Among the total of 838 plants forced to halt operations due to flooding, 30 per cent have already resumed production, while at the end of March, about 60-70 per cent of closed plants are expected to restart production, he said.

Industry Minister Pongsvas Svasti ordered his ministrys senior officials to visit the factories to learn about their problems so the ministry can help them rehabilitate their operations as soon as possible.

Regarding construction of dykes to protect seven industrial estates, the permanent secretary said they will be completed in August as planned ahead of the upcoming rainy season.

The Ministry of Industry is working with the Finance Ministry and models of the dykes have been submitted to the industry ministry for certifying. Managers of the industrial estates will later seek loans from the Government Savings Bank.

Touching on news that there have been business closures in some industrial estates, he said the number is not great, but about ten operators at the Saha Rattana Nakorn Industrial Estate in Ayutthaya dissolved their businesses.

The head of the ministrys working committee has checked the facts regarding them. Meanwhile, there are not shutdowns in six other industrial estates hit by flooding. (TNA-OANA) nt