Dynamic Thailand

SC ASSET has recently signed an MoU with BCPG on the establishment of the Sun Share Project, with an aim to economise energy consumption in homes and complexes. The project will help initiate the use of renewable energy at SC ASSET’s housing projects and sport complexes, as well as integrate the use of ‘Blockchain’ technology into the housing projects to efficiently manage electricity usage. The two firms further plan to co-develop an application for electricity usage management to provide better conveniences to customers.

The Cabinet gave its initial nod on 17 April 2019 on the Plastic Waste Management Road Map 2018-2030, which will see Thailand abolish its use of micro-beads, cap seals, and oxo-degradable plastics, by the end of this year. The intiative also includes a plan to rid Thailand off lightweight plastic bags, Styrofoam food containers, plastic cups, and plastic straws by 2022. And by 2027, Thailand also plans to recycle 100 per cent of targeted plastics, as well as to produce more energy from waste.

Workers in Thailand, including foreign and domestic migrant workers, will be entitled to greater benefits and receive stronger protections against abuses such as forced labor, as the country’s new labor law came into effect last week.

Thailand welcomed nearly 40 million foreign visitors last year, but Thais are increasingly being welcomed abroad as about 11 million Thais are expected to vacation overseas this year taking advantage of the stronger Thai currency.

“Continued appreciation of the baht (Thailand’s currency) and more international direct flights at affordable prices are the key reasons behind booming outbound travel in recent years,” said Charoen Wangananont, vice-president of the Thai Travel Agents Association.

The Public Relations Department (PRD) and the UNESCO office in Thailand had joined hands to organize an event called, “Maintaining Credibility and Trust in Journalism: A Collaborative Workshop for Addressing Fake News in ASEAN”, from 21-22 March 2019. The event provided a platform for experience exchange in dealing with fake news, while helping participants to create a network for the fight against fake news. The seminar was attended by numerous individuals from both Thai and foreign media agencies.

The Government of Thailand is committed to continue working with Kenya’s Health Ministry to help uplift Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage. As part of the collaboration, over 50 participants from Kenya have been successfully trained on Health Technology Assessment by the Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) in Thailand.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha has recently traveled to Chachoengsao province to follow up on the latest development of the Automotive and Tyre Testing, Research and Innovation Center (ATTRIC), which is the first of its kind in ASEAN. The ultimate goal is to push ATTRIC into the region’s leading centre of automotive and tyre technology, attracting no less than 1 billion baht worth of investments yearly.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi presided over the opening of the second Thailand-Myanmar Friendship Bridge. The bridge, which links Thailand’s Mae Sot district with Myanmar’s border city of Myawaddy on the Thai-Myanmar border, has been officially opened to facilitate cross-border transport of goods and people, as well as to build integrity of the linkage network along the East-West Economic Corridor that links India, Thailand and Myanmar.

A delegation from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) recently visited Krabi Province to observe the latest developments of the Krabi Smart City initiative. The trip included a visit to the Hat Noppharat Thara National Park, in order to observe the implementation of innovation and digital technology to develop tourism cities. MDES also met with different sectors in a meeting to discuss the development of Krabi Smart City, during which participants have presented how they have been using digital technology to improve the tourists' experience at the national park.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives revealed that the one village one kilometer road construction project is moving forward steadily, as the Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) is in the process of issuing budget provisions for the project. Since the start of the project in February 2019, 30,000 tonnes of raw rubber have been used to construct new roads. A total of no less than 800,000 tonnes of raw rubber are expected to be used if the project is extended until September 2019.