The younger brother and sisters of likay icon Chaiya Mitrchai seek help from the authorities with a

Her Majesty granted five tonnes of rice - cultivated from a royal project in Ayutthaya's Kho Kerd area - to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont to pass on to flood-affected residents in various provinces, Government Spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp said yesterday.

Meanwhile, officials delivered relief bags provided by the Princess to affected villagers in Nakhon Sawan's Kao Lieo district, while another group distributed 500 relief bags to residents in Muang district and the royal mobile medical team was also treating sick people.

Although the situation has eased - prompting Phitsanulok's 35 schools to aim for a November 1 opening as nationally scheduled - prolonged flooding has taken a serious toll on people's health.

Some 11,312 residents of five submerged districts of Phichit have fallen ill, with more than half suffering from hand, foot and mouth disease. About 700 others suffered from severe stress. Phichit's death toll was 20, with 18 drowned and two people killed by venomous snakebites. In Angthong, farmer Peerasak Homsanit, 49, drowned yesterday, bringing the province's death toll to 13.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said floods had affected 3.5 million people in 47 provinces, with parts of 16 provinces still submerged. The death toll nationwide was 126, with 2.754 million rai of farmland damaged, bringing estimated losses to Bt334 million.

Elsewhere, flood-relief efforts continued. The Labour Ministry dispatched 30 medical teams from the Social Security Office's hospitals to 12 provinces with 5,800 sets of medical supplies. Some 1,000 relief bags were sent to Angthong, Sing Buri and Ayutthaya.

Labour Minister Apai Chandanachulaka said the ministry would spend the Bt22 million remaining in the budget on hiring flood-affected residents of Central Thailand for a 20-day period at Bt155 a day. The provinces would formulate plans to be implemented after the floodwaters had subsided, he said.

Supreme Commander General Boonsrang Niumpradit said he would call a meeting of related agencies on Saturday to discuss the flooding issue at the national level and tackle emerging problems. He also told Army officers to assist in preparations for flooding in the South. The region will soon face floodwaters from the Central region and the monsoon rainfall.

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin yesterday morning said the Chao Phya River was measured at 2.22 metres, its highest level this year. Levels would remain high until the end of October and city officials will be on flood-watch duty and erect flood barriers in 33 at-risk communities.  Apirak said he would ensure the Royal Irrigation Depart-ment released water in manageable amounts of up to 4,600 cubic metres per second.

The city will drain water out of flooded areas in eastern Bangkok within a fortnight, he said.

City spokesman Isara Suntornwat said 3,053 farmers in the Bangkok area had requested compensation from the government. Some 6,800 farmers in the area have been affected, with 77,226 rai of farmland damaged by the floods.

City officials have installed 449 water pumps, piled up 3.49 million sandbags into barriers, distributed 8,063 relief bags and 91,440 boxes of skin medication in 10 flood-hit districts.