Thailand ready to tap busy Muslim travel market
Halal tourism is one of the fastest-growing tourism sectors, with faith-based needs and behaviour from Islamic travellers gaining, according to the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2019, an annual survey by Mastercard and CrescentRating.
— Bangkok Post
Thanathorn accused of protecting fishermen who flout IUU regulations
Future Forward party leader, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, has been criticized for lacking an understanding of the IUU (illegal, unreported, unregulated) fishing regulations in his attempt to woo owners of commercial fishing vessels affected by the regulations, because of their illegal fishing practices.
— Thai PBS News
Renewal of LTF perks on the table
The Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) may renew tax benefits for long-term equity fund (LTF) contributions, set to lapse at year-end, if the funds can be used to reduce income disparity and raise cash for big-ticket infrastructure investment.
— Bangkok Post
Thai goverment efforts to eradicate IUU Fishing
Thai government’s efforts to eradicate illegal, unreported and unregulated or IUU fishing.
— NBT World (video)
Biodiesel won’t follow cooking oil price
The rising retail price of palm oil for cooking will not affect the price of biodiesel in the country, as the government has already allocated crude palm oil for the household and transport sectors.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand provides humanitarian aid to Rohingya muslims
The Prime Minister has instructed Thai officials to provide humanitarian aid to 65 Rohingya Muslims who have boarded a boat heading for Malaysia and washed ashore on Koh Rawi in the southern province of Satun.
— NBT World (video)
Govt ready to host Asean summit
Thailand is getting ready to welcome regional leaders ahead of the Asean Summit next week.
— Bangkok Post
Shan State drug blitz nets big haul
Myanmar’s army has launched heavy crackdowns in the eastern Shan State on the border with Thailand to cut off supplies of illegal drugs to be smuggled into Thailand.
— Bangkok Post
Deputy Police Chief confirms readiness to ensure safety at ASEAN Summit
Deputy Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police Srivara Rangsiphrammanakunhas confirmed readiness to ensure safety, and the facilitation of traffic flow in Bangkok, during the 34th ASEAN Summit from June 20 to 23.
— NBT World (video)
Premier orders probe into refugees arriving in Satun
The Prime Minister has instructed officials to investigate the case of Rohingya refugees found washed ashore on Ravi island in Satun Province, and to continue to provide them humanitarian assistance.
— NBT World (video)
Three farming chemicals purchase permits now available
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has developed a program to regulate the use of Paraquat, Glyphosate, and Chlorpyrifos, agricultural chemicals deemed having negative effects on human health.
— NBT World (video)
Thailand: Health Dept takes aim at dengue sources
Owners of properties who fail to get rid of mosquito larvae might face jail terms of up to three years and/or have to pay a fine of up to 25,000 baht, according to Dr Sukhum Kanchanapimai, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health.
— Relief Web
BMA collects ‘large garbage’ every Sunday to prevent floods
Pom Prap Sattru Phai District Office has mobilized its officials and people in the community to collect large pieces of garbage from canals for proper disposal every Sunday. The activity helps clear the way for better water flow, increases drainage efficiency and prevents the clogging of canals caused by garbage which is a major cause of flooding.
— NNT
Thailand to sit on ECOSOC
Thailand has been selected as a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) from 2020 to 2022 on behalf of Asia and the Pacific region alongside China, South Korea and Bangladesh.
— NBT World (video)
Pattaya’s annual struggle to stay above water
Pattaya City municipality plans to ask the new cabinet to approve a 665 million baht flood prevention project which has been shelved for years due to repeated changes in government water management policy.
— Bangkok Post
Protest Asks Thailand to Free Volunteer Who Broadcast Uncensored News to China
A press conference and rally held Friday in front of the Royal Thai Embassy called on Thailand to free a volunteer from Taiwan who had helped a U.S.-based radio network deliver uncensored news and information to China.
