Couple facing the death penalty after Wednesday’s huge money laundering bust near Bangkok
A prosperous Thai couple were left facing a grim future on Wednesday after Narcotics Suppression Police smashed their ฿1 billion per annum money laundering network.
— ThaiExaminer.com
Dept pledges action over elephant deaths
A conservationist has ended his hunger strike after the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation promised to meet this month to find a solution to the safety problem faced by wild elephants.
— Bangkok Post
Thai child trafficker sentenced to record 374 years in jail
A Thai trafficker was sentenced to a record 374 years in jail for child trafficking in a ruling that lawyers say will send a deterrent to other criminals.
— CNA
70 Future Forward MPs vote against executive decree
Both Government and Opposition MPs, with the exception of 70 from the Future Forward party, today voted in support of an executive decree to transfer some army troops and funding to the Royal Security Command.
— Thai PBS News
Charter Court rules General Prayut’s premiership legal because he is not an ‘other state official’
General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s premiership is legal under Sections 160 (6) and 98 (15) of the Constitution after the nine-member Constitution Court ruled that he is not an “other state official” (a formal technical description in Thailand) and is, therefore, qualified to hold the post of Prime Minister.
— Thai PBS News
Thai pro-democracy activist faces prison over Facebook post
Pro-democracy activist Karn Pongpraphapan is facing possible imprisonment after being accused of violating Thailand’s controversial Computer Crime Act over a Facebook post he shared that police said threatened the country’s monarchy.
— Al Jazeera
Thailand’s 2020 budget bill raises marathon debate in parliament
Thailand’s House of Representatives on Thursday started a three-day debate on the 2020 budget bill, totaling 3.2 trillion baht (about 105.43 billion U.S. dollars).
— Xinhua.net
VAT refund for tourists hiked to B30,000
The Revenue Department is set to raise the ceiling for value-added tax (VAT) refunds for tourists at downtown agents to 30,000 baht per traveller from 12,000 baht at present.
— Bangkok Post
UTCC advises more stimulus
The government needs to pump more money into circulation — a range of 30-50 billion baht — to reach the target of 3% economic growth this year, says the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC).
— Bangkok Post
EU, Thailand hold senior officials meeting
The 14th Senior Officials’ Meeting between the European Union and Thailand took place on 16 October in Brussels.
— New Europe
Seripisut rails against budget bill, challenging its legitimacy
Defiant Seri Ruam Thai party leader Pol Gen Seripisut Temiyavet has rejected the budget bill, claiming that it was drawn up by an illegitimate government, led by a Prime Minister who did not recite his oath of office properly, as constitutionally required.
— Thai PBS News
Thai govt faces test as Parliament set to vote on first reading of Budget Bill
The Thai government is facing its first real test in Parliament as the Lower House convened on Thursday (Oct 17) for the first reading of the annual Budget Bill.
— The Straits Times
Tourism Min to boost community-based tourism
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has indicated the community-based tourism sector has grown in revenue by 20%, while adding the segment is expected to contribute at least 3 million baht to the nation’s overall tourism sector this year.
— Newsline (video)
Cabinet approves projects to help disaster-hit farmers
The Cabinet has approved five projects worth 3.12 billion baht in total to help farmers affected by drought and floods.
— Newsline (video)
Thailand’s army chief sees a commie conspiracy to topple the king
It was a speech worthy of Dr Strangelove. In a 90-minute lecture-turned-rant at the army headquarters on October 11th, Apirat Kongsompong, the head of Thailand’s armed forces, accused academics and other leftists of implanting “communist chips” in the minds of brainwashed youths.
— The Economist
VAT refund hiked to B30,000
The Revenue Department is set to raise the ceiling for value-added tax (VAT) refunds for tourists at downtown agents to 30,000 baht per traveller from 12,000 baht at present.
— Bangkok Post
‘Defence’ budget under attack
The opposition attacked government spending plans for favouring the Defence Ministry and imposing ineffective economic stimulus measures, as three days of debate on the budget bill began in the House on Thursday.
