"Songsak" discussed with the National Water Resources Committee the approval of a central budget for 99 projects totaling 509 million baht to urgently address flooding, drought, and water quality issues nationwide, along with submitting flood management plans for Hat Yai and the three southern border provinces to the Cabinet.
On 22 Sep 2026 GMT+7, at the Government House, Mr. Songsak Thongsri, Deputy Prime Minister, chaired the 4/2026 meeting of the National Water Resources Committee (NWRC). Also attending were Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Pakorn Nilprapunt, Mr. Chayan Muangsong, Secretary-General of the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR), and related agencies, participating both in person at the Government House and via electronic systems.
Mr. Chayan Muangsong, Secretary-General of ONWR, revealed after the meeting that the committee reviewed and approved in principle the budget support plan requesting emergency or necessary reserve funds from the central budget. In total, 99 projects were approved with funding of 509.7005 million baht to be allocated for resolving flood and drought problems and improving water quality in areas previously affected and urgently requiring action across all regions.
Additionally, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized policies following recent flooding in Nan Province, directing all agencies to closely monitor the situation and prepare for heavy rains forecasted from 23 to 26 September. Preparations should also include the southern rainy season alongside drought prevention efforts. He urged rapid public awareness campaigns to prevent recurrence, continuous monitoring of contaminants, and water quality in key rivers.
Furthermore, the meeting acknowledged the progress of the working group reviewing lessons learned in preparation for major flooding in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province, and sustainable flood management plans for the three southern border provinces to be submitted to the Cabinet for further action. The committee also approved the Nam Yuan Reservoir project in Phayao Province with a capacity of 30 million cubic meters and a budget of 2.6 billion baht to support irrigation over 20,910 rai. Extensions were granted for two major projects—the Yom-Nan Canal improvement in Sukhothai Province and the Sri Song Rak water gate in Loei Province—to ensure their completion.