The government hopes to complete its survey of damage caused by Tropical Storm Pabuk across southern Thailand within 30 days so it can begin compensating the worst-affected farmers.
Officials began assessing the impact last Saturday, after Pabuk made landfall in Nakhon Sri Thammarat's Pak Phanang district a day earlier, but their job was initially made difficult due to the flooding affecting some areas.
Once the damage assessment is concluded, "we will give compensation to all farmers within 15 days", Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Grisada Boonrach said yesterday.
Reports of damage to farmland, fisheries and livestock have been rolling into the ministry, with early findings indicating that nearly 200,000 rai of crop fields, mostly paddies and vegetable plantations, had born the brunt of the storm's destruction.
Compensation for "totally ravaged" farmland is limited to only 30 rai a farmer, but the government will help with other restoration burdens such as mud removal and farming equipment costs, Mr Grisada said.
Help will also go to more than 5,400 rubber farmers, mostly in Nakhon Sri Thammarat where damage to more than 17,000 rai of land was reported.
Similar compensation will be allocated to fishermen and livestock farm owners.
According to the Fisheries Department, 24,000 rai of aquatic farms which raised fish and sea life for sale were hit by Pabuk when it approached the southern coast.
Over 53,000 homes were also severely damaged, or destroyed, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.
In tambon Chang Sai in Nakhon Si Thammarat alone, about 30 homes were smashed by falling trees, according to deputy provincial governor Thawonwat Khongkaeo.
Affected householders can use home repair bills of up to 300,000 baht to claim for 2019 tax reductions, Revenue Department spokesman Pinsai Suraswadi said.
Similar tax reductions also apply to car repairs of up to 30,000 baht, he said.
