Somkid says 5G infrastructure a priority
Thailand must adopt 5G technology next year to prevent the country from lagging behind Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak warned on Monday after a meeting with state enterprises.
— Bangkok Post
Premchai jail term throws up surprises
A 16-month jail term handed to construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta by a Kanchanaburi court for illegal possession of a dead pheasant and weapons, and conspiring to poach wildlife, has drawn a mixed reaction from the public.
— Bangkok Post
Pollution still bad in north, although improving from last week
Particulate matter readings in the northern region remains troublesome in many provinces, although the situation has improved compared to the previous week.
— NBT World (video)
Attracting more investors to Thailand
Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) is slated to become an arterial node for trade, investment, and regional transportation, besides also serving as a strategic gateway to the Southeast Asian region.
— The Asean Post
Airport rail pact ‘needs fine-tuning’
Contractual negotiations on a high-speed rail project linking three major airports between the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and a CP-led consortium have become less tense after CP settled for a 50-year contract.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand to Seek Thaksin’s Extradition From Hong Kong
The prosecutor’s office said Tuesday it will seek the extradition of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra when he arrives in Hong Kong later this week for his daughter’s wedding.
— Khaosod English
UTCC forecasts 3.8% economic growth this year
The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) has forecast the Thai economy will grow by at least 3.8% this year.
— NNT
Tourism Authority of Thailand sees 2.3m for Songkran
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects more than 2.3 million locals and foreign visitors will join Songkran festivals this year, generating some 20 billion baht in revenue for tourism and tourism-related services.
— Bangkok Post
Scheduled blackouts to hit Baan Manik, Rawai beachfront
he fire department at Rawai Municipality has announced that the electricity supply will be shut off in parts of Rawai, including the Rawai beachfront, tomorrow (Mar 20), as works are carried out on installing new high-voltage power lines.
— The Phuket News
Thailand’s oldest party may be king-maker after vote to determine military role
Thailand’s oldest political party is heading into an election on Sunday with leader Abhisit Vejjajiva facing tough choices in the first polls since the military seized power in a 2014 coup.
— Reuters
PPRP readies complaint over ‘smears’
The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) has been collecting information about alleged false accusations made against the party and its key members during the election campaign for submission to the Election Commission (EC).
— Bangkok Post
ECT unprepared for high early voter turnout
Early voting for the 2019 general election took place on Sunday (17 March), with the highest early voter turnout rate than ever.
— Prachatai English
PM meets with Tak villagers during Friendship Bridge opening ceremony
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha met with some 10,000 villagers of Tak province who welcomed him during the opening ceremony of a second Thailand-Myanmar Friendship Bridge.
— NNT
Baht volatility seen ahead of election
The baht is about to hit some turbulence — not only volatility from the March 24 election, but also a period of seasonal weakness that is fast approaching.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand pulls out of 2020 Olympic weightlifting over doping
Thailand has volunteered to ban itself from Tokyo Olympic Games weightlifting next year because of doping, another blow to a sport whose place on the Olympic program is precarious.
— Pattaya Mail
Thailand’s neglected northeast hopes for election ‘miracle’
As a deepening red sun slips from the sky behind the parched paddy fields of Isaan in Thailand’s northeast, villagers walk their floppy eared cows back home for the night and Pheu Thai Party hopeful Saratsanun Unnopporn makes her pitch for votes.
— AL Jazeera
Gen Prayut and Suu Kyi open 2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha joined Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi today to preside over the opening of the second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge across the Moei River, linking Thailand’s Mae Sot district and Myawaddy town in Myanmar.
— Thai PBS News
Crusader Ex-Cop Gunned Down at Home in Songkhla
A former policeman who outed corruption in the ranks and accused his superiors of abusing power was shot to death Tuesday in front of his home.
— Khaosod English
Premarked ballot papers pinned on voter’s misunderstanding
The Samut Songkhram election panel has solved the mystery of the premarked ballot papers discovered during advance voting on Sunday – a woman voter claims she misunderstood and thought she was given a whole book of voting papers to mark.
— Bangkok Post
Attracting more investors to Thailand
Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) is slated to become an arterial node for trade, investment, and regional transportation, besides also serving as a strategic gateway to the Southeast Asian region.
— The Asean Post
Thailand looks to Japan for assistance to grow its startups
Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, Bangkok-based conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group), and its telecommunications subsidiary True Corporation will collaborate with the Japanese Embassy in Bangkok to launch a startup incubation project called Rock Thailand.
— KrASIA
PM inaugurates national savings fund program
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha chaired the opening of the national savings fund program, vowing to do his duties to the best of his abilities and urging people to help reduce conflict.
— NBT World (video)
A new political party in Thailand, led by an athletic billionaire, rattles ruling junta
There are many descriptors associated with Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. He is a politician, a progressive, a suave billionaire and an ultramarathoner who has competed in races in the Gobi and Sahara deserts and the Arctic Circle.
— The Washington Post
Thailand Braces For ‘Armyworm’ Destruction
Fall armyworms, a longtime American pest, are munching their way around the globe, raising alarm now in Asia after entrenching themselves in Africa.
