Thai, Foreign Revellers Flock To Countdown Celebration Amid Tight Security

[george]

Thai, foreign revellers flock to countdown celebration amid tight security

BANGKOK: -- Both Thais and foreigners flocked to join the New Year’s Eve countdown event in downtown Bangkok amid a heavy police presence to prevent an untoward incident.

Over 2,000 officials, soldiers, and police officers have provided security at the CentralWorld, the major countdown party in Bangkok, said Pol Maj Gen Wimol Paoin, Deputy Metropolitan Police Chief.

City official and police inspected the environs including shrubbery and flower gardens, and utility poles and telephone booths. Phone booths and waste bins were moved from the area to prevent the planting of bombs, while specially-trained sniffer dogs and bomb detectors were used to make certain that no explosive devices had been placed in the area.

Plastic panels and barricades were erected to block access to immovable phone booths. Pedestrian bridges and a section of road at CentralWorld between Ratchaprasong and Pratunam intersections were closed from 6pm for security reasons.

Pol. Col Paisarn Luesomboon, superintendent of the Pathumwan police station said there has been no report of a plan to create any violence so far. Revellers can celebrate with confidence due to strict security by police officials, he said.

Officials have screen people who enter the countdown party, banning bringing weapons into the event.

Multiple bomb blasts in Bangkok on New Year's Eve 2006 killed three people and left 42 injured. Fireworks and pyrotechnic displays are banned at entertainment venues after a New Year's Eve blaze at a Bangkok nightclub last year killed 65 revellers last year.

Meanwhile, in the southern Thai province of Phuket, Provincial Administration Organisation chairman Paiboon Upatising said provincial and related agencies are holding a ‘Colourful Phuket Countdown 2010’ at the year end Thursday evening.

The event boasts concerts, art shows and multimedia light, colour and sound performances. A special effects system will be showcased, while 1,000 fireworks will be lit to celebrate the festive season at the provincial seat’s Saphan Hin area through New Year’s Day.

All activities are to promote tourism in the province and to attract tourists. At Kathu district’s Patong Beach, among others, tourists are streaming to the area for their holidays.

-- TNA 2009-12-31

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[chiang mai]

Security on Bangla Road in Phuket earlier this evening was clearly quite strong, loads of Provincial Police and barricades set up similar to airport security. But all of that was at 8pm this evening, things may or may not moderate as the night goes forward.

[mythBuster]

The numbers of police and soldiers really make no difference whatsoever. 2, 200, 20,000 security personnel, if an idiot has a bloody plan he or she will succeed. We see that on a daily basis in Pakistan. Cities and masses cannot be protected and so it be. The problem that occurred three years ago worked out to be to close to comfort to the military itself and was wiped under the carpet quickly when photographs learned the real identity of the culprits.

It is an old trick from the book of the military. Now they are on the money their is no need for trouble, so it will be just a big party and that is the way it should be.

[DegenFarang]

Headed to CentralWorld now-glad to hear they are taking security seriously. Sawadee Pee Mai TV!

[indothai]

I'm glad the officials are doing what is necessary. Hopefully this will be enough.

Have a safe and Happy New Year !!!

[infernalman7]

The numbers of police and soldiers really make no difference whatsoever. 2, 200, 20,000 security personnel, if an idiot has a bloody plan he or she will succeed. We see that on a daily basis in Pakistan. Cities and masses cannot be protected and so it be. The problem that occurred three years ago worked out to be to close to comfort to the military itself and was wiped under the carpet quickly when photographs learned the real identity of the culprits.

It is an old trick from the book of the military. Now they are on the money their is no need for trouble, so it will be just a big party and that is the way it should be.

Oh please, so you reckon it's better to have none? Weird logic.

A friend told me that you cant even to in without passing that security screen points and purse check.

Edited December 31, 2009 by infernalman7

[ZeroNull]

I dont know if its my unabillity to speak and understand fluent thai slang

or if its even this secucurity policy which hinders us today to celebrate a new years

celebration with firework.

Fact is that we tried 3 stores yesterday and today to buy firework

(like these big-bangs and nice rockets). Two of them have no

firework to sell, they apologiezed for dont get neccesary papers

from ampoe for sell fireworks this year. The third one has had

what i would call "Kindergarden" firework. Very small items which cant

harm any idiot at all even if he seats on it while igniting.

I dont know if its my unabillity to speak or if its even this secucurity policy.

And which policy ? From whom, elected by which people ?

