Thailand morning news for November 22

Terminal put on ice pending feedback
Airports of Thailand (AoT) has put the brakes on a second terminal scheduled to be built at Suvarnabhumi airport, pending steps to glean opinions from relevant parties including the International Civil…
— Bangkok Post

Fast-lane online visa system launched at Thai airports
The Immigration Bureau acting commissioner Pol Maj-General Surachate Hakparn has officially launched the e-Visa on Arrival system today that is expected to cut visa processing times to as little as one minute and reverse the downward trend of Chinese tourist visitation.
— The Thaiger

Govt reveals digital transformation master plan
The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) is preparing a master plan for collaboration that echoes Asean’s theme of “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability”, which was chosen by Thailand as the theme of its chairmanship in 2019.
— Bangkok Post

Visitor numbers down in Oct as Chinese stay away
Thailand welcomed 2.71 million visitors in October, down 0.51% year-on-year, on falling numbers of Chinese tourists, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
— Bangkok Post

New committee to help resolve issues over marijuana patents, says Prajin
THE GOVERNMENT expects the controversy over cannabis-related patents to end within two weeks, with discussions for a solution focusing on national interests and the benefits to Thai people.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

Up to 158 flights cancelled amid air safety fears
A total of 158 flights at three airports have been cancelled or rescheduled for this week’s three-day Loy Krathong festival, according to Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn.
— Bangkok Post

Measles kills 18 in South as officials try to fight vaccine denial
MEASLES HAS infected 2,280 people and killed 18 in the mainly Muslim border provinces in the South this year. The largest group affected were young children up to the age of four.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

Commentary: General Prayut’s dream of remaining PM dampens Thailand’s hopes of starting afresh
Thailand faces daunting political uncertainties as the country prepares for a long-awaited general election come February 2019.
— Channel NewsAsia (annoying popups)

Somkid: 4% growth ‘achievable’ via exports
Economic growth of 4% is achievable if exports, the lifeblood of producers, expands more than 7% from November to December, says Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
— Bangkok Post

Chinese still keeping distance
The plunging Chinese market has continued to affect Thailand’s tourism, causing international arrivals last month to dip by 0.5% year-on-year to 2.71 million, says the Tourism and Sports Ministry.
— Bangkok Post

Research finds investors paying less attention to tax incentives
Research by economists has found that tax incentives are no longer the main consideration of investors, who are now paying more attention to basic infrastructure and the governance of investments.
— NNT

Parties hit out at junta govt’s populist handouts
POLITICIANS FROM major parties yesterday slammed the junta over its populist package for the poor, saying the handouts were politically motivated.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

BAY seeks M&A jolt to investment banking
Bank of Ayudhya (BAY) aims for a 25-30% increase in revenue from investment banking business next year.
— Bangkok Post

SIF grooms young entrepreneurs for regional integration
WITH ASIA Pacific now seen as an important region in the global economic landscape, Singapore International Foundation (SIF) has set its heart on strengthening regional integration through its flagship programme, Young Social Entrepreneurs (YSE), according to SIF executives.
— The Nation

Growing dissent among Thailand’s students
Following the now viral anti-junta rap song “What My Country’s Got” (Pratheet Go Mee) by hip-hop collective Rap Against Dictatorship (RAD), another rap song had surfaced earlier this month. This latest song is by a 17-year-old rapper Thanayut Na Ayutthaya, better known as Elevenfinger.
— The Asean Post

HM King to provide T-shirts he designed for ‘Bike Un Ai Rak’
His Majesty the King will provide T-shirts he designed for participants of the ‘Bike Un Ai Rak’ cycling event, the first batches of which will be distributed nationwide Dec 1-2, a senior Royal Household Bureau official said.
— Bangkok Post

Prawit attacks ex-NCPO member for ‘defecting’
DEPUTY PREMIER Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday described a retired senior military officer joining a new anti-junta political party as “ungrateful” and “a chameleon”.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

SRT to provide 1,900 jobs for dual-track railway operations
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is on track with its 10-year personnel employment plan, with 1,900 jobs to be provided for next year’s operations of dual-track railways.
— NNT

