THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Monday 2 Sep 2019

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Registration for ‘eat, shop and spend’ extended through Sept 20

By THE NATION

 

Photo credit: Thairath

 

Offline registration for shops wishing to take part in the government's latest stimulus project “eat, shop, and spend” at various Bangkok malls has been extende until September 20.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121161-registration-for-‘eat-shop-and-spend’-extended-through-sept-20/

 

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Banks using ‘house for cash’ to evade LTV

By The Nation

 

Natthaphol Leuphromchai

 

Commercial banks have shifted their strategy on homebuyers’ loans to introduce a “house for cash” approach that ease the impact of the loan to value (LTV) ratio recently set by the Bank of Thailand.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121163-banks-using-‘house-for-cash’-to-evade-ltv/

 

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New rules, new debts: slavery fears rise for migrant workers in Thailand

By Matt Blomberg and Nanchanok Wongsamuth

 

A Cambodian migrant workers looks over the sea on a docked trawler in Ban Phe, Thailand, on June 27, 2019. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Matt Blomberg.

 

PHNOM PENH/RAYONG, Thailand, August 30 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When Leng Lyda swapped Cambodia for a fishing town in Thailand hoping to find a job in the seafood industry, he was ready for hard work. But he wasn't prepared for the delay, or the debt.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121165-new-rules-new-debts-slavery-fears-rise-for-migrant-workers-in-thailand/

 

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Hendry here to face Rachapol again

By The Nation

 

 

Seven-time world snooker champion Stephen Hendry has arrived Thailand for a showdown with Thai legend Rachapol Phu-ob-orn. They’ll meet in the World 6 Red Snooker Championships on September 7 at Central Lat Phrao’s Centara Grand Hyatt in Bangkok.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121166-hendry-here-to-face-rachapol-again/

 

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Economist pessimistic about second half outlook

By The Nation

 

 

Productivity in the agricultural sector will continue to decline during the third and fourth quarters of this year due to the flooding caused by tropical storm Podul, according to Rangsit University’s Economic and Business Research Centre - Institute of Economics.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121168-economist-pessimistic-about-second-half-outlook/

 

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Formula for success

The Nation

 

 

By The Bira International Circuit in Pattaya has been a well-known venue for motorsports events for over 30 years, but this month the 2.41-km racetrack will be hosting a different kind of race.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121169-pattaya-formula-for-success/

 

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Dividends coming despite drop in profits

By The Nation

 

 

The Stock Exchange of Thailand has been informed by 154 listed companies that they plan to pay interim dividends totalling a combined Bt115 billion, even though most saw a decline in net profits in the first half of the year.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121170-dividends-coming-despite-drop-in-profits/

 

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Marked increase in registered businesses opening outside Bangkok

By THE NATION

 

Sorada

 

More and more newly registered firms are setting up shop in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and secondary tourism attraction provinces, a change from the earlier concentration in Bangkok and its nearby provinces.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121171-marked-increase-in-registered-businesses-opening-outside-bangkok/

 

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Health Minister allegedly duped by bureaucrats into delisting hemp as Category 5 drug

 

 

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul appears to have been duped by some bureaucrats who managed to persuade him to approve a ministerial announcement delisting hemp, hemp extracts and hemp seed from the Category 5 narcotic drug list, making it possible for the substances to be used in food, cosmetics and medicines.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121172-thai-health-minister-allegedly-duped-by-bureaucrats-into-delisting-hemp-as-category-5-drug/

 

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The 10th dead dugong of this year found on Koh Libong

 

 

A dead dugong was found beached near an estuary on Libong Island in Thailand’s southern province of Trang on Sunday morning.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121173-the-10th-dead-dugong-of-this-year-found-on-koh-libong/

 

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Floods ease in eight N and NE provinces, but 16 others remain flooded

 

 

Flooding in eight northern and northeastern provinces has eased, with water levels steadily receding. Meanwhile, 16 other provinces remain flooded, said government spokeswoman Mrs. Narumon Pinyosinwat on Sunday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121174-floods-ease-in-eight-n-and-ne-provinces-but-16-others-remain-flooded/

 

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UPDATE: 

Hemp, its extracts and hemp seed now delisted from Category 5 drug list

 

 

