Patong police spoke out about the incident on April 14, after a video circulated on social networks with the caption "Chaos in Patong: Foreign tourists intend to open car doors to water", causing a widespread wave of criticism.
Police investigation results on April 12 and 13, coinciding with the Songkran festival, showed that there were no official complaints directly related to the incident in the video.
However, functional forces confirmed that a group of foreign tourists had disorderly behavior on Prachanukhro street, near Malin market, and caused traffic obstruction in this area.
Before the incident, the police issued a warning to businesses, small traders and local people, prohibiting placing water tanks or participating in water pouring on sidewalks and roads in a way that obstructs traffic. This measure is aimed at preventing similar situations from recurring during the rest of the festival.
Patong police affirmed maintaining public order and safety throughout Songkran, and said that enforcement measures have been strengthened throughout the area to protect both people and tourists, according to KhaoSod.
In another incident, police arrested a man accused of molesting a female reporter during the Songkran festival on Rama IV Road in Bangkok on April 13.
The suspect was temporarily detained by forces from Pathumwan police station after being accused of assaulting the female reporter while she was working. The situation became tense when this person was said to have provoked and tried to attack her.
This person was charged with indecent acts but denied the charges. Police are reviewing images from surveillance cameras and collecting more evidence, while the investigation is still ongoing.
Thailand is expected to collect more than 30.35 billion baht (about 931 million USD) during the Songkran holiday, an increase of 6% compared to last year, in which international tourists contribute more.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) estimates that about 500,000 foreign tourists visited Thailand in the period April 11-15, creating about 8.1 billion baht, an increase of 2% compared to the same period last year.
The Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports said that the number of international visitors from January 1 to April 12 reached 10.36 million, bringing in revenue of 506 billion baht.
