New Years Eve

Thai people love ceremonies and celebrations. They work hard to create a worthwhile event and everybody, whole families and groups of friends gather with the intention of having a good time. New Years Eve 2008/2009 was just such an occasion. Thousands of people gathered around Thapae Gate to see in the new year. A stage was erected and a number of acts performed, including 3 lovely Thai girls singing pop music. The audience seemed to know who they were so maybe they are the Thai version of Girls Aloud. One of the photos is of a group singing and dancing traditional songs about how Chiang Mai became capital of the north.

Part of the celebrations was lighting a flame inside lanterns, waiting for the air to get warm and releasing them. The idea is that all personal bad luck and spirits are carried up, up and away. The only problem is that the lanterns get caught in overhead cables, under roofs etc and are potentially dangerous. A couple of years ago one of these objects got entangled in some cabling and several hundred homes were without electricity for several days. Every one that was released brought a great cheer from the people who lit it and even more cheers went up if they bumped into each other, or got caught on cabling or under roofs and freed themselves. For the first few days of January, burnt out lanterns were discovered all over Chiang Mai after they dropped back to earth. All good fun.

Fireworks were also a great part of the event but I must admit to being somewhat worried about that. Anybody was just lighting and letting off rockets, catherine wheels, bangers etc. wherever they wanted with no regards to health and safety. I even saw a father give his small son this tube that has around 4 rockets inside telling the child to point it into the air after lighting it. All that child had to do was point the thing at the crowd and there could have been a major accident with a possibility of losing life, eyesight or limb. Scary stuff. In some areas Thais have a lot to learn and Health and Safety is certainly one regarding fireworks. The local newspaper had an article about a guy who owned a firework making factory and blew himself up while making fireworks.

I thoroughly enjoyed New Years Eve 2008/2009, I had a great time enjoying the atmosphere, the fun and partying that was going on.

Aren't we lucky

We in western industrialised countries are very lucky. Recently I went on a trip to a town called Mae Sot on the border of Thailand and Myanmar (Burma). There, I came across a Burmese refugee camp where some 4500 people live. All these people have escaped the problems and troubles in their own country. Beautiful spot surrounded by mountains but what a way to live. These people have no hope other than charity hand outs or government concessions (from Myanmar or Thailand) and their future is so uncertain. So, what problems do we have in the west - none I suggest. There were some vicious looking, fully armed guards around who were surveying me with deep suspicion so I did not feel comfortable taking any film or photos.

Here in Chiang Mai every morning on a road leading into the city centre, there are 100's of people standing waiting for work - see photos. The majority of these people are Burmese refugees and vehicles will turn up and take them off to work on building sites, farms or factories for a minimal wage of maybe 100/200 baht per day (currently 50 baht to the pound). It reminds of the Marlon Brand 1950's film, On the Waterfront, where poor dock workers had to wait on the docks and see if they were going to get picked and earn some money that day. Isn't it a social injustice that here we are in the 2000's and people are still starving and having to bow, scrape and beg for work and for money. What chance do they have in life - there is no possibility of escaping their poverty trap and they are looked upon as pariahs by the Thai authorities. Quick, give me a soap box I feel a speech coming on.