Thailand Morning News For July 25

Thailand freezes former PM Yingluck’s bank accounts in rice subsidy case
Thailand’s justice ministry froze some of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s bank accounts, the ministry and her legal team said on Monday, in relation to a $1 billion fine imposed by the ruling junta over her administration’s rice-subsidy program.
— Reuters

Thailand seizes $21 million in assets from dead founder of dark net marketplace AlphaBay
Thai police have seized nearly $21 million worth of assets, from cars to cryptocurrency, belonging to the late founder of dark web marketplace AlphaBay, who died in a Bangkok jail this month, they said on Monday.
— Reuters

PACC: Paddy storage graft ‘cost B90 billion’
Fraud in paddy storage for the rice-pledging scheme in the lower North has caused more than 90 billion baht in damages, says the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).
— Bangkok Post

PM praises startup firm for winning global business model prize
The Prime Minister praised a startup company for winning the first prize of a global business model.
— NBT World (video)

IoT fired up by bandwidth approval
The commercial sector is likely to adopt Internet of Things (IoT) technology at a much faster clip after the 920-925 megahertz spectrum was approved for use in IoT devices, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBTC) said yesterday.
— Bangkok Post

Chinese FM assures Thai-Chinese train project mutually beneficial
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed on Monday that the train project linking China with Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, the eastern seaboard and Laem Chabang deep-sea port will greatly benefit Thailand upgrade the status of kingdom as the communication hub of Asean.
— Thai PBS

Warning over labour act risks
An executive decree to regulate the employment of migrant workers and potential delays in the government’s big-ticket infrastructure investment could drag on Thailand’s economic growth momentum in the second half, economists caution.
— Bangkok Post

Ministry aims to legalise 2m migrant workers
A TOTAL of 101 temporary centres began a 15-day project to register foreign migrant workers across Thailand yesterday.
— The Nation

Employment centers facilitate compliance with foreign labor decree
Various agencies under the Ministry of Labor have established a center in Trat province to facilitate the registration of undocumented foreign workers.
— NNT

Finance seeks cabinet nod for B40bn in handouts
The Finance Ministry will seek cabinet approval in the next week or two for a 40-billion-baht budget to assist people who qualify for the government’s welfare and subsidy scheme, says finance permanent secretary Somchai Sujjapongse.
— Bangkok Post

Public health offices prepare for medical emergencies during flooding
The Ministry of Public Health has instructed its provincial offices and hospitals nationwide to prepare for possible flooding, as a tropical storm moves across the country.
— NNT

Civil society groups denounce new environmental bill
Environmentalists have called on authorities to rethink amending Thailand’s environmental protection law, reasoning that the amendment process lacks public oversight.
— Prachatai English

Thai police bust US$3m phone scam gang
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/thai-police-bust-us-3m-phone-scam-gang-9058044
— Channel NewsAsia

Private firm plans to build rail workshop
A THAI investor plans to build a train repair and refurbishment centre in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) to take advantage of the government’s decision to extend the railway system.
— The Nation

Trang Governor makes announcement on foreign labor decree
The Governor of Trang province has delivered a speech to state agencies and local businesses to clarify the government’s royal decree on foreign labor management and how the province facilitate the transition.
— NNT

PM ramps up Yingluck rally threat
Supporters of Yingluck Shinawatra have again been warned against participating in public gatherings when the Supreme Court hands down a ruling on her controversial rice-pledging scheme next month, or face legal action.
— Bangkok Post

Appeals Court lowers prison sentence on six yellow shirt leaders to 8 months from 2 years
The Appeals Court today reversed the sentences handed down earlier by the Criminal Court on six yellow shirt leaders from two years to eight months after finding the first court’s jail sentence too hefty.
— Thai PBS

MOL : Government ready to support SMEs to solve labor shortages
Labor Minister Gen. Sirichai Ditthakul disclosed that the Ministry of Labor (MOL) is concerned about SME businesses, as some migrant workers had returned to their countries and may not return for work in Thailand, which could cause labor shortages and disrupt SME businesses’ operations.
— NBT World (video)

TPIPP awaits new laws for waste-to-power progress
TPI Polene Power Plc (TPIPP), the SET-listed power arm of Thailand’s third-largest cement maker, will invest in several waste-to-power projects nationwide, pending a revision of regulations.
— Bangkok Post

HM the King invited to China for state visit
CHINA has officially invited His Majesty the King Maha Vajiralongkorn for a state visit, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said yesterday during his official visit to Thailand.
— The Nation

Northeast 1 region holds exhibition to attract investment
Provinces within the Northeast 1 region have banded together for an exhibition showcasing their investment potential.
— NNT

Thailand approves ‘reconciliation social contract’, but some skeptical
A reform panel headed by Thai junta chief Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Monday approved a “reconciliation social contract”, part of a plan aimed at healing years of political division, but critics of the military were not impressed.
— Reuters

National reform committee on justice to conclude annual police review overhaul by Dec
The national reform committee on justice has pledged to complete its plan to overhaul the annual police review process before the end of the year.
— NNT

Insurgents attack army base in Pattani after stealing vehicle, killing its owner
A group of southern insurgents launched an attack on the operation base of an infantry company of Pattai Task Force 24 in Nong Chik district late on Sunday night after stealing a vehicle and killing its owner, police reported.
— Thai PBS

Japan’s FamilyMart considering CITIC and CP Group partnerships
Japan’s FamilyMart UNY Holdings (8028.T), Japan’s second largest convenience store chain, is considering partnering on new business with China’s CITIC Ltd (0267.HK) and Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Group, its president told Reuters.
— Reuters

Applicants qualified for state welfare to be announced soon
The government is speedily verifying the qualifications of low-income earners who have previously applied for the state welfare program.
— NNT

PM : Education reform should focus on equality
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha says the government is adamant that Thai citizens have equal access to higher education.
— NBT World (video)

Illegal migrant workers can request work documents between July 24 and Aug 7
Migrant workers can apply for a work permit at registration centers to be open from today to August 7th, according to the Labor Ministry.
— NBT World (video)

Joint emergency drills ordered by PM
In today’s special feature, we will explore the joint emergency drills in preparation for all forms of disaster ordered by the Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha. as part of the country’s national security policy.
— NBT World (video)

Feature photo John Le Fevre
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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 July 25 added by John Le Fevre on July 25, 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.