Songkran In Cm In 2008

[Old Man River]

Living in Bangkok, I don't know Chiang Mai as well as I should. My family and a friend and his family (3 little ones, youngest is 7) wish to celebrate Songkran in Chiang Mai during the Songkran weekend. While our friend and his family are Thai, they are proverbial Bangkok hi-so's and really know as little about where to go in Chiang Mai during Songkran as I do. We will be staying in the mountains (outside of the city), so no hotel activities to fall back on here.

Where is a good place to safely celebrate (throw water) during Songkran in Chiang Mai?

[Ulysses G.]

Anywhere near Thapae Gate is perfect. The Montri Hotel is a great place to stay - right there in the middle of everything - and Daret's is a good place to hang out and eat and drink on the other side.

[Old Man River]

Anywhere near Thapae Gate is perfect. The Montri Hotel is a great place to stay - right there in the middle of everything - and Daret's is a good place to hang out and eat and drink on the other side.

I appreciate this.

[jaideeguy]

IMHO, if you want to experience rudeness, insanity, illness , then Thapae gate and surrounding areas are best, but if you want to experience the real songkran with decent manners, then distance yourself from CM and especially Thapae gate area. Go to the provence.

Having said that, the songkran insanity is like a cancer and spreading rapidly and may soon cover the whole of the north thailand. basically...anywhere off the tourist track will prove to be mellower than the epicenter of CM.

[Ulysses G.]

If you want to throw water and have fun and see all the beautiful smiling Thai faces, you should head downtown.

If you want to sit in your room and watch TV and whine and pout, look for a resort in the middle of nowhere and tell the staff at the front desk all about how much Songkran sucks nowadays. They will think that you are looney tunes and try to avoid you!

Edited March 11, 2008 by Ulysses G.

[jaideeguy]

Yea. the best place to hang out for songkran is in front of gecko books....but don't throw water.

[Ulysses G.]

You can throw water all you want. They are all closed so that I can throw water - in a better place like Cozy Corner or Mad Dog!

By the way, I do agree that Songkran goes on too long - one or two days would be plenty - but it is a Thai holiday, so it is not really up to us.

[Ulysses G.]

Last year, all the different whisky companies paid beautiful girls to stand in front of John's place/Cozy Corner - which is right on the main drag - in revealing outfits and dance and throw water and advertise their products. The girls were really freindly and fun and all the Thai Visa Boyz had a great time. Crowboy and McGriffith were there, but they didn't hurrass the girls too much!

Edited March 11, 2008 by Ulysses G.

[sceadugenga]

Songkran is good fun in the sticks also, the kids have a great time but the older people (like sceadugenga) are treated with respect and only get a light sprinkle for good luck.

[Ajarn]

I enjoy the area outside of downtown for a relaxing day. The areas I like best are along 1001 (the road to mae jo university, but past the university). Downtown along tapae road are really fun, especially if you want to get wet!

[swain]

I liked the cute girls in vinyl dresses advertising coke zero..... I even tried coke zero... didn't like that but liked the girls. They seem to be getting younger every year... or I could be getting older... naaa more likely they are getting younger

[Jefferson]

I think I'll go for the middle ground here:

I would recommend to go downtown, but especially the bar area around Thapae gate may very well be too massive for a 7 year old, especially with all the tourists there.

Just moving to the other side of the moat, say the Western side North or South of Suan Dok gate might do the trick. Some food being sold on the inside in the grassy area there as well, usually.

*** Did anyone else notice the major construction still going on on the pavements along the Northern moat? All the way around the corner towards Thapae Gate? For this work the moat is now empty in that area, and frankly I wonder if everything will be completed on time? That sure would be a major downer, if half the city moat isn't available!

But aside from the downtown fun, keep in mind that this is 'everywhere' and at any small road in the sticks can be as fun as downtown. Another major road for partying is the old Lamphun road towards Sarapee.

No matter where you are though, keep safety in mind. Don't play at roads with fast moving traffic. So actually the city moat makes a lot of sense as traffic is usually very slow moving (if at all). That also makes it safer. Another safety issue: the moat is VERY deep in most places. People who can't swim shouldn't be anywhere near it.

