Thailand

Central banks in Thailand and the US are expected to further slash their policy interest rates in the hope that monetary stimulus will help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus epidemic, economists say. They also provided a grim forecast for Thailand’s economic outlook this year, expecting GDP growth to arrive at no more than 2%. The US Federal Reserve on …

The Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro) has unveiled a plan to allocate Sor Por Kor land in Ratchaburi province’s Chom Bung district, including 682 rai previously occupied by Palang Pracharath Party MP Pareena Kraikupt, to landless farmers. Alro secretary-general Vinaroj Sapsongsuk said the land allocation plan is in line with the Feb 21 announcement concerning land reform areas in Chom …

There will be no water splashing during Songkran — at least in Khon Kaen, Pattaya and Bang Saen — as the coronavirus outbreak has forced organisers to scrap activities that could expose more people to the bug that is bringing the world to a standstill. Khon Kaen Municipality on Thursday announced the cancellation of the Khon Kaen Songkran Festival, leaving …

Authorities scrambled on Friday to ease worries about new self-quarantine measures for arrivals from six virus-hit countries and territories, a day after announcing compulsory isolation. But confusion persists over whether the government is ordering or merely “recommending” self-quarantine for 14 days, with punishment for travellers who ignore the “advice”. Public Health Ministry spokesman Rungrueng Kiphati told Reuters on Thursday that …

The number of cases from the new coronavirus reaches 100,000 worldwide as the United States battled to contain an outbreak on board a stranded cruise ship where 21 people have tested positive. The World Health Organization called the spread of the virus “deeply concerning” as a wave of countries reported their first cases of the disease — which has now …

More than 100 restaurants in Hong Kong have refused to serve diners from mainland China during the coronavirus outbreak, according to a human rights group that is warning firms against crossing the line into racial discrimination. The Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) found the businesses were posting messages online or displaying notices at their premises barring Mandarin speakers and non-locals, …

South Korea threatened retaliation against Japan for what it called an “irrational and excessive” request for its citizens to voluntarily quarantine themselves, as Tokyo’s outbreak-control measures renewed tensions between the neighbours. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “deep regret” over Japan’s latest travel restrictions in a statement Friday, saying they came “without prior or sufficient discussion with us, …

Facebook has taken down an ad from President Donald Trump’s campaign which critics said misled people into believing it was an official message about the US census. The ads encouraged readers to “take the official 2020 Congressional District Census,” but clicking on the messages directed users to a Trump campaign website. Facebook has been under pressure from activists who have …

The percentage of Thais living in poverty has fallen dramatically over the past three decades, from over 65% in 1988 to under 10% in 2018. However, that trend has reversed in recent years with stalled household incomes and consumption bringing a rise in poverty, according to a new World Bank report. Between 2015 and 2018, the poverty rate in Thailand …

The government has ordered textile firms to speedily produce 30 million pieces of washable cloth face masks in the next month to give away in Bangkok metropolitan areas to combat chronic shortages. The Industry Ministry acknowledged that textile firms should be able to produce 10 million cloth masks in one month based on their production capacity. The ministry expects to …