Thailand morning news for April 29, 2020

Thai PM says no billionaires offered financial help to Government
None of the Thailand’s 20 billionaires, who responded to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s call for help in wake of COVID-19 pandemic, have offered the Government any financial help.
— Thai PBS News

PM hints at restriction relaxation as some Bangkok businesses reopen
Lockdown restrictions will be eased in four stages, separated by 14 days, and this will be applied nationwide, according to Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha after today’s cabinet meeting.
— Thai PBS News

Public suicide bid as millions of Thais wait for coronavirus aid
A woman who took rat poison this week outside Thailand’s finance ministry over the slow rollout of aid during the coronavirus lockdown was promised on Tuesday (Apr 28) she would get her money soon.
— CNA

Public Health Ministry – Rapid COVID-19 tests are not reliable
The Ministry of Public Health has reported that COVID-19 continues to mutate, but the rate of mutation is lower than that of influenza viruses.
— Newsline (video)

Bangkok proposes reopening bars, parks, salons
Restaurants, bars, barber shops and public parks are among eight types of venues the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority today said it will propose reopening – soon.
— Coconuts Thailand

Lock Down Mining, Stop Exploiting Opportunity to Give Mining Concession
The Network of People Who Own Mineral Resources issued a statement today (28 April) calling for the authorities to equally impose the Emergecy Decree by halting all mining operation and mine licensing process.
— Prachatai English

Rice price in Thailand shoots up as demand spikes during pandemic
The global Covid-19 outbreak combined with ongoing drought in major rice-growing countries has triggered fear of possible food shortages, said Somporn Isvilanonda, senior fellow at the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand.
— Inquirer.net

Emergency Decree officially extended, Curfew will continue, no specific information on any other restriction easing yet
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha spoke briefly to the public this afternoon after today’s anticipated Thai Cabinet meeting to discuss the extension of the Emergency Decree and possibly easing some restrictions/closures that have put millions out of work around the country.
— The Pattaya News

Thailand reports 7 new coronavirus infections, fewest since mid-March
Health officials today said they detected the fewest new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours than at any time in the past month – but another two fatalities.
— Coconuts Thailand

THAI recovery plan faces scrutiny by Prayut-led committee
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will preside on Wednesday (April 29) over a meeting of the state enterprise policy committee to consider the recovery plans of Thai Airways (THAI) in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Anutin rejects demands to delay ban on hazardous pesticides
The ban on three chemical pesticides will be imposed on June 1 as scheduled, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Tuesday (April 28), adding that he did not agree with Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit’s proposal to postpone it further.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Pattaya City Mayor says results of checkpoints and proactive testing in Pattaya exceed expectations, discusses next steps
The Pattaya City Mayor, Mr. Sonthaya Khunpluem, spoke with The Pattaya News today and discussed the results of the cities several weeks of checkpoints, proactive testing and the overall situation with Covid-19 in the City and said currently results have “exceeded expectations.
— The Pattaya News

B50bn approved to improve rural schools
The cabinet on Tuesday approved a budget of 50 billion baht to improve the quality of 8,000 outstanding primary and secondary schools in remote areas nationwide from 2020 to 2022.
— Bangkok Post

Software sifts through 28.8 million applicants, finds only 16 million eligible for handout
Within a month, 28.8 million people registered for the government’s Bt5,000 cash handout, though Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana insists that the total number of applicants stands at 24 million and the remaining 4.8 million had been added due to a technical error.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Thailand and Malaysia keep guard up after Vietnam lifts lockdown
Some Southeast Asian countries have begun cautious preparations for lifting coronavirus-related restrictions on activity as new cases decline, but they are reluctant to go as far as Vietnam in easing their guard.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

Thailand Shelves Asia-Pacific Trade Pact Membership Decision Amid Growing Opposition
Thailand’s cabinet will not consider on Tuesday whether Thailand will seek membership of an Asia-Pacific trade agreement, which could boost its economy hit by the coronavirus pandemic, due to widespread opposition.
— The New York Times

Govt whips dismiss call to scrutinise aid spending
Government whips on Monday rejected the opposition’s call for a special House session to debate financial aid for those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, saying the government is going ahead with the matter.
— Bangkok Post

Why COVID-19 Will Worsen Inequality in Thailand
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, Thailand’s capital was the world’s most visited city.
— The Diplomat

Cold water poured on PPRP rejig
The reported build-up of pressure inside the ruling Palang Pracharath Party for a cabinet shake-up and a change of party leadership will bring about neither as now is not the time to be making political moves, said a highly placed party source and an academic.
— Bangkok Post

Cabinet keeps May holidays
The cabinet yesterday rejected a proposal by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to cancel all four public holidays in May due to coronavirus concerns.
— Bangkok Post

Covid-19: Airbus pulls out of Thai MRO joint venture
Airbus has pulled out of a joint venture (JV) with Thai Airways, the country’s national airline, to provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services at a civil-military airport near the country’s eastern seaboard.
— Jane’s

Migrant infections spike prompts foreign labour halt
The Labour Ministry will halt the entry of foreign labourers indefinitely as part of efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19, following a recent report of 42 infections among illegal migrant workers in Songkhla.
— Bangkok Post

