Foreign Tour Operators Flood Phuket, Taking Jobs from Locals

[Greenside]

I can't find the article online but I read in the BKK Post today that the local authority (?) is planning to stop people sending up fire balloons in places where they might cause problems for aircraft. These include: Mae Rim, Sansai, Muang, Hang Dong and other impossible to police areas. Fireworks aren't allowed to be sent aloft either. Given the vagaries of the wind, not to mention the locals' general disregard for anyone trying to spoil their fun I don't see this working although in reality the danger to air traffic must be quite significant.

Of course the whole thing is really getting out of hand with planeloads of tourists coming to join in the fun having to run the approach path gauntlet of incendary devices sent up by the folks on the previous flight. I suppose that given the current state of the industry they could pitch this as a bit of added excitement free with your trip but folks living on Nimmenhamen Road or shopping in the Hang Dong road branch of Big C might not be so enthusiastic.

Anyone trying to make changes to the flights (divert them to Pai's new International Airport, for example) will have to answer to TAT while anyone attempting to get the size and quantity of balloons under control will be ignored or perhaps tied to a large krathong, set ablaze and sent off down the river.

[Ricardo]

The som-tam lady told me, the airlines have a cunning plan, to get round this problem.

This year they will be landing well-short of the runway at Chiang Mai, and taxi-ing the rest of the way, along the Hang Dong road. She claims that they carried out trials recently, on a motorway down in Bangkok, recently ?

[rebo]

It was yesterday, Oct. 28th, 2008, in the Bangkok Post:

Lantern ban in 6 districts

The Transport Ministry has banned the floating of hot-air lanterns in six districts of Chiang Mai province to prevent aircraft accidents.

Transport Minister Santi Prompat said yesterday that authorities had agreed to ban the traditional releasing of lanterns into the sky in Mae Rim, San Sai, Muang, Hang Dong, San Patong and Saraphi districts, as they are in the flight path of aircraft using Chiang Mai airport.

Transport authorities will also ask people in the North where the tradition originated not to release floating lanterns before 9.30pm between Nov 11 and 14. The period covers Thailand's Loy Krathong festival, when northerners traditionally release floating lanterns.

The Transport Ministry also requires people planning to release lanterns to seek approval from the authorities of local airports in advance.

There are already restrictions in place governing their size and use, the minister said.

They should not exceed 90 centimetres in diameter and 140 centimetres in height and their fuel must burn out within five minutes.

They must not be attached to any fireworks or other objects.

I also wonder how many percent of the people will know about this regulation.

Yesterday evening my wife joked we should go to CNX airport, I to try to get an approval (in written form of course) to float our balloon, while she'ld record the scene with a hidden camera ...

brgds

rebo

[PhilHarries]

I also wonder how many percent of the people will know about this regulation.

Yesterday evening my wife joked we should go to CNX airport, I to try to get an approval (in written form of course) to float our balloon, while she'ld record the scene with a hidden camera ...

brgds

rebo

Well I hope you have a current certificate of airworthiness, the thing is fitted with flashing lights and a black box data recorder and you have filed your detailed flight plan showing it's exact location when the five minutes of fuel runs out.

Still look on the bright side in Europe you'd need to apply the CE marking certifying it is manufactured in accordance with all applicable European directives and legislation. You'd also most likely need a certificate stating that it was entirely manufactured from recyclable materials produced without the emission of any greenhouse gases. The fuel would have to be a low emission, non toxic solid material certified safe and non explosive and traceable to an authorised manufacturer.

Then you'd be refused permission to launch unless it is tethered to the ground because EU Directive 97/EU/21/G/2534 prohibits the flight of unmanned craft, certified or not, above a height of 2 metres within 500 km of any inhabited property.

Seriously though, I suppose this restriction around airports is sensible as we wouldn't want a serious incident caused by one of these balloons but I have to wonder how many incidents have been reported. As for just how effective the ban will be only time will tell. If someone launches one from their back yard unless an eagle eyed BiB spots them how the hel_l is it going to be traced back to the guilty party? Knowing the Thai's penchant for totally ignoring rules and regulations my money goes on a skyfull of them being spotted but nobody knows where they came from.

[femi fan]

Another case of buffoons in civic halls coming up with new rules and laws because otherwise they'd not have anything to do in their jobs.

If there's a problem for the aircraft, then why piss on hundreds of thousands of people's fun? Just cancel aircraft for five hours each night. No dangers to the flights, and all the northern thais get to enjoy one of their finest festivals that's being going on way longer than planes pitching up in their capital.

