Prime Minister Yingluck and her entourage traveled to Hat Yai, Songkhla province today to inspect the bombing scene at the Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel. The premier said she was sorry for the incident and confirmed the government was working hard to solve all problems faced by the local residents and ensure their safety. Security has been increased in the area with more checkpoints being set up.

Ms. Yingluck said the government would send SWAT teams from Bangkok to Hat Yai to take care of the locals. The PM has assigned the Public Health Ministry to ensure rehabilitation for the injured while encouraging those whose properties were damaged by the bombing to contact the provincial administration to receive assistance from the government.

Those who have been made disappeared from the Cabinet include Deputy Prime Minister Pol.Gen. Kowit Wattana, Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Kritsana Seehalak, Finance Minister Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Pornsak Jarernprasert, Energy Minister Phichai Naripthaphan, Industry Minister Wannarat Channukul, Deputy Transport Minister Kittisakdi Hatthasongkroh, Deputy Minister of Education Mrs. Bunruen Srithares, another Deputy Minister of Education Surapong Eungampornwilai, and Deputy Minister of Public Health Torphong Chaiyasarn.

Six members are moved around including Mr. Kittiratt Na-Ranong who has been made Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Gen.Yuthasak Sasiprapa being moved up to the post of Deputy Prime Minister, ACM Sukumpol Suwanatat becoming Defence Minister, Mr. Boonsong Teriyapirom becoming Commerce Minister, Mr. Woravat Auapinyakul becoming Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, and Mr. Surawit Khonsomboon becoming Deputy Public Health Minister.

Ten new faces in the Yingluck administration are Mrs Nalinee Thaweesin holding the post of Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan also Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr Charupong Ruangsuwan – Transport Minister, M.R. Pongsawat Svasti – Industry Minister, Mr Arak Chonlathanont – Energy Minister, Mr Suchart Thadathamrongvej – Education Minister, Mr Thanusak Lek-uthai – Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Nattawut Saikua – Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr Chatchart Sitthiphan – Deputy Transport Minister, and Mr Sakda Khongpetch – Deputy Education Minister.

Thailand’s cabinet on Tuesday endorsed a budget of almost Bt20 billion for post-flood rehabilitation, and opted to waive the 3-month visa fee for foreigners travelling to Thailand on rehabilitation missions to help restore industries affected by this year’s flooding.

Government spokeswoman Thitima Chaisang said the cabinet approved in principle two budget items – one for infrastructure and another for restoring quality of life – totalling Bt19.7 billion.

Basic infrastructure restoration included Don Mueang Airport, roads, educational institutions, government offices, religious and historical sites with a budget of 12.9 billion baht.

The other budget of Bt6.8 billion will be allocated to 198 projects of six ministries to improve the public’s quality of life.

Urgent projects such as fixing flood-ravaged roads can be implemented immediately without approval from the cabinet.

Moreover, the cabinet also agreed with a Foreign Ministry proposal for Thai embassies around the world waive visa fees for businessmen, experts and engineers coming to Thailand on flood assistance missions for 90-day stays in order to help revive flood-affected industries.

The prime minister will chair meetings of agencies concerned to discuss specific details of rehabilitation of each province, Ms Thitima said.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk and Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi were assigned to speed pumping water out from 80-100 housing estates, which remain under water in Bangkok and Pathum Thani. The work should be completed by Dec 31, so residents can move back to their homes on Jan1 as a New Year’s gift.

The Interior Ministry was instructed to help rehabilitate flood victims and to report to the cabinet every week.

The move however would kickstart only after the government’s campaign against drugs and the cases of 91 Red Shirt protest-related deaths have concluded with those held accountable for the deaths being brought to justice, he said.

Mr Chalerm stated that he had to honour his campaign pledge in the lead up to the July 3 election.

“I had made it clear since 2009 that those who agree with my idea (to return Mr Thaksin to Thailand) should vote for the Pheu Thai Party. Then the result of July 3, 2011 election was in itself a referendum,” he said.

The deputy prime minister commented following an uproar from the opposition Democrat Party and anti-Thaksin movements which slammed the government’s attempt to seek royal pardon for Mr Thaksin, an elder brother of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Mr Chalerm shrugged off the reaction from the opponents of the draft royal pardon decree.

“I have no problem with those who opposed the move but I insist that the decree is not meant for any particular person but for the sake of national reconciliation and that will benefit us all,” he said.

The deputy prime minister said he would push the amnesty draft through parliament.

Mounting criticism and a public outcry have forced the government to back down on the amnesty move.

Mr Thaksin was ousted in the 2006 coup and was sentenced in absentia in 2008 to two years imprisonment for abuse of power for helping his then wife acquire a parcel of prime Bangkok commercial land at a price far below its market value.

Prime Minister Yingluck recently said that her brother’s name was not on the list of the convicts applying for the proposed royal pardon as part of celebrations to mark His Majesty King Bhumibol’s birthday on Dec 5.

After the special cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announced that the special holiday would not be extended, however, she urged private sector and government sector to allow their employees affected by floods to take leave to deal with their problems.

