Doctors in Squalor, Patients on Balconies at Cash-Starved Hospitals
Cracked windows, peeling paint, moldy walls and water stains mark the house as being long abandoned. But there, surrounded by overgrown woods and weeds, a medical doctor lived five years until someone recently broke in to steal his valuables.
— Khaosod English
PM pleased with Thailand being lifted off CITES’ blacklist on illegal ivory trade
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is delighted with Thailand being lifted off CITES’ blacklist on illegal ivory trade.
— NNT
More Chinese prefer Japan to Thailand for ‘Golden Week’ holiday
Japan has overtaken Thailand as Chinese vacationers’ top choice for the 2018 Chinese Golden Week holiday, according to Ctrip.com, one of the biggest travel websites in China.
— The Nation
EEC mustn’t steamroll locals’ rights
An hour after a public forum on land disputes in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) zone started on Thursday in tambon Yothaka in Chachoengsao’s Bang Nam Prieo district, military personnel and security officers from the Internal Security Operation Command arrived at the scene and took over the stage. They describe their intervention as an act to “listen to the people”.
— Bangkok Post
Elected govt to be at mercy of Senate
PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha recently admitted to his “interest in politics”, which observers interpret as opting to become a political party’s prime ministerial candidate in the next general election.
— The Nation
Auto sector tops Thai exports to Asean
Vehicles as well as auto parts and accessories topped Thai shipments to Asean in the first eight months of this year, valued at Bt164.8 billion, according to figures from the Department of Foreign Trade.
— The Nation
Spoiled for choice
With the end of 2018 approaching, it’s time for income earners to review their tax-saving strategy to ensure that they maximise returns when tax filing season starts early next year.
— Bangkok Post
EC aims to move up Senate election date
The Election Commission is planning to move up the date of the Senate election.
— NNT
Cabinet aims to complete transformation into digital government in five years
The Cabinet aims to complete the government’s transformation into a digital operation in five years.
— NNT
EEC panel gives nod for digital push
The steering committee of the EEC Development Policy last week acknowledged the proposal of the Digital Economy and Society Ministry to develop the digital and communications infrastructure on the Eastern Economic Corridor with a budget of more than Bt17.913 billion.
— The Nation
Commerce Ministry: Sellers have yet to ask for price increase
The Minister of Commerce confirmed no sellers have yet to request for a price increase of their products, but admitted commodity prices will rise during the vegetarian festival.
— NBT World (video)
Education Ministry, Google to upgrade education in southern border region
The Ministry of Education’s Southern Border Province Education Coordination and Management Center has cooperated with Google (Thailand) Co., Ltd. to upgrade education in the southern border region.
— NBT World (video)
Thais invited to donate to Indonesian disaster relief
In addition to donating 5 million baht to disaster relief in Indonesia, the Thai government has also set up the “Thai Hearts to Indonesia” bank account to collect further contributions.
— Pattaya Mail
Leave Maya Bay alone: experts
MARINE ECOLOGISTS have urged the tourism sector to desist from pressuring authorities for an early reopening of the world-renowned Maya Bay in the southern island province of Krabi so as to ensure a proper rehabilitation process.
— The Nation (annoying popups)
DPM Wissanu cautions four ministers about using state resources
Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs Wissanu Krea-ngam has urged four ministers who sit as members of the Phalang Pracharat Party not to exploit their power to gain unfair advantage ahead of the general poll.
— NNT
Workers pan sub-contracting
About 1,000 workers gathered at Government House on Sunday, calling on the government to end unfair contracts and unsafe working conditions in both the private and public sectors.
— Bangkok Post
Govt vote-catcher ‘fails to woo public’
The taxpayer-funded Thai Niyom Yangyuen (Sustainable Thainess) programme may not be well-known to many people mainly because it is not a populist scheme, according to government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd.
— Bangkok Post (annoying popusp)
DPM Chatchai studies illegal fishing problem-solving
The Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs has visited Phuket province to encourage officers of the Fisheries Port in – Port Out Control Center of Region 3 to monitor the activities of illegal fisheries.
