The 2015 Pattaya Songkran FAQ (long)

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The 2015 Pattaya Songkran FAQ

Answers and Survival Tips

That time again!

The FAQ has grown so lengthy that I bit the bullet and put it up as a lil' webpage for much better formatting and navigation. The page is mobile responsive (mostly) and ad free. Javascript required. If you're gonna surf the FAQ, you'll probably enjoy it more there. Here: Songkran FAQ Web.

I'll remove the webpage after Songkran. However I'm putting a slightly abbreviated version, still quite long, below so that something will remain for the forum.

And now . . . the FAQ.

How quickly Pattaya Songkran arrives; how slowly it departs.

Songkran is a major event in Pattaya every year that negatively affects most normal tourists and residents. As such it gives rise to countless questions and the need for a kind of survival guide. The purpose of the FAQ is twofold: first, preemptively to address and therefore discourage all the same old sneers, grunts, insults, chest pounding, and childish posturing by the forum commentards who would otherwise infest the annual Songkran thread to the detriment of meaningful information exchange and discussion. It very much helps to spell out and explain—before the "discussion" even starts—all the reasons the residents of Pattaya don't like, and don't have to like, Pattaya Songkran.

With many of the 'tards out of the way, the FAQ can better serve its main purpose as a survival guide for those who must endure this mess year after year. New arrivals say they've found the FAQ useful. Maybe it's saved some of us not just annoyance but injury owing to an unfortunate encounter with the water hooligans who control our streets for 10 days.

Last year the FAQ happened to be the only current Songkran thread in the Pattaya forum, but it did manage adequately to encompass the postings of minute-by-minute descriptions of the action & locations.

This 2015 FAQ incorporates relevant information from the 2013 & 2014 Songkran FAQ as well as the 2013 It's Started thread. It represents a synthesis of contributions from many forum members.

Table Of Contents

1. DEFINITION
2. DATES
3. HOURS OF OPERATION
4. LOCATION
5. WHY
6. SURVIVAL STRATEGIES
6.1. Leave
6.2. Go to ground
6.3. Be a target
6.4. Vent
7. THE FUTURE

In the course of the FAQ, the following questions and misconceptions are specifically addressed.

• Who's worse, farang or Thai hooligans?
• Must read What are the dates of Pattaya's Songkran horror?
• Can I travel to or from Pattaya on the 19th?
• Why does Songkran last so long in Pattaya?
• It stops at PM by law, no problem.
• Long-term residents know the worst areas and can avoid them.
• It's harmless fun and a good laugh.
• It's a Thai custom, farangs should have no say. Nyah nyah NYAH nyah!
• But why is it hooliganism?
• But it's just a lil' inconvenience, heh, heh.
• But I get to see young women in wet T-shirts at Songkran!!!
• Latest Love Songkran 'cause it's freedom from th boredom of the nanny state.
• Songkran keeps you young.
• So where is the best place to avoid Songkran?
• What about wearing a rain suit?
• Just ride with your car windows rolled up.
• Motorcyclists are safe because they wear helmets.
• Don't worry, the police have instituted a ban on high pressure water guns and PVC pipes.
• But saying anything against Songkran is a whinge.
• Bt nobody's pAin attn ur complaints, nyuk nyuk nyuk.
• f u dnt lk sngkrn u dnt lk pty n tIlnd!
• f u dnt lk sngkrn ur a grumpy old git. Grumpy old gi-it! Grumpy old gi-it!
• i lurv me tats & patts sngkrn!
• f u dnt go out n fIt, ur a pussy scArd o my BIG BAD supR soaker. Yah, yah, pussy!
• Is Pattaya Songkran in decline?

Without further ado:

1. DEFINITION

A gentle, charming, traditional water blessing ceremony for the new year performed by the smiling, friendly natives of Thailand. Whoops! Dreamin' there for a sec . . . .

A sadistic, filthy water-ice-and-powder throwing war in which for 9 days mobs of farang and Thai hooligans have legal license to cause maximum injury to whomever they encounter.

Q: Who's worse, farang or Thai hooligans?
A: A question of perennial interest to our racially conscious. Well, consensus has it that in the bar areas the Thai hooligans are usually the equal of the farangs. If you're songkraned by a group of Thais outside of the bar areas, they'll likely be gentler--but you can't totally rely on it, esp. when it comes to the pickup truck revelers.

@Emster23, on 2014-03-02 14:04:10:

Going to USA. 7 years ago had to come back from BKK to Jomtien, took 7 hours. We had weekend bags, Thais were cool about realising we were not part of the show, but the farangs were total jerks, as usual.

Unfortunately you'll also encounter a lot more of the (gentler) Thai hooligans at the countless checkpoints set up outside the bar areas. Is it better to be songkraned 3 times by gentler Thai hooligans or once by mean farang hooligans? You decide.

The NOISE of Songkran deserves a mention.

@balo, on 14 Apr 2013 - 23:07:

Right now I am more comcerned about the loud music and Thais screamiing into their karaoke microphones here in my soi all night.

Besides the parties & karaoke, cars & trucks ride around at all hours playing loud music. It can be disturbing, to say the least.

A final point is that Pattaya Songkran is also very much a spectator "sport." The participants enjoy watching themselves of course. But many enjoy watching it all from the relative safety of their cars, merely driving around with their windows rolled up. (Not to omit hotel/apt balconies along the circuits.)

It only stands to reason that the audience would encourage as many to participate as possible to enhance the viewing pleasure. In fact this seems to be a main purpose of many Songkran boosters on the forum. The underlying motive is for others to take most of the risk while they enjoy watching for possible injury. Otherwise, why should they care? Hence the name-calling and rows of emoticons urging YOU to get out there.

Refusing to participate (while you enjoy yourself in other delightful ways) deprives hooligans and spectators alike of their fun at your expense. And isn't that just ever so satisfying?

2. DATES

Q: What are the dates of Pattaya's Songkran horror?
A: Starts tentatively on April 11th by premature ejaculators and goes through the 19th. (Hence if your survival strategy is to go to ground (see below), do all your shopping no later than the 10th.)

Immigration normally follows Thai official holidays and so will be closed the 13th - 15th. You may call and check: 038 252 750.

Q: Can I travel on the 11th?
A: Should be no problem, except the bus station may be a bit more crowded owing to the exodus from Pattaya. Avoid bar areas in the afternoon.

Picks up speed on the 12th on the inevitable principle of monkey see monkey do because the 12th is the official start of the Songkran holidays in Thailand--but not officially of the Songkran celebration in Pattaya, because different geographical areas have different official Songkran celebration dates. We don't need no stinkin' rules in Pattaya, however, so here the "celebration" starts the 11th, mostly towards the late afternoon and evening hours.

By the 13th, when Bangkok's Songkran celebration starts, things are getting into full swing, including in the bar areas of Jomtien.

@Jingthing, 2014-04-13 23:03:23:

Tonight was a stupid night to go by bus as early as 8. It was a test of sorts. Failed!

I was hit about 30 times.

