Thailand morning news for December 21

Thailand morning news for December 21
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Thailand morning newsThai Election Commission and junta clash over foreign vote monitors
Thailand’s Election Commission has voiced support for foreign observers to monitor the long-awaited general election scheduled for Feb. 24, although some quarters of the government still object to the idea.
Nikkei Asian Review

Thailand should prepare for global economic slowdown
The global economy is in disarray with no clear direction. This is the stark warning from Supachai Panitchpakdi, former director-general of the World Trade Organisation.
The Thaiger / The Nation

Bangkok gets pollution warning
Air pollution in Bangkok has been worsening, according to the Pollution Control Department (PCD).
The Nation

PM Prayut meets with new Italian Ambassador to Thailand
The new Italian Ambassador to Thailand, Lorenzo Galanti, paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, at Government House, Bangkok, on Thursday.
NNT

PM emphasizes stability, prosperity and sustainability in water management
The Prime Minister has chaired a meeting of the National Water Resources Board, discussing how long-term water management can foster stability, prosperity, and sustainability.
NBT World (video)

Thailand launches “Tourism for All 2019”
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched a tourism campaign for state welfare cardholders to entice low-income earners to travel.
Vietnam+

Chinese visitors to Thailand hit 10m
Thailand has announced the arrival of the 10 millionth Chinese visitor in 2018 in Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, a milestone for the country’s tourism industry.
Global Times

Leading policeman makes extraordinary claim
“It’s always foreigners who are responsible,” says a leading chief of provincial police .
Region One chief Pol Gen Amphon Buarapporn made the outrageous statement claiming he had never seen a case Thais ripping off fellow Thais.
The Thaiger/ The Nation

Udomchai firm on autonomy in talks
The new head of the Thai negotiation team in peace talks with the Mara Patani, an umbrella organisation of insurgent groups in the deep South, yesterday insisted that any decision on autonomy in the region was the sole prerogative of Bangkok.
Bangkok Post

Will elected politicians stick to the ‘25 watches’ corruption standard?
Politicians and political parties are citing Deputy PM Prawit’s wristwatch collection in claiming that his boss Prayut is unable to solve Thailand’s corruption problems.
The Nation

Commerce Ministry fees to payable at Counter Service
The general public and business owners will soon be able pay fees to the Ministry of Commerce at more than 13,000 branches of Counter Service across Thailand.
NNT

Trade War to Sap Thai Growth
THE US-China trade war is expected to shrink Thai export growth by 0.5-1.9 per cent next year, while Thai SMEs should prepare to cope with the likely influx of Chinese products into Asean, including Thailand, according to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC).
The Nation

Tourism Authority of Thailand together with ICONSIAM and Partners in Public and Private Sectors Plus Communities on the Chao Phraya River Jointly Organized AMAZING THAILAND COUNTDOWN 2019
This is an amazing collaboration of entities from the public and private sectors and surrounding communities to organize a New Year Celebration in a scale never before seen along the Chao Phraya riverside, the place that has become the NATIONAL ICONIC LANDMARK and ICON of Eternal Prosperity.
ICTM

First satellite made-in-Thailand enters orbit
A Thai university has announced that the first domestically produced satellite has now entered orbit. Weighing in at 1 kilogram and measuring only 10 centimetres on each side, the tiny educational satellite was one of 64 on board the recent SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from California on Tuesday.
The Thaiger

Prime Minister’s Industry Award 2018 includes SME category
The Prime Minister’s Industry Award 2018 has recognized outstanding firms for their excellent standards.
NNT

Anuphong Assavabhokhin: Building “AP Thailand” with the power of its people
From a company worth a few hundred million baht with 80 employees back in 1991, AP (Thailand) PLC is today a real estate empire with revenue over ten billion baht, around 2,000 staff and over 100 real estate projects under development all around Bangkok.
Bangkok Post

Plain tobacco packaging by September 2019
The Thai government has made a new legislative announcement regarding plain packaging for cigarette packets, making it the first country in Asia, and first low and middle-income country to do so.
The Thaiger

Bellies full, but who paid?
LEGAL QUESTIONS arose yesterday over how Cabinet ministers and civil servants were able to afford seats at an extravagant fundraising dinner run by the pro-junta Phalang Pracharat Party on Wednesday.
The Nation

Court accepts B30m lottery tickets dispute lawsuit
The provincial court on Thursday accepted a lawsuit filed by a teacher against a retired policeman, with first-prize lottery tickets worth 30 million baht at stake.
Bangkok Post

English-language reports available at police stations
Five Thai police stations have started to use bilingual police reports, signs and instructions for British nationals and other English-speaking tourists.
The Nation

