Security Of Tourists Assured For Songkran

[george]

Security of Tourists assured for Songkran

BANGKOK: -- The Tourism and Sports Ministry and private bodies are preparing security measures and emergency plans for tourists' peace of mind during the Songkran period.

The ministry is working with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Tourist Police, television and radio operators, hospitals, the Land Transport Department and private volunteers to initiate security measures during the annual festival, scheduled for April 13-15.

Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said the group had set up tourist assistance centres in Bangkok and all major provinces to deal with emergencies and calls for assistance. The centres will operate around the clock.

Yesterday the agencies started delivering travel guidebooks and tourist information to travellers at major transport access areas, including airports and bus terminals.

"This year, we will be providing 50,000 tourism information kits to visitors," said Weerasak.

He said 75 tourist attractions nationwide had been recommended for local people to visit, while 13 provinces are highlighted as good places to travel to.

The TAT will spend Bt40 million on supporting events across the country and predicts that local people will spend Bt4.1 billion during this year's festival.

Asked if more Thai people are planning to go overseas, Weerasak said the trend was not a concern as it could be good for tourism generally as people tended to exchange ideas and learn about other cultures.

Bang Saen and Pattaya will have Songkran festivals later than the rest of the country.

The Bang Saen festival is set for April 16-17 at Bang Saen beach in Chon Buri province. A competition to determine the most artistic sand pagoda will take centre stage with more than 100 miniature pagodas sculptured from sand.

The Pattaya festival is set for April 17-20.

-- The Nation 2008-04-10

[dave_boo]

Security of Tourists assured for Songkran

BANGKOK: -- The Tourism and Sports Ministry and private bodies are preparing security measures and emergency plans for tourists' peace of mind during the Songkran period.

The ministry is working with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Tourist Police, television and radio operators, hospitals, the Land Transport Department and private volunteers to initiate security measures during the annual festival, scheduled for April 13-15.

Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said the group had set up tourist assistance centres in Bangkok and all major provinces to deal with emergencies and calls for assistance. The centres will operate around the clock.

Yesterday the agencies started delivering travel guidebooks and tourist information to travellers at major transport access areas, including airports and bus terminals.

"This year, we will be providing 50,000 tourism information kits to visitors," said Weerasak.

He said 75 tourist attractions nationwide had been recommended for local people to visit, while 13 provinces are highlighted as good places to travel to.

The TAT will spend Bt40 million on supporting events across the country and predicts that local people will spend Bt4.1 billion during this year's festival.

Asked if more Thai people are planning to go overseas, Weerasak said the trend was not a concern as it could be good for tourism generally as people tended to exchange ideas and learn about other cultures.

Bang Saen and Pattaya will have Songkran festivals later than the rest of the country.

The Bang Saen festival is set for April 16-17 at Bang Saen beach in Chon Buri province. A competition to determine the most artistic sand pagoda will take centre stage with more than 100 miniature pagodas sculptured from sand.

The Pattaya festival is set for April 17-20.

-- The Nation 2008-04-10

Some whistle factory is going into overdrive somewhere in the kingdom.

[Dakhar]

As for me, I have a business trip scheduled for Singapore during that time.... I have to work through the "festive event."

(lucky for me)

[Bagwan]

Security of Tourists assured for Songkran

This is a joke, yeah? In Pattaya the police are conspicuous by their absence from the streets during this stressful time.

[grantbkk]

This is obviously part of the extended April Fool's Day continues in Thailand with no end in sight. The Tourism and Sports Ministry could not organize a two hot dog BBQ let alone provide any level of security for tourists, expats or citizens here in Thailand. Where are the 250,000 police officers that are supposed to give us piece of mind when we visit or live in urban areas. There has to be more to the security plan than the few traffic cops who watch what is happening from the strategically placed police boxes at popular intersections.

The sad truth is that we are on our own. I can usually take care of myself but judging from all of the farang victims of homicide this year the facade of safety has been rocked and some countries are again providing travel warnings to not just the killing fields of the deep south but to tourist destinations as well.

[Khun Jean]

Security of Tourists assured for Songkran

This is a joke, yeah? In Pattaya the police are conspicuous by their absence from the streets during this stressful time.

