BANGKOK – Thai Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered the authorities across all 76 provinces to accelerate water drainage from reservoirs and waterways as Thailand prepares for a fresh wave of heavy rainfall forecast between Oct 4 and Oct 7.

Chairing a meeting of the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Command on Oct 3, Anutin convened deputy prime ministers, Cabinet ministers, Ministry of Interior executives and provincial governors to establish emergency protocols and review active flood operations.

Meteorological predictions indicate heavy downpours will hit the Upper North, North-east, Central Region, South, and Greater Bangkok. Low-lying areas face severe risks of flash flooding and sudden forest run-off.

At the same time, coastal high tides expected between Oct 5 and Oct 10 threaten to slow river discharges flowing into the Gulf of Thailand, exacerbating existing inundations in the Chao Phraya river basin, where discharge rates at the Chao Phraya Dam remain at 2,500 cubic metres per second.

Mobilisation of equipment and Southern readiness

In response to the dual threat of heavy rain and coastal tides, the Prime Minister directed state agencies to deploy heavy machinery, water pumps, and hydro-propulsion engines to high-risk zones to clear standing water rapidly.

As weather fronts shift southwards, Anutin coordinated directly with the 4th Army Region Commander, security forces, and southern provincial governors to activate pre-disaster plans. Operations will focus on early warnings, emergency evacuations, disaster victim relief, and financial compensation schemes.

To ensure efficient operations, Anutin instructed each agency to assign clear individual roles to prevent confusion and maintain around-the-clock monitoring.

Public insurance awareness a...