Tax waiver for foreign actors
Tax waiver for foreign actorsThe cabinet on Tuesday agreed to a waiver of personal income tax for foreign actors and actresses for five years, aiming to generate more than 3.5 billion baht in revenue from investments in foreign film productions. Deputy government spokeswoman Tipanan Sirichana said the cabinet approved the Finance Ministry's new Revenue Code to attract predicted investment of at least 3.5 billion baht from foreign film shoots in the country. Ms Tipanan said the ministerial regulation to waive the personal income tax of foreign actors and actresses will come into effect for five years 180 days after its publication in the Royal Gazette. Citing statistics from the Tourism Department, foreign film firms had visited Thailand to shoot a total of 198 productions worth 1.68 billion baht during the first eight months, including music videos, feature films, and advertisements, she added. The visa also offers a range of tax and non-tax benefits to attract new foreign residents, technologies and talent to stay or work in the country.
Source:Bangkok Post
October 19, 2022 05:21 UTC
New stimulus planned in effort to keep recovery rolling
New stimulus planned in effort to keep recovery rollingThe government is planning to roll out a number of measures as "New Year gifts" at the end of the year, including an extension of the "Khon La Khrueng" co-payment scheme and the "Shop Dee Mee Khuen" tax rebate scheme. The new measures aim to encourage consumer spending to maintain the momentum of the economic recovery, said Mr Anucha. Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said the new measures are highly likely to include retreads of the Khon La Khrueng co-payment scheme, the Shop Dee Mee Khuen tax rebate scheme and the "We Travel Together" tourism stimulus campaign. "The new measures must be considered by the Finance Ministry to see which are appropriate for the country's economic recovery," he said. A second decree was issued last year to allow the government to borrow an additional 500 billion baht.
Source:Bangkok Post
October 19, 2022 04:21 UTC
Floods ruin 280,000 rai of crops in 22 districts of Korat
Floods ruin 280,000 rai of crops in 22 districts of KoratFarmland and housing in Non Sung district of Nakhon Ratchasima still inundated as flooding persists in six districts. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Flooding caused by heavy rain has damaged 280,000 rai of crops in 22 districts of this northeastern province, affecting more than 8,000 households. Of the affected areas, flooding in 10 districts has returned to normal and gradually receded in 6 districts. Floods persist in six districts - Non Sung, Chalerm Phrakiat, Phimai, Chum Phuang, Lam Thamenchai and Muang Yang, affecting 3,823 households and damaging 187,654 rai of cropland. Local officials have evacuated 56 households to 10 shelters in Chalam Phrakiat, Chum Phuang and Muang Yang districts.
Source:Bangkok Post
October 18, 2022 18:15 UTC
PTT chairman resigns ‘due to political pressure’
The source said Thosaporn faced difficulties in his work as he stood against government officials who hold political power. "Thosaporn had a severe conflict with the government working teams," the source said, adding that he was pressured to resign from many positions that he holds. The source added that Thosaporn plans to resign from all positions in the government. He is currently also the chief economic adviser to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
October 18, 2022 13:06 UTC
Pheu Thai leads call for Bhumjaithai's dissolution over liberal cannabis policy
"The party will file a petition with the Election Commission," he said. He added that the opposition parties are studying the petition details closely and expect to have clarity by November 1. Chonlanan said the opposition is against the legalisation of cannabis because it is having an adverse impact on society.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
October 18, 2022 05:04 UTC
Merger will be 'no barrier' to Somkid's path to PM
Merger will be 'no barrier' to Somkid's path to PMSomkid: 'Too early to discuss leaders'The chairman of the Sang Anakhot Thai Party (SATP), Somkid Jatusripitak, must be a prime minister candidate if the party is to merge with the Thai Sang Thai Party (TST), according to SATP spokesman Naris Cheyklin. Mr Naris was responding to media reports about a possible merger between the newly formed political parties ahead of the general election. The TST Party is headed by Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan who severed ties with the main opposition Pheu Thai Party in December 2020. Meanwhile, Mr Somkid responded to the media speculation about a possible merger between the SATP and the TST ahead of the general election. He said if a merger of the two parties benefits the people, it will be better than creating disunity.
Source:Bangkok Post
October 17, 2022 23:00 UTC
Porsche-driving French tourists accused of beating Thai man unconscious on Samui
Lakkhana said she and her husband thought the tourists wanted directions, so they stopped. Lakkhana said the passenger threw a punch, felling Somkhuan, who then tried to escape into the shabu shop. Lakkhana said doctors treating her husband had diagnosed a brain haemorrhage and ordered surgery to drain the blood. Pol Col Yutthana Sirisombat, chief of Borphut police station, said the two suspects had arrived from Hua Hin to tour Koh Samui. Police will seek permission from Samui Court on Tuesday to detain them pending further investigation before they are formally charged in court, he added.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
October 17, 2022 18:35 UTC
Indonesia’s state firms to use only EVs by 2025 in net zero push
Indonesia’s state firms to use only EVs by 2025 in net zero pushA general view of the business district during rush hour traffic jams in Jakarta on Aug 4, 2022. (Reuters photo)Indonesia is setting a three-year deadline for all state-owned companies to use only electric vehicles as part of its goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2060. The government will also push state-run bus operators Perum PPD and DAMRI to fully electrify their fleet, said State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir, without giving a timeline. Not all of them have to be bought,” he said in an interview in Bali on Monday. The country has already kicked off changes in the power sector to reduce emissions, with state oil giant Pertamina and Perusahaan Listrik Negara seeking to build up renewable energy projects and start carbon trading, among other measures.
