The Ministry of Interior has ordered provincial governors and local administrative agencies not to receive money donated by the private sector and public to help victims of summer storms which have battered provinces in the North and Northeast, as it could violate the law.
Interior permanent secretary Kritsada Boonrat warned local administrative organisations Sunday against receiving the donations themselves, which could lead to problems.
He also ordered local officials in storm-hit areas to ask donors to make donations to those in need via provincial and district branches of the Thai Red Cross Society.
There, a receipt will be issued to donors.
Donations can also include supplies such as medicine or construction materials. A thank-you letter will also be issued.
Mr Kritsada urged local officials to inform the public about proper donation channels.
He added the ministry has provided initial assistance to victims, providing compensation of up to 33,000 baht per household.
According to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), the storms last week caused damage to more than 200 houses in eight northeastern provinces -- Buri Ram, Chaiyaphum, Kalasin, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani.
More seasonal storms were expected and their severity could be worse than last year, the TMD said.
Mr Kritsada said he instructed provincial governors, district chiefs and other local officials to prepare for the storms and provide assistance.
In some storm-hit provinces, authorities also worked with the military to repair damaged houses, he added.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, Suthep Ruenthawil, director of the province's Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said 550 households in 14 districts had been affected by the storms which battered the province between April 14 and last Wednesday.
A number of temples and electric poles were damaged.
The hardest-hit areas were in Soeng Sang and Nong Bunmak districts.
Meanwhile, Mr Suthep also said the severe drought affecting the country has forced authorities to discharge more water from Lam Chae dam in Khon Buri district for tap water production in the province.
Water in about 20 community weirs was reserved for tap water.
In Buri Ram, the Khok Khamin Tambon Administration Organisation (TAO) in Phlapphlachai district sent water trucks to deliver water to more than 1,300 residents in Ban Salaengkhong and Ban Khok Petch after a three-month water shortage.
Water trucks were also sent to replenish catchments at schools and temples.
However, Somporn Chiewchukul, village chief of Ban Khok Petch, said despite the water supplies sent by the Khok Khamin TAO, the water volume remained insufficient for the number of residents in the village.
He urged state agencies to provide assistance to drought victims and allocate funds for dredging a pool in the village to hold more water.
At Sap Langka Wildlife Sanctuary in Lop Buri's Lam Sonthi district, authorities inspected areas to drill two artesian wells to increase water sources for wildlife affected by the drought.
Wasan Klomjinda, chief of the sanctuary, said the dry spell has parched a stream in the sanctuary over a distance of 24km, which resulted in inadequate water for animals, particularly elephants.