Thailand morning news for April 17, 2019

297 people die in five days of Songkran festival
The five days of Songkran up to yesterday have claimed 297 lives with another 2,807 people injured in 2,702 road accidents across the country, according to the Centre for the…
— Thai PBS News

Drink-driving cases during Songkran pass 8,000
Drink-driving cases accounted for 98% of traffic offences during the past five days of the Songkran holidays, with 8,222 cases sent to courts.
— Bangkok Post

Credit inquiries climbing as household debt swells
Credit inquiries at the National Credit Bureau (NCB) are expected to hit another record high this year amid mounting anxiety over swelling household debt.
— Bangkok Post (annoying popups)

Commerce Ministry bolsters lowered price of oil palm
The Department of Internal Trade has assured that the agency will take measures to bolster the lowered price of oil palm to a range of 3.20 baht to 3.50 baht per kilogram.
— NNT

Gangs brawl at public hospital in Prachuap Khiri Khan
PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: Six men were hurt late Monday night as two rival gangs brawled outside a public hospital in Bang Saphan Noi district where a man was being treated after an earlier fight between the gangs.
— Bangkok Post

Thai dehydrated mango product recalled in B.C. due to undeclared sulphites
A second food product from Thailand in Canada was announced this past week to be undergoing a food recall.
— Straight

Euro 5 upgrade delayed a year
Environment and energy policymakers are likely to postpone the schedule for the mandatory upgrade from Euro 4 to Euro 5 standards by another year because many stakeholders are not ready, says the chief of the Energy Business Department.
— Bangkok Post

Songkran festival conserved in provinces
Many provinces have conserved Songkran festival such as a spectacular procession of flower trees in Loei, besides the splashing of water and merit-making activities at temples.
— NNT

American, Thai partner in hiding, fearful of charges for seastead south of Phuket
An American man and his Thai partner say they are in hiding from Thai authorities and are fearful for their lives after the Royal Thai Navy filed a police complaint against them over a “seastead” living platform built in the waters more than 40 kilometres south of Phuket.
— The Phuket News

Thailand helps Laos in healthcare for people
Thailand is planning to implement its Cholangiocarcinoma Screening and Care Programme (CASCAP) to help risky groups in neighbouring Laos, Narong Kantikaew, according to local media.
— Vietnam Plus

Extension sought for second-tier perk
The government’s initiative to extend tax breaks for tourism spending in second-tier provinces this year has been praised by tourism operators, who cite last year’s success in increasing community income by 15-20%.
— Bangkok Post (annoying popups)

Cross-border trade, tourism promoted
Cross-border trade and tourism are being promoted at Baan Khao Din border checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province which has been upgraded to permanent status.
— Pattaya Mail

Government to tackle water scarcity in Northeast
The government is concerned about water availability in the northeastern region, as the reservoirs are less than half full, urging responsible agencies to implement measures to ensure sufficient supplies.
— Pattaya Mail

Decision soon on PPP duty-free issue
A legal subcommittee under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) committee is expected to decide whether the bidding process for the duty-free shop concession falls under the newly amended PPP Act by the the end of this month.
— Bangkok Post

Chiang Rai speeds up mountain wildfire suppression
His Majesty the King has ordered the relevant authorities to set up a royal kitchen in Chiang Rai to help officers who are working to extinguish the forest fire on Doi Jorakhae which is a difficult task especially in the mountains which make it difficult to reach.
— NNT

SRT eyes new city river icon
Land along the Chao Phraya River is becoming a magnet for real estate development, with companies keen to remodel areas on both sides of the river. Much of this interest comes in the wake of last year’s opening of Iconsiam, a high-end mixed-use project which garnered a huge amount of publicity.
— Bangkok Post

Three countries join forces to limit rubber exports to 240,000 tons
To solve the problem of low rubber prices, the three major rubber exporting countries are ready to continue measures to limit rubber exports to 240,000 tons.
— NNT

