Songkran "fun" On The Road From Chiang Rai To Chiang Mai

[cerbera]

This needs to be stopped.

Im all for water throwing fun around the moat. In villages. In and around lakes and rivers. BUT NOT ON ROADS WHERE THERE IS FAST FLOWING TRAFFIC.

It defies belief. Drove from Chiang mai to mae sai and back today and on the return the kids, teens and adults were causing motorbikes to swerve into the path of cars buses and lorries.

Picture the conversation with a responsible Thai father.

Father: what are you doing today kids.

Kids: well we are going to throw rancid water at vehicles.

F:Why

K: For sanuk

F: What are you hoping to achieve by doing this

K: Well not being mowed down, ourselves, by cars and buses skidding on the water weve thrown and ultimately it would be nice to cause some motorcyslist to fall off and die.

F: Ok you carry on. Great idea.

STOP it on the superhighway the chiang mai- Hod road and similar roads.

People are driving crazily at the moment, factor in booze, it has to be stupidest activity any country in the world allows.

[millwall_fan]

T.I.T. !

[slapout]

Hang around for another week and you won't even remember that little bit of "stupidity" chunks of ice at speeding motorbikes/cars, soapy water in face of motorbike/revilers, moat/sewer water usage etc.

Most people will have a reasonable good time, except those that die on the roads, in fights due to drunkenness, downing, etc and the surviving family and friends. Happy new year.

[iainiain101]

They allways start the week before near Chiang Rai. It is definately never worth having to do a visa type run (or any distance on the road) a week either side of Songkran. Just put it down to experience and plan better in future.

Iain

[Dellboy218]

It's not the drunken fights, it is when the guns come out, and they will. Enjoy but use common sense. There are those that cannot take a drink, turn around and walk away.

[MESmith]

They allways start the week before near Chiang Rai. It is definately never worth having to do a visa type run (or any distance on the road) a week either side of Songkran. Just put it down to experience and plan better in future.

Iain

Don't think the op planning his/her visa run better is going to help the motorcyclists that were having the problems....

[iainiain101]

They allways start the week before near Chiang Rai. It is definately never worth having to do a visa type run (or any distance on the road) a week either side of Songkran. Just put it down to experience and plan better in future.

Iain

Don't think the op planning his/her visa run better is going to help the motorcyclists that were having the problems....

At least he and others wont be swerving to avoid them.

Iain

[Ricardo]

It was also well-underway, between Mae Chan & Fang, today. I suspect that people in the Chiang Rai area enjoy an early-start, possibly because the smoke is even worse up there, than it is down here.

[whiterussian]

Try doing it on a 'big' motorbike! I had to do a visa run 2 years ago during Songkran!

A simple wave of the hand or shake of the helmeted head meant you were off limits --- doing 70 mph!

worked most of the time... although actually, i think i drove in the middle of the road whenever possible... they got the message.

The only problem was when they had ambushes on corners... so the road was wet, and slick...just where you really needed traction to lean in..

that was a pain!

If you are in a car... stop whinging!!

Edited April 9, 2010 by whiterussian

[cerbera]

I swerved a couple of times today. I saw a lot of ambulances, body pickups on the road.

I thought the standard of driving today, which is normally pretty good, degenerated.

I drove through a place called wiang pao pau. (Steep hump back bridge on both sides) looked down and everyone having fun in the river. Around the water . Brilliant. My point is that on these major roads. The people who perhaps dont have the facility to go to a river, ie the poorest kids see this as possibly the best fun they can have all year. which is wrong on a lot of levels.

[MESmith]

 

I drove through a place called wiang pao pau. (Steep hump back bridge on both sides) 

I think that might be at Mae Suay?  Great bridge, miles higher than the road either side, & until recently, an "off-road" very bumpy approach & departure from  Who the hel_l designed that bit of engineering?

