HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, accompanied by HRH Princess Srirasmi and HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, inspects flood barriers after visiting victims in Pathum Thani yesterday.

His Majesty the King granted 3,000 relief bags yesterday to flood-affected locals in Ayutthaya's Thung Makham Yong.

On behalf of His Majesty, Disathon Watcharoethai, of the Rachaprachanukroh Foundation, provided the bags to appreciative residents in Thung Phukhao Thong and Thung Makham Yong, along with the villagers in Tabom Khayai in Bang Pahan District and Tambon Nam Tao in Maharaj District, near the Siriyalai Palace.

Thung Phukhao Thong and Thung Makham Yong are properties that belong to His Majesty, who last week allowed the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) to divert water into the area to help absorb the deluge before it flooded Bangkok.

Meanwhile, HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn donated 132 relief bags to flood-affected residents in Pathum Thani and visited the medical mobile units in Muang District Office and Sam Khok district's Wat Chaisitthawas.

Public Health permanent secretary, Dr Prat Boonyawongvirot, who welcomed the Crown Prince at Sam Khok, said that 93,990 people in Pathum Thani's seven districts were flood-affected and that from Sept 27 until Monday, 11,276 had had treatment for water-borne diseases.

The Crown Prince and HRH Princess Srirasmi delegated Air Chief Marshal Yothin Prayoon-phokaraj to grant 1,000 survival kits to villagers in Tambon Hantra in Ayutthaya town, and ordered 50 royal guards to coordinate with the governor and to aid local residents.

Meanwhile, Her Royal Highness Maha Chakri Sirindhorn assigned her deputy secretary Samreung Eaimsa-ard to grant 150 food survival bags amounting to 400kg of rice, 287kg of sausages, and 8,286 bottles of water to residents in Angthong yesterday afternoon.

Other flood-relief efforts were in full swing in affected areas as the army and police housewives associations yesterday handed nearly 5,000 sets of household supplies to residents in Ayutthaya's Sena district, Angthong and Sing Buri.

The Supreme Patriarch, who had already organised 1,000 relief bags be sent to flood victims, asked his office to invite members of the public to make donations for the flood-affected areas, at Wat Bovorniwet.

RID director-general Samart Chokanaphitak warned people living along the riverbanks of Chao Phya River of further flooding during October 22 and 23, when the water level was expected to increase by 30 to 40 centimetres.

He told riverside residents from Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Angthong, Ayutthaya to expect rising water, as high water volume from Nakhon Sawan would arrive at the Chao Phraya Dam in 4-5 days and combine with water from Uthai Thani.

The RID, besides diverting water into various farmlands since October 16, will also limit the amount of water released from Pasak Cholasit Dam in preparation for the expected high tides from October 23-25, while allowing the Bhumibol and Sirikit dams to discharge water as necessary.

The Disaster Prevention Mitigation Department director-general, Anucha Mokawet, warned people living in low-laying areas along the Chao Phya River, including Bangkok regions outside the flood-prevention barriers, to be on alert as water was expected to rise.

Anucha also reported that 83 people have been killed, three are missing and more than three million people in 46 provinces were affected, while 16 provinces remained flooded.

With 2,164,639 rai of farmland damaged, the estimated losses are now Bt319.9 million. He also warned people about preventing children from falling into torrents, and asked them to beware of electric shocks and venomous animals.

The Health Ministry said 27,627 people had suffered severe stress since May, largely due to losses from flooding. Mental-health officials were sent to watch residents in 10 hard-hit Central provinces.

Yesterday, there were 10 drownings reported; two elderly men and one middle-aged man in Suphan Buri, one woman in Pathum Thani, two men in Angthong, one elderly woman in Samut Prakan, three others in Uthai Thani.

In Suphan Buri, the flood situation was stabilising, although parts of the town were under a metre of water. Residents were forced to get around by boats and tractors, the latter making thousands of baht a day by serving as public transport at Bt10 per head.

Farmers reportedly destroyed Muang district's flood barriers, prompting police to upgrade patrols and threaten to charge wrongdoers with destroying public property.

A late Tuesday night thunderstorm and strong winds damaged Song Phi Nong district's Wat Thap Kradan and 40 homes.

In Angthong, floodwater spread to farmlands and homes in Chaiyo, Muang, Wiset Chai Chan, Pho Thong, Sawaengha and Samko districts. The famed home-stay and handicraft Bang Chao Cha Village in Pho Thong was also submerged. Some boat operators reportedly charged Bt50 per head for a distance of 100-200 metres.

In Uthai Thani, where the town was under 50cm of water, crocodile-farm owner Amorn Jittapinit-mas dismissed a rumour that crocodiles had escaped. He insisted he only had several hundred, in contrast to news reports he had up to 4,500. He has moved 200 to another farm on higher ground.

In Phitsanulok's Bang Rakham, rising water reached temporary shelters of 100 families forced to camp on roadsides.