Thailand Morning News For December 27

On Cue Thailand Gets a Champion: Pop Star Bodyslams Junta Chief
Throughout history as societies have gone through tough or depressing times a champion has emerged to slay the dragons, vanquish the invaders, and generally make people feel happy and better about themselves, no matter how wretched and miserable their lives really are.
— AEC News Today

Visa wait for tourists could top 4 hours
Tourists applying for a visa on arrival at Suvarnabhumi airport are likely to face up to a four-hour wait during the New Year period due to a tough screening process to catch undesirables trying to enter the Kingdom.
— Bangkok Post

High-speed rail line loses va-va-voom
The 670km Thai-Japanese high-speed train project stretching from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is to have its maximum speed lowered to reduce the overall cost of the project.
— Bangkok Post

Holidaymakers and borrowers benefit in year-end giveaway
PEOPLE WILL BE showered with a basket of gifts from the Prayut government in the New Year, with those planning domestic holidays set to get a tax deduction on outlays of up to Bt15,000 per person.
— The Nation

Junta’s lawmakers proposes more penalties for election absentee
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) may ban people who fail to go to vote from working for the government in a bid to increase the penalty for absentees of an election. Moreover, the Election Commission may have a new power to call for a re-election as it sees fit.
— Prachatai English

Cash still coming after Toon stops running
Donations have continued to flow in despite rock star Artiwara “Toon Bodyslam” Kongmalai completing his 2,215km South to North charity run from Yala to Chiang Rai on Monday.
— Bangkok Post

Amendment to Political Party Act meant to provide fairness to all sides: PM
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the use of his absolute power under Article 44 to amend the Political Party Act was meant to provide fairness to all sides and confirmed that a general election will be held in accordance with the government’s road map.
— NNT

Tax deductions approved for touring 55 provinces
The cabinet on Tuesday approved annual income tax deductions of up to 15,000 baht for people visiting 55 “second-tier” tourism provinces next year.
— Bangkok Post

Second phase of welfare measures head for Cabinet
THE MINISTRY of Finance will propose the second phase of the state welfare measures to the Cabinet in its January-3 meeting as a New Year gift for 5.3 million registered low-income earners.
— The Nation

Revenue to launch mobile application to curb tax avoidance
The Revenue Department will launch a mobile application that will allow the public to give information on tax avoidance to the department.
— Thai PBS

Retailers take omnichannel path in preparation for Thailand 4.0
MODERN RETAILERS have steered their business model towards digitisation to tap the “omnichannel” potential and brace themselves for the Thailand 4.0 era.
— The Nation

Capital authorities, marine police and airports prep security for New Year celebrations
Marine Police have established a center to coordinate New Year security determined to see zero maritime accidents occur during the holiday, with Bangkok officials strictly checking incoming and outgoing revelers in the city.
— NNT

Si Khiu court sentences 12 land reform officials to 10 years each
Twelve officials of the Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) based in Nakhon Ratchasima were each given 10-year imprisonment for malfeasance in connection with the issuance of land title deeds for 150-rai land plots near Khao Yai national park.
— Thai PBS

Court jails seven for murder of disabled bread man
Six young men and a woman have been convicted of the savage murder of a disabled bread delivery man, sentenced to between 12 and 19 years imprisonment and ordered to pay compensation of 750,000 bbaht to the victim’s family.
— Bangkok Post

Japan bans 50 Thai boxers from fighting in the country
Japan Boxing Commission has banned 58 foreign boxers from fighting in its country, among them are 50 Thais.
— Thai PBS

Five injured in series of attacks in Narathiwat
MILITANTS CARRIED out sequenced attacks on Army officials in Narathiwat province yesterday, injuring two sergeants, two paramilitary soldiers and a civilian, as well as damaging vehicles.
— The Nation

Feature photo John Le Fevre

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 December 27 added by John Le Fevre on December 27, 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.