Airport reopens as Thailand flood death toll rises
DOMESTIC airlines would resume daily flights between Bangkok and Nakhon Si Thammarat today, said director-general of the Civil Aviation Department Somchai Chanrod.
He said the inspection of the airport, which was shut by the floods for a week, had shown it was again in a fit condition to safely accept flights. From April 6 to 8, Nok Air, Air Asia and Orient Thai airlines will provide five daily flights to and from Nakhon Si Thammarat. From April 9, the daily flights would be increased to seven as usual, the director-general said.
Meanwhile the death toll from the severe floods in southern Thailand has risen to 53, officials say, as rains begin to ease after two weeks. Seven provinces are still heavily flooded after unseasonal downpours began almost two weeks ago, affecting the livelihoods of more than two million residents and forcing more than 40 000 to evacuate. Thousands of roads and bridges and hundreds of buildings have been damaged, and swathes of land remain swamped by floodwaters. Flooding has eased in three provinces, according to the department of disaster prevention and mitigation. Thailand Tourism has issued the following update for the provinces:
? Nakhon Si Thammarat: All 23 districts are affected. Sichon,Nop Phi Tham and Tha Sala are the hardest hit. About 1 000 villagers are still stranded in six tambons of Sichon district.
? Phatthalung: Flood receding in all 11 districts.
? Surat Thani: All 19 districts are affected. Tap water is not available in downtown Surat Thani, Kanchanadit, Phunphin and Chaiya districts.
? Trang: Many roads are under 30-100cm of water. About 80 000 villagers in 10 districts are affected.
? Chumphon: Flood receding in all districts, except in Lang Suan.
? Songkhla: Three districts affected. Flood level is rising in Krasae Sin district, is stable in Ranot and receding in Rattaphum district.
? Krabi: Situation eased in five districts, while two districts, Khao Phanom and Khlong Thom, are still in crisis.
? Phangnga, Narathiwat, Satun: Floods receded. Rehabilitation operations are under way.
Tourists visiting southern of Thailand should regularly monitor local media to keep updated with the latest information.