Economist predicts economy will shrink 8.9% this year, despite easing of restrictions
A leading economist is predicting the Thai economy will contract by 8.9% this year despite the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, far higher than previous estimates from local and international economic pundits.
— The Thaiger
Baht soars, biggest gain in a year
The baht surged the most in a year on Thursday, defying a selloff among emerging Asian currencies and testing the central bank’s patience after it warned of economic risks from continued appreciation.
— Bangkok Post
Tourism faces Bt1.78-trillion slump in revenue in 2020
Tourism revenue saw a steep plunge during the first five months of this year, down Bt752 billion year on year while the number of tourists dropped by more than 10 million people compared to the same period of 2019, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports said.
— The Nation
Calls for more transparency in public spending as Thailand pledges US$61 billion to fight COVID-19
Last month, the Thai parliament approved three economic support schemes worth 1.9 trillion baht (US$61.45 billion) to soften the financial blow of the COVID-19 crisis.
— CNA
48 Thai nationals repatriated to Thailand arrive in Pattaya for state quarantine
Forty eight Thais recently repatriated back from Taiwan are being quarantined at a state quarantine in Pattaya.
— The Pattaya News
EEC panel seeks entry for foreign business travellers
The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) subcommittee plans to seek approval from the committee chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to allow foreign business travellers to enter the country subject to quarantine.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand ‘not free from pandemic threat yet’
Thailand cannot be considered safe from the Covid-19 pandemic, although there have been no new domestic cases for over 28 days, as the virus could spread at anytime, Dr Yong Poovorawan, Chulalongkorn Hospital clinical virology expert, warned on his Facebook page.
— The Nation
TAT outlines the realities of Covid-19 travel
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has formulated a strategy to support domestic tourism first and learn from the experience, as it eases into the challenge of bringing back international travellers.
— Bangkok Post travel
THAI to resume international flights on August 1
Thai Airways International will resume international flights on 37 routes starting August 1st, one month later than originally planned.
— Thai PBS News
UN Joins Growing Calls to Locate Disappeared Activist
The United Nations issued a letter urging the Cambodian authorities to locate a missing Thai fugitive activist who disappeared in Phnom Penh last week.
— Khaosod English
Military seizes financial documents from parliament’s budget committee; army defends taking back document
Military personnel interrupted a meeting of parliament’s budget committee this week and seized all financial documents related to spending by the Ministry of Defense, forcing an end to the committee’s deliberation.
— Thai Inquirer
No new COVID-19 infections or fatalities recorded in Thailand
Thailand is enjoying a day free from new COVID-19 infections or deaths, but the population are being strongly advised to remain vigilant.
— Thai PBS News
UN gives Cambodian govt 2 weeks to investigate Wanchalearm’s disappearance
The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has submitted a request to the Cambodian state to take urgent action in the case of Wanchalearm Satsaksit.
— Prachatai
Transport Company resumes service, bans foreigners
The wheels on the bus go round and round. But not for foreigners living in Thailand.
— The Thaiger
Thai man faces 8 charges for Tweets criticising the monarchy
A Twitter user is facing multiple criminal charges for this posts criticising the monarchy along with a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.
— The Thaiger
Thai elephants’ mass migration to village brings new stress
A thousand elephants threatened by starvation have journeyed through the hills of northern Thailand, making a slow migration home from tourist sites forced shut by the pandemic.
— Thai PBS News
Thailand to stimulate consumption, grassroots economy with 400 billion Baht budget
At the Inner Santi Maitri Building, Government House, following the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha disclosed about the Royal Decree on stabilization of national economy and financial system, B.E. 2563 (400 billion Baht), gist of which is as follows:
— Pattaya Mail
Thai investment seen picking up early next year
Investment in Thailand’s industrial east may recover early next year after falling this year as foreign investors have been put off by novel coronavirus restrictions, a senior official said on Thursday.
— Reuters
Foreign medical tourists to be given entry priority
The Thai ministry responsible for tourism has specified that the first foreigners to be allowed into the country, possibly in July, will be restricted to business people with written support from partner companies and patients holding doctor appointments in Thai hospitals.
— Pattaya Mail
BOT senior director says boosting liquidity essential for economic recovery
The Bank of Thailand is revising its forecast of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) this year, which will be announced officially on June 24, said the central bank’s senior director, Don Nakornthab.
— The Nation
SMEs receiving loans worth 66 billion baht from BOT’s soft loan package
Responding to the Bank of Thailand’s (BOT) 500-billion-baht soft loan package to help SMEs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, financial institutions have so far, granted loans worth 66.5 billion baht to more than 41,000 SMEs.
— Newsline (video)
No curfew, but no relief for pubs or wet massage
The government is likely to lift the night curfew and allow most businesses to resume, except entertainment venues and wet massage parlours, according to an inforfmed source.
