Budget Bureau director Worawit Jumpeerath said the Cabinet yesterday proposed a special meeting soon to revise the central budget after finding that the combined funding requests by state agencies for flood rehabilitation exceeded the Bt120-billion figure.

He added that the Bt50-billion budget approved by the Cabinet at a previous meeting would also be revised for the same reason.

The Cabinet yesterday approved Bt19.78 billion for certain aspects of flood rehabilitation. Government Spokeswoman Thitima Chaisaeng said this budget would be divided into Bt12.98 billion for repairing infrastructure and Bt6.8 billion to restore people's quality of life.

The infrastructure portion of this budget includes Bt4.44 billion to improve transport, dredge waterways in seven river basins, and restore two goods-distribution centres, one in Pathum Thani's Klong Luang district and the other in Nakhon Pathom's Buddhamondhol district.

The second portion will fund 14 projects of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry (Bt2.29 billion), 12 of the Education Ministry (Bt778.19 million), six of the Labour Ministry (Bt1.28 billion), five of the Natural Resource and Environment Ministry (Bt130.85 million) and eight projects of the Public Health Ministry (Bt669.40 million).

In related news, Phuket Senator Thanyarat Atchariyachai, in her capacity as chairwoman of the Senate Committee for Tourism, said the committee would ask Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to carry out public relations to restore foreign tourists' confidence after news reports had shown pictures of flooded places, especially at Don Mueang Airport, creating the misconception that the whole country was submerged.

Thanyarat said the number of tourists visiting the country at present was down by 40-50 per cent, causing a 30-per-cent loss of tourism income compared with last year, which saw Bt600 billion to Bt800 billion in revenue.