Pattaya police ban pipes from Songkran waterfights

[webfact]

Pattaya Police Ban Pipes from Songkran Waterfights
By Khaosod English


Police officers exchange water pipe-guns from tourists with plastic bowls in Pattaya, 16 April 2015

CHONBURI - Police in the resort town of Pattaya are cracking down on uses of high-powered plastic pipes to shoot water in the festival to marks Thai New Year.

Although Thai New Year celebration, known as Songkran, officially lasts from 13 - 15 April, waterfights and other activities continue until 19 April in Pattaya, drawing tens of thousands of tourists and revelers each year.

Pol.Col. Sukthat Pumpanmuang, superintendent of Muang Pattaya Police Station, said today that police will not tolerate uses of plastic pipes as waterguns this year, as the pipes, known among Thais as PVC, may cause harm to other individuals. He said tourists who carry PVCs will be asked to exchange them with harmless plastic bowls issued by the police.

"If we spot any tourists who bring PVCs other any other type of high-powered watergun to the festival, we will give them warning about danger that may happen," Pol.Col. Sukthat said.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1429185405&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2015-04-17

[craigt3365]

How about arrest those who are openly selling them????

[NongKhaiKid]

The picture is just too contrived. Tourists carrying banned water pipes just happen to wander past Pattaya police station where nice BIB just happen to be waiting to exchange bowls for the pipes.

[jacko45k]

The picture is just too contrived. Tourists carrying banned water pipes just happen to wander past Pattaya police station where nice BIB just happen to be waiting to exchange bowls for the pipes.

They appear to be in the car park set back from Beach Rd, and none of them appear to be wet!

[craigt3365]

I've been there before, that area, and it's packed with tourists walking up and down Beach Road splashing others. So I can see this happening. They just bring them a few meters into the parking lot and do the exchange, I guess???

On the 19th, there will probably be a cop there in the middle of the road letting everybody squirt him and put powder on. We all did it last year, very politely. And he smiled back.

[chicowoodduck]

Yup, just stupid people doing stupid things.....so very happy to be enjoying some peace and quiet in Viet Nam....no drunks and crazies to ruin my days....thank goodness.....??

[craigt3365]

I'm experiencing the same peace and quiet here...in NaJomtien...not a single squirt gun on the beach yesterday. Actually, not many people at all....

[dotpoom]

These pipes are known among Thais as "PVC".....and what are they known as by the rest of us, metal perhaps?....and...."we will give them warning about danger that may happen," Pol.Col. Sukthat said.

Do the clowns using them not know this already....then again, thinking about it, this might be expecting too much.

[tx22cb]

Glad to see Thailand is banning WMDs (Weapons of Mass Drenching)

[samsensam]

life back to normal yesterday in bkk.

to be honest songkran in banglampu it was considerably less crazy than in previous years.

[recycler]

It looks a bit pathetic these middle aged men coming to Thailand and squirt in public using kids toys...

[SoiBiker]

The Jesus sandals don't help.

[topt]

I thought I remembered a news article saying that these high pressure pipes had been banned across all of Thailand with high fines if you were caught selling them?

I remember a couple of years ago the police confiscating them from punters at the bars on Beach Road - and then a little later Thai's coming round selling them again.......

[Benmart]

The picture is just too contrived. Tourists carrying banned water pipes just happen to wander past Pattaya police station where nice BIB just happen to be waiting to exchange bowls for the pipes.

While the photo appears to be an intentionally staged photo shoot, it does seem to get the message out. Regardless of how the article or photo was arranged, there will most likely be detractors, for whatever reason.

[Benmart]

The Jesus sandals don't help.

Footwear has little to do with the subject and the article, except to those that look downward in life instead of upward.

[SoiBiker]

The Jesus sandals don't help.

Footwear has little to do with the subject and the article, except to those that look downward in life instead of upward.

You wear socks with yours, don't you?

[Cuchulainn]

^^

[JoePai]

The Jesus sandals don't help.

Cannot be Brits - no socks !

[Dukeleto]

The Jesus sandals don't help.

Hahahahaa indeed! Although we can thank God for small mercies that they weren't wearing socks with those!

[ronaldo0]

What next?? Police swapping illegal firearms for sticks??

[Bernard Flint]

These pipes are known among Thais as "PVC".....and what are they known as by the rest of us, metal perhaps?....and...."we will give them warning about danger that may happen," Pol.Col. Sukthat said.

