Thailand English-language News for January 23

In Thailand English-language News for January 23, 2018, Newsline presenter Surapan Laotharanarit tells us about:

00:52 | Deputy Prime Minister General Chatchai Sarikanlaya yesterday denied that the government has been facing some troubles and said that all Cabinet members and state offices have been playing their part as called for in the national reform roadmap.

Additionally, he denied that the decision by the National Legislative Assembly’s (NLAs) special committee in charge of the draft law on the election of Members of Parliament to delay its implementation by 90 days was made without any guidance or order from any individual or group.

01:58 | President of the Thai Fisheries’ Association (TFA), Mongkhon Sukcharoenkhana, yesterday met with deputy prime minister General Chatchai Sarikulya to discuss the problem of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in Thailand.

Mr Sukcharoenkhana told the DPM of labour shortages, and other problems affecting the sector. General Sarikulya told Mr Sukcharoenkhana that there was still no budget to purchase impaired fishing vessels which have no license

03:12 | Colonel Sirichan Ngathong, deputy spokesperson of the National Council for Peace and Order, said yesterday that the latest meeting of the NCPO Secretariat discussed the instruction for all peace-keeping forces to prepare to support the government-appointed team tasked with steering Thailand forward.

04:52 | A special committee of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) yesterday announced a three-month delay in the enactment of the new law governing the election of Members of Parliament.

NLA special committee spokesperson, Taweesak Sutakawatin, said the decision was intended to make sure political parties are not under pressure to conclude tasks required by the Political Party Act, and denied that it will affect the timing of the next general election.

06:19 | The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) is to launch a rebranding campaign this year to reshape public perceptions of traditional Thai medicine (TTM) and alternative treatments, integrate them with family medicine, and support research and innovation.

07:30 | Staff from TOT Plc., and related networks recently met with residents in Chaiyaphum province to instruct them on how to access the newly available free high-speed internet in their community and how to benefit from it.

Mobile phone and computer users can access the free Wi-Fi service provided by the government by connecting to a network using the name ‘Thailand Wi-Fi By MDES’. They will be asked to register with their ID and phone numbers in order to receive a password to login. So far, wireless hotspots have been installed in 24,700 villages across the country.

08:51 | The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) yesterday announced that its 2018 agenda is a continuation of its ‘Now’ policy under the concept of putting ideas into practice and obtaining concrete results.

Bangkok Governor, Police General Asawin Kwanmuang, said the 2018 agenda has been designed with regards to the 20-year national strategy, the Thailand 4.0 policy, the 12th National Economic and Social Development Plan, the 20-year Bangkok development plan as well as global changes.

12:27 | Deputy transport minister Pailin Chuchottaworn said yesterday that his ministry has no plan to transform Thai Airways International (THAI) into a low-cost airline, but has asked the airline to make some adjustment in order to boost investor confidence. Mr Pailin suggest that THAI should decrease its non-returnable assets and adjust its business to align with the challenging situation.

13:40 | The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) has launched a plan to boost Thailand’s gems and jewellery industry as part of a government plan to establish Thailand as a hub for gems and jewellery trade. The plan include increasing sales channel and branding efforts, boosting credibility in Thai products by raising quality standards, developing online sales platforms, and support research and innovation. The gems and jewellery industry is the third most important trade segment accounting for 5.55 per cent of total export values.

14:38 | Science and Technology Minister, Suvit Maesincee, plans to turn Bangkok into a hub for startup businesses and innovation-driven entrepreneurs.

15:45 | Deputy Minister of Industry, Somchai Harnhirun, said his ministry is providing nine measures to assist the small and medium sized enterprises. The measures include a number of financial measures such as loans, in addition to non-financial support aimed at increasing the grassroots economy by at least 25 per cent. SME Bank has allocated Bt70 billion (about US$2.19 billion) for loans to support the programmes this year, boosting the Bt150 billion ($4.7 billion) in loans it has already issued.

17:21 | Director-General of the Department of Business Development (DBD), Kunlani Itdisai, said that 74,517 companies registered with the government in 2017, an increase of 16 per cent compared with 2016, exceeding the department’s forecast of 70,000.

19:01 | Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) is to reduce the number branches it operates from 1,153 to 400 and cut employee numbers from 27,000 to 15,000, in order to focus on online banking, technological innovations, and data solutions.

20:34 | Thai exports in 2017 hit a six year high, improving 9.89 per cent over the previous year.

The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) reported yesterday that Thailand’s whole-year exports totalled US$237 billion (about Bt7.5 trillion). Imports last year climbed 14.7 per cent over 2016 to $223 billion, generating a trade surplus of $13.9 billion.

22:49 | A Malaysian court was told yesterday that prosecutors in the trial of two women accused of the murder of North Korean President Kim Jong-un’s estranged half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, will call their final witnesses in coming weeks

• and more.

Newsline is a daily Thailand English-language news and current affairs programme produced by the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNBT) under the Thailand Government Public Relations Department (PRD) for *NBT World, the NNBTs 24/7 English language television service delivering Thailand government news and information to the Thai, Asean, and wider Asian communities. AEC News Today publishes Thailand English-language News M-F.