Songkran festivities watered down

[webfact]

Festivities watered down
By THE NATION

 

Foreign revellers on a tuk-tuk are sprayed with water by elephants during a preview yesterday of Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year water festival, at the historic World Heritage park in Ayutthaya.

 

BANGKOK: -- PROVINCES across the country have been preparing activities and various measures to keep revellers safe while celebrating Songkran Festival this week.

 

The celebrations are taking place amid tighter controls over revellers’ behaviour and water wars, stricter traffic rules to prevent road carnage, additional measures to prevent possible attacks, and stronger limits on alcohol consumption. 

 

Authorities have also urged revellers to dress decently and refrain from using high-pressure water guns, while water-splashing from trucks is only allowed in designated Songkran zones. The sale of alcohol is banned in those zones and local leaders were told to hold activities within permitted time periods and watch out for known troublemakers.

 

In Buri Ram’s Muang district, performance stages were set up at the front of the i-Mobile Stadium and a “water-sprinkle tunnel” was installed yesterday for the Buri Ram Songkran Carnival, which will be held on Thursday and Friday from 6pm to midnight. More than 100,000 people are expected to join the event which covers the six-kilometre-long Buri Ram-Parkhonchai-Pattarabopit road. 

 

Ratchabutr Road in Ubon Ratchathani’s Muang district was turned into the “avenue of water and flowers” for Songkran, with a 300-metre water tunnel to entertain revellers.

 

Sukhothai’s Khao Tok Road saw a water tunnel installed near the city’s clock tower and people had already started splashing water nearby.

 

In Chiang Mai’s Mae Rim district, Mae Sa Elephant Camp brought five elephants to play with water along with children and visitors to boost the Songkran mood. 

 

National Security Council chief General Thaweep Netniyom said that, in line with Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan’s instructions to beef up security, important high-traffic venues would be guarded. 

 

Deputy police spokesman Major General Songpol Wattanachai told officers not to take leave during Songkran so they could provide security against any possible attack and arrest motorists who break the law. He urged revellers, especially women, to wear decent clothing and be polite.

 

Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry has provided Bt7 million to fund blood alcohol testing on people involved in suspected drunk driving accidents during Songkran, permanent secretary Dr Sopon Mekthon said. Health officials would conduct blood tests on a case-by-case basis, he said, with samples sent to the Department of Medical Sciences. 

 

The bar was also lowered on the legally acceptable level of blood alcohol for motorists, from the current 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to no higher than 20mg, he said. 

 

If a driver found to have exceeded the limit is under 20 year of age, police would also punish the establishment that sold them the alcohol, he said. 

 

Migrant workers also headed to their home countries for the holiday, creating a buzz of excitement at border checkpoints such as Chiang Rai, Bung Kan and Surin. 

 

Customers at Sa Kaew’s Rong Klua border market generated Bt10 million a day and at least 5,000 Cambodian workers crossed the border via the Sa Kaew’s Aranyaprathet checkpoint yesterday.

 

Meanwhile, police have proposed that it should be legal for passengers to ride in two-door pickup trucks’ extended cab spaces and in the cargo bed of pickup trucks under certain conditions, a source at the Royal Thai Police said. 

 

Citing a letter signed by Assistant Police Commissioner General, Pol Lt-General Wittaya Prayongpan, last Friday, the source said police asked the Land Transport Department (LTD) director-general to consider criteria that allows people who need to use pickup trucks to carry more passengers than can be accommodated in seats with seatbelts in certain circumstances. 

 

Police suggested three guidelines: First, that the extended cab space behind the front seats of certain two-door pickup truck models could have seatbelts installed for passengers. Second, that pickup trucks with an open cargo bed could be allowed to carry up to six persons, if hand rails and seatbelts are possible. And third, that trucks allowed to carry passengers in the cargo bed must drive at less than 80 kph in municipal areas.

 

A new requirement came into effect yesterday requiring drivers of passenger vans on fixed routes to remove excess seats to meet the 13-seat limit. Failure to comply could result in a Bt5,000 fine and a licence suspension of up to six months, said Deputy Transport Minister Pichit Akkharathit. The new rule covered 15,808 passenger vans registered nationwide. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312076

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-12

[jaywalker]

OOOH yummy!

