KEY ISSUES AT A GLANCE
- Decree to remain in place: Prayut. Immigrants, airport crowds still a worry. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday insisted the government has not yet cancelled the emergency decree as there remain concerns that the special law is still needed, although easing of restrictions will continue and the cabinet will reassess the situation when the time is right. Gen Prayut’s remarks came after Move Forward Party (MFP) MP Rangsiman Rome urged the government to stop renewing the decree, which has been extended 18 times in two years despite the drop in Covid-19 cases and easing of restrictions. The premier said the emergency decree was invoked to facilitate government efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 and the special law has been an effective tool in helping to achieve that target. He said the government would have to examine the Covid-19 situation and decide if the emergency decree was still necessary. If the emergency decree is lifted, the government will have only the public health laws at its disposal, he noted. Source: Bangkok Post
- What to do once mask mandate ends on July 1. The Health Department has come up with guidelines on how to best protect yourself once the mask mandate is scrapped on July 1. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced that from July 1, people will not be required to wear a mask in open areas. Useful infographic contained in article. Source: The Nation
- How long can Thailand’s central bank swim against the tide? The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has come under high pressure to react as domestic inflation has been climbing fast and other central banks, especially the US Federal Reserve (Fed), have started to raise their interest rates. Many countries have been suffering from high inflation due to rising prices of oil, natural gas and food, as well as from the consequences of loosening monetary and fiscal policies aimed at boosting economic growth amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Thailand’s headline inflation hit a 13-year-high in May, rising 7.1 percent. It was even worse in the US where it climbed as high as 8.6 percent, a 40-year-high for the country, which compelled the Fed to raise its benchmark funds rate by 0.75 percentage point on June 15. It was the biggest rate hike in 28 years, bringing the Fed funds rate to a range of 1.5-1.75 percent. Source: Thai PBS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- No significant announcements
AUSTRALIA IN THE NEWS
- Gourmet Market celebrates ‘Taste Of Australia’. The best ingredients and top-notch products from Australia are presented during “Taste Of Australia 2022”, which is running at three branches of the Gourmet Market — Emporium, EmQuartier and Paragon — until July 4. Held in collaboration with the Australian embassy and Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), this is the first time that renowned fresh ingredients such as Galician beef from Vintage Beef and hapuku fish are introduced at the event. Source: Bangkok Post
- Wary PM set to talk Assange with the US. CANBERRA: Australia’s prime minister said yesterday he will engage “diplomatically” over the US prosecution of Julian Assange but he is standing by earlier remarks questioning the purpose of further legal action. Source: Bangkok Post print edition
COVID
- 1, 714 new cases and 21 deaths Source: Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health
- What to do once mask mandate ends on July 1. The Health Department has come up with guidelines on how to best protect yourself once the mask mandate is scrapped on July 1. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced that from July 1, people will not be required to wear a mask in open areas. Useful infographic contained in article. Source: The Nation
POLITICS
- Decree to remain in place: Prayut. Immigrants, airport crowds still a worry. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday insisted the government has not yet cancelled the emergency decree as there remain concerns that the special law is still needed, although easing of restrictions will continue and the cabinet will reassess the situation when the time is right. Gen Prayut’s remarks came after Move Forward Party (MFP) MP Rangsiman Rome urged the government to stop renewing the decree, which has been extended 18 times in two years despite the drop in Covid-19 cases and easing of restrictions. The premier said the emergency decree was invoked to facilitate government efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 and the special law has been an effective tool in helping to achieve that target. He said the government would have to examine the Covid-19 situation and decide if the emergency decree was still necessary. If the emergency decree is lifted, the government will have only the public health laws at its disposal, he noted. Source: Bangkok Post
