New Year with light shows and live concerts at Sanam Chai Park, across the road from Phuket Provincial Hall, from December 29-31.

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

December 29-31 Colorful Countdown Phuket 2015 to New Year's Eve



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