Bangkok: The Cabinet is preparing to approve a central budget aimed at assisting 120,000 households affected by prolonged flooding.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Paradorn Prisananantakul, the Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, stated that the Prime Minister has emphasized the urgency of compensation payments to flood victims to alleviate their suffering. The Cabinet has previously approved compensation for over 600,000 households, totaling more than 6 billion baht. Additional payments are being considered for those experiencing flooding for 30, 60, and 90 days across 17 provinces, including Chachoengsao, Chaiyaphum, and Nakhon Nayok, among others. A total of 124,430 households are set to receive 463,870,000 baht in compensation, with the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation responsible for distributing the funds through banks.

Mr. Paradorn also highlighted that the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) has provided insights into the overall water management strategy for large dams. This includes ensuring consistent operations and conducting thorough impact assessments. He assured that the water release from Bhumibol Dam will not raise the peak water level at the Chao Phraya Dam, while Sirikit Dam retains adequate storage capacity to manage floodwaters from upstream areas.