Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra gave a press briefing today. She said she received a summary report on the recovery plan for Chiang Rai and other provinces affected by the flood and mudslide incidents.

She also ordered officials to expedite the payment of compensation to flood victims and reduce any red tape.

The continuous flooding in Mae Sai District in Chiang Rai is an important situation that the government must summarize and conclude completely regarding prevention. We have never encountered a problem of flash floods carrying a large amount of mud into the city like this before. Therefore, we must set a national disaster response and prevention plan framework.

She said if a conclusion can be reached to prevent disasters, it will be concluded as the Mae Sai Model as a model for problem-solving work. Because if a flood problem like this occurs again in Thailand, there will be a comprehensive response plan for every province in every region of Thailand.

Our government needs to listen to additional problems and learn about prevention measures from local government agencies, whether the private sector, foundations, or people in flood-stricken areas, to set prevention policies.

Strategic plan to deal with floods

On September 27, Prime Minister Paethongtarn and Deputy Prime Ministers will travel to Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai to follow up on assistance for the people affected by flooding. They will also meet with heads of local government agencies and representatives of various sectors to set directions and reach conclusions to write a strategic plan to deal with floods and storms in the country again.

The Prime Minister and her team will stay overnight in Chiang Rai and then travel to Chiang Mai, to the flood-stricken areas, to meet with people to listen to problems and offer assistance.

Meanwhile, Mr. Phumtham Vejjayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense emphasized during a meeting of the Flood, Storm and Landslide Relief Operation Center (CCRO) that they have approved the relief and rehabilitation operation plan to solve the mudslide problem in Chiang Rai Province.

The operation will be carried out in Mueang District, 745 houses and 6,614 houses outside the municipality area, and it will be completed by September 29. Mae Sai District is divided into 5 zones and must be completed by October 20, 2024.

Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, said that the Prime Minister is urging the Ministry of Finance to transfer the central budget to help people on a household basis; this relief money will be transferred into their bank accounts.

He said that even though 9,000 baht compensation has already been paid to some flood victims, it’s not enough. Therefore, the Interior Ministry is preparing to discuss adjusting the compensation criteria to pay more and expects to submit it to the Cabinet on October 1, 2024.