Ekniti upgrades disaster response for Central Thailand and Bangkok

Thairath•Politics•20m ago

Reader Briefing

Deputy Prime Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas presided over a meeting to integrate disaster prevention and budget planning for 17 central provinces and Bangkok.

•The meeting took place on November 13, 2026, at Government House.
•Four subcommittees were established to manage disaster plans and budgets for the central region.
•The scope of disaster management has expanded from focusing only on floods and droughts to covering all types of disasters.
•The plan includes budget considerations for the fiscal years 2025–2028.

Overview

•On November 13, 2026, Ekniti Nitithanprapas chaired the 1st/2026 meeting of the Committee for the Prevention and Resolution of Disaster Problems in the Central Area.
•The operation follows Prime Minister's Office Order No. 398/2026 dated October 22, which appointed five regional disaster committees nationwide.
•The committee expanded the management scope beyond floods and droughts to include earthquakes, building collapses, wildfires, haze, PM 2.5 dust, and hazardous chemicals.
•The meeting established a steering subcommittee for planning and budget screening chaired by Pharadon Pritsananantakul.
•Three regional subcommittees were formed to handle specific groups of provinces, chaired by Napintorn Srisanpang, Surasak Pancharoenworakul, and Varawut Silpa-archa respectively.
•The disaster response covers 17 central provinces and Bangkok.
•The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation will act as the secretariat to coordinate between the four subcommittees, provinces, and relevant agencies.
•The integration aims to enable rapid and efficient assistance and remedy for the people.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Read on Thairath (Thai Version)Read on Thairath (English Version)

Source: Thairath (Original)

Key Entities

Person

Ekniti Nitithanprapash(เอกนิติ นิติทัณฑ์ประภาศ)

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and Chairman of the Committee for the Prevention and Resolution of Disaster Problems in the Central Area.

Pharadon Pritsananantakul(ภราดร ปริศนานันทกุล)

Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office and Chairman of the steering subcommittee for planning and budget screening for central area disasters.

Napintorn Srisanpang(นภินทร ศรีสรรพางค์)

Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office and Chairman of the first group of the subcommittee for disaster prevention in the central area.

Surasak Pancharoenworakul(สุรศักดิ์ พันธ์เจริญวรกุล)

Minister of Tourism and Sports and Chairman of the second group of the subcommittee for disaster prevention in the central area.

Chatchadaporn Boonpeeranat(ชัชดาพร บุญพีระณัช)

Deputy Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

Varawut Silpa-archa(วราวุธ ศิลปอาชา)ℹ️

Minister of Industry and Chairman of the third group of the subcommittee for disaster prevention in the central area.

Organization

Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation(กรมป้องกันและบรรเทาสาธารณภัย)

The agency acting as the secretariat to coordinate between subcommittees and relevant units.

Committee for the Prevention and Resolution of Disaster Problems in the Central Area(คณะกรรมการป้องกันและแก้ไขปัญหาภัยพิบัติในพื้นที่ภาคกลาง)

The committee responsible for determining guidelines to prevent and solve all types of disasters in the central region.

Prime Minister's Office(สำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี)

The office that issued Order No. 398/2026 appointing regional disaster committees.

Law

Prime Minister's Office Order No. 398/2026(คำสั่งสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี ที่ 398/2569)

An order dated October 22 appointing five regional disaster prevention and resolution committees.

Place

Bangkok(กรุงเทพมหานคร)ℹ️

An area covered by the disaster prevention plan and the second subcommittee group.

Government House(ทำเนียบรัฐบาล)ℹ️

The location where the meeting on November 13, 2026 was held.