Thai economy won’t need a bailout from the IMF
The Thai economy won’t need a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, although the GDP growth for 2020 may end up being the lowest in the region.
— The Thaiger
Police meet to discus legal action against pro-democracy protesters and organisers
Following Saturday’s large protest at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument on Saturday afternoon and evening, Bangkok police are now pondering whether to prosecute the organisers for defying the emergency decree – the part of the law that prohibits large public gatherings.
— The Thaiger
Thailand’s Minister of Labour quits Cabinet with immediate effect
Labour Minister M.R. Chatumongol Sonakul has quit the Cabinet, effective today (Monday), becoming the fifth minister to resign.
— Thai PBS News
Thai Government begins 3000 baht Covid-19 payout to elderly, infants and people with disabilities
The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) today started paying out COVID-19 compensation to infants, elders, and persons with disabilities, each receiving a single payment of 3,000 baht.
— The Pattaya News
Economic leadership void seen worsening uncertainty
Thailand is replacing the top two officials steering the economy through its worst crisis ever, injecting more uncertainty into the policy outlook.
— Bangkok Post
One new COVID-19 infection in state quarantine recorded in Thailand
Thailand today (Monday) recorded one new COVID-19 case in state quarantine, but no new fatalities or recoveries.
— Thai PBS News
“It will take several years for tourism numbers to recover” – BoT
The Bank of Thailand chief says that “it would take several years for foreign tourist numbers to return to the 40 million levels”.
— The Thaiger
Hunger strike launched at Govt House by pro-democracy group
Activists from the New Life Network (NLN) began a hunger strike in front of Government House on Monday to protest General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s extended stay in power.
— The Nation
Plans to build vast rail connections linking Thailand and China are in the works
Thailand is planning on building a transport infrastructure meant to streamline supply and logistics operations to China.
— Sawadee Siam
Tackling the hunger challenge
The economic and health impacts of the extended Covid-19 outbreak are most worrisome for communities in countries across Asia.
— Bangkok Post
Students prepare for long fight as calls to end the coup-cycle goes viral
Following the largest anti-government protest since the coronavirus pandemic shut down the country, student leaders said on Monday that they were ready to hold continuous rallies until the government listened to their demands or resign.
— Thai Enquirer
Thailand could open its borders to more groups of foreigners next week
Five new groups of foreigners are expected to be added to the list of people allowed into Thailand later this week, according to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman, Taweesilp Visanuyothin.
— Sawadee Siam
11 youths nabbed for assaulting a hospital doctor
Police in Samut Prakan province have arrested 11 youths who assaulted medical personnel at a hospital, allegedly for failing to save the life of their injured friend, and then went on a rampage in another hospital in search of their rivals.
— Thai PBS News
Covid-19 to hit investment in research and development in 2020
The Covid-19 situation will cause investment in research and development in 2020 to dip from 1.45 per cent of gross domestic product to 1.09 per cent of GDP, the Office of National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council reported.
— The Nation
Silent killer claiming thousands
Each year, 14,000 Thais die from cancer that manifests in their bile ducts caused by a silent killer known as liver fluke disease.
— Bangkok Post
Health chiefs ‘prepared for mass testing’
The Public Health Ministry’s Department of Medical Sciences (DMS) on Monday assured members of the public of its Covid-19 testing capability as the country prepares for fresh infections now that most businesses have reopened.
— Bangkok Post
The elite card visa could bring you back to Thailand faster
There are currently few foreigners being allowed back to Thailand.
— Pattaya Mail
Labour unions submit petition for changes to social security scheme
Some 20 representatives of labour unions in Ayutthaya province showed up at the Labour Ministry in Bangkok on Monday (July 20) to demand that the terms of compensation under the social security scheme be changed.
— The Nation
Senator urges talks with protesters
Senator Kamnoon Sitthisamarn has asked the government to communicate directly with protesters regarding issues polarising the country while urging the prime minister to also address the matter.
— Bangkok Post
It’s not just Thailand, other Mekong River basin countries too are keeping Covid-19 at bay
From having the second highest number of Covid-19 cases outside China in late January to reporting not a single case of local transmission for about seven weeks, Thailand’s success in maintaining a low caseload and fatalities has been a case in point.
— The Indian Express
Virologist urges people to consume data on Covid-19 judiciously
In a Facebook post on Monday (July 20), Dr Yong Poovorawan, an expert virologist at Chulalongkorn University, advised people to consume information about Covid-19 wisely, as there are more than 100,000 research papers and publications on the disease.
— The Nation
Fifth cabinet member to resign from Thai PM Prayuth’s govt – party spokeswoman
Thailand’s Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office Tewan Liptapanlop will resign on Monday, his party spokeswoman told Reuters, and would be the fifth member of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s cabinet to quit in less than five days.
