Thailand's PM fined for not wearing mask
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Topics: THAILAND
Some locations are backing it up with a 20,000 baht (US$640) fine. After a picture of a maskless Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha attending a meeting emerged on social media, the Bangkok governor said the premier had been fined 6,000 baht (US$190).
"As Bangkok governor, I filed a complaint against the prime minister who accepted the fine," Governor Aswin Kwanmuang wrote on Facebook.
Some 2,048 new cases were announced on Monday. The day before, Thailand recorded its highest single-day death toll of the pandemic, with 11 fatalities.
Until the latest outbreak, Thailand had managed to keep infections down thanks to strict travel restrictions and swift action to isolate confirmed cases. But there have been complaints about the slow rollout of vaccines, with the kingdom lagging behind other countries in the region.
n addition to the mask requirement, authorities in the capital have closed a raft of venues including cinemas, parks, gyms, swimming pools, spas and nurseries. The new restrictions come a week after bars and nightclubs were ordered closed and restaurants banned from serving alcohol. ■