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Firebreathers | Firemonks | Fireworks | Parade | Floats |
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In the weeks leading up to Loy Krathong, the markets start filling with fireworks for personal use. Extremely powerful and extremely cheap, my friends and I stocked up and went down to the river for a little pyromania streak. We thought we were pushing the envelope with our creative fire.
During the three day festival however, those that are more experienced showed us what amateurs we were. Hundreds and hundreds of people all have their own arsenals, and with an almost total lack of liability in Thailand, they fire off what they have where they please. Children, adults, and adults acting like children get in on the show. This results in many amazing, confusing displays that can stop traffic, attract a crowd, and unfortunately, result in injuries. In this year's celebration, I saw many people slightly singed or very startled by fireworks that came too close--and indeed, the newspaper in the few days after Loy Krathong will tell you about children with exploded eyes and missing hands from careless use of fireworks. |
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This is all seemingly legal, though in some places "excessive" fireworks have been banned. In Bangkok, there is a famous bridge from which revelers drop fireworks, and recently a high-ranking government representative was burned on his leg from a falling pyrotechnic--this resulted in the law banning powerful fireworks, though it doesn't seem to be enforced much.
Of course there are also hired professionals to do the aerial shows, which are longer and more impressive than any 4th of July display in America, and even the summer displays in Japan. |
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Firebreathers | Firemonks | Fireworks | Parade | Floats |
| Ed's Photos is created by Ed Kaspar Copyright © 1997-2000 All rights reserved |
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