B85bn double-track line gets go-ahead
The cabinet has given the green light to the 323km double-track rail route from Den Chai to Chiang Khong in the North.
— Bangkok Post
Tata Motors to stop manufacturing ops in Thailand
Tata Motors today said it has decided to stop manufacturing operations in Thailand citing viability issues but would continue to sell vehicles in the country through imports.
— Money Control
Warning: Be Alert For Flash Floods, Landslides Nationwide
Flash flooding and landslides are possible throughout the nation this week as torrential rains push water levels higher, disaster officials warned Tuesday.
— Khaosod English
KBank, KTB targeted in cyber-attacks
Cyber-attackers have stolen the data of 123,000 customers of Kasikornbank (KBank) and Krungthai Bank (KTB) in what appears to be the first massive data leak of local financial institutions.
— Bangkok Post
Slow August tipped for stock market
INVESTMENT experts forecast slower going in the march of the Thai stock market this month, with the pace of gains expected to ease as investors await further clues on the direction of the US Federal Reserve’s monetary policy.
— The Nation
Cabinet approves new debt aid for farmers
The cabinet has approved in principle the extension of debt repayment and lower lending rates for small-scale farmers as the latest move to help shore up the agricultural sector.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand wins gold & silver medals in international Olympiads
Thai students have won gold and silver medals in international olympiads in physics and chemistry.
— News Today (video)
City’s busiest road just got far worse
Commuters who rely on Lat Phrao Road in Bangkok are set for three more years of even heavier congestion as police ramp up traffic diversions from Wednesday to make way for construction of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand’s (MRTA) Yellow Line monorail.
— Bangkok Post
107-year old Karen spiritual leader granted Thai citizenship
Spiritual leader of ethnic Karens of Kaeng Krachan forest in Phetchaburi, 107-year old Ko-ee Meeme, registered for a Thai identity card at Kaeng Krachang district office on Tuesday after he was granted Thai citizenship.
— Thai PBS
Thanathorn may face computer crime charges
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the Future Forward group, may face a computer crime charge involving his Facebook Live broadcasting.
— Bangkok Post
MPI rises on production and exports
The Office of Industrial Economics (OIE) reported that the manufacturing production index (MPI) in June rose 4.7% year-on-year to 115.9, helped by higher production of cars, engines, sugar, air conditioners, plastics and electronic parts.
— Bangkok Post
Cryptocurrency Payments to be Accepted at Cinemas in Thailand
Cryptocurrency payments are to be integrated at a chain of movie theaters across Thailand in a move that will keep you on the edge of your seats. Major Cineplex will be allowing payments in crypto across its cinemas in Thailand in a move to encourage crypto usage in the nation.
— Crypto Disrupt
Thailand urges UK to return Yingluck to face prosecution
THE GOVERNMENT has asked the United Kingdom to extradite fugitive former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra for prosecution in Thailand.
— The Nation
Boat fiasco takes toll on July growth
The Phuket boat tragedy in July has begun to ripple through Thailand’s tourism industry, with growth in arrivals from China virtually flat that month.
— Bangkok Post
Laos tragedy sparks worry over Thailand’s small dams and reservoirs
AN ACADEMIC has voiced concerns about the maintenance of almost 9,000 small dams and reservoirs in Thailand following the Laos dam tragedy.
— The Nation (annoying popups)
City Hall to enforce footpath vending ban on Khao San Rd
Street vendors on Khao San Road, a major tourist destination, on Tuesday asked City Hall to overturn a district office order banning them from the footpaths from Aug 1, but the city administration refused.
— Bangkok Post
Isoc steps in over Phuket marine safety
The Phuket branch of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), which serves as the the political arm of the Thai military, today (July 31) stepped in and formally became involved in improving tour boat safety in Phuket.
