Plunging temperatures in Thailand have killed more than thirty people, including at least ten believed to have died from the effects of using faulty stoves in sealed rooms.

A high pressure weather system from China is to blame for the cold snap, which has taken temperatures in some parts of northern Thailand close to freezing.

Even steamy Bangkok has reported temperatures of eleven degrees Celsius -- the coldest weather there for more than a decade.

The Thai Prime Minister, Chuan Leekpai, has ordered welfare officials to provide poor people with blankets and clothing.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service