THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Thursday 3 Oct 2019

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Thailand generates less marine debris

 

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - The amount of marine debris generated in Thailand has dropped to 21,700-32,600 tons annually, after the initial success of a project to increase the reuse and recycling of materials by 25 percent. Plastic bags remain the largest proportion of marine debris found in the environment.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126599-thailand-generates-less-marine-debris/

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Drop in domestic travel despite high passenger numbers at Thailand’s 6 key airports

By The Nation

 

 

Thailand’s six major airports have handled more than 141 million passengers over the past 12 months and though international travel rose by 4.4 per cent, passenger numbers on domestic routes showed a drop of 1.4 per cent, the Airports of Thailand (AOT) reported on Tuesday (October 1).

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126590-drop-in-domestic-travel-despite-high-passenger-numbers-at-thailand’s-6-key-aiports/

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‘Eat, Shop, Spend’ travellers dish out Bt628m

By The Nation

 

 

The number of people applying for the government’s “Eat, Shop, Spend” travel-and-business promotion in its first 10 days topped out at the daily limit of one million, with around 200,000 proving ineligible to register.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126610-‘eat-shop-spend’-travellers-dish-out-bt628m/

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Student Loan Fund posts record repayments

By The Nation

 

Chainarong Katchapanan, Student Loan Fund (SLF) manager

 

The Student Loan Fund (SLF) received Bt31 billion in debt repayments in fiscal 2019, its manager, Chainarong Katchapanan, said on Wednesday (October 2).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126650-student-loan-fund-posts-record-repayments/

 

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Fitch upbeat on Thailand's economic resilience amid global trade tensions

By THE NATION

 

James McCormack, managing director and global head of Sovereigns at Fitch Ratings

 

Thailand's sound economic fundamentals can cope with the challenges from global trade tensions, while the Thai banking sector is less exposed to external risks, such as a slowdown in China, relative to other Fitch-rated banks in Asia, according to Fitch Ratings' sovereign and banking analysts at its annual global risk conference in Bangkok today (October 2).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126651-fitch-upbeat-on-thailands-economic-resilience-amid-global-trade-tensions/

 

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UPDATE:

 

Joint probe on carriers not complying with slot schedules

By THE NATION

 

 

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has instructed the Airports of Thailand (AOT), the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), and Thai Airways International (THAI) to jointly probe into the issue that some airlines, which had reserved slots in Thai airports, have declined to follow the schedules.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126590-drop-in-domestic-travel-despite-high-passenger-numbers-at-thailand’s-6-key-airports/?do=findComment&comment=14629971

 

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Export of Thai gems, jewellery rises despite challenges this year

By THE NATION

 

Deputy Commerce Minister Weerasak Wangsuphakijkosol

 

The value of Thailand's gems and jewellery export was US$11.452 billion (Bt351 billion) in the first eight months of the year, up 45.81 per cent year on year, Deputy Commerce Minister Weerasak Wangsuphakijkosol said.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126652-export-of-thai-gems-jewellery-rises-despite-challenges-this-year/

 

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PTT to make B10 diesel more widely available to fight smog

By The Nation

 

 

Jiraphon Kawswat, president and chief executive officer at PTT, said his agency will promote the use of B10 diesel to help with government efforts to fight air pollution. He added that 70 PTT petrol stations will provide UltraForce Diesel B10 from this month onwards, and it should be available in all PTT stations nationwide by March 1.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126653-ptt-to-make-b10-diesel-more-widely-available-to-fight-smog/

 

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Phuket gets a new Provincial Police Commander

By The Phuket News

 

New Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Rungrote Thakurapunyasiri. Photo: Phuket Provincial Police

 

PHUKET: Pol Maj Gen Rungrote Thakurapunyasiri has arrived in Phuket to officially begin his duties at the new Commander of the Phuket Provincial Police.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126654-phuket-gets-a-new-provincial-police-commander/

 

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Civic groups doubt Democrat party’s stance on three controversial herbicides

 

Cr.Photo : FB เฉลิมชัย ศรีอ่อน – ปชป

 

Civic and consumer protection groups, which have been persistently campaigning for a complete ban on the use of paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos, have submitted a letter to the Democrat party leader questioning the party’s policy regarding the three herbicides.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126655-civic-groups-doubt-democrat-party’s-stance-on-three-controversial-herbicides/

 

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Sudarat claims PM will defy Constitution if he does not support amendments

 

