King Bhumibol Advises On Southern Thailand Flood Problems

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King advises on southern flood problems

BANGKOK: -- Their Majesties the King and Queen have expressed great concern for local residents affected by flooding, with the king ordering the authorities to prepare aerial photographs of the flood hit areas for him to inspect and giving his advice toward solving the flood problem, according to Deputy Minister of Interior Thaworn Senneam.

Mr Thaworn said the king found that there were new roads constructed that blocked the flow of water, compounding the flood problem. The monarch gave further advices on managing the floodwaters, particularly providing small reservoirs to retain water according to Kam Ling, the so-called monkey's cheek scheme.

Their Majesties the King and Queen earlier ordered the Thai Red Cross Society to distribute food and other necessities in the southernmost provinces.

Meanwhile, Mr Thaworn said the operational centre to address flood-related problems would be set up in the flood-hit provinces in the southern regions, while disaster response centres will be set up in every province and district to help flood and mudslide victims.

Minister of Interior Chavarat Charnvirakul said he had assigned Mr Thaworn to visit and help flood victims in the southern region, saying he received reports that many areas still face rain and flood problems, particularly in the southernmost provinces.

He had also instructed civil servants to give special attention to help the public, particularly this week, after the Meteorological Department had forecast more heavy rain on Thursday.

The minister added that each province had been provided a Bt50 million budget but that additional aid could be issued if needed.

Mr Thaworn said that the authorities helped flood and mudslide victims, and that residents of at-risk areas would be evacuated and flood relief distributed.

After the floods receded, survey would be carried out to evaluate the damages of houses, roads and agricultural areas to prepare budget for the reconstruction, he said.

As for this week’s high-risk period, he predicted heavy rain on Thursday, saying that monitors would be on high alert around the clock, and that requests had been made to military and other agencies for helicopters, boats and military personnel to help people, including tourists, who might be stranded on islands and other tourist attractions.

-- TNA 2009-11-09

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