One Place Not To Be Today!

[Maejo Man]

Judging by the procession of ambulances going past Maejo Manor today, I would say that the madness is in full swing!! heaps heading along the Canal Road to Suthep Road and Suan Dok, and others along the Super Highway to Lanna Hospital.

I spoke with an intern at Suan Dok the other day, and she was dreading the next five days. All leave cancelled, and full shifts every day.

Sad that so many families will be mourning loved ones this week

[sceadugenga]

Sounds just like the Christmas/New Year holidays in good old Australia.

I must admit though that if the tabloid journos spent a little time here at Songkran they would find out what the words "carnage on the roads" really mean.

[Blinky Bill]

Brings back memories of my police daze in a previous life.

[siam-i-am]

Judging by the procession of ambulances going past Maejo Manor today, I would say that the madness is in full swing!! heaps heading along the Canal Road to Suthep Road and Suan Dok, and others along the Super Highway to Lanna Hospital.

I spoke with an intern at Suan Dok the other day, and she was dreading the next five days. All leave cancelled, and full shifts every day.

Sad that so many families will be mourning loved ones this week

It's a money maker alright ear and eye infections go through the roof not to mention nose and throat.

[jaideeguy]

Mai phen rai, it's just the price for having sanook!!

[Maejo Man]

Last years figures!!!

The final tally for the Official Songkran Death Toll: 2007

Deaths slightly down, but accidents and injuries increase

The seven "dangerous days" of the Songkran holidays ended with 361 people killed and 4,805 injured in 4,274 road accidents.

There were 77 more accidents and 79 more people were injured compared to last year, but there were 14 fewer fatalities.

Khon Kaen topped the provincial fatalities list with 16 deaths, while Chiang Rai had the most accidents with 160 and the most injuries with 167.

- The Nation

[Prakanong]

Last years figures!!!

The final tally for the Official Songkran Death Toll: 2007

Deaths slightly down, but accidents and injuries increase

The seven "dangerous days" of the Songkran holidays ended with 361 people killed and 4,805 injured in 4,274 road accidents.

There were 77 more accidents and 79 more people were injured compared to last year, but there were 14 fewer fatalities.

Khon Kaen topped the provincial fatalities list with 16 deaths, while Chiang Rai had the most accidents with 160 and the most injuries with 167.

- The Nation

Hmm - for the second year running we are taking our Thai staff out of the country during the Songkran holidays for our Asian Region annual conference - they are not best pleased

Maybe they should be thanking the timing?

[gpdjohn]

Brings back memories of my police daze in a previous life.

Me too. It's good to be free.

[Maejo Man]

Only two days into mayhem and we are at the top of the list

Chiang Mai achieved the highest number of accidents so far, with 61 highway incidents, from minor mishaps to more serious death-delivering incidents, he said, followed by the northernmost province of Chiang Rai with 56 accidents.

:TNA

[Gonzo the Face]

Understand from a tuk tuk driver, that there was, in CM, a fatality . A 19yr old male on a motorcycle got knocked off his bike by a forceful bucket of water to the face, a 4 wheeler following him couldn't stop or didn't see him in time and drove over him and he bike.

tis the season.

Prayers for all who are out there having such a good time.

Must be the high shopping season for the Grim Reaper

[gpdjohn]

Understand from a tuk tuk driver, that there was, in CM, a fatality . A 19yr old male on a motorcycle got knocked off his bike by a forceful bucket of water to the face, a 4 wheeler following him couldn't stop or didn't see him in time and drove over him and he bike.

tis the season.

Prayers for all who are out there having such a good time.

Must be the high shopping season for the Grim Reaper

What happends on incidents such as these?

Are criminal charges pending on who threw the water?

Or is it just chocked up to sanook and life goes on...

Sad.

Prayers and thoughts to the families and survivors ....

[Ajarn]

Last years figures!!!

The final tally for the Official Songkran Death Toll: 2007

Deaths slightly down, but accidents and injuries increase

The seven "dangerous days" of the Songkran holidays ended with 361 people killed and 4,805 injured in 4,274 road accidents.

There were 77 more accidents and 79 more people were injured compared to last year, but there were 14 fewer fatalities.

Khon Kaen topped the provincial fatalities list with 16 deaths, while Chiang Rai had the most accidents with 160 and the most injuries with 167.

- The Nation

But happily, these numbers are almost 50% less than a few years ago.

[cmsally]

Understand from a tuk tuk driver, that there was, in CM, a fatality . A 19yr old male on a motorcycle got knocked off his bike by a forceful bucket of water to the face, a 4 wheeler following him couldn't stop or didn't see him in time and drove over him and he bike.

tis the season.

Prayers for all who are out there having such a good time.

Must be the high shopping season for the Grim Reaper

Sounds like the article on the front of todays paper: student swerved to avoid children throwing buckets of water and ended up under a bus. Bus didn't have time to stop and drove over him.

It was on Rakeng Rd.

Songkran when it involves children, can sometimes be like that very sarcastic comment "Go play with the traffic"!

