Thai Government needs another dose of Songkran reality

Article in The Nation today about a video showing two “teens” dancing topless on Silom Road during the Songkran festival. Supposedly, this distorted Songkran values. One of the funniest articles I have read.

Songkran Selling Beer Khon Kaen

Songkran Selling Beer Khon Kaen

First off, The Nation shows once again that they have hack journalists writing for their online newspaper.  The title of the article is “ 

Topless teenage dancers get dressing down for ‘distorting Songkran values’

They do so love to make those plays on words.

But there are some great quotes in this article reflecting Thailand’s ideals, loss of face, and the supposed meaning of Songkran.

The Bangrak District Office director Surakiat Limcharern, stated as he filed his official complaint at the Thai Police Station

“It hurts the image of Thailand, in particular Silom”

Since this was smack dab in the biggest red light district in Bangkok – Patpong – I don’t think that they have worry about the image.

It gets better.

“Close examination showed the topless revellers were young, so young that it dismissed my initial assumption that they might have been workers in the redlight zone of Patpong,” Surakiat said.

Wonder how this was determined?  Breast size?  Lack of hip size?  How close did he examine?  What did he examine?

Lodging his complaint at the Yannawa Police Station, Surakiat urged police to track down the teenagers who have carried out obscene acts in public places.

Guess this guy has never seen photos or videos of Spring Break in Florida.  This was hardly obscene.  Two young ladies having some fun during Songkran and took off their soaking wet T-shirts.  Big deal.

National Police Commissioner General Wichien Pojphosri vowed action against both the topless revellers and their cheering crowds. Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombat, meanwhile, wanted action taken against those lending loudspeakers and stereo systems for the topless dancing.

So, now there will be a manhunt in Bangkok for a few thousand males that were celebrating the World’s Biggest Water Fight.  What were the guys supposed to do?  Close their eyes?  Hand the girls towels?  And, the part about lending speakers and stereos makes no sense whatsoever.

So, once caught, what will the teenage age titty girls’ punishment be?  Caning?  Stoning?  40 lashes?

For example, they should be made to read books about the Songkran Festival for young students to listen to as part of the punishment,” Nipit said.

Nah. They get to read some books to the kids.

Family Network board member Wanchai Boonpracha said he felt bad that some young revellers had strayed so far during the Thai New Year celebrations.

The entire country strays during the 3 days of Songkran madness.  And, big deal.  They danced topless during Songkran – the world’s largest wet T-shirt competition. Maybe the poor girls were just heeding the Health Minister’s warning about wearing wet clothes for more than one hour and didn’t want to take the chance of getting a chest cold.

“If such things go on, foreign tourists will finally think that Songkran is just about the water fights.,” he said.

Kind of late on this one. Especially when the Thai Government stages the World’s Largest Water Fight for the Guinness Book of Records.  Make sure to seek out arrest warrants for all those in the Government that promoted that and the Human Wave in Khon Kaen.  Make sure to also go after the media that posted photos and wrote articles about these events.  And, arrest anyone that read said articles.  Get back as much face as possible.

He urged authorities to seriously enforce laws to prevent inappropriate acts in the future.

Why should this be any different than any other Thai law that is usually ignored and not enforced.

Here is the kicker.

In Phichit, two transvestites were fined yesterday for exposing their breasts during the Songkran celebrations.

Why?  Their tits aren’t real and they get a fine!  And, the girls only have to read books to little kids.  Some kind of double standard here. Are the Thai Police targeting katoeys?

More lateness

In Chon Buri, Pattaya City’s councillor Rattanachai Suttidechanai said all entertainment venues were told not to stage pornographic shows.

No pornographic shows in Pattaya.  Hell will have to freeze over and pigs fly first.

“We are developing Pattaya as a world-class destination. The world is watching us,” he said.

This guy must be on some serious drugs.  World-class destination?  The world doesn’t give a shit about Pattaya.  Pattaya exists for one thing only – cheap sex.  Without it, it would be like any other shitty beach in Thailand.

It doesn’t matter that the biggest culprits in all of this are the Thai Government and the Tourism Authority of Thailand for promoting the insanity and not the traditional Songkran.  But, I don’t think that the Thai Police will be going after them.

Right now it is damage control and try to get back some face that the old prudes contend that Thailand lost during Songkran.

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