Bangkok, Thailand-
The Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan O’Cha, has been promoting a more environmentally friendly Loy Krathong festival tonight, urging Thai citizens and foreign residents to adapt to Covid-19 and environmental measures.
People are being asked to consider floating one krathong per family or group instead of one krathong for every person. They are also being asked to not use materials that could harm the environment and instead focus on natural materials that will dissolve or that fish could consume.
Additionally, with the exception of a few sanctioned events especially in Chiang Mai, officials are reminding people not to light off fireworks or fire lanterns as they could cause fire hazards. The Thai Government has also urged people not to celebrate the holiday by drinking alcohol as it is not a traditional activity. Finally, the Government is stressing that people follow Covid-19 measures such as social distancing and mask wearing, despite a lack of locally spread cases in the country.
If you wish to learn more about the holiday you can read our article on the event below: