Pattaya police ban pipes from Songkran waterfights

[FredNL]

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

From who do you think they're buying them from ???

[TigerandDog]

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.

Just by way of information, a falang is a piece of fruit. I think you mean FARANG.

[Thunderbirds20]

That is a good first step to getting the chao under control. Those pipes are capable of knocking a person off a motorbike!

A suggestion if I may, ...... ban using songtaos as targets. Usually, the people on board are not playing Songkhran, but are a captive target favored by the drunken idiots that fill the streets at this time of year!

[TigerandDog]

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.

to be honest Ashto, it's the other way around. Silom Rd was an absolute nightmare. Far to many people being crammed into that area. After a couple of hours at Silom Rd, mainly because it was almost impossible to move in the direction you wanted, you just had to move the same direction as the masses, and yes safety glasses were a necessity because of the stupid FARANGS squirting people in the eyes. Pattaya in 2013 & 2014 was a much more enjoyable experience.

[zakk9]

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.

Just by way of information, a falang is a piece of fruit. I think you mean FARANG.

The fruit is also named "farang", ฝรั่ง

Both are called "falang" by most Thais.

[Tchooptip]

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?

Socks I do not, but I wear a shirt downtown

Edited April 17, 2015 by Tchooptip

[Tchooptip]

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.

Just by way of information, a falang is a piece of fruit. I think you mean FARANG.

Just by way of information 99% of Thai people prononce Falang for the simple reason the spelling in Thai for westerner ฝรั่ง and guava ฝรั่ง is exactly the same

...so your clever remark

[petercool]

The event was not so much staged but was indeed organised by the police beach patrol in Orange who were out in force on Beach Road and they brought many revellers of various nationalities using those pipe guns into the station car park where things were explained and it turned into a photo op for the station chief and was all very friendly with no fines. During the day, some sellers were arrested.

[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.

Just by way of information, a falang is a piece of fruit. I think you mean FARANG.

Your wrong, pronunciation differs in different areas. So much so, that "L" and "R" are interchangeable. The same with "V" and "W". There are others. Whether spelt falang or farung in English does not matter, it is just a European observation. The same as how Europeans changed the names of Asian cities to suit what they percieved was being said. Examples, Peking, Rangoon etc. Another example where falang get it wrong is the pronunciation of "Sri". Thais pronounce it as "Si" or See. They drop the R.

I pronounce it as falang, as all people in my village do. Also the personifier "Krup". Bangkokodians pronounce it as KRUP, in other areas it is cut short (which is what Thais are very good at), to KUP.

The naming of guava is a whole different story. Do you know what a guava is ?

Please, come to Thailand, as I did 34 years ago, and learn to speak Thai. By the way you added nothing informative to the discussion did you ?

Edited April 17, 2015 by Mot Dang

[Rimmer]

Please stop the off topic bickering.

[elgordo38]

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.

Its like driving a Ferrari people want the best most powerful. Its the same mentality when Apple rolls out a new product like their watch. People cannot figure out a use for it but they buy it anyways because we have been indoctrinated them into thinking they deserve the best and if the money is not available their friendly bankster will lend it to them for next to nothing. In a year or two they figure they deserve the newer more powerful version of the apple watch and so it goes in and endless circle. Create it and they will come. The days of working hard and paying cash for something we really need are long gone.

[elgordo38]

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.

Its not just Songkran many things in life are now unacceptable but they tell us its the new normal. Be careful making the above statement all the "its their culture, go home if you do not like it" nuts will come out of the woodwork fingers flying on ye ole keyboard. They are always stoked and ready to have at it when someone wanders into their web. Its an "anything goes" festival each year and they always seem to add another layer of outrageousness. And looking at the picture above us Farangs carry a lot of the blame as well. It is said as we age we enter our second childhood must be true.

[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.

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.

Get the message out, in Thailand ?

i suppose you mean like the highly successful road safety, don't drink and drive or speed campaign for Songkran.

[SoiBiker]

Those of you bemoaning the fact that songkran has changed - is Christmas celebrated the same way in your home country that it was 50 years ago?

Change is one of the few certainties in life. Did you really move to a developing country and expect it to stay the same way forever?

[MrWorldwide]

The water comes from tanker trucks and they charge 50 baht to refill each of the large blue containers - I think they're normally garbage bins - strewn all over various Pattaya Sois. Not a bad little earner when they're obviously pulling that water from local catchments during a prolonged drought. We have had rain here in the last fortnight - whether its anywhere near enough to offset the Songkran madness is a question best left to TV's estimates committee. Still, if it puts cash in people's pockets I guess they figure water will eventually fall from the sky between now and November, but Songkran wont be back for another 12 months.

