Authorities scramble, in vain, to curb Loy Krathong sky lanterns

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Authorities Scramble, In Vain, To Curb Loy Krathong Sky Lanterns
By Khaosod English


Loy Krathong celebrations in Chonburi province, 5 Nov 2014.

BANGKOK – Thais across the country are launching lanterns into the sky to celebrate Loy Krathong despite pleas from authorities who say the lanterns are hazardous.

Originally a tradition in the far-flung northern parts of Thailand, lighting sky lanterns has become a popular activity for many urban Thais in recent years as part of the annual Loy Krathong festival. The festival also involves floating lit lanterns, made of ornate banana leafs, on the rivers and canals to show respect for the water goddess, Kong Kha.

As in previous years, authorities have asked the public to follow various laws regulating the launching of the lanterns, which they say can cause fires and other damages.

Yesterday, junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha asked the public to cooperate with authorities and refrain from unleashing the lanterns in cities and near airports.

"In the past, the tradition of sky lanterns was limited to small number of regions, but it's everywhere these days," Gen. Prayuth said in a press conference. "I don't want to ban them, but please consider when they could disrupt flights and cause other problems. You have fun with those lanterns, but what should those planes do?"

During last year’s Loy Krathong festival, authorities documented at least 50 cases of sky lanterns falling on electric poles, and one incident of a lantern burning a shop in Pathum Thani province down to the ground. In 2007, two people were killed when a sky lantern fell on their house in Nonthaburi province while they were sleeping.

Air traffic officials in northern Thailand have also urged locals not to launch lanterns near airports, citing the possibility that a single lantern could bring down a plane.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1415266007


-- Khaosod English 2014-11-06

[clockman]

Thainess!

[Cuchulainn]

King Canute.

[ginjag]

If the rain keeps on like it is now all the lanterns will be soggy.

It is raining cats and dogs here in Udon, Near flooded in some areas in only 20 minutes.

Loy Krathong in the street, no need to go far. WOW, this is mega rain, my garden is loving it, free car and motorbike wash, all water pots full, smells lovely and fresh. Got all my washing done this morning, having a brandy coffee now, super sat outside (under cover) watching the rainstorm.

Udon airport safe for now.

Edited November 6, 2014 by ginjag

[Costas2008]

Do these people ever listen to anything?

No.

Just do anything they want, whenever they want, how they want.

Disregard others lives, disregard collateral damage.

Long live Thailand.

[lupin]

Thainess!

and how many Thais do you see in the OP pic

[JOC]

Do these people ever listen to anything?

No.

Just do anything they want, whenever they want, how they want.

Disregard others lives, disregard collateral damage.

Long live Thailand.

And that is exacly why, we love to be here!!

Our life-expentancy might maybe be a little shorter, but rather that than being bored to death!!

[MobileContent]

Thainess!

and how many Thais do you see in the OP pic

They are not launching any lanterns but pushing a krathong on to the water.

[MobileContent]

I am surely launching a lantern tonight but we are 60km away from the airport

[JoePai]

If the rain keeps on like it is now all the lanterns will be soggy.

It is raining cats and dogs here in Udon, Near flooded in some areas in only 20 minutes.

Loy Krathong in the street, no need to go far. WOW, this is mega rain, my garden is loving it, free car and motorbike wash, all water pots full, smells lovely and fresh. Got all my washing done this morning, having a brandy coffee now, super sat outside (under cover) watching the rainstorm.

Udon airport safe for now.

Near Big Wing traffic lights only a few spots so far - must be very local in Udon.

[Jaakko]

Thainess!

and how many Thais do you see in the OP pic

how many lanterns you see in the OP pic. That pic is pretty much unrelated.

[marcusd]

Do these people ever listen to anything?

No.

Just do anything they want, whenever they want, how they want.

Disregard others lives, disregard collateral damage.

Long live Thailand.

