Nan: "Yotchanan" is heading back to Nan to oversee the flood recovery efforts after the Cabinet approved compensation funds. Yotsanan, the governor of Nan province, is actively managing the flood recovery operations and has expanded the emergency fund to 100 million baht. This comes after the Cabinet approved 2 million baht in compensation for each fatality. Local authorities are now facilitating relief efforts for flood victims more efficiently by eliminating the need for photocopies or photographs, and by bypassing the traditional process of notifying community leaders before forwarding information to the district for compensation processing.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Yotsanu Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, in his role as chairman of the committee on flood and drought prevention and mitigation in the northern region, has stated that various sectors are fully involved in addressing the flooding problem in Nan Province. Recently, the Cabinet approved a budget of 549,989,000 baht from the 2026 central budget to provide special assistance to flood victims during the rainy season starting May 15, 2026. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation was tasked with receiving the budget and disbursing the assistance through the Government Savings Bank.
The criteria for compensation include 9,000 baht for households whose permanent residences were flooded and 2,000,000 baht per person for deaths directly resulting from landslides and flooding. These funds can be managed and distributed across provinces, with eligibility extended to residents of declared disaster zones regardless of their registered address.
The application process for compensation has been streamlined, requiring only documents issued by the local administrative organization, signed and certified by a community leader. The district and provincial authorities will verify eligibility according to established procedures. This afternoon, Mr. Yoschanan visited the affected areas in Tha Wang Pha and Pua districts to monitor progress in resolving problems and accelerating recovery efforts.
Today's mission in Tha Wang Pha District involved monitoring the construction of a replica water reservoir, clearing mud and silt from the Ban Kaem area, and urging the Royal Irrigation Department to construct a temporary Bailey bridge to replace the cut-off road. Tomorrow, officials will visit Pua District to expedite area restoration, including road repairs, dredging mud, and restoring Ban Rong, the most severely affected area.
Additionally, the Comptroller General's Department has approved an increase of 100 million baht from the emergency fund to cover emergency relief expenses. This includes repairs to permanent residences, assistance for renters, repairs to agricultural structures, assistance for occupational tools, and funeral expenses.
Following the receding of floodwaters, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is accelerating its assessment of agricultural damage. Initial findings indicate over 14,900 rai of land in nine districts has been damaged, affecting 6,538 farmers. Compensation payments have been increased for rice paddies, field crops, vegetables, and perennial plants. Assistance is also available for areas with accumulated debris.
Nan Province and local administrative organizations have streamlined procedures to facilitate the process for citizens to submit applications for assistance. Victims no longer need to provide photocopies or attach photographs; they only need to provide information to the village headman or community leader, who will compile and send the information to the district office for further relief efforts.