Thursday 26 January 2012

Suphan Buri fireworks disaster affects 500

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SUPHAN BURI: -- The powerful fireworks explosion during the Chinese New Year celebration at Suphan Buri's Dragon Park on Tuesday night blasted all structures within four kilometres and turned the lives of more than 500 people upside down.

"All the houses in my neighbourhood are just rubble now," a resident said yesterday.

The fireworks were fired from a community close to Dragon Park, where more than 200 houses were damaged.

The grand public festival - broadcast live on nationwide TV - went terribly wrong when some fireworks went off, leaving four people dead and at least 74 injured.

The disaster area near Dragon Park and the city pillar shrine has been sealed off. A temporary shelter has been set up at Phra Si Rattana Maha That Temple, which was also hit, to accommodate the homeless victims.

"Police are investigating the cause of the explosion," Suphan Buri Governor Somsak Phureesisak said.

The men working on the fireworks show or the equipment could be responsible for the accident, he said.

Three fireworks workers were killed at the scene while a woman, Lamyong Pansakul, 52, succumbed to her injuries at a hospital.

Somsak said the Foundation of Suphan Buri's City Pillar Shrine has promised to provide full assistance to all victims.

Chao Phraya Yommaraj Hospital tended to 60 injured, of whom 44 have been discharged. Only one, a fireman named Thanit Klinkate, remained in intensive care.

At Suppamit Hospital, 14 victims were treated and nine of them were allowed to go home.

Banharn Silapa-archa, chief adviser of the Chart Thai Pattana Party, who founded Dragon Park, yesterday visited the patients at Suppamit Hospital and offered them Bt10,000 each.

Banharn, Tourism Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa and Chinese Ambassador Guan Mu were guests of honour at Dragon Park.

A local woman said she was watching TV at home when part of the wall suddenly collapsed on her and thick fumes began spreading all over.

"I couldn't see anything at all. So I made a real struggle to get out from under the wall and started running for my life," she said.

The scope of the devastation was massive. Some vehicles were just burnt shells, and their windshields were completely shattered into small pieces.

Somsak said that although the Chinese New Year celebrations at Dragon Park would continue till Sunday, there would be no more pyrotechnics.

"In fact, the organising committee planned more firework displays but we have already confiscated all the prepared fireworks," he said.

A source said 500-600 fireworks were seized and the explosive ordnance disposal team was now removing their fuses.

Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit said he received a report that the fireworks might have been etonated because the pipes used to shoot them were not set at the right angle.

He said he would instruct all provincial governments to be more careful in organising activities.

"But I'm not going to ban the use of fireworks because they add colour to celebrations," he said.

Major Songphon Iambonrit, formerly with the Army's Ordnance Department, also suspected that either defective launch cylinders or an inappropriate angle triggered the accident.

Thursday 19 January 2012

Phuket Town Nightlife

Phuket has a well-earned and justified reputation for its wild and exuberant nightlife, especially the overt adult entertainment that is available just about everywhere. This is most prevalent in the countless beer and go-go bars, massage parlours, as well as offered by the thousands of freelance working girls in the bars and clubs. Especially when compared with European countries, the nightlife in Phuket could be considered quite wild.


The main hub of the debauchery in Phuket is undoubtedly Patong Beach, but Phuket Town (which has had city status for some time even though many people continue to use the old name) is a welcome departure from the clichéd excesses of crowded Patong. The surprisingly small provincial capital can be a rewarding place to spend an alternative and enjoyable night out, besides the numerous events and festivals that justify its claim to be the cultural capital of Phuket. The unique and historic architecture in the heart of old town coupled with the more relaxed atmosphere, are a welcome breath of fresh air and make you realise that there is much more to the island than you might think.

Nightlife in Phuket Town is relatively tame by Patong Beach standards and you won’t find hordes of tourists or many adult thrill seekers, mainly due to its more remote location away from the main tourist hotspots. This contributes in no small part to its charm and its essentially Thai character, and anybody that hasn’t yet experienced an authentic Thai pub or disco is strongly recommended to give it a go at least once. The main attraction are the big music pubs and clubs, which tend to have a live band and hundreds of young people. Dance floors are virtually non-existent as Thais prefer to cluster with friends around small tables, but there is usually adequate room to strut your stuff if you like dancing. Unlike most Western countries, clubs in Thailand don’t normally charge an entrance fee and the dress code is normally very casual.
You might be surprised at just how much fun it can be to listen to cheesy Asian pop music and mingle with real Thai people. Many Thai pubs and clubs are quite kitsch and the décor can be tacky. It’s also perfectly acceptable and common in Thailand to take your own bottles of spirits and buy only the mixers in the bar, which might seem like a strange practice to westerners. Dozens of venues in Phuket Town provide table service and the waiters (or quite often very attractive female hosts) are very attentive. There are also a few karaoke and coyote joints that have dance shows, catering mainly to Asian men but foreigners are also welcome. In many late night venues, it’s possible to find company for the night, but remember that most women in Phuket Town’s bars are not bar girls, and are more likely there just to enjoy themselves without getting hassled by overzealous tourists.

Sunday 8 January 2012

Fish Spa in Bangkok, Thailand (For feet & legs)

Foot spa by fish is a health-related activity that has become popular in Bangkok and throughout Thailand within the past several months. It is being offered at more and more locations such as in spas and massage parlors.

In many cases, entrepreneurs are offering it as a "stand along" service in shopping malls and street markets. Users of foot spa by fish usually report their experience as satisfactory or pleasant, so more and more people are becoming interested in it.

The activity appears to have developed in Turkey and involves permitting a certain species of fish to eat away dead or sick skin on the feet. The feet are placed in a tub of water that also contains many of these fish.

This species of fish, nicknamed "doctor fish", "nibble fish", or "kangal fish", only eat the bad skin and leave good or healthy skin undisturbed.

The treatment is particularly helpful for treating patients suffering from the foot diseases psoriasis and eczema although it is not curative. It does, however, help alleviate the symptoms of the diseases, making the afflicted feel comfortable and relieved.