Activities unrelated to the mourning of His Majesty the late King are being moved outside the Sanam Luang area for orderliness and better regulation, said Bangkok deputy governor Amnuay Nimmano.
Sanam Luang is handling a huge crowd of mourners -- both queuing to pay their respects to the late King inside the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall and those turning up outside the Grand Palace -- each day.
With about 130,000 people outside the Grand Palace and another 30,000 entering the throne hall each day, the sheer numbers have persuaded authorities to tighten legal enforcement.
Many also have complained that the activities at Sanam Luang have turned the atmosphere of solemnity into something close to a fair.
Pol Lt Gen Amnuay said for the sake of orderliness and security, those offering free services such as hair cuts, drawings and clothes dying have been asked to vacate Sanam Luang.
Activities that can remain in Sanam Luang are restricted to the distribution of free food at specific times, directly catering to mourners visiting the throne hall.
Up to 12,000 people gathering at Sanam Luang to pay their respects to the late King have been found hoarding free food given to them by volunteers, some with the intention of reselling it.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and related agencies have responded by looking to regulate food given to mourners by volunteers in order to stop people from abusing the system, said First Army chief Apiratch Kongsompong, who leads a joint order-keeping command at Sanam Luang.
Those found repeatedly taking free meals without the intention of eating them on the grounds were sent to police and warned before being released.
If authorities find them repeating the offence, they could face legal action, said a police source.
Pol Lt Gen Amnuay said some vendors have peddled memorabilia and performed rites for a fee, targeting unsuspecting mourners from upcountry. Some motorcyclists charged customers despite claiming to offer free rides.
The vendors and the motorcyclists will be blacklisted and banned from entering Sanam Luang.
Narong Khongkham, inspector-general of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, said fewer homeless people have shown up at Sanam Luang in recent days. Yesterday 25 were found, three of whom were waiting to pay their respects to the late King. They have been sent to the Mit Maitree shelter.
Maj Gen Thammanoon Withi, the First Region Army deputy commander, said security protection and public services for the mourners were generally well organised.
Mourners accessing Sanam Luang were told to produce their citizenship or civil servant ID cards. Those without identification were interviewed by security officials who took down their identity information before permitting them into Sanam Luang.
The tight procedures are intended to prevent crimes such as pickpocketing.
Wikorn Permpuak, assistant director of Volunteers for Dad, said some volunteers at Sanam Luang had extorted mourners, forcing the unit to issue new volunteer ID cards as they could be tracked and checked more easily.
Around 1,400 traffic police officers are deployed around Sanam Luang and the Grand Palace.
Since Oct 14, a day after His Majesty's passing, a total of 6.8 million people have signed the condolence books provided at government offices nationwide, according to the Interior Ministry.
