Thailand morning news for September 20, 2019

Chicken exports to China increases 700% amid swine fever outbreak
The soaring pork price,s due to the swine fever outbreak in China, have led to an over 700% increase in Thailand’s chicken exports between January and July this year
— NNT

High-speed train talks with China back on rails
The Transport Ministry will hold contract talks with China for the joint high-speed railway project between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima during the Asean Summit in November, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said on Thursday.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand to consult public on moving capital out of Bangkok
Thailand’s prime minister has floated the idea of following the example of Indonesia and Egypt and moving the institutions of the state out of a congested and overcrowded capital city.
— Global Construction Review

Sabotage report ‘classified’: Prayut
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has insisted the report on a “network of elements sabotaging the nation” was intended for his eyes only and not for anyone else to see.
— Bangkok Post

14% of condos around Bangkok are empty – good time to buy
Looking for a condo around Bangkok? Now might the right time to take the plunge with the head of the Appraisal and Estate Agents Foundation saying some areas have between 8-14% vacancy rates, some areas of Bangkok up to 17.5%. Dr Sophon Pornchokchai made the remarks at a news conference yesterday.
— The Thaiger

Chiang Mai Night Safari blames tiger deaths on rain
The Chiang Mai Night Safari has blamed heavy rainfall for the spread of the feline distemper virus that killed three of its tigers last month.
— Bangkok Post

BTS open to 65-baht fare cap
BTS Group Holdings Plc, the skytrain operator, is ready to cap fares at a maximum 65 baht per ride throughout the Green Line extension route, as requested by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
— Bangkok Post

Norwegian seafood group moves to Bangkok
The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), the representative of the Norwegian seafood industry, has relocated its regional office to Bangkok to capitalise on Thailand’s fast growing seafood market.
— Bangkok Post

Fee ceiling curbs motor insurance
The insurance regulator is being urged to reconsider the ceiling on brokerage commission fees for motor insurance in order to accommodate existing market conditions, as the motor insurance segment has posted losses for five straight years.
— Bangkok Post

Commerce Ministry unveils Big Data systems for farm goods
The Ministry of Commerce has conducted a forum to collect views from both the public and private sector as part of the “Think Together, Trade Together, Taking on the World Economy” while also unveiling Big Data supporting five key crops to be used to remedy low prices of agricultural products.
— NNT

Wichit Municipality opens flood-relief donations center
Wichit Municipality has opened its own center to receive donations food and other items for victims suffering amid the widespread flooding across large areas in Northeast Thailand , especially Ubon Ratchathani.
— The Phuket News

Thailand taps tuk-tuk for self-driving edge
Thailand’s ubiquitous tuk-tuk, the noisy, colourful three-wheeled taxi that has been belching exhaust on the roads for almost a century, is getting a cutting-edge makeover to help carry the local auto industry into the future.
— The Straits Times (annoying popups)

Opposition plans no-confidence motion against PM
The opposition is looking to petition the court and bring a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for ethical violations stemming from his oath blunder, Wan Muhammad Nor Matha, leader of the Prachachat Party, said on Thursday.
— Bangkok Post

Thammanat Calls Off Lawsuit Against Rival Who Branded Him ‘Drug Convict’
A minister backed off from his threat of suing a politician who accused him of heroin trafficking at the last minute on Thursday.
— Khaosod English

Worst haze crisis in Songkhla for 3 years
The forest fire haze from Indonesia has covered Songkhla. The PM 2.5 value was measured at 230 micrograms per cubic meter, which is a threat to health. People are strongly advised to refrain from outdoor activities and wear the N95 masks when they are outdoors.
— NNT

Haze from Indonesian fires reaches southern Thailand
The southern Thai provinces of Yala and Songkhla have been hit by haze from Indonesia’s forest fires, with the PM2.5 air quality readings there exceeding the safety level of 50.
— CNA

PM vows to speed up relief funds dispersal
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has promised to step up the pace of disbursing relief funds to assist flood victims in the Northeast, although he did acknowledge that red tape had slowed down efforts so far.
— Bangkok Post

