Songkran 2010

[theoldgit]

Does anybody know the dates that Songkran will be celebrated in Pattaya this year?

Sorry, did I say celebrated.

[QED]

The official dates are 13th to 15th April, Pattaya usually extends this and has a special 'Pattaya Songkran' on the 19th, so will drag it out for an extra 4 days.

[Lost in LOS]

I will be leaving town, as usual. will it start before the 13th? Am I safe getting out of town by the 12th?

[ehs818]

I am leaving on April 2, returning on 20. Just to be sure to miss it all! The worst time of the year to be here!

[DanielToddGilbert]

Songkran is one of my favorite times of year in Pattaya. Why? It is the time of year when the miserable, forgotten how to have fun, I've been here since Nam and all tourists are noobs, flee to other places and even other countries and good riddance to the lot of them.

OK, so there are a few dickheads that go over the top with the water guns that I will agree but overall it is the time of year when the locals like to celebrate the water festival and wait for it....have fun!!! If you don't like water and don't like Songkran then you don't like the Thai way.

Last year was fantastic we was partying along second road up by Big C with the majority being Thais. Everyone was having the time of their lives, smiling, dancing, laughing and have fun without one miserable, sour faced old fart to be seen, as they had all buggered off to pastures green to lock themselves into a hotel room and post miserable, it's the end of the world type posts on TV.

[Jingthing]

Pattaya Songkran is about as far from the "Thai Way" as you can possibly imagine.

Edited January 18, 2010 by Jingthing

[SantiSuk]

Pattaya Songkran is about as far from the "Thai Way" as you can possibly imagine.

Been to Pattaya, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and my Isaan home for Songkran (sp?) over the last 5 years. IMHO Songkran in Pattaya is entirely the normal Thai way - fun and charming for a day or two, forced (=fun through gritted teeth and boring) thereafter. Falang view of course

Best place for it? Hua Hin - they celebrate it for 2 days then get back to complete normal thereafter.

Pattaya - too long and a bit too piss artist ish (surprise surprise) but not that atypical. No truck given if you arrive with your luggage in a songthaew in he middle of it! I can understand why geriatrics leave. but surely they have to quit the country to escape it??!!

[basjke]

Songkran is one of my favorite times of year in Pattaya. Why? It is the time of year when the miserable, forgotten how to have fun, I've been here since Nam and all tourists are noobs, flee to other places and even other countries and good riddance to the lot of them.

OK, so there are a few dickheads that go over the top with the water guns that I will agree but overall it is the time of year when the locals like to celebrate the water festival and wait for it....have fun!!! If you don't like water and don't like Songkran then you don't like the Thai way.

Last year was fantastic we was partying along second road up by Big C with the majority being Thais. Everyone was having the time of their lives, smiling, dancing, laughing and have fun without one miserable, sour faced old fart to be seen, as they had all buggered off to pastures green to lock themselves into a hotel room and post miserable, it's the end of the world type posts on TV.

I don't want to judge by your joining date but can you please in all honesty tell us how many songkrans you have joined in pattaya so far.

[SantiSuk]

Look out Basjke. here comes the typical Pattaya TV head-butt welcome. Someone said on another post recently how marked the difference was between CM TVers and Bangkok. I think we can add Pattaya to the 'Bangkok' category (notable exceptions like Jingthing)

[NanLaew]

Like snowdrops poking their heads through the melting snow, red-breasted Robins on the frosted clothes line and geese flying north against a sharp, clear blue sky, the first post about Songkran on the Pattaya forum is a welcome harbinger of the beckoning Spring with new hopes and aspirations, the awakening of the spirit and the opening of the mind.

...then I farted and the moment was lost.

[thaijasmine]

Songkran is one of my favorite times of year in Pattaya. Why? It is the time of year when the miserable, forgotten how to have fun, I've been here since Nam and all tourists are noobs, flee to other places and even other countries and good riddance to the lot of them.

OK, so there are a few dickheads that go over the top with the water guns that I will agree but overall it is the time of year when the locals like to celebrate the water festival and wait for it....have fun!!! If you don't like water and don't like Songkran then you don't like the Thai way.

