Listen to this articleChemical fumes come out from HSMT New Material Technology (Thailand) Co factory in Sri Maha Pho district, Prachin Buri province on Friday afternoon, forcing evacuation of people in the area. (Photo: Prachin Buri Public Relations Office Facebook)A chemical leak occurred after an explosion at a factory in Prachin Buri's Sri Maha Pho district, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of people. The locals, including the elderly, were relocated to a community centre in tambon Tha Toom for their safety. Of these, 25 were transferred to Sri Maha Pho Hospital, and one was sent to Chularat 304 International Hospital. Authorities, including Prachin Buri's industry office and the Tha Toom TAO, have suspended the factory's operations.

Listen to this articleItthidet Thanetwattana, a representative of Thai and foreign victims living abroad, shows a document to reporters at the Central Investigation Bureau, where he filed a fraud complaint against The iCon Group on Saturday. He brought documents that included receipts for purchases of iCon products, photos of shops that had ordered products for sale abroad, and pictures of some victims having their photo taken with Warathaphon “Boss Paul” Waratyaworrakul, the founder and CEO of The iCon Group. Mr Itthidet said the 40 victims — 20 in Asia and 20 others in Europe — lost at least 20 million baht. (Story continues below)Itthidet Thanetwattana, representing Thai and foreign victims abroad, submits documents detailing alleged investment fraud to Pol Maj Gen Prinya Pala, deputy investigation chief of the Consumer Protection Police Division sub-division 1. Meanwhile, the total number of complainants against The iCon Group continues to rise.

A self-radicalised Singaporean had planned to attack non-Muslim males in an open space in Tampines using either a kitchen knife or a pair of scissors. He had planned to attack non-Muslim males near Tampines West Community Centre, during the school holidays in September. "He felt a sense of pride knowing that his planned attack, if successfully executed, would be the first terrorist attack in Singapore in recent decades." He was also inspired by Islamic State propaganda which glorified suicide knife attacks, which eventually led to his plan. Before his planned attack in Singapore, the teen also intended to travel to Syria to join Islamic State and engage in armed violence.

Celebrity pygmy hippo Moo Deng recently celebrated her third month in October and now has its official logo for its merchandise.The hippo calf continues to attract large crowds, including foreign tourists, at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, located 40 kilometres northeast of Pattaya city.

Smugglers abandoned some Rohingya for not being able to pay for transportationRescue workers take the bodies of deceased individuals and those injured from a forested area leading to Khao Sek Temple in Lang Suan district, Chumphon, on Thursday. (Photo: Saichon Rescue Team)Two Thai nationals were apprehended on Friday in Phetchaburi in connection with the smuggling of 26 Rohingya. The arrests were made hours after a group of 10 Rohingya, eight men and two women, were discovered near a temple in Lang Suan district of Chumphon on Thursday. Police reported that all 26 Rohingya were picked up in Mae Sot on Monday before being transported to Songkhla. Upon their arrival in Lang Suan, some were found dead while others were too exhausted to continue.

(Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)Festive events and new stimulus campaigns should push domestic tourism revenue to 950-970 billion baht this year, missing the target of 1 trillion baht because of a sluggish economy and the impact of flooding, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). For the first nine months of the year, domestic tourism generated 768 billion baht in revenue from more than 207 million trips. Next year, the government aims to earn 3.4 trillion baht in tourism revenue from 40 million foreign tourists and 205 million domestic trips. Mr Nithee said domestic tourism in 2025 will use the same marketing tagline, Instant Happiness in Thailand, while international tourism will also rehash: Amazing Thailand, Your Stories Never End. As the government works to lift the economy and consumer confidence, domestic tourism should revive, but international markets might still be affected by geopolitical risks, said Mr Nithee.

