News
New education plan focuses on inspiring students
Education minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin has pledged to make upcoming educational reforms relevant to children. “Without relevancy, the reform can’t be successful,” he said on April 20 at a press conference on the new national education plan, which is meant to run from 2017 to 2036. Teerakiat said ...
BOT urges hedging against currency risk
Bank of Thailand governor Veerathai Santiprabhob on April 19 urged exporters to hedge against volatility in the value of the baht as the country faced the prospect of trade protectionism against the backdrop of tensions on the Korean Peninsula – with “unpredictable” outcomes from the latter. “Geopolitical ...
China Town, Khao San Road areas to be transformed into organised street food areas
The government is planning to transform Bangkok’s China Town and Khao San Road into well-organised areas for street food vendors. “We will allow street stalls, as long as they comply with our regulations on zoning, stall designs, green packaging and hygienic standards,” Second Lieutenant Pornchanok Amphan, ...
Mekong River survey begins despite opposition
Survey work on the Mekong River channel project officially started on April 19 in Chiang Rai, and field survey by a Chinese company is expected to begin tomorrow amid strong opposition by environmentalists. The Marine Department revealed on April 19 that China’s CCCC Second Habor Consultant Co ...
Mekong survey draws protests
A network of environmentalists is getting ready to protest against a Chinese government survey of the Khon Pi Long rapids in Chiang Rai. The Chinese team on April 18 began its 50-day study of the rapids, which lie along the Mekong River. Environmentalists fear China wants ...
Panel hears bribery rife in fish industry
The Command Centre for Combating Illegal Fishing has set up a panel to look into complaints accusing some officials of demanding bribes from trawler operators. Centre deputy head Vice Admiral Wannapol Glormgeao said Tuesday the centre recently received a number of complaints from anchovy trawler ...
Artificial intelligence to play big role in global economy
Artificial intelligence is set to provide a significant boost for the global economy as it lays the foundation for accelerated innovation throughout the coming decade and beyond, according to consulting firm PwC Thailand. Pricewaterhouse Coopers expects the arrival of AI to transform the way businesses ...
Thai Airways labour union asks Finance Ministry to probe airline’s operations
The Thai Airways International labour union has appealed to the Finance Ministry to inspect the airline’s operations. In a letter submitted by labour-union president Damrong Waiyakanee, inspection was requested for executives and some members of the THAI board of directors. The union alleged that a ...
Activist seeking plaque probe held by military
The prime minister and many senior government officials said the disappearance of a historic plaque was no big deal – yet well-known lawyer and activist Srisuwan Janya was arrested on April 18 as he urged the PM to conduct an investigation into the matter. “This issue ...
Food vendors fearful amid BMA move to sweep them away
Thousands of food vendors are fearful about their future after officials from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration declared their intention to clear them off streets for the sake of cleanliness. For three decades everyone from police and builders, to street cleaners and partying rich kids have ...