BANGKOK — Only a week ago, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul appeared buoyant as he welcomed political defectors to his Bhumjaithai Party, projecting confidence ahead of elections expected early next year. Today, that optimism has evaporated.
A sudden and severe flooding crisis in Thailand’s southern provinces — a region that helped propel Bhumjaithai and its Kla Tham allies to major gains over the Democrats in 2023 — has become the biggest test of Anutin’s premiership. His government now faces mounting criticism that its disaster response was slow, disorganized, and politically damaging.
As of November 29, flooding persisted across nine provinces, affecting more than 3.17 million people and 1.14 million households, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. At least 162 people have died. Some local figures, including Surachet Hakparn, president of the Southern People’s Association, say the toll could be far higher and have urged the government to release full casualty counts.
On Saturday, Anutin — who also serves as interior minister — convened ministers and senior officials to consider additional relief measures. He also ordered police to speed up the identification of bodies found in flood-hit areas and demanded a “big cleaning” effort to restore Hat Yai within two weeks.
But his public apology came only after five to six days of escalating criticism. The delay has fueled questions about his leadership at a politically sensitive moment.
“Everyone who dies during this flood disaster is considered a flood-related death,” Anutin said earlier in the week, vowing to take responsibility and promising compensation of 2 million baht per deceased person, alongside debt-relief measures expected to reach the Cabinet soon. “I feel stressed seeing people suffer like this … we must urgently find ways to help.”
His assurances have not stopped the backlash.
Royal Message Highlights Urgency of Crisis
The political pressure intensified after His Majesty the King issued a Royal Command directing an expansive state response to the crisis. The message, relayed to Anutin by the Royal Private Secretary, expressed deep concern for affected communities and placed the deceased under Royal Patronage.
Key directives included a 100 million baht ($3.1 million) grant for Hat Yai Hospital, encouragement to medical teams in the region, and the deployment of drones for search operations and food delivery. The King had issued a similar message earlier on Nov. 24, urging full mobilization of the military and relevant agencies.
The Royal Command triggered a more visible government response, but came after days of public frustration — including an incident where a minister walked out of a press conference when pressed about allegations of mismanagement.
Damage to the “Blue Camp”?
The slow response and late apology now threaten the prime minister’s popularity in a region crucial to his party’s electoral fortunes. Attacks have come not only from opposition Pheu Thai figures but also from residents who lost family members, and from social media users who accuse the government of reacting too late.
Whether the apology can repair the political damage remains uncertain.
Coalition Tensions Also Surface
The fallout has spread to the People’s Party — the “orange party” — whose votes helped Anutin form a minority government. Critics have resurfaced a speech by party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut during the September prime ministerial vote: “We didn’t choose Khun Anutin to run the country, but to amend the constitution and dissolve parliament within four months.”
As People’s Party members now “advise” the government on disaster management, observers note the contrast with their previous stance as fierce critics when Pheu Thai held power. Their shift has also attracted scrutiny.
A Political Price Still Unpaid
What began as a natural disaster has morphed into a political crisis. The government insists there was no delay or mismanagement. Many in the South say otherwise. And as the death toll rises, the prime minister’s belated apology may prove to be only the first step in a long effort to restore public trust — and protect his party ahead of a looming election.
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