Chiang Rai in second phase of restoration

Chiang Rai is now in its second phase of restoration after the recent floods, focusing mainly on strengthening infrastructure, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai announced.
According to the Office of Prime Minister’s spokesman Jirayu Houngsab, Mr Phumtham and a group of Interior Ministry officials on Monday attended a ceremony to hand over flood-recovered areas in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district from soldiers and members of related sectors who had been providing assistance to locals.
In his opening speech, Mr Phumtham highlighted Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra’s concerns about flood-affected families and communities.
He said she had ordered the authorities to speed up restoration efforts so people could return to everyday life as soon as possible.
Following Ms Paethongtarn’s instruction, he said a frontal operations centre chaired by Deputy Interior Minister Theerarat Samrejvanich was set up to help maximise the government’s relief efforts.
As of now, the centre’s restoration effort has helped at least 800 families and completely cleared away mud from public areas.
Shop owners have begun to return to their jobs, and businesses have returned to normal, Mr Phumtham said.
He added that the restoration effort has now entered its second phase, which focuses on strengthening infrastructure to reduce the negative impacts of natural disasters while building the confidence of potential tourists looking to visit the province.
Restored areas are transferred to the Chiang Rai Interior Office so officials can begin the next phase, he noted.
According to acting provincial governor, Chotnarin Koedsom, 14 districts, covering at least 66 sub-districts, were reportedly affected by 40 days of inundation.
Of those, the most severe were in Muang and Mae Sai districts, with some areas being impacted by landslides.
Mr Chotnarin credited the cooperation between the government’s operations centre and at least 135 agencies, 1,724 taskforces and 8,826 officers, for the “success” of the first phase of restoration.