Thailand Morning News For June 22

BOT wary of the impact from US-China trade war
Central bank keeps policy rate unchanged to facilitate growth; forecasts for GDP and export growth revised upwards amid weakening of the baht
— The Nation

Ten companies eye airports’ connector rail project
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) reported that numerous private companies have purchased the contractor selection documents for the airports’ connector rail project after four days of selling, reports an official.
— NNT

Exports show resilience in face of escalating trade row
THE growth trajectory of exports held firm last month, with a robust 11.4 per cent gain from a year earlier, despite rising trade tensions between the United States and China.
— The Nation

PM receives strong support during UK visit
During his first trip to the United Kingdom in four years, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha met British Prime Minister Theresa May, invited leading British entrepreneurs to invest in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and received strong support from Thais residing in London, who delivered flowers to his hotel.
— NNT

Thailand leads Asean IoT exploration poll
Thailand is the top country in Asean for enterprises to explore and implement Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to boost their productivity and innovation, thanks to awareness based on government policy and investment in both soft and hard infrastructure, according to a survey.
— Bangkok Post

Upgrade of export view likely
The Commerce Ministry looks set to revise up the country’s export growth target next month after outbound shipments grew for a 15th straight month in May.
— Bangkok Post

Chamber of Commerce’s index drops in many regions
Many regions in Thailand continue to be affected by low agricultural product prices which has led a drop in the confidence index of the Thai Chamber of Commerce for May 2018.
— NNT

Thai conglomerate to build ASEAN’s largest solar plant in Vietnam
The power generating arm of Thailand’s oldest industrial conglomerate, B.Grimm, has partnered with Vietnamese construction firm Xuan Cau to develop the largest solar power plant in Southeast Asia at a cost of $420 million.
— Nikkei Asian Review

Migrant employees can’t handle cash in shops
Migrant workers could be employed by shops but they could not handle cash or give change to customers, Labour Minister Adul Sangsingkeo said on Thursday.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand threatens to quit Pisa test
Thailand may boycott the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) this August if the test organiser refuses to allow the Education Ministry to proof-read the translated examination papers in advance.
— Bangkok Post

The Price Is Right: This Company Is Steering Thailand’s E-Commerce Explosion
A massive wave of e-commerce growth and investment is sweeping through Southeast Asia, transforming how its collective population of almost 700 million spends its money and time.
— Forbes

AOT approves construction of Suvarnabhumi’s 2nd passenger building with B42 billion
The Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) board has approved a proposed project for the construction of a second passenger building of the Suvarnabhumi international airport with a budget of 42,048 million baht.
— Thai PBS

Thailand reports progress in tackling human-trafficking and illegal fishing
Thailand has reported progress in its efforts to tackle human-trafficking and illegal fishing activities.
— NNT

Coca-Cola expands Thai range
Coca-Cola in Thailand has announced a full product portfolio, underlining its position as a total beverage company.
— Bangkok Post

Duo: Rice price dip temporary
A high-ranking state official and a rice exporter came out in concert to defend a recent dip in rice prices, saying the fall is short-lived.
— Bangkok Post

Public Health Min unveils policies to mobilize Thailand as “kitchen of the world.”
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health aims to develop the country’s food inspection and quality control systems to boost confidence in food safety, as part of its agenda to mobilize Thailand as a “kitchen of the world.”
— NNT

Police in Thai Deep South Arrest Suspect Transporting 41 Bombs
Highway police in Thailand’s Deep South on Thursday arrested a suspected insurgent who was attempting to smuggle dozens of homemade bombs from a town along the Malaysian border to inner areas of Narathiwat province, officials said.
— NNT

Electric appliance sales stay flat in year to date
Thailand’s electric appliance market remained flat in the first five months of the year despite higher TV sales leading into the World Cup.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand e-Commerce Festival 2018 to kick off next week
More than 1,000 products from e-commerce shops will be sold at discounted prices at Thailand e-Commerce Festival 2018 next week. The event is expected to generate about 150 million baht in circulation.
— NNT

Court sentences Dr Prem two years in prison for stripping journalist to underpants
Former Ban Phai city mayor in Khon Kaen province, Dr Premsak Piayura, and his former secretary were sentenced to two years in prison on Thursday after both were found guilty of locking a local journalist in his city office and forcing him to strip to his underpants.
— Thai PBS

Govt aims to increase forest area in Thailand to 55%
The government is about to introduce a policy to increase the forest area in Thailand to 55% from 32% within 20 years while continuing to tackling forest encroachment.
— NNT

DTAC assures 430,000 cellphone users of no disruption of services after September 15
DTAC assures it’s 430,000 mobile phone users that their services won’t be disrupted once it’s concession on the 1800 MHz and 850 MHz spectrums expire on September 15.
— Thai PBS

PTTEP shells out B23bn for Bongkot stake
PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP), the only SET-listed upstream oil and gas company, has completed the acquisition of a 22.22% stake in the Bongkot field from Shell for US$750 million (23.5 billion baht).
— Bangkok Post

Arbitrary arrests make life in Bangkok hell for African migrants
This World Refugee Day, Prachatai English investigates the discrimination faced by African refugees and migrants at the hands of the Thai police.
— Prachatai English

Feature photo John Le Fevre

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 June 22 added by John Le Fevre on June 22, 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.