— Bangkok Post
Phuket Governor orders officials on alert as weather warning issued for Southern Thailand
Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana has ordered officials to be prepared for any situations arising from heavy weather following the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) today issuing a warning for all of Southern Thailand as storms are expected to lash the east coast of the peninsular on the Gulf of Thailand over the next two days.
— The Phuket News
Thai king postpones royal barge procession until December
Thailand’s newly crowned king has postponed next week’s final event marking his historic coronation — a royal barge procession down Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river — by almost two months, a deputy premier announced Thursday.
— CNA
PM asks MPs to view national budget and government works as a whole
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha asked all MPs, as he presented the 3.2 trillion baht budget bill for 2020 fiscal year to the House of Representatives this morning (Thursday), not to just look at the budgets allocated to each ministry, but to consider the details of the work and projects to be undertaken by each, so they get an overall picture.
— Thai PBS News
Pheu Thai MPs warned of election blacklisting if they support Government
Opposition chief whip Suthin Klangsaeng warned this morning, ahead of the debate on the budget bill, that any Pheu Thai MPs who do not vote with the Opposition against the bill will be barred from contesting the next election on the party’s ticket.
— Thai PBS News
Chadchart’s dilemma underscores big political shift
Will Future Forward “surpass” Pheu Thai? The question is becoming glaring with each passing day, underlined by the apparent reluctance of Chadchart Sittipunt to run in the Bangkok gubernatorial election as a Pheu Thai candidate. Deemed a favourite in the city race, he seemingly does not want the “Thaksin factor” to scupper his chances in the last minute like Pongsapat Pongcharoen before him, but there must be something more than that.
— Thai PBS News
Defence ‘least transparent’
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC)’s annual Integrity and Transparency Assessment (ITA) ranked the Defence Ministry as the least transparent state agency. The assessment typically gives state agencies a C grade.
— Bangkok Post
Deep Thai Political Feud Risks More Delay in $105 Billion Budget
Thailand’s divided parliament began debating the annual budget Thursday amid concern the ruling coalition may struggle to pass the bill because of its slim majority.
— Bloomberg
Thailand and Japan agree to develop automation tech
The Industry Ministry has begun a mission to bolster ties with Japanese businesses given the uncertainties surrounding Thai politics.
— OpenGov
“taste, shop, spend” campaign generates 10bn baht circulation
According to the Finance Ministry, the “Chim, Shop, Chai” or “taste, shop, spend” campaign has already generated at least 8 billion baht worth of economic activity between September 27th and October 14th.
— Newsline (video)
Emotional Thai Samsung Electronics campaign looks at importance of vocational education
Thai Samsung Electronics is celebrating its 30th anniversary by highlighting the challenges faced by vocational students and how the Samsung Dual Vocational Education Program helps them overcome it.
— The Drum (video)
Hundreds of workers flee as fire engulfs chicken processing plant
Hundreds of workers fled to safety when a chicken processing plant caught fire and leaked ammonia in Bang Sao Thong district early on Thursday morning.
— Bangkok Post
Princess Sirindhorn in hospital for treatment of intestinal infection
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn was admitted to Chulalongkorn Hospital today after she developed a fever and experienced some abdominal pain, the Bureau of the Royal Household said.
— Thai PBS News
Twin TAT campaigns aim to rake in B400m
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to roll out next month two campaigns — Visit Thailand with 100 Baht and Shocking Price Weekday Travel — hoping to generate 400 million baht in tourism income over the remaining months of this year.
— Bangkok Post
UTCC: More stimulus necessary for 3% growth
The government needs to pump more money into circulation — a range of 30-50 billion baht — to reach the target of 3% economic growth this year, says the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC).
— Bangkok Post
TAT: Thailand gets two more ASEAN Heritage Parks
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced that two of Thailand’s national parks have been designated as ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHPs) during the recent 15th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment, bringing the number of ASEAN Heritage Parks in Thailand to a total of six.
— Travel Daily Media
Klong Toey revamp plan to hit cabinet this month
The final report on the 490-billion-baht development of the Klong Toey port area is expected to wrap up before the end of this month before it is tabled for consideration, said the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT).
