Thai PM visits flood-hit region as 3,700 homes inundated
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (centre) visiting flood-damaged homes in Phaya Mengrai district in Chiang Rai province on Saturday, June 28. - PHOTO: AFP
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra made an emergency visit on Saturday to the country's flood-hit north, where the military is evacuating residents after monsoon rains inundated thousands of homes.
The Royal Thai Army says more than 3,700 homes were flooded across five districts in Chiang Rai province, alongside 80 hectares (200 acres) of agricultural land, with roads made impassable in three areas.
Heavy rains are forecast to continue in the coming days, while the military has deployed rafts to ferry residents from their homes engulfed by muddy brown water, according to images shared on their Facebook page.
Paetongtarn made a one-day trip to inspect damage in the hardest-hit area of Phaya Mengrai district, 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the Laos border.
"The prime minister met with flood-hit communities and asked about their well-being, including access to food, clean water, and care for vulnerable groups," the government said in a statement.
Paetongtarn made the visit as she faces mounting pressure in the capital Bangkok, where protesters gathered on Saturday to call for her resignation over a leaked diplomatic phone call.
It remains unclear how many people have been impacted by the flooding. However the military said more than 4,400 households had been affected.
Thailand's disaster prevention agency said it is closely monitoring water levels and urged communities to move belongings to higher ground in case of flash flooding.
While Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains in the third quarter of the year, man-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that make destructive floods more likely.
Widespread flooding across Thailand in 2011 killed more than 500 people and damaged millions of homes. - AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
35 minutes ago
- The Sun
US factory struggles with Trump steel tariffs impact
BELCAMP: The sweltering summer heat at Independent Can's Maryland factory contrasts sharply with the snowman-decorated metal containers taking shape on the production line. But the real tension stems from President Donald Trump's steep steel tariffs, now doubled to 50%, which CEO Rick Huether says are wreaking havoc on his business. Huether, 73, who began working at his family's company at age 14, is determined to keep the nearly century-old firm afloat. However, Trump's tariffs on imported steel and aluminum have complicated operations, forcing Huether to consider price hikes of over 20%. 'We're living in chaos right now,' Huether told AFP. The factory, which employs nearly 400 workers across four sites, relies heavily on imported tinplate—a steel variant coated with tin to prevent rust. Yet, US production meets only 25% of the demand, leaving manufacturers like Independent Can dependent on foreign suppliers. While Huether supports strengthening US manufacturing, he criticizes Trump's unpredictable tariff policies. 'Those all require us to buy in the neighborhood of 70 percent of our steel outside of the United States,' he said. The tariffs have already led to a 20-25% drop in orders as customers brace for economic uncertainty. The company's Iowa plant shut down last year partly due to earlier tariff hikes. Now, with costs soaring, Huether fears history may repeat itself. Some buyers are shifting to American-made products, but Huether remains skeptical. 'During the pandemic, we took everybody in... our business went up 50 percent,' he said. Yet, post-pandemic, clients returned to cheaper Chinese alternatives. Huether insists on long-term contracts to mitigate risks. 'We need to have a two-year contract,' he said. Despite the challenges, he remains hopeful. 'I think that our business will survive,' he added, though navigating the next six months remains uncertain.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Deported Cambodian blacklisted as ‘national security threat'
A Cambodian woman who previously worked in Thailand has been placed on a blacklist by Thai authorities, permanently barring her from re-entering the neighbouring Kingdom in the future. - Photo: The Phnom Penh Post/ANN PHNOM PENH: A Cambodian woman who previously worked in Thailand has been placed on a blacklist by Thai authorities, permanently barring her from re-entering the neighbouring Kingdom in the future. She was previously detained for two nights by Thai authorities on charges of illegally entering the country and begging. According to Thailand's The Nation media outlet, the woman, Wan Naree, who has a disabled left arm, had been begging in Thailand. On Wednesday (June 25), she and several others protested at their inability to return to Cambodia because of the closure of the Khlong Luek border checkpoint, opposite the Poipet checkpoint in Banteay Meanchey province. The media reported that she shouted at Thai immigration officials and demanded that they open the checkpoint and let return to Cambodia. At that point, she was arrested, then charged with illegally entering the country and engaging in begging activities. She was detained for two nights, convicted by a court, fined and ordered to be deported. 'She has also been placed on Thailand's immigration blacklist as a 'threat to national security', meaning she is permanently barred from re-entering the Kingdom,' said The Nation. On June 27, she and several others were transported back to Cambodia. She stated that she would not return to Thailand. According to a post on the Facebook page of Prime Minister Hun Manet, the Banteay Meanchey provincial administration, local authorities, and the Cambodian Consulate General in Sa Kaeo province worked diligently to negotiate with Thai authorities, resulting in the release of two women, including Wan Naree, and allowing them to return to Cambodia. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
UK junior trade minister visits Taiwan
Britain has only formal diplomatic relations with Beijing, but maintains a de facto embassy in Taipei. - Photo: AFP LONDON: British junior trade minister Douglas Alexander is visiting Taiwan for talks on Sunday (June 29), the UK government said, on a trip that is aimed at boosting trade with Taipei but is likely to anger China. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and strongly objects to any official interactions between the island and foreign governments, believing them to represent support for Taiwan's desire to be recognised as an independent country. Britain only has formal diplomatic relations with Beijing, but maintains a de facto embassy in Taipei. Junior British ministers hold talks with their Taiwanese counterparts but by convention senior ministers do not meet Taiwanese officials. Alexander's trip comes at a time when Britain and China are looking to mend ties, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer expected to visit Beijing this year on the first trip by a British leader since 2018. But despite those efforts, tensions remain. Last week, China's military criticised the sailing of a British warship through the Taiwan Strait as a deliberate attempt to "cause trouble". Alexander will be in Taiwan for annual trade talks on June 29-30, the Department for Business and Trade said. He will witness the signing of UK-Taiwan trade partnership pillars, and meet President Lai Ching-te as part of Britain's "long-standing unofficial relationship" with Taiwan, it said. "We share a long-standing trade relationship with Taiwan and our trade reached an all-time high last year, but we know there are still more opportunities for British businesses," Alexander said in a statement. - Reuters
