Over 200 Schools In Greater Bangkok Remain Closed

BANGKOK, December 6 (TNA) - Although the new semester for schools in Thailand has started, over 200 schools in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces have remained closed due to inundations. Pitsanu Tulsuk, Deputy Secretary General of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), said today that 54 of the schools, which have remained closed, are in Nakhon Pathom, 50 in Nonthaburi and 90 in Pathum Thani Provinces. The OBEC deputy chief acknowledged that 11 schools in Bangkok have also remained closed and the re-opening of these flooded schools should be postponed at least until December 13, depending on the flooding situation in their respective areas. The new semester for schools throughout Thailand was set to start on November 1, 2011 but the Ministry of Education has postponed the re-opening of schools in flood-hit provinces. For Greater Bangkok, most schools kicked off the new semester on December 6, some weeks after those in lower northern and central provinces where the situation has already returned to normal. (TNA)