News
Sa Kaeo SEZ welcome, with reservations
Once the government has earmarked a province for a special economic zone (SEZ), theoretically it means more jobs, higher incomes and a better quality of life. But while residents of Sa Kaeo province are looking forward to their SEZ, they also have questions. Villagers want the new ...
Thai group to manage $1.5bln Vietnam resort
Thailand’s ONYX Hospitality Group has signed an agreement with Vietnam’s HB Group to manage a US$1.5-billion resort that is being built in Hoi An, local authorities announced on 18 October. Keep reading ...
Thailand scraps unpopular Internet 'Great Firewall' plan
Thailand’s military government has scrapped a plan to create a single Internet gateway, a deputy prime minister said on 15 October, putting paid to a system aimed at allowing authorities to monitor content. Keep reading ...
New rules aim to stop crocodile escapes
Crocodile farms will need walls at least 1.5 metres high around their pits under planned government guidelines, an official said on 16 October, after 28 crocodiles escaped in early October. Keep reading ...
Offshore funds flood Thai bond market
Offshore capital is rapidly flooding the Thai bond market, with half of the first nine months’ fund outflows from the market turning back during the first 12 days of October. The return had been buoyed by hopes of the US Federal Reserve rate hike delay. Keep reading ...
Thai Forest Department department reclaims land for Hmong
Authorities have agreed to draft a master plan for zoning the Phuttubberk forest in Phetchabun’s Lom Kao district to allow hill tribe minorities to live and work there. The plan is also designed to keep resort business operators away. Keep reading ...
Residents flee as houses sink
Subsidence affecting nine townhouses at a housing estate in Pathum Thani could have resulted from pile foundations breaking underground due to soft soil, according to an initial investigation by the Engineering Institute of Thailand on 14 October. Keep reading ...
Bangkok motorists face new oil, gas charge
Bangkok-based petrol stations will be hit with a new local tax collected from their oil and gas sales at five satang a litre, starting on 15 October, as City Hall steps up efforts to pull in revenue for city development. It is the first time such a tax has ...
Thailand's organic village scheme set for expansion
The Thai government has pitched the idea of developing the organic village scheme in a move to strengthen local communities and farmers. The scheme, organised through a partnership with the Organic Agriculture Association of Thailand, will launch in five provinces: Chiang Mai, Surin, Lampang, Phetchabun and ...
Thailand, ADB join hands for Mekong subregion development
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Thailand signed a memorandum of understanding on 15 October, aiming to support economic development programmes mainly in countries along the Greater Mekong Subregion. Keep reading ...