Dr. Ekphop Pianpiset countered MP Suphanat Meenchainan’s desire for attention leading to incorrect postings, affirming more flood relief funds remain. Regarding the World Bank and IMF meeting, he supported disaster insurance and recommended countries worldwide follow Thailand's example.
On 17 Oct 2026 GMT+7, Dr. Ekphop Pianpiset, spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, posted a response to Bangkok MP Suphanat Meenchainan of the People's Party, who claimed that the 5.29 billion baht flood relief budget was depleted—a statement that is untrue. He questioned whether MP Suphanat was unaware or pretending to be uninformed.
Dr. Ekphop explained the current flood relief payments come from the remaining central budget for fiscal year 2026, which ended on 30 Sept 2026. The Cabinet resolved to allocate about 4.7 billion baht of remaining funds for relief, plus additional advance disaster funds allowing provincial governors to authorize payments of 50 million baht per province. Bangkok was permitted a 100 million baht limit, which the Governor of Bangkok could request through the Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
This arrangement has been implemented via the Ministry of Finance, enabling provinces to extend their spending limits. The central budget usage is not speculative but based on reallocating leftover funds. If further spending is required, approval for using the current fiscal year's central budget can be sought. The visible challenge is that using the traditional central budget for disaster relief is risky due to unpredictable timing and severity of events. Establishing a National Disaster Insurance reduces budget management risks and allows faster, broader assistance to citizens.
This approach aligns with recommendations from the World Bank and IMF meetings on disaster management, advising countries to consider disaster insurance. It appears MP Suphanat seeks attention and fan interest from his party's followers, but he should verify information accuracy before posting.