Thailand morning news for April 22, 2019

Pheu Thai ready to form government after official poll results announced
The Pheu Thai party is ready to form a coalition government with its six allies once the Election Commission has announced the official results of the March-24 general election, said party secretary-general Phumtham Wechayachai today.
— Thai PBS News

Thailand to ban three kinds of plastic by end of this year
By the end of 2019 Thailand will be free from three types of plastic – microbeads, cap seals and oxo-degradable plastics.
— The Thaiger

Mae Hong Son continues to be plagued with fires
Mae Hong Son province continues to be plagued by forest fires despite the ban and the raging haze and smoke problems.
— The Thaiger

Push for murder charges against drink-drivers divides force
Songkran and the New Year holidays usually are an upbeat time for families and friends, but more often than not road casualties caused by drink-driving put a damper on what should have been joyful celebrations.
— Bangkok Post

Legality of Seastead likely to be tested in an international court
The perceived naiveté of the team surrounding the seastead structure off Phuket’s south-east coast are about to be tested as the matter is likely to end up in an international court.
— The Thaiger

Freak storm damages 1,000 houses, causes power outage in Chiang Mai
About 1,000 houses were damaged by gusty wind and ten districts were blacked out for several hours when a freak rain storm struck the northern province of Chiang Mai on…
— Thai PBS News

New Immigration Bureau Chief Appointed
Commissioner of the Border Patrol Police Pol. Lt. Gen. Somphong Chingduang has been appointed as the Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau replacing Pol. Lt. Gen. Surachet Hakphal, who has been transferred out of the police force earlier.
— NBT World (video)

Average hotel prices drop in Thailand in 2018
The latest Hotel Price Index (HPI) released by Hotels.com reveals no sign of a slowdown for the global travel industry.
— The Thaiger

Coronation commemorative pins available at various spots nationwide
Coronation commemorative pins are now on sale and the Government is inviting people to wear the pin for four months to celebrate the important royal ceremony.
— Pattaya Mail

HM King bestows awards to Australian cave divers
His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn has graciously bestowed the Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn award to Australian divers Richard Harris and Criag Challen, as a token of appreciation for saving 12 Thai youths and their coach from being trapped inside a cave in northernmost Chiang Rai Province.
— NBT World (video)

Third runway for BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport
The Thai cabinet yesterday approved the construction of a third runway at Suvarnabhumi International Airport as part of the country’s ambition to become the aviation hub of ASEAN.
— The Thaiger

Thailand, Cambodia ready to relaunch rail link
Thailand looks set to re-establish a rail link with Cambodia 45 years after the two countries terminated cross-border train service.
— Bangkok Post

Stimulus package vowed within weeks
An economic stimulus package containing seven measures worth a combined 20 billion baht will seek the cabinet’s approval in the next two weeks with the aim of preventing the economy from losing momentum and growing below its potential.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand given “least miserable economy” title by Bloomberg
We begin the second portion of our show tonight with a good news; Bloomberg Misery Index has indicated that Thailand has the least miserable economy in the world, prompting the prime minister to express his satisfaction with the development.
— NBT World (video)

British backpacker detained in Thailand for ‘picking up lost phone’ at Chiang Mai airport
A British backpacker who was arrested and held in a Thai prison for picking up a lost mobile phone has been allowed to return home to his family.
— The Independent

Aussie doctors bestowed Thai royal honors for cave rescue
Two Australian doctors were given royal honors in Thailand on Friday for helping rescue a boys soccer team from a flooded cave and said they are looking forward to a reunion with the youngsters they helped save.
— AP

Commerce Ministry talks up benefits of palm oil for generating power
While the Thai government is promoting the use of palm oil to produce power, the latest price of the oil remains lower than the cost of producing it because the volume of output was 30% more than the expected quantity.
— The Thaiger

BMA to complete preparations for Royal Coronation by April 25
Preparation of a 7-kilometer stretch of roadway for the state procession as part of royal coronation ceremonies, is now 95% complete, while the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has insisted all preparations will be fully completed by 25th April.
— NBT World (video)

Poll reruns underway in five provinces
New elections were underway on Sunday at six polling stations in five provinces, including Bangkok, from 8am to 5pm, as ordered by the Election Commission.
— Bangkok Post