[JuniorExPat]

Songkran in the city is not the same as Songkran out in a country village . . . . what a surprise! Both can be great fun with the correct attitude and expectations.

The OP asked for "a good place to safely celebrate (throw water) during Songkran in Chiang Mai", as with any event involving alcohol, celebration, high spirits and crowds of human beings, safety can become an issue. Be a little wary of people with buckets standing by the moat, I'm sure that many have suffered ENT infections from that water! I can only recommend one location in the city as it is the only place that I have celebrated Songkran - Mad Dog. For the past five or six years this has been the Songkran HQ in the city for me and mine. Friends from the UK, a couple who are Songkran addicts, will be joining us again this year for the fourth or fifth year in succession and their first request will be to head down to Mad Dog.

Water and buckets/bins are always on hand, throwing water into the bar is actively discouraged, plenty of expat regulars bring their young families and base themselves at the "Dog", I have never seen any problems with regard to safety or rowdiness and I am certain that if anything did occur it would be dealt with swiftly by the regulars even before the staff or boss needed to get involved! Half an hour at a time out on the street is usually plenty for me and then it's time to duck inside for a pizza and a beer or two whilst sitting watching the parade of chaos outside and keeping one eye on our children.

Keep in mind that the roads around the moat get gridlocked so your journey into town may well be slower than would normally be expected, if you come into town in a car and want to keep the interior dry do make sure that you close the windows and lock the doors, I have seen doors opened (by western tourists who have become a little carried away with the celebrations) and car interiors soaked.

Although Songkran is officially Sunday 13 April through Tuesday 15 April the water throwing does usually start before these dates and with the first official day being a Sunday I think you can expect to see some pretty earnest soakings on the Saturday.

On 13 April it would be a shame to miss the parade of Buddha images going from the train station to Wat Pra Singh, many people go to the station and work their way up the parade to sprinkle scented water on each of the images.

On 14 April you can witness and be involved in the ceremony of the symbolic returning of sand to the temples, Wat Pra Singh is probably the best place to see this, the sand will be made into a temporary chedi for the third day of Songkran.

15 April, being the third day is the day when, I believe, the water celebrations are supposed to begin!! If my memory is in tact then I think that you should be able to see a fair amount of fireworks being let off in the evening.

Hope you have a great time!

JxP

[Old Man River]

I really appreciate the responses. The wife and I "did" Songkran in CM about 10 years ago and it was a blast. However, this time with kids it is always best to ask first. I imagine we will end up somewhere near the moat since it would be a shame to go to CM for Songkran and not at least check the moat out. I will also check out MadDog as it sounds as if it isn't too wild(at least during the day).

Thanks for the advice.

[Jefferson]

Mad Dog is on the 'inside' of the moat, so that's always a bit more quiet. It is however right next to a couple of bars, so it's still an area with many foreigners & bargirls, which is not usually a good thing. Um, I mean: *usually* that's a good thing, just not for Songkran.

I'd actually like to second the suggestion of Daret Guesthouse. It's right in the middle of it, but you can sit semi-outside and not be splashed all the time and still have some food and drinks.

[Shogu]

Just moved CM last year, first Songkran and looking forward to it!

Hope we'll have just as much fun as with Loy Krathong....

[AFKAFSinLOS]

We were looking at going to Chiang Mai, so the above is useful info. A couple of quick questions in addition

Would hotels in CM tend to be largely booked up already?

Is there anything to do apart from Songkran? While it'd be fun to spend a day on those activties, we'd also like to maybe take in a few more sites, temples, trips etc. Any recommendations?

[BigSnake]

Go for it, where ever you are you will get nice and wet. ENJOY

[jaideeguy]

Yes, CM will be booked!! so make sure you have a dry place to escape to.

Your first songkran will be a blast, if you are under 30, but after the first one, you will want to escape to somewhere with a little less sanook.

I had a blast with my first one, then it became an ordeal just to go out to the local minimart and not get drenched with filthy klong water ....full bucket loads thrown at a motorcycle rider is no fun.

Stock up on antibiotics and keep your wallet and cel phone in a plastic bag!!

for alternatives to the madness, just drive 20k [in any direction] out of town and it will be a lot more civil and polite, the old fashioned way songkran used to be before CM started to capatalize in 'falang madness'.

