Thailand English-language News for January 15

In Thailand English-language News for January 16, 2018, Newsline presenter Cholaphansa Narula tells us about:

00:46 | President of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), Pornpetch Wichitcolchai, said that the legislature is still waiting on the organic laws relating to municipal elections.

Meanwhile, deputy prime minister Dr Wissanu Krea-ngam said he expects municipal elections will take place some time around the middle of this year.

01:48 | Defence ministry spokesperson Lieutenant General Kongcheep Tantrawanit said yesterday that the latest ministry meeting had drafted a unity and reconciliation plan which is said to involve collaboration from all sectors of Thai society. The plan focuses on promoting love, unity, reconciliation and a sense of responsibility among the Thai people.

Meanwhile the Ministry of Interior (MoI) will continue its policy of educating people about democracy, sufficiency economy philosophy, and national reform.

03:11 | The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) may consider amending the value cap on gifts that holders of political office can accept, though has said such an amendment will not take place for some time. Currently the limit is set at Bt3,000 (about US$94) per person, per occasion.

04:17 | The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) plans to ramp up its battle with illegal drugs and has upgraded its 1386 call centre to receive information from the public 24-hours a day.

05:47 | The Rubber Authority of Thailand (Rat) will today buy its first lot of 1,200 tons of para rubber for use by government agencies. The Rat plans to buy 200,000 tons of para rubber in a bid to prop up Thailand rubber farmers.

07:10 | Newsline speaks with National Economic Reform Chairman Prasarn Trairatvorakul about the objectives and target audience of the Equitable Education Fund.

16:34 | The director-general of the Department of Land Transport (DLT), Sanit Promwong, has urged drivers of vehicles with red licence plates to register their vehicles within one month of obtaining their vehicle to avoid penalty. Mr Sanit also told car sellers to promptly prepare documents for registration and to clearly specify the date that the buyer received the car. Those who fail to register will be fined the maximum penalty of Bt10,000 (about US$311), he said.

17: 36 | The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) has organised a youth camp for high school students aimed at developing young entrepreneurs. Winners of competitions held over the two-day event were awarded scholarships worth more than Bt20 million (about US$623,000).

18:26 | Thailand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Don Pramudwinai, will pay an official visit to Brunei Darussalam on January 15 and 16 to further strengthen bilateral relations. The two countries hope to boost cooperation in areas such as agriculture, trade and investment, and the halal industry. Between January and November 2017 two-way trade between the two countries was value at US$637 million, a 2 per cent increase over the year prior.

19: 22 | Thailand will host the sixth meeting of the Thailand-China Joint Committee on Trade, Investment and Economic Cooperation at a deputy ministerial level in February with a committee to be formed with the goal of improving the Thai-China trade relationship. The meeting aims to boost two-way trade between the two countries from the current $67 billion to $120 billion by 2020.

20:37 | The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) yesterday raised its alert to level 2 for the Mayon volcano in central Albay Province, Philippines, saying there was rising levels of magma which could lead to eruptions unleashing ash and rocks.

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Newsline is a daily Thailand English-language news and current affairs programme produced by the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNBT) under the Thailand Government Public Relations Department (PRD) for *NBT World, the NNBTs 24/7 English language television service delivering Thailand government news and information to the Thai, Asean, and wider Asian communities. AEC News Today publishes Thailand English-language News M-F.