SURVEY: What are your Songkran Plans?

[Scott]

Songkran always draws a lot of attention from the road accidents to the water battles.   Some foreigners love it, others hate it.   What are your plans for Songkran?

 

For those outside of Thailand, please feel free to vote according to what you would do if you were currently in the country.  

 

Please feel free to leave a comment.

[alex8912]

I say “ when in Rome” It’s fun and it’s therapeutic! 

BTW do you know how many people die in their own houses? The bathtub slip is a BIG one.  Staying home is not always “safe”. 

[madmin]

To have fun and get drunk with family and friends in Thasala, get to shoot thai's with water blaster

[poanoi]

the first days i can solve it by buying food early morning,

the last 2-3 days i will stock up so i can make it through. thank goodness we live in age of refrigerators, now i just hope it becomes legal to execute the hooligans on spot,

its self defense IMO

Edited April 1, 2018 by poanoi

[Guest]

I find Songkran the best time to buy or get those handy waterproof passport holders, which are otherwise difficult to find. 

 

I miss the old days, when the fun was done in good moderation. Water was thrown only to those who were participating the festival. Not thrown to every scooter which travels on the roads. 

One of my most favourable memories comes from my first Songkran in Thailand. 

 

I was trying to get to Khaosan road by taxi. Taxi caught on traffic jam and the driver suggested that it's best for me to walk the 500 meters to the destination, so I did.

 

While walking, there were some kids playing with the water. The kids saw that I had my backpack and that I was not prepared to the full water war. They stopped me, then very very politely put some powder and water to my cheeks with their hands. Laughed with big smile and went on their way. 

 

Once I got to my hotel, I changed my clothes and was ready to get soaked. Outside, not a minute later, I was wet! That was, when it was ok to do so. 

 

Good memories from 2003

[Ulic]

I am not in Thailand at the moment but Songkran did cross my mind. I will not

be booking my return ticket date until it is over. Stay dry and safe.  

[Samui Bodoh]

I think this is one of those issues that varies greatly depending where you are.

 

On Samui, this is really a 'one day wonder' (at least in my town, with a few exceptions) and so there really isn't a good reason not to join in. And, it's hot, it's fun, people are happy, and there is a real nice spirit in the air; things are good. Sanuk!

 

I'll join right in, and if I get 'hit' either a day before or after, I'll just smile, laugh, and (hopefully!) pull out a loaded squirt gun of my own!

 

Happy Songkran all!

 

PS Please Please DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!!!!

 

 

Edited April 1, 2018 by Samui Bodoh
Lack of coffee

[xylophone]

Will ensure that the fridge and freezer is well-stocked, along with the wine cabinet and relax for a few days.

 

Also will get onto downloading some favourite movies from the past and want to watch the 1966 World Cup final again (on the big screen this time) and I'm sure I can find other things to do.

 

If I have to go out I will do so in the car (with doors locked) and perhaps meander around in the shopping malls where ageing, beer gutted morons are not allowed with their big water pistols.

 

Have seen some frightening events during the Songkran festival, one being where someone decided to step out in the road with a bucket of dirty water and throw it over a scooter driver, knocking him off the scooter, and another who did likewise to a scooter driver who just happened to have his computer in the little basket on the front of his scooter, getting it absolutely soaked, and he was not a happy chappie.

 

The older gentler style would be okay, but now it's just a place for many mindless farang idiots to soak people in dirty water...........and the Thais are just as bad.

[HLover]

I shall fear the outside world and the caustic evil water that I may be splashed with.

[tartempion]

Booked a beach resort for the week starting the 9th.  No need to get on the street, well might hit the 7/11opposite the entrance.

[ianf]

Hate the stupid behaviour of people over Songkran. Up to them what they do but why involve me when I don't want it? So I'm forced to stay in the house because these stupid drunkards make the streets unsafe. Hate it with a vengeance. As for the foreigners in Chiang Mai why they think they can blast anyone with dirty water a week before or a week after is beyond me. It's the <deleted> pits. I want to be free to go about my business without this nonsense on every street corner.

Edited April 1, 2018 by ianf

[geriatrickid]

I'm leaving on a jet plane.............. I join many others airlifted and evacuated out of the land of death and serious injury.  Frankly, I will have no sympathy for the foreigners who kill or injure themselves during Songkran as they engage in  drug and alcohol fueled stupidity.

[Briggsy]

5 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

I'm leaving on a jet plane.............. I join many others airlifted and evacuated out of the land of death and serious injury.  Frankly, I will have no sympathy for the foreigners who kill or injure themselves during Songkran as they engage in  drug and alcohol fueled stupidity.

Me too.

 

In addition, we haven't even got on to the Thai adaptation of taharrush gamea. Leave them to it.

[Anak Nakal]

Songkran is fun!

It only water!!!

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Bed

[natway09]

The vote does show results suggesting grumpy older men are alive & well on Thai Visa.

It reminds me of the British lady saying "I cannot possibly go for a swim,,, its raining"

[JSixpack]

2 hours ago, Anak Nakal said:

Songkran is fun!

It only water!!!

 

No.

