Songkran 2008 The Carnage Has Begun

[sweetchariot]

.... There were about 6 shirtless Americans with supersoakers who thought it was hilarious, sadly they didn't realise how stupid and pathetic they looked. I was sorely tempted to get off the bike and 're-educate' them, but there were a few big boys there

I am merely curious how you verified their nationality.

Passport, driver's license or other method?

It was possibly something to do with the unnecessarily loud Texas drawl in the voices, coupled with the fact that they were all over 20 stone (280 pounds, or roughly 130 kgs).

Must be the mayonnaise in the burgers

[Kerryd]

I'm an American and I sometimes have a difficult time telling the difference between a Yank and a Canadian. I would be interested to hear how you can tell which is which.

It's (usually) pretty easy to tell the difference between Canadians and our southern neighbours. Down south, y'all speak a different lingo. Axe anyone homes. When y'all ain't slapping your be-atches and ho's, you be capping some whitey's ass. I be given it to you real bendehco.

As for my fellow Canucks, we tend to somewhat more refined and distinguished in our speech patterns.

Well, except for dem dere byes on the rock. When de hain't kissing da cod, de be sloshing the screech. One or da hudder. Me friend, he's da bye dat builds da boat, and he's da bye that sails 'er. He's da bye what catches da fish, and brings them home to Lizer.

Den ders them French folks. 'cept da hain't really French ('specially to the French). Daze really Quebecois. Wat's dat aboot ? Tabernac mon dieu !

The Prairie folk, well, they are kind of like the Ents from the Lord of the Ring movies. It takes a looonnggg time to say anything in Prairie, and they never say anything unless it takes a looonnnggg time.

Dave: Pete

Pete: Dave

Dave: Looks like rain

Pete: Uh huh

Dave: Growin' corn again ?

Pete: Yep

Then there's the folks out west (the "Best" coast, also known as LaLa Land, Hollywood North, et al).

Tony: (cough cough cough)

Brian: (choking) good shit man

Tony: bitchin !

Brian: got any more of this shit ?

Tony: got the grow-op in the basement, and another 20 acres growing out back.

Brian: coool. stop bogarting the doobie dude

Tony: (laughing himself into a coughing fit) "doobie dude" totally rad man

Brian: (laughing himself into a coughing fit) "rad man". That's whacked.

As you can see from these examples, Canadian speech tends to be somewhat more refined, and easy to distinguish from American.

Edited April 13, 2008 by Kerryd

[cali4995]

i always thought one of the unwritten rules was that things did stop at sundown? i left the apartment

at 10pm and i wasn't 50m up the street and some dickhe_d farang shoots me with his water cannon.

i'm making a list and checking it twice. these folks who are just being nasty should get their rewards.

[fred110]

What can you expect nowdays from the Young English Element,a few bottles of Heineken,and a sniff of the barmaids apron,and they think they own the place. Lock them up,deport them,and let me hear them shout for ''Human Rights'' then.

Good riddance too bad rubbish I say.

SweetChariot happened to mention they were American

I guess he can tell nationality by looking? The worst are Brits ,without a doubt.

[Mobi]

My wife used to own a hairdressing salon in Bangkok. Every Songkran she and her staff would stand outside the shop and “play Songkran” with the passers by. I joined her one year, and we all had a great time, as did all her staff and the general public. There was never an untoward incident or unpleasantness, and no one used power water guns or buckets of ice or powder. It was all good hearted fun. But it should be noted that there were no farangs in the locale of her shop.

Fast forward to Pattaya.

A few months ago she took over a hairdressers and barbers shop on Pattaya Klang, near the Nova Hotel, opposite the beer bars of sois 7 and 8.

Yesterday most people were playing Songkran in that area so she decided that she and her staff would join in. She came home about 8 p.m. and reported that she never wanted to play Songkran again. She said that there were roving gangs of up to 10 drunken farangs – mainly Brits – who were abusive and very rough. The carried illegal power water guns, and buckets of ice. When they reached her shop they would physically grab her and her staff so that they couldn’t escape and blast them with water and ice. If they tried to resist, they were subjected to profanities and abuse. She said that normally on that side of the street there would only be a trickle of farangs wandering along, but yesterday the road was full of farangs looking to make mayhem. My wife’s sister, who works with her, had her 4 year old son with her, and he wasn’t spared. The more he cried the more they taunted him and soaked him. They had to put him inside the shop for his own safety.

My wife’s arms are covered in bruises where these louts had grabbed her.

I have to say that since my wife has been working down there, her opinion of farangs has changed considerably. She had encountered so much rudeness, disgusting behaviour, and downright immoral propositions, that she refuses to ‘meet the eye’ of any farang or smile at them for fear of what may follow. She has had to throw a number of drunken yobbos out of her shop when they come in and try to proposition her or her staff or generally make trouble.

