Songkran celebrations in Bangkok drew massive crowds from all over the world, with more than 360,000 people joining festivities on Silom and Khao San roads over the first two days of the holiday period, says the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
On April 12–13, Silom Road saw 165,239 visitors joining the celebrations which went on from noon to 10pm, while Khao San Road, where the celebrations ran from midday to midnight, welcomed 197,314 people.
At a daily briefing at BMA's command centre on Monday, Virat Manassanitwong, BMA's deputy permanent secretary, instructed the Office of Traffic and Transport to inspect all CCTV cameras in both areas to ensure they are fully functional.
He thanked officials from all 50 district offices and staff at the command centre for working around the clock to assist Songkran revellers.
Pol Gen Adit Ngamjitsuksri, adviser to Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, asked district officials to monitor vendors and prevent them from blocking pedestrian areas and evacuation routes, which could hinder rescue efforts in the event of an emergency.
The BMA says 11 traffic accidents were reported between April 11 and 13, resulting in 10 deaths and four injuries.
Five building fires, which caused one fatality and eight injuries, were reported during the same period.
Separately, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said crowds of passengers at Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and Hua Lamphong station eased from the numbers a few days ago, as most travellers had already left the city from April 10-13.
During that four-day period, more than 339,000 passengers travelled via train from both stations, with the southern line seeing the largest number of passengers at 120,954.
The SRT has added special services on both the northern and southern lines to accommodate increased demand.
The SRT said additional railway staff and police have been deployed at train stations and on trains to ensure passengers' safety around the clock.
Travellers are reminded to follow safety regulations, not drink and smoke while on a train, and report any suspicious behaviour to train attendants.
