Many in Thai fishing industry fail to see conditions as slavery: research
Thai fishing boat owners who trap workers on board ships and withhold wages often do not realize that is modern slavery, so authorities must ramp up their policing efforts, advocates say.
— Reuters
Thailand expects 300,000 tourists from China during Lunar New Year
Thailand’s tourism body expects 300,000 visitors from China during the Lunar New Year holidays, a nearly 18 percent rise from a year ago.
— Reuters
Ministry of Commerce expects higher prices for rice, fruit this year
Various farm goods have shown a tendency towards stronger pricing this year, including Jasmine Rice, which is projected to be priced at over 17,000 baht a ton.
— NNT
Operation launched to seize back encroached land built with resorts on Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan
A combined force of military personnel, police, local and forest officials launched an operation on Pha-ngan island on Monday to reclaim state land which were illegally occupied and developed into resorts by encroachers.
— Thai PBS
Tick, tock; calls grow for Thai deputy PM to quit over watch scandal
A petition calling for the resignation of Thailand’s deputy prime minister attracted thousands of signatures on Monday, heaping pressure on the junta’s second-in-command to step aside amid a scandal over a luxury watch and undeclared assets.
— Reuters
Signatories of Pro-Prawit online campaign drop to 50 after bots detected
The number of signatories in an online campaign supporting the deputy junta head has dramatically decreased from almost about 20,000 to 50 after Change.org had detected the use of internet bots to boost up signatories.
— Prachatai English
General Prawit to stay on to ensure national security: Defence Ministry’s spokesman
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan is not going to step down, but will carry on with his responsibility and duty to ensure national security and public safety, said Defence Ministry’s spokesman Lt-Gen Kongcheep Tantrawanich on Monday.
— Thai PBS
Credit Suisse warns on risk of dollar rebound
CREDIT Suisse’s top Asia investment chief has warned of the risks posed to Thailand by a possible rebound in the US dollar, alongside other concerns such as the country’s expensive stocks and debt-funded consumption.
— The Nation
Space agency seeks satellite funds okay
The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), the state space agency, will seek cabinet approval for a plan to build Thailand’s first state-funded “security” satellite.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand tops internet usage charts
Thailand is the world leader for time spent on the internet and mobile internet per day, a consequence of higher social media use and the popularity of online video consumption.
— Bangkok Post
January CCI hits highest point in 36 months
The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) has indicated that Thailand’s January Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) reached a 36-month high, thanks to an upbeat economic outlook in the country pointing to continuous growth.
— NNT
Bangchak sets Bt113 bn for diversification
BANGCHAK Corporation Plc and its subsidiaries have set aside a five-year investment budget of Bt113 billion for the period 2018-22, focusing on alternative energy, green innovation, and environment both domestic and overseas, the company’s president and chief executive officer Chaiwat Kovavisarach said at press conference yesterday.
— The Nation
Education Minsitry pledges support for improved internet network at public schools
The Ministry of Education plans to support public schools to improve their internet network to help students do their research.
— NNT
Phuket Poll: Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies gain ground
More than 40% of the people who responded to an online poll by The Phuket News say that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies either already should be fully recognised as forms of currency, or should at least be in common use for those who accept payment in them.
— The Phuket News
Government endorses 7 projects aimed to turn Koh Chang into an eco-tourism haven
The government has accepted in principle seven projects proposed by the residents and business operators of Koh Chang during the visit today (Monday) to Trat province by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o- cha and his cabinet.
— Thai PBS
Ten ex-governors likely to be reinstated after being cleared of corruption
Ten former provincial governors who were moved to inactive posts in the Prime Minister’s Office pending investigation into alleged corruption are likely to be reinstated after they were cleared of the allegations.
— Thai PBS
Thailand’s biggest wind power generator plans solar, hydro expansion
Thailand’s biggest wind power generator, Wind Energy Holdings (WEH), plans to invest into other sources of electricity including solar, hydro and biomass to back up its capacity, its chief executive told Reuters in an interview.
— Reuters
Thailand, Laos agree to take their digital industry to another level
Thailand and Laos have signed a MoU on ICT and digital technology development in the hope of elevating the mutual trade and investment of the neighboring nations.
— NNT
Chevron sells 1st condensate cargo from Australia’s Wheatstone LNG – sources
Chevron Corp has sold the first ever condensate cargo to be exported from the Wheatstone LNG project in Australia, three trade sources said on Monday. The cargo will load in February and has been sold to Thailand’s PTT, they said.
— Reuters
TAT launches ‘Open to the New Shades’ concept film
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched a commercial film to illustrate its 2018 communication concept of ‘Open to the New Shades’. The film is available for viewing on Amazing Thailand’s YouTube Channel, or as presented here:
— TAT News
Feature photo Baolau
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 February 6 added by John Le Fevre on
View all posts by John Le Fevre →
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