Exports see drop for 4th month
Exports fell for the fourth straight month in November, plunging by 7.39% year-on-year, attributed largely to lower oil and farm product prices, the world’s economic and trade slowdown, ongoing trade tensions between the US and China and baht appreciation.
— Bangkok Post
State pins hopes on Q4 stimulus hike
The government is hopeful myriad stimulus measures including the Taste, Shop, Spend scheme, farm crop price guarantee programme, agricultural support, and tourism stimulus incentives will help shore up economic growth in the fourth quarter to reach 3%.
— Bangkok Post
Bank of Thailand Chief Says Growth Outlook ‘Disappointing’
Thailand’s economic growth outlook of 2.8% next year is “disappointing” and policy makers are doing what they can to curb excessive gains in the currency, Governor Veerathai Santiprabhob said.
— Bloomberg
Police in Thai Deep South Charge 2 Soldiers with Murder in Loggers’ Deaths
Thai police filed murder charges against two soldiers on Monday, accusing them of involvement in the killing of three unarmed civilians in the nation’s Deep South, officials said, in a rare move to prosecute military men over the deaths of non-combatants in the insurgency-stricken region.
— BenarNews
Army compensates families of civilians slain by mistake in deep south
The Thai Army has decided to pay compensation of half a million baht, each, to the families of three men who were killed “in error” by army soldiers in the southern province of Narathiwat.
— The Thaiger
No Info Confirms ‘Arrest’ Related to Viral Protest Photo
A minister in charge of an “anti-fake news center” was accused by an activist on Monday of spreading fake news himself.
— Khaosod English
Angry Pot: Prayuth Unamused by Reporters’ Nicknames for Gov’t
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Monday had only one response to a list of nicknames lampooning his administration compiled by a media group: a death glare.
— Khaosod English
Judgement day ‘next month’ for FFP
The Constitutional Court is expected to rule next month on whether to dissolve the Future Forward Party (FFP) over allegations it attempted to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.
— Bangkok Post
Baht to remain strong into 2020: Kasikorn Research Centre
The Kasikorn Research Centre believes that the Thai Baht is going to remain strong into 2020. KBank’s research arm forecasts the baht to move in a range of 30.10-30.50 Thai baht to the US$ for the next few quarters.
— The Thaiger
Some big retailers will stop giving out plastic bags on January 1
The Thaiger reminds readers that many major Thai retailers will stop providing plastic bags from January 1 in a campaign to reduce the whopping 13.5 billion plastic bags used in Thailand annually.
— The Thaiger
Thailand Returns Orangutans to Their Indonesian Homeland
Wildlife authorities in Thailand sent two orangutans back to Indonesia on Friday as part of a collaborative effort to combat illicit wildlife trade.
— Khaosod English
15 years after tsunami, painful memories endure
Although 15 years have passed since the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami that claimed almost a quarter of a million lives, memories of that day still haunt many people on Thailand’s Andaman Coast who were touched by the tragedy.
— Bangkok Post
Govt loans B8.5bn for regional roads
Thailand plans to grant 8.5-billion-baht in loans next year to Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia to build four new transnational roads under the Asean Connectivity initiative.
— Bangkok Post
Former park chief charged on six counts in ‘Billy’ murder case
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has pressed six charges against Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn, former chief of Kaeng Krachan National Park, including premeditated murder and concealing the body of Karen activist Porlajee Rakchongcharoen, aka Billy.
— The Phuket News
Palang Pracharath Party restructures executive board
The Palang Pracharath Party held a party meeting to restructure the executive board and change its logo.
— Newsline (video)
Villagers donate recyclable waste as way to make merit
Villagers in Sai Kueng subdistrict of Surat Thani province have joined a merit making campaign run by the subdistrict administrative organization which is accepting the donation of recyclable waste to be sorted and later sold.
