Thai Govt Affirms Same Flood Compensation Standard Nationwide

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Victims may get more in compensation

THE NATION

The government intends to extend more financial help to flood victims.

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit yesterday revealed that the compensation amount would be Bt30,000 per house destroyed in flooding.

For a partially damaged house, the owning family can claim Bt10,000 compensation. For a flooded house that has sustained substantial damage, its owning family will be able to get Bt20,000 compensation.

"But as a first step, the owner of each flooded house will get Bt5,000," Yongyuth said.

He was speaking after emerging from a meeting with Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra.

To date, the government has approved Bt3.1 billion to pay Bt5,000 to the owner of each flooded house in Bangkok. To claim the compensation, the house must have been swamped for at least seven consecutive days.

In the capital alone, the number of flood-hit families is so far well over 600,000.

"We are surveying the damage and will extend bigger financial help," Yongyuth said.

He estimated that the compensation for flood victims in Bangkok alone could be as high as Bt10 billion because the capital's population is huge. When the survey is completed, the number of affected families could be in millions.

Many victims on the outskirts of Bangkok have been trying to demand compensation of more than Bt30,000. They argue that their communities have had to face longer periods of inundation because relevant authorities sought to protect the inner city and financial centre.

They suggested that they should each be paid between Bt500 and Bt1,000 a day.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, however, has turned down their demand.

"All areas face the same trouble. I sympathise with them and I am trying to offer adequate assistance," Yingluck said. "As for rehabilitation in deeply flooded areas, ministers have been assigned to help victims in the field and I am sure that the assistance will be adequate."

Yongyuth concurred with Yingluck's decision, explaining that compensation must follow the same standard for all people.

"The affected people should understand," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-11-23

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Govt Affirms Same Flood Compensation Standard Nationwide

The Cabinet has agreed to postpone the minimum wage hike to April next year to alleviate effects from the floods.

At the same time, it assures flood compensation will be applied using the same criteria across the country.

Government Spokeswoman Thitima Chaisang held a press conference to announce results of Cabinet meeting.

She said the Cabinet agreed to set up three working committees to look into compensation for flood-hit residents across the country.

The first team will be responsible for compensation on infrastructure, while the second and third committees will be in charged of compensation for businesses and improvement of the quality of life.

The government spokeperson went on to say that the Caninet has not concluded on the budget from the amount earlier proposed at 80 billion baht.

The Budget Bureau has been assigned to further scrutinize the priority of the proposed recovery programs and report back to the Cabinet for approval.

Thitima also clarified the 30,000 baht compensation for each household hit by the floods in Nakhon Sawan Province, saying the same compensation policy was also used for disaster-hit families in previous years.

She added that 5,000 to 20,000 baht compensation will be given to each household hit by the disaster, depending on the degree of damage.

A maximum of 10,000 baht compensation will be alloted if occupational tools are damaged.

If the entire house is damaged, the owner can request another 240,000 baht compensation to pay for construction material costs.

Thitima said the same rules and regulations on flood compensation will be applied across the country including for Bangkok.

Meanwhile, Deputy PM and Commerce Minister Kittirat Na Ranong said an additional compensation for flood victims living behind the giant flood walls or commonly known as Big Bag barriers was not proposed to the Cabinet meeting today as the matter is still under consideration by relevant agencies.

Kittirat said he personally agreed that locals living behing the giant flood barriers should receive more compensation.

In the meantime, the Cabinet also resolved to postpone the 300 baht minimum wage hike plan to April 1 next year from January 1 as earlier planned to help entrepreneurs affected by the floods.

The pay rise will first start in seven provinces and will gradually be enforced in others.

The government expects all workers nationwide to receive a minimum wage of 300 baht by January 2013.

The Cabinet also extended the exemption of toll fee for the Bang Phli-Bang Pa-in Expressway to midnight of November 30 as part of relief measures during the flood crisis.

-- Tan Network 2011-11-23

[Ricardo]

compensation must follow the same standard for all people

Which is surely what PTP & Ms Yingluck also said, about the proposal for a universal minimum-wage of 300B/day, until former-PM Thaksin announced post-election that he'd decided it would only apply to the seven most-expensive provinces ?

No Double-Standards, eh ?

[sparebox2]

Victims may get more in compensation

Govt Affirms Same Flood Compensation Standard Nationwide

Contradicting?

[lannarebirth]

See what a good opposition government can achieve?

[tourismloving]

Transportation during flood situation in Thailand

Suvarnabhumi Airport:

Suvarnabhumi Airport, the main international gateway to Thailand, remains open and will not be affected by the flood. Suvarnabhumi Airport is the main connector for international arrivals to domestic flights serving tourist destinations throughout Thailand such as Phuket, Chiang Mai and Surat Thani. Domestic flights are operating as per normal between Suvarnabhumi Airport and other airports in Thailand.

Transportation to and from the airport into central Bangkok including taxis, buses and the Airport Rail Link are operating normally. Highways from the airport to tourist destinations southeast of Bangkok such as Pattaya, Rayong and Ko Chang are open.

The two domestic airlines normally based at Don Mueang Airport, which is still closed due to flooding, continue operating from Suvarnabhumi Airport.

State Railway of Thailand and inter-provincial bus services:

State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and inter-provincial bus services are operating as per usual in areas that are not affected by the floods. In Bangkok and other areas affected by the floods, the SRT and inter-provincial bus service operators have adjusted their routes to best serve passengers given local conditions. Inter-provincial buses from Bangkok to southern provinces are leaving from the Southern Bus Terminal, also known as Sai Tai Mai.

Train services to north and northeastern Thailand are operating as per normal from Hua Lamphong Station, with some delays due to rerouting. Train services to the southern provinces are operating from Hua Lamphong Station and Nakhon Pathom due to flooding in some areas of Bangkok’s western suburbs. The SRT is providing shuttle bus services between Hua Lamphong Station and Nakhon Pathom. Travelers are advised to check in advance with these operators and may want to consider flying to their destinations within Thailand.

[exeter]

The farmers have also been compensated but not it would seem one man/family street traders, coveniently left out of it, get on with it. I expect that will not change their voting habits in the future