Quiet Songkran! Normally riotous celebrations to be very different this year

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Quiet Songkran! Normally riotous celebrations to be very different this year

 

 

MCOT reported that Thailand is all but dead.

 

Normally a party of riotous water wars and splashing, significant cultural events and mass public movement for the internationally renowned Songkran holidays, the kingdom is effectively in semi-lockdown. 

 

From Pattaya to Chiang Mai to the roads - people were staying home and if they did get out were mostly behaving themselves. 

 

Reporters went to the normally bustling moat area where in normal years over 4 kilometers of water present the backdrop for Songkran water fights as traders supply the needs of thousands of Thais and foreigners.

 

Not this year as rules surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic must be observed. 

 

There was anti-Songkran signage by the moat in several languages: "Please refrain" it said politely in English.

 

Local police and other authorities were touring the area advising any groups of people to move on. They were prepared to issue 2,000 baht fines for anyone splashing water. 

 

Down in Pattaya the media commented on the ban announced by the Buddhist authorities in Thailand on events at temples that usually mark Songkran. Events that would normally attract thousands have been cancelled or postponed.

 

The faithful have to have their temperature taken and wear masks before being permitted to temples for minor worship this year. 

 

Meanwhile, the scene in Saraburi on the roads perhaps summed it up best, at least for road users familiar with the huge holiday jams on the hills in the Khao Yai area. 

 

MCOT said the roads were deserted and there were many sections where one could drive at high speed. 

 

Source: MCOT

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-04-13

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[Toany]

 

MCOT said the roads were deserted and there were many sections where one could drive at high speed.

 

Now we are being told we can drive fast by MCOT.  That should help the low road deaths to rise

[dcsw53]

The crowds are not the only things missing.
No wave of indignation and screams of objection. Maybe we could repeat it next year, but exclude the Covid 19. Staying dry is a welcome novelty.

[Kwasaki]

Happy New year. 

[CGW]

1 minute ago, Kwasaki said:

Happy New year. 

Indeed a Happy New Year to all the misery guts who are happy to see the locals deprived of their water festival ????

Feel sad for the kids, we even got some rain last night, which should have - but wont stop the "wasting water" brigade from complaining!

[TVGerry]

Not to mention the thousands of lives saved from the usual automobile accidents during this time. It's a good thing.

[johnray]

So many miserable Brits wanting to ban fun here.

[CGW]

46 minutes ago, Toany said:

Now we are being told we can drive fast by MCOT.  That should help the low road deaths to rise

Those that cannot drive "fast" on empty roads shouldn't be driving in the first place! ????

Probably just "disqualified" a huge percentage of drivers with that statement!  

Waiting for the PC brigade ????

[fishtank]

Probably the best Songkran in my 18 years here.

It is great.

Long may it continue like this.

Without the virus of course.

[Kwasaki]

51 minutes ago, johnray said:

So many miserable Brits wanting to ban fun here.

Only Brit's. ????

[Ventenio]

farangs come to thailand, want to embrace thai culture

thai new year, they embrace Buddha with water

farangs want that to stop, hate the water and noise in a country and culture that is not theirs.  

 

and then you wonder why everyone hates farangs!!!  55555

[Colabamumbai]

People angry that I was throwing water filled balloons, small ones. The worst Songkran vibe I've seen in ten years. Everyone is paranoid. 

[mok199]

Yes the good news is, Songkran is a bust ,the bad news is ,it took a pandemic to achieve this

[Thailand]

Happy Thai New Year  -had to get some supplies this morning. There was one little lad and his mum on the back road and I stopped for the little one to throw some water from a small cup he was holding. Made someone happy.

Him and his mum probably in jail now.

[Thailand]

1 hour ago, Colabamumbai said:

People angry that I was throwing water filled balloons, small ones. The worst Songkran vibe I've seen in ten years. Everyone is paranoid. 

Seriously?

Do you actually know why they are paranoid?

[sammieuk1]

Still trying to generate some revenue with a 2000bt water splashing fine though ????

[lumply]

Great, a title at last ‘Misery Guts’.....and proud of it!

