Thailand is facing extreme weather, including more frequent flooding and long dry spells, the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) said on Tuesday.
The changing weather patterns were the finding of a joint study between the TDRI and Canada's International Development Research Centre, TRDI's environmental researcher Atsamon Limsakul said.
Examples of the extreme weather include season changes, storms, rainfall amounts, flooding and drought that tend to be severe and cause widespread damage, especially to the agricultural sector.
Citing severe flooding in Thailand in 2011 and this year's drought, he said many other countries were also facing extreme weather conditions. The study blames them on natural weather fluctuations and global warming.
Both research institutes found that over the past 40-50 years, Thailand recorded more days of hot and cold weather. Its average temperature rose by one degree Celsius and could increase further by 1-2 degrees by 2050.
They also found it rained more in the North, Northeast and southern Gulf of Thailand coast than in the East and the Andaman Sea coast.
In most areas of the country, it did not rain as often but when it did, it was much heavier. Bangkok noticeably experienced the change. The heaviest rain in 57 years caused the great flooding in 2011, Mr Atsamon said.
He also said that in the past 20-30 years, the frequencies and severity of flooding and drought increased and the cycle of severe flooding in the Chao Phraya river basin might become shorter.