Paetongtarn visits flood-hit areas in Chiang Rai

On Saturday's mission to visit flood-affected citizens, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra received a briefing from government agencies in Chiang Rai province before visiting impacted areas and assessing the recovery efforts following the floods in Mae Sai sub-district.

During the visit, Paetongtarn said that by Tuesday, all 24 major roads, including that serving Sairomjoy Market, will have the mud cleared, and schools will be restored. However, another round of cleanup is required, expected to take around 45 days, with normalcy anticipated by early November. 

Some homes, buried under mud and water, were reduced to their infrastructures and will need urgent relief. Additionally, 64 homes were destroyed, and under the law, they are eligible for substantial compensation, which the government will address, Paetongtarn said.

The prime minister expressed concern about Muang district in Chiang Rai, which, though flooded later than Mae Sai district, suffered severe damage. She requested that any surplus heavy machinery and equipment from Mae Sai be redirected to assist Muang district.

During the trip, the prime minister and her team also offered encouragement to residents and officials working in the recovery efforts. She thanked the personnel and urged citizens to remain patient, as help is being expedited.

Notably, the governor of Chiang Rai did not accompany the team during the visit, a decision that reportedly upset Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who felt that despite the governor's upcoming retirement, he should have stayed in the area to support affected citizens.

Later, Paetongtarn waded through mud in Soi Ban Ko Sai 9 to offer words of encouragement to soldiers from the Development Command, who were helping clear mud from homes. She also visited affected households, inquiring about the mud-removal process, which involved scraping and using high-pressure water to clean homes.

Residents, some in tears, embraced the prime minister and shared their hardships, moving her to tears as well. Paetongtarn also greeted the elderly, who were receiving health checks from military medics, and offered them words of comfort.

Additionally, Ekaphol Chantawong, known as Coach Ek of the Wild Boars soccer team, proposed to the prime minister the idea of establishing a centre for mental-health support and learning for children and youth affected by the disaster. 

He also requested the establishment of a Community Disaster Relief Operations Centre for flood, storm, and landslide victims to work alongside the main Disaster Relief Operations Centre. 

During school breaks, he suggested implementing programmes to support youth in affected areas, encouraging them to volunteer and earn extra income while helping rebuild their communities.

The prime minister then travelled to Phrom Wihan Temple in Mae Sai district, where she offered condolences and financial aid to flood victims, giving 29,700 baht to each of the four families who lost members and 59,400 baht to a family that lost heads of family. A total of 2,475,000 baht was provided to 50 families whose homes were damaged.  

An additional 1,110,000 baht was distributed to 222 affected households following the Cabinet’s resolution on September 17. 

Cleaning supplies and adult and children's diapers (102 large packs) were also donated from the prime minister’s personal money.