A Bangkok taxi-driver discovered a dropped bag with 3.3 million Baht cash and returned

At 3 a.m. today, a taxi driver in Bangkok found what looked like a Bank's bag dropped on a road. He found that there was cash of around 3.33 million Bahts inside and decided to inform Jor Sor 100 radio station (traffic news) and returned the bag to the police.  The bag came out from a security van of Brinx when its rear door accidentally popped up and the driver and guards were not aware of it until a following motorcyclist informed them later of the opened door.

Ref:- news from Manager Online

New major conference center for Chiang Mai will start in 2013

A big Chiang Mai International Conference Center, funded by the government of Thailand will be operational from April 2013. This is in line with 2013 being declared as Thailand's MICE year.

ref:- Chiang Mai news

Thailand to expand reforestation plan in the north

News from Royal Initiative Project (under HM the King). ML Disnadda Devekula, Secretary of the Pidthong Foundation indicated that the foundation has a reforestation plan to plant 800 million tree saplings, and 150 million Vetiver shrubs, and 2810 water-retention mini-dams in Northern Thailand. The Mae Fah Luang Foundation and Pidthong Foundation (whose name means affixing gold leafs behind a Buddha image, i.e. even others can't see upfront) plan to use own budgets in producing the seedlings in preparation for the government expanded project starting 2013.

The secretary suggested that we have to take holistic approach. Local communities must also get benefits, i.e. people must be able to use or harvest some (fruit) products from it otherwise local people would not look after the newly reforested areas.

ref : news from Isranews

Thailand projected public debt will peak in 2016 at 49.9% GDP

Office of the Public Dept indicate that it has projected Thailand's public debt status for the next 7 years. Future needs included fund for water management at 350 Billion Baht, and fund for development of public infrastructures at 2 trillion Bahts. The projected public debt would be highest in fiscal year B.E. 2559 (2016) at 49.9% of GDP, from the current level of 43.27% of GDP. That figure is still below a sustainability threshold level at 60% of GDP.

Ref :- news from Thai Post

Thailand's public finance and debt status as of 2012

The Fiscal Policy Office of the Ministry of Finance indicated that, for fiscal year B.E. 2555 (startging October 2011-September 2012), the government's expense had a deficit of 264.5 Billion Baht (2.2% of GDP), an increase of 8.9 Billion Baht year on year. 

Office of the public Dept revealed that the public debt as of October 31, B.E. 2555 (2012), was at 4,827.3 Billion Bahts, or about 43.27% of GDP, a reduction of 109.9 Billion Baht year on year.  Of this, the debt which belongs to the government amounted at 3,402.4 Billion Baht, a reduction of 112.5 Billion Baht, and the debt for non-finance public agencies amounted to 1,052.3 Billion Baht, a reduction of 11.9 Billion Bahts.

Details in the link below (in Thai language) :-

Ref :- news from Thai Post

Thailand's Person of the Year 2012

The Nation newspaper of Thailand declared "Anti-corruption organization (Thailand) to be the person of the year for B.E. 2555 (2012). The anti-corruption coalitions currently has 46 organization members, from private commpanies, media, trade unions, business organizations. 

Ref :- article from SutthichaiYoon.com

Thai company to invest 4.5 Billion USD for petrochemicals

PTT Global Chemical Plc. (PTTGC) plans to invest 4.5 billion USD for the next 5 years (2013-2018) for new and on-going projects, including 2 downstream projects in Malaysia.

Currently PTTGC has an annual production capacity of 8.4 million tons for aromatics, olefins, and related chemicals, plus bioplastic, and selling 62% of its products to Thailand domestic market and 38% exporting.

Ref: Manager Online news