I think this applies to ALL people. they only want to hear what pleases them

[ginjag]

If the rain keeps on like it is now all the lanterns will be soggy.

It is raining cats and dogs here in Udon, Near flooded in some areas in only 20 minutes.

Loy Krathong in the street, no need to go far. WOW, this is mega rain, my garden is loving it, free car and motorbike wash, all water pots full, smells lovely and fresh. Got all my washing done this morning, having a brandy coffee now, super sat outside (under cover) watching the rainstorm.

Udon airport safe for now.

Near Big Wing traffic lights only a few spots so far - must be very local in Udon.

North West side a few kilometers from the airport, ring road en route for Nong Bua.

[ldiablo]

You could get the death penalty for doing it near an aitport. The death penalty, a little harsh don't you think.

[Eliot Rosewater]

Thainess!

and how many Thais do you see in the OP pic

Duhhh, they are not floating sky lanterns are they, genius?

[scavenger]

Will the executions be public? If so, at which stadium?

I saw the death penalty announcement as a desperate one in a nation where no one seems to care about the law, safety, or anything that does not directly concern oneself. But what percentage of the population would you say has actually seen the news or read the newspaper, and how many of them had the comprehension skills to know what this is all about?

Edited November 6, 2014 by scavenger

[MESmith]

Air traffic officials in northern Thailand have also urged locals not to launch lanterns near airports, citing the possibility that a single lantern could bring down a plane.

So can birds, so are they going to forbid birds as well!!

Absolutely ridiculous adult reply.

Birds are free to fly, freestyle we have to always have the problem----but near airports, Lanterns---we DO NOT have to have the problem, Lanterns we can control birds difficult.

I control my bird. Got her in the kitchen, cooking dinner, right now

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Thainess!

and how many Thais do you see in the OP pic

and

How many Khom Lois do you see?

[Zpete]

Great sight when watching lanterns sent aloft from the pier in Chalong.

Generally they seem to float seawards.
Actually saw some for sale in cheapy ($2.00) shops in Auckland NZ.

[Commerce]

Pathumtani: it's raining skinned cats and dogs.. BIB all pissed up, and tomorrow morning asleep, as the meat passes into Vietnam..

[Rumble]

Water, Water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

[Fat Haggis]

Dry as a bone here in Kratoke up up and away!!

[jabis]

How many airplane deaths have been caused by bird strikes?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates the problem costs US aviation 400 million dollars annually and has resulted in over 200 worldwide deaths since 1988

Let's count the number of airplane deaths caused by sky lanterns ..... 0,0,0,0,0 .... looks like the answer is zero.

Howcome every airforce in the world constitutes FOD (Foreign Object Damage) as a high threat, as well a costly one, but you want to ignore this human made FOD, just based on something that has not yet brought a civilian airliner down?

A single torx screwer end bit ingested by a jet engine can result in catastrophic engine failure - also you can google up dozens of FOD-failures which, while less dramatic objects in size than birds, getting ingested end really badly.

As well, the damage inflicted is distinctly different depending on what power setting the engine is in, or rather what the engine rotationing speed is; here in example: take-off power settings results in more extensive damage to the engine because the blade hits the object, as opposed to the object hitting the blade, where doubling of engine rotation speed will quadruple the impact energy -> tripling the engine rotation speed will increase the impact energy 9 times.

Ah well hope my airliner won't have to ingest your metal wired sky lantern ever - would hate to crash land, or much worse crash & burn, just to prove a point

"FOD prevention is the biggest thing we have to worry about in this shop," said Airman 1st Class Eric Stites, an aerospace propulsion technician for the 482nd Maintenance Squadron engine shop. "Even a small piece of FOD could result in the entire engine being taken apart for repairs."

A lone piece of FOD can easily cause more than $45,000 in a single incident, explained Stites. FOD can be caused by something as small as a tiny, loose piece of gravel getting sucked into and aircraft's engine.

