Thailand Morning News For April 3

Thailand’s PMI down to 50.2 in March
The Nikkei Thailand Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, or PMI, dropped to 50.2 in March from 50.6 in February.
– About Nikkei Asian Review

Tax evaders may face asset seizures
Evading taxes worth 10 million baht or more, or fraudulently filing for tax refunds of 2 million baht or more through collusion, shall be considered a money-laundering offence, according to a new law taking effect on Sunday.
–Bangkok Post

Nine policemen injured by gunmen in Thailand
Nine policemen were injured by gunmen at a road checkpoint in southern Thailand on Monday, police said.
Indo Asian News Service

Condo glut weighs on project launches
A surfeit of unsold condominium units in the resort towns of Cha-am and Hua Hin will continue to slow the launch of new projects this year, says property consultant Knight Frank Thailand.
– Bangkok Post

Major loan-shark network busted
POLICE CRACKED down on loan-shark networks with working funds of more than Bt100 million in Phetchaburi province yesterday.
– The Nation

Freight operators asked to halt operations during Songkran festival
The Department of Land Transport (DLT) has called on freight carriers to avoid transporting cargoes during the Songkran festival to help reduce traffic problems and minimize road accidents.
– NNT

Army opens probe into soldier’s death
The army has ordered a probe into the death of a 22-year-old private in the southern province of Surat Thani as his family suspects he was brutally beaten in a local army prison.
– Bangkok Post

15 million expected to register as low-income earners for benefits
WHILE the government has predicted bright economic prospects this year, as many as 15 million people are expected to register as low-income earners to obtain assistance in the second round of registration that opens today – almost double the number of people enrolled late last year.
– The Nation

Govt targets small-time fishermen
The Department of Fisheries will begin targeting small-scale fishing as part of its plan to bring its marine sector in line with international standards and comply with European Union rules.
– Bangkok Post

Tax records of 38 ex Thai ministers under scrutiny
Thirty-eight former Cabinet members from the previous governments of Abhisit Vejjajiva and Yingluck Shinawatra have come under the microscope over their tax records, a media inquiry has found.
— Eleven

Govt: All citizens entitled to free emergency services in first 72 hrs
The government has confirmed that all citizens are entitled to free emergency medical treatment at all hospitals in the first 72 hours following injury.
– NNT

5G licence auction faces delay due to technicalities
The planned fifth generation (5G) licence auction on the 2600-megahertz spectrum is likely to be put off to 2018 due to a lack of well-designed frequency valuation principles and the transition to a new…
– Bangkok Post

Burgeoning F&B markets in the region draw top international exhibitors to THAIFEX-world of food asia
Following the rapid population growth and mass urbanisation in Asia in the last decade, the traditional demand for food in the region has changed drastically. Not only does the Asia-Pacific region have some of the fastest growing F&B industries in the world, with projected year-on-year growth rates averaging 11 percent, there has also been increased attention to healthier living and demand for better labelling and packaging.
– Asia Food Journal

The New BOI Act promotes technology and offers additional incentives
Investment in Asia, especially in Thailand, is growing significantly. Therefore, the Thai government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, has encouraged related government agencies to take measures to boost investment in the country, improve the investment environment to be ready for “Thailand 4.0” and to become the world’s investment destination.
– Bangkok Post (advertorial)

Separatist plan gets govt rebuke
Authorities have dismissed as nonsense a fresh move by some members of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) separatist movement seeking to “declare independence” from Thailand in 15 years.
– Bangkok Post

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Thailand Morning News For April 3 added by John Le Fevre on April 3, 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.