— Newsline (video)
Cops wrap up initial probe into Nice Review Ponzi scheme
Police on Monday handed over a preliminary investigation file into the Nice Review Ponzi scheme, which caused at least 368.6 million baht in damage to at least 2,060 people, to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
— Bangkok Post
Elephants in Thailand ‘broken’ for lucrative animal tourism
Separated from their mothers, jabbed with metal hooks, and sometimes deprived of food – many Thai elephants are tamed by force before being sold to lucrative tourism sites increasingly advertized as ‘sanctuaries’ to cruelty-conscious travellers.
— Rappler
Thailand faces massive test in its efforts to crack down illegal fishing
The Thai government’s determination to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing has brought about fruitful outcomes – but its tough reforms have ignited protests from affected fishermen.
— Seafoodsource
Project launched to combat TB among workers from Thailand
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Cambodian National Centre for Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control (Cenat) have launched a three-year project to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) among Cambodian migrants returning from Thailand.
— The Phnom Penh Post
Khao San Road, Bangkok: from low-rent slum to ‘flashpacker’ central to counterculture relic – will gentrified party strip be saved by a revamp?
The Khao San Road of 1992, when I first stayed there, looked very little like it does now, as the Bangkok tourist strip undergoes major renovation that is set to be completed in February.
— South China Morning Post
Thai hospital joins hands with China’s medical institute to conduct cancer immunotherapy research
Thailand’s oldest hospital on Monday announced cooperation with China’s Shenzhen Geno-immune Medical Institute (GIMI) to conduct a clinical research into cancer immunotherapy.
— Xinhuanet
Deputy PM delivers blankets to people in Chiang Mai
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit along with the Deputy Minister of Interior delivered blankets to people in cold stricken Chiang Mai province.
— Newsline (video)
Fifty Chiang Mai restaurants recognized by MICHELIN Guide
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is inviting people to try the food at 50 restaurants recognized by the MICHELIN Guide in Chiang Mai province.
— Newsline (video)
Baht, Asia’s best-performing currency, faces reversal
The baht’s heady gains are petering out, thanks to slowing growth and a central bank that’s bent on taming the currency’s strength.
— Bangkok Post
33% of Thais have less than 500 baht on their bank account
One-third of Thai depositors have a deposit balance below 500 baht, and 50% of them have a balance below 3,124 baht.
— Thailand Business News
Progress in Bang Yai – Kanchanaburi motorway project
The Highways Department has paid compensation for the compulsory purchase of land from villagers in Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi and Kanchanaburi provinces to pave way for the Bang Yai Kanchanaburi motorway, which is expected to open for a trial run in late 2022.
— Newsline (video)
Workshop for royal rainmaking volunteers
The Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation organized a workshop for rainmaking volunteers in Phayao province.
— Newsline (video)
Four arrested for forged documents; Police in pursuit of five more
The Crime Suppression Division and the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission arrested suspects of fake ID cards of the deceased whose relatives may not have informed district officials.
— Newsline (video)
Songkran festival set to make world heritage splash
The Songkran Water Festival is gunning for a place on Unesco’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
— Bangkok Post
Kao Khon La Kao activity helps seven northern hospitals
The Kao Khon La Kao activity has helped seven northern hospitals from Uttaradit to Chiang Mai provinces with the procurement of medical equipment beginning on December 19 and ending on December 22.
— Newsline (video)
Arts of the Kingdom Museum: Thailand’s Most Exquisite Masterpieces
The Arts of the Kingdom Museum, at Ko Koet Sub-district of Ayutthaya Province, has compiled the country’s most exquisite artistic masterpieces, created by the craftsmen of the Queen Sirikit Institute to be put on display.
— Newsline (video)
Ghosts Rumor Spreads Panic into Villagers in Northeastern Thailand
Officials in northeastern Thailand try to calm public anxiety after six people have died during the past two months.
— Chiang Rai Times
Relatives of slain men get payouts
Authorities have paid 500,000 baht each in compensation to families of three victims who were shot dead “by mistake” during a clash with armed insurgents in Narathiwat last Monday.
— Bangkok Post
Thai community spreads language, culture in Tokyo
In an eastern downtown area of Tokyo, known for its Thai community, classes are being held in a six-story building promoting Thai language and culture.