Traffic's not yet too bad--a calm before the storm, as a lot of people have wisely left town. But then the 16th to the 19th is the worst because then the Bangkok hooligans migrate to swell the ranks of Pattaya's own. Expect traffic jams building from the 16th.

On the 18th and 19th travel becomes nearly impossible owing to gridlock and the "festivities." The 19th is the peak day, the climax, of Songkran in Pattaya. Chaos spreads to the side roads, e. g., Sois Khao Talo and Khao Noi:

@Witawa tw@tawit, 2014-04-19 15:53:07:

Just returned from Khao Talo - "death wish alley". Total mayhem from one end to the other. It has to be the most dangerous strip of road in the world at the moment.

But the 19th is the last day. Yep, Pattaya Songkran always stops on the 19th, late; on the 20th things are back to "normal." Some prescient forum wiser-than-thou will likely "bet" (love these bets) it won't stop on the 19th but in fact it does--to applause and great sighs of relief.

I've just ridden (3am) through the heart of the bar area zone in Pattaya, along 2nd Road, Beach Road, Pattaya Klang and Pattaya Tai. No one is spraying water. It's over!!!!!







Beach Road was still wet though, so it must have stopped quite late in that area.

As Jingthing pointed out, the total time taken up by Songkran is really 10 days when you factor in the day of preparation you need to spend--no later than April 10th.

So let's call it 10 days, shall we?

Q: Can I travel to or from Pattaya on the 19th?
A: Forget it. All roads around Pattaya turn into parking lots. Some, if not all, taxi services refuse to travel on that day. Driving? Member marstons reports it took him 3 hours to get from the motorway junction to the Pattaya Klang intersection on Sukhumvit.

@brummiebob, on 09 Apr 2013 - 18:48:

I've seen tourist that's arrived on the 19th booked a hotel somewhere on beach road and got a taxi down and managed to get in as far as Foodland or Big C car park on central road., their taxi gave up after 3-4 hours, left them to fend for themselves and probably walk the rest of the way to their hotel.

It's also hard to travel out of Pattaya on the 19th. The buses do run, but you'll have to get the station on your own (no Bell Travel pickup) and expect long, long delays.

Q: Why does Songkran last so long in Pattaya?
A: It has to do with the nature of the Pattaya's traditional main business. The vast, colorful Pattaya bar scene that we love (BIB! Leave them ho's alone!), though its mission of ending poverty in Isaan be ever so noble and just, isn't especially noted for polite, considerate, civilized behavior even at the best of times. Consider the type of workers, their clientele, and the large network somehow connected to The Biz. 'Tis always been so; this for example from 2007:

Fellow Brits’ Fight over Bargirl

Two British friends had an argument over liking the same bargirl and while walking down Soi 7, Pattaya Second Road, the argument led to a fight to get one injured while the other fled. . . .

--http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/147014-two-brits-fight-over-thai-bird/

Underlying reality, or "freedom of expression," strongly asserts itself at Songkran. And so the water throwing is started early by mobs of farang yobos in the bars, notably in Sois 7 and 8. They live and breathe for Songkran season; most of them travel to Pattaya especially for it. The Thais readily join in, starting with, of course, the working girls in the bars. (In fairness it should noted that the yobos are a small violent minority of the total population of piece-and-love bar patrons in Pattaya.)

Yet this begs the question (a question we should know better than to ask) of why City Hall permits it to go on for 10 days when in fact many businesses lose money from the start and most residents--and many if not most would-be tourists--hate it. Normally, police would put a stop to potentially injurious assaults, esp. a pattern of such; and you could even sue for damages and bodily harm if the perp could be located. The law after all is clear.

So it must be that businesses and individuals who do financially benefit are behind the permitting its extraordinary duration in Pattaya.

But this obvious speculation has I fear already initiated another Special Olympiad event for our unfortunates afflicted with incurable Chronic Tea Money Tic Disorder (CTMTD) (as opposed to, say, the more localized Tic-Related Promenade Obsessive Compulsive Disorder [TRPOCD]). The inundation of posts with their twitches and the accompanying buzz from the Brown Envelope Bots might well cause this entire thread to collapse in on itself and become a singularity.

Yeah, better leave it be. Mai pen rai! Songkran rolls on.

Revealed at last! ME for 10 days!

3. HOURS OF OPERATION

Roughly speaking, it goes on from about 7 AM to 12 AM daily, but any time is possible. Peak hours are from about 2 PM to 7 PM. The chances of your being songkraned start increasing rapidly from about 10 AM. Before that, here's what's waiting for you in the 'burbs:

Photos: SurfRider


If traveling, you'll have to weigh the probabilities and choices of routes for least inconvenience.

Q: It stops at 6 PM by law, no problem.
A: Law? No, in Pattaya it never stops at 6 PM. Try 11 PM or 12 AM. Member tropo notes, On some nights and especially the night before the big day on 19th they throw water all through the night - even on 3rd road.


4. LOCATION

Q: Where is Pattaya's Songkran?
A: All the way from Naklua to Jomtien, radiating from the bar areas. That includes Wong Amart. The worst areas are Beach Rd. and 2nd Rd. in Pattaya. Walking Street and Soi Buakhaow are war zones for the duration. Jomtien Beach Rd. starts slower but by the 13th builds to Hooligan Hawg Heaven in the bar areas.

@LALes, on 08 Apr 2013 - 17:27:

Try Jomtien Beach Rd, on the 19th if you want to see the End Of The World. Every nitwit and his brother is out. The huge trucks with the humongous stereos are cruising up and down Beach Rd. blaring that crap all day and all night and traffic is not really moving so, from my condo window, I have to endure the whole bloody mess. Don't even think about going outside because that's worse.

Side streets off the main roads usually have pockets of Songkran revelers and may have checkpoints you can't safely pass without being soaked, iced, and powdered.

Besides that, open trucks full of drunken revelers w/ barrels of water, ice, and powder continually cruise the streets like Taliban. You can get songkraned anywhere in the city.

Songkran pickup truck revelers

Naklua's official Songkran day is the 18th, meaning gridlock on Naklua Rd. for most of the day; avoid, unless you're a water hooligan, of course. Wong Amart, then, is effectively sealed in.

Q: Long-term residents know the worst areas and can avoid them

A: You have to know Pattaya really well to avoid all clusters of beer bars. Besides, many residents do ride the baht buses-esp. what with the traffic and parking situation nowadays--and most buses travel via the Beach Rd/2nd Rd circuit

Baht bus under attack

Photo credit: SurfRider

More baht bus photos here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/707843-2014-songkran-faq-long/page-7#entry7683318

Word of advice for bespectacled baht bus riders:

@Jingthing, 2014-04-13 23:03:23:

It's dangerous for people who really need glasses. If you wear them, they can be blown off your head. If you don't, you can't see. Decisions decisions. Of course you can take them off while riding the bus.

And there are the Taliban trucks out continually cruising the streets.

