Pattaya At Songkran

[Jingthing]

It's not so bad for night owls.

[gmac]

anyone that is even in pattaya during this time is a total loser.

LOL. It depends on your point of view. I could easily say you're a pussy for running away at Songkran. Once you've mastered the basic precautions, it's not that difficult to get through.

Anyway, I'm staying. If that makes me a "total loser", so be it.

First time in 10 years I'm actually running away to the UK this year, pussy I may be but 10 days of it really does get tedious!

[patrickinpattaya]

Never actually been in thailand for the Songkran. Would love to experience it just once in Pattaya, it cant be all bad, or can it?

[Jingthing]

Never actually been in thailand for the Songkran. Would love to experience it just once in Pattaya, it cant be all bad, or can it?

If you want a better quality crazy one, try Chiang Mai. The canals add an element Pattaya can't.

[LennyW]

Never actually been in thailand for the Songkran. Would love to experience it just once in Pattaya, it cant be all bad, or can it?

Loads of videos on Youtube - have a look and see what you think.

[Ulysses G.]

Never actually been in thailand for the Songkran. Would love to experience it just once in Pattaya, it cant be all bad, or can it?

If you want a better quality crazy one, try Chiang Mai. The canals add an element Pattaya can't.

It is much shorter in CM and not nearly as many nasty characters around. However, the grumpy old men still spend a lot of time grumbling about it every year.

[tropo]

Never actually been in thailand for the Songkran. Would love to experience it just once in Pattaya, it cant be all bad, or can it?

If you want a better quality crazy one, try Chiang Mai. The canals add an element Pattaya can't.

It is much shorter in CM and not nearly as many nasty characters around. However, the grumpy old men still spend a lot of time grumbling about it every year.

Such is the intensity of a Songkran week in Pattaya that one does not even have to be old or grumpy to complain. Just the fact that many people actually go to the expense of leaving the country for the week is evidence of that.

[Jebhead]

I've been here 11 years and only experienced it twice ( through choice ). First time was in Phuket when i was fresh meat, only 2 days - that was bearable. 2nd time was after i'd moved to Pattaya, thought i'd go out and see what the fuss was about, never again!!

JH

[DoctorG]

My first Songkran was in BKK in 2008 and was an enjoyable experience with the Thais asking permission before the water and paste treatment.

Unfortunately, I was living in Pattaya last year and experienced the nasty side of this event. I did the one day "get very wet experience" and that was fine. However for the rest of the time I basically stayed in my apartment and watched TV.

The only safe time to go out was for my early morning trip to the supermarket.

This year I will be in Phuket and (unfortunately) expect it to be similar to Pattaya.

[Cuban]

Even wearing a business suit is no protection - drunk people throwing water Thai & farang alike. Strongly suggest that you have booked car transport from the exact door of point A to B, a few steps in the open can be enough to be hit from a distance. A dry target is even more tempting. Get into the habit of looking at the ground, if it's wet you are in range.

Within the Dusit resort you should be OK, but be aware of those around you.

If your hotel is within the madness zone you will get wet.

[Jebhead]

My first Songkran was in BKK in 2008 and was an enjoyable experience with the Thais asking permission before the water and paste treatment.

Unfortunately, I was living in Pattaya last year and experienced the nasty side of this event. I did the one day "get very wet experience" and that was fine. However for the rest of the time I basically stayed in my apartment and watched TV.

The only safe time to go out was for my early morning trip to the supermarket.

This year I will be in Phuket and (unfortunately) expect it to be similar to Pattaya.

Phuket is only 2 days, nowhere near as bad as Pattaya.

JH

[mrphil]

Nobody has made this clear, so:

In Pattaya, the main Songkran day is the 19th. That day nothing moves. It takes hours just to get around

Pattaya, and you will definitely get wet, dirty, and amused (or angry, depending on your type).

The road past the Dusit is definitely on the 'main route' and gets the full blast.

My advice, on 19th, either go out and enjoy it or stay home all day, at least from 10am until 8pm.

The 7 days before that you will occasionally get wet if walking or riding a bike (or Songtaew) but

it is mostly OK, and traffic moves normally.

So having a conference in the days before 19th is not so crazy.

As I said, enjoy or avoid (I enjoy!)

[Jingthing]

Nobody has made this clear, so:

In Pattaya, the main Songkran day is the 19th. That day nothing moves. It takes hours just to get around

Pattaya, and you will definitely get wet, dirty, and amused (or angry, depending on your type).

The road past the Dusit is definitely on the 'main route' and gets the full blast.

My advice, on 19th, either go out and enjoy it or stay home all day, at least from 10am until 8pm.

The 7 days before that you will occasionally get wet if walking or riding a bike (or Songtaew) but

it is mostly OK, and traffic moves normally.

So having a conference in the days before 19th is not so crazy.

As I said, enjoy or avoid (I enjoy!)

I kind of think this is way understated. One day? I don't think so.

[gmac]

Nobody has made this clear, so:

In Pattaya, the main Songkran day is the 19th. That day nothing moves. It takes hours just to get around

Pattaya, and you will definitely get wet, dirty, and amused (or angry, depending on your type).

