Thai premier apologizes for 'state's failure' to protect flood-hit communities

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul offered an apology for the "state's failure" to protect communities badly hit by floods that have killed more than 160 people, media reports said Sunday.

Anutin apologized, during a recent field visit, to "every resident he met" for the government's inability to protect them from the disaster, vowing improvements as he prepared to revisit the worst-hit Hat Yai district in Songkhla province for urgent assessments Sunday, the Bangkok Post reported.

Noting the need for "stricter" evacuation alerts, he said the government will inspect the situation to prepare a comprehensive package of soft loans and financial assistance for affected residents.

The death toll from the floods climbed to 162 on Saturday, with 126 in Songkhla.

More than 1 million households across the country have been affected.

The flooding, the worst in 25 years, trapped thousands in their houses earlier this week.