Thailand morning news for January 10, 2019

Thai investment applications top $28bn in 2018, exceed target
Investment applications in Thailand reached a total of 902 billion baht ($28.2 billion) worth of projects in 2018, 43 percent higher than requests the previous year and beating a target of 720 billion baht, the state investment agency said on Wednesday.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

Thailand plays hard-ball defending Saudi teen’s human rights while Bahraini languishes in jail (video)
Whether emboldened by the outpouring of public support from around the globe or due to the boost it is giving the country’s stature, Thailand is continuing to play hard-ball defending the human rights of Rahaf Mohammed Mutlaq al-Qunun. At the same time Australian-based refuge Hakeem AlAraibi languishes in a Bangkok prison.
— AEC News Today

Honda Khiang Khang Thai Fund donates Bt3 mln to victims of ‘Pabuk’
Honda Thailand Foundation’s (HTFs) Honda Khiang Khang Thai Fund (HKKT Fund) is a familiar site to the nations poor and minority rural dwellers, dispensing blankets and warm clothing ahead of the cold season, and pitching in at times of natural disaster.
— AEC News Today

Exports, tourism to face heat amid global strains
EXPECTATIONS for sluggish economic growth this year are firming, with the nation’s peak private-sector grouping flagging potential hits to exports and tourism from the prospect of simultaneous slowdowns in China and the United States and the trade war they are waging.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

BoI surpasses 2018 target
Investment applications outstripped the goal of 720 billion baht in 2018, bolstered by higher investments in targeted government industries.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand welcomes EU decision to lift warning on illegal fishing
Thailand on Wednesday (Jan 9) welcomed a decision by the European Commission to drop the Southeast Asian nation from a list of countries it had warned over illegal and unregulated fishing.
— Channel NewsAsia

Prayut seeks CDC input on poll date
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged relevant authorities to seek opinions from the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) when determining the poll date, according to the premier’s close aide.
— Bangkok Post

Fishery sector buoyed up after EU lifts yellow card
FISHERY EXPORTS can expect a boost after the European Union lifted the “yellow card” on Thailand for making progress in tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU), according to experts, who believe the EU move will also improve the industry’s practices and reputation.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Former PM Yingluck reported to have Cambodian passport
Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra is the holder of a Cambodian passport, the South China Morning Post has learned, adding weight to the theory she fled Thailand in 2017 via Cambodia, despite strenuous denials by Phnom Penh.
— Bangkok Post

Thai investment view undimmed by strains of world economic tensions
THE BOARD of Investment (BoI) has increased its target for investment into the country lured by its privileges in spite of the uncertain economic conditions.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Saudi teen runaway in Bangkok is ‘legitimate refugee’: UN
The UN has said an 18-year-old Saudi woman who fled her family is a legitimate refugee and has asked Australia to resettle her, Canberra said Wednesday, as the Twitter-led campaign to grant her asylum edged towards resolution.
— Bangkok Post

Australian minister hints Saudi teen likely to get asylum
Sydney – Australia gave its strongest hint yet on Wednesday that an 18-year-old Saudi woman in Bangkok would be granted humanitarian asylum, despite efforts by Riyadh and her family to force her return home.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Thailand: Feb. 24 Polls in Doubt as Govt Halts Preparations
Thailand’s long awaited and repeatedly postponed general election under junta rule may be delayed yet again after the interior ministry confirmed a halt to preparations for polls expected on Feb. 24, saying it was still waiting for a voting date to be made official.
— Benar News

Financial donations made to storm victims tax deductible
On Tuesday, the Thai Cabinet resolved that all financial donations supporting the recovery of storm-hit provinces in the south are tax deductible.
— NNT

Activists Warn of Gaps as EU Lifts Ban Threat on Thai Fishing Industry
Labor rights campaigners warned against complacency as the European Union withdrew its threat on Tuesday to ban Thai fishing imports into the bloc, saying that the country has made progress in tackling illegal and unregulated fishing.
— Jakarta Globe

Demonstrators in Bangkok demand no election delay
About 200 protesters staged a demonstration in Bangkok on Tuesday, demanding that there be no further delays in holding elections, which are expected next month but have been put in doubt.
— Prachatai English

Saudi Arabian teen refuses to meet her father
The 18-year-old who fled her family in Saudi Arabia is refusing to meet her father, Immigration police chief Pol Lt-General Surachate Hakparn said on Wednesday.Â
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Min of Commerce rolls out four measures to alleviate storm impact
Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce has introduced four measures to ease the plight of southern businesses impacted by Tropical Storm Pabuk.
— NNT

