Thailand Morning News For May 22

Thailand Morning News For May 22
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Thailand morning newsGrowth view up to 4.2-4.7%
Following a robust first-quarter performance, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) on Monday raised its economic growth forecast to 4.2-4.7% this year from 3.6-4.6% in February.
— Bangkok Post

Thai police declare no-go zones for anti-junta march
Thai police declared Bangkok’s Government House and surrounding streets a no-go zone for Tuesday’s planned opposition march marking four years since a May 22, 2014, coup, warning protesters not to defy a junta ban on public gatherings.
— Reuters

Ninth rabies casualty reported
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) has received reports of a ninth rabies casualty despite ongoing efforts to stem the disease.
— NNT

Growing wealth gap belies reform
SINCE THE May 2014 coup d’etat, the Prayut government has been running the Thai economy with a tight grip facilitated by special powers under Article 44 of the charter.
— The Nation (annoying pop-ups)

DDC urges vigilance against dengue fever
Up to 10,446 cases of dengue fever infection have been recorded in Thailand since January 1 of this year with 15 deaths so far.
— NNT

Marchers vow ‘barriers won’t stop us’
Anti-regime activists have vowed not to let barriers erected by security forces prevent them marching on Government House Tuesday.
— Bangkok Post

Chiang Rai students win third prize at international science fair
A large number of people in the northern province of Chiang Rai welcomed a team of high school students and teachers from Damrongratsongkroh School, after they won third place in a competition at the 69th Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF 2018).
— NNT

Thailand Board of Investment Approves Incentive Scheme for “Smart City” and High Quality Housing for Better Living
The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) has approved investment incentive schemes for “Smart City,” an initiative that will employ advanced IT systems and innovations to improve quality of life.
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)

Thailand’s Q1 growth reaches 20-quarter high of 4.8 percent
Thailand’s first quarter growth has expanded by a 20-quarter high of 4.8 percent, according to the country’s economic monitoring agency.
— NNT

Tight security in Bangkok and Northeast ahead of pro-election rally today
AUTHORITIES HAVE tightened security in the capital and Northeast provinces today as pro-election activists gather to march to Government House with an ultimatum to hold a general election by late this year, not next year as the junta plans.
— The Nation (annoying pop-ups)

NACC points finger in drug detector case
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has named and charged three officials implicated in the illegal purchase of Alpha 6 narcotics detectors 10 years ago.
— Bangkok Post

Thai Q1 GDP expands at best pace in five years; gov’t raises 2018 forecast
Thailand produced its fastest economic growth in five years in the first quarter, boosted by strong exports and tourism plus a slight firming in long-weak private consumption.
— BusinessWorld Online

Govt assures pro-poll rally won’t get out of hand
Thailand’s government has expressed confidence that security agencies will be able to keep the pro-election demonstration, scheduled to take place at Thammasat University tomorrow, under control while urging participants to comply with the law.
— NNT

Subsidy for poor children ‘ineffective’
The state subsidy intended to help poor families take better care of their children has not reached its 30% target, according to the Thailand Research and Development Institute (TDRI).
— Bangkok Post

Foreign Minister says Thailand making progress on international stage
The Minister of Foreign Affairs has pointed out Thailand’s progress on the international stage, highlighting it will begin chairing the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) in June, before taking the chair post of ASEAN next year.
— News Today (video)

China, India lead growth in January-April visitor arrivals to Thailand
Led by a 30% increase in visitor arrivals from China and a 17% growth from India, the Thai tourism industry has recorded total international arrivals of 13.7 million in January-April 2018, up 13.9% over the same period of 2017.
— TAT News

Analysts bullish on Thai market despite drop in investor confidence
Analysts remain bullish about the Thai stock market, despite a drop in the Investor Confidence Index (ICI) due to global economic concerns.
— NNT

Myanmar drug woes to spur on peace deals
Myanmar has promised to speed up peace efforts with ethnic minority groups in order to better tackle drug trafficking across its borders.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand’s Singha Estate eyes domestic hotel assets to ride tourism boom
Thai property firm Singha Estate will look to invest in hospitality assets at home as it seeks to ride a wave of booming tourism, a senior company official said on Monday, following a series of deals over the past year.
— Reuters

Three projects look to get on PPP fast-track
At least three projects worth 447 billion baht under the fast-track public-private partnership scheme are expected to seek the PPP committee’s approval this year.
— Bangkok Post

Experts blast junta for ‘cutting down’ environmental protections
ENVIRONMENTAL protection policies under the past four years of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) have been used as tools for the military to tighten its grip over natural resources management, academics told a forum on Sunday.
— The Nation (annoying pop-ups)

Thai economy soars to five-year high in Q1
The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) reported that the Thai economy recorded a year-on-year growth of 4.8 percent in the first quarter of 2018, surging to a five-year high.
— NNT

For The First Time, Thailand Seriously Considers Legalizing Medical Marijuana
On Tuesday, Thailand’s interim cabinet approved the first-ever bill to allow the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
— Herb (blog)

Tech and innovation to be promoted in Thai industrial sector
The Ministry of Science and Technology is ready to further promote the adoption of technology and innovation among Thai industrial operators so as to prepare them for work in the 21st century.
— NNT

Consumer protection groups seek to end use of paraquat in Thailand
The Social Venture Network Asia (Thailand), the Independent Committee for Consumer Protection and the Foundation for Consumers have agreed to ban the use of paraquat to kill weeds due to the substance’s high toxicity to the users, consumers and the environment.
— News Today (video)

“SME Transform” aims to lift standards of Thai startups
The government is keen to raise the standard of Thai startups to a level on par with their Singaporean counterparts.
— NNT

Labor Min signs MOU on developing skilled workers for EEC
Thailand’s Labor Ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with educational institutions on developing workers’ skills, in preparation for the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
— NNT

Govt pushes for age-friendly cities in Thailand
The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has organized an event to showcase Thailand’s innovations for senior citizens in preparation for the aging society.
— NNT

Govt prepares for flash floods during rainy season
The National Water Resources Board has instructed all relevant units to make preparations for flash floods but forecast that this year’s rainfall will be less than last year.
— NNT

Thailand, Australia host regional peacekeeping exercise
Thailand’s Supreme Commander, Gen. Thanchaiyan Srisuwan, and the Vice Chief of the Australian Defence Force, VADM Ray Griggs, presided over the opening ceremony of the Pirab – Jabiru 2018 at the Royal Thai Armed Forces Strategic Study Center in Chonburi province on Monday (May 21st).
— NNT

Chinese woman safe after two-week abduction
A Chinese woman abducted by five people after arriving at Suvarnabhumi airport from Hong Kong and held for B10 million ransom was found safe on a roadside in Bang Na, Bangkok, 14 days later.
— The Phuket News

6 free maps of Thailand
Some quality maps of Thailand can come in handy to illustrate ideas or projects for your website or blog, or to create your own maps. Here is a collection of copyright or royalty free, labelled and blank maps of Thailand to be used directly as is, or to be elaborated upon to create beautiful modern maps to suit your purposes.
— AseanUp

 

Feature photo David McKelvey

 

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.

 

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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.

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