The road past the Dusit is definitely on the 'main route' and gets the full blast.

My advice, on 19th, either go out and enjoy it or stay home all day, at least from 10am until 8pm.

The 7 days before that you will occasionally get wet if walking or riding a bike (or Songtaew) but

it is mostly OK, and traffic moves normally.

So having a conference in the days before 19th is not so crazy.

As I said, enjoy or avoid (I enjoy!)

I kind of think this is way understated. One day? I don't think so.

Yes indeed! The 18th is also a main day (for Naklua) but the action spills over into Pattaya and causes havoc with the traffic and the whole of the prior week you will find a soaking waiting for you in daylight hours at least if you venture past any of the bars on 2nd Road or Beach Roaad and most of the connecting Sois. All over the Pattaya area you risk a soaking particularly if you are on a motorcycle or travelling in a Baht bus.

[deejah]

i think it is clear the last day will be tues the 19 and go all night

how can we determine when the darn thing begins?

no later than the 13 which is a wed

will the general water action begin before then?

or do we need to just wait and see

other pattaya songrkan link here

http://www.thaivisa....-o-n-g-k-r-a-n/

one thing i noticed in bkk

there are things you can do to avoid getting wet

(when going out)

which dont work so well in pattaya

due to an all out WAR zone with no rules or compassion

still some of the pattay songkran videos i have seen really make it look like a lot of fun and a good time had by all

[Soboringtochooseaname]

Great ! We have found a special use for all the big Ruxxian in Thailand ! Thanks to them getting mad this #@$#$#^% event will stop !

[alstaxi]

"Before you start rubbishing people's comments how about riding around Pattaya during Songkran week late a night. Don't wear a poncho, that way you won't forget. I don't know about Jomtien."

Sir, you miss-read my post. How about re-reading it and this time noticing the part that clearly states it is about Jomtien:

"We've lived in Jomtien for 5+ years, and I have rarely, if ever, seen anyone operating late into the night during Songkran around here."

So, who's rubbishing who...mate?

I suggest you do some re-reading.

My statement about wearing ponchos to keep dry relates to Pattaya Central. (this thread is a "Pattaya at Songkran" thread.

You said my statement was wrong because you haven't had a problem in Jomtien in 5+ years.

Your logic is becoming more absurd every post you make ... mate.

Why dont you two take this outside, water cannons and ponchos at 50 paces???

[DMC1]

i think it is clear the last day will be tues the 19 and go all night

how can we determine when the darn thing begins?

no later than the 13 which is a wed

will the general water action begin before then?

or do we need to just wait and see

other pattaya songrkan link here

http://www.thaivisa....-o-n-g-k-r-a-n/

one thing i noticed in bkk

there are things you can do to avoid getting wet

(when going out)

which dont work so well in pattaya

due to an all out WAR zone with no rules or compassion

still some of the pattay songkran videos i have seen really make it look like a lot of fun and a good time had by all

No, on the last day of the 19th it NEVER goes all night. Things start wrapping up at 6pm.

[tropo]

i think it is clear the last day will be tues the 19 and go all night

how can we determine when the darn thing begins?

no later than the 13 which is a wed

will the general water action begin before then?

or do we need to just wait and see

other pattaya songrkan link here

http://www.thaivisa....-o-n-g-k-r-a-n/

one thing i noticed in bkk

there are things you can do to avoid getting wet

(when going out)

which dont work so well in pattaya

due to an all out WAR zone with no rules or compassion

still some of the pattay songkran videos i have seen really make it look like a lot of fun and a good time had by all

No, on the last day of the 19th it NEVER goes all night. Things start wrapping up at 6pm.

Yes, even the hardiest of revellers are burnt out by then. The sadistic crowd get more fun attacking dry people throughout the week than wetting already soaked people on Songkran day.

[gk10002000]

i think it is clear the last day will be tues the 19 and go all night

how can we determine when the darn thing begins?

no later than the 13 which is a wed

will the general water action begin before then?

or do we need to just wait and see

other pattaya songrkan link here

http://www.thaivisa....-o-n-g-k-r-a-n/

one thing i noticed in bkk

there are things you can do to avoid getting wet

(when going out)

which dont work so well in pattaya

due to an all out WAR zone with no rules or compassion

still some of the pattay songkran videos i have seen really make it look like a lot of fun and a good time had by all

No, on the last day of the 19th it NEVER goes all night. Things start wrapping up at 6pm.

Yes, even the hardiest of revellers are burnt out by then. The sadistic crowd get more fun attacking dry people throughout the week than wetting already soaked people on Songkran day.

I was on Soi 7 or 8, I forget which bar that was across from the Flipper I was in. It was about 8 PM, and I was standing up on the stairs deciding which way to head for the night. One drunk farang somehow managed to sneak up on me, cross the street and douse me and ruined that set of clothes for the evening and it was the only pair of hiking shorts I had. I walked across the street, broke his big plastic horn thingy, then turned over one of the water buckets the bar had there. Mama san was not happy. Too bad. Enough was enough. Got to take it if you give it.

