The Meteorological Department has warned the eastern provinces in the South of more rain over the next few days, sparking concerns that the flooding situation may go from bad to worse.
It urged residents in eight southern provinces Tuesday to brace for heavy rain, flash floods, and landslides.
The areas likely to be affected are Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.
High waves, about 2-3 metres high, are expected in the Gulf of Thailand and those living near the eastern shores should brace for strong winds and high waves, it said. Small boats have been advised not to put to sea.
The warning comes as all eleven districts in Phatthalung province have been declared flood-ravaged zones.
Phatthalung governor Kookiat Wongkrapan said flood relief efforts are being mobilised to help drain water in Muang and Khuan Khanun districts.
Fourteen water pumps have been installed to speed up the draining, which should ease flooding in both districts, he said.
According to local officials, more than 30,000 rai of farmland have been submerged. The cost of the damage is being assessed.
The flooding in Yala remains critical with more than 20,000 people affected.
Two main rivers -- the Sai Buri and Pattani -- have overflowed and flooded low-lying areas, forcing evacuation.
Three schools in the flooded areas have been closed until the flooding eases, due to safety reasons. Several communities have been cut off by rising flood water.
The provincial authorities also issued a warning urging residents in risk-prone areas to brace for possible runoff.
In Narathiwat, the flood water from Rangae district flowed into Muang district, flooding low-lying communities while efforts were being made to save the municipal area from floods.
More than 20 houses in tambon Kalu Wornua in Muang district were also damaged by strong winds. Some uprooted trees blocked access roads.
In Rangae district, floods worsened with two more schools ordered to close after the water level rose to one metre high.
In Trang, located on the Andaman coast, more than 20,000 residents have been affected by the flooding, which has ravaged five districts including Muang and Kantang.
The riverside communities remain the worst-hit with flood water measured at over one metre in some areas.
Several of them are, however, prepared and better equipped.
Runglawan Phasi, a 24-year-old resident in Muang district, said her family had been monitoring the flood situation closely and was ready to evacuate when local authorities ordered an evacuation on Monday night.
"We were already packed when the evacuation order came. The flooding hits every year and it lasts a month or more each year," she said.
Natthapong Senniem, mayor of tambon Nataluang in Muang district, said the floods are going from bad to worse each year despite various efforts to prevent them.
Communities in tambon Natalung have been suffering seasonal floods for two decades. "Flood problems have never been solved. There are too many such as a lack of money and poor coordination," he said.
