17 hours ago, findlay13 said:

Boy did I pick a great time to leave. 24th March.I'll be back in June😉

Same with me, thank God. We go to Australia early March, return to Thailand early June. 

4 hours ago, parallelman said:

Does that mean Immigration offices, Banks will be closed for 3 weeks???

No.

"The official national days will remain April 13th to the 15th, with public holidays running to the 16th. Pattaya, as usual, will likely run from the 12th to about the 19th.

In terms of the 21 days, the thought process behind this is NOT 21 days of water throwing. Instead, it’s best to think about it like Christmas, in which decorations, music, cultural presentations, etc. will take place for the entire month. The idea for Songkran is similar, with events proposed across Thailand from April 1st to the 21st, almost all of them focused on religious, cultural, and traditional heritage aspects.

Yes, there will still be water play, but according to Thai officials it will be limited to the official days and not the whole three week period.

So, for now, readers can rest easy that this doesn’t mean 21 days of water throwing across Thailand".

https://thepattayanews.com/2024/02/08/thailand-to-celebrate-21-days-of-songkran-in-april-really/

Grateful for the information.  Guess I’ll book for after the 21st.

4 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

5 hours ago, BestB said:

3 weeks of public holiday ?

3 weeks of water madness ?

I wonder if government put any thought into it

 

I doubt that they thought this out for even 3 seconds...

Clearly, they thought about it much longer than you did!

4 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

As has been reported, very clearly, in this thread there will not be three weeks of water throwing, neither will there be a three weeks national holiday.  Government offices will be closed for the official three (four?) day Songkran holiday.

I really don't understand why people are not getting this. But for the hard of comprehension:-

 

1. There will be 3 weeks of celebration but that DOESN'T mean 3 weeks of water fights and certainly doesn't mean 3 weeks of public holidays.

2. The festivities will be spread throughout the provinces so you might get for example something happening in Ayutthaya in one week, then perhaps Chonburi another time, then Trat another week etc, etc.

3. The main Songkran festival will still be the 13-16th (with 2 days of public holiday) where the majority of big cities (Bangkok, Chang Mai, Pattaya) will probably still have their water fights etc but this DOESN'T mean they will have water fights at other times (unless pre-organised and pre-approved).

4. As big as tourism is in Thiland, it still isn't the biggest industry (that'll still be agriculture, manufacturing, and services) so they cannot afford to have extended public holidays as this would badly affect every other industry.

 

Now does everyone get this now or do you need a diagram?   

 

3 hours ago, zhounan said:

Spend & Consume is Thailand motto.

Just the same as your own country's agenda.

5 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"The official national days will remain April 13th to the 15th, with public holidays running to the 16th. Pattaya, as usual, will likely run from the 12th to about the 19th.

In terms of the 21 days, the thought process behind this is NOT 21 days of water throwing. Instead, it’s best to think about it like Christmas, in which decorations, music, cultural presentations, etc. will take place for the entire month. The idea for Songkran is similar, with events proposed across Thailand from April 1st to the 21st, almost all of them focused on religious, cultural, and traditional heritage aspects.

Yes, there will still be water play, but according to Thai officials it will be limited to the official days and not the whole three week period.

So, for now, readers can rest easy that this doesn’t mean 21 days of water throwing across Thailand".

https://thepattayanews.com/2024/02/08/thailand-to-celebrate-21-days-of-songkran-in-april-really/

Beat me to it.

1 hour ago, lazj58 said:

How can the general population sustain 3 weeks off work.

Who said that the general population will have three weeks off?

1 hour ago, HappyExpat57 said:

One year I saw some d-bags throwing buckets of ice water at motorcyclists as they were exiting Motorway 7. Beggars belief!

Why were the motorcyclists on the motorway?

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Nice to see someone who understood what they read instead of leaping to wrong conclusions, reading something that wasn't there.

"...leaping to wrong conclusions..."

Par for the (AN) course!

1 hour ago, les1 said:

Nuts.....nothing more to be said it's been covered by all !!!!!

And "they all" got it wrong.

46 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

What plans are in place for celebrations, 3 weeks of water throwing ?

No.  It's been explained in the thread.

42 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Who is providing all the water, bar owners won’t be shelling out for 3 weeks water I don’t think ?

Gawd...

39 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

There are no plans as yet, they are going organise them, Songkran is a Water Festival so I assume it will involve water ?

https://thepattayanews.com/2024/02/08/thailand-to-celebrate-21-days-of-songkran-in-april-really/

16 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

I really don't understand why people are not getting this. But for the hard of comprehension:-

 

1. There will be 3 weeks of celebration but that DOESN'T mean 3 weeks of water fights and certainly doesn't mean 3 weeks of public holidays.