Credit Photo : FB Sudarat Keyuraphan

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will be held accountable for violating the Constitution if he does not support efforts bid by both government and opposition parties to amend the charter. This is because amending the charter is incorporated in the government’s 12 urgent policy issues, which he has already presented to parliament, said Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, chief strategist of the opposition Pheu Thai party, today.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126656-sudarat-claims-pm-will-defy-constitution-if-he-does-not-support-amendments/

 

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Fitch Ratings raises outlook on Thailand to positive

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - Investors who plan to establish a business in a foreign country usually examine its credit rating first. Fitch Ratings, an international credit rating agency, has recently raised Thailand’s outlook to positive amid the global economic slowdown.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126651-fitch-upbeat-on-thailands-economic-resilience-amid-global-trade-tensions/

 

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PRD steps up efforts to establish a Fake News Watch Network

 

   

NAKHON RATCHASIMA (NNT) - The Government’s Public Relations Department (PRD) is accelerating efforts to establish a public sector network to address the problem of fake news spreading on social media.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126657-prd-steps-up-efforts-to-establish-a-fake-news-watch-network/

 

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MOPH launches project to allow patients to get prescription medicines at pharmacies

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has officially launched a project to reduce patient waiting time and ease hospital congestion by allowing patients to obtain prescription medicine from pharmacies close to their homes. The project aims to cover 50 hospitals and 500 pharmacies by next year.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126658-moph-launches-project-to-allow-patients-to-get-prescription-medicines-at-pharmacies/

 

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Special Branch police to stop background checks on Muslim students

 

 

Special Branch police have withdrawn their demand for universities to provide them with information about the backgrounds of their Muslim students.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126659-special-branch-police-to-stop-background-checks-on-muslim-students/

 

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PM Johnson makes final Brexit offer, draws guarded welcome from EU

By Elizabeth Piper, William James and Kylie MacLellan

 

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives a closing speech at the Conservative Party annual conference in Manchester, Britain, October 2, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

 

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a final Brexit offer to the European Union on Wednesday, pitching a possible compromise for a last-minute exit deal that was cautiously welcomed by the EU though the two sides still remain far apart.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126662-pm-johnson-makes-final brexit offer-draws-guarded-welcome-from-eu/

 

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Sanders cancels U.S. presidential campaign events after heart scare

By John Whitesides

 

FILE PHOTO: Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks at a campaign rally in Dover, New Hampshire, U.S. September 1, 2019. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders was treated for a blocked artery after experiencing chest discomfort and has cancelled campaign events until further notice, an adviser said on Wednesday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126666-sanders cancels-us-presidential-campaign-events-after-heart-scare/

 

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Temperamental Trump blows his top over impeachment inquiry

By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a joint news conference with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 2, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump is mad as hell. Easily rankled when Democrats accuse him of wrongdoing, Trump boiled over on Wednesday at the impeachment inquiry they are pursuing over his July 25 phone call to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126667-temperamental-trump-blows-his-top-over-impeachment-inquiry/

 

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Phuket lawyer to sue his client for defamation and unpaid bills of 100 million baht

By The Thaiger

 

 

PHOTOS: Phuket Hot News

 

On September 30, Narongrit Netikietiwong, the lawyer of Chanwit Kitlertsiriwattana, Managing Director of Phukhaohokluk Company, who claims to own the land on Naka Noi Island, went to Phuket Media Association to file an official complaint against his client.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126669-phuket-lawyer-to-sue-his-client-for-defamation-and-unpaid-bills-of-100-million-baht/

 

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Sensing shift, Democratic presidential candidates vow action on gun violence

By Joseph Ax

 

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) embraces former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords after speaking at a forum held by gun safety organizations the Giffords group and March For Our Lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. October 2, 2019. REUTERS/Steve Marcus

 

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Democratic presidential contenders on Wednesday vowed to pursue far-reaching limits on guns, tackling an issue that has become a top concern for their party's voters.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126670-sensing-shift-democratic-presidential-candidates-vow-action-on-gun-violence/

 

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Iraq declares curfews as gunfights rage and protests spread nationwide

By Ahmed Rasheed and Ahmed Aboulenein

 

Demonstrators disperse as Iraqi security forces use tear gas during a protest over unemployment, corruption and poor public services, in Baghdad, Iraq October 2, 2019. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani

 

