So that's my Songkran in upcountry over then.

After a 13 hour drive back from Phrae we arrived back home in Hua Hin just after midnight.

All in all it was fairly uneventful! Thanks to those who posted advice in here.

I did my bit, joined in playing with the water with the kids and got drunk with the village locals on another night before sneaking off back to my air con hotel room, every night apart from one.

Apparently my wife's old man didn't like the fact that I didn't want to stay at the family palace but does the Pink Panther's face look in the slightest bit bothered?

Another good thing is that I told my Mrs that it would be her and not me paying for trips to Big C and the like, which saw my Mrs be much more careful with spending on the family than I reckon she would have been otherwise - I think she might have actually learnt a thing or two this trip about managing personal finances!

Anyway, for those of you saying I should been a man about the whole thing and just stayed at the shack, here's why I stayed 3 out 4 nights in a hotel:

Surely a farangs worst nightmare?

To all you blokes who live in upcountry Thailand, does your toilet look anything like this?

Please, that is at least elevated--all you have to do is wash off the top and sit. Try the ones at floor level, we call them bombsights, you have to squat.

So that's my Songkran in upcountry over then.

After a 13 hour drive back from Phrae we arrived back home in Hua Hin just after midnight.

All in all it was fairly uneventful! Thanks to those who posted advice in here.

I did my bit, joined in playing with the water with the kids and got drunk with the village locals on another night before sneaking off back to my air con hotel room, every night apart from one.

Apparently my wife's old man didn't like the fact that I didn't want to stay at the family palace but does the Pink Panther's face look in the slightest bit bothered?

Another good thing is that I told my Mrs that it would be her and not me paying for trips to Big C and the like, which saw my Mrs be much more careful with spending on the family than I reckon she would have been otherwise - I think she might have actually learnt a thing or two this trip about managing personal finances!

Anyway, for those of you saying I should been a man about the whole thing and just stayed at the shack, here's why I stayed 3 out 4 nights in a hotel:

Surely a farangs worst nightmare?

To all you blokes who live in upcountry Thailand, does your toilet look anything like this?

Please, that is at least elevated--all you have to do is wash off the top and sit. Try the ones at floor level, we call them bombsights, you have to squat.

No bum gun, yuch.

I see there is a blanked off water pipe next to the loo. If I were you, I'd be taking a bum gun with me next time and putting it into that pipe.