Over 30 people died of heat stroke in March and April this year, with a 65-year-old man thought to have died from heat stroke in Ban Bueng district of Chon Buri yesterday.

According to the Disease Control Department, the number of such fatalities during this month and last was relatively higher than last year, when 37 people died in the four months from March to June.

People who are vulnerable to heat stroke include those who work outdoors, pregnant women, children and elderly people who have underlying diseases.

The department has offered tips on how to identify people suffering from heat stroke. They will usually have a body temperature above 40^oC, but without perspiring, they will be thirsty, have a headache, feel nauseous and experience muscle spasticity.

Preventive measures include drinking 6-8 glasses of water, wearing clothes to protect from over-exposure to sunlight and avoidance of outdoor activities, according to the department.

In Village 3 of Nong Sark sub-district in Chon Buri, a 65-year-old man was found dead next to a convenience store. Three bottles of drinking water and a box of food were found next to him. His body temperature was measured in excess of 40^oC.

A vendor told the police that the man was still alive yesterday, but he sat motionlessly, as if he did not have the strength to move. Then he slowly sank down and fell sideways onto the ground next to the convenience store.

Police said that the extremely hot weather, compounded by alcohol, are thought to have been the cause of the man’s death. His body was taken to the Ban Bueng district hospital to determine the exact cause of death.