"Songsak" orders 20 northeastern provinces to prepare for floods, pointing out that Mekong water fluctuations stem from headwater countries releasing water and informing only afterward.
On 10 Aug 2026 GMT+7 at Government House, Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri, who oversees the National Water Resources Office, spoke about flood preparations in the northeast. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, also Minister of Interior, assigned each deputy prime minister to supervise water issues in their regions. Songsak is responsible for 20 northeastern provinces and last week summoned relevant agencies to issue directives. He plans to present nine measures to the Cabinet to ensure all provinces are ready to prevent and assist citizens. He stressed learning from past events to avoid repeating problems and confirmed comprehensive plans covering both drought and flooding are in place.
Asked about handling rising Mekong River levels, Songsak said the fluctuations result from upstream countries with dams releasing water. Currently, Mekong water levels do not follow natural patterns but depend on dam water releases, making it difficult to respond in time. Normally, water releases should be coordinated among Mekong basin countries, but Thailand only learns after the release occurs and has never received advance notice.
Asked again if water is released before notifying Thailand, Songsak confirmed this is the case. Ideally, advance notice should be given to allow preparation and protection measures. Moving forward, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be responsible for coordinating with upstream countries to seek cooperation on this matter.