Escaping Songkran

[curtklay]

It's almost that time again. This year, instead of spending a week barricaded at home, I would like to find a quiet beach locale to escape the madness without leaving the country. No karaoke, no drunken parties, no water and powder assaults. Does such a place exist? My short list thus far, is topped by Koh Mak. I've read several posts that say this is a small quiet island, where Songkran is minimized and only celebrated for one day. There is a resort called Ao Kao White Sands that looks quite nice. I'd love to hear any honest feedback, or other suggestions from fellow escapees.

[craigt3365]

I live by the Ambassador just south of Pattaya. If we didn't drive into Pattaya, we'd never know it was Songkran. They celebrate in our small town of Ban Amphur on one day. It's a super small event and a few years ago we accidentally drove right though it. All 50 people celebrating.

I was quite nervous as they were blocking the road, but they knocked on my car window and asked if they could put a bit of powder on my forehead. I agreed. They politely did so and then handed me a beer and let me pass. No water, no powder on the car.

Pattaya is nuts and we avoid it. But even going to Makro and Tesco at the height is no problem. The main day does see a few people on the road throwing water at passing cars. Stay in the fast lane and you won't even get hit.

Actually, last year our friends got us to "do" Songkran in Pattaya. I have to say it was great fun. We started around 2pm and were finished by 5pm. Just before the craziness started. We all had a blast.

[curtklay]

Hi Craig,

You are a lucky guy. Up here in the North, it's pure pandemonium. What used to be a lovely gentle tradition has turned into mortal combat. I'm truly fearful to venture out. They load pick up trucks with barrels of water and water cannons, get drunk, and cruise the streets all day throwing buckets of water on everyone. When 2 trucks meet on the road, they stop and battle each other, creating a very dangerous road blockage. And it goes on for the entire week.

I know how well traveled you are. Where would you suggest a weary old farang could go to get away from it, and have a nice island holiday?

[yermanee]

Hi Craig,

You are a lucky guy. Up here in the North, it's pure pandemonium. What used to be a lovely gentle tradition has turned into mortal combat. I'm truly fearful to venture out. They load pick up trucks with barrels of water and water cannons, get drunk, and cruise the streets all day throwing buckets of water on everyone. When 2 trucks meet on the road, they stop and battle each other, creating a very dangerous road blockage. And it goes on for the entire week.

I know how well traveled you are. Where would you suggest a weary old farang could go to get away from it, and have a nice island holiday?

I think your original idea of going to Koh Mak is a good one.

However they used to have problems with sand fleas for some reason don't know if it's resolved or not, best google for additional information and check for reviews on the resorts.

Another quiet stretch of beach is along the Trat to Haad Lek road with some upscale resorts. Be aware however that both destinations are away from almost everything and that the resort your staying is all there is as far as food and entertainment are concerned.

Enjoy your stay, (I'll be locked up as well)

Yermanee

[craigt3365]

Hmmm...that sucks! I was in my wife's village one year for Songkran and I saw the same thing. Trucks cruising around and blasting each other. Drivers being very drunk. Dangerous.

Maybe the coast south of Hua Hin? Bang Saphan, Ban Kruit, Ao Khanom?

http://www.bansaithong.com/index.php

I stayed here:

http://www.rachavadee.net/site/

And loved it. Nothing really nearby, seemed to be a very quiet area. Also stayed in Khanom several years ago and it's a pretty isolated place.

Just some thoughts!!!!

[craigt3365]

Another thought would be Chantaburi? If it's like here, it might be quiet. I've driven between here and Ban Chang and haven't really seen any water fights. I'll check with a few friends who live down that way.

[curtklay]

Thanks Guys,

I guess I have more research to do.

Craig: Those are some interesting places I haven't thought of. Will do some googling. Rachavadee looks really nice, and not too bad on the pricing. Thanks!

Yermanee: Yes, the sandfleas on Koh Mak could be a real problem. Lots of complaints about that. Could be an issue for my wife who is allergic to almost everything. I'll look into Trat.

BTW, I've been in love with your avatar girl since the first time I saw her. Where can I find a larger picture to copy?

[Upnotover]

GIYF....

[Sparkles]

Bangsaphan...quiet..on the beach....3 hours south of Hua Hin...google www.bangsaphanguide.com

[craigt3365]

I stayed a few times in Bang Saphan. One time at resort that catered to French tourists. It was OK, right on the beach, and I can't imagine you'd even see a local near there. The beach is quite nice and you can walk for miles on it.

[PattayaPhom]

Another thought would be Chantaburi? If it's like here, it might be quiet. I've driven between here and Ban Chang and haven't really seen any water fights. I'll check with a few friends who live down that way.

Bang Saray/Sattahip is just one day...21/22 I think

[yermanee]

Thanks Guys,

I guess I have more research to do.

Craig: Those are some interesting places I haven't thought of. Will do some googling. Rachavadee looks really nice, and not too bad on the pricing. Thanks!

