The People's Party submitted a motion demanding flood relief funds for Hat Yai. MP Phakmon expressed disappointment that after five months, compensation has not been fully paid. She urged the government to revise the criteria and provide retroactive payments, and to urgently issue targeted measures directly supporting the business sector.
On 8 April 2026, during a session of the House of Representatives, an urgent motion was considered concerning relief for people affected by the flooding in Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, at the end of 2025. MP Phakmon Noonanan, a party-list MP from the People's Party, jointly submitted the motion on behalf of her party alongside several other political parties.
MP Phakmon stated that in late November, the most severe flooding in decades occurred. While we cannot control the weather, we can expect the government to have the capacity to manage disasters and provide relief to the people. Ordinary citizens who are not wealthy, when faced with such disasters, either perish or are left incapacitated. Five months have passed since the floods in the South. If the government truly had the capacity, I would not have to demand relief payments and call for accountability for the people of Hat Yai in this manner.
From the start of the floods, heavy rains began on 21 November 2025, with water levels rising significantly by 23 November 2025. However, the government declared the emergency decree only on 25 November 2025—four days late. This delay meant that the centralization of authority and command orders were also delayed. There was no advance evacuation plan announced; by the time it was declared, citizens could no longer leave their homes. The entire city experienced blackouts and internet outages, with shortages of supplies and food. Houses with bedridden patients were unprepared. Even hospitals flooded, losing power generators due to a lack of official warnings. People struggled to survive without knowing where to follow updates.
MP Phakmon continued that although the government later declared the emergency decree, in practice there was no clear incident commander. On the first day, the Prime Minister appointed Captain Thammanat Prompao, and everyone expected a clear command center to be established. But by the afternoon, the Cabinet resolved to have the Supreme Commander take over instead. This caused confusion about who was in charge, creating a vacuum. Citizens struggled on their own, and agencies worked reactively without knowing whose orders to follow. Instead of decisive leadership from ministers issuing clear, systematic commands from day one, there was no centralized command or frontline leadership to direct operations.
The inflexible bureaucracy and outdated political culture hindered decision-making and command in a situation changing by the minute. Meanwhile, the government war room was based in Bangkok, and by the time the emergency decree was announced, four days had passed. No government officials with authority to resolve the crisis stayed in the affected area for more than three days. Ultimately, citizens were isolated from a government that could not keep pace with the situation. The crisis worsened, exceeding the capacity of local administrations, leaving volunteers as the primary support for the people.
MP Phakmon added that she was in the area from 23 November 2025, working with Nakhon Si Thammarat rescue teams to help evacuate people and deliver food and supplies. They operated purely on instinct due to lack of information, relying on data from volunteers who created an online platform. However, they still lacked critical localized data on many households. A centralized information system would have enabled more precise assistance, better resource allocation for each case, and saved time and resources.
The People's Party proposed from the outset that the government establish a central data center linked with the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), which provides satellite imagery identifying who is trapped where. This would allow advance situation assessments for frontline responders, volunteers, and agencies collaborating with local authorities. Such a centralized database would include geolocation data, enabling the government to directly use this information to provide relief without requiring citizens to submit paperwork in queues. With a true central data center, the government could have disbursed relief payments within 30 days from the disaster without citizens having to request assistance.
MP Phakmon further stated that in cases of severe disasters like the mudslide in Chiang Rai Province, the government was able to extend relief payments beyond standard criteria, including additional home repair funds. But in the case of the most severe floods in the South, why has the government only paid 9,000 baht? Why has it not extended relief payments beyond the standard criteria? Moreover, the government could retrospectively revise criteria to include home repair costs, covering labor and materials, and apply the 11,400 baht relief amount allocated as capital support for livelihoods.
Regarding home repair relief, current data from the Songkhla Provincial Office shows over 101,000 affected households, but only 55,000 have received approved assistance. The question remains why the other half have not yet been approved. Some were flooded to a depth of one meter but received only 240 baht. What criteria is the government using? They can't even afford to buy door locks with such amounts.
MP Phakmon continued that the People's Party proposes amending regulations to raise the maximum relief payment from 49,500 baht to 100,000 baht, paying actual costs including materials and labor. It appears the government is considering this proposal because on 6 March 2026, the regulation was amended to raise the relief ceiling to 88,500 baht covering materials and labor. However, this applies only to disasters occurring after 6 March 2026, meaning citizens affected by last year's floods will not receive compensation reflecting the new standards. The government must ensure regulations are standardized and reliable; otherwise, citizens will continue to struggle on their own.
In cases of fatalities, the government pays 2 million baht in relief, but there is no follow-up care for the families of the deceased, nor support for livelihood restoration or mental health. This is tantamount to saying, "We are sorry, but this is all the government can provide." The government claims that compared to the past, the current relief payments are relatively fast, but citizens are not asking for speed compared to before—they are demanding the standards of support that they deserve.
Economically, a city that experienced such a massive flood requires systematic recovery. Currently, if one visits Hat Yai, the city appears to have returned to normal, but this is not due to government management. Hat Yai is an economic hub connecting to other provinces and serves as a labor market for neighboring provinces through the business sector. Without restoring investor confidence and stimulating tourism, Hat Yai's progress will be difficult. Has the government assessed the economic damage in Hat Yai or estimated the budget needed to compensate for economic losses?
Post-flood city recovery requires both short- and long-term measures. Today, the People's Party calls on the government to issue short-term measures first, such as secondary city tourism promotion programs rotating every four months, combined with promotions involving local hotels and restaurants. Do not assume that merely releasing half-cost subsidies will suffice. Business operators, both large and small, unanimously report receiving no relief and are unaware of where to apply. Regarding bank loans that the government says will be deferred, borrowers ultimately must rely on personal credit negotiations with banks, with mixed success depending on credit standing. Market vendors have no choice but to rely on daily interest loans; when sales drop and they cannot pay interest, businesses fail. Citizens face repeated hardships in this way.
MP Phakmon added that with Songkran approaching, businesses in Hat Yai hope for tourists from both Thailand and abroad. However, the ongoing fuel crisis makes this difficult. Moreover, the government has yet to implement any stimulus measures to support the economic zones in Hat Yai. Today, the people and businesses in Hat Yai and nearby flood-affected areas face recurring crises. What the business sector needs, as do citizens, is a roadmap for systematic water management to ensure confidence in future investments and business survival.