When Will All The Water Throwing Stop?

[NancyL]

Is today (Friday) the last day of all this water throwing nonsense? I'd like to venture out tomorrow (Saturday) during the day to take in a movie,shop at one of the local malls and return home in a song thaew without getting me or my purchases wet..

[Ulysses G.]

I sure hope so. I can not remember any time in recent years when it did not end on 15 April downtown near Thapae Gate.

Edited April 15, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[cardholder]

Send out for a DVD and a pizza - just to be on the safe side !

[Mestizo]

Hopefully not! Another day or two of this wonderfully fantastic celebration would be awesome!

-Mestizo

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

I think you should plan on Monday being 99.9% safe.

It should have peaked today and be on the rapid decline but Saturday and Sunday should still have some water wars and random dousing depending on location.

That's my recollection of recent years.

I understand the kids wanting it to never end. Without a lot of alcohol I don't understand how adults could find it interesting after a few days.

I just want to start riding my bicycle again without dodging/fearing weaving drunks in vehicles. Monday is my salvation.

[ianf]

Hopefully not! Another day or two of this wonderfully fantastic celebration would be awesome!

-Mestizo

a

I just find this stuff horrible. There is no other word for it. Over the top nonsense which stops people going about their daily lives. The glee on the faces of the drunk farangs as they chucked water (and more) over people tells me everything about these scummy people. Yep, Hate it.

[Mestizo]

Hopefully not! Another day or two of this wonderfully fantastic celebration would be awesome!

-Mestizo

a

I just find this stuff horrible. There is no other word for it. Over the top nonsense which stops people going about their daily lives. The glee on the faces of the drunk farangs as they chucked water (and more) over people tells me everything about these scummy people. Yep, Hate it.

This is the biggest Thai holiday of year. The day I stop enjoying Songkran and find myself bad mouthing the culture of the country I live in, is the day they can put me in the ground. If I find myself to be as miserable as some of you are, I will pay somebody to take me out to the pasture like damaged livestock and shoot me in the head to put me out of my misery.

Happy Songkran!

-Mestizo

[sfokevin]

Mestizo - Hen Duay...

Sanook Mak!!!

[Beetlejuice]

Hopefully not! Another day or two of this wonderfully fantastic celebration would be awesome!

-Mestizo

a

I just find this stuff horrible. There is no other word for it. Over the top nonsense which stops people going about their daily lives. The glee on the faces of the drunk farangs as they chucked water (and more) over people tells me everything about these scummy people. Yep, Hate it.

This is the biggest Thai holiday of year. The day I stop enjoying Songkran and find myself bad mouthing the culture of the country I live in, is the day they can put me in the ground. If I find myself to be as miserable as some of you are, I will pay somebody to take me out to the pasture like damaged livestock and shoot me in the head to put me out of my misery.

Happy Songkran!

-Mestizo

Where I live the girls don`t wear bras and after a couple of hours it`s like being in among the wet tee-shirt contest.

Your wasting your time in the town, the real action takes place in the villages.

As for the old crumps, don`t let them wind you up, they're all well passed it anyway and only jealous of your youth and energy, even if are not that young, just being young at heart is what really counts.

Tomorrow I am out with the local kids to play Songkran. Very enjoyable when you see all the fun through the kids eyes.

Edited April 15, 2011 by Beetlejuice

[cardholder]

Hopefully not! Another day or two of this wonderfully fantastic celebration would be awesome!

-Mestizo

a

I just find this stuff horrible. There is no other word for it. Over the top nonsense which stops people going about their daily lives. The glee on the faces of the drunk farangs as they chucked water (and more) over people tells me everything about these scummy people. Yep, Hate it.

Perhaps you are mixing with the wrong people ?

[jdinasia]

While living inside the moat does have enormous advantages for me ... I (sadly) expect this to go on all weekend. I LOVE Songkran, but after 3 days it does get tiring

[ChiangMaiFun]

Hopefully not! Another day or two of this wonderfully fantastic celebration would be awesome!