[cerbera]

I was in a car. Im not whinging I just think; on Fast roads its wrong to chuck water onto motorcyclists. Looking at their beatific smiles, amazing at how being doused with water gets them wet and how this is fun, doesnt quite cut it with the fact that there will be a family of, say 3, on a honda dream, gets drenched with water on the road I mentioned and The kid will fall off and get run over by a car truck or bus.

Please understand.

1 death is too much for Sanuk

[whiterussian]

It's pissing into the wind to get annoyed by it...

A lot of heavy trade will stop during songkan, the lorries wont run so often...

it all balances out.

What's more frightening than the water... are the drunk drivers at night during songkran.

Especially around Chiang Rai.

Do you know what the white powder paint they put on cars is for? I dont.. is it to protect the paint? does it work?

Edited April 9, 2010 by whiterussian

[iainiain101]

Do you know what the white powder paint they put on cars is for? I dont.. is it to protect the paint? does it work?

It is wax. The water is mainly from wells and therefore carries a lot of sediment which scratches and sticks to car paint. The wax will protect your car.

Iain

[whiterussian]

^ Thanks!!

[cerbera]

yeah keep your car clean from scratches. Make sure you sort out the important shit first...... wax over the 500- 800 deaths.... TIT... alles clar.... ce ne faire rien..... im all right jack... You seminal beings

[whiterussian]

yeah keep your car clean from scratches. Make sure you sort out the important shit first...... wax over the 500- 800 deaths.... TIT... alles clar.... ce ne faire rien..... im all right jack... You seminal beings

Don't worry, I'm sure someone will start a Songkran 2010 death count thread.

[LJW]

Some 20+ years ago, I was riding my bike from CR to CM, when I saw some kids on the side getting ready to douse me. I signalled to them with my head and my arms to not throw any water on me... Unfortunately, they still doused me. I was so pissed, that I stopped my bike and chased the kids (who were terrified) around the back of their house into the chicken coop. I found both of them lying in the mud, trying to hide.... When I saw how scared they were, I simply smiled at them, got on my bike and completed my ride...

[WinnieTheKhwai]

First of the Songkran bashing topics.. What a great yearly tradition, after the haze-whining season it's the Songkran-whining season. Brilliant.

[Ulysses G.]

I can't wait for complain-about-the-rain season.

[cerbera]

If you read the posts. I mentioned I love / understand songkran in designated areas where there is slow moving, or no traffic. Where its ludicrous to allow the throwing of water is on fast main roads or dual carriageways.

ps Its not haze. Its massive pollution. That is hospitalizing people daily.

Edited April 10, 2010 by cerbera

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Yes, I agree about that of course. Throwing water on main highways, especially several days before the actual event is not a good thing.

I'm happy that we're blessed with an environment where we can safely have a party (along the moat). I stopped going to other roads such as the old Lamphun road.

[Jonathanpattaya]

I stay off the road for the entire duration of Songkran here in Pattaya.

[davidgtr]

I swerved a couple of times today. I saw a lot of ambulances, body pickups on the road.

I thought the standard of driving today, which is normally pretty good, degenerated.

I drove through a place called wiang pao pau. (Steep hump back bridge on both sides) looked down and everyone having fun in the river. Around the water . Brilliant. My point is that on these major roads. The people who perhaps dont have the facility to go to a river, ie the poorest kids see this as possibly the best fun they can have all year. which is wrong on a lot of levels.

Today I rode my motorbike from Thoed Thai - Chiang Mai via Mae Chan & R108 did not think it was a serious problem.

The place with the river & the bumps either side of bridge is Mae Suai. 30kms north of Wiang Pa Pao, & yes there were hundreds enjoying the heat & school holidays in the river.

If you see kids beside the road or a wet road ahead S-L-O-W right down. As a farang put your hand up indicating no water please & 95% of the time it's "no problem". You drive / ride according to the conditions.

