Thailand Morning News For October 25

Fitch Upgrades TMB’s National Short-Term Rating; Affirms Other Thai Mid-Sized Banks
Fitch Ratings has upgraded TMB Bank Public Company Limited’s (TMB) National Short-Term Rating to ‘F1+(tha)’ from ‘F1(tha)’, and affirmed the bank’s Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR). The agency has also affirmed the Long-Term IDR of Bank of Ayudhya Public Company Limited (BAY), as well as the National Long-Term Ratings of Thanachart Bank Public Company Limited (TBANK) and Thanachart Capital Public Company Limited (TCAP).
— Reuters

Central Plains residents told to be prepared for flooding
The Royal Irrigation Department warns residents along the Chao Phraya river to brace themselves for flooding after Chao Phraya dam started to discharge more water.
— NBT World (video)

Unesco says schools failing kids
Accountability in the Thai education system needs to be improved and substantial challenges remain to improve the standards across all age groups, according to Unesco’s latest report.
—Bangkok Post

More communities in Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi flooded
More riverside communities in Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi provinces are swamped with water from rising Chao Phraya river resulting from more water being drained downstream from Chao Phraya dam in Chai Nat province compounded by high tide.
— Thai PBS

Ayutthaya warns river bank residents to get ready for evacuation as Chao Phraya river level rises
Residents along the Chao Phraya river in Ayutthaya are today (Oct 24) told to get ready for evacuation as the river level is to rise 30 centimetre higher today after the Royal Irrigation Department discharges more water from Chao Phraya dam to keep its storage water under critical level.
— Thai PBS

King urges more care for mourners
His Majesty the King has requested measures be taken to ensure the public is safe and well cared for during the royal cremation ceremony for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej tomorrow, taking into account weather conditions and other factors.
— Bangkok Post

Historic ceremony begins
Bangkok at centre of the nation’s attentions as mourners turn out to pay their final respects.
— The Nation

SSO to adjust collection rates
Thailand’s Social Security Office (SSO) has confirmed that it will collect social security payments to increase its funding base and that the matter will not be reconsidered as it has already passed the public discussion phase.
— NNT

Thai Oil upbeat on big growth in 2017 profit
Thai Oil Plc is confident that the company will post robust financial growth in the third quarter of of this year, thanks to the net profit from its stock movement of more than Bt2 billion, the company’s chief executive officer and president Atikom Terbsiri said yesterday.
— The Nation

Closed for the day
Businesses will pull down the shutters on Thursday to respect the cremation ceremonies. Here’s the list of closings – and special, free facilities.
— Bangkok Post

Anupong counters speed guns deal flak
Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda yesterday played down public criticism of the controversial 573 million baht procurement of 849 hand-held speed detectors.
— Bangkok Post

Cabinet endorses three housing projects for low-income earners
The cabinet on Tuesday (Oct 24) approved a housing project for low- and middle-income earners in Chon Buri province and two more housing projects in Pattani and Songkhla provinces for low-income government officials.
— Thai PBS

Police and FDA officials seize illegal medicines and food supplements
Consumer Protection Division (CPD) police and officials of the Food and Drugs Administration have seized 145 million baht worth of illegal medicines and food supplements from an online trader.
— Thai PBS

Fitch Rates Bank of Ayudhya’s Basel III Tier 2 THB Notes at ‘AA+(tha)’
Fitch Ratings (Thailand) has today assigned Bank of Ayudhya Public Company Limited’s (BAY; AAA(tha)/Stable) upcoming issue of Thai baht-denominated Basel III-compliant Tier 2 subordinated unsecured notes a National Long-Term Rating of ‘AA+(tha)’.
— Reuter

Annual vegetarian festival in full steam across Thailand
Enthusiasts of meat-free Chinese food have been enjoying the annual vegetarian festival across the country.
— NBT World (video)

Skill Development Department offers Thai cooking programs
The Ministry of Labor is following the government’s policy to establish Thailand as the Kitchen of the World by providing four Thai cooking seminars from November to December this year. Each of the programs accepts 20 students.
— NBT World (video)

PM Prayut concerned with Thai farmers’ well-being
The Prime Minister has been concerned with the well-being and the changing way of life of Thai farmers.
— NBT World (video)

Live telecast of royal cremation available on various channels
Activities during the royal cremation of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Oct 26 will be telecast live from Sanam Luang through various channels for the people throughout the country to watch, the public relations committee for the event announced on Oct 24.
— Thai PBS

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 25 added by John Le Fevre on October 25, 2017
View all posts by John Le Fevre →

Bio
Latest Posts

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.