BANGKOK, Thailand – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has issued eight urgent directives to accelerate flood relief and prepare for the heavy rainfall forecast from October 9 to 13. Chairing a national flood response meeting via video conference from Singapore on October 8, he instructed government agencies to improve drainage, prepare evacuation plans, and expedite financial assistance without waiting for floodwaters to recede.
The Thai Meteorological Department has warned of possible heavy to very heavy rainfall across eastern and central Thailand, Bangkok and surrounding provinces, and the South. Anutin directed authorities to provide timely public warnings using weather forecasts and short-term monitoring systems. Provincial officials must also prepare evacuation plans, prioritizing older residents, bedridden patients, and other vulnerable groups.
In the Bang Pakong River Basin, authorities have been ordered to install water-propulsion equipment near the river mouth to improve drainage in flood-affected areas of Prachin Buri and Chachoengsao. Southern provinces must review emergency procedures, prepare personnel and equipment, and clear waterways of obstructions ahead of the approaching rainfall.
The prime minister also instructed the Public Health Ministry to arrange appropriate medical care for vulnerable patients in evacuation shelters and prevent post-flood infections. Relevant agencies must ensure the sanitary disposal of animal carcasses, prevent environmental contamination, and maintain emergency response teams ready for sudden flooding.
Anutin further directed provincial governors and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to establish teams to survey affected households and submit the names of eligible residents to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Relief payments must be processed promptly as households are verified, allowing residents to receive financial assistance while flood recovery operations continue. (NNT)
