BANGKOK, 30 October 2014 – Bangkok Governor M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra inspected landing piers and pontoons along the Chao Phraya River to ensure safety for people during the Loy Krathong Festival on 6 November 2014.
The governor took a boat trip from a pier in Phra Nakhon District to Rama VIII Bridge Pier. Speaking after the trip, the Governor said there were 283 landing piers in total, but only 262 of them were ready for Loy Krathong. Twenty-one others need repairs including ones at Sawad Pier in Samphantawong district, Wat Arun 2 Pier in Bangkok Yai and Wat Taling Chan pier in Taling Chan.
The Bangkok governor has assigned relevant units to immediately repair these piers. He said if the repairs could not be done, signs must be displayed clearly to prohibit people from entering such weak piers.
In conjunction with the festival, the BMA has also set up five ad hoc centers on disaster prevention and mitigation to ensure safety on land and water around major sites for the festival.
