Thailand morning news for February 19

Thailand morning news for February 19
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Thailand morning news

Nine day holiday for Songkran ditched by PM
The idea of a nine day holiday over the Songkran festival this year, to promote domestic tourism following a sharp decline in tourist arrivals, especially from China, appears to have been nipped in the bud by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
— Thai PBS News

1 dead, 1 injured in Bangkok mall shooting, gunman escapes
One woman is dead and a bystander injured after a gunman opened fire at a shopping mall in downtown Bangkok on this afternoon.
— The Thaiger

138 Thai evacuees from Wuhan expected to go home on Wednesday
The 137 Thai evacuees from the Chinese city of Wuhan, who have been under observation in guest houses at the Sattahip naval base since February 4th, are expected to return home to re-join their families tomorrow (Wednesday) after final medical check-ups.
— Thai PBS News

Manhunt launched for man who killed his ex lover and injured one other woman in mall shooting this afternoon in Bangkok
Police have given more details on a shooting incident that took place at a beauty clinic at the Century Movies Plaza mall in Bangkok this afternoon.
— The Pattaya News

Woman, 74, recovers from virus after ‘Thai cocktail’
An elderly Chinese woman who received a Thai cocktail of HIV and flu drugs to treat severe Covid-19-related pneumonia left hospital on Tuesday after making a full recovery, a government official said.
— Bangkok Post

Virus ‘could shave 1%’ off growth
Thailand is estimated to lose 170 billion baht in tourism income, and one percentage point off the country’s 2020 GDP growth, if the coronavirus outbreak takes six months to contain, says GSB Research.
— Bangkok Post

Chiang Mai blanketed in smoke as fires burn around the province
It’s smoggy, smokey and generally unpleasant in northern Thailand today. But don’t take our word for it, look up to the skies around Chiang Mai or check the copious amounts of graphic evidence, freely available, about the seriousness of the fires, almost all deliberately lit, around the region.
— The Thaiger

Pollution Control Department issues “red alert” for the North
A “red alert” is in effect for northern Thailand today: The Pollution Control Department warns that unsafe levels of PM2.5 pollution have been recorded in several areas, including Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Phayao and Chiang Mai.
— The Thaiger

Great Wall Motor Company taking over General Motors Rayong car factory as GM pulls out of Thailand
China’s leading sport utility vehicles (SUV) and pickup maker Great Wall Motors on Monday said it will purchase General Motors’ Rayong car production facility in Thailand.
— The Pattaya News

Future Forward issues closing defence statement in 191.2m baht loan case
According to the Future Forward party’s closing statement, which was released today by party secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, the Constitutional Court has no power to dissolve the party or to ban its executive committee from politics for five years and, hence, the court must dismiss the loan case filed against the party by the Election Commission (EC).
— Thai PBS News

Prayut to stay on at house in army base
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says he will continue to live in a house in an army base for security reasons.
— Bangkok Post

Bangkok Buses to Install Rooftop Air Purifiers Despite Pseudoscience Claims
A transport official on Tuesday said he will go ahead with a plan to install air purifiers on top of public buses to reduce dust pollution in the capital, despite criticism from scientists who call it a pseudoscience.
— Khaosod English

Temperatures in most parts of Thailand to fall today and tomorrow
People living in most parts of Thailand, except the southern region, have been advised to take care of their health as a strong cold front from China is predicted to reduce temperatures by 1-50C through today and tomorrow.
— Thai PBS News

All but one Wuhan returnee cleared of Covid-19
One of the 138 quarantined Thai returnees from Wuhan showed a small presence of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), but the others were healthy and ready to be discharged from quarantine, a senior health official said on Tuesday.
— Bangkok Post

AOT steps up measures to screen passengers from Cambodia
The Ministry of Public Health reported a total of 44 passengers from the Westerdam cruise ship have arrived in Thailand between February 14th and 15th and were subjected to thorough health screening before being quarantined.
— Newsline (video)

PM cites ‘security’ as reason for staying on in army residence
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha responded to questions about his military-owned residence for the first time yesterday following an announcement by army chief Gen Apirat Kongsompong that retired officers would have to vacate their military homes to make way for their successors.
— Bangkok Post