-Mestizo

a

I just find this stuff horrible. There is no other word for it. Over the top nonsense which stops people going about their daily lives. The glee on the faces of the drunk farangs as they chucked water (and more) over people tells me everything about these scummy people. Yep, Hate it.

i agree... and what a waste of a resource... can be fun of course but after a few years I'm bored with it - especially the drunk farangs

[ChiangMaiFun]

Hopefully not! Another day or two of this wonderfully fantastic celebration would be awesome!

-Mestizo

a

I just find this stuff horrible. There is no other word for it. Over the top nonsense which stops people going about their daily lives. The glee on the faces of the drunk farangs as they chucked water (and more) over people tells me everything about these scummy people. Yep, Hate it.

This is the biggest Thai holiday of year. The day I stop enjoying Songkran and find myself bad mouthing the culture of the country I live in, is the day they can put me in the ground. If I find myself to be as miserable as some of you are, I will pay somebody to take me out to the pasture like damaged livestock and shoot me in the head to put me out of my misery.

Happy Songkran!

-Mestizo

could be arranged

[daoyai]

Hopefully not! Another day or two of this wonderfully fantastic celebration would be awesome!

-Mestizo

a

I just find this stuff horrible. There is no other word for it. Over the top nonsense which stops people going about their daily lives. The glee on the faces of the drunk farangs as they chucked water (and more) over people tells me everything about these scummy people. Yep, Hate it.

This is the biggest Thai holiday of year. The day I stop enjoying Songkran and find myself bad mouthing the culture of the country I live in, is the day they can put me in the ground. If I find myself to be as miserable as some of you are, I will pay somebody to take me out to the pasture like damaged livestock and shoot me in the head to put me out of my misery.

Happy Songkran!

-Mestizo

a common sentiment expressed here is not a complaint with the Thai culture or holiday but with the farang hourdes that make it a "water war" as apposed to "len naam" water play, there is such a big difference to the areas, the Tah pae gate, Moon Miuang areas are dangerous, one year I a had a skinhead type shoot a direct stream from a pvc water gun directly into my ear point blank range, others pitch full buckets into my face.

Yesterday I walked along the road on the west side of the moat, in the Suan Doc area, I was splashed on my back and shoulders with wishes of "happy new year" , squirted by smiling kids..... no complaints.

[Smiles]

The most rediculous topic starter.

Very selfish and insulting.

Just because the OP want to go out to watch a movie and buy some stuffs, she term this festival as some kind of 'nonsense' ?

It is not only an insult to the Thai culture in general, but also the host country you are in.

This is the Thai New Year celebrations for goodness sake! If you don't like to get wet, watch from afar!

If you are so against such an event, go somewhere else. Do not stay in Thailand during this period.

Certainly the whole celebration cannot stop just because of someone - a foreigner no less - not wanting to get wet??

[Soulwy]

The most rediculous topic starter.

Very selfish and insulting.

Just because the OP want to go out to watch a movie and buy some stuffs, she term this festival as some kind of 'nonsense' ?

It is not only an insult to the Thai culture in general, but also the host country you are in.

This is the Thai New Year celebrations for goodness sake! If you don't like to get wet, watch from afar!

If you are so against such an event, go somewhere else. Do not stay in Thailand during this period.

Certainly the whole celebration cannot stop just because of someone - a foreigner no less - not wanting to get wet??

Mmm... a bit too strong... We all have our opinions...

In my country we have carneval for a couple of days, people do everything they don't allow themselves in the rest of the year. I hate it and I don't participate. Am I offending anyone? I don't think so.

I don't favour Thai food, Thai fashion and with Songkhran I stay in and go outside after 8PM. Some Thailanders I know do the same thing... I'd say: only a falang can have a strong opinion about this as you have.

Edited April 15, 2011 by Soulwy

[Yuu_CM]

The most rediculous topic starter.

Very selfish and insulting.

Just because the OP want to go out to watch a movie and buy some stuffs, she term this festival as some kind of 'nonsense' ?

It is not only an insult to the Thai culture in general, but also the host country you are in.

This is the Thai New Year celebrations for goodness sake! If you don't like to get wet, watch from afar!

If you are so against such an event, go somewhere else. Do not stay in Thailand during this period.

