Thailand Morning News For October 24

Excise Dept: 90% progress made on implementing 2017 Excise Tax Act
The Excise Department has reported that the enforcement of the new 2017 Excise Tax Act has made 90% progress.
— NNT

PM expresses concerns over agricultural issues
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha expressed his concerns over agricultural issues, calling on farmers to adjust their methods to minimize costs and maximize yields.
— NNT

Khon Kaen stacking up sandbags to divert floodwater
People in Khon Kaen province are using sandbags to divert water released from Ubolratana Dam.
— NBT World (video)

GHB looks at rates respite amid tightening trend
GOVERNMENT Housing Bank (GHB) will likely put its lending rates on hold for six to eight months in an effort to ease the interest burden on its borrowers.
— The Nation

Flooding still severe in many parts of the country
Citizens in the lower north, central and northeast continue to suffer from flood conditions with water levels not showing any sign of receding.
— NNT

Farmers race to harvest flooded crops in Isan
Farmers in Khan Dong district were left with no choice but to harvest their crops prematurely as water from the overflowing Moon River spread over at least 2,000 rai of paddy fields at four villages in the north of the province, and was continuing to rise.
— Bangkok Post

Best Western keen to expand in budget market
BEST Western Hotels & Resorts is seeking opportunities to introduce all three of its sub-brands under its SureStay Hotel Group in Thailand to cash in on the country’s rising demand for globally branded, standardised budget accommodation, said Olivier Berrivin, Best Western Hotels & Resorts managing director for international operations, Asia.
— The Nation

SRT to expropriate land for high-speed rail links between airports
Privately owned land in Chachoengsao and Chon Buri is to be expropriated for the construction of stations for high-speed rail lines linking three airports, a senior State Railway of Thailand official said on Monday.
— The Nation

TCC says Thai economy to grow in Q4
The Thai Chamber of Commerce expects the Thai economy to grow in the fourth quarter of the year, as the tourism and export sectors improve.
— NNT

THAI dinged for on-time performance
Thai Airways International’s (THAI) shoddy record on punctuality has caused Thai travellers to sarcastically refer its airline code TG as “tomorrow go”.
— Bangkok Post

NBTC injects Q3 earnings into DE Fund
The Secretary-General of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has disclosed that the body has injected 190.58 million baht from its third quarter earnings into the Digital Economy (DE) Fund in accordance with the Digital Economy and Society Development Act.
— NNT

Dtac profit falls 8.8% in Q3
Thailand’s Dtac has reported an 8.8% year-on-year decrease in net profit for the third quarter of 2017 as a result of declining revenue and costs associated with network investment.
— Telecomasia.net

Commerce Minister orders farm goods chain development plan be drafted
The Minister of Commerce has directed three of the office’s departments to draft plans that enhance the farm goods chain, and to identify more markets for produce.
— NNT

HM the King advises opening of more public viewing spaces for royal funeral
His Majesty the King has kindly instructed the government to allocate more areas for people observing the royal cremation ceremony at Sanam Luang while the government is satisfied with the recent full-dress rehearsals of royal funeral processions.
— NNT

150,000 police officers to be deployed nationwide during cremation week
The Royal Thai Police has announced no fewer than 150,000 police officers will be deployed at funeral sites across Thailand during cremation week.
— NBT World (video)

Feature photo Thailand Department of Fine Arts/ AEC News Today
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 October 24 added by John Le Fevre on October 23, 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.