Thailand faces water shortage due to shorter rainy season
The Hydro-Informatics Institute (HII) under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation of Thailand, which analyses water-related data, is warning of a water shortage as it expects this year's rainy season to be shorter than usual.
Bangkok (VNA) – The Hydro-InformaticsInstitute (HII) under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research andInnovation of Thailand, which analyses water-related data, is warning of awater shortage as it expects this year's rainy season to be shorter than usual.
Director of HII Sutat Veesakul said on July 19 that there will be less rainthan last year, which will affect water reserves across the country.
The current rainy season, which arrived later than in previous years, isforecast to end in September, which means there might not be enoughprecipitation to replenish reservoirs across the country, he noted.
The effect of the shorter monsoon can already be seen, with 25 major dams andreservoirs across Thailand having less than 30 percent of their total waterstorage capacity.
Sutat said "water stress" is imminent as between November this yearand May next year, about 12 billion cu.m of water will be needed to meetdemands from farms and households in the area.
He urged competent agencies to do their best to conserve water in the remainderof the rainy season, which will last until the end of August./.
Thailand’s financial system has become more vulnerable due to the more-than-expected contraction of the country’s economic outlook due to impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Bank of Thailand (BoT).
A majority of Thai people said it is time for a cabinet reshuffle, according an opinion survey by the Suan Dusit Rajabhat University or Suan Dusit Poll.
Thai businesses will support their Vietnamese partners in taking part in regional supply chains and industrial production in the time to come, the Director of the Thai Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Suparporn Sookmark said at a programme in HCM City on July 14.
The National Rice Policy Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, has approved a rice price guarantee scheme for the 2020-2021 crop, offering guaranteed prices at the same rates as during the previous season.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Illustrative image (Photo: Bangkok Post) 
