Thailand morning news for December 3

Chinese Producers Fleeing Trade War Buoy Leading Thai Developer
The upheaval in global supply chains triggered by the trade dispute between the U.S. and China is benefiting the largest developer of industrial estates in Thailand.
— Bloomberg

Thailand detains Taiwanese citizen over anti-China broadcasts
A Taiwanese businessman has been detained in Thailand for allegedly helping an underground online radio broadcast aimed at Chinese listeners.
— The Thaiger

Release policies, parties told
The business community is urging political parties to spell out their economic policies ahead of the general election, asking for the chance to plan for challenges post-poll.
— Bangkok Post (annoying popups)

National economy to grow steadily: FPO
Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) Director Lawaron Saengsanit has confirmed that the national economic situation reflects the growth of Gross Domestic Product.
— NNT

Workforce view brightens on new hires
THE ranks of workers rose 1.7 per cent in the third quarter of this year, driven by a three-year high in non-farm employment and fueling expectations for further gains in the year’s final quarter, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) said .
— The Nation

Finance mulls 5 percent VAT refund for shoppers as Chinese New Year’s gift
The Finance Ministry plans to introduce 5 percent value-added tax (VAT) refund as a Chinese New Year’s gift to shoppers who spend up to 20,000 baht during February 1-15 festive season with their debit cards that are linked to PromptPay system in order to boost domestic spending.
— Thai PBS World

Tax measure for shoppers designed to help farmers: Revenue Dept
The tax deduction campaign for shoppers is largely designed to help farmers, said Revenue Department’s (RD) Spokesman Pinsai Suraswadi.
— NNT

Thai workforce ‘needs to be reskilled’
SMART INVESTMENT in human resources and infrastructure are necessary to advance the Thailand 4.0 policy and develop the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), experts suggest.
— The Nation

UNESCO lists Khon as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity
The Department of Cultural Promotion has set out plans to promote the Thai Khon performance throughout 2019 after it was accepted by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
— NBT World

Investors visit U-Tapao Airport prior to February’s auction
Potential investors on Saturday visited the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) to observe the U-Tapao Airport expansion project before they bid on a construction contract in February.
— NNT

Deputy PM orders authorities to beef up security measures
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Prawit Wongsuwan, has instructed relevant authorities to tighten security measures to crack down on war weapons and transnational criminal networks.
— NNT

University staff members declare support for anti-graft agency
As university council members are threatening an en masse resignation to protest against the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s requirement for them to declare their assets and those of their spouses and children, university staff members and general affairs officials are lining up in its support.
— Thai PBS World

South Africa proposes to host 5th Thailand-South Africa JTC meeting
South Africa has offered to host the 5th Thailand-South Africa JTC meeting, inviting Thai businesspersons to join forces and explore for trade and investment opportunities in South Africa.
— NNT

Free Internet and other pre-election goodies roll out for Christmas
N A BID to garner popularity ahead of the election scheduled for February, the government has finalised plans to give more than 11 million low-income people free Internet SIM cards and other state subsidies that will together cost taxpayers billions of baht.
— The Nation

Finance Ministry to seek Cabinet approval on tax incentive to spur year-end spending
The Ministry of Finance is planning to propose a new tax break to the Cabinet, hoping to bolster public spending throughout the month of December.
— NBT World

Calls for better plastic waste management
Mr. Christian Wiedmann, President, BMW Group Thailand told Thai media today that BMW will be taking another big step forward in our electro-mobility strategy.
— Chiang Rai Times

Public Health Ministry aims to end AIDS problem by 2030
On the occasion of the World’s AIDS Day on December 1, the Ministry of Public Health has set a target to resolve AIDS problems by reducing the number of new cases of people infected with HIV to a maximum of 1,000 and the fatality rate of AIDS sufferers to not exceeding 4,000 cases per year by the year 2030.
— Thai PBS World

Symposium on Cyberspace and Cybersecurity launched in Bangkok
The Symposium on International Cyberspace has been launched in Bangkok, bringing together former leaders from several countries and experts in the field of cybersecurity for general discussions.
— NBT World

Finance Minister wants free Internet SIMs given to underprivileged
The Finance Ministry has proposed that the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) give free Internet SIM cards to low-income earners on the state welfare card scheme.
— The Nation

Smiling Buffalo Reunited With Farmer by Anonymous Donor
A buffalo who captured the nation’s heart was back loping around with his friends in sunny, grassy Chai Nat province after an anonymous donor paid a bond for his release from police lockup.
— Khaosod English

Thailand Works Towards Banishing the AIDS Virus by 2030
Thailand has made significant progress towards its ambitious goal of ending Aids by 2030 – something UNAids hopes to accomplish but for which few countries are on a good track.
— Chiang Rai Times

PM: Thailand has been peaceful for past four years
The Prime Minister said Thailand has enjoyed a peaceful atmosphere for the past four years as his administration continues laying down strong fundamentals for future growth.
— NBT World

