Thailand morning news for October 16

Commerce attaches put on trade-war alert
Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong has urged commerce attaches to prepare for a global trade war, which he said is likely to intensify next year.
— Bangkok Post

IMF forecasts higher growth for Thailand
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its Thai economic growth projections for this year and next from 3.9% to 4.6% and 3.8% to 3.9% respectively.
— NNT

Blockbuster drug haul worth over B2bn in Chiang Rai
More than 20 million speed pills and 100kg of crystal methamphetamine — worth over 2 billion baht — have been seized and three alleged traffickers arrested in two major police operations in Chiang Rai province.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand’s weak education system a big drawback for development
Thailand’s outdated and somewhat defunct education system is holding back a new generation from becoming productive and innovative, it turned out in the new Human Capital Index issued by the World Bank and released on October 11.
— Investine

PM launches social media blitz
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s latest social media campaign has met with mixed reactions, earning him brickbats from critics and bouquets from supporters after he launched a new Facebook page Monday, as well as Twitter and Instagram accounts, ostensibly to engage more closely with the public.
— Bangkok Post

Why Thailand risks getting its fingers burned in combating rise in smoking
In the past 10 years, Thailand has attempted to curb smoking by enlarging the size of picture health warnings on cigarette packs repeatedly.
— The Nation

Excise Department to conclude EV tax rules soon
The Excise Department expects to conclude a tax structure for electric vehicles (EVs) in the next couple of months, says its newly appointed head.
— Bangkok Post

Farmers pay the price for EEC
AN INCREASING number of people in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) provinces are finding themselves victims of unjust expropriation and land-grabbing, as developers hunt for sites to facilitate investment and industrial development.
— The Nation

SET backs automated reports
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) will talk with other capital market organisations this week and seek ideas for boosting the number of analysts and increasing the overall quality of Thailand’s capital market.
— Bangkok Post

ThaiBev pushes food business growth
THAI BEVERAGE (ThaiBev) is revising its crucial strategy with a focus on increasing organic growth and continuous expansion of its food business operating under its current restaurant brands.
— The Nation

Energy Ministry to find fuel pricing aid for low-income motorcycle taxi drivers
Energy Minister, Dr. Siri Jirapongphan, said his ministry has been assigned by the cabinet to discuss with PTT and oil station operators details of a campaign to help maintain fuel prices for low-income motorcycle taxi drivers holding the state welfare cards and registered with the Department of Land Transport.
— Pattaya Mail

Survey: Women upbeat on tech field
While a majority of women feel their gender positively affects their ability to pursue a career in tech, 77% acknowledge they face more challenges to grow and succeed than men.
— Bangkok Post

Deputy PM Prawit instructs relevant agencies to ready traffic system before schools reopen
The Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, has instructed relevant agencies to ready the traffic system before schools reopen.
— NNT

Thailand records most lost Malaysian passports
Thailand is one of the countries which recorded the most number of lost Malaysian passports and 90 per cent of the lost documents were reported in major shopping areas in Bangkok City.
— Daily Express

Corteva Agriscience and IRRI announce rice tech partnership
the agriculture division of US giant DowDuPont – and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) on Monday announced a multi-year framework agreement on collaborative rice research, deployment of new breeding technologies and the development of breeding programmes.
— The Nation

PM Prayut instructs officials to boost tourists’ confidence
Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha meanwhile, denied claims that Thailand had limited the number of visas for Chinese travelers, an allegation that went viral via YouTube, while the Thai consulate generals and Embassy in China also confirmed the reports were groundless.
— Pattaya Mail

New service from EPPO for retail oil price comparisons in ASEAN
The Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) has launched a new service called Energy Data Visualization (EDV) which provides analyses and comparisons of retail prices of oil in Thailand and the capitals of 10 ASEAN countries.
— NNT

Nectec academy formed to help train IoT skill set
AN Internet of Things (IoT) Academic Network is being set up through a collaboration involving the National Electronic and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec) and 23 educational institutes and schools to develop human resources in the country.
— The Nation

