MOU signed to prevent danger from sky lanterns, rockets

BANGKOK, January 8 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Transport has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with many concerned parties to protect airplanes from sky lanterns and local rockets, taking effective immediately until 2018. Thai Transport Minister Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong presided over the signing ceremony at his ministry on Thursday, with signatories including his ministry, the Ministries of Interior, Defence, Tourism and Sports, Education and Culture, as well as the Royal Thai Police, the Public Relations Department (PRD), the National Office of Buddhism and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). Under the MOU, the concerned agencies will form a joint committee to implement measures to control people's sky lanterns and rockets, while the Ministry of Transport's Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning will be the coordinator of the committee. The transport minister told journalists that the agreement on the issue is the first initiative of its kind, as locals' previous launches of sky lanterns and rockets had highly jeopardized aviation and aircraft flying in or through the Thai sky because they went beyond the Thai traditions and some rockets were also launched for gambling. The transport minister noted that the MOU signing is aimed at creating proper public understanding, conserving beautiful Thai cultures and controlling sky lanterns and Bang Fai rockets in compliance with the Thai law to prevent impacts on aviation and the general public. The transport minister said his ministry will later push for legal amendments on hazardous substances to cover local sky lanterns and Bang Fai rockets. (TNA)