Bangkok: The Privy Council recently attended a meeting of the Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, observing discussions and offering advice on strategies to alleviate the impact of the anticipated drought in 2025. The meeting took place at the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Command, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul. It was attended by executives from the Ministry of Interior and relevant agencies.
According to Thai News Agency, the Privy Council, represented by Mr. Plakorn Suwannarat and several other councilors, emphasized the importance of preparedness in line with His Majesty the King's royal guidance since ascending the throne in 2016. His Majesty has urged that all parties hold meetings to prepare for various disasters and adjust incident response plans continuously to match changing geographical and climatic conditions. This ensures timely assistance to people affected by disasters such as floods, storms, droughts, or cold weather.
Mr. Anutin expressed the government's concern over the increasing severity and frequency of natural disasters, particularly droughts expected to impact many areas during the summer. To address this, the government has set out comprehensive disaster prevention and relief guidelines for 2025. These include coordination with forecasting and water management agencies, urging local governors to prepare drought response plans, and taking preventive actions in areas not yet affected.
Mr. Phasakorn Boonyalak, Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, reported that drought-stricken areas and emergency disaster relief zones have already been declared in three provinces: Buriram, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Kanchanaburi. Despite this, it is expected that the drought will be less severe in 2025 compared to 2024, due to higher water levels in reservoirs.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) plans to handle the situation using the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Plan 2021-2027, focusing on forecasting, water management, and water shortage remediation. The DDPM has mobilized significant resources, including water pumps and machinery, to support provincial operations. A central budget has been requested for projects aimed at restoring water sources and improving water infrastructure across 23 provinces.
Additionally, the Ministry of Interior has implemented a project to increase water availability and alleviate drought impacts, in operation since December 2024. As of late March 2025, this project has benefited over 8,700 households in 18 provinces by pumping and storing 7,383.792 million cubic meters of water.