The assistant governor of the provincial waterworks authority said on March 28 that 70 of 225 local water offices, mostly in Thailand’s upper northeastern provinces, have reduced supplies. Ten provinces most affected by the drought have been declared disaster zones.

Earlier in March, the government began cloud-seeding (spraying chemicals such as sodium chloride or calcium chloride into clouds to induce rain) with 45 airplanes, twice the usual number.

Thailand’s drought has ruined 2.19 million hectares (5.4 million acres) of farmland worth about 7.5 billion baht ($194.4 million), according to the interior ministry, and crops are expected to die on a further 1.89 million hectares (4.67 million acres) worth about $153 million. At least 71 of 76 provinces are suffering from the worst drought in several years in Thailand, the world's top rice exporter.