Pattaya, start your engines. It’s time again for Burapa Bike Week, Feb. 9-10 at the Eastern National Indoor Sports Stadium.
Pattaya sports and tourism chief Pradit Thongchai and Prasan Nikaji, president of the Burapa Motorcycle Club, announced details of the annual big bike- and car-enthusiast show at a Jan. 23 news conference.
The stadium will host two stages, one featuring 70s rock music from AC/DC tribute band Live Wire, U.S. heavy metal rockers Syteria, reggae band Inner Circle and more. Thailand’s own rockers Lam Morrison and Maleehuana also will appear.
Apart from music, Bike Week will feature booths offering motorcycle parts and accessories, as well as entire vehicles from Vespa, Honda and more. There will copious amounts of food and drink and lectures on motor-enthusiast topics.
The event will begin, as usual, with a “Ride for Peace” parade through Pattaya on Feb. 10. The headline show will kick off at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 on the main stage.
At a Jan. 26 news conference, organizers said the theme of the ride is “We Are the World” and promotes Thailand as the center of Southeast Asia, inviting bikers from around the region to join together to campaign for unity and safe driving.
Prasan met with police and show vendors Jan. 24 to sort out traffic-management and security issues as well as issue a plea to everyone planning on trying to make money at the show: Don’t gouge people.
The biker urged vendors to be “perfect hosts” and not jeopardize Pattaya’s long-term image or the bike show’s future prospects by trying to maximize their takings in this year’s show.
A larger crowd is expected at this year’s show, the first since the end of the royal mourning period, so it’s important that people enjoy their time in Pattaya and not feel they’ve been ripped off, Prasan said.
