Thailand English-language News for May 14

In Thailand English-language News for May 14, 2018, Newsline presenter Cholaphansa Narula tells us about:

00:52 | Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday implored parents not to borrow money from ‘black market’ borrowers to meet the costs of children returning to school, saying there are several loan programmes available to assist those in need.

He said the Government Savings Bank (GSB) and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) are offering a very low-interest personal loan of Bt 50,000 (about US$1,570) per person. A similar loan programme is offered nationwide by pico-finance operators, he said.

Additionally local government supervised pawn shops have adjusted their interest rates down to 0.25 per cent a month on a principal of Bt5,000 (US$157) or less, and 1 per cent a month for greater amounts.

01:56 | Government Spokesman Lieutenant General Sansern Kaewkamnerd yesterday said that the Prime Minister’s cancelation of a trip to Sa Kaeo was due to Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen being unable to attend the inaugoration of a new border checkpoint as originally planned and had nothing to do with politics as some people were speculating.

02:59 | Constitution Drafting Commission Chairman Meechai Ruchuphan yesterday said that the Police Reform Committee (PRC), of which he also heads, intends to draft special acts to streamline police investigations and enable officers to do their jobs more effectively.

He said that the reform principles and framework are almost complete.

04:05 | Public Health Minister Dr Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn yesterday attended a search-and-rescue exercise held in the Andaman Sea off Phang Nga Province.

Dr Sakolsatayadorn said that the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has introduced a policy to improve the maritime public health system at 23 islands where some 35 million residents and tourists live or visit regularly.

The aim, he said, is to ensure 80 per cent of residents and tourists in targeted areas receive early medical attention and good care when needed, while reducing the maritime fatality rate by 25 per cent and the rate of frequently-found illnesses by 30 per cent

05:15 | The Department of Local Administration (DLA) has launched an e-waste campaign urging the public to donate their old mobile phones for proper recycling, while at the same time helping provide books and educational resources for 2,000 young children at development centres in remote areas nationwide.

DLA Director-General Suthiphong Chuncharoen yesterday said people can donate their unused mobile phones at local administrative organisations nationwide between May 14 and June 15. Some three million phones are expected.

06:17 | More than two hundred leading companies in the printing industry took part in Labelexpo Southeast Asia 2018 between May 10 and 12.

The Department of Industrial Promotion (DIP) predicts the Thai printing and packaging industry to expand by 5 per cent this year and continue to grow for the next three years. The industry is expected to generate between Bt 400 – 500 billion (about US$12.567 – $15.709 bln) this year.

07:28 | More than 200 officials of local administrative organisations and allies of the Department of Religious Affairs (DRA) yesterday attended a workshop run by religious experts in Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism.

The workshop was held to propagate the correct teachings of different religions and promote proper religious practices, so that those involved can help raise public awareness in cultural diversity, and encourage people to support social harmony.

08:25 | Kuala Lumpur’s police chief, Mazlan bin Lazim, yesterday said that an earlier report by Reuters describing a “raid” on a deluxe Kuala Lumpur apartment block at which relatives of ousted prime minister Najib Razak may have been staying had “mischaracterised” the operation.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s new Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, said yesterday that he had stopped Mr Razak from leaving the country because of suspected wrongdoing in connection with 1MDB fund scandal.

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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.