Strictly enforce water-splashing ban in Khaosan, CCSA tells BMA
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s chief operations officer instructed the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Thursday to stringently enforce the ban on water splashing.
National Security Council secretary-general General Supoj Malaniyom, who is also the chief of the CCSA operation centre, said he discussed violation of the Khaosan water splashing ban with the BMA city clerk and representatives on Wednesday.
Supoj said the city clerk and BMA representatives told him they would hold a meeting of BMA agencies concerned to ensure the ban is not violated again.
Hundreds of Thais and foreign tourists were seen brazenly using water guns and splashing water on one another in Khaosan on Wednesday evening until 11pm.
The CCSA announced that only the traditional sprinkling of a little water on the hands and head is allowed in areas approved by the authorities.
“The CCSA measures are clear,” Supoj said. “Water splashing is prohibited in public areas and the approved areas can only hold traditional water sprinkling. Khaosan Road is a public area and it has not been given approval to hold Songkran celebrations.
Supoj reminded senior BMA officials that other parts of the country were complying with CCSA measures and most people realised that violations could cause new Covid clusters.
The authorities would first seek cooperation from the public to comply with the ban as they would not like to force people to follow instructions for fear of destroying the happy atmosphere and marring tourism, he said.
“We hope that today [Thursday] we won’t see scenes of water splashing as witnessed yesterday,” Supoj added.
He also quoted Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as saying that people who return from visiting their hometowns during Songkran should check their condition before going back to work. If they notice suspicious symptoms, they should work from home, Supoj advised.
