Valentines Day Traffic In Bangkok

[The_Eye_Of_Sauron]

From my 34th Fl eye in the sky every road here has gridlock.

Petburi/Witthayu/Rama 9/Expressway.

Mrs Sauron said this afternoon that traffic would stink the place up today.

Young Thais in their cars going out with their giks.

Us married's stay at home.

[toastwars]

All the lemmings rushing out to get a gift they forgot yesterday

Edited February 14, 2005 by toastwars

[pautai]

maybe its the police checking on >>>

Love rules, while police inspect motels to prevent underage lust

POST REPORTERS

Love was in full bloom on Valentine's Day yesterday with newlyweds going the extra mile, some vertically, to celebrate their union while Bangkok police raided motels doubling as love nests for underage couples.

Red roses, at their pricey prickliest, changed hands in displays of affection. Many couples exchanged vows in derring-do fashion.

In Nadi district of Prachin Buri, three cliff-hanger couples were suspended mid-air to sign marriage certificates and exchange wedding rings in the presence of district chief Vinai Jongwattanabundit, who clung smilingly to a cable for dear life. The weddings took place against the backdrop of the Weluwan waterfall.

The couples then proceeded to cut the cake hoisted in a climbing hammock to complete what the organisers hailed as the ``country's first gravity-defying complete wedding reception''.

One of the couples, Pakphume Rattanawongpiboon, 32, and Sasithorn Saeng-suriyasat, 30, said they shared a passion for adventure and decided to scale the Pa Ngam cliff near the Weluwan waterfall to make their most important day even more memorable.

In Nakhon Si Thammarat, two couples trekked their way 4.7 kilometres to the peak of Khao Men mountain in Nabon district.

The event was organised by the provincial office in conjunction with the Tourism Authority of Thailand's bureau 2. The couples were issued marriage certificates on the mountain top, where they spent the night in tents.

At the Institution for Female Offenders Rehabilitation in Pathum Thani, 14 grooms were allowed a special visit to take their vows with their drug-convict brides.

Only nine of them turned up, accompanied by the traditional drum dance, to tie the knot.

Prapasri Khamsa-ard, acting director of the institution, said the weddings, held annually on Valentine's Day, were to promote fidelity and family ties.

Samrerng, 51, who would not give his surname, said he was happy to have finally been able to legally marry the woman he had lived with for 20 years, even though they were now incarcerated. ``I will wait for the day she is released,'' said a teary Samrerng.

In Bangkok, Bang Rak (Locality of Love) district office was, as every year, very busy, with over 300 couples turning up to register their marriage.

Other districts with similarly auspicious names such as Bang Sue (Locality of Fidelity) were also packed.

Uniformed and plainclothes police searched motels around the city for minors looking to consummate their affection yesterday.

Pol Maj-Gen Chatchawal Suksomjit, deputy metropolitan police commissioner, warned that hefty fines and lengthy jail sentences would be imposed against offenders caught having sex with minors. Offenders could even face life if they slept with minors under 13.

Pol Col Surat Udomrat, superintendent of a juvenile and youth welfare division, said owners of motels who allowed underage sex on their premises would also be punished.

Meanwhile, Abac Poll has defended its findings which indicated about 100,000 Thai youths were planning to ``give'' themselves to their partners yesterday.

Noppadol Kannikar, the Abac Poll director, insisted the opinion survey was properly conducted, having drawn random samples from the 15-25 age bracket.

Mr Noppadol denied the 1,513 samples taken were too few, saying the number was adequate to maintain survey reliability at 95%.

He blamed the media for ignoring other aspects of the survey which presented constructive activities the youths had planned with their valentines.

[grahamb]

I spoke to someone at work today who took 1.5 hrs to get from the airport to Amari Watergate via the expressway. Crazy!

Glad we stayed at home for dinner last night!