Thailand – Ladyboys Arrested For Songkran Breast Exposure

Via: Khaosod English

15 April) Two ‘ladyboys’ have been arrested in Pitsanulok province and forced to apologise to local spirits for exposing their breasts during Songkran reveling.

The image of a group of ladyboys (transgenders) showing their breasts on a pick-up truck in the water fights festival have been widely shared on the internet, attracting many condemning comments on the social network.

Today the police said they have arrested Mr. Chartchai Si-Arwut, 23, and Mr. Warot Theesoongnoen, 21, in connection to the incident. According to the police, Mr. Chartchai and Mr. Warot exposed their breasts to the public as they were riding on their pick-up truck in Mueang district on 13 April.

Both suspects have been charged with indecent exposure and are set to be fined at 5,000 baht  ($154 USD) for their offence. However, the police agreed to decrease their fines to 500 baht ($15.40 USD) per person.

Mr. Chartchai and Mr. Warot were also escorted to a shrine where they prayed to local spirits, begging for their forgiveness lest the spirits had been offended by their improper behaviour. (Hopefully, with any kind of luck, the spirits will waive the fines.)

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In addition, the police said they are still trying to locate and arrest a man who was photographed showing his penis to the crowd of Songkran revelers in Pitsanulok province.

CCTV footage collected from Pitsanulok town centre is being studied by the police officers to identify the man.

http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1397553133

TRULY is, AMAZING THAILAND!

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BREAKING NEWS – Thailand makes ‘water festival’, ‘water free’!

Via: City News – Chiang Mai

In a rather shocking twist, Chiang Mai Municipality announced today that it will follow in Singapore’s footsteps and make this year’s Songkran festivities water-free throughout the city.

“Singapore’s example has shown us the errors of our festival’s ways,” said Municipal spokesperson Tirigit Chalekolaporn. “While we were originally a bit peeved at their plan to copy our water festival, we have now realised that they are right in abstaining from water wastage, and have opted to make splashing water a fineable offence in Chiang Mai during the period of April 11-April 16.”

Indeed, during this period, there will be a 500 baht fine for anyone who splashes water.

In order to more easily enforce the new rules, city officials will begin draining the moat this week, in the hopes to have it completely dry by the time the holiday begins, which they hope will remove the temptation for locals and tourists to splash water.

“We understand that this may come as a shock to many Thai citizens, and perhaps even more so to foreign tourists coming to Thailand – and more specifically Chiang Mai – to participate in our famous Songkran water festival,” said Lanakorn Phumbholum of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). “As such, we will be selling special imported and ozonated water bottles for foreigners only, and closing off a small portion of the moated old city for the usage of these bottles, which can be entered for a fee. This way, we can guard against the disappointment of foreign tourists without tapping into Thailand’s water supply.”

Indeed, the recent dry season has taken quite a toll on Thailand’s water supply, leaving many homes, particularly in the Wat Umong area, without water for weeks. As a result, it has become more difficult for citizens to take the necessary precautions of watering their driveways in order to add moisture to the air during dry season.

“We need to save the water we have for the helicopters which will be flying overhead throughout dry season, releasing artificial rain to make the air more breathable during this time,” added Tirigit. “We no longer want Thai culture to be associated with the frivolous celebration that Songkran has become over the years. We resent Singapore’s suggesting that we do not care about preserving water, and have taken the necessary measures to prove otherwise.”

The municipality did say that the foam party at Tha Pae Road will still happen, which will be a relief to many revellers. “Foam is not water, so it’s okay,” affirmed Jiriporn Titikanaphum of Thailand’s Ministry of Culture.

http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=3575

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Message for the Chinese who were hoping to come to Chiang Mai, and recreate the hilarious water festival scene in ‘Lost in Thailand’.

Well, TFB – Too Fuckin’ Bad!

ha

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Thailand – Air Pollution: Northern Thai “hell in the air”

Via: Bangkok Post

Much of northern Thailand as far south as Saraburi lay under a heavy blanket of haze and smoke Friday from hundreds of fires, mostly set on purpose by farmers in Thailand and Myanmar.

NOTE: The farmers certainly contribute to the problem, but the major culprit is the ‘shash and burn’ loggers!

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The crisis areas were spotted in the far North, the lower North and upper Central provinces. Saraburi, where the air quality index (AQI) touched a dangerous 104 at noon Friday, had an air pollution index of 128 which, roughly translated, means “sensitive groups such as children, older people and asthmatics should stay indoors.” (Hey, that’s me!)

Any AQI over 100 is dangerous to health, according to the Pollution Control Department, which maintains a website with information from around the country.

NOTE: The World Health Organazation, the EU, and the U.S.; says the number is 50, NOT 100!

The most dangerous place in Thailand Friday afternoon was Mae Hong Son, where the AQI in the “pristine province” was 219. The index says an AQI this high is “an emergency condition. The entire population is more likely to be affected.”

http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/340699/air-pollution-northern-thai-hell-in-the-air

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The Good News: the Thai New Year, Songkran, i.e. ‘water festival’; is now less than a month away.

The farmer above might tell you it’s a ‘real bitch’ to start a fire in the rain.

Oh, HAPPY DAY!

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1954 – Chiang Mai Songkran….

Via: Teak Door

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See more photos of Siam/Thailand:

http://teakdoor.com/famous-threads/39970-siam-thailand-bangkok-old-photo-thread.html

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Yup, STILL KRAZY, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!

