Songkran revellers warned of fines, jail for high-pressure water guns

– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: The Royal Thai Police Consumer Protection Division yesterday warned that people caught selling high-pressure water guns could be jailed for up to five years and/or fined 500,000 baht.

People who imported such water guns could be jailed for up to 10 years and/or fined 1 million baht.

The division announced the seizure of 48 high-pressure water guns from Khao San Road. It said police went to Khao San and Klong Thom to campaign for safe use of water guns during Songkran.

The annual Seven Days of Sanger road-safety campaign for the Songkran holidays was also launched yesterday at the Interior Ministry’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.

The campaign, which runs until Wednesday, is hoped to minimize road deaths and injuries during the holidays.

A road-safety center has been set up to monitor road accidents and to promote the theme “mindfulness, discipline, generosity and safety during Songkran to continue the Thai tradition” and is focusing on an “area approach” to road safety management, strict law enforcement, intensive social pressure against accident-risky behavior and promoting safe water splashing.

Accident Prevention Network Office director Phrommin Kanthiya reported that there were 15,680 road accidents in the past five years that injured 16,859 people and killed 1,599.

Last Songkran saw 2,992 accidents that killed 326 people and injured 3,225, he said while urging for multi-party community checkpoints to be promoted.

He also urged people to view useful road-safety information at www.accident.or.th or call 02-5883769.

The National Institute for Emergency Medicine will double emergency manpower during Songkran, particularly in major accident-prone provinces.

There will be 159,854 emergency medicine personnel – 1,593 doctors, 18,823 nurses and 127,709 volunteers.

Meanwhile, people have been warned not to use water from 11 sources during the Songkran holidays as they are contaminated with bacteria beyond safe levels.

Citing the water-quality report from January to March, Pollution Control Department chief Wichien Jungrungreung yesterday said the water sources had fecal coliform bacteria concentrations that were greater than 4,000 MPN coliforms/100 millimeters.

They are Sukhothai’s Muang district (17,000-24,000 MPN); Kwan Phayao in Phayao’s Muang district (7,000 MPN); Chao Phraya River in Nakhon Sawan’s Muang district (30,000 MPN); Loei River in Loei’s Muang district (15,000 MPN); Lam Pao River in Kalasin’s Kamalasai (16,000 MPN) and Muang districts (5,400 MPN); and the Siew River in Roi Et’s Kaset Wisai district (24,000 MPN).

— Phuket Gazette Editors