Huge enthusiasm ahead of 'Bike for Dad'
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THOUSANDS of jubilant cyclists gathered at the Supachalasai National Stadium yesterday to receive commemorative T-shirts and souvenirs and register for next month's "Bike for Dad" mass cycling event in honour of His Majesty the King's birthday.
Long queues formed as early as 6am, when officials started allowing the waiting members of the public into the stadium. Many people arrived at the stadium long before dawn.
The stadium was guarded by a large number of military officers. Those entering the stadium had to pass through security checks.
The T-shirts and souvenirs are presents by HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. Scheduled for December 11, the event is in celebration of His Majesty the King’s 88th birthday, which falls on December 5.
The final rehearsal for the event in Bangkok is scheduled for this morning, starting at the Royal Plaza.
Various state agencies and provincial authorities have also held rehearsals, with the events to be held simultaneously.
High-ranking Defence Ministry officials yesterday took part in a cycling rehearsal for the 11th Infantry Regiment in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district. The group was led by the permanent secretary for defence General Preecha Chan-o-cha.
Preecha said the rehearsal aimed to better prepare ministry personnel for the big day.
Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra yesterday inspected the routes to be used for the event. He was accompanied by other senior officials from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
After the inspection, Sukhumbhand said the landscape renovations along the route were almost complete and more than 2,000 security cameras had been installed on the route.
There will be medical teams |on standby at various locations |along the route in case of an emergency, he added.
The 29-kilometre route starts at the Royal Plaza and passes by several landmarks, including the Ratchaprasong shopping district, Chulalongkorn University, Chinatown, Wong Wian Yai and Democracy Monument.
As many as 20,000 police officers will be deployed in Bangkok on the day, an average of one officer every 20 square metres, the caretaker Metropolitan Police commander, Lt-General Sanit Mahathaworn, said yesterday.
He said he wanted to turn the entire capital into a safety zone, adding that in addition to police, “home guard” volunteers would help keep order.
