Thailand Morning News For July 13

Central bank steps in to slow baht slide
The Bank of Thailand has moved to curb the baht’s rapid retreat against the greenback as the local currency hit a nine-month low.
— Bangkok Post

Citizenship of three young cave survivors shines light on plight of stateless persons
THE lack of Thai citizenship of three youth footballers who were saved from the Tham Luang cave has highlighted the hidden problems of stateless people.
— The Nation

Foreign Ministry expresses gratitude to international aid in cave rescue operation
The Minister of Foreign Affairs has expressed heartfelt appreciation for the international humanitarian aid extended during the Chiang Rai cave rescue mission, noting that the event reflects international solidarity.
— News Today (video)

Navy Seals vow to add cave diving to their list of skills
Skills unfamiliar to Thai Navy Seals but key to the successful rescue of the 13 “Wild Boars” extracted from Tham Luang cave will be added to the training regimen of the Navy’s elite unit to better prepare them for unexpected situations.
— Bangkok Post

Exports seen up 9% this year, but trade war a risk
Thailand’s exports are expected to increase 9% this year, more than earlier forecast, as the global economy continues to expand, though a trade war is a risk, Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong said on Thursday.
— Bangkok Post

Japan continues to support Mekong Irrigation Facilities Improvement
The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) insisted during a meeting in Vientiane that the government of Japan will continue to support the Mekong River Commission (MRC) in a project to improve irrigation facilities across the lower Mekong countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam.
— NNT

Safety measures for tourists ‘in urgent need of upgrade’
THE COUNTRY needs to urgently improve safety measures for tourists, and Chinese victims should not be blamed for the July 5 Phoenix tour-boat tragedy in Phuket, according to an academic.
— The Nation

Thailand’s US$6b exodus doesn’t faze its exchange chief
Foreign investors have pulled more than US$6 billion from Thai stocks this year. But that’s no reason for concern, says the president of the nation’s main bourse.
— TheEdge Markets

FTA talks with Sri Lanka begin
Colombo: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Maithripala Sirisena, president of Sri Lanka, yesterday jointly announced the first round of free trade agreement talks after meeting in Colombo.
— Bangkok Post

Tourism and Sports Ministry clarifies compensations for Chinese tourists
A committee overseeing a tourist compensation fund has resolved to pay nearly 64 million baht in compensation to 135 Chinese tourists who were affected by a boat accident in Phuket last week.
— News Today (video)

Heroic welcome for Thai Navy SEAL team after Tham Luang success
Many people welcomed a group of Thai Navy SEAL members as they returned to their base in Chonburi province, following their successful operation to rescue 13 lives who were trapped in Tham Luang cave in the northern province of Chiang Rai.
— NNT

EEC applications beat full-year target
Investment applications for the government’s flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) scheme have reached 400 billion baht, beating its target of 300 billion for the year, says the EEC Office.
— Bangkok Post

Sedatives used before extracting youths
DRUGS WERE employed to prevent panic among the 13 Mu Pa (Wild Boars) footballers as they were evacuated from Tham Luang cave by rescue teams made up of Thai and foreign divers.
— The Nation

Government to hold ‘thank you’ party for Tham Luang heroes
The Prime Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, said the Ministry of Interior will hold a ‘thank you’ party for everyone involved in the Tham Luang cave rescue operation, while international rescuers will receive special tourism packages.
— NNT

28m rai of farmland insured
Almost 28 million rai of rice farmland operated by 1.91 million farmers is insured for the 2018 crop year, while only 6% of the insured areas claimed compensation last year, says the chief of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC).
— Bangkok Post

Deputy PM orders suppression of mosquitos after 37 people die of dengue fever
Deputy PM delivers an urgent policy for every department to suppress the increasing number of mosquitos as 28,732 patients are suffering from dengue fever and 37 patients have already died.
— NNT

Experts urge use of online tools
Thai businesses should understand customer preferences, have a target group of users and use online marketing and social media to empower cross-border trade opportunities in China and India, says business ad tech experts.
— Bangkok Post

Welfare embezzlement probe complicated, Amlo admits
The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) claimed Thursday the ongoing probe into assets linked to alleged embezzlement of state funds by Puttipat Lertchaowasit, the late former permanent secretary for social development and human security, was complicated.
— Bangkok Post

Naresuan University offers 13 ‘Wild Boars’ full scholarships
NARESUAN UNIVERSITY has sent a letter to the governor of Chiang Rai governor, offering full scholarships to all the 13 Wild Boars Academy footballers who were recently rescued from the flooded Tham Luang cave.
— The Nation

