"Ratchada" Refutes Social Media Claims: Govt Did Not Cut Hatyai Flood Budget

Thairath•Politics•17d ago

Reader Briefing

Government Spokesperson Clarifies No Budget Cuts for Hatyai Flood Prevention, Citing Long-Term Plans and Transparency

•Government spokesperson Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek refuted social media claims that the government had cut flood prevention budgets for Hatyai.
•The government is preparing 128 long-term projects worth 45.7 billion baht for flood and drainage improvements in Hatyai.
•Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul emphasized the importance of transparency and avoiding duplicate projects in budget allocation.
•The Prime Minister is scheduled to inspect Khlong R.1, a key drainage point, on July 10, 2026.
•The focus is shifting from post-flood relief to proactive prevention due to the significant economic and life costs of floods.

Overview

•Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek stated that social media is distorting information regarding the Hatyai flood budget, asserting the government is not cutting funds.
•Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul brought the Hatyai flood problem to a special meeting of the Joint Public-Private Consultative Committee (JPC) on July 8, 2026.
•The government aims to shift from reactive flood relief to proactive prevention, citing past flood damage exceeding prevention investment significantly.
•The Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) is preparing 128 projects worth approximately 45.7 billion baht for long-term flood prevention.
•A proposal of 99.5 million baht for 9 urgent Hatyai flood prevention measures was reviewed by the JPC, with some items being consolidated with existing plans.
•Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek cautioned against using people's suffering for political maneuvering or selective communication that causes public misunderstanding.
•Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is scheduled to inspect Khlong R.1 on July 10, 2026, after returning from Malaysia, to assess a critical drainage point.
•Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek assured that the government is not deterred by funding amounts for necessary and effective flood prevention projects, provided they are transparent and non-duplicative.

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Key Quotes

Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek

"Budget scrutiny is not about not helping people, but about ensuring every baht is truly used to prevent Hatyai floods and minimize damage."

การตรวจสอบงบประมาณไม่ใช่การไม่ช่วยประชาชน แต่คือการทำให้เงินทุกบาทถูกใช้เพื่อป้องกันน้ำท่วมหาดใหญ่จริง ๆ และลดความเสียหายให้ได้มากที่สุด

Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek

"Hatyai will be a model for using the JPC to solve area-specific issues impacting people. The government is ready to address this as a special agenda to solve it effectively. Do not use public distress for political misunderstanding, as this concerns people's lives."

หาดใหญ่จะเป็นต้นแบบของการใช้ กรอ. แก้ปัญหาเชิงพื้นที่ เรื่องใหญ่ที่กระทบประชาชนจริง รัฐบาลพร้อมหยิบขึ้นมาเป็นวาระพิเศษ เพื่อแก้ให้ตรงจุดและเกิดผลจริง ขออย่าเอาความเดือดร้อนของประชาชนไปสร้างความเข้าใจผิดทางการเมือง เพราะเรื่องนี้เกี่ยวข้องกับชีวิตของประชาชน

Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek

"The government has no financial constraints if the projects are necessary and solve the problem, but they must be transparent, not duplicate other agencies' plans, and prevent bid-rigging or misused funds."

รัฐบาลไม่ติดขัดเรื่องวงเงิน หากเป็นโครงการที่จำเป็นและแก้ปัญหาได้จริง แต่ต้องตรวจสอบให้โปร่งใส ไม่ซ้ำซ้อนกับโครงการของหน่วยงานอื่น และไม่เปิดช่องให้เกิดการแบ่งซื้อแบ่งจ้างหรือใช้งบผิดวัตถุประสงค์

Key Entities

Person

Ratchada Thanadirek(รัชดา ธนาดิเรก)ℹ️

Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, refuting claims of budget cuts for Hatyai flood prevention.

Anutin Charnvirakul(อนุทิน ชาญวีรกูล)ℹ️

Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, emphasizing Hatyai flood prevention and stressing transparency in budget allocation.

Place

Hatyai(หาดใหญ่)ℹ️

District in Songkhla Province, Thailand, facing flood issues and being the subject of government flood prevention efforts.

Songkhla(สงขลา)ℹ️

Province in Southern Thailand where Hatyai is located, relevant to the flood prevention discussions.

Khlong R.1(คลอง ร.1)

A strategic point in Hatyai's drainage system that the Prime Minister is scheduled to inspect for potential improvements.

Organization

ONWR(สทนช.)ℹ️

Office of National Water Resources, responsible for preparing long-term flood prevention projects in Hatyai.

JPC(กรอ.)

Joint Public-Private Consultative Committee, where the Hatyai flood issue was discussed as a special agenda item.

Royal Irrigation Department(กรมชลประทาน)ℹ️

Government agency involved in water management and flood prevention, whose existing plans are being considered for Hatyai.

Songkhla Private Sector Joint Committee (PSJC)(คณะกรรมการร่วมภาคเอกชน (กกร.) สงขลา)

A private sector committee in Songkhla that proposed urgent flood prevention measures for Hatyai.