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Missing suspect in Khao Yai park land encroachment controversy surrenders

13 Sept 06:22 Key points summarised by AI

Prachin Buri PAO Mayor Sunthorn Vilawan, a key suspect in the Khao Yai National Park land encroachment scandal, surrendered to police in Rayong.
Vilawan faces charges of allegedly abetting officials in abusing authority related to the land encroachment, with public prosecutors prepared for immediate indictment.
The court granted him 600,000 baht bail but imposed a travel ban, prohibiting him from leaving the country without permission.
This surrender follows the prior indictment of his daughter, Deputy Education Minister Kanokwan Vilawan, and other officials in the same high-profile corruption case.
Despite claims by both Sunthorn and Kanokwan of legitimate land purchase in 2002, aerial mapping from 2003 contradicted this, showing the disputed land was still dense forest.

Today 14:58 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's government will launch the "Chainat-Pasak-Gulf" water diversion canal project in fiscal year 2027, a seven-year mega-infrastructure initiative.
This permanent structural solution aims to mitigate recurrent central plains flooding by diverting water from the Chao Phraya River directly into the Gulf of Thailand, significantly reducing flow to major cities like Ayutthaya and Bangkok.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul justifies the long-term investment as a means to reduce future damages and fiscal burdens, contrasting it with the 40-50 billion baht spent annually on short-term flood relief.
Concurrently, the Prime Minister instructed officials to expand drainage capacity into the Tha Chin River and swiftly remove water hyacinths to improve immediate flood management.