Thailand’s new left-wing political parties: rivals or allies?
With the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) slowly but gradually lifting restrictions on campaigning, scores of new political parties have stepped into the fray. Careful not to run afoul of the recently revised and tightened organic law on political parties, they are making sure their steps are in sync with the slow pace set by the junta.
— New Mandala

BoT relaxes regulations to allow for easier loan approvals
The Bank of Thailand (BoT) has reformed financial institution regulations to allow for easier loan approvals starting in March next year.
— NNT

Singha Estate readies Bt85 bn spree
LISTED property firm Singha Estate Plc plans to spend as much as Bt85 billion from 2019 to 2023 under an ambitious investment target aimed at pushing annual revenue growth into the double digits for the period, chief executive officer Naris Cheyklin said yesterday.
— The Nation

Phoenix under armed guard as concrete blocks ballast exposed
The wreck of the salvaged tour boat ‘Phoenix’ is now under armed guard by soldiers to prevent any tampering of evidence, Col Santi Sakuntanark, the top-ranking soldier stationed in Phuket, has confirmed.
— The Phuket News

Immigration Bureau launches E-VOA system for 20 nations at Thai airports
The acting Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, Pol. Maj. Gen. Surachate Hakparn, officially launched the e-Visa on Arrival (E-VOA) system, which will shorten the immigration process to only one minute.
— NNT

Malaysian fugitive arrested in Phuket for B17mn real estate fraud
A man wanted on an Interpol Red Notice for B17 million in real estate fraud in Malaysia has been arrested in Phuket and will be deported to his homeland south of Thailand.
— The Phuket News

Inside Yala’s social reforms to fight terrorism
“Our bird contest made it in the Guinness Record,” says the mayor of Yala, “in the midst of bombings”.
— OpenGov

Cabinet approves budget of ฿18.6 bn to help rubber farmers
The cabinet on Tuesday has approved a budget of 18.6 billion baht worth of measures to help rubber plantation owners and tappers currently affected by the impact of low rubber prices.
— NNT

PHL renews air pacts with Switzerland, Thailand
AFTER wrapping up its negotiations with Switzerland for the modernization of its air services agreement with that European country, the Philippines is now looking at expanding its current bilateral air deal with Thailand.
— Business Mirror

Deputy police chief Srivara announces November’s crackdown ahead of Loy Krathong
The Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, Pol. Gen. Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, on Wednesday announced the success of a security operation ahead of the Loy Krathong festival in confiscating 165 guns and 1,147 bullets from 152 suspects.
— NNT

GHB Million Homes program approved by Cabinet
The Government Housing Bank’s (GHB) “Million Homes” program has received Cabinet approval and will begin accepting reservations on November 23.
— News Today (video)

Rebound in exports shows gains from superpower trade conflict
Figures in the October trade report also show that overall export growth has rebounded from the previous month’s decline, expanding by up to 8.7 per cent month on month.
— The Nation

Abhisit pushes decentralisation
To make the country more competitive, the next government must decentralise and devolve state power to more local levels, giving people more say in political decision-making, says Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.
— Bangkok Post

From santiphap to santisuk: What Mahathir’s visit to Thailand indicates
The peace process to solve the conflict in the southernmost provinces of Thailand, known as Patani, which was officially inaugurated officially on 28 February 2013, has never been smooth.
— Prachatai English

Karen hunters surrender, admit killing serow in park
Two Karen hunters, father and son, have surrendered to officials and admitted killing a protected serow in Kaeng Krachan National Park, insisting they hunt only to feed their family.
— Bangkok Post

Malaysian Minister of Defense visits Thailand to discuss progress on southern issues
Thailand’s Ministry of Defense has welcomed Malaysian Minister of Defense Haji Mohamad bin Sabu, who is in Thailand to discuss progress in resolving unrest in Thailand’s south.
— NNT

Feature photo John Le Fevre

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges acknowledges World Toilet Day November 19

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 November 22 added by John Le Fevre on November 22, 2018
View all posts by John Le Fevre →

Bio
Latest Posts

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.