Nakhon Ratchasima: Residents of Yang district have discovered three pieces of what appear to be the fossilised molars of an ancient elephant, in a local creek yesterday.
Ancient jumbo teeth discovered in creek
The longest measures 20cm in length and 16cm in width and weighs about half a kilogramme. They were retrieved from the creek in tambon Krabueng Nok after a fisherman found them.
Yang district chief Theerapol Choknamchai has reportedly invited archaeologists to examine the fossils. Divers were also being sent to scour the creek bed for more fossils.
The provincial office has been planning to develop the creek into an archaeological site for tourism.
Don off on 3-nation visit to Europe
diplomacy: Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai is scheduled to visit Germany, Finland and Sweden next week.
The minister will meet with his German counterpart Heiko Maas next Wednesday. Topics to be discussed include the enhancement of economic partnership as well as cooperation at both regional and global levels.
Next Thursday, he will meet Finland's foreign minister Timo Soini to discuss areas for bilateral and regional cooperation, as Thailand will assume the chairmanship of Asean in 2019 and Finland will take up the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the latter half of next year.
The foreign minister will also preside as Chairman of the Thai Ambassadors in Europe Meeting next Friday to discuss the future direction of Thai-European relations and ways to strengthen the relationship in the context of current regional and global developments.
Border pass to Laos to open soon
Phayao: Ban Huak border pass will be opened linking to Laos in about a month from now, Phayao governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn says.
The governor said agencies concerned have met to discuss a clear timeline for opening the border pass after a cabinet meeting on July 31 decided to upgrade the temporary checkpoint to a permanent border pass.
Mr Narongsak said the meeting yesterday agreed to speed up the opening of the border pass, though he added that a lot of paperwork needs to be completed and cooperation agreed to first by various ministries.
The prime minister and interior minister will have to sign an official Interior Ministry announcement to proceeding with the opening.
A budget has been requested from the government for the management of the border office.
Electric taxis' launch next month
transport: The Department of Land Transport (DLT) is to launch a fleet of fully electric taxis on Sept 9.
The DLT has partnered with Chinese BYD Auto Co Ltd and Thai Risen Energy Co Ltd to introduce 101 electric taxis as part of its Taxi VIP project, and hopes to have 1,000 electric cabs on roads next year.
The fleet will consist of Chinese-manufactured BYD e6 cars with the meter fare starting at 150 baht for the first two kilometers, rising by 16 baht every kilometer after.
Taxi VIP will share the DLT's existing Taxi OK platform which means customers can use the new service via the Taxi Ok app, at Suvarnabhumi Airport or via their 02-029-8888 call centre.
Payment can be made with credit/debit cards, Alipay, WeChat, Rabbit LINE Pay or cash.
3-year-old dies in hot school van
tragedy: A 3-year-old kindergartener died after she was left behind in a hot school van in Pattani, police said yesterday after arresting the driver.
The girl was discovered on Wednesday afternoon after her mother went to pick her up at the end of school and was told the child was absent.
The mother and a teacher located the driver, who led them to the locked van where they found the body.
"The girl's body was pale, no wounds, with a little bloodstain at her nose," Montri Kongwatmai, commander of the Sai Buri district police, said. "She must have thrashed around."
The 23-year-old driver was charged with negligence resulting in death.
