BANGKOK, Thailand – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered all southern provinces to brace for heavy rain from today through 14 October, telling the National Command Centre for Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation that the Meteorological Department and related agencies must keep the public accurately and regularly informed of forecasts and step up the frequency of warnings if conditions worsen.

Floods Persist Across 26 Provinces and Bangkok, Affecting 3.5 Million

He said flooding has already hit areas including Bang Ban in Ayutthaya, Ban Sang and Muang in Prachin Buri, Bang Khla and Bang Nam Priao in Chachoengsao, Ongkharak in Nakhon Nayok and Bang Pla Ma in Suphan Buri. Provincial authorities have been told to monitor the situation closely, speed up property damage assessments and prioritise help for the elderly and sick who need evacuation and treatment.

In areas where waters have receded, cleanup of roads and public spaces must begin, with garbage cleared and officials helping residents tidy their homes. Compensation budgets are ready and payments will go to those who have registered without waiting for full normalisation, though insurance payouts require governors to declare disaster zones first.

Nine Dead, Seven Districts Submerged as Floods Devastate Prachin Buri

Deputy Transport Minister Sanphet Bunyamanee will hold a video conference with the governors of all 14 southern provinces this evening to finalise evacuation and drainage plans. He urged agencies to work in unity and without panic, warning that days of accumulated rainfall combined with fresh downpours will trigger overflowing rivers, flash floods, runoff and landslides.

-Thailand News (TN)