— Bangkok Post
Govt defends ‘pillow’ plan
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Thamanat Prompow’s proposal to give away 30 million latex pillows to support rubber farmers has prompted questions about its sustainability and transparency, forcing one of his close aides to mount a defence of the plan on Monday.
— Bangkok Post
Thai Life Assurance Association mulls one central claim centre
Thai Life Assurance Association (TLAA) plans to set up a central claim centre, pooling all health insurance claims to improve convenience for claimants and hospitals, reducing claim processing costs and helping prevent insurers from overclaims.
— Bangkok Post
BEM settlement plan goes to cabinet
Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob will on Tuesday ask the cabinet to approve a plan to grant Bangkok Expressway and Metro Plc (BEM) a 15-year contract extension in order to avoid paying the firm more than 4 billion baht in compensation.
— Bangkok Post
Thai-Sino rail talks ‘already concluded’
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) insists that postponing the signing of Contract 2.3 for the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed railway for another six months will not result in further delays, now that Thailand and China have ironed out their differences.
— Bangkok Post
ETDA ploughs ahead with digital mission
The Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) has vowed to push ahead with a regulatory system for digital certificate issuers and digital identification service as key missions next year.
— Bangkok Post
Rare Omura’s whale sighted near Similan Islands, Phang-nga province
An Omura’s whale (Balaenoptera omurai), a rare and little known whale species, has been sighted by a Thai tour guide and tourists swimming in the sea near Miang Island, in the Similan Islands national park of the southern province of Phang-nga.
— Thai PBS News
Senate calls for urgent expansion Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport
Just days after Thailand set yet another annual record for incoming visitors, a Senate committee is urging the government to speed up the expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport.
— The Thaiger
Local carriers brace for a challenging new year
A strong currency, higher operation costs from an excise tax and a slowdown in tourism are among the challenges confronting local airlines next year.
— Bangkok Post
Police mull charges for teen stabber
A Mathayom 6 student who stabbed a fellow student in the neck with a piece of broken glass at their school in Pathum Thani on Friday has confessed to the crime and could be charged with attempted murder, according to provincial police.
— Bangkok Post
2 new carriers set for takeoff
Thailand’s aviation industry is set to welcome two new low-cost carriers next year, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) on Monday.
— Bangkok Post
Pattaya City aims for Beach Road construction to be finished by February 13 of next year
Pattaya officials say roadwork that has turned Beach Road into a heavy construction zone during high season will complete by February 13, 2020.
— The Pattaya News
Abrupt company closure means about 1,000 workers lose their jobs
Almost 1,000 employees of an automotive parts manufacturing company in Samut Sakhon province were laid off when they arrived for work this morning (Monday) and the factory was closed.
— Thai PBS News
Villages fed up with living with dirty water in Phattalung
Imagine living with dirty tap water for four years. In a country like Thailand, in 2019, that’s not intolerable. But if you live in an unfortunate village in Phattalung, that’s the current situation.
— The Thaiger
Thanathorn’s “flash mob” enjoys widespread support amongst Thais
The public is split over what is now being called the opposition’s “flash mob,” and “Skywalk Rally” organised by the Future Forward Party in central Bangkok on December 14, but supporters slightly outnumber opponents, according to a survey by the National Institute for Development Administration, or NIDA Poll.
— The Thaiger
Parina’s Dad Fined 500 Baht for a Car Crash That Injured Teen
Police on Monday said the father of a pro-government lawmaker was fined 500 baht after crashing his car into a motorcycle in Ratchaburi province over the weekend, injuring a 17-year-old boy.
— Khaosod English
Future Forward’s call for inquiry into “Illuminati Case” rejected by charter court
Thailand’s Constitutional Court has rejected the Future Forward party’s petition for an inquiry to be held into a sedition charge against the party, also known as the “Illuminati Case”.
— Thai PBS News
4 dead, 47 injured in Loei bus crash
Just two days after 14 Singaporean tourists were injured in a tour van crash, 4 people have been killed and at least 47 people injured, some seriously, after a tour bus from Buriram lost control last night.
