PM sets target for flood restoration

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will chair a further meeting to discuss economic stimulation and flood restoration on Tuesday, according to her adviser Jirayu Huangsab.
The meeting will review the situation reported by the disaster relief operations centre and discuss plans for recovery and economic stimulation in flood-affected provinces, particularly regarding tourism and related sectors, he said.
Mr Jirayu said Sunday’s meeting discussed support strategies to restore the economy in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and other upper northern tourist destinations.
He said the premier has set a target of restoring flood-affected areas to normal condition by the end of this month.
Mr Jirayu added that Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong visited Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai last week to hear business operators’ requests, which mainly focused on the need for soft loans to reduce expenses, such as utility costs.
He said the government will also consider launching tourism promotion plans to boost local income and ensure relief measures are as effective as possible.
In addition, a co-payment domestic tourism promotion scheme has been proposed to promote tourism in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and other northern provinces.
The project dubbed “Travelling North Half-Half” will offer up to 800 baht in subsidies — half of which will be offered by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) — to people who visit the northern region this year. The scheme, which is modelled on a similar promotion under the previous government, is expected to be launched by Nov 1.
If successful, the project will seek additional budget approval from the cabinet. However, for now, the TAT will use its own budget to move the plan forward ahead of well-known events like the Loy Krathong festival.
Mr Jirayu said that other measures, such as providing low-interest loans to tourism operators, will be proposed in the cabinet meeting. However, feedback from many business operators indicates that certain criteria remain difficult to meet, especially for small businesses.
Therefore, the guidelines must be revised to ensure the benefits reach all operators so they can be submitted to the cabinet, said Mr Jirayu.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour has launched an urgent employment project, hiring 400 workers to help restore flood-affected areas.
These workers have been deployed to clear mud and clean public spaces, including Sai Lom Joy market, Koh Sai, Mai Lung Khon and Muang Daeng communities, Mailoongkon community, and Muangdaeng community in tambon Mae Sai of Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai province. 
As work continued on Sunday, the operation, which began four days ago, is said to have made significant progress.