New traffic e-regs effective Friday
A new regulation enabling the punishment of errant motorists without seizing their driving licence becomes effective on Friday as authorities begin to digitalise measures against traffic violators.
— Bangkok Post

Gubernatorial Contender Vows Corruption-Free Bangkok
An anti-graft activist and former junta-appointed lawmaker said she would bring transparency and better spending practices to the City Hall if elected as the next governor of Bangkok.
— Khaosod English

Anutin backs spray ban
Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, on Thursday voiced his strong support for a ban on toxic herbicides paraquat, glyphosate, and chlorpyrifos — a stance shared by the Agriculture and Cooperatives and Industry ministries.
— Bangkok Post

Concerns raised again over Phuket wild monkey populations
Concerns about the rising number of infant monkeys at a popular monkey site in Rassada will be addressed following an inspection visit by Pongchart Chouehorm, Director of the Natural and Wildlife Education Centre at Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area in Thalang.
— The Phuket News

BTS hyped for Bang Na mixed-use project, others
BTS Group Holdings is spending more than 10 billion baht to develop a mixed-use project on 200 rai along Bang Na-Trat Road near Thana City to capitalise on light rail transit (LRT) expected to start construction next year.
— Bangkok Post

Southeast Asia’s ‘coolest neighbourhood’ wins hearts in Bangkok with hipness and old world charm
Pridi Banomyong may not be on the radar of many visitors to Bangkok, but its hipster vibe and quirky businesses saw it being crowned this week as Southeast Asia’s coolest neighbourhood.
— CNA

British Instagrammer locked up in “filthy Bangkok cell’ over missing passport pages
A British model has had a “misunderstanding” with Thai immigration officials after being locked up for 24 hours when it was discovered there were two pages missing from her passport. The model departed Scotland last Sunday for a flight to London before heading to Bangkok. According to mirror.co.uk, Lacey Montgomery-Henderson, from Glasgow, says …
— The Thaiger

Mazda trims forecast as economy buckles under pressure
Mazda Sales Thailand has cut its overall market forecast for the country in 2019 from 1.06 million cars sold to 1.04 million, citing myriad factors domestically and abroad.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand on ancient migration corridor
A study on two spotted hyena teeth that were found in the southern province of Krabi two years ago has confirmed a theory that the southern region was dominated by savannah vegetation 200,000 years ago, according to a fossil expert from Chulalongkorn University.
— Bangkok Post

Phuket university’s safe-sex campaign attracts 390 volunteers
Yesterday, saw the return of Prince of Songkhla University’s Safe Sex Campaign. Now in its third year, some 390 PSU students turned up to support the campaign by making safe sex packs, which are then distributed free to bars in Patong.
— The Thaiger

Flood woes latest headache for northeastern operators
A prolonged economic slowdown and severe flooding in northeastern provinces could hurt tourism next year, say local operators.
— Bangkok Post

DBS Bank aims to double wealth assets by 2023
DBS Bank plans to double its wealth assets under management (AUM) in Thailand from S$4 billion to S$8 billion by 2023 through the country’s growing pool of high net worth individuals (HNWIs).
— Bangkok Post

Asia week ahead: Thailand and Philippines to extend easing cycle
Another big week of central bank meetings in Asia with two of them likely to cut rates, but one doing so more convincingly than the other
— ING

Advice from digital nomads in Chiang Mai to the newcomers
According to several digital nomad websites, the some of the most popular locations from which to work online include Chiang Mai & Bangkok (Thailand), Budapest (Hungary), Belgrade (Serbia), Bali (Indonesia), Lisbon (Portugal) and Buenos Aires (Argentina).
— Thai PBS World

Feature photo GBN/ Dhammakaya Buddhism

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo focuses on the Thailand floods

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).

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Thailand morning news for September 20 added by John Le Fevre on September 20, 2019
View all posts by John Le Fevre →

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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.