The Nation
Effective education key to escaping middle income trap, ADB says
Thailand faces more challenges as it strives to improve the economy and people’s incomes for the long term as it struggles to move up from being a middle-income country, the Asian Development Bank says. For the short term, the ADB has predicted that Thai exports ...
Surin calls for active ARF role in tackling Korean crisis
ASEAN needs to be more integrated and stronger to cope with the changing global landscape, as “multilateralism” was in decline, former ASEAN chief Surin Pitsuwan said on April 20, calling on the regional grouping to enhance the role of the ASEAN Regional Forum to solve ...
Long-term national strategy bill sails through NLA first reading
The National Legislative Assembly on April 20 passed the national strategy bill in its first reading and went into executive session to pass the Royal Administration Act in three straight readings. The strategy bill was approved for vetting by 196 votes with three abstentions. Deputy Prime Minister ...
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 ...
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 ...