Crackdown On Full Moon Parties

[george]

Strict controls on Hat Rin full moon parties

SURAT THANI: -- Local officials on the southern island of Koh Pha-ngan today prepared to impose strict safety measures on tomorrow’s Full Moon Party on Hat Rin beach, following an incident last month in which 15 party-goers died when their speedboat capsized shortly after leaving the island.

Koh Pha-ngan district chief Mr. Pornlert Chokchai told reporters that 12-15 officials would be stationed at the Hat Rin pier tomorrow night to ensure that boats taking tourists to and from the party were not overloaded and met with safety regulations.

A naval vessel will also be stationed on the island to assist with operations.

Although the date of the full moon is tonight, this month’s party will be held tomorrow in recognition of the fact that today is Makabucha, the most important day in the Buddhist religious calendar.

Despite last month’s incident, Mr. Chanchok Piriyasathit, head of the island’s tourism association, reported today that bungalows on the island were fully occupied in anticipation of tomorrow’s event. Another 10,000 tourists are expected to arrive from Koh Samui tomorrow night, putting total attendance at the party at around 20,000.

--TNA 2005-02-23

[cdnvic]

Good. I hope its as successful as the crackdown on Loy Krathong fireworks. Or drunk drivers. or.....

cv

[feasantplukka]

Good. I hope its as successful as the crackdown on Loy Krathong fireworks. Or drunk drivers. or.....

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

same same, I was fortunate enough to take the speedboat(sea breeze) back to samui the trip before the accident happend, dropt us off went back on the return to samui 15 died, now life jackets and overloaded, its accident waiting to happen

[robsamui]

I've been living on the same coast of Samui where the boat came from for 6 years and I know many of the divers and dive schools here. It was tragic that the accident happened, but not any real surprise. For more than a decade there have been deaths every full-moon party and i remember a quote from the boss--police guy on Koh Phan Gnan about 5 years back...to paraphrase: "They come here and drink so much and take drugs then walk happily into the jungle. How can we stop them from falling down wells?"

In the last 4 weeks, all charter boats, speedboats and slower diving boats have had a LARGE printed passenger number on them...ie...we have 20 passengers...we have 32 passengers. Not only have theboats had the round life rings attached to the outside (never seen before) but each passenger has a seat and each seat has a lifejacket on it.

As a Thai spokeseman said a few weeks ago, "The regulations have been in place for years, but the problem is enforcing them"...what's new!

The other thing is that boats are NOT allowed to go out after dark...same thai spokesman, as quoted by the Nation here, about 3 weeks back. What is interesting is that these speedboats are bought on credit (I guess) and need to be paid monthly. The one way trip to the Full moon party is now 700 baht. Your boat "holds" 20 but every hour from 5pm to 1.00 am you have 30 people in it, then back again from about 2.00 am onwards to 10.00 am. Work it out.

For one night's work, that's somewhere between 300,000 baht and 400,000 baht, depending on how many you can bring back.

There is going to be some serious Samui Maffia backlash against nightboats being banned...and I can't see how it can be regulated anyway. Take a night speedboat away from where the officials are checking...land on the other side of Haad Rin where no officials are anyway, and stick em all in some baht busses for the 5 minute run round the headland.

Anyway, in a month or so it will all be back to normal anyway. Who can afford to ignore the best High Season since 1999?

Rob

[Nam Kao]

They are just falangs, more will come, mai pen rai

[girlx]

the best high season since 1999? you have got to be kidding. this is one of the worst i have seen in thailand, let alone ko phangan.

[sbk]

Oh I don't know, we have a resort on Koh Phangan and we have had an excellent high season. Busier for us than ever.

As for the boat 'crackdown'. I agreee, it will be as long-lived as all the other'crackdowns' in this country. I remember the 'crackdown' on underage drivers just a few months ago. Two days ago two 14 year old local boys die in a head-on collision with a 10-wheel truck. Both died, the driver has been arrested. Never mind that a 14 year old shouldn't be driving, never mind the road is too narrow for a large truck to navigate easily. Never mind the fact that the police here NEVER enforce any traffic regulations (and are, in fact, terrible drivers themselves). Must be the truck drivers fault.

[robsamui]

BEST HIGH SEASON SINCE 1999

Every hotel and resort is packed to 100% in Chaweng and Mae Nam. Thousands of Euro holiday makers who had peviously booked their package to Phuket, on Dec 26 demanded a change of location. Guess where they were relocated to?

Samui is going crazy.

Rob

[meow_lek]

In the last 4 weeks, all charter boats, speedboats and slower diving boats have had a LARGE printed passenger number on them...ie...we have 20 passengers...we have 32 passengers. Not only have theboats had the round life rings attached to the outside (never seen before) but each passenger has a seat and each seat has a lifejacket on it.

Even some of the longtail boats are displaying lifejackets that used to be stashed under the prow

P.S Sawasdee ka ..

[chuckygobyebye]

A naval vessel will also be stationed on the island to assist with operations.

