Akhir 22, 1432, March 27, 2011, SPA -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday the government was ready to provide immediate aid to southern provinces hit by severe floods. The hardest-hit province is Nakhon Si Thammarat, 610 kilometres south of Bangkok, where heavy weekend rains inundated roads and farmland. Provincial governor Theera Mintrasak was quoted by the Bangkok Post as saying 21 districts had been declared disaster zones, with initial damage from flooding estimated at 300 million baht ($10 Million). All flights were cancelled to the provincial airport that was flooded under One metre of water. Floods also hit the neighboring provinces of Phatthalung, Surat Thani, Trang and Chumphon on Saturday. Ferry services to the tourist islands of Koh Samui, Phangan and Tao were suspended as waves reached 4 metres in the Gulf of Thailand. Nine districts in Phatthalung province were reported flooded, affecting about 38,000 families, DPA reported. Meteorological Department officials said a cold weather front from China would continue to bring heavy showers and cooler temperatures through Monday.
