THAILAND’S Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul was confronted by an angry resident during a visit to a flood-hit housing estate in Bangkok, where he was delivering relief supplies as residents struggled with severe flooding and shortages of basic necessities.
Khaosod English cited today that Anutin was visiting Khlong Chan Housing Estate in Bang Kapi district on Sunday, travelling by boat to reach residents as floodwater surrounding the buildings reached about 1.5 metres.
As the prime minister’s boat moved further into the residential area, a man approached and shouted: “Why did you come?”
A staff member accompanying Anutin immediately responded that the delegation had come to bring water, while personnel were seen standing between the prime minister and the resident.
Other residents were also seen calling out to Anutin from their balconies as he left the area.
The confrontation came as Bangkok continued to grapple with widespread flooding following almost 300mm of rain over about 48 hours. The capital was declared a flood disaster area, while thousands of residents were forced to evacuate or remain stranded in flooded communities.
At Khlong Chan, residents told Anutin they needed additional water pumps to drain floodwater from the buildings’ pump rooms and said the flooding had left them without clean water for daily use.
Anutin asked about the specifications required for the pumps, according to local reports, while relief teams distributed essential supplies and dry food to residents.
The prime minister had returned to Thailand after cutting short an overseas trip to coordinate the flood response. He had instructed government agencies to prepare food, water, relief goods, pumps and other equipment for affected communities.
The flooding has affected hundreds of thousands of people across Thailand, with Reuters reporting that more than 580,000 homes had been disrupted since Sept 16 and more than 80,000 people remained stranded in flooded areas as of Sept 28.
The incident also came amid wider concerns over access to food and basic necessities in some flood-hit communities, adding to pressure on the authorities as they work to drain affected areas and deliver assistance. - September 29, 2026
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