5. WHY

Q: It's harmless fun and a good laugh
A: No, vehicle accidents and injuries do happen because of the water, powder, and ice throwing. Eye and ear infections are not uncommon as much of the water is quite filthy. In fact, one TV member almost lost an eye to infection. Fights break out (see the threads here and here ).

Let's have some testimonials:

bubba, on 29 Mar 2013 - 13:26, said:

jackflash, on 29 Mar 2013 - 10:58, said:

> Has anyone here ever seen or heard of a motorbike having an accident while getting water dumped on them from a pickup?

I guess you don't live in Thailand.
I have seen many accidents caused by idiots throwing a bucket of water at a passing motocycle.

Iced water is the latest stupid idea, and has an even worse effect.
Last year I saw some idiot farangs throughing water with ICE CUBES.

Complete and utter idiots.

It's not just throwing water at moving motorcycles. I nearly had a very bad accident driving a car down a straight highway at about 90 kph, when all of a sudden a couple of kids darted out and threw two buckets of water that hit my windscreen. The force of water against my windscreen moving at 90 kph cause a huge noise and caused me to momentarily be unable to see do to the water.

This sort of thing is very, very dangerous and could cause one to lose control, whilst killing themselves and perhaps other who may me standing along the side of the road. Throwing buckets of water at passing vehicles has nothing to do with the real meaning of Songkran, and of course I would be dreaming to think anything would ever been done to stop it.

Sad but true. Some years back I was driving back from work taking a back road when a pick-up truck of drunks going in the opposite direction, hurled ice which smashed my windscreen. When I eventually found a garage I had to join the queue for a new windscreen!! Some call this good fun.

@oohlalanev, on 29 Mar 2013 - 08:39: Has anyone here ever seen or heard of a motorbike having an accident while getting water dumped on them from a pickup?
@SteeleJoe, on 29 Mar 2013 - 09:00: Yes.
@Keesters, on 30 Mar 2013 - 08:23: yes, me

@MJCM, 2014-04-06 19:20:28:

I still have the scar above my eye to remind me that Songkran in Pattaya is not what it should be, and for people who think we are whiners because we rather stay indoors (or leave) participate and have fun, and I was once like you.

But after spending some time down at the emergency room because of some "innocent" ice cube water throwing, you will learn but I just hope not the hard way as I had to do (and I was lucky)

And there's this report of death:

@thaikahunathaikahuna, on 2014-03-02 13:24:27:

I had a friend die last year from jerks throwing ice water. She died taking evasive action and was hit by a pick up. I'm getting out of town again this year.

Most adult residents of Pattaya ain't laughing. We've been through multiple Songkrans; we know quite well what it's all about. Women don't think being groped is a good laugh either. I recall a singularly bitter post about that by a farang woman.

Q: It's a Thai custom, farangs should have no say.
A: You'll need to study up on the meaning of "standing" in legal jurisprudence. Thais and farangs physically force all (accessible) farangs to participate whether they want to or not. In Pattaya, farang yobos bear major responsibility for starting Songkran early and keeping it going for 9 days as opposed to the 3 days max in all other towns in Thailand. Therefore farang (victims) do have standing and a say even though the powers-that-be pay no attention.

Q: But why is it hooliganism?
A: Simply because the hooligans force everyone to participate whether they want to or not. And, having no fear of legal prosecution, they attempt to injure their victims as much as possible. See this old clown?

Watch me make her crash her motorbike!

Photo & caption credit: SurfRider

@tlock, on 2012-04-19 21:14:48:

It does seem like the goal is to make me wreck my bike. Every bowl and water cannon was aiming for my eyes, and people would do things like hide behind something and jump out and hit me in the face with water...

@willyumiii, on 30 Mar 2013 - 09:45:

...last year I found several jerks were throwing cold water with large chunks of ice in the water. I was hit in the mouth with a chunk of ice the size of a fist last year and went home bleeding and in a considerable amount of pain. The injury could have been worse

Hooligan-on-hooligan would be fine, let 'em have at it. But no-o-o-o.

Q: But it's just a lil' inconvenience, heh, heh. Lighten up!
A: No. Besides dangerous, for those living here it's also a MAJOR inconvenience because it goes on for such a long time. In this case, complaints are legit, justified, and almost universal among long-term residents including Thais. Most Thais enjoy the last couple of days--not 10 days (except for time off work).

Q: But I get to see young women in wet T-shirts at Songkran!!!
A: OMG. You can see and grope plenty of those with no T-shirts in the go-go bars anytime--except during Songkran, when the go-gos are mostly empty. Mostly the same girls, too; we ain't talkin' cute Top Charoen salesgirls or BPH nurses here.

All that drooling over Songkran wimmen is so silly, considering.

Q: Love Songkran because it's freedom from the boredom of the nanny state!
A: Residents are bored mainly by Pattaya's traffic, lack of parking, and Songkran. Escape from Songkran, one way or the other, is the only source of relief from it. Notwithstanding the infestation of whingers, cynics, and rabid bashers on the forum, most of us are pretty happy living in our cesspool. There's actually lots more to do here than, you know, just enjoying soapies and threesomes all the time. Here ya go: When boredom starts to rule the day and I Love Pattaya

And your assertion ignores the Thai residents also disgusted with the 10 days of Songkran. Whoops! They don't hail from a nanny state. Many would much prefer to live there if the family could come along too.

It's also worth mentioning that many residents here (not lookin' at you, Naam!) are closet nanny state advocates, always bashing the Thai way and comparing it to the vastly superior way things are done back home. But they want a tax-free nanny state, or a Santa Barbara, with tropical weather, plenty of available young women, and all at beer Chang prices. Silly, eh. So they stick around here to enjoy whinging despite regular suggestions they should hurry up and leave.

But, that said, the irony is that one of the good things about living in a nanny state is not having to deal with a Pattaya-style Songkran. It would be illegal there of course.

Uh, what was your point again?

That everyone is physically forced to "participate" in Songkran despite all protestation contradicts your notion of freedom. Or it conveniently redefines the term to apply only to the fascist hooligans themselves, quite reminiscent of Big Brother's slogan in 1984: FREEDOM IS SLAVERY.

@tropo, on 2014-03-03 15:26:58:

I wonder how the "please lighten up" poster would react if he was cruising down a side alley on his bike late at night during Songkran, after shopping for groceries, only to be assaulted by a bucket of ice water.

There's one thing taking a day off and joining the "fun" when becoming wet is expected, but quite another when sadistic ***holes go out of their way to make life for others as uncomfortable as possible and expect to get away with it.

Surely you can find sufficient personal risk and danger back in your nanny state? Look around a bit more. Or is it only water-powder-ice that does it for you?

Q: Songkran keeps you young.
A: Keeps you mean & stupid, yes. It certainly can age you through accidents, scars, and infections. And it discourages you from activities actually proven to slow ageing, like going out for exercise at a gym or challenging yourself mentally. The latter is obviously what's needed here to combat the senility that prompted this little fantasy of staying young by acting like a 12-year-old.

