All the #Thailand #news you need to know for July 24

High-speed rail link pushed back to 2024
The high-speed railway set to link Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports will open in mid-2024 at the earliest, State Railway of Thailand (SRT) acting governor Voravuth Mala said Monday.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand’s Rabies death toll up to 14 this year
The death of a 19 year old in Buri Ram, to the east of Bangkok on the Cambodian border, and a 55 year old in Rayong, east of Pattaya, has raised the death toll in Thailand as a result of Rabies this year to 14. Both deaths occurred over the past two weeks.
— The Thaiger

Search of temple sparks row, fisticuffs
An operation to examine donations and assets of Wat Luang Pho Ngern Bang Khlan provoked a scuffle between supporters of the temple’s former abbot and the police-military inspection team on Monday.
— Bangkok Post

Finance Ministry’s net income 3.5% above forecast so far this fiscal year
The Finance Ministry collected net income of Bt1.83 trillion in the first nine months of the fiscal year, through June 30, up 5.4 per cent from the same period last year, inspector-general and spokesperson Kulaya Tantitemit said on Monday.
— The Nation

Provinces battered by heavy floods
Provinces across Thailand especially those in the northeastern region are battling floods which have already destroyed thousands of plantations.
— Chiang Mai Mail

Thailand lays out high-speed rail process
The Thai government on Monday unveiled its plans for the bidding process to build a high-speed rail link between the capital and one of the country’s new special economic zones.
— NHK World (video)

NACC urges bribery charges against Thai officials
The anti-graft agency Monday decided to recommend bribery charges against four or five Thai officials who allegedly demanded about 20-million-baht in bribes from a Japanese company which delivered equipment by sea to build a gas-fired power plant in Nakhon Si Thammarat five years ago.
— Bangkok Post

Artificial Intelligence in Thailand: How it Started and Where it’s Headed
Artificial intelligence (AI) was first taught in Thailand at government universities more than 30 years ago but the AI industry only took off in the early 2010s in Thailand.
— OpenGov

Deputy PM Prajin opens event to drive Thailand’s digital economy
The Deputy Prime Minister, ACM Prajin Juntong, attended the opening of an event to help drive Thailand towards the digital economy.
— NNT

Michelin Guide Set to Reveal More Dining Highlights in Thailand
The Michelin guide to Thailand’s best restaurants will go beyond Bangkok to the southern tourism hot-spots of Phuket and Phang Nga by year’s end, part of the country’s efforts to keep attracting visitors.
— Bloomberg

BoI set to favour EV firms
The Board of Investment (BoI) looks set to offer promotional privileges to two electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers after having frozen all EV applications from carmakers for almost a year.
— Bangkok Post

Thank you event for all involved in Tham Luang Cave rescue
The government has made plans to hold a thank you event for all those involved in the Tham Luang Cave rescue operation, on August 1st in front of Dusit Palace under the title “United as One”.
— NNT

Banks to offer fee-free accounts for the poor, elderly
COMMERCIAL and state-owned banks are joining forces to offer to fee-free basic bank accounts for holders of state welfare cards and senior citizens as part of a drive for sustainable banking being promoted by the Bank of Thailand (BOT).
— The Nation

Visa fee waiver for Chinese proposed as arrivals fade away
Tourism operators have urged the government to waive visa fees for Chinese tourists in a bid to draw them back after arrivals fell following the fatal boat accident in Phuket earlier this month.
— Bangkok Post

TAT officially launches project to tackle increasing garbage at tourist spots
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a new project to tackle the problem of the rising level of garbage at various tourist destinations.
— NNT

Indebted teachers appeal to government for solution
A GROUP of debt-ridden teachers staged a rally in Nakhon Ratchasima province yesterday to press the government for practical solutions for their plight.
— The Nation

Cops net scammers, seize assets
Thirty-four suspects, including foreign nationals, have been arrested in Bangkok and three other provinces for operating call centre scams and online gambling, the Royal Thai Police announced Monday.
— Bangkok Post

Stifled speech stunts plans for future
While all eyes were fixed on the dramatic Tham Luang cave rescue, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) approved the 20-year national strategy in a unanimous 179-0 vote.
— Bangkok Post

Myanmar in disarray
The friends of Aung San Suu Kyi continue to desert her and to criticise her government’s policies.
— Bangkok Post

