Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will fly to the southern province of Narathiwat after the cabinet meeting today, to inspect the flooding and to visit those affected.

The Meteorological Department is warning of more heavy downpours in the south today and tomorrow.

The prime minister said today that he does not want officials in the province to officially welcome him and would prefer them to concentrate on helping flood victims.

In his Facebook post on Monday, the prime minister said he is concerned about the flooding in several southern provinces, which is causing widespread damage to houses and other property, adding that he has assigned Deputy

Interior Minister Kriang Kaltinan, who is in charge of overseeing public disaster prevention and mitigation activities, to monitor the flood situation and provide assistance to those affected in Narathiwat and Yala.

The prime minister also said that he has instructed the Meteorological Department to monitor the weather situation closely while the south is experiencing cool weather and heavy rain.

Meanwhile, the weatherman is advising people in seven southern provinces to brace for heavy downpours, flooding and watercourse overflows, as well as rough seas in the Gulf of Thailand, due to the strong low pressure cell covering the southern Andaman Sea.

The southern provinces affected are Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Trang and Satun.

Waves of 2-4 metres high, and over 4 metres in stormy areas, are anticipated in the Gulf, while 2-3-metre waves are forecast in the Andaman Sea, said the Meteorological Department, as it advised sailors and fishermen to exercise extreme caution. Small vessels are advised to remain ashore today and tomorrow.

The strong cold front from China, which is looming over Thailand and the South China Sea, has weakened slightly, but conditions remain cold and windy.

Temperatures in the highlands of northern and north-eastern provinces range between 6oC and 12oC.