Executive Summary
- Trafficked Thais return home, fishing vessels inspected
- Prime Minister hands out seized land to poor farmers
- Officials moving tigers out of famed tiger temple
- Reformers take on monopolies; record bond issues forecast
- ASEAN countries urged to monitor local IS recruits
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Trafficked Thais return home, fishing vessels inspected 
The Royal Thai Air Force brought home 68 Thai fishermen last week from the island of Ambon in Indonesia where they said they had been stranded after being trafficked onto trawlers and used as forced laborers, as government inspections of fishing vessels to prevent trafficking began in earnest at four key ports in Southern Thailand. Read more
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Prime Minister hands out seized land to poor farmers 
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha presided over a ceremony in Northern Thailand in which plots of forest land seized by the government from illegal encroachers were given to landless families. The Prime Minister used the authority provided for under Article 44 of the interim constitution to donate the land, as government representatives briefed the diplomatic corps on the Article and how the Prime Minister would use it. Read more
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Officials moving tigers out of famed tiger temple 
Thailand’s government took strong action this month to protect wildlife as officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation began moving all 146 tigers from the country’s famed “Tiger Temple” to wildlife breeding centers and sanctuaries after repeated complaints the endangered cats were being abused. Read more
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Reformers take on monopolies; record bond issues forecast 
Reformers are planning to grant more power to a watchdog tasked with breaking up business monopolies, as the Thai Bond Market Association predicted last week that Thai companies will set a new record this year for corporate bond issues. Read more
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ASEAN countries urged to monitor local IS recruits 
Countries in the region need to monitor Islamic State recruiting tactics aimed at local Muslims to prevent them from joining the Middle Eastern terror group and then returning to Southeast Asia where they could subsequently launch attacks in their home countries, according to a Professor at Thailand’s Thammasat University who specializes in the Middle East. Read more
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