Alcohol Ban For Songkran

[ChiangMaiMail]

Alcohol ban for Songkran around the moat

No alcohol signs have gone up informing people of the ban on alcohol sales around the moat.

Nopniwat Krailerg

The Stop Drinking Network joined forces with the Chiang Mai Culture Office and the Municipality on March 21, 2012 at the Holiday Garden Hotel Chiang Mai to discuss measures to restrict the sale of alcohol in the moat area during the Songkran holiday.

Prakru Wichiankunathon President of the Stop Drink Network Chiang Mai, Paitoon Ratlertlop, Chief of Chiang Mai Culture Office, Chiang Mai Mayor Tussanai Buranupakorn were joined by community leaders and members of the general public at the meeting that saw more than 400 people attend.

The attendees of the meeting expressed concern that the traditional culture of the Thai New Year was being lost and that most people attending are oblivious of the original traditions and meaning associated with Songkran.

Songkran has one of the highest number of deaths due to road accidents after the New Year in January. Additionally, the loss of traditional culture, drunkenness among youth and inappropriate behavior by children and youth were discussed.

The Municipality has enacted regulations restricting the sale of alcohol around the moat and prohibiting people from swimming in the moat and has instructed police to strictly enforce these regulations. 92 civic and government leaders signed the petition calling for the return of the traditional values of Songkran and pledged to work towards that in their own communities.

http://chiangmai-mai...news.shtml#hd38

[chiangmaimail][/chiangmaimail]

[BookMan]

[Thailand]

Good move.

[jajohnson]

Are they serious about this? Is anyone going to try enforce it? How many pack around the moat, what are a handful of coppers or city officials going to do???

Is suppose you have to give them credit for trying

[CPT]

The alcohol ban seems like a positive but there was still plenty of drinking going on last year with the ban in place. Maybe designate an area where alcohol is allowed so all the problems with drunkeness are concentrated in one place that is easily avoidable by families and others who object to such behavior.

Why no swimming in the moat?

[eyecatcher]

maybe someone can clarify the wording on the big sign out of shot here ...that i assume meant the request was between 10am and 3pm only.

the problem will likely be the p"""ed up drivers who have their trucks loaded with water and beers already and NOT the likely problems by a few bar drinkers.

Doesn't Songran hold the accolade for causing the highest number of deaths in the shortest period of time in Thailand-mainly due to drink driving

[TheWalkingMan]

Waiting for the pictures of people posing in front of the sign holding a bottle of sangsom or chuggin' a beer.

[connda]

I think the city or Chiang Mai could do a lot better job of promoting cultural events. All I've been able to find regarding schedules is a limited list of events (that I'm sure is far from encompassing what is really happen here in Chiang Mai). That list for 2012 doesn't even include times for the events.

I'm sure the Thai locals get there info though the grapevine and word of month, but it leaves tourists and local expats in the dark. I'd love to take part in the cultural traditions, and enjoy the more laid-back festivities -- but they really aren't well promoted and advertised at all.

Soooo, that leaves farangs with the options of going to the bar, getting drunk, throwing water, and spending money on the street.

If the city wishes to sponsor an alcohol free (or limited) environment, they really need to take the time to publish a comprehensive list of local events in the area and include the times of those events. I have friends coming into town and I'd love to take them to the cultural events happening during Songkran.

It's like the local mayor, city council, chamber of commerce, TAT, and Expat organizations decided to just forget about the foreigners living and visiting here. "Come, visit the street vendors, spend your money, get drunk because we aren't going to publish any other choices for you in English, and throw water. I'm really pretty disappointed. TIT huh? Sad.

[ChiangMaiMail]

Police will set up alcohol checkpoints around the moat from 10 am tomorrow

And we received an updated schedule yesterday; http://chiangmai-mail.com/current/news.shtml#hd16

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Police will set up alcohol checkpoints around the moat from 10 am tomorrow

So.. what happened?

Waiting for the pictures of people posing in front of the sign holding a bottle of sangsom or chuggin' a beer.

Sure; Here you are:

[PoodMaiDai]

They were selling beer at many roadside stalls. As expected.