ZeroNull

[crocodilexp]

The numbers of police and soldiers really make no difference whatsoever. 2, 200, 20,000 security personnel, if an idiot has a bloody plan he or she will succeed.

I just came back to Central World, and level of organization this year is remarkable. For instance, even though the crowd is huge, police fenced off clear evacuation paths, have ambulances on standby etc. Even if there is no major disruption, it would help in case someone in the crowd gets a stroke, panic attack or such.

It is stupid to say that numbers make no difference. Sure, nothing would prevent a determined suicide bomber Iraq-style, but previous bombings in Bangkok (e.g. Victory Monument few years back) were a case of someone leaving explosives in a trash can... many kinds of attacks can be foiled with some vigilance and preparation. Even if a bad situation occurs, response matters -- difference between a stampede and an orderly evacuation can mean hundreds of lives saved.

[Nuchanart]

Happy New Year everyone.

[warmwater7]

Security on Bangla Road in Phuket earlier this evening was clearly quite strong, loads of Provincial Police and barricades set up similar to airport security. But all of that was at 8pm this evening, things may or may not moderate as the night goes forward.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL

[george]

Happy New Year!

[Patsycat]

Still only 21.30 here!!

[Tokay]

All the soldiers and police in the world mean little when they are poorly trained.

I could have hauled a bomb right onto the stage tonight without a single person stopping me. Security was a joke.

[infernalman7]

After a trip to RCA today all I have to say that I am extremely happy that the police is taking this seriously. Fire trucks are all there at the location with police handing out Chuppa Chups.

The only question is that will they carry it on years after this?

[infernalman7]

All the soldiers and police in the world mean little when they are poorly trained.

I could have hauled a bomb right onto the stage tonight without a single person stopping me. Security was a joke.

Please clarify how. No one can get 3m. near the stage. 25m radius around the stage you cannot get in without passing a magnetic security detection check point.

Poorly trained or not, I am more than one hundred percent sure that no one can carry a bomb right onto a stage except you are going to drop it down from the air. Are you just trolling around or were you really there.

Edited December 31, 2009 by infernalman7

[erickok]

A special New Year Wish to the TV Team and members.

My Wish for You in 2010

May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.

May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.

May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!

May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy

May the problems you had, forget your home address!

In simple words ............

May 2010 be the best year of your life!!

[nonghoidave]

Happy New year to ALL!

Man, was it ever fun watching the sky last might in Chiangmai!!!

The entire city filled with awesome fireworks...someone across the river from me had some serious fireworks: when they went off the entire village of Nong Hoi was lit up like daytime....really cool!!!!!

Didn't see ANY security Anywhere (nor any trouble), just people out strolling and enjoying themselves.....

[soinowinbkk]

From BTS at about 11 PM, noticed the lines of people being checked in in front of Central World -- wow, a gov't that knows what it's doing! What a relief! And NO incidents. Numbers DO matter as well that level of presence and (dare I say) organization gave the PEOPLE a reassurace of security and certainly served as a WARNING to anyone wishing to do harm that THIS year, they will be caught!

Good work, Mr Ashisit ... and good work in how you figuured out how to get the Thai police to cooperate!

(PS - What a surprise, no security in CM (alto I doubt it, really) and no incidents ... )

[thongsuknork]

Sawadee Pee Mai Krub To All thai visa friends

[GuyLakeman]

HAAAAPY NEW YEAR !!! ))

MAY ALL OUR SELF POLICING BE GOOD

KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS PEELED ))

[DegenFarang]

My prior post was inaccurate, they had a ton of police and army - however they were mainly clustered in groups talking and laughing or sitting on curbs in big groups nowhere near the crowds. Not sure what all the NYC cops do on NYE but I can't imagine them being this lazy or inefficient in their deployment. TiT...

[DegenFarang]

From BTS at about 11 PM, noticed the lines of people being checked in in front of Central World -- wow, a gov't that knows what it's doing! What a relief! And NO incidents. Numbers DO matter as well that level of presence and (dare I say) organization gave the PEOPLE a reassurace of security and certainly served as a WARNING to anyone wishing to do harm that THIS year, they will be caught!

Good work, Mr Ashisit ... and good work in how you figuured out how to get the Thai police to cooperate!

(PS - What a surprise, no security in CM (alto I doubt it, really) and no incidents ... )

Numbers and guns were about all they had. With the crowd smashing together and right in front of one of those booths with at least 5 cops in it, a farang started pushing the two Thai guys behind him, demanding his wallet back. The two Thai's and all of the cops just stared at him with blank faces.

