Anutin Warns Officials, Calls for Riverside Flood Prep

The Prime Minister’s meeting also addressed water releases from western dams. Water from the Srinagarind and Vajiralongkorn dams will flow into the Mae Klong River, increasing discharge to 2,000 cubic metres per second, which could raise river levels by up to 80 centimetres along the banks. Authorities warned residents along the Mae Klong in Ratchaburi, Samut Songkhram, Kanchanaburi and Chachoengsao provinces to stay alert and prepare to move belongings if water exceeds the banks. In the eastern region, water levels in Prachin Buri city are expected to peak today before flowing into the Nakhon Nayok River via the Khuan Dan Prakan Chon dam, so close monitoring is needed for Chachoengsao along the Bang Pakong River. Meanwhile, conditions in Klaeng district, Rayong province, are stable and receding, with no new inflows noted. The Ministry of Public Health has provided care for 52,000 patients and is evacuating red‑tag patients from Abhaibhubejhr Hospital in Prachin Buri to nearby facilities; the current death toll from the flooding stands at 40. Relief funding will be drawn from central, disaster‑response and local budgets, with the national disaster insurance fund becoming effective on 1 October. The Prime Minister has ordered a rapid‑assessment survey to streamline aid and thanked all involved agencies. He also instructed deputy premiers and relevant ministries to take charge, assigning areas for civil‑service action involving the Irrigation Department, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, National Water Resources Office, and each provincial office.