Better do more research in the Health forum. Pattaya Songkran just ain't to be found on any of the lists of proven anti-aging remedies.

In general, any resident knows, Pattaya's far more likely to shorten than lengthen your life, relieving you of your wallet on your way out. But anyway everything's free after you ascend to that crowded Pattaya Beer Bar In The Sky (PBBITS) where balloons, cold Chang, and lovely birds await. Oh—and fine Sunday roasts, too.

Facing that reality, you may tend to lose faith in the efficacy of squirting a water gun for the purpose of life extension. You may wish instead to focus more on how best to manage a demise that may well arrive betimes. It certainly did so for a bloke whose ashes I helped scatter in Pattaya Bay.

Finances aside, the question becomes one of style, specifically of how to improve upon the usual graceless Final Exit here. Death by being songkraned, now, wouldn't be very helpful for the purpose. Picture it: your old carcass lying in the street, trashed with filthy water and powder, bloody no doubt, as drunken idiots howl and exchange high fives!

That's not much better, really, than the common scenario of having your naked corpse discovered rotting on a bed in a cheap rented room, fat arse starin' at the ceiling. You do get your minute of fame when the pic appears in the local press.

But what about the most dramatic of all: the classic swan dive off a balcony?

@davetrout, on 2015-02-28

it seems like every other week l see some poor bugger has jumped off a bulding in pattaya.

Yep, it's hard enough negotiating Pattaya's chaotic streets and sidewalks without having to dodge falling bodies all the time. And every jump cascades in the virtual world. Over at CSI TVF Central, the robosleuths on duty will immediately decry police incompetence and robotype post after post quoting from The List Of Thai Female Perps. Then the paranoid afflicted with Tic-Related Police Conspiracy OCD (TRPCOCD) will endlessly insist that the forged note, the Bogart last cigarette butt, and the chewing gum on the balcony railing were all police plants.

No, you gotta scare up some unwonted grace if you wanna spare us all and stand out from the crowd around here. Why not establish a precedent worthy of emulation? A precedent truly worthy of our fine city.

@infinity11, on 2015-03-04 14:55 15:26:58:

. . . i think it is wise to have an 'escape' plan.

Good idea. Fortunately . . . .

Pattaya provides. So much more than you may think (LOL). With a bit o' planning you should be able to time things right so that you can just fall stoned off your favorite bar stool for the last time, beer in hand, while black-haired angels dance half naked over you to rock 'n' roll hosannas—celebrating, blessing, validating your Ascension to the heavenly PBBITS. Your buddies and other barflies shout out a few huzzahs and raise their glasses to toast your legacy during the five minutes they can remember it. And somebody blows the horn, like Gabriel's trumpet, to buy drinks for all the girls on stage!

Sniff! Jeez, I'm missin' ya already, man. Beautiful way to go, Pattaya High Style. See? Now you can forget all about that trashy Songkran exit you're unknowingly a-courtin'.


6. SURVIVAL STRATEGIES

You got only three options: leave Pattaya, go to ground, or be a target. But you can always vent no matter which you choose.

6.1. Leave Pattaya!

O-o-o-h YEAH. Unquestionably the very best thing you can do for yourself. Instead of dodging drunken idiot water hooligans, fighting traffic, endangering life and limb--or being confined at home, if you go to ground--you're in Vung Tau, Vietnam, relaxing by the pool with a drink and Vietnamese lovelies. Pity from afar the poor sods left behind. Come back refreshed after Songkran: it never even happened!

Q: So where is the best place to avoid Songkran?
A: In our neighborhood? Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia. Cambodia's got a favorable mention as having a much more limited Songkran.

@DoctorG, on 2014-03-02 12:40:54:

For the person who asked about Cambodia, I found it much milder in PP and could be avoided if you did not want to participate.

Siem Riep has been recommended as well.

No word about Myanmar yet AFAIK but it's gotta be better than Pattaya.

Get to the airport early (3 hours)! The mass exodus means long lines.

Immigration also starts getting VERY packed the closer the date to Songkran. Lots of people need re-entry permits! It will be closed the 13th - 15th. You may call and check: 038 252 750.

If you can't leave the country, then you can hole up in a town with a shorter, gentler Songkran cycle. Nearby, Bang Saray has won a recommendation:

@ceek, on 2015-01-20 08:18:39:

Solution: Bang Sare.

I always head there for the last 2 days. I find Pattaya [at night] from April 13-17 is tolerable in most areas as the playing dies down after 6pm (your mileage may vary). Then on the 18th to morning of 20th, I am relaxing comfortably in Bang Sare. Bang Sare throws water on the 20th all day but by 9am, I'm already back in dry Pattaya.

As noted, YMMV. Many will wish to leave Pattaya earlier than the 18th. Bang Saray IS a pretty nice area, assuming it's fully dry until the 20th.

Bangkok's Songkran is only 3 days (13th - 15th) and not bad at all away from the tourist areas. Hua Hin has been mentioned. Really, most any village will do if you can stand it (true, some love living in a village).

Even the Darkside is a lot better than Pattaya proper, esp. in which to go to ground: forget Sukhumvit, but you can probably make it to the 7/11 without any major problems. Just don't get complacent over there:

@rocky123, 2014-04-14 00:54:50:

I live on the darkside Kho Noi and Went for Sunday dinner 6 pm on my motorbike, saw a few kids with what looked like their mom armed with buckets. I shouted, please no, but got an ice cold wave. The woman was so enthusiastic directing her kids to aim for our face's. Great shot nearly had us off the bike.

Other suggestions are welcome in this thread.

6.2. Go to ground in Pattaya

The 2nd best solution, much less expensive to be sure, and potentially quite comfortable.

Good planning is the key to success here--about like planning to be snowed in, if you can remember that.

I'll just hit the bases. These are all pretty obvious for the experienced.

Start early: shortages (notably of bread) develop owing to supply problems (supply is a continual issue in Third World countries anyway) and to hording. Farangs will certainly horde.

First, you wanna be sure to have all your vital necessities like medicine so that no emergency forces you to travel at some peak Songkran hour.

Stock up the fridge (pray for no lengthy power outage) with fresh and frozen foods. Makro's large frozen food section is a godsend; go there! How are you and canned tuna gettin' along these days?

You may need to break out the earplugs to endure the noise. Buy those at a pharmacy or (cheaper) Lotus. Headphones or earbuds for watching TV or listening to music can also be useful in combating the noise of Songkran.

But at this time the unnecessaries are just as important as the necessaries. You gotta treat this as a vacation at home and look forward to it. Have on hand a 9 days' supply of good booze and other mood enhancers, baccy (Friendship), vids, music (internet radio helps), vitamin V, and wimmen. Pamper yourself; indulge (as only we cesspoolians can) safely, comfortably, oblivious to the hooligans reigning in the streets a la Shaun Of The Dead. You deserve it!

Have some goals. Like, watch the entire series of The Wire or Breaking Bad again. Reminds me. Ladies and genitals, let me call your attention to one of the most valuable threads on this entire forum. Here it IS:

What Movies Or Tv Shows Are You Watching Now?