Yermanee: Yes, the sandfleas on Koh Mak could be a real problem. Lots of complaints about that. Could be an issue for my wife who is allergic to almost everything. I'll look into Trat.

BTW, I've been in love with your avatar girl since the first time I saw her. Where can I find a larger picture to copy?

The nicest hotel there is the Centara Chaan Talay Resort & Villas followed by Mango Beach Resort.

Both resorts have nice beach and you can see Koh Mak from there.

Yermanee

[curtklay]

Thanks again, Guys. A' googling I will go.

Upnotover: Thanks for the Google Image Search tip.

Is there a Google search for her phone number?

Edited February 8, 2014 by curtklay

[Gonsalviz]

Lots of party poopers here.

[xen]

I do the opposite to most. I remain in Bangkok .Issan folks go back to the Issan and the folks from the South go back to the south. Half of Bangkok is not in Bangkok at songhan - they are stuck in a traffic jam about 200 km outside of Bangkok or else they are attempting to avoid head-ons with drunk or crazy drivers . Bangkok in general becomes like a large country town if you stay away from the tourist areas like Khao San and lower Sukhumvit . What water is thrown in the other areas seems to be thrown in the sense of good fun and sometimes by invitation only where they gesture if you mind being hit by water and it is generally the kids who having a great time. Overall It is not crazy like Chiang Mai or Pattaya or Khao san Rd.

[bobo42]

Personally, I'll be in my bunker for the entire week. Doing my shopping at night is a small price to pay for avoiding the insanity. I enjoy songkran for about an hour or two, then I'm done. A week of that lunicy is waaayyy to much for me to handle. Hunker down and wait for it all to blow over.

[alex8912]

I dream of being here for songkran some year. It's the hottest time of the year, people throwing water all over the place, fun energetic holiday. I don't want to become old and boring. Deal with it and have fun! Try Banglamphu I hear its a little quieter there.

[andyh]

Anyone know what Koh Chang is like during Songkran?

[craigt3365]

It's not about being old and boring. It's about getting blasted in your eyes by some drunk foreigner who's filled their mega water cannon with very dodgy water. If you are out and about, going to dinner or trying to get some business done, it's just not fun. Especially when that blast ruins your expensive smart phone you've got in your pocket.

If you are a tourist with the appropriate attire and ready for war, then you're OK. But this subject has been done to death here on TV.

[mogandave]

I love driving around Bangkok with the doors locked and the kids in the back of the pick-up with a drum of water and all manner of squirt guns and whatnot.

[IMA_FARANG]

Hi Craig,

You are a lucky guy. Up here in the North, it's pure pandemonium. What used to be a lovely gentle tradition has turned into mortal combat. I'm truly fearful to venture out. They load pick up trucks with barrels of water and water cannons, get drunk, and cruise the streets all day throwing buckets of water on everyone. When 2 trucks meet on the road, they stop and battle each other, creating a very dangerous road blockage. And it goes on for the entire week.

I know how well traveled you are. Where would you suggest a weary old farang could go to get away from it, and have a nice island holiday?

-------------

Me. personally, I will be in Vietnam that week or two.

Ho Chi Minh, Nha Trang, or Danang are good possibilities.

Or . maybe, in an Aussie/New Zealand bar that I know of in Vung Tau .... drinking ice cold beer and watching the sun set over the South China Sea.

[craigt3365]

Hi Craig,

You are a lucky guy. Up here in the North, it's pure pandemonium. What used to be a lovely gentle tradition has turned into mortal combat. I'm truly fearful to venture out. They load pick up trucks with barrels of water and water cannons, get drunk, and cruise the streets all day throwing buckets of water on everyone. When 2 trucks meet on the road, they stop and battle each other, creating a very dangerous road blockage. And it goes on for the entire week.

I know how well traveled you are. Where would you suggest a weary old farang could go to get away from it, and have a nice island holiday?

-------------

Me. personally, I will be in Vietnam that week or two.

Ho Chi Minh, Nha Trang, or Danang are good possibilities.

Or . maybe, in an Aussie/New Zealand bar that I know of in Vung Tau .... drinking ice cold beer and watching the sun set over the South China Sea.

Songkran or not, I'm jealous!!! Post a pic here if you can of that sunset!!!!

[Ajaan]

I dream of being here for songkran some year. It's the hottest time of the year, people throwing water all over the place, fun energetic holiday. I don't want to become old and boring. Deal with it and have fun! Try Banglamphu I hear its a little quieter there.

Haha, yeah, spoken like someone who never has been.

Granted, it was fun for the one year I engaged in it...kind of...but it gets old FAST...especially if you've previously experienced in a village (I have), where it still has the meaning it once had: it's a time of renewal, when the splashing of water is primarily intended for Buddha images at the temple, and the HANDS (not heads) of one's elders...and for the young folk, lots of fun water play. This goes the same for groups of friends in the city as well...with some good-natured over-the-head dousing too, as you wish your close friends to be washed free of all that was bad of the previous year, and a good clean fresh start, etc... This is not something I want strangers doing to me. It loses all its meaning.

