Floods also hit the Northeast, with Ubol Ratchathani province officials temporarily closing schools as a precaution.

Chumphon has had continuous rain since Sunday and flood water now covers Muang, Pathiu, Tha Sae, Sawi and Phato districts, said Deputy Governor Veera Sriva-thanatrakoon.

More than 2,000 families in Phato and 459 families in Muang were affected by flooding, while 1,781 families in Sawi suffered damage worth nearly Bt14 million, Veera said. Damage was still being assessed in Tha Sae and Pathiu.

Twenty households in Muang's Khao Poon and Bang Peng villages called for rescue workers' help on Tuesday night to evacuate them to higher ground. Some people were sheltering in a temple pavilion.

Extensive property damage in Phato, Tha Sae, Sawi and Muang prompted Veera to declare the districts disaster zones.

Residents in Tha Sae, who had earlier been warned about the risk of landslides, were also told to keep abreast of weather news and authority warnings.

A special school for the disabled in Muang was temporarily closed for students' safety, while 81-year-old resident Payap Praipimuk urged authorities to provide clean water for affected people.

In Ubon Ratchathani's Phibun Mangsahan district, 2,158 families in 65 villages were affected and 17,850 rai of farmland, 56 roads, eight temples and four schools were damaged as flooding continued to cause destruction, said district chief Pirasak Ongkittikul. The authority has so far provided nearly 2,000 relief bags to villagers.

Five schools in Na Yia sub-district were flooded and main roads were submerged by up to a metre of water as the Lam Dome Yai Canal continued to rise. A shutdown of schools for three to seven days was announced for students' safety.

Meanwhile, flood water had lowered in Prachuap Khiri Khan province's Bang Saphan district, with main roads passable.

Providing there is no more rain in the next two days, the situation should return to normal, said district chief Pradit Yamanan.