Sales of new cars contracted for the third consecutive month in August, mainly due to credit denials resulting from new banking guidelines, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) announced on Tuesday.

The FTI Automotive Section reported total estimated sales of 80,838 vehicles for the month of August 2019, down 6.9% year-on-year.

Transactions also decreased on a monthly basis, by 0.3% compared to July.

Federation spokesman Surapong Paisitpatanapong explained that many financial institutions had tightened the conditions for granting car loans. As a result, the number of refusals has increased and local vehicle distributors have been forced to cancel multiple unfulfilled orders over the past three months.

Nevertheless, this downward trend did not affect the overall growth for the period between January and August, with a total of 685,652 units, up 4.2% year-on-year.

The FTI has maintained its forecast for new car sales for 2019 at 1.05 million units.

Floods continue to submerge homes, roads and agricultural lands in northeastern Thailand, resulting in the relocation of more than 23,000 people to temporary shelters. Meanwhile, frustration is growing with the authorities’ slow response.

Torrential rains have hit the country in the past two weeks, causing heavy flooding and mudslides in several provinces. Many families had to be evacuated from their homes by boat or makeshift raft.

Since 29 August, at least 32 people have died, according to a report from the Department of Disasters published on Saturday.

Two meteorological events caused these floods: storm Podul and a tropical depression that began over the South China Sea called Kajiki.

The media in Ubon Ratchathani, the most affected province, reported that the local population was moving in waters that reached their chests.

Flooding in this province, which borders Laos and Cambodia, has been exacerbated by rising water levels in the Mun and Chi rivers.

« It will take three weeks to drain the floodwater » for 90% of flooded households, Governor Sarit Witoon said.

« The water has slightly receded about four centimetres today and I think it will keep going down, » he added.

The reaction of the central authorities in Bangkok was also pointed out.

« The government has been very slow in responding to the situation since the floods started in the beginning of September, » said Pongsak Saiwan, local leader of the opposition Future Forward party.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan o-cha tweeted on Saturday that he had asked the various agencies to « expedite assistance » to the populations of the affected areas.

It is now official, Pope Francis will visit Thailand from November 20 to 23, as announced on Friday by the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See during a press conference.

Archbishop and Apostolic Nuncio Paul Tschang In-Nam made this statement in English at 2pm sharp, while Cardinal Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanit did the same in Thai.

« It is my great honor and pleasure to make the following announcement. At the invitation of the Royal Thai Government and the Bishops of Thailand, His Holiness Pope Francis will make the Apostolic Visit to Thailand on November 20 to 23, 2019. »

This official statement comes after several weeks of speculation.

The Pope will lead two public masses during his visit, one for Thai Catholics and the other for the young Thai Catholics, the press release states. The detailed timetable will be announced at a later date.

According to Bishop Wissanu Thanya-anan, Deputy General Secretary of the Thai Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the celebrations could take place at the National Stadium.

« We want to reach Gen X, Gen Y, and other young people, » Wissanu said. That’s why we’ll have a dedicated mass for youth. »

Sister Bangon Mathurotsuwan, 51, from the Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Bangkok, said: « There are very few Catholics in Thailand, only about 300,000, but he still sees us as important. I’m so excited, and I’ll be waiting for him. »

Sister Bangon added that this visit will also be significant, as it marks the 350th anniversary of the foundation of the « Mission de Siam », which aims to supervise Catholic missions in the Kingdom.

First visit of a Pope to Thailand since 1984

The last visit of a Pope to Thailand was in 1984, with Pope John Paul II. This year, after his visit to Thailand, Pope Francis will visit Tokyo, Japan, from November 23 to 27.

« It’s true that there is a small number of Catholics in Thailand, but there have been papal visits to countries with an even smaller population, such as Bosnia and Herzogovina or to Muslim countries, » said Bishop Wissanu, quoted by Khaosod English.

Bishop Wissanu reminded that in February, Pope Francis visited the United Arab Emirates, where the number of Catholics is estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000.

« The numbers aren’t important when a father is visiting his children, » commented Chainarong Monthienvichienchai, spokesman for the Holy See.

He said that this visit was a « big joy » for Thai Catholics and that he was convinced that they would come in « great numbers ».

« We prayed he would visit our country when he came to visit a nearby country, Myanmar. We are next door to each other, but he has a very tight schedule, so he couldn’t make a stopover, » added Mr. Chainarong, referring to Pope Francis’ visit in November 2017.

With a total of four days, this stay of the Supreme Pontiff in the Kingdom will be twice as long as the one of Pope John Paul II.

Information about this visit will be available through the official « Pope Visit Thailand » website as well as on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Line social networks.

A police inspector from Uthai Thani, in central Thailand, was arrested in Chiang Rai province, in the north of the country, after nearly 200,000 meth tablets were found in his luggage.

Agents stationed at the checkpoint of Tambon Pong-Ngam had initially stopped a Nakhonchai Tour bus for a routine inspection. The vehicle was then arriving from Mae Sai and heading towards Bangkok.

