SET slumps over MSCI’s decision to cut Thai investments, new Covid infections, pending court verdict on PM #SootinClaimon.Com

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SET slumps over MSCI’s decision to cut Thai investments, new Covid infections, pending court verdict on PM (nationthailand.com)

SET slumps over MSCI’s decision to cut Thai investments, new Covid infections, pending court verdict on PM

EconDec 01. 2020

By The Nation

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index fell almost 30 points on Monday due to global investment firm MSCI’s decision to reduce investments in Thai stocks, worries over rising Covid-19 cases in Thailand and the pending Constitutional Court ruling in a case against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, experts said.

The SET Index closed at 1,408.31 on Monday, down 29.47 points or 2.05 per cent. Total transactions amounted to Bt120 billion with an index high of 1,435.04 and a low of 1,408.02.

Foreign and institutional investors made net sales of Bt4.37 billion and Bt2.98 billion respectively, while securities accounts and general investors made net buys of Bt725.71 million and Bt6.62 billion, respectively.

Therdsak Thaveeteeratham, Asia Plus Securities executive vice president for research, said SET faced short-term correction on Monday as domestic and foreign investors sold off stocks to reduce their risks from the new Covid-19 cases in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, as well as the pending court ruling in Prayut’s case on Wednesday.

“The Constitutional Court’s ruling on Prayut could affect Thailand’s economy in terms of policy continuation, because he may be removed from office at a time when the economy is recovering gradually,” he said.

He said he expects SET to move upwards as foreign funds are still flowing into Asian markets.

“If there is no negative sentiment, we expect Thailand’s deposits of Bt15.5 trillion to flow into the stock market due to low interest offered on deposits,” he said, adding that SET is expected to hit 1,550 points next year.

He advised investors to buy stocks that are likely to rise next year, such as commercial banks that will benefit from the economic recovery and construction stocks that would benefit from the government’s investment in various projects.

Kitichan Sirisukarcha, CGS CIMB Securities senior vice president for research, said SET fell on Monday due to MSCI’s move to reduce investment in Thai stocks from 1.9 per cent to 1.87 per cent, worries over rising Covid-19 cases and Washington’s move to ban another four Chinese firms as well as Thai and foreign investors’ move to speculate after the index skyrocketed by 243 points or 20 per cent in the previous month.

“However, we expect foreign funds to flow into the stock market as positive news of Covid-19 vaccine will help boost Thailand’s economy and SET-listed companies’ profits next year,” he said.

He advised investors to buy petrochemical, oil refinery, energy and commercial bank shares.

Army deployed thousands for anti-democracy Twitter campaign: Progressive Movement #SootinClaimon.Com

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Army deployed thousands for anti-democracy Twitter campaign: Progressive Movement (nationthailand.com)

Army deployed thousands for anti-democracy Twitter campaign: Progressive Movement

PoliticsDec 01. 2020Pannika WanichPannika Wanich 

By THE NATION

The Progressive Movement has revealed details of its research on an alleged information operation (IO) campaign run by Thai authorities to discredit the pro-democracy movement.The Twitter-based online campaign involves more than 50,000 IO accounts, 17,562 of which are controlled by the 2nd Infantry Division, Queen Sirikit’s Guard, the Progressive Movement’s Pannika Wanich said on Tuesday.Different teams were tasked with different IO duties, said Pannika, speaking to press at the movement’s Bangkok headquarters. An operation team is in charge of liking, sharing and posting information, while a support team has been assigned to create content to slam the pro-democracy demonstrators, she added.The IO campaign was also backed by private companies, she said.Pannika was speaking after Twitter suspended a pro-royalist account linked to thousands of others that were flooding social media with pro-monarchy and anti-protest content.The @jitarsa_school account has been suspended for allegedly violating regulations by flooding Twitter with spam.Reuters said it had also reviewed internal Army training documents that showed evidence of a coordinated information campaign to spread pro-royalist information and discredit critics of the government and monarchy.Photographs purporting to show the Army’s IO campaign in action have been circulating on social media.Last week, leaked slides showed a tweeting campaign run by 17,000 personnel, divided into different content and posting units, and offering instructions on how to avoid being banned by Twitter.The controversy comes more than a month after Twitter removed 926 accounts it said had concealed links to the Army. At the time, Pannika said the Progressive Movement planned to sue the Army for “using tax money to cause divisions and hatred among Thais”.On Saturday, exiled academic Pavin Chachavalpongpun said the information operation was controlled by a high-ranking soldier but was “too cheap”.On the same day, fellow exiled academic Somsak Jeamteerasakul posted a photo of an online chatroom captured by a phone camera. The photo apparently shows subordinates being ordered to comment on posts by a pro-democracy actress and prominent social critic Sulak Sivaraksa.Somsak commented that the Thai government was in need of reform, which should include scrapping the agencies in charge of the information operation.