— Reuters
GSB to offer Bt120 billion soft loans to tourism, service sector entrepreneurs
The Government Savings Bank (GSB) is readying a new batch of soft loans worth Bt120 billion to help tourism and service entrepreneurs who could not access its current Bt150-billion loan package.
— The Nation
BoT rules out IMF support, cites strong fundamentals
Thailand does not need financial assistance from the IMF during the pandemic because of the country’s strong economic fundamentals and the financial sector, says the Bank of Thailand.
— Bangkok Post
Shorter monsoon causing ‘water stress’
Hydro-Informatics Institute (HII), a state body under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation which analyses water-related data, is warning of a water shortage as it expects this year’s rainy season to be shorter than usual.
— The Phuket News
Thais angry over mishandling of Covid-19 scandal
Many Thais are in uproar over their government’s woeful mishandling of a situation that could have led to the spread of Covid-19 in a seaside province.
— UCA News
Thailand Seeks New Economic Chiefs During Worst Crisis
Thailand is replacing the top two officials steering the economy through its worst crisis ever, injecting more uncertainty into the policy outlook.
— Bloomberg Quint
Insurgents charged over Pattani bombings
Authorities yesterday arrested and charged six insurgents suspected of planting two bombs which injured four villagers in Pattani last week.
— Bangkok Post
Flights from Thailand not banned, airlines’ decision free from gov’t interference
I am writing to you regarding a Letter to the Editor from Kristen Rasmussen that was published in The Post on July 16 under the heading “Many residents of Cambodia stranded in Thailand amid Covid-19 need help”.
— The Phnom Penh Post
Government distributes elderly Care Robots as Kingdom becomes ageing society
The Department of Health has been sending out mini elderly care robots to bedridden people, to test-run its project that will lead to a better care of the elderly as the kingdom is about to emerge as an ageing society.
— Newsline (video)
New standards for feed crop, cat breeding push up certification fees
The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry has increased inspection and certification fees for 16 Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) products and 16 organic livestock products.
— The Nation
EIAs approved for railway, runway, Korat ring road
The National Environment Board today approved Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports for several projects, including the Bt36-billion Jira, Nakhon Ratchasima-Ubon Ratchathani double-track rail line, said National Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning secretary-general Raweewan Bhuridej.
— The Nation
Medical cannabis joint venture launches
Thonburi Healthcare Group (THG) is teaming up with partners to research, develop and produce cannabis and hemp products for medical purposes.
— Bangkok Post
Hotels in Thailand warned against price gauging in ‘We Travel Together’ campaign
The Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakijprakarn threatened to delist opportunistic hotel operators from the government’s tourism stimulus campaign if they were found to inflate the room rates.
— Pattaya Mail
Thailand maintains sealed border with Cambodia, allowing only 14 Thais to return
14 Thai citizens were the latest group to return from Cambodia via Aranyapathet border crossing in the eastern province of Sa Kaeo.
— Bangkok Post
SRT may combine two blocks for commercial development as no bids received
The third invitation for bids since early July to build a commercial development project in Block A near the Bang Sue Central Station has received little interest from the private sector, a source from the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has said.
— The Nation
Nakhon Ratchasima event has people fishing to raise funds
Hundreds of locals as well as people from neighbouring Chaiyaphum province gathered at Nakhon Ratchasima’s Kaeng Sanam Nang swamp on Monday (July 20) to cast their nets for the biggest catch.
— The Nation
Thai Covid-19 apps judged invasive
To fight further waves of the pandemic, contact tracing apps that monitor infection locations and points of contact have never been more important.
— Bangkok Post
Banks enumerate the benefits of cloud computing
“Every serious company is now fast becoming a tech company,” said Dirk-Peter van Leeuwen, senior vice-president and general manager for Red Hat in Asia Pacific and Japan, at the IBM Cloud Forum 2020.
— BusinessWorld Online
Thailand launches ‘Safety & Hygienic Road Trip’ manual
Thailand’s public and private sectors jointly launched a new “Safety and Hygienic Road Trip” manual aimed at stimulating ‘new normal’ travel among free individual travelers (FITs), group tours, incentive travel, meetings and seminars.
— Pattaya Mail
Ruling party MP tells people to subsitute pork with chicken to tackle price rise
A Phalang Pracharat Party member of Parliament has advised people to consume chicken instead of pork, as the latter’s price has been increasing.
— The Nation
Village Funds score upgrade
The government looks set to upgrade all Village Funds, including those categorised as Grade C, under its economic rehabilitation plan.
— Bangkok Post
Grieving mother fears black magic after foetus stolen from tomb
A couple in Nonthaburi province say the body of their dead foetus has been stolen from the local cemetery.
— The Nation
Thailand promotes saving among self-employed
During the COVID-19 situation, many people have to stop working and trading, and some people have become unemployed.
