Thailand Prays as Day 6 of Search For Football Teens in Flooded Cave Ends
The hopes and prayers of the Thai nation are focused on a desperate race against time and nature to rescue 12 young football players and their coach believed trapped alive inside a flooded cave in Mae Sai, northern Thailand.
— AEC News Today
Worried Prayut flying to cave site today to encourage families and rescue mission
PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha will fly to Chiang Rai today to give encouragement to families and relatives of the 12 teen footballers and their assistant coach who have been trapped for days in a flooded cave in Mae Sai district, as well as to those officers, rescue workers and volunteers in the ongoing search and rescue operation.
— The Nation
Search teams to forge north
Rescue teams were pinning their hopes on a new route north of the entrance of Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district believed to be a safe haven for 12 boys and their football coach who went missing on Saturday.
— Bangkok Post
Japan shows interest in investing in EEC
Japan has expressed interest in investing in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) while Thailand has indicated a desire for the country to provide human resources, science and technological development in support of target industries.
— NNT
Hole punched through cave wall to reach underground water channel
Workers have punched a hole through the cave wall near the cave entrance after they discovered an underground water channel.
— Thai PBS
Thailand promoted again in US trafficking report
Thailand was promoted from a watch list to Tier 2 in the latest US ‘Trafficking in Persons Report’ issued early Friday (Thailand time).
— Bangkok Post
K-Search increases GDP forecast to 4.5% growth
Kasikorn Research Center (K-Search) has increased its growth forecast this year to 4.5% from 4% because of stronger export growth, domestic expenditure and growing investment in Thailand.
— NNT
Hopes rest on drilling of cave
Camera to be sent down to assess the condition inside and try to make contact with the 13 missing footballers.
— The Nation
Bitec event promotes elder care
The Ministry of Social Development and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) are organising a major exhibition, “InterCare Asia 2018”, to present innovations, products and services for coping with retirement. A budget of more than Bt550 million is expected.
— The Nation
Myanmar rescue team join search for trapped young footballers
A Myanmar rescue team on Thursday joined the search for 12 missing Thai youth footballers and their coach, who are trapped inside Tham Luang Cave in Chiang Rai near the border between Myanmar and Mae Sai district, The Irrawaddy of Myanmar reported.
— Thai PBS
Trade war may wound Thai exports
Thailand is forecast to lose more than it gains from the trade spat between the US and China, with a net negative effect on exports of US$280-420 million for the rest of this year, reaching $4.5 billion (149 billion baht) if the retaliatory trade measures continue past 2018, says Kasikorn Research Center (K-Research).
— Bangkok Post
Rising water level in cave remains an obstacle
OPERATIONS to drain floodwater out of Tham Luang Cave have failed due to a lack of information about the hydrology of the area and continuous heavy rainfall which forced Navy SEALs to suspend their rescue mission.
— The Nation
Lottery office ordered to pay 945 million baht for the scrapping of online lottery betting
The Central Administrative Court on Thursday ordered Government Lottery Office to pay Loxley GTEC Technology Company 945 million baht in compensation plus 7.5 percent interest thereon for the GLO’s revocation of the contract for the company to operate online lottery betting.
— Thai PBS
Commerce Ministry to prepare data on six major economic crops
The Ministry of Commerce held a meeting to prepare a database of the country’s six economic crops before developing a comprehensive marketing plan.
— NNT
Chulalongkorn medical students attend ceremony to honor body donors
Chulalongkorn University and the Thai Red Cross Society have organized a ceremony, allowing its medical students to honor the cadavers donated for their studies.
— NNT
Indonesia, Thailand aim to boost cooperation at meeting
Indonesia and Thailand are set to hold the 9th Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in Yogyakarta next week, where both countries are expected to highlight ways to increase trade and economic cooperation.
— The Jakarta Post
More international assistance reaches Chiang Rai
MORE INTERNATIONAL support has poured in to Chaing Rai as the rescue mission to find 12 missing youths and their football coach continued yesterday.
— Bangkok Post
Finance ministry predicts bright future for Thai economy in 2018
The country’s Ministry of Finance has maintained its GDP growth estimate for the Thai economy this year at 4.5% due to improvements in all sectors.
— NNT
DPM Wissanu urges state officials to disseminate news with efficiency
The Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs has met with ministry permanent secretaries and spokespersons to evaluate their public relations work while assigning them with informing the people about four national issues in the short term.
— News Today (video)
Skills shortage set to spark crisis: study
Salaries for highly skilled workers could boom as talent shortages take hold across Asia-Pacific, according to Korn Ferry.
— The Nation
Baht may fall further, says trader
The baht, set to become the worst-performing currency in emerging Asia this quarter, doesn’t look like it’s going to bottom anytime soon, according to Mizuho Bank Ltd.
— Bangkok Post
Alert sounded on $4.5 bn export hit
TRADE conflicts initiated by the United States could last for up to four years, says a research house, which has penciled in a potential hit on Thai exports of as much as US$4.5 billion for next year.
— The Nation
Skytrain ‘will be fixed for weekend’
The operator of Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain has assured passengers it has found the right solution to fix signal interference glitches and promised a full recovery of its services, plagued this week by rush hour delays, from Saturday.
— Bangkok Post
Cabinet approves Thai U S agreement on R&D
The Cabinet has approved the proposed agreement on Research and Development between Thailand and the United States of America.
— News Today (video)
DSI to probe ‘Billy’ mystery
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has accepted the disappearance of Karen rights activist Porlajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen as a special case for investigation.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand’s middleman role touted
THAILAND is ready to serve in a middleman role between the countries of two economic groupings in East Asia as part of the country’s efforts to promote economic cooperation across the broader region, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said.
— Bangkok Post
Thai campaigners urge change to forest law after indigenous verdict
Campaigners are calling on Thai authorities to amend a law they say violates the rights of indigenous people, after the country’s top court ruled that a group of Karen evicted from a national park had no legal right over the land.
— Reuters
Thailand Cambodia coordinate to protected areas and trans boundary
Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is hosting a three-day workshop between Thailand and Cambodia on protected areas and transboundary biodiversity conservation landscape management.
— News Today (video)
Tax deductions to encourage couples to have more babies
With Thai society ageing rapidly, the Finance Ministry will allow couples a tax deduction on the cost of a having a baby and raising it for the first year as an incentive to have more children.
— Bangkok Post
Thai tech readiness shows little improvement
Thailand’s technological readiness ranks 49th out of 82 countries for 2018-22, a middling performance owing to a lack of intensive research and domestic innovation, says the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
— Bangkok Post
Allianz Ayudhya posts 20% agency channel growth
Allianz Ayudhya Assurance delivered another strong performance in the agency channel in the first quarter, with 20 per cent growth in the first-year premiums of Bt420 million.
— The Nation
THAI Smile spreading wings after ICAO red flag removal
THAI Smile Airways, a wholly owned subsidiary of Thai Airways International, is planning to add new routes across Asia in the second half this year.
— Bangkok Post
Line gears up to boost services for financial sector
LINE Corporation yesterday said that it is devoting more attention to providing services for the financial sector, making use of blockchain technology.
— The Nation
Government fast-tracking Riviera Project to promote southern coastal provinces
The provinces of Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon and Ranong will be upgraded under the “Thailand Riviera” scheme to tap their full potential for natural, cultural, historical, gastronomic, sports and community-based tourism. This is the latest grand plan prepared by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
— The Thaiger
Ericsson: LTE mobile networks ascendant in Thailand
Mobile service through long-term evolution (LTE) networks will be the dominant technology in Thailand by 2023, says the head of Ericsson Thailand.
— Bangkok Post
Egat shelves LNG imports
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) will delay its import programme of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to generate electricity as its preparation process is not finished, says newly elected elected governor Viboon Rerksirathai.
— Bangkok Post
Gains made in transparency for Thai property market
THAILAND has been ranked 34th in the Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI) 2018 put out by property consultancy firm JLL.
— The Nation
‘Forest Rescue’ campaign to save trees in and around Bangkok
Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited (MQDC), a company that invests in, develops, and manages high-quality residential and mixed-use property projects under the brands ‘THE FORESTIAS’, has announced ‘Forest Rescue’, a campaign to save urban trees and highlight the importance of nature and healthy ecosystems.
— The Thaiger
Saha vows to spend over B10bn next year, citing likely election
Buoyed by the anticipated general election next year, Saha Group, one of the country’s leading consumer goods conglomerates, says it will spend more than this year’s 10 billion baht on expansion in 2019.
— Bangkok Post
Tour boats allowed at Phi Phi’s Loh Samah Bay
Tour speedboats lined up on the beach at Loh Samah Bay, bringing with them day-tripping tourists, are allowed, officials at Hat Nopparat-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park have confirmed to The Phuket News today (June 28).
— The Phuket News
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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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