Flood-hit industrial parks in Thailand could resume operations

All seven inundated industrial estates in central provinces of Thailand are expected to fully resume operations by March or April next year, Industry Minister Wannarat Charnnukul expressed his confidence on Sunday. Speaking after leading a team to visit Saha Rattana Nakorn Industrial Estate in central Ayutthaya province, the world herritage site, he added the government is currently working on a rehabilitation plan and a clear prevention plan for the future. The Industry Ministry and related agencies are also planning road shows in other countries to boost confidence among business groups showing Thailand has a long-term flood prevention plan and that the flood situation in the country has eased, he added. A total of seven industrial estates and parks in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani provinces were submerged by heaviest deluge in over 50 years in October. As a result, more than one million people have been suspended and initial loss has been anticipated at about 3.3 billion U.S. dollars. Floods inflicted by heavy monsoon rains and back-to-back tropical storms have ravaged the country since late July, killing more than 650 and affecting more than 13 million nationwide.