Rosewood logs seized, three arrested in Uttaradit

10 Sept 04:31 Key points summarised by AI

Officials in Uttaradit arrested three Thai suspects for illegally logging protected rosewood trees in forest reserves.
The suspects were allegedly hired by Chinese businessmen, who evaded capture, to harvest rosewood, a highly prized timber in China.
Authorities confiscated eight rosewood logs, four vehicles including a tractor and trucks, and two chain saws, valued at approximately 500,000 baht.
The Department of National Parks is collaborating with the Customs Department to tighten checks and prevent the export of illegally harvested timber.

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.