Flood Death Toll Rises to 40 in Thailand

The death toll from floods in southern Thailand has risen to 40 people, with more rain expected in coming days. 
The unseasonable heavy rain has triggered floods across the south, cutting road and rail links, threatening crops and affecting about 1.6 million people. 
The Meteorological Department said on its website more rain was expected on Monday. 
The rainy season in Thailand normally takes place from June to November. The floods, which began on January 1, have followed unseasonably heavy rain. 
Thailand is one of the world's most important producers of natural rubber and the national rubber authority said on Thursday output in 2016-2017 would be about 10% lower because of the floods. Global rubber prices have spiked on concern about the impact. 
The country saw its worst flooding in half a century in 2011, when heavy rain beginning in July that year over northern regions led to six months of inundations, including in the central plains, where industrial estates have replaced rice fields in many places. 
The floods submerged a third of the country, killed more than 900 people and crippled industry.

Source: QNA