Certainly the whole celebration cannot stop just because of someone - a foreigner no less - not wanting to get wet??

I agree. Well said.

To the OP...you want to watch a movie? It's not hard to get in a car, go to the mall and watch one even during the peak of Songkran. Guess what??? You won't get wet in the cinema / in the mall.

Honestly, some people amaze me.

[jaideeguy]

Yeah it's another 'happy new years'.....that makes three this year....ours, Chinese and then Thai new years, which is way over the top. I enjoyed my first one 12 yrs ago and then from then on it became an 'inconvenient nusance'.

And yeah, let the natives have fun at the expense of safety for their kids and themselves.....not to mention others harmed by their stupid over the top drinking habits.

I say the above after just having participating in a local village 3 day party that I had to attend to save face for the wife.....make my apearance throw some water, fake drink some lousy beer chiang and exit quietly. What I witnessed out in our small moobaan in the ricefields was total insanity......parents drunk while their kids ran into traffic, throwing full 5 gallon buckets of water on older folks that were just trying to get home dry, teenagers [age 12 and 13 drunk like their parents] then weaving off drunk on their motocycs. And to answer the OP's question.....it will last until Monday [and then some more].

Thais are wonderful people, but they just take 'sanook' way over the top. I love them when they are sober.

Next year, I'm out of the country for songkran!!

[ChiangMaiFun]

Yeah it's another 'happy new years'.....that makes three this year....ours, Chinese and then Thai new years, which is way over the top. I enjoyed my first one 12 yrs ago and then from then on it became an 'inconvenient nusance'.

And yeah, let the natives have fun at the expense of safety for their kids and themselves.....not to mention others harmed by their stupid over the top drinking habits.

I say the above after just having participating in a local village 3 day party that I had to attend to save face for the wife.....make my apearance throw some water, fake drink some lousy beer chiang and exit quietly. What I witnessed out in our small moobaan in the ricefields was total insanity......parents drunk while their kids ran into traffic, throwing full 5 gallon buckets of water on older folks that were just trying to get home dry, teenagers [age 12 and 13 drunk like their parents] then weaving off drunk on their motocycs. And to answer the OP's question.....it will last until Monday [and then some more].

Thais are wonderful people, but they just take 'sanook' way over the top. I love them when they are sober.

Next year, I'm out of the country for songkran!!

me too but I couldn't get a flight this year enjoyment is one thing but it's just an orgy without the sex - a million miles from the respectful mild splashing of water

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Hopefully not! Another day or two of this wonderfully fantastic celebration would be awesome!

-Mestizo

a

I just find this stuff horrible. There is no other word for it. Over the top nonsense which stops people going about their daily lives. The glee on the faces of the drunk farangs as they chucked water (and more) over people tells me everything about these scummy people. Yep, Hate it.

This is the biggest Thai holiday of year. The day I stop enjoying Songkran and find myself bad mouthing the culture of the country I live in, is the day they can put me in the ground. If I find myself to be as miserable as some of you are, I will pay somebody to take me out to the pasture like damaged livestock and shoot me in the head to put me out of my misery.

Happy Songkran!

-Mestizo

Hear hear!! Another AWESOME day.

Anyone who fails to understand this, and fails to understand Thailand... well.. Bye bye. See you next life!!!! (Hope not though. Next life maybe get born in Utah, lady! Bye!)

Edited April 15, 2011 by cdnvic
removed profanity

[NancyL]

I'm so sorry if I offended anyone by calling Songkran "nonsense". Of course it isn't. I love Thailand. It's the continuation of water throwing after the "official" holiday that I was questioning.

I did a massive grocery shopping on Monday just so I don't have to go out during the holiday, except when I want to play water games with the neighbors and dress accordingly. I don't have a car. Last year we tried to go to a movie during the "official" holiday and had no problem in getting to the mall in the morning. However, during the return the song thaew stopped at every water station in the old city, drenching us and the few things we'd bought at the mall. I guess we should have taken one of those metered taxis that hang around outside Central Airport Plaza.

