Bangkok: The Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces visited Ban Phasawang, Hat Yai District, and provided assistance as requested by the people. Disaster victims pointed out that no agency had provided assistance and that they had to work together, except for the Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy, and Royal Thai Air Force, who were providing food. He pointed out that the government’s delayed response to the situation should have addressed the issue last year.
According to Thai News Agency, on November 29, 2015, at the Phasawang community in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province, General Ukrit Boontanon, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, visited the area to follow up on the progress of sending officials to help people clean up after the flooding in the area.
General Ukrit greeted the public and spoke with residents of Soi Ban Phasawang about the recent flood situation. He sought information on their needs and the necessity of clearing their homes and roads. The primary need and request for water trucks was a crucial factor in restoring road surfaces and maintaining cleanliness within their homes for temporary living.
General Ukrit has accepted the request and pledged to expedite the work of relevant agencies to repair the water supply system as quickly as possible to ensure universal access to water for the public. He has also urged all households to register for financial assistance. Households and businesses in Hat Yai, as a state of emergency has been declared, will receive financial assistance. Other affected areas will also receive similar financial assistance.
Ms. Lakkhana Niluan, a resident of Phasawang Village in Hat Yai District, told the media, “We’ve experienced flooding twice. The first time, it was only knee-deep on November 21, 2015. The water started coming on Friday, but everyone had already seen rain starting on November 21. However, after that, the water level receded, so everyone became complacent, thinking it wouldn’t flood anymore. Our community leaders didn’t say anything. Everyone thought the water wouldn’t rise any higher, because we’d already seen water leaking from Khao Khao Hong since last year. This year, the water was still coming, but we saw that the water flow was still good because we had a water pump in the back, and importantly, the water level was still flowing out. Everyone thought it wouldn’t come a second time. But then, on November 22, everyone was caught off guard because it came early in the morning. The water came quickly and spread everywhere. By the time we realized it, it was too late. By late evening, the first floor was full
of water, making it impossible to move anything.”
During the incident, did any agency come to help? Ms. Lakkhana said that it must have been since November 26th because we lost contact and received no compensation. Fortunately, the villagers helped each other and shared what they had. If we didn’t help ourselves, we wouldn’t know who would. When we lost contact, we couldn’t communicate with the outside world. That’s when we received help from the Thai army. After November 26th, food started arriving, everything started arriving. We saw some boats arriving on November 22nd and 23rd, but their assistance wasn’t much because they couldn’t help anyone. They just came to check on the water and then left. She said she wanted to thank the Thai army because the first batch of food that arrived was from the Thai army.
When asked if other agencies had come to assist, Ms. Lakkhana said that the Navy, Army, and Air Force had all taken turns coming to assist.
Ms. Lakkhana added that Hat Yai is a basin, and government agencies must prioritize it and work together to address the issue. Otherwise, we will continue to face these problems.
When asked if she thought the government was acting slowly, Ms. Lakkhana said it was very slow because we already know that the water isn’t coming from Sadao District alone. It should have been addressed last year, as the water is coming from Khao Kho Hong. This has caused everyone to worry that the same thing will happen in the future.
However, nursing professionals have also revealed to the media that Hat Yai Hospital is currently lacking medical equipment. While the hospital remains open to the public, they are appealing for assistance from agencies and the public. They can donate medical equipment or contribute to the hospital’s funds to help those affected by the flooding.