BANGKOK, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Monday instructed the three armed forces to dispatch men and equipment to southern provinces hit hard by flooding as the Meteorological Department warned southerners of more rain.

Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Kongcheep Tantrawanich said the southern-based military units were told to keep a watchful eye on weather conditions and flood situations and be on standby to provide necessary support to local officials, especially in the evacuation of children and the elderly from hard-hit areas to safer grounds.

Kongcheep said the military units have prepared heavy equipment in case they need to build flood walls or dredging to expedite the flow of floodwater out of flood-affected areas.

In Surat Thani province, low-lying areas in seven districts of Tha Chang, Chaiya, Koh Samui, Muang, Kanchanadit, Don Sak and Tha Chana have been flooded, affecting over 3,000 households.

The provincial public disaster prevention and mitigation chief Chamnong Sawatwong said that so far, no casualties have been reported.

Authorities are still assessing the extent of the damage.

The Meteorological Department said on national television that southern provinces, such as Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, would face heavy rain as a result of the strong northeastern monsoon looming over the southern region and the Gulf of Thailand.

Rough seas with waves as high as two to three meters are occurring in the gulf on the eastern coast and the Andaman sea on the western coast.

Small boats were warned not to venture out to sea.

Meanwhile, northern and northeastern provinces remain cold with strong winds, with temperatures in the mountainous areas ranging from 7 to 15 centigrade as the result of strong high pressure from China.