Bangkok Governor Proposes Flood Relief Funds From Reserves
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt will propose using reserve funds for flood victim compensation at next week's city council meeting. Relief payments of 5,000 and 9,000 baht are being distributed via government app, with 1.6 million applications received and over 400,000 approved. BMA has also distributed 178,862 survival kits and removed 25,000 tonnes of post-flood waste.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt plans to propose using accumulated funds to compensate flood victims in Bangkok at next week's city council meeting. On October 21, 2026, at the Irawat Phatthana Building of the Din Daeng Administrative Court, Council President Pattraphorn Kengroongruangchai chaired the Bangkok Metropolitan Council's general session with Chadchart, BMA executives, council members, and stakeholders in attendance.
Under agenda item one, Chadchart reported on flood relief assistance for Bangkok residents. He stated that the portion of compensation under BMA's responsibility would be proposed to next week's council meeting using reserve funds, with figures to be finalized. The recent flooding resulted from heavy rainfall, and Chadchart acknowledged areas needing improvement, particularly decentralizing information so local communities know where problems exist. He highlighted BMA's strength in pooling district office resources to exit crises faster, citing the "buddy district" concept pairing unaffected districts with flooded ones.
Chadchart added that council members may not fully appreciate field operations verifying affected homes, confirming procedures during floods require caring for residents and accelerating drainage. Post-flood waste removal has reached 25,000 tonnes with inter-agency cooperation. The current priority is relief payments of 5,000 and 9,000 baht via the government app to provide immediate aid. Of 1.6 million applicants, over 400,000 have been approved. Chadchart emphasized careful verification since every baht comes from taxpayers, thanking council members who patrolled nightly to assist residents.
Deputy Governor Tavida Kamolvej reported on survival bag management: BMA prepared 178,862 kits total — 155,453 purchased and 23,409 donated. Regarding district-level procurement, she confirmed districts can purchase directly. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) initially held 650 kits per district requests, but food shelf life limited advance stockpiling. BMA ordered kits from September 27 with first delivery expected September 29, but suppliers delayed due to sourcing difficulties. Districts used budget allocations from September 26-27 for local purchases, but limited capacity and supply issues in affected areas made central procurement more practical. BMA ultimately ordered 311,520 items from factories, with central kitchens under the Development Strategy Office handling distribution.
