42 of Thailand's 77 provinces drought-hit

Bangkok, April 22 (IANS) Thailand's department of disaster mitigation and prevention Sunday declared drought disaster zones in 42 of the nation's 77 provinces.

Department chief Viboon Sanguanwong said over 100,000 households in those provinces, most of them of farmers, have been affected by the drought over the past month, Xinhua reported.

The department, however, anticipated that the situation could improve by the end of this month.

Moreover, the country will enter into the rainy season at the beginning of May, said Viboon.