Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra inspected the flood situation in Mae Sai District in Chiang Rai on Saturday and listened to a summary report from the Department of Civil Engineering and the Mae Sai District Command Center.
She helped assess the flood recovery situation and monitor the rehabilitation of the affected areas in Ban Ko Sai and Ban Pha Chom, Tambon Mae Sai, and Amphoe Mae Sai.
The Mae Sai District Chief informed Ms. Paethongtarn that the mud on all 24 main roads, Sai Lom Joy Market, and the repair of Ban Mai Lung Khan School will be completed by Tuesday. The remaining areas would take another 45 days, and the situation is expected to return to normal by early November.
He said the problem for people affected is that some houses have been buried in mud and must be repaired urgently. 64 houses were also damaged beyond repair, and the owners would receive a fair amount of compensation.
The Prime Minister also expressed her concern for Mueang Chiang Rai District, noting that although the flooding was slower than in Mae Sai District, it was still bad.
While in Mae Sai, the Prime Minister rode with General Songwit Noonpakdee, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, in a military vehicle into the hardest-hit areas, and she was updated on the work being carried out to help flood victims.
During the trip, the Prime Minister visited villagers and officials who were working hard to clear mud and debris, gave encouragement and urged the villagers to be patient for a while longer.
In addition, Ms. Paethongtarn ordered Pheu Thai Party MPs in Chiang Rai to inspect the availability of medical supplies and equipment that needed to be delivered to the people in the area and asked if anything was lacking or needed to be delivered as soon as possible.
When the Prime Minister and her entourage visited the Koh Sai community, the Royal Thai Army Engineers reported that mud removal in the area had progressed by about 40%, and they were providing medical support and assistance.
The Prime Minister then visited the officials who came to help remove mud from the people’s houses. There, she greeted homeowners and asked about the officials’ work.
The Prime Minister encouraged the officials to continue their hard work and promised that the government would continue to help. Thank you, everyone. I will definitely not abandon you, she said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered Mr. Asit Sampanthat, the new Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, to Chiang Rai Province as the Governor of Chiang Rai is set to retire on September 30th.
Mr Anutin said he was concerned and wanted to ensure that flood relief money was transferred to the people as soon as possible. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior will oversee the funding of flood assistance claims and ensure that the money is distributed fairly.
Flood victims will receive between 5,000 baht and 9,000 baht, depending on how long flooding affected their homes and livelihoods.
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Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.
