Thailand English-language News for December 12

In Thailand English-language News for December 12, 2017, Newsline presenter Surapan Laotharanarit tells us about:

00:41 | Thais from across the country continue to pay their respects to the royal ashes of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Wat Bowonniwet and Wat Ratchabophit.

01:35 | The Supreme Patriarch, Somdet Phra Ariyavongsagatanana, has presided over a merit-making ceremony on the occasion of the 111th birthday anniversary of ‘Luang Phor Bao Earng’, a Vietnamese monk who was an abbot of Wat Samananam Borihan.

03:05 | Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday that the government is intent on removing economic roadblocks in the nation, especially in the southern region, but asked for cooperation from all sides and urged citizens to seek self-sufficiency.

General Chan-o-cha said the government wishes to integrate administration and budgeting using a model that divides the country into six regions. Lading provinces will serve as centers of development for their surrounding areas to ensure development is in sync with each region’s real situation.

05:10 | The government has started planning measures to help flood-hit farmers. To this end the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) has been negotiating with insurance companies to ensure fair compensation for those affected.

Meanwhile, the government has urged farmers to reduce their off-season rice production to less than ten million rai in order to match the country’s export capability without putting any pressure on rice prices.

Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) is planning to initiate a study to help Thailand produce the type of rice that will meet high demand from China, while considering measures such as a Bt1,500/ton storage subsidy, as well as a Bt48-billion-baht budget to help shoulder harvesting costs and improve paddy quality.

06:41 | Officials are working continuously to assist flood-affected residents in some areas of Yala and Trang provinces in Southern Thailand.

10:53 | The Minister of Culture (MoC) has held a meeting to discuss plans to develop historical and cultural tourism in the World Heritage Sites of Sukhothai and Kampaengpetch provinces, which will be proposed to a mobile Cabinet meeting there on December 25-26.

12:15 | The Office of the Public Sector Development Commission has organised a Government Services Expo to showcase innovations and initiatives adopted by different state agencies in offering improved public services. The event at Central World in Bangkok ends today.

13:33 | The government is hoping to stimulate private investment by providing a 150 per cent tax deduction on the principle. According to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) spokesperson, businesses only need to register online to qualify for the tax deduction, with no restrictiosn on the nature of the investment. The measure is expected to help boost economic growth to 4 per cent this year and more than 4 per cent in 2018.

14:49 | Lead singer of Bodyslam, Atiwara Kongmalai, has resumed his ‘Step by Step’ campaign to raise money for 11 regional hospitals after recovering from flu. As of today donations have exceeded Bt720 million (about US$22 million).

15:48 | Maneechan Resort and Sports Club has participated in a recycling project under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s (MNRE)’s Green Hotel Project, which sees clean recyclable garbage being used as decorative material inside its building.

Citing figures supplied by the ministry, the hotel said each guest on average produces between 1.1-1.5 kilograms of recyclable garbage such as plastic bottles, plastic bags, paper, and other waste, during their stay.

17:22 | Bangkokians visited the Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market over the long weekend to shop and eat along the canal. The market is opened every weekend and on public holidays.

18:18 | The north and northeast of Thailand enjoyed strong tourism patronage over the long weekend as those from outside the area travelled to experience the region’s cold weather, natural beauty, and ancient archaeological sites.

19:40 | The deputy director-general of the Department of Foreign Trade (DFT), Adul Chotinisakorn, said yesterday that the department is planning to host an event on December 14 and 15 to boost cross-border trade and investment between Mae Sot District in Tak Province, Thailand and Myawaddy District of Myanmar’s Kayin State.

The department will match business operators from both countries and sign an agreement on exchange of export-import regulations and related information, while other activities will promote logistics operators from both countries. In the first ten months of 2017 cross-border trade between the two countries has exceeded Bt150 million (about US$4.6 million)

• and more.

Newsline is a daily Thailand English-language news and current affairs programme produced by the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNBT) under the Thailand Government Public Relations Department (PRD) for *NBT World, the NNBTs 24/7 English language television service delivering Thailand government news and information to the Thai, Asean, and wider Asian communities. AEC News Today publishes Thailand English-language News M-F.