Thai floods kill 21 and hit rubber production

People walk in a flooded street at Muang district in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, southern Thailand, January 6, 2017. REUTERS/Wirittipon Withandetsit

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Widespread flooding in Thailand's south has killed 21 people, hit rubber production in the region and shut down infrastructure, officials said on Monday, as the military government increased aid to flood-affected areas.

Thailand's wet season usually ends in late November and heavy rain and flooding are rare in January. Unseasonably heavy rain has hit 12 out of 67 provinces, officials said.