So what are the dates for the new and improved Songkran?

[LALes]

Fearless leader has made some improvements to the Songkran experience but what are the actual dates?

In Pattaya, it was always April 12-19.  Now?...

I have to know when to get the hell out of here.

[anchadian]

Start Friday 12 April and end date Tuesday 16 April

[Upnotover]

Just now, anchadian said:

Start Friday 12 April and end date Tuesday 16 April

This was asked in the Pattaya section, different rules apply.

[BangkokHank]

Songkran is the only "celebration" that I know of that people (including myself) actually flee a country to avoid.

[Roo Island]

https://www.thailand.go.th/event-detail/songkran-festival-2024-to-last-from-1-to-21-april

 

Songkran Festival 2024 to last from 1 to 21 April

[Happy happy]

So in Bangkok the water throwing starts on 12 April but concludes on 16 April...right?

 

[bbko]

If you think water is only being thrown on the official dates, you're mistaken.  There's always water being splashed about a few days before and a few days after. 

[LennyW]

Extended this year from 1st to 21st April in a bid to boost tourism!!

[mran66]

New? What happened to the old? What are the improvements? 

[Barnet1900]

On 3/5/2024 at 9:08 AM, Roo Island said:

https://www.thailand.go.th/event-detail/songkran-festival-2024-to-last-from-1-to-21-april

 

Songkran Festival 2024 to last from 1 to 21 April

There are 3 days when traffic makes it impossible to drive. Naklua, Central then Jomtien.

 

Any idea the dates of these 3 only? 

 

Also, if I want to drive out of Pattaya for a week and return around 20th, what dates are best? 

[topt]

@Barnet1900

 

 

Naklua big day 18th

Pattaya 19th - and Sukumvhit normally gridlocked as well as everywhere else.

Jomtien -?

Bang Saray 20th I believe

Edited April 2 by topt

[Barnet1900]

4 hours ago, topt said:

@Barnet1900

 

 

Naklua big day 18th

Pattaya 19th - and Sukumvhit normally gridlocked as well as everywhere else.

Jomtien -?

Bang Saray 20th I believe

Top man

 

Thank you

[shdmn]

On 3/4/2024 at 5:41 PM, BangkokHank said:

Songkran is the only "celebration" that I know of that people (including myself) actually flee a country to avoid.

Still amazes me that there are stable people who actually WANT to be around for this.  Almost always newbies.  Very few repeats. 

Edited April 2 by shdmn

[connda]

On 3/5/2024 at 9:08 AM, Roo Island said:

https://www.thailand.go.th/event-detail/songkran-festival-2024-to-last-from-1-to-21-april

 

Songkran Festival 2024 to last from 1 to 21 April

Like usual, we are not participating.  I imagine in the village it will last from the 13th to the 16th as "real" people, unlike the BKK elite, need to work for a living.  The only difference is that we will be avoiding Chiang Mai for three weeks starting on the 6th.  My guess is that the idiotic "extended version" of Songkran will die on the vine as the locals as well as tourist get tired after the first week.  Certain high-ranking "leaders" will probably high-tail it to the UK or UK to escape the killer PM 2.5.  Speaking of which, did our friend Big Joke return from the UK to turn himself in?  <sound of crickets>

[LALes]

Big day in Jomtien is the 19th.  Head for the hills!!

[NativeBob]

Drunk people from the North Eastern provinces of Thailand go ape-<deleted> with uncontrolled consumption of booze. Aiming to bring as much "damage" to "dry" foreigners, throwing dirty tap water into their bodies, faces, cell phones. Friend had to lock himself in the phone booth for almost an hour while locals enjoyed themselves with booze and water. 

Happy Songkran, everybody!

[Bobthegimp]

6 minutes ago, NativeBob said:

Drunk people from the North Eastern provinces of Thailand go ape-<deleted> with uncontrolled consumption of booze. Aiming to bring as much "damage" to "dry" foreigners, throwing dirty tap water into their bodies, faces, cell phones. Friend had to lock himself in the phone booth for almost an hour while locals enjoyed themselves with booze and water. 

