Thailand Morning News For April 20

BOI sees record amount of requests filed in early 2018
The Board of Investment (BOI) has reported a record amount of investment support requests between January and March of this year with some 333 projects proposed worth a combined over 200 billion baht.
— NNT

PM chairs meeting to implement EEC smart city blueprint
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o- cha has chaired the meeting of the committee on Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) development policies, discussing the implementation of its smart city blueprint.
— News Today (video)

Police Commander dissatisfied with police officers Songkran results
The Commander of the Royal Thai Police has voiced dissatisfaction with the work of authorities during the Songkran holiday, especially with the commanding officers in three provinces.
— NNT

No swimming at Hua Hin beaches following bull shark discovery
Authorities in Prachuap Khiri Khan province have asked tourists to refrain from getting into the water off the beaches in Hua Hin district at this time, following the recent discovery of bull sharks in the area.
— NNT

Thailand’s Siam Commercial Bank profits drop as costs rise
Thailand’s second largest bank, Siam Commercial Bank Pcl (SCB), on Thursday reported a 4.6 percent decline in first-quarter net profit due to rise in costs and investments in digital banking.
— Reuters

NLA shoots down all 14 NBTC nominees
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Thursday (April 19) rejected all the 14 nominees for posts in the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission.
— Thai PBS

Prachuap Khiri Khan placing safety net in water to keep sharks away from swimmers
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) and local authorities in Prachuap Khiri Khan will place a 350-meter long net in the ocean to keep beachgoers at Hat Sai Noi Beach safe, in the wake of a shark attack on Sunday.
— NNT

New cryptocurrency laws hoped to help Thailand catch up with global digital trend
Thailand is hoping that new cryptocurrency laws will help it catch up with the fast-paced global digital trend.
— News Today (video)

BOT orders banks to tighten check of customer’s ID cards following True data leak
The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has ordered banks to tighten up checks of identity cards of customers following the leakage of ID cards of over 10,000 people from TrueMove H’s cloud storage.
— Thai PBS

PRD personnel trained on digital media
The Thai Government’s Public Relations Department (PRD) has sent its personnel to learn digital media production and broadcasting in an effort to keep up with social media.
— NNT

Panel to decide today on controversial Doi Suthep project
A DECISION on the controversial court housing project in Doi Suthep has been postponed to today after the Court of Justice again denied access to the project site yesterday amid clamour by opposition groups to demolish all buildings that encroached on forestland.
— The Nation

Commerce Min signs MoU on Mekong-Lancang Cooperation
The Ministry of Commerce has signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Projects of the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Special Fund with the Government of China, and another Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of development projects with Mekong Institute.
— NNT

Expedia reveals Thai tourist hotspots
Expedia Group, the world’s largest online travel company that includes Expedia.com, AirAsiaGo, Hotels.com and other travel brands, has released its 2017 data revealing trends in hotel demand and how these insights resonate with Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s “Open to the New Shades of Thailand” campaign.
— The Nation

Relevant ministries meet on production of medical personnel
Thailand’s Ministries of Education and Public Health have met to discuss guidelines for producing medical personnel in accordance with the 20-year national strategy.
— NNT

Thailand preparing to host 12th ASEAN Skills Competition
Thailand is making preparations to host the 12th ASEAN Skills Competition whose objective is to urge adolescents and workers in the region to be enthusiastic about developing their skills in line with new technology.
— News Today (video)

Bangkok property allure rises for Chinese
CHINESE developers have bulked up their presence in the Bangkok property market with a steady pace of condominium unit launches at projects worth more than Bt30 billion in the first quarter of this year as the city cements its status as a prime destination for Chinese investments, property experts said.
— The Nation

Alibaba to invest $320 million in Thailand, as rivals boost presence
Alibaba is investing $320 million in Thailand as the e-commerce giant aims to tap Chinese consumers’ appetite for the Southeast nation’s agricultural goods and for its tourism market amid growing competition from rivals.
— Reuters