The sight of thousands of these balloons 'on the march' diagonally up and south into the night sky is an awesome sight that maybe nowhere else in the world can witness. It marks out chiang mai for loy kratong way above bangkok for this marvelous festival.

Why is it that people who get into these civil servant jobs are such a joyless miserable bunch of killjoys?

Just cancel plane journeys for five hours if there's a problem. Not seriously alter generations of customs celebrating a major festival.

[cmsally]

If you talk to some of the older Thais, they will tell you that although this is a tradition; in the past there were nowhere near the numbers that are released today. It was something generally reserved for celebrations at the temples. The sheer numbers of these things going up in the air nowadays is something of a logistical nightmare.

For a lot of homeowners it means they are forced to stay home or arrange for someone to stay home just to make sure that their house doesn't go up in flames.

Many people are not against fun as in fireworks and krathongs etc etc. but the Kom Fy's are just accidents waiting to happen.

If you were here approx 6-7 yrs ago you would remember the huge fire in Gong Lo Joh behind the market when a Kom Fy landed on a fabric warehouse/shop. Some people were lucky to escape with their lives and at least 3-4 businesses/homes destroyed.

Not wanting to be a kill joy but just putting the other point of view for many people who live here.

[Ulysses G.]

A year or two ago, I am told that a lantern landed on the peak and completely burned it beyond use. It could happen to anyone's house or business!

Edited October 30, 2008 by Ulysses G.

[femi fan]

If you talk to some of the older Thais, they will tell you that although this is a tradition; in the past there were nowhere near the numbers that are released today. It was something generally reserved for celebrations at the temples. The sheer numbers of these things going up in the air nowadays is something of a logistical nightmare.

For a lot of homeowners it means they are forced to stay home or arrange for someone to stay home just to make sure that their house doesn't go up in flames.

Many people are not against fun as in fireworks and krathongs etc etc. but the Kom Fy's are just accidents waiting to happen.

If you were here approx 6-7 yrs ago you would remember the huge fire in Gong Lo Joh behind the market when a Kom Fy landed on a fabric warehouse/shop. Some people were lucky to escape with their lives and at least 3-4 businesses/homes destroyed.

Not wanting to be a kill joy but just putting the other point of view for many people who live here.

Ah okay! Actually, i can now recall watching a group set one off near the ta pae gate area and it getting caught in the overhead electricity wires, and thinking what happens next. Typically for thailand it managed to get itself airborne.

Pity, they're a wonderful sight.

[cmsally]

If you talk to some of the older Thais, they will tell you that although this is a tradition; in the past there were nowhere near the numbers that are released today. It was something generally reserved for celebrations at the temples. The sheer numbers of these things going up in the air nowadays is something of a logistical nightmare.

For a lot of homeowners it means they are forced to stay home or arrange for someone to stay home just to make sure that their house doesn't go up in flames.

Many people are not against fun as in fireworks and krathongs etc etc. but the Kom Fy's are just accidents waiting to happen.

If you were here approx 6-7 yrs ago you would remember the huge fire in Gong Lo Joh behind the market when a Kom Fy landed on a fabric warehouse/shop. Some people were lucky to escape with their lives and at least 3-4 businesses/homes destroyed.

Not wanting to be a kill joy but just putting the other point of view for many people who live here.

Ah okay! Actually, i can now recall watching a group set one off near the ta pae gate area and it getting caught in the overhead electricity wires, and thinking what happens next. Typically for thailand it managed to get itself airborne.

Pity, they're a wonderful sight.

Hah, if you are talking about the one that last year got caught in wires near to the big electricity power unit and looked in danger of setting the whole thing on fire; I know the people who live right next to it and I think they would have been quite happy to lynch the idiot that set it off.

[ChiangMaiFurnishedApts]

"Ah okay! Actually, i can now recall watching a group set one off near the ta pae gate area and it getting caught in the overhead electricity wires, and thinking what happens next. Typically for thailand it managed to get itself airborne "

You mean sonething like this ?

[HightillDry]

Haiz. I am going to CM just to see this.

So which are the areas that we can still watch? Tha Phae gate will still have?

Kindly enlighten me

[Sathip2008]

Haiz. I am going to CM just to see this.

So which are the areas that we can still watch? Tha Phae gate will still have?

As I know the Thais and their incredible respect for the laws, they won't give a **** and we'll see "Khom Loys" everywhere, as usual. At least I hope, because it is definitely the most beautiful festival of the year, especially in CM.

But, If the law is really enforced in the mentioned areas, I suggest you go to Mae Jo.

[harrry]

About as much chance of controlling this as they have in making no water restrictions for Songran