Thailand Morning News For August 9

PM turns screws over airport queues
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed authorities to come up with a contingency plan to tackle inordinately long waiting times at Don Mueang International Airport, after a backlash on social media from miffed passengers.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand approves flood relief measures worth $48 million
Thailand’s cabinet on Tuesday approved 1.6 billion baht ($48 million) in relief for farmers hit by floods in the north and northeast.
— Reuters

July’s consumers’ confidence index the lowest in seven months
Consumers’ confidence index for July dropped to 73.9 points – the lowest in seven months and the third month in a row – as consumers were concerned with the flooding in the Northeast.
— Thai PBS

CEBF: Floods no impact on Thai economy in 2nd half of 2017
The Center for Economic and Business Forecasting (CEBF) of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce estimates the total damage of the northeastern floods at 9.5 billion baht. However, the flood situation is expected to affect the GDP by only 0.064%.
— NNT

NBTC to do a U-turn on OTT category
The telecom regulator will once again retreat from the over-the-top regulatory framework it proposed earlier, doing a U-turn on the categorisation of OTT video-on-demand services as a broadcast business.
— Bangkok Post

PM issues orders to address Don Mueang chaos
PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered relevant agencies to ensure that long immigration queues at Don Mueang International Airport will be resolved quickly.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

Fake printing ink cartridges seized in Nonthaburi raid
Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECSD) police on Monday raided a company in Nonthaburi’s Bang Buathong district and seized a large quantity of fake printing ink cartridges of various brand names and printing ink production equipment worth about 30 million baht.
— Thai PBS

SAP: Digital adoption advised
The business sector in Thailand needs to rapidly shift towards digital transformation to stay competitive and become a digital leader in Asean by 2020, says Germany-based enterprise software maker SAP Indochina.
— Bangkok Post

MOL: Employers and migrant workers who provide false information will be prosecuted
The Ministry of Labor (MOL) has warned that employers and migrant workers who provide false information on their relationship will be prosecuted according to law.
— NNT

Sunkist Growers seeks to bear fruit in Thai market
Sunkist Growers Incorporated, a US-based citrus growers’ non-stock membership cooperative, has expanded its Sunkist Freshie brand to the Thai market.
— Bangkok Post

Energy Earth suit targets TBank
Beleaguered Energy Earth Plc, an SET-listed local coal trader, is suing Thanachart Bank (TBank) for 60 billion baht on the allegation that the bank endangered the company’s confidential information.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand Investment Fest 2017 kicks off at SET market
The Stock Exchange of Thailand is holding Thailand Investment Fest 2017 to share innovations of the new generation of investors.
— NBT World (video)

Thai coconut ice cream an upcoming culinary trend in Canada
Recently, Thai coconut ice cream has become increasingly popular in Canada. More and more foreigners are enjoying this ice cream without cow’s milk, with its new taste.
— Fresh Plazza

Tillerson in Thailand presses for more action on North Korea
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday pressed Thai leaders for more action on North Korea during the highest level visit to Thailand by a U.S. official since a military coup in 2014 soured relations with the United States.
— Reuters

Software sector likely to slide amid business shifts
THE THAI SOFTWARE market is expected to take a dip this year. But there will be an effort to boost the use of local software among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
— The Nation (annoying popups)

New flights strengthen Thailand’s status as global aviation hub
Five international airlines are expanding air access to Thailand with new flights from Beijing, Doha, Istanbul, Maldives, India’s Jaipur and Tiruchirappalli, and Singapore, strengthening the Kingdom’s status as a global aviation hub.
— TAT News

Labor Protection and Welfare Dept advises employers to legally demand security deposit for work from employees
The Department of Labor Protection and Welfare has advised employers to legally demand security deposit for work from their employees in accordance with the law.
— NNT

Siemens Gamesa installs Asia’s tallest wind turbines
Wind power group Siemens Gamesa has installed Asia’s tallest wind turbines, with a total height of 210 meters (230 yards), in Thailand, it said on Tuesday.
— Reuters

NCPO to exert Article 44 to run universities, water resources, counter money laundering
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) plans to issue an executive order under Article 44 of the interim constitution to run state universities, tackle money laundering, and address water management.
— NNT

Cabinet grants 3,000-baht aid to flood-hit farmers
The Cabinet has approved the payment of compensation worth 3,000 baht to each flood-affected farmer in 36 provinces.
— NNT

Fitch Affirms ThaiBev’s Ratings at ‘BBB’ and ‘AA+(tha)’
Fitch Ratings has affirmed Thai Beverage Public Company Limited’s (ThaiBev) Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘BBB’ and National Long-Term Rating at ‘AA+(tha)’.
— Reuters

PM does not know whether “Ko Tee” is dead or alive
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha said Tuesday (Aug 8) that he could not confirm a report in the social media that Wutthipong Kotthammakul, alias Ko Tee, was dead in Laos.
— Thai PBS

State university execs given S44 fix
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has issued a Section 44 order to pave the way for outsiders to be appointed as executives of state universities.
— Bangkok Post

Beer Chang maker buys up KFC Thailand restaurants
Thai Beverage, the spirits giant that makes Chang beer and SangSom rum, is expanding into the fast-food business.
— Bangkok Post

Mitr Phol ramps up its targets under environmental commitment
THAILAND’S largest sugar producer Mitr Phol Group aims to sharply increase the area of its contracted sugarcane farmlands in Thailand and those of its own that that meet key international production standards.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

Sansiri partners with Tokyu on Bt2 bn Ekkamai condo
LISTED property firm Sansiri Plc has set up a joint venture firm, Siri TK One Co Ltd, with Japan-based Tokyu Corp to develop a Bt2 billion condominium project called taka HAUS in the Ekkamai district of Sukhumvit.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

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 9 added by John Le Fevre on August 9, 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.