Drunk driver called to foot bill for damage to shop
A drunk driver who rammed his pickup truck into a roadside shop in Don Mot Daeng district on Saturday, injuring 3 and sending Songran celebrants fleeing for their lives, has been asked to meet the shop owner to discuss damages on Thursday.
— Bangkok Post

Trains packed with passengers returning from Songkran holidays
Thousands of people are now returning to Bangkok by train while the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has prepared 15 extra train trips to accommodate passengers and prevent anyone from being stranded up country.
— NNT

Chiang Mai tops Songkran accident, injury toll
Chiang Mai is the province with the highest number of road accidents and injuries over the Songkran holiday period so far, as authorities set up additional roadside checkpoints to monitor holidaymakers as they return to Bangkok after the break.
— Bangkok Post

Local residents dive in to clean filthy Patong canal
Tired of no action from officials, one local resident in Patong has spearheaded a campaign to carry out his own ongoing clean-up of the Pak Bang Canal, which empties into Patong Bay at the southern end of the beach.
— The Phuket News

Thailand’s Royal Navy Seals Win King’s Cup Elephant Boat Race
Visitors to Bangkok’s mighty Chao Phraya River were treated to a world first when they recently witnessed the inaugural King’s Cup Elephant Boat Races.
— Travel Trade Daily

Myanmar migrant caught with 112kg kratom powder
PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: A Myanmar illegal migrant was arrested along Tanaosri mountain range in Muang district with 112kg of kratom powder to be sold to Myanmar crewmen, police said.
— Bangkok Post

See Unusual Songkran Celebrations Around Thailand (Photos)
As this year’s Songkran comes to a close for most of the country, let’s take a look at the more unusual ways the tradition is celebrated.
— Khaosod English

Central Thailand hit by Songkran storms
Over 300 houses have been damaged after thunderstorms lashed seven districts of Kamphaeng Phet province, in central west Thailand, at about 8pm last night.
— The Thaiger

Snack market sees uptick in Q1 after two stagnant years
With consumer spending recovering, Thailand’s snack market is expected to thrive again after two years in the doldrums caused by the domestic economic slowdown.
— Bangkok Post

Hundreds of dead jelly fish wash up on a Krabi Beach
Many dead jelly fish have been washed up on a beach in Krabi. Hundreds of the jelly fish washed up on a kilometre-long stretch of Laempong Beach in Krabi today
— The Thaiger

Phuket suffers third road death for Songkran holidays
Disaster officials confirmed this morning (Apr 16) that Phuket’s tally of road accident deaths and injuries during the Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign for the Songkran holidays has climbed to three dead, 32 injured in 29 accidents.
— The Phuket News

Patong’s trash hero rewarded for collecting garbage in filthy canal
A Phuket boy has been rewarded after setting an excellent example for the rest of the Patong community. 8 year old Kosin Ta-ngam, who is studying at Sai Nam Yen School in Patong in Pratom Suksa Three, has been collecting garbage in the …
— The Thaiger

HealthMin Warns of Post-Songkran Depression
Stress, anxiety and insomnia may await those returning from their Songkran vacations, the Ministry of Public Health said Tuesday.
— Khaosod English

Parents offer reward to find the suspected killer of their innocent son
The parents of a Mathayom 4 schoolboy, shot dead in Trang’s Muang district last December, are offering a 50,000 baht reward to anyone who could provide information leading to the arrest of the 51 year old suspect.
— The Thaiger

Phra Phuttha Sihing returned to National Museum
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has returned the Phra Phuttha Sihing Buddha statue to the National Museum after placing it at Lumphini Park for three days to allow the general public to bathe the statue for their good fortune.
— Pattaya Mail

Transport Co prepares extra buses
The President of the Transport Company Limited, Jirasak Yaovatsakul, said his company has increased the number of bus services from about 6,000 to 8,154 round trips daily between April 14 and 17.
— Pattaya Mail

Feature photo JJ Harrison

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. Due to The Nation‘s habit of hijacking urls and diverting them to promotion pages we no longer include it in our clippings.

Thailand morning news for April 17 added by John Le Fevre on April 17, 2019
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.