Decree to remain in place: Prayut
published : 21 Jun 2022 at 09:23
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Post Reporters
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday insisted the government has not yet cancelled the emergency decree, although easing of restrictions will continue.
Prayut's remarks came after Move Forward Party MP Rangsiman Rome urged the government to stop renewing the decree, which has been extended 18 times in two years despite the drop in Covid-19 cases and easing of restrictions.
Prayut said the emergency decree was used to facilitate government efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.
On Sunday, Mr Rangsiman demanded the government lift the special law which he claimed has been used to take legal action against anti-government protesters rather than curbing the spread of the virus.
He said the government had eased several Covid-19 restrictions including allowing people to take off their face masks in open-air spaces, so there was also no need to keep the decree.
Introduced on March 26, 2020 to control the spike in Covid-19 cases, the emergency decree gave the prime minister full control of anti-virus measures as head of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
Prayut said the government had several issues still to tackle including the overcrowding problem at immigration checkpoints.
He said that some Covid-19 restrictions would have to be maintained to keep the chances of a resurgence in cases to a minimum.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said he had instructed City Hall officials to contact the Indian embassy and hold talks on how to attract more tourists from the country.
He said the move came after he learned that Indian tourists were now the country's top arrivals.
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Vocabulary
- curb: to control or limit something - จำกัดขอบเขต, ควบคุม
- decree: an official decision or order made by a leader or government - พระราชกฤษฎีกา
- despite (prep): used to show that something happened or is true although something else might have happened to prevent it; used to show that somebody did not intend to do the thing mentioned - ถึงอย่างไรก็ตาม, ทั้ง ๆ ที่
- embassy: a group of officials who represent their government in a foreign country - สถานทูต
- emergency decree (noun): a situation where the government takes on special powers in a dangerous situation and the rights of the people are often limited in some way - ประกาศภาวะฉุกเฉิน
- facilitate: to make it possible or easier for something to happen - ทำให้สะดวกขึ้น
- immigration: dealing with people entering and leaving the country - การตรวจคนเข้าเมือง
- overcrowding (noun): having too many people or things in something ซึ่งแออัดยัดเยียด - ซึ่งแออัดยัดเยียด
- protester: someone who shows that they disagree with something by standing somewhere, shouting, carrying signs, etc - ผู้ต่อต้าน, ผู้ประท้วง
- restriction: a rule, action or situation that limits or controls someone or something - การจำกัด, การควบคุม
- resurgence: a new increase of activity or interest in a particular subject or idea which had been forgotten for some time - การฟื้นคืน, การกลับสู่สภาพ
- spike: a sudden increase - การพุ่งพรวดขึ้น
