The cabinet on Tuesday declared all of Songkhla province a disaster zone, freeing up relief funds, as the province continued to suffer under the severe flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 13 people in the southern region.
The cabinet announcement paved the way for the rapid provision of relief assistance to residents of the stricken province.
Gen Ukrit Boontanont, chief of the defence forces, was assigned to lead the operation to rescue the province, with support from all relevant cabinet ministers.
All 16 districts in Songkhla are flooded, with Hat Yai, a commercial hub and transport gateway for southern Thailand, hit the hardest.
The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported on Tuesday that the flooding had killed 13 people. Overall, the massive flooding in the southern region has affected about 2 million people.
Only four of the 14 southern provinces are still free of the devastating flood — Chumphon, Phangnga, Phuket and Ranong, the department said.
The Royal Thai Navy has already mounted a rescue operation, with a flotilla of vessels loaded with relief supplies and equipment heading across the Gulf of Thailand to the southern region.
In a related development, Deputy Prime Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the government is preparing financial relief measures for flood victims in southern Thailand, with details expected to be submitted to the cabinet next week.
The package will draw from the central budget and is currently under review, he said on Tuesday.
Initial measures include debt moratoriums, interest rate reductions, low-interest loans, extended tax filing deadlines, and a special Khon La Khrueng Plus co-payment scheme tailored for flood-affected households to help restore normal living conditions quickly.
