Thailand News
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Deputy PM claims US tech giants eager to invest in Thailand
The Deputy Thai PM and government ‘Finance Tzar’ Somkid Jatusripitak claims that Amazon and an unnamed American digital company are both keen to invest in the Kingdom. Somkid says both organisations have enquired about meeting the relevant ministers and have been advised to hold talks with the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. The Deputy PM…
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Bank of Thailand scammers arrested
“If it appears too good to be true, it probably is.” Ten individuals are now in custody, after being arrested, accused of scamming investors by claiming to be from the Bank of Thailand and persuading them to invest in a fake foreign currency transfer business. The Nation reports that victims were each invited to invest 1,000 baht in the business…
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“Does Thailand plan to continue swinging between military coups and civilian rule?” Thanathorn
PHOTO: asia.nikkei.com “It is about time we make some noise and guide our society out of this cycle.” Appearing at the Thai Constitutional Court, in defence of his media shareholding case, Future Forward’s party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit used his written closing statement to ask judges if they were happy for Thailand to continue swinging back and forth between civilian rule…
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Now paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos are banned, what do farmers use?
PHOTO: sugar-asia.com In just two weeks the ban on paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos kicks in – a total ban on the three controversial agri-chemicals. Now officials are ramping up efforts to find effective alternatives for the popular agricultural herbicides and pesticides, especially the two herbicides (maybe this would have been a good idea before they imposed the ban?). Thai PBS…
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Thai PM will sit down with rebel members of coalition
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is again being forced to sit for chats with leaders of the 20 coalition parties to patch up differences ahead of a no-confidence debate being brought against the fragile government. The no-confidence debate is likely to happen early next month. Given the close numbers between the multi-party government and the opposition, a full quorum for the…
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Thai Airways’ losses reach 11 billion baht this year
Thai Airways International has announced the turnover of the company and its affiliates for Q3 of 2019, reporting net losses of 4.68 billion baht, a full 27% higher than last year’s result, an additional loss of 994 million baht. In the third quarter of 2019, the company and its affiliates generated revenue of 45.016 billion baht, which is 6.1% or…
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Police net haul of crystal meth and yaba valued at 360 million baht
PHOTOS: INN News Officers from the Narcotics Suppression Division of the Royal Thai police have carried out three separate busts across the country, confiscating over a tonne of crystal methamphetamine and 40,000 yaba pills. They say the haul is valued at 360 million baht. Thai Residents reports that the first arrests took place in Phichit province, central Thailand, where a…
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Future Forward calls for an end to compulsory military conscription
PHOTO: Thai Army Conscriptees are selected with a lottery system – Al Jazeera Pongsakorn Rodchomphu and several other members of the opposition Future Forward Party have submitted a formal draft revision to the Conscription Act that would make military conscription voluntary, except in emergency situations. The Nation reports that the proposal was put forward to House Speaker Chuan Leekpai yesterday.…
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The curious tale of the second-hand BMW – Future Forward MP winds back the clock on events
PHOTO: For sale. One slightly used BMW Series 7 – SiamRath It won’t be the first time a dodgy second-hand car dealer has wound back the clock on a car. But this deal involved a sitting Future Forward MP as well, who is now trying to ‘wind back the clock’ on the series of events. A Swedish businessman has filed…
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Thailand’s beaches now more expensive than European resorts – report
PHOTO: Ministry of Villas The cost of a holiday in popular Thai beach resorts is now on par with, or even higher than those in Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and Egypt – all closer to home for Europeans with lower flight costs and less travel time. Diethelm Travel Group report that the cost of a five-star resort in Koh Samui,…
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Anti-corruption commission says government officials guilty of taking bribes in power plant agreement
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is accusing the Thai government of accepting bribes from Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, the Japanese company awarded the contract to build a power plant in the southern Thai city of Nakhon Si Thammarat. NACC secretary-general, Worawit Sukboon, alleges that four government officials accepted a 20 million baht bribe from the Japanese firm in exchange for…
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School funding challenge for bilingual curriculum
The secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), Amnat Wichayanuwat, says plans to introduce a bilingual school curriculum at all grade levels have thrown up an obstacle for meeting funding requirements. The bilingual curriculum plans were announced by the Education Minister last week in an effort to improve English proficiency among the Thai population. It’s hoped to…
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Utopia Music Festival: Dare to Dream!
