2 New Year Countdowns Planned

[george]

2 New Year countdowns planned

BANGKOK: -- Two major New Year countdowns will be organised by the government and private companies, and each claims it will attract more than 100,000 people. GMM Grammy, in cooperation with the Transport Ministry and the Tourism and Sports Ministry, will organise a countdown at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will chair that event and further entertainment will be provided by popular GMM Grammy artists.

RS Promotion, in cooperation with BEC World – the operator of TV Channel 3 – Central Pattana, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and the Thai Health Foundation Promotion, will organise Bangkok Countdown 2006 at Central World Square on Rajdamri Road.

The company last year cancelled Bangkok Countdown 2005 out of respect for victims of the Boxing Day tsunami, which had recently hit six southern provinces.

This year’s event, which will be held between 10.45pm and 1am, is aimed at attracting more than 100,000 people who will enjoy the countdown and celebrate the arrival of the New Year.

More than 50 artists and actors from RS Promotion and Channel 3, including Film Rattapoom, Parn Thanaporn, Dan & Beam, Dung Pankorn Boonyajinda, Joy Siriluck Pongchoke, and Benz Pornchita Na Songkhla will be there.

Some RS Promotion artists will join the Tourism Authority of Thailand at another countdown in Phuket, which will also be a memorial to tsunami victims.

“We are the original. We organised the first countdown in Bangkok at World Trade Plaza, now Central World Plaza, back in 1998,” said Pravich Janyasitthikul, vice president of Central Pattana.

He said the Bangkok Countdown would promote Rajprasong shopping street as a major venue for New Year celebrations at the heart of Bangkok, thanks to good transport systems including the BTS Skytrain, which could bring people from all around the capital.

Somrak Narongwichai, vice president of BEC World, said: “We would like to provide moral support and give hope to people who have been suffering under economic difficulties, and to make them happy on the special occasion of New Year celebrations.”

He said that Channel 3 would be in charge of broadcasting Bangkok Countdown 2006 to people around the country who prefer to stay home during the celebration.

The station expects to improve its viewer ratings during the live New Year countdown broadcast, he added.

--The Nation 2005-11-19

[Greer]

I have worked in the broadcasting industry for most of my working life - and the last sentence above is actually the key...

Sorry - it's just 30 years in the media tends to breed a certain cyncism.

[Chang_paarp]

Wait a second....

Won't this mean TS will have to front the media? I thought he was not speaking to them till after the new year. ( see related news item)

Oh! hang in there that was just not talk with them, in this gig they only get to listen. Not oo much different from a TS press conference.

[The_Other_Mac]

I like the way Thaksin has converted Suvarnabhumi airport into an event venue, rather than use the Democrat-owned Muang Thong Thani. Slick.

But two countdowns! I wonder if they are on at the same time, or whether they'll compete to be first?

[Crossy]

I like the way Thaksin has converted Suvarnabhumi airport into an event venue, rather than use the Democrat-owned Muang Thong Thani. Slick.

But two countdowns! I wonder if they are on at the same time, or whether they'll compete to be first?

Hmmm, must remember to set up two TVs side by side, camcorder in front recording both.

Send tape to various news agencies.

[lomatopo]

I like the way Thaksin has converted Suvarnabhumi airport into an event venue, rather than use the Democrat-owned Muang Thong Thani. Slick.

But two countdowns! I wonder if they are on at the same time, or whether they'll compete to be first?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yees, one more will call for a crackdown on countdowns.