These drafts will also amend the existing 1966 laws to help with the liberalisation of capital movement and labour, as well as promote SMEs, the PM’s adviser Nattaporn Jatusripitak said. 

The definition of chambers of commerce and trade associations’ authorisation and duties have been revised and licence fees increased. A chamber of commerce will now have to pay Bt2,000 for a licence from Bt500, while a trade association will be charged Bt1,500 instead of Bt500. The new bill allows a chamber of commerce to promote trade, make contracts and become a contract partner with the state. It will also be able to operate specific enterprises, promote service, trade and independent occupations, as well as provide trade-related advisory services for their members. A vote from three-fourths of the members will be required to abolish a chamber of commerce, while the registrar can abolish a trade association. 

In the same meeting, the Cabinet also promoted Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA)’s former deputy governor Kirapat Jiamset to become governor. It made National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards’ former deputy secretary-general Pisan Pongsapitch into Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry’s inspector-general.

Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE)’s former deputy director-general Prasong Prapaitrakul was also named the ministry’s inspector-general, while former DOAE’s deputy director-general Sunram Sarabun was promoted to the director-general’s post.

Another inspector-general of the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry was Veerachart Kuienrat, who was previously deputy director-general of the Department of Livestock Development.

Rice Department’s former deputy director-general Krishnapong Sripongpankul was named the ministry’s director-general, while Department of Agriculture’s former deputy director-general Siriporn Boonchoo was named director-general of the Department of Sericulture.

Petcharat Sinauy, former deputy permanent secretary of the Labour Ministry, became director-general of the Department of Employment, while former Labour inspector-general Wiwat Chirapanvanich was named Labour Ministry’s deputy permanent-secretary.

The Cabinet also gave the green light to a draft on easing the bureaucracy involved in getting licences. 

Nattaporn said this move complied with Thailand’s application for World Property Intellectual Organisation (Wipo)’s Copyright Treaty.

The new bill will allow Thai licence holders to be protected and be able to use their rights among Wipo members, while promoting new creative work particularly involving digital content and building up the confidence of creators.

The drafted bill also revises the duties of Internet service providers, under which people can have a website taken down or removed if it is found to be using copyrighted content. 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Economy/30356563