And where are our beloved, “to serve and protect”, BIB when all this is going on? Nowhere to be seen – as usual.

Thank God I live on the Dark Side, and thank God my wife is a very strong character.

Roll on the end of Songkran

[tropo]

Roll on the end of Songkran

Hear hear!

[dingdongrb]

As you can see from these examples, Canadian speech tends to be somewhat more refined, and easy to distinguish from American.

"More refined"??? Surely you jest.... I respect your opinion but then again we all know what opinions are like, right? (In case you didn't know they are like arse-holes, everybody has one and some stink more than others.)

Most of my Canadian friends I have met over the years speak almost exactly like my American friends until the 'aye' comes out....

[sloopy]

The traffic in Jomtien Beach is horrific and Pattaya’s official dates are still four days off.

According to Thai – Visa “Breaking News: Songkran death toll rises to 180; 2,514 people injured”

[Kerryd]

"More refined"??? Surely you jest.... I respect your opinion but then again we all know what opinions are like, right? (In case you didn't know they are like arse-holes, everybody has one and some stink more than others.)

Most of my Canadian friends I have met over the years speak almost exactly like my American friends until the 'aye' comes out....

Apparently you missed what was meant to be a humourous jibe, wherein I (overly ?) exaggerated some American slang, and then pointed out some (overly ?) exaggerated examples from different parts of Canada, eh !

(I tend to use the "eh" a lot, even when speaking a different language. Bonjour eh ! Guten Tag eh ! Sawatdee khrap eh !). It helps to remind people that I'm not a native speaker of their language !

[Tammi]

This morning I went to the Wat to hear the monks chant and to pray for the departed souls of relatives and friends. It was almost full house at the Wat - men, women, children, dogs. Before putting food into the various receptacles we prayed for the departed to join us. Those who had lost family and friends poured water from a glass into a dish while speaking with the departed. The water in the dish then was taken outside and poured over the roots of a tree. Ceremony ended with all the names of the departed written on pieces of paper being burned in a large zinc bath along with the one incense stick held by each of the onlookers. There was a banana "money tree" where we made donations to the Wat. Also did the "shake a stick out of the container" to tell my fortune - all my wishes as going to come true and I'll be free from illness like a bright shining moon. If I am looking for a good spouse I am advised it should take some time to find one.

Will start the search after Songkran.

[tlock]

Self-hating farangs I have avoided 7 and 8 so far, and still got soaked today by thais in the back of pickup trucks. It looks to me like quite a few thais have come here just to get a full weeks worth of water play in. I'll be hiding out for the next week as well. I feel like a grumpy old man.

[mrbojangles]

Unfortunately i'll be getting into Patters on wednesday evening. I always manage to avoid songkran but for this trip the timing couldn't be avoided and it was either go on holiday now or not until September. I certainly won't be going anywhere near soi 7 / 8

[chuckd]

.... There were about 6 shirtless Americans with supersoakers who thought it was hilarious, sadly they didn't realise how stupid and pathetic they looked. I was sorely tempted to get off the bike and 're-educate' them, but there were a few big boys there

I am merely curious how you verified their nationality.

Passport, driver's license or other method?

It was possibly something to do with the unnecessarily loud Texas drawl in the voices, coupled with the fact that they were all over 20 stone (280 pounds, or roughly 130 kgs).

Must be the mayonnaise in the burgers

Well, I hate to beat a dead horse (an old West Texas saying), but, I am an old West Texan.

I am just curious how you, as a Brit (I presume), can differentiate a Texas drawl from a drawl from, say, Oklahoma or New Mexico, or Georgia? OK, I will give you the Georgia one, but how's about the others?

I am merely trying to clear up all of this in my mind. I have lived overseas for the past 30+ years and I do believe you would have a difficult time telling me apart from many Canucks, merely by listening to me for a few seconds, gauging my girth and checking the condiments on my hamburger.

I can understand it must have been a frightening experience for you, getting doused by underdressed giants and all.

[Humphrey Bear]

My wife too runs a beauty salon.

But in Soi 17, so less aggravation from drunken louts.

She has closed shop for the week and sent her three gurls back to Issaan for a holiday.

And she's hunkered down in the house until it has all passed.

She loved Songkhran in Chaiyaphum - hates it in Pattaya.

[norrona]

This morning I went to the Wat to hear the monks chant and to pray for the departed souls of relatives and friends. It was almost full house at the Wat - men, women, children, dogs. Before putting food into the various receptacles we prayed for the departed to join us. Those who had lost family and friends poured water from a glass into a dish while speaking with the departed. The water in the dish then was taken outside and poured over the roots of a tree. Ceremony ended with all the names of the departed written on pieces of paper being burned in a large zinc bath along with the one incense stick held by each of the onlookers. There was a banana "money tree" where we made donations to the Wat. Also did the "shake a stick out of the container" to tell my fortune - all my wishes as going to come true and I'll be free from illness like a bright shining moon. If I am looking for a good spouse I am advised it should take some time to find one.