I like to go to movies. I enjoy the experience of seeing a film in a Thai-owned movie theater. I'm so sorry if my movie-going hobby has offended anyone.

Just forget I asked.

[chiang mai]

Yeah it's another 'happy new years'.....that makes three this year....ours, Chinese and then Thai new years, which is way over the top. I enjoyed my first one 12 yrs ago and then from then on it became an 'inconvenient nusance'.

And yeah, let the natives have fun at the expense of safety for their kids and themselves.....not to mention others harmed by their stupid over the top drinking habits.

I say the above after just having participating in a local village 3 day party that I had to attend to save face for the wife.....make my apearance throw some water, fake drink some lousy beer chiang and exit quietly. What I witnessed out in our small moobaan in the ricefields was total insanity......parents drunk while their kids ran into traffic, throwing full 5 gallon buckets of water on older folks that were just trying to get home dry, teenagers [age 12 and 13 drunk like their parents] then weaving off drunk on their motocycs. And to answer the OP's question.....it will last until Monday [and then some more].

Thais are wonderful people, but they just take 'sanook' way over the top. I love them when they are sober.

Next year, I'm out of the country for songkran!!

In Phuket the water throwing lasted 1.5 days and then stopped completely, wonderful - sympathies re the ongoing in CM, been there many times and then moved South, much better at this time of year.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I'm so sorry if I offended anyone by calling Songkran "nonsense". Of course it isn't.

Fair enough!

Either way when going to Airport Plaza it's unlikely you will encounter antything out of the ordinary.

And today was indeed the last day. (((((((((((((((

No worries tomorrow. Same as any other day.

[Yuu_CM]

I'm so sorry if I offended anyone by calling Songkran "nonsense". Of course it isn't. I love Thailand. It's the continuation of water throwing after the "official" holiday that I was questioning.

I did a massive grocery shopping on Monday just so I don't have to go out during the holiday, except when I want to play water games with the neighbors and dress accordingly. I don't have a car. Last year we tried to go to a movie during the "official" holiday and had no problem in getting to the mall in the morning. However, during the return the song thaew stopped at every water station in the old city, drenching us and the few things we'd bought at the mall. I guess we should have taken one of those metered taxis that hang around outside Central Airport Plaza.

I like to go to movies. I enjoy the experience of seeing a film in a Thai-owned movie theater. I'm so sorry if my movie-going hobby has offended anyone.

Just forget I asked.

It didn't offend anyone, but you (ummmmm) 'do' realise it's easy to see a film regardless of Songkran.

1. Ummmm...you get in a car. Cheap to hire here.

2. You close the doors and put the windows up.

3. You go to the mall. Buy a ticket for the afternoon session. Sit down and enjoy your film. Tonnes of nice coffee shops, so you enjoy one to fill in a few hours. You then have a nice meal and relax.

4. You head home in a car.

You see your film and don't get a drop of water on you. Not hard to do and a small inconvenience whilst the rest of us enjoy a few days of water fighting during a very hot time of the year, Thai businesses that have been struggling enjoy the tourists dollars and the local economy gets a needed boost.

A few days a year, not hard to accept.

I am not tkaing a shot at just you, this forum is full of people who likely whinged and whined non stop back home (wherever that is) and now do the same here.

Honestly, this forum is the major "negative" vibe I ever get in Chiang Mai and one reason I (and most people I know who live here) rarely read it as a result.

Edited April 15, 2011 by Yuu_CM

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Yeah it's another 'happy new years'.....that makes three this year....ours, Chinese and then Thai new years, which is way over the top. I enjoyed my first one 12 yrs ago and then from then on it became an 'inconvenient nusance'.

And yeah, let the natives have fun at the expense of safety for their kids and themselves.....not to mention others harmed by their stupid over the top drinking habits.

I say the above after just having participating in a local village 3 day party that I had to attend to save face for the wife.....make my apearance throw some water, fake drink some lousy beer chiang and exit quietly. What I witnessed out in our small moobaan in the ricefields was total insanity......parents drunk while their kids ran into traffic, throwing full 5 gallon buckets of water on older folks that were just trying to get home dry, teenagers [age 12 and 13 drunk like their parents] then weaving off drunk on their motocycs. And to answer the OP's question.....it will last until Monday [and then some more].