The officers identified a locked suitcase in the luggage rack adjacent to seat No. 1A, occupied by Lieutenant-Colonel Surachit Thavuth. They asked him to open the bag for examination.

Mr. Surachit attempted to escape and hide in bushes by the side of the road. However, his escape was only short-lived. He was quickly caught and brought back to the bus to open the luggage, which contained 198,000 meth pills.

The Uthai Thani police inspector admitted that he went to Mae Sai to receive the drug and to deliver it to a dealer in Bangkok, whom he identified as « Oak », in exchange for 100,000 baht (3,000 euros).

After his arrest, Mr. Surachit was suspended from duty and a disciplinary committee was set up to rule on the case.

This investigation is also expected to be expanded to find the mastermind behind this network of drug traffickers.

The number of foreign tourists arriving in Thailand in August increased by 5.59% compared to the previous year, a pleasant surprise brought by the return of Chinese visitors, said the Ministry of Tourism.

The 3.41 million international arrivals in August represent a turnover of 170 billion baht (5.1 billion euros), an increase of 7.12% over one year, the ministry said.

The number of Chinese tourists, the Kingdom’s largest source of visitors, jumped 15.6% in August year-on-year to 1 million, after increasing 5.81% in July, following five consecutive months of decline.

Between January and August, the number of foreign tourists increased by 2.6% compared to 2018 to 26.5 million.

The authorities have found some optimism and now estimate that the number of foreign travellers will exceed the 40 million mark this year, a record figure, said Narumon Pinyosinwat, the government spokeswoman.

« The prime minister has instructed relevant agencies to address any impact of an influx of foreign tourists on the public, environment and infrastructure, » she added.

Last year, Thailand welcomed 38.3 million foreigners. However, the sinking of the Phoenix near Phuket Island, which killed 47 Chinese visitors, was the starting point for a drop in the number of tourists from China.

Tourism is one of the main contributors to the country’s growth, with foreign revenues accounting for nearly 12% of the gross domestic product (GDP).

The number of Thai visitors to Hong Kong fell in July, amid protracted demonstrations in the Chinese autonomous territory.

The Hong Kong Immigration Department recorded 31,211 arrivals of Thai nationals who spent at least one night in the city in July. This represents a decrease of 6.6% compared to the same period last year. However, the number of one-day visitors increased by 11% to 10,337 in the same month.

Overall, the total number of Thai tourists in July decreased slightly, by 2.7%, to 41,548, compared to 42,710 a year earlier.

The Association of Thai Travel Agents has predicted that packages for trips to Hong Kong could fall by more than 30% this year. In addition to the wave of protests in the Special Administrative Region, the economic slowdown in Thailand should also be considered.

The city has welcomed a total of 40 million international tourists in the first seven months of the year, up 11% year-on-year. However, traveller arrivals fell 4.8% in July year-on-year to 5.196 million, the first decline since January 2018.

Hong Kong Finance Minister Paul Chan also claimed that visitor arrivals in August were down by nearly 40% compared to the previous year. Anti-government demonstrations, sometimes violent, have had increasingly serious consequences for the tourism, hotel and trade sectors.

Some properties have seen their occupancy rate cut in half, while room rates have dropped by 40 to 70 per cent, he added.

« The most worrying thing is that it does not seem that the road ahead is easily going to turn any better, » Chan said.

Smog from Indonesia has been covering some southern provinces of Thailand for several days, exposing people to health risks.

The media broadcast images of the smog-ridden city of Hat Yai, Songkhla province. This thick smoke is a consequence of ongoing agricultural land burns and forest fires in Indonesia, while the southwest wind amplifies this situation.

Residents of Hat Yai have been alerted about a high level of fine particulate matter PM 2.5 exceeding the tolerance threshold of 50 micrograms per cubic metre since three days.

The authorities have also warned of worsening air quality in the coming days, as fires still seem untamable.

Due to its geographical location and poor air circulation, Hat Yai remains more exposed to smog than other regions.

Children, elderly people, pregnant women and residents with respiratory problems were advised to avoid outdoor exposures.

This cross-border pollution fog has also affected other Thai provinces, including Trang and Satun, with some urban areas covered with smog.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian authorities have reported an increase in the number of fire sources on the island of Sumatra.

Thailand, Laos and Malaysia have agreed to increase a trilateral electricity agreement, under which Laotian energy will be sold to Malaysia through the Thai grid.

« Thailand, Laos and Malaysia achieved a new purchase deal, raising the capacity from 100 to 300 megawatts, » said Sontirat Sontijirawong, Thailand’s Energy Minister, after a four-day meeting in Bangkok with his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

« It is a model project of ASEAN grid connectivity. We agreed to officially sign the contract soon, » he said.

The first phase of the agreement, known as the « Lao PDR, Thailand, Malaysia – Power Integration Project » (LTM-PIP), was implemented in early 2018 and will start its second phase in January 2020. Under the new commitment, Laos will increase the amount of electricity sold to Malaysia via Thailand from 100 to 300 MW.

