Food at bus terminals, train stations found below par

[PeteC]

A commentary about food safety that turns into a Songkran handbook. Pete

The Nation April 11, 2012 1:00 am
Food at bus terminals, train stations found below par

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 79743.html

Most of the food sold at passenger terminals has been found to be below safety standards or even poisonous, Deputy Public Health Minister Surawit Khonsomboon said yesterday.

Citing a survey on food hygiene as part of a ministry campaign to ensure food safety during the fourday Songkran holiday, he said 32 out of 81 samples showed Ecoli contamination, six contained the staphylococcus aureus bacteria, four showed salmonella and one had vibrio parahaemolyticus.

He called on consumers to always purchase ice or drinking water packaged in containers with a Food and Drugs Administration stamp of safety. He also urged consumers to only use straws with plastic covers. The survey was conducted at three key bus terminals and a major train station.

Police have also been warned against aiming highpowered water guns at people's eyes or ears to avoid injury, and revellers are being told to not throw water at motorcyclists to avoid accidents. Revellers who cause a motorcycle to tip over by using highpowered water guns will face assault charges, which carries a two year imprisonment sentence and/or a fine of up to Bt4,000. People are also not allowed to mix ice cubes or crushed ice in the water used to throw at each other. Shops selling banned watergun brands as well as those made from water pipes will be subjected to fines.

Bangkok police chief Pol LtGeneral Winai Thongsong has warned partygoers from getting out of hand and also encouraged women to avoid dressing scantily or participating in provocative moves. Men who touch female revellers inappropriately or molest them will be arrested. The key areas of Songkran celebration - Khao San, Silom, Royal City Avenue and Suan Luang Ror 9 - will be under close police watch, he added.

Deputy police chief Pol MajGeneral Wichai Sangpraphai said, so far, there had been no intelligence reports of planned insurgent attacks over the fourday break.

A total of 105 areas in Bangkok will be under extra police security, along with all key bus terminals, train stations and both airports.

A joint operation centre run by the Metropolitan Police Bureau and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has been set up to implement roadsafety measures under the "Seven Dangerous Days" campaign to keep road casualties at the minimum from April 1117.

Speed limit, driving discipline, safety helmet law and don'tdrivedrunk policies will be strictly implemented. In addition, all public transport systems are undergoing safety checks and equipment inspection.

Medics and emergency medical services along with rescue and fire units will be on standby round the clock for seven days.

[margaretcarnes]

Some of these safety and security measures are nothing less than would be expected in any other country during this type of holiday celebration. Extra police for one. Measures to prosecute people who cause accidents. Plans to provide help etc in emergencies. And not least the plans to reduce road accidents.
Will all the hype help? I hope so - but I fear not.
At the end of the day - or holiday in this case - Songkran will no doubt continue to be beyond the ability of the enforcing authorities to control. Probably because the very people who are there to do the controlling are themselves too sidetracked by celebrations to be of any use.
Sorry - but this sounds too much like an attempt to be seen to be doing something. And far too late in the day anyway. Thai people will continue to go mad at Songkran as always, and the authorities (I use that term loosely) shouldn't use the old chestnut fallback that Songkran has been made worse by tourists.

[PeteC]

Another point is that if the vendor food is bad now, it's bad all of the time. We don't seem to hear anything about it though unless a holiday rolls around. Pete

[Pleng]

Report by McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Co and MK??

[Nereus]

Police have also been warned against aiming highpowered water guns at people's eyes or ears to avoid injury..........................

Must be out of rubber bullets!

[margaretcarnes]

Another point is that if the vendor food is bad now, it's bad all of the time. We don't seem to hear anything about it though unless a holiday rolls around. Pete

We probably don't hear anything about it because the majority of the time street food is perfectly safe Pete - as we all know only too well from personal experience of it. There is more risk IMO from eateries where you can't see what is going on in the kitchen area.