King sends good wishes to Thais for New Year
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His Majesty the King yesterday wished all Thais happiness, prosperity and good health in the New Year.
On the occasion of the New Year, I wish to convey my best wishes for all the people to have happiness, prosperity and achievement according to their wishes,” said a New Year statement broadcast by all television channels and radio stations.
“However in our lives, it is common that we will face both happiness and suffering, fulfilment and disappointment. Hence everybody should prepare themselves physically and spiritually for these situations,” the monarch said, adding they should avoid being reckless.
“For the New Year, I wish that you all strengthen your health to be healthy with good spirit and consciousness in order to be able to bear unwanted situations.”
The King’s New Year card for Thai people shows his photo in a white-coloured jacket with the cartoon of a monkey. This year marks the lunar Year of Monkey.
The card says: “[I] wish that [all of you] have happiness, prosperity, strong health, a stable spirit and clear conscience.”
Tight security in Bangkok
People across the country yesterday joined New Year celebrations, with hundreds of thousands of revellers attending the countdown at CentralWorld in Bangkok, as the Army ensured there would be tight security in the capital.
The grand New Year celebrations were held at several locations across the city. However, some events – such as Thailand Countdown 2016 at the Temple of the Dawn and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) “Light of Happiness” gathering – were heavily criticised for their cost and lavishness.
Maj-General Chalermphon Suksawat, Second Cavalry Division King’s Guard commander, stated during the security inspection at CentralWorld’s New Year countdown venue yesterday morning that soldiers and police were in charge of providing security at celebrations city-wide.
“In total, 3,000 security officers will be guarding the New Year countdown at CentralWorld alone this year. This is in preparation for [the expected] more than 200,000 people coming to the New Year party at this venue tonight,” he said. “The roads will be blocked in all four directions [around the venue] and no vehicles will be allowed in the area.”
Bags would be inspected before anyone was allowed to enter the venue.
Chalermphon assured the public that personnel would provide sufficient security and people should trust and comply with the security procedures.
The outgoing year saw a deadly blast at the Erawan Shrine near CentralWorld and in 2006 there were bomb explosions in Bangkok on New Year’s Eve, with CentralWorld a target.
In response to criticism of the lavish BMA light show at Bangkok City Hall, Deputy Bangkok Governor Amorn Kitchawengkul said this week that the Bt39.5 million spent on light decorations for the event was worthwhile and the event’s budget was legally granted from an annual fund. Amorn said the event would inject more than Bt100 million into the economy. Warunee Dangsawang, who attended the event at Bangkok City Hall, commented on Facebook that the light decorations were very beautiful but the Bt39.5 million spent on them was way too much.
