More than 470,000 have been treated for flood-related conditions. Public Health Ministry mobile units are dealing with cases unable to make it to hospitals.

Ministry land and water units have been travelling to the sick since late August. Waterborne diseases, skin infections and common colds were the most common afflictions, Health permanent secretary Dr Prat Boonyawongvirot explained during a visit to units in flood-affected Suphan Buri.

He said more than 17,000 patients were being treated each day. In Angthong 40,000 patients had been seen by the units and 64 per cent of that number had fallen ill with waterborne diseases. There were three snakebite victims, reported Dr Thawan Phoplarp, head of the provincial health office.

He said 15 per cent of patients were treated for injuries sustained in flooding and 12 per cent suffered eye infections. Diarrhoea was common. More than  80 per cent suffered from stress and sleeping difficulties.

Psychologists were available to treat these patients, Thawan said.

Health workers' priority was relocating and treating disabled people. In Angthong as many as 200 were discovered abandoned. Fifty were taken to Angthong Hospital after their homes were declared uninhabitable.

Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkla will visit Sing Buri, Angthong, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chai Nat and Ayutthaya to assess the situation and plan assistance.

Flooding worsened in Suphan Buri and more than 22,000 sought medical help from mobile units.

Chaoprayayomraj Hospital director Dr Chatcharin Pinsuwan said its buildings were flooded with 70 centimetres of water but was still able to operate. It was attending to 1,200 outpatients patients daily - from Ayutthaya, Angthong and Kanchanaburi. There were 650 admissions.

The military was providing transport for patients and staff.

Angthong Governor Wiboon Sanguanpong yesterday described flooding in the province as the "worst in 111 years", with all seven districts under "chest-deep water in some spots".

He reported 63 of 73 tambons were flooded. Roads, schools and temples were inundated.

"There is still so much run-off water from the North," Wiboon said, adding the provincial authority was warning people not to lower their guard if floodwaters started to recede.

At Angthong's Wiset Chai Chang district, an earth dyke crumbled allowing floodwaters to swamp pig farms and sweep away some 400 young pigs. Many drowned.

Locals were worried the world's biggest reclining Buddha statue was now surrounded by floodwaters and could be damaged.