Isaan Festival Horror

[panadolsandwich]

It was festival day in Si-Sa-ket. I'd spent the daylight hours in some periphery village about 15km away. I'd guiltily quaffed 3 large bottles of Chang classic since about midday, but by seven o'clock I felt fine after a light meal of deep fried sour fish sausage and some sticks of BBQ chicken and a light but fiery salad of som tam; and then three red bulls in rapid succession for good measure. I never did understand why they put them in such small bottles – good for profit margins I suppose and noone but me seems to question it. In Australia you can buy them in 600 ml cans! I felt raring to go. I wanted to see the lights, watch the coyote dancers, dance to the music and wish all my cares away. What I saw wasn't quite like that; in fact quite contradictory and a little disturbing.

 

I arrived in good time with daughter and wife in tow in the UN-inimitable CRV, and a few relatives joined us. I wanted to drink so we went to a local restaurant buffet. It was good fare really - just chomping on small BBQ items while quaffing my beer. Everyone else seemed chuffed too - my daughter and her little cousin each ate about five ice cream cones each, then set about demolishing the squid. I love watching kids eat in a buffet situation - it can tell you all kind of things you never would have guessed otherwise. For instance - there is no need to be overbearing in situations like this - they are perfectly aware that they want to eat more savoury items like BBQ squid, and when my nephew proposed another ice cream it was promptly censured by my daughter - what about the BBQ squid? Also my little nephew was so polite, like a little service attendant really. Always putting ice in my beer, and even pouring more in when necessary. I don't know what they're teaching them in school, but I was enormously impressed by these good manners.

 

Incidentally, since I've come to Thailand I've become inordinately fond of both squid and mangoes. Prod me with both a squid and a mango and I could become your friend for life.

 

The real fun started when we left and the relatives followed in their pick-up. By luck and a fair bit of skill, I cajoled the CRV into a prime position facing the entrance from about 80m away.

 

We proceeded into the entrance with pre-bought snacks and rattan mat under arm. The show was brilliant - live band, beautiful girls skimpily clad dancing very suggestively; light humour by a comedian pair - which I could appreciate - I was even singled out as the lone farang - but it seemed the thousand people were cheering me. I stood up and obliged and waved my hand - well fame never came more easier than that did it?

 

As the evening grew longer a weird thing started to happen. The light hearted genteel atmosphere seemed to evaporate into thin air. Until now, the crowd had been peaceful with a good-hearted let's all have fun here together attitude. People would hear a favourite song and run to the front to dance and let their worries disappear.

 

At this point I have to confess I wasn't there when it first kicked off - they didn't sell beer at the venue, so I'd gone off to buy some and smuggle it in.

 

When I came back a lot of people were leaving, and a man had been chibbed in the stomach and was being stretchered into an ambulance. A lot of people were speculating he was already dead and crowded around like vultures to witness it – not unlike ghouls, but uneventfully he was taken away by ambulance. I'm yet to hear of his fate. I just happened to see him being put into the ambulance, and the wound appeared to be to his lower abdomen on the right side. I suppose it's not for me to speculate but it did seem rather superficial at the time.

 

Unperturbed, and snug in a cosy drunkenness I went back in - the entertainment was courageously going on. What I found though was that the crowd had turned into a powder keg. Within five minutes I saw a drunken man tripped by a baton wielding bouncer, then with heavy boot stamped repeatedly on his throat he was handcuffed, then savagely kicked by about six bullies in security garb; even more disturbingly when the people who witnessed this started to step forward and condemn this - he pulled out a silver revolver - and in that moment I knew he wouldn't hesitate to shoot. The band was surreally playing the song - 'don't push me too hard'.

 

The violence - it seemed so casual. Another bloke was king hit by a policeman I knew, bizarrely as undercover (how could he pull this off?) - I'd bought him many a beer in our village. When the man hit didn't go down he was swarmed by security (I put my policemen friend down as a soft touch). Then something akin to a bomb went off front of stage (I suspect thrown by security) and everyone close by panicked and ran. It was just a particularly large firework though - thankfully no one was hurt. The band stopped for perhaps a minute, but then started playing a popular Thai song - sorry the name eludes me right now. People were drawn as if against their will back to the stage - and the dancing seemed primeval - no skill, zero skill, almost anti-skill - just happiness to feel the beat. Rural people and their hour of savage fun.

 

By now you may be thinking I should be worried about my own safety, of my wife and child - but it seemed like the security was in control, if not brutally so. Also, I'd come to see the show. I had doubts though.

 

The band finished the song, and people walked quickly away from the stage - no applause, nothing. They are a tough crowd in Isaan. Perhaps sensing this the band fired up perhaps the most crowd rousing song they had. It was, I genuinely don't know how to describe this, but I'll give it a go. It was disturbing. They came to the front of the stage creeping in half crouched positions, like vermin drawn unwillingly by a piper's pipe. They skipped, and kind of danced as if drawn like idiot zombies to a vampire feast. It was surreal, but it was real. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen if with my own eyes.

