The cabinet has announced three measures to promote a smooth passage of the upcoming traditional Songkran festival.
People who take part in this year’s celebrations are to be encouraged to use water efficiently, focus on safety, dress appropriately, and refrain from drinking too much alcohol. Entertainment venue operators will be asked to determine the opening and closing hours of their venues during the holiday period.
Provinces have been instructed to organize activities focusing on beautiful culture and local identity. People are asked to dress politely or in Thai retro costume.
Police will set up checkpoints on the main routes and secondary routes and strictly enforce the law. Trucks will be banned from running on April 11-17, 2019, in four routes in Nakhon Sawan, Sa Kaeo, Nakhon Ratchasima and Prachinburi.
The Department of Land Transport (DLT) has prepared measures to prevent overpriced tickets and limit the maximum number of passengers for public transport. The checkpoints will be set up at Morchit, Ekamai and Pin Klao. The DLT will also add additional 9,000 bus trips to accommodate passengers.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC) has cooperated with 20 insurance companies to issue a low-priced policy which costs seven baht per person, with compensation of 100,000 baht in the case of death from an accident. The cheap insurance will allow people and motorists to purchase life protection during the Songkran festival.
The OIC has launched the Me Claim application to assist road accident insurance claim filing. The application integrates the insurance claim filing system with the police’s Police I Lert U emergency report application, allowing users to report accidents to the police and alert insurance companies at the same time.
The application’s trial version is now available for registered users from today, while the public version will be available from April 9 onward.
