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Well-known meditation centre in Chiang Rai investigated for alleged forest encroachment

15 Sept 20:07 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Forest Department has launched an investigation into the "Rai Choeng Tawan" meditation centre in Chiang Rai, founded by respected monk Phra Medhivajirodom, over allegations of encroaching on Doi Pui national forest reserves.
The centre is accused of occupying 30.4 hectares, significantly exceeding the 22.88 hectares for which permission was initially sought from the Forest Department.
If confirmed, those responsible could face severe penalties, including up to 20 years in prison and/or a two million baht fine.
The investigation follows the monk's recent public appearance praising a controversial company CEO, and a Senate Environment Committee Chairman has questioned the propriety of using such an extremely large plot for a meditation centre, drawing parallels to other land disputes.

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.