Songkran in Bangkok, the countdown has begun
Tomorrow is the official day. The first day of Songkran, the Thai New Year. All Thailand is then devoted to this enormous folk festival for three days.
Most Thai and many tourists love it. The many expats in Thailand think completely differently and stay indoors or book a short one holiday to a neighboring country.
Exodus
The exodus from Bangkok to the province has been in full swing for several days. Factories and shops are closed. The highways are congested. Extra buses are being deployed and the airlines are operating extra flights. A veritable migration of peoples is underway. Everyone is in a holiday mood, especially as they are reunited with their families. For some Thais, this is the only time a year they can greet their families and return to their hometown.
Other city
Bangkok turns into a completely different city for five days. It normally takes you at least an hour to get through the center by car, during Songkran it takes 15 to 20 minutes. The disadvantage is that a number of popular restaurants and bars also remain closed, simply because the staff have left for family in Isaan.
The Songkran Festival is best known for its turbulent water fights, but it is originally less rough. Children bless the parents by sprinkling water on the heads and hands of the elders. An expression of respect, which usually takes place on the first morning of the national holiday.
spectacle
The traditional version of Songkran is celebrated at holy sites in Bangkok such as Wat Po, home of the famous reclining Buddha and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
For more spectacle you have to go to Khao San Road, the famous backpacker street in the center of Bangkok. You get wet there, very wet. You might also end up looking like a ghost. The Thai youth also has flour and talcum powder as ammunition for Songkran. The otherwise subdued Thai may now jump completely out of the band. And so they do. After all, what could be more fun than drenching complete strangers with water? As a child you can only dream of that.
If you don't feel like all that hassle, the best advice is: stay indoors with a large stock of video films.
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I stayed in Bangkok with Songkran once and it took me over an hour to drive a car that normally only takes 5 minutes. You are standing in a stationary traffic jam and everyone around you is covered in flour and water.
Peter, I had my girlfriend on the phone today, she said it officially starts tomorrow, but they already started their joy party (udon thani) the day before yesterday, isn't that the same everywhere or should the party last longer.
@ Hans, as always with the Thai. The only rule is no rule.
You're right, I forget that every time I'm back in the Netherlands, back in my straitjacket.
So that's the case if you write somewhere, Everything is different in Thailand Amazing Thailand is a really good advertising slogan. I just experience it differently than the advertisement is intended.
I belong to those who stay indoors (with filled refrigerators!)
Cons:
Road safety (alcohol in traffic)
Health (use of ditch water mixed with ice cubes)
Compare it with carnival. Not everyone likes that either.
There are also a lot of Thais who make it exclusively a family party and possibly a modest neighborhood party, where there is sprinkling and not throwing full bowls.
The countdown has begun, counting too, of the number of road deaths that this party brings. Soon more in these three days than in the Netherlands in a whole year. Staying indoors at night is good advice. Give me Loy Kratong.
Yesterday I thought I'd do some (dry) things and purchases before I immediately leave this 'water festival'.
So wrong,… the 'violence' had already started.
Soi 7 and 8 a crazy house with, mostly, drunken farangs and ditto girls.
Soi Honey Inn and Diana Inn not a dry thread on my ass anymore !!
Yesterday, by Songkran alone, the first 29 deaths were counted.
Long live the fun.
Still “Sawasdee Pi Mai” and
Have a nice day.
William
years ago during Songkran by car from Chonburi to Pattaya I was hit 3 times in a few hours by drunken Thais got compensation for repairs headlight broken and was stopped by police because I only drove with one light but stated that I had already been hit 3 times he thought it was very funny but didn't get a ticket at least I came home with more money than I left home, I was so disappointed that I drove home very slowly first wanted to leave it and continue with the bus but that was against the point from my wife, the bottom line Stay at home don't drive a car or motorcycle, especially no motorcycle did it yesterday anyway and near my house a few children sprayed water in my eyes with such a gun I didn't drive fast but otherwise it would have ended badly I had my son on the back
As far as I'm concerned, now counting down to the end of the party. In prov Nongkhai, the water festival has been going on since Sunday afternoon, so it will take the full seven dangerous (traffic) days.
Have me in our village, where the water commandos are every 200 m, especially for my 8-year-old daughter, who is of course also a member of such a commando (equipped with a life-size yellow-green water machine gun, 2 containers and two buckets) a few times daring on the moped and walking through the street. Nothing more fun than pouring daddy with a few buckets of water together with your girlfriends.
The slightly older “youth gangs” have already developed whole tactics. If you have just been able to avoid the water throwers on the left of the road, a group appears to be hidden behind a truck on the right of the road, which of course gives you the full blow.
Well it's 34 C so you dry up quickly.
The local fire brigade, but also the temple participates and provides water supply for trucks and fire trucks. From next week there will be official scarcity again and the taps in the neighboring villages (we are lucky) will only open again for 2 hours in the morning and in the evening.
When it gets dark, after 6 o'clock everyone leaves tired but satisfied preparing for tomorrow's battle.
The elderly in our street take advantage of sitting together, preferably in the middle of the street (in the approach route of the next drunk driver) at bars made from old Singer sewing machines. In our case until 5 am. Cozy, free booze and drunk, although I can't get further than Cola Zero myself.
Expecting to be safe and therefore dry in the dark, I got the fright of my life when a nice neighbor came towards me with a bucket of water.
But it remained with sprinkling a few drops of water over the head and shoulders, and good wishes. Oh yes, that's how the original Songkran was intended. More fun… although my daughter will probably not agree with that, but she was sleeping and now that I am writing this on the 2nd afternoon of Songkran, she is already “working” outside
Sawat dee Pi Mai (or don't you actually say that with the Thai New Year?)
here in chiangmai they were also busy since monday so 2 days earlier
Hi, hi ... it's Friday night, my clothes are hanging to dry. Would it really be over tomorrow .. let's hope .. 6 days long …. enough... fun is over. Has nothing to do with Songkran anymore, pure terror.
Just had a look at the Thailand blog page Thailand, but if I understand it correctly, Thailand celebrates 4 x New Year, namely “normally” January 1, then later the Chinese New Year, Then the Thai New Year (Songkran) with almost immediately after that the Buddhist New Year festival.
Except for the 1st, they all last a few days, and a large part of the economy and public services are always flat. In addition, it is Buddha day here every 2 weeks, on which there is no work and then a whole list of whether or not National and / or Spiritual holidays. There is always a reason why, for example, the contractor does not show up. Then at every funeral (and there are quite a few in such an Isan village) an entire village is flattened.
Add to that the fact that people are drunk the night before and certainly the day after and can't work again, in the end not many working days remain.
In a neighboring village, it is even formally arranged that, for example, an entrepreneur who still works or is open on a Buddhist holiday, is not only looked at with the neck, but also pays a hefty fine to the municipality, so that they can continue working. to leave.
There is only the weekend between Songkran and the Buddhist New Year this year. In our case, this means that, for example, a service such as the Land Office (cadastre) is closed for 1,5 to two weeks at a time. And those are services where the waiting times start at 8 am, with a bit of luck you will have your turn at the end of the afternoon, and if you are unlucky, you will return the next day. Appointments not possible (unless you have connections).