Kob, a university student, has grown cannabis plants in his room to make pressed dried cannabis for sale over the past two years. People are now allowed to grow cannabis plants at home. Soon the Department of Agriculture will start the process of handing out 1 million cannabis plants to 500,000 interested families to promote quality cannabis plants among users. Cannabiz Way grows about 75,000 hemp and cannabis plants on a 9,000 square metre plot of land in Saraburi. Possession isn't illegal either because the Public Health Ministry says it's not a narcotic drug.

US blasts China's 'destabilising' military activity near TaiwanA day after clashing with China's defence minister over Taiwan in their first face-to-face talks, Lloyd Austin called out Beijing's "growing coercion" towards the islandSINGAPORE - US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin Saturday blasted China's "provocative, destabilising" military activity near Taiwan, a day after his Chinese counterpart warned him that Beijing was prepared to go to war over the island. A day after clashing with China's defence minister over Taiwan in their first face-to-face talks, Austin called out Beijing's "growing coercion" towards the island. "We've witnessed a steady increase in provocative and destabilising military activity near Taiwan," Austin told the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore. "That includes (Chinese military) aircraft flying near Taiwan in record numbers in recent months, and nearly on a daily basis," he said. On Friday, the issue was top of the agenda at talks between Austin and China's Defence Minister Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the summit.

In India and neighbouring countries, Muslims took to the streets in huge numbers after Friday prayers to condemn the remarks, with police firing on a crowd in the eastern Indian city of Ranchi. “Police were forced to open fire to disperse protesters … resulting in the death of two,” a police officer in Ranchi told AFP. Cities around India saw sizable demonstrations on Friday, with some crowds burning effigies of Nupur Sharma — the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokeswoman whose comments set off the furore. Diplomatic stormSharma’s remarks have embroiled India in a diplomatic storm, with the governments of nearly 20 countries calling in Indian envoys for an explanation. Sharma’s comments sent the BJP into damage control, with the party suspending her from its ranks and issuing a statement saying it respected all religions.

The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that its Plookganja websites and mobile applications for registration had recorded more than 32.1 million visits as of 7am on Saturday. A total of 582,399 people successfully registered to grow cannabis and hemp through the websites and apps, according to the FDA. Growers can register at two websites – https://plookganja.fda.moph.go.th and https://plookganjaweb.fda.moph.go.th – or via the Plookganja app, available in iOS and Android versions. Meanwhile, the FDA Facebook page issued a warning about fraudulent websites and apps created to lure prospective registrants into revealing their personal information or transferring money.

Ukraine hits Russian targets, France offers Odessa helpUkrainian tankers fire at frontline positions near the city of Soledar, Donetsk region on June 10, 2022MYKOLAIV: Ukraine tried to push back Russian troops in the east and south on Friday as France offered to help ensure access to the port of Odessa and ease a global grain crisis. And fierce fighting continued in the eastern Donbas region, where Moscow has concentrated its firepower, especially around the eastern industrial city of Severodonetsk. Local governor Sergiy Gaiday said on Friday that Russian forces had destroyed a major sports centre, adding: "One of the symbols of Severodonetsk was destroyed. France wants "victory for Ukraine", the advisor added, after Macron sparked controversy by suggesting Russia should not be humiliated. Putin has said that what Russia calls its special military operation is meant to "de-Nazify" Ukraine and suggested he is merely taking territory back.

The group also claimed that the project violated GLO laws as it must receive approval from the cabinet and stakeholders. It said the project must allow the underprivileged and disabled to sell digital lotteries.

"This could be a good opportunity for us to lead the reopening of CLMV [Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam]." At present, Thailand grants a visa exemption to 56 countries whose citizens don't have to apply for a visa or pay the 1,000-baht fee, but the stay is limited to 30 days. However, this option only allows a visitor to stay in Thailand for a maximum of 15 days. "We totally agree with the proposal to waive the visa fee for those who must apply for a visa, in addition to extending the length of stay for both visa-free countries and the VOA," said Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association. They also support the idea of promoting Thailand as a mask-free destination by revoking the mask mandate in all areas.

(AFP photo)HONG KONG: Japan on Friday resumed visa procedures to accept foreign tourists, taking the first step toward increasing inbound tourism to help turn around its economy as worries about the Covid-19 pandemic wane. The guided tour participants will be included in the arrival quota. Travel agencies will explain that they may not be able to take part in tours unless they follow the procedures. Travel agencies will:ask tour participants to wear face masks, disinfect hands and purchase insurance to cover medical expenses. will swiftly take tour participants to medical institutions when they are found infected with novel coronavirus.

