Launching sky lanterns during Loy Krathong illegal, govt warns
Revellers are warned not to breach the law by launching any sky lanterns, bang fai (locally-made rockets), fireworks, and firecrackers into the air during the Loy Krathong festival this year as they could pose a potential fire hazard.
The festival will be celebrated tonight (November 27) and the Deputy Spokesperson of the Office of the Prime Minister Radklao Suwankiri said that while the government wished everyone a joyous Loy Krathong, everyone should to be aware of the potential for accidents.
Citing the risk of an accidental fire, Radklao said it is forbidden for people to launch anything into the air, adding that deploying drones and releasing balloons into the sky is prohibited because they might endanger aircraft.
She said that such actions are against the 2019 Air Navigation Act (No. 14) as well as the 2015 Certain Offences Against Air Navigation Act. The maximum penalty for the latter is 800,000 baht in fines, lifetime imprisonment, and even the death penalty.
People can call 191, 1669, 1646, and 1997 in case of emergency, she added.
According to a previous report from the National Institute for Emergency Medicine, 2022 saw 545 injuries as a result of incidents, including those involving fireworks, the most in the last five years. The number was just 421 in 2021, 481 in 2020, 456 in 2019, and 446 in 2018.
