THE WEEK AHEAD
MONDAY
Welcome to new freedom, Vorayuth Yoovidhya. The Boss man will escape the second of three charges over the death of a policeman due to the statute of limitations. It’s rather convenient being a member of a family with 10 billionaires, isn’t it?
The general prime minister will bypass all immigration lines and take off for a couple of days in the Middle Kingdom. Railways, trade and the possibility of buying newer, better military toys are on the agenda.
The birth of a new acronym and trading in gold futures both occur today at TFEX, the Thailand Futures Exchange. Organisers expect (English translation: dream) that 800,000 to one million contracts will be signed in the first year. Contract minimums are for 15,000 baht, 100 grammes of gold.
TUESDAY
The War Elephants will take the field at Melbourne tonight for the final match of their failed World Cup qualifying tournament. FAT man Somyot Poompunmuang has ordered the team to “remember national pride”, which is easy for him to say.
It’s the final day of the Talent Thai & Designers’ Room Pop-Up Store at the Atrium 2 Zone of Siam Center. It features paintings of three artists of three generations from eight to 88 years old.
The US congress resumes its session tonight and will immediately declare YADC, yet another debt crisis.
WEDNESDAY
Today is the opening of the 60th Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Fair at Challenger Impact Hall, Muang Thong. Notice that only professionals are invited today and tomorrow. The public will be welcome on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Doors open at 10am.
The Asean Business Council will announce its 2017 awards tonight at the Awards Gala Night in Manila. Thai businesses have been nominated in virtually every category from SME growth (Nasha Jungkankul of Kunna Groceries) to young entrepreneurs — male Asada Thepyos of Quality Plus Aesthetic International and female Juthamad Yangyuen of DE Empress — to best Asean integration, Sakchai Unchittikul of Srichiengmai Industry Co.
False advertising du jour. Fuji Hana Thai Peppers restaurant of Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, will hold a full moon party to raise money for a children’s charity. The party will be just like the one in Thailand, except for an awful lot of differences.
THURSDAY
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha gets a chance for public comparison with longevity champ Hun Sen of Cambodia today when the countries hold their third two-day joint cabinet meeting since 2004. Cambodia will ask the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Retreat, its official name, to grant him permission to build a new hydropower plant at Koh Kong.
The board of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) will meet today. Apparently unfazed by the fact its charter officially ends in three weeks, it will discuss initial details of a planned auction for potential 5G bandwidth in the 2600MHz spectrum and currently operated by MCOT. Premier League shareholders are to vote tonight on a rule change to stop team-to-team transfers after the regular season begins.
FRIDAY
The final of the Thailand Invitational women’s volleyball tournament will be played this evening at Si Sa Ket.
It’s the last day to submit your bid to run your buses exclusively on new routes R26E (Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute-Ramathibodi Hospital) and Y70E (Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin-Mo Chit BTS station).
It is the last day you can take your foreign workers to registration centres. If you don’t bother, you’ll probably be caught next year in the campaign to rid Thailand of all unregistered, illegal migrants except those who have paid the correct bribes.
SATURDAY
WBC super-fly champ Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (43-4-1, 39 KOs) of Si Sa Ket is in “the best shape of my life” for his title rematch early tomorrow (Thailand time) against Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (46-1-0, 38 KOs) of Nicaragua. The fight will be in Carson, California. Srisaket knocked off the previously unbeaten Chocolatito last year at Madison Square Garden. Hometown love has made Gonzales a 2-to-1 favourite.
Today is the last day you can legally advertise your infant formula products or baby food in Thailand. Stop whining. You were warned when the Control of Marketing of Infant and Young Child Food Act 2017 was published on July 10. Man City and Liverpool, 6.30pm, is the opening match of the Premier League weekend. A tonne of games, including Leicester-Chelsea and Arsenal-Bournemouth, follow at 9, while Stoke host Man United in the nightcap at 11.30. Sunday games are Burnley-Crystal Palace at 7.30pm and Swansea-Newcastle at 9.