Government measures prepared for flood-hit firms in Thai South

BANGKOK, January 6 (TNA) - The Ministry of Industry has prepared measures to assist flood-hit firms in the Thai South. According to Vice Minister for Industry Suparp Kleekachai, current flooding in the country's southern region has mainly affected factories in Hat Yai District of Songkhla Province, Lang Suan District of Chumphon Province and some areas of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, with total damage having not yet been estimated. Suparp acknowledged that a few large-scale plants have also been affected by floods, including Safeskin Corporation, a leading manufacturer of latex gloves in Hat Yai, resulting in 2,900 workers temporarily unemployed during its one-month suspended operation, although the firm has, however, affirmed to fully pay its workers. The vice minister said that his Ministry of Industry has assigned its provincial offices to fully take care of the flood-stricken firms, including a tariff waiver for their imported machines to replace those damaged by floods and a provision of a total soft loan of some 210 billion baht. (TNA)