— The Phuket News
Defence footprint grows in corridor
The government’s flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) scheme has long been promoted as a vehicle to upgrade the country’s industrial sector using technology.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand’s Energy Absolute to pour $3bn into battery ‘gigafactory’
Thai renewable power technology company Energy Absolute plans to invest $3 billion in an enormous battery “gigafactory,” betting electric vehicles and smart grids will soon catch on in Southeast Asia.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)
Asset management firms moving out of banking nest
The business structure of Thai asset management firms may not be dominated by banks in the future, as independent major shareholders could form the bedrock of the corporate structure.
— Bangkok Post
Delta Electronics, Inc. Announces Conditional Voluntary Tender Offer for Shares of Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL
Delta Electronics, Inc. (later referred as “Delta Electronics”) announced today its board of directors has approved a Conditional Voluntary Tender Offer through its subsidiary Delta Electronics Int’l (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (later referred as “DEISG”) to acquire the Thailand-listed outstanding shares of Delta Electronics (Thailand) Public Company Limited (later referred as “DET”) to strengthen its global manufacturing reach and to further enhance sales support in South East Asia and its related regions.
— AEC News Today/ Pr Newswire (media release)
Moody’s: Trade-tiff blow to global growth manageable
Trade tensions between the US and China will likely escalate further during the rest of the year and have a negative but manageable impact on global growth, says a report by Moody’s Investors Service.
— Bangkok Post
Loan Fund told to go after students
THE STUDENT Loan Fund (SLF) was yesterday instructed to take all necessary steps under a new law to collect overdue debts from borrowers before taking action against loan guarantors.
— The Nation
Thailand to host Miss Universe 2018 in December
Thailand has been chosen to host the Miss Universe pageant for the third time in December.
— Bangkok Post
Consumers embracing AI, PwC survey finds
Almost a third (32 per cent) of consumers surveyed globally by PwC plan to buy AI devices, including robots or automated assistants.
— The Nation
QH delays projects on weak market
SET-listed developer Quality Houses Plc (QH) has postponed the launch of three condo projects previously planned for 2018 to next year, due to oversupply and high land prices.
— Bangkok Post
Israeli ‘Aeronautics’ to Supply Dominator Drones to Thailand
Israeli company Aeronautics Ltd has won a $27 million contract to supply Dominator unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the Thai Ministry of Defense.
— DefenseWorld.net
RS strengthens platform commerce in tie-up with logistics firms
Leading entertainment company RS aims to strengthen its new multiple-platform commerce (MPC) business by joining forces with strategic partners and services.
— Bangkok Post
Life assurers report 5% growth in first half
Life assurance businesses reported 5% growth in total premiums for the first half, driven mainly by bancassurance and insurance agents, says the Thai Life Assurance Association (TLAA).
— Bangkok Post
Police identify and arrest prime suspects in shooting at Buddha Mountain, one a wealthy and prominent Phuket Business Owner
Police have identified and arrested the primary suspects in the shooting of a young Thai couple in broad daylight in front of dozens of tourists at popular local tourist attraction Buddha Mountain.
— The Pattaya News
Landslide hits Phu Chi Fah area
Five buildings on the route leading to Phu Chi Fah mountain peak, one of the most famous tourist destinations in Chiang Rai, have collapsed following a landslide triggered by week-long rains.
— Bangkok Post
Rayong grandmother gets back 117,000 baht in termite-damaged banknotes
Good fortune has smiled on a Rayong grandmother after she got back 117,000 baht in Thai banknotes that had been partially eaten by termites from police, a week after she dumped them in a garbage bin.
— The Thaiger
Feature photo Dickson Phua
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 August 1 added by John Le Fevre on
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John Le Fevre
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.
Latest posts by John Le Fevre (see all)
- COVID-19 in Asean: update for July 26 — 16 mln case barrier breached, Vietnam records community transmission – July 26, 2020
- COVID-19 in Asean: update for July 25 — new high for daily infections, 16 mln infection barrier to break today – July 25, 2020
- COVID-19 in Asean: update for July 24 — Asean tops 230,000 cases, nudges 90,000 active – July 24, 2020
- Thailand morning news for July 24 – July 24, 2020