Areas affected by the drought include the far northeastern province of Bueng Kan, Nakhon Ratchasima and Ratchaburi Province at the top end of the Gulf of Thailand. Huai Ban Yang Reservoir in Nakhon Ratchasima is almost dry and rice-farmers who rely on it for their water have already switched to less water-intensive vegetable crops.
At a large-scale rambutan producing orchard in Bueng Kan, the owner said that unless rains arrived within the next two weeks trees would die. In Ratchaburi, water-board officials have said they cannot release water for farming from Samnak Mai Teng Reservoir as there is barely enough for domestic consumption.
The monsoon season for the majority of Thailand usually begins some time in May and runs through until September or October. Due to the fact it does not rain much for the rest of the year, the whole country relies on the monsoon rainwater to last until the start of the next monsoon season.
Tardy monsoon rains trigger drought in areas of Thailand
News in Asia
Late arriving monsoon rains have left reservoirs almost dry and farmers in Thailand short of water. The Thai national news service has reported some farmers have been prevented from growing rice while orchard trees have withered and are not producing fruit.