Thailand morning news for August 8

Private sector fears trade war hit on exports next year
THE nation’s peak private-sector advisory grouping has voiced fears that the escalating trade conflict between the United States and China could harm the export sector – a standout performer in the Thai economy – next year.
— The Nation

Exports to see eased second-half growth
Thailand’s export activity is likely to slow slightly in the second half of 2018 after 11% growth in the first half and 12% in the second half of last year.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand braces for floods, residents lay bricks, sandbags
Businesses in Thailand’s southwestern Petchaburi province blocked doors with sandbags and bricks against possible flooding on Tuesday as heavy rains threatened to cause a dam to overflow.
— Reuters

Thailand Decision Guide: Laying the Groundwork for a Rate Hike
The Bank of Thailand is moving closer toward raising near-record low interest rates as officials try to create some policy space for the next downturn.
— Bloomberg

EEC land ownership laws awaited by firms
Property investors and condo buyers from overseas are awaiting clarity on Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) regulations that will allow 100% foreign property ownership, according to a property consultant.
— Bangkok Post

Corruption watchdog faults 4 ex-officials of malfeasance related to temple fund fraud
Four former senior officials of the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) have been faulted by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for malfeasance in office and disciplinary violations in connection with allocation of fund for temple repairs and renovation totaling six million baht.
— Thai PBS

PM insists mandatory conscription is still needed
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday reaffirmed the need to retain the mandatory conscription for Thai male adults as soldiers form an indispensable force in time of crisis or emergency.
— Thai PBS

BMW expanding EV assembly
BMW Group Thailand is ready to expand local assembly of electric vehicles (EVs) after the German carmaker was granted investment privileges by the Board of Investment (BoI) on July 25.
— Bangkok Post

Corporate giants jockey to form alliances for high-speed rail bid
SOME of the country’s biggest companies are manoeuvring to team up for joint bids on a proposed high-speed train project linking three international airports.
— The Nation

PM orders formation of R&D ministry
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday ordered the creation of a new ministry overseeing R&D and innovation, to be established before the next election.
— Bangkok Post

Vietnam, Thailand strengthen political and security cooperation
Minister of Public Security, Sen. Lieut. Gen. To Lam, hosted a reception in Hanoi on August 6 for Secretary-General of the National Security Council (NSC) of Thailand Gen. Wanlop Rugsanaoh, who is also head of the Vietnam-Thailand Joint Working Group (JWG) on politics and security.
— Nhan Dhan

More seatless carriages planned for subway trains during rush hours
Bangkok Expressway and Metro Pcl which operates the Blue Line subway is pondering whether it should double the number of seatless carriage to two for each train so there will be more standing room to accommodate more passengers during rush hours.
— Thai PBS

DSI mulls reopening B30m fraud case
A group of 10 people from Phayao petitioned the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on Tuesday asking it to reopen an investigation into a fraud case as a lower court ruling has not been honoured and damages not paid.
— Bangkok Post

PM backs changes to poll inspectors
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday defended a move by a group of National Legislative Assembly (NLA) members to amend an organic law involving rules governing the selection of poll inspectors.
— Bangkok Post

Riverside residents in Kanchanaburi told to brace for possible flooding
Kanchanaburi’s riverside residents have been told to move their belongings to higher grounds in anticipation of possible flooding after three dams in this western province increased water drainage downstream.
— Thai PBS

Lecturer, probation official among alleged paedophiles
Eight suspects, including a well-known university lecturer and a probation official, have been arrested for buying online sex services from underage boys, but senior figures asked that their names not…
— Bangkok Post

Thailand’s SCG signs loan agreements worth $3.2b for Vietnam petrochemical project
Thai industrial conglomerate Siam Cement Group (SCG) has signed loan agreements worth over $3.2 billion with six financial institutions to develop Vietnam’s first fully integrated petrochemical-complex project.
— Deal Street Asia

RapidzPay gears up by expanding payment system
RapidzPay is partnering with Payment Platform Solution, an approved MasterCard company, improving the system by using RapidzPOS to introduce a new payment solution for first time in Thailand.
— The Nation

PM alters itinerary to support Petchaburi flood measures
The Prime Minister has decided to change his itinerary for August 8 due to concern over the water situation in Petchaburi province, diverting plans to meet with authorities and citizens there.
— News Today (video)

PM Prayut insists political activities still need approval from NCPO
The Prime Minister has insisted that all political movements still need approval from the National Council for Peace and Order to engage in any political activity.
— NNT

State agencies reshuffle of senior jobs approved
THE Cabinet yesterday resolved to carry out a reshuffle of civil servants heading a number of state agencies under the Ministry of Finance.
— The Nation

EC organizes training to prepare for election
The Election Commission of Thailand has organized a training session to help its staff get ready for the upcoming general election.
— News Today (video)

Tetra Pak report focuses on rise and challenges of Thai online grocery sector
Tetra Pak Thailand, the local unit of the world’s leading food processing and packaging solutions company, on Tuesday released the 11th annual edition of the “Tetra Pak Index”.
— The Nation

