Sonkran is basically where the thai chuck freezing cold water at each other. One of my particular pet hates is when I am riding my death trap of a moped down roads in Chiang Mai, when out of the blue I am soaked to the skin with mosquito infested freezing cold water.

Water festival? There lucky, they dont let me have firearms mounted on the front of the moped.

However this year, I am not going to get upset, I have devised a secret devise which I have almost completed building. It comprises of a battery operated pump (all water sealed to prevent suicide), whereby I can can turn my moped in to a water canon, blasting water through pressure outlets on my moped.

Still at the design stage, I am intend to deliver a icechilled blast of cold water to anyone stupid another to throw a bucket of water at a moped travelling at 20+kph and I fully intend this year to have a sense of humour.

Sonkran after is about a cracking a smile on a concreate face.

What plans if any have you to protect yourself or do you already have a capiltualation plan in mind.

"Sonkran is basically where the Thai chuck freezing cold water at each other" That's what it has turned into and foreigners have promulgated it into the water chucking melee that it is ! BUt, Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends, neighbors, and monks. The songkran festival is counted as a new life. Where I live there is very little "water chucking". The children will shoot you with a water pistol but only if you let them. The elders are honored in the village when the monks come and they sit and are gently cleansed by others with water, no freezing cold ice water.

I'm sure the OP would be happy if a bunch of Thais moved to his home country and belittled the public holidays that his countrymen hold dear.

There are videos of large crowds of Thais going crazy throwing water back in the 1950s. Don't blame foreigners.

"Sonkran is basically where the Thai chuck freezing cold water at each other" That's what it has turned into and foreigners have promulgated it into the water chucking melee that it is !

Edited April 3, 201313 yr by Ulysses G.

There are videos of large crowds of Thais going crazy throwing water back in the 1950s. Don't blame foreigners.

"Sonkran is basically where the Thai chuck freezing cold water at each other" That's what it has turned into and foreigners have promulgated it into the water chucking melee that it is !

Look at your picture! Children, not grown supposedly mature adults! Also the pictures of the vehicles in the picture certainly aren't from the 1950's so your picture isn't from the 1950's. I lived in Samui from 1997 to 2004 and the water bashing at Songkran was and is a totally tourist promulgated melee. Where I live now there is no water throwing except among the children and occasionally drunk younger Thais.

Sorry but I am not going to search for hours on end to find the video, but it has been posted on Thai Visa before and it is full of Thai adults pelting each other with water back in the 1950s - no Westerners - no tourists.

My guess is that this photo is even older.

Edited April 3, 201313 yr by Ulysses G.

Yes like all things I guess it grows & evolves

into more of a party. Given they have super soaker's now

& such

The last 3 or 4 Songkrans we spent in my wife's family village.

Very mellow old style with the silver bowls being the supply

& a small cup used to dip into it & poured directly on top of your head/shoulders

or hands..

More like a blessing

They do have festivities at a nearby river which are fun to watch.

Like two of them inching towards each other on a pole over the river with boxing gloves.

Then they try to knock each other off.

Or paddle boat races etc.

This year will be our first time staying here in Chiangmai during Songkran.

Probably spend a lot of time inside & go out early or later in the day.

Maybe take one scooter ride past the fun but probably not the moat area

I don't mind getting soaked with govt water but, that moat water is sketchy at best

Edited April 3, 201313 yr by mania

Sorry but I am not going to search for hours on end to find the video, but it has been posted on Thai Visa before and it is full of Thai adults pelting each other with water back in the 1950s - no Westerners - no tourists.

My guess is that this photo is even older.

That's one up for Ulysses

Here are a few I saw from 1965 ( original post said 1965 )

Edited April 3, 201313 yr by mania

There are videos of large crowds of Thais going crazy throwing water back in the 1950s. Don't blame foreigners.

"Sonkran is basically where the Thai chuck freezing cold water at each other" That's what it has turned into and foreigners have promulgated it into the water chucking melee that it is !

that pic is not from the 1950s....look the car, the plastic and the bicycle

I'm sure the OP would be happy if a bunch of Thais moved to his home country and belittled the public holidays that his countrymen hold dear.

But our holidays don't include a nearly week long suffering of these immature people throwing cold water and powder on you even if you don't want to join in!

As someone has already mentioned, Songkran is meant to be a time to respect elders etc.

It has turned into a moronic free for all where intellectually immature male Thai youths have an excuse to throw ice cold water over women in the hope of seeing some nipple action. Like wise the sexually repressed female Thais dress provocatively to encourage this behavior so they can record it on their I phones and trade stories with their Uni friends. (a few years ago it was all about how many 'Gigs' you could aquire)

Add to this the western tattoo'd <deleted>#*wits that use this holiday to be permanently pissed so they can revert to the moronic way they behave at home on a Friday night and we are all set for another Songkran festival that will bring inevitably a high number of road deaths, drunken brawls, sexual assaults, 'respectful' female Thai students flashing their tits on Silom road, Culture ministers decrying that Thailands 'image' has been hurt, promises of a crackdown next year and filthy powdered covered streets that some poor soul has to clean.

As for the rest of us that hate this ridiculous, immature, pointless and dangerous holiday, its time to stock up on beer/wine/food/dvds and feel like a prisoner in your own home for a week once again.

Thailand - Hub of immaturity!

my plan is to find you and test your stupid idea

"Sonkran is basically where the Thai chuck freezing cold water at each other" That's what it has turned into and foreigners have promulgated it into the water chucking melee that it is ! BUt, Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends, neighbors, and monks. The songkran festival is counted as a new life. Where I live there is very little "water chucking". The children will shoot you with a water pistol but only if you let them. The elders are honored in the village when the monks come and they sit and are gently cleansed by others with water, no freezing cold ice water.