A thousand people to return to Thailand this week
More Thai nationals are due to return this week.
— Pattaya Mail

Government to deposit COVID-19 relief assistance fund to 1.5 million
The Ministry of Finance has started to deposit the state compensation for 1.5 million people, starting today and tomorrow.
— Newsline (video)

Cabinet agrees to widen govt cash aid
The cabinet yesterday approved 5,000-baht handouts over the next three months for 10 million farming households affected by the economic impact of Covid-19, according to an official.
— Bangkok Post

Pesticide ban delay draws activist flak
A group of activists yesterday called out the Ministry of Industry for backpedalling on its promise to ban the use of three controversial agrichemicals on June 1 amid speculation the National Hazardous Substances Committee will on Thursday hold off on the ban until the end of the year.
— Bangkok Post

The Thai economy: COVID-19, poverty, and social protection
The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has touched people from all walks of life.
— World Bank Group (blog)

Ministry keen to build LNG stockpile while prices low
The Energy Ministry has thrown full support behind a plan by state-owned energy firms to import additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) from spot markets, where LNG has hit record low prices, in order to lower energy costs.
— Bangkok Post

Thailand’s True rolls out Ericsson 5G RAN
Thai communications service provider True Corporation has announced that it has selected Ericsson as a 5G radio access network (RAN) vendor as part of its national 5G network.
— Developing Telecoms (blog)

Thai firm acquires Vietnamese cable makers in 240 million USD deal
Thailand’s Stark Corporation has completed the acquisition of Vietnam-based Thinh Phat Cables (Thipha) and Dong Viet Non-Ferrous & Plastic (Dovina) for a combined value of 240 million USD.
— Vietnamplus

‘Green Line’ extension to open on June 3
The operator of the BTS Skytrain has announced the Green Line extension between Kasetsart University and Wat Phra Sri Mahathat will officially open to the public on June 3, according to Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang.
— Bangkok Post

Department advises people on using public transport
The Department of Land Transport has instructed all public transport operators to strictly comply with the government and Transport Ministry measures to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus, director-general Jirut Wisanjit said today (April 28), while advising people on ways to prevent the risk of infection while travelling.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Outlaws Motorcycle Club members help the local community in need in Pattaya
The following is a statement/release from the Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Pattaya who recently came together to assist the local community who are at need and unemployed during the Covid-19 Coronavirus Crisis.
— The Pattaya News

Soi Dog distributes relief supplies to Myanmar workers affected by Covid-19
Staff from the Soi Dog Foundation came together yesterday (April 26) todistribute relief supplies to workers from Myanmar who have foundthemselves with little or no income due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
— The Pattaya News

Thai edutech startups Conicle, Vonder receive funding from Stormbreaker Venture
Venture Conicle, an edutech startup based in Thailand, has secured US$900,000 pre-Series A round of funding from Humanica, a local HR and ERP solutions company, and 500 TukTuks and edtech accelerator Stormbreaker Venture.
— e27

Farming households get B15,000 aid
The cabinet has approved financial aid of 5,000 baht a month for three months each for 10 million farming households and increased the number of eligible self-employed people affected by coronavirus measures to 16 million from 14 million.
— Bangkok Post

Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exports to Thailand: up more than 300% in Q1
Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports to Thailand hit US$50.51 million in the first quarter of 2020, shooting up more than 300 per cent from the same period last year, according to the General Department of Customs.
— Fresh Plaza

Bangkok Airways to resume Samui flights
Bangkok Airways is set to head back to the skies starting May 15, resuming their monopoly on the Bangkok-Samui route.
— The Thaiger

Civil society network opposes delay to ban on toxic farm substances
Members of the civil society network opposed to hazardous farm chemicals submitted a letter to Thailand’s Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit today, protesting against a move by the Thai Chamber of Commerce to have the National Hazardous Substances Committee (NHSC) postpone the ban on two hazardous farm substances until the end of the year.
— Thai PBS News

Thailand’s COVID-19 medics feel strain even as cases decline
For Bangkok nurse Kanjana Kamoun, the coronavirus Intensive Care Ward is not only where she works all day, it is where she thinks she is when she wakes up in the middle of the night, anxious and afraid.
— CNA

A box found by a villager in Phetchabun was identified as a bomb
Yesterday, as a villager rode his bicycle from the local temple in Petchabun province to go see a friend, he discovered a mysterious box laying on the ground in Tha Phom tambon.
— The Thaiger

Cabinet okays Bt1,000 handout to disabled people
In a move to ease the burden on disabled people amid the Covid-19 crisis, the Cabinet on Tuesday (April 28) approved the payment of an extra Bt1,000 to each disability card holder in addition to their monthly allowance.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Safety guarantee added to lure tourists back to Amazing Thailand
The government is launching a new tourism measure to boost confidence for domestic and international travellers after the Covid-19 crisis.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Condition of six infected immigrants worsens
The condition of six out of 42 infected immigrants at the Songkhla Immigration Quarantine Centre has worsened due to pneumonia, the centre reported today (April 28).
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Cable and satellite provider True Visions faces backlash over “censorship officer”
Satellite and cable TV provider True Visions is in hot water after posting an advert seeking an “international news censor” on the biggest online jobs board in Thailand.
— The Thaiger

