6:43pm Gunshot Just Rang Out From Near Sukhummvit Soi 53

[crockett]

Well, since this topic comes up...

I am living in Ekamai and also heard someting more similar to gunshots than fireworks.

First, I did not think about it much, but seems other people got the same impression.

[Ijustwannateach]

Maybe just as well I didn't go out there tonight....

[farangsay]

Wot , nothing for three hours ?

Ceasefire ?

Any blue helmets on Suk ?

[Losangels]

Maybe Taksin and the gang are back in town

[Dakhar]

I just heard a gun shot. I am not sure, but with the current wind direction, I would say it was at least 2 clicks due north from my current vector.

It sounded like it came from a bolt action 306 with a 12 groove barrel. The bullet used was at least 160 grain winchester with a green nylon jacket. The rifle was probably fitted with a Seko trigger mechanism set at 2 lbs pull, & for sure fitted with a Leopold scope (gold series). From the distinct sound, I would say that the rifle had a stainless steel barrel, but yet it was still blued. The gun stock was definitley a composite. I will scout around and report back... at Eleven Hundred Hours.

Roger Out

[qualtrough]

OK, a bit off-topic, but has anyone been in the Philippines during New Years? The number of fireworks and gunshots going off has to be heard and smelled to be believed. We lived in a suburb of Manila and the noise went on all night until the wee hours. There was no let up, none at all. You would have thought WWIII had broken out. About a half hour after it commenced in full gunpowder smoke poured into our house and it became suffocating. If anyone thinks I am exagerating check it out for yourselves.

[meatgrowler]

As I sit here working at my condo on Soi 53, I heard a single shot, coming from what sounded to be, a high caliber weapon. The direction of the shot seemed to originate in the area of Thong Lor (Suk Soi 55), Soi 16.

This is the first time I've heard a firearm being discharged since my move to Thailand.

is this your photo ?r you made of rubber?

[migrant]

OK, a bit off-topic, but has anyone been in the Philippines during New Years? The number of fireworks and gunshots going off has to be heard and smelled to be believed. We lived in a suburb of Manila and the noise went on all night until the wee hours. There was no let up, none at all. You would have thought WWIII had broken out. About a half hour after it commenced in full gunpowder smoke poured into our house and it became suffocating. If anyone thinks I am exagerating check it out for yourselves.

Same in Honduras. I spent a few holidays there and thought it was 4th of July here in the states. Lots of guns in Honduras, so gunfire and fireworks all night long. The Hondurena GF wouldn't leave the house for the 2 days prior to Christmas, too dangerous she said, everyone knows people buy gifts so the 'bad guys' are out everywhere.

Honduras can be a scary place! Gunfire, or fireworks, I usually didn't roam around investigating.

[Couthy]

Shhssshh....please....read this very quietly indeed. Do not think too much : May attract gunfire.

Or fireworks.

For one hour now it has been quiet - too quiet. It is unnatural. Scary even.

The pop-pop's and crack-crack's seem to have ceased.

What is going on I ask myself?.

Ms C called from her family place Thonburi - all quiet there but the expected shootings as happen every Sunday outside karaoke joints will not make the press or ThaiVisa.

But she lives behind a big wall and NFI.

It seems strangely calm in the City of Angels, could this be because they ran out of money for fireworks or more likely are so bloody drunk that they cannot focus to see the blue touch paper anymore?.

I suspect the latter.

The dogs are quiet maybe the motorbike guys grilled them?.

A harsh, soft, twitchy, dark peace has descended on BKK this evening as your roving reporter who is about to go to bed investigates these clues and will report sometime later.

Very later.

The tuk tuks are silent with nary a motorcycle to be heard.

Should we arm ourselves I hear you ask?.

Indeed, Monday is a holiday, Chang and DVD's - forewarned is forearmed.

"The Horror......The Horror".

Cheers,

Couthy.

[The Skipper]

Some sort of Chinese holiday.

The noise factory (Temple) next to my place, has lots of activity.

Gongs, drums, loudspeakers, explosions, etc.

Great fun.(for them)

[taxexile]

is this your photo ?r you made of rubber?

[davidjtayler]

Its the rainbow world gathering .. they shoot a guy on the first night and eat him ...

[Gary A]

You should feel fortunate. Up here they are shooting heavy artillery. At least 105 Howitzers because it rattles the windows. Of course I could be mistaken. It could be simple bombs.

[vegas]

I can't here a thing in my Indian block on soi 10 as all the Indians are setting off fireworks to celebrate "Diwali", as they do every year. Once the noise settles down in a couple of days, I'll listen for any of those high calibre weapons.

[sriracha john]

qualtrough's thread is better...

[sriracha john]

qualtrough's thread is better...

[Sing_Sling]

It's them gosh-durn mooslim outside agitaters cummin north to enslave us all in their jeeeeehad.

Or it could be the mixture of Diwali/Daapavali and Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations . . .

How did the thread turn to dinner selections?

[skippybangkok]

Used to live very close to the cop shop on suanplu, next to immigration. Would be woken but regularly at night by real gun shots, not crackers.....