Savers earning over 20,000 baht interest a year to face 15 percent tax
Bank depositors in Thailand who earn more than 20,000 baht interest a year from their bank deposits will now be taxed 15% on the interest they earn, according to Finance…
— Thai PBS News

Mains water supply outage announced
The Phuket Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) has announced that the mains water supply will be shut off in several areas across Phuket on Tuesday (Apr 23).
— The Phuket News

Fire ravages Hua Hin resort; all tourists, staff safe
PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: Fire engulfed four villas at a famous resort in Hua Hin district, but all staff members and guests are safe.
— Bangkok Post

Power consumption in Bangkok surges to new high Saturday night
Bangkok’s electricity consumption surged to a new high of 29,680.3 megawatts on Saturday night due mainly to widespread use of air-conditioners of the residential sector, said Mr Roengchai Kongthong, deputy…
— Thai PBS News

Agriculture Ministry promotes safe use of pesticides
After the decision by the government to continue allowing the use of three chemicals in the farming sector for another two years, namely Paraquat, Glyphosate, and Chlorpyrifos, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will be holding training of targeted farmers ensuring safe usage of these chemicals.
— NBT World (video)

PM pleased, Bangkok named most popular city for Japanese tourists
Lt Gen Werachon Sukondhapatipak, the deputy spokesman of the Thai government, revealed that Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha was happy after hearing that Bangkok has been named the most popular destination for Japanese tourists during their Golden Week, a five-day long holiday which begins in late April.
— NNT

300 Korat households hit by water shortage
NAKHON RATCHASIMA: About 300 households in three villages in Non Sung district of this northeastern provinces have been hit by a shortage of water for over a week, according to a local media report.
— Bangkok Post

Setting the record straight
The Election Commission has come under fire for its handling of the March 24 polls, which has prompted its chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong to set the record straight. In an exclusive interview, the former diplomat admits to flaws in the organisation of the polls, and vows to come up with a quick but …
— Bangkok Post

PM2.5 levels surge in Chiang Rai
Haze pollution in the North resumed on Sunday when the level of harmful PM2.5 in Chiang Rai province was at again recorded at high levels, together with increasing levels of microparticles found in many provinces in the North.
— Bangkok Post

South firms upset at gas canister switch
The government plans to replace metal gas cylinders used by households and restaurants in the far South with fibreglass ones for security reasons — but the move has been met with resistance from local businesses.
— Bangkok Post

Seastead comes to shore later Monday
Phuket: An operation is due to be carried out on Monday to remove a seastead, a key piece of evidence in a security case being pursued against an American man and his Thai wife who previously occupied it, and tow it to the shore from the sea.
— Bangkok Post

Pheu Thai dismisses leadership reshuffle rumour
The race to set up a post-election coalition government is still on despite rumours that the Pheu Thai Party is considering making changes to its leadership in preparation to sit as the opposition.
— Bangkok Post

Struggling to get 5G right
As the nation’s telecom operators race to develop 5G infrastructure in a timely manner, the government is finding ways to subsidise development by delaying payments for past auctions and changing the sales process for the next round.
— Bangkok Post

Taxman: B20,000 interest exemption still in place
The Revenue Department has clarified its new regulation on interest income tax to dispel public misunderstanding that earners will have to pay the tax from the first baht.
— Bangkok Post

PDPA to boost spending on data protection tech
The new Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) in Thailand will stimulate spending on data protection technologies in 2019, says Dell EMC.
— Bangkok Post

Floating seastead structure disassembled and towed to shore
The floating housing unit of a French seasteader was today towed by a naval vessel to the shore of Phuket as Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngarm challenged the builder of…
— Thai PBS News

Bangkok luxury poised to push through the US$300 ceiling
For hotel owners and managers in South East Asia, one of the great mysteries of the past ten years has been the low rate profile of Bangkok’s luxury hotel set.
— The Thaiger

FTA and GSP use by exporters rises 3.4%
The use of free trade agreement (FTA) privileges and the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) by Thai exporters amounted to US$11.57 billion in the first two months of 2019, up 3.4% from the same period last year.
— Bangkok Post

Feature photo Achara Paisanteerajit

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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 22 added by John Le Fevre on April 22, 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.