THE METROPOLITAN Police warned restaurateurs that they will be arrested if they follow a social media trend encouraging them to open as usual and offer dine-in service which is currently banned to control the coronavirus crisis with only takeaways allowed, Siam Rath said this afternoon (July 4).
Pol. Maj. Gen. Piya Tawichai, deputy chief and spokesman of Metropolitan Police, said this social media trend incites restaurant operators to mount a civil disobedience campaign by opening as usual and offering onsite dining.
He warned that not only would these restaurant operators who are already suffering from the coronavirus measure temporarily halting dine-in service have to stock up food and raw materials to do so, they would not be able to sell while also facing arrest.
This online message said 200 restaurants are participating in the campaign but in fact only 10 have been found to do so, he added.
Those who think of opening for dine-in service with tables set apart according to previous social distancing regulation were told that they have to strictly adhere to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) directive which right only allows takeaway service.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Piya also added that the six inter-provincial labour migration checkpoints had over the past six days checked 3,318 vehicles and 6,649 passengers but did not find any violators.
There might have been some cases of workers who out of emergency had to travel to another province or were doing so to seek medical treatment and for the latter the police coordinated with a hospital and sent them there.
Regarding food for workers at locked down camps, BMA has held talks with the Construction Labour Industry Association to send them supplies. Where small camps are concerned, if they face emergencies or have a patient to send to a hospital the workers could either contact the police hotline 191 or the Public Health Ministry emergency line 1669.
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Top: A takeaway sign at a restaurant. Photo: Jeremy Segrott (CC BY 2.0)
Home Page: A sandwich takeaway shop. Photo: Steven Lilley (CC BY-SA 2.0)
