Thailand morning news for February 15

Thailand morning news for February 15
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Thailand morning news

High pressure increases PM2.5 dust particles in and around Bangkok today and tomorrow
After a brief respite, air quality in Bangkok and surrounding provinces deteriorated today, with PM2.5 dust particulate rising. The arrival of a moderate high pressure front from China and stale…
— Thai PBS World

Bill on protection of fishing crew sails through, despite protests from operators
A DRAFT bill for the better protection of fishing-vessel crews sailed through the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) yesterday.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Decision on Minimum Wage increases due in March
The final decision on Minimum Wage increases will be made in March, with new rates to vary in accordance with economic conditions in each province.
— NNT

Thai junta pegs economic fortunes to China as uncertainty looms
After generals seized power in Thailand in a 2014 coup, they turned to Beijing to kick-start growth and buff up their vision of an innovative, developed country steered by wise leaders and buoyed by China-backed infrastructure.
— The Straits Times

Thailand successfully implements SDGs launched by UN
Thailand has been able to voluntarily implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and has achieved many aspects, especially solutions to environmental problems and social disparities by applying the philosophy of sufficiency economy initiated by His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
— Vietnam Plus

Sedition charges loom against Chaturon, 2 Pheu Thai men
The attorney-general will announce on March 21 whether to charge Chaturon Chaisang and two Pheu Thai core members with sedition over their briefing criticising the government’s performance last year.
— Bangkok Post

Dangerous farm chemicals still allowed for at least two years
PARAQUAT, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos are still allowed for use in Thailand for at least another two years, after the Hazardous Substance Committee yesterday reaffirmed its previous decision not to ban the three controversial agrochemicals.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Air pollution rising again throughout greater Bangkok
Fine dust reached unhealthy levels in most areas of greater Bangkok over the past 24 hours and is likely to worsen on Friday, with the worst pollution in Bang Phlad and Din Daeng districts of the capital.
— Bangkok Post

‘Stress’ among symptoms medical weed can be prescribed for, says Thai FDA
The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revealed the conditions and diseases for which medical cannabis can be prescribed.
— Coconuts (paywall)

Mahachon Party nominates Thailand’s first transgender candidate for Prime Minister
Palinee “Pauline” Ngarmpring announced on Friday (8 February) that she has been nominated as one of the Mahachon Party’s three candidates for Prime Minister, marking the first time in Thai history that a transgender person has run for the prime ministerial office.
— Prachatai English

High Stakes: Thai Party Plants Seeds for Pot Revolution
BANGKOK — The party which has covered Bangkok with images of cannabis leaves says not only is full legalization a core campaign policy – it won’t join a ruling coalition that supports anything less.
— Khaosod English

Thai generals’ shopping list of planes, tanks and subs
Defence spending in Thailand has surged over the last decade, during which the military has seized power twice.
— Coconuts (paywall)

Court Accepts Request to Disband Pro-Thaksin Party
BANGKOK — The Thai Raksa Chart Party appeared headed toward oblivion Thursday after a court with the power to disband political parties agreed to take up the case against it.
— Khaosod English

PM promises to be mindful of actions while parties continue to campaign nationwide
The Prime Minister has asked the press not to question his meetings with the public while he is also a political candidate, assuring he has discussed all of his actions and duties with his legal team.
— NBT World (video)

China travel: Thailand ranks in top five
Airbnb released new data highlighting Thailand as one of the top five global destinations for travellers from Mainland China during the Lunar New Year (CNY) holiday.
— TTR Weekly

Thai wealth-tech sector receives first investment
A corporate venture capital arm a major bank in Thailand has reportedly announced that it has made its first investment in the emerging wealth management technology (wealth-tech) sector by leading a US$6.5 million investment round of pre-series A funding in a company that provides stock analysis and investing resources.
— OpenGov

2019 SeaWeb Seafood Summit in Thailand to be most experiential yet, organizers say
The 15th annual SeaWeb Seafood Summit, set to take place in Bangkok, Thailand from 10 to 14 June, 2019, is primed to be the most experiential yet, according to event organizer Diversified Communications.
–SeafoodSource

Starting tomorrow BTS ‘Rabbit Card’ holders must register their ID cards
As of tomorrow, all BTS Skytrain “Rabbit Card” holders are required to register their Thai identification cards or passport numbers as well as contact information with train operators.
— Coconuts (paywall)