 

Getting blasted with elephant snot!

 

The should have been warned, that way they could have had Ritz crackers & cocktail sauce to eat with their snot.

 

[franklnooner]

Same old measures that are completly useless and not enforced. Let the carnage continue.

[darksidedog]

lots of words, but one suspects there will be significantly less action and the usual bedlam will occur. I don't think they are actually capable of coming up with any real plan, for anything, far less capable of actually implementing it.

[Rhys]

Sad to see this special holiday morph into a free for all water fight... there is a balance between fun and safety and often the line is crossed... 

[samsensam]

 

the once meaningful and caring festival has been hijacked by idiots; mainly teenagers and sadly the lower educated and lower class - have a look at the type of adults that take part in the offensive, disrespectful activities, they are in the majority the lower class and lower educated.

 

my friends here are educated middle class professionals who dislike what the festival has become as much as foreigners with commons sense

[Wilsonandson]

local leaders were told to hold activities within permitted time periods and watch out for known troublemakers.

 

He urged revellers, especially women, to wear decent clothing and be polite.

 

"You just hold your tongue young lady, or your heading for trouble"

 

"Oww, t-shirt and jeans, the lo-so's have arrived dear"

 

 

[F4UCorsair]

I had a camera trashed (back in the 35mm SLR days) by imbecile water throwers, even though I'd asked them not to drench me, or let me put the camera away first.

 

[millwall_fan]

Completely unreasonable to enforce the pick-up and minibus rules until the unelected   government provides affordable subsidised public transport for the masses who can't afford to get home any other way. 

[spacebass]

Hilarious.

[The Deerhunter]

Then someone will say that the new regulations are too difficult to understand.  And the answer should be then you are too stupid to have a driving licence.  "CANCELLED"  

The police will understand it though.  It means another thing to check that vehicles comply at roadside stops.  And that translates directly into income.

Edited April 12, 2017 by The Deerhunter

[chicowoodduck]

Just a sidebar......while waiting for my gym to open on Pattaya Klang this morning I counted over 25 taxis headed out of town full of farangs....smart folks leave town and take their money with them.....someday someone will figured it out.....but not likely.....????

[hobz]

2 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

the once meaningful and caring festival has been hijacked by idiots; mainly teenagers and sadly the lower educated and lower class - have a look at the type of adults that take part in the offensive, disrespectful activities, they are in the majority the lower class and lower educated.

 

my friends here are educated middle class professionals who dislike what the festival has become as much as foreigners with commons sense

Yeah, i really dont like the people that continue even after sun went down and the people that start one day early. 

Anyway, im just staying indoors most of song kran now... I will probably join the war on friday and stay home rest of the time.

Couple of years ago young disrespectful foreigners ruined me and gf dinner out by soaking us 8pm the night before songkran. I got so angry i almost decided to go get a weapon and beat them to death.... Glad i didnt. Lol.

[Kabula]

What can we expect in future year?  Sniping with paint balls filled with water?

 

The nonsense seems to escalate every year.

[NCC1701A]

i just walked the perimeter again and checked the barbed wire. The truck stops at the main gate look good. food and water stockpiles are good. plenty of cat food.

 

I should be ok.

[PREM-R]

2 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

the once meaningful and caring festival has been hijacked by idiots; mainly teenagers and sadly the lower educated and lower class - have a look at the type of adults that take part in the offensive, disrespectful activities, they are in the majority the lower class and lower educated.

 

my friends here are educated middle class professionals who dislike what the festival has become as much as foreigners with commons sense

"my friends here are educated middle class professionals who dislike what the festival has become as much as foreigners with commons sense"

  

  I can understand that your educated, middle class, professional friends  have a dislike for Songkran but what have foreigners with common sense done to upset them?

 

 

Sorry I'm a bit bored today!

[PatOngo]

Songkran festivities watered down

 

No doubt by ten people in the bed of a pick up with high powered water guns!

