World's biggest water fight cancelled as Thailand combats coronavirus

 

A woman wears a face mask as she sits outside during a service at The Holy Redeemer Church as they celebrate Catholic Easter, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bangkok, Thailand, April 12, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thais will have to find another way to cool off this year after the government called off the annual water festival that celebrates the Buddhist New Year to curb the outbreak of the new coronavirus.

 

Thailand usually celebrates its traditional new year or Songkran from April 13 to 15, when crowds pack the streets in a boisterous festival, spraying water guns and hurling water off pick-up trucks in a free-for-all water fight.

 

Thailand has reported 2,579 confirmed cases and 40 fatalities since the outbreak began in January, with over half the cases in Bangkok, a spokesman of the government's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration, Taweesin Wisanuyothin said on Monday.

 

Forty-year-old Ratikorn Cheunsuksombook lamented being unable to celebrate the water festival.

 

"I have to stay home, can't go anywhere. I want to see my friends, but none of them want to see me," the office worker said.

 

Last week, the government announced a ban on the sale of alcohol to limit social gatherings and urged the public to refrain from Songkran activities, travelling back to home towns and pouring water for blessings with older family members.

 

Malls in Bangkok have been ordered to close except for restaurants for delivery and a nationwide curfew from 10 PM to 4 AM has been instated.

 

The unusual calm has left some feeling dazed.

 

"It feels strange," said Srisopa Phogphun. "It feels like it is supposed to be a long weekend, even if it is postponed to later in the year, but it does not feel the same," she said.

 

Other Southeast Asian governments have also cancelled or scaled back celebrations.

 

More than 1.8 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 113,849 have died, according to a Reuters tally, as of 0200 GMT.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-13

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It's the right move to cancel this Songkran.

Also a strange idea to continue this water throwing tradition, considering the drought problem gets worse year after year.

 

Can be compared to have a huge food fight in Chad or Zambia.

some small comfort to appease the drought, and a dusty dry lonely songkran 

 

 

3 hours ago, rasmus5150 said:

Also a strange idea to continue this water throwing tradition, considering the drought problem gets worse year after year.

Where? no shortage of water in my area? like the vast majority on here you have no inclining of the weather patterns in Thailand!

 

Probably best just to cancel all forms of "fun" according to many on this magnificent forum, we can then all live to be old and miserable having never taken care of our health and expect others to stay at home for months on end with no money? just to add to the misery.

While constantly bitching about our host countries traditions! no wonder they are "anti"! 

Quite why some people worry about dying is beyond me! 

4 hours ago, rasmus5150 said:

It's the right move to cancel this Songkran.

Also a strange idea to continue this water throwing tradition, considering the drought problem gets worse year after year.

 

Can be compared to have a huge food fight in Chad or Zambia.

 

your comment is too generalised, as many are on this site, there are areas suffering drought but to imply it's the whole country is incorrect

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

I have to stay home, can't go anywhere. I want to see my friends, but none of them want to see me," the office worker said.

When even your best friends don't want to tell you about body odour. ????

8 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

your comment is too generalised, as many are on this site, there are areas suffering drought but to imply it's the whole country is incorrect

Possibly yours is too localised, almost a "pee on the fire my toasts done" type of attitude.

Goes both ways.

A friend of mine popped over yesterday,as he has to drive through town to get to me i asked himif anyone was out throwing water,or firing water guns ect, he said he saw no one,not one person doing it.

Re;The drought,no not every province is in drought,but for those of us who are it's no fun,i had a bore put in,otherwise it's a water truck every 3 days or so,now that's not to bad for us expats,but if your a poorer Thai person it soon adds up moneywise,we have had no govt water for 2 months.

13 hours ago, CGW said:

Where? no shortage of water in my area? like the vast majority on here you have no inclining of the weather patterns in Thailand!

Please read the news, and educate yourself..

 

13 hours ago, CGW said:

Probably best just to cancel all forms of "fun" according to many on this magnificent forum, we can then all live to be old and miserable having never taken care of our health and expect others to stay at home for months on end with no money? just to add to the misery.

While constantly bitching about our host countries traditions! no wonder they are "anti"! 

Quite why some people worry about dying is beyond me! 

I have enjoyed many "Songkrans" over the years, and still loves the tradition. What I don't like is throwing away resources for fun, when they are desperately needed elsewhere.

 

Try and ask a poor Isaan farmer who grows rice for a living, how he feels about this water throwing that's going on in the big cities......

 

If you are not worried about dying, then I guess you must have a pretty sad or narcissistic existence. I hope one day that you will find something that's truly worth living for - except for yourself

10 minutes ago, rasmus5150 said:

Try and ask a poor Isaan farmer who grows rice for a living, how he feels about this water throwing that's going on in the big cities......

There are NO Isaan farmers growing rice at this time, so that's a terrible argument! People flush away more water in their toilets everyday than is "wasted" during Songkran!

If you are worried about dying, then I guess you must have a pretty sad or narcissistic existence? Face the inevitable with no fear ???? 

5 hours ago, CGW said:

If you are worried about dying, then I guess you must have a pretty sad or narcissistic existence? Face the inevitable with no fear ???? 

I guess that you don't have too many responsibilities in life.

I just hope you get through this dry Songkran, and have a long and happy life ????