Thai Authorities to Promote More Traditional Songkran

[snoop1130]

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - Following the inclusion of the Songkran Festival to a tentative list for recognition as an intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Thai authorities plan to promote the festival in a more traditional way in key tourist provinces this April.

 

Kowit Pakamart, Director-General of the Department of Cultural Promotion, said his department is collaborating with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to promote traditional Songkran to showcase Thai culture for this year. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt reaffirmed the collaboration, adding that the city’s cultural council will host events throughout the year to promote the nation’s intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the capital. It will also promote information on ICHs, including cultural displays in Bangkok’s 50 districts.

 

The Department of Cultural Promotion said it plans to work with provincial authorities to promote the festival in provinces throughout Thailand. Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Nakhon Si Thammarat in particular are expected to represent the Thai New Year festival in their respective regions.

 

Thailand now has three UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritages. These include the Khon, also known as the Thai Masked Dance Drama; Nuad Thai, the traditional Thai massage; and Nora, the traditional performance from the Southern provinces of Thailand.

 

The Songkran Festival is expected to be Thailand’s fourth ICH if the celebration is approved by UNESCO this year.

 

Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230222132505483

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2023-02-22

 

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[Mavideol]

does that means no throwing water and that shxt white powder...wonder how Thais will do without the water, it requires a lot of intelligence/smarts to throw water

 

note :  sarcasm intended

[ThailandRyan]

So no water throwing will be allowed as it is not the old ways and what Songkran is all about.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songkran

Edited February 22, 2023 by ThailandRyan

[OneMoreFarang]

Good idea. I won't miss this:

 

 

[BayArea]

If they revert back to the traditional form, that would keep away some falang who comes to LOS during sonkran to have a wild time. Should be interesting regarding the tourist numbers for April 

[spidermike007]

Songkran as it is practiced today is fun, and is a very sexy holiday. Tradition can be so over rated. 

[madmitch]

Don't they announce the same every year?

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

promote the festival in a more traditional way in key tourist provinces

Hahaha. We haven't had a real Songkran in 3 years due to Covid. Thais and tourists alike have been dying for it. We've got an influx of tourists, most of whom haven't traveled in 3 years. Post-Covid, I reckon this'll be the wildest Songkran yet.

[Mac Mickmanus]

8 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Songkran as it is practiced today is fun, and is a very sexy holiday. Tradition can be so over rated. 

It can get horny seeing lots of girls in wet t-shirts , then someone ruins the arousal by throwing  bucket of cold water over you . Its better to just look at the girls from your condo window 

[SuperSilverHaze]

Really don't care. I abandoned Thailand for more traditional Lao for songkran back before 2000. In past decades till now we head to remote islands one week before and three + days after. People lose their minds and farang often the worst offenders of stupidity.

 

I welcome the notion but unless bans in place not going to happen. Can't out genie back in bottle.

[SuperSilverHaze]

13 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

bucket of cold water

Or shoots you in the face with water that's been sucked out of the gutter.

 

Sexy wet t-shirt? Wearing a bra which every thai woman does - doesn't sound especially sexy to me. And where must you go to be in on this fun? Pattaya, lower sukhumvit and khao sarn. Eeesh

 

[zzaa09]

43 minutes ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Hahaha. We haven't had a real Songkran in 3 years due to Covid. Thais and tourists alike have been dying for it. We've got an influx of tourists, most of whom haven't traveled in 3 years. Post-Covid, I reckon this'll be the wildest Songkran yet.

What might a real Songkran be...??

[zzaa09]

30 minutes ago, SuperSilverHaze said:

Really don't care. I abandoned Thailand for more traditional Lao for songkran back before 2000. In past decades till now we head to remote islands one week before and three + days after. People lose their minds and farang often the worst offenders of stupidity.

 

I welcome the notion but unless bans in place not going to happen. Can't out genie back in bottle.

Songkran was ruin and spoiled by Farang and their take on the celebrations.

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Following the inclusion of the Songkran Festival to a tentative list for recognition as an intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Thai authorities plan to promote the festival in a more traditional way in key tourist provinces this April.

While the locals will no doubt continue in the normal mass free for all.

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

So no water throwing will be allowed as it is not the old ways and what Songkran is all about.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songkran

No fear it will be the usual wet affair.

[daveAustin]

7 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Songkran was ruin and spoiled by Farang and their take on the celebrations.

Sorry but what a load of old tosh! The Thais have been celebrating Songkran this way for decades, foreigners joining in for the ride. Places like Pattaya are the extreme but are merely following their lead. It’s the boring old fuddy duddies (farang and dinosaur leadership here) that would want to stop people having some fun. 

[nigelforbes]

50 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Sorry but what a load of old tosh! The Thais have been celebrating Songkran this way for decades, foreigners joining in for the ride. Places like Pattaya are the extreme but are merely following their lead. It’s the boring old fuddy duddies (farang and dinosaur leadership here) that would want to stop people having some fun. 

