Let me be the first.....

[LivinginKata]

A number of off topic and/or inflammatory posts and any replies to those removed posts have been removed.

[HeavyDrinker]

I love this time of the year seeing people of all ages just having fun which I think is too much for many members to handle.

[keestha]

Often I have wondered how it would be if Songkran would be celebrated massively in the middle of the summer in big cities in Europe, UK, North America and Australia. Innocent fun?

[foxteen]

Ok Brothers and Sisters save water for tomorrow

[Guest]

Songkran is not the same as in the past.. unfortunately.

This is how Thai ladies used to dress in the past to play #Songkran (Picture via Ministry of Culture) #Thailand pic.twitter.com/vx60M3vHth

[how241]

I enjoyed water throwing at the end our entrance road on Nanai Road in my first few years living in Thailand. I am talking about throwing a bowl of water from a larger bucket in the ritual fun. That was 17 years ago. But then Songkran developed into ice water throwing (complete with ice cubes), larger spray pumps, powdered water. I soon lost my enthusiasm years ago. Now I just stay at home on those 'water' days and wish it was all over quickly.

I also used to enjoy it but now I'm glad when it's over. I do enjoy seeing the children having fun but I don't like the drunks getting carried away with the high pressured water cannons.

[mrfaroukh]

Yes I experience the same or even worse in Bolivia and India.

[bbbbooboo]

ha ha ha ha...i am just so glad i wont be in Thailand for songkran this year (clicks heels with delight)

[maxjay]

Water is pure magic

Beer, wine, bourbon, and single malt are pure magic.

Bring it on...the Single Malt that is.

At least the American Ambassador (short blond haired lady) to Thailand takes a light-hearted view of the Holiday:

[PHP87]

Is "whinging" anything like "whining"?

[marko kok prong]

Tried to enjoy it last year,my first Songkran,but witnessed a huge brawl at the mulam concert at the local school,went to a family gathering and one drunk and belligerent freind of theirs only wanted to insult and take the p*ss out of the falang,had abrasive white liquid poured on my car,and had to endure karaoke from the huge speakers set up in our front yard,not to mention the danger of driving,sorry i guess i am a whinger,but this is not my idea of fun so i shall take the op's advice and stay indoors.

[jpeg]

It's only ONE day here on Phuket, not the 5 day booze fueled war zone that are many parts of Bangkok and 10 up North. Easily avoided.

[BradinAsia]

"If this is not your cup of tea, stay at home and PLEASE refrain from whinging about it - although I know you will."

It is sort of amazing, even here at the hub of whinging, how the drama queens carry on about it all and announce they've planned holidays abroad or need preventative antibiotics or ...

If you really are afraid of getting wet, then stock up on the needful before Songkran gets up to speed and plan to do a few at-home chores (that you've been putting off for months out of laziness) for a few days. In most cases the worst of it all is in touristy locations, so avoid them for awhile. I would think most of us who stay here full-time would avoid the touristy areas at any time of the year anyway.

It's certainly no more restricting than some days during the rainy season when going out on foot is going to render you soaked & sodden and even driving a car means navigating roads turned to rivers. We learn to devise coping strategies.

Seriously, if you can't cope with this minor inconvenience, life more generally must have you totally defeated.

Great post!

These people who come here to live and then spend the rest of their lives whining.

How intelligent is that?

Reminds me of a farang coworkers a few years ago. He was married to a nice, educated

Thai lady, built a beautiful house in Bkk, had two beautiful children, but every time you talk

with him the conversation would turn to how stupid Thai people are.

It seemed like an obsession with him -- it seemed the underlying purpose was an effort to

convince people how intelligent he was.

Didn't convince me. That guy has a lot of blood brothers on TV, no doubt.

[Oilhound]

Some helpful information for you old guys that think this is your country, and I'm not talking about the Thai

A Songkran SURVIVAL kit

MANTA KLANGBOONKRONG
THE NATION



The water festival turns lots of people into anti-social shut-ins. They can have their own kind of fun.

BANGKOK: -- THANKS TO THE Songkran Festival, mid-April in Thailand is not for the faint-hearted. Gleefully stretched out from today through next Wednesday, the country's biggest annual celebration can also be the most annoying and uncomfortable time of year for anyone who's not fully prepared.

