Firms push for gradual daily wage increases
Business operators are urging the new government to raise the country’s daily minimum wage in line with a resolution of the tripartite committee and avoid the sharp rise promised during the general election campaign.
— Bangkok Post
Ja New’s mum scotches loan-shark debt rumours
The mother of political activist Sirawith Seritiwat, who was badly injured in an assault by four men wearing motorcycle helmets last Friday, on Monday insisted it was unlikely to be the work of a loan shark despite having past financial problems.
— Bangkok Post
Critics slam expressway debt-swap
Opposition is intensifying to the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) board’s decision to grant Bangkok Expressway and Metro Plc (BEM) the right to operate three expressways for 30 more years in a bid to clear its debts to the company.
— Bangkok Post
Medical dept, SCG launch anti-mosquito ‘Nano Shoes’
SCG Chemicals and the Department of Medical Science on Monday inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to launch an innovation designed to kill mosquito colonies, dubbed Nano Shoes, or anti-mosquito Mosquito Shoes across several communities in Chanthaburi province and Rayong’s Map Ta Phut district.
— Bangkok Post
Pannika called for justice for “Ja New”
“This is not the first time that Ja New, or other activists in Thailand, have been attacked in the past few months. This pattern has been repeated and the attacks…
— Thai PBS News
Defiant Sam Mitr group demands reinstatement of Suriya as energy minister
Rumbling conflict within the Palang Pracharat party appears to be getting louder as the powerful Sam Mitr faction demands that its leader, Mr. Suriya Juangroongruangkit, be reinstated as energy minister.
— Thai PBS News
Mandatory Travel Insurance likely to be in place for Thailand visitors by the end of this year
The Thai Office of the Insurance Commission says they expect to introduce compulsory travel insurance for visitors to Thailand by the end of 2019.
— The Pattaya News
Tourism Authority of Thailand downgrades revenue from tourism in 2019
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is being forced to revise down its tourism revenue growth projections for 2019, but they’ve only cut their projections .5% from 10% growth predicted earlier this year, down to 9.5% growth instead.
— The Thaiger
Two provinces in Northeast hope to have ‘smart’ cities
The northeastern provinces of Roi Et and Nakhon Ratchasima have submitted proposals to join the smart city development project, according to the Digital Economy and Society (DE) Ministry.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand moves to tackle crude palm oil smuggling from Malaysia
The Thai Government has ordered the Internal Security Operations Command to closely inspect crude palm oil movement along the Thailand-Malaysia border to prevent smuggling from the neighbouring country.
— Vietnamplus
Study Ties Thailand’s Turmoil to Rural Poverty, Stereotypes
A new study of Thailand’s poor and populous northeast hopes to focus the government’s attention on helping a corner of the country that has played an outsized role in the past several years of political turmoil.
— VOA
Big three reject NCB data system
The three major mobile operators are opposing a plan to join their customers’ mobile data with citizen data from the National Credit Bureau (NCB) system.
— Bangkok Post
Thai baht outperforms Asian currency peers on Fed’s dovish turn
Most major Asian currencies and stock indexes gained in the first half of 2019 despite the U.S.-China trade war and elections across the region, with the Thai baht leading its peers in performance.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)
FWD buys Thai insurance unit for $3 billion, in top SE Asian sector deal
FWD Group is acquiring the life insurance business of Thailand’s Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) (SCB.BK) for 92.7 billion baht ($3 billion) in Southeast Asia’s biggest insurance M&A deal, broadening a rapid Asian expansion by the Hong Kong-based firm.
— Reuters
Govt urged to push Indo-Pacific plan
Former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow has urged Thailand, the current chair of Asean, to expand the remit of the East Asia Summit (EAS) to push forward the so-called Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
— Bangkok Post
FWD buying SCB subsidiary in key deal
SET-listed Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) has entered into a binding agreement to sell 99.2% of subsidiary SCB Life Assurance to insurer FWD Group Financial Services for 92.7 billion baht, marking Southeast Asia’s biggest life insurance acquisition deal.
— Bangkok Post
BoT cuts July bonds by B60bn
The Bank of Thailand is tapering 60 billion baht out of its July issuance of three-, six- and 12-month bonds, in a move likely aimed at curbing hot money and the baht’s rapid gain.
— Bangkok Post
Local Official Accused of Pedophilia Resigns, Cites Sickness Instead
A district official who allegedly appeared in a clip fondling a girl has instead blamed paralysis for his resignation.
— Khaosod English
PM apologizes for delay in government formation
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has offered an apology to the Thai people, saying that he felt uncomfortable with the internal problems in the Palang Pracharat party over cabinet seat sharing.
