Thai PM Was Fined Rp2.8 Million For Not Wearing A Mask

JAKARTA - Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was fined for not wearing a mask in public while attending a meeting at the Government Building to discuss the COVID-19 situation in Thailand, Monday, April 26.

In a post on Facebook, Prayut explained how his government is pushing to secure more COVID-19 vaccines and attached a photo of the meeting. It showed him at the table with several advisors.

Everyone wore masks except Prayut. In fact, wearing masks is now mandatory in public spaces in 49 provinces and capital cities of Thailand.

Reporting from Channel News Asia, Tuesday, April 27, Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang has reminded residents to wear their face masks properly starting Monday or risk fines of up to 20,000 baht (around Rp9.2 million).

Following widespread criticism of the prime minister, Aswin posted on his Facebook page that Prayut had been fined 6,000 baht (approx. Rp2.8 million) for not complying with the rules.

“After the meeting, the prime minister asked me as the governor of Bangkok to investigate whether the case constituted a violation. I told him that his actions violated the announcement of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ordering people in Bangkok to wear surgical masks or cloth masks whenever they leave his residence," said Aswin.

"Then, I went to the Government Building with the Metropolitan Police Chief and the inspector from the Dusit police station," he added.

Prayut agrees to be fined.

Prayut's Facebook post about meeting his adviser was deleted and re-uploaded without a photo showing him without a mask.

The incident comes amid the latest wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand which has infected more than 28,000 people and killed 54 people since early April.

It has spread from nightclubs, parties, and concerts since the start of this month. Following a recent spike in cases, the Thai government ordered the temporary closure of nightclubs, pubs, and bars across the country, along with other measures to control the spread of the coronavirus.

In high-risk zones such as Bangkok, various measures have been implemented, including bans on some activities and closings of some places to limit the movement of people and reduce the risk of infection.

National nightspots such as pubs, bars, and massage parlors will be temporarily closed for at least 14 days. Schools and universities were also closed.

On Monday, Prayut said in his controversial Facebook post that Thailand aims to provide at least 300,000 doses per day to get 50 million people vaccinated this year. The government will also try to secure more COVID-19 vaccines with the aim of getting 10 million to 15 million doses per month, he added.

According to the Department of Disease Control, Thailand reported 2,048 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number of infections to 57,508.

The country has so far reported 148 deaths from the coronavirus. Currently, 563 patients are in critical condition.