Bangkok: Roads to close during evening rush for TAT's 'Thainess' parade

[webfact]

Roads to close during evening rush for TAT’s ‘Thainess’ parade
By Coconuts Bangkok


Photo: Tourism Authority of Thailand

BANGKOK: -- More than just an ill-defined bundle of values at the heart of identity politics, “Thainess” is now the centerpiece of tourism officials’ campaign for 2015.

To celebrate the launch of its “Discover Thainess” campaign, the Tourism Authority will shut down several critical roads around Lumpini Park for a parade on Wednesday just about the time everyone finishes work to go home.

“The pride of the nation” will be on display for a 3.5-kilometer route including a replica of the regal Suphannahong boat, regional festivals, folk performances, morlam and luk thung music, traditional puppets, feats of Thai ingenuity, Muay Thai and beautiful Thai smiles, with a cast of more than 1,000.

Rama I Road will close at 4pm as the parade begins at Pathumwan. It will move past Siam Paragon to Ratchaprasong intersection and down Ratchadamri Road to Lumpini Park as the final destination. [read more...]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co//2015/01/12/roads-close-during-evening-rush-tats-thainess-parade


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-01-12

[Costas2008]

They love parades and any kind of loud music and commotion.

Disregard any inconvenience that all this will cause.

But this the way of Thai living......of Thainess as we keep hearing about.

TAT should more concentrate on promoting Thailand abroad and not in BKK.

But again.....it's a part of Thainess...........

[webfact]

Traffic to inner commercial, business districts to be closed four hours on Wednesday

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will shut down traffic into commercial and business districts from Siam Square to Lumpini Park for four hours on Wednesday to launch a tourism campaign for 2015.

Traffic will be closed be between 4.30pm – 8.30pm to facilitate promotion activities which will see more than a thousand performers and floats to advertise the charm of Thailand.

The tourism promotion parade will start from the National Stadium on Soi Chulalongkorn 5, towards Ratchaprasong intersection on Rama I Road passing Siam Centre to Central World.

The colourful procession will turn right along Ratchadamri road to end at Lumpini Park, where Thailand Tourism Festival 2015, with the theme “Discover Thainess”, will be held from the evening of Wednesday to Friday and from noon on the weekend.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will preside at the opening of the campaign ceremony in front of Siam Discovery shopping mall at 5 pm.

Tourism Authority of Thailand says The 2015 Discover Thainess Parade will involve over 1,000 performers and six magnificent floats.

TAT offices from each region will present visitors with information on their tourism landmarks and culture at the Lumpini park , as well as live performances.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/traffic-inner-commercial-business-districts-closed-four-hours-wednesday


-- Thai PBS 2015-01-12

[Tatsujin]

Yay! A parade! I'm happy!

(cos I don't live or work anywhere near there)

[maapaa]

The shame of the nation will hold a parade. Will there be displays of crime victims, corrupt officials?

[HyperRai]

The purpose is to pin you in the traffic and think about Thainess, that`s Thainess! The same you walk around a temple with a candle in your hand and think about Buddha. That`s Thainess. If you not live here for a long time you might not understand.

[iReason]

"To celebrate the launch of its “Discover Thainess” campaign, the Tourism Authority will shut down several critical roads around Lumpini Park for a parade on Wednesday,

just about the time everyone finishes work to go home."

Perhaps Jupiter will be aligning with Lumpini at the time. So, it must be done.

Another brilliant campaign from TAT.

[FireMedic]

I hope there's plenty of non-meter running taxis, drunk tuk tuk drivers, pick pocketing ladyboys, loud and racing motorbike gangs, cops shaking down tourists, indian watch hawkers, and sex show touts that are available to march in the parade....Make sure to really spread the Thainess around.

[kingalfred]

Couldnt organize a piss up in a brewery! Rather than have an event that blocks roads at weekend , have it when children and workers are travelling in the early evening of a weekday .How ever could TAT get permission to do this? Yeah I know stupid question.

Edited January 12, 2015 by kingalfred

[LuckyLew]

Discover Thainess ... Take a busy section of Bangkok that is alreaady chock-a-block full of traffic and make it even worse ...

Baffles the mind

Could this not have been done on a Saturday or Sunday ... guess that wold not b Thainess then

[xygote]

I hope there's plenty of non-meter running taxis, drunk tuk tuk drivers, pick pocketing ladyboys, loud and racing motorbike gangs, cops shaking down tourists, indian watch hawkers, and sex show touts that are available to march in the parade....Make sure to really spread the Thainess around.

Duh!! You forgot the Burmese Banana Pancake sellers!!