Redrawing Boundaries, Lawsuits Cast Doubt on Credibility of Thai Election
Thailand will soon hold its first election since the military seized power in a 2014 coup and many hope the vote will return Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy to democracy.
Jakarta Globe

Palang Pracharat raises 650 million baht in fund-raising banquet
The pro-military Palang Pracharat party has raised an estimated 650 million baht – 50 million baht more than initial projection — from a fund-raising banquet held Wednesday night at Impact Muang Thong Thanee convention hall, according to its deputy leader Natthaphol Teepsuwan.
Thai PBS World

Alert sounded on need for adequate retirement savings amid ageing trend
THAILAND’S ageing population will become a serious problem for the Kingdom if its people do not start making long-term investments to prepare for their retirement, warns Rapee Sucharitakul, secretary-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission |(SEC).
The Nation

National police chief orders strict measures for New Year’s holiday safety
The Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, Pol. Gen. Chakthip Chaijinda, has ordered all units to be on high alert when working to ensure the people’s safety during the New Year’s holiday, and insisted that there is currently no security threat.
NNT

Police propose speed limit increase on toll roads 20 Dec 2018 at 17:20 20 comments
A police panel set up to solve traffic problems has proposed the increase of speed limits on expressways and motorways to be in line with the current situation.
Bangkok Post

Hidden ‘drugs’ tunnel worthy of a Hollywood thriller
LIKE A scene from a film, an underground passage was discovered at an alleged drug kingpin’s house in the border province of Tak during a 6am raid on Thursday… but the man himself was nowhere to be seen. It recalled the WWII classic “The Great Escape”, in which prisoners built an underground tunnel to flee their PoW camp.
The Nation

Chinese and Thai companies to develop golden triangle tourist boats
Chinese and Thai companies have signed three documents at northern Thailand’s Chiang Saen port in a bid to develop boat trips along the Lancang-Mekong River.
Global Times

Merger offers for TMB include volving TBank, KTB
TMB Bank has received multiple merger and acquisition (M&A) offers from financial institutions such as Thanachart Bank (TBank) and Krungthai Bank (KTB), says Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong.
Bangkok Post

Thailand Regulator on Relaxing ICO Rules: We Want to ‘Find Greater Equilibrium’
Thailand’s securities regulator is planning a public hearing with the aim of loosening rules that form a “barrier” to initial coin offerings (ICOs), local English-language news outlet Bangkok Post reported Dec. 20.
Investing.com

Interior Ministry pushes Sister City schemes
Thailand’s Ministry of Interior is pushing activities related to Sister City agreements at the provincial level, set to advance the campaign from next year to 2023.
NNT

Global turmoil and Thailand’s political reset
As the world moves into 2019, there is a consensus that the roughly seven-decade-old rules-based liberal international order no longer works. Either it has to be fundamentally revamped to suit new realities and the international distribution of power and wealth, or it will be increasingly violated and marginalised.
Bangkok Post

Marriott to build beside pristine Phuket beach
Marriott International has announced the signing of the five-star Delta Hotels by Marriott Mai Khao Phuket Resort by Thailand’s Apex Development PCL.
The Nation

Rethink needed in search for water funds
The Finance Ministry and the Budget Bureau have been ordered to find funding for state-initiated water management projects over the next five years, as the annual fiscal budget is unlikely to be sufficient for all the projects being planned.
Bangkok Post

Thai November exports rising 3.3 percent year-on-year: Reuters poll
Thailand’s customs-cleared annual exports are expected to have risen 3.26 percent in November, a Reuters poll showed, after climbing 8.7 percent in the previous month.
Reuters

VAT rebate designed to promote use of Prompt Pay
The Thai government intends to use its five percent rebate on Value Added Tax to promote the use of electronic payment systems and will be opening a new registration period for Prompt Pay on January 7, 2019 so that rebates can be received within November 2019.
NNT

City-scale project for Chiang Rai
TRIN Innovation Group Co Ltd plans to spend Bt40 billion to develop a mixed-used project on more than 3,000 rai in Chiang Rai province that chief executive Trin Nilprasert says will be transformed into “The City of Harmonious Living”.
The Nation

Nissan Leaf EV Arrives In Thailand Ahead Of India Launch Next Year
Nissan has recently introduced the Leaf electric vehicle in Thailand with prices starting at 1,990,000 Thai baht (Approx Rs. 42.53 lakh). Having presented the globally popular EV at the Thailand International Motor Expo 2018, deliveries will commence from April next year onwards.
GaadiWaadi

 

Feature photo John Le Fevre

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges International Migrants Day, December 18.

 

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.

 

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