Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was fined for not wearing a face mask at a meeting on Monday under new coronavirus restrictions amid a new wave of infections.

Prayuth was among the first to be punished under a set of measures imposed on Monday that include a fine of up to 20,000 baht (Rs 47,610) for those who fail to wear masks in public. He was fined 6,000 baht (Rs 14000), the DPA news agency reported.

The move came after a photograph of Prayuth appeared on his Facebook page showing him not wearing a mask in a meeting. The picture was met with much public criticism, and had to be taken down.

The prime minister made an inquiry to city hall about the restrictions, which specify that masks should be worn at all times outside residences, prompting his fine, said Aswin.

Later, governor of Bangkok Aswin Kwanmuang Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang posted on Facebook that he had filed a complaint against the PM for violating COVID-19 rules.

"After the meeting, the prime minister asked me as the governor of Bangkok to investigate if the case is wrongdoing. I informed him that his action violates the announcement by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration which ordered people in Bangkok to wear surgical masks or cloth masks anytime they leave their residence. Violation results in a fine up to 20,000 baht under Section 51 of the 2015 Disease Control Act," Governor Aswin Kwanmuang wrote on his official Facebook page.

Thai authorities introduced the measures to curb a new wave of coronavirus cases spurred by a more contagious variant first discovered in Britain.

Bangkok, which has the largest caseload in the country, has also closed over 30 types of businesses including cinemas, barbershops, zoos, museums, and gyms. Shopping malls and convenience stores have been ordered to close at night.