Incredible number of great reviews & suggestions there. Highly recommended.

Video games are proven good for your brain. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will easily fill the holiday. Or, say, Bioshock Infinite or a Call Of Duty (as I did last year).

Read a book. Learn something. Complete a project of some sort. How about doing a website? Up for grabs: songkransucks.com.

It's a great time to get something productive done around the house/condo/apt., long as you get the tools/materials in advance.

No need to risk going to the gym. Keep yourself in good shape with bodyweight exercises at home:

Mark's Daily Apple
Wild Man Training
Bodybuilding.com
Lifehacker Table
YouTube bodyweight
YouTube suspension trainer

A cardio machine of some sort is always nice to have. Where to get home gym equipment around Pattaya:

Resupply? Having done your homework, you should have no need of that. But if you must then go out only in the early morning or as late as possible on furtive expeditions to the local shops. Here are opening and closing times:

• Food Mart (Jomtien): 24/7
• Friendship: 8? - 2:30 AM (hardware section 10 PM) (approach from 3rd Rd or from east otherwise on South Pattaya Rd.)
• Foodland: 24/7
• Best Supermarket: 8 - 1:00 AM (approach from east on N. Pattaya Rd if possible, avoiding beer bars on 2nd Rd and Naklua Rd.)
• Lotus: 8 AM - 11 PM
• Big C: 9 AM - 11 PM
• Central Festival: 11 AM - 11 PM, but impossible location surrounded by bar areas.

In the early morning the Thai fresh markets (e.g., S. Pattaya, Pattaya Klang, Naklua, Soi Photisan) are a possibility. Seems to me they get going by 7?

If you don't have your own vehicle, feel free, as Phil Conners has suggested, to ask motorcycle taxi drivers to shop for you. Of course, you may get songkraned on your way to the taxi stand, perhaps by the drivers themselves. This may be avoided by suggesting the arrangement before Songkran even begins and getting a phone number or two.

Now, your Thai gf will assure you that she can get out & back unscathed anytime. Bless 'er, she can't. Natural optimists, Thais.

You can also go for a home delivery service if they can get through, as they certainly can't on the 19th, for example. Here are the major services:

• Door 2 Door
• Waiter On Wheels
• Tesco Lotus
• Big C
• Lazada

Well, all considered, not so bad, eh? You're safe, dry, and very comfortable in your sanctuary for the duration.

On April 20th, break out the champagne. Know that you won: you took your fate into your own hands, deprived the hooligans and spectators of ANY sadistic fun at your expense, foiled their evil little plan for your destruction. You ARE a hero.

And now the cleanup's begun, you can travel freely, and all the delights of Pattaya are moving back into position and awaiting your return. It's a beautiful day.


6.3. Be a target

Go ahead--make their day!

See, we're gonna try to help you survive even while you're working against yourself. Well, there's the obvious, oft-repeated advice about keeping your phone, passport or passport copy, and wallet in Ziploc bags. 7/11 will be selling waterproof baggies for about 60 baht you can hang around your neck. Lots of phones get ruined during Songkran.

But goggles and waterproof earplugs are also highly recommended because of the risk of eye/ear infections. Such infections have been confirmed by TV posters; one member did almost lose an eye. Examples of ear targeting:

@Exsexyman, on 17 Apr 2013 - 12:26:

Three years ago on the day itself, ( the 19th), one of these warriors put a high pressure gun filled with iced water about 6 inches away from my ear and let fly. Clearly a deliberate attempt to cause injury, ie burst eardrum.

@denby45, on 2014-03-21 11:22:04:

Last year I got a full blast of ice cold right in my ear. Earache for the next couple of days.

Songkran water can be quite filthy and usually is. Food coloring or dye can be among the most harmless "ingredients." And don't forget about the powder. Throw some into your eyes right now and see how it feels.

Q: What about wearing a rain suit?
A: A rain suit or poncho can be useful. But either is hot as hell during the day especially. You get soaked from the inside and still risk the dangers.

Q: Just ride w/ your car windows rolled up.
A: No, the windshield and rear-view mirrors get powdered and pasted so the driver can't see clearly. Dangerous? Oh, yes.

Again:

@bubba, on 29 Mar 2013 - 13:26:

I nearly had a very bad accident driving a car down a straight highway at about 90 kph, when all of a sudden a couple of kids darted out and threw two buckets of water that hit my windscreen. The force of water against my windscreen moving at 90 kph cause a huge noise and caused me to momentarily be unable to see do to the water.

@Ian Curtis, on 29 Mar 2013 - 23:52:

Sad but true. Some years back I was driving back from work taking a back road when a pick-up truck of drunks going in the opposite direction, hurled ice which smashed my windscreen. When I eventually found a garage I had to join the queue for a new windscreen!! Some call this good fun.

Repeat this to yourself 10 times: Some of us don't own cars.

But some of our biggest loudmouthed Songkran boosters here on the forum do merely drive around in their cars with their windows rolled up. For all the big talk, they don't really participate--just watch. Real badasses!

Q: Motorcyclists are safe because they wear helmets.
A: No, roads are slippery, cyclists get hit w/ blasts of water and ice making control difficult, their shields get pasted over with powder so they can't see. It's really quite dangerous. Have YOU had a motorbike accident yet? No? Well, how about your posting a liability insurance bond first to pay for my hospital bills, just in case. No?

@HaleySabai, on 30 Mar 2013 - 00:31:

Some years back I was riding my bike into town, just prior to Songkran,so I thought it was safe... suddenly out of no where a guy throws a buck of water directly into my face, I dam_n near crashed

@Arkady, on 05 Apr 2013 - 00:38:

One of my friends saw the motorcyclist in front of his bike collide with a cement electricity pylon in what looked like a fatal collision after being pelted in the face with a bucket of water over Songkran a couple of years back. I nearly went under a truck in Hua Hin after getting a bucket of water and ice cubes in my face on my push bike once.

Just the tip o' the iceberg, the above. Countless other examples could be given.

@tropo, 2014-04-11 18:13:26:

Motorcyclists will take incredible risks to avoid being hit by water.... which just goes to show how much the 1000's of motorcyclists enjoy Songkran week. If there weren't any motorcyclists to victimize, Songkran would be boring for most of the "fun" seekers. It's not much "fun" throwing buckets of water at passing cars. Perhaps I've solved the mystery of why Songkran is so big and long in Pattaya - there's no other place in Thailand with so many motorcycles.

So breaking it down, what really is Songkran week? It's a week of victimizing motorcyclists, with a shout out to baht bus passengers.

Exactly. Tropo's nailed it!

Now if you go out on a bike, I say you should definitely wear protective clothing as the risk of accident is so much higher. You're of course tempted to wear nothing much more than a swimsuit and flip-flops. Or just go naked. But that would likely NOT be wise at this time. Jeans, boots, jacket, full face helmet are what I'd wear. I'd probably wear a poncho or light rain jacket over my jacket. Yes, that would be hot as hell and mean a big cleanup when I returned home, but I'd be a lot safer if some tw@t hit me in the face w/ an ice bucket and I went down. Many an accident happens as a driver swerves to avoid being songkraned. It can be unconscious, reflexive, and instinctive--next thing you know, you're down.

