News
Prayut set for vital Mekong region summit
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha next Wednesday will attend the 2nd Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Summit in Phnom Penh, where it is expected leaders will approve a five-year action plan. Keep reading ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
Don't touch the Mekong
[] A collection of shoals, reefs and islets off Chiang Rai province is the only serious block for 500-tonne Chinese riverboats past Thailand and all the way down to Luang Prabang in Laos. Beijing is once again applying economic and diplomatic pressure on Prime Minister ...
Bankok Post staff
Education, defence top budget
The government’s Bt2.9-trillion budget for 2018 has massive spending of Bt575 billion for upgrading workers’ skills and education, plus related activities, while the Defence Ministry’s budget rises Bt8.8 billion to Bt222 billion. Under the 2018 Budget Bill, passed in its first reading by the National ...
PM vows purge on weapons smuggling
Stricter measures must be implemented to crack down on weapons smuggling and be applied to all involved, whether they be military personnel or not, says Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has told investigators to identify the mastermind behind a weapons trafficking ...
NLA proposes VAT hike to 8 per cent
The National Legislative Assembly has agreed that the value-added tax should be increased from 7 per cent to 8 per cent. However, the final decision on the tax hike will be made by the Cabinet after the NLA submits its proposal for approval. The proposed VAT ...
Private sector sees export growth rising by up to 3.5 per cent
A peak grouping of private-sector financial organisations has raised its forecast for this year’s export growth to 2-3.5 per cent amid a pick-up in the global economy. But the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking warns that uncertainties over the trade policies of the ...
Thailand primed for region gateway role
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told the gathering of World Travel and Tourism Council members in Bangkok last week that the country’s strategy is called “Thailand Plus One”, under which Bangkok is positioned as a gateway for trade, investment and tourism in the region. The focus is ...
PM tries to calm fears on media regulation bill
NRSA panel chief wants online media to be included in licensing system. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on April 27 attempted to allay fears over the controversial media regulatory bill, denying it was intended to restrict media freedom and calling for mutual trust between the media ...
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 ...
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 ...
