Thailand morning news for September 25

Airport rail link timeline announced
The contract for the high-speed railway set to link Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-tapao airports will officially be announced and signed by the winning bidder by next January, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has announced.
— Bangkok Post

Thai junta chief eyes role in politics after election
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is “interested in politics,” he said on Monday, a sign that he sees a public role for himself after a general election promised next year.
— Reuters

Thailand Publishes List of All Fishing Vessels in Move to End Human Rights Abuse, IUU Fishing
The Government of Thailand announced on Monday that they have published a full list of all registered and licensed fishing vessels, as well as a watchlist containing vessels prohibited from fishing.
— Seafood News

Thailand plans to add $1.8 billion terminal at Bangkok’s main airport
Bangkok’s main airport is planning to add a stunning A$1.8 billion terminal with extensive wooden cladding and an indoor forested landscape.
— Australian Business Traveller/ Bloomberg Pursuits

MoU on digital trade and investment signed with US
Thai and US businesses pledged Monday to set up an economic and business promotion committee and partner to promote Thailand’s digital economy and Thailand-US digital trade and investment.
— Bangkok Post

UK businessman and wife DISAPPEAR in Thailand – huge search underway
A COUPLE have vanished “without any clues” from their mansion in northern Thailand, amid a family feud. Retired Scottish businessman Alan Hogg, 64, and his Thai wife Nott, 61, have been missing for five days with police reporting blood has been found in their property.
— Express

Military may try to keep power in Thailand
The head of Thailand’s military-led interim government has hinted that the military may seek to maintain its grip on power after a general election planned for next year.
— NHK World

Auctions today for gas fields worth billions
Auctions were scheduled for today on concessions for the Erawan and Bongkot offshore natural gas fields, Energy Minister Siri Jirapongphan said yesterday.
— The Nation

Thailand: Dengue fever kills 71 people
A dengue fever outbreak has killed 71 people in Thailand in 2018, according to the Health Ministry.
— AA

How Thailand’s ‘Banksy’ creates headaches for junta on Bangkok walls
Thailand’s junta chief caricatured as a “lucky cat” with a paw raised to rake in money, or his face crossed out by a thick, red line – daring graffiti is cropping up across Bangkok as the city’s walls become a canvas for rare political scorn.
— SCMP

Martial law stirs up division in Pattani
More than 50 local people staged a protest Monday against Prince of Songkla University’s Pattani campus after a youth group, consisting of its students, issued a statement decrying last week’s nvocation of martial law in two tambons of Pattani’s Nong Chik district.
— Bangkok Post

BOT faces more challenges as boundaries become blurry: governor
THE BANK of Thailand (BOT) will focus more on maintaining financial stability and will keep an eye on mortgage lending, which might destabilise the country’s financial system.
— The Nation

Chinese traders increase investment in Thai banana plantations
An increasing number of Chinese traders are travelling to Chiang Rai and Phayao Provinces in northern Thailand to invest in banana plantations.
— Fresh Plaza

Thailand’s Space tech company unveils Iron Man spacesuit design
A Thai NewSpace company with plans to provide both satellite communications and space tourism has just announced two new developments: a spacesuit design for space tourists, as well as plans to develop new IoT products such as smart apparel, according to a recent report.
— OpenGov

Welcome to the world: Thailand ready to stage historic MotoGP
Minister of Tourism and Sports, Weerasak Kowsurat is upbeat about the state of preparations for Thailand’s first ever MotoGP event next month.
— The Nation

Northeast faces drought, as dam levels low
SOME PARTS of the Northeast and Central regions are expected to face severe drought due to near-empty reservoirs and a strong dry season caused by the El Nino effect.
— The Nation

Thai state offices to fly flags at half-mast to mark passing of Vietnamese president
Thailand has joined in mourning the passing of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang with all state offices and state enterprises to fly their flags at half-mast until September 26.
— NNT

British Council in Thailand announces launch of IELTS on computer
IELTS, the world’s most popular English test for higher education and migration can now be taken on a computer from 9 October 2018 onwards.
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)

Teak logs in new parliament building designed to convey “Thai-ness”
The use of teak wood to decorate the interior of the new parliament building under construction is meant to convey Thai culture and Thai-ness, House of Representatives secretary-general Sorasak Pienwech said on Monday.
— Thai PBS World

Bangkok public transport links entering second phase
The effort to create a shared public transport card in Bangkok has moved forward with the linking of the Purple and Blue line trains with the Airport Rail Link (ARL), while planning to share its access with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) by year’s end.
— NNT

NBTC to hold 900-MHz auction on Oct 20
Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) will take its second attempt at auctioning 5 MHz of 900-MHz spectrum during an auction now scheduled for October 20.
— telecomasia.net

Center to employ Myanmar fisheries laborers in Ranong
The Thai and Myanmar Ministries of Labor have jointly opened an office for the employment of Myanmar workers in the fisheries industry in Ranong province.
— NNT

Removal of vans to proceed, despite strike threat
ABOUT 1,000 public-transport vans will be removed from Bangkok’s streets on October 1, as authorities stand firm by their 10-year age limit on the vehicles. They also insist passengers will not be affected.
— The Nation

PM promises further support for OTOP
The Prime Minister has voiced satisfaction with the revenue achieved by OTOP sellers and says an OTOP Trader organization must be created to disperse products more efficiently.
— NNT

NBTC awards 1800MHz licence to AWN
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission on Monday awarded the licence to use the 1800MHz band to Advanced Wireless Network (AWN), NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said.
— The Nation

Siriraj Hospital unveils AI robots to help with surgery
Siriraj Hospital unveiled two AI robots to help with surgery as part of its plan to use advanced technology in medicine.
— NNT

Khon Kaen gets bad rep as Ponzi haven
Victims of a Ponzi scheme have asked the police to arrest the Khon Kaen-based female mastermind behind the scam who allegedly swindled them out of 40 million baht.
— Bangkok Post

Feature photo World Bank

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges International Day for Universal Access to Information, September 28.

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 September 25 added by John Le Fevre on September 25, 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.