Thailand English-language News For July 18

In Thailand English-language News for July 18, 2017, Newsline presenter Dhra Dhirakaosal tells us about:

0:38 | Thais from across the country continue to gather at the Grand Palace to pay their respects to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

1:24 | The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has urged all sectors to gear up for the royal cremation ceremony of the the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej to ensure the ceremony appropriately honours the dead monarch.

2:45 | Deputy Prime Minister Admiral Narong Pipatanasai has convened a meeting of the committee tasked with producing a book of archives in commemoration of the seventh cycle birthday anniversary of Sirikit, the queen dowager, on August 12, 2016. The meeting heard that work on the contents of the book is over 95 per cent complete, with the number of pages increased to 500 split over six chapters. Ten thousand copies of the book will be published.

4:04 | Secretary-General of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), General Chalermchai Sittisart, has said that the latest meeting of the Secretariat of the NCPO discussed the need for all military units across the country to assist members of the public to file any complaint against state officials. According to General Sittisart the setting up of 74 complaint centers in all designated provincial command centers has been completed, with the public able to now file their complaints via the toll-free hotline number 1299, by writing to PO Box 444, or in person at their nearest center.

5:30 | The subcommittee in charge of proposals on the process to promote unity and reconciliation on Monday highlighted figures that show ten key points collected between February 14th and May 8th are covered in the widely-anticipated social contract. Key points include a move to make all Thais aware of their role as citizens who should promote reconciliation and accept election results, adopt and adapt the ‘science of the king’ in everyday life, adhere to morality and ethics and comply with law.

6:40 | The National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) has approved a report on education reform which proposes greater motivation of students to study science in order to ensure the country has ample personnel contributing to scientific advancement in the future, while suggesting the setting up of a center or institution to accommodate an expected rise in demand for manpower in the field of science.

7:43 | The Election Commission of Thailand (EC) on Monday has discussed preparations made for the next Thailand general election, including an online voter registration programme and a separate online candidate registration programme.

11:21 | The Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST) has hosted an event on mobilizing Thailand through research and innovation. In a keynote address on national development through research and innovation, deputy prime minister Air Chief Marshal Dr Prajin Juntong said that the two aspects will play a key role in realising the country’s 20-year national strategy and the Thailand 4.0 agenda in line with the sufficiency economy philosophy.

12:33 | Director-General of the Department of Business Development (DBD), Banjongjitt Angsusingh, has reported that 6,525 new businesses with a combined registered capital exceeding Bt40 billion (about US$1.19 billion) were registered with the department in June this year, equivalent to a 10 per cent increase over the same period of 2016. Business closures over the same period increased 11 per cent to 1,548.

In the first six months of this year 35,942 business openings were recorded, a 13 per cent year-on-year (YoY) over the same period last year.

14:02 | Phacharaphot Nuntramas, head of economic and financial market research at Siam Commercial Bank’s Economic and Intelligence Centre (EIC) has said that the bank has revised its forecast for 2017 Thailand GDP upwards to 3.4 per cent, from the 3.3 per cent previously predicted, due to strong economic performance by key trade partners, including the US, the EU, and CLMV countries: Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV). The export sector this year, he said, is expected to expand by 3.5 per cent.

He noted that economic risks in the second half of the year include a fall in purchasing power due to low employment, while investments by the private sector are forecast to only expand by 1.4 percent.

15:43 | Secretary-general of the Office of Agricultural Economics, Chariya Sutthichaiya, has reported that in the first five months of this year Thailand’s Para rubber exports had increased by 2 per cent compared to the same period last year. Although the quantity of exports dropped, she said that the value increased in China and other regions.

16:58 | The Fine Arts Department has held a forum to prepare for the submission of the thousand-year-old Si Thep Historical Park as a World Heritage Site.

18:27 | A book titled Dr Thanat Khomon, the wit and wisdom of the leading Asean founder, has been launched to celebrate the life and achievements of Thanat Khomon, a former Thailand minister of foreign affairs and one of Asean’s five founding fathers, who died last year.

21:44 | Deputy prime minister General Thanasak Patimaprakorn opened the ‘Sisaket Culture to Asean Fair’ organised to support and promote the local tourism sector under the Thailand 4.0 agenda. The fair will be open every Sunday between now and August 27 this year and feature performances by local tribes and other activities.

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Newsline is a daily Thailand English-language news and current affairs programme produced by the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNBT) under the Thailand Government Public Relations Department (PRD) for *NBT World, the NNBTs 24/7 English language television service delivering Thailand government news and information to the Thai, Asean, and wider Asian communities via cable and satellite. It is also available via android and iOS apps.

AEC News Today publishes Thailand English-language News M-F on the occasions that NBT uploads it to YouTube by a reasonable time.