MT4 Slams Orange Party for Inaction: First Flood Relief Payment to Mae Sai Arrives Tomorrow Amid Social Media Criticism
Flood Relief in Mae Sai: Government’s Measures and Assistance
At the House of Representatives meeting on September 26, Mr. Thakur Yasaeng, MP for Chiang Rai, People’s Party (PP), asked the Prime Minister about the government’s remedial measures and assistance due to the floods and landslides in the northern region.
Ms. Teerarat Samretwanit, Deputy Minister of the Interior, explained that the government currently has three large budgets to help provide relief to disaster victims. The first budget is 3.045 million baht, covering 57 provinces in disaster areas, especially Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Lampang provinces. Initially, each family will receive about 5,000-9,000 baht. The government acknowledges that this is not enough, but everyone must be taken care of thoroughly.
The process of receiving the money involves the provincial Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation evaluating and sending the request to the central government. Then, the money will be approved by the Comptroller General’s Department to the Government Savings Bank. The deadline for compensation is within 90 days, and the first group of people will receive cash compensation tomorrow (September 27) in Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai Province.
Disaster Relief Fund
The government has also approved an additional budget for Chiang Mai province and Chiang Rai province, another 100 million baht per province, to be paid for household repairs and emergencies. The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has also given money to vulnerable groups.
Rice compensation for farmers is 1,340 baht per rai, but the government is adjusting this to 2,200 baht per rai. The Deputy Minister of the Interior urged farmers to contribute to improving their business accounts for faster assistance and relief.
Restoring Economic Areas
The government has comprehensive measures to restore economic areas, stimulate economic circulation, and issue digital wallets for nationwide payment. The Deputy Minister of the Interior emphasized the importance of action over words, saying that civil servants work hard on the ground, but social media often undermines their efforts.
“We really do it on the ground. If you just say it and do nothing, the situation will not be resolved quickly. I would like to see people have good morale. I want to see civil servants work without the pressure of social media. They work very hard but social media does not show it to others. But while some people do not do much, but there is a lot of social media across the country. This really undermines the spirit of those who work on the construction site. Therefore, I would like you to change your thinking. that at this time all agencies are present on the ground,” concluded the Deputy Interior Minister.