Army cancels Loy Krathong sky lantern world record attempt in Chiang Mai

 

 

The military in Chiang Mai has ordered the cancellation of a major sky lantern event planned for the Loy Krathong festival in November, following heavy criticism from conservation groups.

 

The event, jointly organized by the Chiang Mai Tourism Industry Council and the Office Huay Toeng Thao reservoir tourism promotion project, was to be held at Huay Toeng Thao in Mae Rim district of Chiang Mai.

 

About 20,000 Chinese tourists are expected to join the event and the organizers had hoped to set Guinness world record for the largest number of sky lanterns to be floated in the air at a single event.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/army-cancels-loy-krathong-sky-lantern-world-record-attempt-in-chiang-mai/

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2019-08-15

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WHY  THE  ARMY?  surely  in  this  "democratic" country  the govt tell  you  this??

21 minutes ago, gunderhill said:

WHY  THE  ARMY?  surely  in  this  "democratic" country  the govt tell  you  this??

Errr..it just sort of popped out?

 

The democratic government will get back to you tomorrow.

 

Old habits die hard as you know..????

10 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

The democratic government will get back to you tomorrow.

what  democratic govt??????

59 minutes ago, webfact said:

20,000 Chinese tourists are expected

"were  expected".................guess  those  year  long  visas wont  be  needed  now  then,  surprised  they  have any  legs  let  alone  feet  to  shoot  through  anymore

4 minutes ago, gunderhill said:

what  democratic govt??????

Why...the one that keeps telling you that it is fair dinkum democratic government,of course.

Oh ye of little faith!????

3 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Why...the one that keeps telling you that it is fair dinkum democratic government,of course.

Oh ye of little faith!????

i  guess  i  need readjustment  therapy????

  the event was planned to be held on Army property Huey Tung Dtou .. is part of their vast land holdings so I suppose they can cancel.

48 minutes ago, daoyai said:

  the event was planned to be held on Army property Huey Tung Dtou .. is part of their vast land holdings so I suppose they can cancel.

Thanks for the full  info I never  read the linked articles. Even so it was Chiang Mai Tourism Industry Council and the Office Huay Toeng Thao reservoir tourism promotion project

Well, i can imagine 20,000 chinese tourists at the lakeside all wondering 'where are the balloons'?

 

If you don't have the correct visa and 25 stamps you just cant go around breaking records ????

1 hour ago, daoyai said:

  the event was planned to be held on Army property Huey Tung Dtou .. is part of their vast land holdings so I suppose they can cancel.

Even so the military should inform the government of their intentions and the government make such public announcements 

With the drought conditions, banning the launch of twenty thousand incendiary devices makes sense1

Should have nothing to do with the army and what a total brain dead place on earth to ever try to have over 20,000+ Thai and tourists go and get back to town which is actually an area that is natural. On the other hand, Huay Toeng Thao reservoir should not even be their property.

Appears Thailand has failed again in it's effort to challenge the world in the space race !

Very reasonable with widespread drought areas. What goes up must come down.

About 20,000 Chinese tourists are expected to join the event ...

 

so about 20k less Chinese tourists for Thailand... probably head to HK which should be pacified by then...   win win...

20 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Very reasonable with widespread drought areas. What goes up must come down.

gonna  ban  all  smokers  as  well  then as what i see of Thai men is they throw  them just about anywhere 

2 hours ago, daoyai said:

  the event was planned to be held on Army property Huey Tung Dtou .. is part of their vast land holdings so I suppose they can cancel.

Do you have a reference or a map showing that the event place is part of Army property?

 

With the event being organized by parties that should be knowledgeable of property ownership (the Chiang Mai Tourism Industry Council and the Office Huay Toeng Thao reservoir tourism promotion project), it would seem extremely derelict not to have obtained permission from the land owner (Army) to hold the event. The event was consistent with Army plans of its property for tourism. In the link:

• It is reported that Maj-Gen Suebsakul Buarawong, commander of the 33rd Army Circle, has ordered the cancellation of the event and, instead, has ordered the development of army-controlled areas to be tourist attractions as well as recreational spots.

It was only after heavy criticism from conservation groups that the Army cancelled the event.

There is no statement that the Army cancelled the event because it was being held illegally, ie., on Army property. To that end I believe that the event organizers did have permission to hold the event on Army property (assuming that the event property was owned by the Army) and likely paying the Army for such permission.*

 

As such another possible reason for the cancellation by the Army is that the Army may have underestimated tourist turnout with associated revenues and could better profit from hosting such an event itself! Or conversely if the Army did not own the event property, the Army didn't want a privately hosted event nearby Army properties that the Army itself could profit by having such an event held on Army property.

 

^*The Thailand military privately owns land separate from the Thai government that allows the military to keep any earnings generated from its property. Those earnings do not go into the Thai Treasury. How those earnings are distributed within the military apparently is not common knowledge nor subjected to public disclosure.

 

 

 

 

In any other "democracy" the army takes orders from the government to protect the country against intruders from OUTSIDE; domestic issues are taken care of by the police. 

But yes, Thailand has been different in most aspects anyway - lets wait and see what happens in November 

Well most times the wind is going south . So that is 20,000 less pieces of trash to pick up in central Chiang Mai. Thank god!!

When the Chinese arrived it is very noticeable how the whole Eco... thing got ditched quite quickly.

11 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

With the drought conditions, banning the launch of twenty thousand incendiary devices makes sense1

It's been raining heavily for the last two weeks.

Everything is soaking wet 24/7.

They couldn't decide whether they actually needed porta toilets or not, so just cancelled instead.

20 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

With the drought conditions, banning the launch of twenty thousand incendiary devices makes sense1

You obviously have not seen the goo in my garden from the rains here in chiang mai.

 

13 hours ago, BritManToo said:

It's been raining heavily for the last two weeks.

Everything is soaking wet 24/7.

 

4 hours ago, assayer said:

You obviously have not seen the goo in my garden from the rains here in chiang mai.

 

Yes, but in November.....?

Just as a matter of interest...what is the current world record for lanterns released at the same time?

 

On 8/15/2019 at 8:10 AM, gunderhill said:

"were  expected".................guess  those  year  long  visas wont  be  needed  now  then,  surprised  they  have any  legs  let  alone  feet  to  shoot  through  anymore

There were never any year long visas. Read the whole story 

Caving to criticism !

On 8/15/2019 at 6:19 AM, daoyai said:

  the event was planned to be held on Army property Huey Tung Dtou .. is part of their vast land holdings so I suppose they can cancel.

Yes, I agree. Many acres of military owned land is in, or near, Mae Rim. The barracks and associated buildings house the 7th Infantry Division at Fort Chao Khun Nen, part of the 3rd Army Group.