CityNews – A 68 year old man was found dead in his home in Buriram this week having succumbed to the cold weather, Thailand’s Nation News Bureau reported.
Two more people died in Uttaradit as temperatures plummeted to 9 degrees.
The districts of Om Koi and Fang have been declared disaster zones by Chiang Mai’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department Office after temperatures of just 4 degrees were recorded.
After snow fell in Egypt and Vietnam recently much talk has been about the possibility of snow in Thailand. The Meteorological office however has said that Thailand’s low altitude should prevent any chance of snow falling.
Governors of provinces have also been called to a meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to discuss the cold and what measures can be taken to save lives. Warm clothing is presently being given to people, as well as blankets. If a province records three days running with temperatures below 15 degrees it can apply for emergency funding.
The cold spell, says the Meteorological Department, will last up until the New Year. The reason for the very cold weather is high pressure from China.