All the #Thailand #news you need to know for July 31

59 provinces told to brace for floods, mudslides
Disaster prevention and prevention offices in 59 provinces have been instructed to be fully prepared for river overflows, flash floods and landslides as many provinces in the North, Northeast, Central and South regions have been hit by intensive and isolated heavy rain, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Chayapol Thitisak said on Monday.
— Thai PBS

More than 1.5 million new vehicles registered in the first half of 2018
According to the Department of Land Transport (DLT), car owners registered more than 1.5 million new vehicles in the first half of 2018.
— Thai PBS

Thai firms urged to invest in India
Thai businessmen are being encouraged to “Act West”, and become the first investors in eight northern states of India which are set to receive a share of 6.2 trillion baht as part of a project to boost India’s economic connectivity with the Southeast Asian region.
— Bangkok Post

IEAT prepares to handle flooding at industrial estates
The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) has drafted plans in case flooding affects any of 55 industrial estates across the country, and ordered particular wariness at three estates, where earthen dykes and water gates are to be reinforced.
— NNT

EC set to choose its new president
THE INCOMING election commissioners are set to choose their president in a vote today, despite questions about the legality of the move as two spots on the panel remain unfilled.
— The Nation

VAT exemption repeal in view
The Revenue Department says the draft bill on revocation of the value-added tax (VAT) exemption for online purchases of goods worth less than 1,500 baht from vendors outside of Thailand that are shipped by mail will be ready soon.
— Bangkok Post

More Thai rescuers in Attapeu to help find missing villagers
More Thai rescue teams have arrived in Laos to help with the efforts to search for 120 people still missing in Sanamxay district of Attapeu province after the partial collapse of the Xe-PianXe-Namnoy hydropower last week triggered a devastating flood.
— Thai PBS

EIC lays out tourist roadmap
Thailand can adopt measures to control overcrowding by international tourists and better manage supply and demand, says Siam Commercial Bank’s Economic Intelligence Center (EIC).
— Bangkok Post

Thailand’s Navy to Get Five New Patrol Vessels
Last week, a local shipyard launched five new patrol vessels for Thailand’s navy. The vessels represent yet another addition to Thailand’s maritime capabilities as the Southeast Asian state looks to address a wide array of security challenges amid lingering constraints.
— The Diplomat

THAI backs Indonesian call for more flights to Jakarta, Bali
THAI Airways International (THAI) has expressed its commitment to help boost tourist arrivals to Indonesia, particularly to Jakarta and Bali, from Bangkok.
— The Nation

Water discharged from Lao dams pushes up water level in Mekong
The Nam Ngum 5 Company which operates the dam on Sunday notified Lao authorities in Phu Khun and Phu Khud townships to warn their people living downstream of the dam of the company’s decision to release more water out of the dam starting on Monday so there will be more room to store water from the monsoon rains during the rainy season.
— The PBS

Mekong River in Mukdaharn close to overflowing
Authorities in Mukdaharn province were preparing themselves to cope with imminent flooding due to the overflowing of Mekong River whereas the water level is currently on the verge of a crisis.
— NNT

Outlook ‘overweight’ as online fee cuts fail to starve earnings
Analysts have revised up the banking sector’s earnings outlook after the impact from fee cuts was less severe than initially expected.
— Bangkok Post

Navy SEAL releases clip of under-water atmosphere in Tham Luang cave
The Thai Navy SEAL today released a video clip showing what its divers had to encounter while diving from the so-called Chamber 3 of Tham Luang Khun Nam-Nang Non cave to Nern Nomsao, a ledge deep inside the cave where the 12 Wild Boars (Moo Pa) boys and their football coach had taken shelter while waiting for help.
— Thai PBS

Cave hero’s ashes released in Mekong River
Large crowds of people have taken part in the release of the ashes into the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom province of ex-navy diver and Tham Luang cave rescuer Lieutenant Commander Saman Gunan.
— NNT

PTT gains backing for LNG plans
THE Committee on Energy Policy Administration (CEPA) will soon propose that the National Energy Policy Council (NEPC) unlock PTT Plc’s planned gas procurement of about 2.6 million tonnes a year from a gas field in Mozambique, allowing Thailand’s largest energy firm to import gas for domestic sales and exports.
— The Nation

Kunming carrier set for Korat flights
Direct flights between Kunming and the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima are expected to be launched by Chinese-carrier Kunming Airlines by this October.
— The Nation

Thais nationwide donate to dam collapse victims in Laos
Donations, both in cash and kind, continue to be made by people across Thailand for those affected by the recent dam collapse in neighboring Laos.
— NNT

SBPAC discusses southern border trade, tourism promotion with Malaysia’s Kelantan
The Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC) discussed trade and tourism promotion along the border areas with a high-ranking official from the Malaysian state of Kelantan. The meeting took place at CS Hotel in Pattani province on Monday (July 30th).
— NNT

Interior Minister going to Nan as PM expresses grief over fatal landslide
Minister of the Interior Gen Anupong Paojinda is to travel to Nan to judge assistance needed, while Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha has expressed his condolences to the victims of a landslide in the province, calling for full aid and continued caution among citizens in the region.
— NNT

Ageing society spells promise for investors in retirement housing
PRIVATE investment in retirement homes is on the rise in Thailand, with Thonburi Healthcare Group among those companies eyeing the market potential amid an ageing society.
— The Nation

3,000 rai of crops with low water needs to be planted in August
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is to add 3,000 rai of crops requiring little water this August, targeting profit margins of 30-40 percent
— NNT

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 31 added by John Le Fevre on July 31, 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.