BANGKOK — 27 September 2026, Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited a flood-hit community along Khlong Prem Prachakorn in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district where residents called for more food and basic facilities.
Anutin arrived at the Ruam Phatthana community at around 11:30, travelling from Don Mueang Airport in a high-clearance vehicle operated by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
“Too rich!”
As he arrived, some residents shouted, “Too rich!” and urged the prime minister to come into the flooded area. One resident jokingly said they would carry Anutin onto a boat so he could see the conditions for himself, adding that they had personally voted for him.
Anutin walked over to speak with the residents, who asked for mobile toilets because flooding had made daily life difficult.
He asked whether elderly residents were still staying in the community and urged them to move to shelters because prolonged exposure to floodwater could increase health risks. He said Bangkok authorities would arrange mobile toilets.
Residents also told Anutin that the food distributed on 26 September had not been enough.
Anutin called Defence Minister Adul Boonthamcharoen and instructed the ministry to set up a mobile kitchen in the community.
While waiting for the kitchen to be arranged, Anutin personally paid 3,000 baht to a meatball vendor to distribute food to residents. He also paid 10,000 baht to an made-to-order food shop and 5,000 baht to a noodle shop, asking all three businesses to provide meals to people in the community.
He said the community should use the food immediately rather than wait for the mobile kitchen to begin operating.
Anutin later visited a temporary shelter at Bang Khen School in Lak Si district to meet flood victims and distribute relief supplies.
Cabinet to consider possible public holiday
Speaking after the visit, Anutin said a special Cabinet meeting would be held to consider whether to declare a public holiday amid the flooding.
He said no date had yet been decided because the government needed to review relevant laws and regulations. Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt was reviewing the legal framework before the proposal could be submitted to the Cabinet.
Anutin said the measure could also address situations such as people who are legally required to report to authorities on 28 September but are unable to travel because of flooding.
Asked about compensation, Anutin said the existing legal criteria would remain in place.
He said the government also needed to provide essential supplies, including food and medicine, while encouraging elderly people and bedridden patients to move to shelters where staff could provide care.
Anutin says flood warnings must be easier to understand
Asked about complaints that government flood warnings had been issued too slowly, Anutin said he had checked with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society and the Interior Ministry.
He said the instructions themselves had not been delayed, but some of the information was difficult for the public to understand because it contained technical terminology.
Anutin said he had already instructed the Digital Economy and Society minister and the director-general of the Meteorological Department, while he was still in London, to use clearer language in public warnings.
He said authorities would accelerate drainage as rainfall continued, adding that low-lying areas were particularly vulnerable to deep flooding.
For vehicles damaged by flooding, Anutin urged owners with insurance to contact the Office of Insurance Commission and said he would raise the issue again at the Cabinet meeting.
Asked about calls for him to take responsibility as prime minister, Anutin said the government was doing its duty and using all available resources to address the situation.
He also pointed to encroachment along Khlong Prem Prachakorn as one factor contributing to flooding, saying sections of the canal had become narrower.
“If we face this problem every year, I will have to fully enforce the law as well,” he said.
Asked whether he wanted to apologize to the public, Anutin said:
“We are doing our duty to the fullest. I feel sorry, concerned and deeply worried about the people, and we are trying to solve the problems as much as we can.”
More than 69,000 people affected in Lak Si
According to the report, flooding since 25 September has affected 39 communities, 10,017 households and 69,565 people in Lak Si district along Khlong Prem Prachakorn.
The district has opened three temporary shelters at Thasai Housing School, Wat Lak Si School and Bang Khen School.
As of 27 September, the Bang Khen School shelter was accommodating 170 people, including 33 vulnerable residents: 14 children, four people with disabilities and 15 elderly people.
Bangkok residents affected by flooding and seeking assistance can call the 1555 hotline 24 hours a day.