Have a severely restricted Songkran people (in respect of water throwing)

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, johnray said:

So many miserable Brits wanting to ban fun here.

So many idiots like throwing water at passiing traffic, and they call that fun.

[CGW]

7 hours ago, TVGerry said:

Not to mention the thousands of lives saved from the usual automobile accidents during this time. It's a good thing.

Really? if you paid attention and knew what the figures were you would know that the numbers at New Year are lower than a "normal" day on the roads in Thailand, without the publicity, so it's not a good thing is it. ???? 

[CGW]

8 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

So many idiots like throwing water at passiing traffic, and they call that fun.

Think how wild and interesting a normal day is for them that this is "fun" ????

[ParkerN]

8 hours ago, CGW said:

Indeed a Happy New Year to all the misery guts who are happy to see the locals deprived of their water festival ????

Feel sad for the kids, we even got some rain last night, which should have - but wont stop the "wasting water" brigade from complaining!

Sorry friend. but that's a truly illiterate statement to make. Apart from the Coronavirus which ought to be at the forefront of your mind, there is also the complete uselessness of a bastardised 3rd-world piece of folk magic.

 

What on earth were you thinking?

 

 

[CGW]

40 minutes ago, ParkerN said:

What on earth were you thinking?

What planet are you on "friend" I do appreciate you telling me where my thoughts should be! possibly I am not as brain dead and arrogant as you and am able to see the bigger picture!

What right do you have to be a guest in a country and believe that anyone cares about your view on "folk magic" do you have the same view on religion? the same view on the Muslims that you allowed to take over your country with their "folk magic" what arrogance Mr Parker!

How on earth can you be so up your own ...e fill in the gaps! your "literacy" is obviously superior to mine! ???? 

Edited April 13, 2020 by CGW

[bert bloggs]

5 hours ago, Thailand said:

Happy Thai New Year  -had to get some supplies this morning. There was one little lad and his mum on the back road and I stopped for the little one to throw some water from a small cup he was holding. Made someone happy.

Him and his mum probably in jail now.

That is the sort of Songkran i knew when i first came to Thailand ,loved it ,then it turned into the madness that overtook it 

[elliss]

9 hours ago, dcsw53 said:

The crowds are not the only things missing.
No wave of indignation and screams of objection. Maybe we could repeat it next year, but exclude the Covid 19. Staying dry is a welcome novelty.

 

 Army control , get used to it ..

 

[DrTuner]

This is going to make a nasty drop in the ever upwards trending songkran road deaths. Maybe they can take some of the covid deaths and put them in the stats to fix it. Just drive 'em to the roadside, the opposite of the usual method.

Edited April 13, 2020 by DrTuner

[CGW]

38 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

This is going to make a nasty drop in the ever upwards trending songkran road deaths.

Simply not true! been proven year after year that the figures are lower at Songkran than on a "normal" day in Thailand, your starting to believe everything you read?

Go back to pre Thaksin days, then the figures truly were horrendous.

[samsensam]

1 hour ago, DrTuner said:

This is going to make a nasty drop in the ever upwards trending songkran road deaths. Maybe they can take some of the covid deaths and put them in the stats to fix it. Just drive 'em to the roadside, the opposite of the usual method.

 

if you look at the stats the average number of road fatalities on songkran days and non-songkran days you will see the average daily death toll is lower during songkran.

[brokenbone]

14 hours ago, CGW said:

Indeed a Happy New Year to all the misery guts who are happy to see the locals deprived of their water festival ????

Feel sad for the kids, we even got some rain last night, which should have - but wont stop the "wasting water" brigade from complaining!

the infantiles, regardless of age, invariably attack motorcyclists eyes for the purpose of inflicting pain, temporary blindness,

and accidents, that is what they are deprived from doing

[DrTuner]

12 hours ago, samsensam said:

if you look at the stats the average number of road fatalities on songkran days and non-songkran days you will see the average daily death toll is lower during songkran.

Yes, but the trend during songkran has still been going up. Should be quite low this year, especially with the booze ban.