Last year was fantastic we was partying along second road up by Big C with the majority being Thais. Everyone was having the time of their lives, smiling, dancing, laughing and have fun without one miserable, sour faced old fart to be seen, as they had all buggered off to pastures green to lock themselves into a hotel room and post miserable, it's the end of the world type posts on TV.

if the " few dickheads " left town maybe people would less miserable.

Trouble is there are more drunken " dickheads " every year

[craigt3365]

I have also celebrated Songkran in many cities across Thailand. My favorites are in the small villages where the old folks give you blessings and the children are having a blast. Getting soaked by a truck full of drunk Thai teenagers is OK...one time...after that, it gets old. It is just a big party, not really what Songkran is all about. If you like that type of Songkran, you probably like the full moon party in KPN. Not my style...

[Ohio]

[

OK, so there are a few dickheads that go over the top with the water guns that I will agree

I would suggest that last year the "few" were several dozen per day that completely diminish the actual meaning of "Songkran"

Sucking up Sewage into Trucks to fill water guns for Drunken Idiotic Farangs & Followers of low mental ability to spray passing traffic causing life risking accidents is NOT what Songkran is supposed to be.

My opinion after 20 + years coming to Patts & making sure I am never there again during that period of 'lunacy' .

But, hey maybe this year we can get over 15,000 serious traffic injuries to families in Thailand to show how great a celebration it is ?? & if there is a REAL effort of Idiots water BOMBING motorists we may be able to surpass the 300+ deaths of last year

Songkran ....ya gotta love it

[PoorSucker]

Pattaya Songkran is about as far from the "Thai Way" as you can possibly imagine.

Been to Pattaya, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and my Isaan home for Songkran (sp?) over the last 5 years. IMHO Songkran in Pattaya is entirely the normal Thai way - fun and charming for a day or two, forced (=fun through gritted teeth and boring) thereafter. Falang view of course

Best place for it? Hua Hin - they celebrate it for 2 days then get back to complete normal thereafter.

Pattaya - too long and a bit too piss artist ish (surprise surprise) but not that atypical. No truck given if you arrive with your luggage in a songthaew in he middle of it! I can understand why geriatrics leave. but surely they have to quit the country to escape it??!!

Samui one day.

[NALAK]

Songkran is one of my favorite times of year in Pattaya. Why? It is the time of year when the miserable, forgotten how to have fun, I've been here since Nam and all tourists are noobs, flee to other places and even other countries and good riddance to the lot of them.

OK, so there are a few dickheads that go over the top with the water guns that I will agree but overall it is the time of year when the locals like to celebrate the water festival and wait for it....have fun!!! If you don't like water and don't like Songkran then you don't like the Thai way.

Last year was fantastic we was partying along second road up by Big C with the majority being Thais. Everyone was having the time of their lives, smiling, dancing, laughing and have fun without one miserable, sour faced old fart to be seen, as they had all buggered off to pastures green to lock themselves into a hotel room and post miserable, it's the end of the world type posts on TV.

its not thai way at all, do see the older thais out celebrating in this way. no so are they just boring old farts as well, still there are at least 300 thais alive today who will be dead by the 19 th April celebration time dont think so

[male]

ahh not that crap again

[theoldgit]

My question regarding the date has been answered.

The Mods might want to close this thread now.

Thank you all.

Edited January 22, 2010 by theoldgit

[JSixpack]

My question regarding the date has been answered.

The Mods might want to close this thread now.

Thank you all.

No, we want our annual I HATE HATE HATE SONGKRAN thread and this might as well be it. If not, we'll just have to start another one.

Now then: let's hear about the most convenient way to get to Angeles City.

[Spoonman]

I love Songkran, Week off work i get sooo much done around the house.

[Rimmer]

My question regarding the date has been answered.

The Mods might want to close this thread now.

Thank you all.

Well yes we could but the posters are staying on topic (sort of) and as one bright spark said if we close this, someone will start another one, so meanwhile we can just sit back and enjoy. I hope

[JSixpack]

I love Songkran, Week off work i get sooo much done around the house.

You can't work when you got nothin' to eat 'cause you can't go out to get anything.

