Private investment falls in July
Private investment falls in JulyPrivate investment declined in July as a result of the prolonged pandemic, but the export sector has continued to expand for five consecutive months, said Fiscal Policy Office deputy spokesperson Wuttipong Jittungsakul. However, value-added tax (VAT) revenue and farmers' income still expanded by 22.9% and 6.2% year-on-year, respectively, Mr Wuttipong said. Private investment in machinery also dropped, reflecting the 12.4% year-on-year fall in sales of commercial cars. Sale of cement, which reflects the investment situation in the construction sector, fell 12% year-on-year as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic slowed down the construction sector. Growing export products included farm produce and foods, which grew 46.4% and 22% year-on-year, respectively.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 23:26 UTC
E-commerce expected to record double-digit growth
E-commerce expected to record double-digit growthDespite the sluggish economy that could lead to cautious spending in the second half, Thailand's e-commerce industry is still expected to see double-digit growth this year, driven by the new normal shopping trend, says e-commerce platform Lazada. "We think cautious spending will continue," said Ms Thanida. According to Ms Thanida, Thailand's e-commerce was worth 300 billion baht last year with a growth of 83% year-on-year. "We expect to see continuing double-digit growth at a level higher than last year as the lockdown led to offline shopping restrictions," she said. The online channel has become a must for brands and is "not an alternative", Ms Thanida said.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 23:26 UTC
Fed allays concerns over hike
Fed allays concerns over hikeASPS recommends investing in stocks with low volatility or a selective purchase of stocks with unique supporting factors. Asia Plus Securities (ASPS) said even though worries over interest rates are allayed, concerns over the Delta variant worldwide still persist. Meanwhile, the broker has reportedly increased its investment in Thai stocks by 5% to 30% thanks to recent declines in daily new infections and Thai stocks' relatively low prices compared to regional counterparts. ASPS recommended investing in stocks with low volatility or a selective purchase of stocks with unique supporting factors. The broker recommended allocating 20% of assets to fixed income and 5% in the money market as the interest rate remains low.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 23:26 UTC
Biden's fault lines in SE Asia
Biden's fault lines in SE AsiaVice President Kamala Harris was right in stating that when the history of the 21st century is written, most of it will be centred right here in the Indo-Pacific. First of all, it was unfortunate that Ms Harris embarked on her week-long trip to Southeast Asia after the Afghan debacle. As such, dispatching Ms Harris was the correct decision. In a nutshell, Mr Biden has effectively turned around his predecessor's dictum of "America First" into a stronger dose of "First America". Throughout her trip, Ms Harris used strong words to describe China's behaviour, among them bullying, coercion, intimidation and other China-bashing phrasing.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 23:26 UTC
MPI up for fifth consecutive month on export growth
MPI up for fifth consecutive month on export growthThe value of exports in July hit 700 billion baht. Arnun ChonmahatrakoolThailand' manufacturing production index (MPI) in July increased by 5.12% year-on-year for the fifth consecutive month to 91.41 points, thanks to export growth. Thai export value in July stood at 700 billion baht, which was good for the domestic economy, said Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit. OIE maintains its forecast for the MPI, expecting it will increase by 4-5% this year due to global economic recovery, lockdown easing and the mass vaccination scheme. Global economic recovery fuelled automotive manufacturing which rose by 31.49% year-on-year.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 23:26 UTC
Domino's Pizza set for major expansion
Domino's Pizza set for major expansionMr Sirutt (right) promotes Domino's Pizza restaurant's Kluaynamthai branch which opened last Friday. Wow Factor Plc, the operator of Domino's Pizza, Bake Cheese Tart and Le Boeuf French steak restaurant, looks set to accelerate its expansion and increase its Domino's outlets to 100 within five years. The company opened the first Domino's Pizza restaurant on Bangkok's Kluaynamthai intersection last Friday after it acquired the Domino's licence in October last year. The 26th Domino's Pizza at Kluaynamthai came with an American-style restaurant with more colourful features to attract younger customers. Domino's Pizza deliveries accounted for up to 60% of the company's sales in the second quarter of this year, compared to 40% before the Covid-19 crisis.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 23:26 UTC
Life returning to 'normal', but for how long?