Thais are wonderful people, but they just take 'sanook' way over the top. I love them when they are sober.

Next year, I'm out of the country for songkran!!

In Phuket the water throwing lasted 1.5 days and then stopped completely, wonderful - sympathies re the ongoing in CM, been there many times and then moved South, much better at this time of year.

LOL. Well, enjoy Phuket, and all the wonderful Southern pleople, the public transport providers, Muslim dudes and everyone. Cheers mate.

(Edit: spelling)

Edited April 15, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[jaideeguy]

"Where I live the girls don`t wear bras and after a couple of hours it`s like being in among the wet tee-shirt contest."

Where the heck is that place BJ?? Out in the ricefields of Doi Saket.....all wear bras.

It could be a bit easier to deal with if they were braless.

Nancy....you could always take a taxi if you want to go shopping or see a movie. Me, I try to stay at home and avoid the insanity as much as I can, but I do feel like I'm being held captive after a couple of days of my self imposed exile.

[Ulysses G.]

this forum is full of people who likely whinged and whined non stop back home (wherever that is) and now do the same here.

The nerve!

[CMX]

I was riding a motorbike among a number of trucks going into town this morning; they were loaded with people. At one corner with a traffic light, seven or eight Thai people were squirted, though it missed a few. The ones who felt the wet, including a boy about 10 and adults, laughed, delighted - and it seemed those not dampened were disappointed.

The truth is that I keep seeing it as a kind of assault. Gotta change my head; maybe get there next year, as I was able to extinguish most of my dislike by Day III, the resistance that remains connected to safety issues. Getting rid of who I was - the part that misses out on a different good - calls for some kind of attitude, not necessarily habit or self-righteousness learned in the old country. It's one thing to eat chopped frog, snake, and tendon, but another to feel blessed as a recipient of a bucket of water, it seems.

(I have no idea what one contributor meant when he wrote that it is cheap to get in a car in Thailand. Old bangers run 100,000, and cabs have not used meters here for a long time, and it depends too where you live.)

[jaideeguy]

wikipedia sums it up with.....

The throwing of water originated as a way to pay respect to people, by capturing the water after it had been poured over the Buddhas for cleansing and then using this "blessed" water to give good fortune to elders and family by gently pouring it on the shoulder. Among young people the holiday evolved to include dousing strangers with water to relieve the heat, since April is the hottest month in Thailand (temperatures can rise to over 100°F or 40°C on some days). This has further evolved into water fights and splashing water over people riding in vehicles.

Nowadays, the emphasis is on fun and water-throwing rather than on the festival's spiritual and religious aspects, which sometimes prompts complaints from traditionalists. In recent years there have been calls to moderate the festival to lessen the many alcohol-related road accidents as well as injuries attributed to extreme behavior such as water being thrown in the faces of traveling motorcyclists.

The water is meant as a symbol of washing all of the bad away and is sometimes filled with fragrant herbs when celebrated in the traditional manner.

The good old days.....call me a traditionalist!!

[mcgriffith]

wikipedia sums it up with.....

The throwing of water originated as a way to pay respect to people, by capturing the water after it had been poured over the Buddhas for cleansing and then using this "blessed" water to give good fortune to elders and family by gently pouring it on the shoulder. Among young people the holiday evolved to include dousing strangers with water to relieve the heat, since April is the hottest month in Thailand (temperatures can rise to over 100°F or 40°C on some days). This has further evolved into water fights and splashing water over people riding in vehicles.

Nowadays, the emphasis is on fun and water-throwing rather than on the festival's spiritual and religious aspects, which sometimes prompts complaints from traditionalists. In recent years there have been calls to moderate the festival to lessen the many alcohol-related road accidents as well as injuries attributed to extreme behavior such as water being thrown in the faces of traveling motorcyclists.

The water is meant as a symbol of washing all of the bad away and is sometimes filled with fragrant herbs when celebrated in the traditional manner.

The good old days.....call me a traditionalist!!

:jap: