Thailand morning news for January 24

Thailand morning news for January 24
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Thailand morning news

Some Bangkok private schools close temporarily due to air pollution worries
AIR POLLUTION has forced the suspension of classes at private schools across Bangkok this week, though the Pollution Control Department (PCD) yesterday reported fewer areas with unsafe levels of PM2.5 – airborne particulates 2.5 microns in diameter and smaller.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Thai Gov’t Pharmaceutical Organization aims to start producing cannabis oil by mid-Feb
The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) — which is overseeing Thailand’s legalization of medical marijuana — has announced their plans to start planting this February in order to extract cannabis oil to be used by May or June.
— Coconuts (paywall)

Thailand’s Junta Is Finally Ready for an Election. Here’s Why
Thailand has endured many military coups since ending its absolute monarchy in 1932.
— Bloomberg

Royal decree for election published, EC must set date
His Majesty the King on Wednesday issued a royal decree for a general election, which took immediate effect, and the Election Commission can now set a date for the polls.
— Bangkok Post

Police Deny 3rd Corpse Was Found in Mekong
NAKHON PHANOM — Police in the northeast denied that a third corpse had been recovered from the Mekong River after two others were linked to anti-monarchy dissidents missing in Laos.
— Khaosod English

Scania urges Thailand to increase emission standard for heavy-duty vehicles
Scania has called for the Pollution Control Department to increase the emission standard for heavy-duty vehicles in Thailand from the current Euro 3 standard to Euro 6 as a means to fight with the ongoing air pollution in Bangkok.
— The Nation (very annoying pop-ups)

PTTEP to invest US$ 3.3 billion in Thailand, Myanmar in 2019
Thai national oil company PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) is expecting to spend a total of US$3.3 billion in 2019 to continue its activities in at the Zawtika gas field in theGulf of Moattama, Myanmar.
— Myanmar Times

GPSC to buy Thai Oil’s ERU for B24bn tab
Global Power Synergy Plc (GPSC) will acquire the Energy Recovery Unit (ERU) project from Thai Oil Plc (TOP) for US$757 million (24.1 billion baht).
— Bangkok Post

Thailand approves plan to switch off 2G on Oct 31
Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has approved plans to shut down 2G services on October 31 to allow operators to better focus their resources on 5G.
— Telecomasia.net

Immigration officers to show leniency on bank statement requirements
Thai immigration says it is willing to show leniency to foreigners on the subject of proving their income when applying for retirement and marriage visas and visa extensions.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Election date announced as Sunday, March 24
Thais get their opportunity to express their democratic vote and will go to the polls on Sunday, March 24. The Election Commission (EC) has announced the date after chairing an urgent meeting of EC members this afternoon.
— The Thaiger

Residents reject shoddy, useless items for homestay project
NAN: Residents at a village in Pua district are demanding the Community Development Department take back all items supplied to promote a tourism project for local communities.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand is seeking to save its last few wild tigers
Indochinese tigers once roamed far and wide across much of Southeast Asia, but the striped predators have already been driven extinct in Vietnam and Cambodia.
— Sustainability Times

PTTEP to invest US$ 3.3 billion in Thailand, Myanmar in 2019
Thai national oil company PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) is expecting to spend a total of US$3.3 billion in 2019 to continue its activities in at the Zawtika gas field in theGulf of Moattama, Myanmar.
— Myanmar Times

Merge small schools to boost education quality: WB
THE WORLD BANK is continuing its call for Thailand to merge its small schools in order to improve education.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Thai Immigration Ends Practice of Jailing Children
BANGKOK — Children are no longer being held in that nation’s immigration detention facilities, immigration police said Wednesday in a move lauded by human rights advocates.
— Khaosod English

Meetings held to seek answer to Bangkok smog
AS PUBLIC AGITATION over the hazardous air in Bangkok continues to grow, a fresh look at how to deal with PM2.5 particulates is underway, with consecutive meetings being held by the national pollution-control committee and environmental board.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Thai officials deny any role in the deaths of Surachai’s aides
THAI AUTHORITIES yesterday denied they played any role in the disappearance of two anti-monarchy activists who were found dead in the Mekong River, while the whereabouts of another dissident remain unknown. Senior officials have denied having any links with the deaths, saying they took place outside the Kingdom.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

CPX360 gathers experts to discuss cybersecurity challenges
“The world is on the brink of facing mega cyberattacks and enterprises need to be prepared more than ever before.”With these words Gil Shwed, founder and CEO of Israeli software technology company Check Point, kicked off CPX360, a leading cybersecurity summit and the biggest event of its kind in Asia Pacific (APAC).Held at the Centara Grand Convention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, on 21-24 January, the summit has attracted more than 1,000 cybersecurity professionals and C-level executives from all over the APAC region.
— CIO Asia

Thailand on alert for virus-laden Chinese pork
Thai authorities are carefully screening pork products being carried in by travellers from China and Mongolia after the World Organisation for Animal Health warned last week of outbreaks of African swine fever in those countries.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Social Development and Welfare Dept continues to develop SE Online database
The Director General of the Department of Social Development and Welfare has continued to develop a database for requesting a social enterprise certificate online (SE Online).
— NNT

