Thailand Morning News For November 3

Flood victims slam officials after 4 months
Lack of warning blamed as central and northeast residents continue to suffer from lack of housing and shortages
— The Nation

Thailand to continue to facilitate doing business, given big jump in World Bank’s ranking
The Prime Minister said he was satisfied with the latest ranking given by the World Bank for Thailand’s ease of doing business.
— NBT World (video)

Anti-graft bill sails through NLA in its first reading
THE NATIONAL Legislative Assembly (NLA) voted 200 to zero, with four abstentions, to accept in principle the new anti-corruption bill in its first reading.
— The Nation

Department aims to better business registration system
The Commerce Ministry plans more measures to help facilitate the process of doing business in Thailand, expecting the country to earn a better ranking in the World Bank’s ease of doing business report next year.
— Bangkok Post

No Butts! Phuket beach cigarette ban to invoke B100k fine, 90-day ‘grace campaign’ underway
Officials from the Phuket office of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) have launched their campaign to inform beachgoers of the ban on smoking cigarettes at Patong Beach that came into effect yesterday (Nov 1).
— The Phuket News

PM says he will reshuffle his cabinet within this year
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Thursday (Nov 2) that he would reshuffle his cabinet within this year, but has not decided yet whether the shake-up will be limited or a major one involving several ministerial portfolios.
— Thai PBS

Royalist youth group expels BBC reporter after criticising royal cremation
A youth group has called for the dismissal of a BBC reporter who dared to question Thai royalist propaganda and the late King’s cremation.
— Prachatai English

Jan-Oct tourism revenue grows 9% yoy
Thailand’s tourism industry is on course for expansion, as indicated by its considerable growth rate during the first 10 months of the year.
— NNT

Varanon out ‘for dragging feet’
Varanon Peetiwan lost his job as director-general of the Employment Department not because of a tainted track record but over his slow response to labour policies that were sometimes beyond his power to deliver, according to a source at the Labour Ministry.
— Bangkok Post

Central joint venture with JD.com hailed as game changer for country
A Bt17.5 BILLION joint venture between Central Group and JD.com, China’s largest retailer, not only marks a significant advance for the giant Thai retail group while aiding the country’s digital transformation, it will also bolster trade ties between the countries, Central Group CEO Tos Chirathivat said yesterday.
— The Nation

Cambodia urges Thais to sign trade deal
Cambodian officials have asked their Thai counterparts to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cross-border trade as soon as possible to avoid complications for transportation companies when new Thai regulations on cross-border trade comes into effect in mid-November.
— Bangkok Post

Rig workers gear up for evacuations
Offshore rig workers in the South are prepared to make rapid evacuations in the event of treacherous seas and high winds whipped up by an approaching depression.
— Bangkok Post

Preparations for incoming storm November 3-4
It has recently been reported that a storm is expected to arrive on the shores of Chumphon, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat from November 3rd to 4th. Newsline this morning talked to Director of the Disaster Management Center Pongsatorn Sirisakorn on what we can do to prepare for the situation. Here’s the excerpt.
— NBT World (video)

Digital content tipped to hit Bt26.8 bn next year
THE value of the Thai digital content industry is on track to reach Bt26.8 billion by the end of next year, said the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), which is launching two projects to help more than 300 software and digital content companies contribute to this goal.
— The Nation

Thailand defends plan to transfer money from idle accounts to treasury
A planned Thai law allowing the transfer of money from bank accounts left inactive for more than 10 years to the treasury “will be in the public interest”, the finance minister said on Thursday.
— Reuters

CP to launch social impact fund in bid to narrow income gap
In an effort to dispel the negative image about its domination, agribusiness giant Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group yesterday unveiled plans for its first CP social impact fund.
— Bangkok Post

BAAC offers farmers credit line to delay rice sales
The Governor of Roi Et province has joined the director of the province’s Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) branch in announcing a slew of programs being enacted by the bank in line with government policy.
— NNT

Pheu Thai slams PM’s ‘out of control’ powers after reshuffle
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha should have thought twice before using his absolute Article 44 powers to transfer the director-general of the Department of Employment, a Pheu Thai Party figure said on Thursday.
— The Nation

Thai telecoms firm AIS’s profits up on more subscribers, lower costs
Advance Info Service Pcl (AIS) reported a 14 percent increase in third-quarter profits to 7.47 billion baht ($226 million) on Thursday, in line with expectations.
— Reuters

Thailand’s PTTEP incurs $264 mln loss after delaying Canadian oil sands project
Thailand’s PTT Exploration and Production Pcl, the upstream arm of energy giant PTT Group, reported on Thursday a third-quarter loss of $264 million, after booking a further $558-million impairment charge on its stalled Mariana Oil Sands project in Canada.
— Reuters

Suntory and PepsiCo make Thailand tie-up official
Two drinks giants, Suntory Beverage & Food Asia Pte Ltd and PepsiCo, confirmed yesterday that they will form a joint venture to expand in Thailand.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand and Bahrain agree to develop their cooperation
Thailand and Bahrain have announced to strengthen ties and expressed readiness to promote their cooperation in every dimension.
— NBT World (video)

Governors face dok mai chan inquiry
Two provincial governors are facing a formal investigation into their alleged mishandling of dok mai chan (sandalwood flower) laying rites during the late King’s cremation ceremony on Oct 26, while three district office chiefs in Bangkok have been transferred to inactive posts for similar reasons.
— Bangkok Post

People not allowed to go up to 1st, 2nd floors of royal crematorium during exhibition
People are not allowed to go up to see the 1st and 2nd floors of the royal crematorium after some of the visitors were found to behave improperly, Fine Arts Department director-general Anant Chuchote said on Nov 2.
— Thai PBS

Min of Tourism to focus on unique Thai identity in 2018 campaign
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports will focus on promoting the Thai identity in its 2018 tourism campaign and has launched the “Amazing Thailand Tourism 2018 Take-Off” campaign through VietJet Air’s fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft.
— NNT

Feature photo Royal Thai Army
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 November 3 added by John Le Fevre on November 3, 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.