Thailand morning news for July 22

Thailand morning news for July 22
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Thailand morning newsDengue Fever in Thailand Reaches 49,174 Cases With 64 Deaths
Thailand’s Public Health minister, ordered preventive measures against dengue fever as the cumulative number of dengue infections has reached nearly 50,000 cases since the beginning of this year.
— Chiang Rai Times

Move to let folk doctors prescribe cannabis
New Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered ministerial regulations to be revised in a bid to help assist 3,000 folk medicine practitioners, including activist Decha Siripat, to prescribe cannabis for treatment without violating narcotic laws.
— Bangkok Post

Eight Chinese dams block 40 billion cubic meters of water from Mekong River
The eight dams in China, which were built on the Mekong River, or Lancang as it is called in China, have been blamed as the chief culprit in the sharp fall in water levels downstream and the resulting hardships caused to people in lower riparian countries, according to the Mekong Freedom Network, a civic group that studies the impacts of dams constructed along the Mekong river.
— Thai PBS News

International credit rating agency gives Thailand a BBB+ economic report card
Fitch Ratings has revised its outlook on Thailand’s Long-Term Foreign Currency Issuer Default Rating to “positive” from “stable” and upgraded the rating to BBB+.
— The Thaiger

Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy: The search for accountability one year after the Laos dam collapse
On July 23, 2018, an auxiliary dam of the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy Hydropower Project in Laos collapsed, unleashing a rushing wall of water that killed dozens of people and flooded thousands of homes and family farms.
— FCCT (media release)

15 baht flat fares for BTS Skytrain – Transport Minister
The government’s new Transport Minister, Saksayam Chidchob, has reiterated its intention to reign in the costs of the city’s Green Line trains, the BTS Skytrain, around Bangkok. They’re even mooting a capped flat fee of 15 baht per ride.
— The Thaiger

Sontirat cools firms’ wage hike fears
Businesses should not panic about a hike in the daily minimum wage, from 300 baht to 400-425 baht, because it is not an urgent priority for the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), says Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand, Australia curb transnational drug trafficking
Thailand and Australia have set up an ad hoc team to join the drug and transnational crime suppression operation.
— NBT World (video)

Drought wreaks havoc in Korat
Rice crops in paddy fields covering almost 200,000 rai in Phimai district are dying as a historic severe drought takes a toll.
— Reliefweb

New Thai Government to Pursue Policies Championed by Junta
Thailand’s new government said it plans to pursue a number of economic policies championed by the previous military administration as officials strive to revive growth.
— Bloomberg

MOPH opens virtual Hospital for Mental Health
The Department of Mental Health has launched the “OOCA” application to provide an online consultation channel to reduce the risk of depression and suicide among children and adolescents.
— NBT World (video)

Thai FDA refuses to endorse Decha’s cannabis oil
Patients who were looking forward to gain access to medicinal cannabis oil, produced by the Khao Kwan Foundation’s Decha Siripat, learned yesterday that the Thai Food and Drug Administration have declined to endorse his own version of the drug.
— The Thaiger

Fintech to be central bank’s main policy
The Governor of the Bank of Thailand (BOT) has announced the central bank’s plan to have its main policy revolving around financial technology (Fintech) and creating infrastructure for free money transfers.
— NBT World (video)

Thai farmers on the cash trail with snail slime
Giant snails inch across a plate of pumpkin and cucumber in central Thailand, an organic diet to tease the prized collagen-rich mucus from the molluscs, which to some cosmetic firms are now more valuable than gold.
— Rappler

Rama II roadworks ‘done by 2021’
Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has assured residents in Samut Sakhon that upgrade works on Rama II Road will be completed by the end of next year.
— Bangkok Post

Civic groups call for reviews into Mekong River dam projects
Civic groups on Sunday lodged a petition calling for governments of countries along the Mekong River to review upcoming dam projects.
— Bangkok Post

Thai anti-junta party hits back at fresh legal troubles
A Thai anti-junta party hit back Saturday, July 20, against accusations it is attempting to undermine the constitutional monarchy, a day after the popular movement was hit with fresh legal troubles.
— Rappler

Thailand tops study abroad countries in Asia
Thailand is ranked first among top study abroad countries in Asia, and third in the world, only behind New Zealand and Spain.
— NBT World (video)

Thailand’s taxi and tuk tuk scams and annoyances
“Where are you going?”, they shout from across the road. A Tuk Tuk driver wants to help you get to your next destination but the willing smile and lure of a ride in a local jalopy may have switched off your trusty scam-detector.
— The Thaiger