Prawit blames BRN for Songkhla bomb blast
The Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) guerrillas were responsible for Tuesday’s car bomb in Songkhla’s Thepa district, according to Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, as three suspects were detained yesterday.
— Bangkok Post

Saudi Runaway’s Plight Puts Thailand’s Record of Failing Asylum Seekers in the Spotlight
Four days ago, 18-year-old Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun fled the watchful gaze of her family and boarded a flight to Thailand on a quest to seek asylum.
— Time (video)

Urgent : UN says Saudi teen is refugee, Australia to consider settlement
Sydney – The United Nations has found that a teenage woman who fled Saudi Arabia is a legitimate refugee and has asked Australia to take her in, officials in Canberra said Wednesday.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Pattaya ranked fourth healthiest city in the entire world by UK website
The study, carried out by UK travel site TravelSupermarket, saw Chiang Mai ranked in second place and Pattaya ranked fourth out of 100 other cities around the world.
Paris was in first place, while Barcelona came in third.
— The Pattaya News

Thailand issues its first licenses to 4 crypto exchanges
Thailand has joined Japan in regulating crypto exchanges after it issued its first licenses to four applicants.
— TechCrunch

Former Thailand prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra does have a Cambodian passport, and may have used it to flee in 2017
Corporate filings in Hong Kong revealed Yingluck, 51, had used a Cambodian passport to register as the sole director of P.T. Corporation Company, a firm incorporated in the city on August 24 last year, almost a year to the day after she went into self-imposed exile ahead of a sentence for criminal negligence.
— South China Morning Post

Thailand gears up for ASEAN Senior Economic Officials Meeting
Thailand’s Department of Trade Negotiations is preparing for the ASEAN Senior Economic Officials Meeting due to take place between January 12th and 18th. The meeting will be the first such meeting since Thailand assumed the bloc’s chairmanship.
— NBT World (video)

Phuket dodges major economic impact from Pabuk
Leading figures for Phuket’s tourism industry say that the island has dodged any major economic impact from the fallout of tropical storm Pabuk passing through the region.
— The Phuket News

Open Letter calls for the free and fair election in Thailand
Since 2014 Thailand has been under the power of a military junta called the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). Prior to the coup d’état, the military junta had conspired with an undemocratic group to destroy the democracy without regard to the rule of law, claiming the takeover was in the name of unity.
— Prachatai English

Health Dept launches official Bangkok air quality index
The Department of Health launched its official air quality index yesterday (Jan 9) in order to give accurate risk readings for residents of Bangkok and its surrounding area, who have been affected by the increasing concentration of micro pollutants in the atmosphere in recent weeks.
— The Phuket News

Thailand Today 028: Rice Moisture Meters to protect farmers and create fairness in rice trading.
The government has recently upgraded quality standards of Hom Mali Rice (Jasmine rice) fragrant rice in a move to highlight the identity of Thailand’s premium long-grain fragrant rice.
— NBT World (video)

B.Grimm – BMW Thai Polo Open 2019
B. Grimm in collaboration with BMW (Thailand) hosts BMW – B. Grimm Thai Polo Open 2019 to win HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Cup on Saturday 19 January 2019 at Thai Polo & Equestrian Club from 12.00 pm onward.
— NNT

Thailand’s offshore oil and gas operations resume after tropical storm
Thailand’s offshore oil and gas operations have returned to normal this week after they were suspended due to Tropical Storm Pabuk hitting the region over the weekend.
— S&P Global Platts

The Latest: Father denies abusing fleeing Saudi daughter
Thailand’s Immigration Police chief says the father of the young Saudi woman who fled her family to seek asylum abroad denies physically abusing her or trying to force her into an arranged marriage, two of the reasons she gave for her flight.
— The Washington Post

Not so fast: school asked to review casual clothes experiment
ONLY A DAY after students at prestigious Bangkok Christian College were allowed to wear casual clothes to class for the first time, the Office of the Private Education Commission (Opec) yesterday sent a letter asking the country’s first private boys’ school to reconsider whether such a move was appropriate.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

PM thanks all for helping Thailand shed its yellow flag
The Prime Minister has thanked all involved in helping Thailand shed the yellow flag placed on its fisheries industry by the European Union, saying that the sector will only continue to improve.
— NNT

Doi Suthep network boycotts meeting, wants a clearer stance from PM on rehabilitation of forest
THE NETWORK to Reclaim Doi Suthep Forest yesterday boycotted a meeting, as it pressed the government to make clear its stance on the rehabilitation of the forest that was encroached on by now-abandoned residences for judges and court officials.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Prayut rejects call for detente with Thaksin
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has rejected former parliament president Yongyuth Tiyapairat’s suggestion that the government hold talks with fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra for the sake of restoring national unity.
— Bangkok Post