Egg shortage easing
The egg shortage situation appears to be easing after a price plunge at a retail store in Bangkok.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Security Officers Sweep Visitors Off Pattaya Beach
Police in Pattaya on Monday said they arrested 23 people for breaking the city’s beach closure order.
— Khaosod English

Thai Embassy in Japan advises citizens to register for repatriation flights
The Thai Embassy in Tokyo is advising citizens who wish to return home to register for two repatriation flights in May.
— The Thaiger

Man held after cannabis found at Bangkok home
A man was arrested yesterday for allegedly possessing cannabis, which he claimed were used to cure his father, who has diabetes, hypertension and suffered from stroke.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

BBS consortium wins U-tapao airport bid
The subcommittee handling infrastructure development projects at the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) chaired by Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana on Monday chose the BBS consortium to win the bid to build the 290-billion-baht Eastern Airport City Project at U-tapao.
— Bangkok Post

Pink Line train route steaming towards completion
The construction of the Pink Line MRT train route (Kaerai-Min Buri) is now 54 per cent complete and should be ready to open for public use on schedule in October 2021 despite the Covid-19 crisis, Surachet Laophulsuk, Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) deputy governor of Engineering and Construction, said on Monday (April 27).
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Phuket removes most tambon travel restrictions
Phuket will start opening up again with most travel restrictions between sub-districts to be lifted, excepting five areas on the island which are still considered ‘at risk’. Phuket’s outgoing Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana announced the lifting of the restrictions for travel between the island’s tambons, introduced back on April 13.
— The Thaiger

Man posing as woman held for extortion
CHIANG MAI: A man who allegedly posed as a woman to blackmail a male university student online was arrested on Tuesday, according to police.
— Bangkok Post

Pattaya resumes numerous major construction projects including Walking Street and repair beach after weekend storms
Several major construction projects have been resumed and teams returned to work in the Pattaya area as the Covid19 Coronavirus crisis appears to be improving.
— The Pattaya News

Phang Nga unlocks Koh Yao, Koh Yao Yai
Phang Nga authorities decided to lift the lockdown on Koh Yao district as well as Koh Yao Yai sub-district on Tuesday (April 28) now that there have been no new Covid-19 cases in the district over the past 14 days.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Industry Ministry confirms face mask for distribution are of high quality
The Industry Ministry has reassured citizens that millions of its face masks set for distribution are of high quality and will offer protection from airborne droplets that may carry Covid-19.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Korawat made new DSI chief
The cabinet on Tuesday approved the Justice Ministry’s proposal to appoint Pol Lt Col Korawat Panprapakorn, the ministry’s inspector-general, the new director-general of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said.
— Bangkok Post

Nakhon Ratchasima flea markets to open from tomorrow
Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Wichian Chantharothai is allowing flea markets in the province to reopen from Wednesday (April 29) after they were ordered to close from April 2 to 30 in order to prevent residents from contracting Covid-19.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Restaurants, markets among 8 Bangkok venues tipped to reopen from Friday
Restaurants, markets, sports centres, public parks, salons, pet clinics, medical services and golf courses in Bangkok might have a chance to reopen after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration decided to ease its lockdown measures from May 1.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Bangkok’s condominium market in 2019 and operators’ strategy for survival in 2020
The condominium market in 2019 included an accumulated sales rate of 525,223 units, from the total supply of 623,381 units, according to Ms. Risinee Sarikaputra, Director of Research at Knight Frank Thailand.
— Bangkok Post

Drunk Monks on Pickup Truck Busted for Curfew Violations
Two monks were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday for drunk driving and breaking the curfew.
— Khaosod English

Storm wreaks havoc in 41 provinces
Almost 9,000 houses in 41 provinces have been destroyed by a summer storm and need aid from the government, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Durian and beefcake cure COVID blues in Chiang Mai (Photos)
That opportunity can be ripped from the soft, stinking core of crisis has never been proven so powerfully than by a group of shirtless durian hustlers.
— Coconuts Thailand

Chon Buri’s Chaoprayasurasak Municipality to give Bt1,000 cash handout
Chaoprayasurasak City Municipality in Chon Buri will provide a Bt1,000 cash handout to people suffering from the impact of Covid-19.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Thailand to Host 2021 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
The 6th edition of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) will be held by Thailand in 2021, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced here on Monday.
— Khaosod English

US rejects Thai request, GSP suspension takes effect
The United States suspended tariff privileges under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) on 573 Thai products from April 25 as originally scheduled despite Thailand’s attempt to appeal to the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Foreign Trade Department director-general Keerati Ratchano said on Monday (April 27).
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

EC meeting cancelled after a director contracts Covid-19
The Election Commission (EC) has cancelled a meeting scheduled for 1.30pm today (April 28) after a director-level official tested positive for Covid-19 as he worked with a legal officer who was earlier infected with the coronavirus, a news source said.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

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Thailand morning news for April 29 added by John Le Fevre on April 29, 2020
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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.