[xygote]

Deleted duplicate post

Edited January 13, 2015 by xygote

[upena]

A parade to Lumpini Park that TAT thinks is going to attract foreigners. 55555

[Docno]

Promoting Thainess and tourism in their own country (on a Wednesday, no less)? What am I missing here?

[balo]

Well theres lots of tourists in and around Siam square so I am sure TAT will manage to impress some of them. If Ihave time I will participate in the parade myself.

Edited January 13, 2015 by balo

[thailiketoo]

Wrong location. Not enough tourists. How about the airport? They could all dress up in pretty colored shirts (yellow maybe) and go to the airport and tell all of the tourists about Thainess. Maybe if they could camp out there and make a party out of it.

[rickirs]

No tanks and marching soldiers? What is Thainess without the Royal Thai Army and its 3,000 flag officers marching through the streets of Bangkok?

[emilymat]

Forgive me for asking as I don't live in Bangkok.

Why couldn't this parade be organised on a Sunday?

[thailiketoo]

Forgive me for asking as I don't live in Bangkok.

Why couldn't this parade be organised on a Sunday?

No one works on Sunday.

[Tomtomtom69]

I hope there's plenty of non-meter running taxis, drunk tuk tuk drivers, pick pocketing ladyboys, loud and racing motorbike gangs, cops shaking down tourists, indian watch hawkers, and sex show touts that are available to march in the parade....Make sure to really spread the Thainess around.

Duh!! You forgot the Burmese Banana Pancake sellers!!

Many of them are actually Bangladeshi (Bengali).

[Sviss Geez]

The purpose is to pin you in the traffic and think about Thainess, that`s Thainess! The same you walk around a temple with a candle in your hand and think about Buddha. That`s Thainess. If you not live here for a long time you might not understand.

"The same you walk around a temple with a candle in your hand and think about Buddha. That`s Thainess."

It's clear that you don't understand either.

[Sviss Geez]

Couldnt organize a piss up in a brewery! Rather than have an event that blocks roads at weekend , have it when children and workers are travelling in the early evening of a weekday .How ever could TAT get permission to do this? Yeah I know stupid question.

"Couldnt organize a piss up in a brewery!"

It actually seems that they could.

[Sviss Geez]

No tanks and marching soldiers? What is Thainess without the Royal Thai Army and its 3,000 flag officers marching through the streets of Bangkok?

"...Royal Thai Army and its 3,000 flag officers marching through the streets of Bangkok?"

When has that happened?

[Sviss Geez]

I hope there's plenty of non-meter running taxis, drunk tuk tuk drivers, pick pocketing ladyboys, loud and racing motorbike gangs, cops shaking down tourists, indian watch hawkers, and sex show touts that are available to march in the parade....Make sure to really spread the Thainess around.

Why would they want to emphasise the very tiny minority that each of those you mentioned represents?

[PREM-R]

Wrong location. Not enough tourists. How about the airport? They could all dress up in pretty colored shirts (yellow maybe) and go to the airport and tell all of the tourists about Thainess. Maybe if they could camp out there and make a party out of it.

"How about the airport? They could all dress up in pretty colored shirts (yellow maybe) and go to the airport and tell all of the tourists about Thainess."

Sondhi tried that back in 2008, didn't work out too well for tourism numbers though.

[Nemesis7]

I hope there's plenty of non-meter running taxis, drunk tuk tuk drivers, pick pocketing ladyboys, loud and racing motorbike gangs, cops shaking down tourists, indian watch hawkers, and sex show touts that are available to march in the parade....Make sure to really spread the Thainess around.

Duh!! You forgot the Burmese Banana Pancake sellers!!

http://static.thaivisa.com/forum//public/style_emoticons/default/cheesy.gif[/

Many of them are actually Bangladeshi (Bengali).

Tomtomtom69 is so wrong. Most of the Burmese in middle east and in Thailand pretend to be bangladeshi to avoid being known as rohings, each year so many are caught doing so.

Haven't seen any bangladeshi or Bengali ar.ling banana anywhere in Thailand so far.

[berybert]

Well theres lots of tourists in and around Siam square so I am sure TAT will manage to impress some of them. If Ihave time I will participate in the parade myself.

Good thinking. Encourage the tourists that are already here.

[outsider]

First they inconvenient travellers and tourists at DM for hours. Just to show off some military hardware to kids. Now they will literally paralyse the heart of BKK by holding a parade in some of the busiest streets in the city - at rush hour, no less, and when people just want to go home or unwind after a long day. I'm sure people will be very HAPPY. Thainess indeed.

[maidee]

i had a taste of thainess in pattaya floating market this weekend

THAI price : FREE

farang 1 x 200 ....

[kingalfred]

i had a taste of thainess in pattaya floating market this weekend

THAI price : FREE

farang 1 x 200 ....

more fool you if paid it.