[Jingthing]

I love Songkran, Week off work i get sooo much done around the house.

You can't work when you got nothin' to eat 'cause you can't go out to get anything.

Yep, last year went out at 11 PM to buy food and was totally doused with dirty flour water. This wasn't even anywhere near a peak day. That's not the Thai way, that's assault.

[Rimmer]

Duplicate (nearly) post removed, I think I left the correct one.

[Tokay]

Songkran is one of my favorite times of year in Pattaya. Why? It is the time of year when the miserable, forgotten how to have fun, I've been here since Nam and all tourists are noobs, flee to other places and even other countries and good riddance to the lot of them.

OK, so there are a few dickheads that go over the top with the water guns that I will agree but overall it is the time of year when the locals like to celebrate the water festival and wait for it....have fun!!! If you don't like water and don't like Songkran then you don't like the Thai way.

Last year was fantastic we was partying along second road up by Big C with the majority being Thais. Everyone was having the time of their lives, smiling, dancing, laughing and have fun without one miserable, sour faced old fart to be seen, as they had all buggered off to pastures green to lock themselves into a hotel room and post miserable, it's the end of the world type posts on TV.

It wouldn't be so bad if they ended it when everyone else did. A couple of days is fine, a week is too much. I've never had a problem with songkran in any other city. Only in Pattaya is it totally out of hand.

Also, those high powered water guns HAVER TO GO. Those are fun and games until you get shot directly in the eye with one, as I did, while driving my bike. My eye ball literally almost came out of the socket. I could feel the pressure, it was horrible. Eye got infected and it looked like someone punched me. You can respectfully have fun, there is no reason to try to cause pain or cause accidents.

[Tokay]

I love Songkran, Week off work i get sooo much done around the house.

You can't work when you got nothin' to eat 'cause you can't go out to get anything.

Yep, last year went out at 11 PM to buy food and was totally doused with dirty flour water. This wasn't even anywhere near a peak day. That's not the Thai way, that's assault.

A few years ago I foolishly went out with my video camera. I was going out of my way to avoid getting close to people so I did not get wet. A wonderful Thai girl stepped to me with a BUCKET of water, I asked her to please don't throw it at me because of my camera, she replied, "I DONT CARE!" and dumped the entire bucket directly on my video camera. Not me, but my camera.

I had flashes in my head of burning down her house (which probably cost less than my camera) and yelling, "I DONT CARE!" as she and her family pleaded with me not to burn it down. I should not have taken it out, it was my fault, but that was simply uncalled for. Had I known I would have gotten away with it, I can't say I wouldn't have held her head under in the larger barrel of water until she dam_n near passed out. I was LIVID. Can't image that happening anywhere else in Thailand.

[craigt3365]

What happens in Pattaya is exactly the same as in many large cities around Thailand...even tried to walk down the streets of BKK during Songkran? With pickup trucks carrying large barrels of klong water and using pumps to hose everybody down. Real fun...

I saw a pic from somewhere in Issan where the local fire department got into the act and used their truck. They got in trouble and won't be doing it this year...

Sorry to hear about your experience...but helps me to remember to be extra careful this year!!!

[gk10002000]

The problem with SonK in pattaya is they do it too long. During the week it effectively prohibits you from going out, enjoying a walk up Buddha hill, catching a baht bus and going to Big C to see a movie or get something to eat for lunch. You can't go to Nong Nooch or anywhere without getting doused and then having wet clothes all day. Been there and in other cities, and Pattaya overdoes it.

Be forewarned and fore armed.

[Gonsalviz]

The morons that think Pattaya Songkran is the norm are probably part of the problem.

I will thankfully be in Small Village, Issan.

[William Osborne]

thanks for the reminder... have just checked my schedule and luckily I am out of country !!! unfortunately got 2 doses of it last year as I went up to Chang Mai which has different dates to Pattaya.

[Tarqin]

Songkran in Pattaya flat out sucks. Thanks for the heads up will book my flights to Singapore for the week.

I too had a very serious eye infection after being hit in the eye with a supersoaker filled with drain water.

NEVER AGAIN.