Do the clowns using them not know this already....then again, thinking about it, this might be expecting too much.

The stupid clowns know the pvc guns cause harm, that is why they buy them, want power, little dicks.

[elgenon]

The Jesus sandals don't help.

Mai kao jai. With flip flops you would slip and slide.

[johnno2]

Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is the third-most widely produced synthetic plastic polymer, after polyethylene and polypropylene.^[4]

^{thais may call that piping PVC but nearly everyone else calls it PVC Pipes}

[monkeycountry]

Good move. I noticed many times this songkran that foreign men (not Thais, but could be a coincidence) seem to do whatever they can to hit peoples eyes with as much force as they can. I get the impression the goal is not to get people wet, but to deliberately hurt them too. This of course even better if the person who's eyes are being hit is driving a motorbike, but they do it to people who walk or stand too.

I obviously do not know if these foreign men are just stupid, or if they take pleasure in hurting others, probably both, but in either case it should be stopped.

[Mot Dang]

When are idiot falang going to realize that Song Kran has religious basis, just like Christmas, Easter, Passover, whatever. The original concept that I used to witness 30 years or more ago was water thrown (for good luck) from those silver hammer-patterned bowls you see around. It was innocent fun, now just a free-for-all with potentially dangerous water cannons. My family and I, and friends avoid Song kran like the plague. I don't know who was responsible for muddying the waters of Song Kran so to speak, but just because some rat bag Thai youth want to go over the top, falang don't have to. Show some decorum.

Just a side thought, it was common for people to use bottle water to throw over people (up-country we got our water from the rain water jars), where do the idiots get their water from ? Are they going to fill those large tanks and water guns with bottled water. Doubt it. My advice, put some duct tape over your mouth. Going to be an idiot, look the part.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Mot Dang

[Pii Kate]

My two concerns about this holiday.

1) drunk driving

2) spraying people on motorbikes.

Otherwise, seems many here have forgotten how much fun it is to be young and do crazy things. Peace and quiet vs. fun, living life, enjoying life.

Huh, wonder which person will live longest and best?

[jackanapes]

I think that songkran over the years has got completely out of hand buckets of water and high powered water guns are not acceptable . a small dab of water and flour on your face is acceptable. and no I am not a killjoy.

[WitawatWatawit]

It looks a bit pathetic these middle aged men coming to Thailand and squirt in public using kids toys...

For a brief moment, many years ago, I left all my cares and woes behind and thoroughly enjoyed exchanging my drab middle aged existence for that of a kid's. And you know what? I never gave a moments thought to anyone coming along and saying: It looks a bit pathetic these middle aged men coming to Thailand and squirt in public using kids toys...

But then I grew up. Have a nice, quiet, very pleasant Songkran (or what's left of it).

[Ashto]

I went with some friends down to Silom Rd in Bangkok, bought a gun, glasses and waterproof bag for phone, then spent two hours walking in the massive crowd playing water war with people from seven to seventy. People from everywhere but overwhelmingly Thai. Huge fun and laughter all the way. Would recommend it it to anyone.

But ( there's always a but) that was enough for me and I didn't go back for more. With moderate care I could avoid getting soaked elsewhere in Bangkok. And it lasted only three days. Pattaya looks like something very different from my Bangkok experience, looks like a bit of a nightmare.

[TigerandDog]

Good move. I noticed many times this songkran that foreign men (not Thais, but could be a coincidence) seem to do whatever they can to hit peoples eyes with as much force as they can. I get the impression the goal is not to get people wet, but to deliberately hurt them too. This of course even better if the person who's eyes are being hit is driving a motorbike, but they do it to people who walk or stand too.

I obviously do not know if these foreign men are just stupid, or if they take pleasure in hurting others, probably both, but in either case it should be stopped.

Have to agree wholeheartedly. The ONLY stupidity I saw this year was from FARANGS. My girlfriend copped a direct hit in the eye and had to go to the hospital. When are these stupid FARANGS going to learn that if you want to wet the head, pour water from a bowl. If you want to use a water pistol, especially a high powered one, they should only be shooting at the shoulders or lower. It isn't any wonder that this year in BKK protective eye wear was necessary. BTW Songkran in Pattaya is heaps more fun than BKK.