Bangkok (dpa) – More than 45,000 people have lost their jobs as a result of floods late last year in central Thailand, a report said Saturday. The Labor Department said 284 factories that employ more than 160,000 workers remain closed, the Nation newspaper reported. Severance payouts increased this week to include 45,873 workers. The payouts have reached 2.25 billion baht (73 million dollars), it said. The department said many of the factories would be operating again by late March. The floods inundated the central plains and parts of Bangkok in October and November, claiming 636 lives. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra wrapped up a five-day tour of the flooded areas Friday. She said total damage was estimated at 1.42 trillion baht (45 billion dollars). She said her government has a new master plan to cope with future floods. It was sharply criticized last year for lack of coordination between the dozen state agencies responsible for water resources. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/PdCc9 Tags: Floods, Jobs, Thailand Section: East Asia, Environment, Latest News
