Thailand Morning News For July 4

Combative PM says his future role |in politics is his ‘personal business’
PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday that he had become “fed up” with the media asking whether he would contest the next general election. He maintained that it was his “personal business” to make a decision and that the media should not ask him again about it.
— The Nation

“Startup Thailand 2017” to kick off this week
he Ministry of Science and Technology is gearing up to organize “Startup Thailand 2017” later this week, with entrepreneurs from across the globe expected to take part in the event.
— NNT

Online traders will soon be taxed
The Revenue Department will propose the Finance Ministry to collect taxes from online traders after online business value is increasing and becoming popular.
— Thai PBS

Activist seeks probe on tower lease move
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has been asked to probe the cabinet after it freed up a land plot along the Chao Phraya River to build a multi-billion-baht observation tower without calling for bids.
— Bangkok Post

Big Brother-like control on social media users
THE NATIONAL Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) has accepted a proposal that would require social media users to identify themselves and for the establishment of a “watch centre” to monitor netizens 24 hours a day.
— The Nation

Assembly backs tougher rules for online media
The National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) has voted in favour of short and long-term recommendations for online media reform, including tighter regulations over content.
— Bangkok Post

New labor laws see hundreds of migrant workers fired, sent home
At least 400 Burmese migrant workers in Phuket were sent back home yesterday morning after their employers terminated them as a consequence of draconian new labor laws.
— Phuket Gazette

B1tn in net profit forecast for 2017
Thai listed companies’ aggregate net profit is estimated to reach the 1-trillion-baht mark this year, up 7% from last year, led by small- and mid-cap companies, says Asia Plus Securities.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand to promote Eastern Economic Corridor as a premier tourist destination
The Royal Thai Government has identified tourism as one of the four core areas that will help transform the kingdom’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) to be the leading economic zone in Southeast Asia.
— TAT News

NBTC bullish on digital govt progress
THE GOAL of comprehensive delivery of government services by digital means can be realised much faster than the 20 years targeted, according to Takorn Tantasith, secretary general of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).
— The Nation

State subsidy plans put to haggle test
The Finance Ministry is negotiating with the Budget Bureau for an 80-billion-baht budget to finance the government’s subsidy and welfare scheme to alleviate poverty.
— Bangkok Post

Agricultural export grows by 61% during 2017’s first five months
Thailand’s agricultural export has grown by 61 percent, amounting to 98 billion baht during this year’s first five months.
— NNT

Cabinet approval for use of Section 44 to be sought to ease labour problems
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said he will on Tuesday (July 4) submit a proposal for the cabinet to approve the use of Section 44 of the 2014 interim charter to solve problems over migrant workers.
— Thai PBS

Thailand’s new labour rules send thousands of migrant workers fleeing
Tens of thousands of migrant workers, most of them from Myanmar, have fled from Thailand in fear after new labour regulations adopted by the military government, immigration officials said on Monday.
— Channel NewsAsia

Commerce Ministry reforecasts 2017’s inflation
The Ministry of Commerce has reforecast the 2017 inflation to 0.7-1.7 percent, while last month’s inflation showed a continuous reduction by 0.05 percent.
— NNT

LOANS OFFERED TO ELDERLY
Thai commercial banks have joined hands to extend Bt10-billion in residential loans for the elderly, offering an average lending rate of 4.25-4.5 per cent for the first three years.
— The Nation

PM stresses equal treatment to migrant workers
The government is prioritizing the solving of migrant labor issues, and will receive input from business owners to provide equal treatment of Thai and migrant workers.
— NBT World (video)

END OF DROUGHT FUELS CONSUMER PRICES DROP
Thailand’s consumer price index declined 0.05 per cent year-on-year to 100.66 in June due mainly to drops in the prices of vegetables and fresh fruit.
— The Nation

Full float of LPG prices mulled
Policymakers are preparing to fully float the prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for the household and transport sectors after global propane Saudi Aramco’s price fell to US$345 per tonne.
— Bangkok Post

MOL provides information on migrant workers employment
The Ministry of Labor (MOL) is now providing information about the regulations on the hiring of migrant workers at all its offices, hotline and website and will hold a seminar on the new migrant workers law on 5 July 2017.
— NNT

TISI assures domestic steel for Thai-Sino Railway Project will be on par with international standards
The Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) is accelerating its efforts to inform steelmakers in Thailand on the standard of steel products for usage in the Thailand-Sino Railway Project.
— NNT

