Thailand's southern coastline hit by floods, three dead

Nov 26, 2011, 2:25 GMT

Bangkok - Floods claimed three lives in southern Thailand, adding to the national death-toll of 615 recorded in the central plains over the past three months, media reports said Saturday.

A 70-year-old man and a teenager drowned Friday in Yala province, 700 kilometres the south of Bangkok, The Nation newspaper reported.

On Thursday, a flash flood swept a 3-year-old child away in a car in Songkhla province.

High waves and heavy rains lashed provinces rimming the Gulf of Thailand, and added to the crisis in the central plains and parts of Bangkok caused by the worst floods in five decades.

Floods have caused billions of dollars in damage to industry and private property, shaving 1-2 per cent off economic growth this year.

The World Bank has estimated flood-related damage at 1.4 trillion baht (46.7 billion dollars), in property losses and opportunity costs for companies.

Seven large industrial estates were based in two of the worst-hit provinces, where thousands of factories have been forced to shut down since last month, disrupting the global supply chain to the electronics and automotive industries.