Songkran 2009

[Kan Win]

(Rumour has it that some tourists actually come here specifically for Songkran. Amazing. )

Your must be 'JestingBkk'

Thay are all over there

and me all time fav a chap from France

This is just for you read the T-shirt 'JestingBkk'

Yours truly,

Songkarn Rocks O.K.

Kan Win

[JetsetBkk]

(Rumour has it that some tourists actually come here specifically for Songkran. Amazing. :D)

You must be 'JestingBkk'...

As usual, very nice pics, Kan Win .

Unfortunately the pleasures of seeing these little - or in the first case, large - beauties...

...is often outweighed by these big uglies:

[yabaaaa]

Throwing water with ice in is done by morons same goes for throwing it at motorcyles with or without ice.

[tw25rw]

it would be ok if it was for one day only and you didn't have a bunch of ignorant arsehol_e foreigners drenching you any time day or night whether you want to play or not.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

i live in chiang mai thanks where songkran is a few days of childlike fun when everyone laughs and is happy. and the weapons aren't 'lethal' by the way. they're water pistols.

CM is better than Pattaya, doesn't last as long. I did Songkran there once. Ended up bloody from the large blocks of ice thrown at me and got an infection from the dirty water. Thanks but no thanks. BTW, if that powder isn't carcinogenic, I'll eat my hat.

If you're hat isn't carcinogenic I'll eat that chalk powder.

And I think Chiang Mai is blessed with such an abundant and relatively clean water supply all around town.. The municipality treats it with chlorine and stuff, kids swim in it.. how bad can it be?

BTW, in a proper water fight (not when throwing at dry people minding their own business) you absolutely need ice water. Regular water has no effect on wet person. That's why they sell the huge blocks of ice all around the moat; a necessary armament.

[Underbelly]

Bring on Somgkran, I cant wait.

[Africanteacher]

Songkran! Oh Songkran!

[Jingthing]

Songkran! Oh Songkran!

Pointless Tragic Deaths! Oh Pointless Tragic Deaths!

[rexall]

...<snip>....

from the Nation Newspaper March 17, 2009:

from April 11 to 17 last year, a total of 32,327 people were killed and injured during the week-long festival. The most dangerous time was on April 12 from 3pm until 7pm when 5,376 people were killed or injured. ...<snip>...

32,000+ !!! Can this possibly be accurate??? My gawd, that many people don't die in wars anymore! I knew the figure must be very high, but 32,000 is appalling! "Killed or injured" covers everything from bruised fingers to decapitations, yes? Shut the dam_n thing down!

Aloha,

Rex

[rob5ash]

All those people killed by water pistols who would have thaught it !

[jeffinbangkok]

It is easy to go to Bangkok and pretty much miss the whole thing, if you use a little common sense.

Bangkok can be fun if you live on Soi 4 and have a 4th Story Roof. I used to escape to Cambodia during this time of year but for the past two years my gf and I have had fun on Soi 4.

The first year we had really small water pistols but would go downstairs dressed in shorts/tshirts/flipflops and charge the people with really big supershooters yelling "ATTTAAAACKKKK" as loud as we could. We would get drenched and end up cracking up with laughter.

The next year we got supershooters but used the same battle charge. After having our fill of roaming the neighborhood looking for smiling people to attack we go back upstairs have a shower and prepare a barbecue on the roof.

I admit the first day is better than the second which is better than the third. Oh, yes, we also have stocked up on dvd's, food and beverage so that we can pick and choose when to join the revelry.

Actually, there are people who I do not talk to all year here. They don't like me and I don't like them. But, on Songkran we squirt and smile at each other as we squirt water and attack each other. The animosity of the year seems to dissolve with the water blessing for those three days.

As you all know...it is all in our attitude toward events and things...we can have any attitude we want with a bit of mental work...after all the only thing we really can control in life is our thoughts! Happy Songkran Day to All.

PS: By the way, I have a really bad attitude toward talcum powder and am trying to alter my attitude toward that part of this interesting holiday!

Edited April 4, 2009 by jeffinbangkok

[phaethon]

Obviously a visit to the Nana area is a suicide mission for the average hydrophobe, but what's it like after dark, does the drenching subside? I may need to make a couple of evening trips to Soi 7 and 5 during that period.

Edited April 4, 2009 by phaethon

[Birdman]

bunch of misery guts on here. songkran is a laugh a minute and about the most fun i can remember since long hot summers as a kid. you get wet, you drink a beer, you dry off, you get wet again. leave the wallet and the mobile phone at home and everyone's a winner.

ever seen Thais older than 30 on the streets in the water battles. Not many, I guess. So you can't also expect every expat to be under 25 and live here since 2 or 4 years only.

I am here 20+ years and I am in my middle age now. Have done it almost all in Thailand and must say that Songkran for me is the most unnecessary day of the year. They have turned that aesthetic tradition into brutal mess.

[cloghead]

When will the aggressive revelry--water throwing, etc--start in Phuket? I have a friend who's arrived today and wants to know when to plan his departure (before the ugliness begins)...