Director-general Chantra Purnariksha said yesterday a central mobile unit would be set up at provincial halls to serve residents who have suffered losses, and attend to cars that were damaged.

Insurance companies will accelerate payouts to policyholders, while the car-repair service will offer a discount of 20-30 per cent.

Chantra said the assistance would be provided from now until the recovery was announced. Any requests from remote areas could be made on the department's hotline at 1186. The department and insurance companies will also hold a seminar to increase consumer awareness of different kinds of risks and the growing importance of taking out insurance.

The department found that few people in the flooded areas had any insurance coverage.

"It's a major problem of uninsured consumers to face unexpected disasters," she said.

Natdanai Indrasukhsri, president and CEO of Siam City Insurance, said insurance associations would also help provide relief to people after the floods by offering free healthcare and car-repair service. The mobile units would serve not only policyholders but also the general public.

He urged people to consider more life insurance, and other kinds of protection such as harvest and livestock policies, because it would help reduce suffering in the future.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation