Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn has left for the French Republic early this morning on a 10-day visit to observe cancer treatment and perfume production.

The Bureau of the Royal Household said Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn left in the early hour of May 7 on a Thai Airways International flight for France and will stay in the European country until May 18.

While in France, Her Royal Highness will observe research projects under a schedule arranged by the Institute of Research on Cancer and Aging in Nice. The Princess will also visit perfume factories in Grasse on the French Riviera.

The Princess will return to Thailand on Sunday, May 18, at about 6 a.m.

The Excise Department is considering tax collection from manufacturers of television sets and digital set-top boxes, deeming prices of those items have a tendency to adjust up to keep pace with the technological progress and rising demand.

Director General Somchai Poonswad said that the advent of digital TV would most likely leave analog TV sets industrial electronic junks in the near future, posting threats to the environment.

He said his department would talk to the Industry Ministry’s Department of Industrial Works, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC), and the consumers’ network in order to determine whether or not television sets and set top box should be categorized as environmental risk items. If the meeting concludes against those devices, Mr. Somchai said, they are subjected to excise tax collection worth up to 10% of the price tags.

According to Mr. Somchai, items that are considered luxurious, having morally gray value or posting threats to the environment are subjected to excise tax. Televisions and set-top boxes may fall under the last-mentioned category.

He said the matter would be finalized once the new government is formed.

The cabinet meeting has given the green light to a budget of 500 million baht to help the victims of the 6.3-magnitude quake that rocked the northern part of Thailand on Monday evening.

Government Deputy Spokeswoman Sunisa Lertpakawat revealed that the cabinet had approved a relief budget of 500 million baht for the quake-ravaged provinces in the northern region. She added that a committee, led by Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasob Suraswadi, had been set up to oversee the relief operation and draw up measures to deal with future tremors.

Thailand on Monday experienced the strongest quake since 1935. The disaster killed one person and injured more than 20. The quake, as well as a number of aftershocks damaged houses, buildings, and public facilities in the region.

Supreme Commander of the Thai Armed Forces General Thanasak Patimaprakorn has denied rumors that he is supporting the political reform road map proposed by the Democrat Party.

After presiding over a seminar held at the Thailand National Defense College, General Thanasak said it was just a rumor that he supported the Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva’s nine-point political road,map, affirming his neutrality on political issues. The rumor began to spread after the supreme commander had met with Mr. Abhisit on April 28th to exchange thoughts and ideas.

The Democrat Party leader has proposed that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra resign and that the election be postponed in order to avoid the possibility of future violence and a military coup d’etat. The proposal also calls for a neutral interim government, which will be in charge of a political reform. The reform process should take about 18 months, and the election should be organized within 150-180 days upon the completion of the reform.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) stated the price of subsidy coupon to be distributed to each household, to buy a set-top box for conversion to digital TV, has yet to be finalized.

Previously the Broadcasting Committee has proposed that the price should be settled at 1,000 baht. However, Mr. Thakorn Tanthasit, NBTC Secretary General, said that yesterday’s meeting between the NBTC and the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Research and Development Fund for the Public Interest (BTFP) decided to take further time to thoroughly calculate an appropriate price.

The reconsideration of set-top box coupon value came after the Independent Organization for Consumer Protection had expressed its disagreement with the Broadcasting Committee’s proposed price tag, reasoning that the high coupon subsidy would push the box’s price.

Mr. Thakorn said the new price would be finalized within 2 weeks.

On the other hand, the Consumers’ Network has suggested the set-top box discount coupon should have a value of around 512 baht, based on prices offered in other countries.

According to the group, the set-top box price in the U.S. is at 13-16 dollars (420-480 baht), 10 pounds (545 baht) in the U.K. and around 9512 Korean wons (300 baht) in South Korea. The device is currently being sold around 1,000 -1,500 baht in Thailand.

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn on Tuesday (May 6) represented His Majesty the King at the ceremony of bestowing degrees, certificates and insignia badges upon successful participants who have finished their studies at staff colleges and war colleges of the three armed forces.

The ceremony, held at the New Building in Amporn Gardens, saw 1,071 participants, comprising high-ranking military officers and civil servants, receive their respective degrees from the Crown Prince. They completed their studies at the Army, Naval and Air Force command and staff colleges, the Joint Staff College, the Army, Naval and Air Force war colleges, and the National Defence College in the 2013 academic year.

In the royal congratulatory speech to the successful participants, His Royal Highness reminded them that the nation’s interest was built upon duties and missions of all the participants who represented military, economic, social and government sectors. The subjects they had learned at the high-level institutions of the armed forces would help them carry out their tasks to the desirable goals that would also benefit the nation as a whole. He urged them to perform duties with determination and honesty in order to bring the nation to stability and security.

The Pheu Thai Party has announced its disagreement with the proposal by the Democrat Party Leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva, regarding an exit strategy to the ongoing political tumult. His plan seeking political reform before a national poll, was deemed unconstitutional.

A core member of the Pheu Thai Party, Phokin Pollakun, made the announcement, saying the suggestion is merely the same as the demands made by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).

Meanwhile, the Center for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) has issued its third declaration urging the Election Commission (EC) to hold the general election as planned while imploring the Constitutional Court to maintain its impartiality in accordance with the charter and ethical codes. CAPO Secretary General Tharit Pengdit said political critics, academics, and the Democrat Party Leader, should refrain from causing confusion and creating rifts among the people, or any attempt to cause a political vacuum.

However, the Vice President of the Senate, Surachai Liengboonlertchai, stated he would bring Mr. Abhisit’s suggestions, along with other viable proposals, to the Senate’s attention, taking the view that there is no definite solution to the ongoing political turmoil as yet. He added the implementation of Section 7 of the constitution is just one of many possible ways out, being offered by a group of individuals.

A representatives of the university student against the U-Net examination group has expressed his gratitude to all who support the group’s course by voting on its online petition site.

According to Mr. Suvijak Techatatsakul, the representative, the group’s movement has attracted more than 60,000 of supporters; he thanked the supporters for their votes, which have convinced the National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NEITS) to drop the test.

He urged the NEITS to take the event as a lesson, advising the institute to conduct thorough researches and surveys to avoid imposing such an unnecessary examination on students in the future.

Mr. Suvijak, a Thammasat University Art Student, said that the proposed tests have already put on a certain degree of stress on students, adding that tying test results to employment prospect would further place them in an even more stressful situation. Thousands of people have shared the views that NEITS’s other tests such as O-Net, A-Net,GAT/PAT do not offer any constructive results, given the tests’ designs limit the thoughts and imagination of exam sitters.

Security agencies have gathered in Narathiwat Province to draw up security plans for the students and the teachers ahead of the new school term.

As the new school term is approaching, Mr. Supanat Sirathawenethi, the deputy governor of Narathiwat Province, has convened a meeting with 3 national security-related agencies to draw up safety measures for schools in 13 districts of the province.

Authorities have been asked to re-evaluate their past work in order for them to be more cautious and avoid repeating the same mistakes. The deputy governor has firmly assured that every school in Narathiwat will be guarded by officers who serve to protect lives as well as the nation.

Most of the schools in Narathiwat will be opened on May 18th.

Officials in Chiang Rai are acting quickly to distribute general information about earthquakes and are trying to offer support to frightened locals.

The earthquake yesterday caused major damage to properties throughout the province, including Pan, Mae Lao and Wiang Chai districts.

To ensure public safety and to avoid confusion, Chiang Rai Provincial officials have explained that aftershocks will cease after three days and urged people to keep calm. In addition, Chiang Rai Public Relations, in cooperation with the Chiang Rai Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, are giving news briefings every two hours.