[iainiain101]

Your first songkran will be a blast, if you are under 30, but after the first one, you will want to escape to somewhere with a little less sanook.

I have to disagree with the above. I had my first Chiang Mai Songkran three years ago aged 40 and loved it.

If you have not tried it, I would recommend hiring a Tuk Tuk with the roof removed and a large bin of ice water in the back. Ths is a great journey round the moat, and appart from the soaking, it is the only time that I have really seen Chiang Mai above the 1st floor of buildings, as I am above 150cm in height and am usually just looking at the inside of a Tuk Tuk roof!

Looking forward to it.

Iain

[jdinasia]

If you want to throw water and have fun and see all the beautiful smiling Thai faces, you should head downtown.

If you want to sit in your room and watch TV and whine and pout, look for a resort in the middle of nowhere and tell the staff at the front desk all about how much Songkran sucks nowadays. They will think that you are looney tunes and try to avoid you!

You know I rarely agree with you Uselessly G (ok about US politics .. and then it is never!) But you are spot on with this post.

BTW we could be fellow denizens soon

[Ulysses G.]

I haven't made up my mind who to vote for yet between the big three, so it is possible that we will agree on something.

Hilary is the least likely though.

[Shogu]

If you have not tried it, I would recommend hiring a Tuk Tuk with the roof removed and a large bin of ice water in the back

Sounds like fun!

What about water-guns?

Is that something that you can use during Songkran, or is that not done...?

Haven't got any idea about the "songkran-customs" yet....

[anonymouse]

If you have not tried it, I would recommend hiring a Tuk Tuk with the roof removed and a large bin of ice water in the back

Sounds like fun!

What about water-guns?

Is that something that you can use during Songkran, or is that not done...?

Haven't got any idea about the "songkran-customs" yet....

Water guns of varying sizes are for sale all over Chiang Mai already, the build up to Songkran seems to get earlier and earlier each year much like the Christmas season in the west.

Anything goes really, water guns, buckets, ice -

I'm one of the saddo's that flee the country at this time most years

I do like Loy Kratong though

Edited March 18, 2008 by anonymouse

[jdinasia]

I hope to be living up there this time I am looking forward to parking the motorcycle and getting a good soaking

[Sao Jiang Mai]

This will be my first Chiang Mai songkran in about a decade. Very excited! A friend who works for those big Lamphun industrial estate companies is looking into hiring a ten wheel truck...should get enough water and beers on that to keep us amused. Otherwise I will be haning out on Ratwitti at the UN Irish Pub...nice busy road for water, with a lovely garden and upstairs area to escape when it all gets too much or there is too much klong juice in my chardonnay. Splendid!

[MissAnge]

Just a quick question about when it will all start up? The official days are from the 13th right? Just trying to coordinate a trip, only want to be in CM for a couple of days of Songkran mayhem - will it be kicking off (water throwing and the like) in the days before the 13th?

[ChangMaiSausage]

It's great i/we love it put on your old gear and go to war!! (old gear - the water from the moat is not clean)

As pointed out in an earlier post rent a tuk tuk for the day we have a good friend who is a tuk tuk driver he removed the roof put up his Thai flags then add the large barrel to the back and away you go. Best part is seeing the look on peoples face when squirted by icy water (the ice we use is bought from the ice factory its cut to the size of the barrel so it does not melt quickly)

Great fun for all childeren of all age inc. 30+

[Foggy Bottom]

Grumpy old Git heartily recommends any non-Buddhist country outside of SE Asia for Songkran

A 12 Kg block of ice in the face, on the motorbike, 5 days before the official start of my second Songkran, destroyed the whole idea for me - and that was on the HangDong Rd doing 65 in the OUTSIDE lane at the time.

Nope - no way - barricaded in the house with loaded sawn-off, or out of country it has to be. Got plenty of web-dev and writing to keep me occupied.

Gaz

[Super Hans]

How long does it last in CM? Three and a hald days in Phuket last year was 2 insufferable days too long - someone told me it goes on for 10 days here?!! A laugh for a bit, but seriously, seriously tiresome after a while. Not for adults or the mature IMO.