— Khaosod English
Two injured after stepping on suspected mines at a Krabi island
Two Thai men have sustained serious injuries after stepping on a mine at an island near Ao Nang, Krabi. The Ao Nang Police were notified about the two men being injured from the incident in Ao Nang at 6pm last night.
— The Thaiger
Brexit and its impact on Thailand
As British Prime Minister Theresa May struggles to push through her Brexit deal, Thailand should brace itself for its consequence.
— Thai PBS News
Specialist clinics for pollution-related symptoms to be set up around the country
The Public Health Ministry says they are now preparing to set up specialised clinics to treat patients suffering from pollution-related symptoms in the northern parts of the country.
— The hanger/ The Nation
Forget Red or Yellow, Forest Crusader Doubles Down on Green
An environmentalist turned politician seeking to gain a toehold in power through Sunday’s election said poachers wouldn’t get off so easy under his watch.
— Khaosod English
Security units ramp up suppression of drug use/abuse
The Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, has ordered security agencies to continue suppressing illegal narcotic use.
— Pattaya Mail
Couple held for B50m pyramid scheme
A couple was arrested on charges of fraud totalling 50 million baht, when they arrived Tuesday for a special court hearing about a similar charge they were already facing.
— Bangkok Post
Mobile firms eye e-sports market
Mobile operators are tapping into the revenue-generating power of e-sports, seeking to cash in on the US$667 million (21.1 billion baht) market.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand’s Electoral Commission’s “Cyber E-War Room” Scours Social Media for Computer Law Violations
The monitoring centre, with a signboard reading “E-War Room”, has three rows of computers and stacks of printouts, with half a dozen workers spending eight hours a day searching for violations of the law.
— Chiang Rai Times
Thailand: Structural Flaws Subvert Election
Thailand’s military government has failed to create conditions for a free and fair national election on March 24, 2019, Human Rights Watch said. The process for forming a new government, in which the junta-appointed Senate will have half the total number of votes for the next government as the elected House of Representatives, severely undermines the right of Thai citizens to choose their leaders.
— Human Right Watch
Thailand to take part in ILO’s 100th anniversary
Thailand will be among 24 nations taking part in the centennial anniversary of the International Labour Organization (ILO) next month.
— NNT
Two injured after stepping on suspected mines at a Krabi island
Two Thai men have sustained serious injuries after stepping on a mine at an island near Ao Nang, Krabi.
— The Thaiger
Baht volatility seen ahead of election
The baht is about to hit some turbulence — not only volatility from the March 24 election, but also a period of seasonal weakness that is fast approaching.
— Bangkok Post
Official inspects elephant camps after Big Buddha complaint
The Acting Chief of the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office has acted on a complaint sent to The Phuket News by a reader about a very young elephant being used to make money from tourists at the side of the road that leads to Big Buddha.
— The Phuket News
Pro-Thaksin Candidates Adopt his Name in Election
It’s election season and a campaign truck is rolling at the crack of dawn through the streets of the northeastern town of Phimai, blaring the slogan “Vote Thaksin, Get Thaksin.”
— Khaosod English
Six per cent of Thai university students have attempted suicide
Recent research reveals a disturbing finding that over 6 per cent of university students have attempted suicide.
— The Thaiger/ The Nation
Mini Van driver returns thousands of baht in bag to tourist
A Japanese tourist was video-ed giving his heartfelt appreciation to a van driver, the Department of Land Transport (DLT) and the Pattaya Tourist Police. Ryochi Mihashi, 46, had taken a minivan from the bus station in Rayong to South Pattaya.
— The Pattaya News
Mummy makeovers rising trend in medical tourism market
Mummy makeovers in Thailand? You may not have heard about this phenomenon but it’s a real thing in the medical tourism market.
— The Thaiger
ANALYSIS: On culture, candidates thinking too small, experts say
With a fraction of the parties expressing any views on the arts, those that do should offer more specifics
— The Nation (very annoying popups)
RTP -early voting went by smoothly
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) Deputy Spokesperson has indicated that the overall atmosphere of the early voting on March 17th was peaceful and that there was no irregularities or wrongdoing detected in any constituency.
— NBT World (video)
Compensation pays approved for out-of-business fishing boats
The cabinet approved compensation pays for out-of-business fishing vessels.
— NNT
Privy councilors take part in drought prevention meeting
Privy councilors on Monday joined a drought prevention meeting and asked the Ministry of Interior to heed His Majesty’s advice on water management.
— NNT
CDD holds OTOP fair in Kampangpetch
Thailand’s Community Development Department (CDD) is organizing a fair in Kampangpetch province from March 14th to 20th to promote regional OTOP products, provide an additional distribution channel and stimulate the local economy.
— NBT World (video)
‘Lady of the Hills’ was a Thai bride
A woman found dead in the Yorkshire Pennines 15 years ago, who was dubbed the “Lady of the Hills”, has been identified in a long-running cold case investigation.
— Bangkok Post
Feature photo UN Migration Agency (IOM)
This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges World Tuberculosis Day, March 24.
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.
Thailand morning news for March 20 added by Piseth Pov on
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