Interior Minister Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul told a press briefing yesterday that he has ordered more equipment and is mobilizing over 1,000 volunteer defense force (VDF) personnel from throughout Thailand to assist with flooding operations in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.

He told reporters that both provinces currently have governors commanding the incident and have deputy governors and they have been reporting the situation at all times. They are in complete command of the situation, he said.

When asked about recent flooding in Mae Sai District Chiang Rai and why it keeps happening he said teams are working night and day to unblock water drainage pipes and assist those affected from recent flooding.

He said in the upstream areas on the Myanmar side of the border there is almost no original forest left. Most of the topsoil has been cleared for agriculture. Now, when there heavy amounts of rain, flash flood bringing huge masses of mud down and water down mountain tributaries into the Sai River, causing the flooding problems.

The water that flooded Mae Sai came almost entirely from the Burmese side, starting from the high mountainous areas

The government is working with officials on both sides of the border to prevent future flooding. It’s a complicated issue and the administration across the border has limited resources and manpower. He said, we are working diligently with all agencies to find a solution to the flooding problems on both sides of the border.

When asked whether the recent flooding will increase the compensation, Mr. Anutin stated that the regulations presently allow for compensation only once. However, the emergency decree is still in effect and the assistance framework could possibly be adjusted and we will do our best to minimize the suffering of the people.

Northern Thailand has suffered severe flooding and landslides in recent weeks due to torrential rains. Authorities in Chaing Mai and Chiang Rai have issued alerts for potential flooding as water levels reach dangerous levels on rivers and tributaries.

The northern meteorological station forecasts more rain today for Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai provinces, due to a high pressure weather system from China, in conjunction with a monsoon trough over the northern region of Thailand. These conditions are forecast to bring heavy rain to both provinces.