DPM Jurin: Amending Constitution an urgent policy
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit said amending the Constitution is an urgent policy that the government must implement during its first year in office.
— NBT World (video)

Government policies released, with pledge regarding charter amendments
The Office of the Secretary-General of the Cabinet has released the 66-page full text of the government’s policy statement, which includes 12 major policies and 12 emergency policies.
— Thai PBS News

Public expectations from each of the 20 ministries under the new cabinet
Suan Dusit Poll conducted an opinion survey on the expectations of the public from each of the 20 ministries under the new cabinet, which is to start functioning after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s presentation of the policy statement in parliament on July 25-26.
— Thai PBS News

Free-range duck raisers also hit by drought
The ongoing dry spell has affected not only rice-growing farmers but also free-ranging duck raisers who say they are producing fewer and smaller eggs than usual, according to farmers in this central northern province.
— Bangkok Post

Pasak Jolasid dam now less than 5% of capacity
Pasak Jolasid dam in tambon Nong Bua of Patthana Nikhom district now has only 46 million cubic metres of water left, or only 4.82% of its full capacity of 960 milllion cubic metres, according to media reports.
— Bangkok Post

Booming regional meth industry – Thailand, Myanmar, China and Laos
A UN Office of Drugs and Crime report released last week states that the methamphetamine trade is now worth between US$30-61 billion per year in East and South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh.
— The Thaiger

Armed Forces to destroy landmines on Aug 6
The Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) will destroy 4,970 blacklisted landmines in its inventory according to guidelines in the Ottawa Convention signed in Geneva, Switzerland.
— Pattaya Mail

Thai PM has “grave concerns”, orders army to be on standby over drought in north
Thai army water trucks are on standby to help northern farmers Acknowledging the severity of the potential crisis looking over northern and north-eastern provinces, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is instructing the armed forces to provide help to areas affected by drought, a situation which may be made worse by the test run of the new Xayaburi dam on the Laos section of the Mekong River.
— The Thaiger

Transport minister moving ahead with B880bn infrastructure projects
Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob is moving ahead with the mega-infrastructure investment projects started by the previous government, worth a combined 880 billion baht.
— Bangkok Post

Uttama eyes tax rejig, not outright cut
The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) never promised an outright reduction of income taxes during the election as it merely meant to revise tax structures plagued with discrepancies, said Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana and the PPRP leader.
— Bangkok Post

Thai Industrial Property market driven by rocketing Chinese FDI
According to a survey in Q4 2018 by CBRE, a leading international property consultant, Serviced Industrial Land Plots (SILPs) sales by major developers in Thailand increased by 50% Y-o-Y at a total of 1,000 rai (160 hectares) sold.
— Thailand Business News

Construction of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Thailand Pavilion ‘going well’
Construction work has started on Expo 2020 Dubai’s Thailand Pavilion, a gold-coloured structure inspired by the traditional Thai greeting – wai – within the Mobility District featuring a traditional gable roof and dok champa floral curtains, on which ground was broken in April 2019.
— Construction Week Online

Thanathorn: Court can’t dissolve party
Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit said the Constitutional Court does not have the authority under Section 49 of the charter to dissolve his party, which has been accused of trying to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.
— Bangkok Post

CannaBiz Invest Asia Draws Global Medical & Industrial Cannabis Industry Players to Bangkok
With more Asian countries starting to legalise medical and industrial cannabis use, major cannabis product manufacturers will convene in Bangkok for a timely summit to share insights on this new market.
— AEC News Today /PRNewswire (media release)

To cane or not to cane?
Parents in Thailand are split as to whether corporal punishment for their children is the right way to go.
— The Asean Post

Third Bangkok airport proposed
The Airports Department has proposed building a new airport in Nakhon Pathom province west of Bangkok to relieve congestion at the capital’s two main gateways.
— Bangkok Post

New Finance Minister says he will not interfere with the Central Bank’s decisions on monetary policy, will let the Bank handle the strength of the baht
Thailand’s new finance minister said he will not interfere in the central bank’s monetary policy decisions and will let it handle the strengthening baht currency.
— The Pattaya News

BTS ‘will give refund’ for long delays
BTS Skytrain passengers are now entitled to a full refund in the event a train is delayed more than half an hour, a source at the Department of Rail Transport revealed on Friday.
— Bangkok Post

Orachorn’s victims ‘just want apology’
The father of one of the nine victims killed by Orachorn Praewa Devahastin na Ayudhya in a crash on a tollway in 2010 has demanded that she come forward and offer an apology herself, rather than letting others do so on her behalf.
— Bangkok Post

