Singer Thongchai McIntyre and other GMM Grammy artists cook at a Thai Red Cross kitchen for flood victims in Angthong yesterday.

Their Majesties the King and Queen sent more relief yesterday to help alleviate the hardships being endured by flood victims in Angthong and Nakhon Sawan.

On behalf of His Majesty, Disathon Watcharoethai, the deputy secretary-general of the Rachaprachanukroh Foundation, provided 2,000 sets of household supplies to villagers in Angthong town's tambon Sala Daeng and Pa Ngew.

His Majesty had already sent 4,500 relief bags to Angthong residents via the foundation.

Her Majesty the Queen sent Phaen Wannamethi, deputy secretary-general of the Thai Red Cross, to provide 1,045 relief bags to flood-affected residents in Nakhon Sawan's Krok Phra district.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said, after yesterday's Cabinet meeting, the government would arrange regular press conferences to inform the public about flood severity, measures to assist victims and rehabilitation plans.

The Cabinet also approved a proposal by the Labour Ministry to transfer the ministry's remaining budget of Bt22.575 million to help find jobs for flood victims in 46 affected provinces, spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp said.

Meanwhile, Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said the water situation during the high-tide peak next week between Oct 23 and 25 would not be as bad as previously thought, as a low-pressure system had moved south and cut rainfall.

Water volume running through the capital was 4,700 cubic metres per second, while the increase in water volume in Nakhon Sawan was declining, Apirak said.

The city would also ask the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) to ensure water released into the Chao Phya River is less than 4,600 cubic metres per second from October 20 onwards, so that water levels won't exceed the manageable level of 2.20 metres from mean sea level, he said.

The governor said the city had spent Bt80 million out of Bt100 million prepared for flood relief efforts - and had an additional Bt20 million as emergency funds.

Apirak said the RID's suggestion to divert excess water into inner Bangkok would only be used as a last resort. He would focus on managing water during the high sea-tide peaks the best he could, and if things went as planned, that option would not be needed.

RID director-general Samart Chokanapitak said the increase in water volumes going into the Chao Phya was slowly declining, with water now passing through Nakhon Sawan at 5,905 cubic metres per second - a much slower rise of 55 cubic metres from the previous day.

In Bangkok, the water volume declined by 58 cubic metres to 4,730 cubic metres per second. Samart said the RID also planned to divert excess water onto various farm lands and reduce Bangkok's water volume to less than 4,000 cubic metres per second in preparation for the high sea-tides.

He said Bangkok would add another 10 centimetres to its flood barriers.

Late yesterday, following the second meeting on flood issues with the Royal Development Projects Board, Samart said the idea to divert water into 1.38 million rai of land in central Thailand had yielded good results - with 63 million cubic metres of water so far retained on the 690,000 rai.

Samart said the RID had been updating His Majesty on a daily basis about the flooding and the authority's measures to solve the problem.

Meanwhile, riverside residents in Nakhon Sawan, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Angthong, Ayutthaya of flash floods in the coming two days.

Director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, Anucha Mokawet, said the Bhumipol and Sirikit Dams - both at 99 per cent capacity - would be discharging 69 million cubic metres per day.

Anucha said 73 people had died in the floods and 16 out of the 46 affected provinces were still flooded. Estimated losses were currently Bt305 million.

On Thursday, cars full of vocational and university students will travel to assist flood victims in Ayutthaya. After the floodwaters subside, the students will also help with rehabilitation operations such as rebuilding homes, Education Minister Wijit Srisaan said.

Meanwhile, Disease Control Department chief, Dr Thawat Suntharacharn, warned that people were gambling on the floods in Nakhon Sawan and he feared some punters might try to destroy flood-prevention barriers to make a profit.

Elsewhere, the railway to the North in Chum Seang district was 30 cm from being inundated.

In Suphan Buri, the city resembled a ghost town with closed shops and roads under 80-centimetres of water. The local off-road car club sent 15 vehicles to give residents a lift around the city free-of-charge, while a hospital sent a medical unit to Naza Mall as the hospital was inaccessible due to flooding.

A 69-year old farmer in Doem Bang Nangbuat district allegedly committed suicide because of a chronic illness and stress from the prolonged flooding.

Local men hurried to evacuate around 4,000 crocodiles from various farms in Uthai Thani to higher ground to prevent the animals from escaping.

In Phitsanulok, worst-hit Bang Rakham residents complained they had suffered for nearly three months. Local administrators had given then rice four times, but each was limited to 3.75 kilos of rice per family. So many adults were forced to only eat twice a day.

The provincial death toll rose to nine yesterday, with the death of a fisherman who drowned.

In Prachin Buri, a three-year-old boy drowned after he slipped into 1.5-metre-deep floodwater that inundated his home. His death took to the provincial toll to 10.