Flood victims in 47 provinces will receive assistance of Bt20.8 billion, a sub-committee set up by the Budget Bureau has decided.

Bureau director Wutthipan Wichairat said the sub-committee, chaired by Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, will submit its flood relief plan and budget for Cabinet approval on December 19. The figure of Bt20.8 billion came from calculations worked out by 13 teams under the sub-committee.

It was not clear whether this amount would include the Bt5.9 billion the Cabinet approved

for the Agriculture Ministry late last month to assist affected farmers.

The decision came after complaints by farmers who allowed the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) to divert floodwater to their lands.

They said the irrigation authorities just flooded their farms and then walked away.

Some areas in Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya and Nakhon Pathom have been inundated since early October, and the water has yet to recede.

Finance deputy permanent secretary Supa Piyajitti said the Government Housing Bank would reduce its interest rate to 1 per cent for six months for existing debtors affected by the floods.

For those who wanted a new loan to restore their homes, she said the bank would charge the minimum retail rate of 2 per cent for the first two years.

The Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Co-operatives would extend loans for three years with no interest charged for those affected by the floods, she said.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, more than 5.3 million rai in 47 provinces was inundated as a result of heavy rainstorms which battered the country from early September. About 450,000 farmers were affected.

The ministry urged all affected farmers to report damage to their properties to agriculture authorities by December 15 to help calculate relief measures.

Banphot Hongthong, permanent secretary of the ministry, expected aid to be distributed to the farmers by New Year's Day.