Thailand Morning News For November 9

Government sets deadlines for ranking improvement
Thailand is aiming for No.2 in Asean in the World Bank’s next ease of doing business rankings for 2019 after the country rose to 26th in the 2018 list from 48th the year before.
— Bangkok Post

Thai c.bank holds key rate steady, cites better growth outlook
Thailand’s central bank on Wednesday left its benchmark interest rate unchanged again at 1.50 percent, saying monetary policy still supports the country’s economic recovery at a time of high household debt.
— Reuters

GSI continuing on uptrend
The Government Savings Bank (GSB) has reported that the nation’s Grassroots Sentiment Index (GSI) rose in the third quarter, with the trend set to continue in the fourth quarter on assistance programs from the state.
—NNT

Narathiwat warned to brace for floods
Heavy rain during the past few days in southern Thailand has caused the water level in the Kolok River in Narathiwat to rise continually, as the Royal Irrigation Department has instructed local authorities to promptly warn people of potential flooding tomorrow (November 9th).
— NNT

PM Prayut raises six questions on future of Thai politics
The Prime Minister has asked six new questions for the public to answer about how they want Thai politics to function in the future.
— NNT

NBTC endorses terms for the auction of 900 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum
The board of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has approved a draft announcement of the terms and licenses for the auction of 900 MHz and 1900 MHz spectrum, said NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith on Wednesday (Nov 8).
— Thai PBS

Thailand Halal Assembly 2017 will be held late Nov
The Halal Standard Institute of Thailand in collaboration with relevant units will organize the Thailand Halal Assembly 2017 at the end of November to showcase the potential of Thai Halal products and quality development with science and technology.
— NBT World (video)

Major bank invests more in digital service
Kasikorn Bank has rolled out its strategy to enter the digital era, setting a credit growth target of 5-7% in accordance with the Thai economy which is expected to grow by 3.7%.
— NNT

Cabinet approves extension of 2018 New Year holiday
The Cabinet has approved a plan to make the upcoming New Year holiday longer than it was originally to be.
— NBT World (video)

Cabinet greenlights 23 day tax incentive for shoppers
The Cabinet has resolved to stimulate domestic spending during the end-of-year season with a tax incentive campaign, to be effective for 23 days.
— NBT World (video)

PM Prayut confirms no plan to set up new political party
The Prime Minister has confirmed he has no plan to set up a new political party just yet.
— NBT World (video)

Thailand’s main party urges junta to end ban on political activity
Thailand’s Puea Thai Party on Wednesday urged the ruling junta to end a ban on political activity since the 2014 coup, saying it feared a delay could signal that a general election promised for next year might be pushed back yet again.
— Reuters

Top Thai retailer Central Q3 profit soars on insurance payment
Central Pattana Pcl, Thailand’s largest shopping mall operator, said on Wednesday its net profit for the third quarter soared as it cut costs and booked a non-recurring insurance payment.
— Reuters

Pace to sell B14.5bn in assets
In the latest effort to tackle its massive debt, embattled Pace Development Corporation Plc plans to raise funds through recapitalisation and the sale of two residential projects whose acquisition value could be 14.5 billion baht.
— Bangkok Post

Three-million-baht train tickets purchased with welfare cards in first week: SRT
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has announced the gross transactions for train ticket purchases using welfare cards for low-income earners have reached some three million baht during the first week since introduced.
— NNT

Thai MICE reaps benefits of online channels
The Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry has benefited from the online market. TCEB, Thailand’s official body responsible for MICE, has reported that its website for online marketing has been well accepted.
— NNT

Pracharat project with Tesco Lotus to directly buy rice from farmers
Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has joined with supermarket chain Tesco Lotus in a Pracharat program for the purchase and retail sale of jasmine rice from 4 northeastern provinces with an aim to move 5,700 tons in the first year.
— NNT

Thai property developer pays $6m for minority stake in Monocle ahead of Asian expansion for title
Thailand’s Sansiri group has taken a stake in monthly international lifestyle magazine Monocle.
— Press Gazette

Senior Thai royal official dismissed in latest shake-up: palace
Thailand’s Royal Household Bureau has dismissed a top palace official for “extremely evil behavior”, a note on Wednesday said, in what appears to be the latest shake-up under new King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
— Reuters

Phuket Immigration online system to check permit-to-stay approvals now operational
Phuket Immigration Chief Col Kathathorn Kumthieng has confirmed that the new online system to check the status of extensions for foreigner visa applications is now operational.
— The Phuket News

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 November 9 added by John Le Fevre on November 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.