Thailand morning news for March 11, 2020

TISCO slashes Thailand’s GDP forecast for 2020 to 0.8%
TISCO’s Centre of Economic and Strategic Analysis has slashed Thailand’s GDP projection for this year from 1.7% to 0.8% – the lowest since 2009.
— Thai PBS News

COVID-19 outbreak: Travellers from 4 countries must show medical certificate before boarding flights to Thailand
Travellers from China, including Macau and Hong Kong, Iran, Italy and South Korea are now required to present a medical certificate proving they are not infected with COVID-19 before boarding their flight to Thailand, according to the Thai Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT).
— CNA

Activist urges investigation into face mask distribution incompetence
The Office of Ombudsman Thailand yesterday (9 May 2020) accepted a petition filed by Srisuwan Janya, a political and environmental activist, who has asked for an investigation into two unjust cases.
— NNT

PM Prayut observes anti-rabies activity, exhibition on supermarket cooperatives
The Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, took part in an activity to promote the Disease-free Animals, Save Humans from Rabies project.
— NNT

Govt now requires arriving foreigners to specify countries recently visited
The Immigration Bureau has announced that all foreigners arriving in Thailand must now specify the countries they have recently visited on their arrival card, to filter out the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus.
— NNT

DIT delivers masks directly to pharmacies
Face masks continue to be difficult to find due to the high demand caused by COVID-19 fears. The Thai Pharmacies Association yesterday released a statement saying that it has not received any of the 25,000 masks a day, promised by the Department of Internal Trade, for sale to the general public.
— NNT

Thai fruit exports sector business impacted by COVID-19
The effects of COVID-19 have certainly impacted Thailand’s fruit exports sector, as trading partners have reduced their orders.
— Fresh Plaza

Planes crash on runway snapping tail fin off private jet
A private jet worth around $40 million had its tail snapped off after a passenger plane crashed into it while taxiing to the runway.
— Metro

Election Commission to file criminal charges against Thanathorn, leader of disbanded Future Forward party, he could face ten years
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the disbanded Future Forward Party, may face a jail term up to 10 years and a 20-year ban from politics over his media shareholding now that the Election Commission (EC) has decided to pursue criminal charges against him.
— The Pattaya News

Ministry investigates on-ground collision at Wattay airport
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport has formed a special committee to investigate a collision on the Wattay International Airport tarmac on Monday between a Thai Airways Airbus A330-300 and a private jet.
— Vientiane Times (paywall)

Pareena reports to police to acknowledge charges of forest encroachment
Palang Pracharat MP for Ratchaburi province, Pareena Kraikupt, reported to the Natural Resources and Environment Crime Suppression Division to acknowledge charges in connection with her alleged illegal occupation of 106.4 hectares of state-owned land.
— Thai PBS News

Hotting up in northern Thailand
Hot, damn hot! The Thailand Meteorological Department says that a “thermal low” currently covers upper Thailand, while westerly winds prevail over the region, making the weather hot to very hot in some parts of the North, the Northeast, the Central and the East regions.
— The Thaiger

Thais told to sit tight in Italy
The Foreign Ministry has instructed 7,000 Thais in Italy to comply with the nationwide lockdown enforced to combat the rapid spread of Covid-19.
— Bangkok Post

Villagers oppose planned quarantine centre
Residents of Bang Ban district gathered in front of a building for dharma practice run by the Dhammachai Institute on Tuesday morning in opposition to its planned use as a quarantine centre for illegal workers returning from virus-hit South Korea.
— Bangkok Post

Government provides free check-up for Returnees of COVID-19 Risk Countries
The Thai government is offering free medical check-ups for all individuals including foreigners who have just arrived in Thailand, or have come into close contact with those from COVID-19-risk countries.
— Newsline (video)

EC takes criminal action against Thanathorn
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the disbanded Future Forward Party, may face a jail term up to 10 years and a 20-year ban from politics over his media shareholding now that the Election Commission (EC) has decided to pursue criminal charges against him.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand unveils $17 billion stimulus package to ease coronavirus impact
Thailand’s Cabinet approved a stimulus package on Tuesday (March 10) worth an estimated US$12.7 billion (S$17.6 billion) to help alleviate the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on already-faltering domestic activity.
— The Straits Times