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi on Wednesday declared a curfew in Baghdad until further notice after at least seven people were killed and more than 400 were injured during two days of nationwide anti-government protests.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126671-iraq-declares-curfews-as-gunfights-rage-and-protests-spread-nationwide/

 

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UPDATE:

 

Dallas policewoman gets 10 years for murder; 'I forgive you,' victim's brother says

By Brad Brooks

 

Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger is escorted from the courtroom after she was found guilty of murder by a 12-person jury in the 204th District Court at the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas, Texas, U.S. October 1, 2019. Tom Fox/Pool via REUTERS

 

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday by a Texas jury that found her guilty of murder for walking into a neighbour's apartment thinking it was her own and shooting him as he ate ice cream.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126491-ex-dallas-police-officer-amber-guyger-guilty-in-wrong-apartment-murder/?do=findComment&comment=14630360

 

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Canada's Trudeau, seeking to revive campaign, attacks rival in debate

By David Ljunggren and Kelsey Johnson

 

Liberal leader and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives to the French televised debate at TVA in Montreal, Quebec, Canada October 2, 2019. REUTERS/Andrej Ivanov

 

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, trying to revive his election campaign after the emergence of embarrassing photos, on Wednesday used a televised debate to accuse his main rival of seeking to reopen the debate on abortion.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126674-canadas-trudeau-seeking-to-revive-campaign-attacks-rival-in-debate/

 

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Future Forward’s trouble both internal and external

 

Cr Photo : FB/Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit – ธนาธร จึงรุ่งเรืองกิจ

 

Controversial media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul has made an intriguing point the other day when he warned Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit against falling into a trap of old-fashion politics.

 

Full story:  https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126681-future-forward’s-trouble-both-internal-and-external/

 

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Blue Diamond Affair: The mystery of the stolen Saudi jewels

By Roland Hughes & Chaiyot YongcharoenchaiBBC News

 

PANUMAS SANGUANWONG/Credit: BBC THAI

1989, Kriangkrai Techamong stole $20m of jewels and gems from his boss, a Saudi prince

 

The theft of precious jewels from a Saudi palace in 1989 set off a chain of killings and a diplomatic crisis that continues to this day. Now, in a rare interview, the man behind the theft tells his story.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126682-blue-diamond-affair-the-mystery-of-the-stolen-saudi-jewels/

 

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Smart farms get boost as pilot project extended

By The Nation

 

 

The director of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency Promotion Sarat Prakobchart announced this week the extension of the smart farm demonstration project that promotes the use of technology to increase the efficiency of energy usage to include farmers raising poultry, pigs, cattle and fish. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126685-smart-farms-get-boost-as-pilot-project-extended/

 

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Officials check for Vegetarian Festival food price gouging

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

Sasiphimon Mongkon, Chief of the Phuket Provincial office of the Ministry of Commerce, led the inspection yesterday (Oct 2). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET: An inspection of the food stalls set up along Ranong Rd in Phuket Town to sell vegetarian fare as part of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival found several vendors not displaying their prices, but found no overt price gouging, reports Sasiphimon Mongkon, Chief of the Phuket Provincial office of the Ministry of Commerce.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126688-officials-check-for-vegetarian-festival-food-price-gouging/

 

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Digital Park TOR to be revised to attract more investors

By THE NATION

 

Sappachai Huwanant

 

The terms of reference for the Digital Park Thailand project in the Eastern Economic Corridor will see three revisions in order to attract investors, the president of CAT Telecom, Colonel Sappachai Huwanant, revealed on Thursday (October 3).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126698-digital-park-tor-to-be-revised-to-attract-more-investors/

 

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Two blacklisted foreigners in Phuket arrested, deported

By The Phuket News

 

Lt Gen Sompong Chingduang (right) of the Immigration Bureau at the press conference announcing the arrests. Photo: Immigration Bureau

 

PHUKET: Two foreigners already blacklisted and banned from re-entering Thailand have been caught in Phuket thanks to biometric passports, reports the Immigration Bureau.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126704-two-blacklisted-foreigners-in-phuket-arrested-deported/

 

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Nam dok mai mango finally finds its way to US shelves

By The Nation

 

 

Dr Suvit Maesincee, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (NIMT), said this week that Thailand had finally been able to export the gold-hued Nam Dok Mai mango to the US after 12 years of trying. Ripened mangoes had long faced export problems due to the different import regulations imposed by various countries to prevent disease and keep out insects.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1126708-nam-dok-mai-mango-finally-finds-its-way-to-us-shelves/