[craigt3365]

One derogatory remark removed from view and warning given.

[bangkokburning]

Pretty ironic - everyone worried-afraid-concerned over the Buddhist new year. Feel sorry for you if your entire world is 10sqkm of derelict shophouses and some very rough tourists and even rougher locals.

Its not as though Pattaya at any moment is a quality experience in th ebest of times, but here you have the worst of it - and people stay.

AH.....Pattaya, paradise

Edited March 25, 2011 by bangkokburning

[tropo]

Pretty ironic - everyone worried-afraid-concerned over the Buddhist new year. Feel sorry for you if your entire world is 10sqkm of derelict shophouses and some very rough tourists and even rougher locals.

Its not as though Pattaya at any moment is a quality experience in th ebest of times, but here you have the worst of it - and people stay.

AH.....Pattaya, paradise

An absolutely ignorant description of Pattaya. I live in a quiet location with park surroundings only 1.5 km from Walking Street.

There's hardly any feelings of a "Buddhist New Year" here during Songkran even living a few hundred meters from a major Buddhist temple. Rather it's a week of madness and mayhem far removed from its original intent.

I've experienced a similar phenomenon in a busy tourist location back in the 80's (Surfers Paradise, Australia), where revellers decided New Years Eve was an excuse to engage in drunken, deviant behaviour in the name of celebration....and that only went on for one night.

I reserve my right to complain about the Songkran "event" in Pattaya as my complaint is based on factual events and 5 years of personal experience. People who use this as an excuse to deride people who live in Pattaya can get ******

Despite my complaints, I will ride out the storm and enjoy the next 51 weeks of the year.

Edited March 25, 2011 by tropo

[4.real]

Assuming you are coming from Bangkok, fly in to U Tapao and charter a helicopter from U Tapao to the hotel assuming they have a helipad on the roof. Book a room at the hotel and don't go out, use room service.

Just wondering what company would schedule an event at that time?

Chess???

"The 11th BCC Thailand Open 2011 will be held from 11 to 17 April at the outstanding Dusit Thani Pattaya."

Whoever booked these dates can never have been to Pattaya during April [songkran can be at any time during April..even all of April].

If you hope to drive it will take app 2 hours[or more] to drive 1 mile.

The stuff in the water cannons will be disgusting as these weapons of mass disease will be filled from ...toilets, sewers, trucks that have been emptying cess pits,ditches and some personal urine will often be added...Plus some chunks of ice and bags of white powder w2ill be thrown at you.

All in the name of 'fun'.

[KunMatt]

Songkran in Pattaya is a royal pain in the ass, I'll never do it again there after last year.

A lot of people there are just mean with it and go way too far. Some people just use it as an excuse to be cruel. I'm usually very cool headed but I belted a Thai who ran up behind me in the street and slapped me in the eye from behind with a hand full of prickly heat paste so hard it left both my ears ringing. I was raging. I would have beat the shit out of him if we were in any other country.

Every farang will blast people in the face from inches away with those big water canons, even people on motorbikes. I saw lots of people stack their mopeds into the back of cars because of this. There's no mercy even when you make it clear you obviously don't want to be a part of it and have nothing to fight back with, you just get even more battered. Jomtien is nowhere near as bad, at least it stops at night. The rest of Pattaya you can't even step one foot out of the hotel at any hour without getting mobbed.

I spent Songkran the year before in BKK and it was wonderful, a really nice atmosphere everywhere we went and everyone was friendly and having an awesome time and I was loving the spirit of Songkran. In Pattaya you just feel like you are constantly under attack if you are not part of the armed mob!

What's worse it goes on for like 2 weeks!!!

[BugJackBaron]

Assuming you are coming from Bangkok, fly in to U Tapao and charter a helicopter from U Tapao to the hotel assuming they have a helipad on the roof. Book a room at the hotel and don't go out, use room service.

Just wondering what company would schedule an event at that time?

Chess???

"The 11th BCC Thailand Open 2011 will be held from 11 to 17 April at the outstanding Dusit Thani Pattaya."

Whoever booked these dates can never have been to Pattaya during April [songkran can be at any time during April..even all of April].

If you hope to drive it will take app 2 hours[or more] to drive 1 mile.

The stuff in the water cannons will be disgusting as these weapons of mass disease will be filled from ...toilets, sewers, trucks that have been emptying cess pits,ditches and some personal urine will often be added...Plus some chunks of ice and bags of white powder w2ill be thrown at you.

All in the name of 'fun'.

I can confirm that it was the Bangkok chess club that organized it. Last year it was held in Bangkok and I had a good time playing even if it barely missed the height of the red-shirt troubles. The tournament is held alternately between Pattaya and Bangkok.

But having experienced Songkran here 2 years ago, I will have to give the tournament this year a pass and enjoy a week in Cambodia instead.

Edited March 28, 2011 by BugJackBaron

[Deserted]

Thanks for all the replies, certainly food for thought. It's been years since I last experienced Songkran in Thailand, and that was up in Mae Hong Song, where it wasn't too bad.

Yes, chess is the reason why I will be going to Pattaya.