PM inspects water retention area in Thai North

BANGKOK, June 3 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra arrived in the northern province of Phayao early Sunday to inspect a planned water retention area as the monsoon season has started in the kingdom. Miss Yingluck was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit to the northern edge of Kwan Phayao in Muang district, which had been targeted for the flood prevention scheme. According to press sources, other cabinet ministers were also travelling throughout the kingdom at this moment, to follow-up on the government’s flood prevention programme following last year’s severe flood crisis. Several days of heavy rainfall had inundated parts of the southern province of Ranong, meanwhile, leaving damaged roads and swollen canals. Rubber tree plantations in nearby Trang province were also destroyed by the heavy storm, which was considered the worst in two decades. Rubber growers said they had resorted to early harvesting to avoid more losses whilst awaiting government compensation. (TNA)