The worst flooding to hit parts of Thailand in decades has inundated about a quarter of the country, officials said Wednesday, as the death toll from fast rising waters climbed to 12.

Rescue teams helped evacuate stranded people by boat as homes and huge swathes of farmland have been deluged, while in Bangkok people living on the banks of the Chao Phraya River were braced for overflowing waters.

"The flooding in many provinces remains critical and the water has spread widely, leaving about one fourth of Thailand flooded," said interior minister Chavarat Charnvirakul.

"We told people to leave their homes if the building has only one floor but in two storey houses they can move up to an upper level," she said.
Chavarat said the government would double the emergency fund available to provinces for flood relief.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has said Nakhon Ratchasima province is suffering its worst flooding in 40 to 50 years. He estimated twice as much rain had fallen compared with last year in the mountainous province about 250 kilometres northeast of Bangkok.

Heavy rain and bad weather have battered countries in the region in recent weeks. Flooding has killed dozens of people in Vietnam while in the Philippines Super Typhoon Megi left at least 14 people dead.

(AFP)