Government launches lottery ticket pilotListen to this articleA screen capture of the N3 ticket purchasing process on the app available at the GLO-registered shops. Thatsaneeya Thipthanesuan, the owner of one of the lottery shops on Jomphol Road in the province's downtown area, said that as of 9.30am, more than 30 clients had come to her shop to buy N3 lottery tickets. Many clients were reported to prefer the N3 lottery because, unlike the underground lottery, it doesn't limit purchasers from buying as many "locked numbers" as they want. The first lottery draw for the N3 ticket will be on Nov 1, and the winners can claim their prizes via the app, he said. Mr Thanavath said that the GLO will collect sale information, consumer impacts, and matters relating N3 lottery during this pilot phase.

Uncle Jam's Lotus Farm is a third-generation agricultural tourism hotspot in Nakhon Pathom, just a short trip from Bangkok. Here, nature lovers can immerse themselves in the serene beauty of vast lotus fields, explore traditional lotus farming and enjoy boat rides through blooming lotus ponds.

Thai worker’s body being brought back from IsraelListen to this articleNisant Meeram is seen in a video call with his wife from the apple orchard where he was working in northern Israel, a few days before his death. (Photo supplied)The government will repatriate the body of a Thai worker who was killed last week in Israel on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nisan was killed by leftover ammunition while working in an apple orchard in Kibbutz Yir’on in northern Israel on Oct 11. The worker’s body will be brought back on El Al flight LY081 on Oct 21, arriving in Bangkok on Tuesday at 2pm. “The Royal Thai Embassy will closely work with Israel on the compensation for Nisan’s family,” Mr Nikorndej added.

The House Committee on Southern Border Peace will summon three key officials to consider what steps should be taken when the statute of limitations expires for the Tak Bai massacre case next Friday. The Tak Bai massacre involved the deaths of 85 people in Narathiwat's Tak Bai district on Oct 25, 2004. Seven defendants in the case have not appeared before the Narathiwat Provincial Court, with concerns they are waiting out the statute of limitations. She said MPs are not eligible for immunity once they are a defendant in a court case. She urged the government to demonstrate its political will to bring the defendants in the Tak Bai case to justice.

Tourism to gain from central bank cutListen to this articleTourists visit Wat Arun in Bangkok. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)Thailand's policy rate cut is expected to benefit the tourism industry, letting business operators invest and upgrade their services to improve competitiveness, while tourist spending could increase. Sanga Ruangwattanakul, president of the Khao San Road Business Association, said the reduction would help to improve the economy, and the tourism industry in particular. Mr Suksit said he believes the central bank will be able to keep the local currency in an acceptable range. "Our currency swing should not hurt the tourism industry at the same level as when the currencies of source markets were previously affected," he said.

Vietnam estimates China rail link will cost $7.2bnListen to this articleVietnamese people exercise at Lenin Park in Hanoi on June 16, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)HANOI: Vietnam has estimated the cost of building a new railway linking it with China's Yunnan province at 179 trillion dong ($7.2 billion), state media reported on Wednesday. The 427-kilometre railway would run from the border province of Lao Cai through the capital Hanoi and port city of Haiphong to Ha Long City, the official Vietnam News Agency reported. Vietnam has been seeking to upgrade its aging railway systems, including plans to build a high-speed railway running along the length of the country and lines linking with China, its largest trading partner. Vietnam Railway Authority has submitted the plan to build the Lao Cai-Ha Long railway to the transport ministry for review and approval, the report said.

The Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, organises a free dental treatment event in honour of Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra. The free services included dental fillings, extractions and scaling, with a limited capacity of 900 adults and 150 children. The event took place at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, on Thursday.

Farmers in Chon Buri province held their annual water buffalo races on Wednesday, celebrating the start of the monsoon season and marking the beginning of the rice-growing period. This tradition, which dates back to the 1800s, continues to honour a long-standing agricultural tradition.

The most recent change in the policy rate was an increase of 25 basis points in September last year. The last time the central bank cut rates was in May 2020. The Pheu Thai government has been pressing the central bank for months to cut borrowing costs to help spur the underperforming Thai economy. Central bank governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput has maintained that rate decisions will be guided by the outlook for domestic economic and financial conditions and inflation. While Wednesday’s decision might placate critics of the BoT for a while, manoeuvring to influence the choice of a new central bank chairman remains a concern.