BANGKOK – The death toll from the worst flooding to hit southern Thailand in decades rose to 22, even as several thousand people remained confined to relief camps and the authorities warned of more heavy rain over the next few days.

       Thailand’s southern provinces have been battered by heavy rainfall and flash floods since Nov 22. Some 664,170 households have been affected, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

       Around 22,000 people have been moved to temporary shelters as at Dec 2 and seven provinces still faced flooding, the department said in a statement.

       While rain has eased in the past couple of days, a fresh spell of heavy downpour may lash the region due to a low-pressure system from the South China Sea that is expected to move through the Gulf of Thailand, the Meteorological Department said.

       The weather system may cause heavy rain and flash floods from Dec 3 to 5, the bureau added.

       South-east Asia often gets flooded during this time of the year due to the monsoon, but the intensity of rain has been unusual in 2024.

       Several regions in Malaysia and Indonesia have also been hit by heavy downpour in recent days, disrupting work at palm and rubber plantations.

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       Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered officials to speed up relief and recovery measures, according to government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub.

       Financial help will be extended to each affected household, with the Government Savings Bank ordered to provide soft loans for businesses to rebuild and recover from losses, according to officials. BLOOMBERG