SUPHAN BURI, Thailand – Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul has inspected water management operations at the Song Phi Nong Water Gate in Suphan Buri Province on October 18, 2026, and called for sustainable, long-term infrastructure solutions to address chronic flooding.
The Prime Minister was joined by Minister of Industry Varawut Silpa-archa, Deputy Minister of Interior Jeseth Thaiseth, and senior water management officials. He identified immediate operational challenges, such as dense water hyacinth obstructing discharge into the Tha Chin River. To improve flow capacity, the Royal Irrigation Department will widen local drainage canals and expand the Song Phi Nong Water Gate from three to five gates.
The Prime Minister emphasized that long-term infrastructure investment is more sustainable than repeated emergency pumping and flood compensation, which he estimated cost the government 40–50 billion baht annually. He reaffirmed the cabinet’s commitment to major drainage projects, including the Chainat–Pa Sak–Gulf of Thailand project, scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2027 with a seven-year construction timeline.
Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Director-General Nirat Pongsitthithaworn confirmed that the cabinet approved a 4.7 billion baht central fund allocation on September 29, 2026. Under government policy, the government is disbursing 9,000 baht per household immediately to affected families, without waiting for floodwaters to recede, to ensure rapid, comprehensive assistance across all impacted provinces. (NNT)
