Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has directed agencies to increase relief efforts to assist flood victims in flood-ravaged Northern regions, particularly Chiang Rai, as soon as possible.
Ms Paetongtarn convened an emergency cabinet meeting on Thursday to consider assistance measures for flood victims in the North, shortly after detailing the government’s policy statement in parliament.
She delegated responsibility for evacuating people and cattle to the Interior, Defence, and Agriculture and Cooperative Ministries.
The Interior, Defence, and Public Health Ministries have been tasked with caring for individuals in evacuation centres and providing medical supplies, while the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry is responsible for ensuring adequate food supplies for livestock.
The Interior Ministry, the Defence Ministry, and the Royal Thai Police are all in charge of protecting citizens’ properties and houses during the flooding.
When the flood situation improves, organisations will assess damage to infrastructure and utility systems, collect complaints from residents, and repair damaged homes and structures.
The Interior Ministry and the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministries will collaborate to enhance flood embankments and improve drainage systems, while the Department of Mineral Resources has been directed to expedite work on warning systems in high-risk zones.
Environmental agencies were directed to monitor rain and water levels, analyse the situation, and notify appropriate agencies.
Local authorities will give residents with safety instructions during flooding, as well as guidance on how to seek government assistance and prepare for evacuation.
Ms Paetongtarn also directed the Interior Ministry, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, and the Office of National Water Resources to develop long-term flood solutions.
The prime minister also emphasised the importance of establishing adequate temporary shelters and facilities to cook food for evacuees.
Speaking after the meeting, Ms Paetongtarn stated that she had received daily information on catastrophic floods in the North, particularly in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.
“The government is not complacent. Cabinet ministers had previously issued instructions to assist affected individuals during the government’s policy speech. “Everyone must work together to end people’s hardships as soon as possible,” she stated.
“I’d like to express my worry for people in the North, particularly Chiang Rai. When the flood situation improves, we will ensure that victims are compensated, and early warning systems should be upgraded.”
She stated that she and other cabinet ministers will visit flood victims in Chiang Rai on Friday and emphasised that authorities do not need to welcome her because they must focus on relief efforts. “There’s no need to greet. Please offer me some directions. “We don’t want to impede efforts to assist affected people,” she said.
The prime minister also said that the government will use monies from the central budget’s emergency fund to assist flood victims.
Anyone who want to donate to relief efforts can do so through the Office of the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund, she stated. Sutthipong Juljarern, the Interior Ministry’s permanent secretary, stated that the flooding in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai area is the worst in 80 years.
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