Author: Nicholas Lardy, PIIE In defence of his trade war with China, US President Donald Trump has yet again let his Twitter fingers get ahead of reality. He tweeted in late August 2019 that ‘China wants to make a deal so badly’ and that ‘Thousands of companies are leaving because of the Tariffs’. This supposed exodus of […]
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BANGKOK (NNT) – The amount of marine debris generated in Thailand has dropped to 21,700-32,600 tons annually, after the initial success of a project to increase the reuse and recycling of materials by 25 percent. Plastic bags remain the largest proportion of marine debris found in the environment.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment’s (MNRE) Permanent Secretary Jatuporn Buruspat, has revealed a downward trend in the quantity of marine debris generated in Thailand, with the volume of marine debris washed ashore in 2018 at between 21,700-32,600 tons annually, which is an obvious decrease from the amount in 2016 of between 33,900-51,000 tons.
He said the decrease in marine debris is due to greater reuse and recycling of materials, from 15% to 25%.
In 2018, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) conducted a study of microplastic contamination in the environment caused by the degradation of plastic debris, and its potential long-tern effect on the food chain and human health. The study, conducted in 18 seaside provinces, found 53-2,102 pieces of microplastic per square meter of beach in the dry season, with the level of concentration dropping to 0-974 pieces per square meter in the rainy season.
Every year the department holds activities to celebrate the International Coastal Cleanup, on the 3rd September each year. This year, the department also held events on 21st September in 24 seaside provinces which helped remove 230,000 pieces of debris, weighing 10 tons in total, from the marine ecology. Most of this debris was assorted plastics, with plastic bags at 22 percent, plastic bottles at 16 percent, foam food containers at 9 percent, along with glass bottles at 5 percent, and drinking straws at 5 percent.
The MNRE permanent secretary has stressed 350,081 pieces of debris have so far been collected this year, from beaches in 23 seaside provinces, weighing in total 32.83 tons. The largest proportion of this debris is plastic bags amounting to 11.71 percent, followed by foam food containers and food bags.
Bangkok, 1 October 2019 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Deputy Governors, effective from 1 October, 2019.
Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool has been promoted to the position of Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Business. She will be overseeing the development and promotion of tourism products and services in line with the demands of both travellers and investors.
She was most recently the Executive Director of TAT’s Tourism Products Department, having been promoted from the position of the Executive Director of the Product Promotion Department. Prior to that, she was the Director of the TAT Governor’s Office and before that the Executive Director of the Tourism Products Department.
Mrs. Numfhon Boonyawat has been promoted to the position of Deputy Governor for Policy and Planning. In her new position, she is tasked to oversee the organisational policy, overall marketing strategy planning, monitoring and evaluation.
Prior to this new appointment, she was the Executive Director of the Planning Department. Her previous positions and responsibilities at TAT have included TAT Director of Marketing Strategy Division, Director of the TAT Sydney Office, and Executive Director of the Human Resources Department.
1. The ASEAN-GCC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held on 28 September 2019 in New York, the United States, on the sidelines of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The Meeting, held in an open-ended troika format, was co-chaired by Honourable Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, Minister of Foreign Affairs II of Brunei Darussalam, and H.E Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman. The Meeting was attended by Foreign Ministers or Representatives of ASEAN Member States and GCC Member Countries, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, and the Secretary-General of the GCC
Download the full statement here.
JAPAN (NNT) – The Office of the Vocational Education Commission has congratulated a group of students from Sawangdandin Vocational Education College in Sakhon Nakhon after they won the 39th Honda Soichiro Cup in Japan last month.
The students of the “Nai Hoi Tamin” team from Sawangdandin Vocational Education College, were placed first in the “New Challenge” category at the 39th Honda Soichiro Cup, with a record of 2,048.17 kilometers per liter. The international event took place on September 28 and 29 at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit and was attended by over 300 teams from many Asian countries, such as Japan, China and Vietnam.
