Songkran - Village Style - The way that it should be?

[wayned]

Unlike the way it is celebrated in places like Koh Samui and Chiang Mai, the celebration in our country village is tame and you can venture out without the fear of being inundated with massive amounts of water and other substances.

Although Songkran is officially the 13^th, it was celebrated in my village on the 14^th due to scheduling the monks to come for the blessing. Up until 5 years ago the celebration used to be a large event held at the temple on the 13th for all the villages but it always ended in a fight at the end of the night, the last one broken up by the BIB firing their guns in the air. At that point, the head monk decided that each village would have there own celebration.

It started early in the morning with everybody pitching in and cooking with the monks arriving at around 11am – nobody got wet. The monks did their chanting, ate, did some more chanting and then left. The villagers then ate and the drinking in earnest began. After eating, chairs were lined up and the elders sat down, me included, and they were honored by the younger folks with small amounts of water being poured on their hands and shoulders. I seemed to be wetter than anybody else. The Village chief then gave gifts to all the elders, a big towel and a new shirt. After that, those who didn’t want to get wet left and the children began to douse everybody that stayed. There was karaoke and the party dwindled to about 25, all dripping wet and on the way to alcoholic oblivion. The dancing began and everybody produced 20 baht bills for the dance troupe, who were the village children, the oldest being about 12 years old. I left and went home while is was still able, about a 500 meter walk. The others stayed until the whiskey and beer ran out.

Everything will be back to normal today, some will be a little under the weather, and preparation will begin for the incredible and dangerous journey for those who have to travel home.

[richardathuahin]

Used to be similar when I lived in a village near Kranuan (Khon Kaen). In Hua Hin it's just a water slinging match fired up by drunken farangs and young Thais from Bangkok

[David48]

OK ... couple of things ... over two posts as I'm baby sitting.

Songkran is sort of like Christmas.

Everyone celebrates it in a different way ... in a way relative to them.

For Christmas ... I bemoan when the department stores start with the Christmas retailing in October.

But I'm also not a Catholic who goes to Mass on Christmas eve.

I'm a 'liker' ... but you wouldn't call me a 'believer'.

I'm just a middle of the road kind of guy who likes the Family traditions of Christmas, respects the Religious origins and enjoys received a well thought out gift from a near and dear.

Ditto for Songkran ...

[David48]

^^ Ditto for Songkran ...

Us Westerners, the Thai population, as a whole, celebrate Songkran as it's relevant to them.

The rebel raisers go raise Hell with their water tussles ... the oldies show respect as you described above.

... and some do a bit of both ... that's me ...

Every Songkran, the Farm Family go to the local Temple where their relative has a memorial/worship place ... the Monks and Family gather and pay respect.

This year was no different ... we were a bit late getting there for that bit (we drove separately) but we caught the last 5 mins but were there in time for the most important bit ... well, the most important bit for my gf's Father.

The bit where he could show off his whiter then white newly arrived grandchildren (my sons) to the clan.

OMG ... it was like the second coming of JC !

The Thai man leaning against the wall in the first photo is their Grandad ... and self-appointed Manager!

Then back to the Farm for the blessing of the gf's parents.

BTW .. for those needing a few good photos for Visa applications for their partner ... great time to take them.

Shows you as an integral part of the Family and also dates, in the Thai mind, when you were there.

ditto King's Birthday, Christmas etc ... IMHO

.

[bannork]

Taking a trip in our pick up from Bandung through Beungkan province to the river Mekhong, we passed hundreds of villages yesterday and every one was lined with revellers determinedly splashing every vehicle.We ourselves had come armed with 2 large water containers in the back and several buckets.

Forced or volunteering to stop at frequent checkpoints, one of my nephews and self could hardly complain at being constantly mobbed, smeared and soaked by bevies of excited females ranging from ten years old to their forties.The younger revellers, too small to reach up, furiously pumped water at all and sundry who passed.

An hour of this was fun but when we picked up speed, we started to feel cold. Still we were well prepared with a change of clothing for when we got to the restaurant on the river, a great view of one of the bends on the river too.

Coming back was even more frenetic as the revellers were increasingly drunk.It was getting dark and cooler, yet this was no deterrent, I'm not sure which helped hold off feeling cold more, the alcohol or the dancing,

Lots of fun all round for all ages, families out together, complete madness on the roadside of course, but it's great to also be on a pick up, not on a motorbike, so you can choose to be dry or not.

