Thailand Morning News For June 7

PM accuses the media of trying to undermine his premiership
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday vented his frustration at the media, accusing them without naming names of attempting to destroy the “honor” of Thai premiership.
— Thai PBS

Two million tons of plastic waste pile up in Thailand every year: MNRE
Thailand is suffering a massive volume of over two million tons of plastic waste every year, most of which comes in the form of contaminated plastic bags.
— Pattaya Mail

Court rules Lahu activist Chaiyaphum slain by soldier
The Chiang Mai court has concluded that the young Lahu activist Chaiyaphum Pasae was killed by army bullets but would not say whether or not he attempted to fight back against the authorities, despite his family’s request.
— Prachatai English

PDMO says public debt under control despite spree
The Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) insists that the country’s ratio of public debt to GDP will not exceed 50% over the next 10 years, despite the government’s hefty investment plan for big-ticket infrastructure development worth 2 trillion baht over the next 4-5 years.
— Bangkok Post

WB raises Thai growth forecast to 4.1 per cent
THE WORLD Bank (WB) has revised up Thailand’s economy growth this year to 4.1 per cent from its previous estimate of 3.6 per cent given the country’s robust performance.
— The Nation

Private solar power buying gets go-ahead
Energy policymakers gave the green light to start buying solar power generated from private buildings and households once again after postponing the programme for more than four years.
— Bangkok Post

NLA to put 2019 budget under the scanner
THE National Legislative Assembly (NLA) will today deliberate the junta government’s fifth annual budget proposal, which earmarks total spending of Bt3 trillion for the 2019 fiscal year that begins on October 1.
— The Nation

Police to file human trafficking charge against Chaokhun Ping
Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police say they will file human trafficking charge against the former assistant abbot of Wat Saket, Phra Wisutthisasanavithet or known as Chaokhun Ping, if a child he had sexual relation is underage.
— Thai PBS

Marketing begins for junta’s 20-year national strategy
THE junta’s controversial 20-year national strategy is all but ready for the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) to debate and the government will give priority to implementing projects that raise people’s incomes, Kobsak Pootrakool, the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, said yesterday.
— The Nation

Govt reiterates commitment to crackdown on human trafficking
The government has marked Anti-Trafficking Day on June 5 by reiterating its commitment to a decisive crackdown on human trafficking activities.
— NNT

Parliament budget sheds 5 billion baht
The House of Representatives has decided to lower the cost of information and communication technology (ICT) systems for the new parliament back down to 3 billion baht.
— Bangkok Post

PM promises action against illegal electronic and plastic waste storage
The Prime Minister has confirmed his government has not been idle on the issue of illegal electronic and plastic waste imports and that he had ordered regular inspections.
— NNT

Thai castaways stranded all across Indonesian archipelago:
HUNDREDS OF workers from fishing fleets in Thailand and neighbouring countries remain stranded on remote Indonesian islands, while almost all of those rescued have received no compensation for their imprisonment and hard labour, the fisheries worker union reports.
— The Nation

NRSA puts forward six categories of national reforms
National reform panels pledged to put forward six areas of national reforms in Future Thailand event held today at Central World shopping center.
— NNT

‘Almost all’ ICAO safety issues fixed
Thailand has now dealt with almost all safety concerns raised during an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) last July, Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) chief Chula Sukmanop said Wednesday.
.– Bangkok Post

Private sector optimistic about GDP growth in latter half of 2018
The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) has projected continuous growth of the Thai economy in the second half of the year despite a possible slowdown.
— News Today (video)

Local software piracy rate dips to 66%
Thailand’s software piracy rate reduced three percentage points to 66% with losses of US$714 million (22.8 billion baht) in 2017, reported the 2018 Global Software Survey by BSA.
— Bangkok Post

BoT offers relief from SME loan rule
Although the Bank of Thailand will stick to its Jan 1, 2019 deadline of requiring banks to use financial accounts submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the Revenue Department for lloan approval, the central bank is offering a three-year grace period for full compliance.
— Bangkok Post

PM urges public to consider coal power plants
Following power outages in the Northeast during the past week, the Prime Minister has ordered the Ministry of Energy to ensure that outages do not affect economic zones and urged the public to consider the possibility of coal power plants.
— NNT

Top-down recovery fails to lift masses
Thailand’s farmers and low-income earners have yet to reap the benefits of the country’s economic recovery because of falling crop prices and farm income in the first quarter, says a senior government official.
— Bangkok Post

Ban on political activity to stay despite court’s
THE BAN on political activities will remain in place despite all the legislation crucial for the election having already been approved by the Constitutional Court.
— The Nation

Foreign companies flirting with EEC Smart City plan
Nine foreign companies have expressed intent to invest in the Smart City initiative, part of the government’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) scheme, but they have yet to apply for Board of Investment (BoI) incentives, says the industry minister.
— Bangkok Post

Industry minister unveils odini app for investors, businesspersons
Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana introduced odini application to assist investors and businesspersons with modern technology.
— NNT

Govt ponders plan to transform U-Tapao into Eastern Aviation City
The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Committee has convened for the first time after the Eastern Economic Corridor Act was passed to acknowledge a 10-year plan on the development of the “Eastern Aviation City”.
— Pattaya Mail

Dengue outbreak in lower Northeast
A dengue outbreak in the lower Northeast has led to 488 infections being recorded since the beginning of this year, most of them children, the Office of Disease Prevention and Control reported on Wednesday.
— Bangkok Post

Principal Healthcare to invest B10bn
Principal Healthcare Co plans to invest at least 10 billion baht in the hospital business over the next five years, aiming to stay among the top six hospital groups in the country.
— Bangkok Post

Fighting trafficking an uphill battle: PM
Prayut claims huge successes with over 3,000 rescued in the past four years.
— The Nation

Hmong workers victims of human trafficking – Intercepted in Prachuap Khiri Khan
27 Hmong workers have been intercepted who appear to have been smuggled over the border near the Singkhorn crossing (a pass across the Tenasserim Hills on the border between Thailand and Myanmar in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province).
— The Thaiger

Phuket remains highest dengue contracting province
Phuket still has the highest per capital infection rate of dengue fever in the country a report issued by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday (June 5) has confirmed.
— The Phuket News

Thailand to have 5G network in 2020: DPM
Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak expects Thailand to have a 5G mobile network in operation by 2020.
— NNT

Thai Migrant Fishers Union Group disputes with ILO
The Thai Migrant Fishers Union Group (TMFG) is disputing claims by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) that they are a government- and industry-run organization.
— Prachatai English

Min of Energy organizes ASEAN Sustainable Energy Week 2018
The Ministry of Energy has organized ASEAN Sustainable Energy Week 2018 to adopt alternative energy sources in response to rising energy prices, with the target being to increase the proportion of renewable energy to 30 percent.
— NNT

Amazing Thai Taste Festival ready to tantalise the pallet
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is proud to organise this year’s ‘Amazing Thai Taste Festival 2018’ that showcases the best Thai food from around the Kingdom highlighted by eight delicious zones under collaboration with 37 public and private organisations including Chulalongkorn University’s Property Management Office.
— TAT News

Phi Phi resorts, tourist businesses face sweeping raids
Krabi officials are investigating a plot of about 40 rai of land where 34 villas and a large swimming pool are being built on Koh Phi Phi Island on suspicion of encroaching on protected forest land.
— The Phuket News

Govt aims at increasing number of its paperless offices to 60,000 this month
The government is planning to increase the number of its paperless offices from 40,000 to 60,000 by the end of the month.
— NNT

Billion baht expansion of the Phuket deep sea port
The one billion baht First Phase expansion at Phuket’s deep sea port will be done within 18 months.
— The Thaiger

B3mn budget not yet approved for Phuket monkey neutering, relocation
The Phuket Provincial Environment Office has today confirmed that the project to see the island’s wild monkeys neutered or relocated will be put on hold until the budget of B3 million has been approved.
— The Phuket News

Thai-made Chinese cigarettes for Chinese visitors
The Tobacco Authority of Thailand plans to introduce its Chinese cigarettes to the market in October, targeting the increasing number of Chinese visitors.
— Bangkok Post

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Thailand Morning News For June 7 added by John Le Fevre on June 7, 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.