Cabinet fixes duck parts export rules with ChinaThe cabinet on Tuesday approved an agreement to amend export procedures for duck parts bound for China. Following the amendment, duck export value in the first year is expected to amount to 1 billion baht. The 18 duck parts comprise: feet, wings, mid-wings, wingtips, upper wings, livers, necks, gizzards, hearts, kidneys, tongues, heads, beaks, bones, cartilage, tendons, fat and skin. In the past, Mr Chai said China allowed Thailand to export chickens and frozen chicken parts, with exports reaching up to 13 billion baht in 2022. China approved the import of duck parts as a substitute to help sate consumer demand there, said Mr Chai.

B2.7bn needed to fund apps for students' free tabletsStudents attend an Eduzone Expo in Bangkok. Obec secretary-general Thanu Wongchinda said the tablet distribution programme could not be put into effect this year. He said the tablets will be provided to Mathayom 4-6 students, teachers and education supervisors in the pilot phase, expected to begin next year. It will take four years for the tablet distribution scheme to cover all schools nationwide, Mr Thanu said. The tablet distribution scheme is part of Education Minister Permpoon Chidchob's policy to cut parents' expenses and reduce disparities in opportunities for education.

PM in Hong Kong to court investors, drum up businessPrime Minister Srettha Thavisin with Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, John Lee Ka-chiu, on Monday. After Hong Kong, Mr Srettha will visit Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore. (Government House photo)Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Monday assured potential investors in Hong Kong that Thailand is open for business and ready to facilitate investment. The Hong Kong private sector expressed their interest in investment opportunities in Thailand; however, they urged Mr Srettha to facilitate the ease of doing business for foreign investors in the kingdom. Mr Srettha met with John Lee Ka-chiu, the Hong Kong chief executive, and discussed bilateral cooperation and investments.

Consumer confidence improves for second straight monthPeople shop for goods at Wang Lang market near Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok on Sept 11. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)Consumer confidence rose for a second straight month in September, following a clearer political landscape in the country, but concerns about global economic prospects linger. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) reported on Monday that the consumer confidence index rose to 58.7 in September, up from 56.9 in August and 55.6 in July. "Consumer confidence is expected to continue to improve if the government is able to implement stimulus policies to sped up recovery." There is a risk of further eroding consumer confidence both in the present and in the near future, he said.

Go back to the glorious era of the Thai film industry with “Once Upon A Star”, the latest movie by award-winning director Nonzee "Oui" Nimibutr, which premieres on Netflix on Oct 11. Nonzee opens up about his deep connection to the Thai film industry through a heartfelt letter expressing his profound love for Thai cinema: “Over the decades, the Thai film industry has gone through a lot and weathered many ups and downs. My profound love and strong bond with Thai films have shaped my entire way of life and continue to be an integral part of my life. Therefore, I wanted to make a film to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Thai film industry”Once Upon A Star tells the story of the nostalgic charm of the 60s. They must confront challenges in an era where the film industry is undergoing transformation.

"I have to rise to the challenge and work harder to answer the calls of people in society," Mr Chaithawat said. Mr Chaithawat said that as part of its commitment to decentralisation, the party will field candidates in all elections. Party members in local areas will be given a more participatory role in the party. In the next elections, we expect to win at least 200 House seats," Mr Chaithawat said. He said he also instructed MFP members to get themselves ready for a change of government within two years.

Police will still ticket motorists despite rulingMotorists will continue to be ticketed despite the Central Administrative Court (CAC) deciding police have issued traffic tickets unlawfully since July 2020. The CAC ruled on Sept 27 that a Royal Thai Police (RTP) announcement which went into effect on July 20, 2020, pertaining to traffic tickets, was unlawful. The ruling came after Supa Chotngam, a motorist, petitioned the court asking the announcement be revoked. The announcement, therefore, does not cause her right to dispute the ticket to be forfeited. According to deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, the RTP will appeal against the ruling, reports said.

2 Thais killed, 8 injured, 11 kidnapped in Hamas attack on IsraelPrime Minister Srettha Thavisin speaks of the condition of Thai workers in Israel before he departs from Wing 6 in Don Muang district on Sunday morning. Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara said eight Thai people were injured and 11 Thais were captured. Of the eight injured Thais, five were admitted to hospital and three others were awaiting rescue, the minister said. He had not been informed of the exact number of injured Thai people there. During this trip Mr Srettha will visit Hong Kong, Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore.

