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He explained that 12 provinces had been badly hit, that some 20,000 people were suffering from influenza and five had died from drowning. The worst hit provinces are Lop Buri, Saraburi, Phitsanulok, Petchabun, Chachoengsao, Loei, Chon Buri, Nakon Ratchasima, Prachin Buri, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Sawan and Tak.

Chaovarat said he would push for the Bt500 million at the Cabinet meeting next Tuesday. He has already told provincial public health offices to set up immediate relief centres, and has ordered about 100 mobile medical teams to visit affected villages.

In a bid to prevent severe consequences, deputy permanent secretary, Dr Siriporn Kanshan, who is also in charge of the emergency operations centre, said the ministry's relief plan came in two phases.

The first would include immediate medical assistance and controlling water-borne infections, while the second would concentrate on restoring the environment, cleaning residential areas and water resources, controlling and preventing outbreaks, as well as rehabilitating victims.