Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has instructed agencies to step up relief measures to help flood victims in flood-ravaged provinces in the North, especially Chiang Rai, as quickly as possible.
Immediately after outlining the government's policy statement in parliament on Thursday, Ms Paetongtarn called an urgent meeting of cabinet ministers to discuss relief measures for flood victims in the North.
She instructed the Interior Ministry, the Defence Ministry, and the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry to handle evacuating people and livestock.
The Interior Ministry, the Defence Ministry and the Public Health Ministry were instructed to look after people at evacuation centres and provide medical supplies, while the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry must ensure sufficient food supplies for livestock.
The Interior Ministry, the Defence Ministry and the Royal Thai Police are jointly responsible for looking after locals' properties and households during the flooding.
When the flood situation eases, agencies will assess damage to infrastructure and utility systems, gather complaints from locals, and repair damaged houses and structures.
The Interior Ministry and the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry will work together to strengthen flood embankments and improve drainage systems, while the Department of Mineral Resources was also instructed to speed up work on warning systems in high-risk areas.
Environmental agencies were ordered to monitor rain and water levels, assess the situation, and alert other agencies.
Municipal workers take a woman to safety in tambon Wiang Pha Kham of Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai. (Photo: Wiang Phang Kham Subdistrict Municipality)
Local agencies will provide locals with safety guidelines during flooding and advice on how to receive government help and prepare for evacuation.
Ms Paetongtarn also assigned the Interior Ministry, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, and the Office of the National Water Resources to come up with long-term solutions to flood problems.
The prime minister also stressed the need to set up enough temporary shelters and kitchens to prepare food for evacuees.
Speaking after the meeting, Ms Paetongtarn said she had received regular updates on severe flooding in the North, particularly in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.
"The government is not complacent. During the government policy statement, cabinet ministers had already given instructions to help affected people. Everyone must join hands to end people's hardships as quickly as possible," she said.
"I would like to extend my concern to people in the North, particularly in Chiang Rai. When the flood situation eases, we will ensure victims will receive compensation, and early warning systems must also be improved."
She added that she and some cabinet ministers will visit flood victims in Chiang Rai on Friday and stressed that authorities do not need to welcome her because they have to focus on relief operations. "There is no need to welcome. Just give me some directions. We don't want to obstruct efforts to help affected people," she said.
The prime minister also said the government will allocate funds from the central budget's emergency fund to help flood victims.
Anyone who wants to make donations to support relief efforts can do so via the Office of the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund, she said. Sutthipong Juljarern, the Interior Ministry's permanent secretary, said the flooding ravaging Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district is the worst in 80 years.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, far right, chairs an emergency meeting on the flooding in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, at Parliament House in Bangkok. It was her first emergency response meeting, held shortly after she delivered her government's policies to parliament. (Photo: Government House)