Will start the search after Songkran.

reading that made me feel very humbled...

just sounds far too civillised, where will you look first?

[Tammi]

This morning I went to the Wat to hear the monks chant and to pray for the departed souls of relatives and friends. It was almost full house at the Wat - men, women, children, dogs. Before putting food into the various receptacles we prayed for the departed to join us. Those who had lost family and friends poured water from a glass into a dish while speaking with the departed. The water in the dish then was taken outside and poured over the roots of a tree. Ceremony ended with all the names of the departed written on pieces of paper being burned in a large zinc bath along with the one incense stick held by each of the onlookers. There was a banana "money tree" where we made donations to the Wat. Also did the "shake a stick out of the container" to tell my fortune - all my wishes as going to come true and I'll be free from illness like a bright shining moon. If I am looking for a good spouse I am advised it should take some time to find one.

Will start the search after Songkran.

reading that made me feel very humbled...

just sounds far too civillised, where will you look first?

Was going to start at the new bar overlooking the water at the start of Walking Street. Peter's? But if he doesn't open up soon will maybe have to move to one of the expat clubs.

[cali4995]

well, it's wednesday morning the 16th and i think we're only at the mid-way point. it's just too much

isn't it? 4-5 days of this is more than enough. the PVC pump guns are everywhere they don't seem

to be trying very hard to discourage that. plenty of drunken farangs about but a considerable number

of drunken thais in pick-up trucks bailing water at motorists and pedestrians. nobody has a problem

with a little sprinkling or wetness it's just the mean-spirited nature of so much of it. maybe the young

hooligans enjoy but it really starts to rub mature people the wrong way. only speaking for myself.

[tropo]

maybe the young

hooligans enjoy but it really starts to rub mature people the wrong way. only speaking for myself.

You're not speaking for yourself only.

Yesterday I ended up with a glob of flour in my mouth. I should've spat it straight back in his (ladyboy) face.

[kriswillems]

I went with my parents to Pattaya on 13th. My parents are over 60. Everyone on this forum is very negative about songkran in Pattaya, but my parents and I enjoyed it. We didn't throw water ourself, but we were completely wet. Before, I never left home on Songkran. What I saw was crazy.

I can imagine that the people living there get bored of it after the first day, but I guess this is the toll of living in a tourist city.

Not only farang were behaving in a way that is rude (on other days) but also the Thai bargirls were throwing ice water and doing other things that I don't dare to describe here. Most people in the pick-up trucks throwing water were Thai, not farang. Impolite farangs could be found in the bar-areas, but I think if you want to go there you'll know what you'll get and who you'll meet.

Pattaya is not a normal city. Everything is organized to attract a certain kind of people. Many Thai people in Pattaya are not "standard Thai" and many farang in Pattaya are not "standard farang". So, you can't expect to a very "traditional" songkran in Pattaya.

Edited April 16, 2008 by kriswillems

[bubblehead]

Come on you miserable bunch of w*nkers get out there and enjoy the festivities

[dsfbrit]

Come on you miserable bunch of w*nkers get out there and enjoy the festivities

I would rather sit here and read witty posts like yours bubblewrap, on second thoughts going out and being attacked by tattooed morons may be fractionally more fun.

Sadly the fridge is now empty, the local 7/11 has run out of anything that is at all healthy, so I may have to go into Pattaya after all.

[tropo]

Come on you miserable bunch of w*nkers get out there and enjoy the festivities

I just had some "fun" on 2nd Road near Soi 8.

A Thai blasted me point blank in the face with a high pressure water gun while I'm on my motorcycle. The water made it up my nostrils and into my throat and sinuses. Fortunately I was stationary when he blasted me, so in the name of "fun" I grabbed his gun and dumped it about 100m up the road.

The fun, the fun!

There's quite a difference between having fun and physical assult with a high pressure water gun in the face.

My girlfriend felt sorry for him because I took his gun.

Edited April 16, 2008 by tropo

[4.real]

'Just a few idiots'....

Trouble is these 'few idiots' are usually in a gang on a pick up truck and just MUST stop in the middle of the road and have a battle with the girls in their bars. This can go on for up to 30 minutes while traffic is at a standstill. I have experienced this several times [thinking the water wars had not yet started].

Sunday evening it took nearly 2 hours to get from Jomtien. When I passed [finally] K.bar I could see there had been some huge battle there.

As stated in an earlier post the 'fun' for young thai guys is to fill their water pistols with urine.

You fun seekers are welcome to it.

