Police join multi-agency response to flooding in South Thailand
National police chief instructs southern police bureaus to mobilise officers to help flood victims as 13 provinces face heavy rains and flash flooding
The two provincial police bureaus in charge of the 13 southern provinces have been instructed to go on alert to help flood victims.
National police chief Pol General Kitrat Phanphet said on Thursday that he has instructed Provincial Police Bureaus 8 and 9 to go on standby and coordinate with other agencies to help flood victims in time.
The order came after the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department warned that the 13 southern provinces could experience heavy rains and flash flooding from Wednesday until December 4.
At least six southern provinces – Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat – are already inundated.
Kitrat said the two bureaus were instructed to ensure their officers were dispatched in time to join other local agencies in helping or evacuating flood victims.
Police teams must also be sent out to patrol flooded areas regularly to prevent theft, Kitrat added.
He said he has also ordered the Central Investigation Bureau, the Border Patrol Police Bureau, the Tourist Police Bureau, the Police Logistics Office, and the Police Aviation Department to join other agencies to help evacuate flood victims in the South.
The police agencies were told to apply the operation plans used to help flood victims in the North and Northeast recently to the South as well.
