Security to be beefed up for Songkran

The Interior Ministry plans to implement extra security measures during the Songkran holiday, to deter crime and ensure law and order at entertainment venues and hotels nationwide.

Combined forces of Interior Ministry officials and other relevant agencies will conduct security patrols at these venues to ensure operators strictly comply with the law, said Chayapol Thitisak, deputy permanent secretary for the interior in his capacity as spokesman for the ministry.

Authorities will also ensure that entertainment venues stick to the opening and closing times as required by the law and do not allow people under 20 years of age to enter, he said.

More vigorous suppression of unauthorised possession of weapons, human trafficking, and narcotics will also be part of their operations planned for the coming festival, he said.

Authorities will also step up a campaign aimed at preventing fires and other types of accidents that may occur at these venues which are expected to be packed with revellers, he said.

They will ensure stringent enforcement of the alcohol control law by strictly prohibiting sales of alcoholic beverages in prohibited zones and to those who are underage, he said.

Police, meanwhile, will deploy an extra force of 224 police officers at the Bangkok Bus Terminal, better known as Mor Chit 2 bus terminal, to deter criminal activities.

The Metropolitan Police Bureau also plans to implement pro-active security measures in which officers will step up patrols at key public locations until April 10.

The bureau wants the public to watch out for signs or incidents of crime and alert police via a mobile application called “Police i Lert U” or the hotline 191.