BMA holds big cleaning up after Songkran celebrations, Myanmar workers return to Thailand

BANGKOK, April 16 (TNA) - Executives of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) are leading environment officials to clean up several roads in the capital, as people's celebrations for the annual Songkran, or the Water Splashing or the Traditional Thai New Year, are coming to an end for the year. Deputy Bangkok Governor Dr. Putsadee Tamthai, together with other BMA executives, led over 300 officials from the Bang Rak, Sathon, Yannawa, Pathumwan Districts, as well as environment authorities to clean up both ways of the about one-kilometre long of Silom Road on Wednesday morning, starting from Sala Daeng Intersection, passing through the DusitThani Hotel, all the way to Naratiwat Rajanakaridhra Intersection. The deputy Bangkok governor told journalists that the BMA was cleaning up Silom, Kao San and other roads in Bangkok used as locations for water splashing over the last three days to make sure that all of the cleaning be done by Wednesday evening to facilitate Bangkokians to resume their normal working as of April 17. According to the deputy governor, Silom alone welcomed over 150,000 visitors daily during this year's Songkran Festival, both Thais and foreigners, creating a total of 335 tonnes of garbage over the past three days, higher than last year's, while on Kao San Road saw around 27 tonnes of garbage over the past three days, lower than last year. The deputy governor acknowledged, however, that the promotion of no alcohol during this year's Songkran celebrations has been proven to be successful, compared with last year's, as sale volumes of alcohol have dropped by over 50 per cent, with those violating the law this year having been fined by police. Meanwhile, NarumonKhoraphum, Chair of Ranong's Chamber of Commerce in the Thai South, noted that crowds of Myanmar workers were returning to work in Thailand through Ranong and they were making long queues at the Ranong ferry port and the local border crossing checkpoint, as their work will also resume on April 17. Colonel UthisAnantananont, deputy commander of an ad hoc unit at the 25th Infantry Regiment, said he has ordered subordinates to, thus, watch out for illegal immigrants and smuggling, as the number of incoming people was soaring. (TNA)