Weigh the odds for yourself, considering your driving skills, the route, and the time of day.

Q: Don't worry, the police have instituted a ban on high pressure water guns and PVC pipes. A: You must be joking. They do that every year. Once in a while they condescend to grab some. Makes no difference: they're immediately replaced. Read about it, man:

High Pressure PVC Water Guns Still Being Used in Na Klua

Anyway, there are always buckets!

6.4. Vent

Oh, by all means, vent. One of our main pastimes here on TV. Good for the soul, cathartic, totally understandable and justified in this case, unlike most of the others. Let people know how you feel.

Q: But saying anything against Songkran is a whinge.
A: No. Study this diagram carefully:

True, we bear the din of incessant bleating from our chronic complainers about everything from runny fried eggs to a haircut with white sidewalls. I've often said to no avail that Pattaya's not a place fussy old ladies, having to reel daily from shock to horror.

After you filter out the noise, however, you find, surprisingly enough, some legit complaints. Among them are complaints about robbery and assault whose perps would normally be liable for arrest, charges, fining, or even imprisonment. And we all agree about this. Legit. Katooey pushes over a farang and grabs his wallet near Soi 8 and screams of righteous indignation and cries for justice will fill 15 pages. But here's the point:

There's no reason whatsoever that one's being forcibly assaulted and endangered, perhaps injured, during Songkran should form any exception to the normal rule of law.

There. Now, if one has the right to chortle and gurgle for Songkran and jerk off over a water gun, one also has the right to express one's legitimate, entirely reasonable displeasure at being forcibly inconvenienced, endangered, and perhaps injured—legally, with no recourse. Why should we like being assaulted?

And of course you wouldn't whinge about the supposed whinging, now would you?

Q: Bt nobody's pAin attn 2 ur complaints, nyuk nyuk nyuk.
A: Oh, we know that. But a major purpose of the annual HATE SONGKRAN threads is to share survival information for those of us who live here in Pattaya. And as I said venting just feels good too.

We Songkran refuseniks ain't pAin attn 2 ur name-calling, emoticons, and urgings either.

Some members do believe that disgust on the part of Thais, mainly, and farangs will eventually be heard by City Hall. Naturally, other members pooh-pooh the very idea. Looks like our City Hall twitchers (one of the tic disorders, you know) are winning so far.

Q: f u dnt lk sngkrn, u dnt lk pty & tIlnd!
A: No, Your Thainess, most of us living here like Pattaya and Thailand. We don't have to like EVERYTHING, though. You don't either. Me, I'm a big supporter of Pattaya, love the city except for the traffic and PATTAYA SONGKRAN. So then why not have a traditional Thai Songkran with no water throwing or a normal 3-day Songkran? <crickets chirping>

Real Thai Songkran

@Yann55, 2014-04-18 10:24:07:

. . . my first glimpse of Songkran was 25 years ago in Esarn. I was in Khon Kaen for the whole duration and had no idea what was going on, but the atmosphere was festive, friendly and incredibly positive. People would go around carrying a small bowl of water with flowers in it and after asking for your permission, they would dip their fingers in the water and gently sprinkle some over you. A blessing... I was told at the time that Songkran was about compassion, making amends to elders, seeking forgiveness, mending damaged relationships... THAT was the tradition of Songkran.

Between then and now, someone obviously found the magic stone that turns gold into lead...

Q: f u dont lk sngkrn, ur a grumpy old git. Grumpy old gi-it! Grumpy old gi-it!
A: Lots of, like, really cool people just don't like the inconvenience of Pattaya Songkran for TEN DAYS. We live here and need to live our lives, shop, bank, work, see doctors, take the kids out.

Comfortable in homes/condos/apts, residents have plenty of interesting things to do other than get out into Songkran. In fact Songkran interferes with the other things. For us Songkran's NOT a novelty. Been there, done it, got the water/ice/powder already. Why should any permanent resident of any age, who has a life here, want a Pattaya-style hooligan Songkran for TEN DAYS? <crickets chirping>

A couple days of Pattaya-style hooligan Songkran for the noobs and Thais would be fine.

As gmac, on 2012-02-23 11:14:11, said:

Try taking your wife/girlfriend to work on a motorbike during this wonderful enjoyable time and see how much you like it then. Not knocking Pattaya or the life in general just the morons who insist on soaking people who actually have to work for a living on their way to work.

Q: i lurv me tats & pty sngkrn
A: But you belong to a different demographic than the permanent residents. You most likely fall into one or more of these categories:

• tourists or wannabe tourists
• ignorant noobs
• kids and teenagers
• pathetic keyboard warriors fantasizing and trolling from afar, e.g., from council estates in blighty, basement rooms at parents'
• uneducated Johnny Lunchbuckets who can't afford to live here, mainly focused on beer, birds, ballgames, and bashing
• voyeurs for whom the spectacle is worth wasting time & money driving around w/ the windows rolled up
• the besotted seeking to impress some Thai woman, perhaps at her bar or former bar
• farang-wannabe-Thais unsure of their own identity
• the indolent, having nothing better to do
• the weak and insecure seeking validation in wrecking motorcyclists
• the senile, foolishly imagining they've discovered a fountain of youth
• mere sadistic tw@ts reveling in the chance to cause injury without fear of retribution
• masochists who actually enjoy being victimized by the sadistic tw@ts

Oxford dons on sabbatical



Bonus view: man boobs in a wet T-shirt!


Think: the hooligans throwing ice, water, and powder don't look like your normal Pattaya permanent residents, do they? You don't spy in front of the sois 7 - 8 bars any card-carrying members of our local Expats Clubs.

Rather, the hooligans seem members (literally or in spirit) of the "unwashed masses of baked-beans-on-toast bargain seeking tourists" (tnx Suradit69) who squat, belch and blabber about footie in council estates back in blighty. Proud o' it, too. Their names never seem to appear regularly on the Sunday Times Rich List as do those of so many of our Pattaya bluebloods, aesthetes, and landed gentry (well, in their own minds anyway).

'Course, now, we don't wanna stereotype too much here. Let's hear from an exception:

@You can call me Al, 2014-03-29 16:53:19:

There must be better things for grown men to do in Patts than run around throwing water over each other?

Jsixpack For the record its not just residents who hate the thing. As a tattooed tourist Brit you would expect me to luv it.

In reality i will be doing a runner on the 10th over to Nam and then back on the 20th where i will continue to talk about football and council estates while propositioning farmers daughters from the North all be it with a nice DRY vest on,

Now that's just inspiring. Good show!

But a final point: that the residents of Pattaya have achieved the financial means to live here permanently (though some obviously must be beneficiaries of trust funds) proves that MOST have a lot more sense and maturity than the hooligans--except perhaps when it comes to Thai women or buying condos off plan.

