Thailand Morning News For June 6

Private sector forecasts 3.6% GDP growth as exports improve
Thailand’s economy has continued to recover, while higher agricultural prices have boosted consumer spending and private sector confidence.
– NNT

Carmakers keen to grab EV privileges
Since the government unveiled its investment privileges for electric vehicles in late March, several carmakers are keen to invest a combined 20 billion baht in making EVs in Thailand, according to the Thailand Automotive Institute.
– Bangkok Post

Show ID before sharing opinions: Interior Minister
The Interior Minister has said the junta will collect the ID numbers of anyone who gives feedback on the four questions about elections posed by junta head Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha to the public last week.
– Prachatai English

Thai central bank relaxes currency rules to help businesses
The Bank of Thailand said it’s easing some foreign-exchange rules to reduce compliance costs for the private sector. The baht strengthened as speculation the monetary authority might unveil major steps to curb the currency’s appreciation proved unfounded.
– The Star Online

CIMBT halves 2017 outlook for investment
CIMB Thai Bank (CIMBT) has halved its estimate for the country’s private investment to 0.7% this year from an earlier forecast of 1.4%.
– Bangkok Post

Chiang Rai aims to help connect with countries in Greater Mekong Subregion
The northern province of Chiang Rai is aiming to help connect Thailand with other countries within the Greater Mekong Subregion.
– NBT World (VDO)

Thailand calls for compulsory travel insurance
Thai tourism officials are pushing forward with a proposal to require all visitors to Thailand to obtain travel insurance before entering the country.
– The West Australian

Govt failing on environment, efforts to curb pollution: report
POLLUTION PROBLEMS in Thailand are getting worse, the Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand (EARTH) foundation has concluded, as there are no assurances that new industrialisation plans will not generate further pollution while existing problems have not been resolved.
– The Nation

Thais to be allowed to invest more abroad
Thailand´s central bank said on Monday it would relax foreign exchange rules, including taking steps to allow more Thais to invest in securities abroad, in a move that analysts said could help contain an uncomfortably strong baht currency.
– The News International

Supercar importer sues DSI for B50m
Supercar importer Panusak Techaterasiri, aka Boy Unity, has filed a 50-million-baht lawsuit against the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) after its raids to seize allegedly illegal cars from his showrooms dealt his company a heavy financial blow.
– Bangkok Post

NBTC opens Line account
THE National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has opened an account on the Line social media platform as another layer of communication with the companies it regulates and consumers.
–The Nation

Phayao awarded for having best jasmine rice in Thailand
Phayao’s Hom Mali rice strain was recognized as Thailand’s best Hom Mali jasmine rice this year, exemplifying the strain as the supreme Thai rice, according to the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT).
– Thai PBS

Army orders more checks for illegal weapons
THE NATIONAL Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has instructed regional Army officers to investigate recent cases of weapon trafficking, NCPO deputy spokeswoman Colonel Sirichan Ngathong said yesterday.
– The Nation

BoT eases up on forex regulations
The Bank of Thailand yesterday loosened a set of foreign exchange regulations, including allowing Thais to invest directly in securities abroad at an amount of up to copy million a year, in a fresh bid to accommodate capital outflows, curb the appreciating baht (which briefly slipped below 34 to the US dollar) and make doing business easier.
– Bangkok Post

PM: No cancellation of 30 baht healthcare scheme
The Prime Minister has given an assurance that the government will not be cancelling the 30 baht health insurance scheme but is considering ways to address funding and personnel problems, reminding citizens that reform of public health is on the national agenda.
– NNT

Rice farmers encouraged to plant maize after harvests
Low-land rice farmers will be encouraged to plant maize after rice harvests in an attempt to reduce high-land forest encroachment to clear land for maize cultivation.
– Thai PBS

EGAT: Krabi coal power plant may postpone electricity distribution for at least 4 years
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has disclosed that Krabi coal power plant may postpone its distribution of electricity for at least four years, in order to improve the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.
– NNT

TOT to complete Village Internet project this year
The State telecommunication agency, TOT Pcl, has expedited its work under a civil-state program to provide up to 25,000 villages nationwide with internet access, aiming to complete its work within the year.
– NNT

Samyan Mitrtown targets younger Thais with hunger for learning
GOLDEN LAND Property Development says its Bt8.5-billion Samyan Mitrtown mixed-use complex is 5 per cent complete, and should be ready to open by the fourth quarter of 2019.
–The Nation

PM voices hope for improved ranking on TIP Report this year
The government has hosted the Stop Human Trafficking Day 2017 event, during which the Prime Minister affirmed that much progress has been made in the fight against human trafficking.
– NNT

Low-cost tour agencies evade crackdown net
More than 100 online tour operators in China are still selling cheap tour packages to Thailand despite the two countries’ efforts to solve the zero-dollar tour problem.
– Bangkok Post

Hospital in Roi-et under probe for mistaken HIV blood tests
The Ministry of Public Health has ordered the setting up of a committee to investigate the hospital in Roi-et province which wrongly diagnosed a young girl of being positive for HIV 17 years ago and, hence, rendered her lost opportunities for many years.
– Thai PBS

Five public health reform proposals get green light
The committee for strategic national administration has approved five public health reform strategies proposed by the Ministry of Public Health.
– NNT

NLA to deliberate on 2018 fiscal budget this Thursday
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) is scheduled to deliberate upon the 2018 fiscal budget on June 8 to ensure proper budget allocation according to the 20 year national strategic plan.
– NNT

Thai Water Expo set to draw Mice visitors
Thai Water Expo 2017, which starts tomorrow at Bitec Bang Na, is expected to draw 27,000 local and foreign Mice visitors, says organiser UBM Asia Thailand.
– Bangkok Post

Feature photo Daniel Perries
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 June 6 added by John Le Fevre on June 6, 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.