The Songkran Thread 2004

[george]

Songkran 2004

[george]

Thai police take surprising steps to ensure a safer Songkran or New Year Festival

BANGKOK: --Thailand's traditional New Year Festival - Songkran - is coming up next week on Tuesday and in an effort to curb the high number of road accidents and harassment suits, the police have come up with some surprising measures.

In Bangkok, revelers will be restricted to certain areas only, and men who make improper bodily contact with members of the opposite sex could end up in jail.

In the last decade, this is what normally happens on Thailand's Songkran or New Year Festival.

Thais of all ages take to the streets for a time of water splashing and powder fights.

But those scenes are very different from the traditional Thai New Year.

Historically, Thais celebrated Songkran by gently sprinkling water on loved ones to wish them a fresh and prosperous New Year.

Some added scented powder as an extra touch but today's Songkran, authorities say, has definitely gotten out of hand.

Police say road accidents and sexual harassment cases on Songkran have shot up in the past ten years.

Water fights on the streets are the cause of accidents and taking advantage of the merriment, some men sexually molest young girls.

So this year, the police will put in place new measures to try and restore Songkran to what it used to be.

Ice water, powerful water guns and coloured powder have been prohibited.

Male revelers - even minors - who try to apply powder on women without permission, could face sexual harassment charges.

And legal action will be taken against parents who knowingly allow their children to misbehave.

In addition, all revelers have been instructed to dress properly.

Despite their initial surprise, many Thais have welcomed the move.

"It's time we went back to observing Songkran like it was meant to be. Nowadays, some guys see it as an opportunity to take advantage of women," said one Thai.

"I think it'll help Songkran become less dangerous. People tend to go overboard when they're having fun and splash passersby without even asking them," said another.

But others object to the restrictions.

"It's an annual tradition of innocent fun. It's just water and powder. What's the harm?"

Bangkok police say like it or not, they are going ahead with the measures.

More than 20,000 police officers will be deployed across the city to make sure this year's Songkran revelers stick to the rules.

-- CNA 2004-04-09

[george]

Alcohol ban, safety measures ordered

BANGKOPK: -- The government yesterday ordered a ban on sales of alcoholic drinks at fuel stations during the long Songkran holiday and vowed to keep the death toll from road accidents lower than 931.

The order was given by Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisang in his capacity as director of the Road Safety Operation Centre, which is in charge of implementing road-safety measures during the holiday period.

Chaturon said the ban would be in place from today until April 18.

The official Songkran holidays fall on April 13, 14 and 15, but many office workers take Monday and Friday off to enjoy longer holidays. Many of them will leave Bangkok today and return on April 18.

Chaturon yesterday held a meeting of government agencies concerned with implementing road-safety measures. He said all agencies had to cooperate with provincial governors in keeping roads safe during the period.

Last year the death toll during Songkran from road accidents was registered at 840. The higher figure this year was calculated from the increasing number of vehicles registered during the past twelve months, Chaturon said.

Chaturon said some people had left Bangkok yesterday evening so highway police were deployed on major highways and roads every 10 kilometres from Bangkok's outer areas to Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Ratchasima, Rayong and Prachuap Khiri Khan.

He said police officers would monitor driving speeds and check if drivers had blood-alcohol levels higher than the legal limit. At the same time, Chaturon said, the Land Transport Department will check to ensure that public buses at bus terminals are safe. He said the government had opened a telephone service, 1784, for people to report road accidents around the clock and had allocated helicopters for road-accident situations.

Police yesterday warned the public to exercise extra caution on roads which have frequent fatal accidents. They are the northbound Asia Highway where the Bang Pa-in-Ayutthaya elevated highway intersects, northeastbound Mitrapharp Road in Saraburi, eastbound Sukhumvit Road and Bangna-Trad Road in Chon Buri, and southbound Phetkasem and Rama II roads.

Meanwhile, Chatchawal Pojananuparp, president of the Transport Association, said his association had sought cooperation from transport firms to halt their truck services during the Songkran holiday, except the services of trucks for necessary goods such as oil, vegetables and fruits.

He said trucks whose services could not be stopped would run at night.

Deputy Transport Minister Nikorn Jamnong said road-repair operations would all be halted during the holidays.

--The Nation 2004-04-10