Government Spokesman Maj- General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the prime minister had told agencies to quickly deliver aid to victims. That included setting up barriers to prevent water intruding onto their properties or evacuations when needed.
Sansern said the Phetchaburi governor gave Prayut an update on the situation yesterday and the Agriculture Ministry would soon explain a water-management plan to the public.
“The prime minister is concerned about the situation, and has given orders to some concerned agencies directly so that his instructions can help people as quickly as possible,” he said.
Phetchaburi has been inundated since Monday night after the Royal Irrigation Department announced that there had been excessive rainfall in watershed areas upstream the previous week, which caused overflows of rainwater into dams, including Phetch Dam.
Officials later had to release water into the Phetchaburi River, resulting in flooding in the town and overflows in some areas.
The flood was 50 centimetres to one metre high in some parts of the town. This caused officials to ask the Irrigation department to cut the amount of water being discharged from Phetch Dam.
As of yesterday, the amount of water discharged from the dam was cut from 250 cubic metres per second to 150 cu m per second. Excess water – 100 cu m per second – had to be diverted into irrigated areas upstream before it reached the Phetch Dam to reduce its burden.
Officials said if there was no rain upstream the situation would return to normal in the next few days.
However, the flooding in Ban Laem district remained critical, as that is where water accumulates before going into the sea. It was hoped that if officials continued to lower the water discharge from the dam, the situation would soon return to normal.
The Meteorological Department had reported that the Northeast monsoon would bring rain across the South and Gulf, especially Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phatthalung provinces.
It said people should beware of the potential for severe weather over the next few days while all ships in the Gulf should proceed with caution and small boats should stay ashore.
Meanwhile, Pornthep Pong-opas, director of a meteorological station in Loei in the Northeast, said yesterday that temperatures had cooled in all districts. The temperature in Muang district had dropped to 19.7 degrees Celsius, while it was just 11C on the Mt Phu Rua.
Phu Rua National Park chief Ronnapop Katchamat said the park had experienced cool weather for three days running.
And he expected more visitors to descend on the area this weekend because of this.
He said park officials had prepared services to accommodate more visitors including setting up 300 tents for rent.

The temple had been off limits to tourists since October 14. Tourists have been allowed to tour the site since November 1.
Thai Airway air purser, Suphavas Varamali, 42, said, “Many tourists know and respect HM the King as one of the world’s important persons influencing Thai people.
“Some of them asked me about their right to pay homage before the Royal Urn inside the Throne Hall, making me so proud of having a part in working here.”
He said he and Thai Airway’s TG Volunteer Team had been working there since October 14 in close cooperation with the Tourist Police Division.
“TG Team can facilitate tourists speaking various languages because we have cabin crews who can speak English, French, Chinese, Italian, etc,” he said.
He said the team did its best to respond to the tourists’ needs.
He said the team would be in the area to facilitate tourists and mourners until the royal cremation ceremony ends.
Wasan Pornputtipong, 59, a lecturer at Phanomwan College of Technology in Nakhon Ratchasima province, said he took leave to do volunteer work.
He said the volunteer interpreters would stand at screening points around Sanam Luang and nearby locations to inform tourists.
“This is my first time as a volunteer Chinese interpreter. My duties are informing tourists about how to dress appropriately during the mourning period and guiding them in the direction to the temple as well as telling them [other] information,” he said
He said he would do voluntary work for a week, and then he would be ordained as a monk, dedicating merits to the King.
Techit Tuasakul, 17, a Matthayom 5 student from Wat Bowornniwet School, said he volunteered as the Reserved Officer Training Centre has been recruiting volunteer students to help officers facilitate tourists and mourners.
“I work as an English interpreters to answer questions from tourists and also check how they dress. If someone does not dress properly, I would tell them where they can change their clothes,” he said, adding that there had been no problems because tourists were cooperating.
“I decided to be a volunteer interpreter because I want to apply things I learnt from school such as English skills to help others,” he said, adding that the work will improve his skills.
He said he did his duty until 6pm each day, and then other volunteers took over.
A freelance guide, Sorada Toipan, 48, said she has been working as a volunteer for six days.
She said all volunteers had to register at the Volunteer For Dad Cooperation Centre at Thammasat University first.
“It is quite challenging that I was assigned to work at the screening point where all tourists flow in all day, and have to be screened here before entering Na Phra Lan Road,” she said.
She said her duties involved asking tourists to show their passports and open their bags before passing the screening gate as well as informing them to wear proper clothes.
“I have seen officers work very hard during this time and I wanted to lighten their work, so I decided to work as a volunteer interpreter.
“I realised that being a giver truly makes me happy,” she said, adding that she will work as a volunteer for as long as possible.
She said she would have regretted it the rest of her life if she had missed this chance to do something for the late King.

VOLUNTEER medical personnel are taking care of mourners for free as a good deed in honour of the late King.
As a result, people mourning at Sanam Luang have access to dedicated medical services.
Staff are stationed at 12 medical units around the venue, which can perform emergency medical services and transfer acutely ill patients to nearby hospitals.
Dr Ittaporn Kanacharoen, Medical Council of Thailand deputy secretary-general and a volunteer medical unit director at Sanam Luang, said doctors, nurses and other medical personnel at the venue had come from the country’s medical schools and public and private hospitals.
He said staff were delighted to provide medical assistance for free.
“All of our medical staff here come from various organisations, but we all have a single purpose to provide healthcare for those who need assistance as a tribute to the King. Everything, from health check-ups, medicine and all treatments, are free, so everyone can access quality healthcare during the event,” Ittaporn said.
“There are volunteer medical staff from the Princess Mother’s Medical Volunteer Foundation, 21 medical schools across the country, the Public Health Ministry and the Private Hospital Association. Normally, we have around 10 doctors on duty everyday from 8am to 9pm and can receive up to 1,000 patients per day,” he said.
“Currently, there are around 200 to 300 people seeking medical assistance from our unit every day, most of whom are poor people from other provinces. These people cannot use their Universal Health Coverage rights in Bangkok, so our free service is very beneficial to them.”
The manager of the medical unit of volunteer doctors, Dr Jirasak Wichakkanalan from Thepparat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, said the unit could provide a normal medical check-up, basic medical treatment and an emergency service to transfer patients to nearby hospitals.
“Most people coming to us have suffered from fatigue and fainted during the long hours waiting outdoors to enter the Throne Hall or had small injuries from an accident. However, we also treated patients with serious illnesses, such as heart attacks and strokes,” Jirasak said.
He advised people who intended to go to Sanam Luang to prepare needed medicines if they had chronic diseases and to carry a note detailing their illnesses and allergies.
There are also five psychiatric units stationed at Sanam Luang to assist grief-stricken people.
Nattawat Ngamsamut, a volunteer psychiatrist from the Mental Health Department, said the department was aware of stress and depression problems among mourners, so teams of psychiatrists had been deployed to the venue since the start of the mourning period.
“Right now the situation is better and less people come to us to seek help about their mental problems. Still, many people who come to the funeral are still suffering from grief due to the King’s death and it is our job to talk to them, make them feel better and help them to live daily life normally,” Nattawat said.
He said units saw approximately 30 visitors per day, most of whom were coming to seek advice to deal with grief and stress. However, he said some people suffered from chronic mental problems and needed to seek regular treatment at a hospital.
“I am a volunteer to take care of the people’s mental health for free, the same as other medical staff here. We just want to do a good deed for the father of the nation,” he said.
“If anyone has a problem about their emotions and mental health, they can always seek advice from psychiatrist as there is nothing to be ashamed of” related to mental illness.