Strange, it was always at night the shots went off

[greenwanderer108]

As someone already pointed out, Loy kratong is around the corner. Also, since Saturday, it's India's Hindu new year. In India, you would feel you are in a war-zone being surrounded by crackers all around you, continuously throughout the day and also very late into the night. Though bursting fire-crackers is prohibited in Thailand by individuals, there might have been some over-enthusiastic Indians bursting them too. Just my 0.02 satang.

The Firecrackers have nothing to do with Loy Kratong ... All this talk about Indians and other people crazy about fire, don't forget who invented gunpowder...

It's the Chinese and they are 95 percent of the time the culprits in loud annoying (gun shot sounding) fireworks that don't make lights and explosions in the air here in Thailand. BTW, the festival that prompted all your supposed gunshots is the Vegetarian festival which is primarily a Chinese thing started on the 22nd untill the 30th..

[thaihome]

qualtrough's thread is better...

I like them both....

TH

[t.s]

As someone already pointed out, Loy kratong is around the corner. Also, since Saturday, it's India's Hindu new year. In India, you would feel you are in a war-zone being surrounded by crackers all around you, continuously throughout the day and also very late into the night. Though bursting fire-crackers is prohibited in Thailand by individuals, there might have been some over-enthusiastic Indians bursting them too. Just my 0.02 satang.

The Firecrackers have nothing to do with Loy Kratong ... All this talk about Indians and other people crazy about fire, don't forget who invented gunpowder...

It's the Chinese and they are 95 percent of the time the culprits in loud annoying (gun shot sounding) fireworks that don't make lights and explosions in the air here in Thailand. BTW, the festival that prompted all your supposed gunshots is the Vegetarian festival which is primarily a Chinese thing started on the 22nd untill the 30th..

both pompous and incorrect. There are no chinese in the indian apartment block beside my house, and still there was noise. When asked they (the indian residents) answered because it is our new year.

They had a massive 35 minute firework barrage that was heralded by 5 to 6 hours of random pops and bangs.

though with the veg fest and loy krathong expect a noisy couple of weeks. i remeber loy krathong was once extremely dangerous before efforts to limit the use of fireworks in public places. I was once actually hit by a roman candle ball while loying my krathong

[Jimjim]

As someone already pointed out, Loy kratong is around the corner. Also, since Saturday, it's India's Hindu new year. In India, you would feel you are in a war-zone being surrounded by crackers all around you, continuously throughout the day and also very late into the night. Though bursting fire-crackers is prohibited in Thailand by individuals, there might have been some over-enthusiastic Indians bursting them too. Just my 0.02 satang.

The Firecrackers have nothing to do with Loy Kratong ... All this talk about Indians and other people crazy about fire, don't forget who invented gunpowder...

It's the Chinese and they are 95 percent of the time the culprits in loud annoying (gun shot sounding) fireworks that don't make lights and explosions in the air here in Thailand. BTW, the festival that prompted all your supposed gunshots is the Vegetarian festival which is primarily a Chinese thing started on the 22nd untill the 30th..

It could be the Chinese, although I've never heard of them setting off fireworks for the vegetarian festival, but I have some Thai Indian friends who say that on Diwali, when he heard supposed gunshots, they set off fireworks at night. I saw and heard many that night. You people didn't hear gunshots, it was the all the Thai Indians and Indians living in Thailand that were celebrating their holiday by setting off fireworks. That is one of the main things they do. So yes, the Loy Krathong thing is nonsense, but the Indian thing is quite true, and more likely than your Chinese veg festival theory.

[jdinasia]

Huh? Fireworks are a major part of the Vegetarian festival! (Scared the piss out of my new puppy today at the temple in Phuket town! http://www.phuketvegetarian.com/video/ ) take a look at video 1 .....

Edited October 23, 2006 by jdinasia

[sungod]

I used to work in Baghdad, used to get gun shots all night, I found that turning the Television up usually helped.

[vegas]

As someone already pointed out, Loy kratong is around the corner. Also, since Saturday, it's India's Hindu new year. In India, you would feel you are in a war-zone being surrounded by crackers all around you, continuously throughout the day and also very late into the night. Though bursting fire-crackers is prohibited in Thailand by individuals, there might have been some over-enthusiastic Indians bursting them too. Just my 0.02 satang.

The Firecrackers have nothing to do with Loy Kratong ... All this talk about Indians and other people crazy about fire, don't forget who invented gunpowder...

It's the Chinese and they are 95 percent of the time the culprits in loud annoying (gun shot sounding) fireworks that don't make lights and explosions in the air here in Thailand. BTW, the festival that prompted all your supposed gunshots is the Vegetarian festival which is primarily a Chinese thing started on the 22nd untill the 30th..

It could be the Chinese, although I've never heard of them setting off fireworks for the vegetarian festival, but I have some Thai Indian friends who say that on Diwali, when he heard supposed gunshots, they set off fireworks at night. I saw and heard many that night. You people didn't hear gunshots, it was the all the Thai Indians and Indians living in Thailand that were celebrating their holiday by setting off fireworks. That is one of the main things they do. So yes, the Loy Krathong thing is nonsense, but the Indian thing is quite true, and more likely than your Chinese veg festival theory.

Didn't somebody already say that?