— Bangkok Post
Judge Kanakorn Pianchana, another victim of the southern insurgency
Five men were awaiting the judge to hand down his verdict. Charged with murder and facing either life imprisonment or a death penalty, or being acquitted.
— The Thaiger
REIC urges state to cut transfer fees
With property sales expected to shrink by 5-7% this year, the government should trim transfer fees for properties to stimulate consumer demand, says GH Bank’s Real Estate Information Center (REIC).
— Bangkok Post
Thais could deny Rainsy visa
A senior Thai police official has said that Sam Rainsy, the “acting president” of the Supreme Court-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), would not be granted a visa if he intended to cause unrest in Thailand.
— The Phnom Penh Post
Transport minister has plans for new vote-catching airports in South
Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has plans to spend about 8 billion baht building two new airports in the South, in Phatthalung and Satun, as public-private investment ventures.
— Bangkok Post
Thai opposition protests emergency troop transfer to king
Opposition members of Thailand’s parliament objected on Thursday to an emergency decree transferring two army units to the command of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, with one politician saying it does not follow the laws of the constitutional monarchy.
— CNA
Fish sauce excluded from Thailand’s proposed tax on salty foods
Thailand’s Excise Department and Public Health Ministry is considering a levy on salty foods in an attempt to tackle the sodium-rich diets of Thai citizens, and the health consequences.
— The Thaiger
SCB pioneers pay cheque advance scheme
Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) has emerged as the country’s first lender allowing its payroll clients to withdraw salary in advance through its mobile banking platform.
— Bangkok Post
Parks see influx as winter kicks in
The number of tourists visiting national parks in upper Thailand is rising as temperatures drop during the transition from the rainy to the cold season.
— Bangkok Post
Pattaya Temple warden accuses Nongprue Mayor of hitting him in the face, files police report, alleged incident caught on video.
A warden of Boon Sampan Temple has reported to local police after he was allegedly hit by the Nongprue mayor this week in public and caught on camera.
— The Pattaya News
Thailand wants to accelerate progress in IMT-GT talks
WHILE Thailand is nearly ready to hold the 35th Asean summit in early November, the host nation has voiced it’s intent to accelerate the progress of Indonesia-Malaysia-Thai Growth Triangle (IMT-GT).
— New Straits Times
Mahidol introduces first medicine-engineering double degree
Mahidol University has introduced a new double degree program, combining medicine and engineering to produce ‘medical innovators’.
— Newsline (video)
ADB to invest in THB-10bn green bond in Thailand
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will invest in a THB-10-billion (USD 330m/EUR 297m) green bond issuance that supports a Thai wind farm of 260 MW, it announced on Thursday.
— Renewables Now
Five days to move out – restaurant encroaches on Nakhon Si Thammarat creek
A restaurant in Nakhon Si Thammarat has been exposed for illegally encroaching on the Baan Kiriwong creek and constructing permanent foundations and infrastructure.
— The Thaiger
Are We Alone in the Universe? Experts to Weigh in at Bangkok, Chiang Mai Event
World-renowned experts on aliens are beaming into the capital and Chiang Mai in November to talk about whether or not we’re really all alone in the universe.
— Khaosod English
Fitch downgrades DTAC’s outlook on leverage questions
Fitch Ratings has revised its outlook for Total Access Communication Plc (DTAC) to negative from stable to reflect expectations that the mobile phone service provider’s financial leverage by the year-end will increase to a level that is not commensurate with current ratings.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand, Indonesia see growth in booking volume in Southeast Asia
As the demand for travelers to Southeast Asia intensifies, Thailand stands out from the crowd as the most popular destination in the region.
— PhocusWire
A Chef’s Guide to Bangkok
“Bangkok has always been known internationally for its street-food culture. Traditional Thai cuisine is packed with sweet, sour, salty, fermented, and spicy flavor combinations.
— New York Mag
Feature photo John Le Fevre
This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo focuses on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, October 17
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).
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Thailand morning news for October 18 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