Thai durian producers sign export agreement with Chinese company
A Chinese company has signed an agreement with Thai durian cooperatives in the eastern region to purchase durian at high prices.
— News Today (video)

Final mission to recover last body from Phuket boat tragedy
The search and rescue team on Thursday (July 12th) launched its final operation to recover the last remaining body trapped inside the capsized tour boat, Phoenix, in the Andaman Sea.
— NNT

Last ‘Phoenix’ victim still lost at sea
Authorities failed on Thursday to retrieve the body of the 47th and final victim from the tour boat Phoenix, which sank in the waters off Phuket following a storm last week.
— Bangkok Post

Cave drama prompts media curbs calls
A standardised procedure is needed to screen reporters who cover sensitive news, a seminar on the lessons learned from the media coverage of the Tham Luang cave rescue was told.
— Bangkok Post

Competitiveness Conference 2018 to promote use of innovation and digital technology
The Thailand Management Association has organized the Competitiveness Conference 2018 to promote the use of innovation and digital technology in accordance with the government’s agenda.
— News Today (video)

Construction beam crushes vendor
A seven-metre-long metal beam on Thursday morning fell down from an under-construction car park at Bangkok’s Charoenkrung Hospital on to a papaya salad vendor, seriously injuring her and damaging her stall on Soi Charoenkrung 109.
— The Nation

Govt discusses sustainable elephant management
The government has held a meeting to discuss measures to assist elephant keepers and promote the sustainable management of elephants.
— NNT

Bangkok Beauty Show launches at Bitec
Bangkok Beauty Show 2018, an international exhibition of products and services in the Asian beauty industry, has opened, providing the stage to present technology and innovation.
— The Nation

3rd SET Social Impact Day supports social enterprises & corporate responsibility
The Stock Exchange of Thailand has organized SET Social Impact Day for the third consecutive year to support social enterprises and promote social and environmental responsibility among businesses.
— NNT

Big ad money still going to digital TV
Advertising expenditure on digital TV channels surged in June by 65.01 per cent year on year, reaching Bt3.02 billion, according to Nielsen research.
— The Nation

Hankyu set to ramp up investment
Japanese firm Hankyu Hanshin Properties Corp is confident in the Thai economy and residential demand, committing to invest ¥10 billion (2.95 billion baht) a year in joint ventures for residential projects…
— Bangkok Post

Actions to prop up baht trim reserves
THE Bank of Thailand’s periodic actions to limit the pace of declines in the baht have reduced the country’s holdings of foreign currency reserves, the central bank’s chief said.
— The Nation

Wild Boar: ‘We were just going there for an hour’
The mother of one of the 12 boys rescued from flooded Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district disclosed details Thursday of how her son had survived the ordeal.
— Bangkok Post

NLA approves 5 new Election Commissioners, rejects 2
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Thursday selected five new members to sit on the Election Commission (EC) and they will take up their duties after royal endorsement.
— Bangkok Post

Somkid calls for rise in EEC investments from S Korea
THAILAND has called for South Korea investors to increase their investments in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor and other areas, while indicating its readiness to serve as a gateway for South Korea businesses in this region.
— The Nation

KBank: 5 years for foreign input
Kasikornbank (KBank), the country’s third-largest lender by assets, estimated it would take at least five years for international business to contribute significant revenue to the bank.
— Bangkok Post

True Digital Park beats regional rivals
THE developers of True Digital Park, which is taking shape in Bangkok, say the project will be the first digital hub to open in the Asean region.
— The Nation

Welfare cards to be issued to another 1.1m people
The Finance Ministry plans to distribute welfare cards to 1.1 million more people who missed the previous registration of the poor, and they include people with disabilities and bedridden patients.
— Bangkok Post

PTT begins capital push for first-ever tech upgrade
PTT Plc, the national oil and gas conglomerate, is planning to allocate capital for digital technology infrastructure for the first time in its history.
— Bangkok Post

5G test base facilities set for Digital Park
The government plans to set up test base facilities for 5G wireless broadband at the Digital Park in Chon Buri province this year.
— Bangkok Post

Kidnappers claim woman owes them B350k for drugs
Three men arrested for the kidnapping of a woman in the Muang district of Kalasin province on Tuesday night (July 10) told police said she owed them B350,000 for drugs.
— The Phuket News

Feature photo: original creator of montage unknown

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 July 13 added by John Le Fevre on July 13, 2018
View all posts by John Le Fevre →

Bio
Latest Posts

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.