Floods remain in Thai South

PHATTALUNG, THAILAND, November 27 (TNA) - As the flooding situation remains in several areas in the Thai South over the past week due to the strong northeast monsoon, all 11 districts in Phattalung Province have been declared flood-hit disastrous zones. Phattalung Governor Kukiat Wongkraphan told journalists on Monday that he has declared all 11 districts in his province the inundation-affected disastrous areas to facilitate assistance provided to locals by relevant parties, including the disbursement of official budgets for the mitigation mission. According to the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office in Phattalung, floodwater in low-lying areas in Phattalung, including those in Muang and Khuan Khanun Districts, remains as high as two meters, damaging the pipe water service in some villages. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department warned that the stronger northeast monsoon covering the Gulf of Thailand during November 23-28 should cause more downpours and even heavy downpours, together with floods and possible flash floods, in several affected areas in the Thai South, including Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phattalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun. Besides, small boats should remain ashore during the period, while large-sized ones should be more careful as waves in the sea could be as high as 2-3 meters in both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. (TNA)