Thailand Morning News For June 19

Thai central bank seen holding key rate again to aid growth: Reuters poll
Thailand’s central bank is expected to leave its policy interest rate near the record low again on Wednesday to encourage more broadly-based economic growth at a time inflation remains low.
— Reuters

Industrial confidence index rises to 90.2
Thailand’s industrial confidence index (ICI) continues to improve, due to on-going economic expansion driven mainly by the country’s manufacturing and export sectors.
— NNT

Bt40 bn readied for pilot smart city
THE government will spend Bt40 billion to develop a smart city in the Phahon Yothin district of Bangkok that will serve as a pilot project for 76 other such cities to be established across the country within five years.
— The Nation

7 firms turn up for airport link auction
Seven bidders turned up at the first day of the auction process for the 224-billion-baht high-speed railway project Monday set to link Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand: Expect no monetary policy support for baht
A big question for the markets this week is whether the Bank of Thailand tweaks monetary policy at the forthcoming meeting on Wednesday (20 June) to support the Thai baht (THB).
— ING

8th ACMECS Summit pledges to forge regional ties
The leaders of the CLMVT bloc pledged to forge deeper economic ties in the eighth Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation (ACMECS) Summit held on June 15th – 16th.
— NNT

Tourist arrivals slowed to 2.8m in May
Tourist arrival growth slowed in May, up 6.3% to 2.8 million, compared to 10% on average in previous months due to seasonal factors.
— Bangkok Post

Election Risk Clouds Thailand’s Outlook After Jump in Growth
Political risk is making it more difficult to assess whether a pickup in Thailand’s economic momentum will continue into 2019 and beyond.
— Bloomberg

What’s Next for China-Thailand Defense Ties?
Last week, Chalermchai Sitthisart, the head of the Thai military, paid an official visit to China. While his trip was just the latest in a series of interactions by both sides for the year, it put the focus on ongoing efforts by the two countries to further opportunities in the security side of their relationship.
— The Diplomat (paywall)

Country heading for Bt286 bn hit from cyber attacks, study finds
CYBER security threats could potentially cost the Thai economy Bt286 billion, equating to 2.2 per cent of total gross domestic products (GDP), a study has found.
— The Nation

PM presses foreign laborers to complete registration process by deadline
The government has reminded foreign laborers to verify their nationality and complete the authorization process for working in Thailand by June 30, reiterating that employees and employers will face legal action if they miss the deadline.
— News Today (video)

Thais asked to hasten work on train MoU
Prime Minister Hun Sen last week urged Thai officials to speed up work on finalising the details of a memorandum of understanding that will specify the rules for the transportation of goods by train across the border between Cambodia and Thailand.
— Khmer Times

Government welcomes opinions about implementation of Thailand 4.0 policy
The government continues efforts to implement the Thailand 4.0 policy while welcoming opinions from all sides on helping to achieve its goal.
— NNT

Graftbusters name 270 in welfare furore
The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has forwarded a list of 270 officials allegedly involved in a welfare fund embezzlement scandal to the Department of Social Development and Welfare to consider disciplinary action.
— Bangkok Post

Lifeguards warn of Portuguese man-o-war at Phuket beaches
The Phuket Lifeguards Service has today issued a warning for beachgoers after Portuguese man-o-war have been found at three of Phuket’s west coast beaches.
— The Phuket News

Thailand is at the forefront for renewables
Similar to many other growing Southeast Asian countries, Thailand is facing an increase in energy demand. According to the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) ASEAN Energy Outlook 2017, energy demand in Southeast Asia in 2040 is expected to increase between 110% to 130%.
— The Asean Post

Lawyer calls for activist killing video
The lawyer of slain Lahu rights activist Chaiyaphum Pasae has asked the army to show closed circuit TV footage of the incident in which he was shot dead by a soldier in Chiang Mai in March last year.
— Bangkok Post

Govt seeks technology and innovation in public administration
The government’s focus on its Thailand 4.0 agenda continues to emphasize the incorporation of technology and innovation in public administration.
— NNT

Killer put to death
A 26-year-old convicted killer was executed by lethal injection Monday, the seventh person to be put to death since the method was introduced and the first since 2009, Corrections Department chief Pol Col Naras Savestanan said.
— Bangkok Post

Chinese factory raided for environmental, labor offenses
Banglamung officials raided an illegal Chinese recycling plant for pollution, tax and labor-code violations.
— Pattaya Mail

Thailand: Southeast Asia’s Forgotten Human Rights Crisis
In May, Thailand marked the fourth anniversary of the 2014 coup that wrested control from its democratically elected government and installed a military regime.
— Geopolitical Monitor

FTI Chairman not concerned by likely US tariff on vehicle imports
The Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) has assured the public that tariffs the United States could impose on imported vehicles would have little effect on Thailand’s automotive industry.
— NNT

Auto sales up 28% to 85,000 units in May
Auto sales jumped 27.9% year-on-year to 84,965 units in May and 7.3% from the previous month, according to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).
— Bangkok Post

Exporters improve usage of FTAs from January to April
Thai exporters have made better use of free trade agreements (FTAs), as indicated by Thailand’s higher shipments to 17 trading partners under effective FTAs in the first four months the year.
— Bangkok Post

AMLO expands enforcement of Anti-Money Laundering Act
The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has held discussions with the police and financial institutions on using the Anti-Money Laundering Act to seize the assets of online gambling and call center rings.
— NNT

PTT taking on Glow for B100bn
SET-listed national oil and gas conglomerate PTT Plc has finally concluded a massive acquisition deal, agreeing to take over listed Glow Energy Plc (GLOW) for more than 100 billion baht.
— Bangkok Post

Japan JVs on track for B53 bn in condo launches
JAPANESE developers are increasingly drawn to the Thai property market, seeking out joint ventures with local real estate companies that could see at least Bt53.1 billion worth of condominium launches in the second half of this year, a survey by The Nation has found.
— The Nation

Pig farmers call for help to boost pig price
Pig farmers from Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Suphan Buri and Kanchanaburi provinces gathered at a hotel in Ratchaburi’s Muang district on Monday with the deputy governor of Ratchaburi for a serious discussion on how to boost the price of live pigs in four months.
— Thai PBS

Feature photo John Le Fevre

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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 June 19 added by John Le Fevre on June 19, 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.