Economic cabinet, joint panel readied
The government looks set to bank on two mechanisms to ensure better and more effective economic management: an economic cabinet and the joint public-private consultative committee (JPPCC).
— Bangkok Post

Charter Court to probe Future Forward for alleged hostility to constitutional monarchy
Thailand’s Constitutional Court has decided to accept for consideration a petition accusing the Future Forward party, its leader, secretary-general and the executive committee of engaging in activities deemed a threat to the country’s constitutional monarchy.
— Thai PBS News

PM in hot seat as Charter Court to consider Opposition challenge to premiership
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s post-election premiership hangs in the balance after the Constitutional Court accepted for consideration a petition from the Opposition challenging his prime ministerial status.
— Thai PBS News

Prayut submits govt policies to parliament
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has submitted his government’s policies to the parliament speaker for debate, promising to move the country out of the middle-income trap during his tenure.
— Bangkok Post

Health Ministry ponders reinstatement of about 3,000 traditional medicine practitioners
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health will hold a meeting with officials to consider amendments to a new regulation which has led to the disqualification of about 3,000 traditional medicine practitioners, including Mr. Decha Siripat, president of the Kwan Khao Foundation.
— Thai PBS News

Three reasons cited for the drying up of the downstream Mekong River
Less rainfall in the Southeast Asian region, a reduction of the amount of water released from the Jinhong dam in southern China and the planned trial run of power generators at the Xayaburi dam in Laos are blamed for the current sharp fall of water levels in downstream stretches of the Mekong River in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
— Thai PBS News

Mekong river in Nakhon Phanom ‘lowest in almost 100 years’
The water level in the Mekong river in this northeastern border province is only about 1.50 metres high, possibly the lowest level in almost 100 years, according to local media reports.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand puts strict anti-Ebola measures in place
The World Health Organization (WHO) has made an announcement declaring Ebola virus a global health emergency after a recent outbreak in the Congo that has been difficult to contain, with new outbreaks found in other areas.
— Pattaya Mail

Department of Commerce, MOEA Leads F&B Industry to Explore Business Opportunities in Thailand
In order to help Taiwanese food and beverage (F&B) industries develop business opportunities in the New Southbound markets, the Director General Lee May, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Economic Affairs led the delegation to explore business opportunities and matchmaking in Thailand from July 9th to 13th for biz-matchmaking and expedition.
— AEC News Today /PRNewswire (media release)

Former Japan manager aims to make Thailand regional football power
Former Japan coach Akira Nishino says he wants to help Thailand’s national team become a regional power as its new manager.
— Inquirer.net

Pope scheduled to visit Thailand this November
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Thailand and Japan this November, according to reports in Catholic websites in Rome. sanook.com reported the news yesterday.
— The Thaiger

Ministers visit Thai southern provinces for economic brainstorming session
The new Thai Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit (and leader of the Democrats), along with the Deputy Transport Minister Thavorn Senniam and Deputy Interior Minister Niphon Bunyamanee, held a multi-party discussion yesterday.
— The Thaiger

FDA withholds approval of Mr. Dacha’s cannabis oil
Patients hoping to gain access to medicinal cannabis oil, produced by Mr. Decha Siripat of the Khao Kwan Foundation, have been dealt a blow after Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration.
— Thai PBS News

NE farmers defy request not to pump irrigation water from the Chi River
Farmers in Thailand’s northeastern province of Maha Sarakham are defying requests from the provincial irrigation office, to conserve supplies for consumption, not to pump water from the Chi River.
— Thai PBS News

Opinion: Junta Dissolved, but Its Legacies Live on
After five long years, the junta is officially dissolved as of Tuesday. But it has left a damning inheritance. The military government, formally known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), was clearly not willing to simply step down.
— Khaosod English

Plant barcoding to protect biodiversity
Thailand has adopted a DNA barcoding system in order to protect herbal plant species.
— Bangkok Post

Parliament set to debate policies
The opposition will be given 13.5 hours in a two-day parliamentary session starting next Thursday to debate new government policies in what is believed will be Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s first real battle in parliament.
— Bangkok Post

Banks prepare MyPrompt QR to up security
Five large commercial banks plan to adopt MyPrompt QR, a business-scan-consumer QR code payment system, from the fourth quarter of this year.
— Bangkok Post

Northeast SEZs in store, says industry minister
Special economic zones are set to expand to the Northeast to support the provincial economy and reduce income disparity, says Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
— Bangkok Post

Banks’ net profit trends lower
Nine SET-listed banks’ aggregate net profit for the second quarter was a tad lower than a year earlier as higher interest income and lower impairment costs almost offset increases in operating expense, while almost all banks saw an uptick in bad loans.
— Bangkok Post

