Slightly more than half of the country is facing water shortages, but the Royal Irrigation Department remains confident the Central Plain will survive the dry season.
Water Resources Department director-general Suphot Tovichakchaikul said 548 out of 928 districts in the country are fighting drought, an issue addressed in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House on Monday.
Short-term measures to help the country survive drought until the next rainy season arrives are focused on finding more underground water reserves and discharging water to arid regions, he added.
But irrigation chief Suthep Noipairote predicted drought would not ravage the Chao Phraya plain as the rice bowl of the country will have enough water until the end of May.
While Mr Suthep expressed confidence in handling the problem in rice-growing central provinces, the water level at the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat continues to hover under the 14-metre "critical" level. It stood at 13.95 metres above sea level on Monday and has been under 14m since the start of the year.
Dam director Ekkasit Sukdithanaporn warned farmers on Jan 4, when the level was measured at 13.89 metres, that water would not be discharged to feed second rice crops in downstream fields.
Six major dams, including Bhumipol in Tak and Sirikit in Uttaradit currently are running at less than half their capacity, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported on Monday.
Mr Supote and Mr Suthep did not name the districts battling severe water shortages. But some districts along the Yom River in Phrae, Sukhothai and Phitsanulok already have been hit hard. Some in Suphan Buri and Pathum Thani also reported water shortages.
In Phrae's Muang district, soldiers joined local authorities and villagers in tambon Pamat to dump 6,000 sandbags into the Yom with hopes of saving water for the coming months.
Sitthiphan Thonglai, the tambon administration organisation chief, said the river blockade was necessary as the shortage situation could get worse.
Phitsanulok governor Chuchart Keelapaeng said Wang Thong, Nuen Maprang and Phrom Phiram districts have been declared disaster zones, as shortages were severe and Bang Rakam district could be added to the list.