A sudden rise in the number of people breaking the curfew to drink alcohol between Sunday night and early Monday morning has prompted a warning that the government may have to reinstate the sales ban.
A total of 690 people defied the curfew, representing a 60% rise on the previous night when the alcohol sales ban was still in effect.
The ban was lifted in most provinces including Bangkok on Sunday, which marked the first of a 14-day trial period for resuming alcohol sales.
Of the 690 curfew violators, 129 were also involved in social drinking gatherings prohibited under the emergency decree, said the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin,
There was also gambling and drug use, he said.
"The country won't be able to succeed in [containing Covid-19] without cooperation from everyone. Only when it is certain the country is totally free of the virus will we be able to live a normal life again," he said.
"If new infections remain low during the easing of the restrictions, we will move on to the next phase," said Dr Taweesilp said.
"But if infections flare up, the easing will be reviewed and possibly stopped.
"What we have achieved in the past month is meaningful and what we do in the next 14 days will be even more important," the spokesman added.
Meanwhile, the deputy chief executive officer of Siam Makro Plc said sales of alcoholic beverages at Makro branches continued to rise on Monday.