All protest guards must be registered to prevent future clashes: Panupong #SootinClaimon.Com

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All protest guards must be registered to prevent future clashes: Panupong (nationthailand.com)

All protest guards must be registered to prevent future clashes: Panupong

PoliticsDec 01. 2020 Panupong JadnokPanupong Jadnok 

By THE NATION

Pro-democracy movement leader Panupong “Mike” Jadnok said via Facebook on Monday that the names of volunteer guards should be recorded to prevent meddling from the opposite side.

On November 26, pro-democracy protesters had gathered outside the Siam Commercial Bank headquarters on Ratchayothin Road to protest against the King’s major shareholding in the bank.

When the protest ended at around 10.10pm and there were still many protesters at the site, an explosion was heard followed by four or five gunshots.

Two protest guards were injured severely, and police put it down to a conflict between students from rivalling vocational colleges, while many netizens linked the shooter to a royalist group.

The movement’s leaders say this incident goes against the principles of the group, though there were no clashes during protests over the weekend.

Panupong said to avoid such attacks in the future, names of all volunteer guards will be registered and he will personally oversee the team.

Triam Udom Suksa students heed activists’ call to shun uniform #SootinClaimon.Com

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Triam Udom Suksa students heed activists’ call to shun uniform (nationthailand.com)

Triam Udom Suksa students heed activists’ call to shun uniform

PoliticsDec 01. 2020

By THE NATION

Some students of Triam Udom Suksa School in Bangkok arrived at their school on Tuesday morning in casual outfits, in line with the KKC Pakee Students group’s demand.

KKC issued a clarion call last Thursday asking students across the country to not be afraid of questioning the need to wear school uniforms and dress casually on Tuesday to show their stance.

According to the pro-democracy group “Bad Student”, Triam Udom Suksa was among 23 schools nationwide where students would act in line with the KKC campaigns, as well as other outstanding schools in Bangkok, such as Horwang, Srinakharinwirot University: Demonstration School, Satriwithaya, Satriwithaya 2, or Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni).

The Bad Student group has set up an online website for reporting the response of schools nationwide towards students in informal outfits.

Minister of Education Nataphol Teepsuwan told the press at Government House that to wear casual clothes to school is a violation of his ministry’s rule. However, a punishment in this case will not result in expulsion, he added.

The minister mentioned that his organisation was considering allowing students to wear informal outfits once a month.

Asean and EU’s new online customs system set to boost trade in Asean #SootinClaimon.Com

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Asean and EU’s new online customs system set to boost trade in Asean (nationthailand.com)

Asean and EU’s new online customs system set to boost trade in Asean

InternationalDec 01. 2020

By THE NATION

Cross-border traders in Asean can now take advantage of a new online Customs transit management system – the Asean Customs Transit System (ACTS) – to accelerate trade in goods by road within the region.

The ACTS was developed with the support of the European Union.

The new online system will reduce intra-Asean trading challenges and enable companies to benefit fully from the Asean Economic Community (AEC) and the free movement of goods across the region, Asean said.

In 2017, Asean Economic Ministers set the twin goals of reducing trade transaction costs by 10 per cent by 2020 and doubling intra-Asean trade between 2017 and 2025. To realise this goal, the ACTS has been developed to allow businesses to lodge e-transit declarations directly with Asean Customs Authorities and to track the movement of their goods from loading at departure to delivery at the final destination.

“The implementation of the ACTS plays a vital role in facilitating seamless movement of goods in the region. I believe the system would be an excellent tool in enhancing Asean’s trade and production networks as well as establishing a more unified market for its firms and consumers,” said Lim Jock Hoi, the Asean secretary-general. 

