Thailand morning news for January 22

Thailand morning news for January 22
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Thailand morning news

Water spraying drones being considered to contend with PM 2.5
Thailand’s Prime Minister has focused on Royal Rain Making as a way to reduce the amount of particulate matter or PM 2.5 in the air above Bangkok and its vicinity with the Pollution Control Department (PCD) planning to employ water spraying drones as part of its control efforts.
— NNT

Thailand moves to ease plight of asylum-seekers’ & refugees’ children
Seven Thailand government agencies have today (Jan 21) inked an agreement that will allow the children of refugees and asylum seekers to be freed from Immigration Detention Centres (IDC).
— AEC News Today

Article 44 may be used for poll postponement
POLITICAL scientists warned yesterday that the elections may be postponed beyond March 24, and there is a high chance that it will be held after the coronation of the King if the Royal Decree is not published this week.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Pollution dept, City Hall mull ‘haze emergency’
A worried Pollution Control Department (PCD) and City Hall are considering declaring Bangkok a “pollution control zone” after haze in the capital worsened on Monrday.
— Bangkok Post

One endangered-species marine creature injured or killed by garbage in Thai waters every 68 hours
Over the past year, 129 marine animals from endangered species have been injured or killed by sea garbage in Thai waters, which means one has been tortured or died every 68 hours from ingesting our rubbish.
— The Nation

World-Beating Baht Adds to Thai Challenges as Exports Fall
A surge in the baht is adding to the challenges facing Thailand’s trade-dependent economy this year as exports decline.
— Bloomberg

Windless Bangkok strangles in smog, but forecast improves
Bangkok’s air pollution crisis worsened on Monday as predicted, with 23 locations along main roads and 16 other areas reporting unsafe levels of PM2.5, the health-threatening airborne particles 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Top BDMS executives resign over SEC sanctions
Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Plc (BDMS) advised the Stock Exchange of Thailand on Monday that its group chief executive officer and president Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth and director Poramaporn Prasarttong-Osoth had tendered their resignations, effective on January 21.
— The Nation

Prawit promises better care for kids of illegal aliens
Foreign children arrested for entering the country illegally with their parents will no longer be held at the Immigration Bureau’s detention centre while they are waiting to be deported, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said on Monday.
— Bangkok Post

‘Declare city a pollution control zone’
AS AIR pollution in Bangkok worsens this week and there are few signs of official measures offering relief, many academics called on the government yesterday to declare the capital a pollution-control zone, so related agencies can enforce stricter legal measures to limit emissions and protect people’s health.
–The Nation (very annoying popups)

DMK Warns of Flight Delays Due to Runway Repairs
Several flights could be delayed as Don Mueang Airport closes portions of a runway next week for maintenance.
— Khaosod English

Rival groups demonstrate in Thailand as election tensions grow
Rival groups held demonstrations in Thailand’s capital on Saturday, with hundreds of people demanding quick elections to end military rule and a much smaller group of pro-junta supporters saying it was too soon for a vote.
— Reuters

Krungthai Bank forecasts 4.1% economic growth this year
Krungthai Bank has projected the Thai economy will grow at a rate of 4.1% this year, expressing confidence that the kingdom will see an influx of foreign capital once there is more clarification on the election date.
— Pattaya Mail

Thai political development on table at Asean-EU meeting : Source
Ministers from Asean and European Union were meeting in Brussels on Monday to review past cooperation and further strengthen ties between the regions.
— The Nation (very annoying pop-ups)

Legal action taken against people who removed beer cans from beer truck accident scene
Legal action has already been taken against four people who ‘removed’ beer cans after a truck carrying boxes of beer cans overturned in Phuket on January 11. A logistic company representative has filed a report with police after more than 80,000 […]
— The Thaiger

SET-listed banks post 8% rise in net profit
SET-listed commercial banks posted a 8.2% rise in their unaudited consolidated net profit for 2018, with most of them setting aside lower impairment charges that cancelled out the impact of waiving digital transaction fees and some recording extra gains on investments.
— Bangkok Post

PM urges land management officials to create understanding about appropriate land use
Thai Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha chaired a meeting with the National Land Policy Committee, instructing all to create understanding about appropriate land use.
— NNT

