All the #Thailand #news you need to know for August 14

Populist budget close to legal limit
Little room remains in the budget for the government to spend further on populist policies through state-owned financial institutions, as populist spending is nearing the cap of 30% of the annual budget, says an informed source at the Finance Ministry.
— Bangkok Post

Government urged to help 1.2m desperately poor Thais
AT LEAST 1.2 million Thais are desperately poor and need urgent help from the government, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) said.
— The Nation

NLA drops plan to amend EC law on poll inspectors
After encountering heavy criticism, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) might revise its decision to seek an amendment to the Election Commission (EC) law, an NLA source said yesterday.
— The Nation

Strong foreign demand sends Thai rice export projection to 11 million tons this year
Growing demand for Thai rice abroad has prompted an export estimate of 11 million tons this year with the Ministry of Commerce reporting 6.7 million tons already exported as of August 8.
— NNT

Warning of approaching depression for North and NE during Aug 15-16
The Meteorological Department today issued a warning to people in the northern and northeastern provinces to brace for heavy rain and accumulated rainfall which may cause flash flood, river or stream overflow and landslides during August 15-16 as a result of a depression.
— Thai PBS

Labor Protection and Welfare Dept approves loan worth ฿10 million to help debtors at Lad Krabang Industrial Estate
The Department of Labor Protection and Welfare has approved a loan of 10 million baht from the Labor Fund to assist people with informal debt at Lad Krabang Industrial Estate in Bangkok.
— NNT

P125-M rice from Thailand seized at MICP
One hundred containers of white rice said to be worth P125 million, consigned to a firm with a pending rice smuggling case, were seized at the Manila International Container Port Monday.
— Tempo

MVNOs ask NBTC for laxer regulations
Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) have urged the telecom regulator to ease their fixed operating costs, amend burdensome regulations and promote the model as an alternative in the mobile market to foster healthy competition.
— Bangkok Post

NBTC prepares for e-bidding for govt internet concessions
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is organizing an auction for concessions in the government’s Net Pracharat program.
— NNT

Thai study raises concerns over rights and brain injuries among young muay thai fighters
With cheers and the promise of money attracting some 200,000 youngsters under the age of 15 to go into muay thai, human-rights and health advocates in Thailand have raised concerns about the violation of their rights and the possible impact punches and kicks may have on their brain development.
— The Straits Times

Huawei puts B700m into data centres
Chinese tech giant Huawei has announced plans to build two data centres at a cost of 700 million baht in Thailand to offer cloud services to public and private customers.
— Bangkok Post

Deal struck to curb Thai, Lao car fumes
The Thai and Lao pollution control agencies have agreed to work together to reduce air pollution caused by vehicles in the two countries, especially at border checkpoints.
— Bangkok post

Finance Minister vows low loan rates
Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong has assured that state-owned banks will maintain the lowest possible loan interest rates to alleviate the consumers’ burden.
— News Today (video)

PM calls for agricultural adjustments to fix low prices of farm products
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha advised the agricultural sector to make adjustments in order to sustainably solve the low prices of farm products.
— NNT

Chinese Mice travellers surging
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is strengthening the China market with an aim to draw more than 160,000 Chinese business people to Thailand this fiscal year, which runs through September.
— Bangkok Post

PM Prayut: Farmers should work in groups to achieve economy of scale
The Prime Minister has suggested farmers work in groups in order to achieve economy of scale and efficiently improve product quality.
— NNT

Ecology monks in Thailand seek to end environmental suffering
As development in Thailand is increasing, so is deforestation. Acres of forests are cleared for contract farming, habitats are torn down to make room for new factories, and soil is eroded, causing massive flooding during the rainy season.
— Mongabay

Activists plan lawsuits over farm chemicals
ACTIVISTS ARE planning to launch lawsuits against policymakers for their failure to ban certain hazardous agrochemicals in Thailand, following victories in two separate cases in the United States against major US agriculture conglomerate Monsanto.
— The Nation

Rajjaprabha dam in Surat Thani to discharge more water
Rajjaprabha dam will discharge more water from the reservoir to make room for more rainwater throughout rainy season, with the discharging volume closely monitored to minimize the adverse effects to villagers downstream.
— NNT

A New Vietnam-Thailand Navy Pact?
This week, the chief of the Thai navy’s hydrographic department paid a visit to Vietnam in yet another official exchange between the two Southeast Asian states.
— The Diplomat (paywall)

Khao Yai hit by severe runoff
Tourists at Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Nayok were warned yesterday to steer clear of Nang Rong and Wang Takhrai waterfalls and stay on high ground because of mountain runoff caused by heavy rain.
— Bangkok Post

Innovative technologies displayed at Thailand Research Expo 2018
The final day of the Thailand Research Expo 2018 saw a parade of researchers, academics and members of the public viewing the various research projects on display, especially a piece of technology designed to alert caretakers when those under their care fall out of bed.
— NNT

Thailand: Government Cracks Down on Human Trafficking, Child Porn
A Thai government crackdown on human trafficking last month including cases involving child pornography led to the arrests of more than 30 suspects in about 20 cases, police officials announced this week.
— Benar News

Lawyer’s group to Wan Azizah: Why was child bride packed off to Thailand?
The Lawyers for Liberty wants Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to explain why the Kelantan child bride was packed off to Thailand, with no prosecution against her “paedophile” husband.
— StarOnline

Thai students win medals in robot competition in China
Thai students have honored the Kingdom, in collecting several medals in the ‘ROBOT CHALLENGE 2018’ event in Beijing China.
— NNT

Covestro’s third plant ‘operational’ by next year
Covestro Deutschland AG, a German supplier of polymer materials, has announced a third manufacturing plant for special film in Thailand.
— Bangkok Post

Trump backs boycott of Thai-made Harley-Davidson bikes
Donald Trump in a spontaneous tweet on August 12 endorsed boycott calls by a 180-people-strong fan group called “Bikers for Trump” who said they would not buy Harley bikes anymore if manufacturing moves overseas, including to a new factory in Thailand.
— Investine

Unlit construction zone creates deathtrap at highways 36-7 interchange
Motorists say roadwork to widen Highway 36 in Kratinglai has created a deathtrap where large holes and drop-offs are invisible in the dark.
— PattayaMail

Reordering the landscape
Technology, transport, property, legislation and finance are only the beginning when considering the facets of Bangkok that will be entirely transformed in a mere two years.
— Bangkok Post

One injured as fire destroys Phuket tour boat, amid tour
All 20 tourists are safe, but a boat mechanic remains injured, after the tour boat they were on a day trip on caught fire off Phuket earlier today (Aug 13).
— The Phuket News

Dusit Thani gets a BBB+ ahead of debt issue
Tris Rating gives Dusit Thani Plc a BBB+ for both the company rating and the proposed issuance of 1 billion baht in unsecured debentures under a 5-billion-baht medium-term debenture programme.
— Bangkok Post

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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 August 14 added by John Le Fevre on August 14, 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.