Floods remain serious in Thai far South

NARATHIWAT, Jan 4 (TNA) - A second round of flooding has hit Thailand's southernmost Narathiwat Province, where three districts have been heavily affected, following a three-day torrential downpours. The continual heavy rainfalls have caused a run-off from the San Kalakiri mountain range and overflows of the Sungai Golok River, flooding three districts, including Sungai Golok, Waeng and Tak Bai, as well as six repeatedly-inundated communities in two villages situated along the river banks, with floodwater reported as high as 20-30 centimetres on average on Wednesday. Narathiwat Governor Apinant Suethanuwong, in the meantime, presided over a ceremony to hand out 400 royal relief packages, presented by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, to local flooded victims. Thailand's meteorological centre for southern east coast in Songkhla Province has warned local trawlers to remain ashore over the next 1-2 days due to high waves offshores, at up to 2-3 metres. In an opposite development, 16 districts in Chiang Mai Province in the Thai North have been officially declared cold-hit disaster zones, affecting more than 150,000 villagers, particularly hilltribe on highlands, prompting local military officers to initially hand out immediate assistance to them, namely blankets, consumer goods and water.(TNA)