Decentralisation the answer to Thailand’s education woes: Sudarat
Major political parties provided a glimpse of their education policy platforms to help Thailand reform its failing education sector, as the country counts down to next year’s general election.
— The Nation

Rights groups urge Thailand against deporting Bahraini footballer
Human rights organisations are urging Thailand against deporting a refugee footballer from Bahrain, warning he could be persecuted or wrongfully detained in the Gulf country.
— Aljazeera

Bad Company Motorcycle Club holds Charity Event for Hand to Hand and children in need
At 11.00 am on November 30, 2018 at Ponderosa Resort in Soi Siam Country Club, Mr. Magnes Nilsen Mr. Bjorn Sunessoiy, Mr. Hakan Soderberg, Mr. Henrik Olsen, Mr. Tomi Tiussa, Mr. Mikael Trygg and Mc BAD COMPANY Pattaya organized a charity event, selling products and bringing all the money to the Hand to Hand Foundation of Pattaya, which benefits children in need.
— The Pattaya News

Government to give 1,500 baht/rai cash handouts to oil palm planters
In yet another populist move, the National Oil Palm Committee led by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan plans to give away 1,500 baht/rai cash handout to 150,000 oil palm planters to subsidize their production cost.
— Thai PBS World

A Thai-made robot that takes care of those with Alzheimer’s
CT Robotics has launched its latest version of a Thai-made-and-designed robot, “Dinsow Mini 2”, which is embedded with artificial intelligence and is designed to be a companion for the elderly, especially those with Alzheimer’s.
— The Nation

Thai Navy meets with potential investors of U-Tapao Airport expansion
The Royal Thai Navy has led a group of potential investors to Thailand’s east coast ahead of next year’s bidding for the U-Tapao Airport expansion project.
— NBT World

Khon of Thailand, Khol of Cambodia Recognized by UNESCO
Who owns Khon? The United Nations on Thursday settled a long-disputed question by recognizing both forms of a traditional dance in Thailand and Cambodia as world heritage.
— Khaosod English

Thailand’s SEC Clarifies How Laws Can Apply To Crypto Asset Securities
he Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has decided to explain how already existing laws could be applied to crypto securities.
— Bitcoin Exchange Guide

Thai government joins hands with Alibaba to develop Thai SMEs
In April this year, Jack Ma, the co-founder of the global E-Commerce giant ‘Alibaba’, signed four Memoranda of Understanding regarding Thai investment and E-commerce cooperation. Thai SMEs have successfully joined Alibaba’s platform and made sales of 150 million baht Suchanee Cloitre reports.
— NBT World

HM Queen Sirikit credited for Unesco’s listing of Khon as cultural heritage
Thai khon drama or the masked dance drama has been listed as intangible heritage of humanity by Unesco on Thursday.
— Thai PBS World

Information Dept to debut 1st phase of E-visa project on December 3rd
The Information Department will on Monday, December 3rd, sign a memorandum of understanding with Kasikorn Bank on the establishment of an e-payment scheme for the E-Visa project, paving the way for overseas visa applications.
— NNT

Indian Tourism expected to increase to ten million visitors a year in next ten years
The head of the Association of Thai Travel Agents has said that he expects tourism from India to increase markedly over the next ten years.
— The Pattaya News

Efforts to continue with southern Thailand peace talks suffer setback
BANGKOK: Efforts to inject life into the stalled southern Thailand peace process suffered a setback following refusal of the armed wing of Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) to participate in the peace talks.
— New Straits Times

Myanmar, Thai universities to cooperate in education sector
Universities of Myanmar and Thailand have vowed to cooperate in education sector following a Thai delegation’s recent visit to a Myanmar university in Myeik, Myanmar’s southern Taninthayi region, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday.
— China.org.cn

Measles outbreak closes Tak school
A school near the Myanmar border in Tak’s Mae Ramat district has been closed indefinitely after local public-health officials discovered 13 students were contagious with measles.
— The Thaiger

A paradise nearly lost
SUFFERING FROM chronic water problems, the administrative authority of the Phi Phi Islands has once again called for help from the central government and state |agencies.
— The Nation

UNESCO lists Khon as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity
The Department of Cultural Promotion has set out plans to promote the Thai Khon performance throughout 2019 after it was accepted by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
— Pattaya Mail

PM opens Thai Silk Road to the World event
he Prime Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, has presided over the opening ceremony of the “8th Celebration of Silk, Thai Silk Road to the World”, an event held to raise the value of Thai silk products in international markets.
— NNT

Laos ‘might need a push’ to take full advantage of border crossing
Phayao: Despite the upgrading of Ban Huak crossing in Phu Sang district to a permanent border checkpoint, only local residents are currently allowed to travel across the border to Laos.
— Bangkok Post

Feature photo Projects Abroad

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges International Volunteer Day, December 5.

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 December 3 added by John Le Fevre on December 3, 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.