[judgedredd]

We went to Central World last night at approximately 11:30 and stayed until 12:30. I was impressed with both what I saw and what was absent.

We walked along the street from Siam Paragon all the way to Central World.

I was impressed that the crowd was actually not too large. Perhaps many had the good sense to stay home. Barricades, ambulances, and police cars were in evidence.

I saw no recognizable Brown Shirt foot patrolmen, but I did see several RTP in black uniform, who were perhaps Special Branch, DSI, or SWAT guys, and I also saw several Thai Army Soldiers in full uniform.

The noticeably missing included: touts, pickpockets, and moto-taxi guys. I also saw zero Brown Shirt hustlers (I suppose even a "bad farang" could have dropped a cigarette butt with impunity…) and there were No Tuk-Tuks ! !

[fiercesnake]

The numbers of police and soldiers really make no difference whatsoever. 2, 200, 20,000 security personnel, if an idiot has a bloody plan he or she will succeed.

I just came back to Central World, and level of organization this year is remarkable. For instance, even though the crowd is huge, police fenced off clear evacuation paths, have ambulances on standby etc. Even if there is no major disruption, it would help in case someone in the crowd gets a stroke, panic attack or such.

It is stupid to say that numbers make no difference. Sure, nothing would prevent a determined suicide bomber Iraq-style, but previous bombings in Bangkok (e.g. Victory Monument few years back) were a case of someone leaving explosives in a trash can... many kinds of attacks can be foiled with some vigilance and preparation. Even if a bad situation occurs, response matters -- difference between a stampede and an orderly evacuation can mean hundreds of lives saved.

Last year it was so bad because there was just hoards and hoards of people and the way they had set up security had actually made a crush situation almost inevitable. It was getting so bad at that time that myself and many friends with me were at times in a dangerous situation due to the mob (not from terrorism) simply because of the horrendous way they'd set up the security. In fact we saw absolutely nothing at the crucial moment for where we had been blocked. In the event of a real terror attack many many people would have been wiped out and unable to move to safer areas due to the way they had it set up. It simply wasn't security just an extreme annoyance.

That's why I just didn't bother going there this year so if you say this year they got it right then super! But I find it hard to believe in LOS they DID get it right. Maybe the crowd numbers were down on last year after 2008/09 New Year's mess at Central and this contributed to why it was better controlled this year???

I really hope they had made it better this time round but I would be interested to hear from many others as clearly this is just one report amongst thousands upon thousands of people. Thanks "crocodilexp" for your handle on at least what you experienced.

[MikeyIdea]

I was at Central World with my daughter last year and this year I also brought my 75 year old mother there. I must say that I think it was well organised. Not as many people as I expected which were only good, people were polite and nice. I saw absolutely no violence whatsoever. The only overly loud people we saw were a bunch of westerners with obviously too much to drink. That brought out an all too true comment about westerners in Thailand from my mother.

Security was probably not acceptable… We took the underground and then skytrain and our bags were not checked anywhere. I could easily have carried 10 kilos of explosives to Central World. Saying that though, no one who looked the slightest suspicious got passed the checkpoints without being checked either.

Praise to underground and skytrain personnel who arranged excellent communications. We left Central World at 1 AM and departure was quick and painless. Thais at the skytrain of course immediately stood up and offered my mother and daughter seats – I wonder if that would have happened in New York, London, and Paris.

[Nickel]

I was at Central World with my daughter last year and this year I also brought my 75 year old mother there. I must say that I think it was well organised. Not as many people as I expected which were only good, people were polite and nice. I saw absolutely no violence whatsoever. The only overly loud people we saw were a bunch of westerners with obviously too much to drink. That brought out an all too true comment about westerners in Thailand from my mother.

Security was probably not acceptable… We took the underground and then skytrain and our bags were not checked anywhere. I could easily have carried 10 kilos of explosives to Central World. Saying that though, no one who looked the slightest suspicious got passed the checkpoints without being checked either.

Praise to underground and skytrain personnel who arranged excellent communications. We left Central World at 1 AM and departure was quick and painless. Thais at the skytrain of course immediately stood up and offered my mother and daughter seats – I wonder if that would have happened in New York, London, and Paris.

