Thailand to host world's tallest New Year's Eve ball drop

[FangFerang]

a sparkling globe that will descend 64 stories from the top of a Bangkok luxury hotel

From the link...

The ball will descend 15 meters....

So each floor at Lebua is less than 25cm high, yes?

I usually read the full story, and realized the writer sensationalized it. The headline should have read, "Thailand to have New Year's Ball Drop from Highest Altitude." It's only dropping 15 meters from the height of the 64th floor. Even funnier, often the first floor is called 0 level or ground. Since the reporter spent a whopping five minutes and ten seconds whipping up this gem of journalism from a three sentence factoid off the wire, only someone who knows that hotel would be able to say if its actually dropping from 64 or 65 stories above ground.

[bigbamboo]

Rather a ball dropping from a high rise Thai hotel than a whole ex pat.

[IDL]

More original thinking.

Copying yet more Western traditions (that are apparently the cause for all the [negative] cultural changes in Tryland).

What next, a Ferris wheel...

[sstuff3]

And for a mere 30,600 baht you can get front-row seats, including a set dinner at the venue. Nice marketing campaign though.....

[IDL]

And for a mere 30,600 baht you can get front-row seats, including a set dinner at the venue. Nice marketing campaign though.....

I live directly opposite Labua, so will enjoy the spectacle whilst eating bangers & mash, on my balcony.

There's still something positive left in living here!

[jaltsc]

"This year Thailand is set to host the world's tallest ball drop, with a sparkling globe that will descend 64 stories from the top of a Bangkok luxury hotel."

This from a nation that puts down western culture and beliefs, and government officials who say they don't respect what westerners think. Their second rate imitations speak much louder than their rhetoric. They seem to make every effort to imitate those they publicly put down. Fortunately, imitating western New Year's celebrations should be less lethal than their total incompetency to transition from driving an ox and cart to driving motor vehicles. The only question is: How many road fatalities will their be at the end of this New Year's road safety campaign?

[siampolee]

We could perhaps witness the dropping of the police ball's ( not the dances) and then the police farce force might well be able to that which they get paid for too.

[Hornell]

It's pretty par for the course this; the Thais as a rule don't have an original idea in their heads and seem to be incapable of anything but simple plagiarism. When I first went to live in a village some 200 km south of Bkk 15 years ago there was one garden centre there doing very well; when I left last year there were seven of them all making hardly any money at all.

[Varangkul]

More original thinking.

Copying yet more Western traditions (that are apparently the cause for all the [negative] cultural changes in Tryland).

What next, a Ferris wheel...

Ching-ching! The sound of the cash machine!

[kurtgruen]

I want to wish everyone a good journey, into the NEW YEAR!

Have a ball, go to a Ball, watch a ball drop, or do something else creative. Just remember "BALL" is the word of the day

Happy Holidays, everyone!

[smutcakes]

Jesus there are a lot of moaning people on here, we get it and your cynical about absolutely everything and find it impossible to lighten up for one minute.

Maybe you find it ridiculous and the reporting crap, but by the huge turnout each year to these kind of events I am sure there will be many 10's of thousands around to enjoy all these types of 'gimmicks' and to see in the New Year.

I for one hope they enjoy there evening's and find it good fun even if, God forbid they have stolen the 'ball dropping' from another country!!! *shock horror*

[Scott]

What they should do to make it unique is to have one little light for every foreigner that went off the top of a building or off a balcony. Perhaps some twinkling lights for each person needlessly killed in a an auto accident.

That would be a very bright ball, though. Very, very bright.

[RubbaJohnny]

The Balls Up

The Let Down

Amusing Toyland

Hub a dubba do,Yabba dabble don't

Happy New year to you and a safe and healthy 2014/2557 to one and all

มีความสุขปีใหม่

Edited December 31, 2013 by RubbaJohnny

[chooka]

So has that idiot Suthep rallied to troops to block 2014 arriving as one of his idiotic demands? Will it still be 2014 in the morning.

[tomyummer]

Lame. Utterly lame. First I thought it would fall the whole distance. Then to learn it's a measly 7 foot sized ball? Weak. The whole idea is that in NYC, the ball can be seen by thousands of revelers. Who the heck would see that tiny ball fall from the top of Lebua? They should toss it off the building at midnight.

[trainman34014]

Anyway; who's balls is it that are dropping...and did they give their permission ?

[Soi Sauce]

As for immaturity;

Oom bop, when wil my balls drop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHozn0YXAeE

[Torrens54]

Is there anything that isnt copied in Thailand?

Common Sense?

[balo]

So what happened with the ball ?

Edited December 31, 2013 by balo

[JetsetBkk]

So what happened with the ball ?

It didn't drop. There was a balls up.

[belg]

thailand copy cat;.. look at me, look at me, i can do bigger

originality = 0 %

thainessssssssssssssssssssss

[siampolee]

Just as bad here in our village in Amphur Sangkha in Surin. Lots of noise from the local temple. when I asked what was happening I was told, ' We are holding a monks ball.''

I suggested the monks that theu desist from holding a monks ball which they then did and and silence reigned.

Seems as if the monk was of Russian origin name of '' Ivor Bolokooff.''

[outsider]

An opportunity for Thailand to 'join the likes of other countries'... dropping balls on New Year's Eve. Aspirational! In-line with Thailand's unending efforts at joining the globalisation cart. Even if it is just to drop balls. Nothing more pressing on the agenda then, Thailand?

[IDL]

Lame. Utterly lame. First I thought it would fall the whole distance. Then to learn it's a measly 7 foot sized ball? Weak. The whole idea is that in NYC, the ball can be seen by thousands of revelers. Who the heck would see that tiny ball fall from the top of Lebua? They should toss it off the building at midnight.

So small, I couldn't even see it! I live opposite Labua/State, on the 20th floor. Last night was on the roof of condo building, videoing events (and sending the odd Yi-peng off) and didn't see a thing. Sure it must have been around the other side, but not even a glow from where I was standing. Dissappointed

[DocN]

So first they lost their marbles...and now they dropped the ball??