Thailand’s Commerce Min prosecutes vendors overpricing anti-COVID-19 face masks
The Minister of Commerce discussed the guidelines for regulating consumer goods during the COVID-19 crisis with consumer goods entrepreneurs.
— Pattaya Mail

Thailand Cuts Withholding Tax Among Coronavirus-Related Measures
Thailand is reducing its withholding tax to boost the economy amid the coronavirus outbreak.
— Bloomberg Tax

Commerce Ministry seeks markets to buy Thai fruit, addressing low fruit prices
The Ministry of Commerce has met with relevant government agencies and the private interests to discuss measures on fruit prices ahead of the fruit season next month, to help cope with the economic slump following COVID-19.
— Newsline (video)

Quarantine dodgers reporting to authorities
Seventy-four of the 80 “ghost” workers who dodged quarantine after returning from South Korea on Saturday have reported to health officials in their respective home provinces, Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha said on Tuesday.
— Bangkok Post

B400bn booster shot given nod
The cabinet has given the green light to a stimulus package expected to inject 400 billion baht into the economy to reduce the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand questions WHO’s double standard in imposing travel restrictions amid COVID-19 outbreak
Early last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted its 146th session of the Executive Board at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
— The Online Citizen

ILO Says Working Conditions Improve in Thai Seafood Sector
A report issued Tuesday by the U.N.’s International Labor Organization credits Thailand with improving working conditions in the fishing and seafood processing industry, but says that serious abuses including forced labor remain.
— The New York Times

Myanmar-Thai trade exceeds 1300 m USD in three months
Till December of 2019-2020 fiscal year, the total trade between Myanmar and Thailand reached over 1300 million US dollars, according to the Commerce Ministry.
— Eleven

Social security levy cut to ease virus jolt
To cushion the economic impact of Covid-19, the Social Security Office on Tuesday agreed to reduce financial contributions by both employees and employers into the Social Security Fund from 5% to 4% for six months.
— Bangkok Post

Boats sent into Golden Triangle drugs battle
Thailand and Singapore have delivered three patrol boats to Laos and Myanmar to boost regional drug suppression cooperation on the Mekong River.
— Bangkok Post

Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat denies involvement in mask hoarding
The shortage of face masks is still a concern in the country. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Capt.
— Newsline (video)

Finance Ministry scraps ‘cash gift’ plan
The Finance Ministry on Monday scrapped the proposed “cash gifts” for low-income earners to help cushion the impact of Covid-19.
— Bangkok Post

TAT spots 30% chance of B1.5tn revenue loss
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) sees a worst case this year of 10 million foreign tourists staying home and 1.5 trillion baht lost as forward bookings continue to flash warning signs.
— Bangkok Post

Hun Sen launches $133M road from Pursat to Thailand’s Trat province
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday inaugurated National Road 55 which cost $133 million to build.
— The Phnom Penh Post

PETA Urges U.S. Marines to Stop Beheading Cobras, Drinking Their Blood
U.S. troops were recently caught on video proudly drinking blood from beheaded cobras and chomping on the live bodies of other animals while other service members feverishly cheered them on in what was more reminiscent of a frat party gone wrong than a military training drill.
— PETA

Agencies develop apps to halt virus
Thailand’s leading tech pioneers and research institutes are seeking ways to prevent the spread of the coronavirus through the use of a mobile app, high-performance computing, machine learning and material science.
— Bangkok Post

NBTC, BoT join forces for credit scoring
The telecom regulator and the Bank of Thailand are exploring ways to let banks and other lenders use mobile phone bills for credit scoring and to provide loans to low-income people.
— Bangkok Post

Coca-Cola and Thailand firm tie up to build recycling facility
COCA-COLA Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI) partnered with a Thailand-based firm to develop the P1 billion largest bottle-to-bottle recycling facility in the Philippines.
— BusinessWorld Online

Thailand’s leading bank announces suspension of currency exchange service at branches and forex booths
Reference is made to the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health dated March 5, 2020, RE: Territories outside the Kingdom of Thailand defined as Disease Infected Zones of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, consisting of four countries, and the locations with continuing intensive spread of COVID-19, comprising five countries.
— Pattaya Mail