Govt helps fruit farmers export to India
Thailand’s Department of Internal Trade, under the Ministry of Commerce, has arranged a business matching session for Thai farmers and Indian importers in the hope of increasing marketing channels for Thai fruits.
— NNT

Supalai’s Q1 pre-sales up 17 per cent over 2017
Listed property firm Supalai Plc has announced total presale worth Bt8.83 billion in the first quarter of this year or up 17 per cent from the same period last year, said the company’s managing director, Tritecha Tangmatitham in a press release yesterday.
— The Nation

Commerce Ministry signs MoU on Mekong Lancang Cooperation
The Ministry of Commerce has signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Projects of the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Special Fund with the Government of China, and a Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of development projects with Mekong Institute.
— News Today (video)

Analysts undecided on KTB-TMB merger
A merger between Krungthai Bank (KTB) and TMB Bank is possible because the Finance Ministry is a major shareholder in both financial institutions, analysts say, although the benefits of such a deal remain unclear.
— Bangkok Post

Court acquits charges of 7 female environmentalists in Loei
A court in Loei has acquitted seven anti-mine activists of coercing administrative officials and violating the controversial public assembly law. Their actions constituted freedom of expression and were mere to protect their community, said the judge.
— Prachatai

Foreign tourist arrivals exceed 10 million in Q1
The Thai tourism sector has been doing well so far this year, with more foreign visitors than last year and 12 percent growth in domestic travel during the Songkran Festival.
— News Today (video)

Business-matching platform set up for Thai fruit growers, Indian traders
The Department of Internal Trade has opened a business-matching platform for Thai fruit growers and Indian traders.
— NNT

Brunei Darussalam royalty member drowns in Krabi
A member of the Brunei Darussalam royal family drowned while swimming in the sea of Krabi province on Wednesday (April 18).
— Thai PBS

Strong demand in Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi
Demand for residential property in the Phaya Thai and Rathathewi areas of central Bangkok is currently being driven by both business and education, alongside a serious lack of new supply.
— Thailand Property News

Alibaba takes durian on board in Thai deal
Internet giant Alibaba will sign four memorandums of understanding, one of which will commit the company to promoting Thai rice and durians in the Chinese market through its platforms.
— Fresh Plaza

‘Flexible’ Villa Market embraces e-shopping
Villa Market JP Co, the wholly owned operator of the supermarket chain, is taking a digital approach to boost sales growth this year.
— Bangkok Post

Military closely monitors movement of disciples of five senior monks implicated in temple fund fraud
The military is closely monitoring reaction by disciples and followers of the five senior monks implicated in temple fund embezzlement but so far there was no unusual movement.
— Thai PBS

Some property remains unsold for years
There are some houses in Thailand that have remained unsold for many years. So, news that it takes an average of nineteen property viewings to sell a home in the United Kingdom would be welcome news to some Thailand property owners.
— Thailand Property News

Govt, private sector join hands in developing organic agriculture
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Thai Organic Agriculture Confederation have signed an MoU to urgently develop organic agriculture with Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS).
— NNT

A stunning house with a successful Thai neighbour
An award-winning modern country home, about 30 miles west of London, comes with an exclusive neighbour.
— Thailand Property News

Satun Geopark gains Unesco recognition
The people of the southern province of Satun have expressed their delight, after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has endorsed the designation of Satun Geopark as Thailand’s first Geopark for its rich geographical and cultural diversity.
— NNT

Kabang Police Station launches job training project for former drug addicts
Kabang Police Station in the southernmost province of Yala has launched a job training project to enable former drug addicts to gain a new lease on life.
— NNT

Bang Phli police station introduces drive-through traffic ticket payment service
Bang Phli police station in Samut Prakan province has introduced what they claimed to be the country’s first drive-through traffic ticket payment service to facilitate traffic violaters in paying fines at the station.
— Thai PBS

6.7% of those reporting for draft are drug users
More than 12,200 young men reporting for military conscription this year have tested positive for use of illicit drugs so far, with Kalasin having the highest number and many more results still to come.
crime, drugs, military,
— The Phuket News

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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 April 20 added by John Le Fevre on April 20, 2018
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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.