“The ACTS could also support post Covid-19 recovery to accelerate the transit movement of medical supplies, vaccines and personal protective equipment within the member States,” he added.

Under the ACTS, the private sector can make a single Customs transit declaration that covers the transport of goods across multiple Asean countries, without the need to make repeated Customs declarations or change vehicles at each border. Special arrangements allow reliable traders to load their goods at their own premises in the country of departure, and to deliver the goods to their own premises at destination. Faster Customs clearance at borders helps accelerate transit movements, and reduce the time and expense of carrying out regional trade in goods, to the benefit of producers and consumers across the continental Asean region, Asean said.

The system is managed by a permanent ACTS central management team based in the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta, with support from the EU-funded ARISE Plus programme. Regional and national ACTS helpdesks are available (see https://acts.asean.org).

“The ACTS is a remarkable achievement that is testament to the strong, dynamic and long-standing partnership between Asean and the European Union,” said Koen Doens, director-general for International Cooperation and Development at the European Commission. 

“The ACTS will make the movement of goods by road quicker and easier across the borders of the participating Asean member states, thereby reducing costs for businesses and citizens. The EU is proud to have joined Asean to make the ACTS a reality, providing European technical expertise and 10 million euros since 2012, in addition to the 5 million euros invested by our Asean partners,” he added.

ARISE Plus has provided extensive ACTS training for stakeholders in the public and private sectors, including Customs authorities, government transport agencies, freight forwarders, transporters, banks and insurance companies. Following the ACTS pilot activities in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, the system has now been formally launched for general use. The first successful ACTS transit movement occurred on October 23 and 24 with a truck travelling from Singapore via Malaysia to Thailand. The system will soon be available in Myanmar, and depending on business needs may later be expanded to Brunei, Indonesia and Philippines.

“We are excited to have the Asean Customs Transit System in place,” said Yukki Nugrahawan, chairman of the Asean Federation of Forwarders Associations. 

“The freight forwarding community will be one of the main beneficiaries of this system, as it offers simplified Customs and transport control procedures between different Asean member states, and provides predictability on door-to-door delivery times and most importantly reduced transport costs. The ACTS will significantly accelerate transit movements across the region and help us reduce time and expenses of carrying out cross border trade in Asean,” he added.

Cabinet gives green light to new 120kph speed limit #SootinClaimon.Com

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Cabinet gives green light to new 120kph speed limit (nationthailand.com)

Cabinet gives green light to new 120kph speed limit

NationalDec 01. 2020

By The Nation

Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting approved a Transport Ministry draft for new speed limits on Thai roads.

The draft ministerial regulation raises the speed limit on highways from 90 kilometres per hour to 120kph – but only for cars.

A limit of 90kph has been set for trucks weighing more than 2.2 tonnes and buses with room for more than 15 passengers. Minivans and buses with capacity for 7-15 passengers are limited to 100kph. A 65kph limit applies to cars towing another vehicle, small four-wheelers, and three-wheelers.

Meanwhile motorcycles have an 80kph speed limit, though big bikes of 35kW or more have a 100kph ceiling.

School buses are limited to 80kph.

The speed limits will apply on national and rural highways of four lanes separated by a barrier and without U-turn points.

The draft regulation also sets a minimum speed for the fast lane of highways of 100kph, aimed at easing traffic congestion and helping the transport sector.

The proposal will now be submitted to the Council of State for legal examination.

Parliament approves new quotas for exports to EU, UK after Brexit #SootinClaimon.Com

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Parliament approves new quotas for exports to EU, UK after Brexit (nationthailand.com)

Parliament approves new quotas for exports to EU, UK after Brexit

NationalDec 01. 2020

Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit

Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit

By The Nation

Parliament on Tuesday unanimously endorsed amendments to Thailand’s trade agreement with the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit explained to Parliament that the trade agreements had changed because the UK had separated from the EU, causing Thailand to renegotiate quotas for its exports.

Thai officials have renegotiated quotas for about 31 Thai products exported to the EU, and 32 products exported to the UK. The new quotas came into force on Tuesday (December 1).

MPs voted to pass three draft documents on trade with the EU and UK.