Bangkok’s air quality improves; North still on forest fire alert
The air quality in Bangkok and its vicinity has continued to improve.
— Pattaya Mail

Debt-swap deal gets cabinet nod
Despite fierce opposition from consumer advocates, the cabinet yesterday approved Expressway Authority of Thailand’s (Exat) controversial 58.8 billion baht debt-swap deal with Bangkok Expressway and Metro Plc (BEM).
— Bangkok Post

Loei requests aerial support to put out Phu Kradueng fire
Let’s take a look at the Phu Kradueng (ภูกระดึง) in Loei, that was earlier ravaged by a fire.
— Newsline (video)

Singapore, Thailand strengthen measures to cope with COVID-19 outbreak
Singapore will roll out a new stay-home notice for its residents and long-term pass holders returning from mainland China as part of efforts to respond to the acute respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
— Vietnamplus

Enhance Msia-Thailand cross border connectivity: Thai ambassador
Major upgrade of trade logistics and cross-border infrastructure between Malaysia and Thailand are important to spur bilateral trade and seamless trade connectivity for both countries.
— New Straits Times

April roll-out for stimulus floated
The government looks poised to introduce a fresh economic stimulus package after the economy slipped to a five-year low in growth last year and a possible contraction in the first quarter of this year.
— Bangkok Post

Government to introduce major tourism sector packages this March
The government is planning to introduce major economic assistance measures to help the tourism sector which is being hardly hit by the COVID-19 outbreak.
— Newsline (video)

Thailand, U.S. readied for Cobra Gold 2020 this month
The Thai and United States armed forces will host the 39th Cobra Gold 2020 exercise later this month with a full-scale Cyber Warfare exercise being included for the first time.
— Newsline (video)

Cybercriminal assets targeted
Armed forces leaders were yesterday briefed that police are stepping up efforts to confiscate the assets of criminals who use the internet to commit fraud.
— Bangkok Post

Southeast Asia’s dugongs may disappear soon
In 2019, two baby dugongs were found alive after they washed ashore in Krabi and Trang provinces, in Thailand, but sadly died not long after they were rescued.
— The Asean Post

Academics discuss solutions to toxic dust
Academics have gathered at a forum to discuss their ideas and find solutions to the ongoing air pollution problem.
— Newsline (video)

Warrants out for new suspects
Police are about to issue arrest warrants for more suspects involved with an illegal transnational commercial surrogacy ring busted last week, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) said on Monday.
— Bangkok Post

Rainmaking Operation starts earlier than usual
The Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation has decided to start its rainmaking operations earlier than usual this year, to alleviate the current drought situation.
— Newsline (video)

Four held for fake news over coronavirus
Four more people were arrested for allegedly spreading fake news about the coronavirus outbreak, Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta said yesterday.
— Bangkok Post

Democrats urged to curb defections
Democrat Party executives are being urged to find a way to curb defections that are causing internal instability, the party’s MP for Trang Sathit Wongnongtoey said.
— Bangkok Post

Treasury Department to manage army’s commercial properties
The Royal Thai Army has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Treasury Department to restructure the management of the army’s public properties, ensuring commercial revenues will be carried out in accordance with the government regulations.
— Newsline (video)

Cabbie arrested for detaining, raping woman
A taxi driver wanted for the alleged detention and forcible rape of a woman in Bangkok’s Bung Kum district has been arrested nearly three years later.
— Bangkok Post

Building a digital water management system for Thailand
Effective water management is crucial for both Thailand’s large agricultural sector and for its fast developing high-tech manufacturing sector.
— Eco-Business

TBA to seek measures for sector hit by virus
The Thai Bankers’ Association (TBA) has planned a meeting for today to seek additional measures for tourism and related business operators battered by the coronavirus epidemic.
— Bangkok Post

Somkid asks Jetro to back smart farming initiative
Tokyo: The Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro) is being asked to help support Thailand’s agricultural restructuring, as the government through the state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) is offering as much as 20 billion baht in loans to support smart farming.
— Bangkok Post

Investment in Early Childhood Development
Central Group and UNICEF together bring back Eat Play Love campaign that encourages increased focus and investment in early childhood development.
— Newsline (video)