— NBT World (video)
Up to 45 billion baht in circulation during this year’s vegetarian festival
The Center for Economic and Business Forecasting of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) has forecast that up to 45 billion baht in cash flow will be in circulation during the Vegetarian Festival this year.
— NBT World (video)
Maya Bay’s coral 50% destroyed
Certain chemicals in sunscreen products are to blame for the death of more than half of the corals at the famed Maya Bay on Phi Phi Island in Krabi, said Songtham Suksawang, director of the National Park…
— Bangkok Post
Energy regulators look into Glow deal concerns
THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) plans to clarify matters concerning the planned purchase by Global Power Synergy Plc (GPSC) of the shares of Glow Energy Plc (Glow) in a power deal that some fear could lead to a trade monopoly and fall foul of the Constitution.
— The Nation
Phuket hotels see 5% more booked rooms for Vegetarian Festival this year: TAT
The hotel room booking rate in Phuket province during the Chinese Golden Week season and around the renowned Vegetarian Festival rose by 5% from last year, with some hotels already fully booked, says official.
— NNT
DPM Prajin attends Smart City Expo 2018 in Khon Kaen
The Deputy Prime Minister for Infrastructures has officiated the Smart City Expo 2018 in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen.
— NBT World (video)
Royal Irrigation Department pleads for water conservation
The Royal Irrigation Department is pleading with the public to help conserve water despite the fact that there is a good supply of water in dams nationwide.
— NNT
How AI will accelerate growth in Thailand’s media industry
GLOBAL spending on artificial intelligence (AI) will likely exceed US$46 billion (Bt1.5 trillion) in 2020, according to the IDC, a market intelligence corporation. The prediction comes a year after IDC reported that Thailand had the second highest number of organisations adopting AI among Southeast Asian countries.
— The Nation
Seven charges filed against suspects accused of illegal hunting in Kanchanaburi
Seven charges have been lodged against 12 members of a suspected hunting party allegedly led by a deputy district chief officer after forest rangers of the Saiyok national park in the western province of Kanchanaburi found carcass of a bearcat, one rifle, two handguns and ammunition in their vehicles on Sunday.
— Thai PBS
BMA demolishes houses encroaching on canal in Sukhumvit
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has enhanced the efficiency of drainage in Bangkok by removing houses encroaching on canals and building a new drainage system.
— NNT
Floods sweep away bridge in Mae Hong Son
A bridge in Mae Hong Son crucial to tourism and trade was swept away in a flash flood on Sunday.
— The Nation
Review of tsunami warning system proposed to Phuket
Asst Prof Dr Tavida Kamolvej, the key person behind Phuket tsunami warning system, proposed to review it for better efficiency, Phuket PR Department announced today (Oct 6).
— The Phuket News
No specific date set for enforcement of Supreme Court beach evictions in Phuket
MaAnn Samran, chief of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor), has assured Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana that he will carry out Supreme Court evictions on 178 rai of beachfront land at Layan and Leypang beaches, on Phuket’s west coast.
— The Phuket News
Three Cities in Thailand among the 20 Most-visited Destinations in the World
Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya, have been listed among the 20 most-visited destinations in the world, according to Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index (GDCI) 2018.
— Pattaya Mail
Phuket airport expects 21 million passengers throughout next year
Phuket international airport expects to accommodate at least 21 million domestic and international passengers throughout next year due to the constantly growing tourism sector.
— NNT
A world of lives transformed by apps
A decade ago, apple blurred the boundaries of work and play with app store’s launch, and thai geeks are among the beneficiaries
— The Nation
Feature photo My-Thai.org
This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges World Mental Health Day October 10.
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 8 added by John Le Fevre on
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John Le Fevre
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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- COVID-19 in Asean: update for July 24 — Asean tops 230,000 cases, nudges 90,000 active – July 24, 2020
- Thailand morning news for July 24 – July 24, 2020