 

A bottle of water was strewn to the left side of our party so as it could douse the maximum amount of people it seemed. This caused a minor skirmish, some people like to exaggerate – yet it wasn't anything more than that – a few people got their heads kicked and there was some blood – well enough blood to form a pool, but people – even respectable people like the doctors and teachers I knew were standing up and I recognised that atavistic look in their eye - it was like everyone there was ready and willing to fight at a moments notice - I was fascinated and would have stayed if it was just me – if only to witness it from an anthropic principle – human life brewing at the brim if you will, but I had to take my wife and daughter back to safety. I feared they'd be trampled if there was anymore panic to make it for the very narrow exit. Also the atmosphere was such that just being a farang would justify an attack, and any retaliation on my part would most likely be taken as an invitation to all and sundry to kick me, and stamp on my throat. I was thinking clearly though – I always seem to do, especially under such circumstances.

 

Moments later we sat in the CRV all doors locked, drinking cans of Chang Export and watched as the violence escalated. Scores of youths kept arriving on skinny wheeled motorbikes. An ugly gang that clearly outnumbered security waited patiently outside the entrance. Then it kicked off - an ugly cowardly thing where it appeared you would hit your opponent then run, then the guys supporting your opponent would chase you, then if enough of your friends were there - you would make a stand, then perhaps chase them. Such flocking behaviour is seen in birds. It sickened me. Such cowards. Nobody stood up and just fought. Perhaps standing up an fighting is a European thing? I wanted to time their vicious flock with our CRV leaving so I could run as many down as I could. Noone would question us leaving at such high velocity in the face of such a riot.

 

However, I'd seen enough, we drove home. I'll leave it to the reader to fathom their own conclusions. I've got my own ideas, but I'd rather hear your ideas first on why?

 

I wrote the above moments after getting home safely. I later found that the guy that was chibbed died overnight. Another two people were killed in the ensuing riot.

[cavanami]

Lots of things now going on in LOS....

 

large use of yaa ba

 

many thais jai lahn mak mak

 

Watching the news of the protesters beating on the police...WTF???

 

I have been to outdoor concerts in Isaan but, luckily, never had any violence there.

[huumlaar]

I go to these regularly, standed procedure is for the cops to stop the show and give a speech boring everyone to death unless they stop killing each other.

 

The Paddy Wagons are always inside form the start, large shows people searched on the way in. In this case the kid inside is about 10, no idea why, but often within an hour of starting the wagons can be full.

 

You act like a monkey we'll stick you in a cage so everyone can see what a monkey's arse you are!

 

Never stand front left or right, as you'll go deaf and get caught in a fight.

 

The problem is the larger shows like this, rather than the small ones, pull in idiots and flamers from many villages who always have a grudge against a rival village idiot group.

 

It is a great way to meet people.

 

Wife refuses to go to them due to collateral damage that can occur.

[huumlaar]

Cav nearly always see fights over the many years I watched these, but often people themselves quick to re-act and pull the idiots away.

 

I remember first time I saw village police in action they looked like "Brown Shirts" with nasty batons.

 

But at a village morlam they acted very very well, calmly pulling people apart, taking them AWAY from the morlam, keeping them away till they calmed down, or if not just keeping them away.

 

I've always loved the way the cops will "BORE YOU TO DEATH" if you keep fighting, it has the action of making everyone else tell idiots to stop.

 

Quite often shot guns are around by the security, that calms people down often.

 

Every case of severe violence usually happens AFTER the event, road ambush etc, OR the police just stop everything.

[gobbledonk]

Not much new here - PDS is showing his age. I expect that similar scenes are played out all over the world. Very few fights are one-on-one any more in Oz.

[panadolsandwich]

Gobble - I do respect you. But you seem to be deliberately changing the topic - and I want to hear what other forum members have experienced - such as the excellent reply by Huumlaar.

 

"Not much new here - PDS is showing his age. I expect that similar scenes are played out all over the world. Very few fights are one-on-one any more in Oz. "

 

I neither agree nor disagree - Please stay on topic though.

[waerth]

Being on those stages many times with my comedy group many times in the past 9 years what disturbes me most is how young the "sexy" dancers are getting. They used to be 17-18-19. On our last performance in Petchabun province there was no dancer over 16. They were all 12 to 15 and one was only 10! And their outfits were showing almost everything. One of the mothers was along and she told me how proud she was of her daughter. I asked her if she didn't feel it a bad thing her daughter dancing in this way. She said no as it was only dancing ....... meanwhile the Thai guys and some poo yais were vulturing around getting the girls phone numbers and some even giving them money and promising more if they would meet another time.

[panadolsandwich]

Yeah Waerth have seen this before. I walked out on one show about a year ago purely for that reason - despite the protests of my wife.

[Dexi]

Violence by drunk idiots seems to be more or less guaranteed at Mor Lam concerts.I`ve also seen the security guards giving someone a good kicking for causing trouble.Never felt threatened myself but then I was standing near the back.Amazing how the crowd can flee in panic at the first sign of trouble - maybe they know what is coming

[huumlaar]

Have to agree the dancers are getting a lot younger also. Was at a 'bike show a while back and saw the same age groups mentioned, wasn't a very nice atmosphere to be very honest, some of them dancing hard as if it was their dancing that was being applauded, a few others actually quite intimidated by the "requests" and compliments they where receiving.