Life returning to 'normal', but for how long? So life will return to something like normal tomorrow. But like the government's numerous Covid-19 vaccines deals, there seem to be a lot of plans but there is no knowing whether these will just end up as empty promise. Among ten measures under the plan is the need to find as many vaccines as possible as quickly as possible. Without enough vaccines, free and reasonably priced ATKs and effective isolation measures, there could be no "smart" control.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 23:26 UTC
Drug suspect in cop saga 'suffocated'
Drug suspect in cop saga 'suffocated'An autopsy from Sawanpracharak Hospital has confirmed that the death of a drug suspect, who was allegedly tortured by the former chief of Muang Nakhon Sawan police, was caused by suffocation, not a narcotics overdose. After leaked footage of the incident was disseminated on social media, severe doubts were raised over the earlier given cause of death of the 24-year-old man. The Royal Thai Police have assigned the CSD to oversee the investigation into Pol Col Thitisan and six other officers under his command, while the Economic Crime Suppression Division will examine Pol Col Thitisan's financial transactions after questions were asked about his lavish lifestyle. That branch of the investigation will seek to ascertain the source of Pol Col Thitisan's collection of luxury cars after police received a tip-off that the vehicles had been illegally imported from Malaysia. Pol Col Thitisan has been linked with the sale of over 300 vehicles by accomplices in the luxury car sector, which is thought to have reaped in huge profits.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 23:15 UTC
Bid adieu to bad rubbish
Bid adieu to bad rubbishOn Thursday, the national sub-committee tasked with overseeing plastic and electronic waste management will hold a meeting after a ban due to come into effect on Wednesday was once again pushed back due to pressure from the waste recycling industry. The ongoing debate and upcoming meeting puts the logic-defying nature of the domestic plastic recycling industry back into the spotlight. Some recycling factories in Thailand have become multinational and sought to boost revenues by processing rubbish from abroad in addition to the domestic haul. In 2018 alone, 552,912 tonnes of plastic rubbish were brought into the country. And in 2019, the cabinet in 2019 approved the Roadmap on Plastic Waste Management 2018–2030, which mandates that by 2027, 100% of plastic waste must be reusable.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 23:15 UTC
Students need a dose of curiosity
Students need a dose of curiosityStudents need to be curious to engage and learn. Setting clear expectations of lecturers and students help in the delivery of material and students' work requirements. Critics in professional areas have mentioned that students in Thailand are not aware of their environment, inside or outside of Thailand. So, student engagement should encourage learning by stimulating curiosity in students. Engagement aims to build students and hence society, thus; it should involve stimulating curiosity continuously.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 23:15 UTC
US military completes withdrawal from Afghanistan
US military completes withdrawal from AfghanistanPlanes are seen on the tarmac at Kabul airport just before the US announced it had completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan. "I'm here to announce the completion of our withdrawal to Afghanistan and the end of the military mission to evacuate American citizens," US General Kenneth McKenzie told reporters Monday. The evacuation flights have taken more than 123,000 people out of Kabul airport, according to McKenzie. In recent years, the Islamic State's Afghanistan-Pakistan chapter has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in those countries. On Sunday, the Taliban revealed their supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada was in southern Afghanistan and planning to make a public appearance.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 20:48 UTC
US drone strike wiped out Kabul family, brother says
The United States said Sunday it had destroyed an explosive-laden vehicle in an air strike, thwarting a bid by the Islamic State to detonate a car bomb at Kabul airport. "The rocket came and hit the car full of kids inside our house," said Aimal Ahmadi, Ezmarai's brother. Aimal said 10 members of the family died in the air strike -- including his own daughter and five other children. "We are aware of reports of civilian casualties following our strike on a vehicle in Kabul," Captain Bill Urban, a US military spokesman, said in a statement. "All the children were killed inside the car, the adults were killed just outside.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 19:30 UTC
WHO sounds alarm over rising Covid deaths in Europe
WHO sounds alarm over rising Covid deaths in EuropeA health worker collects a sample to test for the Covid-19 coronavirus in Colombo, Sri LankaCOPENHAGEN - The World Health warned Monday that 236,000 more people could die from Covid in Europe by December, sounding the alarm over rising infections and stagnating vaccine rates across the continent. In South Africa, scientists are monitoring a new coronavirus variant with an unusually high mutation rate. Europe has already registered around 1.3 million Covid deaths to date. "My daughter has not been vaccinated and the Delta variant is spreading like crazy," Asmara Wreksono, mother of a third-grader, told AFP. Some 10,000 Covid deaths are now reported every day around the world, still a lower figure than the highs of January when an average of 14,800 people were dying daily.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 19:18 UTC
Hurricane Ida death toll expected to soar
Hurricane Ida death toll expected to soarA section of a building's roof is blown off during rain and winds in the French Quarter of New Orleans on August 29, 2021NEW ORLEANS - The death toll from Hurricane Ida was expected to climb "considerably," Louisiana's governor warned Monday, as rescuers combed through the "catastrophic" damage wreaked as it tore through the southern United States as a Category 4 stormsoar. One death has been confirmed so far but Edwards said he expected the toll "to go up considerably." "The damage is really catastrophic," Edwards told Today, adding that Ida had "delivered the surge that was forecasted. President Joe Biden declared a major disaster for Louisiana and Mississippi, which gives the states access to federal aid. The National Hurricane Center issued warnings of storm surges and flash floods over portions of southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi and southern Alabama as Ida travels northeast.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 16:07 UTC
China targets jobs, wages and training in new 5-year economic blueprint
China targets jobs, wages and training in new 5-year economic blueprintShoppers in an upscale retail area in Beijing on Wednesday. To remedy the situation, policymakers called for vocational training to be expanded, with subsidised training for an estimated 75 million people. The government would fully open up vocational training and encourage more private companies to enter the sector, the document said. The message comes in the wake of Beijing's sweeping crackdown on the after-school tutoring industry, a move many analysts say was meant to free up more resources for vocational training. Echoing President Xi Jinping's latest call for "common prosperity", the plan highlights wages as the primary distribution of wealth.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 30, 2021 12:33 UTC