Phuket MP presses government over flood relief after mudslides

A Phuket MP has urged the government to clarify special relief measures and improve disaster preparedness after flooding and mudslides damaged homes, businesses and vehicles on the island.

Chalermphong Saengdee of the People's Party raised the issue during a live question session in the House of Representatives on 29 October. He said heavy rain at about 2 a.m. on 26 October caused flash flooding and mudslides, leaving residents and businesses with substantial damage and trapping Thai and foreign tourists in hotels. He said similar conditions had occurred again.

Chalermphong asked whether the government would issue special compensation criteria covering residents, tourists, vehicle owners, tenants and subtenants who were not covered by existing rules, and when those measures would be announced. He also questioned why Patong lacked a landslide warning system covering all red-risk areas.

The MP called for the government to examine earth excavation, land filling and construction on hillsides, including whether permits or notifications in high-risk zones should be publicly disclosed. He also asked whether work in areas identified as highly vulnerable by the Department of Mineral Resources should require a permit and an engineering assessment rather than only a notification to local authorities.

Chalermphong criticised the absence of Phuket's governor, whom he described as the incident commander, during the disaster declaration. He said Phuket was one of Thailand's leading sources of revenue but that its infrastructure, warning systems and state oversight had failed to keep pace with urban growth. He asked whether emergency funding, rehabilitation, waterway management and long-term prevention measures could be implemented within 30 days.

Deputy Interior Minister Worasit Liangprasert, answering on behalf of Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, said the incident involved a landslide and flash flooding in an area where the city had expanded rapidly. He said that growth had outpaced supporting systems.

Worasit said officials believed a large volume of water had damaged a weir in an upper area, sending water in an unintended direction and causing water and soil to flow downhill. Authorities and municipalities had been trying to divert water from the hills into appropriate channels while rain continued, he said.

He also said the government had introduced a national disaster insurance scheme after 1 October 2026. Under the scheme, homeowners or tenants whose homes were damaged by flooding would not have to wait seven days to qualify for an initial payment of B10,000, provided they met the policy criteria. The payment would apply whether water covered the property for one or two days, he said.

Further assistance would be assessed according to the actual damage. Worasit said the government could not compensate for everything but would try to provide additional relief, and that declaring Phuket a disaster area would not affect eligibility for assistance.