Thailand has stepped up bird flu surveillance for the hot, monsoon season when the virus could re-emerge.

Three provinces where outbreaks have occured in the past two years -- Suphan Buri and Kanchanaburi in the west and Nakhon Pathom near the capital Bangkok – are on the watch list by health authorities.

Four northern provinces -- Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok and Pichit -- would be closely monitored for outbreaks of the H5N1 virus, which has killed 14 Thais since it emerged in late 2003.

Thailand has not had a human death since December 2005 and no new outbreaks among poultry in recent months.

However, a recent incident where Thai villagers ignored government warnings and handled and ate chickens that died mysteriously has raised fears that public vigilance against the disease is waning.

The global human death toll now stands at 132 after Indonesian officials a three-year-old girl who recently died had tested positive for the virus.

Experts fear the avian influenza virus could spark a human pandemic if it mutates into a form that can pass easily among people.

The flooding and rains associated with the monsoon are ideal conditions for the virus to grow.

Thailand has one of the strongest surveillance systems in Southeast Asia.