Photo: Chiang Mai's Night Bazaar, October 4
More than 1,000 defence volunteers and emergency teams have been sent to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai to help local officials cope with the second round of flooding within a month, currently wreaking havoc in Mae Sai and several other districts in the two northern provinces.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today that he is confident that authorities are better prepared this time, with the two provincial governors present in the provinces to direct flood prevention and relief operations.
The former Chiang Rai governor, who retired at the end of September, is the subject of an investigation, ordered by Anutin, for allegedly not being dedicated to dealing with the flooding in early September because he was due to retire.
Regarding the situation in Mae Sai, which is still reeling from the impacts of the last floods and is now facing more, Anutin said that, since flooding is a natural phenomenon, the pace of recovery and rehabilitation once the flood water has receded needs to be accelerated.
He also said that flood victims are only entitled to one-time compensation, citing ministerial regulations, adding that the government will do its utmost to ease the suffering of the victims.
The minister noted that now is not the right time to deal with encroachment into the Sai River, which may be contributing to the severe flooding in Mae Sai, adding that the flood victims are already stressed and they should not suffer additional stress from the encroachment problem.
Anutin will visit Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai tomorrow to assess the flood situation and to hold discussion with local officials on flood relief operations.