Phangnga airport proposal faces hurdle
The Royal Forest Department (RFD) will send a letter to the governor of Phangnga province to ask for more information on a proposal by the Bangkok Airways Co, the operator of Bangkok Airways, to build a new airport on a 2,000-rai area in Khlong Thung Maprao forest reserve in Tambon Lam Kaen of Thai Muang district.
— Thai PBS

Central bank to receive NCB statistical data to aid its analysis, policy setting
The Bank of Thailand on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Credit Bureau (NCB) to receive the bureau’s statistical data for its analyses and policy implementation on financial stability and payments
— The Nation

NLA Whip to turn executive decree on foreign workers into law
The National Legislative Assembly is planning to upgrade the executive decree on foreign workers into a law.
— NNT

Thai and Malaysian navy hunt for pirates off coastal waters
The Thai and Malaysian navy are pursuing pirates responsible for hijacking a Thai fuel tanker off Songkhla.
— The Nation (video)

Commerce Ministry expects rice from 50 million rai to be launched into market this year
The Ministry of Commerce expects rice products from 50 million rais of farmland will be launched into the market this year, while the current in-stock rice are being pushed out as planned.
— NBT World (video)

Students urged to attend vocational colleges
The Ministry of Labor is encouraging junior high-school students to consider vocational education as another option, as it can provide additional income while the labor market is in high demand of workers with vocational degrees.
— NNT

New talent centre set to spur private sector
TO INCREASE specialists and human resource talent to support the private sector, the Thailand 4.0 scheme to upgrade the nation’s technological base, and Eastern Economy Corridor (EEC) project’s Board of Investment (BOI) joined hands to set up the Strategic Talent Center (STC).
— The Nation

NRSA approves report on management of online social media
The National Reform Steering Assembly has reviewed a report on mass media reform, which suggests the setting up of a system to regulate online social media.
— NNT

PTT seeks to diversify from oil
PTT, THAILAND’S leading energy conglomerate, announced it will invest more than Bt50 billion in a strategic expansion from this year until 2021.
— The Nation

Commerce Ministry making plans for fruit supplies
The Minister of Commerce has ordered that the fruit markets both domestic and foreign be connected and for a production survey to be launched to inform market plans for next year.
— NNT

Modern methods to help improve farming sector
Smart farming together with startup competition project have been set up to help improve farming sector. As Thailand is in the top rank of food exporters on the global market and the farming sector generates 10% of Thailand’s GDP, then modern method is essential to help in the cultivation process and to strengthen the farming sector. Find out more detail from our respondent Kwankamol Prurapark.
— NBT World (video)

NHSO approves 12-billion-baht allocation for medicine in 2018
The National Health Security Office has approved an increase in the country’s annual budget for drugs for Thais in 2018.
— NNT

King Power commits Bt4 billion to community services in next five years
KING POWER Group, the country’s biggest duty-free operator, plans to spend at least Bt4 billion on corporate social responsibility (SCR) over the next five years.
— The Nation

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration BMA is urgently developing all its schools to be bilingual
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is urgently developing all its schools to be bilingual schools and use technology more in line with the government’s Thailand 4.0 policy.
— NBT World (video)

Illegal zipline operations in Phuket raided
Officials of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation on Monday seized zipline equipments from three zipline thrill ride operators in Krathu district of Phuket after finding out that their operations have encroached on forest reserve.
— Thai PBS

NRSA acknowledges resignation of 15 members
The National Reform Steering Assembly has acknowledged that a number of its members have tendered their resignations.
— NNT

Feature photo Axel Drainville
Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Thailand morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Thailand news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Thailand Morning News For July 4 added by John Le Fevre on July 4, 2017
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John Le Fevre

Thailand editor at AEC News Today

John is an Australian national with more than 40 years experience as a journalist, photographer, videographer, and copy editor.

He has spent extensive periods of time working in Africa and throughout Southeast Asia, with stints in the Middle East, the USA, and England.

He has covered major world events including Operation Desert Shield/ Storm, the 1991 pillage in Zaire, the 1994 Rwanda genocide, the 1999 East Timor independence unrest, the 2004 Asian tsunami, and the 2009, 2010, and 2014 Bangkok political protests.

In 1995 he was a Walkley Award finalist, the highest awards in Australian journalism, for his coverage of the 1995 Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) Ebola outbreak.

Prior to AEC News Today he was the deputy editor and Thailand and Greater Mekong Sub-region editor for The Establishment Post, predecessor of Asean Today.

In the mid-80s and early 90s he owned JLF Promotions, the largest above and below the line marketing and PR firm servicing the high-technology industry in Australia. It was sold in 1995.