 

[sawadee1947]

3 hours ago, darksidedog said:

lots of words, but one suspects there will be significantly less action and the usual bedlam will occur. I don't think they are actually capable of coming up with any real plan, for anything, far less capable of actually implementing it.

well, but it sounds good. Strong words................Strong General. So easy.

[KeeperRik]

Pickup with people in the bed have to drive at max 80kph, that will be in the middle lane as usual then!!! 

[BernieOnTour]

Police making their own "laws" ???

 

"The bar was also lowered on the legally acceptable level of blood alcohol for motorists, from the current 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to no higher than 20mg, he said. "

 

and even more ridiculous:

"Police suggested three guidelines: ... And third, that trucks allowed to carry passengers in the cargo bed must drive at less than 80 kph in municipal areas."

... I always thought, the law says 60 km/h in municipal areas ???

 

[FarangJon]

Lets the Party begin

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, franklnooner said:

Same old measures that are completly useless and not enforced. Let the carnage continue.

Yes these rules should last all of 5 minutes and then its gung ho and way we go. Water madness sets in and the rules go out the window. At the end when we add up the carnage card will it make any difference? Will have to wait and see. 

[Saan]

3 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

the once meaningful and caring festival has been hijacked by idiots; mainly teenagers and sadly the lower educated and lower class - have a look at the type of adults that take part in the offensive, disrespectful activities, they are in the majority the lower class and lower educated.

 

my friends here are educated middle class professionals who dislike what the festival has become as much as foreigners with commons sense

Pip pip old chap. I'll see you later at The Planters Club where the don't let the riff raff through the doors. Thank god we are not like them. Toodle loo.

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, hobz said:

Yeah, i really dont like the people that continue even after sun went down and the people that start one day early. 

Anyway, im just staying indoors most of song kran now... I will probably join the war on friday and stay home rest of the time.

Couple of years ago young disrespectful foreigners ruined me and gf dinner out by soaking us 8pm the night before songkran. I got so angry i almost decided to go get a weapon and beat them to death.... Glad i didnt. Lol.

You should have, they would have deserved it. "Death" only a figure of speech, what you really mean is the disrespectful foreign morons would have been eating through a straw for a few weeks.

[elgordo38]

24 minutes ago, Saan said:

  3 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

the once meaningful and caring festival has been hijacked by idiots; mainly teenagers and sadly the lower educated and lower class - have a look at the type of adults that take part in the offensive, disrespectful activities, they are in the majority the lower class and lower educated.

 

my friends here are educated middle class professionals who dislike what the festival has become as much as foreigners with commons sense

Tylenol time again your making so much sense that the Babylonians cannot understand. Your wasting your time its like talking to Trump voters. 

[Nurseynutcase]

Was the pun the title - Somgkran to be watered down this year intended???

 

I had to laugh at it!!!

[DM07]

5 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

the once meaningful and caring festival has been hijacked by idiots; mainly teenagers and sadly the lower educated and lower class - have a look at the type of adults that take part in the offensive, disrespectful activities, they are in the majority the lower class and lower educated.

 

my friends here are educated middle class professionals who dislike what the festival has become as much as foreigners with commons sense

What a nice man you are!

And not the least arrogant!

I bet, you skip presents on Christmas, give to the poor and go to church, to celebrate Zombie- Jesus' - birthday...right?!

[Ijustcashier]

Ha ha no alcohol sold in the zones. Oh well that pretty much rules out farangs.. No fun spraying while sipping on a cup of tea!

[natway09]

Can someone tell these people that folks do not die at stupid checkpoints

They die after the checkpoints going at crazy speeds with road rage after the 20 minute delay.

Get your patrols out on the road of moving traffic moving with them

[Ijustcashier]

Can someone tell these people that folks do not die at stupid checkpoints
They die after the checkpoints going at crazy speeds with road rage after the 20 minute delay.
Get your patrols out on the road of moving traffic moving with them

What are you complaining about, it's a bit hard to breathalyz whith cars traveling at 140 kph