Songkran Water Madness

[a2396]

Well, it's that time of year again and I have had enough already. I have no problem with people wanting to enjoy good times & have fun, but I think the indiscriminate throwing of water on roadways has gotten totally out of hand and is dangerous. I find it particularly distracting to motorcycle riders. It requires full concentration and attention to ride one of these machines, without the added hazard of water in your face every few feet on busy streets. I can testify to this since I flipped my cycle today as a result of this and likely with some added oil on the road. I am sure this is never going to stop, but I don't know of to many other countries where traffic safetly and sanity would tolerate such activity. As for me, I will be spending my time outside Thailand from now on during this time. Any comments?

[britmaveric]

Won't stop - best bet is to leave, or stay off the bike when its Songkran.

[Braccobaldo]

I will spend these "songkran days" at home...I will not go out...

...but first year I was here I really enjoy all this...

[Ulysses G.]

One thing that DOES p*ss me off about Song Kran is that people are supposed to stop throwing water at 6 pm so everyone has time to do shopping, go out to eat, etc without getting wet.

There were still drunk, stupid Farangs blocking the street at 8 PM and splashing those who had changed into dry clothing, just trying to provoke them.

I wish that the Thai police would arrest these ignorant dipsticks and throw away the key!

[meemiathai]

I can never understand why this can cause such a big fuss. Are people afraid of water or what?

Just drink some beer and have fun! This is Thailand! Do you guys also complain about the heat?

[a2396]

I can never understand why this can cause such a big fuss. Are people afraid of water or what?

Just drink some beer and have fun! This is Thailand! Do you guys also complain about the heat?

Read the postings later in this forum entitled "Songkran Death Toll". If you think throwing water at moving motorcycles in traffic is OK, you need your head examined and no I don't complain about the heat.

[Crossy]

There seem to be two versions of Songkran. The "Bangkok" (insert any city) version where anything goes, soak anyone who is out and about any time, and the "Country" version where respect is given to people who don't desire to get wet (people eating, people working, selling food etc.).

I spent a great day with the in-laws in Pachi, eat food (NO alcohol). Then drive around for a couple or three hours in the pickup with two large pots of water (refilled by the fire brigade) and an assortment of squirters, buckets etc (including one crash helmet), soaking and being soaked by other like minded groups. Beer and Sang Som in large quantities consumed (with more food) when the car was safely parked, although the presence of a police checkpoint outside the front gate may have had a slight bearing on that (cops came in for a drink when they went "off duty").

Roadside "soaking stations" stop motorcycles before drenching them (nice and safe), water fun stops at 6pm or thereabouts, (funny how many people's watches are 15 minutes slow though ). At numerous points we were stopped and soaked big time before being given whisky / soda and absolutely lethal (to farangs) somtam. Not surprisingly, discovery of a farang with an imported Super-Soaker in the back of the pickup resulted in renewed soaking "just to ensure the foreigner knows what Songkran is about".

20 minute stop outside a Wat, kids (and farang) wait with the car and soak likely targets whilst the 'grown ups' do the monk washing thing, again even the youngsters were respecting the non-wetting rules (down to a couple on a bike with small child getting a gentle damping to make the youngster giggle). A large tank of water was available outside the Wat and I was most surprised when two (young and more than slightly damp) monks came out equipped with water guns to 'anoint' (and get anointed by) the kids in the pickup.

"Scare of The Day", coming out of the hong nam to be faced by the 80+ year old mother-in-law, topless and expecting the farang to do his bit with water

Perhaps this spirit of the festival should be what is promoted in the cities rather than the 'ban everything' attitude.

Am I in the minority here, or did others have a similarly enjoyable (and safe) day?

[meemiathai]

I can never understand why this can cause such a big fuss. Are people afraid of water or what?

Just drink some beer and have fun! This is Thailand! Do you guys also complain about the heat?

Read the postings later in this forum entitled "Songkran Death Toll". If you think throwing water at moving motorcycles in traffic is OK, you need your head examined and no I don't complain about the heat.

What is so serious about the death toll? The thai people themselves chose what they should do. People die everyday. Everyone dies one day.

If people should worry about dying so much, don't go skiing, don't go cycling, don't do any sports, don't go to discos, don't go to bars, don't take a bus, don't come to Thailand. Sit at home all day!

[Tippaporn]

I can never understand why this can cause such a big fuss. Are people afraid of water or what?

Just drink some beer and have fun! This is Thailand! Do you guys also complain about the heat?

Read the postings later in this forum entitled "Songkran Death Toll". If you think throwing water at moving motorcycles in traffic is OK, you need your head examined and no I don't complain about the heat.

What is so serious about the death toll? The thai people themselves chose what they should do. People die everyday. Everyone dies one day.

If people should worry about dying so much, don't go skiing, don't go cycling, don't do any sports, don't go to discos, don't go to bars, don't take a bus, don't come to Thailand. Sit at home all day!

Here we go again.

