Yotsanan is working on flood relief in Nan for the third day, confirming his commitment to stay and speed up recovery efforts, while pushing to resolve recurring flooding before inspecting the readiness of flood protection walls and aluminum fences at Nan Hospital to protect health facilities.
At 13:30 on 21 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Yotsanan Wongsawat, along with senior officials from Nan Province, visited to monitor the overall flood and flash flood situation in Nan for the third consecutive day. He traveled to the Ban Sathan meeting hall in Sathan Subdistrict, Pua District, to distribute survival kits supported by the Northern Association to flood victims, together with former Nan MPs such as Dr. Cholnan Srikaew and Natthapong Supriyasin.
Yotsanan encouraged the affected people in Northern dialect, saying that as a fellow Northerner, when hardship strikes, everyone must unite to help each other. This damage was caused by heavy accumulated mountain rain leading to rapid flash floods, impacting many residents. He assured that all sectors—including the governor, provincial administrative organization, subdistrict administrative organization, and the Royal Irrigation Department—are fully prepared and working hard to minimize the hardships faced by the people.
He added that water levels are now receding and the situation is improving, marking the start of the "recovery phase." Local agencies will expedite care and management, possibly hiring private contractors to speed efforts. Ministries including Social Development and Human Security, Labor, Interior, Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Public Health have coordinated to prepare medicine and relief measures.
“I ask the people to have confidence. Today's visit has two main goals: first, to restore everything to normal, and second, to build confidence so tourists can return as usual. Utilities such as electricity and water will be restored within 1-2 days to allow residents to resume normal life as quickly as possible. I will remain in the area until the situation improves and will push forward irrigation department projects to solve the persistent flooding problem that has troubled Nan for the past three years,” Prof. Dr. Yotsanan said, also warning residents to watch for landslides if rain recurs.
At 15:00, the delegation visited the Chulalongkorn Pasings Refuge Center in Mueang Nan District to meet and talk with flood victims. The atmosphere was warm. At the first stop, an elderly woman blessed the Deputy Prime Minister, wishing him success and “a house full of children and a city full of grandchildren,” prompting him to reply humorously, “That’s enough, or my wife will scold me,” bringing smiles and easing stress among the evacuees.
At 16:00, Yotsanan visited Nan Hospital to encourage medical staff, officials, patients, and the injured, receiving a briefing on the hospital’s flood prevention measures. The hospital has built reinforced concrete walls around the perimeter and installed approximately one-meter-high removable aluminum flood fences that can be raised further inside—including around the X-ray room—to prevent floodwaters from entering critical areas that could directly affect patient care. This proactive protection is an effective measure.
