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| Flooding in Narathiwat province of Thailand. XINHUA/VNA Photo |
BANGKOK – The Thai Government has announced plans to establish a national disaster management centre to tackle emergencies and support disaster-hit areas.
Thai Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub was quoted by local media as saying that Thailand aims to establish a national-level commission overseeing a national disaster management centre to enhance state responses to natural disasters, including floods, droughts and other emergencies.
Jirayu said this centre will respond immediately when a natural disaster takes place, no matter whether it is a storm, forest fire, landslide or flood.
The Thai Government has approved a budget of almost 20 billion THB (US$581 million) for the rehabilitation of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai provinces in the North after the floods. The Thai Prime Minister plans to use the same model for rehabilitating flood-hit provinces in the South as well, he said.
Meanwhile, the Thai Meteorological Department has reported that a low-pressure system over the southern part of the East Sea is expected to move across the Gulf of Thailand, southern Thailand, and into the Andaman Sea. It is forecast to bring torrential rains to several southern provinces of Thailand from December 3 – 5.
In response, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has instructed authorities to closely monitor weather conditions, water levels, and rainfall patterns to ensure timely action.
According to the DDPM, the death toll from ongoing severe flooding in southern Thailand has risen to 25.
Heavy rainfall and flash floods since late November have forced nearly 29,000 people to evacuate to temporary shelters.
The Thai Government has deployed rescue teams to assist those affected and allocated 50 million THB to each province for relief efforts. It also approved financial support of 9,000 THB for each affected household. VNS
Source: Vietnam News/ Vietnam Insider