Thailand Morning News For August 28

Thailand’s Ex-Leader Leaves Supporters in Limbo After Disappearing During Trial
For two years, Yingluck Shinawatra, the former prime minister of Thailand, battled criminal charges of negligence and claims that she had cost the country billions of dollars. She appeared in court regularly and assured her supporters that she would fight until the end.
— The New York Times

Anti-graft body to be asked to probe DPM Prawit and police chief
The Thai Constitution Protection Association will on Monday ask the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs General Prawit Wongsuwan and Pol Gen Chakthip Chaichinda, the national police chief, for their alleged negligence in allowing former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra to escape out of the country.
— Thai PBS

Regime denies Yingluck deal
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) yesterday denied growing speculation it had secretly agreed to allow ex-prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra to escape from the country ahead of the rice-pledging ruling last Friday.
— Bangkok Post

SMEs urge Govt, NLA to relax new alien worker law
The National Legislative Assembly has received a petition containing a list of suggestions from SME operators who have been affected by the enforcement of the new migrant worker management law.
— NNT

Junta was not involved in Yingluck’s escape: NCPO spokesman
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has denied a suggestion by some critics that it was complicit in letting former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra to escape out of the country.
— Thai PBS

Six Ayutthaya districts still flooded
Six districts of Ayutthaya province are still affected by flooding as a result of a large quantity of water being discharged by the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat province.
— Thai PBS

Alert issued for flood-prone areas as tropical storm is approaching
The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) yesterday issued flood alert for all its irrigation officials in flood-prone areas to prepare for possible flooding as a tropical storm is approaching Vietnam and it will have widespread impact on Thailand’s northern and northeastern regions from tomorrow.
— Thai PBS

Dept to open bids for airport upgrades
The Department of Airports will open bidding for its regional airports development projects — valued at 8.8 billion baht — this year, department director-general Darun Sangchai said.
— Bangkok Post

Indonesia expects relocation of Japanese fish firms from Thailand
As a result of Indonesia’s tough measures against illegal fishing, a number of Japanese fish-processing firms have expressed their commitment to relocating their factories from Thailand to Indonesia, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said on Friday
— The Jakarta Post

Excise tax rejig looms
Ready-to-drink coffee and tea beverages will lose their excise duty-free privilege after the new excise law comes into effect on Sept 16, changing the tax computation base to suggested retail price.
— Bangkok Post

Bt30-bn infrastructure plan for South
AN INVESTMENT worth more than Bt30 billion from the government and private sector is intended to develop both infrastructure and industry in three southern provinces of Thailand, including Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwas.
— The Nation

CPNlead looks to bolster SMEs
Central Pattana Plc (CPN), the leading retail real estate developer in Thailand, has picked three small operators for its “CPNlead” programme, which was launched to strengthen new small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the retail industry.
— Bangkok Post

Thai e-wallet service T2P closes $3m Series A led by J-Venture for Myanmar push
T2P Deep Pocket, Thailand’s e-wallet service provider, has closed a $3-million series A round led by J-Venture, the corporate venture capital arm of SET-listed mobile retailer JMART.
— Deal Street Asia

PM Prayut to visit Sa Kaeo to inspect on border crossing operation
The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Sa Kaeo Province to inspect the province’s border crossing operation.
— NNT

Fourth Thailand Smart Money event held in Phitsanulok
Leading financial institutions have jointly held an event in Phitsanulok to offer financial advice to the people.
— NNT

Bringing about the end of cash
Imagine a society where cash is no longer the king of payment, but rather an archaic medium of exchange, and electronic transaction is the name of the game.
— Bangkok Post

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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 28 added by John Le Fevre on August 28, 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.