According to news reports, the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases in Region 2 has issued an arrest warrant for former Culture Minister Itthiphol Khunpluem. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has accused him of granting an improper construction permit to Bali Hai for the construction of a high-rise condominium complex called Waterfront Suites & Residences back in 2008 when he was serving as the mayor of Pattaya. Itthiphol was summoned by the prosecutor to acknowledge his charges on September 4, but he failed to appear. Consequently, the NACC requested an arrest warrant from the court, which was granted on September 5. If found guilty of violating Section 157 of the Criminal Code, he could face imprisonment ranging from 1 to 10 years, and the statute of limitations for this case is 15 years, meaning it will expire on September 10.

Opinion: What Thailand Can (and Shouldn't) Expect from the Srettha Thavisin Administration written by Pravit Rojanaphruk for Khaosod English

Updated: Thailand's new Government as approved by His Majesty the King and published in the Royal Gazette on September 2nd, 2023.

Updated: Thai Enquirer For Move Forward, the Stars Are Aligning

Thailand's new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin says he is considering extending the validity of tourist visas from 30 to 90 days and easing immigration procedures to make them more convenient for foreign tourists. As with many official announcements, the emphasis is on the word "considering", i.e. it can take a long time until a consideration is put into practice - if at all. Please click Thai PBS World for more information!

A prestigious hotel in Chiang Mai has filed a complaint with police against scammers who created a fraudulent Facebook page to trick individuals into booking accommodation and transferring money. Fake Facebook accounts are not uncommon and are to be expected wherever Facebook users can order services. We estimate that around 4-5% of global monthly active users (MAU) encounter fake accounts on Facebook. Please click Thai News Agency for more information!

Thailand's standard rate of VAT is 10%, but the rate is currently reduced to 7% until September 30th 2023 (unless further extended by the government). VAT is levied on the sale of goods and the provision of services. Exports are zero-rated, while a number of goods and services are exempt (e.g. basic groceries, education, healthcare, interest, leasing of immovable property, sale of real estate). The proposal to increase VAT from 7% to 10% to provide the additional 3% for old-age pensions has the main backing of the National Economics and Social Development Council. Vorawan Plikamin, NESDC Deputy Secretary General, said the move is a proactive measure to address the challenges of an aging society. She said 34% of Thais aged 60 and over are still employed, mostly in the lower income bracket, where 78% of this demographic earn less than 100,000 baht a year. At the same time, statistics show that 41% of Thai citizens aged 60 and over have savings of less than 50,000 baht. The number of Thai people aged 60 and over is projected to rise to 13.5 million, accounting for 20% of the total population. Forecasts are for 18.4 million (28%) in 2033 and 20.5 million (31.2%) in 2040.

Thai PBS World: Does crashing birthrate and aging society spell doom for Thailand?

Thai PBS World: Pension system in need of reform as cost pressure mounts. Thai society is aging fast. The percentage of the population aged 60 and above was projected to be 20.4 per cent in 2020 and 38.3 per cent in 2050.

Update (August 27th, 2023): According to Thai PBS World, the Thai Ministry of Finance has no immediate plan to increase VAT from 7% to 10%

Update (September 13th, 2023): Thai PBS World reports that The Cabinet decided today (Wednesday) to retain the 7% value-added tax (VAT) rate on goods and services until September 30, 2024, to stimulate economic recovery through spending on consumer products and services.

Bad household debt in Thailand surpassed 1 trillion baht in the second quarter of this year, with home and auto loans turning into more than 3.8 million baht in non-performing loans. However, according to the Bank of Thailand (BOT), only 70% of Thai household debt is covered, leaving a whopping 30% unmonitored! Please click The Nation for more information! Bangkok Post: Thai banks top Asean bad debt rankings Bangkok Post: BAM predicts bad loan sales of B100bn in 2024

The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has warned that new university graduates may find it tough to get jobs as demand is on the decline. Please click The Nation for more information!

On August 13th, a network of civil society organizations and activist groups called the People's Constitution Drafting Group launched an online and offline campaign to collect 50'000 signatures for a referendum on whether the 2017 constitution should be completely changed by an elected constituent assembly. By the end of August 22nd, the petition had received over 53'800 signatures. Hours later, however, law enforcement NGO iLaw, a member of the network, said it had been informed by Weera Yiprae, deputy secretary-general of the Electoral Commission of Thailand (ECT), that online forms were not being accepted and that over 40'000 of the signatures were there invalid. Background information: As early as November 24th, 2022, the network sent a letter to the ECT asking if collecting signatures to call a referendum could be done online. There are no regulations on how signatures should be collected, aside from requiring them to include an individual's full name, citizen ID number, and signature. Network representatives never received a clear answer. Before launching the campaign, the network contacted the ECT again but received no response. Instead, the ECT called them together for a talk, a meeting that has been repeatedly postponed. The ECT finally met with network representatives on August 22nd and informed them that all signatures must be collected on paper and not online. On August 28th, the citizens' groups announced that they had collected more than 200'000 legal signatures on their petition to hold a referendum to determine whether the people wanted a revision of the charter.

