Drought slows down the growth rate of pigs and increases cost to farmers. The swine fever, however, has boosted Thai pork exports by 80 per cent to countries affected by the virus. Export of pigs currently stands at 6,000 to 8,000 per day. There will not be a supply shortage of pork in the country, Whichai said.

Also, his agency may set a limit on pig exports, as well as intervening in pork prices at department stores.

“With the scourge of ASF, Thai pig prices were expected to surge since prices in neighboring countries were much higher. ” said the director general.

In 2017, Thailand exported about three million pigs before plunging to 300,000 to 500,000 in the past two years.

The Swine Raisers Association of Thailand said it would cap pig’s price at Bt80 per kilogram, and pork price at Bt150 to Bt160/kilogram.

Besides, it forecast prices falling in July as pigs grow faster in the rainy season.

Philip Security Thailand predicts lateral swings in the index in the coming week for lack of any new influential factors for investment.

It will also be limited due to high uncertainty, Philip said, estimating an index frame of 1,580-1,620 points.

Tisco Financial Group forecast in the morning that the Index would hit 1,605 points thanks to a positive outlook for global stocks and the crude oil price.

Global stocks rose on Thursday, with US markets hitting record levels after Washington announced financial results and other economic information.

The price of WTI crude oil rebounded by 1.2 per cent, conforming to approval from the US Senate for the revamped US-Mexico-Canada free-trade pact.

America’s rising economic strength is also bolstering global demand for oil.

Other Asian stock markets closed as follows:

Japan’s Nikkei Index closed at 24,041.26, up 108.13 points or 0.45 per cent.

China’s Shanghai SE Composite Index closed at 3,075.50, down 1.41 points or 0.046 per cent.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed at 11,419.91, up 91.53 points or 0.81 per cent.

South Korea’s KOSPI Index closed at 2,250.57, up 2.52 points or 0.11 per cent.

Taiwan’s TAIEX Index closed at 12,090.29, down 23.36 points or 0.19 per cent.

Concern is rising over the impact on surrounding farmland and fish habitats.

Rice farmer and fisherman Sawang NuayKiao said the water level at the dam, which opened in 1966, has steadily dropped, as has the number of fish he can catch every day.

“I used to sell Bt200-Bt300 worth of fish a day. Now I’m only catching Bt100-Bt200 worth.”

Nor is he able to grow as much rice as he once did, he said, due to limitations in irrigation.

“The Democrat Party gave me an opportunity since my first election in 2005 when I was just 39,” the former finance minister said. “But after so many changes, the same point of view doesn’t work anymore. I am also a part of those changes and I want to see Thailand move forward, and I can handle it easier out of the party.”

He added that he is planning to establish a new political party, gathering people with vision and good intentions to reform the country.

In the past few years, Korn said he was studying the development of agricultural products and structure of the Thai farm sector, to help prepare farmers for the future.

“It’s my intention and Attawit Suwanpakdee (Former PM)’s to form a new party,” Korn said. “All members don’t have to be politicians, but they can be anyone with knowledge, capability and a motive. I want 80 per cent of them to be new faces. They have to be decisive because not all decisions can please everyone. We have to be ready for failure and learn from it”.

Korn said that he believed that the bureaucratic system is still the biggest obstacle for Thailand as it has been corrupt for a long time.

Regarding the new party’s strategy, he is planning to register candidates for members of Parliament in every province to increase the chance and he will not recruit MPs of other parties.

“Most new parties will be pressured to choose between the left and right political spectrum but I don’t want to make enemies,” he said. “This movement will be a clean slate for me after having been supportive of General Prayut Chan-o-cha but I cannot deny what I have done. Korn Chatikavanij is always Korn Chatikavanij. What I did, I did it for my country.

For instance, the government should develop an application to warn people of areas affected by the pm2.5 pollution and reminding them to wear face mask in those locations to lessen risks to health.

With no measures currently in place to deal with problem, identifying risk areas would be a good start, such as bus stops. There are 5,000 bus stops in Bangkok, of which 1,000 are air-pollution spots. State agencies should install fans to disperse dust and particles .

Suchatvee described the measure of spraying water from high buildings as off point and ineffective. “Dust and particles will temporarily be caught by water but it will be blown back to the air when the moisture dry up,” he said. Construction sites, factories and traffics are the main sources of dust and particles, not the weather, he added.

As a long-term measure to fix the problem, the government should offer tax deduction as an incentive for factories to reduce the emission of pollutants from their production sites. Like wise, old cars spewing black smoke should be subjected to a higher tax rate.