- Senators hiring kin deemed ‘legal’. Senate Speaker Pornpetch Wichitcholchai has maintained that senators appointing their relatives to work on their Senate teams is not illegal. Mr Pornpetch made his remarks on Monday in response to criticisms after the Internet Dialogue on Law Reform (iLaw) disclosed that more than 50 cousins of senators have filled seats in several Senate working panels. The critics questioned the suitability of the appointments which are viewed as nepotism. Mr Pornpetch, however, came out in the senators’ defence, saying certain positions in public office may require someone, who the senators can trust, to fill. The Senate speaker downplayed concern the issue could be investigated by the House Committee on corruption and misconduct. Source: Bangkok Post, Thai Enquirer
- Pheu Thai claims Si Sa Ket rallies a resounding success. Pheu Thai spokesperson Teerarat Samretwanich said on Sunday that large crowds had shown up at the rallies in Uthumphon Phisai, Rasi Salai and Khukhan districts. The gatherings were led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, and Nattawut Saikuar, former leader of the red-shirt movement. Paetongtarn is head of the Pheu Thai Family project and Nattawut the director. “More than 10,000 Si Sa Ket residents and people from nearby provinces showed up at the rallies,” Teerarat said, adding that this was a clear sign that local people continue supporting the party. Pheu Thai also announced its potential candidates for House seats in the Northeast, she said. Source: The Nation
- Dem wants energy minister to be grilled. Govt MPs unhappy over fuel price hikes. Democrat MP for Ratchaburi Akkaradej Wongpitakroj on Monday urged the opposition to grill Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow in the upcoming censure debate. Mr Akkaradej said several coalition MPs were unhappy with the government’s handling of soaring fuel prices and hoped the opposition would consider adding Mr Supattanapong to its list of targets. “Almost 20 government MPs aren’t happy with the handling of fuel prices and that is the Energy Ministry’s failure. If the opposition grills him in the censure debate, it could be in for a similar surprise as seen with the marriage equality bill and the liquor production bill,” he said. Source: Bangkok Post
ECONOMICS
- Refiners deny profit tally. Calculation made in error, says club. The Petroleum Refining Industry Club, a unit of the Federation of Thai Industries, has insisted the current gross refinery margin (GRM) is reasonable, rebutting an accusation that oil companies are overcharging customers for refined oil. GRM, the difference between prices of crude oil and refined oil, refers to costs added to the crude oil price during the refining process. It eventually becomes part of the retail oil price that drivers pay at petrol stations. Last week, Kla Party leader Korn Chatikavanij raised doubts over the high GRM and called on the government to put a cap on the refinery margin and impose a windfall tax on oil refineries to control oil retail prices, which continue to rise amid the Russia-Ukraine war. Source: Bangkok Post
- How long can Thailand’s central bank swim against the tide? The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has come under high pressure to react as domestic inflation has been climbing fast and other central banks, especially the US Federal Reserve (Fed), have started to raise their interest rates. Many countries have been suffering from high inflation due to rising prices of oil, natural gas and food, as well as from the consequences of loosening monetary and fiscal policies aimed at boosting economic growth amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Thailand’s headline inflation hit a 13-year-high in May, rising 7.1 percent. It was even worse in the US where it climbed as high as 8.6 percent, a 40-year-high for the country, which compelled the Fed to raise its benchmark funds rate by 0.75 percentage point on June 15. It was the biggest rate hike in 28 years, bringing the Fed funds rate to a range of 1.5-1.75 percent. Source: Thai PBS
- Court rejects petition to delay merger of DTAC and True. Thailand’s Central Administrative Court has dismissed a petition, seeking to put a hold an announcement by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) giving the green light to the merger plan between two mobile phone service providers, Total Access Communication, or DTAC, and True Corporation (True). The petition was filed by Napat Vinitchaikul, a member of the NBTC’s Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, who challenged the legitimacy of the telecom regulator’s announcement. The Central Administrative Court’s ruling, which was issued on June 16th, said that Nipat’s claim that the merger would harm the public interest is unfounded, as DTAC and True are still in the process of amalgamation and the setting up of a new entity, adding that the merger has not caused any damage as claimed. The court also said that putting the NBTC’s announcement on hold would obstruct the performance of the regulator. Source: Thai PBS
OTHER
- Satisfy your grill cravings at these 8 American-style restaurants during BK Restaurant Week 2022. Source: Coconuts Bangkok
For further information please see the embassy’s Facebook Page ‘Australian Embassy, Thailand’ or the Ambassador’s Twitter Page https://twitter.com/AusAmbBKK
