When glutinous rice becomes sticky

13 Sept 10:47 Key points summarised by AI

Glutinous rice prices surged to a decade high, reaching nearly Bt20,000 per ton in August, a significant increase from Bt10,000 last year.
The price hike is driven by a severe supply shortage, primarily due to farmers shifting cultivation to more profitable Hom Mali rice and a widespread drought impacting yields.
Overall glutinous paddy output plummeted to 6.45 million tons, the lowest in three years, exacerbating the scarcity.
The Commerce Ministry has implemented measures to prevent hoarding and price gouging as traders reportedly inflated prices, affecting local consumers.
Prices are expected to remain high until fresh glutinous rice output enters the market in October.

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.