Thailand Morning News For May 31

Business optimism deepens as economy keeps marching
A GAUGE of business sentiment across the regions suggests confidence in the economy is increasing, meshing with other positive indicators and a key business lobby’s dismissal of a potential hit on exports from Italy’s political crisis.
— The Nation

BoT: Economy improves, but still patchy; April factory output up 3.99%
Thailand’s economy is expected to grow faster than previously projected due to strong exports, but domestic demand was not yet “broad-based” and monetary policy has to remain accommodative, minutes of the central bank’s last policy meeting showed on Wednesday.
— Bangkok Post

Exim Bank offers insurance against unpaid invoices from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar
The Export–Import (Exim) Bank of Thailand is offering cross-border trade insurance against unpaid invoices, to boost confidence among exporters that trade with neighboring countries.
— NNT

Finance Ministry to hold 99% of IBank
The government is set to inject 2 billion baht into state-owned Islamic Bank of Thailand (IBank) as soon as there is an announcement of the amended Islamic Bank of Thailand Act in the Royal Gazette, allowing the Finance Ministry to hold more than 49% of the bank.
— Bangkok Post

Engineers want to ban foreigners
The Council of Engineers is urging the Labour Ministry to keep civil engineering as one of the occupations reserved for Thai nationals, saying foreigners should only be granted permission to work when absolutely necessary.
— Bangkok Post

Moody’s: EEC a boon to Thailand
Moody’s Investors Service says the government’s investment flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) is credit-positive for Thailand, says Warotai Kosolpistkul, fiscal policy adviser to the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO).
–Bangkok Post (annoying popups)

Constitutional Court removes another hurdle to next election
THE general election planned for next February can go ahead after the Constitutional Court yesterday ruled that the organic law governing the Lower House was constitutional.
— The Nation

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.
— News Today (video)

Search resumes for missing Russian on Samui
Samui officials have resumed a search for a female Russian tourist who went missing on Koh Samui more than a month ago. She is said to be suffering dementia.
— The Thaiger

Grab readying financial services in Thailand
Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading on-demand transport service, plans to expand into e-wallet and micro lending in Thailand to capitalise on the booming cashless society trend.
— Bangkok Post

Your Old Computer May Be Headed for Thailand
One of the most popular tourist destinations in the world has become “a new dumping ground for scrap electronics,” as Reuters puts it.
— Newser

School corruption, falsified receipts unveiled in Northeast
The Ministry of Education has discovered three new cases of graft involving the disbursement of the state budget among schools in northeastern provinces.
–– Bangkok Post

Thai April factory output rises 3.99 pct, in line with forecast
Thailand’s annual industrial output rose 3.99 percent in April from a year earlier, roughly in line with forecasts, boosted by higher production of cars and car engines, sugar, petroleum and plastic pellets, the industry ministry said on Wednesday.
— Reuters

BTS musters resources for rail projects
SET-listed BTS Group Holdings Plc plans to join the bidding for a 18.3km light rail from Bang Na to Suvarnabhumi airport, the 39.6km Orange Line and a 220km high-speed railway.
— Bangkok Post

Military mulls new satellite options
The Defence Ministry is studying a plan to lease or co-invest in a new satellite at a cost of two billion baht a year over the course of 15 years.
— Bangkok Post (annoying popups)

Ban on overnight stays at Similan islands from Oct
Department targets sustainable tourism at national parks amid worries over threats from excessive tourism.
— The Nation (annoying popups)

Deputy PM Somkit speaks of Thailand’s potential in the food industry
Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak has chaired the opening of ThaiFEX-World of Food Asia 2018 at IMPACT, Muang Thong Thani, where he spoke of the country’s potential as a global leader in the food industry.
— NNT

Prawit calls for probe into Future Forward
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has urged the Election Commission (EC) to look into whether the Future Forward Party has broken any laws.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand new dumping ground for world’s high-tech trash, police say
Thailand is a new dumping ground for scrap electronics from around the world, said police and environmentalists, the latest country to feel the impact of China’s crackdown on imports of high-tech trash.
— Channel NewsAsia/ Reuters

Knowledge center opens to help people with data protection methods
The Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) has opened the Data Protection Knowledge Center (DPKC) to promote good data protection methods among the general public and agencies.
— NNT

