All the #Thailand #news you need to know for July 27

Expansion plan for Bangkok Airport to cost $2 billion to cope with tourists
Airports of Thailand Pcl (AOT) plans to invest 63 billion baht ($1.89 billion) in the latest expansion of the country’s main airport in Bangkok, as the country tries to accommodate the influx of tourists.
— Reuters

EU exempts Thailand from protective steel tariffs
The European Union has exempted Thailand from protective steel tariffs for 200 days, because of its developing country status and low volume of steel exports.
— Bangkok Post

Flood alert as Mekong water rises
Residents in Nakhon Phanom were on Thursday warned to brace for possible flooding after the water level in the Mekong River rose to 11 metres, two metres away from overflow, due to downpours caused by tropical storm Son-Tinh.
— Bangkok Post

Royal family dispatches aid to Laos
Members of the Thai royal family have continued to provide aid to Laos following the recent collapse of a dam, including messages of concern to those affected by the incident.
— NNT

Company insists dam built in accordance with international standard
Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Pcl has defended its construction of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy dam in Attapeu province of Laos as being in compliance with international standard, but the fracture and eventual collapse of the saddle dam which is part of the main dam was due to heavy rains, according to Energy Minister Siri Jirapongphan.
— Thai PBS

Court rules Lisu teen was shot dead by military officers
THE CHIANG Mai provincial court ruled yesterday that Lisu ethnic Abe Sae Moo was shot dead by military officers last year, but did not describe the extrajudicial killing by officials as a legitimate act of self-defence.
— The Nation

Ministry says 5% growth possible
Thai GDP growth of 5% is likely this year if the global economy’s performance and state spending outpace expectations, the Finance Ministry says.
— Bangkok Post

RID ensures stability of nation’s dams, close monitoring
The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) has assured the Thai public that the nation’s dams are in good and stable condition and are constantly monitored by the Smart Water Operation Center (SWOC) working 24 hours a day.
— NNT

What’s in Thailand’s New Mini-Submarine Project?
On July 17, reports began surfacing out of Thailand that the government was moving forward with the construction of mini-submarines.
— The Diplomat

Mobile phone owners can use maximum of 5 SIM cards
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has resolved to allow mobile phone users to buy and register only 5 SIM cards per operator.
— NNT

Phuket swimmers get jellyfish warning
The Phuket Lifeguard Service are warning swimmers after bluebottle jellyfish have been found on western beaches and spotted along Patong Beach on Thursday.
— The Nation

Prius production still on hold
Toyota Motor Thailand has voiced reluctance to resume production and distribution of its popular Prius hybrid at the Gateway plant in Chachoengsao province, citing legal snags related to a tax issue.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand yet to ratify ILO Convention No. 188 regarding work in fishing
The Labor Minister, Pol. Gen. Adul Sangsingkeo, said Thailand has yet to officially ratify the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Work in Fishing Convention C188, as the country is seeking ways to find a balance in the implementation of this measure to ensure respect of human rights while minimizing the effect to the fishing industry.
— NNT

High-speed rail bidding plans on track
Bidding on the construction contract for the second section of the 252.35-km Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project will take place in August as planned.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand’s new car sales race ahead
Sales of new cars in Thailand are expected to grow more than 10 percent this year, amid a recovery in consumer spending.
— NHK (video)

Somsak talks up Prayut for return as PM
A core leader of the Sam Mitr (Three Allies) political group has thrown his support behind Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha making a comeback as prime minister, saying the premier has been an agent of positive change for the country.
— Bangkok Post

Blue Flag stores to use mobile app next month
Blue Flag stores will be able to use a new mobile application ‘Tung Ngern Pracharath’ to charge the cost of purchases by social welfare cardholders next month instead of using an electronic data capture (EDC) machine.
— NNT

Thai tourism agents are desperate for Chinese travelers
IN 2017, Chinese tourists to Thailand outnumbered any other nationality by threefold.
— Asian Correspondent

Warrant out in Hmong rape, suicide case
The Lampang provincial court issued an arrest warrant Thursday for a former village head for allegedly raping and blackmailing a 22-year-old ethnic Hmong woman who died on Wednesday night following a suicide attempt on July 17.
— Bangkok Post

Phuket: Unauthorized crocodile owners to report themselves by Aug 10
Owners of crocodiles in Phuket province are required to register with the provincial authorities before August 10th, 2018, or they would face legal action.
— NNT

The state of ICO regulation in Thailand
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced a regulatory framework for initial coin offerings (ICO) and ICO portals that took effect on July 16.
— Bangkok Post

IBM announces collabs with Thailand bank, healthcare company
IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Thailand’s Krungsri financial institution announce a five-year, $140M engagement supporting digital banking. Krungsri has 8.6M credit cards, sales finance, and personal loan accounts.
— Seeking Alpha

Thai jewelry businesses urged to expand to US market
The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) has suggested that Thai businesses in the gemstone and jewelry industry consider expanding into the US market, following the tariffs recently placed on Chinese imports.
— NNT

PTTEP’s first half suffers slight dent from baht dip
SET-listed oil and gas drilling firm PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP) reported that first-half operating profit fell by 6% year-on-year in US dollar terms, resulting in a net profit of US$536 million (17.9 billion baht).
— Bangkok Post

Sontirat to lead trade delegation to Vietnam next month
Non-tariff barriers on Thai-built vehicles will be high on the agenda when Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong leads the Thai delegation to a two-day Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting on bilateral trade with Vietnam next month in Hanoi.
— Bangkok Post

Thai – U.S. police launch operations against counterfeit goods
The Thai and United States police forces have launched a joint operation to eradicate counterfeit goods and infringements of intellectual properties, resulting in a seizure of two million baht worth of goods traced from online stores.
— NNT

Government to ‘protect’ cave story
A “creative media” committee, led by the culture minister, is set to be appointed to screen projects to recollect the story of the 13 Wild Boar footballers in flooded Tham Luang cave.
— Bangkok Post

Mekong River floods rice paddies in Beung Kan
Overnight rain has caused the water level in the Mekong River in Beung Kan province to rise continuously, resulting in other waterways overflowing and flooding rice paddies in the municipality.
— NNT

Third JTC offers chance to sway Vietnam on cars
Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong is scheduled to attend the third meeting of the Thailand-Vietnam Joint Trade Committee (JTC) next week, hoping to persuade Vietnam to scrap its automobile import measures and aiming to raise bilateral trade to US$20 billion (666 billion baht) in 2020.
— Bangkok Post

Six Chinese held in Chiang Mai online gambling bust
Six Chinese nationals were arrested for using Thailand as a base for an online gambling racket during a raid on two luxury houses in the San Sai district of Chiang Mai.
— The Phuket News

Second-generation Chinese aim to impress in Thailand
Spurred by Thailand’s flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) initiative and growing economy, second-generation entrepreneurs from China are keen to invest in Thailand despite concerns about state policy consistency.
— Bangkok Post

Feature photo Dickson Phua

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 July 27 added by John Le Fevre on July 27, 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.