It certainly would have happened in London. Obverse racist

[MikeyIdea]

I was at Central World with my daughter last year and this year I also brought my 75 year old mother there. I must say that I think it was well organised. Not as many people as I expected which were only good, people were polite and nice. I saw absolutely no violence whatsoever. The only overly loud people we saw were a bunch of westerners with obviously too much to drink. That brought out an all too true comment about westerners in Thailand from my mother.

Security was probably not acceptable… We took the underground and then skytrain and our bags were not checked anywhere. I could easily have carried 10 kilos of explosives to Central World. Saying that though, no one who looked the slightest suspicious got passed the checkpoints without being checked either.

Praise to underground and skytrain personnel who arranged excellent communications. We left Central World at 1 AM and departure was quick and painless. Thais at the skytrain of course immediately stood up and offered my mother and daughter seats – I wonder if that would have happened in New York, London, and Paris.

It certainly would have happened in London. Obverse racist

I rarely saw people stand up to offer seats to elderly when I lived in London, it seems that you have a different opinion, that's perfectly OK with me

Edited January 5, 2010 by MikeyIdea

[Nickel]

I was at Central World with my daughter last year and this year I also brought my 75 year old mother there. I must say that I think it was well organised. Not as many people as I expected which were only good, people were polite and nice. I saw absolutely no violence whatsoever. The only overly loud people we saw were a bunch of westerners with obviously too much to drink. That brought out an all too true comment about westerners in Thailand from my mother.

Security was probably not acceptable… We took the underground and then skytrain and our bags were not checked anywhere. I could easily have carried 10 kilos of explosives to Central World. Saying that though, no one who looked the slightest suspicious got passed the checkpoints without being checked either.

Praise to underground and skytrain personnel who arranged excellent communications. We left Central World at 1 AM and departure was quick and painless. Thais at the skytrain of course immediately stood up and offered my mother and daughter seats – I wonder if that would have happened in New York, London, and Paris.

It certainly would have happened in London. Obverse racist

I rarely saw people stand up to offer seats to elderly when I lived in London, it seems that you have a different opinion, that's perfectly OK with me

I am a Londoner, it happens frequently. Walking up the left side of an escalator I asked a woman, standing in the way to excuse me. She turned at looked at me in utter amasement, yes my dear said her obviously American companion 'you are in England now, people talk politely to each other.

On the transit bus at Bangkok airport I offered up my seat to a very heavily pregnant Thai lady it was quickly taken up by a 'booted and suited' middle aged Thai man. I think our posters experience on the skytrain was the exception not the rule. Thais (and I am talking about the men not the women) mostly have little regard for their opposite sex be they young, old or pregnant.

[bannork]

I was at Central World with my daughter last year and this year I also brought my 75 year old mother there. I must say that I think it was well organised. Not as many people as I expected which were only good, people were polite and nice. I saw absolutely no violence whatsoever. The only overly loud people we saw were a bunch of westerners with obviously too much to drink. That brought out an all too true comment about westerners in Thailand from my mother.

Security was probably not acceptable… We took the underground and then skytrain and our bags were not checked anywhere. I could easily have carried 10 kilos of explosives to Central World. Saying that though, no one who looked the slightest suspicious got passed the checkpoints without being checked either.

Praise to underground and skytrain personnel who arranged excellent communications. We left Central World at 1 AM and departure was quick and painless. Thais at the skytrain of course immediately stood up and offered my mother and daughter seats – I wonder if that would have happened in New York, London, and Paris.

It certainly would have happened in London. Obverse racist

I rarely saw people stand up to offer seats to elderly when I lived in London, it seems that you have a different opinion, that's perfectly OK with me

I am a Londoner, it happens frequently. Walking up the left side of an escalator I asked a woman, standing in the way to excuse me. She turned at looked at me in utter amasement, yes my dear said her obviously American companion 'you are in England now, people talk politely to each other.

On the transit bus at Bangkok airport I offered up my seat to a very heavily pregnant Thai lady it was quickly taken up by a 'booted and suited' middle aged Thai man. I think our posters experience on the skytrain was the exception not the rule. Thais (and I am talking about the men not the women) mostly have little regard for their opposite sex be they young, old or pregnant.

Thai men won't give up their seat for a young woman but in my experience they always give up their seat to an elderly or pregnant woman.

[MikeyIdea]

Nickel,

We may not share the same experiences in everything but I hope that we happily can agree that it is much more likely that someone gives up a seat for an elderly in London than in New York

I'm not a Londoner although I worked there for 6 months, you win