Where Are You Going To Be Spending Songran?

[beenitseenitdoneit]

I simple hate, loathe and detest the Thai festivals.

The season kicks off with the only that I have remotely any time for - Loi Katoey, from then on in it's all down hill in a big way.

The Thais seem to be masters of ripping of the Farangs, exploiting their vunerabillities over Halloween, Guy Fawkes and Christmas.

And if all of this was not enough to contend with we've got to endure the Vegetarian Festival, New Year, Chinese New Year and God foresake us Songran.

But let's all relish this moment, all we've still got to get through is the latter, and then bliss, six months free of unadulterated festivals.

[Spoonman]

I'll be buying enough dead cow and beers to tide me over whilst it's all happening and stay within the confines of my house/yard.

[Semper]

I will not leave my house.

[jamhar]

I was unsympathetic until i looked it up.

My apologies

Please continue with your hiding

[h90]

I will not leave my house.

same

[scorecard]

I will not leave my house.

My family will spend 90% of Songkran at our house with plenty of food and beverage supplies purcahsed in advance. My Thai son will take his two young daughters to see some water festivities in a safe location 10 minutes walk from the house, probably 10.00am in the morning (hopefully no drunk drivers), maybe for total of one hour.

Why:

- I'm lucky, my Thai son and his Thai wife are serious about safety.

- Three years back DIL's work colleague lost her husband in a car accident with a drunk driver who was driving a pick up with water drum and a number of kids on the back. Multiple serious injuries. This reinforced my son & DILs attitude to safety

Keep safe!!!!!

Edited February 10, 2013 by scorecard

[Crossy]

Unlike many I quite enjoy the water games, but avoid the city wet spots.

At least one day will be spent with the in-laws cruising round Ayutthaya in the back of a pickup squirting and throwing water at other like minded individuals, the worlds biggest wet T shirt festival A temple visit will likely be included in the circuit.

Followed by lots of food and (pre-bought) alcohol.

It's the first Songkran we've been in our house, so I suspect the (step) grandkids will be using our water to soak all and sundry passing on our (quiet) road, their house does not front on to the road.

[Banzai99]

I will be at the Beach Road end of Soi 8 soaking as many miserable old Farangs as I can

[jambco984]

Hiding in my man cave, if only I could remember where I left the key...

Edited February 10, 2013 by jambco984

[rene123]

If it only lasted one or two days like Loi Kathong then I might stick around, but I have no interest in being hit in the face with a bucket of polluted water when I'm riding my motorbike. Riding a motorbike in traffic is actually something I enjoy. I enjoy a party as much as anyone, and both Loi Kathong and New Years were fun, but having to wait a week or more for the silly festivities of Songkran to be over is too much. I'll be back in Canada when Songkran occurs and I won't miss it.

[villagefarang]

I will be staying dry at home.

[mickjn]

Not in Thailand

[Paangjang]

"The season kicks off with the only that I have remotely any time for - Loi Katoey"

"Loi Katoey" You mean Loi Kratong? Do you know what "Loi" means or what a "Katoey" is? Put these two words together and it makes for a strange activity

[Swiss1960]

Good thing about Songkran is that wife and kids have holiday and we can spend time together...

one day water games with kids (they want to join...), one day in Pattay enjoying wet t-shirt contest (me alone of course)... rest in a private beach resort where they don't allow water games...

[ggold]

I simple hate, loathe and detest the Thai festivals.

The season kicks off with the only that I have remotely any time for - Loi Katoey,

I didn't know that ladyboy's had thier own budhist festival!

Edited February 10, 2013 by ggold

[BKS22]

"I simple hate, loathe and detest the Thai festivals.

The season kicks off with the only that I have remotely any time for - Loi Katoey, from then on in it's all down hill in a big way.

The Thais seem to be masters of ripping of the Farangs, exploiting their vunerabillities over Halloween, Guy Fawkes and Christmas.

And if all of this was not enough to contend with we've got to endure the Vegetarian Festival, New Year, Chinese New Year and God foresake us Songran.

But let's all relish this moment, all we've still got to get through is the latter, and then bliss, six months free of unadulterated festivals."

Hmmmm....another post about someone complaining how much they hate and can't stand the festivities of Thailand....yet they choose to live here. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't we have the free will to leave if we really don't enjoy where we live? You sound miserable. Instead of having such a negative view....why not try to enjoy some of the holidays and take an approach where you take away something positive from these experiences of living in another country?

Or...do as some of the others mentioned...and stay inside or use the time off from work to take a holiday elsewhere. The glass is "half full" my friend.

Cheers

[Thaddeus]

"Loi Katoey" You mean Loi Kratong? Do you know what "Loi" means or what a "Katoey" is? Put these two words together and it makes for a strange activity

If they are floating face down you would at least have somewhere to stick the candle.

[Richie23]

In another country with a bit of luck...

[rayong09]

You don't like Thai Festivals then piss off back to where ever you came from.

[Tywais]

[stiggy]

I will be out of country for Songkran with a bit of luck, great fun first few times I would recommend everyone experiences it that hasn't, but now just drive me nuts.

As for the " if you don't like it brigade" Im English and non christian so I also don't see the point of xmas. So should I not ever reside in Europe either?

