A disturbing new trend..new to me at least

[MM 6,562]

Some real assholes on WS last night..near Insomnia.

There were dozens of vendors selling the foam spray bottles on the street last night, and some ignorant inconsiderate childish "adults" who, from what I observed, either came from the middle east or south asia, used their inherent assholeness to spray passers-by, mostly defenseless women, with foam spray..they kept replenishing their spray with another 50 baht to the vendor who stood next to them with 3 full boxes of spray cans to sell.
There were lots of these rude types all over WS last night...same as the types who think it's fun to violate the Songkran time rules and throw water on people after sunset or rent a water truck to hose down motorcyclists with strong streams of water to see if they can get them to crash.
The last picture is there because...well...just because

Oh yeah, now I know why the last pic is there...don't look at the girl..look at the boxes of spray cans for sale!

[jay5678 14]

they look like arabs , and to be honest they behave like arabs too ...

[jay5678 14]

if they were south asian i think you could have smelt it.

[MM 6,562]

Here's a video of them in action...

 

[BigDUSA 71]

Where are the police?

[MM 6,562]

Where are the police?

 

About 20m away sitting at a table trying not to get sprayed!

[davethailand 91]

Completely normal for New Years eve.

[yogi100 1,925]

It was the same in LKM. They also had that 30 foot long Chinese dragon with a great big drum and crashing cymbals to add to the racket and expecting people to pay for the privilege of being deafened while any attempt at conversation was pointless. I saw just one punter give the dragon's escorts any money. For some it simply turned NYE into a nightmare and it went on for about 2 hours from one end of LKM to the other. I went into a GGB for a bit of peace and quiet!

 

Western Falangs were also spraying passers by in the face with foam regardless of their agreeing to it. Just like Songkran. The traffic in Soi Bhukaow was horrendous with people coming down from Bangkok for the celebrations. Wished I'd have stayed in.

[Shilo 371]

I got together with several of my friends on Wednesday (31th) afternoon for a bite to eat and some friendly conversation. Everyone there was an expat and to the man they all said the same thing. Their plans for that evening was to stay in and avoid the streets... I would guess that the week between Christmas and New Years is now my second least favorite time to be in Pattaya... just behind Songkran.

[Idefix 2,275]

Completely normal for New Years eve.

I would agree with you.

Probably the only night of the year where it's allowed :)

[MeGoDanceNow 4,281]

I'm gladder and gladder I stayed in last night. What a madhouse.

[ttk 240]

 

About 20m away sitting at a table trying not to get sprayed!

Yeah I often see the Police and Tourist Police in their play clothes sitting around doing nothing....

[jacko 8,926]

I thought they looked Indian.

Seems like a dangerous amusement, one might expect a good smack as I saw the last NYE I spent in town.

It is becoming like Songkran, a time to stay away.

[Bushcraft 2,616]

Those spray cans hardly existed in Patts 2 years ago, you never saw hordes of vendors selling them from large boxes.

Another perversion of an established NYE custom whereby on the stroke of midnight, people would fire party-poppers and

maybe spray a can of stuff over the fellow-revelers in e.g. FLB, which was quite ok.

These antics are quite over the top now. I'll put up with it for a few minutes in a bar where I'm drinking, but not frompuerile strangers when walking down a street way before and after the countdown. And certainly never in the face, that

would certainly incur my wrath. The police should intervene to stop it before it becomes an established curse like

Songkran.

[MM 6,562]

I opened the same topic on Facebook and there are some defenders of the practice who say it's normal and to be expected on NYE, and if I don't like it, I should stay away from WS or leave Thailand.

 

I don't know why I should like it when a group of assholes use their being in a group to do something they would not do if they didn't have backup from their friends. It's cowardly bullying of passers by.

 

BTW, I personally never got sprayed, but watched many others getting it, mostly women, as they went by, or guys getting in the back as they passed...once again, cowardly behavior.

 

Those who support it and say it's all in good fun disappoint me greatly.

[plahgat 523]

I thought they looked Indian.

Seems like a dangerous amusement, one might expect a good smack as I saw the last NYE I spent in town.

It is becoming like Songkran, a time to stay away.

Northern Indians or Pakis!?

 

What a mess to clean up!

 

Plahgat

[Idefix 2,275]

I don't know why I should like it when a group of assholes use their being in a group to do something they would not do if they didn't have backup from their friends. It's cowardly bullying of passers by.

