Thailand morning news for July 19

Thailand morning news for July 19
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Thailand morning news

UPDATE: Thai PM tells Phuket people to “stop ripping off tourists”
Two Australians file their report with Karon police this morning Everyone is having their say about a van charging two Australian tourists 3,000 baht for a trip from the Phuket International Airport to Kata, even the Thai PM.
— The Thaiger

15 year old Thai student dies following attack in SOTUS hazing tradition
Anti-hazing activist Panuwat Songsawatchai/Facebook Khaosod English is reporting that a high-school student, who was in a coma following ritual hazing at a Nakhon Pathom school, has died today.
— The Thaiger

Anutin to list pot as essential drug
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has vowed to make cannabis-based medicine widely available by incorporating it into the national essential drugs list.
— Bangkok Post

Philip Morris saga ‘not over’: Wissanu
Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam on Thursday said the dispute involving Philip Morris, a multinational cigarette and tobacco manufacturing company, is “not over yet”.
— Bangkok Post

Labour Ministry opens automation center
The Ministry of Labour has announced the establishment of a human resources development center on automation and robots at the Institute for Skills Development 3, located in Chonburi.
— Pattaya Mail

Big Data plan for one-stop service for 200 transactions
The government is extending its One-Stop service enhancement plan using Big Data integration, which will allow some 200 different transactions to be made easier by requiring only a national identification card for verification of the customer.
— Pattaya Mail

With New Cabinet, Thailand Replaces Junta With Army Allies
Thailand’s new Cabinet was sworn in Tuesday, creating a nominally elected government after five years of military rule but keeping power in the hands of the same allies of the army.
— Khaosod English

Desperation to flee to Malaysia, Thailand driving Rohingya to traffickers, UN envoy warns
Human traffickers are increasingly targeting Rohingya living in Myanmar and neighbouring Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands fled after a brutal military crackdown in 2017, a UN investigator warned today.
— Malay Mail

New Tourism Minister stresses importance of safety for tourists, emphasis on sporting events
The Newly appointed Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakijprakan says ensuring the safety of tourists is his most urgent task.
— The Pattaya News

FTI wants SSF waiver for workers
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) is calling for the Labour Ministry to waive the 5% contribution from insured workers to the Social Security Fund (SSF) for 6-12 months instead of increasing the daily minimum wage to 400 baht as promised during the election campaign.
— Bangkok Post

Project Inthanon heads to Phase III
The Bank of Thailand’s Project Inthanon Phase III, which involves interoperability among ledgers for cross-border funds transfer, is expected to start next month and conclude during the fourth quarter of this year.
— Bangkok Post

PM expresses concern about drought situation
The Prime Minister has instructed relevant agencies to help alleviate people’s suffering as a result of the current drought problem and called on citizens to use water sparingly.
— Pattaya Mail

Thailand tightens control of eight products
The Thai Government has tightened its grip on the movement of eight products on the new price control list to curb smuggling from neighbouring countries, shore up domestic prices and prevent a spread of crop diseases.
— Vietnamplus

PM calls on people to bring baskets to temples to reduce plastic bag use
The Prime Minister has encouraged members of the public to use reusable food carriers when offering food and other contributions to monks at temples, instead of using plastic bags and styrofoam boxes, in a bid to protect the environment.
— NBT World (video)

Thailand Post Implements Measures to Stop Drug Deliveries By Mail
Thailand Post has announced its imposing strict measures to prevent the deliveries of drugs and other illicit objects through its postal system.
— Chiang Rai Times

Thailand Industry Expo kicks off
The Ministry of Industry has organized an event aiming to strengthen Thai entrepreneurs, in line with the Thailand 4.0 policy.
— NBT World (video)

Labour Ministry opens automation training center
The Ministry of Labour has established a human resources development center on automation and robots at the Institute for Skill Development 3 located in Chonburi, as the Kingdom pushes its industrial sector towards the 4.0 era.
— NBT World (video)

World-Beating Currency Is a Big, Big Headache for Thailand’s Tourism
Thailand’s tourism minister has blamed a surge in the baht for sapping tourist arrivals into Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy and says he’ll take up the matter with the central bank, highlighting rising concern over the currency’s gains.
— Bloomberg (paywall)

New govt urged to negotiate increasing export quota for chicken to China
Thai Chicken exporters have urged the new government to negotiate with Beijing to increase the import quota for the Chinese market, citing China as a major chicken importer with huge purchasing power.
— NBT World (video)

