Mobile Phones And Songkran

[george]

THAI WATER FESTIVAL

Wring, wring...wet phones do not dampen revelry

BANGKOK: -- Some wrapped them in plastic bags. Others made do with condoms.

Those who didn't soon had their cellphones drenched and disabled this week during Thailand's annual water festival.

This is when armies of young and old roam the streets, splashing friends and strangers alike with buckets, hoses and squirt guns.

Bangkok cellphone repairman Thaweechai Suracharoenchaikul said he has already made about 20,000 baht (S$862).

And he was expecting another 10,000 baht by the time the three-day Thai New Year revelry called Songkran ended yesterday.

'Wednesday was the busiest day. I had 40 cellphones to fix and worked until midnight,' he said, pouring water out of a customer's Nokia.

Fourteen phones were scattered on his table in a temporary stall along Khao San road, a popular hangout for young Western backpackers who usually jump into the Songkran festivities with gusto.

Mr Thaweechai said he has been fixing wet cellphones for the past several years during Songkran, charging between 250 to 450 baht per phone.

The technique is simple. He unscrews the cover, pours out the water, blow-dries it with an electric hair dryer and re-installs the software before recharging the battery.

Cellphone repair shops usually fix two or three instruments a week during normal days, and four or five a day during Songkran.

Mr Thaweechai apparently gets unusually high business due to his clever location choice.

Songkran reveller Somphob Komolmalai, 25, said his phone broke down despite precautions.

'I actually put it in a plastic bag and tied it very tightly as always. Maybe I should leave it at home next year,' he said.

'But then, how can I keep in touch with my friends?'

Others slipped their phones into condoms and knotted the open ends.

Mr Kitiphan Prempri, 18, said he used four layers of plastic held in place by rubber bands. But to no avail.

'I couldn't believe it wasn't enough protection,' he said, looking at the water sloshing halfway up his phone's screen.

Still, it seemed that few learnt a lesson from their phone hassles.

Right after collecting their phones from Mr Thaweechai, most clients jumped back into the soggy fray.

'I know putting it in a plastic bag doesn't work because the moisture can still damage it somehow,' said Kalayanee Srisaman, 16.

'But I will take it with me anyway. I need to have it.'

-- AP 2004-04-16

[kurgen]

I find it amazing that most of us never had a mobile 10 years ago but now are scared to even go to the toilet without one with us.

[ASIC]

and don't mention switching it off after office hours.

ASIC