The Nakhon Phanom provincial administration may have to seek more than Bt300 million from the government to compensate farmers in 12 districts whose paddy fields were hit by floods, the provincial governor said on Saturday.
Nakhon Phanom governor Somchai Witdamrong said the 12 districts have been declared flood disaster zones after the water level of the Mekong River rose to crisis levels and affected tributaries.
The governor has the authority to approve a maximum of Bt50 million to help people in the disaster zones and will request the additional funds from the central government.
Somchai said the flood crisis in Nakhon Phanom was the worst in 20 years.
He said some areas on two tributary rivers, the Oon and Songkhram, have been under water for two months. The districts involved included Ban Paeng, Tha Uthane, Muang, That Phanom, Na Wa and Si Songkhlam.
The governor said is expected that all the flooded areas would be dry in one or two weeks after the level of the Mekong River dropped from 13 metres to about 8 metres. The level is continually decreasing at a rate of 20 to 30 centimetres a day.