The state should adopt Big Data for storage of all relevant information, analysis and risk management so as to inform the public in advance of actions to be taken in relation to the problem, such as the closure of schools in risk areas. The government ordered a temporary closure of all schools in Bangkok last year.

“With the air-pollution problem intensifying, there should be a warning system for those most vulnerable, such as young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and patients with respiratory issues. Respiratory problems, lung disease, brain disease and cancer pose a threat to human resources which is vital to our future,” said the president.

A community survey conducted in September found residents unanimous in their opposition to the extension, but district officials took no further action, they claim.

Their letter was delivered to a House of Representatives committee and contact has been established with the citizens.

They were told the matter would be taken to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Residents said they would file the same letter with the Forest Department on Friday in the hope of assuring progress.

The third round of document submissions was ceremoniously marked in the Navy Club Building at Royal Thai Navy headquarters in Bangkok.

Rear Admiral Kirkchai Wajjanaporn, secretary-general of the bid selection committee, said the winner would be announced in March. “The contract signing will take place immediately after the Cabinet endorses the result.”

Vying for the contract are BBS Joint Venture, the Grande Consortium and, despite a legal challenge over earlier documents being submitted minutes too late, the Charoen Pokphand (CP)-led Thana Holding Consortium.

A selection committee source said BBS appeared to have pitched the best proposal price by far, pledging Bt301 billion in returns to the state – three times the amount cited by the other two bidders.

BBS Joint Venture includes Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction, Bangkok Airways and BTS Group Holdings.

At 1.52pm, SET index reach 1,601.61 point.

Investors expect the government to further stimulate spending after approving the budget for fiscal year 2020 this month.

Tisco advises investors to monitor Bank of Thailand announcements on the budget and its guidelines issued to commercial banks regarding budget reserves, a new accounting measure being used in the first quarter.

SET index support on Friday was predicted to be around 1,585-1,590 points and its resistance 1,605 or 1,615-1,620 points.

Global stocks rose on Thursday, with US markets hitting record levels after Washington announced financial results and other economic information.

Meanwhile, the price of WTI crude oil rebounded by 1.2 per cent, conforming to approval from the US Senate for the revamped US-Mexico-Canada free-trade pact.

America’s rising economic strength is also bolstering global demand for oil.

Tisco named Friday’s outstanding stocks as BBL, KTB, SCB, CK, STEC, PYLON, EASTW and CPALL.

BOT assistant governor for banknote management, Somboon Chitphentom, said on Friday (January 17) that commercial banks were estimated to disburse more banknotes worth Bt38 billion during Chinese New Year at the end of this month.

“During the festival period, people’s demand for banknotes will increase,” he explained.

BOT has reserved enough banknotes to meet the demand and had also collaborated with commercial banks to facilitate banknote distribution.

Kasikornbank plans to allocate cash reserves of Bt43.7 billion for KBank branches and K-ATMs to serve customers during the period from January 22-25.

Of the total, Bt22.8 billion are for branches nationwide — Bt10.9 billion for branches in Bangkok and Bt11.9 billion for branches in other provinces.

Currently, KBank has 885 branches nationwide.

A total of Bt20.9 billion is reserved for 8,168 K-ATMs across the country — Bt9.2 billion for K-ATMs in Bangkok and the remaining Bt11.7 billion for K-ATMs in other provinces.

Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) will reserve Bt59 billion banknotes for the festival period — Bt28.5 billion for Bangkok and Bt30.5 billion for provinces.

Of the total, Bt30 billion are for its branches and Bt29 billion for ATMs.

SCB had 958 branches and 9,372 ATMs nationwide as of last December.

Bangkok Bank will prepare cash reserves of Bt40 billion to meet demand during the Chinese New Year festival at more than 1,000 branches, micro branches and ATMs nationwide.

The bank said it will top up cash in its ATMs more frequently, ensuring a smooth transaction for customers.

It said on Friday (January 17) its MODIS satellite had picked up 59 hotspots on private farmland, 26 on properties under the Agricultural Land Reform Office, 16 in settled communities, another 16 in national parks and 12 in forest reserves.

In the northern five provinces, fires were burning in 15 places – four each in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, three in Tak, and two each in Lampang and Lamphun.

Most of these were also in forests and communities and on farmland.

The agency said fire hotspots were declining in number, with 42 fires seen burning in Myanmar, 130 in Laos, 957 in Cambodia and just eight in Malaysia.