BANGKOK, Nov 12 – Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today sent condolences to the Philippines on the devastation and loss of life caused by Typhoon Haiyan and instructed the Foreign Ministry to integrate relief efforts and help raise funds for typhoon victims in the country.
The deadly typhoon initially killed at least 10,000 people in the worst-hit city of Tacloban alone. The United Nations warned of a quickly rising death toll. John Ging, UN humanitarian operations director, said 660,000 people had fled their homes.
After today’s weekly Cabinet meeting, Ms Yingluck expressed her condolences to the Philippines and said she assigned the foreign ministry to help integrate all assistance from Thailand to the fellow ASEAN country in the form of cash donations and medical services.
Government spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi said the prime minister, who also serves as defence minister, had already asked the Thai army to assist the Philippines.
Thailand’s Public Relations Department was assigned to organise a special charity programme ‘Thais help Filipinos’ to be broadcast on television Channel 11 tomorrow at 8.30pm asking for donations from all Thais to help the Philippines.
Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, also Thailand’s Water and Flood Management Commission chairman, affirmed that Typhoon Haiyan will neither enter nor affect Thailand.
