Thailand Morning News For August 11

Thailand 4.0 may see 23m redundant
Some 23 million unskilled and semi-skilled labourers in the agricultural and industrial sectors are at risk of becoming unemployed once implementation of high technology and innovation in production hit their stride.
— Bangkok Post

Police hold meeting on speeding up immigration process at airports
The national police chief has said that the immigration process at airports must be faster and more efficient.
— NBT World (video)

Thailand ranked 10th in Asian digital rankings
A digital talent shortage, fewer digital products and uncertain policies have put Thailand near the bottom of the digital nation index, says a Singapore-based advisory firm.
— Bangkok Post

Less businessmen pay bribes but the amount of bribes increases
More business operators say they do not pay state officials in order to win a contract or a project, but the amount of under-the-table payoffs increases, said Assistant Professor Thanawat Pholvichai, director of Economic and Business Forecast Centre of Thai Chamber of Commerce University, on Thursday (Aug 10).
— Thai PBS

Depth of child trafficking to Thailand exposed in report
CHILDREN ARE being trafficked to Thailand from neighbouring countries for underage labour, sexual exploitation and forced begging, a new report revealed yesterday.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

Heavy rainfall expected Aug 11 14 in eastern and southwestern regions of the country
Residents in the eastern and southwestern regions of the country are advised to brace for heavy rains between August 11th-14th, while flooding persists in nine provinces.
— NBT World (video)

Over 2 million registered low-income earners disqualified
The Finance Ministry has deleted 2-3 million people from the lists of registered low-income earners because they failed to meet the requirements set by the Revenue Department, said Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawongon Wednesday (Aug 9).
— Thai PBS

HM the King instructs Privy Councilor to inspect water management projects
His Majesty King Rama X has instructed a Privy Councilor to closely follow the management of the Chao Phraya Dam and a sluice gate under Chao Phraya River bank development projects, in preparation for possible flooding.
— NNT

Govt tackles trafficking head-on
A government-installed panel has rolled out an anti-human trafficking plan which corresponds with a United States recommendation given to Thailand in its latest Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, authorities say.
— Bangkok Post

Private sector believes China’s One Belt One Road will benefit Thailand
he Thailand-China Business Council has expressed confidence that the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and China’s One Belt One Road strategy will contribute to no less than 0.5% economic growth in Thailand.
— NNT

Reporter merely does his job to probe a suspected graft case: Isranews
The Isranews Agency has defended one of its reporters who was slapped with trespassing charge by the police when he entered an apartment building purportedly belonging to a former national police chief who is currently being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Committee for being unusually rich.
— Thai PBS

State firms’ budget contributions beat target
THE State Enterprise Policy Office (SEPO) has exceeded its target for budget contributions from state enterprises by 21 per cent for the first 10 months of the 2017 fiscal year.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

Govt opens Industry Transformation Center
Public and private organizations have collaborated to establish the Industry Transformation Center for industries of the future. The center’s main task is to support the Thai business and industrial sectors to use advanced technology in line with the Thailand 4.0 policy.
— NNT

Stability, prosperity, and sustainability
In today’s special feature we explore some of the Government development projects under the country’s reform roadmap with Na-ark Rojanasuvan.
— NBT World (video)

Sony rolling out red carpet for Thai film studio unit
Sony Pictures Studio has launched a solely-owned affiliate film studio, Sony Pictures Entertainment in Thailand, in a bid to help generate higher income this year.
— Bangkok Post

Police formally ask prosecutor for extradition of Boss
Police have formally asked the public prosecution for the extradition of Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya to stand trial on hit-and-run charges which led to the death of a Thong Lor traffic policeman five years ago.
— Thai PBS

Public Health Min eyes speeding up licensing of health products
The Public Health Minister has indicated that Section 44 of the 2014 interim constitution would significantly speed up the licensing of health-related products.
— NNT

KBank puts focus on syndicated loans
Kasikornbank’s (KBank) corporate loan business will focus on syndicated loans to diversify risk as its corporate loan segment posted high single-digit growth in the first half.
— Bangkok Post

BU combines departments to keep up with journalism
BANGKOK UNIVERSITY (BU) has denied reports that it is going to stop teaching journalism and says it is merging departments to meet the changing news-presentation landscape.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

PTT poised to gain from Myanmar deal
THAI and Myanmar officials will sign a memorandum of agreement at a meeting of Asean energy ministers next month that will take energy giant PTT a step closer towards a major gas project across the border.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

Immigration Bureau clears up confusion over termination of Immigration 6 form
The Immigration Bureau has pointed out that there has been a misunderstanding over news the Prime Minister signed the cancellation of the Immigration 6 card, explaining that the stoppage was to pave the way for a new form to be introduced in October.
— NNT

PM: Flood-prone areas will be turned into “monkey cheek”
The Prime Minister has urged the public to cooperate with the government to turn flood-prone areas into “monkey cheek” water catchment areas, emphasizing the problem of flooding and drought.
— NBT World (video)

Hajj Affairs Promotion Office of Thailand: Over 6,506 Thai pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia
The Hajj Affairs Promotion Office of Thailand has disclosed that over 6,500 Thai pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia.
— NNT

Feature photo นรข.นิวส์ – Mekhong Riverine Unit News
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.

Thailand Morning News For August 11 added by John Le Fevre on August 11, 2017
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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.