Thailand Morning News For May 30

Investment rush is harming environment
The recent massive crackdown on recycling factories processing hazardous electronic waste allegedly smuggled from abroad seems to be just the tip of the iceberg.
— Bangkok Post

Boracay. Maya Bay. Phuket?
Today the Thai Government has announced a six month closure of the island of Phuket. The shutdown will commence on May 1, 2019 and reopen on October 31, 2019.
— The Thaiger

Raid on forest encroachers finds land for sale
MANY OF those charged with encroaching on forest near Khao Yai National Park, a world heritage site, are defying the law by refusing to leave their seized plots and even putting the land up for sale.
— The Nation

Thailand Post now delivers famous Long Lablae durians to your door
Thailand Post is taking orders for the famous Long Lablae durians from Uttaraditat a starting price of ฿4,600 (€124,-) per 8 kg-parcel.
— Fresh Plaza

Price of jasmine rice soars, thanks to strong foreign demand
The President of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, Charoen Laothamatas, said the price of jasmine rice price has recently risen to 1,250 US dollars per ton, thanks to the increased demand in the international market.
— NNT

Police add 3 accomplices to monk hunt
Police are hunting two Thais and one Lao national who are believed to have helped two senior monks flee as they were being sought in connection with a temple fund embezzlement scandal.
— Bangkok Post (annoying popup adverts)

E-waste crackdown reaches Bangkok, as police sniff hazard in Laem Chabang Estate
A crackdown on illegal electronic waste dumping and imports expanded to Chon Buri yesterday when police searched Laem Chabang Industrial Estate.
— The Nation

US farmers up in arms over additives ban
A group of pork producers in the US is petitioning the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to consider cutting the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) granted to Thailand, in protest against Thailand’s refusal to import pork containing ractopamine, a cabinet meeting was told on Monday.
— Bangkok Post

U-Tapao airport poised to lure investors
THE government has expressed confidence that investors will be drawn to a massive project that will see U-Tapao International Airport redeveloped as part of an overall plan for an Eastern Airport City.
— The Nation

PTT hits back amid social media storm
As oil prices surge to their highest in close to a decade, the public is rising against PTT Plc and demanding an answer to the age-old question: why are retail fuel prices higher in Thailand than in some other Asean countries?
— Bangkok Post

State enterprise bill snagged by tweaks
The transfer of 11 corporatised state enterprises’ shares owned by the Finance Ministry to a national holding firm as stipulated in a draft bill on reforming state-owned enterprises may have hit a wall after meeting strong opposition, says the State Enterprise Policy Office (Sepo).
— Bangkok Post

Northeastern sugar cane farmers outline problems following drop in product price
Sugar cane growers in Thailand’s Khon Kaen province have handed a letter to their deputy governor detailing issues surrounding the falling price of their produce and requesting that transport trucks be allowed to stack sugar cane higher to alleviate supply issues.
— NNT

Harley-Davidson adds Ubon Ratchathani dealership to network prior to opening of Rayong assembly plant
With plans to start assembly in Thailand later this year, American luxury motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is quickly expanding its sales network in the Kingdom.
— The Nation

Spectrum auction participation up in the air
The clock is ticking on the 1800-megahertz spectrum auction, but industry veterans are still speculating about which companies will take part in the Aug 4 bidding.
— Bangkok Post

Chinese firm sets sights on rubber factory in Thailand
China’s Yunnan Yun Manganese Group, a latex manufacturer from Yunnan, wants to establish a factory to manufacture rubber products in the southern provinces, capitalising on the rich natural rubber supply there.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand, Papua New Guinea strike deal on fisheries cooperation
Thailand’s Department of Fisheries has forged cooperation with Papua New Guinea on fisheries development, with workshops and research projects to be undertaken jointly.
— NNT

Caution urged to prevent outbreak of Nipah virus
THAILAND is not safe from a Nipah virus outbreak, as fruit bats in Thailand are a natural host for the deadly infection that can cause encephalitis and has a mortality rate of up to 80 per cent, medical experts said.
— The Nation

Kitchen of the World gets reboot
The government looks set to revitalise the Kitchen of the World campaign, a scheme to accelerate Thailand’s plan to become a major world food exporter, expand food startups and ramp up support to promote Thai restaurants overseas, as it aims to boost food exports to contribute more than 6% of the country’s GDP.
— Bangkok Post

PTT plugs in to options to make businesses fit with electric car era
THAILAND’S petroleum giant PTT Group is shifting its business towards dealerships for electric vehicles (EVs) and making the batteries that power them, its senior executives have disclosed.
— The Nation

Rents ‘may rise’ on regulations
Apartment rents are likely to increase after the Office of the Consumer Protection Board’s (CPB) new regulations that control lease contracts for residential properties took effect on May 1, say legal and property consultants.
— Bangkok Post

BMA aims to remove tangled overhead cables by 2021
The Bangkok Governor, Pol. Gen. Aswin Kwanmuang, disclosed a plan to make Bangkok free of tangled overhead cables by 2021.
— NNT

ZEN to triple number of restaurants by 2022
ZEN Corporation Group plans to triple the number of its owned and franchised restaurants under its Thai Brand Business unit by 2022 both in Thailand and around the world.
— The Nation

Nissan to anchor Terra pickup production locally
Nissan Motor Corporation plans to localise manufacturing of the new Terra pickup passenger vehicle (PPV) at the Japanese carmaker’s plant in Samut Prakan, expecting to serve Southeast Asian demand.
— Bangkok Post

Songkhla Seafood Festival 2018
The Songkhla Seafood Festival 2018 is celebrating its 19th year and will take place at Sra Bua, Laem Samila, Songkhla from May 29 to June 9, 2018.
— The Nation

EDL-Generation readies 3rd Thai fundraising event
EDL-Generation Plc, a state-owned Laotian enterprise for wholesale electricity generation, has prepared for its third fundraising event in Thailand through debenture issuance worth $US550 million (17.6 billion baht).
— Bangkok Post

Betagro to splash B750m on central kitchen in Pathum Thani
Betagro Group, one of Thailand’s biggest agro-industrial and food companies, plans to open a central kitchen at Navanakorn Industrial Estate to cash in on
— Bangkok Post

Thailand Travel Mart 2018 tours blend Thai local experiences with Amazing Colours of the East
The Thailand Travel Mart Plus Amazing Gateway to the Greater Mekong Subregion (TTM+) invites buyers and media to discover the kingdom’s ‘Amazing Colours of the East’ with unique opportunities on both pre- and post-event tours that continue to position Thailand as the region’s leading travel hub.
— TAT News

KBank digital lending busts out of the gate
Kasikornbank’s (KBank) digital lending got off to a good start with 500 million baht worth of unsecured loans being extended to individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the first quarter.
— Bangkok Post

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 May 30 added by John Le Fevre on May 30, 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.