— THE EPOCH TIMES
Marine Department launch a Bang Wa – Tha Chang ferry service on Monday, June 17
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Marine Department are starting a passenger boat service on Monday, June 17, on a trial run between Bang Wa (Khlong Phasi Charoen) and Tha Chang (Chao Phraya River), Deputy Government Spokesman Lt. Gen. Werachon Sukondhapatipak announced today
— NNT
Doctor’s orders: Phuket Hospitals forced to reveal how much they charge for medicines
All hospitals across Phuket have until June 30 to submit full lists of which medicines they provide to patients – and the prices they charge for them – under the government’s drive to stem rampant overcharging by private hospitals throughout the country.
— The Phuket News
High-speed rail project mired in land issues
The high-speed train project to link up three major airports is still mired in land expropriation and eviction problems concerning 20% of the land required for construction despite it being expected to begin operation in five years.
— Bangkok Post
Temple abbot admits he sold 200-year-old phayung tree for B1.2m
The abbot of Wat Supararam in Si Songkhram district of this northeastern border province has admitted he sold a phayung tree on the temple’s land for 1.2 million baht, saying the sale was permitted by law.
— Bangkok Post
North-East Thailand immigration purge nets 2,200
North-eastern Immigration police in Khon Kaen have netted around 2,200 foreigners over a variety of immigration offences since the start of June.
— The Thaiger
Cashing in on cannabis: Asian Cannabis Report spotlights economic opportunities
Asia is on track to have the oldest population in the world in the next few decades. Japan currently has the largest population of elderly people at 33.1% and this is set to bring about an unprecedented rise in healthcare costs in the long term.
— The Phuket News
Thailand’s Inequality: Unpacking the Myths and Reality of Isan
For decades, the ethnically and linguistically diverse people of Isan, Thailand, have been the subject of pervasive bias, often described as docile and uneducated, or as “unsophisticated peasants” who can be bought and manipulated by ambitious politicians.
— Modern Diplomacy
‘Toon’ thanks Isan people for charity run
KHON KAEN: Singer Artiwara Toon Bodyslam Kongmalai on Sunday expressed gratitude for all the support he’s received from people in the Northeast after he completed his two-day marathon to help small hospitals in the region.
— Bangkok Post
One tonne of Ice seized at container yard in Si Racha district
Police and narcotic suppression officials seized about one tonne of crystal methamphetamine, or Ice, worth an estimated two billion baht at street prices, in a container yard in Si Racha.
— Thai PBS News
Poll – Majority want new government to prioritize bread and butter problems
More than 80% of people sampled have identified the addressing of “bread and butter” problems as the first priority for the new government, said Dr. Noppadol Kannikar, director of Super Poll.
— Thai PBS News
‘Fast and Furious 9’ to be partly filmed in southern Thailand, including Phuket
The latest sequel of the ‘Fast and Furious’ movie franchise will partly be filmed in Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and Surat Thani next month.
— The Thaiger
Police seize illegal mosquito repellents and fake nutritional supplements
The Consumer Protection Police Division and the Food and Drugs Administration has raided illegal factories producing dangerous mosquito repellent and fake nutritional supplements.
— The Thaiger
Weatherman warns of heavy rains in most parts of Thailand
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) is forecasting more rain today (June 16th) due to a strengthening southwestern monsoon over the Andaman Sea and a low pressure cell covering northern Vietnam,…
— Thai PBS News
Single-ticket Bangkok public transport pushed back to 2020
The common ticketing system designed to link all modes of public transport in Bangkok will not fully launch this year as planned but commuters will be able to access the MRT Blue Line, the MRT Purple Line and the Airport Rail Link with a single card from September.
— Bangkok Post
Retailers enlisted to aid palm growers
The Commerce Ministry is calling on retailers to mark up prices of cooking palm oil to reflect higher costs, in part to help boost domestic oil palm prices.
— Bangkok Post
Thai man and Myanmar crew paid to take 65 Rohingya to third country via Thailand
A Thai man and his five Myanmar crewmen, who have been in custody since Tuesday pending investigation for human trafficking after the recent arrival of 65 Rohingya from Bangladesh, have told Thai police that they were paid 100,000 baht to smuggle the Rohingya to a third country, possibly Malaysia.