— Bangkok Post
Health Ministry orders provincial offices to establish COVID-19 precautionary measures
And as the new Thai academic year is beginning this July, The Ministry of Public Health has ordered its provincial offices to inspect the preparedness of COVID-19 prevention measures within educational institutions.
— Newsline (video)
Ease rules on migrant workers, govt told
International labour NGOs have called on the Labour Ministry to relax regulations for migrant workers after many lost their legal working status in Thailand during the Covid-19 pandemic.
— Bangkok Post
Energy Ministry seeks LPG discount extension
The Ministry of Energy is seeking to extend retail pricing discount for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) beyond the initial expiry which is at the end of this month… to the end of the year.
— Newsline (video)
Thai Narcotics Suppression Police Take Down Nigerian Drug Kingpin
Thailand’s narcotics suppression police have seized a huge amount of drugs and arrested a total 17 people including a Nigerian drug kingpin.
— Chiang Rai Times
New VAT law expected to bring Bt3 bn from foreign e-commerce platforms
The Revenue Department expects global e-commerce and digital platforms to agree to abide by Thailand’s new tax bill when it becomes law.
— The Nation
BMTA drops plan to get bus commuters to ‘check in’ and ‘check out’
Bangkok commuters will not have to “check-in” on the ThaiChana platform before they board buses from Thursday (June 11) after many people complained that this measure was impossible to practice, especially during rush hour.
— The Nation
NBTC agrees to compensate MCOT B3.2bn
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has resolved to pay 3.23 billion baht in compensation to state-owned public broadcaster MCOT for the 2600-megaherz spectrum recall for 5G licence auctions in February.
— Bangkok Post
Coronavirus Has Thailand Putting out Multiple Fires at Once
The novel coronavirus has led to a diverse array of crises for Thailand. Paramount are the nation’s healthcare and economy.
— Voice of America
BMA preparing water drainage system, ready for rainy season
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has prepared its water drainage system to cope with potential flooding during the rainy season, with 90 percent of the city’s waterways having been cleared.
— Newsline (video)
Thailand Says China, Japan Are Interested in Travel Bubbles
Thailand said a number of countries, including China and Japan, are interested in discussions about travel bubbles, as the nation considers protocols for the eventual return of foreign tourists.
— Bloomberg
Cargo crew finally allowed off the ship
Thai crew members of the MV Thor Fortune cargo ship were allowed to disembark at the Phuket deep sea port on Wednesday (June 10) and put in isolation at a hotel after being tested for Covid-19.
— The Nation
Mixed views for VAT on foreign firms
The government’s push to collect value-added tax (VAT) from foreign digital platforms could level the playing field between domestic and foreign players, but risks increasing the service costs that may be passed on to consumers, according to industry veterans.
— Bangkok Post
Indonesia’s Ambassador Applauds Thailand’s COVID-19 Control
The Indonesian Ambassador has praised Thailand’s effort in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak.
— Newsline (video)
Thailand to promote innovative agriculture, focuses on marketing and farmers’ income
The Commerce Ministry and the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry formed a joint working group to promote new agriculture to raise farmers’ income.
— Pattaya Mail
Rental cut for state lands proposed
The Treasury Department has proposed a 50% reduction in rental fees for state lands used for commercial purposes by businesses to reduce operators’ financial burdens and help maintain the employment rate.
— Bangkok Post
Treasury Department to Aid its Tenants
The Treasury Department is considering measures to aid COVID-affected tenants who are leasing state property for commercial purposes.
— Newsline (video)
Electronic form teacher licenses now available
The Teachers’ Council of Thailand would like to clarify that, as per its announcement on 10 March 2020, electronic copies of professional teacher licenses are now available and accepted as evidence when applying for a position.
— Bangkok Post
Singburi Police turn Station into Free Wifi Classroom
Police officers in Singburi province’s Inburi district have turned the police station into a classroom, allowing students to study online using the precinct’s internet.
— Newsline (video)
Bangkok bus riders must now check-in via gov’t tracking system
Bus commuters starting today will be asked to check in via the same government tracking system found at shops and restaurants when they board city buses.
— Coconuts Bangkok
DPM Prawit follows up excavation of wells for groundwater in Loei
Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwon and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa have unveiled a groundwater development project to cope with water shortages in Loei Province.
— Newsline (video)
Thailand soars ahead with 5G rollout in Southeast Asia
2020 was looking like the year 5G exploded across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, and Southeast Asia in particular.
— Tech Wire Asia
Local agencies to drill artesian wells for stricken farmers
The government has ordered local authorities to prepare groundwater for sustained use by farmers and residents as a way to get through drought, according to Lt Gen Kongcheep Tantravanich, spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
— Bangkok Post
Bus Operator Confirms Ban on Foreign Travelers in Pandemic
A major operator of intercity bus services on Thursday said foreigners are banned from its services due to the coronavirus emergency law.
