Yotsanan urged the public to trust the flood management efforts in northern Thailand, emphasizing that warnings should be heeded only from responsible agencies. He stressed the use of a single command system to prevent confusion and praised the governors and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation for their full commitment.
At 09:00 on 23 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Yotsanan Wongsawat, held talks with the Australian Assistant Minister at Government House, Building 1, Government House, during the latter's visit to Thailand to follow up on prior discussions between the two countries' prime ministers.
Yotsanan later revealed that the discussions went well, accompanied by senior officials from his ministry. They talked about topics previously discussed by the prime ministers, including joint research on workforce development, research creation, and entrepreneurship. The talks continued with a focus on projects that could enable Thai startup investors to collaborate with Australia, which showed interest in the Southeast Asian market and technology partnerships. The discussions aimed at forming a partnership, with the University of New South Wales' president, ranked number one, scheduled to visit Thailand next week for further talks.
At 10:05, Yotsanan, as chairman of the northern flood and drought prevention committee, spoke about the management of the water situation in northern Thailand. He noted that discussions have been ongoing with the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and provincial authorities, with established collaborative approaches, especially preventive measures.
Regarding urgent tasks today, he is continuously monitoring the situation and consulting with provincial governors, emphasizing that safety is the top priority, followed by recovery efforts running concurrently. Weather forecasting is now enhanced through daily mapping with the Meteorological Department, adding display features across several areas to allow the public to monitor conditions. This represents a medium-term approach, while short-term responses follow existing plans. He praised the governors and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation for their dedicated work.
When asked about public concern over reports predicting heavy rainfall that could lead to major flooding, Yotsanan responded, that communication is already managed through a single command system overseen by responsible officials who will provide clarifications to prevent confusion. He affirmed that efforts to manage the situation are thorough. When further asked, whether the northern region can provide timely warnings to the public, Yotsanan stated, "Yes, the public can trust that."
Additionally, Yotsanan spoke about preparing to propose details for upskill and reskill projects funded by the emergency loan decree, saying he has consulted with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Akniti Nitithanprapas. The plan is to support workforce skills needed for installing and maintaining equipment related to energy transition, such as solar panels. They will assess the number of skilled personnel available in each area and work in parallel with the Ministry of Finance.
The projects will involve collaboration with the Department of Skill Development, Ministry of Labour, affiliated agencies, and universities or relevant ministries to assess equipment readiness and prepare for skill development. The initiative will be packaged jointly before being presented to the Ministry of Finance, avoiding separate submissions by individual agencies.
When asked about the budget, Yotsanan said it will be determined realistically but efforts will be made to minimize costs.
However, reports indicate that these skill development projects fall under the oversight of five ministries affiliated with the Pheu Thai Party, representing significant initiatives that can be implemented quickly, including solar and energy transition technologies. A project plan meeting is scheduled for next week, and once ready, projects will be submitted for review by the committee overseeing the 200-billion-baht emergency loan decree aimed at supporting the energy transition.