Thailand morning news for March 1

Thailand morning news for March 1
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Thailand morning newsThailand passes internet security law decried as ‘cyber martial law’
Thailand’s military-appointed parliament on Thursday passed a controversial cybersecurity law that gives sweeping powers to state cyber agencies, despite concerns from businesses and activists over judicial oversight and potential abuse of power.
— Reuters

More arrests in the theft and sale of police pistols
Police on Thursday arrested five people for alleged involvement in the theft and sale of 11 brand-new handguns from the provincial police investigation unit.
— Bangkok Post

Baht uptick deters arrivals
The strong baht is expected to affect the tourism industry as travellers may shift to other destinations in the region where local currencies have edged up at a slower pace, said a business leader.
— Bangkok Post

THAI resumes flights to Europe
Thai Airways International announced it was resuming flights to Europe on Thursday, avoiding Pakistan and using Chinese airspace instead, but Lahore flights remained grounded.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand Officially Unveils 1st Legal Pot Plantation (Photos)
The first legal marijuana plantation in Thailand and Southeast Asia was unveiled Wednesday afternoon in metropolitan Bangkok.
— Khaosod English

School directors push for shelving of new education bill
School directors in the Northeast are demanding that the new National Education Bill be suspended until a new government is formed after the March 24 election.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Conscription call ‘to make army better’
Political parties wanting to cut military spending and also end conscription say they are only looking to make the military better.
— Bangkok Post

126 Grand Palace taxi and tuk tuk drivers, and local vendors, arrested
One of the biggest targets for scammers has always been the Grand Palace in Bangkok, mostly because it has such a high concentration of tourists visiting any time of the year.
— The Thaiger

Malaysian policeman detained for allegedly trying to smuggle 47 pangolins into Thailand
A Malaysian policeman was detained on Thursday (Feb 28) for allegedly trying to smuggle 47 pangolins worth more than 1 million baht (US$31,700) into Thailand.
— Channel NewsAsia

Illegal migrant blitz sees 5,000 deported
More than 5,000 illegal workers hace been deported and over 25 million baht worth of fines collected from those who have broken Thailand’s visa laws, including those who employed the illegal migrants.
— Bangkok Post

US man, Thai woman arrested in raids on cannabis factories
Anti-drug police in Chiang Mai province have arrested an American man and a Thai woman in separate raids on two houses in Mae Rim district that were allegedly used as cannabis production facilities.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

School assault costs 700k baht, Obec says
The raid on Mathayomwatsing school that disrupted an university entrance examination and injured 12 people will cost the government at least 700,000 baht, as authorities have to scramble to find a new venue to hold another test next Tuesday.
— Bangkok Post

NLA rejects call for it to disband
National Legislative Assembly (NLA) president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai on Wednesday rejected calls from civil groups and non-governmental organisations for assembly members to drop deliberating all remaining draft laws and quit.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand to buy $318 mln worth of new shares in bank merger – finance minister
Thailand will buy 10 billion baht ($317.97 million) worth of newly issued shares in the merger between TMB Bank and Thanachart bank, a senior official said on Thursday.
— Reuters

Used car import ban coming
The government looks set to ban the import of used cars, claiming the move will protect the environment and curb air pollution in the country.
— Bangkok Post

BOI to hold “Thailand Investment Year – What’s New”
The BOI Secretary-General, Duangjai Asawachintachit, said BOI will organize “Thailand Investment Year – What’s New” on March 4th, 2019, at Impact Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi province.
— NNT

Troop levels ‘can’t be cut’
The Defence Ministry has leapt to the defence of military conscription, insisting there would be a shortfall of troops if only voluntary recruitment is adopted.
— Bangkok Post

Antibiotic resistance: public awareness campaigns might not work
Pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses and protozoa, are becoming ever more resistant to drugs.
— The Conversation

Samui mystery tunnel shut off
Officers have closed off a mysterious mountain tunnel on Koh Samui, waiting for a company which owns the land to show them its permit to build it.
— Bangkok Post

Go-Jek’s Get app officially launches in Thailand as Southeast Asia expansion continues
Go-Jek is extending its reach in Southeast Asia after its Thailand-based unit made its official launch, which included the addition of a new food delivery service.
— TechCrunch

Thailand software spending to reach B40.9bn
The software market in Thailand is expected to be valued at 40.9 billion baht in 2019, representing growth of 7.6% from 38.1 billion last year, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).
— Bangkok Post

Another dissolution move against Future Forward Party
An activist asked the Election Commission to propose the disbanding of the Future Forward Party (FFP) to the Constitutional Court on Thursday.
— Bangkok Post

Commerce Ministry penetrates markets of 10 Chinese counties
The Ministry of Commerce has prepared a plan to penetrate the markets of 10 Chinese counties.
— NNT

CP pressured on rail bid
The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office has given the CP Group-led consortium an ultimatum to conclude its financial proposal for the 224.5-billion-baht high-speed railway connecting three major airports by March 5, otherwise the state will negotiate with BSR Joint Venture.
— Bangkok Post

LH Bank introduces trade finance, banking on the extensive network of its Taiwanese partner, CTBC Bank
LH Bank embarks on trade finance, to offer integrated services to both exporters and importers in light of continued growth in Thailand’s exports and imports.
— Bangkok Post

Thai Net Skeptical About Democracy Monument ‘Renovation’
City Hall is having a hard time convincing the internet that one of Bangkok’s most recognized landmarks isn’t about to suffer the same fate as other monuments to Thai democracy.
— Khaosod English

BoT cuts shipment outlook as contraction lingers
The Bank of Thailand has become cautious in its export outlook, predicting the country’s payment-based outbound shipments will shrink in the first quarter after a year-on-year contraction in January exports.
— Bangkok Post

