Loy Krathong/ Yi Peng: Lanterns fell on Chiang Mai airport despite ban

[webfact 47,941]

Loy Krathong/ Yi Peng: Lanterns fell on Chiang Mai airport despite ban

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Sanook reported that authorities at Chiang Mai International airport were still collecting lanterns set off during the cultural events earlier in the week. 

 

They said that five lanterns had fallen on the runway, three on taxiways and six on grass verges at the airport on Monday night. Seven more were found on Tuesday. 

 

They said that clear signs in Thai, English and Chinese had forbidden lanterns in Muang district of the northern Thai city - yet tourists and locals had flouted the law. 

 

This despite there being the prospect of five years in jail and/or 200,000 baht fines. 

 

In addition there was a mountain of rubbish - mostly Krathongs - that 200 municipal workers and student volunteers were tidying up. 

 

It was reckoned to be at least ten tons of trash. 

 

Source: Sanook

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-11-13

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

 

[legend49 3,325]

No surprises here.

[dcnx 6,891]

Shocking news.

 

When does anyone here follow the rules? Police were everywhere and right amongst everyone lighting the lanterns.

[cmsally 5,255]

From what I could see most lanterns were heading approx NW. Therefore any landing at the airport came from maybe Mae Hia/Lamphun/Ban Tawai areas.

[Captain Monday 101]

5-7 PM down by the pedestrian bridge near Warorot there were many guards and cops preventing any loying of lanterns. A few hours later the sky was full of them coming from that direction. Maybe the cops gave up? Beautiful as always!

[ncc1701d 353]

For just a few days of the year, it is the aircraft that should be banned from operating into and out of CM from sundown to sun up imo. It is such a spectacular tradition that it would be a shame to ban them outright. Yes, rubbish is a concern - but that’s a different problem to be tackled. 

If festivals like this are going to be banned, then we may as well all just stay inside our homes forever and not do anything enjoyable.

[Samuel Smith 1,439]

Loy Krathong fizzled out when they stopped folk wandering around, beer in hand, tossing fireworks left & right

 

Nearest thing to a war zone, back in the day  

Edited November 13 by Samuel Smith

[EricTh 1,044]

It seems that most people won't listen until a major catastrophe like a plane crash occurs due to the lanterns.

[eyecatcher 3,069]

What would be worst case scenario? A lantern getting sucked into an engine on take off or like every other airport in the world having to deal with birds.

 

Never heard of an accident occuring from either.

The biggest risk, as occurred two years ago was high winds taking those burning candles onto properties, power lines etc starting fires.

 

Yet another small rule introduced to drive chiang mai off the tourist map....its one thing after another here.

[Bassosa 411]

1 hour ago, EricTh said:

It seems that most people won't listen until a major catastrophe like a plane crash occurs due to the lanterns.

Nah, they'll be back at it the year after the plane crash, guaranteed.

Edited November 13 by Bassosa

[Denim 9,849]

Best thing to do is nothing.

 

Best to wait for an aircraft to suck one into an engine and crash killing lots of people.

 

Then , I hear that the best thing to do is look for a scapegoat , arrest a few nobodys and seriously crack down the following year.

 

After a year , lapse into mai pen rai , rinse and repeat.

 

Amazing Thailand.  Sanook first and the devil take the hindmost.

 

Or.....don't chance it and close the airport on Loy Gratong. What the hell. Its only money.

[EricTh 1,044]

2 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

What would be worst case scenario? A lantern getting sucked into an engine on take off or like every other airport in the world having to deal with birds.

ap....its one thing after another here.

One lantern probably won't do much harm but 30-50 lanterns will certainly cause damage to the engine or block the viewscreen of the pilot's cockpit when the plane is trying to land.

 

Look at the first picture, there are so many lanterns close to each other.

 

 

Edited November 13 by EricTh

[MrBrad 596]

"This despite there being the prospect of five years in jail and/or 200,000 baht fines."

 

How do they find the scofflaw and enforce this one, even if they wanted to? 

[jackdd 5,020]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

They said that clear signs in Thai, English and Chinese had forbidden lanterns in Muang district of the northern Thai city - yet tourists and locals had flouted the law. 

 

This despite there being the prospect of five years in jail and/or 200,000 baht fines. 

I didn't see any such sign.

Hundreds of lanterns were lighted next to police officers who didn't care about it.

If this is illegal they should start by teaching police about it and tell them to enforce the law.

[rebo 1,352]

On 11/13/2019 at 8:13 PM, EricTh said:

It seems that most people won't listen until a major catastrophe like a plane crash occurs due to the lanterns.

Even after a major catastrophe most people won't listen ...