Man killed by wild elephants
Wild elephants are believed to have pulled a man from a small hut in a pineapple field and stomped him to death.
— The Bangkok Post

Saudi asylum case prods reform of tough refugee policy
On a television set in a grim, overcrowded Bangkok detention centre refugees closely followed Saudi woman Rahaf Mohammed al-Ms Qunun’s quest for resettlement, as the 18-year-old asylum-seeker’s case spurred hopes of a major policy turn from Thailand — a country that does not recognise refugees.
— The Bangkok Post

Thailand claims world’s first cancer operation and intravenous chemotherapy for elephant
Thai veterinarians have successfully removed a 5-kg cancerous tumor from the intestines of a female elephant and, later, applied intravenous chemotherapy until the animal was cleared of cancer in what…
— Thai PBS World

Prasert, others given 14 days to comply
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is demanding that three offenders, including billionaire Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, pay civil fines worth a combined 499.45 million baht within 14 days or face legal proceedings by public prosecutors.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand pushes for Industry 4.0 in ASEAN
Thailand will make a bigger push to drive the region’s move towards Industry 4.0 during its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional grouping this year.
— ComputerWeekly.com

Govt affirms stance against detaining children in immigration rooms
Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, affirmed Thailand’s stance against detaining foreign children in immigration rooms while awaiting deportation, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
— NNT

Thailand Tourism Festival 2019 showcasing Thailand to Thais
The Tourism Authority of Thailand will host the 39th edition of Thailand Tourism Festival at Bangkok’s Lumpini Park from January 23-27. This year the festival features five ‘tourism villages’ representing different regions of Thailand plus two additional zones of activity.
— The Thaiger

Worsening Smog Spreads Across Metropolitan Bangkok
Polluting vehicles will be removed from the road as potentially harmful ultrafine particles again reached unhealthy levels and spread to wider swaths of the metropolitan area, officials said Monday.
— Khaosod English

Exports shrink in December, up overall for 2018
Thai exports contracted 1.7 per cent in December to a combined value of US$19.4 billion, the Commerce Ministry reported on Monday.
— The Nation

Walls and Wire to Secure Deep South Temples After Monks Killed
Security walls, concertina wire and security cameras will be installed by the government at Buddhist temples throughout the Deep South after two monks were killed in an attack.
— Khaosod English

So long, farewell – Yingluck says goodbye to Thai politics
Former Thai PM, and fugitive, Yingluck Shinawatra is saying she has “washed her hands of Thai politics” because she has suffered enough from her political role in the past.
— The Thaiger

Group hopes Cabinet decision on medical price controls
REPRESENTATIVES of the people’s sector are on edge as they wait for a Cabinet decision today on controlling the price of medical supplies and services.
— The Nation

IBank approved to exit rehabilitation plan
The Islamic Bank of Thailand (IBank) has been given the green light on to exit its rehabilitation plan by the State Enterprises Policy Commission, thanks to the bank’s improving operating performance.
— NNT

Fisheries Dept: bright future in local fisheries
Thailand’s Fisheries Department expects a bright future in the local fisheries industry after the European Commission took Thailand off its group of “warned countries” in recognition of its progress in tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
— Pattaya Mail

Pattaya maps out water safety plan
The Marine Department has unveiled a new plan for Pattaya to safeguard tourists who engage in water activities at this beach resort city.
— Bangkok Post

Marine endangered species injured or killed from sea garbage every 68 hours
PHOTO: Thai Whales Over the past year, 129 marine endangered species in Thailand have been injured or killed from sea garbage, which means every 68 hours one of them has been tortured or died from ingesting our rubbish.
— The Thaiger

Police raid Bang Phlat property suspected of housing 818Kiss online gambling operation
Crime-suppression police on Monday raided and searched a house in Bangkok’s Bang Phlat district under a court warrant on suspicion that it was being used as a venue to operate 818Kiss, an online gambling website.
— The Nation

DNA Links Mekong Corpse to Monarchy Foe: Family
The son of one of three missing republicans said Monday that police have concluded that a mutilated body found in the Mekong River was his father.
— Khaosod English

