Irrigation official Saneh Thassanayim said the Yom River had risen to 41.7 metres, breaking the critical 41-metre mark after rising by about 30cm per day.

Five villages and many rice fields are now submerged, he said.

Phitsanulok Governor Pipat Wongsarot said the province was facing fast-flowing water from flood-stricken Sukhothai.

The province lacks funds to take drastic action and cannot afford to enlarge its water gate, which only releases 400 cubic metres of water a second, he said.

In Uthai Thani's Muang district an 18-year-old student, Sunisa Wallaphan, was killed when yesterday's continuous heavy rains caused a century-old tree to fall on her old wooden house.

Her brother Sombat Wallaphan, 23, said they were asleep in the house when the tree fell and suspected the rain may have softened the soil, causing the tree to fall.

Caretaker Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang visited Sukhothai to view the estimated Bt40-million damage to 74 schools in the province.

One first-grade pupil, Natthapong Neung-aim, of Ban Dongpaya School in Sri Satchanalai district, was killed.

Chaturon urged the schools to complete their damage assessments by today so he could raise the matter with the Cabinet on Tuesday.

In Phichit, the Yom River overflowed in Sam Ngam district submerging about 300 rai of rice fields and 50 houses.

The Meteorological Department has warned Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai and Tak to expect imminent heavy rain and possibly flash-floods.

HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, the Royal Granddaughter, assigned an official to give 1,000 relief bags to flood-affected villagers in Phrae's Sung Men district.

The Nation

PHITSANULOK