[xylophone]

33 minutes ago, natway09 said:

The vote does show results suggesting grumpy older men are alive & well on Thai Visa.

On the contrary.............wise men who don't want to be soaked with dirty bacteria infested water, by drunken idiots. But who would willingly participate in a traditional Songkran, as it was meant to be...........

[LongTimeLurker]

5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

On Samui, this is really a 'one day wonder' 

In Pattaya it's 10 days of stupidity.

 

That's why I always leave the country.

[JSixpack]

37 minutes ago, natway09 said:

The vote does show results suggesting grumpy older men are alive & well on Thai Visa.

It reminds me of the British lady saying "I cannot possibly go for a swim,,, its raining"

 

No. Grumpy old git taunt answered here.

 

[JSixpack]

6 hours ago, alex8912 said:

BTW do you know how many people die in their own houses? The bathtub slip is a BIG one.  Staying home is not always “safe”. 

 

No one's consciously trying to kill or injure me at home.

 

[ukrules]

2 hours ago, Anak Nakal said:

Songkran is fun!

It only water!!!

 

I once got a recurring eye infection (stye) about 3 days after songkran. This is commonly caused by the staphylococcus ('staph' for short) becteria.

 

Staph bacteria is everywhere including dirty water....

 

I had never had any kind of eye infection before, it came back a few times (maybe 8 or 9 times) over the following 5 or 6 years but it seems to have stopped recurring in recent years.

 

I always used Amoxicillin to get rid of it and got pretty good at detecting it at the early stages when it just felt like an itch, I could get rid of it overnight if I treated it immediately.

[Golden Triangle]

Seems strange to me that people that want to avoid being doused in ice cold dirty water whilst going about their normal daily activities are classed as grumpy old men / women, it is NOT a Thai tradition to do this, it has been hijacked by moronic foreigners who then have the audacity to come on here and spout there usual 'Grumpy old people pack your bags and go home' sh*te. 

 

You won't find any old Thai people taking part in this debacle, just the stupid newbie tourists and bar girls getting ratted for free.

 

Maybe in places like Pattaya it is now time to segregate the party makers from the so called party poopers ?

[mauGR1]

Yep, stocking food and drinks, and play music loud enough to distract me from the sound of ambulances going back and forth.

[alex8912]

58 minutes ago, JSixpack said:

 

No one's consciously trying to kill or injure me at home.

 

That’s what you think!

[johndudorn]

7 hours ago, oilinki said:

I find Songkran the best time to buy or get those handy waterproof passport holders, which are otherwise difficult to find. 

 

I miss the old days, when the fun was done in good moderation. Water was thrown only to those who were participating the festival. Not thrown to every scooter which travels on the roads. 

One of my most favourable memories comes from my first Songkran in Thailand. 

 

I was trying to get to Khaosan road by taxi. Taxi caught on traffic jam and the driver suggested that it's best for me to walk the 500 meters to the destination, so I did.

 

While walking, there were some kids playing with the water. The kids saw that I had my backpack and that I was not prepared to the full water war. They stopped me, then very very politely put some powder and water to my cheeks with their hands. Laughed with big smile and went on their way. 

 

Once I got to my hotel, I changed my clothes and was ready to get soaked. Outside, not a minute later, I was wet! That was, when it was ok to do so. 

 

Good memories from 2003

First Songkran, 1974. Same very good memories.

[pmarlowe]

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I think this is one of those issues that varies greatly depending where you are.

 

On Samui, this is really a 'one day wonder' (at least in my town, with a few exceptions) and so there really isn't a good reason not to join in. And, it's hot, it's fun, people are happy, and there is a real nice spirit in the air; things are good. Sanuk!

 

I'll join right in, and if I get 'hit' either a day before or after, I'll just smile, laugh, and (hopefully!) pull out a loaded squirt gun of my own!

 

Happy Songkran all!

 

PS Please Please DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!!!!

 

 

Samui is great for this. One crazy day and then everyone is back out enjoying the beach, shopping, going to restaurants, spending money. More than a day or two seems more geared to  (and I sympathize) the Thai folks that don't have all that much to celebrate -- and you know who they are -- and tourists on vacation.

[quandow]

When the Songkran news starts with "how many people got killed yesterday and the total # of deaths is," you REALLY should rethink this holiday!

Edited April 1, 2018 by quandow

[ukrules]

37 minutes ago, pmarlowe said:

Samui is great for this. One crazy day and then everyone is back out enjoying the beach, shopping, going to restaurants, spending money. More than a day or two seems more geared to  (and I sympathize) the Thai folks that don't have all that much to celebrate -- and you know who they are -- and tourists on vacation.

Same as Hua Hin, one day and it's over.

[sirineou]

 I am not in Thailand right now (not by choice) wife is still there will join me at the end of the month and we will return end of summer,

We live on a quiet street, (Khon Kaen) aside from some of the kids playing we don't have much trouble, a couple of relatives come from BKK we all wear colorful shirts and go to Ubonrat dam  there is a festival there with music and vendors. Has done it a few times, always good natured fun, never had a problem. This Year I hear Aunt and Uncle are not coming from BKK, too much traffic. very nice people I miss them.