“Phumtham” hands over flood-affected areas in Chiang Rai Province to local administrative organizations for phase 2 rehabilitation.

Phumtham", the chairman of the Forward Command Center for the People's Democratic Reform Committee, along with 2 deputy ministers, handed over areas that had been rehabilitated from flooding in Chiang Rai Province to the local administrative organizations to proceed with the second phase of rehabilitation. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Mae Sai District this morning was cheerful, with shops returning to normal business and ready to welcome tourists. Meanwhile, more than a billion baht in relief funds have been transferred to those affected by the disaster. Mr. Jirayu Huangsap, advisor to the Prime Minister and spokesman of the Operation Center for Flood, Storm and Landslide Relief Operations or OCPR, revealed that this morning, Mr. Phumtham Vejjayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, as the Director of OCPR, along with Ms. Thirat Samretwanich, Deputy Minister of Interior, Chairwoman of OCPR Forward, and Gen. Nattapol Nakphanit, Deputy Minister of Defense, Advisor to OCPR Forward, along with hea ds of government agencies, personnel from the public and private sectors, volunteers, and the general public, attended the handover ceremony of areas that had been rehabilitated and provided relief from the flood situation in Chiang Rai Province. Mr. Chotinrin Kerdsom, Acting Governor of Chiang Rai Province, reported that the flood situation in Chiang Rai Province affected 14 districts and 66 sub-districts in total. Two districts, Mueang and Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai Province, were severely affected and mud remained in the area beyond the capacity of the area to handle. However, after the government established the Forward Command Center, mobilized assistance from all sectors, 135 agencies, 1,724 units of resources and machinery, and 8,826 personnel, the area rehabilitation work was carried out efficiently and the urgent phase (Quick Win) was completed and the area was handed over to the local administrative organizations to proceed with the rehabilitation in the next phase. Mr. Phumtham, as the Director of the CPOC, said that for more than 40 days, the people of Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai Province have survived the flood and mudslide crisis. Some families have lost and been separated from their loved ones. Their homes, communities, and shops have been damaged under the huge mud. Prime Minister Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra has expressed her concern and ordered to expedite assistance and rehabilitation so that the people can return to their normal lives as soon as possible. Therefore, the CPOC Frontline was established, with Ms. Thirat as the Chairperson and Gen. Nattapol as the Advisor, in order to manage the resources for assistance with the highest efficiency. To date, more than 800 homes have been rehabilitated and mud in public areas have been completely cleared, allowing shop owners to resume their occupations, earn income, and return to their normal lives. 'I would like to encourage the Mae Sai people. From now on, it will be the second phase of the rehabilitation, which will focus on developing a str ong infrastructure to prevent future disasters, promoting tourism and building confidence among tourists after the flood recedes, as well as business rehabilitation. The mission will be handed over to the Ministry of Interior, Chiang Rai Province, Mae Sai District, Mae Sai Subdistrict Municipality, Mae Sai Mittraphap Subdistrict Municipality, and Wiang Phang Kham Subdistrict Municipality to jointly provide assistance in the rehabilitation. The government would like to confirm and assure that the government sector will not abandon the Mae Sai people and will continue to work to allow the people to return to their normal lives,' said Mr. Phumtham. Mr. Jirayu added that the Prime Minister has emphasized that relevant agencies must expedite the disbursement of relief money to the people. Currently, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has sent information to the Government Savings Bank for transferring money to people in 27 provinces, 165,047 households, of which 118,921 households have been succ essfully transferred, totaling 1,070,225,000 baht. In Chiang Rai Province, 28,659 households have been successfully transferred, totaling more than 257 million baht. He also confirmed that those affected by the disaster who submitted their requests before October 16, 2024 will definitely receive the relief money by October 31, 2024. 'To build morale and confidence that the 'government will not abandon its people', next month the Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Chiang Rai Province to inspect the government's operations and chair a mobile cabinet meeting in Chiang Mai Province, which is considered the first mobile cabinet meeting of this government. At the same time, there will be a project to stimulate the tourism sector to become lively again in line with the high season. Tomorrow (October 29), the Prime Minister will announce details of tourism activities that will take place during the winter season (Winter Festival) at Government House, which is considered an announcement of Thailand's readiness to w elcome tourists,' said Mr. Jirayu. Source: Thai News Agency