Thanathorn hits back at his detractors for betraying their country
Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has dismissed the allegations by his detractors that his recent tour of the European Union and the United States was intended to discredit Thailand.
— Thai PBS News

Thai farmers race their buffaloes in show of gratitude
Farmers in eastern Thailand on Saturday celebrated the start of the sowing s eason by racing their buffaloes, whose usual duty is to plow the fields.
— Pattaya Mail

Body of another missing Filipino found
Fishermen found a body, believed to be one of two missing Filipinios, in an area adjoining Krabi province on Sunday, said governor Supot Rodruang Na Nongkhai. The body of the body of the other was found on Friday.
— Bangkok Post

‘I am fully committed to taking the Thai team to the World Cup’ – Akira Nishino
The new Head Coach of Thailand’s national football team, the ‘War Elephants’, spoke in public for the first time, at Friday’s media conference at the New Otani in Tokyo, following…
— Thai PBS News

Pattaya man in custody for killing horses and selling horse meat
A man being held by police for questioning after being accused of killing horses and selling their meat in Chon Buri province, east of Bangkok.
— The Thaiger

Missing Filipino’s body found in Phuket, identified by family
A body, found washed up on Freedom beach in Phuket on Friday, has now been identified by family to be one of the two missing Filipinos.
— The Thaiger

TBank union seeks higher severance payments
Thanachart Bank’s labour union expects 4,000-5,000 jobs to be cut after TBank consolidates with TMB Bank, and union leaders are calling for both banks to offer higher severance payments than are legally required for those to be laid off.
— Bangkok Post

Confidence in earnings still subdued
Earnings plays for the second quarter of 2019 were still concentrated in a few medium-sized sectors on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Aggregate growth is still weak, declining more than 10% year-on-year in both core and net profit.
— Bangkok Post

Why Indian tourists are flocking to Thailand, where they may soon outnumber Chinese visitors
Take a walk around the markets of Pratunam in downtown Bangkok on any given weekday and you’ll soon discover there’s a new type of tourist in town.
— Today Online

Phuket Poll: Environmental damage, prices too high
The environmental damage caused by tourism and the cost of living in Phuket are both far too high, according to a vast majority of people responding to an online poll by The Phuket News.
— The Phuket News

‘Police 4.0’ latest plan to catch crooks
Pol Maj Gen Sukhun Prommayon may not have made his name as an expert on police reform, but the deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau believes he has plenty to contribute on the issue.
— Bangkok Post

Govt manifesto set for scrutiny
Revamping tax structures plagued with discrepancies is high on the government’s policy agenda after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha submitted his government’s policies to the parliament speaker for debate, promising to move the country out of the middle-income trap during his tenure.
— Bangkok Post

Justice Ministry cannot advance money to compensate Praewa’s crash victims
The Justice Ministry cannot advance cash from the Justice Fund to parents of Ms. Praewa Thephasadin na Ayudhya to pay compensation to families of the elevated Don Muang tollway crash.
— Thai PBS News

Thephasadin Clan Offers 500k Baht to Crash Victims
Representatives of the powerful Thephasadin Na Ayudhya clan have offered a 500,000 baht cheque to be shared among the families of nine victims killed in a car crash in 2010 at the hands of a scion of the clan.
— Khaosod English

13,000 runners take part in Pattaya Marathon 2019
Over 13,000 runners from all over the world took part in the 28th Pattaya Marathon 2019 in Pattaya in Bang Lamung district on Sunday.
— Bangkok Post

Thief steals motorbike, leaves behind two year old child who was left alone with the bike while family shopping
A thief stole a Pattaya mother’s motorbike but left behind a parenting lesson for the woman who left her toddler alone on the two-wheeler.
— The Pattaya News

3 arrested in Bangkok for Pattaya drug dealing
Three Bangkok men were arrested for allegedly selling methamphetamines in Pattaya. Pattaya’s police chief, Pol. Col. Prawit Chosang on July 17 announced the capture of Thada Komolman, 29, Noppadol Jankot, 23, and Kantapat Santinorasak, 35, in separate arrests.
— Pattaya Mail

Man stabbed in Phuket over the price of a ‘roti’
A foreigner, known as ‘Mahmoud’, was stabbed in Soi Ta-iad (‘Soi Steroid’ or ‘Soi Muay Thai’ to locals) in Chalong, southern Phuket last night outside a Family Mart.
— The Thaiger

 

Feature photo Thai PBS

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo focuses on air quality 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.

 

 

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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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