Happy Songkran, everybody!

 

I ran into a pack of drunken Thai men on my ride to Hua Hin Songkran last year.  The groups of women I'd encountered were very nice and gentle. These guys were as sholes. One of them ground that paste right into both of my eyes. I had to get off the scooter and give my eyes a thorough rinse with a bottle of water I had with me or I wouldn't  have been able to proceed.  There were 7 or 8 of them or I'd have beaten that little 140 lb runt into a bloody pulp. 

 

Songkran in Hua Hin itself was great. No roving packs of bell ringing lager louts or buckets of filthy swamp water thrown into my face.  In other words, the opposite of Pattaya. 

 

I loved Songkran in Pattaya until 2011 when I was staying at Royal Thai Residence (Theprasit Soi 7) and saw the water refill trucks sucking water out of the fetid swamp near the building.  Some sights can't be unseen. 

[NativeBob]

2 minutes ago, Bobthegimp said:

I loved Songkran in Pattaya until 2011 when I was staying at Royal Thai Residence (Theprasit Soi 7) and saw the water refill trucks sucking water out of the fetid swamp near the building.  Some sights can't be unseen. 

You noticed! Bangkokians, just like us, will hide in their flats, houses and apartments. Songkran is NOT nationwide celebration, per se

[BigStar]

On 3/5/2024 at 7:37 AM, LALes said:

In Pattaya, it was always April 12-19.  Now?...

 

In Pattaya it's always started on the 11th in the bar areas. It does always stop on the 19th, or rather the 20th in the wee hours.

 

In recent years it hasn't been bad at all outside the bar areas. But you may always encounter exceptions. 

[jacko45k]

17 hours ago, Barnet1900 said:

There are 3 days when traffic makes it impossible to drive. Naklua, Central then Jomtien.

 

Any idea the dates of these 3 only? 

 

Also, if I want to drive out of Pattaya for a week and return around 20th, what dates are best? 

18th in Naklua, 19th in Pattaya and not sure if Jomtien does things 19th or 20th........

[Bobthegimp]

12 hours ago, NativeBob said:

You noticed! Bangkokians, just like us, will hide in their flats, houses and apartments. Songkran is NOT nationwide celebration, per se

 

Many celebrate with copious amounts of whiskey and a set of car or motorbike keys, resulting in the carnage seen every year at that time. 

[KhunLA]

The dates of, are always the same, unless extended or falls on weekend, then standard in lieu of 'days off' of work applied, for those fortunate enough to even have paid days off, or simply off of work unpaid.

 

The celebration date/times can be different for certain areas, to maximize profits.   As no town wants to miss out on ding dong tourist & local's baht, and may schedule their celebration before or after KSR, Silom rd, or Walking Streets @ Pattaya.

 

As pointed out, some places go overboard, such as NE.   When living in Udon Thani, people start throwing water at cars and motorbikes the weekend before & after the official Songkran dates (13-15), so easily 10 days of, hibernation at home or O&A to saner places to avoid.

 

Was at Karon Beach Phuket one year, and quite surprised, and they barely celebrated 1 day,  Patong beach a bit more, as more ding dong tourist & nightlife.

 

Where we live now, it's one day at the beach only, and rare to see water thrown anywhere else ..

... Pure BLISS.

[treetops]

On 4/2/2024 at 8:37 AM, topt said:

@Barnet1900

 

 

Naklua big day 18th

Pattaya 19th - and Sukumvhit normally gridlocked as well as everywhere else.

Jomtien -?

Bang Saray 20th I believe

 

Correct for Bang Saray as well.  Some more info on this poster.

 

[KhunLA]

7 hours ago, treetops said:

 

Correct for Bang Saray as well.  Some more info on this poster.

 

Chonburi definitely trying to cash in on the holiday ... 9 days