That is more or less what happens in the local village and the eamily come up from BKK to be with their Mum who lives with us. We all including me get properly "wai'd and the silver bowls of water and flowers are used.

I am always the last elder to be done and they have to do something with the left over water and I get it all.

It is however done in the "Best possible taste" . But sometimes they sneak ice in before my turn.

I'm sure the OP would be happy if a bunch of Thais moved to his home country and belittled the public holidays that his countrymen hold dear.

oh dear

lets be straight about this...... in my country if someone had an opinion and was from overseas I would be happy to hear it as I don't have this loss of face thing going on in my tiny mind....

as for tourists and songkran....yes the majority of them are morons and feel they are safe to go after people who want no part of it, get kicks out of soaking people with mobile phones or gadgets that they haven't covered up and laugh at people falling off their bikes as they've had a face full and lost control....but theres plenty of Thai people doing it as well!

In my country a bunch of Thais have moved in, they have opinions and think things are silly, no problem here with it....

There are videos of large crowds of Thais going crazy throwing water back in the 1950s. Don't blame foreigners.

"Sonkran is basically where the Thai chuck freezing cold water at each other" That's what it has turned into and foreigners have promulgated it into the water chucking melee that it is !

Now now U.G........don't go upsetting the membership with historical facts now will you. It gets them all upset.

"Sonkran is basically where the Thai chuck freezing cold water at each other" That's what it has turned into and foreigners have promulgated it into the water chucking melee that it is ! BUt, Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends, neighbors, and monks. The songkran festival is counted as a new life. Where I live there is very little "water chucking". The children will shoot you with a water pistol but only if you let them. The elders are honored in the village when the monks come and they sit and are gently cleansed by others with water, no freezing cold ice water.

So you don't have 'Sonkran'[sic] in your village then?

The most annoying part about Songkran is not all the cherubic little Thai kids turning into litte devils as they squirt on of those guns straight down your ear canal with a big toothy,or toothless grin.
It's when you've avoided getting soaked all day just for some big,fat Swedish bird in her 50s to get you at a traffic light on your scooter with a dopey grin,you just feel like punching them!

Getting your telephone, wallet with ID cards + money and camera soaked isn't my idea of fun. I shall buy a week's supply of beer (maybe food also) and batten down the hatches.

My first Songran, about 13 years ago.

Went into Pat Pong area, Silom, and was already then soaked by people on pick ups.

Little did I know this would happen.

My mobile phone got destroyed.

Oh yeah, sense of humor was a must to laugh of that.

My first Songran, about 13 years ago.

Went into Pat Pong area, Silom, and was already then soaked by people on pick ups.

Little did I know this would happen.

My mobile phone got destroyed.

Oh yeah, sense of humor was a must to laugh of that.

13 yrs ago you would have been carrying around one of those bricks

Why can't people just let thais enjoy themselves in thier own country (home) instead of gatecrashing and getting in a huff about the way they live thier lives. When in Rome....

My first Songran, about 13 years ago.

Went into Pat Pong area, Silom, and was already then soaked by people on pick ups.

Little did I know this would happen.

My mobile phone got destroyed.

Oh yeah, sense of humor was a must to laugh of that.

13 yrs ago you would have been carrying around one of those bricks

Kidding?

Young man, do a search.

Edited April 3, 201313 yr by Travel2003

My first Songran, about 13 years ago.

Went into Pat Pong area, Silom, and was already then soaked by people on pick ups.

Little did I know this would happen.

My mobile phone got destroyed.

Oh yeah, sense of humor was a must to laugh of that.

13 yrs ago you would have been carrying around one of those bricks

Kidding?

Young man, do a search.

th.jpg

14-15 years ago they would have been bricks.

Why can't people just let thais enjoy themselves in thier own country (home) instead of gatecrashing and getting in a huff about the way they live thier lives. When in Rome....

I think you misunderstand it.

There are no foreign conspiracy to stop Songkran.

Nor is it any foreign rouge anti songran groups running around trying to stop it.

Someone mention Songkran, and people react, in writing.

Getting your telephone, wallet with ID cards + money and camera soaked isn't my idea of fun. I shall buy a week's supply of beer (maybe food also) and batten down the hatches.

I will leave all that stuff at home and dress in swimming trunks and a T shirt.

Getting your telephone, wallet with ID cards + money and camera soaked isn't my idea of fun. I shall buy a week's supply of beer (maybe food also) and batten down the hatches.

I will leave all that stuff at home and dress in swimming trunks and a T shirt.

Yep, or at least leave expensive stuff home.

Many of us, including me, have experienced an expensive lessons learned.

It's the drunk drivers that worry me more actually.

My first Songkran 1998, was a sunday morning, I was on a bike heading to church from soi morlene in bkk,the bike slowed at a spot where there were a little crowd of obviously happy people. I was soaked to my shoes. I directed the bike back to my apartment to have a change of clothes. I was reliable informed that it was waste of time, So I went to church wet.

My first Songkran 1998, was a sunday morning, I was on a bike heading to church from soi morlene in bkk,the bike slowed at a spot where there were a little crowd of obviously happy people. I was soaked to my shoes. I directed the bike back to my apartment to have a change of clothes. I was reliable informed that it was waste of time, So I went to church wet.

So the bike didn't return with your change of clothes then?

My first Songkran 1998, was a sunday morning, I was on a bike heading to church from soi morlene in bkk,the bike slowed at a spot where there were a little crowd of obviously happy people. I was soaked to my shoes. I directed the bike back to my apartment to have a change of clothes. I was reliable informed that it was waste of time, So I went to church wet.

So the bike didn't return with your change of clothes then?