Will oil hunters destroy Thailand’s biggest ancient city?
A proposal to build oil drilling rigs 100 metres from an archaeological site near Si Thep Historical Park jeopardises what may be Thailand’s oldest and biggest ancient city.
— New Mandala

Cabinet gives nod to intercity train projects
BThe Thai Cabinet on Tuesday endorsed several proposals including the State Railway of Thailand’s intercity and commuter train projects.
— Pattaya Mail

Thailand software spending to reach B40.9bn
The software market in Thailand is expected to be valued at 40.9 billion baht in 2019, representing growth of 7.6% from 38.1 billion last year, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).
— Bangkok Post

Appeals Court upholds 2-year prison term on ex-Pheu Thai leader Yongyuth
The Appeals Court today upheld the two-year prison sentence imposed on former Pheu Thai party leader Yongyuth Vichaidit for malfeasance in office in connection with the Alpine golf course in…golf course in Bangkok’s neighboring province of Pathum Thani.
— Thai PBS News

Thousands of passengers stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport over Pakistan emergency
More than 5,000 passengers were stranded at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on Wednesday night after many departure flights were cancelled due to the emergency closure of airspace in Pakistan.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

New Junta Cyber Law Ripe For Abuse: Judge
The junta’s rubberstamp parliament on Thursday passed a law intended to protect online infrastructure that critics fear is open to abuses.
— Khaosod English

Charity Classic Car Show opens Saturday March 2
Motoring enthusiasts again hope to raise hundreds of thousands of baht for needy children when the Pattaya Classic Car Show opens at the Asia Hotel Saturday March 2 at noon.
— Pattaya Mail

Coronation Coins Up for Reservation in March
Special coins commemorating the upcoming coronation of King Rama X will be available for reservation on March 4, the Royal Mint said Thursday.
— Khaosod English

EC readied for advance voting on 17 March 2019
The Election Commission (EC) has been readied to hold advance voting for those registered who will be barred from casting their vote on 24 March.
— Pattaya Mail

DPM: Strong baht reflects stable national economy
The Thai currency’s appreciation is an indication of the country’s good economic performance and stability, according to Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
— Pattaya Mail

Used car import ban coming
The government looks set to ban the import of used cars, claiming the move will protect the environment and curb air pollution in the country.
— Bangkok Post

Closure of Pakistan air space snarls flights across Asia
A temporary closure of air space over Pakistan snarled air traffic Thursday, especially between Asia and Europe, though some airlines adjusted by rerouting their flights.
— Pattaya Mail

Regulator Warns AirAsia on Takeover of Nok Air
A trade official warned Thursday that aviation giant AirAsia’s proposed acquisition of rival Nok Air may violate antitrust laws.
— Khaosod English

400 marauding macaques invade plantations in Surat Thani
Catch us if you can Surat Thani officials are coming up with a plan to sort out the 400+ long-tailed macaques who have been invading fruit orchards and oil palm plantations for months.
— The Thaiger

Flights delayed and cancelled at Phuket Airport – Closure of Pakistan airspace
Flights have been affected at the Phuket International Airport, a knock-on affect from the closing of airspace over Pakistan. Latest in the tensions between India and Pakistan HERE. Thai Airways resumes flights. Read about that HERE. The Phuket International Airport has announced flights that have …
— The Thaiger

There Are 44 Italian Restaurants in Thailand Rome Approves Of
A guidebook published Wednesday by the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce lists a couple dozen restaurants out of the approximately 1,000 nationwide that have passed strict authenticity criteria.
— Khaosod English

Another dissolution move against Future Forward Party
An activist asked the Election Commission to propose the disbanding of the Future Forward Party (FFP) to the Constitutional Court on Thursday.
— Bangkok Post

Saying no to ‘Say No’ campaigns – Tackling Thailand’s plastic bag problem
Some timid but long overdue steps are now being taken towards reducing Thailand’s plastic waste.
— The Thaiger

Political cases may bode ill for democracy
The uniquely Thai way of sabotaging popular political parties and their leaders with surprising ease yielded further progress yesterday, as the fate of the executives at the helm of the Future Forward Party (FFP) and Thai Raksa Chart Party (TRC) were left hanging in the balance.
— Bangkok Post

Siam Commercial Bank to start issuing JCB Credit Card in Thailand
Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), a leader of banking business in Thailand, and JCB International Co., Ltd. (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., today announced the official launch of SCB JCB Platinum Credit Card issuing in Thailand.
— Asia One

GC Announces 2018 Results With a Net Profit of 40,069 Million Baht, the Highest in the Company’s History, Due to higher sales and Cost Savings from Project Max.
PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited (GC) has announced its 2018 results, with a net profit of 40,069 million baht, the highest since the company was founded.
— AEC News Today/ PRNewswire (media release)

Inside Bangkok’s Little Zoo Cafe, where you can cuddle with corgis, meerkats, foxes and more (VIDEO)
As soon as I walked into Little Zoo Cafe, located in Siam Square Soi 11 in Bangkok’s Pathum Wan district, a lively yellow-crested cockatoo named “Heng Heng” — which means “lucky lucky” in Thai — greeted me by hurling a sock in my direction.
— Coconuts (paywall)

Beware: Dangerous jellyfish. Just don’t tell the Chinese.
Dozens of signs have been erected, in multiple languages on Cha-Am beach in Petchaburi, warning swimmers about potentially dangerous jellyfish and ‘stingers’.
— The Thaiger

Samui Tunnel Linked to Virgin Islands Firm
The ownership of a tunnel whose origins have stumped Samui officials for a week have been traced in part to a company registered in the Caribbean.
— Khaosod English

 

 

Feature photo UNAIDS

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges Zero Discrimination Day, March 1

 

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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