Is a dry Songkran good or bad news for Thailand?

[webfact]

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by Michael Bridge

Songkran, also known as the Water Splashing Festival, is an age-old celebration to mark the start of the Buddhist New Year. Buddha images are bathed, and younger Thais show respect to monks and elders by sprinkled water over their hands.

However, over the years the Thai traditional Songkran festival held every April has been taken over by tourists, expats, and younger Thais, as an excuse to drench everyone in sight and drink the days away.
Most provinces held the festival over three days, however Pattaya decided to hold theirs over a 10-day period to boost tourism.

On the last day, the city usually came to a standstill as over 500,000 converged on Pattaya for an almighty water fight.

Songkran celebrations will go ahead after a two-year hiatus due to Covid; the government has said while adding that health and safety measures will still need to be followed.

This year the Thai government has said people may still celebrate Songkran however without all the water splashing.

 

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Although they tried to start a water battle in Bangla Road in Phuket, authorities have now put a halt to it.

I for one have enjoyed the fun in the past drenching friends, however in the past for ten days central Pattaya was a no-go area, unless you wanted to run the gauntlet.

I am sure it was the same in parts of Bangkok or Phuket.

However, if the weather continues to remain hot, expect some folks will need to cool off with a few buckets of icy water, especially in the rural provinces.

It may be unwelcome news for the hospitality industry that had hoped for an influx of foreign tourists, however, for many residents, it is a relief not to have to get out the waterproofs.

Enjoy your dry holiday!

 

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[Swiss1960]

The "influx of foreign tourists" this year did NOT not happen because water splashing was not allowed... it did not happen because of the entry restrictions that still exist when travelling to Thailand. Only if those entry restrictions are completely gone - at least gone for all vaccinated tourists - THEN the influx of foreign tourists might happen again, and  THEN the question about what impact water splashing rules have on tourist numbers can be asked.

[daveAustin]

Good for boring autocrats and long in the tooth farang, bad for the young uns that want some fun I guess. 

[timendres]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

This year the Thai government has said people may still celebrate Songkran however without all the water splashing.

Apparently, the word did not filter down, or was simply ignored, given the photos I have seen from Khao San and other locations.

[jacko45k]

49 minutes ago, timendres said:

Apparently, the word did not filter down, or was simply ignored, given the photos I have seen from Khao San and other locations.

I can't be everywhere but it seems subdues in many areas too. Khao San I care little of.....

[Boomer6969]

Good, definitely. Nice tradition that has turned moronic, so please do away with it, permanently.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

However, over the years the Thai traditional Songkran festival held every April has been taken over by tourists, expats, and younger Thais, as an excuse to drench everyone in sight and drink the days away.
Most provinces held the festival over three days, however Pattaya decided to hold theirs over a 10-day period to boost tourism.

A festival scuppered by commercialism...

[jesimps]

2 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Good for boring autocrats and long in the tooth farang, bad for the young uns that want some fun I guess. 

Even when I was young I can't imagine me spending the whole day squirting water at people who were doing exactly the same thing without getting bored to death. I did just that in the first of my fifteen years of living here and swore I'd never do it again. Which I haven't.

[vandeventer]

To sum it up, a wet Songkran for 15 years old  and younger is great. But a dry Songkran is much better for the 65 years old and older. So as for the ones in the middle, who actually gives a s--t what they think?

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

To sum it up, a wet Songkran for 15 years old  and younger is great. But a dry Songkran is much better for the 65 years old and older. So as for the ones in the middle, who actually gives a s--t what they think?

You create a strange social order where only the voices of the under 15s and over 65s has relevance, yet do none of the work. 

[vandeventer]

6 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

You create a strange social order where only the voices of the under 15s and over 65s has relevance, yet do none of the work. 

Thanks.

[Rimmer]

An off topic post has been removed

[Jumbo1968]

I am sure the restaurants and bars benefited from a dry Songkhran, people knowing they would be unlikely to be dowsed with freezing cold water would go out for a beer or a meal.

[Pedrogaz]

Good news.

[Lucky Bones]

My first year Songkran, in Pattaya, was wild. Bands playing, parades, girls, froth wars and beers etc.

But like most things, the novelty wears off.

That was 2008 and I was a 50 year old tourist.

Now been living here married close on 10 years so things change.

I still understand the fun of it but choose not to participate.

