Key parties still coy on coalition
The Bhumjaithai Party has decided to hold talks with other parties which remain undecided over which camp to back in forming a coalition government while insisting the party is not attempting to set up a third alliance.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand to ban three kinds of plastic by end of this year
By the end of 2019 Thailand will be free from three types of plastic – microbeads, cap seals and oxo-degradable plastics.
— The Thaiger
Chinese customs office detains 3,000 containers of durian
The Thailand World News reported that export of Thai durian to China has encountered an obstacle. Traders loudly complain about the situation.
— Fresh Plaza
Thailand Allows 4 Cryptocurrencies to Be Used for Trading Pairs
Thailand is dipping its toes into the crypto waters after many months of hesitation. The Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has acknowledged that 4 specific cryptocurrencies are sound enough for use by domestic fiat brokers and exchanges, though cryptocurrencies still can’t be …
— Pattaya Mail
Trade spat hands Thailand chance to lure more Chinese
Thailand’s tourism sector is expected to get a windfall from the growing tension between the US and China as tourists from the mainland shorten their long-haul journey to visit closer destinations instead.
— Bangkok Post
Pheu Thai party gives up demand for PM post and all political pre-conditions
In a last-ditch bid to win the support of the Democrat and Bhumjaithai parties to stop current Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha continuing in office, the Pheu Thai party has withdrawn…
— Thai PBS News
Pro-junta bloc says they have a ‘deal’ with Democrats and Bhumjaithai
The week kicks off with rumours swirling about deals done over the weekend. Meanwhile HM The King will open Parliament on May 24. ‘Who’ will set ‘where’ will be interesting. The …
— The Thaiger
Thanathorn’s loan to his party could violate Article 66 of the Political Party Act – Srisuwan
Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit appears to have landed himself in yet another controversy; this time it is about his admission that he provided a loan of about 110…
— Thai PBS News
Nuclear Society of Thailand addresses future of Thai energy
The Nuclear Society of Thailand and the Science Society of Thailand have organized a forum to provide information and hear suggestions from the public on the energy 4.0 policy.
— NBT World (video)
New megamall to occupy 400 rai at Klong Toey port
The Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) said it only plans to use about half of a 900-rai area at Klong Toey port, and hand the rest over to a real-estate project to facilitate a new landmark by the Chao Phraya River.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand, Taiwan to hold “Two Wheels Asia 2019”
Thailand and Taiwan will jointly organize “Two Wheels Asia 2019”, an international exhibition and conference for the motorcycle, electric bike and bicycle industry.
— NBT World (video)
Ministry warns on prices
The Commerce Ministry is once again warning private hospitals of severe legal repercussions for overcharging patients, after several probes found that many medical facilities often mark up the prices of their medicines by as much as 900%.
— Bangkok Post
Farmer charged after brothers found dead in river
A farmer has confessed to having dumped the bodies of two brothers in the Chi River in Khong Chai district after they were electrocuted at his farm.
— Bangkok Post
Hospital intruder faces four charges
An angry man who tried to attack a rival being treated at a hospital in Lao Sue Kok on Sunday has faced four charges, including attempted murder.
— Bangkok Post
Women in Law the path towards gender balance
In modern society, gender inequality is not expected to be an issue. But in reality, the problem is evident in several professions, including law.
— NBT World (video)
With support, age is just a number
Thailand needs a conducive environment for elderly people to help it cope with the health and economic challenges triggered by an ageing society, according to Sumet Ongkittikul, chief of the Thailand Development Research Institute’s transport and logistics policy research section.
— Bangkok Post
Chinese owners using condo investments as a ‘hotel’
Residents in condos around the country are getting sick of the parade of short-stay travellers using their condo rooms as defacto hotel rooms, travellers renting out their rooms from Chinese owners who run their investments as quasi hotel rooms.
— The Thaiger
Latest Deportation, Disappearances Rattle Thai Dissident Diaspora
Yammy and her friends sleep in shifts. They venture out of the house they share only every few days to stock up on food, and have stopped their live webcasts so as not to give away their location.
— VOA Cambodia
Bhumjaithai keeps parties holding their breath
BURI RAM: The Bhumjaithai Party continued to keep people guessing about its political stance on Monday but its leader has indicated that he already has choices.
— Bangkok Post
Wastewater filmed flowing into sea in Na Jomtien causes temporary swimming ban, urgent meetings
A one day ban on swimming in the sea off Thailand’s famous Pattaya resort has been lifted after the condition of the seawater returned to normal with no black and foul-smelling pollutants. However, people with allergies …
— The Pattaya News
Constitutional Court to consider Thanathorn’s shareholding case
The Constitutional Court will decide on Thursday on whether it will consider a case against the leader of the Future Forward Party, Thanathorn Juangroonruangkit, who has been accused of violating media shareholding rules laid out in the organic law on elections.
— Bangkok Post
Long march to campaign for freer access to medicinal cannabis starts tomorrow
Civic groups, campaigning for fewer restrictions on the use of cannabis and its products for medical purposes, will begin a long march from Thailand’s northern province of Phichit to Bangkok…
— Thai PBS News
Thailand’s US Embassy issues advisory about medical insurance
Thailand’s United States Embassy has issued an advisory warning to American expats recommending they have adequate medical coverage for a long-term stay in the country.