[NoshowJones]

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

That would make too much sense here in Thailand. I suspect the police are benefiting from the sellers of these pipes,

and the ones they exchange, will go back to the sellers to sell again.

[monkeycountry]

Those of you bemoaning the fact that songkran has changed - is Christmas celebrated the same way in your home country that it was 50 years ago?

Change is one of the few certainties in life. Did you really move to a developing country and expect it to stay the same way forever?

Noone is shooting eachother in the eyes with anything at Christmas anywhere that I know of, neither now nor in the past. I think the problem is that some people, especially foreign men it seems to me, think that Songkran is some sort of carte blance to deliberately hurt others.

Sure, accidents happen all the time, and more so at Songkran, but they are still accidents. Putting someone in hospital by shooting them in the eyes on purpose with a high powered watergun is not an accident, and my guess is it would be considered assault if anyone pressed charges - and I hope eventually someone will do just that.

[Rockhound]

I hate at Songkraan has become. When will the country grow up?

[jabis]

I hate at Songkraan has become. When will the country grow up?

These kinds of bash the country- comments give people cancer - it's the country's religious tradition - when will you grow up?

[how241]

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

+1....Only a few more day to go in Pattaya.

[MrWorldwide]

I hate at Songkraan has become. When will the country grow up?

These kinds of bash the country- comments give people cancer - it's the country's religious tradition - when will you grow up?

If it was 2-3 days starting today, fine, but it isnt - its 9 days of stupidity. First day, I could see the attraction, by the second I was bored with it and by the third completely over it. Whatever relationship Songkran may have to the rites performed by the monks disappeared 3 days in - now it's just an excuse to get drunk in a town where many of us dont need an excuse. On a stinking hot day, minus the ice and the deliberate targeting of motorbike riders, I might be able to see some merit in the water throwing - as it stands, even the lure of an afternoon beer cant compensate for the prospect of having icewater poured down my back for the umpteenth time. It's particularly ironic that many who decry the bars as a boring waste of time and money somehow consider the water throwing to be a worthwhile event - even the 12 year olds have to be sick of the monotony of it by now.

[alocacoc]

I hate at Songkraan has become. When will the country grow up?

These kinds of bash the country- comments give people cancer - it's the country's religious tradition - when will you grow up?

I doubt it's a religious tradition when adult foreigners with a mental age of 12 years spray water to riding bikers. Well, only 2 days left for Pattaya and the idiots go home again.

[SoiBiker]

I once floated a krathong, too. Clearly I'm some sort of degenerate.

[fozzy58uk]

Rather like the chicken and the egg, or the tourists cause prostitution arguments.

Songkran many years ago was very different but who started the water fights. Thai kids did , they loved em and perverted the old way of Songkran, the idiot farang (sic) among the tourists then saw them enjoyed it and copied it. Most expat farang avoid songkran like the plague, I know I did during my16 years working there. You were a target for the corner street gangs, older Thais just gave em a withering look and were left to pass peacefully or received a 'proper' respectful blessing if they allowed it.

The hundreds, nay thousands, of Thai road deaths over my many years there were not caused by idiot farangs but by idiot Thais.

The most appalling thing I ever saw at Songkran was when an emergency vehicle was stopped in the street by a group of Thai youths , who then opened the rear doors and hurled a bucket of water over the patient in the vehicle.

On another occasion, i had arranged my visa run to miss Songkran, I had a bucket of water poured over me as I left my accommodation by the reception staff soaking me and my luggage 3 days before Songkran, when I asked why they said , I wouldn't be in town and they didn't want me to miss the fun.

On my return as the train pulled into the station kids were hurling water through the windows,.... you can guess the explanation.

[SOTIRIOS]

...they were banned 6 years ago I recall...

...forgot to tell that to the manufacturers and sellers that target unknowing foreigners apparently....

[casindonet]

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

No can do.....that's not the thai way.

[Khun Riki]

also re-equip all cops with a proper songkran guns....

[cookee68]

Why not hand out some silly leaflets

[Tiger55]

Why is it that usually the farang do this kind of stupid thing, blasting people with their dangerous PVC pipes. These dumbass farang should be sent back to their own countries and banned from coming back. These farang are nothing but white trailer trash. Stupid crackers.

[petercool]

^^^

probably because tourists see it only as a water fight festival and nothing else ?