Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (DFM), Jakkapong Sangmanee, chaired an inter-agency Situation Command Center (SCC) meeting between MFA, MOTS, MOJ, MOPH, MOSDHS, MDES, and Royal Thai Police, to discuss operation updates and plans of action on the incident on 3 Oct 2023.
The meeting discussed important measures, including remedy (assistance and compensation) measures for deceased and injured victims. The Department of Mental Health, MOPH, has established a temporary center at the affected Mall to extend mental health services to those affected and families, including the Mall’s employees and others. DOJ will consider their participation to make the center a one-stop service. The MOSDHS will utilise their existing nationwide networks of children and youth to monitor possible challenges and raise awareness measures.
Moreover, the meeting also discussed additional preventive measures, including the increased police officers in public areas, and coordination with shopping malls to raise security measures. They will also revise related laws to weapon access, such as blank guns and BB guns, while the MDES is ready to block online access to illegal weapons and expedite the development of the alert system through mobile phones at the earliest.
For families of the victims travelling to Thailand, the MOTS has facilitated and extended assistance accordingly, while the Royal Thai Consulate-General, Savannakhet, visited family of the injured Lao victim today. (NNT)
