Prayut Chan-o-cha hinted yesterday (March 3) at The Government House about the further mitigation of COVID-19 preventive measures for the arrival of Songkran Festival in April. PM shared the government's concern that the water-splashing festival is a must, for it could help boosting up the country's economy through spending and tourism.
"The government is in the process of considering what can be allowed, whether to permit some activities or all of them. But if the virus spreads [because of it], the government might be blamed for it," said Prayut according to Bangkok Post. The PM also expressed apprehension over the policy because of the potential backfire against the government if the outbreak exploded again.
Ministry of Culture's Itthiphol Kunplome added that all Songkran activities planned to take off next month ought to be practiced under thorough preventive protocols, with two of the most essential ones are social distancing and the limitation of participant numbers. All in all, the minister promised that the celebration is not compulsory, as each area can independently decide whether to host Songkran or not.
With regards to Songkran's biggest hotspot Khao San Road, Sa-Nga Ruangwattanakul, the president of the Khao San Business Association and CEO of Buddy Group, believes that the ease of travel restrictions indicates a new hope for all businesses in the area to recover in spite of the absence of international tourists.
"We know that it won't help much as there are still no international tourists, but at least it is a good starting point to reignite business activities on Khao San Road," said Kumplome.
Last week, the government finally lifted up the alcohol serving ban in pubs and restaurants after months of sober nightlife in Bangkok. This policy came after the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) saw the gradual decrease in the COVID-positive cases in many regions.