BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered a flood-response war room at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) on Sept 30, with meetings every morning at 8am to coordinate assistance and drainage operations.
Anutin also defended giving cash to flood-affected residents in Bangkok’s Sai Mai district, explaining that relief bags had run out. He insisted the payments came from his own money and had no political purpose.
War room to hold daily flood briefings
Anutin chaired an 8am meeting of the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Command at the DDPM.
Participants included Defence Minister Adul Boonthumjaroen, Deputy Interior Ministers Polapee Suwunchwee and Jeseth Thaiseth, armed forces commanders and relevant agencies, with provincial governors nationwide joining by video conference.
Anutin thanked officials for attending at short notice, saying the meeting aimed to close gaps and ensure agencies complemented one another’s work, alongside addressing immediate problems.
Effective communication, public welfare and safety were the priorities, he stressed, while praising volunteers for their attentive assistance.
Speaking after the meeting, Anutin warned that provinces in the path of floodwater remained at risk, particularly Bangkok, the central region and surrounding provinces.
The war room would provide daily situation briefings and allow urgent requests or decisions from individual provinces to be addressed immediately.
Anutin compared the arrangement with the Public Health Ministry’s nationwide 7.30am meetings during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The DDPM would lead coordination under disaster prevention and mitigation law, with agencies holding smaller operational meetings after the main briefing. The department’s director-general would compile information for the following morning’s meeting and receive further instructions.
The Cabinet had also assigned deputy prime ministers and relevant ministers to oversee different regions, manage the situation and coordinate responses, Anutin explained.
Asked which areas needed to prepare, Anutin said authorities would accelerate public information and warnings according to local conditions.
For further details, he referred reporters to the incoming DDPM director-general, who was due to take office on Oct 1.
Anutin calls for shared data to speed up drainage
Anutin said residents’ main demand was for floodwater to be drained as quickly as possible, while thanking them for their understanding and patience. His comments reinforced the focus on faster drainage and urgent relief for flooded Bangkok.
Anutin cautioned that high water levels in surrounding areas were obstructing drainage. Agencies needed to share information and closely coordinate releases from reservoirs and dams, rather than address problems in their own areas separately.
Without coordination between Bangkok, the Royal Irrigation Department and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, water released upstream could replace the water being drained away, Anutin explained.
Mobilising personnel and exchanging information were essential to managing water routes effectively, and concern would remain until the floodwater receded.
Anutin said visits to three or four affected locations had helped agencies coordinate and respond to residents’ needs.
During his initial visits, residents complained of food shortages, having gone without meals for several days, and lacking electricity and water.
Food was now reaching communities and assistance had become more comprehensive, he maintained, adding that he had repeatedly instructed officials to ensure people had meals.
“My visits are not about handing out meals, water or relief bags. They allow us to experience people’s hardship and see what food they have, what assistance they need and what support or decisions are required,” Anutin said.
Anutin stressed that visiting communities allowed him to assess conditions directly rather than rely solely on reports.
Officials should accept residents’ criticism, offer encouragement and communicate their needs, he added.
“Most importantly, we must all be open-minded and patient. Do not take their words personally, and find ways to resolve the situation for them,” Anutin told the meeting.
Anutin praised agencies for cooperating without obstructing one another or passing responsibility elsewhere, saying he believed most people understood their efforts.
Asked about criticism of his visits, Anutin said his focus was on the work and that this should not be mistaken for refusing to listen.
Residents should be allowed to express their frustration, even harshly, he argued, acknowledging that he might react more strongly in their position. The government could not play favourites when providing assistance.
Anutin defends personal cash payments in Sai Mai
Asked about giving money to residents during his Sept 29 visit to Sai Mai, Anutin replied that the relief bags had run out.
Reporters then relayed a question from MP Rukchanok “Ice” Srinork about whether the money was “clean”.
Anutin laughed and put a hand in his pocket before urging politicians not to use residents as political hostages. Repeated political exchanges would deepen divisions when unity and assistance were needed, he argued.
“My money is definitely clean. The money I gave residents yesterday was less than half the salary I receive as prime minister,” Anutin said, referring to the Sept 29 payments.
“The relief bags we had brought had just run out, and they had walked a long way. I did not know what else to give them, so I handed over what I had with me. That was all,” he explained.
Anutin insisted that his intention was to help wherever possible and that he had never considered the payments in political terms.
Returning to Rukchanok’s question, Anutin remarked: “Do not judge others by your own standards.”
When reporters asked whether he meant Rukchanok, Anutin nodded and added: “My parents brought me up well.” - The Nation/ANN
