His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn with HRH Princess Srirasmi presents flood relief to Nong Chok residents in Bangkok.

Flooding has disrupted the lives of almost 1.8 million  people since late August with the confirmed death toll rising to 32 as of yesterday, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said.

Thousands of relief items donated by His Majesty the King were distributed to flood victims in Chanthaburi with more relief packages scheduled to arrive in Angthong on Wednesday.

HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and HRH Princess Srirasmi also visited flood victims in Bangkok's Nong Chok district yesterday to hand out relief items and offer moral support.

The department said the flooding had devastated almost 1.6 million  rai of farmland, almost 17,500  fish or shrimp farms, and a number of roads, dams and schools.

The total damage was estimated at over Bt223 million.

In all, the inundation has hit 43 provinces in the country's North, Northeast and Central regions between August 27 and yesterday, during which more than 138,000 people became ill and needed medical treatment.

The floods have subsided in 27 provinces so far.

But the Meteorological Depart-ment has forecast more heavy rain for Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Tak, Sukhothai and Phitsanulok.

In Phitsanulok, Dam Changpinij, 62, drowned after he slipped and fell into a deep pond while walking around a flooded area to catch fish.

Local police said he was the seventh victim in the province to die in a flood-related accident.

In Tak, Bhumibol Dam director Boon-in Chuenchawalit called on people living downstream to evacuate to higher ground.

"If heavy downpours continue over the next few days, we will have to release a large amount of water," Boon-in said.

Rainstorms, coupled with the necessary release of water from the dam, have raised floodwater levels in Tak's Sam Ngao and Ban Tak districts by three meters in the worst-hit spots.

Many houses, shops and restaurants in town were submerged.

In Angthong, flooding is so serious that the local economy has ground to a halt, with banks, pawn shops, shops and a bus terminal in town under water.

The flood also submerged the country's longest reclining Buddha statue at Wat Khun Inthapramoon.

A two-metre-high embankment at the back of a local health station also failed, allowing torrents of floodwater to submerge nearby villages.

In Chanthaburi, four flood victims died as 16 tambon in Muang and Makham districts, as well as Khao Khitchakood sub-district were submerged. In the worst-hit areas, the floodwater rose to one metre.

In Chaiyaphum, several villages in Muang, Ban Khwao and Khon San districts were submerged. In the heavily hit areas, the floodwater was about 1.5 metres deep and people had to travel around by boat.

Tambon Kahad Administrative Organisation has handed out 500 relief packages, but there were not enough for all victims.

In Prachin Buri, floods yesterday ravaged 12 riverside villages, leaving houses under more than one metre of water.

In Suphan Buri, floods hit areas surrounding Suphan Buri Municipality, with the Suphan Buri-Bang Pla Ma Road under 50 centimetres of water.

In Loei, a mudslide killed Buakhan Srithadee, 45, while he was fishing in a pond. A flash-flood also submerged many local roads, which then became impassable to small cars.