Festivals come and go some are fun some are not, besides its a few days.Not enjoying those few days dose not mean you should leave the country permanently, nor does it state you dislike that country, get a grip.

[IMA_FARANG]

If it was only water hey were "throwing" I wouldn't mind.

It's the stuff they add to the water .... like Diesel Fuel, Pesticide, and even (I've seen it mixed) Vomit.

And of course the red dye stuff designed to stick your your skin.

THe purpose of Songkran now has become to hurt or humuliate as many people as possible.

For many those people are preferably Farangs being humiliated and hurt.

That has become "fun" now for many sick mimded people (it's the effect of the Farang influence in Thailand ).

Last year in Bangkok there were fights between drunken participants ... it seems to be fun to spray stuff at other people, but not to get sprayed back in turn.

Knives were used, One Thai girl was attacked and stabbed repeatedly by another team of sprayers.

Even a few guns pulled by angry teams of sprayers,

I'm hoping this year some drunken fool starts shooting this year and a few people will be killed.

It's really nearly at that stage now.... a few dead and Songkran may get banned ... if we're lucky.

That's why I'm going to be OUT of Thailand for that week .... probably on a nice beach somewhere soaking up the Sun and watching the Bikinis on the girls.

I can remember, whrn I first came here in 1979 Songkran was pretty young gitls splashing you with a handful or two of water, and then rubbing a lttle white paste on yor face,,, and then maybe giving you a Wai.

Compare that with what goes on in Pattaya now.

That's the difference in Thailand now compared to 1978 or 1979.

Edited February 10, 2013 by IMA_FARANG

[pattayadingo]

Up north at the parents house for a couple of days so she can pay proper respects to her mother and then back to the madness of Pattaya.

The festivals here are what you make of them.

Loi Krathong .... never a problem.

New Year ..... always a good time here or back in the U.K.

Chinese New Year ..... brilliant in Nakhon Sawan with the dragon dancing through the streets. One of the best CNY festivals in Thailand.

Songkran..... Is what you make of it. Many places it is 2 or 3 days. Pattaya it is over the top but you do not have to be out amongst it every night!

Guy Fawkes? Here in Thailand? Where???

Christmas, a rip off? That can happen in any country if you are foolish enough to give in to everyone's demands. Here in Thailand it is not so commercialised and I've never felt any pressure to give.

Halloween ... never been bothered with that in Thailand either.

So where are the rip-offs over these festivals, OP?

And you missed moaning about Easter, Thanksgiving and maybe a few other 'rip off' festivals you seem to think are alive and well here.

[brewsterbudgen]

Songkran is time for my annual trip back to the UK. Once was enough; never again, not in Bangkok or Pattaya anyway.

[geriatrickid]

I will be on an evacuation flight out of BKK in time to avoid the carnage. I have experienced it in Chiang Mai and on Phuket and I can do without it. The one time of the year where the poor and disenfranchised are allowed to vent their frustrations.

This is not my culture, nor my country and my quality of life will not suffer if I forgo the orgy of destruction, mayhem and drunken debauchery. I shall return when the mobs leave the streets.

[thaibeachlovers]

I will be at the Beach Road end of Soi 8 soaking as many miserable old Farangs as I can

Not just miserable old farangs- grouchy young ones too. I gave a tourist woman a light sprinkling once, and she went to report me to the police sitting nearby. They basically laughed at her!

The ones I pity are those that actually believe the water wars cease at sundown, because someone told them that, LOL.

However, this year, like last, I'll be hiding in the house for the 3 days it's on up here.

[thaibeachlovers]

Up north at the parents house for a couple of days so she can pay proper respects to her mother and then back to the madness of Pattaya.

The festivals here are what you make of them.

Loi Krathong .... never a problem.

New Year ..... always a good time here or back in the U.K.

Chinese New Year ..... brilliant in Nakhon Sawan with the dragon dancing through the streets. One of the best CNY festivals in Thailand.

Songkran..... Is what you make of it. Many places it is 2 or 3 days. Pattaya it is over the top but you do not have to be out amongst it every night!

Guy Fawkes? Here in Thailand? Where???

Christmas, a rip off? That can happen in any country if you are foolish enough to give in to everyone's demands. Here in Thailand it is not so commercialised and I've never felt any pressure to give.

Halloween ... never been bothered with that in Thailand either.

So where are the rip-offs over these festivals, OP?

And you missed moaning about Easter, Thanksgiving and maybe a few other 'rip off' festivals you seem to think are alive and well here.

It's not the rip off that gets me now. Songkran ceased to be enjoyable when they started using ice water, and any festival that involves the use of massive fireworks is one to stay away from. I only went to one Loy Krathong here ( no tourists here ), and felt lucky to escape unmaimed. I still have shorts with a hole burned in them by a skyrocket that was shot horizontally down Pattaya beach.

[mickjn]

You don't like Thai Festivals then piss off back to where ever you came from.

Agree with you,

[Mosha]

Loi Khratong is great. Songkran I stay home as much as possible. Last year they were blocking the road so you had no choice but to stop.

[Vinny1967]

I'll sit down on Khao San road watching all the women coming out of their hotels,all dolled up to the eyeballs getting soaked and running back into their hotels to get changed,only to come out and have the same thing happen to them again.Saw this happening so much last year.I just sat there with me beer and laughed my bloody head off.Great way to spend the day.