About 1,246 schools in seven southern provinces of Thailand are affected by the persisting flood while the total damage is initially estimated at over 467 million baht, according to the Ministry of Education.

Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat elaborated that out of the 1,246 schools affected by the flood, 821 were under the Office of the Basic Education. Some vocational schools were also reportedly damaged but the data were still unavailable.

Some universities have been inundated such as Thaksin University Phatthalung Campus, Walailak University, Maejo University Chumphon Campus and Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University. In addition, 18 informal education institutes and other private schools were also damaged by flood.

Chinnaworn said he had assigned executives of educational institutes to rehabilitate their premises by 1 May, 2011 when the new semester commences. He had also set up an assistance center in which bigger schools will help smaller ones in rehabilitation efforts.

A total of 21 people were now confirmed killed by the flash floods and mudslides caused by heavy rainstorms that have hit several southern provinces since March 23.