Smoke and flames pour from a highrise building after an Israeli force strike in Gaza City on Saturday. (Photo: Reuters)SDEROT, Israel - The Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a large-scale surprise attack against Israel on Saturday, firing thousands of rockets from Gaza and sending ground units to kill or abduct people as Israel retaliated with air strikes. (Story continues below)A man carries a crying child as he walks in front of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City. Rocket impacts left cars burning beneath residential buildings in the Israeli city of Ashkelon, north of Gaza. The vast majority of fatalities have occurred in the West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

Thai earth satellite launch delayedThe launch of Thailand Earth Observation Satellite 2 (THEOS-2) has been postponed due to a technical problem. technical hitch: The launch of Thailand Earth Observation Satellite 2 (THEOS-2), at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, South America, has been postponed due to a technical error caused by electrical overloads. Besides THEOS-2, the launch of Taiwan's Triton (FORMOSAT-7R) weather satellite and the European Space Agency's 10 small satellites attached to the same liftoff at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, South America, were also delayed. Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Supamas Isarabhakdi said the technical error was caused by electrical overloads which exceeded the threshold. In the THOES-2 case, the technical error included launching equipment on ground or damaged satellite parts.

(Photo: AFP)HANGZHOU, China - India surged past a landmark 100 medals at the Asian Games in Hangzhou with golds in archery and kabaddi on Saturday, on a bumper final full day of competition in Hangzhou. The curtain comes down on the biggest Asian Games in history, boasting 12,000 athletes, on Sunday after two weeks of competition across 40 sports. The first medals in Asian Games history are at stake in breakdancing, ahead of making another landmark debut at next year's Paris Games. "A momentous achievement for India at the Asian Games!" The country's highest previous medal haul at an Asian Games was 70 in Indonesia in 2018.

Effort to unlock other tourism marketsPassengers step off a flight and make their way through the Satellite 1 (SAT-1) terminal which had its soft opening on Sept 28. Atta president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn said news reports on the shooting at Siam Paragon had spread in many countries, but at differing levels. It took roughly three months to restore tourism confidence among the Chinese in 2018, he said. The shooting might not affect Phuket as much as Bangkok, with many Chinese tourists choosing the capital as their main destination during their travels, said Mr Suksit. He said he agrees with Atta that the government should look to other markets unfazed by the incident, of which India holds the highest potential for Phuket as well as other provinces.

They caused a combined damage of 45.7 billion baht, and 167,347 mule accounts worth 11.25 billion baht have been frozen. Mr Karom said most complaints related to online shopping fraud, with 100,694 cases causing 1.9 billion baht of damage. Other popular scams included loan scams (33,517 cases), investment scams (22,740 cases), threatening scams by call centres (20,474 cases), impersonating the identities of others to encourage people to transfer money (9,664 cases), and duping victims into transferring money for a reward (8,697 cases). Mr Karom urged people to stay vigilant against scammers as they increasingly resort to more complex techniques to dupe victims. People can only file online complaints online via the "thaipoliceonline.com" website, he said.

Retired lecturer avoids jail over assaultThotsaphon: Hit activist in faceThotsaphon Thananonsophonkul, 67, a retired university lecturer, has been handed a six-month jail term and a 20,000-baht fine for assaulting political activist Srisuwan Janya. The jail term was suspended for one year. Prior to the assault, Mr Srisuwan was giving a media interview about a complaint regarding Pheu Thai's 10,000-baht digital wallet policy. Due to his confession, the court suspended Thotsaphon's jail term for one year. "This will be a lesson for those who act beyond the law," Mr Srisuwan posted in a message on his Facebook account.

Ayutthaya province has put up dykes along the banks of the fast-swelling Chao Phraya River, which is threatening to overflow and flood homes and historical sites. The province's industrial estates reported on Wednesday that no flooding had affected them yet. Meanwhile, industrial estates in Ayutthaya have raised flood barriers around their properties to over 1.8m. Veeris Ammarapala, governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, said the risk of flooding in the industrial estates is low. Effective flood prevention measures have been in place at industrial estates since the disastrous floods of 2011.