— Thai PBS News
Low-cost houses to be built on Koh Sichang
Low-income earners may be able to acquire a house of their own on Koh Sichang. A total of 111 Baan Mankhong houses are to be built on long neglected public land on the island.
— Pattaya Mail
Saen Saep water quality on the rise
Water quality in Klong Saen Saep has improved after a two-year strict regulation on wastewater treatment, according to the Pollution Control Department.
— Bangkok Post
2 suspects arrested after fatal motorcycle-taxi brawl
Two motorcycle-taxi drivers were on Sunday arrested for alleged murder during a violent brawl between two queues of drivers using guns, knives and steel bars. Another suspect is still on the run.
— Bangkok Post
Cabinet lists from all coalition parties now in PM’s hands
All the coalition parties, as well as the core party Palang Pracharat, have submitted their cabinet lists to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for consideration. Sources close to Palang Pracharat said…
— Thai PBS News
Army announces movements of personnel, equipment
Personnel and military equipment of the 5th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion of the 1st AAA Regiment will be moved from Bangkok to Lop Buri province on Monday for a field exercise before returning to their base on Friday, army deputy spokeswoman Col Sirichan Ngathong said in a press briefing on Sunday.
— Bangkok Post
MLM ‘Energy Cards’ Radioactive: Professor
A chemistry professor has warned of radioactive elements in plastic “Energy Cards” being sold as a cure-all for ailments under a multi-level marketing scheme.
— Khaosod English
Bank of Thailand policy maker sees trade woe if Trump re-elected
Trade-reliant Thailand better get used to worrying about the export outlook if President Donald Trump wins a second term, according to an official who helps to decide the country’s policy interest rate.
— Bangkok Post
Italians arrested for using George Clooney’s name for fraud
Two Italians have been captured in Chon Buri for using the name of US actor George Clooney to con victims into investing in a bogus clothing company.
— Bangkok Post
Cracks re-emerge in the Palang Pracharat coalition
Discontent appears to be emerging in the Palang Pracharat-led coalition as the Rak Puenpa Prathet Thai party, which commands two party-list House seats, demands a cabinet seat.
— Thai PBS News
Suspected insurgent wanted for Big C car bomb in Pattani arrested
A suspected insurgent, who is the subject of four arrest warrants for alleged complicity in violent incidents in the restive deep South, was apprehended by Thai security forces in Thepa.
— Thai PBS News
Opposition Ready to Scrutinize Prayuth Government: Anti-Junta Parties
Though short of forming government, anti-junta parties have pledged to act as a rigorous opposition to keep the incoming government led by junta leader Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha on its toes.
— Khaosod English
Laotian cuisine in NYC is often behind a Thai disguise
Whether or not you’re familiar with Laotian cuisine, it’s likely you’ve tried it at some point. A lot of Laotian dishes in the United States are actually sold in Thai restaurants, often without being labeled as such.
— amNEWYORK
Thailand’s turbulent waters leave foreign investors treading carefully
Thailand’s economy may be in for far more turbulence than anticipated after the March elections.
— The Japan News
Bangkok Post International Mini Marathon 2019
Thousand runners joined the Bangkok Post International Mini Marathon on Sunday.
— Bangkok Post
Chiang Mai netizens outraged after porn movie released online
Chiang Mai locals are sharing their outrage over a porn video shot in a local massage shop where the massage ends up in a lot more than just a happy ending.
— The Thaiger
Lost baby elephant to get new home
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has released a picture of an adorable and healthy four-month old baby elephant, which was found on June 5th.
— Thai PBS News
Students join cops on beat
With only two police officers to patrol the vast Muang Ek community in Pathum Thani per shift, deterring crime had been a near-impossible mission.
— Bangkok Post
Feature photo Burma Link
This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges World Refugee Day, June 20.
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 June 17 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)
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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