Kingsmen Talks: The consequences of failing to understand the importance of proper hospitality training
Michelin stars were awarded to selected restaurants in 2017/2018 and additional ratings are expected to be given in 2019, as fine dining and accommodations are established in other areas across Thailand.
— Bangkok Post

Provinces commemorate passing of His Majesty the late King
Provinces across Thailand held volunteer activities over the weekend to commemorate the passing of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
— Pattaya Mail

IEAT targets new Sadao SEZ investment of B20bn
The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) is confident a new special economic zone (SEZ) in Sadao, Songkhla will be able to attract investment worth 20 billion baht and create roughly 6,000 jobs.
— Bangkok Post

Chiang Mai upgrades local herbal products
The Biodiversity-Based Economy Development Office (BEDO) has collaborated with the Faculty of Pharmacy, Chiang Mai University, and a network of local wisdom supporting groups to upgrade local herbal products.
— NNT

Thailand most visited destination among Chinese for Golden Week
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says that Ctrip.com, China’s largest and most influential online travel agent, has ranked Thailand the number one destination among Chinese tourists during this year’s National Day vacation – the Chinese Golden Week 2018, the National News Bureau reports.
— The Nation

Yala steps up security measures to preempt violent attacks
Authorities in Yala have stepped up security measures to preempt planned violent attacks.
— Pattaya Mail

Thailand the real winner of MotoGP spectacle
The PTT Thailand Grand Prix, the country’s first ever MotoGP event, has been hailed as a big success.
— The Phuket News

ABB ties up with KMITL for robotics
Zurich-based technology provider ABB is teaming up with King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) to promote robotics education in Thailand.
— Bangkok Post

Schools to be banned from expelling pregnant students
Schools and higher education institutes will be prohibited from expelling pregnant students under a new ministerial regulation, which will take effect in April next year.
— The Phuket News

MPV that makes room for style and handling
While Thailand is the largest market for pickup trucks in the Asean region, Indonesia is the biggest market for MPVs (Multi-Purpose Vehicles), which is a good thing.
— The Nation

Thailand prepares for shocks, beefs up resilience
Thailand, Indonesia’s next door neighbor, appears to be confident in facing the rising global pressures, as the country’s monetary and fiscal authorities have implemented a series of measures to help reduce heavy volatility in its currency and maintain a stable interest rate.
— The Jakarta Post

The impact of Industry 4.0 on HR professionals
Now we have embarked on Industry 4.0 – the era of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT). Digitisation is advancing at such a rapid pace that businesses must be prepared for the many changes that technology poses.
— Bangkok Post

Owners of protected species bound to report by Nov 29
People who have carcasses or products made from protected species in their possession are legally obliged to report them to authorities by November 29th, 2018, or they would be penalized.
— NNT

Developed markets will rise above the noise
Global stock markets tumbled last week as concerns about a trade war and better-than-expected US employment data stirred fears of inflation and a more aggressive approach to interest-rate increases by the US Federal Reserve.
— Bangkok Post

Aberdeen: Silver lining in trade spat
The ongoing trade dispute between China and the US may end up being advantageous for Thailand, says Martin Gilbert, chief executive of Aberdeen Standard Investments.
— Bangkok Post

Trade negotiations, relations with foreign countries benefit Trang’s underwater wedding
The Trang Chamber of Commerce disclosed that trade negotiations and establishing trade relations with foreign countries benefit the province’s underwater wedding.
— NNT

FICO has faith in AI as equitable force
Despite mounting concern over job-stealing artificial intelligence as machines take over Thailand’s lending industry, the analytics firm FICO sees AI as a force for good that could make lending not only safer and more efficient, but even more equitable.
— Bangkok Post

Altruistic Heart volunteers hold activities in Nakhon Pathom
Volunteers of the Altruistic Heart: We Love Doing Good campaign in Nakhon Pathom have gathered to support various activities to commemorate the passing of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej on October 13th and His Majesty King Rama the Fifth on October 23rd.
— NNT

Feature photo John Le Fevre

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, October 17.

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 October 16 added by John Le Fevre on October 16, 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.