I think this adds to the security, as the police especially around that area are known to be the really dangerous ones.

[ashacat]

I feel much better now.

[misterman21]

Security of Tourists assured for Songkran

BANGKOK: -- The Tourism and Sports Ministry and private bodies are preparing security measures and emergency plans for tourists' peace of mind during the Songkran period.

The ministry is working with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Tourist Police, television and radio operators, hospitals, the Land Transport Department and private volunteers to initiate security measures during the annual festival, scheduled for April 13-15.

Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said the group had set up tourist assistance centres in Bangkok and all major provinces to deal with emergencies and calls for assistance. The centres will operate around the clock.

Yesterday the agencies started delivering travel guidebooks and tourist information to travellers at major transport access areas, including airports and bus terminals.

"This year, we will be providing 50,000 tourism information kits to visitors," said Weerasak.

He said 75 tourist attractions nationwide had been recommended for local people to visit, while 13 provinces are highlighted as good places to travel to.

The TAT will spend Bt40 million on supporting events across the country and predicts that local people will spend Bt4.1 billion during this year's festival.

Asked if more Thai people are planning to go overseas, Weerasak said the trend was not a concern as it could be good for tourism generally as people tended to exchange ideas and learn about other cultures.

Bang Saen and Pattaya will have Songkran festivals later than the rest of the country.

The Bang Saen festival is set for April 16-17 at Bang Saen beach in Chon Buri province. A competition to determine the most artistic sand pagoda will take centre stage with more than 100 miniature pagodas sculptured from sand.

The Pattaya festival is set for April 17-20.

-- The Nation 2008-04-10

Some whistle factory is going into overdrive somewhere in the kingdom.

Sounds like they are paying the usual lip service to prepairing for the aftermath - no real precautions.

I dont think they need inform the hospitals as they already know its boom time for buisiness!

[a2396]

Oh, goodie! I feel safe to go out now. I am sure they (the water throwers) won't knock me off my motorbike this year.

[Scott]

I am just staying in, so I should be safe. Hope the neighborhood here in BKK is quiet--usually quite a few people leave, so it's a lovely, peaceful time for me.

[Pushit]

I am just staying in, so I should be safe. Hope the neighborhood here in BKK is quiet--usually quite a few people leave, so it's a lovely, peaceful time for me.

That would be me too

(_._)

[abdulrahman]

Best time of the year to leave Thailand,tomorrow,early morning,out to Lao.

[Tony Clifton]

There's a commercial on tv about Songkran. People throwing water but the only two people with water guns are foreigners. Two Thais take the guns away and tell them it's not ok.

[isabelle17]

I will believe it when I see it.

Yeah, sure in some places they might have more security, but not everywhere. Doesn't prevent the drunk or rude people from doing incredibly stupid, annoying, rude, and vulgar things on songkran.

Songkran is fun....but it would be so much more fun without the alcohol, drunks, and guys who take advantage of the fact that you can touch people innappropriatly with the white powder (forgot what they call that stuff.)

Thanks, but no thanks. I'm going to lay low for songkran this year and not rely on the police (though I guess since I am in the middle of nowhere for songkran and not in a tourist area, there wouldnt be much security anyway!)

[dannyman]

Geez! Thing's of sure change since the 80's. New "west genaration" I guess!

[Bagwan]

According to the Pattaya News a meeting was held at City Hall to organise 'the festivities'. Vats of water will be supplied for use by the hooligan element. Welcome to Bedlam folks.

Paying a fleeting visit to Soi 7 this afternoon I noticed that the mayhem has started already. The girls from one of the bars were dousing passersby. Predictably the bar had no customers. Aren't the ladies there to attract custom?

[farang prince]

Security of Tourists assured for Songkran

BANGKOK: -- The Tourism and Sports Ministry and private bodies are preparing security measures and emergency plans for tourists' peace of mind during the Songkran period.

The ministry is working with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Tourist Police, television and radio operators, hospitals, the Land Transport Department and private volunteers to initiate security measures during the annual festival, scheduled for April 13-15.

Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said the group had set up tourist assistance centres in Bangkok and all major provinces to deal with emergencies and calls for assistance. The centres will operate around the clock.