Pareena hit with land charges
Palang Pracharath Party MP Pareena Kraikupt has denied all charges of encroaching on public forest reserve in Ratchaburi as her lawyer warned against previous apologetic press interviews being used against her.
— Bangkok Post

Father pleads for his son’s life after he was sentenced to death in Thailand for drug smuggling
A father has pleaded for authorities to save his son after he was given the death sentence in Thailand for trying to smuggle half a tonne of ice out of the country.
— Brinkwire

Thailand: Justice Ministry Agrees to Train Military on Rights and Freedom
Thailand’s Ministry of Justice has signed with military legal officers an agreement aimed at promoting an understanding of human rights and related laws among members of the armed forces.
— Benar News

PM unperturbed by call for Democrat to pull out of coalition
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has shrugged off the calls, by some members for the Democrat party, to pull the party out of the government coalition, saying “Let them pull out.”
— Thai PBS News

Songkran events cancelled amidst COVID-19 fears
Each year in April, Thai people celebrate the Thai New Year or Songkran with world-famous water splashing events.
— NNT

Oil price drop causes Thai stocks to plummet
Thai stock index today has fallen by some 90 points, or 6 percent, causing concerns among investors.
— NNT

PM visits Bamrasnaradura Hospital to support medics and patients
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made a surprise visit to Bamrasnaradura Institute of Infectious Diseases this evening (Tuesday), to offer moral support to medical personnel and patients infected with COVID-19.
— Thai PBS News

Some Residents are Shunning Quarantines for ‘Little Ghosts’
Local residents in four provinces staged protests on Tuesday over plans to designate facilities in their respective neighborhoods as coronavirus quarantines.
— Khaosod English

Bangkok cancels more official Songkran events, asks private organizers and individuals to refrain from water parties, but stops short of ban
Each year in April, Thai people celebrate the Thai New Year or Songkran with world-famous water splashing events.
— The Pattaya News

NHRC urges setup of central body to deal with virus
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a statement calling for the government to set up a national emergency organisation to handle the Covid-19 situation.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand CP Group’s take over bid for Tesco Asia
The 332.6 billion baht deal between the UK’s Tesco-branded Asian interests and Thai conglomerate CP Group, is coming under scrutiny as there are fears it could lead to a mega-retail monopoly.
— The Thaiger

Why clock is probably ticking on Thammanat
As it turns out, the opposition’s censure attack, much taunted for its long delay, came about two weeks too early. Imagine the no-confidence debate taking place now, with half of the time devoted to grilling Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompao. He would have been a wreck.
— Thai PBS News

Grab closes Bangkok office for virus cleanse
Grab Thailand Co has closed its Bangkok office until Friday for disinfection after a Singapore-based employee who worked in the office last week tested positive for coronavirus disease.
— Bangkok Post

Cabinet meets today to discuss power costs stimulus
Amongst other pressing issues at today’s cabinet meeting, the Thai PM and ministers will consider four economic measures proposed by the Energy Ministry that would assist low-income earners, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises.
— The Thaiger

Pure alcohol tax gets pro tem waiver
The Excise Department has temporarily exempted tax levied on pure alcohol while the government has unlocked the requirement to free 3 million litres of alcohol left over from energy usage to encourage the manufacture of alcohol-based hand sanitisers to meet strong demand amid Covid-19 fears.
— Bangkok Post

Officials to Probe Complaints of Quarantine Conditions
At a sports stadium, people live in tents without any air conditioning, separated from each other by metal fences, and eat from rice boxes handed out by officials.
— Khaosod English

Worst case scenario – Thailand loses 10 million tourists this year
Thailand’s tourist industry could be decimated in the wake of the world coronavirus outbreak. Tourism accounts for an estimated 16% of Thailand’s total GDP.
— The Thaiger

Feature photo Holi Festival Of Colors Bangkok

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo focuses on the Hindu Holi festival of colours, March 9-10

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 March 11 added by John Le Fevre on March 11, 2020
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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.