Dateline: Tuesday, December 25, 9am (Local Time) A threat looms of more potentially deadly tsunamis in between the island’s of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia, this according to the country’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency. 5,600 people are now reported as officially displaced.

Source: Toll rises, officials warn of potential for more tsunamis

On top of the massive human toll, the property damage is also extensive. Early assessments indicate that 558 hotels have been destroyed, and nine hotels, 60 restaurants and 350 boats suffered heavy damage.

According to vulcanologists and seismic experts, the disaster was the product of multiple triggers: a volcanic eruption causing a 64 hectare chunk of Anak Krakatau (the volcano rising out of the crater left by the Krakatoa explosion back in 1883), to slide off the island volcano and into the ocean during a full moon at high tide. Although the tsunami wasn’t very high (compared to other recent tsunamis around south-east Asia), the impact was made worse by the peak tide.

The Sunda Strait, which runs between Java and Sumatra, had also experienced a spell of high rainfall, according to meteorologists.

The tsunami struck at 9:30pm local time during a local holiday, with few of the warning signals that might have come had the tsunami been generated by an earthquake.

Locals say the seawater didn’t recede as a prelude to an approaching tsunami following an earthquake and experts say that, even if there had been warning buoys near the volcano, there would have been minimal alert time due to the proximity of the volcanic activity.

Meanwhile, Channel News Asia reports that only one member of the Indonesian pop band that was swept out to sea when the tsunami hit it mid-performance has survived the disaster.

Wisnu Andi Darmawan, the drummer from the popular local group Seventeen, was found dead yesterday as the group’s bassist Muhammad Awal Purbani, guitarist Herman Sikumbang, manager Oki Wijaya and crew member Rukmana Rustam were laid to rest.

That leaves frontman Riefian Fajarsyah, whose wife was also caught up in the tsunami and remains missing, as the sole surviving member of the quartet.

BANGKOK — After a years-long struggle and multiple hold-ups, a proposal to legalize marijuana for medical use passed the last legal hurdle required Tuesday and is on its way to become the law of the land.

Source: Merry X’Mas! Parliament Unanimously Passes Medical Marijuana

In a unanimous vote of 166-0, the interim parliament approved the amendment of narcotics laws to permit the use of cannabis for medical treatment and research in its third and final session deliberating the bill. Thirteen lawmakers abstained.

Those permitted to possess marijuana under the new bill include researchers, Red Cross officials, traditional Thai practitioners, local farmers approved by the state, operators of transnational transportation and foreign patients who require medical marijuana for their treatment.

Bill sponsor Somchai Sawangkan thanked parliament after the meeting and said he considers the amendment a New Year’s present to all Thais.

The law also calls for a designation of areas where kratom could be consumed, medically and recreationally, without legal repercussion, and areas where marijuana can be cultivated under supervision of the Narcotics Control Board.

And there’s also amnesty for individuals who already currently possess cannabis intended for medical use, given that they register the substances with the Food and Drug Administration within 90 days after the law is enacted.

Unsanctioned possession of marijuana will remain illegal, punishable by up to five years in prison. The sentence goes up to 15 years for possession of over 10 kilograms.

It is not yet clear when the law will come into effect, but legislation is typically enacted within a month after the parliament approves it.

While medical cannabis advocates and activists will surely celebrate the news, one proponent of the bill voiced concern at the parliament’s decision.

Panthep Phuaphongphan, a medicine professor at Rangsit University, wrote online that the amendment might end up causing legal confusion because officials have not yet clearly answered whether foreign pharmaceuticals were permitted to patent certain strains of Thai cannabis.

Foreign pharma have made a quiet push to seize control of the yet-nascent industry through patent applications filed before the law passed.

Not only did he get his motorbike back, but he should go out and buy a lottery ticket. What are the chances…? The owner of a stolen motorcycle got his transport back three days later after a man ran out of petrol just in front of him in Songkhla’s Muang district on Tuesday.

The owner of the motorcycle, identified only as Ken, and his friends briefly assaulted and captured the motorcyclist, identified only as 35 year old Piak, before handing over him to police.

But Piak was later released without charges after he claimed that he had borrowed the motorcycle from a friend. Police said they would later summon Piak’s friend for questioning.

Ken said his motorcycle was stolen from in front of his house in Songkhla’s Singha Nakhon district. He said he has been searching for it without success.

But he went to visit a friend in tambon Pawong in Songkhla’s Muang district and while he and several friends were eating there, Piak stopped in front of the house as the petrol ran out.

When Ken and friends came out to check whether Piak needed any help, Ken recognised his bike and captured the man.

Source: If your motorbike is stolen, just wait a few days

SCREENCAPTURE: Facebook/Mango Maimai A last minute booking for a Phuket to Phattalung bus has turned into a scary video record of an inter-provincial bus driver’s habits. The driver is coming under fire after being caught on video, whilst responsible for a bus full of passengers, with his son sitting on his lap and making, what appears to be, live video chat calls.

The post from “Mango Maimai” has already had more than 1,200 shares with more than 150 people sharing their comments.

You can watch the videos HERE.

The video was captured after the last-minute passenger ended up having to sit in an area just behind the driver as all the other seats were booked on the route that evening that departed Phuket at 9.15pm.

(Translated) “The driver kept teaching his son to drive. Even worse, he was making a video call from his tablet phone. I decided to get off the bus at the Tha Chatchai checkpoint.” (The checkpoint is about 500 meters from the northern end of the island where all traffic has to pass)

She said in her post that the diver “doesn’t care for the safety of the passengers on board. This is a passenger bus, not a children’s playground.”

“How many lives are in your hands?”

Commenters have denounced his driving as unsafe and putting the lives of a bus full of passengers at risk. Many called for the driver to be fired.

The bus company Phattalung Thaksin Company has not made an official comment about the post at this time.

Source: Calls for sacking of multi-tasking bus driver