Thailand Morning News For August 16

E-commerce sees gain in popularity
E-commerce is one of the top five most popular activities of Thai mobile users, according to a survey by the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA).
— Bangkok Post

Rainfall forecasted in most regions of Thailand in next 24-hours
The Meteorological Department is forecasting extensive rainfall in the southern region, as well as scattered rain the northern, northeastern, central, and eastern regions, including Bangkok.
— NNT

34 districts in 8 provinces still flooded
Only 34 districts in eight provinces are still affected by flooding, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported on Aug 15.
— Thai PBS

Cabinet OKs rules for exploration and production deals
The cabinet on Tuesday gave the nod to four ministerial regulations that will set criteria for production-sharing contracts (PSCs) and service contracts (SCs) as alternatives that would allow society as a whole to benefit from the petroleum business.
— Bangkok Post

Severe flooding on Koh Lipe prompts urgent assistance
The Satun Provincial Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation is rushing assistance to the southern resort island of Koh Lipe as many residents have been impacted by floods.
— NBT World (video)

Funding approved for land compensation payments under dual-track rail project
The cabinet has approved funding for compensation payments for land purchases under the Eastern Line dual-track railway project.
— NNT

Rail and Post to use IoT, blockchain
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and Thailand Post will apply the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technology to improve their logistics services.
— Bangkok Post

Thai activist jailed for two and a half years for posting BBC article
A Thai student activist was jailed for two and a half years on Tuesday for posting on Facebook a BBC article deemed offensive to Thailand’s king, his lawyer said.
— Channel NewsAsia

PM urges preparedness for imminent storms
The Prime Minister has called on all sectors to brace for upcoming bouts of monsoon rain by preparing efficient disaster warning and flood prevention mechanisms.
— NBT World (video)

Customs Department to amend regulations on imported super cars
The Customs Department has stepped up its effort to amend laws pertaining to the import of high end automobiles as well as the submission of information on 200 cars found to have evaded taxes to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
— NNT

Commerce Ministry, SME Bank to offer loans for franchising of SME businesses
The Ministry of Commerce and SME Bank plan to offer loans for the franchising of small and medium enterprises, said Deputy Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong.
— NNT

City to reward people who dob in street offenders
City Hall launched a new campaign to clean up the streets on Tuesday, promising to give half the fine to people who report motorcyclists using footpaths, people dumping garbage in public spaces or canals,…
— Bangkok Post

AoT profits from growth in tourism
SET-listed Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) posted a nearly 8% increase in net profit for the quarter to June, buoyed by the continued increase in air traffic.
— Bangkok Post

No-interest loan offered to flood affected SMEs
The Office of SME Promotion will assist the flood-affected SMEs by providing 200,000- to one-million-baht loans to each of them. The office’s staff will travel to Sakon Nakhon province to receive loan requests from 15-19 August 2017.
— NBT World (video)

Government pushes for biopharmaceutical development
The Ministry of Public Health and the private sector are collaborating to develop biopharmaceutical innovation in a bid to position Thailand as the hub of international medicine.
— NBT World (video)

VAT to remain 7% for another year
The cabinet on Tuesday (Aug 15) agreed to retain the value-added-tax (VAT) at the rate of 7% for another year from Oct 1, 2017 to Sept 30, 2018, Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong said.
— Thai PBS

MRTA: construction of 4 mass rapid lines go as planned
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) of Thailand confirms that all constructions for the four mass rapid lines had proceeded as planned.
— NNT

Toyota sees bigger market for eco-cars
Toyota Motor Thailand is upbeat on its eco-car segment, expecting sales of 38,000 units for a 3.7% rise this year.
— Bangkok Post

Government keeps eye on movement of supporters of former PM Yingluck Shinawatra
he government is keeping an eye on the movement of supporters of former PM Yingluck Shinawatra, who is due to hear the court’s verdict on the malfeasance charge against her this month.
— NNT

CDC to explain draft organic law on national human rights commission
he Constitutional Drafting Commission is set to explain the intent of the draft law on the national human rights commission.
— NNT

B.Grimm plotting to boost capacity
SET-listed B.Grimm Power Plc, the power-generation arm of the B.Grimm conglomerate, is in talks with several operators on possible mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to gain capacity in the coming years.
— Bangkok Post

Feature photo John Le Fevre
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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 16 added by John Le Fevre on August 16, 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.