Bangkok:Interior Minister 4 has addressed the controversy surrounding Bangkok's flood relief efforts, emphasizing the government's readiness to provide necessary support. The minister clarified the situation following complaints from Bangkok Governor Chatchart Sittipunt about insufficient emergency funds, insisting that the issue should not be politicized and remains an internal matter within Bangkok.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Worasit Liengprasit, Deputy Minister of Interior, commented on the limited remaining emergency budget of 28 million baht for Bangkok. He explained that as a special administrative region, Bangkok manages its own affairs but can request government assistance if its capabilities are exceeded. Mr. Worasit stressed that the government's role is to support areas beyond Bangkok's capacity, and he refuted claims of conditions hindering relief funds from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM).

Mr. Worasit further stated that the government has allocated a compensation budget of 4 billion baht for Bangkok, with 2.5 billion baht already disbursed by the DDPM. He assured that the government is committed to assisting residents regardless of location and dismissed criticisms regarding delayed payments, attributing them to duplicate applications requiring verification.

When questioned about budget allocations, Mr. Worasit noted that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had used a central budget of 400 million baht for flood relief, with options available for reallocation. He mentioned that 300 million baht of the agreed 500 million baht compensation budget had been disbursed, and discussions were ongoing for the remaining funds.

Mr. Worasit concluded that it is an internal matter for the BMA to manage its budget, as they hadn't anticipated a crisis of this magnitude. He advised that future budget cycles might require reassessment of fund sufficiency.