Thailand Restricts Sky Lanterns, Fireworks Due to Aircraft Safety Concerns

Thai military authorities on Saturday introduced strict controls over the production and use of the festive floating lanterns and homemade gunpowder rockets, which are launched during celebrations in Thailand, citing concerns over potential danger they pose to civil aviation.

BANGKOK (Sputnik) – According to the Thai public journal, the Royal Thai Government Gazette, all launches of homemade festive rockets and paper lanterns with burning torches inside will now have to be coordinated with the local authorities.

Thai laws come into force after being published in the Royal Gazette.

In 2015, during the celebrations of the Loy Krathong holiday, 74 flights bound for Thailands northern provinces were canceled due to the launches of the flying lanterns, while 30 more were redirected to other airports.