She said any events that violate Covid-19 prevention measures would be shut down immediately, citing Prayut&rsquo;s instructions.

Traisulee went on to say that Thailand is closely monitoring the Omicron variant and strictly screening foreign visitors as well as gatherings during the New Year festival as Omicron is now a dominant strain in many countries.

&ldquo;The Public Health Ministry said the Covid-19 alert level in Thailand is currently at level 3 [from a total of five], in which people can presently visit restaurants and various venues, but there is still a risk of getting infected,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;Where New Year events are concerned, the organisers must adhere to Covid-19 Free Setting and universal prevention measures to contain the spread of virus,&rdquo; she warned.

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PM orders strict monitoring of New Year events

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has appointed the Interior and Tourism & Sports ministries to ensure that all organisers of New Year events abide by strict safety measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, the government’s deputy spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul said on Wednesday.