Children and traffic don't usually mix well and the same applies at Songkran!

[rishi]

Absolutely no question about Songkran being laden with potential for causalities. I've been here long enough to see nothing but inconvenience in the fact that between 11 am and 19 pm its about impossible to go around in order to get your business done without getting at least 70 bucketful of waters poured all over you and leaving you with - once again - the tedious task of wiping off sufficiently much of that totally unasked for and totally ridiculous water some totally ridiculous person poured all over you with an imbecile laughter.

Around 9 pm tonight (after the fools had left my area) I took my usual walk to check the damage done to my (usually) pleasant area.... I don't know whether I were in a worse mood this year than the previous ones but it's my impression that there were much more glass being swept away this year and a lot more of extreme drunkenness encountered on my round.

Well, introspecting my mind, my negativism in comparing these last two days to their counterpart days of the previous years, is probably owed to the circumstance that previously - ALL of the water distributing canon-posts, I had to pass to get anywhere were controlled by local Thais who knew me and respected I were one of those guys who actually had some business to do ... Well, this year - for some unknown reasons - there were two new command posts established in my neighborhood - both 100% manned by farlangs, I'd never seen before... I most certainly do respect the Thais right to do their thing (but reserve the right to consider some of them stupid)... But I solemnly do swear: I pretty much prefer stupid foreigners to either stay home or go to Bangkok or Pattaya rather than coming around here and spoil my existence.

Sorry, just a rant. Won't bother to hang around long enough to check responses ... Happy Songkran to all of you. Maybe we'll meet in the new year?

[Dustoff]

The U.S.S. Enterprise is investigating Beta III, where the U.S.S. Archon disappeared over 100 years before.

When the landing party exhibits strange behavior, Kirk sends another party down to investigate. They find the culture on Beta III is quiescent, with no creative tendencies. The entire culture is controlled by a group of 'lawgivers' known as "The Body" which is, in turn, controlled by the omniscient Landru. The inhabitants change from normal, peaceful people to a violent mob at the coming of the Red Hour. This 'Festival' is the society's only outlet for the tyrannical hold that Landru has over them at all other times.

[realthaideal]

"When the landing party exhibits strange behavior, Kirk sends another party down to investigate. They find the culture on Beta III is quiescent, with no creative tendencies. The entire culture is controlled by a group of 'lawgivers' known as "The Body" which is, in turn, controlled by the omniscient Landru. The inhabitants change from normal, peaceful people to a violent mob at the coming of the Red Hour. This 'Festival' is the society's only outlet for the tyrannical hold that Landru has over them at all other times."

Oh, ye Dustoff!!

Wow. We got Austhaied living in the 5th dimension and now you in ancient TV Land. It all starts to make sense. As a matter of fact, I've got the whole Kirk yrs Box Set at home and have watched 'em all several times. It's good stuff.

[bunta71]

The U.S.S. Enterprise is investigating Beta III, where the U.S.S. Archon disappeared over 100 years before.

When the landing party exhibits strange behavior, Kirk sends another party down to investigate. They find the culture on Beta III is quiescent, with no creative tendencies. The entire culture is controlled by a group of 'lawgivers' known as "The Body" which is, in turn, controlled by the omniscient Landru. The inhabitants change from normal, peaceful people to a violent mob at the coming of the Red Hour. This 'Festival' is the society's only outlet for the tyrannical hold that Landru has over them at all other times.

Edited April 15, 2008 by bunta71

[bunta71]

The U.S.S. Enterprise is investigating Beta III, where the U.S.S. Archon disappeared over 100 years before.

When the landing party exhibits strange behavior, Kirk sends another party down to investigate. They find the culture on Beta III is quiescent, with no creative tendencies. The entire culture is controlled by a group of 'lawgivers' known as "The Body" which is, in turn, controlled by the omniscient Landru. The inhabitants change from normal, peaceful people to a violent mob at the coming of the Red Hour. This 'Festival' is the society's only outlet for the tyrannical hold that Landru has over them at all other times.

It would appear as if only the names were changed to reflect the insolent. Other than that it seems to be Chiang Mai revisited

Edited April 15, 2008 by bunta71

[FolkGuitar]

The U.S.S. Enterprise is investigating Beta III, where the U.S.S. Archon disappeared over 100 years before.

When the landing party exhibits strange behavior, Kirk sends another party down to investigate. They find the culture on Beta III is quiescent, with no creative tendencies. The entire culture is controlled by a group of 'lawgivers' known as "The Body" which is, in turn, controlled by the omniscient Landru. The inhabitants change from normal, peaceful people to a violent mob at the coming of the Red Hour. This 'Festival' is the society's only outlet for the tyrannical hold that Landru has over them at all other times.

Permit us to 'raise the level' a bit.....

Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." Short story that is a 'must read!' 10 minutes reading and worth every second.

For our non-USA cousins, the locale 'appears to be' a very stereotyped small town in the rural American farmlands. But it sure doesn't end that way....

http://jackson.classicauthors.net/lottery/

Is it Songkran?