Thai Cabinet Extends Emergency Despite Opposition Criticism
- Officials say emergency helps cut risk of virus resurgence
- Opposition argues sweeping powers for premier unnecessary
A security officer enforces social distancing rules at a commuter train station at rush hour in Bangkok on May 25.
Photographer: Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images
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Thailand’s military-backed government extended the country’s state of emergency for a second time, to the end of June, despite opposition calls to scrap it after novel coronavirus cases dwindled.
The step is needed to lower the risk of another wave of illness as a lockdown is eased, spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat said Tuesday after the Cabinet backed the move. The emergency imposed late March gives Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha sweeping powers, including a ban on large gatherings that prevents anti-government protests of the kind seen before the virus hit.