— Pattaya Mail
Thailand: Govt launches schools protection programme as only one Covid-19 case confirmed
The Education Ministry launched a “Student Protection and Help Centre” on Monday (July 20) to help students who have undergone physical and mental abuse.
— The Star Online
Country’s biggest fish market to open yearend
Thailand’s first central fish market, overlooking the sea in Chonburi’s Ang Sila sub-district, will open its doors in December.
— The Nation
Ripe time to push for pension reforms
A worker on a daily wage can hardly make ends meet, so what kind of a life can he or she expect to have after retiring?
— Bangkok Post
Embalmed Body of Iconic ‘Cannibal’ To Be Cremated This Week
The bullet-ridden cadaver of a man executed for allegedly cannibalizing small children six decades ago will be cremated later this week after modern research found he was framed for the crimes, a prison official said Monday.
— Khaosod English
Thai DMCs team up for health and safety initiative
A group of leading destination management companies in Thailand have joined forces to develop a set of health and hygiene standards to help kickstart tourism.
— TravelMole
Rally goes to army HQ after offensive post
A small group of activists held a rally outside the Royal Thai Army headquarters on Monday in protest against a comment made by its former deputy spokeswoman.
— Bangkok Post
Opinion: Thailand can not go back to what it was, we must march on
At least 2,000 people rallied in Bangkok this weekend against the government in one of the largest political demonstrations in years. Given that the crowd received just a few days notice, the numbers were impressive.
— Thai Enquirer
Army swoops in for B1.34bn plane purchase
The army plans to buy a new aircraft for general use worth 1.34 billion baht in the 2021 fiscal year, a source in the Army Transportation Department confirmed on Monday.
— Bangkok Post
Foreign inmates should teach English in prisons: Minister
Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin suggested the Corrections Department could consider using foreign inmates to teach English to fellow prisoners to supplement their occupational training.
— Bangkok Post
Anti-government protests spread to Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani
On Sunday, activists in Chiang Mai province staged a protest calling for the removal of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his administration.
— Sawadee Siam
Plans In Motion For More Protests, But Observers Doubt Success
Student-led protests against the government will only grow larger if the Prime Minister continues to ignore their calls for resignation, an activist said Monday, two days after 2,500 showed up for the latest rally.
— Khaosod English
Thailand Ministry of Education launches center for sexual assault victims protection
With news of sexual assaults on campus by teachers becoming more common, the Ministry of Education has launched a center for sexual assault victims protection to proactively suppress sexual assaults in educational institutions, decisively and swiftly.
— The Pattaya News
Birthday Buzzkill: Environment minister goes diving, finds illegal trap
A top eco official got a total birthday bummer when he encountered an illegal fish trap at the bottom of the ocean.
— Coconuts Thailand
Army Whistleblower Says He’s Digging In for Long Legal Battle
A former sergeant who accused army officers of embezzling funds said he expected nothing short of a long, bitter fight in the court as a consequence of his actions.
— Khaosod English
Local elections – next political battlefields
Deprived of their voice after almost seven years without local elections since the 2014 military coup, Thai voters remain unsure whether the polls will return anytime soon.
— Thai PBS News
Thai Navy officer rescues driver who ran into canal in Sattahip
A Royal Thai Navy officer rescued a sedan driver today after their vehicle flipped into a canal in Sattahip.
— The Pattaya News
Rayong Avoided, Treated With Suspicion After Visit by Infected Egyptian
When Tawatchai’s nine-year-old son goes to school in Pattaya, his teacher asks him if his dad recently drove to Rayong to manage his shabu-shabu restaurant.
— Khaosod English
Slapped into Silence
Freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are fundamental human rights. They are crucial in any country that truly values public participation in development and decision-making.
— Bangkok Post
A more humane post-pandemic social contract
Never have the complexities of the relationship between human health and economic wellbeing been more apparent than during the Covid-19 crisis.
— Bangkok Post
Government stimulus package results in more than 3.6 million hotel bookings
Domestic tourism in Thailand is enjoying a much-needed boost thanks to a government stimulus package that has seen over 3.6 million hotel rooms booked so far.
— The Thaiger
Lat Krabang district rescues chic exhibition in old community
Lat Krabang district office has come to the rescue of a floral exhibition that turned a sleepy old community beside a canal into a must-go destination on the edge of Bangkok.
— Bangkok Post
Cambodian man survives after being struck by lightning in Si Racha
A Cambodian man miraculously survived with nearly no injuries after being hit by a lightning strike in Si Racha yesterday.
— The Pattaya News
30 installations to see on Charoen Krung street art walking tour
Head to the Charoen Krung old quarter for a lengthy walking tour of street art installations now through September.
— Coconuts Thailand
Feature photo @kaew72
This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo focuses on pro-democracy protest, July 18.
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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About Thailand morning news.
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Thailand morning news for July 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