Thailand Morning News For March 10

Thailand morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Thailand news on matters of governance and policies.

Exim Thailand to boost role in Myanmar through local presence
THE Export-Import Bank of Thailand plans to open a representative office in Yangon by next month as Thailand and Myanmar share the goal of boosting bilateral trade and investment.
— The Nation

Pay 1% more in VAT, PM asks Thais
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has asked Thais to sacrifice by paying 1% more in value-added tax (VAT) to reap 100 billion baht for the state coffers.
— Bangkok Post

Healthcare and Reimbursement Thailand Market to reach $9.47 billion with 10% CAGR Analysis and Forecast to 2022
The industry analysis specialist, has released its latest report, “CountryFocus: Healthcare, Regulatory and Reimbursement Landscape – Thailand”.
— News Maker

Thai Central Bank Sees No Pressure if Fed Raises US Rates
Thailand’s central bank expects there will be no pressure on the country’s monetary policy if the Federal Reserve raises US interest rates next week, a deputy governor said on Thursday (09/03).
— The Jakarta Post

Thai transport laws taking passengers for a ride
No sooner did Chiang Mai residents and visitors think they had better taxi options than the authorities and those offering “worse choices” try to tear these services away from them.
— Today Online

Temple followers blocked officials from entering temple to investigate a shooting incident
An attempt by Department of Special Investigation (DSI) officials, police and military personnel to get into Wat Dhammakaya through Gate 4 Thursday afternoon failed after protesting monks and lay followers blocked the gate.
— Thai PBS

Thailand demands access to auto sector under FTA
Thailand has sought a drastic reduction in the tariff on the auto sector under the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA), an official told Dawn.
— Dawn

Thai graft watchdog will probe Rolls-Royce bribes
Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission said it has uncovered “reasonable suspicion” of wrongdoing over a Thai airways deal to buy Rolls-Royce engines between 2004 and 2005, when Thailand was headed by democratically elected prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra
— Asia Times

Thailand: Airports Dept Promises Nationwide Upgrade
The Department of Airports (DOA) wants to upgrade its 28 airports and finish construction of a new one in Yala’s Betong district at an estimated total cost of 36 billion baht to meet an expected surge in passenger numbers over the next 10 years.
— Aviation Pros

Thai government, standing fast against Uber, offers taxi app
Thailand’s government is cracking down on private car-hailing services such as Uber and plans to introduce its own taxi app to appease passengers.
— The Washington Post

Commerce Ministry, ISOC crack down on piracy
The Commerce Ministry has joined force with the Internal Security Operations Command to stringently suppress intellectual property right violations in the Kingdom, resulting with copy goods seizure up to 3.6 million items worth more than Bt1.7 billion in recent.
— The Nation

BoT: No push from US rate hike
Even if the US Federal Reserve raises its policy rate at next week’s meeting — sooner than expected — it will not put any pressure on the Bank of Thailand’s currently accommodative monetary policy, says a central bank executive.
— Bangkok Post

Villagers fined for campaigning against junta-written constitution
20 villagers have been found guilty of violating the junta’s ban on public gatherings by supporting a referendum monitoring campaign. The villagers pleaded guilty, but only because of the high costs of fighting the case.
— Prachatai

NACC implicates two ex-transport ministers in RR aircraft engine bribery scandal
Two former transport ministers of Thaksin administration during 2004-2005 and the then board of directors of Thai Airways International were suspected to be involved in the wrongful procurement of Rolls Royce aircraft engines for THAI’s Airbus aircrafts.
— Thai PBS

Phuket officials welcome 7,800 cruise line passengers
Officials from various local government agencies were in Patong yesterday morning to welcome some 7,800 passengers enjoying a cruise from Singapore.
— The Phuket News

DLT to step up efforts against Uber and Grab
Officials insist they need to step up efforts to crack down on ride-hailing apps to bring order to public transport services for the sake of passenger safety and interests.
— Bangkok Post

Research delivers insight into Thailand’s RTD tea market report for 2017
“RTD Tea in Thailand” report provides the leading companies, leading brands, and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market. Forecasts to 2021 illustrate how the market is set to change.
— WhaTech

Tourism Ministry promotes foodie tourism
Ministry of Tourism and Sports says it will gear up its foodie tourism promotions to encourage more travellers to visit Thailand while encouraging them to test their taste buds on hot Thai dishes.
— TTR Weekly

Qatar to fly to Chiang Mai
Qatar Airways is on track to provide Chiang Mai a direct air link to the Middle East later this year.
— Bangkok Post

Body parts found in Koh Tao
According to Nation TV on Thursday evening dive teams discovered five objects believed to be body parts off the coast of Koh Tao. The chilling discovery was made in Chalok Baan Kao Bay.
— Samui Times

PM floats idea of raising VAT to 8%
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has floated the idea of raising the value-added tax (VAT) rate by one percentage point from the current 7 per cent to 8 per cent to raise an additional Bt100 billion in annual tax revenues to finance various public projects.
— The Nation

Lenovo moves regional hub to Thailand
Lenovo Inc, the world’s largest computer maker, has embarked on a geographical restructuring effort as it strives to enhance operational efficiency amid a saturated PC market.
— Bangkok Post

Feature photo: John Le Fevre

Thailand morning news is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Thailand Morning News For March 10 added by John Le Fevre on March 10, 2017
View all posts by John Le Fevre →

Bio
Latest Posts

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.