The Ministry of Public Health has issued a ministerial announcement to delist hemp extracts, hemp and parts of the hemp plant from the list of Category 5 narcotic drugs to make it possible for the substances to be used in food, cosmetics and medicines.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121172-thai-health-minister-allegedly-duped-by-bureaucrats-into-delisting-hemp-as-category-5-drug/?do=findComment&comment=14526918

 

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9th dead sea turtle found this year in Sattahip

 

 

A green sea turtle was found dead and floating in the sea off the Na Chom Thien beach in Sattahip district of Thailand’s eastern province of Chon Buri on Saturday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121175-9th-dead-sea-turtle-found-this-year-in-sattahip/

 

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Thai PM to discuss economic cooperation with South Korean President

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - According to the Government Spokesperson, the Prime Minister is preparing to discuss various topics with the visiting South Korean President, including economic cooperation.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121176-thai-pm-to-discuss-economic-cooperation-with-south-korean-president/

 

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Fake News Center to open by Nov 1st at the latest

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of a Digital Economy and Society plans to open a Fake News Center by November 1st at the latest, to combat the information problem. It will focus on four categories of inaccurate news reporting which might affect the public.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121177-fake-news-center-to-open-by-nov-1st-at-the-latest/

 

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Phuket Opinion: TM30 storm in a teacup

By The Phuket News

 

An officer approves an application at the Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

PHUKET: Once again Phuket Immigration has taken its stand in the national spotlight by making it very clear that foreigners will not be held responsible for filing the now notorious TM30 form, requiring landlords who provide accommodation to foreigners to inform Immigration within 24 hours of the arrival of their tenants.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121179-phuket-opinion-tm30-storm-in-a-teacup/

 

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PM Prayut orders units to help storm-affected victims

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, has instructed the Ministry of the Interior to integrate the operations of relevant agencies in charge of helping those affected by tropical storm Podul. Already, 12 provinces in Thailand have been hit by floods.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121180-pm-prayut-orders-units-to-help-storm-affected-victims/

 

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Panama Papers revisited in Soderbergh's star-studded 'The Laundromat'

By Sarah Mills and Marie-Louise Gumuchian

 

The 76th Venice Film Festival - Screening of the film "The Laundromat" in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Venice, Italy, September 1, 2019 - Cast member Meryl Streep poses. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw

 

VENICE, Italy (Reuters) - A holiday tragedy sends Oscar winner Meryl Streep on a puzzling probe of ambiguous financial dealings in Steven Soderbergh's "The Laundromat", a drama based on the massive leak of offshore financial data known as the Panama Papers.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121182-panama-papers-revisited-in-soderberghs-star-studded-the-laundromat/

 

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Hurricane Dorian hammers Bahamas, forecast to move dangerously close to Florida

By Gabriella Borter

 

Sea conditions are seen in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas September 1, 2019 in this still image taken from a video by social media. Mark Hall/Christopher Hall via REUTERS

 

TITUSVILLE, Fla. (Reuters) - Hurricane Dorian crashed into the Bahamas on Sunday as the second strongest Atlantic storm on record and was forecast to move dangerously close to Florida in the next two days, U.S. forecasters said.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121183-hurricane-dorian-hammers-bahamas-forecast-to-move-dangerously-close-to-florida/

 

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Germany asks for forgiveness as Poland marks 80th anniversary of war

By Alexandra Alper and Agnieszka Barteczko

 

Leaders and officials attend a commemorative ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War Two in Warsaw, Poland September 1, 2019. Slawomir Kaminski/Agencja Gazeta via REUTERS

 

WARSAW (Reuters) - Germany's president asked for forgiveness for his country on Sunday for the suffering of the Polish people during World War Two as Poland marked 80 years since the Nazi German invasion that unleashed the deadliest conflict in human history.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121184-germany-asks-for-forgiveness-as-poland-marks-80th-anniversary-of-war/

 

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Netanyahu: Israel ready for any scenario after Hezbollah clash

By Ari Rabinovitch and Ellen Francis

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on as he arrives to review an honor guard with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed during their meeting in Jerusalem September 1, 2019. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

 

JERUSALEM/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel was prepared for any scenario after a cross-border clash with Lebanon's Hezbollah, but neither side seemed eager for another conflict.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121185-netanyahu-israel-ready-for-any-scenario-after-hezbollah-clash/

 

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Italy's PM Conte confident on finalising talks over new government by Wednesday

 

