Thai PM guarantees safety during Songkran

BANGKOK, April 13 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has confirmed that there are no signs of any untoward incident during this year's Songkran Festival. Yingluck made the confirmation on Thursday, insisting that the National Intelligence Agency and the Royal Thai Police have conducted their intelligence to look for signs of untoward incidents, and that she has ordered authorities concerned to intensify security measures to guarantee public safety. Yingluck acknowledged that she has also ordered all ministries to seriously promote road safety including efforts to enforce bans on drunk driving and speeding. According to the Thai premier, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and Transport Company Limited will also provide travellers with sufficient transportation services during the Songkran festival. In Hat Yai, Thailand's southern business hub in Songkhla Province, local security authorities and volunteers have operated checkpoints and searched vehicles entering the heart of Hat Yai to prevent untoward incidents during the Songkran Festival, Over 1,300 security officers have been deployed at 47 checkpoints throughout Hat Yai to search suspicious cars and motorcycles especially those with teenage drivers. The tight security measures do not affect tourism but on the contrary, boost confidence among local people and tourists. (TNA)