The “Nai Hoi Tamin” team was also the winner at the 21st Honda Eco Mileage Challenge in Thailand last year. The team built a car that can run up to 1,792 kilometers per liter of gasoline, at an average speed of 30 kilometers per hour.
Members of the “Nai Hoi Tamin” team comprise Nantapong Saiwan, Abhisit Pakdirak, Nattawut Suwannakan and Tawee Putson, with their instructor, Phornthawee Wongchalermsak, acting as their manager.
BANGKOK (NNT) – Krungthai Bank (KTB) has refuted rumors that its “Chim Shop Chai (Taste, Shop, Use)” registration system failed yesterday (Sept 29), resulting in shoppers at a Tesco Lotus in Lak Si district of Bangkok abandoning their shopping carts. KTB say the error was specific to the branch, adding that one million people had registered for the program by 3a.m. today.
The bank explained that only 20 portals per province are allotted to major stores, in line with government policy looking to have the program benefit grassroots citizens and businesses.
Tesco Lotus registered 20 branches in Bangkok for participation in the program, allowing only one registration point per branch. KTB pointed out that the store’s inability to meet demand was the result of mismanagement and has suggested it offer the program at fewer branches to increase the number of portals per branch. It noted The Mall Group offers the program at three branches in Bangkok, while Big C offers the program at seven branches in Samut Prakan province.
The bank says that the intent of this campaign is to stimulate the tourism sector, the grassroots economy and money circulation throughout the provinces. It is designed to disperse revenue and encourage travel by Thai citizens.
Bangkok, September 2019 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Krabi Office is launching its ‘Krabi Premium’ marketing concept aimed at delivering ‘the best of the best’ of Krabi.
It offers meaningful experiences to tourists to hopefully stimulate spending and generate additional revenue for local communities in the province.
The initiative also aims to promote responsible tourism while encouraging the exchange of ideas between the locals, tourists and tourism operators on how to promote the concept both locally and to domestic and international tourists.
Mr. Apichai Aranyig, Director of the TAT Krabi Office, said the ‘Krabi Premium’ concept started off as a project to entice more domestic tourists, both Thai and expatriates living in Thailand, to Krabi through the launch of the ‘We are Krabi‘ and its bookcaze websites.
“The concept is now expanding to cover all potential markets. Through partnerships with tour operators and hotels, international tourists will know more of what can be experienced in Krabi while Thai tourists will know they are welcomed all-year round. This averts misconceptions that hotels and tourism operators in Krabi only want Thai tourists during the low season,”
Mr. Apichai said.
“The concept is also meant to encourage hotels, tourism operators and Krabi locals to be good hosts and treat…
Thailand’s nascent e-commerce industry is thriving and making serious money. According to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, Thai e-Commerce grew the most in ASEAN, the value of Thai ecommerce grew 14% in 2018, estimating that the value would increase to USD 103 billion, and its growth is expected to hit 20% this year.
According to the report Asia-Pacific B2C E-Commerce Market, over one half of total global online retail sales happens in the Asia-Pacific region. Over 50% of all the online shopping for retail goods and services takes place in the Asia Pacific region, and South-East Asia accounts for about 40% of the e-commerce market of the region.
Southeast Asia is definitely a new big e-commerce hit, and the region is currently a very attractive market for big players involved globally in the e-commerce sector and smaller local companies.
At a reflection point of Internet penetration and mobile devices rapid spread, the population of Southeast Asia is quickly adapting its behaviors to take advantage of new purchasing products and services online opportunities.
According to the latest e-Conomy Southeast Asia 2018 report from Google and Singapore-based Temasek, the digital economy in Southeast Asia is on track to hit $240 billion by 2025, which is $40 billion more than previous estimates.
As e-commerce continues to grow exponentially, Southeast Asia will account for 20% of worldwide e-commerce by as early as 2022.
With a GDP worth of USD 602 billion, Thailand is the second largest economy in Southeast Asia, surpassed only by Indonesia. In addition to that, according to EcommerceIQ research, Thailand is also the second…
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