BANGKOK, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Social Security Office is paying compensation to those currently jobless after their workplaces were severely damaged by flooding, the agency's secretary general Suradej Waleeittikul confirmed on Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of employees became jobless due to the disastrous flooding in southern Thailand.

The compensation is provided by the Social Security Office on condition that the jobless employees are entitled to social security benefits while their employers are unable to pay wages due to flood-inflicted losses, Suradej said.

The compensation amounts to half of the employee's daily wage and will only be provided for a maximum of 180 days.

This is the first time for Thailand to provide such compensation to social security recipients affected by natural disasters.

Seventy-eight villagers were reportedly killed due to last month's flooding in southern regions and nearly one million others were affected. Some had to evacuate to higher ground while others lost rubber and coconut plantations.

The flood-hit areas in southern Thailand include the world-famous tourist spots of Phuket, Krabi and Surat Thani.