Army: ‘No knowledge’ of dead activists stuffed with concrete
The Thai army said on Wednesday it had no knowledge of two exiled critics of the military and royal family whose bodies police say were found stuffed with concrete along the Mekong River border with Laos.
— Bangkok Post

TDRI concerned that many buyers of cheap housing units may default
Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) has expressed concern that low income-earners who bought housing units under the government-sponsored “One Million Housing Units” project may not be able to pay their instalments once the initial period of low interest rate charged on their housing loans expires and they will have to start paying floating interest rates.
— Thai PBS World

Prayut and Palang Pracharat: Who’s impeding whom?
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is approaching a crossroads. By early next month, he will have to make his intention clear on whether he will be a prime ministerial nominee of…
— Thai PBS World

Pupils flee smoke-filled school as farmers burn-off sugar cane
LOP BURI: Students and teachers fled choking from their smoke-filled classrooms as farmers defied a ban on burning-off their nearby cane fields to prepare the crop for harvest.
— Bangkok Post

Thai Polo Open 2019 kicks-off this weekend
The annual B.Grimm-BMW sponsored Thai Polo Open takes place on Saturday, January 19 at the Thai Polo & Equestrian Club in East Pattaya. One of the most prestigious events on Thai Polo and socialite calendar, the tournament is being organized to raise funds for H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Chitralada Vocational School project.
— Pattaya Mail

Russia frees model from police custody who claimed Trump secrets
A model from Belarus who claimed to have evidence of Russian interference in U.S. President Donald Trump’s election was freed from Russian police custody on Tuesday, but remains a suspect in an unrelated criminal case, the TASS news agency reported.
— Channel NewsAsia/ Reuters

Money clearly cannot buy happiness for Bangkokians, new study shows
FAMILIES living in Bangkok are the least happy despite having the highest average income compared to people living in other parts of the country, a recent study found.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Police vow to track down tourist over starfish
Chalong Police today confirmed they were tracking down the tourist caught walking along Chalong Pier yesterday (Jan 22) with a starfish in a plastic bag.
— The Phuket News

Mall Group Chair calls for ‘courage’ to develop Thailand’s tourism attractions
The Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF) returned for its eighth edition, with an action-packed agenda focusing on the mega-projects that are currently transforming the tourism landscape in Bangkok and beyond.
— The Phuket News

Korea eyes artificial rain in fine dust fight
Officials skeptical artificial rain can significantly reduce fine dust levels
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Chinese Embassy delegation requests better safety for their compatriots visiting Pattaya
A delegation of Chinese Embassy officials and diplomats from Bangkok visited Pattaya yesterday to seek more information and request upgrades in safety for Chinese citizens when visiting the resort city.
— The Thaiger

Firefighters, rescuers undergo training
Pattaya firefighters and marine rescuers brushed up on their emergency-response skills at a five-day training course.
— Pattaya Mail

New guide drawn up for teacher-education programme
THE OFFICE of Higher Education Commission (Ohec) will consider a new Thai Qualifications Framework (TQF) for teacher-education programmes next month.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Social Development and Welfare Dept continues to develop SE Online database
The Director General of the Department of Social Development and Welfare has continued to develop a database for requesting a social enterprise certificate online (SE Online).
— NNT

Thailand to remain most popular among Chinese property buyers
BANGKOK, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phuket looks set to remain top destinations for Chinese property buyers in 2019 with a growth of at least 10 percent, according to an international property portal.
— Asian Correspondent

NLA to host APA Standing Committee on Social and Cultural Affairs
Thailand, led by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), is slated to play host to a meeting of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) Standing Committee on Social and Cultural Affairs in mid-February.
— NBT World (video)

Mall Group Chair calls for ‘courage’ to develop Thailand’s tourism attractions
The Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF) returned for its eighth edition, with an action-packed agenda focusing on the mega-projects that are currently transforming the tourism landscape in Bangkok and beyond.
— The Phuket News

Dams still best way to manage water resources: govt agencies
Forum told reservoirs most effective despite signs of environmental damage.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Keeping up with the consumers
The changing lifestyles and preferences of consumers are causing financial distress to many retailers who refuse to reinvent their stores. Traditional retailers are under intense pressure from the rapid transformation of the retail industry.
— The Bangkok Post

Thai defence minister’s visit promotes mutual understanding
Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Prawit Wongsuwan is currently visiting Vietnam from January 23-24, with the intention of enhancing the traditional friendship and mutual understanding between the two nations’ armies.
— Vietnam Plus

Residents reject shoddy, useless items for homestay project
Residents at a village in Pua district are demanding the Community Development Department take back all items supplied to promote a tourism project for local communities.
— Bangkok Post

Why Malaysia’s halal drinks companies should base production facilities in cheaper Thailand
Malaysian entrepreneurs are better off considering locations in neighbouring countries than launching their halal drinks business on home soil.
— FoodNavigator-Asia.com

Four workers killed when crane boom breaks and falls
Four workers were killed and others injured when part of a crane boom broke off and fell to the ground at a condominium construction site on Rama III in Bangkok on Wednesday afternoon.
— Bangkok Post

 

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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