Initially, the flooding situation has not gone beyond the estimation, yet, it needs to be further estimated for another 1-2 days. If the embankments are well protected from damages, the water level will be stable and gradually subside. Bangkok’s inner city is unlikely to be affected by floods, as a result. Moreover, the volume of the northern runoff is not massive due to the dam and canal systems which help speed up the water release process and control the flood level in Bangkok to remain within one metre deep. Nevertheless, the flood-risk areas along the enbankments still need to declared despite the fact that the water level is not dangerous.

As for the donation items in Don Mueang Airport which are reported floating and missing with the flood, the Prime Minister claimed that she has not be informed about this before, moreover, she denied of locking up the donation items in the airport, confirming that they have already been distributed to various locations. In addition, the donation money has been spent on buying more relief bags and boats to provide assistances to the flood victims. Meanwhile, Pol. Lt. Gen. Pongsapat Pongcharoen is assigned to take charge of supplying water, electricity and food to the flood victims who insist on staying at Don Mueang Airport.

According to Mr Patarathorn who also is director of the provincial evacuation center, the number of the flood victims residing in the center is 1,693 currently, comprising 450 at Building A or the gymnasium, 99 at Building B or the cafeteria, 301 at Building C or school building, 273 at Building D or Campus Building, 440 at Building E or Academic Resource Building and 130 at Building F or Old Academic Resource Building. Combined with 166 flood evacuees at Chon Buri Community Development Learning Center and 132 others at the Institute for Skill Development Division 3, the total number of the evacuees is 1,891.

Chon Buri province has so far provided 9 evacuation centers which can accommodate up to 9,437 flood victims. Until now only 1,891 flood victims have occupied the space, leaving vacancies for 7,546 more people. Moreover, charitable organizations have supported the relief efforts by installing giant-screen televisions free of charge and offering tour programs and recreational activities to help reduce their stress. Furthermore, every district chief has been ordered to look for more accommodations for evacuees as the province has set a goal to accommodate more than 100,000 flood victims.

Today at the gymnasium of Chon Buri Institute of Physical Education, Chon Buri Governor Wichit Chatpaisit issued an order to agencies from government and private sectors, soldiers, police officers, students and general cittizens to clean the newly-estblished evacuation center in Chon Buri as well as provide mattresses, pillows, mosquito nets, clothes and other necessary items for the flood evacuees from Don Mueang Airport.

Additionally, the new center will also be equiped with facilities, doctors, medicines, sufficient food supply and officials who will take the best care of the flood victims. This evacuation center has a capacity of approximately 900 people, yet, has a possibility to be expanded to receive more evacuees to come. Overall, Chon Buri province is capable of accommodating around 5,000 evacuees.

PM Yingluck Shinawatra, Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paripatra and Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha went to the Phra khanong water pumping station which is releasing 155 cubic meters of water per second into Lat Phrao, Prawet, Saen Saep, and Phra Khanong canals, from which water runs into the Chao Phraya River. So far all of the sluice gates of Bangkok are fully opened. Moreover, the BMA has a plan to construct 3 giant tunnels which will release up to 245 cubic meters of water per second.

Bangkok Governor said he will do his best in protecting Bangkok from flooding without carelessness; however, the Flood Relief Operations Center (FROC) has to assist in eliminating the weak points and taking care of the evacuation locations. Still, he believed that all the 50 districts in Bangkok will not be flooded at the same time. According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, the army has successfully reinforced about 90% of the royally initiated flood barriers, as well as supported the BMA and the government in protecting Bangkok’s inner city with its ultimate attempt. In this visit, the Prime Minister ordered the BMA to monitor the strength of the 77 km long embankment in Nonthaburi.

Expressing the readiness to work with the BMA and the Royal Thai Army, the Prime Minister assured that there is no need to utilize Vibhavadi Rangsit Road as a passage for floodwater to be released through Din Daeng district into the Chao Phraya River.

During the visit, the Prime Minister also greeted the team of opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva which was making field inspection of the flood situation.

According to Director of the ABAC Poll Research Center Dr Noppol Kanika, the survey titled ‘Lessons learned from the deluge crisis in Thailand’ among 1,305 samples of Bangkok residents during 15-22 October 2011. Results show that the majority of 66.3% have learned how to adapt themselves to handle flood situation, 67.2% see the need to spend more money during the situatiom and 55.9% have to spend much more money during the post-flood time.

Projecting on the income in 3 months ahead, 53.8% of the respondents are convinced that their incomes will remain the same while 31.4% believe that their incomes will decrease. As for the most concerned matter among the public, 83.6% cited the political conflicts during the flooding while 81.1% wanted to see the cooperation between Pheu Thai Party and Bangkok Governor.

Moreover, the survey found that 48.9% of the respondents estimated that the flooding crisis would be resolved within one month. 95.5% of them said that the post-flood rehabilitation steps would range from renovation of houses, city and community clean-up, workplace, career support to infrastructure development.

Ms. Yingluck said the Flood Relief Operations Center would be ready to step in to help Bangkok people if the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) could not deal with the floods given that the situation was quite severe, and all helps from every sector would be needed.

The Prime Minister declined to share her opinion regarding the rescue efforts by Bangkok Governor M.R. Sukhumbhand Paripatra, saying that she did not want to mislead the public and that the BMA had already affirmed to work with the government in solving the flood crisis.

More parking spaces and shelters for flood evacuees are expected to be established, according to the premier. She explained that it would have an impact on investor’s confidence if the emergency decree were to be reintroduced.