Thai PM inspects flooding situation

PATHUM THANI, September 28 (TNA) - Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday inspected flood situation, attended a briefing and handed necessities to villagers in this central province, near Bangkok. Accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, also chief of Water Management and Flood Prevention Commission (WMFPC) and senior officers of WMFPC, the prime minister inspected the water situation at a temple in Pathum Thani’s Sam Khok district. She later attended the briefing given by the provincial governor, the WMFPC chief and officials on the present flood situation in the country. During the briefing, the prime minister was told that the amount of rainfall nationwide stood at 1,245 millimetres, almost the same as last year’s but less by 32 per cent compared to 2011 when the country was hit by massive flood. The water level of the Chao Phraya River, which passes through Bangkok, is still much lower than in 2011 but it is quite worrisome as tropical storm ‘Wutip’ is moving towards Thailand and is expected to enter the country within the next three or five days. Yingluck later presided over the release of trucks, 360 boats equipped with safety kits and 30 flat-bottomed boats donated by the private sector to help flood victims. Several provinces in the northeastern and central regions are now being hit by floods. (TNA)