Thailand affected by Bebinca storm

BANGKOK, June 24 (TNA) - Although the Bebinca Tropical Storm has been weakening, heavy downpours over the past several days have caused flashfloods, strong wind and huge waves in several areas throughout Thailand. The Bebinca Tropical Storm, which reached China and Vietnam over the weekend, has affected the Thai Northeast, especially in Nakhon Phanom province, where heavy rainfalls have raised water levels of the Mekong river, prompting local authorities to have warned locals to prepare safety gear on passenger boats and strictly observe load limits on cargo boats regarding the strong currents of the river. In Phitsanulok province in the Lower Thai North, flashfloods have hit over 3,000 rai or 4.8 square kilometers of local paddy fields, following heavy downpours on the Phetchabun mountain range, prompting local farmers to have sought assistance and compensation from government agencies concerned. In Krabi province in the Thai South, crashing waves have widely eroded the Nopparattara Beach, while local officials are trying to contain damage and restore the beach. In nearby Songkhla province, officials of the local meteorological office denied that the now hazy sky in the province has resulted from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia, but saying, instead, that dust and vapor from the sea may have caused the smog. (TNA)