Ministry spokesman Supan Srithamma said medical mobile units in the flood-affected areas found 30,350 people suffering from high stress levels due to loss of relatives or property, and seven per cent of them had fallen ill.

Between August 27 and last Thursday, 104 people had drowned - mostly children. Most of the drownings took place in Phichit and Ayutthaya, with 11 cases in each province, followed by 10 cases each in Sukhothai and Nakhon Sawan, Supan said.

He urged residents not to allow their children to play in floodwaters.

Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla said more than 200,000 people were suffering from hand, foot and mouth disease. He instructed the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation to increase their production of cream medications from 13,000 tubes a day to 30,000 to 40,000 tubes per day.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general, Anucha Mokawet, said that since August the floods had affected 3,169,571 people in 46 provinces, 16 of which were still submerged. He said 104 people were killed and put the estimated losses at Bt334.2 million.

Meanwhile, Southern Thailand was warned of possible floods and landslides in the next two days.

The Meteorological Department warned the provinces from Surat Thani southwards of heavy rainfall, and urged residents in risk areas to brace for floods. Strong, three-metre-high waves were expected in the Gulf of Thailand.

The Mineral Resources Department warned Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Krabi, Trang, Satun and nearby provinces of possible forest run-offs and landslides.

In related developments, Deputy Bangkok City Clerk Anan Siripassaraporn yesterday joined a meeting with representatives from flood-affected districts, the Community Organisations Development Institute, and Silpakorn University to discuss long-term solutions for flooding, especially in riverside communities outside the flood barriers.

As for the high tide from October 23-25, the city had prepared schools as temporary shelters - if a resident evacuation was needed.

The city and Silpakorn University will survey 33 riverside communities from today until Tuesday for a workshop on Wednesday, aiming to improve the quality of housing and living as a long-term solution.

The Bangkok governor will then submit their report for the government's consideration to amend laws in order to allow people to live by the river, but not build homes too close to passenger boat routes, obstruct flood-tackling efforts, or cause pollution.

It is estimated the city needs Bt300 million for fixing infrastructure and rehabilitation, Anan said.

For the coming high-tide period, Defence Minister General Boonrawd Somtas also instructed the units, assigned to critical areas of Greater Bangkok, to be ready to tackle flooding around the clock.