Deputy PM Yotsachun Unveils 7 Thai Flood-Response Innovations
Deputy Prime Minister Yotsachun Wongsuwat presented seven Thai‑developed flood‑response innovations at the National Research Office, saying they have already been field‑tested and will be expanded to help at least 23,000 households. The tools range from early‑warning sensor networks and rescue drones to pet‑relief kits and recycled‑plastic school furniture, covering preparedness, emergency and recovery stages. Officials expect the measures to reduce flood suffering across the country.
At the press conference, Yotsachun explained that the seven innovations emerged from collaborations between higher‑education institutions, moving research from labs to community “shields” against floods. They are grouped into three phases.
In the preparedness phase, the Flood Boy and Flood Eye systems from Mae Fah Luang and Chiang Mai universities use solar‑powered water‑level sensors to analyse village‑level risk and send instant LINE alerts to village heads; 35 units have been installed in four northern provinces, with plans to expand to six, potentially covering over 15,000 households.
During the emergency phase, a pair of rescue drones from the Model Aircraft and Radio Control Association operate together—one equipped with thermal cameras for 24‑hour survivor detection, the other carrying up to 50 kg of supplies, medicine and water to cut‑off areas, initially tested in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya and nearby districts to aid about 1,000 households. A portable emergency oxygen canister from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi aims to help asthma and heart‑patient victims in flooded, power‑lost areas, targeting 50 households. The Gatti Bag/Gatti Box pet‑relief kits from Srinakharinwirot and Chulalongkorn universities provide lightweight packs containing food, water, eco‑friendly cat litter and a foldable cage, sufficient for seven days of pet care in evacuation centres, also aiming for 1,000 households.
In the recovery phase, flood‑resistant school furniture made from recycled plastic by Chiang Mai Rajabhat University provides durable desks, chairs and playground equipment that do not swell or rot after inundation.