I am not sure exactly what you consider wrong in their attitude ? I saw many groups acting the same way along Walking Street, many nationalities concerned. I saw some groups of teenagers at it on people exiting the concert area. I saw many Hello Girls in this game too

 

BTW do you know the price of these cans on WS? Usually 50 baht, yes... but if you look like a Japanese, it's 100 baht

[MM 6,562]

I am not sure exactly what you consider wrong in their attitude ? I saw many groups acting the same way along Walking Street, many nationalities concerned. I saw some groups of teenagers at it on people exiting the concert area. I saw many Hello Girls in this game too

 

BTW do you know the price of these cans on WS? Usually 50 baht, yes... but if you look like a Japanese, it's 100 baht

If you don't get it, I have nothing to add.

 

Maybe if you get some shot in your eyes or the eyes of your evening companion you will get it.

 

I consider such behavior reprehensible..that's just my opinion.

[davethailand 91]

Those spray cans hardly existed in Patts 2 years ago, you never saw hordes of vendors selling them from large boxes.

Another perversion of an established NYE custom whereby on the stroke of midnight, people would fire party-poppers and

maybe spray a can of stuff over the fellow-revelers in e.g. FLB, which was quite ok.

These antics are quite over the top now. I'll put up with it for a few minutes in a bar where I'm drinking, but not frompuerile strangers when walking down a street way before and after the countdown. And certainly never in the face, that

would certainly incur my wrath. The police should intervene to stop it before it becomes an established curse like

Songkran.

Its been going on for a lot longer than two years on WS.

:)

 

I opened the same topic on Facebook and there are some defenders of the practice who say it's normal and to be expected on NYE, and if I don't like it, I should stay away from WS or leave Thailand.

 

I don't know why I should like it when a group of assholes use their being in a group to do something they would not do if they didn't have backup from their friends. It's cowardly bullying of passers by.

 

BTW, I personally never got sprayed, but watched many others getting it, mostly women, as they went by, or guys getting in the back as they passed...once again, cowardly behavior.

 

Those who support it and say it's all in good fun disappoint me greatly.

Now you know for next year so no disappointment. :)

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Silly string was intended as "spray confetti" at street parades and children's parties. It was meant to be sprayed in the air and to fall gently over people. What MM is objecting to is the gangs of guys who sprayed silly string and foam from point-blank ranges into the faces of strangers who happened to be walking past them. Getting silly string in your eyes is not a good idea and an an outright disastrous one for anyone who wears contact lens.

 

There's a huge different between using silly string as it's intended and spraying it directly into people's eyes. There was nothing fun or funny about what the gangs of Indians and Middle Easterners were doing NYE on WS. I kept fantasizing about spraying them back with CS gas. Maybe a plan for next year?

 

Evil

[Saddic 31]

I opened the same topic on Facebook and there are some defenders of the practice who say it's normal and to be expected on NYE, and if I don't like it, I should stay away from WS or leave Thailand.

 

I don't know why I should like it when a group of assholes use their being in a group to do something they would not do if they didn't have backup from their friends. It's cowardly bullying of passers by.

 

BTW, I personally never got sprayed, but watched many others getting it, mostly women, as they went by, or guys getting in the back as they passed...once again, cowardly behavior.

 

Those who support it and say it's all in good fun disappoint me greatly.

 

"Quality" tourists and Thai's making money...

 

You know better than to get inbetween them...

 

... and it need not be said that Chinese New Year will be much worse...

 

 

Happy New Year Martin...

[MM 6,562]

Its been going on for a lot longer than two years on WS.

:)

 

Now you know for next year so no disappointment. :)

Dave, as an admitted perpetrator of this "ancient" tradition, who admits to occasionally spraying strangers and innocent passers by, but only when backed up by a group of your friends, your advice is certainly expert.

 

From a mobile

[davethailand 91]

Who said only when backed up?

I'm sure in fact I know I've been guilty of spraying alone.

I don't know how ancient it is but I know that in Blues Factory I was buying spray etc for customers for probably 8 years or more.

On WS definitely 4 or more years.

[davethailand 91]

Just to add I did only spray people that were obviously doing the same, Dressed nicely, clean or someone that asked not to be sprayed then no.

[DrPat 425]

Was this happening before or after midnight?

 

I’m in town for Chinese New Year and if there is this sort of behaviour going on I may well decide to have an early night.

 

What gives anyone the right to do this to a stranger?