Bangkok Post
Manpower sees 1.2% unemployment
US recruitment agency Manpower Group Thailand forecasts an unemployment rate in 2019 of 1.1-1.2%, equal to 418,000-450,000 people, up from 400,000 in 2018. Thailand’s labour market in 2019 will face many external influences such as the global economy, the US-China trade war and Brexit. Keep ...
Lamonphet Apisitniran
Rice bill critics not clued up on latest draft, says minister
Deputy Commerce Minister Chutima Bunyapraphasara tried Tuesday to placate opponents of the controversial rice bill, saying critics are mistakenly commenting on the previous draft, not the recently updated version. “Efforts have been made to present confusing and not-up-to-date information [about the bill] to the public ...
Phusadee Arunmas
Foreign investors upbeat over Thailand's prospects
Foreign investors are still confident about Thai economic prospects, but fret over the connectivity between the current government’s flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and related infrastructure developments, anti-corruption policy and the direction of free trade agreements (FTAs). Keep reading ...
Phusadee Arunmas
Thailand tops global digital rankings
Thailand ranked No.1 for mobile banking users, second for ownership of cryptocurrency, and third in mobile commerce, according to the Global Digital Report 2019. Conducted by social media management platform Hootsuite and global agency WeAreSocial, the Global Digital Report 2019 found there are 49 million ...
Suchit Leesa-Nguansuk
Rice insurance continues
The cabinet has approved a rice insurance scheme for the 2019 season worth 1.74 billion baht, aiming to cover 30 million rai of farmland. The scheme, operated by the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), covers six types of natural disaster — floods, drought, ...
Chatrudee Theparat
Automation, AI pressure factory labour market
The technological disruption caused by automated systems and artificial intelligence (AI) is pressuring the country’s labour market, particularly the manufacturing sector, say business operators. Keep reading ...
Lamonphet Apisitniran
Rice bill not in farmers' interests
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) made the right decision in backing down on the Rice Bill fight, removing controversial content which drew hefty criticism. It agreed to take out a contentious section that prohibits the trade of rice seeds which are not approved under requirements ...
Community Forest Bill passes NLA
The long-awaited Forest Community Bill has finally been approved by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), putting an end to campaigns by environmentalists and villagers – dating back almost three decades – to have more say in the designation of green areas.Keep reading ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
Outcry at refusal to ban toxic chemicals
Consumer groups have vowed to ramp up their campaign to force the national committee on hazardous substances to ban three hazardous farm chemicals immediately, not in another two years. Comprising 686 civic groups, they have come together under the banner of the Thai Pesticides Alert ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
EEC head: Target sectors need 1m-plus workers
Demand for human resources in the government’s 12 targeted industries is estimated at more than 1 million over the next 12 years (2019-2030), according to the latest study by the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office. Keep reading ...
Chatrudee Theparat