Anutin to visit Hat Yai Sunday afternoon to direct flood relief operations

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will fly to Hat Yai again on Sunday afternoon to assess the latest flooding and direct relief operations, he said.

He told reporters at the Bhumjaithai Party head office on Sunday morning that he wanted to see the situation with his own eyes so he could issue orders to support flood-affected residents.

Anutin said Phatthalung and Songkhla were the hardest-hit provinces, with Hat Yai town suffering severe flooding due to its low-lying terrain and substantial run-off.

He said several Cabinet members had already travelled to Hat Yai to assist local residents, including Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn; Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister Thamanat Prompao; Industry Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana; and Deputy Interior Minister Sasithorn Kittidhrakul.

Anutin added that he had visited Hat Yai on Saturday to order the establishment of an evacuation centre for flood victims.

The prime minister said flooding in the South differed from other regions because water would normally drain into the sea within three to four days if no further rainfall occurred. However, he had been informed that another major storm could arrive within the next two days, potentially worsening conditions.

He said the director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department had informed him that the situation reached its peak on Saturday night. Although a drainage canal already exists, the volume of floodwater was too great for it to handle.

Anutin said he had instructed provincial governors to survey the number of affected families so assistance could be provided immediately, at a rate of 9,000 baht per household. He added that the government would also rush to procure fresh food to prepare meals for tourists stranded in hotels and for villagers trapped in their homes.