[Camelot]

If you think Pattaya or Khao San were wild, spare a thought for citizens and visitors to Chiang Mai. That was where it was all happening. I have never seen such craziness. Loved it when I was younger.

[Lucky Bones]

18 minutes ago, Camelot said:

If you think Pattaya or Khao San were wild, spare a thought for citizens and visitors to Chiang Mai. That was where it was all happening. I have never seen such craziness. Loved it when I was younger.

Yes, I first came for the Chiang Mai Cricket 6's in '93.

Didn't have a clue about Songkran.

Had to lock taxi doors going back to hotel and airport. That Klong (water?) was/is not nice.

Didn't consider myself a tourist back then....just naive.!

[shackleton]

The tradional way of celebrating Songkran I am all for 

Agree with writer. It's been taken over by Tourists expats including young Thais with Alcohol being involved spoils it for some people 

 

[Burma Bill]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

Enjoy your dry holiday!

Yes thank you, but not dry in Cambodia - yesterday in Siem Reap with boat trips, riverside bars and restaurants all able to sell alcohol with food or just to drink! Also water "fights".

Photos taken by a friend.

 

 

[HappyExpat57]

The art of compromise is all but dead. If those in charge would make certain areas "water battle enabled" and let the fun fly, while letting the rest of us go on with our dry lives, then everybody would be a winner.

 

I know the guy who managed the largest scuba shop in Pattaya a few years back. He told me of a story where he was taking some irreplaceable documents to the Instructor Examination and they were destroyed because of Songkran idiocy. That is the sh!t that ruins it. Section it off for those who want it and leave the rest of us alone.

[DefaultName]

Post-Covid, 2 or 3 days of water could be fun.  10 days in Pattaya is a nightmare.  Keep it short and sweet please.

[Thailand]

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

A festival scuppered by commercialism...

Much the same as Christmas?

[zzaa09]

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

A festival scuppered by commercialism...

Yes. Remembering that such traditional celebratory observations have little or nothing to do with a morphed Occidental mindset. Guaranteed that the overwhelming percentage of Farang [even long time fanciful residents] haven't a clue as to what Songkran might be or what it represents. 

[Thailand]

6 hours ago, Lucky Bones said:

My first year Songkran, in Pattaya, was wild. Bands playing, parades, girls, froth wars and beers etc.

But like most things, the novelty wears off.

That was 2008 and I was a 50 year old tourist.

Now been living here married close on 10 years so things change.

I still understand the fun of it but choose not to participate.

Exactly, it's not compulsory and is easily avoided.

[hotchilli]

16 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Much the same as Christmas?

Christmas, New Year, Easter, you got it, every country is the same.

And you know Thailand, it's not slow to jump on something and milk it for all it's worth...????

Edited April 15, 2022 by hotchilli

[unblocktheplanet]

Look, it's all about Covid. This is not irony: Covid thrives on fun.

[alex8912]

6 hours ago, Thailand said:

Exactly, it's not compulsory and is easily avoided.

But why year after year after year do several posters always complain and show their grumpiness and stupidity about a holiday they have an ENTIRE year to prepare for? If I hear one more motorcycle guy whine about getting sprayed with water during Songkran especially IN Pattaya IN the main areas where people water play I'm going to puke on them instead! It's much more gross then the mostly fake " klong water " stories! Here's my yearly advice and I'm telling you Pattaya guys now. 2023 Songkran will be EPIC!!!  You can be stubborn and ride your motorcycle around or prepare more and live under your bed that week or go away and spend a few baht for a change from your dismal life or RENT A CAR THAT WEEK!  Cheers 

[jacko45k]

21 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

I am sure the restaurants and bars benefited from a dry Songkhran, people knowing they would be unlikely to be dowsed with freezing cold water would go out for a beer or a meal.

It has been so hot for the last couple of days a dousing with cold water sounds good!

[mania]

Quote

Is a dry Songkran good or bad news for Thailand?

In some ways it is good.

Because every time this dictatorship removes yet another right of the people with some lame excuse of safety yet allows swimming for instance or uses water canons to control protesting students (during worse delta covid time) they show who they are. Eventually the camels back will be broken & anarchy will break out.

 

This junta may think it would go unnoticed by the world if they fired again on their own people in what ever guise they claim but I think not

 

So long story short, Yes remove more & more freedoms till they get off the couch & take their country & freedoms back