The first is a draft agreement between the EU and Thailand under Article 28 of the relevant General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994, with amendments to quotas in the EU’s table of obligations. The second is a draft letter on trade from the UK government to the Thai government, and the third is a draft letter on the same subject from the Thai government to its UK counterpart.

Fourth woman tests positive after sneaking back from Myanmar #SootinClaimon.Com

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Fourth woman tests positive after sneaking back from Myanmar (nationthailand.com)

Fourth woman tests positive after sneaking back from Myanmar

NationalDec 01. 2020

By The Nation

A fourth Thai woman has tested positive for Covid-19 after crossing from Myanmar to Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district, local health officials said on Tuesday.

The three other women were found to be infected after they sneaking back into the northern province last week. Two remained in Chiang Rai and one travelled to Chiang Mai, sparking fears of an outbreak in the North.

The fourth case reportedly worked with the three other women in the entertainment industry in Myanmar’s Tachileik city, before sneaking back over the border to escape Covid-19 restrictions there.

The infected woman quarantined herself at a Chiang Rai hotel, before developing symptoms and surrendering to public health officials.

Sanitisation operations have begun at public venues in Mae Sai district, including the market.

Online HIV testing platform a big hit in Bangkok #SootinClaimon.Com

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Online HIV testing platform a big hit in Bangkok (nationthailand.com)

Online HIV testing platform a big hit in Bangkok

NationalDec 01. 2020

By THE NATION

Mahidol University is working on an online HIV testing platform to enable those at risk to take a test without visiting the hospital.

“A recent study revealed about one-third of male teenagers in Bangkok who have homosexual intercourse contracted HIV unknowingly,” said Asst Prof Thomas Guadamuz, who heads the Centre of Excellence in Research on Gender, Sexuality and Health at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Mahidol University. “Furthermore, in Thai society those who test positive for HIV often face discrimination. This means people engaged in risky behaviours may become unwilling to get tested at hospital.”

“The Centre of Excellence in Research on Gender, Sexuality and Health is developing an online platform to provide HIV testing using technology such as video conferencing, to enable those at risk to take a test at their home,” he said. “Candidates will be instructed to provide a sample of their blood on a piece of sterile paper and mail it to the Clinical Research Centre, Department of Medical Sciences. The centre will perform a rapid HIV test on the sample and send the result to the candidate via their electronic channel of choice.”

Guadamuz added that the pilot project has been well-received by homosexual men, who expressed interest in using the platform to test their blood periodically. “We hope that the project will help reduce the spread of HIV/Aids in Thailand and fulfil the “90-90-90” goal of Joint United Nations Programme [UNAIDS] on HIV/Aids,” he said.

By 2030, UNAIDS wants 90 per cent of people living with HIV to know their HIV status, 90 per cent of all people diagnosed with HIV to receive antiretroviral therapy, and 90 per cent of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy to have viral suppression.

Retailers under ‘Let’s go Halves’ scheme warned against jacking up prices #SootinClaimon.Com

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Retailers under ‘Let’s go Halves’ scheme warned against jacking up prices (nationthailand.com)

Retailers under ‘Let’s go Halves’ scheme warned against jacking up prices

NationalDec 01. 2020

By The Nation

The Finance Ministry is calling on retailers participating in the “Khon La Khrueng” (Let’s Go Halves) subsidy scheme to stop jacking up their prices and taking advantage of shoppers.

Pornchai Triraveja, fiscal policy adviser for the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) and the ministry’s spokesperson, said increasing prices also goes against the scheme’s aim to reduce people’s cost of living in the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said complaints about retailers who violate the scheme’s rules can be emailed to halfhalf@fpo.go.th, by calling FPO at (02) 273 9020 extensions 3697, 3527, 3548 and 3509 or by calling Krungthai Bank at (02) 111 1144.

“The ministry is cooperating with related authorities to investigate this issue. We will suspend the use of Tung Ngern smartphone application and take legal action against retailers found to be violating the rules,” he said.

As of November 30, more than 870,000 shops and over 9 million citizens have joined the scheme. So far, total spending stands at Bt31.77 billion, of which Bt16.22 billion has been spent by the public and Bt15.55 million by the government.

The top five provinces with the highest spending were Bangkok, Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani and Chonburi.