To alleviate the burden on communities affected by flooding, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced that electricity bills for this month will be waived for residents in the northern and northeastern regions of Thailand.
After chairing a crucial Cabinet meeting at Government House, the 38-year-old PM stated, “We are suspending the collection of electricity fees for this month. This is a necessary step to provide immediate relief to those impacted by the severe flooding.” The support continues in October, when residents can expect a 30% reduction in their electricity bills as part of a broader relief package proposed by the Interior Ministry.
Additionally, the Finance Ministry will implement a debt moratorium for small-scale farmers borrowing from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), offering them some much-needed relief during this crisis.
To enhance the government’s emergency response, the Digital Economy and Society Ministry (MDES) will explore using the Thang Rath app for sending emergency alerts during natural disasters. PM Paetongtarn emphasized the importance of technological innovation in disaster management, saying, “We need to ensure people get the information they need, fast.”
Furthermore, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation is enhancing its development of the Cell Broadcast Service to issue more effective urgent warnings, ensuring that affected areas receive critical information more quickly, according to Thai PBS World.
