Thai military chiefs are to roll out spot checks on pigeons and jail tourists who feed them as they crack down on the birds for spreading diseases.
Prime Minister Prayut Chanocha ordered the measures last Wednesday and told local authorities around the country to enforce rules that ban pigeons from being fed by the public.
He said the move was due to hygiene concerns but said the pigeons must not be harmed, according to the Bangkok Post.
The Bangkok City Hall will now impose a three-month jail term and a 25,000 baht fine on offenders. They are also finding ways to ''reduce their numbers'' and have begun rounding up pigeons.
Despite the measures, just two days later, dozens of Chinese tourists were feeding pigeons outside a temple in Chiang Mai. Footage shows the groups posing for pictures as they give seeds to the birds outside the Tha Phae Gate area.
Food seller Nong Thanyaporn said: ''This happens a lot. There are signs but people still do it. I think it will be hard to stop people feeding pigeons.''
Chiang Mai chief livestock development officer Songsak Sriamporn said officials would conduct spot checks on pigeons at the Tha Phae Gate every bi-monthly to ensure no disease is spreading, which could infect humans.
Chiang Mai Mayor Thassanai Buranupakorn said signs had been put up warning against feeding birds at the gate and in Nong Buak Had Park. He said feeding the birds only led to more of them gathering in the same spots and the numbers would dwindle only after people stop feeding them.
