Poll: Thailand November export growth seen slowing to 6.4 percent year-on-year
Thailand’s customs-cleared annual exports likely grew for a ninth straight month in November, but at a much slower pace than in October, a Reuters poll showed.
— Reuters
Investor confidence up as FETCO sees growth next year
The Federation of Thai Capital Markets Organization (FETCO) is forecasting economic expansion in Thailand of 4.2 percent next year with exports and investment to continue growing while also assessing that investor confidence over the next 3 months may temper somewhat but continue on an uptrend.
— NNT
NLA proposes phone tapping to prevent corruption
The junta’s lawmakers have proposed a law which will allow authorities to tap the phones of politicians suspected of corruption.
— Prachatai English
BOI agrees on SME support measures
The Board of Investment (BOI) has approved measures designed to assist SMEs and will extend the assistance program until 2019.
— News Today
NLA committee slashes draft land bill tax rates
The National Legislative Assembly’s (NLA) standing committee on the land and buildings tax has largely watered down the new property tax rates.
— Bangkok Post
Cabinet nods to first phase of dual-track railway project
The Cabinet has approved the first five routes of the double-track railway system as well as the first section of the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed train system.
— NNT
Centre sees slight growth in Thai economy 2018
ONLINE shopping will continue to expand at a higher rate next year while real estate and SMEs would not fare well due to oversupply and fierce competition, according to the Kasikorn Research Centre.
— The Nation
Government to buy back 1,900 ‘illegal’ fishing trawlers
The government is planning to purchase 1,900 fishing boats from fishermen, to pacify them amid complaints about its tough fisheries policy.
— Bangkok Post
Police seek out diplomats who witnessed prosecution of junta critic
The police have reportedly sought to identify foreign diplomats who were present as observants of a sedition case against a Pheu Thai politician.
— Prachatai English
Thai junta says to allow parties to get ready for 2018 election
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday he would use a special order that gives the military sweeping powers to allow political parties to prepare for next year’s general election.
— Reuters
90,000 police in holiday drink-driving, drugs blitz
More than 90,000 police officers nationwide have been ordered to crack down on drink driving, narcotics and illegal entertainment venues during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
— Bangkok Post
Authorities force cancellation of red-shirt events
Three social events organised by anti-junta groups have been forced to cancel after the authorities repeatedly intimidated the owners of the venues.
— Prachatai English
Thonglor Pet Hospital investing in regional plans
Thonglor Pet Hospital is set to spend 500 million baht over the next five years on strategic plans to become Southeast Asia’s leading pet hospital.
— Bangkok Post
China steps back from islet blasting plan
China has agreed not to blast islets along the Mekong River because it would adversely affect Thais living along the watercourse, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said Tuesday.
— Bangkok Post
Thai oil firm PTTEP plans expenditure of around $3 billion in 2018
Thai oil company PTT Exploration and Production Pcl on Tuesday said it was planning total expenditure of $3.1 billion in 2018, up a touch from the $2.9 billion it earlier estimated for expenditure in 2017.
— Reuters
49 fined over canal discharges
Wastewater has been discharged into the Saen Saep canal from 412 different locations along the city waterway, according to a Pollution Control Department (PCD) survey released yesterday.
— Bangkok Post
Krungthai claims Energy Earth forged loan papers
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is looking into a case in which a coal importer is accused of using forged documents to obtain loans from Krungthai Bank (KTB).
— Bangkok Post
Laem Chabang Port’s Phase III expansion to be accelerated
The Ministry of Transport is speeding up the third phase of Laem Chabang Port expansion, hoping to establish the facility as the second largest port of ASEAN.
News Today (video)
Bangkok braces for winter as temperatures set to dip to 14 degrees: Reports
Cold temperatures are set to sweep Bangkok over the coming days, with weather agencies reporting that the Thai capital could experience morning temperatures of 14-17 degrees Celsius between Tuesday (Dec 19) and Thursday.
— Channel NewsAsia
Sharp drop in temperatures claims two lives
A 50-year-old construction worker died at the camp site in Samut Prakan province last night after drinking liquor to keep warm.
— Thai PBS
Phuket New Year road-safety campaign to target drunk drivers, helmetless motorbike riders
The Phuket Governor has ordered police to strictly enforce the law against drunk drivers and motorcyclists not wearing helmets during the upcoming New Year “Seven Days of Danger” road safety campaign, this year to be held from Dec 28 to Jan 3.
— The Phuket News
DLT provides vehicle checks free of charge during New Year season
Some 2,300 automobile garages nationwide and the Department of Land Transport (DLT) are providing vehicle checks free of charge until 15 January 2017.
— NNT
Treasury Dept to launch new housing project for low-income earners next year
Thailand’s Treasury Department is set to launch a new housing development project for low-income earners next year.
— NNT
Groups seek court ruling on constitutionality of NCPO order
Representatives of seven groups of people submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court on Tuesday (Dec 19) asking it to rule whether an order issued by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) in 2015 is in violation of the constitution regarding the people’s rights and liberties.
— Thai PBS
Phuket pineapples, at just 400 euros each
Recently, orders are being taken for a local variety of pineapple valued at more than 15,000 baht each.
–Fresh Plaza
Study being conducted to find cause of gangrene in Nong Bua Lamphu farmers
The governor of Nong Bua Lamphu, a province in the Northeast Region, has ordered concerned officials to conduct a research to find out whether any kind of chemicals, particularly paraquat, is the cause of gangrene in farmers.
— Thai PBS
Amazing Thailand Countdown welcomes 2018 in five regions across the Kingdom
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn (above picture, centre), TAT Governor, said: “The Amazing Thailand Countdown 2018 celebrations is carefully coordinated to reflect TAT’s latest marketing concept of ‘Open to the New Shades’ and the action-packed Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018.”
— TAT News
Feature photo Josch13
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 December 20 added by John Le Fevre on
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John Le Fevre
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.
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