After delays, ground broken for Thailand-China railway project
Construction of a long-awaited Thai-Chinese railway line that will link Thailand, Laos and China officially began on Thursday with a ground-breaking ceremony in the northeastern Thai province of Nakhon Ratchasima.
— Reuters
Village internet scheme completed
State enterprise TOT has finished construction of the national broadband network for 24,700 villages nationwide (the Pracha Rat internet project), two weeks ahead of the deadline set by the government.
— Bangkok Post
Japanese flag interest in EEC
THAILAND has discussed with Japanese MPs and business people the possibility of a forum for the exchange of political ideas, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said yesterday.
— The Nation
Somkid sees 10% export growth
Export growth this year is expected to reach 10% as the figure for November increased 13.4% year-on-year, well above expectations, which should push the year-end tally to beat projections, says Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
— Bangkok Post
Exports hit 58-month high as nation rides the global economic recovery
THAI EXPORTS soared to their highest in 58 months in November while exports in the first 11 months of the year hit a six-year high, the Commerce Ministry revealed yesterday.
— The Nation
Transport Ministry orders purchase of extra trains for Airport Link
The operator of the Airport Rail Link has been assigned by the Ministry of Transport to procure additional trains in response to the rising number of passengers.
— News Today (video)
NLA at odds on snooping plan
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) could not agree Thursday on whether to allow the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to conduct eavesdropping and wire-tapping during investigations.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand-China on course with closer cooperation
Thailand and China are on course with plans to engage in closer cooperation in all areas.
— News Today (video)
FTI: November industrial confidence index hits 8-month high
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) has reported that the industrial confidence index (ICI) has hit a new high, thanks mainly to the government’s stimulus measures.
— NNT
3 sentenced over deadly SCB office chemical accident
The Criminal Court on Thursday sentenced two company executives and an engineer to two years in prison each, suspended for two years, in a case involving the deadly chemical accident which killed eight people at Siam Commercial Bank’s (SCB) head office in March 2016.
— Bangkok Post
Prayut chairs ceremony to start piling work for Thai-Chinese high-speed train project
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday (Dec 21) presided over a groundbreaking ceremony to start the piling work for the first 3.5-kilometre section of the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway project from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima.
— Thai PBS
Metropolitan Police poised to make Bangkok ‘helmet city’
Metropolitan Police have launched a road safety project that aims to make Bangkok a model helmet
— NNT
BMTA board gives nod to procurement of NGV buses from SCN-CHO joint venture
The board of Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) has approved the city bus operator’s plan to purchase a fleet of 489 NGV buses from SCN-CHO cooperation at a total cost of 4.2 billion baht which is 201 million baht higher than the median price.
— Thai PBS
Thailand, Laos discuss border cooperation at GBC Meeting
The 24th Thai-Lao General Border Committee (GBC) Meeting discussed bilateral cooperation and security issues. The meeting was held in Vientiane, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, on December 20th and 21st, 2017.
— NNT
Thailand & Cambodia to develop border economic zones
The Thai – Cambodian border economic zone in Sa Kaeo province is launching a campaign to increase border trade.
— News Today (video)
Labor Minister to propose extension of employee nationality verification timeline
Labor Minister Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew is to propose a six-month extension to the nationality verification program for foreign laborers.
— News Today (video)
Suvarnabhumi Airport beefs up security for passengers on NY holidays
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has prepared measures to ensure security and facilitate the access of passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport during the New Year festival. Around 200,000 passengers are expected to use the airport each day.
— News Today (video)
Labourers call for 360THB minimum wage nationwide
Due to skyrocketing costs of living, a nationwide network of Thai labourers has urged the Labour Ministry to increase the national minimum wage to 360 baht per day. The rate has remained almost unchanged for five years.
— Prachatai English
MFA to offer passport services on Saturday during New Year’s holiday
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has produced Islamic calendars for distribution both domestically and internationally and is to open passport services on Saturdays to assist citizens traveling during the New Year’s holiday.
— NNT
American visitors to Thailand hit 1 million for the first time
The number of Americans visiting Thailand annually hit the 1-million mark today, setting a new record for Thailand’s No 1 source market from the Americas Region, where the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) operates two offices in New York and Los Angeles, USA.
— TAT News
DSI and NOB officials raid Wat Dhammakaya to look for Dhammajayo
Officials from the Department of Special Investigation and the National Office of Buddhism conducted a night raid of Wat Dhammakaya Wednesday night (Dec 20) to look for Phra Dhammajayo, the former temple abbot, who has not been seen in public for several months now.
— Thai PBS
Local tour guides protest over illegal Chinese tour guides
A group of local tour guides, who lead Chinese tours, protested today (December 21) at Promthep Cape against workers, they claim, are illegal Chinese tour guides taking their jobs in tour companies.
— Phuket Gazette
Feature photo Josch13
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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 December 22 added by John Le Fevre on
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John Le Fevre
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.
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