PM assures Mae Sai flood victims of government support

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra trudged along a muddy road and waded through floodwater today, to visit and comfort victims in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai, which is suffering the worst flooding for three decades.

During a visit to the first Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, to see the damage caused by the now receding floodwater, the prime minister was seen hugging an elderly woman and assuring her that flood victims will not be abandoned.

During a briefing on the latest situation, the prime minister asked officials how many people are still marooned in their flooded houses, when they can be rescued, whether there are sufficient food supplies and whether there are sufficient boats and vehicles to rescue trapped victims.

The prime minister was told by a military officer that there are still some people trapped at home, to which food supplies cannot yet be delivered while, in some areas, only jet skis can be used to reach them.

About 300 people are still trapped in their homes and the prime minister was told that rescue operations are ongoing.