Explanation demanded from Agriculture Department over chemical ban delay

13 Sept 09:53 Key points summarised by AI

Deputy Agriculture Minister Mananya Thaiseth demands a written explanation from the Department of Agriculture for its sudden request to extend the deadline for offloading banned farm chemicals (paraquat, glyphosate, chlorpyrifos) by six months, contradicting prior assurances.
Ms. Mananya expressed confusion over the department's abrupt change of position and questioned its significantly high 32 billion baht estimate for farmer compensation, contrasting it with a 200 million baht estimate from another department.
Farmers, associated with the Safe Agriculture Federation, plan to protest the ban and refuse to surrender their chemicals, urging the Agriculture Minister to review the decision.

Flooding persists in Bangkok and 22 provinces

Yesterday 16:00 Key points summarised by AI

Persistent flooding continues across Bangkok and 22 Thai provinces, though water levels are gradually receding in many affected areas.
Over 604,000 families, impacting approximately 1.83 million people, are still grappling with the widespread flood conditions.
The national flood death toll has reached 80 since mid-September, with fatalities reported across various provinces.
Major regions like Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, and Bangkok report significant numbers of affected households, with hundreds of thousands still in trouble.