08 Jan, 2021
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew has issued a provincial order making it illegal to not wear a face mask in a public area. The penalty for breach of the order is a fine of up to B20,000 or may even include a jail term, the order warned.
The Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket) published the order just before 6:30pm today (Jan 7).
The order was also marked as effective from today (Jan 7).
The order, designated Phuket Provincial Order 62/2021, was approved by the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee yesterday, noted the announcement by PR Phuket.
“Any person who leaves their home, residence in a house, house, building, place or vehicle, or is in a public place must always wear a face mask or cloth mask,” the order explained.
Proceeding without a face mask “could create unsanitary conditions that could cause dangerous communicable diseases or epidemics to spread”, it added.
People are exempt from wearing a face mask while eating, drinking or exercising, the order noted.
Any person who violates or fails to comply with the order may be charged under Section 51 of the Communicable Diseases Act 2015, which incurs a fine of up to B20,000, the order warned.
Any breach of the order may also constitute an offense under Section 52 of the Communicable Diseases Act, which may be punished by a fine of up to B100,000 or up to one year in prison, or both.
Offences against the order may also be punished under Section 18 of the Emergency Decree, the order warned.
The order is to remain in effect until further notice.