Getting soaked to the bone with every venture outdoors is the primary experience in modern times during a festival that once involved no more than the gentle pouring of scented water over the hands of one's elders. Nowadays tens of thousands of people take to the streets for the revelry of soggy combat, armed with formidable water artillery, but not everyone appreciates the raucous turn that tradition has taken.

The ideal escape is overseas, but if that's beyond your reach, you can simply stay indoors for the duration of the festival, and it doesn't necessarily have to resemble a zombie-apocalypse movie where the shut-in survivors subsist on canned food and grim determination. Here we offer a few suggestions on how to make your Songkran lock-down enjoyable - even festive!

DELIVERANCE

You're walking home, buckets of water fly, and you can't even raise your arms in defence because you're loaded down with bags of groceries. This is not usually fun. So, instead, have you're food delivered. Tesco Lotus and Tops Supermarket both have online shopping and will deliver to your door any day. Let their people get soaked (as long as your doughnuts stay dry). Both accept debit and credit cards as well.

All the fresh produce, frozen foods, household products and even pet food at Tesco Lotus can be delivered any day (and several times a day if you need it) from 10 to 10. The fee is a flat Bt60 and it doesn't matter how much you spend. Go to www.TescoLotus.com.

Tops Supermarket will deliver your care package for free if your spend Bt999 or more. Otherwise it's Bt150. You can get same-day delivery only if you order before 1pm. Go to www.Tops.co.th.

FEED ME

On any holiday it's perfectly reasonable if you don't feel like cooking, but during Songkran there's the added hazard of venturing out to restaurants. Get your cooked grub instead from Foodpanda.co.th, choosing dishes from a list of hundreds of good-quality restaurants and having it delivered straight to your door for a small fee. Foodpanda's phone application (iOS and Android) means you can place an order in less than 10 seconds. During the festival the delivery hours are noon to 9pm.

QUENCH ME

No point letting the waterlogged hordes outside have all the fun, so stock up on alcohol via Wish Beer (www.WishBeer.com or www.Facebook.com/WishBeerThailand). You can choose among 400 brands of premium beer from all over Europe, by the bottle or the "discovery case" - a mixed sampler of flavoured craft beers priced at Bt1,550. Delivery is free if you spend Bt2,000. Spend at least Bt4,000 and they'll knock 10 per cent off the overall bill.

If you had the foresight to pack your liquor cabinet in advance, all you need are some tips on making "best-ever" cocktails from veteran mixologist Joseph Boroski.

"Here's the check list: booze - no bottom-shelf bottles, please - fruit or juice, sugar, syrup or sweetener, lemons or limes or some other sour fruit. Green mango can work in a pinch," he says.

"Cut up one or two kinds of fruit and mash it with the back of a spoon or a wooden papaya-salad stick to get the juice. Then add the booze - somewhere between 30 and 60ml is strong enough for most people.

"Then comes the sweetener. Whatever you use, make it generally about half to three-quarters the amount of alcohol. If your fruit is a bit tart, you might need only a little bit of lime or lemon. But usually we'll add about the same or a bit more as the sugar or syrup or honey. Lastly, add ice and stir!"

If you hit a snag, start to panic or just want share the excellent recipe you've devised, tag Boroski on Twitter @sipslowly or Instagram #sipslowly.

YOU'LL NEED TUNES

Unfortunately Bangkok's favourite DJ, Octo, doesn't do house calls and tomorrow he's booked for a party with the wet crowd, but bless him, he has mix tapes ready to download for free at www.Octo.co.uk/songkran2014. Put them all together on a shuffle or loop and you're good for the whole night.

The gloom of your lonely albeit dry home can further be lightened by shopping online at B2S, which also delivers. Browse through the heaps of movie and music DVDs, magazines and stationery for the kids. Delivery is free if you spend at least Bt499, Monday through Saturday from 8.30am to 6pm, cash only. Have a look at www.Central.co.th/en/B2S or call (02) 730 7777.

ARMOURED CARS

If you absolutely, positively must sneak outside, travel dry with GrabTaxi (and enjoy the traffic-free roads of Songkran). It's a new application for Android, iOS, Windows and BlackBerry Q10 and Z10 phones through which you can book a taxi with as little as two hours' notice and as much as seven days in advance.

