Bangkok city hall has inspected hundreds of piers in the city for safety ahead of Loy Krathong festival Friday evening, implementing social distancing rules to help minimize the chance of COVID-19 transmission.
Deputy Governor of Bangkok Sakoltee Pattiyakul inspected the safety of 6 piers along the Chao Phraya River in the city’s historic neighborhood, where people will be enjoying the Loy Krathong festival.
This inspection is a part of a city-wide campaign to inspect 437 piers for safety ahead of Loy Krathong day by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), after which the city hall shut down 68 damaged piers.
Certification signs will be displayed at piers deemed safe for use, along with a display of maximum capacity, which is capped at 1 person per square meter. The piers will be monitored by CCTV cameras and on-site security agents.
Rescue and firefighting boats will be patrolling along the Chao Phraya River from Rama VII bridge to Rama IX bridge. Eleven city-run hospitals have prepared their emergency wards and stocked up on medical supplies.
The BMA will be deploying 1,800 city law enforcement officials to ensure no use of firecrackers, fireworks, or floating lanterns on Loy Krathong night. Violators will face up to 3 years of imprisonment, or up to 60,000 baht in fine, or both sentences.
The city’s health department is encouraging the general public attending Loy Krathong events to strictly adhere to disease control measures, including social distancing and mask-wearing. Venues holding public Loy Krathong events this year will also require participants to show their vaccination certificate and negative antigen test result upon entry.
The city is also encouraging festival observers to choose environmentally-friendly Krathong baskets to float in the river and reduce the amount to 1 Krathong per one family this year to help minimize garbage. (NNT)
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