Thailand Morning News For August 8

Top tuna firm Thai Union Q2 profit drops on high raw material costs
The world’s largest canned tuna producer, Thai Union Pcl, on Monday said its second-quarter net profit dropped 7.6 percent from a year ago, hurt by higher raw material costs and a strong baht currency.
— Reuters

Stronger baht seen as fleeting
The strength of the baht, which last week leapfrogged the Korean won to become the best-performing currency in Asia against the US dollar in 2017, will be short-lived and is not a threat to exports iin the second half, says Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong.
— Bangkok Post

Few migrant workers register
FEWER MIGRANT workers signed up at government registration centres than expected, with an estimated 40 to 50 per cent of illegal migrant workers participating.
— The Nation

Ministry: 1m migrant workers registered
Around 1 million migrant workers are expected to have registered or taken action to comply with the new migrant labour law by the Monday deadline of the 15-day relaxation period.
— Bangkok Post

Don Mueang clarifies four hours of immigration delay at airport on Saturday night
Don Mueang International Airport yesterday clarified why immigration process was delayed, stranding several thousands of incoming passengers for four hours.
— Thai PBS

Over 600,000 migrant workers registered for permission to work in Thailand
The Department of Employment (DOE) has reported the total of migrant worker registrations over the past 14 days has exceeded 600,000, affirming there will be no extension to the window.
— NNT

Taxi drivers propose higher traffic-jam fares in Bangkok
Taxi drivers are demanding that authorities allow them to charge passengers more in trafficjam areas.
— The Nation

Thailand Investment Fest 2017 kicks off at SET market
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) is holding Thailand Investment Fest 2017 to share innovations by a new generation of investors.
— NNT

RID expedites water drainage in Northeast
Royal Irrigation Department (RID) has expedited water drainage operations to relieve floods caused by tropical storm Sonca.
— NNT

Flooding has little impacts on economic growth rate
Impacts from the current and recent flooding in several parts of the country, especially in the Northeast, will not affect economic growth rate this year which is forecast to grow 3.6 percent, said Mr Krisda Jinavijarana, director of Fiscal Policy Office, over the weekend.
— Thai PBS

Thais hope to get off Trump’s trade hit list as Tillerson heads for Bangkok
Thai officials voiced hope ahead of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson of escaping U.S. pressure over the size of their trade surplus with the United States as their figures point to a jump in imports, but U.S. data shows little change.
— Reuters

Thai Rice Exporters Association: Rice exports unaffected by northeastern floods
The President of Thai Rice Exporters Association stated that northeastern floods have not affected rice exports.
— NNT

PAD activists finally seek appeal by NACC against Supreme Court’s ruling
Two activists of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) on Monday formally asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to appeal against the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Offices’s acquittal of former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat and three other defendants for their supervisory role in the violent crackdown of yellow-shirt protesters on October 7, 2008 which left two protesters dead and over 400 injured.
— Thai PBS

UDD to seek NACC review of case on crackdown on red-shirt protesters in 2010
The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) will ask the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to review a case on the government crackdown on red-shirt protesters in 2010, UDD secretary-general Nattawut Saikua said on Monday (Aug 7).
— Thai PBS

Senators to be crossed-elected after 5-year transition period
After a five-year transition period in which 250 senators will be hand-picked by the junta, a reduced number of 200 senators will be elected from among 20 professional groups.
— Thai PBS

Queues at Don Mueang pick up speed
The wait at Don Mueang International Airport’s foreign immigration line was around 30 minutes to an hour on Monday, after long queues leading to four- to five-hour waits on Saturday prompted outrage.
— Bangkok Post

Awards announced for region’s ‘smart city initiatives’
New Zealand and Singapore have the most “smart city initiatives” in this part of the world, leading the tally in the Smart City Asia Pacific Awards with four and three, respectively.
— The Nation

Software sector likely to slide amid business shifts
THE THAI SOFTWARE market is expected to take a dip this year. But there will be an effort to boost the use of local software among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
— The Nation

Thai Carabao Group, Showa Denko set up JV for can production
Thai energy drink manufacturer Carabao Group has teamed up with Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed chemical engineering firm Showa Denko to form a joint venture to produce aluminum cans in Thailand.
— Deal Street Asia

CDC retreat sets new rules on banning MPs from politics
The Constitutional Drafting Commission (CDC) has reached a decision on behavior that can lead to a ban on Members of Parliament from remaining in politics.
— NBT World (video)

Ban Chang Smart City Project
Areas in industrial districts are often thought of as polluted places. However, that belief could be changed if a project, called Ban Chang Smart City, is successful. The project is being subsidized by both the public and private sectors in realizing its aims.
— NBT World (video)

Government continues fight against mafias
The government has confirmed that it has continued to fight against drug and weapon trafficking. A lot of drugs and assets have been seized from them.
— NBT World (video)

Commerce Ministry issues flood relief measures
The Ministry of Commerce has issued a series of flood relief measures to support businesses in disaster zones.
— NBT World (video)

Feature photo นรข.นิวส์ – Mekhong Riverine Unit News
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 August 8 added by John Le Fevre on August 8, 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.