Thai PBS World Daily is here to provide you with a daily news roundup of the top stories in Thailand. Here’s what you need to know for today.

Warning of Chao Phraya River overflows from Thursday

The Royal Irrigation Department has issued a new warning of river overflows in 11 provinces located downstream of the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat Province, after the department decided to increase the discharge rate through the dam from this Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department forecasts heavy rain for most parts of Thailand, including Bangkok and its suburbs, until Sunday, as a result of a moderate monsoon trough moving over northern, central, eastern and north-eastern Thailand towards a low pressure cell in Cambodia.

Thai cabinet approves new minimum wages, effective October 1

The Thai cabinet has approved the new minimum wages, to become effective from October 1st. The new minimum wage is divided into nine rates, with the maximum rate set at 354 baht per day, to a minimum set at 328 baht, in accordance with the cost of living in each respective province.

Thai cabinet extends 5-baht per litre excise tax cut for diesel until November

The cabinet also decided to extend the excise tax cut of five baht per litre on diesel fuel for two more months, until November, to ease the burden on consumers, currently being affected by the high cost of living. They also agreed to maintain the zero excise tax on bio-diesel and bunker oil, used in generating electricity, until March next year.

Bangkok Bank of Commerce embezzlement scandal ends

One of Thailand’s longest-running embezzlement scandals, which led to the collapse of the Bangkok Bank of Commerce in 1995, concluded yesterday, with the Thai Supreme Court upholding the conviction and 335-year imprisonment of Indian-born Rakesh Saxena, a former financial advisor to the bank. He will, however, only serve 20 years behind bars, as the maximum term of imprisonment under the Thai criminal penal code is 20 years.

Thai school under fire for changing a soccer field into a golf driving range

The management of a school, in the Renu Nakhon district of Thailand’s north-eastern province of Nakhon Phanom, has come under fire on social media for converting the soccer field at the school into a golf driving range. The criticism has finally forced the school’s director to defend its project, while admitting that the management did not seek consent from people in the community for the project.