Phumtham and Maris to visit Si Sa Ket to assess damage and relief efforts

Phumtham, who also serves as the Interior Minister, explained that their visit to Si Sa Ket on Saturday would involve inspecting various affected sites, including petrol stations that have been damaged and have reportedly not yet received adequate assistance.

The visit will be coordinated with local authorities to ensure preparedness, so as not to place unnecessary burdens on operational staff. If there are still issues or areas unprepared, they will not visit these locations but instead focus on areas that are manageable.

Phumtham further mentioned that he had instructed military officials to carry out their duties with strict adherence to protocol. 

In addition, the visit aims to address concerns raised about the lack of budget for public relief and to visit the Cham Meng Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital to provide Foreign Minister Maris with the opportunity to see the situation firsthand, so he can raise it in discussions.

The delegation will also visit evacuation centres, where many people are still staying, although some have started returning home. However, Phumtham noted that no formal announcement has yet been made for people to return home. 

Currently, the Second Army Region is in discussions with the provincial governors of areas along the Thailand-Cambodia border to assess readiness, with the primary focus being the safety of residents, he said. 

Once conditions are deemed safe, people will be allowed to return home on a case-by-case basis, he added.