Thailand Morning News For February 15

BoI told to fit policy to changing times
The Board of Investment (BoI) has been instructed to rejig its investment promotion policies to make them reflect technological changes, environmental impact reduction and Thailand’s ageing society.
— Bangkok Post

Govt improves business service quality to attract foreign investors
The government is enhancing the quality of its business service to attract more foreign investors, said Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
— NNT

Keeping track of foreigners in Thailand – new e-passport data to be used
The Immigration Bureau and the Interior Ministry have been instructed to speed up the implementation of a single-platform online database of foreigners entering and leaving the Kingdom.
— Phuket Gazette

Six buildings demolished for encroaching national park land on Phi Phi
A hundred officers from Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, police, military and Office of Forestry demolished houses and shops located next to the national park booth. The team expect the full demolition to take 3 days.
— Phuket Gazette

BOI launches incentives for entrepreneurs to encourage use of digital technology
The Board of Investment (BOI) has approved tax incentives for entrepreneurs with the objective of motivating them to use digital technology more.
— NNT

FTI slams plan to halve import duty
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) has criticised a plan to slash import car duty from 80% to 40%, saying the measure will harm the country’s automotive industry in the long run.
— Bangkok Post

Air quality worsens in BKK
The Pollution Control Department has reported an air pollution level that exceeds the safe limit on three main roads in Bangkok.
— News Today (video)

Royal Irrigation Department prepares to tackle water shortage
The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) has prepared water pumps for farmland outside irrigated areas.
— NNT

New agency proposed to spur growth in fintech startups
REGULATORS plan to offer financial and other privileges to aid the development of financial technology (fintech) startup ventures.
— The Nation

JFin ICO presale begins on high note
Despite the lack of a regulatory framework and high investment risk, J Ventures’ JFin coins flew off the shelves Wednesday during their presale debut as investors flocked to purchase over 88 million digital…
— Bangkok Post

EOD detonates a bike bomb in Pattani
Explosive ordnance disposal police on Wednesday morning (Feb 14) detonated a homemade bomb attached to the water bottle holder of a mountain bike left unattended in front of a mosque in Yarang district of Pattani.
— Thai PBS

Army sues Deep South human rights defender for exposing torture on TV
Despite a court ruling, the Thai Army has filed a defamation lawsuit against a torture victim in the Deep South, who exposed his experience on TV in support of an anti-torture bill.
— Prachatai English

Ratch assigns B25bn for 2018 investment
SET-listed Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Plc (Ratch), the country’s largest private power generator, has announced the allocation of a capital investment budget totalling 25 billion bahtfor this year to expand capacity by 12%.
— Bangkok Post

NBTC puts brakes on spectrum auctions as it awaits legal view
THE BOARD of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunica-tions Commission (NBTC) yesterday resolved to put the brakes on the NBTC’s move to auction 1800MHz and 900MHz licences, pending the Council of State’s reply to it on whether it has authority to call for bids as an acting regulator.
— The Nation

Airports of Thailand Q1 profit up 22 pct, beats estimates
Airports of Thailand Pcl (AOT) said on Wednesday net profit rose 22.3 percent in the first quarter, beating estimates, as the country’s main airports operator benefited from a tourism boom last year.
— Reuters

Amazon Web Services promotes five key services for Thailand
AMAZON Web Services (Thailand) is stepping up its business focus for the country in areas such as financial services, telecommunications, manufacturing, retail and the digital and media industries.
— The Nation

Move is under way to wrestle back huge land plots in Loei from the Karnasuta family
Loei provincial governor has set up a committee to investigate the illegal occupation of over 6,000 rai of forested land in Phu Rua and Dan Sai districts allegedly by a Karnasuta family-owned company, CPK International.
— Thai PBS

Thailand, Cambodia discuss nationality verification for migrant workers
Thailand’s Labor Minister Adul Sangsingkeo and his Cambodian counterpart Ith Samheng discussed the nationality verification for undocumented migrant workers.
— NNT

Major drinking water manufacturers agree to use less plastic
Government agencies and the private sector have signed an agreement to stop using plastic film covering water bottle caps in an effort to reduce plastic garbage on land and sea.
— News Today (video)

Apex plans 4 hotels on 400 rai in Krabi
SET-listed developer Apex Development Plc plans to develop four hotels with residential units for investment buyers on a 400-rai plot on Long Beach in Krabi.
— Bangkok Post (annoying popups)

Siam Park City gears up to add Bt3 bn attraction
AMUSEMENT park operator Siam Park City yesterday said it plans to invest Bt3 billion on a new project, an attraction known as Bangkok City that will be opened in 2020.
— The Nation

DIT calls for sugar producers to adjust prices according to market value
Department of Internal Trade (DIT) has suggested 20 of the nation’s top sugar producers adjust the prices of their stockpiles downward, in accordance with the floated price of sugar, noting failure to comply may result in legal measures.
— News Today (video)

Consumer Protection Board gives awards to exemplary call centers
The Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) has launched a program to raise the standards of call centers and boost their credibility to the public.
— NNT

Export opportunities for Thai chicken eggs
Thailand currently exports chicken eggs to Hong Kong, Maldives, Cambodia, Singapore and South Korea. Find out more in this report from our reporter.
— News Today (video)

Phuket Poll: Should Thailand build the Kra Canal?
Since The Phuket News posted its special report on the Kra Canal earlier this month, the potential mega-project has rated high in the news with international press reports from Malaysia and Singapore attempting to downplay the importance the canal could have for Thailand.
— The Phuket News

A new form of medical certificates to be introduced March 1 for driving license applications
Starting March 1, applicants for a driving license will be required to produce a new form of medical certificate from qualified doctor certifying that he/she is free from five diseases namely elephantiasis, tuberculosis, alcoholism, leprosy and drugs addiction.
— Thai PBS

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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 February 15 added by John Le Fevre on February 15, 2018
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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.