Thailand Focus Week of April 21st, 2015

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Royal Thai Embassy, Washington, D.C.
Week of April 21, 2015 

Executive Summary

  • Thailand vows to sustain anti-trafficking efforts
  • Graft commissions targeting corrupt officials, land thieves
  • Major drug bust in Northern Thailand
  • Brainstorming session to boost Thai exports
  • Ancient stupas discovered in Petchabun province

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Thailand vows to sustain anti-trafficking efforts

Thailand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs pledged that the Kingdom will sustain its stepped-up anti-human trafficking campaign whether or not the United States raises Thailand’s ranking in its annual report on trafficking in persons.  Read more

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Graft commissions targeting corrupt officials, land thieves

The government escalated its war on graft last week when the National Anti-Corruption Commission prepared two lists of allegedly corrupt government officials for review and possible action by a committee chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, with Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya vowing to punish and take legal measures against any officials if the evidence is sufficient.  Read more

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Major drug bust in Northern Thailand

Police seized nearly 90,000 speed pills, crystal methamphetamines and over US$150 million in assets during a crackdown on drug trafficking networks in Chiang Rai last week, as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime announced it will work with Thailand and countries in the region to prevent the smuggling of precursor chemicals used to manufacture illegal narcotics.  Read more

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Brainstorming session to boost Thai exports

Business startups in the Kingdom increased during the first quarter of this year, but the Ministry of Commerce is moving ahead to organize a brainstorming session with major business groups to boost Thai exports, which have weakened because economies in many of Thailand’s key markets have slowed.  Read more

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Ancient stupas discovered in Petchabun province

Archaeologists uncovered 24 Buddhist stupas they believe are about 1,300 years old in a national historical park in central Petchabun province last week, the latest find in a yearlong excavation of the area.  The stupas are believed to have been built during the Dvaravati era, a kingdom that predated Thai kingdoms in Southeast Asia.  Read more

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In this issue

Thailand at a Glance

4th Quarter 2014 Key Indicators
GDP: 0.7%
Export: $56.8 billion
Import: $49.1 billion
Export growth rate: – 1.5%
Import growth rate: – 5.7%
Current account balance: Surplus by 9.815 billion USD
Trade surplus: $7.7 billion
Unemployment: 0.6%
Headline inflation: -0.52%
Official foreign reserves: $157.11 billion USD
2014
GDP: $373.6 billion
GDP per capita: $5,445
GDP growth: 1.5-2.0%

2013
GDP: $385 billion
GDP per capita: $5,647
GDP growth: 2.9%

2012
GDP: $366 billion
GDP per capita: $5,390
GDP growth: 6.5%

2011
GDP: $345.6 billion
GDP per capita: $5,113
GDP growth: 0.1%

Archives

Apr 15,2015
Apr 7,2015

March 30,2015
March 24,2015
March 16,2015
March 9,2015
March 2,2015

February 23,2015
February 17,2015
February 9,2015
February 2,2015

January 26,2015
January 20,2015
January 12,2015
January 5,2015

Thailand Focus 2014
Thailand Focus 2013
Thailand Focus 2012
Thailand Focus 2011

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