Chiang Mai To Ban Alcohol At Next Year's Songkran Festivities

[Ajarn]

Chiang Mai to ban alcohol at next year's Songkran festivities

Brewers will be banned from next year's Songkran parade in Chiang Mai, the city's cultural councillor said yesterday.

Chiang Mai's campaign against alcohol sales within the city walls during the holiday was a success, with a 70-per-cent drop in sales, said Wallop Namwongphrom.

However, some people brought their own alcohol and that led to drunkenness, fights breaking out and women being molested, he said.

Many people did not want alcohol manufacturers in the festival parade because they were advertising, Wallop said. So it has been decided they will be excluded next year, he said. The Chiang Mai Cultural Council will also ask stage organisers to ban shows featuring young women in skimpy clothes dancing, as were seen this year and broadcast to the nation, because they gave the city a bad image, Wallop said.

Next year the city will promote activities in temples with people wearing traditional dress, and continue its campaign against the sale of alcohol, he said. Muang Chiang Mai deputy mayor Pornchai Jitnawasathien said this year's festivities raised between Bt500million and Bt600 million, compared to last year's Bt1 billion.

He attributed this to a 40-per-cent drop in tourism, due to many foreigners choosing to avoid Thailand's political turmoil and local people preferring to save their money. The festival also left giant piles of rubbish, which took officials 32 hours to remove, Pornchai said.

The city usually produces about 300 tonnes of refuse a day but that increased by 70 per cent last Tuesday and Wednesday and by 120 to 150 per cent on Thursday and Friday.

As for road accidents, the Chiang Mai Probation Office said 694 drivers, bailed after they were arrested for drink-driving, would be asked to volunteer to help people suffering mental problems caused by alcoholism. This would allow them to serve society and learn the dangers of alcohol abuse, said office director Rommanee Klanbida yesterday.

As most of road accidents involved motorcycles, Deputy Interior Minister Sermsak Pongpanit yesterday said research on preventive measures for reckless riding were also planned.

The Nation

[Ormgard]

Chiang Mai to ban alcohol at next year's Songkran festivities

Brewers will be banned from next year's Songkran parade in Chiang Mai, the city's cultural councillor said yesterday.

Chiang Mai's campaign against alcohol sales within the city walls during the holiday was a success, with a 70-per-cent drop in sales, said Wallop Namwongphrom.

However, some people brought their own alcohol and that led to drunkenness, fights breaking out and women being molested, he said.

Many people did not want alcohol manufacturers in the festival parade because they were advertising, Wallop said. So it has been decided they will be excluded next year, he said. The Chiang Mai Cultural Council will also ask stage organisers to ban shows featuring young women in skimpy clothes dancing, as were seen this year and broadcast to the nation, because they gave the city a bad image, Wallop said.

Next year the city will promote activities in temples with people wearing traditional dress, and continue its campaign against the sale of alcohol, he said. Muang Chiang Mai deputy mayor Pornchai Jitnawasathien said this year's festivities raised between Bt500million and Bt600 million, compared to last year's Bt1 billion.

He attributed this to a 40-per-cent drop in tourism, due to many foreigners choosing to avoid Thailand's political turmoil and local people preferring to save their money. The festival also left giant piles of rubbish, which took officials 32 hours to remove, Pornchai said.

The city usually produces about 300 tonnes of refuse a day but that increased by 70 per cent last Tuesday and Wednesday and by 120 to 150 per cent on Thursday and Friday.

As for road accidents, the Chiang Mai Probation Office said 694 drivers, bailed after they were arrested for drink-driving, would be asked to volunteer to help people suffering mental problems caused by alcoholism. This would allow them to serve society and learn the dangers of alcohol abuse, said office director Rommanee Klanbida yesterday.

As most of road accidents involved motorcycles, Deputy Interior Minister Sermsak Pongpanit yesterday said research on preventive measures for reckless riding were also planned.

The Nation

I have a friend, 70, with a milder form of heart affliction. He usually stays indoors over Songkran, but couldn't this year, seeing how long it was.

Also he wanted to take part in it, just for once, for one day, so he ventured out. He enjoyed it tremendously, but had to break it off because the only thing, in all the joyous festivities, that really bothered him were the buckets of iced water being hoisted at and over him.

A graet, great pity that this wonderful old ritual of blessing has this element of aggressiveness in it nowadays.

One more thing disconserted him: when people - read farang - armed with water guns, not to say bazookas, aimed the ice water at people's faces.

[chanchao]

> The Chiang Mai Cultural Council will also ask stage organisers to ban

> shows featuring young women in skimpy clothes dancing, as were seen

> this year and broadcast to the nation, because they gave the city a bad

> image, Wallop said.

What planet is this guy from?

Well, they can give it their best shot... but the party goes onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!

[ThaiPauly]

Complete rubbish!...not to mention when he population of the City doubles over this period.....do they expect the levels of waste to reduce!

