Deputy PM Phiphat Orders Southern Flood Prep, Evacuation Ready
Deputy Prime Minister Phiphat Ratchakitchaprakan chaired a meeting of the Flood and Drought Prevention Committee for southern Thailand, ordering immediate evacuation preparations if rain falls for two consecutive days. He cited lessons from the 2025 Songkhla floods and urged provinces to monitor rainfall and set up local ‘foster homes’ to assist residents before officials arrive. While acknowledging no guarantee of full protection, he said they would do everything possible to prepare.
Phiphat said he has been assigned to oversee 14 southern provinces for three natural hazards—earthquakes, floods, and storms—and must prepare because the monsoon will move south in mid-October as usual. The meeting will be split into two sessions: one with the eight provinces of the northern south (Region 8) and another with provinces from Songkhla down to the southern border (Region 9), following the prime minister’s orders.
Drawing on last year’s severe flooding in Songkhla, which was the worst, the experience will inform coordination efforts. He will instruct the 14 provinces to monitor weather forecasts and rainfall amounts, predicting where and how much rain will fall. Provincial governors will record daily rainfall from today onward to determine water volumes per district and province, then analyze the data with the DPM to decide on preparations such as flat-bottomed boats and water pumps.
He added that if rain continues for one to two days, evacuation preparations must be made, especially for bedridden patients and vulnerable groups, by setting up shelters, stocking food, medicine, and survival supplies, and having each locality prepare evacuation sites in advance.
‘I don’t believe anyone can overcome natural disasters, but when they occur and are forecast in advance, we must prepare as much as possible. All agencies and local administrators must coordinate with provincial governors to face emergency situations,’ Phiphat said.
When asked whether these preparations would reassure the public and prevent a repeat of the severity seen in 2025, he replied that ‘severe’ cannot be predicted; for example, Bangkok could see 300 millimetres of rain in two days and still flood, despite expectations that the capital should be better prepared than the provinces, but its large area means it can still be overwhelmed. He likened Bangkok to having 50 districts to equal one Hatyai district, stressing that preparations are better now, but he would not claim 100% protection or full capacity, only that they will do everything possible.
Meanwhile, the idea of establishing ‘foster homes’ in each locality was raised: sturdy houses would serve as hubs for five to ten surrounding homes, equipped with supplies to share when government agencies cannot reach every household immediately.
