Govt issues flood cash

The government has compensated the first batch of more than 3,600 households affected by flooding in Chiang Rai.
Interior Ministry spokeswoman, Traisulee Taisaranakul, said on Friday that the cabinet on Sept 17 approved a budget allocation of 3.04 billion baht to compensate flood victims nationwide.
The Interior Ministry has been assigned to distribute the payouts to victims, she said.
Chaiwat Junthiraphong, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation under the Interior Ministry, said compensation payouts were transferred to the bank accounts of 3,623 flood-hit households in three districts of Chiang Rai on Friday.
Of them, 3,305 are in Muang district, 222 in Mae Sai and 96 in Khun Tan, he said.
Households flooded for no more than 30 days received 5,000 baht each, while those inundated for more than 30 days but no more than 60 days received 7,000 baht each.
Households that were flooded for more than 60 days were given 9,000 baht each, Mr Chaiwat said.
Runoff from Doi Suthep caused flooding at Chiang Mai University on Friday morning, worsening the city’s flood situation, although the Ping River’s water level remained stable.
Social media posts showed floodwater overwhelming the campus at the foot of the forested Doi Suthep mountain.
Kuakul Manasamphansakul, the provincial irrigation chief, said that rain on Doi Suthep had led to increased runoff.
The university in Muang district closed several inundated roads and urged staff and students in affected areas to move vehicles to higher ground, adding that campus access remained unhindered.
Chiang Mai University is the latest area hit by floods that have plagued the city since Tuesday, with recent rainfall contributing to the situation despite the campus’s distance from the Ping River.
The river measured 4.23 metres deep at Naowarat Bridge at 9am on Friday, a slight increase from 4.19m two hours earlier.
Chiang Mai Municipality has said several downtown areas remain flooded, including the railway station.
The irrigation office in the northern province estimated about 3 million cubic metres of floodwater had inundated the city. Mr Kuakul said it would take about two days to drain all the water out.
Chiang Mai airport is still open, and travellers have been advised to go to the airport via Highway 11, known as the Super Highway, and Nimmanhaemin Road.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Friday led a delegation of cabinet ministers and officials on a visit to Chiang Rai for flood inspections. The prime minister is also scheduled to visit flood-hit Chiang Mai on Saturday.
The Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) has warned residents in flood-prone areas of Bangkok and five other provinces of possible flooding due to continuous rainfall, river runoff from the North, and high tides expected until Oct 2.
The ONWR has predicted rising river water levels could affect low-lying areas along the Chao Phraya River, Mae Klong River, and Thachin River.
The ONWR said riverside communities outside flood embankments in Bangkok, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, and Samut Prakan are at risk of flooding.
Watchara Kraisai, director of the 12th Irrigation Office, said that the Royal Irrigation Department yesterday increased water outflow at the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat from 1,699 to 1,800 cubic metres per second due to a higher volume of water flowing from the North.
As a result, river water levels downstream from Chai Nat to Ayutthaya will rise by about 30cm. Riverside communities outside flood embankments and in low-lying areas along the Chao Phraya River and Noi River are warned to prepare for higher water levels.