Nan governor Suwat Phromsuwan said the six flood-hit districts were Santisuk (38 villages in tambons Pa Laew Luang, Pong and Dupong); Tha Wang Pha (21 villages in tambons Tan Chum, Tha Wang Pha, Jom Phra and Rim); Pua (nine villages in tambons Sathan, Chedi Chai and Ngaeng); Phu Phiang (13 villages in tambons Muang Jang, Tha Nao, Fai Kaew and Moung Tid); Chalerm Phrakiat (one village in tambon Khun Nan); and Muang district (tambons Pha Singh and Nai Wiang).

The floods had also claimed the life of a resident in Pua’s tambon Chedi Chai, he added.

Deputy head of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) Suthep Chitayawong said Obec had not received any report of school closures in the six-affected districts. He said that in the event of a disaster, school directors were authorised to order a temporary closure of up to seven days.

Meanwhile, in Nong Khai, the level of the Mekong River rose to 8.75 metres yesterday – about 27cm higher than Monday – and it was still rising due to continuous rainfall in upstream areas, including Luang Prabang province in Laos, a source said. The river is expected to rise by another metre today.

Nong Khai’s hydrology office warned riverside residents yesterday to keep up-to-date with the news, although the river would have to rise another three metres before it bursts its banks.

Strong currents in the Mekong also swept away a buoy with water pumps from Muang Nong Khai Municipality to a pier 700 metres downstream.

In Chiang Rai’s Muang district, where three tambons were hit with flash floods on Monday, students and teachers at Huai Plu Wittaya School in Tambon Tha Sud began a big clean-up yesterday. The job is expected to continue today before classes can resume.

Similar major cleaning activities were underway in tambon Nang Lae, where 50 homes were hit by the flash flood.

Down in the South, Third Naval Area Command officers rescued four crew members of the “Bamrung Thai” fishing trawler, which sank off the coast of Phuket, including the body of the captain. Officers brought another three members of the crew to shore later yesterday and continued the search for three others still missing.

The trawler and its 10 crewmembers lost radio contact on Monday evening two nautical miles off Phuket’s Promthep Cape. Initial search operations were called off at 1.30am yesterday due to poor visibility plus strong winds and waves.

The Meteorological Department warned residents in the North, notably in the provinces of Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Tak, of severe conditions yesterday due to continuing heavy rain in this period and another round of downpours expected from Thursday to Saturday.

The rains are also expected to hit the upper Northeast.

The department has also forecast strong winds in the Andaman Sea and the upper part of the Gulf of Thailand from Thursday to Saturday. The winds are expected to create 4-metre high waves and ships have been told to proceed with caution, while small boats have been warned to stay ashore.