It has deteriorated--in Bangkok and elsewhere--into an aggressive frat-boy douse-fest. In my one year fully out in it in the middle of the day, I witnessed some horrible things, totally contrary to Thai culture, such as the full dousing, with a bucket, of older people in business suits, who begged for the traditional symbolic pouring of water over their hands, which was totally ignored by the young punks.

Anyway, one year of this brutal farce was enough...every other year I was in Thailand, I stayed safely holed up in my apartment by day, and only ventured out at night.

[Gonsalviz]

It's not about being old and boring. It's about getting blasted in your eyes by some drunk foreigner who's filled their mega water cannon with very dodgy water. If you are out and about, going to dinner or trying to get some business done, it's just not fun. Especially when that blast ruins your expensive smart phone you've got in your pocket.

If you are a tourist with the appropriate attire and ready for war, then you're OK. But this subject has been done to death here on TV.

I don't recall ever seeing a Farang (much less a drunk one) in Isan during Songkran.

Battle gear: Plastic bags for everything you don't want wet or leave it all at home.

[khwaibah]

It's not about being old and boring. It's about getting blasted in your eyes by some drunk foreigner who's filled their mega water cannon with very dodgy water. If you are out and about, going to dinner or trying to get some business done, it's just not fun. Especially when that blast ruins your expensive smart phone you've got in your pocket.

If you are a tourist with the appropriate attire and ready for war, then you're OK. But this subject has been done to death here on TV.

I don't recall ever seeing a Farang (much less a drunk one) in Isan during Songkran.

Battle gear: Plastic bags for everything you don't want wet or leave it all at home.

You need to go to Surin. They are there by the dozens.

[curtklay]

Maybe so in Issan, but all you have to do is look at some You Tube clips of what it's like in Chiang Mai. If that's your idea of fun, you can have it.

Craig and Ajaan's explanations are right on the money.

Back on topic: Viet Nam is also on my short list. Thanks, Ima_farang.

Bang Saphan is looking very good.

Edited February 9, 2014 by curtklay

[Ajaan]

It's not about being old and boring. It's about getting blasted in your eyes by some drunk foreigner who's filled their mega water cannon with very dodgy water. If you are out and about, going to dinner or trying to get some business done, it's just not fun. Especially when that blast ruins your expensive smart phone you've got in your pocket.

If you are a tourist with the appropriate attire and ready for war, then you're OK. But this subject has been done to death here on TV.

I don't recall ever seeing a Farang (much less a drunk one) in Isan during Songkran.

Battle gear: Plastic bags for everything you don't want wet or leave it all at home.

Oh, please. Isan is crawling with farang at any time of the year. At any rate, Isan is one of the better parts of Thailand to be in during Songkran, in terms of avoiding idiots.

[geriatrickid]

Hua Hin has Songkran on one day only - April 12. That is the day I will be confined to the premises. I'll sleep in, do some work and go to the pool.

I might have a beer or two and then make it an early evening.

I have experienced the idiocy of Songkran in Patong & Chiang Mai, If people want to participate in such idiocy, good for them, but leave those of us who do not, alone. And this is where Hua Hin shines. One day, and one day only is tolerated. There will however be drunk drivers all weekend, so we will not driving during that time and won't be crossing busy intersections at night either. The strip in front of Market Village becomes a "let's run down the pedestrian zone", but aside from that, the place remains sane. I give thanks for Hua Hin's older demographic at this time of year, because the old folks are not interested at throwing water on people sitting having dinnner as was the case in patong. The hisos of Bangkok don't like getting wet either. They will however, go to the foam party at Market Village, because it's scented foam

I'm up in Issan for the first 2 weeks of April and it has been agreed that we are to "evacuate" no later than April 10 or 11.

[khwaibah]

Hua Hin has Songkran on one day only - April 12. That is the day I will be confined to the premises. I'll sleep in, do some work and go to the pool.

I might have a beer or two and then make it an early evening.

I have experienced the idiocy of Songkran in Patong & Chiang Mai, If people want to participate in such idiocy, good for them, but leave those of us who do not, alone. And this is where Hua Hin shines. One day, and one day only is tolerated. There will however be drunk drivers all weekend, so we will not driving during that time and won't be crossing busy intersections at night either. The strip in front of Market Village becomes a "let's run down the pedestrian zone", but aside from that, the place remains sane. I give thanks for Hua Hin's older demographic at this time of year, because the old folks are not interested at throwing water on people sitting having dinnner as was the case in patong. The hisos of Bangkok don't like getting wet either. They will however, go to the foam party at Market Village, because it's scented foam

I'm up in Issan for the first 2 weeks of April and it has been agreed that we are to "evacuate" no later than April 10 or 11.

Siem Reap and Pub Street sound good to me..

[edwardandtubs]

If you go to Samui it's only one day of madness. If you stay in your resort for that day you wouldn't even notice it was going on, especially if you stay in one of the smaller beaches. It starts in the evening and then goes on for the following day but if you just lounge on the beach you won't notice anything different.

Edited February 9, 2014 by edwardandtubs