Another Songkran followed by the usual complaints; "Something happened to me that I didn't like and boo hoo hoo," then blame everyone else.

In the case of the OP, as you're aware of the water throwing during Songkran and then still continue to ride a motorcycle as you normally would then why cry about it? Don't ride at all, or at least slow down if conditions call for it. Just as you would in inclement weather.

meemaithai, you're putting yourself on dangerous ground when you speak so flippantly about death. Most people don't understand death, misunderstand more likely than not, and so the subject is sensitive, to say the least. We all die at one point or another. That's about as much as anyone knows on the subject. The rest is speculation that can never be proven one way or the other. So if people actually believe that death is something that can be avoided then there's no arguing the point. They can't prove their point and neither can you. But they will call you stupid if you don't subscribe to their point of view.

So as you correctly point out, meemaithai, why worry about dying? Some of us don't and would rather choose to live life to the fullest, which doesn't imply throwing our common sense away, than living life in a rubber room while trying to convince others that they should share their same fears. And then lobbying for all fun that has any potential of injury or worse to be outlawed so that we may finally be safe.

My suggestion: move to a country that will insure your safety. After you've found that country, please inform the rest of us as to where it is.

Here we go again.

Edited April 14, 2006 by Tippaporn

[triplegee]

I spent today on Jack's bus. And I had fun.

BUT.. I saw so many examples of underage drinking and therein lies the problem.

Songkran is a great time for so many people yet it also remains the time when anything goes. The water throwing tends to lose significance for "do whatever you can.".

I just hope that everyone survives it...

[corkscrew]

Follow a 'target' in a closed car. The shooters have spent their ammunition by the time you pass.

Edited April 15, 2006 by corkscrew

[OlRedEyes]

Well, it's that time of year again and I have had enough already. I have no problem with people wanting to enjoy good times & have fun, but I think the indiscriminate throwing of water on roadways has gotten totally out of hand and is dangerous. I find it particularly distracting to motorcycle riders. It requires full concentration and attention to ride one of these machines, without the added hazard of water in your face every few feet on busy streets. I can testify to this since I flipped my cycle today as a result of this and likely with some added oil on the road. I am sure this is never going to stop, but I don't know of to many other countries where traffic safetly and sanity would tolerate such activity. As for me, I will be spending my time outside Thailand from now on during this time. Any comments?

Why did you have to use your bike? Bahtbuses, songteaw, taxis not available? Maybe had an emergency to attend to?

[corkscrew]

Here is Patpong 1....as seen from a closed car at about 2PM today.

[billd766]

quote

Crossy Posted Yesterday, 2006-04-14 19:50:36

There seem to be two versions of Songkran. The "Bangkok" (insert any city) version where anything goes, soak anyone who is out and about any time, and the "Country" version where respect is given to people who don't desire to get wet (people eating, people working, selling food etc.).

I spent a great day with the in-laws in Pachi, eat food (NO alcohol). Then drive around for a couple or three hours in the pickup with two large pots of water (refilled by the fire brigade) and an assortment of squirters, buckets etc (including one crash helmet), soaking and being soaked by other like minded groups. Beer and Sang Som in large quantities consumed (with more food) when the car was safely parked, although the presence of a police checkpoint outside the front gate may have had a slight bearing on that (cops came in for a drink when they went "off duty").

Roadside "soaking stations" stop motorcycles before drenching them (nice and safe), water fun stops at 6pm or thereabouts, (funny how many people's watches are 15 minutes slow though smile.gif). At numerous points we were stopped and soaked big time before being given whisky / soda and absolutely lethal (to farangs) somtam. Not surprisingly, discovery of a farang with an imported Super-Soaker in the back of the pickup resulted in renewed soaking "just to ensure the foreigner knows what Songkran is about".

20 minute stop outside a Wat, kids (and farang) wait with the car and soak likely targets whilst the 'grown ups' do the monk washing thing, again even the youngsters were respecting the non-wetting rules (down to a couple on a bike with small child getting a gentle damping to make the youngster giggle). A large tank of water was available outside the Wat and I was most surprised when two (young and more than slightly damp) monks came out equipped with water guns to 'anoint' (and get anointed by) the kids in the pickup.

Perhaps this spirit of the festival should be what is promoted in the cities rather than the 'ban everything' attitude.

Am I in the minority here, or did others have a similarly enjoyable (and safe) day?

My friend and his Thai wife came over from Germany to have a good holiday and enjoy Songkran.

They are here for a month and came to see us for a few days.

We live out in the country so on Thursday we went up to Khampaeng Phet, got ambushed a few times on the way and had a good time getting thouroughly wet including my 20 month old son who was only wetted a bit when people saw him. Friday we went up to Phitsanulok for more of the same.

My Songkran was like Crossy except for the mother in law bit.

We all had safe and enjoyable couple of days and most of the up country people seemed to be happy that farangs wanted to play and didn't care about getting wet or having powder plastered all over them. We saw NO accidents at all which means we were either lucky or up country is a different world from the city.

I know where I am happiest living.