Some FOD is inevitable, such as bird strikes, volcanic ash, and some runway debris, but every Airman who goes on or near the flight line must remain vigilant for what FOD can be prevented.

Excerpt from: http://www.homestead.afrc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123414365

By Senior Airman Jaimi L. Upthegrove

482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

[wirat69]

You could get the death penalty for doing it near an aitport. The death penalty, a little harsh don't you think.

.... only if her husband finds out!!

[55Jay]

You could get the death penalty for doing it near an aitport. The death penalty, a little harsh don't you think.

Nobody gets the death penalty for launching a lantern near an airport. Not even if the lantern lands harmlessly in the airport.

Now if your lantern FODs out an engine, causing an emergency and in the effort to land, they crash and everyone is killed. Yes, the law provides a maximum penalty of death in the most severe cases.

Lesser incidents = lesser punishments. Probably not unlike your country.

[Local Drunk]

How many airplane deaths have been caused by bird strikes?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates the problem costs US aviation 400 million dollars annually and has resulted in over 200 worldwide deaths since 1988

Let's count the number of airplane deaths caused by sky lanterns ..... 0,0,0,0,0 .... looks like the answer is zero.

Howcome every airforce in the world constitutes FOD (Foreign Object Damage) as a high threat, as well a costly one, but you want to ignore this human made FOD, just based on something that has not yet brought a civilian airliner down?

A single torx screwer end bit ingested by a jet engine can result in catastrophic engine failure - also you can google up dozens of FOD-failures which, while less dramatic objects in size than birds, getting ingested end really badly.

As well, the damage inflicted is distinctly different depending on what power setting the engine is in, or rather what the engine rotationing speed is; here in example: take-off power settings results in more extensive damage to the engine because the blade hits the object, as opposed to the object hitting the blade, where doubling of engine rotation speed will quadruple the impact energy -> tripling the engine rotation speed will increase the impact energy 9 times.

Ah well hope my airliner won't have to ingest your metal wired sky lantern ever - would hate to crash land, or much worse crash & burn, just to prove a point

"FOD prevention is the biggest thing we have to worry about in this shop," said Airman 1st Class Eric Stites, an aerospace propulsion technician for the 482nd Maintenance Squadron engine shop. "Even a small piece of FOD could result in the entire engine being taken apart for repairs."

A lone piece of FOD can easily cause more than $45,000 in a single incident, explained Stites. FOD can be caused by something as small as a tiny, loose piece of gravel getting sucked into and aircraft's engine.

Some FOD is inevitable, such as bird strikes, volcanic ash, and some runway debris, but every Airman who goes on or near the flight line must remain vigilant for what FOD can be prevented.

Excerpt from: http://www.homestead.afrc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123414365

By Senior Airman Jaimi L. Upthegrove

482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Forget it... They've made up their minds.

[modafinil]

Howcome every airforce in the world constitutes FOD (Foreign Object Damage) as a high threat, as well a costly one, but you want to ignore this human made FOD, just based on something that has not yet brought a civilian airliner down?

A single torx screwer end bit ingested by a jet engine can result in catastrophic engine failure - also you can google up dozens of FOD-failures which, while less dramatic objects in size than birds, getting ingested end really badly.

How did the torx screwdriver get in the sky?

We should ban the sale of torx screwdrivers. They are dangerous, because a negligent ground crew decided to leave one inside a jet engine.

Can you give me an example of an occasion when a sky lantern caused any damage whatsoever to any aeroplane anywhere in the world? If you can't, then we should probably just let Thai people get on with enjoying their festival, without imposing over-the-top Western style safety measures on them.

[Misterwhisper]

"The festival also involves floating lit lanterns, made of ornate banana leafs..."

...or, mostly, styrofoam.

[DavidOxon]

Thainess!

and how many Thais do you see in the OP pic

and how many lanterns?

[metisdead]

A totally ridiculous trolling nonsense post has been removed as well as the well pointed out replies. Some other nonsense posts were removed as well.