2. The festivities will be spread throughout the provinces so you might get for example something happening in Ayutthaya in one week, then perhaps Chonburi another time, then Trat another week etc, etc.

3. The main Songkran festival will still be the 13-16th (with 2 days of public holiday) where the majority of big cities (Bangkok, Chang Mai, Pattaya) will probably still have their water fights etc but this DOESN'T mean they will have water fights at other times (unless pre-organised and pre-approved).

4. As big as tourism is in Thiland, it still isn't the biggest industry (that'll still be agriculture, manufacturing, and services) so they cannot afford to have extended public holidays as this would badly affect every other industry.

 

Now does everyone get this now or do you need a diagram?   

 

Even a diagram won't help most of them...they need their noses rubbing in it!

23 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

I really don't understand why people are not getting this. But for the hard of comprehension:-

 

1. There will be 3 weeks of celebration but that DOESN'T mean 3 weeks of water fights and certainly doesn't mean 3 weeks of public holidays.

2. The festivities will be spread throughout the provinces so you might get for example something happening in Ayutthaya in one week, then perhaps Chonburi another time, then Trat another week etc, etc.

3. The main Songkran festival will still be the 13-16th (with 2 days of public holiday) where the majority of big cities (Bangkok, Chang Mai, Pattaya) will probably still have their water fights etc but this DOESN'T mean they will have water fights at other times (unless pre-organised and pre-approved).

4. As big as tourism is in Thiland, it still isn't the biggest industry (that'll still be agriculture, manufacturing, and services) so they cannot afford to have extended public holidays as this would badly affect every other industry.

 

Now does everyone get this now or do you need a diagram?   

 

 

Thanks for making everything clear.

 

Of course the resident population and visiting tourists can be totally relied upon not to seize the opportunity to create what they will perceive, in their pin brains, as "State Approved" mayhem, anytime, day or night, for three weeks.

 

I am booked to fly out at midday on the 1st.......no doubt those left behind are most reassured by your optimistic repetition of the "RULES".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Stay indoors then... less hate

For 3 weeks???????

8 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Typical... first do  and than think... water shortages are in sight and drought all over the country because less rainfall, but 3 weeks watersplashing is no problem. and the government has no idea that people outside Thailand  don't even know this event and maybe will be amused if they come for a visit

Amused or bemused?

 

Ugh, GLUG.....that is the sound of my heart sinking. 3 whole weeks of the childish nonsense?

57 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Why were the motorcyclists on the motorway?

Years ago when it was still legal.

8 hours ago, Bundooman said:

Queue the standard posters trying to be clever and funny.........!

Cue the standard grammar failures......

23 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Why were the motorcyclists on the motorway?

Years ago when it was still legal.

Motorbikes have never been allowed on the expressways, if that's what you mean by "motorway"

1 hour ago, fgmr said:

Amused or bemused?

 

nothing I don't care about it... Thai ways of thinking and doing  are things that  nobody can  understand, even after 20 years living in Thailand

I seriously doubt the certification of Songkran by Unesco was a green light for the leaders to get even more stupid!

Instead of actually caring about their people making Songkran 3 days nationally like BKK,  Pattaya it was already too long now 21 days!🤑

TAT working on details of extended Songkran celebrations

 

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will hold meetings next week with the Culture and Interior ministries, the private sector and other relevant agencies to discuss details of this year’s Songkran celebrations, which will last from April 1 until 21. Events and activities, their format, locations and the budget required will be on the agenda.

 

According to TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool, the highlights of the celebrations will be at popular locations in Bangkok, such as Siam Square, Ratchadamnoen Avenue, Icon Siam, Aisatique and several temples along the Chao Phraya River.

 

Chiang Mai and Hat Yai are the other two main locations, especially in Hat Yai in the south, where a Midnight Songkran event is planned and expected to attract many Malaysians.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-02-08

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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By your waterproof phone bags now. 3 days is one thing, but people off their psychiatric medication for this long is of concern. 😉

Songkran is a major festival in South East Asia and South Asia. It makes sense that there would be a large amount of tourism from the region and staggering it across three weeks is going to allow for hotels to keep full vacancy to cater for all the tourists and also keep flight/hotel prices lower.

5 hours ago, Modern Coding said:

"Celebrating" has never meant "not working".

on the contrary Thais use the same word for "work" as they do for "celebration"

5 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

12 hours ago, Bundooman said:

22 hours ago, bbko said:

Queue the standard "I hate Songkran" posts, 555.

Queue the standard posters trying to be clever and funny.........!

On cue, all the usual suspects queuing up to try to be funny.

Maybe its called DRY humor, tis better than being a WET Blanket.