An aerial photo of downtown Nakhon Sawan at Decharttiwong Bridge shows the southern part of the city on the right side of the river bank inundated by water from the Chao Phya River.

Nakhon Sawan became the latest province to fall victim to flooding yesterday after being hit by a night of torrential rain and the highest volume of water flowing from the North for 60 years.

A 34-year-old man drowned in his Muang Nakhon Sawan house as floods caused chaos and left people no time to move their possessions.

Since August 27, floods have hit 46 provinces, causing 39 deaths and affecting two million people, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

"The flooding in Nakhon Sawan is more serious than in 1995. The water level is the highest in 60 years," said Royal Irrigation Department chief Samart Chokanapitak.

Water passed through the province at a rate of 5,145 cubic metres per second. Officers tried to drain floodwater with 80 pumps, but only a small amount could be diverted to the overflowing Chao Phya River.

Paknampho Market, a bus terminal, university, shopping mall and roads were submerged under 50-150 centimetres of water. Fifty-five bank offices in Nakhon Sawan city were forced to close. Market traders were forced to move their goods to higher roads, while several roads were closed to traffic. People in some areas were forced to travel by boat. Wooden boats sold well in the province yesterday.

Many people let their children swim in the floodwaters that covered roads beside the river despite warnings by officials they would be held accountable if the children were hurt in accidents.

Nakhon Sawan Munici-pality's mayor Chitkasem Niroj told people not to be alarmed by the flooding, as local officers were able to cope.

However, people were warned to be ready for evacuation in case the barrier along the banks of the Chao Phya failed. The barrier can cope with 4,000 cubic metres of water per second, but irrigation officials predicted the volume would reach 5,300 cubic metres within the next few days. The Paknampho area is the confluence of four main rivers - Ping, Wang, Yom and Nan - which carry water from the North.

Officers have been ordered to reinforce barriers along both sides of the Chao Phya in order to protect Bangkok. The stricter measures were needed in preparation for high tides from October 23-25.

Nien Phromchot, 55, who lives in Hua Muang Market, said the rain began early on Tuesday evening

and flooding started at 3am on Wednesday.

"It's the first flood in the town since 1995 when the area was submerged under water at chest-level. We were flooded for a month," she recalled.

Umnuey Chomcheun, 59, a food vendor, said during the last flood she, her husband and four pet dogs had to live on the upper floor of their house for a month.