FILE PHOTO: Democratic Party leader Nicola Zingaretti speaks to the media after consultations with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in the Presidential Palace in Rome, Italy, August 28, 2019. REUTERS/Ciro de Luca/File Photo

 

MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's prime minister said on Sunday he expected to finalise talks over a new government by Wednesday, as the 5-Star Movement and Democratic Party were in intense discussions during the weekend to hammer out a deal on a common agenda and Cabinet posts.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121186-italys-pm-conte-confident-on-finalising-talks-over-new-government-by-wednesday/

 

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UK lawmakers against no-deal Brexit to bring forward legislation

By Paul Sandle

 

Labour Party's Shadow Secretary of State for Brexit Keir Starmer appears on BBC TV's The Andrew Marr Show in London, Britain, September 1, 2019. Jeff Overs/BBC/Handout via REUTERS

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British lawmakers opposed to no-deal Brexit will attempt to pass a law this week to stop Prime Minister Boris Johnson allowing Britain to crash out of the European Union on Oct. 31, the opposition Labour Party's Brexitspokesman Keir Starmer said.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121187-uk-lawmakers-against-no-deal brexit to-bring-forward-legislation/

 

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Buoyed by state votes, Germany's AfD takes aim at Merkel coalition

By Joseph Nasr

 

FILE PHOTO: Alice Weidel of Alternative for Germany (AfD) speaks during a session at the lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany November 21, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

 

DRESDEN, Germany (Reuters) - An emboldened far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) warned Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition partners they could not carry on as before after luring many of their voters to come second in two regional elections in eastern Germany on Sunday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121188-buoyed-by-state-votes-germanys-afd-takes-aim-at-merkel-coalition/

 

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New Saudi anti-corruption chief to target public servants

 

FILE PHOTO: Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends a meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan June 29, 2019. Yuri Kadobnov/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

 

RIYADH (Reuters) - The new head of Saudi Arabia's anti-corruption commission said he plans to go after graft by ordinary government employees, following a high-profile campaign two years ago that netted princes, ministers and top businessmen.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121192-new-saudi-anti-corruption-chief-to-target-public-servants/

 

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Saudi-led coalition bombs Yemen prison, scores killed

By Dahlia Nehme

 

Red Crescent medics stand at the site of Saudi-led air strikes on a Houthi detention centre in Dhamar, Yemen September 1, 2019. REUTERS/Ahmed al-Ansi

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - Air strikes by a Saudi-led military coalition in southwest Yemen hit a prison complex, killing scores of people, Yemen's Houthi movement and a Red Cross official said on Sunday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121193-saudi-led-coalition-bombs-yemen-prison-scores-killed/

 

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U.S., Taliban near Afghanistan deal, fighting intensifies in north

By Abdul Qadir Sediqi

 

Afghan security forces patrol an area during a Taliban attack in the downtown of Kunduz city, Afghanistan August 31, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

 

KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. and Taliban negotiators are close to a deal that would open the way for peace in Afghanistan, a top U.S. official said on Sunday, as the insurgents followed their weekend assault on the strategic centre of Kunduz by attacking a second northern city.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121194-us-taliban-near-afghanistan-deal-fighting-intensifies-in-north/

 

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Asean-US maritime exercises begin 

By The Nation

 

 

The US Navy and maritime forces from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will today initiate the first ASEAN-U.S. Maritime Exercise (AUMX) with an opening ceremony at Sattahip Naval Base, Thailand Sept. 2.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121195-asean-us-maritime-exercises-begin/

 

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Lawyers seek $26 million in Volkswagen U.S. fuel economy settlement

By David Shepardson

 

A Volkswagen logo is seen at Serramonte Volkswagen in Colma, California, U.S., October 3, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawyers for owners of 98,000 Volkswagen AG <VOWG_p.DE> U.S. vehicles that had fuel economy labels that overstated efficiency will ask a U.S. judge for $26 million in attorney's fees and costs, court documents show.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121196-lawyers-seek-26-million-in-volkswagen-us-fuel-economy-settlement/

 

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Human remains found in tank in deserted building opposite Ratchada Court

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Police and forensic teams were called after human remains were found in the rooftop tank of a deserted 32 story building behind offices opposite the Ratchada Court in Bangkok's Chatuchak district. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121197-human-remains-found-in-tank-in-deserted-building-opposite-ratchada-court/