I have no problem with the children near my home who squirt water over PASSING vehicles.

[raro]

Come on you miserable bunch of w*nkers get out there and enjoy the festivities

I would rather sit here and read witty posts like yours bubblewrap, on second thoughts going out and being attacked by tattooed morons may be fractionally more fun.

[kriswillems]

This evening I went to Bangsaen to see the sand sculptures (Chedi). I never made it to my destination. They were playing songkran over there. It was more crazy than in Pattaya and there were 99.9% Thai people. They didn't use high pressure water guns though, but much more white powder. And they acted more crazy than the farang that hang around in the bars in Pattaya. It looked fun, but I couldn't come out of my car because I had my 2 months old son with me, so I went back home.

I don't mind to sacrifice some comfort to let people have fun. It's only one week.

[cali4995]

Here's a picture from a pattayapeople latest edition. I'm also trying to grin and bear it

but this is exactly the reason this festival has become unpleasant for some.

[philliphn]

.... There were about 6 shirtless Americans with supersoakers who thought it was hilarious, sadly they didn't realise how stupid and pathetic they looked. I was sorely tempted to get off the bike and 're-educate' them, but there were a few big boys there

I am merely curious how you verified their nationality.

Passport, driver's license or other method?

I bet they where talking. They have that very nice and clear english that you can hear over a great distance

I'm an American and I sometimes have a difficult time telling the difference between a Yank and a Canadian. I would be interested to hear how you can tell which is which.

You need a permit to hunt Canadians!

[philliphn]

My wife used to own a hairdressing salon in Bangkok. Every Songkran she and her staff would stand outside the shop and "play Songkran" with the passers by. I joined her one year, and we all had a great time, as did all her staff and the general public. There was never an untoward incident or unpleasantness, and no one used power water guns or buckets of ice or powder. It was all good hearted fun. But it should be noted that there were no farangs in the locale of her shop.

Fast forward to Pattaya.

A few months ago she took over a hairdressers and barbers shop on Pattaya Klang, near the Nova Hotel, opposite the beer bars of sois 7 and 8.

Yesterday most people were playing Songkran in that area so she decided that she and her staff would join in. She came home about 8 p.m. and reported that she never wanted to play Songkran again. She said that there were roving gangs of up to 10 drunken farangs – mainly Brits – who were abusive and very rough. The carried illegal power water guns, and buckets of ice. When they reached her shop they would physically grab her and her staff so that they couldn't escape and blast them with water and ice. If they tried to resist, they were subjected to profanities and abuse. She said that normally on that side of the street there would only be a trickle of farangs wandering along, but yesterday the road was full of farangs looking to make mayhem. My wife's sister, who works with her, had her 4 year old son with her, and he wasn't spared. The more he cried the more they taunted him and soaked him. They had to put him inside the shop for his own safety.

My wife's arms are covered in bruises where these louts had grabbed her.

I have to say that since my wife has been working down there, her opinion of farangs has changed considerably. She had encountered so much rudeness, disgusting behaviour, and downright immoral propositions, that she refuses to 'meet the eye' of any farang or smile at them for fear of what may follow. She has had to throw a number of drunken yobbos out of her shop when they come in and try to proposition her or her staff or generally make trouble.

And where are our beloved, "to serve and protect", BIB when all this is going on? Nowhere to be seen – as usual.

Thank God I live on the Dark Side, and thank God my wife is a very strong character.

Roll on the end of Songkran

I am sorry that your wife had this bad experience.

Unfortunately many of the youth today and some of their elders have very little respect for other people. They all seem to feel that individually they themselves should be treated with a lot of respect and that they them selves are the only ones who have any rights.

[Mobi]

My wife too runs a beauty salon.

But in Soi 17, so less aggravation from drunken louts.

She has closed shop for the week and sent her three gurls back to Issaan for a holiday.

And she's hunkered down in the house until it has all passed.

She loved Songkhran in Chaiyaphum - hates it in Pattaya.

Obviously your wife has had similar experiences to mine, Hump

Yesterday My wife had zero customers due to the mayhem, and this was the first day since she opened that this has happened.

So she has given up the unequal struggle and closed up shop until next Monday.

A bonus for me as I get to spend more time with her, but a shame for her business, and for many others trying to make a Baht or two.

She also enjoys Songkran in her home village in Sa Kaeo.

Ah well.....

[tropo]

Here's a picture from a pattayapeople latest edition. I'm also trying to grin and bear it

but this is exactly the reason this festival has become unpleasant for some.

Get one of those aimed straight at your face from the front when you're travelling along at around 40 km/h on a motorcycle and fun of Songkran fades away fast. Even from the side it's quite unpleasant having high pressure water aimed directly at your ears.

Edited April 17, 2008 by tropo