Thailand morning news for October 22

8% export growth target set for 2019
AMID the escalating US-China trade war, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said an export growth target of 8 per cent has been set for next year, while Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong said Thailand plans to produce for export products affected by the trade spat.
— The Nation

Thailand immigrant crackdown eyes ‘dark-skinned people’
Allegedly aimed at busting visa abusers and illegal migrants, a Thai police operation called “X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner” has raised questions about racial profiling and fears for asylum-seekers caught in its web.
— The Straits Times

Switched on: Top electric power conference heads to Thailand
The Power and Energy Society (PES), which bills itself as the the world’s largest forum for the electric power industry, is literally counting the days, hours, minutes and seconds before its Grand International Conference and Exposition is held for the first time outside of the United States.
— AEC News Today

Apirat puts country on alert from the get-go
When Gen Apirat Kongsompong was appointed new army chief in the annual military reshuffle, it was generally assumed his job was to further cement the current regime’s position.
— Bangkok Post

Trade war has little to no impact on Thai economy: UTCC
The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) says the country’s economy remains strong in spite of the ongoing trade war between the United States and China.
— NNT

Officials get orders to wean farmers off rice
AGRICULTURE Minister Grisada Boonrach has ordered officials to proceed with a corn-growing promotion scheme under the government’s San Palang Pracharat public-private partnership initiative.
— The Nation

Phuket pushes to splash B508mn on marine safety
Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong will request a budget of more than half a billion baht from the national government to splash out on improving marine safety.
— The Phuket News

Passports please: Thailand cracks down on ‘outlaw foreigners’
Allegedly aimed at busting visa abusers and illegal migrants, a Thai police operation called “X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner” has raised questions about racial profiling and fears for asylum seekers caught in its web.
— South China Morning Post

Fiery van crash kills nine Myanmar migrants
SEVERAL MYANMAR workers smashed glass windows with their heads and fists to get out of a van that crashed into a tree and soon caught fire in Kamphaeng Phet province yesterday morning. But nine of them could not escape in time and were consumed by the flames.
— The Nation

THAI pilots told to keep mum about Zurich delay
Thai Airways International has ordered four pilots involved in a flight delay in Zurich last week not to discuss the matter in public.
— Bangkok Post

Senior economist calls for integration of sufficiency economy principle
A veteran economist, Sawai Boonma, has called on the country to apply the principles of a sufficiency economy, as introduced by the late monarch, to their everyday activities.
— NNT

Suthep steps into lion’s den
It can be said that Suthep Thaugsuban was in “the lion’s den” today. Actually, he was in Khon Kaen, a northeastern political hotbed where many certainly did not appreciate his presence.
— Thai PBS World

Surachai: Incumbent lawmakers cannot seek lower house seats
The first vice president of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), Surachai Liengboonlertchai, said on Saturday that incumbent members of the NLA can no longer vie for seats in the election of members of parliament (MPs).
— NNT

New teacher-education policy ‘will hurt quality’
THE ONGOING transition of the educational sector into a new and hopeful era risk stumbling after a drastic move by authorities to cut the duration of the teacher-education programme back to four years, many experts warned.
— The Nation

GPSC opts to appeal ERC ruling
SET-listed Global Power Synergy Plc (GPSC), a power-generating arm of PTT Plc, has decided to appeal the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) decision to block its takeover deal of SET-listed Glow Energy Plc.
— Bangkok Post

Omise gains funding for fintech ambitions
Omise Holdings, a Southeast Asian financial technology (fintech) service provider, has announced it has received an undisclosed amount of funding.
— The Nation

Commerce Ministry calls for market-led rice farming plan
The Ministry of Commerce called for a market-led rice farming plan and improvement in the Thai rice quality to gain more global market shares.
— NNT

Krabi residents up in arms over mine
OVER A hundred residents in Krabi province yesterday staged a rally against an attempt to operate a dolomite mine in their community.
— The Nation

Krungsri teams up with MUFG to offer cutting edge cross-border banking services
Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya Pcl.) is banking on the vast network of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) to help its customers in Thailand expand regionally and globally.
— Bangkok Post

Contest fires up young pioneers of IoT
Microsoft and SiriVentures over the past week kicked off “Smart Living with Micro:bit”, Thailand’s first youth competition to develop a new generation of Internet of Things (IoT) pioneers.
— The Nation

Listed banks see Q3 net profit rise
The digital transaction fee waiver cut into fee-based income for the four largest banks — Bangkok Bank (BBL), Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), Kasikornbank (KBank) and Krungthai Bank (KTB) — during the third quarter, according to filings with the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).
— Bangkok Post

Creative Tourism
Phatthalung residents are embracing the results of several studies as they offer “creative tourism” packages to lure visitors into spending more time in the southern province.
— The Nation

TFFIF draws hordes of retail investors in IPO debut
The IPO for the Thailand Future Fund (TFFIF) received an overwhelming welcome from investors, with the portion allocated to retail investors oversubscribed by 60%, says the State Enterprise Policy Office (Sepo).
— Bangkok Post

Rice shipment prospects rosy
Thailand’s rice export prospects for next year remain promising, with a group of rice exporters predicting that shipments will stay at 10 million tonnes in 2019.
— Bangkok Post

RESKILLING KEY IN DISRUPTIVE ERA
As we continue to undergo digital disruption, the reality of what we will see today and tomorrow is that a lot of new jobs will be created and a lot of current jobs will be transformed.
— The Nation

Line invests in Fastwork in bet on growth in the online freelancing market
LINE Ventures, the venture investment arm of Line Corporation, has announced an investment in the US$4.8 million (Bt156 million) Series A round of financing by online freelancing platform Fastwork.
— The Nation

Senate selection committee not yet formed
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) hasn’t yet appointed a senate selection committee, according to Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam.
— NNT

Navy chief visits Port In – Port Out center in Pattani ahead of EU inspection
Navy Chief Admiral Luechai Ruddit paid an inspection visit to a Port In – Port Out center in the southern province of Pattani on Saturday, to inspect its operation.
— NNT

Specialist argues for LTF deductions
A move to end the tax deductions for long-term equity funds (LTFs) could severely affect Thailand’s stock market as the global stock market bull run is poised to dissipate in 2020, says a mutual fund specialist.
— Bangkok Post

Thai AirAsia seeks face scans in Krabi
Thai AirAsia (TAA), Thailand’s largest low-cost carrier, plans to provide a facial recognition system at check-in for volunteer passengers on a trial basis at Krabi airport.
— Bangkok Post

Feature photo John Le Fevre

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges World Development Information Day October 24.

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 22 added by John Le Fevre on October 22, 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.