Anutin vows faster flood relief after returning to Thailand

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul returned to Thailand on 27 September 2026 after visiting Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom, and immediately ordered government agencies to expedite flood relief efforts nationwide. Upon his return, he received a briefing on the flood situation before inspecting affected areas in Bangkok.

Anutin attributed the current flooding to heavy and continuous rainfall exceeding drainage capacity in some locations, and stated that authorities were managing water from the North through irrigation systems and reservoirs to mitigate the impact on Bangkok and downstream areas.

To assist flood victims in Bangkok, the Defence and Agriculture ministries deployed machinery, pumps, trucks, and rubber boats. Authorities established shelters and moved vulnerable residents to hospitals and medical facilities. Provincial governors in affected areas were given full authority to make emergency decisions, while additional emergency funding was provided to officially declared disaster areas.

Government agencies were instructed to collaborate using a single set of data, prioritizing people's safety and property.

Anutin announced that the government would accelerate compensation for flood victims, conducting household-by-household damage surveys and having provincial governors prepare rehabilitation plans as water recedes. For long-term flood prevention, he plans to submit the Chainat–Pa Sak–Gulf of Thailand water diversion project to the Cabinet, which the National Economic and Social Development Council deemed necessary and economically worthwhile.

Anutin also instructed Cabinet ministers to suspend overseas travel while the flood situation persisted, canceling his own trips for the next two to three weeks to remain in Thailand and closely monitor the situation.