Yeo Bee Yin, Malaysian Minister of Energy, and Khammany Inthirath, his Laotian counterpart, took part in the talks with Mr. Sontirat in Bangkok.

« This cooperation will be a stepping stone to further grid connection. Now we have Laos, Thailand and Malaysia. In the future, we will have Singapore, Myanmar and Cambodia joining the next phases, » said Mr. Sontirat.

23% renewable electricity in ASEAN by 2025

According to the Thai minister, Thailand and Myanmar are also considering a 250 MW connection plan due to Myanmar’s growing demand, in line with its economic development. The current supply only covers 50% of its needs, he added.

In order to protect the environment and combat global warming, the Thailand’s National Science and Technology Development Agency and ASEAN Center of Energy have also signed a cooperation protocol. The latter intends to find alternative methods of electricity production, especially solar and wind power, in order to replace fossil fuels.

« The signing is aimed at pushing ASEAN to use renewable, alternative energies from 14 to 23 percent by 2025, » said Mr. Sontirat. « ASEAN is moving toward clean energies … to help reduce global warming. »

The trilateral agreement between Thailand, Laos and Malaysia is part of a programme developed by Thailand. It aims to transform the country into a major hub at the heart of the regional network, said Wattanapong Kurovat, Director General of the Government’s Energy Policy and Planning Department.

« We’re trying to move quickly to become the center of the region’s power grid, » Wattanapong explained to Bloomberg. « We already have the capacity and the infrastructure to support the vision to become the regional hub. »

Thailand’s Environment Minister announced a major agreement with retailers, plastic manufacturers and shopping malls to stop providing single-use plastic bags to customers. This new program will come into effect in January 2020.

Last year, several supermarkets began offering various promotions to encourage their buyers to reduce the number of single-use bags distributed. However, this was not a real attempt to reduce the huge amounts of plastic waste generated by these companies, but rather a media stunt.

The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Varawut Silpa-archa, said that many interlocutors had been invited to join the campaign.

« This cooperation will help Thailand leave the list of major generators of waste and sea garbage, » he added.

Among the companies involved are Central, The Mall, CP All (owner of 7 – Eleven Thailand), Makro, Robinson, Bangchak, Big C, Index Living Mall and PTT, as well as various professional associations.

These partners have committed to stop distributing single-use plastic bags to customers from January onwards.

« This type of campaign should have been done long ago. We have spent so much time trying to negotiate. At last, we made it, » said the Minister.

From next January, Thais will have to bring their own bags to carry their purchases.

« A campaign like this shows that Thailand, which is ranked sixth in the world for generating sea waste, is attempting to reduce plastic waste. It’s estimated that Thais use 45 billion single-use plastic bags per year, » he noted.

In addition, as of 2022, the ban on polystyrene food packaging and other single-use plastic items, including straws and cups, will also come into force.

The private sector once again urged the Bank of Thailand to curb the soaring baht, while the recent cut of 25 basis points of the policy rate had little or no effect on the national currency.

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) called on politicians, the Bank of Thailand and the Ministry of Finance to contain the baht’s strength as soon as possible in order to preserve the country’s competitiveness, said Supant Mongkolsuthree, President of the Federation of Thai Industries.

The latest cut of the policy rate did not stop the baht’s appreciation, which weighs on exports, tourism and foreign direct investment, said Mr. Supant.

« Additional measures may be needed to cope with the stronger baht, » he added.

Since the beginning of the year, the baht has risen by 10 and 14% against the Chinese yuan and the South Korean won.

The Thai currency has also jumped by about 6% against the US dollar since January, the best performance in Asia. The Vietnamese dong, one of the regional competitors, remained stable against the greenback.

In its report following the meeting of 7 August, the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Thailand expressed concerns about the impact that fluctuations of the baht could have on the economy. These concerns have been reinforced by the context of growing international trade tensions.

The central bank has launched a drive to control short-term offshore fund inflows by reducing its supply of new bonds.

It then intensified its initiatives by lowering the ceiling on non-resident accounts from 300 to 200 million baht per person, while requiring a declaration stating the names of the beneficiaries for all Thai debt securities held by non-residents.

If, as expected, the US Federal Reserve eases its policy once again, the baht should strengthen further.

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The strong baht causes growth forecasts to fall

The JSCCIB wishes to participate in a fiscal and monetary committee initiated by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak to help policy makers identify ways to stimulate the economy, Mr. Supant said.

Predee Daochai, president of the Thai Bankers Association, reminded that a stronger baht reduces the country’s competitiveness, amid an economic slowdown and a trade war between the United States and China.

Thailand’s growth is expected to be below 3% this year, down from initial expectations, and projections could be further reduced by next month. insta bbcxkingg

The JSCCIB forecasts that the trend in overseas shipments will be in the range of -1 to 1% this year.

The Committee considered that economic momentum in July remained sluggish, with only gold allowing exports to emerge positively.

In addition, domestic consumption was sluggish, while investment remained stable.

The stimulus package announced by the government could somewhat offset the effects of these negative factors. However, it will take some time for measures to promote foreign investment to deliver tangible results.