Thailand Morning News For May 18

Study finds Thailand loses over THB145 mn from unsustainable fishery
A network of civil societies for fair and sustainable fishing has reported that unsustainable fishery costs Thailand more than 145 million baht a year. The network also found that fishery laborers in the country still work excessive hours.
— NNT

EU rap a result of ‘flawed policies’
CONTINUING MAJOR flaws in the protection of the rights of workers and sustainable fishing policies has kept Thailand on the European Union’s “yellow flag” watch list for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, according to experts.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

Exports in first 2 quarters hits 7-year high
The Ministry of Commerce is confident that export growth will reach 8 percent, as the country’s export value in the first two quarters of the year hits a seven-year high of over four trillion baht.
— NNT

Thailand set to move forward on MRO project
Thailand is moving closer to establishing a regional aerospace maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) centre in the east of the country aimed at attracting domestic and foreign investment in military and commercial domains.
— Janes

Parliament set to cut Bt8bn IT budget
The Bt8-billion budget to install IT equipment in the newly constructed parliament building must reportedly be decreased after the Cabinet refused to approve it.
— The Nation

36 foreigners detained in coordinated raids
Thirty-six foreign nationals and one Thai were detained during Tourist Police-led raids on 104 locations across the country in the early hours of Thursday.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand Introduced Legal Framework, But Players Don’t Know How to Comply
On Sunday, May 13, Thailand joined a pool of countries that have introduced regulatory frameworks regarding cryptocurrencies. The 100 section law, published in the country’s Royal Gazette, defines cryptocurrencies as digital assets and digital tokens that fall under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Thai Security Exchange Commission (TSEC), making it the main policeman of crypto transactions in the country.
— CoinTelegraph

Thai narcotics control board may allow marijuana cultivation for medical use
THE OFFICE of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) has hinted at the possibility of allowing people to grow marijuana for medical use.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

Foreigners to be tracked by Defence Ministry
A computer database is being developed to store information about foreigners to help authorities keep track of them while they are in Thailand, defence spokesman Kongcheep Tantravanich says.
— Bangkok Post

Surat Thani rubber farmers’ network signs major trade deal with Chinese company
A Chinese company has struck a deal with the Surat Thani Rubber Farmers’ Institute Network to purchase 2,500 tons of rubber a month in a major extension of the network’s export market.
— News Today (video)

Rice packers warn of higher prices as production drops
Consumers should brace for pricier packed rice, notably for the hom mali fragrant variety, through the end of 2018 because of low supply and higher export demand.
— Bangkok Post

AirAsia confirms UScopy50m investment in EEC facility
AirAsia Group has confirmed it will invest UScopy50 million (4.8 billion baht) in a maintenance repair overhaul (MRO) facility at the Eastern Economic Corridor’s U-tapao airport.
— Bangkok Post

Politicians rail against 20-year national plan
POLITICIANS FROM leading parties warned yesterday that the junta-led national strategy and reform plans could obstruct the work of future governments.
— The Nation

Five to bid on gas blocks
Five petroleum exploration and production (E&P) giants confirmed their participation in this year’s auction of the Erawan and Bongkot gas blocks in the Gulf of Thailand by submitting their iintention-of-auction documents to the Mineral Fuels Department Wednesday.
— Bangkok Post

Senior monk ‘moved Bt25m temple funds to paper firm’
THE ongoing probe into the embezzlement of temple funds has suggested that a senior monk allegedly transferred Bt25 million to a paper company controlled by a woman with links to the military.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

Railway to link up Thailand, Cambodia within 2 months
A long-awaited transnational railway link between Thailand and Cambodia through Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo could be launched within two months, Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith says.
— Bangkok Post

Cabinet proposes center for maintaining national interests at sea
The Cabinet has proposed the setting up of a center to maintain national interests at sea and coordinate efforts between related agencies.
— NNT

JD Fresh and Thailand Queen sign durian purchase agreement
The CEO of JD Fresh, Ye Wei, visited Thailand in early May. Upon arrival he immediately signed a durian purchase agreement for the entire season with the largest refrigerated durian processing company in Thailand–Thailand Queen.
— Fresh Plaza

NLA President discusses new Parliament complex construction budget cut
The National Legislative Assembly has discussed a policy to cut the budget allocated for the construction of the new Parliament complex.
— NNT

“INTERMACH SUBCON Thailand 2018” commences
“INTERMACH-SUBCON Thailand 2018” is being held to move forward Thai entrepreneurs to Thailand 4.0, opening the chance to technology and innovation learning, as well as move toward a full-fledged intelligence machinery era.
— News Today (video)

PM assures South Koreans of friendly investing climate
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha Wednesday urged South Korean investors to ramp up investment and trade with Thailand and pledged to facilitate their
— Bangkok Post

Thai Liberal Party vows to reform Thai Army
The Thai Liberal Party leader shares his vision of reforming the military by moving all troops out of Bangkok and instead using the space to build schools, hospitals and parks while abolishing unnecessary military units.
— Prachatai English

Thailand’s DTAC to offer 4G coverage, mulls 1800-MHz spectrum bid
Total Access Communications Pcl , Thailand’s third-ranked mobile operator, will offer 4G coverage in the second quarter of this year and is considering a bid in an upcoming spectrum auction, its chief executive said on Thursday.
— Reuters

Phuket Governor orders public vote on marina project amid concerns over coral damage
Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong has called for new a public hearing to be held on a marina project on Phuket’s east coast after dire concerns have been raised over the devastating effect dredging a channel there may have on an aquatic field of corals nearby.
— The Phuket News

Bangkok taxi motorbike drivers protest ride hailing startups
Hundreds of motorbike drivers staged a street protest on May 17 in downtown Bangkok in front of the office of GoBike, a Thai motorbike hailing company modeled after large ride-hailing brands such as GrabBike or GoJek.
— Investvine

Pueai Noi district declared rabies-red zone
Khon Kaen – Thailand’s Livestock Department has declared Pueai Noi district of Khon Kaen province a rabies-red zone after another cow was killed by the virus.
— Pattaya Mail

Missing Russian woman’s trail leads from Samui to Phuket
Relatives and friends of Russian national Inna Ibukhova, 39, have appealed to the residents of Phuket for help in their search for the woman, who went missing on Koh Samui in April but is claimed to be last seen in Phuket on May 11.
— The Phuket News

Government to enact new law to promote community enterprises
The government is working on a new draft law designed to help promote community enterprises in Thailand.
— News Today (video)

World Bank urges SME access
The World Bank Wednesday urged Thailand to continue easing existing laws and regulations that hamper small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from easy access to funding.
— Bangkok Post

CEO of Emerald Property Group back in jail
The CEO of Emerald Development Group, Khun ‘Mai’ Sawit Ketroj, was in jail last night pending another bail hearing after ‘absconding from Court’ (not reporting to Court under the conditions of his previous bail).
— The Thaiger

Hotel crackdown continues
Pattaya-area authorities continued their crackdown on illegal hotels, checking accommodations on Beach, Second and Third Roads.
— Pattaya Mail

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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 May 18 added by John Le Fevre on May 18, 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.