"The first day of the festival, 13 April and which is known as Songkran Day, sees people clean their homes and public places likes temples and schools to get rid of any bad luck from the previous year and ready them for the new year. Another main activity is Song Nam Phra, a ritual that involves the pouring of scented water onto a temple’s sacred Buddha images. It is important to note the water (traditionally scented with a perfume called Nam Ob) is poured not onto the head of the image, but rather the torso and body."

https://www.tatnews.org/2021/03/thailands-songkran-festival-its-origins-history-and-modern-day-observance/

 

"The festival originated with locals collecting water that had been poured over Buddha statues for cleansing. This was then used to bless village elders and ..."

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/thailand/articles/songkran-thailand-s-water-festival/

 

*Link to an unauthorized source removed*

Edited February 23, 2023 by Scott

[ThailandRyan]

2 hours ago, BayArea said:

If they revert back to the traditional form, that would keep away some falang who comes to LOS during sonkran to have a wild time. Should be interesting regarding the tourist numbers for April 

Has not been any real party Songkran since 2019, so the country should already be conditioned to the traditional value Songkran celebrations, which is about family.

Edited February 22, 2023 by ThailandRyan

[zzaa09]

46 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Sorry but what a load of old tosh! The Thais have been celebrating Songkran this way for decades, foreigners joining in for the ride. Places like Pattaya are the extreme but are merely following their lead. It’s the boring old fuddy duddies (farang and dinosaur leadership here) that would want to stop people having some fun. 

Experience and exposure. The greater difference of those who commute or pass through occasionally and almost always don't know what they're taking about.......and those deeply resided here for decades and have the knowledge. 

 

Notice the difference.

[herfiehandbag]

59 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Has not been any real party Songkran since 2019, so the country should already be conditioned to the traditional value Songkran celebrations, which is about family.

The key word to take away is "conditioned".

 

Various "circles" dislike the more uninhibited Songkran celebrations, especially the partying and indiscipline. Songkran had over generations moved from being a symbolic cultural activity, performed/directed by, and largely existing to reinforce a traditional social hegemony to being a popular festival enjoyed largely by younger people. The conditioning has been part of a determined attempt to reverse that.

 

As s with a number of other attempts to modify national behaviour and control the population COVID provided a jolly handy excuse.

Edited February 23, 2023 by herfiehandbag

[Mac Mickmanus]

3 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

The key word to take away is "conditioned".

 

Various "circles" dislike the more uninhibited Songkran celebrations, especially the partying and indiscipline.

Its the adults that want to play water fights with water pistols and they don't listen when you tell them you don't want to have a water pistol fight because I'm not ten years old in the school playground , 

[FolkGuitar]

Even if there IS a ban on water throwing, farang backpack tourist won't abide by it. They will throw water on anyone, even those in good clothes on their way to work who obviously do not want to play.

 

[kingstonkid]

14 hours ago, Mavideol said:

does that means no throwing water and that shxt white powder...wonder how Thais will do without the water, it requires a lot of intelligence/smarts to throw water

 

note :  sarcasm intended

The water throwing has not been huge since the start of the century.  I was here in 97 and yeah there were the kids but khaosan and silom we're almost empty.

 

It is more a tourist and young people.  Tourists don't come for traditional songkran they come for the water fight.

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Songkran was ruin and spoiled by Farang and their take on the celebrations.

Indeed, it was the backpackers that were responsible, mostly in Khao San Road around 1992. 

[bamnutsak]

The MiniCult (Ministry of Culture) only gets to flex once a year, and given COVID, they been quiet for a few years.

 

So they'll be on about "tradition", and warning against scantily clad women, and twerking in the lead up to Songkhran.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 23, 2023 by bamnutsak

[vandeventer]

2 hours ago, madmitch said:

Don't they announce the same every year?

It's a good idea, but I am willing to bet I will get <deleted> wet again this year.

[jaywalker]

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

Sorry but what a load of old tosh! The Thais have been celebrating Songkran this way for decades, foreigners joining in for the ride. Places like Pattaya are the extreme but are merely following their lead. It’s the boring old fuddy duddies (farang and dinosaur leadership here) that would want to stop people having some fun. 

Try to live in Pattaya, and work in Sattahip, with a few visits to the FEDEX office in 2002 & keep your phone dry in the Maelstrom.

 

It got OLD, QUICK.

Edited February 23, 2023 by jaywalker

[jaywalker]

9 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

The MiniCult (Ministry of Culture) only gets to flex once a year, and given COVID, they been quiet for a few years.

 

So they'll be on about "tradition", and warning against scantily clad women, and twerking in the lead up to Songkhran.

 

 

 

 

 

MiniCult !!! Too Funny!!!

Edited February 23, 2023 by jaywalker

[brommers]

So I guess this means that here in Chiang Mai in the height of the pollution season we will see the traditional Songkran activities of the Team Coughing marathon and the Long Distance Phlegm Spitting championships. Both typical Lanna pastimes.

[Jumbo1968]

Ban the sale of water pistols, jail if caught using one, ban standing in a truck with a barrel full of ice, water, jail if caught and alcohol ban for a week, dream on !