No water splashing on Khaosan Road this Songkran, insists Anutin
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said there will be no water-splashing on Khaosan Road this Songkran, while urging Thais to take precautions now to prevent spreading the virus at family get-togethers next month.
Anutin on Monday poured cold water on the hopes of Khaosan Road tourism operators, insisting that water splashing will be banned for the third consecutive Songkran. Responding to pleas from local businesses, Anutin said on Monday that the ban was necessary to control the spread of Covid-19 as water-splashing involves touching and sharing water containers.
The annual Songkran “water battle” boosts revenue by drawing huge numbers of tourists to Khaosan Road but has been banned since 2020.
“I urge that we remain patient for another year and follow disease control measures until Covid-19 becomes an endemic, after which we will be able to enjoy Songkran as usual,” Anutin said.
Meanwhile, people who planned to travel or visit their families during the Songkran break (April 13-17) should start “self-clean-up” measures from April 1 to ensure they do not bring the virus home to their families and others during Thailand’s biggest holiday.
“These measures include avoiding high-risk or crowded places, monitoring your symptoms closely, and getting a booster shot of Covid-19 vaccine if you haven’t already had one in the past three months,” said Anutin.
“These moves will greatly reduce the risk of viral spread at the community level, especially among the elderly during Songkran get-togethers.”
Anutin warned that without strict disease-control measures, daily infections around Songkran could rise to 100,000, pressuring the public health system and delaying the plan to transition to Covid-19 endemic conditions by July.