We residents will still be enjoying the good life in Pattaya long after the water hooligans have buzzed off to home and are wearin' overcoats against the freezing cold while we're just wearin' condoms.

Q: f u don't go out & fIt, ur a pussy scArd o' my supR soaker. Yah, yah, pussy!
A: Oooh. Big. Bad. Water gun. We just gotta cue "Macho Man" here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO43p2Wqc08

LOL. But most Pattaya residents, early on, did participate in one or two Songkrans, on the peak day, at its worst.

@transam, on 11 Feb 2014 - 13:32:

Years ago I did the water thing, not any more. I do get out to do things l want to do, don't get wet playing snooker.

After doing it once or twice, we realized the truth about Pattaya Songkran: it's just a silly, childish, boring, needlessly inconvenient, time-wasting, sadistic legal license for assault and injury.

For a typical farang tw@t, that's what's good about it. For anyone with sense and maturity, it's obviously bad.

So avoiding Songkran is simply a rational decision about priorities and convenience. It has nothing whatsoever to do with cojones except in the childish fantasies of the tw@ts.

In fact, some of our residents who leave or go to ground could easily kick the butts of any of our wannabe Rambos-with-a-water-pistol. To avoid having to do so is one reason they avoid Songkran. Real fighting may easily cost a farang a B50,000 fine.

For the keyboard warriors who ride down Beach Rd. with their windows rolled up, the purpose of trying to manipulate others to participate is actually to swell the cast for greater viewing pleasure. But why should any resident be manipulated into being part of the show? Who's that stupid?

The question of who participates and who doesn't is merely a red herring thrown across the main complaint: the annoyance and inconvenience of the 10 days of Pattaya's Songkran--in contrast to the norm of 3 days max elsewhere throughout the kingdom.

Most local Thai and farang residents feel similarly on this issue.



7. THE FUTURE

Q: Is Pattaya Songkran in decline?
A: Haven't heard this hope expressed recently. A number of rational members once thought so, not just the miserable old harpies of the Doomsayers Club always cackling about DYING PATTAYA. Fewer Brit yobos may be coming over, but that's still a considerable number. Poor exchange rates and economies? Maybe not so discouraging as once thought. If necessary a hooligan is willing to pay more to continue doing what he enjoys most, that is, being a hooligan. Political instability? Pfft!

Fewer Russians and more Chinese and Indian tourists make no difference as they haven't been keen on participation. Songkran really isn't their ideal time to visit Pattaya--if they know about it. In fact it's been noted how Russians tend to get aggressive when victimized during Songkran. (Most tourists ride baht buses.) No doubt many of them came as couples or families expecting a halfway peaceful holiday by the bay. Ha!

@Exsexyman, on 26 Mar 2013 - 10:54:

Last year i saw an extremely large Russian guy leap off a baht bus on beach road late at night and dive into a bar to give a good pasting to a drunken fool who had just emptied the contents of one of those high powered water guns into the bus.

Heh, heh. Let's hear it for the Russians at least once around here!

The construction of Central Festival put Pattaya on the Bangkok Thai radar, and so gradually the city's become inundated with Thai tourists on the weekends and especially at holidays. So it would seem now, as evidenced by the 2014 Songkran, that Thais have taken up any slack resulting from any supposed fewer Western participants. Farang hooligans get it going early and Thais help keep it going until the crescendo on the 19th.

Meanwhile, the worst Songkran areas have actually grown to encompass Soi Buakhaow as well. So if it seems (to some of us) slightly less intense than before, perhaps that's merely because it may now be spread more thinly. The "decline" once perceived by some members seems to have been only temporary, if in fact it ever happened.

So Pattaya Songkran rolls on, even thrives, year after year oblivious to hopes and rational expectations--not unlike some other Thai phenomena. We'll see how it goes this year.

Tnx Mike Baird for all the artwork herein!

Happy Songkran (สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์) & cheers from my fave Pattaya barstool,

JS

[johng]

Oh dear is it that time of year again already....I'm staying in.

[Rimmer]

Many thanks to JSixpack for this great and comprehensive guide to Songkran which is now pinned so that we can keep everything about this festival all in one place.

[Bernard Flint]

PLEASE PLEASE go away farang tourists

[joepattaya1961]

Hold your breath..... Due to the expected dry period Mr. Prayuth may crack down on spilling water

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Great stuff.

Thanks for posting

[petercool]

One post using profanity removed.

[BKKSnowBird]

What are the Pattaya dates? Is it not later than the rest of Thailand?

[MTH]

What are the Pattaya dates? Is it not later than the rest of Thailand?

It's all in the FAQ above

2. DATES

Q: What are the dates of Pattaya's Songkran horror?

A: Starts tentatively on April 11th by premature ejaculators and goes through the 19th. (Hence if your survival strategy is to go to ground (see below), do all your shopping no later than the 10th.)

[balo]

Need some cheap tickets out of here. Thinking about Vietnam this year,

[surangw]

every year I've been here for the event, I notice kids reloading their sprayers from the gutter. not something that goes well with the farang immune system.

[Forkinhades]

It is it was it guys, it happens, its no surprise, so either enjoy, or stock up.

[balo]

It is it was it guys, it happens, its no surprise, so either enjoy, or stock up.

Or get the hell out of here.

[JSixpack]

I've made some improvements to the formatting of the webpage version of the FAQ and threw in a few more observations here & there. Most notable was my realization prompted by the amusing assertion that "playing Songkran keeps you young" (obviously written by some senior citizen) that the most practical, efficient, and appropriate dress for adult participants in Pattaya Songran is none other than the adult diaper. I give the link to Lazada for purchase. This is in the long, discursive exposition in answer to question #13.

Songkran FAQ Webpage

I see one of the pics, the bonus Songkran wet T-shirt man boobs pic, isn't showing right now 'cause PattayaOne.net is down for maintenance. I'll have to download and keep that pic locally.

As of this writing,

Countdown to 11/04/2015 14:00

21 days, 2 hours, 58 minutes, 20 seconds

[chicowoodduck]

Nice read on one of the dumbest activities on the planet Earth....mostly ruined by pissheads farangs with not an ounce of common sense....?

i like the idea of ONE and DONE....as in 1 day and forget about it.....g- r-r-r-r....?

[Suradit69]

every year I've been here for the event, I notice kids reloading their sprayers from the gutter. not something that goes well with the farang immune system.

Not easy to do even if the gutters were full following a heavy rain and virtually impossible otherwise anywhere west of Sukhumvit.

Farang Fairytales make Songkran so much more than it really is.

Anyone living in fear of small children with water guns or anything else to do with this blown out of proportion Farang Fear Fest can use the time-tested strategy illustrated below. For many of you this is probably a tactic you are familiar with.

[JSixpack]

every year I've been here for the event, I notice kids reloading their sprayers from the gutter. not something that goes well with the farang immune system.

Not easy to do even if the gutters were full following a heavy rain and virtually impossible otherwise anywhere west of Sukhumvit.