On November 11, 2019, Utopia Corporation arranged the Utopia Music Festival at their condominiums in Nai Harn Beach, using a theme of superhero. The concept of ‘Dare to Dream’ showcases the outstanding and unique properties under Utopia Corporation. The music festival started with a speech from Utopia CEO Hachi Yin and Vice President Leo Li, who explained their various…
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Sugar industry expert says banning of 3 agri-chemicals will severely damage business
The president of the Thailand Society of Sugarcane Technologists has criticised the recently- implemented ban on three agri-chemicals that were commonly used in the industry. The Nation reports that Dr Kitti Chunhawong insists the ban on Paraquat, Chlorpyrifos and Glyphosate will cripple business. “Currently Thailand is the world’s fifth sugar producer and second biggest exporter with more than 11 million…
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Foreign criminals apprehended in Thailand in two separate arrests
Immigration police have made two more arrests, apprehending a Burmese man and a Chinese man, both of whom are wanted in their own countries. Thai Residents reports that Myanmar authorities issued an arrest warrant for Soe Htun, although it’s unclear on what grounds. He was subsequently found to be staying in Thailand illegally with Immigration police unable to find any record…
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Three die following court shooting in Chanthaburi, two more injured
PHOTOS: Twitter/happykaekamon and Nalinee_OPLE Three people are now dead after aa retired police officer opened fire inside a Chanthaburi courtroom on Monday/ The gunman died yesterday after being shot by a lawyer for the opposing counsel. Police are investigating how so many guns got inside the courtroom. Chantaburi is south east of Bangkok, neighbouring Rayong. Before the incident, both parties…
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Drunk man reports car stolen
A 50 year old man in the northern province of Lampang told police his car was stolen from a local petrol station. As it turned out, he was so drunk he couldn’t remember how he got to the station. He finally realized that a friend had dropped him off. The incident was shared on national television. The man called police…
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TAT opens 100 baht tourism scheme
TAT’s ambitious ‘฿100 Travel Around’ scheme opened yesterday. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has opened registration for its “100 Baht Travel Around” campaign. According to the TAT website, the project is to promote domestic tourism by providing 100 baht packages for domestic tours and rooms. Registration will only be open on the four “catchy dates” of 11-11 (November 11),…
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Thailand’s road carnage is getting worse
The Thai government is reporting that deaths on Thailand’s roads are getting worse despite efforts to fix the issue. The secretary of the National Health Security Office gave horrifying statistics for victims of road accidents, but it’s widely believed that these are only a fraction of the actual numbers of those killed, maimed and injured on the Thailand’s roads. Thailand…
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Nakri weakens to a storm as it heads into Laos
Typhoon Nakri weakened as it crossed the Vietnam coast on Saturday night/Sunday morning. It has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, and now to a storm as it weakens and moves inland toward southern Laos. Despite a lot of rain and strong winds in central Vietnam, no bad damage or injuries have been reported at this stage. The storm will…
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New eyesight for the Thaiger – modern lens exchange surgery in Thailand
Tim Newton is the lead writer and editor of The Thaiger English. Healthy, happy, busy and no feeling that I’m actually 61 years old. But there I was, about to undergo eye surgery that would rid me of my annoying reading glasses and give me an equivalent of the vision I had when I was a lot younger. Luckily there…
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Bangkok governor: One krathong per family
With the annual Loy Krathong festival coming up tomorrow, Bangkok’s governor is urging residents and tourists to help reduce the number of discarded krathongs and floating lanterns, according to Thai-language Daily News. This year’s motto from the governor is “One Krathong, One Family.” Last year, the Bangkok authorities collected nearly a million discarded krathongs from local waterways. The vast majority…
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Thai Airways management ‘asked’, staff ‘told’, to cut expenses
PHOTO: Both management and staff likely to lose some entitlements under new policy to reduce costs In a move that will likely contribute little to the airline’s rehabilitation, Thai Airways is trying to reduce expenditures on staff travel. Meanwhile the airlines’ management is being ‘asked’ to reduce some of their expenses. The moves are part of a range of new…
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From January 1, 46 shopping centres and convenience chains stop giving out single-use plastic bags
It’s slowly happening, but the out-cry over single-use plastics is gathering pace and some of the ‘big names’ are now changing their policies. Yesterday’s announcements are certainly a step in the right direction. From January 1, 2020, major shopping malls and convenience chain stores will discontinue providing single-use plastic bags to customers. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment…
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Thai deputy PM puts security agencies on alert for Loy Krathong
PHOTO: english-room.com The Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan is instructing administrative state agencies, including police and Army, to work closely and provide security to people during Loy Krathong celebrations tomorrow, November 11, according to Defence Ministry spokesperson Lt-General Kongcheep Tantravanich. Prawit is telling them to be well prepared to handle all possible exigencies due to accidents in water or criminal acts…
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SE Asian banks slowly giving way to e-payments and payment apps
PHOTO: starbucks.com That cold, hard cash in your pocket, and the traditional shop-front banks that give it to you, are slowly being phased out and replaced with e-payments. It’s now expected that traditional banks in South east Asia will miss out on as much as US$5 billion, or 14.3% of their payments revenue by 2025. A report says they are…
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More rain for the south, cooler in the north
PHOTO: TripSavvy The Thailand Meteorological Department says the north of the country is experiencing fog and scattered showers as a result of a high pressure system over the region. Temperatures are expected to drop by 1 – 3 degrees Celsius, leading to cooler mornings, especially in mountainous areas. Meanwhile, the south of the country can expect more rain, with heavy…
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Chinese and Indian nationals arrested for fake visas, entry stamps
PHOTO: Immigration.go.th Two Chinese nationals and an Indian couple have been detained by Thai Immigration police in two separate arrests at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai Residents reports that the Chinese nationals were attempting to check in for a Cathay Pacific flight from Bangkok to Canada using fake Canadian visas. When airline staff got suspicious over the visas’ appearance and contacted Immigration…
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Thai baht dips after rate cut
The baht continued losses yesterday after the Thai central bank cut interest rates. Other Asian currencies dipped as markets assess the latest details of the US-China tariff talks. The Bank of Thailand cut rates for the second time this year, with the benchmark one day repurchase rate now at a record low, as the bank tries to manage inflation and…
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Ease on foreign investments and cut on official interest rate
The Bank of Thailand will now allow Thai residents to send money overseas to invest directly and the domestic trading in gold in foreign currencies. The Central bank governor Veerathai Santiprabhob says the move should help slow the baht’s worryingly rapid appreciation. The new measures will come into effect tomorrow. Exporters will be allowed to invest their earnings abroad, up to…
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