PUBLISHED: 4 Dec 2024 at 04: 00
A expenditure of five billion ringgit was approved by the cabinet yesterday to help households affected by flooding in 16 more provinces, with identical aid being provided for those who have recently been affected by floods.
Speaking after yesterday’s government meeting, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said that all flood-hit homes in the 16 regions, including several in the South, will get a single repayment of 9, 000 ringgit each, like those in 57 regions recently affected by flooding. According to Ms. Paetongtarn, the Interior Ministry, which approved the monetary aid, had expedite the distribution of the aid.
A change to the overflow compensation payout criteria was earlier approved by the cabinet. A second payment of 9, 000 baht will be made for each qualified household.
Under the old standards, families flooded for 30 days or less received 5, 000 ringgit, while those inundated for more than 30 times but less than 60 received 7, 000 baht. Prior to now, just 9 000 ringgit were distributed to households that had been flooded for more than 60 days.
Ms Paetongtarn added that the government even approved an increase in disaster relief costs for six provinces in the South– Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat– from 20 million ringgit to 50 million ringgit each.
Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong of the Digital Economy and Society, Prasert Jantararuangtong, reported yesterday that many communications transmission wires had fallen as a result of heavy flooding in the South, causing transmission signals to be lost in various locations.
He claimed that he has given instructions to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission and community service providers to find ways to make sure local people can communicate with others using their cell phones and other electronic equipment.
Phatsakorn Bunyalak, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said yesterday that from Nov 23 to Dec 3, flooding triggered by days of heavy weather was reported in 10 southwestern regions– Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Trang, Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.
Some 3, 729 populations in 87 towns were inundated, affecting 664, 173 homes. Twenty-five citizens have been confirmed dead, he said.