“Passenger vehicle sales grew by 1.7 per cent, but those for commercial vehicles dropped 2.8 per cent,” she said.

Toyota sold 302,893 vehicles in Thailand, an increase of 6.7 per cent year-on-year. The automaker was number one in the country, capturing 33 per cent of market share.

Isuzu grabbed second spot, selling 152,448 vehicles in the eleven-month period. But its overall sales decreased 2.2 per cent. The brand held 16.6 per cent of market share.

Honda sold 116,296 vehicles to be ranked third. The automaker, which saw its sales increase by 1.1 per cent, took 12.7 per cent of market share.

In late November, total vehicle sales touched 79,299, decreasing 16.2 per cent from the same period last year. The decreased sales included 16.4 per cent for cars and 16.1 per cent for commercial vehicles.

In the month, the top three were Toyota, Isuzu and Honda, in that order. Toyota witnessed sales of 27,189 vehicles, a decrease of 11.7 per cent year-on-year. The brand held 34.3 per cent of market share.

Isuzu held 18.4 per cent, with sales of 14,629 vehicles – a drop of 12.8 per cent. Honda meanwhile sold 8,892 vehicles in late November, seeing decreased sales of 19.9 per cent and a market share of 11.2 per cent.

Pravena said vehicle sales hit a rough patch because of decreasing consumer confidence amid an economic slowdown, concern over the global trade situation, and the baht appreciation.

“However, automakers are still trying to stimulate sales at the end of the year, so December will be interesting,” she added.

Park officials discovered the dead gaur on Sunday. It had been severely mauled and was covered in wounds made by fangs and claws.

The pawprints of a tiger were found nearby and officials decided to leave the body in place and set up a camera.

In the morning, the footage showed an image of a fully grown male tiger coming back to eat the gaur. The tiger previously lived in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary and migrated to Mae Wong National Park in 2014.

Thanit Nooyim, director of the 12th Conservation Area Management Office said that the event shows that Mae Wong National Park is a suitable home for endangered species like tigers that live in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary due to its biodiversity of both flora and fauna.

The officers will later discuss capturing the tiger to put a tracking device on it so they can study and collect information.

Cosmetics with plastic microbeads currently being sold on the market must be withdrawn and dealt with within 180 days of the measure taking effect.

Plastic microbeads are plastic particles smaller than 5 millimetres, dissolvable and non-degradable. They are usually used for polishing.

The circular economy covers product manufacturing to the recycling process, and also focuses on design of products, services, and operations to generate advantages to organizations while reducing waste to zero.

“CE is not a standard that organizations need to adopt but a guideline that Tisi has put out for those interested organizations to follow and apply to their advantage,” the secretary general explained.

The standard specification was in accordance with Ministry of Industry’s policy and also the government’s policy of BCG, which stands for bio economy, circular economy, and green economy.

The policies are aimed at solving problems in the grassroots economy and focus on worthiness of resources used and pollution problems. An equally important objective is to reduce environmental effects from business activities by developing an economy that grows sustainably while at the same time preserving the environment and national resources.

Thailand is the second country to apply the circular economy after the UK. “CE can be used in all organization, regardless of size,” the secretary general added.

“We always see a massive rise in the number of banknotes changing hands during the new year period,” he explained.

BOT expects commercial banks to disburse banknotes from BOT with a total value around Bt120 billion. “This is close to the total value of the last year” he added.

Arriving at the scene, they discovered the body of a man with a fractured skull. He was later identified asVladimir Dzhumok a 45-year-old Russian.

Security guard, Anuruk Pradapsoeth,30, told police that he had heard two foreigners arguing then a loud crash and a shout that someone had fallen.

Police have not yet decided whether it is an accident or suicide, as it appeared that the Russian had been arguing with his lover just prior to the fall. The body will be sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for autopsy.

She thanked visitors who have supported the establishment over the last 12 year, and invited everyone to visit the place once more to celebrate the good times before it is gone forever.

A news source from Hua Hin reported that Plearn Wan Co Ltd has issued a notice to all tenants that the company decided to halt operations due to the ailing economy and losses and would therefore end all rental contracts on January 31, while the rent for January woud be exempt.

