Thai PM fined for not wearing mask

BANGKOK: Thailand’s prime minister was fined for not wearing a mask Monday after new COVID-19 restrictions came into force to try to halt the country’s spiralling outbreak. Wearing masks is now compulsory in public spaces in 49 provinces and the capital, Bangkok — where the latest outbreak has been traced back to a nightlife district. Some locations are backing it up with a 20,000 baht ($640) fine.

After a picture of a maskless Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha attending a meeting emerged on social media Monday, the Bangkok governor said the premier had been fined 6,000 baht ($190).

"As Bangkok governor, I filed a complaint against the prime minister who accepted the fine," Governor Aswin Kwanmuang wrote on Facebook. Some 2,048 new cases were announced on Monday. The day before, Thailand recorded its highest single-day death toll of the pandemic, with 11 fatalities.