Sky lanterns, rockets face new controls

Sky lanterns, rockets face new controls

Bang fai rockets are popular in the Northeast, but many fly very high and pose a threat to aircraft safety. (Bangkok Post photo)
Bang fai rockets are popular in the Northeast, but many fly very high and pose a threat to aircraft safety. (Bangkok Post photo)

Spurred by an increasing threat to aviation safety, 10 government agencies have joined forces to halt the irresponsible launching of traditional <i>khom loy</i> sky lanterns and <i>bang fai</i> rockets.

Bang fai rockets are popular in the Northeast, but many fly very high and pose a threat to aircraft safety. (Bangkok Post photo) . (Photo by Thiti Wannamontha)

 Agreement was reached at a meeting in Bangkok on Thursday with the signing of a memorandum of understanding.

It followed reports of aircraft being placed in peril by floating lanterns over the New Year festival, with debris being sucked into a jet engine, and of landing lanterns starting fires.

Representatives of the Transport Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Defence Ministry, the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the Education Ministry, the Culture Ministry, the Royal Thai Police Office, the Public Relations Department, the National Office of Buddhism and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration signed the memorandum at the Transport Ministry on Thursday.,

They agreed to cooperate to control the launching of sky lanterns and bang fai rockets, and that their unrestricted use poses an increasing threat to aircraft safety and to property in general.

"This is a big issue because it affects aviation safety," Transport Minister Prajin Juntong said.

"It is now a national agenda and all parties must be aware of the possible impact and join forces to solve the problem," said ACM Prajin, a former air force commander in chief.

He said that sky lanterns were popular, particularly in the North, during the Loy Krathong festival in November.

From Nov 5 to 9 last year, pilots were warned in advance of areas where 12,704 sky lanterns were launched, but many others were released without warning.

As a result, many airlines suspended night flights between Bangkok and Chiang Mai during that period, ACM Prajin said.

The rockets were popular in the Northeast and traditionally launched during festivals in  May and June, but they were now being fired off throughout the year for purposes of gambling, the minister said.

Last year the launches of 47,923 rockets were reported in advance, and pilots of 107 flights saw them. Some rockets breached the altitude limit, and many others were launched without prior notice from  unidentified locations.

"Pilots saw many rockets at  20,000 feet, which is the altitude for general passenger aircraft," ACM Prajin said.

These rockets jeopardised aviation safety. Some airlines rerouted their flights to avoid the Northeast, the transport minister said.

"If the problem is not tackled seriously, airlines will lose confidence in aviation safety in Thailand and that will affect the national economy, which would lose considerable income from tourism and other activities," ACM Prajin said.

Woradet Harnprasert, deputy permanent secretary for transport, said the organisatons that signed the collaboration each had their own tasks. For example, the Transport Ministry will set aviation safety measures. The Defence Ministry will deploy personnel and equipment to respond to incidents resulting from sky lanterns and rockets.

The Interior Ministry will amend laws about firearms, explosives and fireworks to better control such products. The Tourism and Sports Ministry will inform tour operators of the dangers. The Education Ministry will send the same information to students, and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will issue regulations about the use of sky lanterns.

In 2013 the release of 13,586 sky lanterns and 1,020 rockets were applied for in advance, and pilots spotted 1,739 unidentified sky lanterns and 34 rockets.

In 2014, there were prior notifications of 31,416 sky lanterns and 946 rocket launches, and pilots saw 915 unidentified lanterns and 107 rockets.

At the night of Jan 1 a Bangkok Airways flight was canceled in Chiang Mai province after sky lantern debris was found in one of the plane's jet engines.

Sky lanterns are launched in Chiang Mai province during the Loy Krathong festival last November. (Photo by Chanat Katanyu)

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