EGAT seeks cooperation in floating sky lanterns to keep off power lines

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EGAT seeks cooperation in floating sky lanterns to keep off power lines



BANGKOK: -- The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) today asked celebrants to the upcoming Loy Krathong festival to avoid floating the sky lanterns close to its high-voltage power transmission lines as they could catch fire and cause power blackout in vast areas.

The request for cooperation came after an incident on October 14 this year when a sky lantern fell on to the power equipment at Lan Kai in Sattahip power station causing electrical short circuit, and subsequent power blackout at the Sattahip naval base and adjacent areas for several hours before it could be repaired and power transmission could resume.

It then asked for cooperation from the celebrants in the area not to float sky lanterns close to the power stations and transmission lines to avoid possible fire and blackout.

At the same time the Laem Chabang municipality in Chon Buri province also banned the sale of fireworks and sky lanterns for the Loy Krathong festival on Nov 6, warning their use could endanger a gas storage facility and two refineries in the locality.

Laem Chabang mayor Jinda Tanomrot said the municipality has asked residents close to gas and oil depots and visitors to Laem Chabang, to refrain from playing with fireworks and sky lanterns.

Fireworks and sky lanterns could fall on the fuel facilities and start fires, and also posed a danger to people’s homes.

She said this time of year is quite breezy and firefighting would be more hazardous in these conditions

The Laem Chabang mayor said there were two refineries and a PTT gas storage yard, as well as many factories in the Laem Chabang Industrial Estate.

The campaign against fireworks and sky lanterns would focus on Ao Udom, Ban Thung and Laem Chabang Kao communities, which were adjacent to the refineries and the gas storage area,, she said.

Staff of the Laem Chabang municipality were informing local traders of the local ban on sales of fireworks and sky lanterns, she said.

The Loy Krathong festival also coincides with the Lanna (northern Thai) festival known as ‘Yi Peng’ lantern festival in the North.

Yi means two and peng means a full moon day.

Yi Peng then refers to the full moon day in the second month according to the Lanna lunar calendar (the twelfth month according to the Thai lunar calendar).

In such festival, a multitude of sky lanterns or Lanna-style Khon Loi (literally: “floating lanterns”) are launched into the air where they resemble large flocks of giant fluorescent jellyfish gracefully floating by through the sky.

The festival is meant as a time for making merits.

The Civil Aviation Department has already set time to float the sky lanterns so as to avoid threat to aircraft taking off or landing, particularly airports in the northern region.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/egat-seeks-cooperation-floating-sky-lanterns-keep-power-lines/


-- Thai PBS 2014-10-27

[clockman]

No, it is a time for making money! nobody will stop this.

[surangw]

like controlling the wind ?

[rickirs]

How about this crazy idea?

Provide backup generators to facilities that are vital to the nation's security. In the USA, gasoline stations, hospitals, police centers, etc. have backup generators so that operations can continue when the power grid goes down. I'd think that a Thai naval facility would be the easiest to backup as its ships are all independent electrical generators.

[Chao Lao Beach]

Gezz, I love this festival.