Thailand Live Friday 13 Apr 2012

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RT @suthichai: THAI pilots refuse to fly extra Songkran flights.

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Special Report: Maha Songkran 2012

The Songkran festival is celebrated in Thailand every year as the traditional New Year's Day from April 13 to 15.

Believed to have been adapted from an Indian festival, Songkran has traditionally been celebrated as the New Year for many centuries. The name Songkran, derived from a Sanskrit word, alludes to “movement” or “changing” since, according to Thai astrology, the sun progresses to a new sign of the Zodiac on this day. The festival on April 13 is then titled Maha Songkran Day or the day to mark the end of the old year.

The festival’s most celebrated custom is the splashing of water. At the peak of summer, local residents take to water guns and hoses to soak passersby, or even engage in mock battles with other revelers. The throwing of water is thought to have originated as a way to pay respect to elders and family members, by splashing or pouring over them the ‘blessed’ water which had been poured over the Buddha images to bring them good fortune. Songkran has traditionally been a time to visit and pay respect to elders, including family members, friends and neighbors.

The Maha Songkran Day also coincides with the celebration of the annual Day of the Elderly, which falls on April 13 of every year. On the day, the young pour scented water over their elders’ hands, and they in return, wish them good health, happiness and prosperity. The symbol for Elderly day is a flower called Lambuan, which remains fragrant and beautiful even as it begin to wilt, a reminder that every senior person can teach younger generations how to live a good and blissful life.

In this day and age, water-throwing activities have overshadowed the festival's spiritual and religious aspects, which often prompt grievances from traditionalists and older generations. In recent years there have been calls for the festival to be held in moderation in order to reduce the number of alcohol-related road accidents attributed to extreme behavior such as water being splashed in the faces of passing motorcyclists.

Dubbed ‘seven dangerous days’, the holiday period has for years notoriously claimed the biggest number of road fatalities in the entire year; mostly from speeding, drunk-driving and disobeying other traffic rules. The Ministry of Public Health will this year join efforts with relevant agencies to reduce road tolls by providing around-the-clock medical treatments, and controlling the sale of alcohol during the long holiday period. Volunteers and staff will be deployed nationwide to encourage people to drive sensibly on the road.

Also, in a bid to relive Songkran the traditional Thai way, the Culture Ministry is campaigning for a "White Songkran" in which Thais are encouraged to visit temples to make merits and to participate in traditional Thai performances. In addition, a water-pouring ceremony was organized on April 11 to allow people to pour water onto national artists for blessings.

-- NNT 2012-04-13

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Security beefed up on Khao San Road to protect Songkran revellers

BANGKOK:-- Almost 1,000 policemen, volunteers and city municipality police were deployed to keep order at the Khao San Road Friday, the first of the three Songkran holidays.

Khao San road is popular with both Thais and foreigners for water fights, which take place over the three-day celebrations.

Deputy Bangkok governor Thaya Teepasuwan visited Khao San Road to inspect the preparations for the celebration at 9.30am. She said almost 1,000 policemen, volunteers and Bangkok city police were deployed to prevent violence and the abuse of women by male Songkran revellers.

-- The Nation 2012-04-13

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Some 30 Pheu Thai MPs pay homage to Thaksin in Vientiane

Vientiane, Laos - Some 30 Pheu Thai MPs paid Songkran homage to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Vientianne Friday morning.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/547799-some-30-pheu-thai-mps-pay-homage-to-thaksin-in-vientiane/page__view__findpost__p__5215484

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Water splashing kicks off nationwide marking Thai New Year

BANGKOK, April 13 – Thai New Year revellers started the Songkran water splashing festival with making merit in a morning alms-giving ceremony and the water fights began nationwide to mark the Thai New Year in the sweltering hot weather.

In Bangkok, Sukumol Khunplome, the minister of culture, presided over the opening of the Songkran festival at Siam Square to promote wearing the Thai style loincloth.

Clean tap water is available for residents and tourists alike to fill their water guns and buckets, while an old-style market is set up in the city centre to promote traditional Thai celebrations of the New Year.

Near historic Bangkok’s Sanam Luang and the picturesque riverside, backpacker haven Khao San Road is a centrally highlighted venue for Bangkok’s water splashing during the Songkran festival. Thais and foreigners alike were armed with water guns Friday morning to battle in the water fight, and the road is expected to get crowded as normally seen during the Thai New Year.

Up north in Chiang Mai, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra opened the Songkran festival in her hometown, joining the public in giving alms to 99 monks.

She addressed the public, advising all to do good deeds and to promote the unique tradition of the northern style water festival and cultural tourism to attract tourists as Thailand’s tourism is showing a good sign of recovery from past troubles.

She wished all Thais happiness and in good health in this coming year.

In the far South, in Pattani, the Songkran water festival kicked off amid heightened security.

Governor Theera Minthasak ordered provincial officials to examine all suspicious cars and motorcycles at checkpoints to prevent the recurrence of violence, particularly at the checkpoint in Nong Chik district, connecting Songkla’s Hat Yai district, where Lee Gardens Plaza was hit by a car bomb only last month.

In Yala, locals gave alms to over 100 monks in the municipality to make merit for those killed in the March 31 car bombings.

In Narathiwat, people travelled on pick-up trucks, loaded with water-filled plastic barrels to splash others. In the Narathiwat municipality, a road filled with entertainment venues was closed to traffic to allow the celebrants to enjoy splashing water while in Sungai Kolok, bordering Malaysia, both Thai and Malaysian tourists are participating in water fighting.

The long holiday, which runs until April 17, normally has a large number of highway deaths from accidents mainly involving driving while intoxicated and speeding across the country. The authorities are trying to cut the casualty toll every year by campaigning to set up road checkpoints.

During the first two days of Songkran's 'seven dangerous days', the records showed 88 people died and 890 others were injured in road accidents. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-04-13

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RT @RichardBarrow: 3:06pm It's jam packed on Khao San Road for the #Songkran waterfights. 1000's of Thais & foreigners http://bit.ly/I8033b

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RT@Aim_NT: Hun Sen allows the red shirts 2 visit Angkor Wat for free tomorrow if they wear red shirt and show UDD card. (Day padd US$20) via @noppatjak

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Thaivisa Forum will be down for scheduled server maintenance on Friday April 13 in a 6 hour window between approx. 17.30 - 23.00 Bangkok time (GMT+7).

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Admin

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Co-pilots' absence causes THAI flight delays

The Nation

BANGKOK:-- Many Thai Airways flights were delayed on Friday due to mass leaves of absence by the national carrier's co-pilots.

Full story:

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Thailand Live Saturday 14 Apr 2012