Siam Kubota Corporation Limited is launching the "KUBOTA Freshy Agri Skill" program to inspire and develop agricultural expertise among students under the KUBOTA Next Gen Farmer initiative. The program combines hands-on learning with knowledge transfer in innovation, technology, and modern agricultural solutions through collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture at Chiang Mai University.

Ratchakrit Songwanchiwin, Sustainability Development Manager at Siam Kubota Corporation Limited, stated that the company has been collaborating with educational institutions nationwide, and with Chiang Mai University since 2020 to develop agricultural education. This initiative marks another significant step in continuing integrated educational partnerships to create mutual benefits for both organizations. The focus is on paving the way toward next-generation farming under the "KUBOTA Next Gen Farmer" concept, establishing a strong learning ecosystem and fostering positive attitudes toward agriculture while developing new-generation or Smart Farmers capable of applying technology to increase production efficiency and competitiveness.

The KUBOTA Freshy Agri Skill program bridges classroom learning with real-world experience through five interactive learning stations:

Station 1: KUBOTA Agri Solutions for major crops, teaching methods to increase yield and reduce costs through comprehensive agricultural solutions, covering crop cultivation, cost management, and return on investment analysis using real farmer case studies.

Stations 2 & 3: Test Drive Innovation, where students experience modern agricultural machinery including tractors, smart spray drones, excavators, rice combines, and vegetable planters.

Station 4: Agricultural Applications for field management, teaching digital technology use for precision farming, including water management systems and the KAS Crop Calendar app covering soil preparation, planting, maintenance, harvesting, and post-harvest management.

Station 5: Workshop - Path to Smart Farming, featuring insights from experienced farmer Wallailak Kumkoon (Pat), owner of Wallai Farm, including real farm data analysis and scenario simulations to develop decision-making skills.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Darunee Naprom, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Chiang Mai University, noted that this collaboration reflects both organizations' commitment to developing young talent in agriculture to adapt to modern global changes. It provides students with valuable out-of-classroom learning through hands-on experience, strengthening their knowledge, skills, and readiness for future agricultural careers.

At 1:55 PM on April 29, 2569 at Santitham Building in Government House, Chaiyachon Chidchob, Minister of Digital Economy and Society and secretary-general of the Bhumjaithai Party (BTP), addressed the departure of Nattachon Srikoakhuea, a Songkhla MP, from the party's line group following his disappointment at not being appointed to a committee chair position. Chaiyachon explained that with such a large number of MPs, disappointment is inevitable, but there are many other important positions and opportunities within the party. He urged members to accept the situation and move forward.

When asked if party divisions could occur, Chaiyachon stated that it depends on individual personalities, but most MPs understand the party's growth and changes. He believes the party has managed the selection of candidates fairly. He said the party will attempt to clarify with anyone who feels misunderstood, noting this is their right as party members.

When asked if he had spoken with Nattachon directly, Chaiyachon replied he had just learned of the situation and hasn't met with him yet, but will likely do so soon. Regarding why Nattachon's qualifications weren't sufficient, Chaiyachon clarified it wasn't a matter of qualifications—many members qualify—but simply that positions are limited.

Concerning the 14 committee chair names that leaked, Chaiyachon said they were close to the party's consideration and will be finalized on Thursday, April 30. He expressed confusion about how the list was leaked, as no final decision has been made yet. When pressed on whether changes are possible, he confirmed there is a chance, though the leaked names aren't 100 percent accurate with the party's deliberations.

Riyad Mahrez, the renowned footballer, purchased luxury Rolex watches to distribute among his teammates as a gesture of goodwill following Al Ahli's successful defense of the AFC Champions League Elite title.

Mahrez, the former Leicester City and Manchester City player, led the prestigious Saudi Arabian club to retain the AFC Champions League crown after defeating Japan's Machida Zelvia 1-0 in the recent final. According to reports, the high-earning player, who earns approximately 870,000 pounds or about 38.5 million baht weekly, purchased luxury green Rolex Submariner Hulk watches valued at 17,000 pounds each, approximately 748,000 baht, as commemorative gifts for his teammates. Each watch was specially engraved on the caseback with AFC Champions League Elite messaging, the champion's trophy imagery, and "Mahrez 7."

This generous gesture was supported by other team members including Eduardo Mendy, the former Chelsea goalkeeper, and Merih Demiral, the former Turkish national team defender, who contributed to sharing the expenses.