About a year ago, in October 2022, a Thai business tycoon and transgender activist purchased the Miss Universe Organization for US $20 million. Chakrapong “Anne” Chakrajutathib, who owns JKN Global Group Public Co. Ltd., is a celebrity in Thailand who has starred in reality shows and speaks openly about being a transgender woman. She helped establish a nonprofit group, the Life Inspired For Transsexual Foundation, to promote trans rights. On August 31st, 2023, Miss Universe Organization owner JKN Global Group (JKN) said it could not fully repay 609.98 million baht of principal and interest and would seek to negotiate new repayment terms. Forbes Thailand has named Ms Jakkaphong the most powerful trans woman in the world. The first Miss Universe pageant led by JKN is scheduled to take place on November 18th, 2023, in El Salvador.

Thailand ranks second among countries where the population reads the most!

Thailand's Marine Department has selected Pattaya as the site to build the first cruise terminal in Thailand to strengthen the country's marine tourism capacity. The project will be proposed to the new government. The cruise terminal will extend approximately 900 meters from the cape to the sea. Construction is expected to require a budget of 6 to 7 billion baht.

According to the Thai Hotels Association (THA), new ministerial regulations allowing the exclusion of accommodation with no more than eight rooms and 30 guests from hotel operations will result in a loss of 15-20% in tourism revenue and an increase in security risks.

The Nation reports that Thai Airways International (THAI) will gradually take over the destinations of its budget subsidiary Thai Smile as part of its business recovery plan and cease Thai Smile's operations in early 2024.

The Thai cabinet has given the go-ahead to pay civil servants twice a month from January 1st, 2024. The aim of this bi-monthly payment is to ease the financial burden on civil servants and reduce the need for loans. Once again, it is evident that not even highly educated civil servants are able to spend their money wisely. The Thai Ministry of Education sends its highly appreciated regards .... Updated (September 14th):
Bangkok Post: The government's plan to pay state officials twice a month, as a measure to stimulate the Thai economy, has drawn widespread criticism among civil servants across the country. Updated (September 14th):
Thai PBS World: Civil servants can choose biweekly or monthly salary payment : PM

The Nation reports that Recreational use of marijuana is likely to become a thing of the past in Thailand with a major policy shift under the new government.

Thai PBS World reports that A working committee has been set up to tackle illegal narcotics, with the active participation of the military and the aim of reducing the problem within a year, according to Thailand's prime minister Srettha Thavisin. Regarding cannabis, which has been removed from the Category 5 drug list and is more easily available through legal channels, the prime minister said the use of cannabis is restricted to medical purposes only and is not for recreation.

PM Srettha Thavisin told Bloomberg that his administration will restrict the use of marijuana for medical purposes only. He said the law would need to be rewritten in order to regulate the use of marijuana. He also said that all 11 parties within the Pheu Thai-led government have agreed to this policy. Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize marijuana in June 2022, and since then, thousands of cannabis dispensary shops have opened up all across the country. Srettha did not elaborate on what the government will do with these shops or how marijuana use will be regulated. However, he did mention that clearer regulations will be announced within six months. Currently, smoking marijuana in public areas is already prohibited, an age restriction has been implemented at dispensary shops, and these shops are not allowed to operate near schools.

Prachatai reports that The chief of the Royal Thai Air Force met with Myanmar's military ruler Min Aung Hlaing after the end of the 20th ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference chaired by the Myanmar military. MGR Online, a Burmese News outlet, reported that Alongkorn and Min Aung Hlaing discussed several topics, including strengthening relationships between the Thai and Myanmar military, cooperation between the two countries' air forces, a High-Level Officers Committee, and the Thai-Myanmar Regional Border Committee. Thailand, as well as ASEAN member countries Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, participated in the conference. The Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia chose not to attend.

Thai Enquirer claims that The Silencing of Pannika Wanich is A blow to Thailand's youth and democratic future. In a decision that echoes the tightening grip of establishment politics over the voice of the people, the Thai Supreme Court has banned Pannika Wanich from politics for life. The move comes as a harrowing reminder that Thailand's journey towards democratic governance is marred with potholes and detours.