Anutin orders ministers to assist and rehabilitate flood victims

In response to the severe flooding crisis in southern Thailand, particularly in Hat Yai and other areas of Songkhla, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who also serves as Minister of the Interior, signed an order on Wednesday (November 26) assigning ministers to oversee assistance, relief, and rehabilitation efforts for flood victims.

The objective is to address the suffering of affected communities efficiently, swiftly, and effectively, ensuring tangible results in the aftermath of the flood disaster. 

To streamline the recovery process, the Prime Minister has assigned each minister specific responsibilities for affected provinces, as follows:

• Phipat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, will oversee assistance and recovery efforts in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Pattani.
   
• Sophon Saram, Deputy Prime Minister, will manage relief and rehabilitation in Yala.
   
• Thamanat Prompow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, will be in charge of efforts in Songkhla.
   
• Suchart Chomklin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment, will focus on Surat Thani.
   
• Santi Piyatat, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office, will lead the recovery work in Trang.
   
• Napinthorn Srisanpang, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office, will oversee relief and rehabilitation in Phatthalung.
   
• Songsak Thongsri, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office, will handle recovery efforts in Satun.
   
• Amin Mayuso, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, will manage the flood recovery in Narathiwat.

Additionally, other ministers have been assigned responsibilities for specific tasks related to the recovery efforts:

• The Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister will be responsible for financial measures to support flood victims.
   
• Paradorn Prissanananthakul, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office, will coordinate with the private sector and civil society to provide assistance and rehabilitation, with state funding support.
   
• Supamas Isarabhakdi, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office, will lead the establishment and operations of the media coordination centre and public information collection.
   
• The Minister of Public Health will oversee the healthcare system for affected communities.
   
• The Minister of Defence will manage security coordination for relief operations.
   
• The Deputy Minister of Defence will establish and oversee the coordination centre for flood relief assistance.

Anutin guarantees emergency decree protects officials in Hat Yai flood relief efforts

Siripong Angkasakulkiat, the government spokesperson, revealed that this morning, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul made his third visit to Songkhla province within the week to monitor the ongoing flood crisis.

Accompanied by a rescue team and essential supplies, the Prime Minister attended a meeting to command flood relief operations. 

He also expressed support for the personnel involved in the royal kitchen and field kitchen operations, as well as those helping flood victims at temporary shelters. Furthermore, he took the opportunity to inspect the water situation in the Hat Yai Municipal Area.

Siripong stated that during his visit, the Prime Minister held a video conference with the emergency flood operations centre, where he issued clear directives, saying:

“By declaring a state of emergency in the flooded areas, I ask everyone to fully support the operations, including the allocation of budgets and the execution of orders. All authority will be centralised at the emergency operations centre to ensure there are no concerns about the exercise of power.”

“There are laws in place to protect the decision-making process, and I assure you that this is under my responsibility as the person who declared the emergency under the emergency decree.”

Siripong added that reports circulating about the Prime Minister's schedule were inaccurate. The Prime Minister’s intention was to personally assess the flood situation to ensure that the assistance provided meets the urgent needs of the affected communities and is tailored to the specific requirements of the disaster victims.