Growers can now register at the newly opened https://plookganjaweb.fda.moph.go.th, in addition to the original registration portal at http://plookganja.fda.moph.go.th/. The new channel was added after more than 200,000 people registered themselves as marijuana growers through the Plookganja website and mobile application. The registration system has received more than 22.8 million visitors since it was opened on Thursday, when cannabis was removed from the narcotics list under Thai law. As of Friday, the FDA has issued almost 300,000 electronic registration certificates for people to grow the herb.

Navy gives China firm 2 monthsNavy chief of staff Adm Tharoengsak Sirisawat, right, and Liu Song, a visiting vice president of China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co (CSOC), in their meeting at the Royal Thai Navy headquarters in Bangkok on Thursday. (Photo supplied)The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has given China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co (CSOC) two more months to honour its agreement to supply the navy with an S26T Yuan-class submarine with German-made MTU396 diesel engines, RTN spokesman Pokkrong Monthatphalin said. CSOC said it had tried negotiating with the German firm via business-to-business and government-to-government talks as well as diplomatic approaches, he added. The RTN told the Chinese company the diesel engine must meet four key requirements. Thailand procured its first Yuan-class S26T submarine from China back in 2017 for 13.5 billion baht.

Thailand to go slow with rate hikes as pandemic drag lingersA shift by Thailand's central bank to a more hawkish footing this week stunned markets and appeared to finally end policymakers' tolerance for mounting price pressures, but a range of risks are likely to keep any tightening gradual. Other analysts see conviction in the central bank's acknowledgement of inflation as an issue, and have added a series of rate hikes to their projections for this year from none previously. "If the expected rate hikes disrupt the recovery or the global economy faces a severe slowdown, the BOT may choose to hit the brakes (on hikes)," Tisco Group economist Thammarat Kittisiripat said. He expects a quarter-point rate hike at each of the remaining three meetings this year, taking the rate to 1.25%. Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, said smaller firms have yet to recover from the pandemic.

“Each household will be allowed two free plants, which means at least half a million households in Thailand will be growing marijuana,” Mananya said. Registrants must provide their ID card number, mobile number (for one-time password), and give their reason for growing cannabis and the number of plants they will cultivate. Plants offered for free by the government are a Thai strain called Issara 01, developed by the Department of Medical Services and Department of Agriculture. Mananya said more Thai strains would be made available soon, including the Hang Karok (Squirrel Tail), Hang Sua (Tiger Tail), Tanaosri, and Phuphan. The ministry aims to give away all 1 million plants before year-end, or 100,000 to 200,000 plants per month.

Dr Paisarn said that apart from the online registration requirement, growers will not have to seek permission to cultivate plants. After registering, people can grow and use cannabis or hemp for medical and commercial purposes, the FDA secretary-general said. The committee will be disbanded after the bill on cannabis and hemp is enacted into law, Mr Anutin said. Thawatchai Chaiwat, deputy director-general of the Corrections Department, said a total of 3,071 inmates serving time for cannabis offences were released from prisons nationwide on Thursday when the delisting took effect. But if they smoke it in public areas and cause a public disturbance, they can face charges, he said.

Before planting the herbs, individuals need to register via the Plookganja app or the http://plookganja.fda.moph.go.th website and get a digital certificate. Applicants need to provide information on the number of plants they intend to grow and explain why. “The app and website crashed by 4pm after receiving 9,023,194 applications,” Panthep Phuaphongphan, spokesman for Public Health Ministry’s committee on communication and public relation for marijuana usage, said on Thursday. “The FDA is working to improve the application and website to accommodate more applicants,” he said. This is in line with the Public Health Ministry’s aim to make marijuana and hemp new cash crops.

Vehicles refuel at a PTT petrol station on Nawamin Road as retail oil prices have been soaring the past few weeks. The refinery margin is part of the retail oil price that drivers pay at petrol stations, and is essentially a cost added to the crude oil price during the refining process. This marks the first time the ministry has considered an intervention since global oil prices started soaring late last year. The government has capped the diesel price since October last year by spending money from the Oil Fuel Fund and reducing the diesel excise tax to support its price subsidy programme. This caused authorities to carefully manage the diesel price subsidy programme.