The estimate came as the National Water Resources Committee (NWRC) hosted a meeting of agencies to formulate a master plan to tackle this and future flooding.

Water Resources Department director-general Siripong Hungspreug said the agencies would have to turn to repairing the damage, beginning with fixing infrastructure.

Siripong, who took part in yesterday's meeting, also said the NWRC's flood-relief master plan would be completed today and forwarded to Deputy Prime Minister and NWRC chairman Kosit Panpiemras, to place before the Cabinet by Tuesday.

The plan includes short- and long-term solutions and focuses on reducing operational and budgetary redundancy, enabling implementation of the first part during the term of the interim administration, he said.

The meeting agreed that the NWRC's capacity should be increased to push forward the Water Act and make use of the 25-river-basin network, Siripong said.

Royal Irrigation Department director-general Samart Chokanapitak said the volume of water flowing south in the Chao Phya river at Nakhon Sawan was 5,850 cubic metres per second at 6am yesterday. This was 110 cubic metres per second less than on Wednesday.

In preparation for high tides expected on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the department has diverted 142.2 million cubic metres of water onto farmlands.

Meanwhile, Anon Sanitwong na Ayutthaya, a Chulalongkorn University expert on weather changes, said that although there will be less heavy rain this week, Thailand must watch carefully for storms coming from the South China Sea towards the end of November. Such storms will give only seven to 10 days' warning and may hit southern Thailand with heavy rain, strong winds and high seas.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported yesterday that flooding had affected 46 provinces. Sixteen of them remain submerged, and 104 people have been killed.

In Nakhon Sawan's Muang district, the swollen Chao Phya River fell by two centimetres yesterday and, with municipal authorities pumping out floodwater, the commercial area is recovering. However, the Chumsaeng, Kao Lieo, Banphot Phisai, Tha Tako, Phayuha Khiri and Krok Phra districts remained flooded.

Culture Minister Khunying Khaisri Sri-aroon said 36 historic sites damaged by floodwater in Ayutthaya, Angthong and Sing Buri would need Bt181 million for restoration.

In Ayutthaya's Phak Hai district, the Noi River has submerged homes and farmland, drowning thousands of farm chickens and destroying 32 hectares of fish farms.

In Suphan Buri, 8,000 hectares of farmland in Muang, Bang Pla Ma and Song Phi Nong districts have been damaged, according to the president of the Thai Rice Growers' Association, Suwan Kathawut, who has urged the government to help the stricken farmers.

Sixteen thousand hectares of farmland in Angthong province have been damaged and the standard compensation rate of Bt1,519 to Bt2,306 per hectare, depending of farmland type, has brought little consolation to despairing farmers.

Sali Rimsab, 64, whose 3.2 hectares of rice are submerged, said: "I've nothing left. I can't sleep. I cry almost every night."

Following reports of a wayward crocodile in their flooded residential area, Sing Buri people formed a hunting team and succeeded in capturing the two-metre-long reptile in Muang district.

Police spokesman Ajiravid Subarnbhesaj later warned the owners of crocodile farms that they face criminal and civil charges if their animals escape to attack people.

Meanwhile, Pathum Thani Governor Nares Jitsujaritwong urged officials to raise flood-prevention barriers by 50 centimetres in readiness for next week's high-tide period.