JD.com ready to roll out Thai domain
The online marketplace www.jd.co.th is scheduled to open in August, operated by Central JD Commerce, a joint venture between JD.com and Central Group.
— Bangkok Post

B Grimm puts cash behind biggest solar plant in region
B GRIMM Power Plc plans to sign a joint venture agreement with Vietnamese conglomerate Xuan Cau Co Ltd for the development in that country of Southeast Asia’s biggest solar energy plant.
— The Nation

PM urges state enterprises to implement policies with caution
During his meeting with the state enterprise policy committee, the Prime Minister today urged all agencies to consider policies carefully and provide the public with up-to-date and accurate information.
— NNT

EEC to host surprising bedfellows
Up to 40 Chinese executives will take part in Sino-Japanese Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) development efforts as they strive to strengthen bilateral cooperation in third-party markets.
— Bangkok Post

World’s top retail development association picks Siam Piwat’s ‘Siam Discovery’ as world’s best designed
Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., the joint venture partner of ICONSIAM as well as the owner and operator of prestige retail developments in Thailand such as Siam Paragon and Siam Center, has just been presented the world’s most prestigious retail development award for the concept and “cutting-edge design” of its Siam Discovery retail destination by the world’s largest retail development association – the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)

Students struggle to get seats
Two more “clearing house” rounds will be opened to tackle the problem of many empty seats in universities.
— Bangkok Post

Air traveller reports valuables stolen from luggage
An airline passenger has complained to police that about 20,000 baht-worth of goods was stolen from his suitcase during his flight home from a trip to New York with his family.
— Bangkok Post

Hospital tries to calm foot injury storm
Pattani Hospital has denied a patient’s claim that he nearly lost a leg due to poor treatment, saying the accusation was a result of “miscommunication”.
— Bangkok Post

Seven alleged monks stripped of rank
His Majesty the King has approved an order to depose seven senior monks for corruption and supporting money laundering.
— NNT

Absconding Sa Ket Temple ex-abbot surrenders, denied bail
THE FORMER abbot of Sa Ket Temple has become the latest senior monk to enter the Bangkok Remand Prison after he surrendered to police yesterday.
— The Nation

Junta’s media reform plan to bring out Mass Media Act by end of 2018
The mass media reform plan is preparing to push forward a media control law by the end of 2018, and appoint the nine members of the professional council to set media ethics standards, control media that do not wish to become members of any professional organisation, as well as increase measures to criminalize online and social media that disseminate content affecting security and the nation’s core institutions.
— Prachatai English

Thai democracy faces uncertain future
Ever since the military junta gained power in 2014, it has promised on numerous occasions that democracy will return to Thailand and fresh elections will be held. Four years since the installation of a military government known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), elections have yet to be held and citizens there are losing patience.
— The Asean Post

Tech firm targets Thai startups
StoreHub Thailand Limited, a technology company, says it is committed to helping small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expand their business this year.
— The Nation

PTT denies monopolizing oil sector
PTT Plc Co Ltd is set to take legal action against those accusing the company of causing higher fuel prices.
— NNT

New Thai-Korean trade and investment opportunities shine
Thailand and South Korea are working closely to increase bilateral trade and investment. While Thailand is moving along the path to achieve its Thailand 4.0 model, tremendous opportunities are available, which match well with South Korea’s intention to expand investment in Southeast Asia.
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)

BMA holds waste reduction campaign ahead of World Environment Day
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is holding a waste reduction campaign ahead of World Environment Day.
— NNT

Record Turnout for UNWTO Gastronomy Tourism Conference in Thailand
A record 475 delegates from 52 countries have turned up for the 4th UNWTO Forum on Gastronomy Tourism which opened today in Bangkok, the first time it is being held in Asia.
— TAT News

Big boats blamed for trash on Koh Si Chang, Chonburi
The local mayor is blaming big boats at anchor offshore dumping their rubbish into the sea off Koh Si Chang in Chonburi.
— The Thaiger

Let monkeys stay on Phuket Town hill, local residents vote
Residents in Phuket Town have voted to allow the wild monkeys to stay on Rang Hill, overlooking the town. The vote came at a public-feedback meeting held on Monday (May 28) asking residents what to do with the troupes of wild monkeys in their respective areas.
— The Phuket News

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 31 added by John Le Fevre on May 31, 2018
View all posts by John Le Fevre →

Bio
Latest Posts

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.