“NCPO” instructs the Ministry of Interior to promptly pay compensation after the Cabinet approves the budget to deliver food and consumer goods sufficiently, emphasizing the people’s suffering as the main priority.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Mr. Phumtham Vejjayachai, said after chairing the first meeting of the Flood, Storm and Landslide Relief Operations Center (FLCOC) that today’s meeting will proceed with solving various important problems, namely:
Follow up on the information and administrative work in solving the problems of flash floods, flooding, overflowing rivers, mudslides, and floods in order to return the situation to normal as soon as possible.
Integrate water resource information and weather forecast analysis, water volume in rivers, water storage areas, flood areas and influences from sea level rise and fall for warning and awareness creation.
Coordinate assistance for disaster victims, ensure safety of life and property of disaster victims, including planning for evacu
ation, preparing shelter, and delivering sufficient food and consumer goods.
Public relations disseminate news to keep the public informed of the situation in a timely manner by having the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society and the Public Relations Department act as the main network to adjust the public relations plan to focus on the water situation as the main issue for the next 1-2 months to prevent any drama. Please focus on helping the people.
Invite relevant agencies and individuals to join in discussions to solve various problems as appropriate.
The results must be reported to the NCPO periodically.
All of these are the initial missions of the operation. But what is important is the immediate problem management, which is the rain or storm that enters Thailand in the northern and northeastern regions. It is expected that it will end in mid-October. After that, the rain situation will occur in the southern region. Therefore, the NESDB will take immediate action to continuously manage the problem
until the end of the situation, which is expected to end this year.
Mr. Phumtham said that the compensation payment to the people will be paid as soon as possible. Yesterday, the cabinet approved a budget of 3,045 million baht. The Ministry of Interior can proceed immediately and will proceed as quickly as possible. We will try not to have too many legal procedures. The Prime Minister has already given instructions. At this time, the most important thing is to make us feel that we are being taken care of. If we wait to see if there are any changes or additions, it will take time. Therefore, the first lump sum of 3,045 million baht has been approved. It will take about another week to see how it will be adjusted because this rule has been used for more than 10 years. It is expected that it will be adjusted again. He admitted that there are many problems in setting the rules because money is involved. At this time, he is thinking about how to manage it to make it clearer.
Mr. Phumtham emphasized that the Mini
stry of Interior will be the main person in managing this budget. The important thing is to inspect the damage that has occurred and separate it from the damage to crops from the fields. We have to wait for another time. For now, let’s just deal with the immediate problems first.
Mr. Phumtham also stated that a new committee has been set up to find conclusions on additional compensation in the review of compensation regulations, with representatives from the Office of the Council of State, the Budget Bureau, the Ministry of Finance, and related agencies as one committee to study the compensation model and determine the amount, which can be completed within one week to present to the Cabinet meeting for approval.
In addition, the meeting had an early warning consisting of Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Public Organization) or GISTDA., Information from the Department of Water Resources, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Meteorological Department and Ministry of Digita
l Economy and Society to monitor the direction of the monsoon winds that will enter Thailand, which can be seen from the beginning from Myanmar and China and to coordinate with various mobile phone signal providers to join in order to warn of disasters in a timely manner.
Source: Thai News Agency