Amnesty underway for users, possessors of cannabis
THE AUTHORITIES are taking concrete steps towards granting amnesty to those who use or have cannabis in their possession if they report to the authorities within a given time frame.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

New law will restrict traditional ways: farmers
Concern over ban on uncertified rice varieties and conflicts.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Singapore’s UOB to launch digital bank in Thailand
Singapore’s United Overseas Bank will launch its first ever mobile-only digital bank next week in Thailand, joining a swath of regional players that are coming out with offerings aimed at young and digitally savvy consumers in Southeast Asia.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

Health focus: CP Foods targets 30% of healthy products for NPD with opening of new research centre
Thai food manufacturing giant Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL (CP Foods) is targeting 30% of its new product development (NPD) this year to be focused on healthy food products.
— Food Navigator-Asia

Border talks with Thailand smooth
Defence Minister General Tea Banh today said that talks with Thailand on the demarcation of border posts went on smoothly and there are no disputes.
— Khmer Times

Bangkok now second most expensive city to live in Southeast Asia
Thailand’s capital Bangkok has now become the second most expensive city to live in within ASEAN, only beaten by Singapore, according to a new ranking by cost of living comparison platform Numbeo.com.
— Investvine

Thailand moves to boost bilateral trade with RoK
Thailand is eyeing economic opportunities at the 17th Meeting of the ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementing Committee (AKFTA-IC) in Seoul from February 12-14.
— Vietnam Plus

Thailand’s Promotion of Advanced Technology and Eco-system Development Enables Local Producers to Fly Higher
Thailand has been experiencing a gradual shift from a manufacturing to a high-value manufacturing economy after the country has put all its efforts into promoting the use of advanced technology, science, and innovation in parallel with the development of infrastructure and the right business ecosystem to drive economic development with the targeted industries as the main catalysts.
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire

Tourism Council of Thailand promises to raise standards of tourist safety
By Chadamas Chinmaneevong, ttgasia.com The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) says they are “joining hands with state agencies including the Department of Land Transport, Marine Department and Tourism Authority of Thailand to improve tourist safety standards nationwide and overturn perceptions …
— The Thaiger

Thailand Post to expand POS to 5,000 villages
The Digital Economy and Society (DE) Ministry has pushed Thailand Post to expand its point of sale (POS) service to cover 5,000 villages this year, helping rural areas access online marketplaces and building…
— Bangkok Post

Isuzu worries over Euro 5-6 parts limitations
Thai auto parts suppliers’ ability to upgrade components for locally made vehicles to meet Euro 5 and 6 standards is limited, leaving automakers concerned about the higher production cost for cars in the…
— Bangkok Post

Courts to get bailiffs once law put in place
THAILAND will soon have court marshals or bailiffs who will handle the task of arresting fugitives, bail-jumpers or defendants who violate bail conditions.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Press urge lifting of Voice TV gag order
Press corps associations have urged the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to review its order suspending Voice TV’s broadcasts for 15 days.
— Bangkok Post

Thousands of fake luxury watches seized in Hat Yai
More than 2,200 counterfeit luxury watches were seized from shops at a popular market in downtown Hat Yai during a task force raid on Thursday.
— Bangkok Post

Bangkok bust seizes 180,000 fake cosmetics products
Police say they seized 180,000 fake cosmetic products with a street value approx. 300 million baht last night from five locations in Bangkok.
— The Thaiger

MMA to step up Muaythai cooperation with Thailand
The Malaysian Muaythai Association (MMA) will step up its cooperation with Thailand in a bid to help Malaysian exponents shine on the international stage, said its president Datuk Seri Fared Abdul Ghani.
— The Sun Daily

Abbot arrested for attempted murder 15 years ago
Police have arrested the abbot of Wat Ror Charoen in Suphan Buri province on two counts of attempted murder, in Nakhon Si Thammarat province and on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province, about 15 years ago.
— Bangkok Post

Russian Consulate-General to open in Phuket this year
The Russian Federation is expected to open a Consulate-General in Phuket later this year to cater to the needs of the resident Russian expat community and Russian tourists alike, Russian Ambassador to Thailand Evgeny Tomikhin has announced.
— The Phuket News

Officials make arrests at three Pattaya hotels operating without licences
Bang Lamung officials, along with protection services and the Pattaya tourist police, have raided four hotels in the Pattaya area.
— The Thaiger

 

Feature photo ILO in Asia and the Pacific

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges International Day of Women and Girls in Science, February 11.

 

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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