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Chiang Mai – ‘Children of Songkran’

Via: Carnival of Light

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personal experience:

The sweet lookin’ little girls; don’t let then fool ya, they can be damn tough! 🙂

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See more wonderful images of Daniel Nabedian’s Light, HERE:

http://canvas-of-light.smugmug.com/galleries

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Chiang Mai – Songkran – 1954

Via: Teak Door

See more photos of Thailand (Siam); HERE:

http://teakdoor.com/famous-threads/39970-siam-thailand-bangkok-old-photo-thread.html

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The Songkran festival (Thai: สงกรานต์, Khmer: សង្រ្កាន្ត; from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti, or literally “astrological passage”) is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year’s Day from 13 to 15 April. It coincides with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia.

The date of the festival was originally set by astrological calculation, but it is now fixed. If these days fall on a weekend, the missed days off are taken on the weekdays immediately following. Songkran falls in the hottest time of the year in Thailand, at the end of the dry season. Until 1888 the Thai New Year was the beginning of the year in Thailand; thereafter 1 April was used until 1940. 1 January is now the beginning of the year. The traditional Thai New Year has been a national holiday since then.

Songkran has traditionally been celebrated as the New Year for many centuries, and is believed to have been adapted from an Indian festival. It is now observed nationwide, even in the far south.

However, the most famous Songkran celebrations are still in the northern city of Chiang Mai, where it continues for six days and even longer. It has also become a party for foreigners and an additional reason for many to visit Thailand for immersion in another culture.

The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. Thais roam the streets with containers of water or water guns (sometimes mixed with mentholated talc), or post themselves at the side of roads with a garden hose and drench each other and passersby. This, however, was not always the main activity of this festival. Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends, neighbors, and monks.

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Read more, HERE:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songkran_(Thailand)

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Chiang Mai – Songkran

Via: Thai Visa

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/547729-2012-songkran-chiangmai-a-lot-of-fun-pics/page__st__25

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The Songkran festival (Thai: สงกรานต์, Khmer: សង្រ្កាន្ត; from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti, or literally “astrological passage”) is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year’s Day from 13 to 15 April. It coincides with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia.

The date of the festival was originally set by astrological calculation, but it is now fixed. If these days fall on a weekend, the missed days off are taken on the weekdays immediately following. Songkran falls in the hottest time of the year in Thailand, at the end of the dry season. Until 1888 the Thai New Year was the beginning of the year in Thailand; thereafter 1 April was used until 1940. 1 January is now the beginning of the year. The traditional Thai New Year has been a national holiday since then.

Songkran has traditionally been celebrated as the New Year for many centuries, and is believed to have been adapted from an Indian festival. It is now observed nationwide, even in the far south.

However, the most famous Songkran celebrations are still in the northern city of Chiang Mai, where it continues for six days and even longer. It has also become a party for foreigners and an additional reason for many to visit Thailand for immersion in another culture.

Read more, HERE:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songkran

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Bangkok – topless teenage revellers fined B500 for obscenity

Via: Bangkok Post

The three surrendered to police last night, said Metropolitan Police Division 6 chief Suwat Jaengyotsuk.

As a mainly male audience cheered and the trio’s festive mood skyrocketed, they took off their shirts and danced topless on a car roof on Friday, the last day of the Songkran festival, near the intersection of Silom and Narathiwat
Ratchanakharin roads.

“They claimed they were not drunk,” said Pol Maj Gen Suwat.

They are aged between 14 and 16 years old, police said, and they were fined 500 (+/- $16.66 USD) baht each on obscenity charges.

Anybody who has distributed video footage of their topless dance over the internet should also face charges, Pol Col Monchai said.

Police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said those who cheered the girls on and urged them to take off their clothes should be considered supporters of the crime, although they will not be prosecuted.

and meanwhile:

Meanwhile, Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombut swiftly ordered the removal of a painting of topless women from the the ministry website (see above) after speculation that it may have influenced the girls.

The website featured the watercolour painting by Somphop Butrach, depicting three topless women otherwise dressed in ancient Thai garments, welcoming the Thai New Year.

“Sometimes, art and obscenity overlaps,” Mr Nitwit said. But he said if people considered this painting to be indecent, he was worried that other artistic pictures and statues of topless women could no longer be displayed in public.

“Or maybe we have to buy bras to cover up the Nang Ngueak and Peesua Samut sculptures to prevent obscenity,” he said, referring to a topless mermaid and female sea giant from the Phra Apai-manee legendary tale.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/232503/topless-teenage-revellers-fined-b500-for-obscenity

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my thoughts:

1. I’m sure taking down the ‘art, or obenity’ from the Ministy of Culture website will stop teenage girls from checkin’ out the ‘art, or obenity’.

But, what about the Ministry of Energy, or the Ministry of Fisheries – huh? huh, huh?

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2. I ALSO think the bra idea is BRILLIANT!

(.) (.)      (.) (.)      (.) (.)

then again, maybe not

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Songkran, is it over today?

Except possibly for some drunk falangs (foreigners), and little kids, probably so.

Happy Songkran!

It’s currently RAINING in Chiang Mai!

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Forecast for Tomorrow is ‘Scattered T-storms’.

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Forecast Friday – Mostly Sunny

Yeah well maybe, ’cause that’s what they said about TODAY.