Thailand sells Songkran to farangs and they don't wanna buy it? Last chance for the farang money...gone..

Wasn't it this Thai government who just 2weeks ago suggested publicly to extend Songkran to create some additional revenue... A bunch of Thai buffalos are probably twenty times more intelligent than these ministers...

Just read that Pattaya has cancelled most public events up to September,even though not one case of covid 19 reported in Pattaya, just goes to show sitting in a beer bar, with a belly full of beer, alcohol does really kill the virus????????, imbof to soi buckoo for a quick 20 pints to boost the immune system

I am kind of baffled by all this turmoil about Songkran. 

One post mentioned that it is an important event in terms of families and religion. 

Yes, but before being an event, it was a tradition where houses are cleaned, Buddha statues are carried in procession, or set to be washed with water and elders to be honored by respectfully pouring water over their hands. The same happened to the day of the saints, a religious tradition aimed at remembering and honoring our dead which turned into....Halloween. But, business is business and every opportunity to make money is up for grab.

So, no, Songkran cannot be canceled but the circus around it should, if the coronavirus is a threat. 

The 7 deadly days indeed!!!!!  Let the Hunger Games begin  aka the Purge!!!!

24 minutes ago, Dublin14 said:

Just read that Pattaya has cancelled most public events up to September,even though not one case of covid 19 reported in Pattaya, just goes to show sitting in a beer bar, with a belly full of beer, alcohol does really kill the virus????????, imbof to soi buckoo for a quick 20 pints to boost the immune system

Sangsom destroys ALL!!!   POP!   glug glug gug..ice clinks in glass....

Irresponsible Government.Shows absolute disregard for the people.Wait and see how things pan out in early may.May be a good time to buy a coffin manufacturing business.

Some off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

 Typical! Throw water at each other in close proximty and 1000 fold spread of viruses ! Thailand ! Fact is face masks are actually ineffective preventing spreading the virus as has been stated by medical scientists in UK whom I trust more than the joker politicians telling folk what to do in Thailand !

Edited March 4, 20206 yr by pixelaoffy

One can not make this stuff up.  They cancel the LPGA golf tournament, but then are going to turn their noses up at literally every civilized country and global health agency that is trying to stop the spread of this virus.

My apologies for not reading all the pages as I am so dumbfounded that irresponsibility at such a level could exist in today's world. Well done to the bright spark who decided that.

 

I have to say you deserve to be in a 'hub' of your own.

 

Waiting for the figure of Coranavirus to spiral and somebody getting posted to another office, as a promotion.  if we are lucky 6 months in a monastery for this 'amazing idea'.

20 hours ago, webfact said:

The Department of Public Health has warned the government that the upcoming Songkran festival due to be held next month could be disastrous for efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus/Covid-19.

That will fall on deaf ears... trying to contain the spread of the virus by asking people to self quarantine, ban large public gatherings and events etc etc, but then go and throw the biggest hooley of the year!

The ministers just can't bring themselves to stop it!

Sense will not prevail, they'll say to the public... do it on a smaller scale, but we know how that will end up!

Can we have a list of the officials name's for future reference 

20 hours ago, webfact said:

The health department has therefore been ordered to come up with guidelines for the people about how to celebrate Songkran this year.

Guideline 1 "As there is a severe drought and water shortage, each participant in Songkran events should only use one egg-cup full of water per day!"

Guideline 2 "Please ensure that you remain at least 2 metres away from each other in crowds!"

Guideline 3 "Water pistols will not be allowed unless they are filled with alcohol based antibacterial/antiviral gel"

 

Whatever guidelines the government come up with, they will be totally ignored, so why bother.  After all, Thais take no notice of laws, so why should they bother with guidelines!  Enforcement? Never heard of it!!

Songkran will take place, unless hell freezes over - and you can take that to the bank.

Thais just need the endless queues at Morchit, the yearly ordeal of 17 hours for a 200kms stretch between Bangkok and Korat (and, to re-endorse the fun, the same ordeal on the way back). The yearly competition of how many funerals are a substantial part of the media's coverage of the "seven deadly days". 

Water, crowds, unlimited alcohol and ear-splitting karaoke is a part of the yearly nightmare - but this is Thailand, their country and their culture. So the alien opinion is not asked - accepted. 

Yet, you can opt, as I do on an equally yearly basis, to avoid by all means. Stock up, stay home or leave Southeast Asia for a break. This year you might want to quarantine yourself for a fortnight afterwards to make sure that the explosive spread will take place without you in the firing line! 

Don't freak out....it will be "cancelled". They won't cancel the holiday, but water throwing will be banned. What people may do in the side streets of their moo bahn is one thing, but i am sure they will eventually not allow the water throwing in huge crowds.

19 hours ago, Saint Nick said:

I am 52 and still enjoy at least the first day!

It's happy, it's wild, it's crazy and mostly friendly!

After that...not so much,but I let people be people and stay home. enjoying the hot weather at the pool of my condo!

This year, I will skip all of it, because I don't think, being cramped with hundreds of people in a humid and hot place will do much to keep that virus at bay!

Exactly and anyone with sense will not only avoid Songkran  but also Thailand / Asia / etc and International airports . I think not too far from limiting international travel to all but those that are critical . Economics should take a back seat .

16 hours ago, CGW said:

I feel for you, its a pain being without water.

I was living in Pattaya in ~2005 when the last bad drought was, month after month buying in poor quality water, after that I have made sure that wherever i live has a good source and supply of water, we have a reservoir at the bottom of the garden and a "deep" well on the property, I refused to buy the land until they could prove that their was good water available via the well, once bitten................. Learnt my lesson back in time, waiting up at night  in hope that the city gave us water was no fun!

Anybody moving up country, I would advise to do due diligence - lesson learnt!

My wife already had one plot since the 1990s, so we bought the one next door and as you said we did a bit of diligence and back then there was no problem. The land about a metre or so down was granite and my wife got hold of a bore hole driller who did his thing and told her that it WAS possible but it would coat about 200 to 300,000 baht, perhaps more with no guarantee of success.

Hopefully they will see the light and minimise or cancel this event.

 

Anyone know whether throwing water about plus the face paint stuff is a good way to transmit a virus? i would have thought so

16 hours ago, jwbrit said:

Ongoing drought and virus. Let me see, aha let's have a water festival! Send in the clowns.

quote from the song.

 

Don't you love farce?
My fault, I fear
I thought that you'd want what I want
Sorry, my dear!
But…

 

Send in the clowns........

It's too late, they're here.

Edited March 5, 20206 yr by billd766
added extra text

It looks like Sunday's Full Moon Party has been cancelled (hearsay at the moment}, which may indicate that there will be restrictions during Songkran, although being more than a month off anything is possible.

Wife just said Isaan's Khao Naow Road Songkran festival has been canceled. I'm sure there will be many more to follow.