Thai e-commerce enabler Sokochan to expand to Malaysia via JV
Following its recent pre-Series A round, Thailand-headquartered e-commerce fulfilment startup Sokochan is looking to expand into Malaysia this October, its co-founder and chief strategy officer Adrian Stewart told Deal Street Asia.
— Deal Street Asia

NACC finds former former NOB head and accomplices guilty of embezzlement
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has ruled that the former director-general of the National Office of Buddhism and his accomplices are guilty of embezzlement.
— NNT

TBA: Transfer glitch refunds shortened to 1 day
The Thai Bankers’ Association (TBA) has agreed to shorten the period for unmatched fund transfer returns in the event of mobile app glitches to one day from a few days.
— Bangkok Post

Commerce Min forms sub-committees to increase trade competitiveness
Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong has held a meeting with representatives of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and related agencies to look for ways to shield Thailand from the impact of a global trade war.
— NNT

Thai-Myanmar border commerce to double by 2026
The value of border trade between Thailand and Myanmar is expected to double to UScopy2 billion by 2026, says the assistant spokesman of the Prime Minister’s Office.
— Bangkok Post

Thai True Corp skips $4.5 billion spectrum auctions
Thailand’s second largest mobile operator, True Corporation Pcl, said on Tuesday that it would not participate in upcoming spectrum auctions.
— Reuters

NCH to expand under EEC
NCH Thailand has budgeted UScopy million (33.2 million baht) for 2019 to expand its chemical plant in Chachoengsao province after seeing an uptick in demand from industrial plants because of the government’s flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) scheme.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand’s sangha: turning right, coming full circle
Last month, Thailand’s military government introduced an amendment to the Sangha Act B.E. 2505 (1962), which the National Legislative Assembly hastily approved unanimously.
— New Mandala

Gen. Prayut confirms consideration of annual military reshuffle to base on suitability only
The Prime Minister has assured the public that the considerations of the annual military reshuffle will be strictly based on suitability.
— NNT

Japanese laud local business environment
Japanese companies operating in Thailand are upbeat about the business climate because of the recovery in the automobile sector and its spillover effects to other sectors, with a key diffusion index or the second half of 2018 reaching the highest level in six years.
— Bangkok Post

Myanmar seeks Thai investment in entire fisheries value chain
The fishing industry is a key economic driver in both Thailand and Myanmar. Now, new opportunities are open to Thai investors as Myanmar is seeking advance fishing technology and financial assistance from foreign countries, especially Thailand. Our correspondent Sirakij P. has more details.
— News Today (video)

Five face charges for Phoenix, Serenata sinkings, Phuket Police Chief confirms
Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen today confirmed that five people are currently facing criminal charges of negligence for the Phoenix tour boat disaster on July 5 that killed 47 Chinese tourists.
— The Phuket News

DPM Wissanu chairs official opening of Thailand’s national flag exhibition
A deputy prime minister has officially opened a special exhibition featuring Thailand’s national flag.
— News Today (video)

Parts retailer Burson sets up Thai shop to fill market void
Burson, a leading Australian auto parts supplier, is to open its first store outside Australia in Bangkok, in partnership with the Sammitr Group.
— Bangkok Post

Government launches competition to help turn fashion designers into entrepreneurs
The Department of Industrial Promotion and Institute for Small and Medium Enterprises Development have collaborated to develop Thai fashion designers by arranging a competition under the Thailand Creative Economy project.
— News Today (vdeo)

Chiang Rai to open chemical-free vegetable and fruit market in 2019
Chiang Rai province is set to open the largest market for fresh fruit and vegetables in the upper part of the northern Thailand next year.
— NNT

Chinese dethrone Japanese as Bangkok’s keenest condo buyers
Chinese buyers are dominating the Bangkok property market with no end in sight, says the Thai Condominium Association.
— Bangkok Post

Over 300 Bangkok markets given certificates of cleanliness
In an effort to upgrade the quality of markets across the capital, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has awarded over 300 markets throughout the city with Premium Market and Hygienic Market certificates.
— NNT

Cabinet exempts welfare card holders from medical expenses
The Cabinet has approved an exemption of medical expenses for low-income earners carrying state welfare cards.
— NNT

CBRE tracks Phuket’s evolution as a top destination
ith 8.4 million visitors in 2017 alone, Phuket is Thailand’s most popular island destination. Visitors numbers have broken records for the fourth straight year.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand to lower use of antibiotics in livestock for consumer safety
Livestock Department Director-General Sorawit Thaneto and members of the Thai Veterinary Medical Association Under Royal Patronage (TVMA) as well as those from other related organizations have announced their intention to reduce the use of antibiotics in livestock to promote food safety.
— NNT

Expedia vows hotel discounts for users of newest service
Expedia Group, the operator of the travel booking website, has announced plans to further penetrate the Thai market with the launch of a new booking solution that promises to help travellers save money on hotel rooms.
— Bangkok Post

Feature photo John Le Fevre

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 August 8 added by John Le Fevre on August 8, 2018
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.