Pesta Songkran kembali di Thailand, namun lebih sederhana

BANGKOK: Thailand akan kembali meraikan pesta air Songkran buat kali pertama selepas tiga tahun pada April ini, namun dengan garis panduan tertentu, ketika negara itu kini bergerak ke arah peralihan fasa endemik COVID-19.

Songkran, perayaan tradisi tahun baharu dari 13 hingga 15 April, yang menyaksikan orang ramai menembak air ke arah satu sama lain di bawah matahari terik selain berkunjungi ke kuil untuk bersembahyang dan melakukan upacara memberi persembahan.

"Kita berada di persimpangan sama ada kita boleh menamatkan pandemik COVID-19 pada pertengahan tahun. Faktornya ialah Songkran," kata Udom Kachintorn, penasihat kepada badan penggubal dasar COVID-19, pada Jumaat.

Aktiviti tradisi Songkran dibenarkan, termasuk kunjungan ke kuil, berdoa, dan mencurah air ke atas patung Buddha serta mencurah air ke tangan orang tua sebagai simbol meminta keberkatan.

Orang ramai dibenarkan menyimbah air antara satu sama lain dalam persekitaran yang dianggap bebas COVID-19.

Bagaimanapun, menyimbah air di kawasan awam seperti di jalanan tidak dibenarkan. Sambutan lain seperti pesta buih dan minum minuman keras juga diharamkan.

Tempat hiburan seperti kelab malam masih ditutup buat masa ini.

Mereka yang menghadiri apa-apa acara di ruang tertutup mesti memakai pelitup muka dan mengekalkan jarak fizikal.

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Authoritarian regimes don’t stop at their own borders—often reaching across countries to track, detain, and deport refugees, activists, and migrants. This is transnational repression: when a state extends its repression beyond its own beyond their borders to control or punish its citizens abroad. Malaysia and Thailand, two of Southeast Asia’s biggest hubs for migrants and refugees, have become key battlegrounds for transnational repression. With Malaysia helming ASEAN chair this year, what role does the region play in resisting, or enabling, transnational repression? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Krittaporn Semsantad, Programme Director at the Bangkok-based Peace Rights Foundation.

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Authoritarian regimes don’t stop at their own borders—often reaching across countries to track, detain, and deport refugees, activists, and migrants. This is transnational repression: when a state extends its repression beyond its own beyond their borders to control or punish its citizens abroad. Malaysia and Thailand, two of Southeast Asia’s biggest hubs for migrants and refugees, have become key battlegrounds for transnational repression. With Malaysia helming ASEAN chair this year, what role does the region play in resisting, or enabling, transnational repression? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Douglas Teoh, spokesperson from the End Transnational Repression Alliance.