The People's Party urged the government to expedite approval of central budget funds to pay compensation of 5,000 baht monthly for areas flooded over one month, with a tiered approach. They pointed out that current criteria use a blanket calculation, treating short-term and long-term flooding equally, which is unfair to the affected people.
On 28 Oct 2026 at the Parliament building, the People's Party, led by MPs, former MPs, and former candidates from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Chachoengsao, and Nakhon Pathom provinces—areas suffering prolonged flooding exceeding one month—held a press conference demanding the government promptly address the problem and provide fair and comprehensive compensation to flood victims. They submitted their demands to the Subcommittee on Flood Management, Compensation, Relief, and Rehabilitation of the House of Representatives for further consideration.
Mr. Tawiwong Totawiwong, former MP for Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Constituency 1 from the People's Party, said the party has received complaints from community representatives affected severely by flooding, especially regarding calls for the government to compensate for opportunity losses of those flooded long-term, over one month. Last week, he raised the issue, questioning why areas flooded over one month do not receive tiered or appropriate compensation like those in Bangkok or other areas that quickly receive aid under standard criteria.
Mr. Tawiwong added that the issue clearly shows inequality. For example, in Bangkok, where floods last 3-5 days, citizens get immediate compensation per standard rates. But in provinces such as Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Chachoengsao, Pathum Thani, and nearby areas, which have faced continuous flooding from late September to the end of October—over a month—the damage is far greater. People lose job opportunities and income; farmers cannot cultivate as farmland becomes flood retention areas; workers and freelancers cannot work normally. These reasons mean that basic compensation under current standards is insufficient for the actual losses incurred.
Mr. Tawiwong noted that in previous years, the former government accepted proposals from the Move Forward Party and the People's Party, paying tiered opportunity loss compensation to Ayutthaya residents flooded for 3-4 months at 5,000 baht monthly, capped at 4 months. Therefore, given the current government’s full authority and better budget mechanisms, it should continue this policy. It can seek Cabinet approval to allocate additional central budget funds to pay opportunity loss compensation to citizens flooded over one month. For example, with more than 100,000 flooded households now, the government could immediately provide monthly 5,000 baht compensation with an initial 500 million baht budget. If flooding exceeds one month only once this year, the government could increase compensation to 9,000 baht monthly, matching the standard aid system, to restore fairness and reduce public hardship.
Meanwhile, Ms. Panyarath Nanthaphusitanon, Nonthaburi MP for Constituency 2 of the People's Party and Chair of the Subcommittee on Flood Management, Compensation, Relief, and Rehabilitation, summarized that the subcommittee studied flood issues and categorized them into three main problems: flash floods from mountain runoff; recurrent flooding and flood retention areas submerged for months; and impacts on people across all occupations. They highlighted unfairness in the current government compensation system, which sets uniform aid rates without considering the actual duration of damage.
Field investigations found that people experiencing short-term flooding of 3-5 days and those submerged over one month or even half a year in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani receive nearly the same compensation, reflecting unfairness and inconsistency with reality. The subcommittee proposed policy changes to the government, recommending revising the Ministry of Finance’s regulations on emergency disaster relief advances to establish monthly compensation criteria for floods over 30 days at 5,000 baht monthly. They also proposed compensation for agricultural land used as flood retention areas at 1,400 baht per rai, limited to 30 rai per household, to ensure more comprehensive and fair assistance.
Ms. Panyarath emphasized that although the government has disaster insurance programs and existing aid measures, discussions with the Office of Insurance Commission and related agencies revealed that coverage remains limited to death, medical expenses, or basic home repairs. It does not cover income loss or opportunity cost compensation. The subcommittee will promptly finalize and submit all recommendations to the government for serious implementation and plans to continue monitoring the situation in Prachinburi and other areas to push for effective flood problem resolution and timely compensation for the people.