Do me a favour..Wallop needs a bloody good Wallop for spouting this crap.

This was the first Sonkran I have taken an active part in..and apart from falling over and cracking a rib (when under the influence M'Laud) I thoughourly enjoyed myself. Yeh there were some people chucking freezing cold water but it certainly kept me awake!! (Not me though) I just stuck to my small air gun

[lamphun]

Chiang Mai's campaign against alcohol sales within the city walls during the holiday was a success, with a 70-per-cent drop in sales, said Wallop Namwongphrom.

However, some people brought their own alcohol and that led to drunkenness, fights breaking out and women being molested, he said.

What campaign against alchohol ? I enjoyed a few beers over songkran within the city walls. I noticed quite a few other people doing the same thing.

[Ajarn]

Chiang Mai's campaign against alcohol sales within the city walls during the holiday was a success, with a 70-per-cent drop in sales, said Wallop Namwongphrom.

However, some people brought their own alcohol and that led to drunkenness, fights breaking out and women being molested, he said.

What campaign against alchohol ? I enjoyed a few beers over songkran within the city walls. I noticed quite a few other people doing the same thing.

Yeah, I thought that was crap, too. I have a couple of friends who own places inside the moat, and when I just called and asked them, they replied that nobody asked them to not sell alcohol, and nobody ever asked about their sales..

[davidgtr]

No chance of stopping the locals (Thai & farang) from having a tipple at Songkran. But I note that the original quote does say "Brewers will be banned from next year's Songkran parade." I never saw the parade, but assume that there were some floats sponsored by the liquor companies. Perhaps this is not such a good idea (for some people.)

The idea to ban shows with skimpy dancing girls is a bit stupid though. Not very Thai? Someone has their facts a bit screwed up there Id say. You see this on stage at restaurants / pubs / TV all over the country. Its called marketing I think & you get it all over the world & whilst it does have sex appeal it's generally not offensive, or is only to those “dinosaurs” who have kept their heads in the sand for too long.

A realistic solution might be to have the 1st 1 or 2 days for strictly cultural / religious events with no wild water throwing & then let the general population loose to rock 'n roll the last day & let off the steam that they weren't allowed to during the past year. But my vote would be 1 day religious / cultural & then 2 days rock’n roll party time. Good for business & the ex CEO would approve.

[chanchao]

The mornings are cultural/religious... the waterfight only gets underway like 10-11 or so. Then there's the evenings of course. So I think there's enough time for the cultural stuff already, it wouldn't require whole cultural days.

Cheers,

CHanchao

[davidgtr]

The mornings are cultural/religious... the waterfight only gets underway like 10-11 or so. Then there's the evenings of course. So I think there's enough time for the cultural stuff already, it wouldn't require whole cultural days.

Cheers,

CHanchao

Yes agreed the mornings are cultural / religious, but the problem is the drunkeness & “out of control” water fights. It has taken over the festival. This is what needs to be curbed. So to get it back under control, ban water throwing for 1 or 2 “cultural / religious” days & then let ‘em go. This is the only realistic compromise, limit the time for the water wars. It will never work asking them to be good little citizens, go to the temple, pay respect to their elders properly & moderate their water throwing activities. So a time limit has to be in place, and it should end at dusk, none of this night time water chucking by drunks. In my opinion the BIBs should jump on those throwing water after dark. Some control needs to be re-established, so that it does not remain out of control & continue to degenerate every year. You have to hand it to the Thais though, as if you tried to have a festival like this in the west, imagine the violence & deaths you would have. So overall it’s pretty good enjoyable fun really.

[ThaiPauly]

I saw many "Water Laden Trucks" leaving Wat Prasing after we had been to make merit on WEDNESDAY.. Perhaps they ask for a blessing first then..THE SHOW GOES ON.

I Love It!!!

Nothing is gonna change is it? we are just here for the ride ... ENJOY

[SamSipEt]

As most of road accidents involved motorcycles, Deputy Interior Minister Sermsak Pongpanit yesterday said research on preventive measures for reckless riding were also planned.

OK so lets get really silly and ban the bikes as well !

[britmaveric]

Ban alcohol? Hmmm I dare say they will have a lot of success with that proposal.

[chanchao]

One of the good things about Chiang Mai si that it actually ends in the evening. Not sure if thats exactly at dusk, but on the 14th I went home about 7, showered, changed, then went into town (Thapae area) in the back of a pickup for dinner around 8:30 and no problems at all. I wouldn't try that in Bangkok or (shudder) Pattaya.

So around the water throwing during the day (keep in mind its SUPER hot weather, not really a nice time to go cultural dancing & parading in the blazing sun) I found plenty of time to have a quiet evening, and a cultural/religious morning, indeed visiting gramdmum and visiting Wat Umong (the one IN the city on Ratchapakinai road, the one with the Buddha that smiles when they dim the lights.