Bangkok and Pattaya businesses hoping for a last-minute reversal were high and dry Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reaffirmed no water splashing will be allowed for Songkran.
Anutin on Monday poured cold water on the hopes of Khao San Road merchants, who had argued that outdoor water fights were not a health risk, especially if they imposed ridiculous vaccine and testing restrictions on those who wanted to play.
Afraid of his own shadow, Anutin insisted water would spread Covid-19, despite little evidence to support it.
"I urge that we remain patient for another year and follow disease-control measures until Covid-19 becomes endemic, after which we will be able to enjoy Songkran as usual," Anutin said.
In addition, the health minister asserted that people who planned to travel upcountry for the Thai New Year start "self-cleanup" measures from April 1 to ensure they do not bring the virus home to their families. Among the steps are avoiding high-contact venues, monitoring symptoms, getting a booster vaccine shot and taking an antigen test before going.
Anutin warned that without strict disease-control measures, daily infections around Songkran could rise to 100,000, supposedly putting pressure on the public-health system even though, by his ministry's own admission, 95,000 of those cases likely would be asymptomatic or mild.