29/11/2025
Government Clarifies Delivery of 400 Body Bags as “Normal Procedure”
At Government House on 29 November, Government Spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat, Deputy Spokesperson of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Wanchana Sawasdee, and Ratchada Thanadirek, member and deputy spokesperson of the center, jointly announced the results of the Emergency Flood Operations Center (EFOC) meeting.
Mr. Siripong addressed the case in which the Ministry of Public Health posted images and a message reporting the procurement of 400 on top of 1,500 body bags donated by the private sector. He stated that, according to the Ministry of Public Health, hospitals normally keep a reserve of body bags, and the 1,500 bags in question had already been donated and were not specially requested. Therefore, the reported death toll reflects the actual number of fatalities.
Siripong reported that Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Phadorn Prisanananthakul, in his capacity as Director of EFOC, invited civil society and the Mirror Foundation to provide useful information regarding rehabilitation measures for flood victims in Songkhla. The government expressed its gratitude for these contributions, as well as for other organizations assisting flood victims.
He continued that the meeting discussed accelerated measures in response to the improving weather and declining rainfall. With conditions stabilizing, it is expected that remaining floodwaters will be drained within 3–5 days. The Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) has been instructed to restore tap-water supply today.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also the Minister of Interior, stressed that water does not need to be 100% ready — the priority is ensuring people have access as soon as possible. Therefore, water is expected to be supplied across all areas today, though the initial flow may be weak or not entirely clear. Electricity has been restored to over 80%, with 20,000 households remaining out of 700,000, pending safety checks for electrical systems and public safety.
Siripong added that local administrations — provincial, municipal, and district-level — have launched large-scale cleaning operations and designated local waste disposal points to shorten travel distances for residents. The government will then move waste to main disposal sites.
The Ministry of Transport has also designated vehicle relocation points, with cooperation from multiple agencies to categorize and systematize the process so residents can easily track the location of their vehicles. The National Water Resources Office has been tasked to assess terrain suitability for vehicle storage, coordinating with the Department of Land Transport.