Khon Kaen province is facing its severest water shortage in two decades, with Ubonrat Dam at only 27% of its holding capacity, according to the provincial fisheries office.
Provincial fisheries chief Nawarat Jitpiromsri said that with such a small quantity of water the province is certain to face the severest drought in 20 years in 2016.
The provincial water management committee had asked farmers to definitely not plant a second crop this year, or raise fish in floating baskets, he said.
The provincial committee for solving the drought problem reported that Nong Wai reservoir in Nam Phong district had very little water left in it last week. If there was no rain, then by late March there would not be enough to produce tap water for essential consumption.
Therefore, all remaining water should be kept strictly for tap water production, said Mr Nawarat.
The provincial authority has declared 1,005 villages in 105 tambons of 16 districts disaster zones, he said.
In Kanchaburi province, Veerasak Srikawi, director of the Srinakarin Dam, said the reservoir held 12,741 million cubic metres of water, or 71.80% of its capacity.
Vajiralongkorn Dam, another major dam in the province, has 5,002 million cubic metres of water, or 56.41% of its capacity.
He said only 4,466 million cubic metres of the water held by the two dams combined would be available for consumption, with none available for second-crop cultivation or fish or shrimp ponds.
Water in the two dams would be stored for use during the coming drought to to supply people in Kanchaburi, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Suphan Buri, Phetchaburi, Samut Songkhram and Samut Sakhon provinces, Mr Veerasak said.