Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has promised to speed up compensation payments to flood victims and set up a new emergency alert system.
She made the remarks at Monday's first meeting of the flood, storm, and mudslide situation administration and management committee at Government House to address the flooding woes and post-inundation recovery efforts.
The government has also set up the flood victims assistance operations centre, with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai as its director.
Ms Paetongtarn said that compensation payments under the existing criteria are not proportionate to the extensive damage caused by flooding in several provinces.
"Compensation should be speedy and sensible. Compensation amounts are restricted by the existing criteria, but the damage is very considerable," the prime minister said, adding the criteria need to be revised to ensure more compensation.
"For example, flooding in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai [district] lasted three days, but damage was substantial," she said.
Ms Paetongtarn also said a budget allocation would be set aside to set up a new emergency alert system called "cell broadcast service".
Former government spokesman Chai Wacharonke previously said a new alert system would be introduced by mid-2025 that would send text alerts to all mobile phone users in the country in an emergency.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) gave the project the go-ahead following a test by True Corp in July. AIS carried out its own testing in March.
When triggered by an emergency event, the system will send an alert to all mobile phone users in Thailand, including foreign tourists. The alert will be sent out in five languages -- Thai, English, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian -- along with images and audio messages.
The emergency alert system is a collaboration between the NBTC, mobile phone operators and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
Cell broadcast technology allows emergency warnings to be sent to all devices connected to mobile networks within a specific target area or across the nation, depending on the importance.
A senior provincial official said on Monday that the repair bill for flood-damaged houses in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district alone is estimated at 500 million baht. The crisis is not over, with many areas of the border town still underwater.
Kanchit Chumpoodaeng, director of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office in Chiang Rai, said the damage estimate was based on the number of houses and shops ravaged by the huge flood in the district and the official rate set for repairs in the state budget, which is 49,500 baht for each house.
He said at least 10,000 houses and shops in Mae Sai were confirmed flood-damaged, and he expected the number to rise as the water drained off and officials could conduct a thorough survey.
"The figures are only for housing repairs. Other related expenses are not included," Mr Kanchit said.
Mae Sai district, especially the municipality, was the hardest hit in Chiang Rai province after the Sai River burst its banks on Tuesday last week. Residents said it was the worst flooding in four decades.
Mr Kanchit said some areas in the district town were still underwater and could only be reached by Navy SEALs. Helicopters were airdropping essential supplies to people stranded by the floodwater and those who did not want to leave their homes.
Mae Sai district has opened 17 temporary shelters for victims, and Chiang Rai municipality two.
He said the situation in other flooded districts was gradually returning to normal, including in Muang district.
The flooding in Chiang Rai has taken 12 lives to date, with three people recovering from injuries.
