Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, in his inspection of Songkhla and Satun provinces on 5-6 December to follow up on flood rehabilitation in the South, instructed all relevant agencies to speed up clean-up operations and traffic management, so that full normalcy could resume for flood-affected residents.

Prime Minister Anutin had signed a declaration to revoke the emergency situation decree in Songkhla Province, taking effect on 5 December. The disaster level in Songkhla was also lowered from Level 4, an extremely severe state, to Level 3, which is a less critical stage.

He said that the present situation in the flood-hit provinces is in the “rehabilitation” stage. In this stage, emphasis must be placed on the removal of waste, physical and mental healthcare, and the clearance of travel routes.

The Prime Minister had set a 14-day target to complete clean-up and rehabilitation efforts, such as repairs of various systems, in Hat Yai District. Lessons must be learned from the massive floods to prevent the crisis from happening in the future.

He said that a team of experts also visited the affected areas in Songkhla, as part of the lessons learned process. Four subcommittees have also been formed to handle the flood issues of remedies, rehabilitation, protection, and environmental management.

In Satun, the Prime Minister heard a report that, from 19 November to 5 December, the flooding affected seven districts, 45,417 families, and 149,878 people. The situation in all seven districts has returned to normalcy.

The damage of the water gate near the Satun City Municipality was reportedly a reason that the province was unable to deal effectively with the flood situation. The province will hold a public hearing on the management of the water gate, and the Government is ready to provide support in response to the needs of local residents.