“Anutin” called for an urgent meeting to assess the water situation in every province, urging government agencies not to wait for the higher-ups, not to worry about being investigated, willing to be a backer, pointing out that the cabinet must take responsibility anyway, and ordering “PEA – Provincial Waterworks Authority” to meet tomorrow to reduce water and electricity bills, don’t make it a ceremony, saying that going to Nong Khai was unexpected, intending to accept criticism but got smiles instead, admitting that water protection is still not good, if lessons are not learned, it will become a curse.
Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, chaired the meeting of the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Command to monitor the flood situation and trends, including providing assistance to affected people. Ms. Supamas Isaraphakdi, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Ms. Thirarat Samretvanich, Deputy Minister of Interior, and relevant agencies also at
tended the meeting.
Mr. Anutin said during the meeting that today, he would like to thank everyone for their excellent cooperation in coming to the meeting to cope with the flood situation in the northern and northeastern provinces of the country. However, today, we intend to establish an agency that will be a center for distributing various information to relevant agencies in order to integrate cooperation to create efficiency in work.
Mr. Anutin continued that Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra, the Prime Minister, and several ministers have gone down to inspect and observe the various situations in the area. Today, we should find a conclusion on how to prevent this, especially to ensure the utmost safety of people in the disaster areas in terms of life and property. The Meteorological Department also predicts that there will still be heavy rainfall this month because it is still being influenced by tropical storms, which may cause flash floods, forest runoff, and overflowing rivers in many areas. The government
is concerned about the flood situation and is closely monitoring the situation. I myself went down to the area yesterday in Nong Khai Province as instructed by the Prime Minister and saw cooperation from all parties.
Mr. Anutin emphasized that the most important thing is that all relevant agencies must be able to receive accurate and clear information, so that the people can prepare themselves to be careful and safe. The Ministry of Interior has prepared relief supplies for those affected in the area, as well as restore the area after the water recedes. There must be close coordination with other ministries to restore and heal property and mental health, and bring normalcy to the people as soon as possible.
Mr. Anutin stated that from going down to the area, he confirmed that all agencies are dedicated and determined to perform their duties. The images that were seen were good and strong cooperation, with both administrative agencies, civil service, police, and military all in the area. It is impressive tha
t the organizations in various parts and foundations have mobilized. What is clearly different is that we may not have been able to do our best in terms of prevention, but in terms of alleviation, in terms of providing care for the quality of mind and living conditions of our fellow citizens, he thinks that we have done our best. Today, there is no shortage of this or that.
‘Like when I went to Nong Khai Province, I visited many communities. At first, I thought about how I would help relieve the stress of the people who were affected by the disaster. It turned out that they were in a very good state of mind and mood. It made me feel like I was choking up. They were affected by this natural disaster and they still had smiles and were encouraged to communicate with each other in a friendly manner. I would like to tell you this. When I went there, I thought I would be careful about what to do. I would not accept criticism directly from the people. But it turned out that they gave us encouragement, praised us, p
raised the soldiers, police, and all civil servants. Now, various foundations have gone in. Some went to help because it was a holiday, so they brought dry goods and snacks. The children had fun. We were worried. We had to put on life jackets. We wanted to help the people, and they felt warm. It was like instilling in them a sense of volunteerism. They saw the happiness of helping the people. It was a beautiful sight. Therefore, for the government sector, we have to take full care of them. I think we have to use this opportunity to quickly do everything we can to bring happiness and normalcy back to those people. They may smile at us today, but if we do not improve their smiles, they may become angry. If they give us a chance and we do not use the situation as a lesson,’ said Mr. Anutin.
Mr. Anutin added that the Prime Minister has ordered through the Prime Minister’s Secretary to provide assistance. If it is not enough, please increase the budget. The Prime Minister has already ordered the budget to be incr
eased to Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. Other provinces should prepare without any disruptions.
As for compensation, we have now received an order from the Prime Minister for the Ministry of Interior to help survey the damages of various households, which should provide guidelines for compensating the people on a household-by-household basis. This matter must be expedited and not delayed at all. The Prime Minister has already prepared a budget for this. As for additional compensation from agencies under the Ministry of Interior, we have received an order and presented it to the Prime Minister through the Prime Minister’s Secretary-General, who has approved it in principle. However, the implementation should be under the authority of the Ministry of Interior.
‘We read the comments from our fellow citizens. Everyone expects us to reduce the suffering. I would like to present this policy here: it is not a formal electricity bill reduction, but it must be reduced to alleviate the damage that has occurred. Yesterday
, the Waterworks Authority was going to have a meeting on the 25th. I said it was too late. We have to rush to the meeting tomorrow,’ said Mr. Anutin.
Mr. Anutin emphasized that there is no need to wait for the higher-ups. Right now, there is no higher-ups, only the lower-ups. We are all below the people. Whatever can be done, please do it.
‘Whatever is beside you, whoever comes to criticize, criticize, or even come to question, let’s focus on intentions first. Don’t be afraid. If we do good, there’s no way anything will cause trouble. All of us are ready to protect you to the fullest. If we do good, such as being investigated, prosecuted, etc., I think the minister must be responsible for you. Otherwise, we can’t do anything. We have been working together for 5 years. We have been sitting here since Covid. Now there is flooding. There has never been any criticism. Please be assured that no matter who asks questions, we need to see the work site. Today, going to the work site will allow us to answer all que
stions. All of us are ready to work. We go to work, not to stand and watch, take pictures, and post them on social media. I can say that all of us have passed that point. Let’s believe in our intentions and do the right thing. I am confident that we will get through everything well,’ said Mr. Anutin.
Mr. Anutin said that the water situation in the flooded areas will be monitored by the governors of Chiang Rai, Loei, Nong Khai, Ubon Ratchathani, and Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya via video conference.
Before the meeting, Mr. Anutin visited the innovations of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation that are prepared to support people in flooded areas. These include fixed-wing drones that can be used to broadcast warnings to people, drones that deliver goods to disaster victims, food innovations that can be stored for a year, such as ready-to-eat rice, braised eggs, crispy vegetables, and water filters made from PVC pipes. In addition, there is a flood monitoring system using satellite dat
a, showing flooded areas, overflowing rivers, and areas at risk of flooding.
Source: Thai News Agency