BANGKOK — 27 September 2026, Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cut short his overseas mission and returned to Thailand, ordering government agencies to step up flood relief nationwide and coordinate their response using a single set of data.
Anutin arrived at Don Mueang Airport at 10:20 after visiting Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom from 20-27 September. He then received a briefing on the flood situation before heading to inspect affected areas in Bangkok.
Speaking at 10:45, Anutin said he had continued receiving reports and coordinating the flood response while abroad, including through deputy prime ministers and relevant agencies.
He said he decided to cancel the remainder of his overseas schedule and return to Thailand to oversee operations and coordinate decisions on the flooding.
Anutin attributed the current flooding largely to heavy and continuous rainfall across wide areas, with rainfall exceeding the drainage capacity in some locations.
He said authorities were also managing water from the North through the irrigation system and reservoirs to limit the impact on Bangkok and areas downstream.
‘One team, one set of data’
For Bangkok, Anutin said the Defence and Agriculture ministries had deployed machinery, pumps, trucks and rubber boats to assist flood victims.
Authorities have also established shelters and moved bedridden patients, vulnerable people and elderly residents to hospitals and other medical facilities where necessary.
Anutin instructed provincial governors in affected areas to have full authority to make decisions on emergency measures, while additional emergency funding was being made available to provinces officially declared disaster areas.
He stressed that government agencies must work together without dividing responsibilities between Bangkok and other administrative areas.
“We must work together using a single set of data and put helping the people first, with safety and property as our top priorities,” Anutin said.
He also instructed government information agencies to coordinate flood updates and provide timely information to the public.
Compensation and long-term flood plan
Anutin said the government would accelerate compensation for flood victims, with authorities surveying damage on a household-by-household basis.
Provincial governors will also be instructed to prepare rehabilitation plans as soon as water recedes in each area, rather than waiting for an entire city or province to dry out.
For longer-term flood prevention, Anutin said he plans to submit the Chainat–Pa Sak–Gulf of Thailand water diversion project to the Cabinet on Tuesday.
He said the National Economic and Social Development Council had assessed the project and found it necessary and economically worthwhile for improving water drainage from upper Thailand and reducing the flow of water toward the Central Plains, Bangkok and surrounding areas.
Anutin said the government would push ahead with the project as a long-term measure to reduce the risk of severe flooding in the future.
He also said lessons from last year’s Hat Yai flooding would be incorporated into recovery plans to help affected residents return to normal life as quickly as possible.
For homes and vehicles covered by insurance, Anutin said the Office of Insurance Commission would coordinate with insurance companies to speed up claims and payments according to policy terms.
Ministers ordered to halt overseas trips
Anutin said he had instructed all Cabinet ministers to suspend overseas travel while the flood situation continued.
He said he would also cancel his own planned overseas trips over the next two to three weeks in order to remain in Thailand and closely monitor the situation.
The government will maintain a high level of preparedness and adjust its response as conditions change, he said.
Anutin said he planned to inspect flood-hit areas in Bangkok and later visit provinces including Sa Kaeo, Prachin Buri, Nakhon Nayok, Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani to assess conditions, meet residents and hear directly from provincial officials and emergency workers.
After his remarks, Anutin travelled in a Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation evacuation vehicle to visit flood victims and distribute relief bags at a shelter at Bang Khen School in Lak Si district, Bangkok.
