Global rice glut set to hit Thai exportsWorkers unload sacks of rice in a warehouse in Nakhon Pathom. Charoen Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said rice exports next year are expected to fall below the earlier estimate of 8.2 million tonnes. Vietnam has adjusted its rice export policy by importing cheap rice from India for domestic consumption and shifting to developing high-quality rice for export such as fragrant rice and soft texture rice with a higher selling price and added value. The United States Department of Agriculture projects that India will remain the largest rice exporter globally in 2025, with exports anticipated to reach 18 million tonnes, followed by Thailand (7.5 million tonnes), Vietnam (7.5 million tonnes), and Pakistan (5.6 million tonnes). This would affect global rice exports as Indian rice is cheaper than other rice-exporting countries.

Pattaya City gets ready to erect new monorail linePattaya City is looking forward to welcoming a new monorail line which, according to the results of a recent study, would be an ideal mechanism to improve the coastal city's public transport system and contribute greatly to its economic development. Called the Red Line, the new monorail system will comprise ten stations and stretch 17.37 kilometres, according to a feasibility study conducted on the new monorail presented at Tuesday's public hearing, the second such hearing on the new project. A large number of local business owners with a keen interest in the new line also attended to offer feedback. Each station on the line is designed to be about 1km from the next, said the study. The most suitable format of investment selected for this project is the public private partnership (PPP) one, said the study.

Death toll from India landslides rises to 151Rescuers help residents to move to a safer place, at a landslide site after multiple landslides in the hills, in Wayanad, in the southern state of Kerala, India, on Tuesday. (Photo: Reuters)CHOORALMALA - Rescue workers began looking for people trapped under debris early on Wednesday, a day after landslides caused havoc in the Wayanad district of India's Kerala state, with at least 151 people dead and many still missing. Most of the 350 families living in the area surrounded by tea and cardamom estates were caught unaware by the landslides early on Tuesday morning. At least 151 people died and 187 were still missing, the state chief minister's spokesman, P.M. Manoj, told Reuters by phone. Chief Minister Vijayan said that many people had been moved out of the area before the landslides due to the heavy rain and this had helped reduce the toll.

Govt can use 2025 budget to finance handout planDeputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat elaborates on the digital wallet scheme at Government House on July 24. Mr Chaloempol said the government can have the 2025 budget expenditure, provided that the portion comes from cancelled projects. 285 billion baht from FY 2025 -- with 152.7 billion baht from the annual budget and 132.3 billion from spending cuts. Mr Chaloempol said the adaptation for next year's fiscal budget, including a supplementary bill, will depend on the government's actual situation. Meanwhile, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said the handout would be issued at the end of this year as planned.

For 2025, the agency targets 7.5% revenue growth, with 39 million foreign tourists and 205 million domestic trips. The achievement this year would also exceed the levels recorded in 2019 and 2023, which both registered 1.48 million tourists. During the first half, 920,989 Russian tourists arrived Thailand, becoming the fifth largest group of foreign arrivals. Other challenges include the ban on accepting Russian credit cards in Thailand, which discourages Russian tourists from spending at their destinations. Therefore, most Russian tourists tend to prefer inclusive tour packages that cover all expenses including transport, accommodation and food.

PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP) and its subsidiary, PTTEP Energy Development Company Limited, joined the 13th Thailand Oil and Chemical Spill Response Exercise (TOC-Ex13) organised by the Marine Department to enhance their ability to respond effectively to emergency situations. This annual activity was conducted in line with the draft National Oil and Chemical Pollution Management Plan. Its objective was to educate and boost preparedness among relevant government and private agencies for improved responses to marine oil spills. The exercise included a theoretical section with lectures on Thailand’s responses to marine pollution and a drill where participants undertook simulated emergency responses and a discussion-based Table Top Exercise. Prior to the 13th Thailand Oil and Chemical Spill Response Exercise, PTTEP, the Marine Department, Thai-MECC, and relevant agencies participated in the Oil Spill Preparedness & Response Training and Workshop in Bangkok and Songkhla provinces to bolster their preparedness and readiness.

Most of the victims were tea estate workers and their families who lived in small houses or makeshift shelters. At least 106 people were killed in the landslides, 128 injured and dozens unaccounted for, state authorities said. Tuesday’s landslides are the worst disaster in the state since 2018 when heavy floods killed almost 400 people. “There are still people who are trapped under the ground and those who have been swept away,” Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters. More rains were forecast across the state for the next five days, he said, and urged people to take precautions.

Women 'victims in most cases'About two-thirds of victims in cybercrime cases are women, the Royal Thai Police (RTP) said yesterday, urging the public to exercise extra caution when using social media and messaging apps. According to deputy RTP spokeswoman Pol Maj Gen Siriwat Deepor, national police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol is concerned about the growing number of cybercrime cases, which have caused billions of baht in losses. About 64% of the victims were females of working age, and the vast majority of the victims were aged between 22-59, Pol Maj Gen Siriwat added. She urged those who believe they have become victims of cybercrime to file a report at www.thaipoliceonline.go.th or by calling 1441 at any time, day or night. She pointed out that the RTP does not receive complaints via any mobile phone applications or social media platforms.