Foreign investors continue to show interest in Thailand
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) expects continued volatility in capital markets due to the trade dispute between the United States and China, but foreign investor confidence in Thailand remains strong due to the country’s robust economic foundations and profit growth among listed companies.
— Vietnam Plus

Election delay has little economic impact, says JSCCIB
Business operators expect no major impact on the economy from election delays and pin their hopes on government investment to drive gross domestic product again this year.
— Bangkok Post

Relief caravan dispatched to help victims of Pabuk
A disaster relief caravan of vehicles has been dispatched from Bangkok to the southern region to aid victims of Tropical Storm Pabuk.
— NBT World (video)

PAT to build condos for slum folk
The Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) will spend 7.5 billion baht to build 6,144 condominium units at Soi Trimitr on Rama IV Road for 26 slum communities that encroach on PAT land spanning nearly 200 rai in Klong Toey district.
— Bangkok Post

Military to be out in full display for Childrenâs Day
From Thursday to Saturday, military tanks and heavy weapons will be seen on the streets of Bangkok as preparations are made to mark Childrenâs Day, Colonel Sirichan Nga-thong, deputy spokesperson for the National Council for Peace and Order, said on Wednesday.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

NLA oversees government projects in Ratchaburi
Members of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) are monitoring the implementation of the Thai Niyom Yung Yuen (ไทยนิยมยั่งยืน) projects in Ban Pong (บ้านโป่ง) District in Ratchaburi province, such as an extension to the local hospital.
— NBT World (video)

Thailand’s rebel female Buddhist monks defy tradition, continue to fight for equality
In recent years, more Thai Buddhist women seeking to become full-fledged “bhikkunis”, or female monks, have been defying the tradition by pursuing the other option: getting ordained overseas, usually in Sri Lanka or India.
— The Indian Express

12-year-old girl was raped, medical report shows
A twelve-year-old schoolgirl was raped, a medical examination revealed, and a police investigation report implicating a teacher in Chai Nat is expected to be submitted to prosecutors on Friday, police said.
— Bangkok Post

Asia’s largest LGBTQ exhibition to open in Bangkok later this year
In keeping with the Kingdom’s progressive stance on LGBTQ rights, a major art exhibition exploring gender rights in Asia is to be staged in the capital.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Stung by evidence of internal graft, Forest Department launches purge
Seeking to purge all the âbad applesâ, the Royal Forest Department (RFD) is trying to determine whether six of its officials recently sacked for selling protected phayung (Siamese rosewood) to a Chinese investor had links to a transnational logging and smuggling gang and whether any other officials were involved.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Insurgents murder teacher and use his vehicle as a car bomb
A car bomb explosion in Songkhla’s Thepa district yesterday has shocked locals after insurgents are suspected of killing a 62 year old school teacher and stealing his pickup to be used in the the attack.
— The Thaiger

Grab awaits legal progress amid domination
Ride-sharing service Grab plans to expand to key areas in Thailand in 2019, most notably Chiang Rai, hoping to achieve nationwide service in the next 2-3 years, a goal that could be expedited by the upcoming election.
— Bangkok Post

Medical supplies, services, drugs now under price control
The government on Wednesday added medicine, medical supplies and medical services to its price control lists to ensure fairness for both patients and operators of private hospitals, the commerce minister said.
— Bangkok Post

Thai prison staff sacked for collusion to murder, drugs and smuggling
Six prison officers have been dismissed by the Department of Corrections (DOC) following involvement in a varied and disturbing range of transgressions.
— The Thaiger

Former KTB executive objects to findings
Kittiphun Anutarasoti, chief executive of CIMB Thai Bank (CIMBT), is crying foul over the probe made by Krungthai Bank (KTB) into previous loan extensions to Energy Earth after the findings made serious allegations against him.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand Wins First Place at International Collegiate Snow Sculpture Contest’ in China
The team of four students from Trat Polytechnic College won the Top Grade Award at the 11th International Collegiate Snow Sculpture Contest 2019 in China.
— Chiang Rai Times

Thai immigration warn Kuwait Airways over Saudi teen
Thai immigration police bureau will issue a warning to Kuwait Airways for allowing Saudi teen Rahaf Mohammed Al-Qunun to board its flight to Bangkok although she had insufficient travel documents.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Foreigners caught for visa offences, investigation extended
Five foreigners were arrested for visa offences during raids in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Surat Thani from Dec 26-Jan 8.
— Bangkok Post

Feature photo Craig McNicol

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo depicts the effects of Tropical Storm Pabuk on the Pier at Makathanee Resort on Koh Mak

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 January 10 added by John Le Fevre on January 10, 2019
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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.