Alleged arms smugglers arrested in Chiang Mai

11 Sept 10:04 Key points summarised by AI

Thai authorities arrested two men in Chiang Mai for allegedly attempting to smuggle a substantial cache of weapons, including grenade launchers, to ethnic forces fighting the Myanmar government.
Police discovered 14 grenade launchers, 10 AR-10 style rifles, and ammunition hidden in their pickup truck; the suspects admitted to completing three previous smuggling trips for payment.

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

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.