Thailand’s Opposition Parties Aim to Amend Pro-Military Constitution
‘Without amending the Constitution, there will be no full restoration to democracy in this country,’ said Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.
— VOA Khmer

Absent senators to receive meeting alerts
The Senate Speaker said clear measures have been put in place in the wake of criticism of a photo showing only a handful of senators at a recent meeting.
— Pattaya Mail

Domestic car sales down
Domestic car sales contracted for the first time in 30 months in June, down 2.1% from a year earlier to 86,048 units, after increasing 3.7% in May, the Federation of Thai Industries said on Thursday.
— Bangkok Post

BoT keeps options open
The Bank of Thailand says the impact of a policy rate cut to tame offshore fund inflows would be limited and it stands ready to enact additional measures if recent moves fail to contain the baht.
— Bangkok Post

TMD issues warning of heavy rain and thunderstorms resulting from ‘DANAS’
On Thursday morning, the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issued the 7th warning about tropical storm DANAS since Tuesday, saying it is likely to move, from the Philippines’ Luzon, north and north-eastward into the East China Sea.
— Thai PBS News

Government Savings Bank tweaks lending rules to calm fears
The state-owned Government Savings Bank (GSB) has loosened reverse mortgage lending criteria by waiving a requirement for consent from the borrower’s cousins in an effort to enable the elderly to better access the loan.
— Bangkok Post property

43 year old British man arrested over Phuket dog attack
Mervyn Harding, a 43 year old British expat, has ben charged over animal cruelty after he was identified on CCTV attacking a dog with a long rod on Tuesday morning (July 16).
— The Thaiger

Free MRT ride at 5 new stations for 2 months
Passengers will be allowed a free ride for two months on the MRT’s new five-station stretch, starting July 29.
— Bangkok Post

New Tourism minister says strength of Thai currency is a “big headache”for tourism
Thailand’s tourism minister has blamed a surge in the baht for sapping tourist arrivals into Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy and says he’ll take up the matter with the central bank, highlighting rising concern over the currency’s gains.
— The Pattaya News

Fishermen told to be more cautious operating in dugong feeding grounds
Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources will seek cooperation from fishermen in exercising greater caution when fishing in or near known dugong feeding grounds for the safety of the endangered species.
— Thai PBS News

Flat fare eyed for electric train
The government has affirmed its intention to implement transport policies promised to voters by key coalition parties, including a policy to charge electric train passengers a flat fare of 15 baht per ride.
— Bangkok Post

2 Filipinos swept to sea, missing in Thailand
Two Filipino tourists have gone missing after reportedly being swept into the sea by high waves in Phuket, Thailand.
— The Philippine Star

Second hand car dealers arrested over 5 year old scam in Chiang Mai
Police in Chiang Mai say they have arrested a married couple involved in an alleged scam of 52 people in the northern Thailand city.
— The Thaiger

Thai Union highlights its innovation at Thailand Industry Expo 2019
Thai Union Group PCL has showcased two of its innovative seafood products at Thailand Industry Expo 2019 – yellowfin tuna slices and tuna infusion.
— WebWire (media release)

South-east Asia’s Rise to run AI accelerator programme from Singapore
REGIONAL corporate accelerator Rise will be helping Singaporean startups enter Thailand’s innovation ecosystem and collaborate with local partners to develop solutions that target market needs, under a partnership with Enterprise Singapore.
— The Business Times

TIJ joins forces with five organizations to promote ethics and psychology for protection of children’s rights
The Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) joined forces with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the children’s rights advocacy group ECPAT, anti-human trafficking group, A21 Foundation, and the German-Southeast Asian Center of Excellence for Public Policy and Good Governance (CPG) to host the “Child’s Rights Ethical Standards and Psychological Analysis for Law Enforcement Workshop” to enhance law enforcement professionals’ capacities on the rights of child victims, witnesses and psychological analysis, and to develop a draft code of conduct for the treatment of child victims and offenders.
— Bangkok Post

Armed forces back new govt
Armed forces leaders have thrown their full support behind the new government, saying the military is ready to serve as a tool to solve problems and respond to government policies.
— Bangkok Post

Hot weather to feed Thailand F&B sales in second half
Thailand’S consumer sector will be led by food and beverage in the second half of 2019, on relatively strong food inflation and a pick-up in drinks consumption, a report has said.
— The Business Times

