Police will closely monitor the famous backpacker hangout of Khao San Road and the financial district of Silom until Sunday as the two prime partying spots for this weekend's Songkran festival, which officially kicks off Friday, are expected to attract huge crowds again this year.
Any displays of public nudity are strictly prohibited, as is the possession of firearms, said Pol Gen Wirachai Songmetta, the deputy commissioner-general of the Royal Thai Police (RTP).
The Thai New Year celebrations at these two partying hot spots are notorious for their displays of exuberance as water fights and booze binges collide, often resulting in cases of nudity and reports of sexual assaults.
According to Pol Gen Wirachai, antisocial behaviour like forcefully smearing powder on people's faces and clothes -- a traditional custom over this annual holiday -- will also be banned due to the likelihood of such action triggering molestation charges.
He said sexual assaults and other obscenity-related charges are punishable by a maximum 10-year jail sentence and fines of up to 200,000 baht. He added those caught dressing "provocatively" can be fined up to 5,000 baht.
The use of high-pressure water cannons can also lead to sentences of up to six months and a maximum fine of 50,000 baht, he warned.
Officially, the festivities at Khao San and Silom start around 10am and end at 9pm over the holiday, including Friday.
A woman is soaked in a water gun attack on Khao San Road, a favourite haunt for tourists. It is one of many city venues hosting Songkran celebrations until Sunday as the festival gets into full swing. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)
Pol Gen Wirachai said screening points equipped with explosive-scanning devices will be placed in surrounding areas.
Other areas set to host the annual festivities in Bangkok include Wat Saket (also known as the Golden Mount Temple), Siam Square, and Central World. Traditional celebrations will also be held along the Chao Phraya River, notably at the Yodpiman flower market and Asiatique the Riverfront.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of passengers have already set off on their journeys home, with the Transport Ministry counting the holiday as running from April 11-17.
Over 240,000 passengers had left Hua Lamphong railway station in Bangkok from Wednesday as of Thursday evening, with reports suggesting the numbers are likely to dwindle in the coming days.
Up to 180,000 revellers have been tipped to travel from Mor Chit bus terminal to elsewhere in the country in the early days of the holiday, Transport Co, Ltd president Jirasak Yaovatsakul said Thursday. The company is the country's main operator for provincial buses and vans.
He said the company has asked the Department of Land Transport to supply 300 extra buses to service passengers who did not buy tickets beforehand. Heavy congestion on a stretch of Mittraphap Road in Nakhon Ratchasima, between Pak Chong and Sikhiu districts, has caused some vehicles not being able to return to Mor Chit in time for connecting buses, he added.
The first of the holiday's Seven Dangerous Days saw 39 highway deaths. That compares with 40 on the corresponding day last year, and 52 on Day 1 of the holiday period in 2016.
In a related development, authorities have seized 146 vehicles from drivers who were caught intoxicated as of Wednesday.
The car-confiscating policy exercised during Thai festivities was introduced under the rule of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). The vehicles are normally returned after Songkran.
Some 3,339 drink-driving cases were recorded on the first day of Songkran alone, officials said. Of these, 1,864 involved motorcycles. Some 438 licences have been seized in these cases.