An earth dam in Angthong burst yesterday, destroying homes and sending panicked residents fleeing for higher ground.

The province is in the grip of its worst flooding for a decade.

The Klong Bang Kaew Dam burst prompted thousands of Muang residents to abandon their homes. The dam had withstood surging floodwaters for more than a month.

But, heavy rains from Sunday finally caused a 15-metre breach, with flows bringing down trees and destroying riverbanks and sandbag barriers.

The overflow surged through Khlong Bang Kaew and inundated four villages in tambon Ban Id. The flood increased water levels in the Lop Buri River in neighbouring Ayutthaya. Residents in that province's Bang Pahan, Maha Rat and Ban Phraek districts have been readied for evacuation.

While many Angthong residents have fled others are checking out "the worst flood in 10 years". "It's horrifying," a 60-year-old man said.

Many residents are suffering from stress after enduring two-metre-deep floodwaters for several days.

Angthong Governor Wiboon Sanguanpong declared the dam site a "disaster zone" and has brought in earthmoving equipment to build dikes to stop floods spreading to nearby government offices, the Angthong Hospital and two schools.

Pontoons have been prepared in case bridges on the Asian Highway are damaged.

In Sing Buri, the Chao Phya River burst its banks, submerging the Sing Buri-Chai Nat and Sing Buri-Angthong roads under 50-centimetres of water.

Flood-prevention barriers along an irrigation channel in Muang Sing Buri burst, flooding 1,000 homes and some 5,300 rai of farmland.

In Prachin Buri's Sri Maha Pho district, Sunday-night downpours saw Pran Buri River overflow into 1,450 households, while in Suphan Buri many areas of Muang district were 60 centimetres deep in floodwater. Chao Phya Yommarat Centre Hospital was forced to use sandbags to protect its pharmacy from floods.