New ministers arrive at Government House
Several Cabinet ministers have paid respects to the holy shrines at Government House before working on their first day in office.
— NBT World (video)

US wants to ‘deepen’ relations with new Thai government
The U.S. government said it supports Thailand’s new government in a statement issued yesterday following the first meeting of the new cabinet.
— Coconuts Bangkok (paywall)

Praewa’s mother assures the families of victims will be fully compensated
About nine years ago, Ms. Praewa, then aged 16 years and six month and without a driving license, rammed her car into the rear of a packed passenger van on the elevated Don Muang tollway, killing nine people and injuring five others.
— Thai PBS News

Court boosts compensation for parachuting death
The Appeal Court has ordered additional compensation and funeral costs be paid to the family of one of two police cadets who died during a parachuting exercise in Phetchaburi in March 2014.
— Bangkok Post

UPDATE: Search for Filipinos lost off Freedom Beach, Phuket
Officials are still trying to push on with a search for two Filipino tourists who were washed out to sea by waves at Freedom Beach in Phuket last night around 5pm.
— The Thaiger

Hajj Pilgrims Begin Performing Umrah
Millions of Muslims are gathering in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the annual pilgrimage “Hajj”.
— NBT World (video)

Rice standards to ensure quality
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives’ Rice Department has set standards to ensure even quality of Thai rice, and we have a special report about this topic from our correspondent Sirakij Pornbungird.
— NBT World (video)

PM concerned about drought situation
The Prime Minister has instructed relevant agencies to follow up on the latest drought situation and urged members of the public to use water sparingly.
— NBT World (video)

Thailand’s most beautiful metro station to open on July 29
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) announced at Bangkok on Thursday that part of the city’s metro Blue Line extension, including beautiful Sanam Chai Station, will open for a two-month free run from July 29.
— Xinhuanet

Thai PM worried about country’s image after overcharging complaint by tourists in Phuket
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha is concerned about Thailand’s tourism image after two Australian tourists filed a complaint with police that they were overcharged.
— Asia One

PCEC hears about two mosquito borne diseases and participates in a research study
Three different activities painted the landscape of the regular morning meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club on Sunday, July 7.
— Pattaya Mail

Thephasadin na Ayudhya clan offers condolences to families of crash victims
The Thephasadin na Ayudhya clan today (Thursday) offered condolences to the families of victims of a fatal road accident nine years ago and donated a 500,000 baht fund to be used to support the legal pursuit of compensation awarded to the victims’ families by the Supreme Court.
— Thai PBS News

Thai woman steals 130,000 baht from foreign tourists in Central Pattaya, successfully apprehended
Today, July 18th, 2019, Pattaya Police led by Lt. Col. Prawit Chooseng, Chief of Pattaya Police and Lt. Col. Piyapong Ansarn, Head of the Pattaya Tourist Police, announced the arrest of a 52-year-old Thai woman accused of breaking into three tourists hotel rooms and stealing a total of 130,000 baht in cash on July 13th, 2019.
— The Pattaya News

Pace splits Dean & DeLuca to stop losses
SET-listed Pace Development Corporation Plc, the Bangkok-based owner of Dean & DeLuca, plans to revamp the ailing gourmet grocer business by splitting operations in Asia and the US for business restructuring.
— Bangkok Post

Aussie tourists ripped off 1,500 baht each for a van ride in Phuket
A Facebook post in the “Phuket People Voice” page has published the photos of two Australians who reported to Kaon police after being ‘ripped off’ in a van ride from the airport to their Kata hotel.
— The Thaiger

Bangkok drug gang nabbed for selling Pattaya tourists illicit drugs
Three men have been arrested in Pattaya and 833 grams of crystal methamphetamine (ice) and 6,700 methamphetamine pills seized. Police also seized a car and two motorcycles.
— The Thaiger

Bride dies, but her dream fulfilled
A 30-year-old bride’s dream of getting her pre-wedding makeup done by a professional was fulfilled although she did not live to see the result.
— Bangkok Post

‘Big Bad Wolf’ Book Sale Back With 3 Million English and Thai Books
Dust off your bookshelves because massive piles of discounted books are returning to Bangkok this August.
— Khaosod English

 

Feature photo VOA

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo focuses Asanha Bucha, July 16.

 

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. Due to The Nation‘s habit of hijacking urls and diverting them to promotion pages we no longer include it in our clippings.

 

 

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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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