I also did not see anything wrong with the driving today & Ive done that run hundreds of times, perhaps you were in a hurry or were aggravated by the water throwing.

But yeah it is Songkran, people drink, throw water & generally misbehave like they normally don't do; but this is Songkran & that's how it is; & for many kids it is "possibly the best fun they can have all year." Like it or lump it I say - TIT.

[cerbera]

Today I rode my motorbike from Thoed Thai - Chiang Mai via Mae Chan & R108 did not think it was a serious problem.

The place with the river & the bumps either side of bridge is Mae Suai. 30kms north of Wiang Pa Pao, & yes there were hundreds enjoying the heat & school holidays in the river.

If you see kids beside the road or a wet road ahead S-L-O-W right down. As a farang put your hand up indicating no water please & 95% of the time it's "no problem". You drive / ride according to the conditions.

I also did not see anything wrong with the driving today & Ive done that run hundreds of times, perhaps you were in a hurry or were aggravated by the water throwing.

But yeah it is Songkran, people drink, throw water & generally misbehave like they normally don't do; but this is Songkran & that's how it is; & for many kids it is "possibly the best fun they can have all year." Like it or lump it I say - TIT.

Well presumably you are wearing a helmet when you ride your old africa twin. You are not carrying your wife and three year old kid, standing up between you on the seat.

Slow down..... I did. Make sure the message gets through to the bus and lorry drivers and pissed pick up drivers.

"Like it or lump it TIt". Sounds like Trink from a good few years ago. People evolve, society hopefully evolves and this is dumb.

So just to check that you think that throwing of water at motorcyles sometimes with ice in it is ok on fast moving roads? If yes then you are wrong.

Just today near Mae hia market a notorious black spot when motorbikes try and cross over the bridge towards the tesco express. theres a guy there on his own causing bikes to swerve into the path of the people who have caned it round the corner in their archaic suspended pick ups, because they can and want to show how brave, drunk, skillful they are. And are hammering towards the red light near Im pla plao.

People are dying now for this "FUN"

Its just plain stupid.

[MESmith]

I think Darwin had a theory about this......

[davidgtr]

Well presumably you are wearing a helmet when you ride your old africa twin. You are not carrying your wife and three year old kid, standing up between you on the seat.

Slow down..... I did. Make sure the message gets through to the bus and lorry drivers and pissed pick up drivers.

"Like it or lump it TIt". Sounds like Trink from a good few years ago. People evolve, society hopefully evolves and this is dumb.

So just to check that you think that throwing of water at motorcyles sometimes with ice in it is ok on fast moving roads? If yes then you are wrong.

Just today near Mae hia market a notorious black spot when motorbikes try and cross over the bridge towards the tesco express. theres a guy there on his own causing bikes to swerve into the path of the people who have caned it round the corner in their archaic suspended pick ups, because they can and want to show how brave, drunk, skillful they are. And are hammering towards the red light near Im pla plao.

People are dying now for this "FUN"

Its just plain stupid.

I agree it is very dangerous. People get killed through drunken stupidity. And it gets worse every year. My advice: it is best not to drive or ride during the Songkran water festival.

Scream as much as you want, but we as farang, will not be able to change it. So for me "like it or lump it."

Have a nice Songkran.

[Maejo Man]

Scream as much as you want, but we as farang, will not be able to change it. So for me "like it or lump it."

Have a nice Songkran.

Walk round for a beer mate if you get time.....I'm not going anywhere, and the beer's ice cold.

[cerbera]

I agree it is very dangerous. People get killed through drunken stupidity. And it gets worse every year. My advice: it is best not to drive or ride during the Songkran water festival.

Scream as much as you want, but we as farang, will not be able to change it. So for me "like it or lump it."

Have a nice Songkran.

I wasnt screaming and you avoided the question, mai pen rai. Happy songkran to you.

Hopefully sub 800 deaths this year. Majority motorcyclist?

[LivinginKata]

All the off topic posts have been removed.