Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand declared ‘a cold-stricken area’

CHIANG MAI, Dec 28 (TNA) - The whole Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand has been declared a cold-stricken area.

Prachon Pratsakul, the disaster prevention and mitigation chief of Chiang Mai, said that a high-pressure area expanded from China and reached the northern province. Consequently the temperature in Muang district of Chiang Mai has dropped lower than 15 degrees Celsius for three days.

Muang district is the warmest place in Chiang Mai. If the temperature there is below 15 degrees Celsius, the temperature of the whole province will be under 15 degrees Celsius as well. Therefore, Mr Prachon proposed the Chiang Mai governor declare the whole province a cold-stricken area.

There are over 2,000 villages in 25 districts in the province and the cold is affecting over 230,000 families or about 433,000 people.

Chiang Mai authorities have sought another 14 million baht from the Interior Ministry to procure winter gear and about 80,000 blankets for local people. The necessities will reach people in deep troubles first.

Meanwhile, Phurit Maswongsa, vice president of the Phuket Tourist Association, said that the rumour of another tsunami on the Andaman coastline of Thailand greatly discouraged tourists, especially Asians, from visiting the southern Phuket province.

In response, authorities in Phuket have issued their statements through embassies, overseas tourism offices and the media to confirm that safety measures are already in place there. Consequently people in many countries restore their confidence in the preparedness and potential of Thai authorities in monitoring situations, issuing warnings and evacuating people to safe places.

Therefore, many countries have lifted their travel warnings against the region and the occupancy rate in Phuket has continuously increased and nearly reached its normal level of 70%.

The occupancy rate may rise to 90% from late this month to next month, said Mr Phurit. (TNA)