Deputy Bangkok governor Chakkaphan Phiewngam said that the Songkran-designated zones where people went to play water such as Khao San Road area had yielded about five tonnes of garbage per day while Silom Road yielded double that amount. This was 50 per cent less than the previous Songkran at both locations, he said.

He credited the decline to the fact that many people went to the provinces to celebrate Songkran and officers’ strict enforcement of laws and regulations, including limited times for water-play, and vendors’ cooperation in not selling food in some areas.

He said most of the garbage found in Songkran-designated zones was plastic bottles.