Park area that villagers say is theirs surveyed
A SURVEY team tasked with resolving allegations that farms in three villages are encroaching on the Pha Taem National Park in Ubon Ratchathani’s Khong Chiam district, inspected the 19 demarcation poles that had been put up by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation in 1991.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Premchai and wife in court over tusk charges
Premchai Karnasuta, the president of construction firm Italian-Thai Development who faces charges centred on illegal poaching in a Kanchanaburi wildlife sanctuary, appeared in Criminal Court in Bangkok on Monday on separate charges of smuggling and illegally possessing two pairs of tusks from African elephants.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

More Hua Hin macaques to be sterilised
The Hua Hin municipality is sterilising even more macaques as their population has grown to about 3,000 despite past desexing efforts.
— The Bangkok Post

New rules stink, say fishermen
Government crusade over past three years to have EU yellow card lifted has been blamed for ruining Thai fishing sector
— The Bangkok Post

Australian and Thai transnational drug smugglers drop the ball
How much heroin can you smuggle in eight (car) shock absorbers? Apparently close to 4 kilograms. A joint Thai-Australian drug suppression operation called Taskforce Storm has yielded results and arrested two transnational heroin smugglers.
— The Thaiger

Top BDMS executives resign over SEC sanctions
Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Plc (BDMS) advised the Stock Exchange of Thailand on Monday that its group chief executive officer and president Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth and director Poramaporn Prasarttong-Osoth had tendered their resignations, effective on January 21.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Model in Russian Court Apologizes for US Election Claim
A Belarusian model and self-styled sex instructor who last year claimed to have evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election said Saturday that she apologizes to a Russian tycoon for the claim and won’t say more about the matter.
— Khaosod English

Thai political development on table at Asean-EU meeting : Source
Ministers from Asean and European Union were meeting in Brussels on Monday to review past cooperation and further strengthen ties between the regions.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Policeman surrenders for Phuket street slaying, denies charges, released on bail
A Border Patrol Police Lance-Corporal wanted for shooting dead a local councillor’s son in Phuket early Saturday morning has presented himself to police, Wichit Police confirmed today (Jan 21).
— The Phuket News

Thai Airways charges British passenger 80,000 baht for extra luggage
A British expat has been charged a whopping 79,825.13 baht by Thai Airways for extra luggage on a flight to London from Bangkok. The report was posted by Thai Visa. The incident occurred when the man in question (who is not named) was on the Thai Airways website purchasing 20kg extra luggage […]
— The Thaiger

Ten things govt must do to stifle smog
For the second month, Bangkok’s air pollution remains at extremely hazardous levels, with particulate matter (PM) 2.5 often as high as 150 microgrammes per cubic metre of air.
— The Bangkok Post

Counterprotesters Deny Assaulting Pro-Democracy Activist
The leader of a weekend rally said Monday his group was not involved in the assault of a pro-democracy activist.
— Khaosod English

Chiang Mai policeman caught accepting bribe on Facebook post
A Chiang Mai traffic policeman has been transferred “to inactive duties” (whatever that means) after allegedly being caught on a Facebook post accepting a 200 baht bribe from a Chinese tourist. The tourists’s motorcycle had been locked up for parking illegally.
— The Thaiger

Just mediating will not help end to domestic violence, say experts
THE NUMBER of reported domestic-violence victims has risen by an alarming rate in the first half of this month, compared to the same period a year later, according to the Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation (WMP).
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

‘The Cave’ due out mid year – First cave rescue film to reach cinemas
AFP A Thai-born director, Tom Waller, who reportedly took only a few weeks to shoot the first film about the dramatic Tham Luang cave rescue of the Mu Pa football team in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district
— The Thaiger

Cabinet extends welfare card measures, approves projects in upper north
The Cabinet has extended the second phase of its welfare measures by another six months along with eight urgent programs in the upper northern region.
— Pattaya Mail

REPORT: Changes give forest protection centre more authority, ease in identifying encroachers
CHEEWAPAP Cheewatham recently stepped down as leader of Thailand’s most powerful forest suppression taskforce, Phaya Prai, after nearly five years at the helm.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Company rolls out new computers for Chiang Mai school
Top executives from Thailand property development company Boutique Corporation recently visited the Intanon Wittaya School in Chiang Mai and presented them with ten desktop computers to the school.
— The Thaiger

 

Feature photo John Le Fevre

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges the 2019 Asean Foreign Minister’ Retreat, Chiang Mai, Thailand January 17-18.

 

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.

 

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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.

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