CHIANG RAI – Blankets and warm clothes have been distributed to ethnic communities in Northern Thailand as the temperature continues to decrease.
Around 13,000 ethnic people living in the mountainous areas of Chiang Rai province have been suffering from the sub-zero temperature lately.
Cold weather and poor living conditions make life difficult for residents of the mountain villages of northern Thailand.
Many of them live in poor conditions and don’t have enough blankets to keep themselves warm throughout winter.In Chai Nat, residents are visiting the park and exercising to keep warm as the temperature dropped to 20 degrees Celsius this morning.Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of the Interior Sutee Markboon has declared other northern provinces in the upper part of Thailand emergency disaster-hit zones due to the cold weather.
Khun Suthee said he had ordered the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department to coordinate with the provincial administrations involved to provide assistance to victims of the cold and to formulate preventive measures against other disasters possibly occurring with the cold such as fire damage, forest fires, haze, illnesses and road accidents which can happen due to thick smog.Mr. Chatchai Phromlert, Director-General of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said an ad hoc center has been set up to direct assistance to victims and monitor the changing weather, as well as send out blankets and warm clothing to people in affected provinces.