Alcohol Bans and Road closures planned for Pattaya Songkran Festival

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Alcohol Bans and Road closures planned for Pattaya Songkran Festival



PATTAYA: -- The Deputy Pattaya Police Chief announced on Tuesday, plans to ensure that law & order is maintained during the Pattaya Songkran Festival, which effectively begins on the 18th and finishes on the night of 19th, this coming Friday and Saturday.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Chinnawat told us that there are 23 designated areas to engage in water fighting and there will be 5 Security Checkpoints where Police Officers and Police Volunteers will work from to ensure that security is maintained and any incidents that occur can be dealt with quickly.

Pattaya Beach Road will be closed to traffic and the Police are imposing a ban on the sale and consumption of Alcohol along Pattaya Beach Road.

Arrests will be made if any reveler is found to be acting in an indecent manner, which includes anyone who indecently exposes themselves.

Full story: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/125178/alcohol-bans-and-road-closures-planned-for-pattaya-songkran-festival/


-- Pattaya One 2014-04-16

[Jingthing]

Designated areas? Are they having a laugh?

[ukrules]

If they really go ahead and ban the sale of alcohol they can forget about this festival next year, it won't happen.

On the other hand I think we all know it will be business as usual.

[Costas2008]

The girl on the picture was very active

[OMGImInPattaya]

Pattaya ladyboys won't be shown up by their Bangkok sisters...there will be breasts!

[Guderian]

Designated areas? Are they having a laugh?

I think what he means is that the 23 designated areas are contiguous and cover the entire area of Pattaya.

[craigt3365]

They said the same thing about the big PVC water guns last year. Plenty were walking down Beach Road with them, right in front of the police stationed there.

We drove home around 7PM. Suk was a nightmare, especially for scooters. People running into the road just to splash them...normally right in the face. And of course, few scooters riders had helmets. Police were nowhere to be seen.

[ovenman]

They said the same thing about the big PVC water guns last year. Plenty were walking down Beach Road with them, right in front of the police stationed there.

We drove home around 7PM. Suk was a nightmare, especially for scooters. People running into the road just to splash them...normally right in the face. And of course, few scooters riders had helmets. Police were nowhere to be seen.

Even if the cops were there, what difference would it have made really? Oh yeah, no helmet fines, right?

[dinom]

No alcohol sale and consumption on Beach Road? And the police will wade through the thousands of people from morning to evening and do what? Arrest and fine the wrongdoer? Good luck to them...

[Showbags]

pvc water cannons banned ?

Oooops......

[ScotBkk]

The girl on the picture was very active

Attractive even !!

[marko kok prong]

Why is it different dates in Pattaya,i thought Songkran finished on the 17th?

[Prof3934]

My Thaiwife and I drove along the backroads past Sunnee Plaza onto Pattaya Thai Road.

We could not believe our eyes. A group of Arab men, not young boys, men, had hired, borrowed or stolen a water lorry and were driving along the back roads new Yennsabai shooting water from the main delivery nozzle. So the water pipe delivering this was several inches in diameter and the water gushed out at high volume and high speed. People were getting drowned not wet - but fortunately we were in the car. Can you believe this? Unbelievable

[mok199]

the usual ''dog and pony''show for the media....i say ''ban ''this rediculous festival which does nothing but watse precious water,and lives...

[ggt]

anyone who indecently exposes themselves.

They could arrest people on Pattaya Beach road everyday of the year...for this infraction...

[MJCM]

Why is it different dates in Pattaya,i thought Songkran finished on the 17th?

In Pattaya Songkran starts around the 10th and the last day is the 19th.

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

[Dogbreath]

Is this some kind of joke ? My guess is that the usual bunch of sorry-assed nobs and drunken louts will be slinging ice water from in front of bars everywhere in the Pattaya area no matter what the "authorities" say. Most of my friends have left the country for the duration and the rest of us are bunkered in our homes with enough food, drink and entertainment to last until the water anarchy exhausts itself. If it were a one or two day affair, I would not mind, but a week of getting soaked with cold water and ice while riding a scooter is a bit much.

I have spent time during Sonkran in Isaan and in the North. A lot more fun and a time to honor family instead of a drunken free-for-all and suspension of civility and respect for others that Pattaya Songkran has become.

[DrTuner]

Why is it different dates in Pattaya,i thought Songkran finished on the 17th?

