The celebrations are taking place amid tighter controls over revellers’ behaviour and water wars, stricter traffic rules to prevent road carnage, additional measures to prevent possible attacks, and stronger limits on alcohol consumption.

Authorities have also urged revellers to dress decently and refrain from using high-pressure water guns, while water-splashing from trucks is only allowed in designated Songkran zones. The sale of alcohol is banned in those zones and local leaders were told to hold activities within permitted time periods and watch out for known troublemakers.

In Buri Ram’s Muang district, performance stages were set up at the front of the i-Mobile Stadium and a “water-sprinkle tunnel” was installed yesterday for the Buri Ram Songkran Carnival, which will be held on Thursday and Friday from 6pm to midnight. More than 100,000 people are expected to join the event which covers the six-kilometre-long Buri Ram-Parkhonchai-Pattarabopit road.

Ratchabutr Road in Ubon Ratchathani’s Muang district was turned into the “avenue of water and flowers” for Songkran, with a 300-metre water tunnel to entertain revellers.

Sukhothai’s Khao Tok Road saw a water tunnel installed near the city’s clock tower and people had already started splashing water nearby.

In Chiang Mai’s Mae Rim district, Mae Sa Elephant Camp brought five elephants to play with water along with children and visitors to boost the Songkran mood.

National Security Council chief General Thaweep Netniyom said that, in line with Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan’s instructions to beef up security, important high-traffic venues would be guarded.

Deputy police spokesman Major General Songpol Wattanachai told officers not to take leave during Songkran so they could provide security against any possible attack and arrest motorists who break the law. He urged revellers, especially women, to wear decent clothing and be polite.

Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry has provided Bt7 million to fund blood alcohol testing on people involved in suspected drunk driving accidents during Songkran, permanent secretary Dr Sopon Mekthon said. Health officials would conduct blood tests on a case-by-case basis, he said, with samples sent to the Department of Medical Sciences.

The bar was also lowered on the legally acceptable level of blood alcohol for motorists, from the current 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to no higher than 20mg, he said.

If a driver found to have exceeded the limit is under 20 year of age, police would also punish the establishment that sold them the alcohol, he said.

Migrant workers also headed to their home countries for the holiday, creating a buzz of excitement at border checkpoints such as Chiang Rai, Bung Kan and Surin.

Customers at Sa Kaew’s Rong Klua border market generated Bt10 million a day and at least 5,000 Cambodian workers crossed the border via the Sa Kaew’s Aranyaprathet checkpoint yesterday.

Meanwhile, police have proposed that it should be legal for passengers to ride in two-door pickup trucks’ extended cab spaces and in the cargo bed of pickup trucks under certain conditions, a source at the Royal Thai Police said.

Citing a letter signed by Assistant Police Commissioner General, Pol Lt-General Wittaya Prayongpan, last Friday, the source said police asked the Land Transport Department (LTD) director-general to consider criteria that allows people who need to use pickup trucks to carry more passengers than can be accommodated in seats with seatbelts in certain circumstances.

Police suggested three guidelines: First, that the extended cab space behind the front seats of certain two-door pickup truck models could have seatbelts installed for passengers. Second, that pickup trucks with an open cargo bed could be allowed to carry up to six persons, if hand rails and seatbelts are possible. And third, that trucks allowed to carry passengers in the cargo bed must drive at less than 80 kph in municipal areas.

A new requirement came into effect yesterday requiring drivers of passenger vans on fixed routes to remove excess seats to meet the 13-seat limit. Failure to comply could result in a Bt5,000 fine and a licence suspension of up to six months, said Deputy Transport Minister Pichit Akkharathit. The new rule covered 15,808 passenger vans registered nationwide.