Thailand morning news for November 9

Thailand morning news for November 9
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Thailand morning newsTerminal 2 at U-Tapao airport to be fully opened in February
The second passenger terminal building at U-Tapao International Airport will be fully opened in February, the airport’s director said.
— The Nation

China economic ties gain boost
THAILAND is seeking to further flesh out its strategic economic cooperation with China by promoting another layer of ties built on direct connections with some Chinese provinces.
— The Nation

THAI’s loss doubles in Q3
Thai Airways International (THAI) reported an operating loss of 3.69 billion baht in the third quarter, up 103% year-on-year from 2017.
— Bangkok Post (annoying popups)

Wissanu outlines political timeline that could see new government in May
Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngarm on Thursday offered the clearest political timeline yet for the next six months that will lead to a general election on February 24, 2019 and the appointment of the next prime minister and the forming of a new government two months after that.
— Thai PBS World

DHSS steps up measures against measles outbreak in Deep South
Thailand’s Department of Health Service Support (DHSS) has instructed relevant agencies to contain a measles outbreak in the Deep South and Songkhla province after 1,515 cases and 12 deaths have been reported.
— NNT

Labor Minister discusses measures to address labor shortage in fishery sector
The Labor Minister, Pol. Gen. Adul Sangsingkeo, and officials from related agencies had a meeting on Thursday to follow up on measures to address the labor shortage in the fishery sector of Thailand.
— NNT

Tourists warned of e-cigarette fines
The Excise Department has warned visitors to Thailand about the fines for bringing electronic cigarettes and related substances or equipment into the country for personal use or sale.
— Bangkok Post

Govt optimistic on rice prices but experts not sure of sustainability
THE COMMERCE MINISTER is upbeat that rice prices are on the up trend, citing the large number of foreigners placing orders, but exporters and economists are cautious about its sustainability.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

PM calls for seamless transportation network in ASEAN
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has attended the ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting in Bangkok, where he urged ASEAN member states to develop a seamless regional transportation network to benefit economic growth.
— NNT

Thailand’s Kasikornbank invests $50 million in ride-hailing firm Grab
Thailand’s Kasikornbank PCL (KBANK.BK) on Thursday said it has invested $50 million in Singapore’s Grab, forming a partnership that will help launch the GrabPay electronic wallet in its sixth Southeast Asian market in 2019.
— Reuters

ERC raising Ft rate by 1.2% to cover higher fuel costs
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will increase the monthly electric rate for January-April 2019 to 3.64 baht per kilowatt-hour, up 1.2% from 3.60 baht in the September-December period.
— Bangkok Post

Expo chiefs promote Pattaya as MICE city
THE Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is joining with Pattaya officials to hasten the implementation of Thailand MICE Venue Standards (TMVS) as a strategy for the development of what they are hailing as a MICE City.
— The Nation

Thai sergeant with HIV accused of raping dozens of teenage boys: Police
An HIV-infected Thai sergeant major has been arrested and charged with raping an estimated 75 mostly teenage boys after luring them to meet him in the northeast of the country, a senior law enforcement official told AFP Thursday (Nov 8).
— Channel NewsAsia

Rice platform yields B1.5bn in sales, aiming for B30bn
The government expects the event International Rice and Rice Products Business Matching 2018, held yesterday in Bangkok, to result in rice purchases worth up to 30 billion baht within a year.
— Bangkok Post

PM urges spending caution
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed government agencies to not overspend on design costs of building construction and restoration projects, many of which are being tabled to cabinet for consideration.
— Bangkok Post

Deputy PM: Thailand Will Be Under New Govt by June 2019
If elections go ahead as planned next year, military-ruled Thailand will be under a new government by June, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said Thursday.
— Benar News

Grab inks strategic partnership to bring mobile wallet GrabPay into Thailand
Ride-hailing giant Grab on Thursday (Nov 8) announced a strategic partnership with Thai lender Kasikornbank (KBank) to offer its mobile wallet GrabPay and other financial services in Thailand by early next year.
— Channel NewsAsia

PM to prioritise Asean sustainability
Based on the themes of resilience and innovation, Thailand is preparing to make sustainability more of a priority for Asean as the kingdom prepares to chair the regional bloc next year.
— Bangkok Post

Singapore crane to raise Phoenix from Phuket seabed
A floating crane is due to arrive from Singapore on Friday to take over the salvage of the tour boat Phoenix, which sank in July and 47 Chinese tourists drowned.
— The Phuket News

Organ Donation Center holds seminar on donations
The Thai Red Cross Society’s Organ Donation Center has held a seminar to discuss ways to raise the availability of donated organs to meet the needs of patients.
— NNT

Surat Thani Immigration Office: Smart Visa improvement to help steer Thailand towards 4.0 era
The Commander of Surat Thani Immigration Office, Pol. Col. Wanchana Bowornboon, said the cabinet has approved changes to the criteria and benefits of the SMART Visa Program to facilitate foreign academics who come to share their knowledge with Thai industrial personnel, as proposed by the Board of Investment (BOI).
— NNT