In Pattaya Songkran starts around the 10th and the last day is the 19th.

Hopefully. I saw the first pickup with water and Thais on it on the 9th already. The way it gets longer every year it'll soon be one month.

[MJCM]

^ On the 20th it is in Bang Saray, so if you still hadn't had enough you can go there

[Ulic]

18th-19th ??? Surely you mean 12th-19th. I have been soaked while riding my scooter every time I go out and have

been trying to minimize my exposure. Just wondering who is held responsible when the buckets of water thrown

from the sides of the road or trucks causes a scooter to go down. (Saw this happen on Wat boon rd, Jomtien)

What happens if a scooter collides with a pedestrian as the bucket wielding pedestrian sprints out onto the road

to splash the scooter riders? Who is responsible when a scooter driver swerves to avoid a bucket of water and

collides with a car or truck? Is it all fair game and nobody's fault?

[balo]

The traffic on beach rd last night on my way to central was terrible, 19th will be like a war zone so stay away and be safe.

Sent from my SM-P601 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[sirchai]

Is it still possible to make money through dropping my key holders on foreigners' tables?

[Jack Mountain]

If they really go ahead and ban the sale of alcohol they can forget about this festival next year, it won't happen.

On the other hand I think we all know it will be business as usual.

That's why i hope they will go ahead with it ...

[DrTuner]

The traffic on beach rd last night on my way to central was terrible, 19th will be like a war zone so stay away and be safe.

Not only beach road, but all of Pattaya including Sukhumvit from Nua (north road) to Tai (south road) will be completely stopped. Getting into Pattaya proper is by walking, meaning getting soaking wet. Even the dark side will be extremely slow, Thanon Rod Fai (the railroad road) may be the only chance to get through to south. Better to avoid travelling, unless willingly engaging in the war.

[DLP]

My Thaiwife and I drove along the backroads past Sunnee Plaza onto Pattaya Thai Road.

We could not believe our eyes. A group of Arab men, not young boys, men, had hired, borrowed or stolen a water lorry and were driving along the back roads new Yennsabai shooting water from the main delivery nozzle. So the water pipe delivering this was several inches in diameter and the water gushed out at high volume and high speed. People were getting drowned not wet - but fortunately we were in the car. Can you believe this? Unbelievable

Yes in Pattaya anything goes

[Sydebolle]

I always was of the (apparently wrong) opinion, that the police is to enforce the law. Since when does the police designate booze-free areas on their own? I assume that only "police-friendly" outlets will be benefitting of a closed eye or two then.

Pathetic to say the least!

[MTH]

They said the same thing about the big PVC water guns last year. Plenty were walking down Beach Road with them, right in front of the police stationed there.

We drove home around 7PM. Suk was a nightmare, especially for scooters. People running into the road just to splash them...normally right in the face. And of course, few scooters riders had helmets. Police were nowhere to be seen.

Yes they did, and they’ve been saying that about the PVC Water Guns for at least the last 8-10 years.

However, as usual with announcements like this, seems like there’s no interest in any enforcement.

[Yahooka]

The traffic on beach rd last night on my way to central was terrible, 19th will be like a war zone so stay away and be safe.

Not only beach road, but all of Pattaya including Sukhumvit from Nua (north road) to Tai (south road) will be completely stopped. Getting into Pattaya proper is by walking, meaning getting soaking wet. Even the dark side will be extremely slow, Thanon Rod Fai (the railroad road) may be the only chance to get through to south. Better to avoid travelling, unless willingly engaging in the war.

The taxi company I'm regularly using is saying that the trip Pattaya - Suvarnabhumi can take as much as 4 hour's in the period 10-19 April.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[OMGImInPattaya]

I think this Songkran week has been great...the town seems mostly empty...many Thais have closed up shop and left for upcountry and the tourist influx seems subdued, possibly due to the political troubles. Whatever the reasons, traffic has been light all over town all week and reminds me of the Pattaya of 10 years ago. Even my main shopping venue, Big C Extra, is not crowded and parking has been a breeze.

I'm certainly glad I didn't join the Farangland Songkran exodus to Phnom Penh or Angeles...probably more crowded there than Pattaya. Of course, Friday-Sunday will be a bear but I've laid in food stores so no need to go out those says, except for an early morning coffee before the crowds come out. To those complaining of getting wet...get 4-wheels.

[fabphil]

Yeh bring it on...