— Khaosod English
Tax on Facebook, YouTube to Earn 3 Billion Baht Annually
The government on Wednesday proposed a tax on e-commerce businesses in Thailand that could see up to 3 billion baht per year in revenue.
— Khaosod English
Foreign investors eager to return
The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) is encouraging the government to allow foreign investors to enter Thailand as part of efforts to cope with the sluggish economy.
— Bangkok Post
TBA mulls debt restructuring
The Thai Bankers’ Association (TBA) is considering extending debt restructuring measures as the domestic economic recovery should take a couple of years.
— Bangkok Post
Pattaya City Hall holds presentation on the Pattaya of the Future vision
This afternoon Pattaya City Hall had a presentation by a group hired as part of the Eastern Economic Corridor project to show two different (but similar) proposals to ultra modernize the area around Bali Hai Pier and Walking Street.
— The Pattaya News
Officials Say Temples Can Deny Entry to Foreigners, Because Virus
A popular temple in Bangkok shut its doors to foreigners, including expats who have been residing in Thailand for years, citing anti-coronavirus precaution.
— Khaosod English
COVID-19 and returning to work: Health and safety implications for employers
With the easing of lockdown restrictions in Thailand and the removal of stay-at-home orders, many employers have been proceeding with plans to transition employees from their temporary home offices back to the actual workplace.
— Bangkok Post
Russian, 2 Thais caught with marijuana during curfew
A Russian man and two Thai men have been charged with drug smuggling after 296 packs of dried marijuana were seized from their pickup truck in Maha Sarakham province during the curfew.
— Bangkok Post
Thai Red Cross donates millions of cloth face masks
The Thai Red Cross donated millions of cloth masks to protect health volunteers and Thailand Post workers from a possible return of the coronavirus.
— The Thaiger
Thai man found dead inside shack in forest area in Banglamung
A Thai man was found dead this afternoon in a shack in a forest in Huay Yai.
— The Pattaya News
Former senator Kraisak dies of cancer
Former senator and well-known academic Kraisak Choonhavan passed away today at the age of 72.
— Thai PBS News
Man caught for rape, blackmail
A man has been arrested in Yarang district for allegedly raping a woman and using nude photos to blackmail her into giving him 50,000 baht.
— Bangkok Post
Skypark across Chao Phraya river to be opened this month
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration plans to open the world’s first public park across a river this month, developed on a bridge left over from the nation’s first elevated railway project, which was abandoned nearly three decades ago.
— Bangkok Post
Beer and bonding lure jumper down from Bangkok building
A little camaraderie and some beer helped convince a man from leaping to his death today.
— Coconuts Thailand
Anti-alternative tobacco report slammed by experts
A recent report titled “Today’s Teens, Tomorrow’s Customers” published by Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance is being slammed by the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates and global health experts, who have dismissed it as “naïve” and “harmful.”
— The Thaiger
Remembrances of Red Trauma (25) – Lessons from 2010: History doesn’t repeat itself
Political scientist Chaiyan Rajchagool reflects on some of the lessons of the struggle of the Red Shirts and the fatal crackdown in 2010. [VIDEO]
— Isaan Record
Virtual Laguna Phuket Marathon to Take Place 13-14 June 2020
With the 15th Supersports Laguna Phuket Marathon (SLPM) postponed until 5-6 December 2020, event organisers have taken the opportunity to set up virtual races.
— TravelNewsAsia
Transgender woman charged with stabbing boyfriend to death
A transgender woman has been arrested in Bangkok on a charge of stabbing her long-time boyfriend to death in Khon Kaen’s Muang district.
— Bangkok Post
Fire kills man at his mother’s funeral in Kalasin
Police in Issan’s Kalasin province say a man has died in a fire that destroyed a wooden hut near the house where funeral rites were being held for his mother.
— The Thaiger
Anutin Has a TikTok Account and Of Course it’s Wacky
If you’re wondering whatever happened to Thailand’s health minister after he went radio silence on social media, look no further than TikTok.
— Khaosod English
Historic Shrine Faces Eviction by Chulalongkorn University
A shrine built by the Thai-Chinese immigrants is facing a demolition at the order of Chulalongkorn University to make way for new buildings.
— Khaosod English
Feature photo PRHotnews02
This week’s Thailand morning news feature photo focuses on World Oceans Day, June 8.
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.
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Thailand morning news for June 12 added by John Le Fevre on
View all posts by John Le Fevre →
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
fogeıgn tourıst when wıll start to vısıt to thaıland agaın
At this stage the earliest return of tourists to Thailand is likely to be September, maybe.
Thank you for reading.