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NAKHON PHANOM, Jan 16 — A cold snap has hit much of northern and northeastern Thailand, leaving tens of thousands of people living in difficulty for lack of warm clothing, while many are suffering from respiratory and asthma problems, officials said.
They said the temperature in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom bordering Laos dropped to between 10 and 14 degrees Celsius early Friday, affecting poor villagers, leading provincial authorities to declare the province a disaster zone.
About 170,000 poor villagers in Nakhon Phanom are now suffering from the severe cold, as they do not have enough clothing, officials said, adding that the authorities are trying to assist them.
Residents of two districts of the northern province of Phitsanulok are especially affected by the cold weather as the temperature has continued to drop.
The temperature measured overnight Thursday was between 6-10 degrees Celsius, forcing poor villagers to warm themselves by sitting around bonfires.
Villagers in Phitsanulok have said this year’s winter season is very cold compared to previous years.
Officials have surveyed and found that more than 100,000 people in the province have insufficient warm clothing.
Help is underway to distribute warm clothing to the needy, officials said. (MCOT online news)
