BANGKOK, 6 September 2011 – The Cabinet has agreed to compensate flood victims at the rate of 5,000 THB per family while ordering related ministers and MPs to pay a visit to affected areas as part of the rehabilitation effort.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announced that the Cabinet had approved the measure to assist people who had been affected by floods for longer than seven days through a compensation of 5,000 THB per household. She assured that concerned ministers were coordinating with provincial governors on distributing the money as soon as possible.
As for the assistance for agriculturalists, the premier said damages on their farmland would be assessed within 90 days after the water receded. In certain areas where damages are evident, the inspection process could be shortened to no more than 60 days or even be completed by the end of this month.
Asked how she would prevent corruption practices in the flood relief effort, Ms Yingluck replied that related ministries and agencies as well as provincial administrations would join hands in investigating the issue. Besides local MPs, she said several ministers, especially the Ministers of Agriculture and Cooperatives and Natural Resources and Environment, had also been assigned to visit flood-affected residents and contribute to the rehabilitation effort.