Yesterday the agencies started delivering travel guidebooks and tourist information to travellers at major transport access areas, including airports and bus terminals.

"This year, we will be providing 50,000 tourism information kits to visitors," said Weerasak.

He said 75 tourist attractions nationwide had been recommended for local people to visit, while 13 provinces are highlighted as good places to travel to.

The TAT will spend Bt40 million on supporting events across the country and predicts that local people will spend Bt4.1 billion during this year's festival.

Asked if more Thai people are planning to go overseas, Weerasak said the trend was not a concern as it could be good for tourism generally as people tended to exchange ideas and learn about other cultures.

Bang Saen and Pattaya will have Songkran festivals later than the rest of the country.

The Bang Saen festival is set for April 16-17 at Bang Saen beach in Chon Buri province. A competition to determine the most artistic sand pagoda will take centre stage with more than 100 miniature pagodas sculptured from sand.

The Pattaya festival is set for April 17-20.

-- The Nation 2008-04-10

Sure tourists are safe during Songkran as long as they stay in their hotel rooms and away from the balconies.

[Bagwan]

Asked if more Thai people are planning to go overseas, Weerasak said the trend was not a concern as it could be good for tourism generally as people tended to exchange ideas and learn about other cultures.

Obviously Khun Weerasak' English vocabulary does not include the word 'Yes'.

"Hello Thai person. Are you on holiday or here on business?

"Neither. I've brought my family to a safe haven to avoid being drenched several times a day with dirty water sometimes containing large lumps of ice. Some of our assailants are fat, tattooed farangs with the mentality of a slug and with little thought except their own juvenile amusement."

"Oh. That sounds educational and uplifting and a great life experience. Next year we must come to Thailand to be assaulted."

God forbid that Thailand exports most of its 'culture'. Maybe a forlorn hope that it acquires morality and a veneer of civiliation.

[MustaphaMond]

Some of our assailants are fat, tattooed farangs with the mentality of a slug and with little thought except their own juvenile amusement."

The worst offender I've seen- by far was a pickup truckload of drunken Americans between Surin and Kamala, a winding and cliffened, extremely dangerous section of road with a young woman in particular aggressively pounding motorcycle riders going the opposite direction. With her speed of say, 60 km and their opposite velocity, 40 km they were getting slapped with...( 4 gallons of water , about 15 kilo approx at 100 km /hour .

TerrifyingThailand

Edited April 13, 2008 by MustaphaMond

[farang prince]

Some of our assailants are fat, tattooed farangs with the mentality of a slug and with little thought except their own juvenile amusement."

The worst offender I've seen- by far was a pickup truckload of drunken Americans between Surin and Kamala, a winding and cliffened, extremely dangerous section of road with a young woman in particular aggressively pounding motorcycle riders going the opposite direction. With her speed of say, 60 km and their opposite velocity, 40 km they were getting slapped with...( 4 gallons of water , about 15 kilo approx at 100 km /hour .

TerrifyingThailand

How did you know they were Americans? Did they have the Stars and Stripes flapping out the back of the truck?

[slapout]

They were the vocal type, I guess. How do you know they were drunk? Was it a truckload or a pickup load? One can carry 60+-people, the other only 25+-. Not much room for water if they are fully loaded(people wise). What about clothing? what color? Were they, you know black, they do not get sun burn as they did not come from the master continent. Were they north, south or central Americans? What skin tint would you use to describe any of them? If white, folk, they may be decendents of the other parts of the world, who did have the balls to pack it up and look for something better by moving to the Americas or down under. The only thing I find terrifying in Thailand is the short timers who come here on holiday,school, shack ups, drug parties, etc who expect the natives and non natives who live here to kiss their a.. and bend over to give them what they want, at a price they want to pay.

[Galong]

There's a commercial on tv about Songkran. People throwing water but the only two people with water guns are foreigners. Two Thais take the guns away and tell them it's not ok.

Hmm, two Thais with the ballz to come up to two foreigners and do something like that. I thought they only worked on a 20 against 1 basis. They must have known that 40 or 50 Thais in the immediate area had their backs... maybe even a couple of drunk coppers. :D

So, this is not a 'real world' scenario... good for the typically racist Thai TV though.