At least 23 dead, hundreds trapped after landslides in IndiaA man rides his motorbike over a damaged bridge in Kerala, India. (File photo: Reuters)THIRUVANANTHPURAM - At least 23 people were killed after multiple landslides in the hills of India's southern state of Kerala on Tuesday, local media reported, with heavy rain and poor internet connectivity hampering rescue efforts. Hundreds of people are likely to be trapped and as many 23 people have died, including a child, the Indian Express newspaper reported. The government has pressed all agencies into rescue," state Forest Minister A K Saseendran told Reuters. The India Meteorological Department has forecast extremely heavy rain in the state on Tuesday.

Vietnam posts strong growth in exports, industrial productionFILE PHOTO: Employees work at a shoe factory for export in Hanoi, Vietnam on Dec 29, 2020. Vietnam has been seeking to lift economic growth to meet this year's GDP growth target of 6.0%-6.5%, with the government keeping policy settings accommodative and boosting public investment. The country recorded annual GDP growth of 6.93% in the second quarter, up from 5.87% in the first quarter. Oxford Economics expects GDP growth to come in at 5.9% this year, with the central bank's discount rate remaining 3.0%. A sharp rise in imports could be a signal of future strength in industrial production if firms import more materials and equipment for their operations.

Tourism rebounds in ThailandTourists pose for pictures at the Tha Tien pier by the Chao Phraya River opposite the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun) in Bangkok in June. In addition, the number of tourists from Taiwan and India has reached a historic high, which was likely a result of the visa-free scheme. Between Jan 1 and July 25 this year, Thailand welcomed 20,001,405 visitors. Most came from mainland China, followed by Malaysia, India, South Korea, Russia, Laos, Taiwan, Vietnam and the United States. When it comes to long-haul arrivals, Russia ranked first, followed by the US, Germany, France and the United Kingdom.

Dust shuts Thailand's longest train tunnel just after openingPha Sadet tunnel in Saraburi province (photo: State Railway of Thailand)The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) closed Thailand's longest train tunnel just after opening it on Sunday pending a 14-day clean-up after passengers complained of thick dust inside it. Ekarat Sri-arayanpong, chief of the SRT governor’s office, said that northeast-bound passengers complained about thick dust when their train passed through the Pha Sadet tunnel in Saraburi province, so the SRT ordered the contractor to clean the tunnel within 14 days. Mr Ekarat said that before the opening, the contractor blew dust out of the tunnel, but winds later blew it back in. The old section is 18 kilometres long and a train takes 32 minutes to cover the distance. Using the tunnel, the new route between Map Krabao and Muak Lek is 14km long and takes 15 minutes.

Thai Army says it needs armed drones, attack helicoptersModels of wheeled armoured vehicles are displayed at a defence and security fair in Nonthaburi province in 2022. The white paper publicised on Sunday argued that the army needed the weaponry to defend the nation from all types of threats. The white paper gave an overview of the requests for weaponry and related equipment, but did not include details. Apart from armed drones and attack helicopters, the document stated that the army also needed tanks, wheeled armoured vehicles, patrol helicopters, transport aircraft, defence radar systems, territorial monitoring systems and better intelligence and communication equipment. Army chief Gen Charoenchai Hinthao said the white paper was distributed so that the general public would acknowledge and understand the roles of the army and its development framework.

Israel promises to hit Hezbollah hard after rocket kills 12 on football fieldPeople gather during the funeral of children who were killed at a soccer pitch by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on Sunday. (Reuters photo)JERUSALEM/BEIRUT - Israel said on Sunday it would strike hard against Hezbollah after accusing the Iran-backed group of killing 12 children and teenagers in a rocket attack on a football field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Hezbollah had announced firing a Falaq-1 missile on Saturday, saying it had aimed at an Israeli military headquarters. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant visited Majdal Shams and said: "We will hit the enemy hard." Hamas has also carried out rocket attacks on Israel from Lebanon, as has the Lebanese Sunni group, the Jama'a Islamiya.

Thai wild elephants to undergo new 'behaviour modification' trainingThai wild elephants will undergo new 'behaviour modification' training. The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment has announced plans to build three elephant training centres in the eastern provinces to tame aggressive wild elephants in the region. Pol Gen Phatcharavat Wongsuwan has ordered the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) to establish three "Wild Elephant Behaviour Modification Centres". Many wild elephants leave the forest to find food, disturbing communities and annoying residents, said Pol Gen Phatcharavat. Rogue elephants will be placed in enclosures and undergo behaviour modification procedures to make them less aggressive.