Navy to send ships to join flood relief

31 Mar 2011

The Royal Thai Navy is sending the nation’s only aircraft carrier and two frigates to the flood-affected south. The vessels will lead relief efforts as further storms continue to lash the south of the country.

The aircraft carrier, HTMS Chakri Naruebet, arrived in Koh Tao yesterday to assist with the evacuation of tourists and locals. Over 1,100 people have been stranded on the island after bad weather forced airlines and ferries to stop operating.

Two frigates also made their way to the Andaman Sea on a mission to evacuate tourists from the Similan and Surin islands.

The government has approved the allocation of 20 million baht to commence the relief effort in the south. The amount is to be used for the relief supplies that will be distributed to flood victims.

Office Minister for the PM Sathit Wongnongtoey said that the funding is part of the government’s consolidated efforts to help those people affected by the floods. He went on to say that the Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department has been instructed to prepare items, such as water pumps, inflatable rafts and boats, to assist in the relief efforts.

Over 2,700 villages and 310,406 homes have been raved by the floods. The death toll rose yesterday to 11. Mr Sathit described the floods possibly worse than those in 1988, and possibly the worst destructive floods the nation has seen.

Regions that have been classified as a flood crisis zone include Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, Ranong, Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun.

Tags: floods navy relief