Cabinet approves THB641 million for post-flood rehabilitation in North
The Cabinet on Friday approved 641.13 million baht for flood rehabilitation projects in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces in a bid to boost the confidence of travellers during the high tourism season.
The central budget for fiscal year 2025 will be allocated to 39 urgent projects, mostly for restoring transportation and repairing dams, as well as stimulating economy and tourism.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra confirmed after a mobile Cabinet meeting that people can now travel to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, adding that both provinces were ready to host Winter Festival activities this month.
Regarding the floods in the South, she said Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Interior Ministers Sabida Thaiseth and Thirat Rattanawanich and Deputy Defence Minister General Nattapol Nakphanit have been assigned to tackle issues there.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has provided boats, trucks, crane trucks, rescuers and engineers to tackle floods, she said, adding that they are currently on their way to the South.
Paetongtarn explained that the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre and the Flood, Storm, and Landslide Disaster Relief Operations Centre are collaborating with relevant agencies on offering meals, evacuation.
The premier added that she has urged relevant agencies to mitigate the impact of the floods on the people, so they do not have to wait for assistance like the locals of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.
Separately, the Cabinet has approved measures for tackling forest fire and air pollution proposed by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, which focuses on controlling crop burning, dealing with haze from vehicle exhaust and construction sites, and setting up centres for tackling cross-border fire and air pollution.
