Talcum Powder Ban In Khao San During Songkran

[george]

Talcum powder ban in Khao San during Songkran

BANGKOK: -- The Khao San community is to ban the use of talcum powder during the Songkran festival and checkpoints are to be established to prevent the substance being smuggled into the area, a community leader said yesterday.

Songkran revellers are being asked not to take talcum or coloured powder into the area. If talcum powder is found in anyone's possession, it will be confiscated, said Piyabutr Jiwaramonaikul, who heads the Khao San Business Operators Association.

However, he said he did not expect Khao San could be totally rid of powder, saying he expected about half of the smuggled powder to be seized.

Authorities consider applying powder to other people an inappropriate way of celebrating, because many men abuse the tradition by using it as an opportunity to molest female revellers.

Piyabutr said because Khao San would be one of two locations in Bangkok with major Songkran events - the other being the nearby Bang Lamphu - he expected large numbers of revellers to descend on the area, including, of course, the ubiquitous foreign tourists that inhabit the area.

This year's Songkran celebrations at Khao San will be between April 11 and 15, beginning with a carnival procession, said Piyabutr.

A beauty contest is also planned, with most entrants currently foreigners.

In Chiang Mai, celebrations have already begun, with the opening on Friday of the Grand Lanna Civilisation Songkran Festival. There was then a cultural performance by the nations of the Greater Mekong Sub-region - Burma, China, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.

The April 2-15 festival also features music, shopping and food fairs.

--The Nation 2004-04-04

[elephantspike]

Last year I was on KoSamui for the Saturday of Songkran, and that seemed to be the climactic day there, and there was plenty of talcum Powder. The next day I was on Kho Sahn Rd in Bangkok, and that was the big day there. Interestingly, the powder that was being thrown there was not talcum, but some kind of corn starch solution. I wonder if corn starch will be banned as well this year?

[englishoak]

It's not talc they need to worry about it's that white mud they mix with water. I even saw concrete powder being used once

[Basher]

Doh!