Thailand Morning News For April 9

U-Tapao International Airport’s Key Role in Thailand’s EEC Success (HD video)
The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) is the great hope for Thailand to leap aboard the Industry 4.0 evolution, breaking it free from the middle income trap and propelling it to upper-middle-income status.
— AEC News Today (video)

11 drug plants ‘churn out 20m pills a day’
The Narcotics Suppression Bureau admitted Sunday that at least 11 drug manufacturing facilities were located “near Thailand’s northern border” with a combined daily production capacity of more than 20…
— Bangkok Post

SCB to close 200 branches
Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) plans to shutter 200 physical branches this year as part of its three-year plan to cut operating costs by 30% by 2020 and move towards digital banking.
— Bangkok Post

Digital ID ‘will be boon to economy’
A NATIONAL digital ID platform is coming soon, and its arrival will allow people online to open bank account, apply for loans and enjoy the services of other businesses and government agencies, says a key developer.
— The Nation

Customs seized 28 kgs of heroin hidden in hollowed-out rubber pillows
Customs officials seized 28 kilogrammes of heroin worth about 100 million baht in street price in a shipment of para rubber pillows to be shipped to Hong Kong at Klong Toey port on Sunday (Apr 8).
— Thai PBS

Big push for renewable energy as companies plan to invest more than Bt130 billion this year
Bangchak Corporation Plc has set aside an investment budget of Bt30 billion. On April 5, 2018, the company announced the Bangchak Initiative and Innovation Centre (BiiC) would invest in an alternative energy start-up in the US and in green products firms Semtive Co Ltd and Bonumose Co Ltd. This is a part of its business expansion into alternative and green energy.
— The Nation

Protesters rally in Chiang Mai against controversial Doi Suthep project
Hundreds of people joined a rally on Sunday morning to protest against the controversial construction of a court building and residences for court officials at the foot of Doi Suthep mountain in Chiang Mai province.
— The Nation

Owners of fishing boats threaten to stop fishing to protest against IUU restrictions
Owners of fishing boats in Pattani have threatened to stop fishing to put pressure on the government to ease restrictions on illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing which they claim are impractical and affect their business.
— Thai PBS

PM promotes GI registration of farm products
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has encouraged farmers to make a Geographic Indication (GI) registration to increase the value-added of their products.
— NNT

PM stresses importance of secondary cities to tourism growth
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed tourism related agencies to promote destinations in 55 secondary cities.
— NNT

Manila to order 250,000 tonnes of emergency rice import from Thailand or Vietnam
The Philippines is considering an emergency purchase of up to 250,000 tonnes of rice either from Thailand or Vietnam to replenish its depleging rice reserves for domestic consumption, according to The Manila Times Online report on Saturday (April 7).
— Thai PBS

Activists lament poor consumer protection for medical services
CONSUMER protection for healthcare service remains very poor, according to health activists as they point to the lack of price controls for medical services and the continuing illegal denial by many private hospitals of Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP).
— The Nation

Closing Maya Bay – Tough steps to save reeling paradise
The young American backpacker Richard found his way to Bangkok, arriving in Khao San Road bustling with backpackers, before venturing further to a so-called paradise, where he joined the neo-hippie lifestyle pursued by a number of adventurous tourists who arrived before him.
–The Thaiger

UK keen to invest in EEC: Commerce minister
Commerce Minister Sonthirat Sonthijirawong confirmed that the United Kingdom was interested in expanding trade and investment with Thailand, especially regarding investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) project.
— NNT

PM calls for solutions to controversial housing project for judiciary officers
The Prime Minister has called on responsible agencies to come up with a solution to the problematic housing project for judicial officers, being developed at the foot of Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai province
— News Today (video)

PM contented that OECD is happy with government’s national administration
The progress in solving the nation’s problems has caused much contentment in OECD, and the prime minister has shown contentment with the present government’s administration of the nation.
— News Today (video)

Doi Suthep project damages our judiciary
The talk of the town over the past week and days to come, especially for residents of Chiang Mai, is none other than the housing and office building project for judges and officials of the Region 5 Appeals Court in the forest at the foot of Doi Suthep mountain in Mae Rim district.
— Bangkok Post

11.9% increase in air travel during water festival
Measures are put in place at airports across Thailand in preparation for the increasing number of flights during the annual Songkran Festival.
— News Today

Japan offers loans for high-tech HR
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has offered 2.7 billion baht in soft loans to the Thai government to fund human resource development projects for industries handling high technology and innovation.
— Bangkok Post

Telecoms relief plan draws flak
Opposition to the controversial relief plan allowing two telecom operators to extend payment for the 900-megahertz mobile spectrum has intensified ahead of Tuesday’s cabinet meeting.
— NNT

PM wishes next administration abandons populist policies
The Prime Minister said he wishes the next government will be committed to prevent all forms of corruption and abandon populist policies that result in long-term damages.
— News Today (video)

Commerce Ministry keeping tabs on prices of consumer goods
The Ministry of Commerce is keeping an eye on the prices of everyday products to make sure that consumers are not taken advantage of during the Thai New Year.
— News Today (video)

Spectrum slot surge on the NBTC agenda
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) plans to allocate 380 megahertz of downlink and uplink slots through four spectrum ranges by 2020 to develop the digital infrastructurel andscape
— Bangkok Post

Chiang Rai steps up enforcement of helmets for motorcyclists
The city of Chiang Rai has stepped up the enforcement of the helmet law among motorcyclists.
— NNT

Honor World Carnival is Coming to Thailand
According to sales figures as of March 25, Honor’s sales outside of China almost doubled in the first quarter of 2018. To thank fans for their support, Honor World Carnival will offer an unmatched US$270 million in cumulative savings to consumers.
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)

Feature photo John Le Fevre

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 April 9 added by John Le Fevre on April 9, 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.