[MustaphaMond]

Some of our assailants are fat, tattooed farangs with the mentality of a slug and with little thought except their own juvenile amusement."

The worst offender I've seen- by far was a pickup truckload of drunken Americans between Surin and Kamala, a winding and cliffened, extremely dangerous section of road with a young woman in particular aggressively pounding motorcycle riders going the opposite direction. With her speed of say, 60 km and their opposite velocity, 40 km they were getting slapped with...( 4 gallons of water , about 15 kilo approx at 100 km /hour .

TerrifyingThailand

How did you know they were Americans? Did they have the Stars and Stripes flapping out the back of the truck?

Good point. I guess they might have been Canadian.

[ffe007]

Someone should have told this to the 2 Korean girls murdered on Koh Larn on the 11th. See link to Pattaya Daily News;

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000005666

[thaigene2]

There's a commercial on tv about Songkran. People throwing water but the only two people with water guns are foreigners. Two Thais take the guns away and tell them it's not ok.

Of course. Thais know everything and anything that goes wrong is the fault of foreigners. Thais are never to blame - anytime anyone suggests otherwise they just get ignored. Having said that, I think it is fair to also add the aggressive behaviour at Songkran probably began with the farangs ten years ago or so? The Thais are just copying aren't they? (they're good at copying).

Edited April 14, 2008 by thaigene2

[YaiJung]

Now I've heard it all. Blaming farangs for the Songkran Mess.

[geriatrickid]

How did you know they were Americans? Did they have the Stars and Stripes flapping out the back of the truck?

Process of elimination? From what I have oberved, the aussies like to go right up and shoot you directly and then laugh at you, the englishmen are usually too drunk to muster a good aim and would fall out of the truck and the germans usually target women's breasts and buttocks (the girls go for the male groin as is what happened to me) Scandanavians are too busy having fun to do serious harm and don't usually do this As you can see I am not a happy camper.

Such a big difference between this mass stupidity vs my friends and I taking over 2 bars in Patong and having fun the other night. It was the gays vs. the straights and sad to say the homos beat us and badly. I was jumped by 2 katoey's and dunked. Had one on my back riding me like trigger. All good fun, no one hurt and no imposition on anyone. maybe that's why I'm so grumpy, the fun isn't there in these random attacks and it's better when its all consenting folks in a place where we don't nail innocent bystanders (particularly when the firehose comes out.) I still can't get over the farang attacking an elderly cripple in a walker the other day.

Anyways, I'm off to the temple with the crew, for more prayers. being the good farang I stand politely and talk to the temple critters.

[Tony Clifton]

Someone should have told this to the 2 Korean girls murdered on Koh Larn on the 11th. See link to Pattaya Daily News;

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000005666

Very sad.

[thaigene2]

Now I've heard it all. Blaming farangs for the Songkran Mess.

Not sure if you're referring to my previous post. Anyway, I'm not blaming farangs, just saying the riotous behaviour during songkran is a fairly recent phenomenon as I understand it. So it started somewhere - I'm suggesting TV news or whatever started showing the farangs going wild on Kao San Road and Pattaya/Chiang Mai, then the Thais started copying cause it looked 'sanook'. Fast forward ten years until today, and that explanation is as good as any I've seen/heard. Thais aren't naturally like this - they're taught to be quite reserved from a very young age..

Edited April 14, 2008 by thaigene2

[slapout]

thaigene: what city do you live in? The Thais of Chiang Mai with the exception of the middle aged and older have been described many times on TV and "Reserved" is not a well used discription. I do not see a lot of middle age or older Thais joing the water fight areas except as business people, selling ice, soft drinks, etc. I think Songkran is going the way of every holiday that is marketed here in Thailand. Give the people a reason and they would celebrate the death of JC, whoops sorry they were promoting bunnies, chicks and dinner a while back.One country calls it a stimulus package, here its called marketing, coinsideing with payday, bonuses, tip payments etc.Wonder why Farang behavior would be copied instead of the millions of monks who abound here?Just my 2 stang worth.