Source:Bangkok Post
October 17, 2022 11:52 UTC
Prawit defends Netflix comedian
"I'm following his work and admire his talent," Gen Prawit said in a phone interview yesterday. Deaw 13, filmed in August, has become the talk of the town after it became available for streaming on Netflix last week. He said the comedian did take shots at previous governments but it isn't the same kind of criticism. Mr Anucha said artists are considered social influencers and they are expected to make criticism in good faith. "See you soon," he wrote on his Facebook page, implying that he will seek legal action against the comedian.
Source:Bangkok Post
October 17, 2022 00:00 UTC
Help small businesses, low-income earners, Arkhom tells G20 ministers
The G20 countries account for 80 per cent of the global economy and two-thirds of the world’s population. This year’s G20 summit of finance ministers and central bank governors, held along the theme “Recover Together, Recover Stronger”, discussed six topics — global economy, international financial architecture, financial sector regulation, infrastructure investment, sustainable finance and sustainable taxation. The meeting agreed to consider all tools necessary to address food and energy insecurity as well as the rising cost of living in many countries. It also highlighted the importance of cooperation to ensure a coordinated global response to tackle food insecurity. The executives of the two financial institutions voiced their confidence in the Thai economy and the government’s policies on investment for long-term development, the spokesman said.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
October 15, 2022 14:52 UTC
Talented team mates will ease pressure on Neymar at World Cup, says Brazil great Ronaldo
Ronaldo is the symbol of Brazil's last World Cup title, having scored both goals against Germany in the 2002 final in Japan. He was also part of the squad that won the World Cup in 1994 at 17-years-old and has been named FIFA World Player of the Year three times and won two Ballon d'Or awards. But Ronaldo said that he agreed to make a movie about his life because he felt the need to solve the untold mystery of the 1998 World Cup final. Ronaldo went into the tournament in France, 1998 off the back of a stunning 34-goal debut season with Inter Milan and had scored four times up to the final with Brazil looking unstoppable.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
October 15, 2022 09:01 UTC
THB10,000 fine for blocking Bangkok canals as city braces for floods
Satellite provinces of the capital were inundated this week as river levels rose, threatening a return of floods that paralysed parts of Bangkok last month. City Hall said all oversized garbage must be dumped at designated areas only. It added that city residents can drop their oversized garbage at selected BMA refuse points free of charge every Saturday and Sunday from 9am to noon. Locations of the oversize refuse points can be found at http://www.prbangkok.com or by scanning the QR code. Alternatively, residents can call their district office to pick up oversized garbage at their homes for a fee starting from 150 baht.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
October 15, 2022 07:05 UTC
TST sets out condition on merger talk
The Thai Sang Thai Party (TST) has not ruled out a possible merger with the Sang Anakhot Thai Party (SATP) as long as the latter does not support Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha's prolonged stay in power, it said. He said political parties will have to consolidate their support bases to secure the required number of seats. A merger would be possible if his ideology differs from that of the Prayut government's. SATP leader Uttama Savanayana said his party has been in talks with other parties including the TST about the political situation after the changes to the election law. He said it was too early to say whether the SATP and the TST could merge.
Source:Bangkok Post
October 14, 2022 22:18 UTC
Indorama Ventures opens largest PET recycling plant in the Philippines
The new plant will encourage a more robust waste value chain to help address the growing post-consumer waste management problem in the Philippines. Yash Lohia, Chairman of ESG Council at Indorama Ventures, said, "By the end of this year we will have increased our recycling capacity to more than 375,000 tons. In 2021, we acquired a PET recycling plant in Texas and announced plans to build a new facility in Indonesia. In 2020, we signed a joint venture agreement with Coca-Cola to build a state-of-the-art recycling plant in the Philippines, which culminated in today's announcement. It is through innovations like PETValue Philippines and the strong partnerships we've formed with like-minded entities like Indorama Ventures that Coca-Cola can continue serving Filipino communities for another hundred years."
Source:The Nation Bangkok
October 14, 2022 22:05 UTC
Thailand joins global race to lure wealthy foreigners with residency visas
Thailand launched the updated Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa on September 1, joining Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates in granting long-stay rights to targeted foreigners – though terms and conditions vary from country to country. From last month, Thailand halved the fee for its LTR visa, which lasts for 10 years, from 100,000 baht to 50,000 baht to attract four groups of foreigners – wealthy people, retirees, those who want to work in Thailand, and experts. The government expects the LTR visa to bring in at least 1 million people per year, significantly boosting economic recovery after Covid. Affluent applicants must have combined assets of at least US$1 million and an income of at least $80,000 per year. The visa also covers up to four family members, including dependents under 20 years of age.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
October 14, 2022 09:59 UTC