The app sends your location via FourSquare and Google to all available taxis in the area. A taxi driver will call to confirm and then come pick you up, charging Bt25 on top of the meter total. The app itself is free and available in both Thai and English. Get the details at www.Facebook.com/GrabTaxiTH.

Meanwhile, if you've ever tried to wash a cat, you know they hate Songkran even more than you do. But maybe they have to go see the vet or get some grooming during the festival. What you do is call Mee Pet Taxi at (084) 663 3995 or log on to www.Facebook.com/MeePetTaxi. Their fares start at Bt300.

Thong Lor Pet Hospital has its own taxi service for animals, daily from 9 to 5, if you need to get to any of its nine branches around Bangkok. It also has vets on standby 24 hours a day. That's (02) 712 5563 or www.ThonglorPet.com.

-- The Nation 2014-04-11

[Guest]

Where to go to see best parts of the songkran in Phuket?

I have traditionally went to Phuket town, where the songkran is more of the water festival and less "in to your face" water war.

Saphan Hin will probably be jammed with people (and traffic).

Do you have favorite spots to share, where to go and why?

Some photos from Phuket town 2012

And Chalong

More traditional event

[TinoThailand]

I pray for thunder and rainstorms

[hawker9000]

Fair enough the point taken about staying home if you don't want to involved with Songhan but it has nothing to do with a sense of humour and tolerancewhenSonghan is taken to extremes. It is great fun in the villages and to see the kids having a great time but if i keep on going i too will be guilty of whinging .

Absolutely right - most do have, and should as a matter of common sense exercise their stay-home or go-elsewhere option if they're not into it. But that doesn't mean they can't express their feelings about it. Songkran activities long ago started creeping well beyond the good-natured splashing that used to be fun and a real chance for foreigners to mingle under the happiest of circumstances with the locals in an important festive & cultural event, which it hopefully still is in some places. But now, sadly, Thai roads & local streets in many places during this time are too often at least a health hazard, sometimes a safety issue, and at times a deathtrap... And some brainless foreigners just can't wait, and think themselves oh so "thai", to count themselves among the idiots who are the worst offenders, who think they have a license to inflict anything on anybody as long as there's at least some water (or ice...) involved... Anyone, such as the OP, who can't handle the commentary about this, doesn't have to spend his time here reading it. But moan & bellow in self-righteous indignation however much he might like, the criticisms will continue to be voiced, whether OP likes it or not.

[Torrens54]

Memo to Eezergood and others who a whinging about the whingers:

Awwww, now you're trying to spoil all of OUR Fun.

We love to whine about all manner of things, including the degeneration of Songkran into a "Yobfest" (I'm very proud of that particular title) and what a wondrous opportunity for us old timers, to gripe and groan as we lump a whole gaggle of errant Thais and Farang together, for a proper hosing-down over their childish antics?

Let us have our bit of fun as we toss a few brick-bats at the "Yobbs" for wasting our precious water, for risking the infecting of the innocent, with polluted water (probably smuggled in from Burma, because we know that Thai Water is PURE!) and causing serious, if not fatal traffic accidents as they squirt road users with high pressure hoses.

Not "whine" about Songkran? you might as well put a ban on Santa! So stop being a Spoil-sport and let those of us, who relish having a good whinge, enjoy our Songkran by shedding buckets of tears over it.

Edited April 11, 2014 by Torrens54

[eezergood]

Memo to Eezergood and others who a whinging about the whingers:

Awwww, now you're trying to spoil all of OUR Fun.

We love to whine about all manner of things, including the degeneration of Songkran into a "Yobfest" (I'm very proud of that particular title) and what a wondrous opportunity for us old timers, to gripe and groan as we lump a whole gaggle of errant Thais and Farang together, for a proper hosing-down over their childish antics?

Let us have our bit of fun as we toss a few brick-bats at the "Yobbs" for wasting our precious water, for risking the infecting of the innocent, with polluted water (probably smuggled in from Burma, because we know that Thai Water is PURE!) and causing serious, if not fatal traffic accidents as they squirt road users with high pressure hoses.

Not "whine" about Songkran? you might as well put a ban on Santa! So stop being a Spoil-sport and let those of us, who relish having a good whinge, enjoy our Songkran by shedding buckets of tears over it.

NO!!!

only kidding, whinge away! but please do so responsibly.......