Farang Fairytales make Songkran so much more than it really is.

Anyone living in fear of small children with water guns or anything else to do with this blown out of proportion Farang Fear Fest can use the time-tested strategy illustrated below. For many of you this is probably a tactic you are familiar with.

Already addressed in the FAQ

Q: f u don't go out & fIt, ur a pussy scArd o' my supR soaker. Yah, yah, pussy!

[dragonfly94]

Did anybody read the OP, not after the first few lines, somebody has too much time on their hands, what a stupid topic to waste so much text on. Songkran is for Thais, 12 year old's and idiot adult falangs. Chucking water about got tiresome for me in the 90's, some people grow out of it others don't it seems. Without doubt the most tedious, annoying and juvenile festival in Thailand. But it somehow is so befitting the country.

[JSixpack]

Did anybody read the OP, not after the first few lines,

Yes. Twice!

The FAQ has a list of topics and the webpage version makes it easy to read only a section of interest. For example, a question constantly asked in the annual HATE SONGKRAN threads is, "where's best for an escape?" That and many more such are answered so that they needn't "waste text." I understand you're very concerned about text conservation.

somebody has too much time on their hands, what a stupid topic to waste so much text on.

Piece o' cake. Sorry that you yourself have such a difficult time typing. Fortunately I had a great typing teacher in high school, Mrs. Brown. Lemme direct you to help:: Learn How to Touch Type

Songkran is for Thais, 12 year old's and idiot adult falangs.

But the FAQ isn't, you see. It's for TV readers/members staying in the greater Pattaya area who have to deal with the major disruption and inconvenience caused by the Thais, 12 year old's and idiot adult falangs.

[dragonfly94]

Just stay in it's not that hard is it?

[JSixpack]

Just stay in it's not that hard is it?

How would you know? In fact there are issues involved with trying to stay in for 9 days in Pattaya, most importantly the food issue. And the same questions used to be asked year after year and the same complaints voiced. For a first-timer, no, it's not so easy. Hence the FAQ has a section devoted to exactly that: Go to ground.

But let's not give the impression that anybody cares what YOU read or what YOU do. Don't like the FAQ, why "waste text" telling us? Don't read it, do things all your way--as anyone can do. You don't seem to have any useful information at all to offer, just came to sneer. Hope you enjoyed that. Next.

[dragonfly94]

Just stay in it's not that hard is it?

How would you know? In fact there are issues involved with trying to stay in for 9 days in Pattaya, most importantly the food issue. And the same questions used to be asked year after year and the same complaints voiced. For a first-timer, no, it's not so easy. Hence the FAQ has a section devoted to exactly that: Go to ground.

Well don't live in the dump then, or go on holiday for the nine days of juvenile deliquence.

[SEEDGER]

Songkran festival shows the idiocy of Thailand!

In November there is the lantern festival it last one day happens at night and for the most part is peaceful and beautiful! In 2014 the prime Minister all but banned it! If you lived close to an airport you were forbidden to launch a lantern which might get sucked into an intake on a jet engine and bring a plane down!

I find that reasoning hilarious but apparently Thai government is serious!

However Songkran which is extremely dangerous for anyone having to drive anywhere seems to be going to happen! No warnings or threats of arrest if caught bombing motorist or pedestrians!

The two festivals are inherently different the peaceful one is going to be outlawed because of the off chance that a 100 million dollar aircraft carrying hundreds of people might suck in a lantern made of light weight metal and Tyvek into it’s engine and bring the air craft down.

The violent Songkran festival which statistically causes numerous vehicle accidents and deaths will continue, while the bamboozled politicians bemoan of traffic deaths and can't figure out how to stop them!

Welcome to Thailand!

[guzzi850m2]

I am so glad I am off for 2 month work overseas on the 9th next month, excellent timing from my company.

Last year I holed out in my house but was out playing for 3 hours during the 19th and that was enough for me, only did it because of the kids.

If you have a car or truck it's not too bad actually, you can still go to the big shopping centers and I sometimes parked in Central on beach road and did my walking exercise inside the mall. Started on top floor and then did a round on each floor, had lunch at a Japanese restaurant, took the truck back to the house.

[godden]

I've never seen so many Rambo''s in one place.

[sungod]

Fair play to the OP for taking so much time to post this, however i do find it mislleading.

It reads that the whole of Pattaya is almost in full songkran force from the 11th onwards, this is simply not the case.

Expect to get wet if you hang around beer bars, this is usually from mid day onwards when the children get out of bed, but there are certainly not any grid locked traffic jams with picks ups full off pweople, thats the 18th in Naklua (no mention of that in the guide from what I could see ) and the 19th in Pattaya.

[JSixpack]

Fair play to the OP for taking so much time to post this, however i do find it mislleading.

It reads that the whole of Pattaya is almost in full songkran force from the 11th onwards, this is simply not the case.

No, it doesn't read that way at all.

Expect to get wet if you hang around beer bars, this is usually from mid day onwards when the children get out of bed, but there are certainly not any grid locked traffic jams with picks ups full off pweople, thats the 18th in Naklua (no mention of that in the guide from what I could see ) and the 19th in Pattaya.

Which is what the FAQ says. It builds to the 18th and 19th. Nothing about gridlock before then. In fact it specifically states that traffic's not bad on the 13th-15 and begins to increase on the 16th.

And what's misleading is your implication that you can't get wet--or powdered or iced--outside the bar areas. Not true at all. During the building up, it starts to become possible to get songkraned anywhere at checkpoints and from pickup truck revelers. One year I was songkraned on the 12th by my building's security guard! Member rocky123 thought he was safe on the 14th on Soi Khao Noi (the Darkside) only to be almost knocked off his bike. The FAQ gives the peak hours. But early morning is certainly possible too. Neighborhoods are full of kids who like to get out early with their water guns.

You need to read over the Dates section carefully to see exactly what's there. Songkran on the 18th in Naklua is in fact mentioned more than once. Here's one:

• 18 Apr

  Naklua

  Naklua's official Songkran day is the 18th, meaning gridlock on Naklua Rd. for most of the day; Wong Amart is effectively sealed in. Spillover goes into Pattaya itself, so it's a bad day most everywhere.

I'm always looking to improve the FAQ, which is why I go through the Songkran threads every year to update w/ latest info. So if you come with anything new and factual, and not further misleading, do mention it.

As of this writing

Countdown to 11/04/2015 14:00

5 days, 20 hours, 38 minutes, 50 seconds

[balo]

Looking at the traffic today it feels like songkran already started.

[JSixpack]

Looking at the traffic today it feels like songkran already started.

Big delivery van broke down in the turn at the Beach Rd. - S. Pattaya Rd. chokepoint. Worst possible place. Had traffic backed up on Beach Rd., all the way into North Pattaya. Good day to be on a bike except for the heat. It was necessary to break for a cool one or two along my journey . . . .

[balo]

So when is the first day we can expect some action ? I drive a car so I'll stay dry .