Songkhla flood victims’ families to receive 2m baht without paperwork
EFCOC approves 2m baht in compensation for families of those who died in the Songkhla floods, removing all paperwork to speed up support for affected residents.
The Emergency Flood Crisis Operations Centre (EFCOC) resolved on Monday to provide 2 million baht in assistance to the families of those who died in the Songkhla floods, without requiring any paperwork or red tape.
The decision was announced at 12.05pm after a meeting at Government House chaired by government spokesman and EFCOC spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat.
Siripong said the 2-million-baht compensation applies only to fatalities in Songkhla, which has been declared a state of emergency. Families of deceased victims in other southern provinces will receive assistance under the normal regulations of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM).
He said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited flood-affected communities in Hat Yai, listened to concerns from residents and instructed the EFCOC to remove unnecessary bureaucratic steps in the compensation process.
The prime minister ordered the DDPM to use digital flood maps and online household registration records from the Department of Provincial Administration to verify eligibility, instead of asking flood victims to produce physical documents.
During the first two days after floodwaters receded, local agencies had not yet received updated instructions from the central government, resulting in some offices requesting ID cards and household registrations from victims and their families.
Siripong said Anutin has instructed the DDPM to accelerate compensation payments. Families of those who died in Songkhla will receive 2 million baht from the DDPM, while the EFCOC will determine appropriate rates for other provinces based on DDPM rules.
The spokesman added that government doctors would assess whether individuals who died from indirect complications related to the flooding would be eligible for compensation under the special scheme.
Siripong said the government had also ordered agencies to speed up repairs to essential utilities, including restoring tap water services. Tap water in Hat Yai is expected to be fully restored by Wednesday.
The EFCOC also instructed local agencies to intensify garbage collection and road-cleaning efforts so that residents can return to their homes within seven days, and Hat Yai can be restored within 14 days.