Two Redshirts With ‘Illegal’ Calendars Held on Army Base
Soldiers briefly detained and questioned two Redshirt activists about calendars showing faces of former leaders Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra, a local police chief said Thursday.
— Khaosod English

Excise wants levy on salty, fatty ingredients
The Excise Department plans to tax ingredients that are sources of salt as part of efforts to impose levies against products that are harmful to health, its chief says.
— Bangkok Post

University council members urged to shelve resignation plans
EDUCATION Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin has urged council members at state universities to hold back their planned resignations, as there is still a possibility they may be exempt from the new asset-declaration requirement.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

EC to consult Foreign Ministry on EU request to monitor February election
The Election Commission will have to consult relevant agencies, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before it can decide whether or not to allow the European Union to send observers to monitor the election next February, said EC chairman Itthiporn Boonprakong on Thursday.
— Thai PBS World

Higher penalty if doctors flee mandatory public service
THE PUBLIC HEALTH Ministry plans to significantly increase the penalty from Bt400,000 to Bt2.5 million for doctors defaulting on their required state service after they graduate from state-run medical schools.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

7-Eleven store chain announces intention to reduce and to end use of plastic bags
CP All Public Company, the sole operator of 7-Eleven convenience store chain, on Wednesday announced its declaration of intention to reduce and, eventually, to end the use of single-use plastic bags at all the stores throughout the country.
— Thai PBS World

SCB downgrades SME loan view
Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) expects to fall short of its 7% growth target for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) loans this year.
— Bangkok Post

Krungsri Auto unveils “PromptStart” digital lending platform
Krungsri Auto, a leader in automotive finance under Bank of Ayudhya PCL, has launched “Krungsri Auto PromptStart”, the first digital auto lending platform that allows customers to check their credit appraisal via mobile website.
— The Nation

EU proposes to send an army of observers to February election
Only a day after Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai declared that Thailand didn’t need foreign observers for the upcoming general election, the Election Commission yesterday revealed that the European Union has proposed to send an army of observers to monitor the polling expected in February next year.
— Thai PBS World

Frenchman and Thai girlfriend convicted over gruesome murder of Italian expat
A Thai court has sentenced a French man and his Thai girlfriend to 29 years in jail for the brutal murder of an Italian expat in rural Thailand.
— The Thaiger

IBM pegsThailand for hub role
IBM has identified Thailand as a potential hub for the Indochina market under plans for the fast-growing subregion to generate 5 to 10 per cent of its total revenue within the next three years.
— The Nation

Diesel-B20 price gap broadened
The Energy Policy Administration Committee (Epac) decided yesterday to widen the price gap between normal diesel and biodiesel B20 from three baht to five baht per litre to encourage truck and bus operators to use more B20.
— Bangkok Post

Handbook coming to sensitise police to reality of trans people’s lives
IN ORDER to improve interactions between police and transgender individuals, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will help produce a handbook in collaboration with the Justice Ministry and Chon Buri-based Sisters Foundation.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

Thailand, Netherlands promise to maintain close ties
Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Kees Pieter Rade has expressed confidence in the Thai government’s implementation of its road map while confirming that the Netherlands will continue to strengthen ties with Thailand.
— News Today (video)

Thai girl named world’s drone racing champ in China
An 11-year-old girl from Thailand has won an international drone racing competition in China, taking home about 260,000 baht.
— News Today (video)

More than 1,000 secondary schools to be alcohol-free zones
The Ministry of Public Health is determined to make 1,000 secondary schools across Thailand alcohol-free zones to discourage new drinkers.
— NNT

Bayer offers 20% yield boost for (Northeast ) rice farmers
BAYER aims to increase the rice yields on small-holder farms in the Northeast by 20 per cent with what the German multinational calls an integrated agricultural solution.
— The Nation

Grab and illegal tuk-tuks killing Chiang Mai rental company
Recent news out of the northern city suggests that all is not all in the relationship between the App-world taxis and the traditional taxi services.
— The Thaiger

New Compact Electric Vehicle
The global electric vehicle market is seeing steady growth as consumers are looking for energy efficient choices. Recently, Thailand saw the launch of the world’s smallest class compact EV car, the ‘FOMM1’, which runs on pure electricity and can also float on water when there’s floods. Let’s find out more with Tananan Kanjanakuha, General Manager of FOMM Asia.
— News Today (video)

Court lifts injunction against BMTA’s NGV bus procurement
The court injunction against the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority’s (BMTA) procurement of 489 NGV buses has been revoked, enabling the agency to proceed with its procurement process.
— NNT

Science Film Festival aims to combat global warming
The Science Film Festival 2018 is being held to raise public awareness of global warming via food-based films, encouraging people to eat more vegetables instead of meat in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
— NNT

PM promises income opportunities during visit to Kanchanaburi
The Prime Minister has promised citizens in Kanchanaburi province full care and support to grow income opportunities.
— News Today (video)

Bangkok Airways contribution to happy society
The two Skytrax awards as World’s Best Regional Airline and Best Regional Airline in Asia won by Bangkok Airways this year show that the airline is committed to excellence.
— Bangkok Post

 

Feature photo John Le Fevre

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges World Science Day for Peace and Development, November 10.

 

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.

 

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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.

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