More than 40 people yesterday joined hands to submit a letter to the Royal Thai Police (RTP) to strictly enforce laws about alcohol sales and sexual harassment during the Songkran festival.
The Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation (WMP) as well as various youth and development networks and city communities urged national police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas to act.
Drunks may cause trouble such as harassing others, picking fights or driving under the influence, they warned.
Angkana Intasa, head of the WMP's gender equality promotion division, said the networks believe that strict law enforcement would help ease the anxiety of Songkran revellers regarding their safety.
The networks also urged the RTP to make Songkran venues alcohol-free and ensure that everyone is safe from sexual harassment. They also asked the police to set up a police complaint booth at each Songkran venue.
Ms Angkana said that based on a 2017 WMP survey of 1,650 people, 28.1% of respondents did not want to join Songkran events as they had bad experiences, such as people smearing powder on their cheeks or arms, or gratuitous touches and fondling during water fights. About 15.7% were tired of dealing with drunk people.
A survey this year found similar results -- that most respondents did not want people to put powder on their faces or harass them. Some 55.6% said they would inform the police if harassed, 20.9% said they would notify a complaint booth, and 13.4% said they would talk to security guards.
Kruemas Srichan, a coordinator of the Life Quality Development Network, said the network is concerned about road accidents during Songkran. She said more people are travelling now that Covid has abated, leading to a greater risk of accidents.