At 10:40 AM on April 29, 2025, during a House of Representatives session presided over by Mallika Chirathphanvanit, the first deputy speaker, lawmakers considered a pending motion to establish a special committee to address falling agricultural prices. MP Kraikhon Silpajai from Rayong province of the People's Party discussed how Rayong produces various fruits recognized nationwide and internationally, but farmers face rising production costs—fertilizer, pesticides, and fuel prices all increasing annually. He focused on durians and mangosteen, arguing that the government should investigate middlemen, particularly Chinese traders, who completely control the market and set prices unilaterally, even buying from orchards before fruits mature and harvesting immature durians to catch early-season prices at the expense of quality.

Recently, an influencer created content claiming premium-grade durians selling for 600-700 baht would be offered at just 100 baht each, with Deputy PM and Commerce Minister Supratip joining the promotional campaign. "But once concerns arose from farmers about market price collapse, the Commerce Ministry quickly backtracked, claiming these were lower grades, not export quality. Ultimately, the influencer couldn't actually sell them at that price," Kraikhon stated.

Kraikhon brought a scale to parliament and weighed durians to demonstrate the impossibility. A jumbo-sized durian with mostly shell and little flesh selling at 40 baht per kilogram weighed 6.7 kg for about 270 baht. A medium-grade undersized durian at 80 baht per kilogram weighed 2.2 kg for roughly 180 baht. A pop-pak sized durian at 1.4 kg cost 112 baht. "Thus, no durian sells for exactly 100 baht, and yesterday's livestream showed no 100-baht durians—not even one million of them," he said.

"I thank all influencers for promoting durians, but the Commerce Minister's involvement is risky due to poor timing and coordination, potentially damaging Thai durian value and encouraging illegal imports from neighboring countries," Kraikhon warned. He noted that mangosteen prices fall as supply increases, and last year farmers had to abandon fallen mangosteens because labor costs exceeded fruit value. Despite the Interior Ministry's guidelines for government purchase prices matching announced rates during agricultural crises, no official prices are ever announced, leaving farmers perpetually disadvantaged.

Kraikhon proposed investigating agricultural product quality entering the market, especially immature durians, inspecting middlemen and Chinese traders for legal violations, and pursuing shell companies holding durian plantations for Chinese capital investors, while cracking down on illegal durian imports.

On April 29, Jitti Tangsithiphakdi, president of the Gold Traders Association, revealed that gold prices continue to fluctuate due to Middle East tensions, especially Iran's situation, coupled with uncertainty surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump's policies. The organization urges investors to closely follow developments in May, particularly the appointment of the new Federal Reserve chairman, whose monetary policy could significantly impact gold prices.

Jitti stated that in the short term, gold prices may decline further but likely won't fall below $4,500 per ounce. For long-term investors, prices could potentially reach $6,000 per ounce after October. He recommended long-term investors gradually accumulate gold during price dips, while short-term traders, especially in online markets, should exercise caution and avoid over-leveraging.

The gold trading atmosphere remains quiet, with consumers hesitant to make purchases due to concerns about further price declines.

Thailand and Laos have agreed to deepen cooperation on tackling cross-border haze pollution and sustainable environmental management under the "Clear Sky Strategy", officials said on Wednesday.

On April 29 at 9:30am, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin led a Thai delegation to Laos for talks with Lao Agriculture and Environment Minister Dr. Linkham Duangsavanh, focusing on joint efforts to address transboundary haze and environmental management. Both sides reaffirmed their commitments under a trilateral framework involving Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, aimed at tackling seasonal haze and forest fire pollution across the region.

The talks centered on implementing a joint action plan for cross-border haze management spanning 2024–2030, including development of Laos' air quality reporting platform and establishment of a national air quality data center. Both countries also agreed to strengthen real-time coordination through a "WhatsApp Hotline CLEAR Sky" system at the director-general level, designed to enable rapid response during burning season and monitor haze, forest fires and PM2.5 pollution.

Additional measures include creating shared fire-risk maps, strengthening a trilateral forest fire prevention and suppression network with Myanmar, and promoting zero-burning agricultural practices under GAP standards. A product traceability system, particularly for animal feed corn, was also discussed to ensure supply chains are not connected to crop burning.

Thailand proposed a new memorandum of understanding between the two environmental ministries to better address current challenges and reflect Laos' reorganized administrative structure. Officials noted the visit demonstrates progress in regional environmental cooperation, highlighting Thailand's commitment to addressing transboundary haze through scientific collaboration, technology transfer and coordinated management to improve public health and support sustainable development across the region.