Volunteers recruited to join royally-initiated public service project
The recruitment of volunteers to join a public service project initiated to honor His Majesty the King has had a big response.
— NNT

Dow Thailand, SCG hit the road in joint effort to stop plastic waste ending up as marine debris
Dow Thailand Group and SCG on Monday announced a joint effort to turn recycled plastics into asphalt roads, which will help reduce plastic marine debris, enhance road performance and potentially reduce greenhouse-gas emissions during road construction.
— The Nation

Crystal meth worth B300m found in lorry
Authorities seized more than 300 kilogrammes of crystal meth, or ya ice, from a lorry in Chiang Rai’s Khun Tan district early Monday morning.
— Bangkok Post

PM inspects Herbal City project in Amnart Charoen
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha inspected operations and activities as part of the Herbal City project in Amnart Charoen province.
— NNT

Experts search out digital footprint after cave rescue
Teamwork, collaboration, database expertise and high-quality digital maps were among the success factors behind the recent cave rescue of 13 boys and their football coach, say tech experts.
— Bangkok Post

Cyberport scheme taking shape
The government will conclude the main details of Thailand Cyberport development in the next two months before getting the project off the ground by year-end to create a national digital community and one-stop facilitator for startups and entrepreneurs.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand wins six PATA Grand and Gold Awards 2018
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and two Thai tourism operators among the 27 organisations and individuals to receive the prestigious 2018 PATA Grand and Gold Awards.
— TAT News

Private sector unites to enhance SME support
Private businesses, financial institutions and educational institutes in Thailand have come together to offer small and medium-sized enterprises a variety of services in a bid to help them with their development.
— NNT

Cabinet will see Isan bioeconomy proposal
The Industry Ministry plans to push forward the bioeconomy scheme in the lower Northeast for organic cassava farms at Tuesday’s mobile cabinet meeting in Ubon Ratchathani.
— Bangkok Post

Pace set to pick up on digital projects
THE Ministry of Digital Economy and Society will push for many projects to get off the ground this year as part of its efforts to propel Thailand more fully into the digital age.
— The Nation

Dept of Business Development to showcase products from MOC Biz Club
The Department of Business Development, part of Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce, is to organize, in early August, an event showcasing products from its MOC Biz Club network.
— NNT

Thailand seeks to develop secondary tourism destinations
Thailand’s government in its effort to broaden the variety of touristic destinations in the country has set its sight on less-known regions that, nevertheless, would appeal to tourists in a similar way high-frequency destinations would.
— Investvine

Satellite technology key to sustaining water resources
SATELLITE technology and comprehensive water management concepts are essential to ensure the sustainability of the country’s water resources, an academic says.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

PTTEP eyes Myanmar project
SET-listed PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP) is proposing that Myanmar’s energy policymakers develop and operate a large gas-fired power plant to tap surging demand for energy there.
— Bangkok Post

Shaping up a new landmark in Bangkok
RAMA IV Road is becoming a new landmark in Bangkok with major property companies developing mixed-use complexes of luxury hotels,office buildings and retail outlets.
— NNT

HHK RDSC hikes crop yields with Innovative Adapted Rice Ratooning Technique
The Huai Hong Krai Royal Development Study Center (HHK RDSC) has exhibited a new method of Rice Ratooning that could increase crop yields by fifty percent.
— NNT

Investors falter in e-commerce market
Investors in the local e-commerce market are struggling to find their footing, trying to differentiate value propositions and realising the segment requires a large amount of capital.
— Bangkok Post

Customs Dept inspects hazardous waste imports
More than 310,000 tons of plastics and 8,000 tons of electronic waste were imported into Thailand between 1 January and 31 May 2018. Some of it will be forced back to their country of origin.
— NNT

The Big Read: ‘Humanity at its best’, but solidarity during cave rescue simply a way of life in Thailand’s humble villages
After she saw the news that 12 boys and their coach were trapped in Tham Luang cave in the border town of Mae Sai, 38-year-old Rawinmart Luelert sprang to action.
— Channel NewsAsia (extremely annoying popups)

Thailand, Japan sign ‘enhanced’ bilateral currency swap pact
Thailand’s central bank and the Bank of Japan have signed an “enhanced” amendment of their bilateral swap arrangement, which enables Thailand to swap baht <THB=TH> for yen <JPY=>.
— TodayOnline (extremely annoying popups)

Feature photo Dickson Phua

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 24 added by John Le Fevre on July 24, 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.