BANGKOK: Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has warned the public to avoid both Silom and New Phran Nok road after Songkran crowds swelled across the capital, with more than 160,000 people recorded in the city’s busiest celebration zone.
Chadchart visited the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Command Center to monitor the situation during the 2026 Songkran festival and said the overall atmosphere this year was more lively than last year, particularly in Silom, where the number of people joining the water celebrations had risen sharply.
Data gathered through the city’s AI system and smart surveillance cameras showed that Silom remained the most crowded location in Bangkok, with around 162,583 revellers and tourists. That figure was nearly double the level seen during Songkran last year, when the area recorded about 90,000 to 100,000 people.
Despite the heavy crowds, Chadchart dismissed rumours that emergency access had broken down. He said the emergency lane system was still functioning properly and that dedicated routes for ambulances had been clearly arranged. Although the area was densely packed, vehicles were still able to move in line with traffic management and crowd dispersal efforts.
This year, the BMA has stepped up safety measures by deploying more advanced technology to monitor crowds and support police operations. These measures include face recognition cameras linked to real-time criminal databases, real-time checkpoints working alongside police officers to screen individuals entering and leaving festival zones, and crowd analysis systems designed to assess density and movement in order to prevent dangerous overcrowding or stampedes.
Elsewhere, Khao San Road drew around 20,000 Songkran revellers. Chadchart said traffic management there had been working well thanks to a one-way pedestrian and traffic flow system, allowing the area to remain relatively smooth. The situation around CentralWorld was described as less congested, with tourists still able to move around comfortably.
The governor said the most worrying flashpoint this year was New Phran Nok Road, particularly the stretch between Phutthamonthon Sai 2 and Sai 3. Large numbers of people had brought vehicles onto the road to join water fights, while vendors had also set up stalls in significant numbers, creating severe disruption.
As a result, traffic had built up heavily in both directions, vehicles in some stretches were unable to move at all, and parts of the road had effectively been blocked by disorderly water play activity.
City Hall has advised motorists and the public to avoid New Phran Nok Road and instead use nearby alternative routes, including Kanchanaphisek Road, Borommaratchachonnani Road and other Phutthamonthon routes that do not pass through the affected stretch.
Chadchart said the BMA was now urgently coordinating with district teams and relevant agencies to bring the New Phran Nok area under better control.
Even so, he said the overall Songkran picture remained satisfactory, as several trouble spots seen in previous years had already been addressed through earlier planning and lessons learned, helping prevent a repeat of past problems. - The Nation/ANN
