Thailand English-language News For September 21

In Thailand English-language News for September 21, 2017, Newsline presenter Sandra Hanutsaha tells us about:

00:39 | The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has held a ceremony to bless the royal nine-tiered umbrellas that will be placed at the top of the 85 funeral pyre replicas at all 76 provincial offices, as well as at eight locations in Bangkok. The process of assembling the metal framework of the replicas at each location is expected to be finished on October 15th.

01:47 | The Public Relations Department (PRD) band has collaborated with the four armed forces and the Fine Arts Department (FAD) in rehearsing performances to be enacted during the royal funeral of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

02:53 | The World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) and the Royal Thai Embassy (RTE) in Paris are organising the International Peace Conference 2017 (IPC) in honour of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej between September 26 and 28.

03:56 | Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has said that providing people with easier access to research work is one way to increase national development. The comments cam while presiding over a meeting of the National Research and Innovation Policy Council (NRIPC). General Chan-o-cha said the main agenda of the meeting was to promote coordination between the government and relevant organisations in supporting the growth of research in the country, including creating new innovations and ensuring easier and more affordable access to research works.

05:08 | Secretary of the Council of State, Distat Hotrakitya, has explained how new committees needed to comply with new related laws can be established, claiming such boards are needed to work on issues such as disputes between the government and the private sector. He, however pledged the council’s readiness to disseminate information needed for the dissemination of all laws as required by Article 77 of the new Constitution, adding that it will receive petitions from the public for a review of any law believed to be outdated.

06:23 | Some 800 people have participated in a seminar organised by the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) for provincial governance committees and related regional networks in the central and eastern regions on Wednesday. The aim was to educate them on their duties to practice good governance policy under the State of the People initiative (Pracharat).

09:02 | The diving Buddha ceremony is a long standing tradition held in Phetchabun every year on the 15th day of the waxing moon of the tenth lunar month. It is believed to bring happiness, serenity and abundance to the province. Newsline reports on this part of Thai culture.

11:48 | The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) has begun inspecting stores selling alcoholic beverages and tobacco products following the introduction of new excise taxes.

13:23 | Thailand has reportedly welcomed more than 3 million visitors in August, a new record, with visitors from East Asia representing the source of the most number of tourists. In bound tourist arrivals for August were 8.6 per cent up year-on-year, with tourists from China, Malaysia, and South Korea injecting more than Bt163 million (about US$4.9 million) into the Thai economy. In the year to August some 23 million tourists have injected about Bt1.7 trillion ($51.36 billion) into the Thai economy.

14:38 | Millions of low income earners in seven provinces, including Bangkok, are still waiting for their welfare cards, with the Comptroller General blaming the delay on ‘technical complications’ in manufacturing them.

15:58 | The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) has held a conference on boosting the insurance industry in Asia in response to its transition into an ageing society. OIC secretary-general Dr. Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn said the cabinet had approved a proposal to allow up to Bt15,000 ($453) and Life Insurance up to Bt100,000 to be tax deductible and would altering its policies accordingly.

17:27 | Asian Construction Week 2017 is being held until September 22 at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani comprising Concrete Asia, BMAFM Expo Asia, and GBR Expo Asia. The exhibition occupies about 20,000 sq.m (about 215,000 sq.ft) of floor space.

19:06 | The Ministry of Energy has reported that more than 715,000 people – about 7,662 people per day – had visited its booth as part of Expo 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan, far exceeding its expectations. Business matching has so far generated more than Bt11.12 million (about US$336,000) in product orders for next year.

21:12 | Thailand is currently in third place in the 9th Asean Para Games currently being held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with 42 gold, 47 silver, and 56 bronze medals. Indonesia ranks top of the medal table with 181 medals, followed by host nation Malaysia with 186.

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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.