Environment

Cold weather hits Thailand; fish die, monkeys suffer

by Amy Judd | January 17, 2009 at 02:53 pm

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An unusual cold snap has hit northeastern Thailand, killing fish, and causing the monkey population to suffer as they are not used to such cold weather conditions. Plants have died prematurely due to the cold as in some areas the temperature has dropped to only seven degrees Celsius and as low as 2 degrees in higher elevations.

The government has issued over 2,000 blankets to a group of Buddish monks at over five hundred temples, and 47 provinces have been declared as emergency areas, and this weather is expected to stick around until at least February.

Rice seedlings planted in the lower northern province of Phitsanulok have begun to die due to the falling temperatures, leading officials to estimate at least 150,000 rai of rice crops will be lost if the temperature continues to decline.

In the southern province of Songkhla, the army offered more than 300 blankets to poor villagers. Cattle are refusing to eat and some 3,000 monkeys living on a mountain have become lethargic and refuse to eat.

Veterinarians in the northeastern province of Yasothon have warned poultry producers to build closed pens if the temperatures drop by another 3-5 degrees Celsius in order to keep the birds warm. About 300,000 chickens will be slaughtered during the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday beginning January 26.