PM vows to phase out four types of plastic products by 2022

16 Oct 15:20 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced a commitment to phase out four specific single-use plastic products—thin plastic bags, Styrofoam food containers, plastic straws, and single-use plastic cups—by 2022.
This initiative is part of a larger government roadmap aiming to completely cease the use of plastic bags and other plastic products by 2030, replacing them with environmentally friendly alternatives.
The private sector, including major retailers like The Mall and Central groups, has already begun implementing measures such as charging for single-use plastic bags to encourage shoppers to bring their own.
The policy directly addresses Thailand's significant plastic waste problem, with citizens generating an estimated two million tons of plastic waste annually.

Suchada: Meet the reluctant star of Thailand’s cryptic crypto drama

Yesterday 15:38 Key points summarised by AI

Thai MP Suchada Zhang Thaensap faces intense scrutiny over her husband’s substantial 1.84 billion baht wealth, with opposition lawmakers alleging connections to international scam networks.
A significant portion of her husband, Taiyang Zhang's, declared assets includes a 1.44 billion baht loan to the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, which still owes him 1.34 billion baht.
Opposition MP Rangsiman Rome accused Suchada's husband of links to online scam networks and gambling sites, prompting Suchada to vehemently deny the claims, demand evidence, and file a defamation complaint.
Taiyang Zhang's background includes co-founding Ren Protocol, later sold to Alameda Research (linked to the FTX collapse), and some of his former associates have been convicted in crypto company failures.
Suchada, a former actress and first-time MP, maintains her husband's innocence, while her party leaders have distanced themselves from the allegations, deeming it a private matter.