— Thai PBS News
Thailand Social Expo to be held on July 5 – 7
The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) is slated to host a big fair late this week to demonstrate the government’s commitment in finding solutions to social problems in a systematic and sustainable manner and developing innovations and technology for social development and people of all ages in Thailand.
— NBT World (video)
Work to preserve traditional gem mining in Chantaburi
Depleted gem resources and mass mining strategies in Chantaburi province to feed the rising demands of the jewelry industry are prompting a local family to step up their game to preserve local resources as well as the traditional way of mining.
— NBT World (video)
Company to build on Line Man, fintech
Line Thailand’s strategy this year will focus on expanding the Line Man feature and adding new fintech services, but the company is scant with specifics on how its local moves differ from its global strategy.
— Bangkok Post
LGBT+ Film Fest Explores the Many Shades of Pride
LGBT+ Film Festival 2019 is set to shed light on the diverse facets of the global pride movement. Coming after Pride Month celebrations in June, the Bangkok Screening Room will from Tuesday host a film festival dedicated to gender diversity for a second year.
— Khaosod English
Ministry calls for end to overcrowding at Tao Poon
The Transport Ministry has asked Bangkok Expressway and Metro Plc (BEM) to increase train frequency to cope with passenger numbers at Tao Poon station.
— Bangkok Post
‘I Don’t Condone Violence’: Prawit Denies Role in Activist Attack
Deputy junta chairman Prawit Wongsuwan on Monday denied being behind a recent attack that left a pro-democracy activist in a critical condition.
— Khaosod English
Thailand Healthcare Expansion was Negative
Thailand is a very developed country when it comes to the healthcare industry.
— Industry Herald 24
Govt gathers fishermen’s suggestions to address their issues
The Thai government has been undertaking various measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing by enforcing laws in accordance with international standards.
— NBT World (video)
PTT to release EECi project TOR
Welcome back to the program, let’s look at the progress on the Eastern Economic Corridor of Innovation (EECi) project.
— NBT World (video)
Delta Thailand among best-in-class companies in Asia for market performance, innovation and business development strategy
Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL. received the 2019 Thailand Electric Vehicle Charging Company of the Year Award by Frost & Sullivan at the Asia-Pacific Best Practices Awards.
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)
The Mall, Siam Paragon, Emporium, EmQuartier to Charge 1 Baht Per Plastic Bag
Starting Wednesday, malls under one of the biggest operators in Thailand will charge 1 baht per plastic bag.
— Khaosod English
Palm oil factories cut costs using technology
The Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) has been promoting technological implementation in the industrial sector through a campaign to digitize local businesses and community enterprises.
— NBT World (video)
Thailand, Laos step up transport connectivity
Thailand and Laos have inked an agreement to upgrade a road and extend a railway linking the two countries to foster cross-border economic cooperation.
— Vietnamplus
NBTC launches app to track mobile usage
The telecom regulator has rolled out an online survey app called Prute-ti-maat to track the behaviour of mobile users as a way for consumers to make informed decisions about which mobile package to subscribe to.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand has a new Miss Thailand Universe
Thai-Canadian Paweensuda ‘Fahsai’ Drouin has been crowned Miss Thailand Universe 2019. Judges chose 26 year old Paweensuda from more than 50 other contestants in the pageant’s final round at the Thunder Dome in Bangkok this weekend. Miriam Sornprommas was first runner-up and Thanatchaphon Boonsang second …
— The Pattaya News
Power firm owner becomes second-richest man
Sarath Ratanavadi has vaulted up Thailand’s billionaire list to become the nation’s second-richest man, as his Gulf Energy Development Plc outpaces most of the world’s power companies.
— Bangkok Post
Thai Immigration officials now hunting for Overstayers at the Airport
Naew Na Thai news published photos and reported that this weekend multiple immigration agents, along with military officials and even a dog, are now inspecting the airport on a regular basis and asking random passengers for their passports to find overstaying foreigners before they leave the country.
— The Pattaya News
Nakhon Ratchasima 7-Eleven store robbed of 2 million baht
A man has robbed a 7-Eleven convenience store in Nakhon Ratchasima this morning, making off with 2 million baht in cash.
— The Thaiger
Feature photo Ocean Defender – Hawaii
This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges plastic waste throughout Asean.
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.
Thailand morning news for July 2 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.
Latest posts by John Le Fevre (see all)
- COVID-19 in Asean: update for July 26 — 16 mln case barrier breached, Vietnam records community transmission – July 26, 2020
- COVID-19 in Asean: update for July 25 — new high for daily infections, 16 mln infection barrier to break today – July 25, 2020
- 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