Anutin led a meeting with the National Disaster Prevention Command and provincial governors nationwide to expedite assistance for flood victims, emphasizing collaborative work without conflicts, asking for patience and openness, and accepting all criticism and voices of disapproval from the public, while committing to fully manage the situation.
08:00, 30 Sep 2026 GMT+7 Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul presided over a meeting of the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Command to monitor the situation and provide assistance to flood victims. The meeting took place at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation in Dusit district, Bangkok, with Defense Minister Lieutenant General Adul Boonthamcharoen, Deputy Ministers of Interior Pol. Gen. Peer Suwannachavee and Je-ses Thaises, military commanders, related agencies, and provincial governors nationwide participating via teleconference.
Upon arrival, the Prime Minister opened the meeting by thanking all agencies for attending on short notice, demonstrating readiness and awareness of the issues. He emphasized that the meeting aimed not only to address immediate problems but to seal gaps and fully complement each other’s missions. The top priorities are effective communication, welfare, and safety of the people. He also thanked volunteers and civic-minded individuals for their dedicated care, which has helped manage the situation well.
The Prime Minister added that from his visits to affected areas, he has seen the hardship faced by victims. In such circumstances, we must accept public criticism and disapproval with patience and openness, encourage and support them, and reflect their needs as much as possible. Importantly, everyone must be broad-minded and tolerant, not take words personally, and seek solutions for them. So far, there has been excellent cooperation among all agencies, with no obstruction or shirking of duties; everyone has responsibly fulfilled their roles well, and he believes the majority of the public understands this.
Anutin also noted that daily attendance of agency heads is not necessary; if they are busy, representatives may report the situation to maintain unified efforts. Since this is an emergency, access to information is highly beneficial.
He reiterated that flooding is not a new occurrence; the last major instance was in 2011, when a similar command center was established to provide information until the situation was controlled. Today’s meeting aims to coordinate systematically, foster integrated cooperation, and as the government, we cannot consider Bangkok a special zone solely under the Governor’s responsibility because the hardship affects the people.
Regarding the Cabinet, the Prime Minister said he has assigned deputy prime ministers and relevant ministers to oversee and manage the situation and coordinate problem-solving in each region.
At today’s meeting, the Prime Minister first informed attendees of recent developments, then received reports on the flood situation, assistance efforts, and forecasts from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Meteorological Department, and Royal Irrigation Department. The meeting also monitored flooding in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Prachinburi, and Kanchanaburi, with directives given for agencies to implement accordingly.
