Thai PM orders permanent solutions to cold weather

BANGKOK, January 27 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has ordered sustainable solutions to the cold weather, while people in coastal areas in the Thai South have been warned to beware of stormy sea due to the influence of a northeastern storm. The prime minister told journalists on Wednesday, after the Cabinet's weekly meeting, that he has instructed concerned ministers to work out sustainable solutions to the cold weather, namely the improvement of people's houses to become cold-resistant, as the distribution of blankets to people in affected areas alone is not sufficient. The prime minister promised that his government will do the best to also cope with drought, while waterworks authorities have assured that there will be enough water for local consumption during this year's dry season. Chatchai Promlert, Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, under the Thai Ministry of Interior, said, in the meantime, that a high pressure trough from China has reduced temperatures in Thailand by 6-10 degrees Celsius, especially the northern and the northeastern regions, with 11 people having died from hypothermia in Bung Kan, Chai Nat, Nakhon Pathom, Chiang Rai, Nakhon Phanom and Udon Thani Provinces so far. According to the senior official, the government has ordered his department to hand out winter gear to the needy elderly, persons with disabilities (PWDs), orphans and low-income earners in rural areas. In the northeastern Ubon Ratchathani Province, the current cold weather and shallow water have reportedly killed up to about 400 tons of caged fish in Warin Chamrap District, causing some 26 million baht damage, prompting local authorities to introduce alternative livelihoods to affected farmers. Meanwhile, people living in nine southern coastal provinces along the Gulf of Thailand have been warned of stormy sea due to the influence of a northeastern storm, while small trawlers have been advised to stay ashore over the next few days. High waves of 2-4 meters are expected in six southern Thai provinces, including Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla and Narathiwat during the period. Local soldiers have joined hands with administrative authorities in the affected provinces to rescue fishermen stranded in the middle of the sea and planned to evacuate people living near the coast to safety areas. The Meteorological Department reported that strong wind is still covering the Thai South and the Gulf of Thailand at least until January 27.(TNA)