[duanebigsby]

I'll whine all I want.

I'm not a pussy about getting soaked, but it can be downright dangerous for us motorcyclists. The ice water, often cubes and all, is nasty.

The natural instinct is to swerve or duck when something is thrown towards you, which can cause an accident.

Can you also not show some respect for people photographing with some expensive gear? Tourists are the worst in this respect.

[BadBouy]

I have met a number of people in my life who are not happy unless they are complaining about something. Best thing to do is ignore them, complaining about them only gives them relevence. Enjoying yourself because they are enjoying coplaining about what ever you are doing.

[Somtamnication]

Yes I experience the same or even worse in Bolivia and India.

Remember it well. We used to put water in little water balloons and throw them.

[Guest]

Can you also not show some respect for people photographing with some expensive gear? Tourists are the worst in this respect.

Tourists might not know the rules, but locals usually do. They don't splash water on the people who don't look like they wish to be soaked (have camera, look reserved, have "too good clothes on", etc.). Sometimes there are mistakes, but those are done in over excitement, not in the bad way.

[ggt]

Is "whinging" anything like "whining"?

There is a subtle difference...Thais Whinging...sounds like birds flapping their wings...whereas...foreigners whining...sounds more like the moans from a funeral procession...both are eerily effective...

[super22k]

What I cannot understand is last year,in Chiang Mai,after throwing water at each other all day and being soaked to the skin some people went home because it started to rain!

[jacko45k]

Yes, go ahead and enjoy yourself.

You can have jello and ice cream after!

[Guest]

While riding from Ao Por, there were groups who were throwing water to the people on the roads. All the way from my home to the heroinas monument, not one person did throw water to me as I was signaling "please don't do it".

I was once stopped and then given a bit of talc powder to my cheeks by a pretty girl. I did not mind that.

Once going down south on Thepasarati road, obviously there had to be the idiot to kill the spell and throw water on me.

I don't mind the occasional sprays from the kids, but throwing a bucket full of water to the face is not what I call fun, especially when the thrower has already noted that I do not wish it.

At the Phuket town, things were better. There was much more locations where people were playing with water. Vast majority were polite enough not to throw water, especially when I had a camera shown to them. Then there were the people who did not think fast enough.. Not real harm done fortunately.

At Sapan Hin, people were generally having fun. Some very drunk youths, but mainly people were just having fun water fight with each others. I got stopped couple of times, by pretty young women, who once again put some powder to my cheeks. I could actually get use used to such treatment in everyday life

Before the sunset, when things started to get quiet at Town, I headed to Patong. To see what is going on there. I did not expect a lot, but still.. the place is a shithole, which should be demolished to a glass dessert by a nuclear bomb. Murky people with aggressive depressive disorders having "fun". I had to reroute my ride to get fastest way out of there. At the very northern end of Patong, people were far more polite.

At Kamala I saw Santa Claus riding a scooter with huge stomach and white beard at the traffic lights, not wearing shirt of course. His "girl" was hitting him to his head, while there was couple of young Thai girls watching in a way "That should not be done". I thought of @Shot, who is known to be from Kamala as well as known not to wear a shirt.

In general it was interesting to note few things while on the way. Songkran seemed to be purely a buddhist party, while muslims did not really participate on the event. The locations where was no action were muslim populated, but once getting to places where buddhist live, there was water.

Another thing was how people played with the water. The more educated or traditional people were in each areas, the more polite the play was.

[larsjohnsson]

I'll whine all I want.

I'm not a pussy about getting soaked, but it can be downright dangerous for us motorcyclists. The ice water, often cubes and all, is nasty.

The natural instinct is to swerve or duck when something is thrown towards you, which can cause an accident.

Can you also not show some respect for people photographing with some expensive gear? Tourists are the worst in this respect.

They love when they can destroy a camera, phone or any other expensive equipment. And nothing make them more happy then a motorcyclist that fall of the bike. More than once I have seen farangs laugh at serious injured people

[hawker9000]

Tourists might not know the rules, but locals usually do. They don't splash water on the people who don't look like they wish to be soaked (have camera, look reserved, have "too good clothes on", etc.). Sometimes there are mistakes, but those are done in over excitement, not in the bad way.

Sorry, BS.

Edited April 14, 2014 by hawker9000