KEY ISSUES AT A GLANCE
- Bangkok police admit to extorting 27,000 baht from Taiwanese actress for letting her off after allegedly finding a vaping device on her. Thailand bans the import and sale of e-cigarettes and the possession of vaping devices is unlawful. Pol Lt-General Thiti Saengsawang, commissioner of the Metropolitan Bureau, said on Monday that investigators have now shifted to filing charges under Section 157 of the Criminal Code, which bans officials from carrying out malfeasance or nonfeasance. “Several police officers will be charged,” he said without elaborating. “I want to apologise to everybody for some police officers’ actions that have damaged the image of Thailand and Thai society.” Source: The Nation, Matichon Print Edition, Thairath Print Edition
- One pill limit or face meth dealing charge. A ministerial regulation is being amended so that anyone with more than one methamphetamine pill in possession, instead of 15, will be regarded as having the pills with intent to sell, not for personal use as at present. At present, those found with 15 or fewer pills in their possession are regarded as having them for personal use only and subject to rehabilitation, said Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday. “This has been exploited by people who actually intend to sell them,” he said. Source: Bangkok Post, Thairath
- JD.com bids farewell to Thailand following a massive loss in 5 years – fears are rising of monopolisation by Lazada and Shopee. Chinese internet giant JD.com has withdrawn its investment from JD Central, its joint venture company with Thailand’s Central Group. JD.com is one of the top 3 e-marketplaces in Thailand alongside Chinese bigwigs Lazada and Shopee. Experts fear the closure of JD.com could lead to monopolisation of e-marketplaces by Lazada and Shopee as both players already control over 50 percent of the market share. Another concern is the increasing domination of foreign players in the Thai e-marketplace wo have taken over almost 100 percent of the Thai 3-marketplace. Source: Krungthep Turakij, Thansettakij
AUSTRALIA IN THE NEWS
- Australia prepares for thousands of Chinese students to return as relations improve. Australia’s education sector, which generated A$39 billion ($27.66 billion) in export earnings before the pandemic, has strong ties to China, with roughly 150,000 nationals enrolled in Australian universities. Tens of thousands remain offshore after pandemic restrictions and strained diplomatic relations led many to return home. The normalising of educational ties comes weeks after Chinese officials relaxed import bans on Australian coal as both countries work to improve diplomatic relations after more than two years of Chinese trade sanctions that have frozen trade in barley, coal and wine and other goods and services. Source: Thai PBS World
GENERAL
- Thailand will launch THEOS-2, its first earth observation satellite into the space this year. The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) said the THEOS-2 project comprises the main satellite, weighing 460 kg, which can provide accurate satellite images and the 100-kg small satellite – THEOS-2A, which was designed and developed by more than 20 Thai engineers along with UK-based Surrey Satellite Technology and will be sent into orbit this year. It will provide precise satellite images which will be useful for natural resource and disaster management. Source: Thai News Agency, Thai Govt
- Bangkok police admit to extorting 27,000 baht from Taiwanese actress for letting her off after allegedly finding a vaping device on her. Thailand bans the import and sale of e-cigarettes and the possession of vaping devices is unlawful. Pol Lt-General Thiti Saengsawang, commissioner of the Metropolitan Bureau, said on Monday that investigators have now shifted to filing charges under Section 157 of the Criminal Code, which bans officials from carrying out malfeasance or nonfeasance. “Several police officers will be charged,” he said without elaborating. “I want to apologise to everybody for some police officers’ actions that have damaged the image of Thailand and Thai society.” Source: The Nation, Matichon Print Edition, Thairath Print Edition
POLITICS
- Early House dismissal ‘unlikely’. The House of Representatives is unlikely to be dissolved before the Election Commission (EC) finishes redrawing electoral boundaries for the 400 constituency MPs nationwide, according to Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam. Speculation about an early election has been reignited following the Jan 29 promulgation of two amended organic laws on elections, which provide legal grounds for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to dissolve the House and call for an early vote. The election is tentatively scheduled to take place on May 7, as the House of Representatives will complete its term on March 23. However, if the House is dissolved before March 23, then the law requires a snap poll to be held between 45-60 days of the dissolution. Source: Bangkok Post Online & Print Edition, The Nation
- Sarng Anakot Thai party leader and secretary-general officially join Palang Pracharath. Sarng Anakot Thai Party Leader Uttama Savanayana, party secretary Sontirat Sontijirawong and General Wit Dhephasdin na Ayudhya, leader of Thailand Together Party, formally joined the Palang Pracharath Party today (Monday). General Prawit said that Uttama, a former finance minister, and Sontirat, a former energy minister, will help the party in economic affairs, while General Wit will help the party withgeneral affairs. Uttama, who quit the party in July 2020 together with Sontiratand two others, told the media that the two of them were invited by Prawit to join the party, adding that Prawit has made clear his intention to mobilise people from various sectors to work together. Source: Thai PBS World, Thairath Print Edition
- One pill limit or face meth dealing charge. A ministerial regulation is being amended so that anyone with more than one methamphetamine pill in possession, instead of 15, will be regarded as having the pills with intent to sell, not for personal use as at present. At present, those found with 15 or fewer pills in their possession are regarded as having them for personal use only and subject to rehabilitation, said Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday. “This has been exploited by people who actually intend to sell them,” he said. Source: Bangkok Post, Thairath
ECONOMICS
- The tourism confidence index in Q4 still lagged behind the corresponding period prior to the pandemic, with the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) adding that scams can be found everywhere. The Index’s score of 72 is below 100 and reflected weak tourism, particularly the entertainment complexes that earned the lowest score. The TCT found that 91 percent of all operators returned to business in Q4, up from 87 percent in Q3 and that most tourism operators earned about 60 percent of pre-COVID revenue. The Index is expected to continue improving to 77 in Q1 of this year. Source: Bangkok Post
- Foreigners brought in 128 billion Baht of investment into Thailand. Ministry of Commerce reported that it had permitted 583 foreigners with investments value of 128 billion Baht to invest in Thailand in 2022 through its Foreign Business Act. These foreign businesses employed 5,253 Thais and most investments went into the EEC area. The top investor is Japanese, followed by Singaporean, Americans, Hong Kong and Chinese. This is an increase from 2021, in which the investors totalled 58- and invest value was 82 billion Baht. Source: Thansettakij
- JD.com bids farewell to Thailand following a massive loss in 5 years – fears are rising of monopolisation by Lazada and Shopee. Chinese internet giant JD.com has withdrawn its investment from JD Central, its joint venture company with Thailand’s Central Group. JD.com is one of the top 3 e-marketplaces in Thailand alongside Chinese bigwigs Lazada and Shopee. Experts fear the closure of JD.com could lead to monopolisation of e-marketplaces by Lazada and Shopee as both players already control over 50 percent of the market share. Another concern is the increasing domination of foreign players in the Thai e-marketplace wo have taken over almost 100 percent of the Thai 3-marketplace. Source: Krungthep Turakij, Thansettakij
For further information please see the embassy’s Facebook Page ‘Australian Embassy, Thailand’ or the Ambassador’s Twitter Page https://twitter.com/AusAmbBKK
