Loy Krathong Drunk Drivers Targeted

Festival drunk drivers targeted

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok traffic police will set up checkpoints around the capital during the Loy Krathong Festival on November 16 to prevent drunk driving during the celebrations.

Colonel Nipon Charoenphol, superintendent of the Traffic Police Division, said the checkpoints would be extensively manned between 10pm until 2am the next morning.

“We will be strict. Anyone caught drunk driving will be sent to court,” he said.

Convicted drunk drivers will face fines of between Bt2,000 and Bt10,000, a probation period and be required to do community service, he said.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will open 14 public parks to revellers until midnight on Loy Krathong. Celebratory events will be organised around Rama VIII Bridge on the Thon Buri side of the city and Suan Santichaiprakan on the other side.

More than 100,000 revellers are expected to join the celebrations at the two sites.

During Loy Krathong, people traditionally launch decorative floats into waterways to pay their respects to the Goddess of Water. The festival is usually accompanied by colourful activities such as beauty contests and entertaining performances.

Taweesak Dejdecho, head of the BMA Office of Culture, Sport and Tourism, said the city would this year ban styrofoam floats and fireworks at its public parks.

Poonpan Kraiserm, head of the BMA Office of Social Development, said eight of the BMA’s vocational-training centres were offering free classes on how to produce decorative floats made of flour.

“It only takes a day to learn this art. People can then produce floats for sale and fish can eat them afterwards,” he said.

--The Nation 2005-11-04