BANGKOK, Thailand – On September 15, the Prime Minister ordered the urgent establishment of the “Flood Relief Operations Center” (FROC) and the “Flood, Storm, and Landslide Management Committee,” chaired by the Prime Minister herself. The committee will hold its first meeting on September 16 at Government House to address the country’s flood situation.
A government source reported that Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will convene a meeting of all relevant agencies to prepare for flood mitigation and relief efforts. The center aims to streamline and coordinate emergency responses to assist flood victims nationwide.
Two key committees will be established:
- The Flood Relief Operations Center (FROC)
- The Flood, Storm, and Landslide Management Committee
The support center for these operations will include high-ranking officials, with the Prime Minister as chair, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense as vice-chair, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior as a secondary vice-chair.
Members of the committee include:
– The Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives
– The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
– The Minister of Public Health
– Secretary-General of the Prime Minister’s Office
– Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office
– The Secretary-General of the National Water Resources Office
– The Permanent Secretary of Transport, Natural Resources, and Interior ministries
– Heads of the Royal Irrigation, Meteorological, and Geological departments
– Senior military officials
– Director of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA)
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation will serve as the secretariat for these efforts, with the Director-General acting as the main secretary.
The first meeting will take place on September 16 at Government House. All agencies will work together to develop an integrated approach to tackling the flood crisis and providing relief to affected areas.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn also shared her message via social media, stating, “Tomorrow, I will convene a meeting at Government House to establish the Flood Relief Operations Center, the Flood, Storm, and Landslide Management Committee, and a support center to coordinate efforts. This will ensure rapid and efficient crisis management for this flood emergency.”