— The Thaiger
Buffalo population in decline
Farmers are being urged to continue keeping native buffaloes as beasts of burden as their numbers have rapidly declined.
— Bangkok Post
About 23,000 young corals being relocated from Maya Bay
Park officials at the famous Maya Bay, in Thailand’s southern province of Krabi, are busily relocating about 23,000 young corals from the shallows into deeper water to prevent them from…
— Thai PBS News
VIDEO: Entrenched Illiberalism in Mainland Southeast Asia
Scholars and activists discuss the region’s persistent struggles with democracy at a recent ANU conference.
— New Mandala
Somkid: Growth likely below 3.5% target
The Thai economy is likely to stay below the 3.5% growth benchmark projected earlier because of the global economic slowdown that weakened exports and ailing domestic consumption.
— Bangkok Post
Activist urges govt to protect prime ‘red-yolk’ plots
A local activist is asking the government to set aside prime agricultural plots known as red-yolk plots to reduce the environmental impact of the regime’s flagship Eastern Economic Corridor Project (EEC).
— Bangkok Post
Long overdue, or a step too far?
Thailand faces unique threats from cyber-attacks that will only increase as the economy becomes more digitised. With the passage of the Cybersecurity Act, the government seeks to aggressively confront the problem with enforcement power, but some experts fear that such power could be abused and …
— Bangkok Post tech
Power outage to affect Koh Siray
The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has announced that the electricity supply will be temporarily shut off tomorrow (Tuesday, May 21) as work is carried out on improving the distribution system and high voltage power cables.
— The Phuket News
Mains water supply to be shut off near airport
The Phuket Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) has announced that the mains water supply will be shut-off in the areas surrounding Phuket International Airport tomorrow (Tuesday, May 21) for necessary pipe repairs.
— The Phuket News
Bureau of the Royal Household released photos of King and Queen
Bureau of the Royal Household has released photos of King and Queen and videos of the recent royal coronation. Download for free at www.phralan.in.th and http://www.prd.go.th/
— Thai PBS News
Thailand to formally introduce LGBT Education in Thai School System, starting at First Grade, next semester
Thailand- Change.org reported on its website on Saturday that its campaign to introduce LGBT education in health and physical activity curricula, starting at Grade 1, has proved successful and will be implemented from the first semester of this year’s educational calendar. In a statement from …
— The Pattaya News
Red alert to stop ‘pig ebola’ crossing border
Thailand, one of Asia’s top pork producers, is intensifying efforts to hold off a lethal pig virus that’s causing havoc as it spreads across the region.
— Bangkok Post
Back-to-school spending headache: the cost of parenting
As millions of students are going back to school this month, parents are spending billions of baht to get their children ready for the new semester.
— Thai PBS News
IP Fair 2019 to take place 30-31 May
The Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) will be holding the IP Fair 2019, promoting academic knowledge and showcasing innovations implemented for commercial purposes.
— Pattaya Mail
Exports struggle for life
Standing between the shoulders of two giants, Thailand has been one of the casualties of brewing trade tensions between China and the US, with tangible effects already manifesting through disappointing export performance.
— Bangkok Post
E-pioneer angel invests in Ulease
The online motorbike marketplace Ulease has received angel investor funding from e-commerce pioneer Pawoot Pongvitatyapanu to expand its service and capitalise on a potential market of 60 billion baht.
— Bangkok Post tech
Huawei to continue security support for Android phones
Huawei said on Monday it would continue to provide security updates and services for its smartphones and tablets after being barred from Google updates to its Android operating system.
— Bangkok Post tech
Thai film industry remains resilient despite obstacles
The Thai government hopes that the presence of Thai cinema at the Cannes Film Festival this year will boost the Thai film industry after another good of the Thai movies…
— Thai PBS News
Mahout shares story of viral clip of his elephant clearing road block
A 53-year-old male Si Dor elephant named “Charuek” is now famous on social media following pictures of him helping remove a fallen tree obstructing road traffic going viral.
— Pattaya Mail
GPO starts planting first batch of marijuana for medical use
Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) President, Dr. Sopon Mekthon, said 140 marijuana saplings planted as part of the first phase of the organization’s testing have begun to flower and should fully bloom in eight to 10 weeks. Once bloomed, scientists will be able to …
— Pattaya Mail
Thailand’s civil union law: Turning dreams into reality?
Thailand could become Southeast Asia’s first country to afford legal status and protection to same-sex couples. But it remains unclear if the next government will pass the proposed civil union law.
— Isaan Record
Dasta submits three cities for UCCN contest
The Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta) plans to submit Suphan Buri, Nan and Sukhothai for the 2019 Unesco Creative Cities competition.
— Bangkok Post
Thai-Japanese Yanagawa Junior High School administrators call on OPEC Secretary-General
Yanagawa Junior High School administrators from Japan brought a team this week to pay a courtesy call on the Secretary-General of the Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC).
— NNT
Feature photo John Le Fevre
This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo acknowledges International Day for Biological Diversity, May 22.
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 May 21 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