The spraying will start on July 14 and continue in the second week of every month, Chakkrapan Porn-nimit, a Bangkok Metropolitan Administration spokesman, said yesterday.

The BMA's public health office reported to its executive meeting yesterday that the city's 110 private and public hospitals reported 2,203 cases of suspected dengue fever from January 1 to June 24.

Of these, 1,984 were diagnosed with the disease and three people died. They were from Suan Luang, Ratchathewi and Nong Khaem districts. But this was still below last year's (12-month) tally of 5,199 patients and 11 deaths, he said.

Khunying Nathanon Thavisin, BMA permanent secretary, voiced concerned at the meeting that Lat Phrao suffered high rates of dengue because it was inundated after rain, making it a great incubating ground for mosquitoes and larva.