Ha. Typical Thai incompitance. What good is a boat on the land?

[dezeure]

I've been in one of those boat crashes a few years ago, also coming from Hat Rin Beach, but luckely it was daylight already... The driver who hadn't slept yet, went full speed ahead between the other boats and crashed dead center over one of those long tail boats FULL of people. We just flew over it (tearing up the underside of the boat) which slowly sank. The long tail boat was cut in half and sank immediately. It is a miracle no one got hurt in the long tail boat, because it was packed with people and our speedboat went straight over it with propellers turning at full speed.

I remember in the speed boat one engine cracked off and was thrown in the boat with the prop still running at full speed. I signalled the driver to cut the engines as we didn't want any grinded beef.

The boat did have life jackets (not enough of course) so I gave mine away, as I am an experienced diver. I ended up dragging two japanese girls ashore as neither of them could swim.

After drying up again, incl. my phone, camera, etc... we decided to take the slow ferry which leaves from the other side of the island...

It was a nice experience though; looking back at it, it seems like something from a James Bond movie, jumping over boats... (except his speedboat never sinks...)

Cheers,

Sam

[dezeure]

A naval vessel will also be stationed on the island to assist with operations.

Ha. Typical Thai incompitance. What good is a boat on the land?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's not the point... The point is there IS a naval ship... Another case of TIT...

Should we be scared now or what?

[valentinoxxx]

I've been living on the same coast of Samui where the boat came from for 6 years and I know many of the divers and dive schools here. It was tragic that the accident happened, but not any real surprise. For more than a decade there have been deaths every full-moon party and i remember a quote from the boss--police guy on Koh Phan Gnan about 5 years back...to paraphrase: "They come here and drink so much and take drugs then walk happily into the jungle. How can we stop them from falling down wells?"

In the last 4 weeks, all charter boats, speedboats and slower diving boats have had a LARGE printed passenger number on them...ie...we have 20 passengers...we have 32 passengers. Not only have theboats had the round life rings attached to the outside (never seen before) but each passenger has a seat and each seat has a lifejacket on it.

As a Thai spokeseman said a few weeks ago, "The regulations have been in place for years, but the problem is enforcing them"...what's new!

The other thing is that boats are NOT allowed to go out after dark...same thai spokesman, as quoted by the Nation here, about 3 weeks back. What is interesting is that these speedboats are bought on credit (I guess) and need to be paid monthly. The one way trip to the Full moon party is now 700 baht. Your boat "holds" 20 but every hour from 5pm to 1.00 am you have 30 people in it, then back again from about 2.00 am onwards to 10.00 am. Work it out.

For one night's work, that's somewhere between 300,000 baht and 400,000 baht, depending on how many you can bring back.

There is going to be some serious Samui Maffia backlash against nightboats being banned...and I can't see how it can be regulated anyway. Take a night speedboat away from where the officials are checking...land on the other side of Haad Rin where no officials are anyway, and stick em all in some baht busses for the 5 minute run round the headland.

Anyway, in a month or so it will all be back to normal anyway. Who can afford to ignore the best High Season since 1999?

Rob

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

700 baht one way? It is still being advertised at 350 baht return at travel agents on Chaweng Beach Road.

[peterzxr]

.......The one way trip to the Full moon party is now 700 baht.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't know who you've been travelling with but the last time I went I paid 400 baht return for a large, well kitted out speedboat with lifejackets etc. Also included was a lift to and from our bungalow in Lamai.

However, I must admit that this may have been because the tickets were arranged by some of our local friends that we were going to the FMP with and not by ourselves.

[robsamui]

Well, the last time I heard of 400B return was in 2000.

Last year my girlfriend (Thai) paid 600B one way.

Hang on to your Thai connections my friend!

If anyone's interested, tonight there were 6 boats on Mae Nam beach. All were running, ilegally, after dark, taking groovers to Phan Gnan.

Rob

[robsamui]

QUOTE MEOW....

P.S Sawasdee ka ..

Grin from Robert...dee cap!

[booma]

I mentioned this on another post in a related forum.

The speedboat at the centre of the disaster departed from Hat Rin BEACH, the officials will be at Hat Rin PIER. Now, hypotheticaly speaking, knowing that places were going to be more restricted, than normal, on the pier departures, and also condsidering that the pier is a short walk from the beach. Where would you choose to get a boat from the pier or the beach?

Surely it would also need a team on the beach, with an area dedicated for speedboats (a dedicated parking lot) for them to supervise, to make this clampdown effective.

The way it seems to be organised at the moment will just compound the problem! displacement reversal!

B

[kayo]

A naval vessel will also be stationed on the island to assist with operations.

Ha. Typical Thai incompitance. What good is a boat on the land?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's not the point... The point is there IS a naval ship... Another case of TIT...

Should we be scared now or what?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I really don't think the Thai Navy is worth worrying about...

Check out the links to some educational stories

http://www.btinternet.com/~david.manley/na...ar/kohchang.htm

or

http://users.swing.be/baten/bat/911.html#62294

Ciao..