— The Thaiger
Supalai project aims for active seniors
SET-listed developer Supalai Plc has launched a senior-friendly housing project in Kaeng Khoi district, Saraburi with 144 leasehold units priced from 1.3 million baht to tap active elderly people.
— Bangkok Post property
NSTDA allots B5bn for bio-circular-green projects
Nearly 5 billion baht has been earmarked for the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) to further projects geared towards a bio-circular-green (BCG) economy, along with the food, medical, energy and tourism sectors.
— Bangkok Post
Two people injured during a knife fight over a dispute about loud music in Naklua
Two people have been injured following a knife fight after a group of men allegedly turned on loud music while partying late at night in Bang Lamung yesterday which turned into a physical confrontation between neighbors.
— The Pattaya News
Seven injured in tour bus accident in Pattaya area
Seven people have sustained injuries after a tour bus on the Bangkok to Rayong route slammed into a large truck in Bang Lamung late this afternoon.
— The Pattaya News
Careers and business heading for the scrap-heap. And the ones that will thrive.
Is your career headed for the scrap-heap? Rangsit University’s Economic and Business Research Centre for Reform has been studying the careers and businesses that are at high risk of disruption, layoffs or downright extinction.
— The Thaiger
Cured by Scientific Quests and Honed Palates
There comes a time when challenges are big, but solutions are hidden in plain sights. Thailand as a cheese producers?
— Thai PBS News
European visa fees for Thais to rise 33%
From Feb 2, 2020, Thai citizens will need to pay a fee of 80 euros (2,676 baht) — one third more than the current 60 euros — when applying for a Schengen (EU) visa from Thailand, according to the website SchengenVisaInfo.com.
— Bangkok Post travel
Fakes valued at 50 million baht found in raids in Saraburi
The Department of Special Investigation has seized counterfeit goods in a series of raids, with a street value of around 50 million baht and including some 158,000 items.
— The Thaiger
Govt loans B8.5bn for regional roads
Thailand plans to grant 8.5-billion-baht in loans next year to Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia to build four new transnational roads under the Asean Connectivity initiative.
— Bangkok Post
Sinwattana urges easier crowdfunding
Sinwattana Crowdfunding, an equity portal operated by Phoenixict Technologies Co Ltd, has asked the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to ease certain regulations for crowdfunding projects to become successful.
— Bangkok Post
Family income joins new welfare criteria
Recipients of state welfare benefits in the new round of registration early next year must include the incomes of their family members, and the average annual income for the family cannot exceed 100,000 baht per person.
— Bangkok Post
Talks on tap for lowering health insurance premiums
The Internal Trade Department is scheduled to talk with the Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC) by the middle of next month about possibly lowering health insurance premiums in keeping with the cheaper medicine price structure.
— Bangkok Post
Kirins accept Marinos offer for Thai star Theerathon
Former Thai League 1 champions SCG Muang Thong United have agreed to release Thailand left wing back Theerathon Bunmathan to J-League champions Yokohama F Marinos for a reported fee of 35 million baht.
— Bangkok Post
Govt set to address sea water intrusion
The government is bracing for salt water intrusion into four major rivers, including the Chao Phraya, as low fresh water levels may have affected tap water production.
— Bangkok Post
Thai man carrying a knife in traffic intoxicated and high on drugs causes chaos and streetfights in Na Jomtien -Video
A heavily intoxicated man who was also high on crystal methamphetamine according to police was caught after wandering through traffic and threatening drivers and pedestrians on Sukhimwit Road in Na Jomtien yesterday afternoon.
— The Pattaya News
Feature photo Beach Lover Club Thailand
This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo focuses on the anniversary of the 2004 Asean tsunami, December 26.
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).
—
About Thailand morning news.
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Governance, not government; policies not politics.
Thailand morning news for December 24 added by John Le Fevre on
View all posts by John Le Fevre →
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.
Latest posts by John Le Fevre (see all)
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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