[Bluetongue]

Up at Ban Laem on the 13th there were three brawls and two Cambodians were killed. So yesterday the police and army up there

turned away revellers fearing the opposing parties return with guns and knives. So our lot had a huge party at the temple. We went to the temple for the traditional chanting and feeding the monks in the morning and I went briefly in the afternoon and

got thoroughly sluiced and powdered. Then a large number of them turned up at home (a large family compound) we did the

respectful abnam to MIL but because it was a bit chilly she didn't get topless as she normally does (sight to behold) then a

few of us other oldies also got our hands and feet washed then the stereos in the cars got cranked up and we partied and

danced for a few hours, packed up by 8 all over red rover

[tim armstrong]

So sad reading these stories. When I first came to Thailand our village did the traditional thing with the old people, and had more respect for the monks. 12 years on and we now avoid the drunken water festival and only go to the Temple service the day before, which is a social occasion for all the families and their relatives returning home from Bangkok.

But Loi kratong still has a spiritual feel about it, hope is doesn't go the same way as Songkran.

[Bardeh]

I'm currently in a small village in rural Chiang Rai, and while I do enjoy Songkran, I just cannot get on board with all the drinking. I do like a drink, but in the evening when it's cooler. Here they start at around 9am, either Lao Kao or Lao Daeng, and most people are completely out of it by midday. I don't know how they do it day after day!

[elgordo38]

Songkran is like Christmas? come come now. The noisy bass strictly bass bombardment(not the lovely romantic Thai music that exists here) across the road for over 10 hours a day for the last four days sure as hell is not from Christmas carolers. Some jerk has his hands on the volume button and the drunker they get the more the volume gets turned up. Yes Thai music is beautiful romantic but this loud bass banging from across the street is just sheer hell by any definition no matter what your nationality is or what country you come from. The gentle tradition of putting water on someone's shoulders and hands is long gone replaced by a horrendous tourist attraction that attempts to drown one and all to put money in the coffers of big business. It is in my eyes (come on all you stone throwers get in here) a sin to teach young kids to waste such a precious resource like water. I believe in these children's lifetimes they will turn on the taps and nothing will come out. The rice farmers will be unable to grow their crops. I am sure their minds will drift back to these so called happier days when water was so wasted all for the sake of a buck sorry baht..

[Frank James]

Hey, David48. That was a beautiful story. Didn't want to requote your whole thing just to say that, but sounds like you have a great life where you are. Very good. Happy New Year, and Chok dee to you and yours.

[Frank James]

Usually for most of the holiday I stay at home, but this year decided I would get out there and mingle, get a little wet, and get over this minor case of agoraphobia. Don't want to be a Miserable Old Git, do I? Went out earlier before most of the ambush sites were established, and drunks from the day before were still coming to. It was manageable.

Later on, in the heat of afternoon, i decided to have the whole immersive experience. I walked into the crowds outside KSK (Chiang Mai, this is). It was OK, except for the volume of the "music". It seems no matter what the "song" is, the mechanical bass thumping is the same. jacked up so high, it blows right through your body. Sitting inside at Black Canyon Coffee on the second floor, that bass was rattling the windows. I couldn't handle it, rode my bicycle back home to Santhitam Road. Was almost home free, when I got stuck in traffic and some kid walked up behind me and poured a whole gallon of ICE WATER down my back. That is excessive, I think.

Now it's evening, and the screams and music have almost died away. Good luck to those who are driving home from this madness. What do all the vendors do with those thousands of unsold water guns and cheap pails?

[Thongkorn]

I use to like Songkran in the Village, But last year some drunk youths decided to stop the main road, By Dancing in the middle of the road, There where cues miles long, one tired motor bike user shot dead one of the youths in the road, we just happen to be next to the incident, that's put us off now, Now we stay out of Thailand for Songkran, which is a pity because we use to like it before it got to crazy.

Edited April 15, 2014 by Thongkorn

[dighambara]

Merely a personal opinion.

Some villages are very nuch like a Pattaya celebration - for the entire week.

[somchaismith]

At the Songkran ceremony which I attended, after the chanting had finished, a young monk came a long with a kind of large flaxen whisk and flicked water over everyone, one at a a time.