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Thai promoter charged over non-socially distanced show

A concert promoter has been charged with violating Thailand’s restrictions on mass gatherings after organising a non-socially distanced concert attended by thousands 2,500 people.

Paisant Vettayayong, the organiser of a 25 July show by popular luk thung (Thai country music) singer Jenny, is accused of violating an emergency decree banning non-distanced large-scale public gatherings until 31 August. Photos posted to social media appear to show hundreds of unmasked concertgoers packed into a temporary indoor arena for the Red Cross Fair charity event, held near Nakhon Sri Thammarat in southern Thailand.

In a 4 August news release, the Thai Ministry of Public Health confirmed that the concert, which was attended by 2,582 people, did “not meet government standards” and therefore posed a “high change of Covid-19 transmission”.

Paisant Vettayayong is accused of violating an emergency decree banning large-scale public gatherings until 31 August

Paisant, who admitted wrongdoing, is liable for a fine of up to ฿40,000 (US$1,300) or a two-year prison sentence, the Bangkok Post reports.

While the show attracted significant public criticism, including from Thailand’s prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, it emerged on Sunday (9 August) that no concertgoers had been infected with Covid-19.

At press time, Thailand had no new daily cases of Covid-19. Some 3,351 Thais have had the disease since January, 58 of which died.

 


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