Minister acts after a music teacher is reported to have raped a 12-year-old student at a resort
A music teacher in Thailand’s southern province of Chumphon has been suspended after he allegedly took a female student to a resort in the Pathio district of the province and raped her on Valentines Day.
— ThaiExaminer.com

Govt won’t win Oscar for army propaganda
South Korean movie Parasite won the Oscar.
— Bangkok Post

Thais advised to stay away from Israel over COVID-19
The Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv has issued an advisory for Thai people to avoid travelling to Israel as they face the possibility of a mandatory 14-day house confinement as a preventive measure against the spread of the deadly COVID-19.
— Thai PBS News

WBC to host first WBC MuayThai world convention in Bangkok in March
Bangkok The following is a press release from the MuayThai world convention in Bangkok sent to The Pattaya News.
— The Pattaya News

Nong Nooch Gardens are focusing on Indian tourists and partnering with tour companies to bring more Indian tourists to Pattaya
As the ban on Chinese group tours continues, decimating businesses that don’t adapt who previously focused on the Chinese market, some local attractions have found success shifting to the Indian and domestic tourism market.
— The Pattaya News

‘Big Joke’ returns to work
Former immigration chief Pol Lt Gen Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn has returned to work at the PM’s Office after his stint as a Buddhist monk in India.
— Bangkok Post

Attackers of teacher surrender to police
Three young men and two minors suspected of brutal attacking 67-year-old Weerapong Masusai, a computer teacher at a local college, on Feb 11 in Nakhon Phanom surrendered to police on Tuesday.
— Bangkok Post

Air purifiers to be added to the top of Bangkok buses. Really…
“It is like a single dead pixel on your phone, hardly noticeable” Air purifiers sitting on tops of buses. Apparently this is another solution for Bangkok’s air pollution problems.
— The Thaiger

Man wearing police uniform reports for work, and arrested
A young man in a police uniform reported to Muang police station in Chaiyaphum province for work on Monday, but was arrested and charged after official data showed he never took any police tests nor underwent training.
— Bangkok Post

Airport Rail Link To Cut Fares During Off-Peak Hours
The operator of the rail line linking downtown Bangkok to Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday said it will reduce some of its fares starting this March – with some conditions.
— Khaosod English

Apirat Punishes Officer Accused of Misdeed, Introduces Civilian Oversight
BAArmy chief Gen. Apirat Kongsompong on Tuesday transferred an army colonel from his post in a self-declared move to crack down on corruption within the force.
— Khaosod English

Chon Buri police say illegal beauty clinics dumped dozens of syringes in canal
Police in Chon Buri province are investigating after dozens of needles and blood capsules were found yesterday in a canal in the Samae San area near Sattahip.
— The Thaiger

Future Forward’s deputy leader in hot water for living in army welfare housing
The Future Forward party has been dealt a huge and embarrassing setback because it has been disclosed that its deputy leader, Lt-Gen Pongsakorn Rodchomphu, has been living in an army welfare housing unit since his retirement, just as the party campaigns for military reforms, including solving the problem of retired officers still living in welfare housing units.
— Thai PBS News

National park staff scramble to prevent more wildfires as dry season approaches
Phu Kradueng National Park officials told the press today that although they had contained the bushfire that started on Sunday and damaged over 3,400 rai of park forests, they still need to build additional firebreaks to prevent a reoccurrence, which is more likely during the dry season.
— The Thaiger

Man threatens traditional Thai massage shop in Chonburi after refusal to give “special” services
A Thai traditional massage shop owner and a masseuse in Chonburi were threatened by a customer yesterday after a masseuse refused to give special sexual services to the man.
— The Pattaya News

Rescuer hit, killed by pickup on roadside
A member of a local rescue unit died after being hit by a pickup truck while assisting the occupants of another pickup that had run off a road in Pran Buri district of this lower Central province on Tuesday, police said.
— Bangkok Post

 

Feature photo Krung Tap Thai school

This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo focuses on International Mother Language Day, February 21.

 

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).

 

 

About Thailand morning news.

Thailand morning news roundup is the most comprehensive hand-curated selection of Thailand English language news headlines published. Each weekday we scour hundreds of local and international news sites and websites to find the most recent Thailand English language news today.

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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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