B75m budget for homeless victims

PHUKET: The central government has budgeted 75 million baht to construct new homes for some 4,000 families left homeless in the six provinces affected by the December 26 tsunami.

Speaking at a press conference at the Governor’s Office this afternoon, Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula said the aid will come from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Finance Ministry and private donations.

K. Bhokin said there had been a video conference with government ministers in Bangkok at noon today to discuss the issue of long-term housing for the victims, who will be given temporary shelter in camps until new homes can be built for them by the government.

He said the maximum amount the government would spend on these new homes would be 100,000 baht apiece. (The Gazette notes that 75 million baht spread across 4,000 homes averages out at 18,750 baht per home.)

The government is already working on setting up temporary shelters, he said.

He noted that most of the homes destroyed in Phuket had been on private land, but added that homes built on state land could be rebuilt.

However, ruined structures on state land that had not been used as residences could not be rebuilt, he added.

He said a survey put the total number of destroyed homes in Phuket at 449 – 205 in Muang District, 115 in Kathu and 129 in Thalang.

He also estimated the number of damaged fishing vessels at about 500.

K. Bhokin said wide-scale searches for the missing were winding down, but added that the government would continue searches in specific areas when requested to do so by local people.