Thailand English-language News For July 0

In Thailand English-language News for July 12, 2017, Newsline presenter Cholaphansa Narula tells us about:

00:37 | A former vice premier of China, and Jin Liqun, president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President (AIIB) were among the many Thais to pay their respects to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Grand Palace yesterday, July 11.

01:33 | The governors of Lopburi and Uthai Thani provinces have held ceremonies to commemorate the 329th anniversary of King Narai the Great’s death. King Narai was the 27th monarch of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767.

02:31 | Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday that all public opinion will be taken into account when formulating guidelines for police reform, which he presented to the police board at a meeting last week. He also said that the military is following its own 10- and 15-year development strategies with a focus on lowering the number of military personnel and acquiring more hi-tech equipment.

03:34 | The PM has defended the purchase of eight supersonic jet trainers from Korea for the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), stating that the air force’s current Aero L-39 Albatros jet fighters have been in use for over 20 years and need to be replaced. The purchase was approved in 2015.

04:29 | The Cabinet has approved the first phase of the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project, which will link Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima – a distance of 253 kilometers (about 157 miles). The budget for this phase of the project will be B179.41 billion (about US$52.8 billion).

05:50 | NBT World takes a look at the recently-launched GovChannel program, which is aimed at improving Thais’ access to public services. Recently a roadshow has been held to inform the public of the range of government services available through information kiosks currently being installed in major urban centres nationwide.

11:20 | The Thailand Government Public Relations Department (PRD) has signed a memorandum of understanding with 20 ministries on publicising the ministries’ goals and achievements in accordance with the fifth national public relations strategy which runs through to 2021.

12:11 | The Bank of Thailand (BoT) has assured businesses that recent fluctuations in the value of the Thai baht are not affecting exports, which are expected to grow by 4.1 per cent this year. The BoT has also encouraged businesses to take advantage of the strong baht to purchase and import machinery and technology. Export-Import Bank of Thailand president, Pisit Serewiwattana, said his bank is assisting SMEs to insure themself against currency fluctuations.

13:33 | The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has held its annual World Population Day. Themed “Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations”, this year’s event highlighted how contraceptive access and reproductive health education can foster sustainable economic prosperity.

16:44 | Thailand has hosted this year’s Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), where heads of state and economic leaders from across Asean and Asia discussed regional connectivity and collaboration in economic growth. Among other things, the gathering heard how China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) strategy will continue to improve connectivity between two-thirds of the world’s population.

• 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 via cable and satellite. It is also available via android and iOS apps. AEC News Today publishes Thailand English-language News M-F.