BMA urges use of electric candles and joss sticks for lunar New Year celebrations

The announcement was signed by Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt and announced on the BMA website.

In the announcement, the BMA called on Chinese descendants to minimise burning of paper offerings for their ancestors and the lighting of firecrackers for fear that the tradition would worsen the PM2.5 air pollution.

The practice could also cause fires due to the current dry and hot air.

In the first measure, the BMA would set up monitoring points in all risky areas of Bangkok, especially in communities, to watch against fires on an around-the-clock basis.

The risky spots include Chinese shrines or areas where celebrations are held.

In the celebrations area, the BMA set entering and exit points to try to control the number of people in the area.

The BMA has also published availability of fire extinguishers on its BKK Risk Map.

In the second measure, the BMA called on Chinese shrines and Chinese descendants to use electric candles and joss sticks and minimise burning of paper offerings.

In case burning is unavoidable, it must be done in a fireproof container or incinerator and officials must stand guard until the fires burn out.

As the third measure, the BMA called on businesses that are closed during Chinese New Year to unplug all electric appliances and to check that their circuit breakers and fire alarms are fully working. All the cooking gas valves must also be closed, the announcement added.