BANGKOK, Thailand – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, following his inspection tour in Ayutthaya province on September 27, directed officials to expedite relief efforts for flood-affected residents in Bang Ban district. The Premier stated that financial assistance under the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation framework would be released immediately after the government presents its policy statement to Parliament, making clear that support cannot be delayed while people continue to struggle.
During the visit, Anutin turned attention to long-term solutions for recurring floods. He made reference to a proposed 100-billion-baht southern drainage channel linking the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat province to the Gulf of Thailand. The project, expected to take seven to eight years, would create permanent infrastructure to divert excess water away from the Central Plains.
Anutin explained that the cost, averaging just over 10 billion baht annually, is far less than the 30–40 billion baht spent each year on relief payments. He stressed that permanent drainage infrastructure would reduce financial losses and spare communities the repeated disruption caused by annual flooding.
Anutin stressed that distributing relief packages year after year is not a sustainable approach and said residents deserve solutions that address the root causes of the problem. His administration, he added, is ready to move forward on projects even if their completion extends beyond the government’s current term.
While acknowledging that no single administration can finish the drainage system, Anutin said the most important step is to begin. He affirmed his support for any measure that serves the public interest, regardless of politics, and expressed confidence that careful management will build the trust needed to continue long-term flood prevention. (NNT)