Plearn Wan Hua Hin is an antique style shopping village featuring traditional foods, handicrafts, clothes, collectible items and classical architecture that depict the lifestyle of Thai people in the past. It is located on Phetkasem Road in Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

“The most important measure is the Visa on Arrival (VoA) that allows foreign tourists from 19 countries to enter Thailand without having to get a visa beforehand,” he said. “This measure will expire on April 30, and we want the government to extend it to the end of 2020 to keep the flow of foreign tourists going.”

Wichit added that Atta has also pitched the idea of granting multiple entry visas to Chinese tourists to Ministry of Tourism and Sports. “The Ministry agreed with this idea and is discussing it with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related agencies,” he said. “Once implemented, we can attract high-end tourists from China to come to Thailand several times a year. These tourists have strong purchasing power and can boost the travel industry as well as generate considerable revenue for local entrepreneurs.”

Popular destinations in Thailand include Bangkok, Samui and Krabi, but next year they will have to compete with Japan and Dubai, which will host world events like the Olympics and the World Expo, added Wichit.

“If the government agrees with the VoA extension and multiple entry visa ideas, they should announce the measures as soon as possible, ideally within January to enable tour entrepreneurs, hotels and airlines to plan their marketing strategy accordingly,” said Wichit. “If the announcement are delayed, our travel partners like Chinese tour operators may direct their clients to other destinations that provide better ease of access.”

Atta estimated that in 2020 numbers of foreign tourists visiting Thailand will increase by 2 million or 5 per cent from this year. “Chinese tourists are still our biggest clients, with an estimated number in 2020 increasing by 500,000 to 1 million from this year’s number, which is expected to stand at 11 million,” said Wichit.

“This year we organized the ceremony on the concept “Honor through digital transformation”, said SEPO director-general Prapas Kong-ied, “Outstanding state-owned enterprises (SOE) were selected in 10 categories based on their performance, the extent to which they complemented government policy, their contribution to communities, and adaption of new technologies.”

The SOE Award 2019 winners are as follows:

1. Outstanding SOE committee: Metropolitan Waterworks Authority, PTT Plc and Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative

2. Outstanding organization management: Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand

3. Outstanding organization development: National Science Museum (overall), Dhanarak Asset Development Co Ltd (internal audit), Rubber Authority of Thailand (IT management), and Dairy Farming Promotion Organization of Thailand (HR management)

4. Outstanding leader: Chatchai Srivilai, managing director of Government Housing Bank

5. Outstanding transparency: PTT Plc, Krungthai Bank Plc, and Provincial Electricity Authority

6. Outstanding social and environmental contributions: PTT Plc and Provincial Electricity Authority

7. Outstanding creativity and innovation: PTT Plc, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, and Provincial Waterworks Authority

8. Outstanding cooperation: Between PTT Plc and State Railway of Thailand, and between Metropolitan Electricity Authority and Marketing Organization

9. Outstanding digital transformation: No award winner, but PTT Plc, Provincial Electricity Authority and Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand receive honorary mentions

10. Outstanding SOE of 2019: Provincial Electricity Authority and Government Housing Bank

However, the growth this year is lower than the 7.4 per cent in 2018.

Spending by local and foreign tourists this year is expected to be lower than last year due to a slowing economy in a number of countries including Thailand. The strengthening baht has also affected travelling costs of tourists from some countries.

In the nine days, Thai tourists are expected to generate approximately Bt28.2 billion, increasing 0.6 per cent from the same period last year, according to the centre.

One positive factor is the government’s “Eat, Shop, Spend” scheme, in which people who have registered and spend money on eating, shopping or travelling can get a certain amount of money back.

The campaign ends on January 31, 2020.

The centre also expects foreign tourists to spend around Bt54 billion in the country, increasing 1.7 per cent from the same period last year.

The tourist business in Thailand will nevertheless face challenges amid economic risk factors, which will play a key role in influencing decisions made by tourists on travelling and spending, the centre said.

Furthermore, the tourism sector will face price competition from other countries as they seek to woo more travellers, while digital disruption and climate change will also pose challenges.