Court Orders Thailand Anantara Resort Demolished (video)
Those planning a holiday at Thailand’s luxurious Anantara Resort Si Kao might be best advised to confirm their booking before making the journey to Thailand’s easternmost province after a court yesterday (January 26) ordered the premises removed.
— AEC News Today
Nida Poll director to resign over Prawit’s luxury watches
The director of the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida)’s polling agency has vowed to resign after top administration bowed to political pressure in suspending the release of a poll on Gen Prawit’s luxury wristwatches.
— Bangkok Post
Officials anxious pending report on Thailand’s compliance with EU fisheries rules
THAI FISHERIES and relevant authorities are anxiously awaiting a European Union (EU) review of the country’s status on IUU – illegal, unregulated and unreported – fishing problems.
— The Nation
DSD on track with 5-year plan promoting SMEs 4.0
The Department of Skill Development (DSD) is expediting human resources enhancement plan promoting SMEs 4.0, under the 5-year project with a 450 million baht budget, to help raise competitiveness of the SMEs.
— NNT
Cobra Gold military exercise due in eastern Thailand in February
The annual multi-national military exercise codenamed Cobra Gold will be held in Thailand’s eastern region next month, said a Thai navy officer on Sunday.
— XinhuaNet
SCB union demands a review of pay rise and bonus schemes
The labour union of Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) has called on the bank’s management to review its salary increase and bonus schemes after it was discovered that about 20 percent of the staff were excluded from the schemes.
— Thai PBS
Thai authorities enforce strict measures to prevent influx of foreign workers
Authorities have stepped up measures along the border to prevent an influx of foreign workers.
— NNT
Hubba sees major start-up boom for 2018
HUBBA has joined hands with its business partners to set up three new co-working spaces to support the high growth potential of start-up companies. The company is responding to an estimated 60-per-cent growth in start-ups through this year.
— The Nation
2 percent excise tax rise for tobacco products and alcoholic drinks takes effect
Starting today (Jan 26), all alcoholic drinks and tobacco products–both imported and domestically produced–will be charged an addition of two percent excise tax, with the extra revenue earned going into a fund to help elderly people.
— Thai PBS
Thai pro-democracy activists protest against junta delaying polls
Pro-democracy activists in Thailand and more than a hundred supporters gathered on Saturday in a rare show of dissent to protest against the country’s military government for delaying a general election.
— Channel NewsAsia
Industry Ministry, Chamber of Commerce to meet on Monday over minimum wage rises
The Ministry of Industry and the Thai Chamber of Commerce are determined to find measures to assist small and medium enterprises affected by the minimum wage increases.
— News Today (video)
Ecologist rates Thai coral reef decay rate as alarming
The total area experiencing coral reef damage in Thailand has increased from 30% to 77% in just one decade, according to marine ecologist Asst Prof Thon Thamrongnawasawat.
— Bangkok Post
1,150 Officers prepared for Krabi Power Plant Public Hearings
Krabi’s Police Commander, Pol Maj Gen Boontawee Toraksa, has promised that the public hearings will not see any violence with the addition of 1,150 police, military and defense volunteer officers, all prepared to guard the area.
— Phuket Gazette
Smoking ban at 24 beaches in 15 coastal provinces takes effect on Feb 1
Starting February 1, Cha-am beach and 23 other popular tourist beaches in 15 coastal provinces will be declared no-cigarette zones and anyone caught smoking, littering cigarette butts or discard cigarette packets on these beaches will face one-year imprisonment and/or 100,000 baht in fine.
— Thai PBS
Thailand committed to achieving $200 bn in ASEAN–India trade by 2022
The Prime Minister has affirmed Thailand’s commitment to achieving 200 billion US dollars in ASEAN – India trade value by 2022.
— News Today (video)
Commerce minister expects six percent export growth in 2018
Thailand’s export sector in 2018 is expected to grow by six percent, with rubber and petroleum products being major export goods.
— News Today (video)
Can an ambitious light rail transit project succeed without central govt funding?
LOCAL authorities and civil groups in Khon Kaen have reached a consensus to build a light rail transit system as a starting point of a more ambitious goal of developing a “smart city”. They have set up companies as part of an effort to push the project ahead whether or not they get support from the central government in Bangkok.
— The Nation
EU move fuelling unease among palm oil producers
The livelihood of as many as 300,000 oil palm farmers in Thailand could be in jeopardy after the recent decision by the European Union (EU) to look at ways of banning imports of palm oil biofuel from 2021,…
— Bangkok Post
Phuket industry chiefs say minimum wage hike impact negligible
Leading figures in key Phuket industries have played down the impact of the impending rise in the minimum wage, which is expected to be approved by Cabinet imminently and brought into effect in April.
— The Phuket News
Thai activist flees royal insult charge for posting BBC article
A Thai pro-democracy activist said on Sunday she had fled Thailand after learning she would be prosecuted for defaming the monarchy for sharing on Facebook a 2016 BBC article deemed offensive to Thailand’s king.
— Channel NewsAsia
Medical bills spiral for burn victims in Phi Phi tour boat fireball
The tour company that provided the tour for the Chinese tourists who remain injured from severe burns in the Phi Phi tour boat fireball earlier this month has vowed to step in with more funds from insurance coverage to pay for rising medical costs, which have now breached B1 million.
— The Phuket News
Transport Minister gets update on planned 6th Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge
The Transport Minister has made a trip to check the progress of the planned construction of the new Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in Ubon Ratchathani.
— NNT
ATF 2018 closes with fun farewell party at Chiang Mai Night Safari
The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2018 concluded with a fun farewell party held in the jungle setting of Chiang Mai Night Safari.
— TAT News
Feature photo Tom Jutte
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 January 29 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.
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- Thailand morning news for July 24 – July 24, 2020