DPM orders for checkpoints increase ahead of Songkran

BANGKOK, April 3 (TNA) -- Thai Deputy Premier/Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon has ordered highway police to set up more checkpoints on all main and secondary roads as part of raad safety measures during Songkran Festival later this month. The minister said after presiding over the meeting to lay down measures on security and road accident prevention during the upcoming Songkran Festival 2017 that the government is trying its best to reduce the loss of lives and assets during Songkran, where highway police have been ordered to beef up security on both the main and secondary highways by increasing checkpoints. Meanwhile, security at local roads would be the responsibility of the administrative officials, where festival goers would be allowed to splash water on each other from the back of a pickup truck on the local and secondary roads only. Gen Prawit noted that the government has planned to strictly enforce order under article 44 of the interim Constitution to help reduce the loss of lives and assets from road accidents, including to control the speed limit and to promote the wearing of safety belts. He added that the government has no need to set up the target on reducing the number of death tolls from road accidents for the year. He stressed that the public must also bear in mind that country is still in mourning for the His late Majesty King Rama 9 and should enjoy the water festival moderately, while asking the general public to be the eyes and ears for officials in looking out for any suspicious incidents. (TNA)