Chiang Mai Zoo’s famous giant panda Lin Hui dies

13 Sept 06:44 Key points summarised by AI

Lin Hui, the last giant panda on loan to Chiang Mai Zoo from China, died at the age of 21 after developing unusual symptoms.
She arrived in 2003 as part of a conservation program, successfully bred a cub named Lin Ping with her mate Chuang Chuang (who died in 2019), and attracted over seven million visitors to the zoo.

Government to start building Chainat-Pasak-Gulf water diversion canal next year

Yesterday 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.