jwdub Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Jomtien Soi 7 is going at full speed. Started @ 10 AM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topt Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Big traffic coming down Klang trying to get to Naklua or Beach Road - they closed off access to Beach Road at arguably one of the worst intersections in central Pattaya and the result was that while traffic flowed reasonably freely down Second Road, it was a complete basketcase as far as the eye could see up Klang. Only someone who lives in BKK would be prepared to sit in traffic like that - a hot afternoon to boot - but I was surprised by how light traffic was on Third Road by the time I'd made my way back. Have it on good authority that most of the action around Dolphin Roundabout was mostly Thais - I climbed out of the baht bus I was on in near Tops and walked across the road to get some photos of new condo development than retreated : couldnt see much point traipsing all the way down to Dusit for the sake of a few more photos. The FAQ mentioned loud music in virtually every neighbourhood and we seem to have reached that stage tonight - looking forward to the 20th in a big way. Any half-smart bar owner would organise an END OF SONGKRAN party for the night of the 20th - Happy Hour all night, chook raffle and a sign warning anyone with so much as a water pistol that they risked a public flogging. Just tell me what time it starts and I'll be there with bells on. Quote "Have it on good authority that most of the action around Dolphin Roundabout was mostly Thais" - just up from there where the bars started it was a good mixture of Thai's and foreigners of many nationalities. Spent a couple of hours sitting at a bar and all seemed very good natured and polite - apart from the one Caucasian guy who as I was walking fired a water gun straight into my eyes from about 18 inches (45cms) or so. Oh and some very attractive ladies of course...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimmer Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I think it is safe to un pin this topic now, many thanks to JSixpack for writing and posting it and to to everyone who contributed to it afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSixpack Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 And now we rise And we are everywhere. --Nick Drake, "From The Morning" Victory! The water hooligans all buggered off. We PTY residents successfully outlasted their annual siege--again. And most of us deprived 'em of any fun at all at our expense. Yeah. Never offer "the consent of the victim!" Good riddance to 'em. Meanwhile, we're still here (or will be returning here shortly) to savor the usual delights of living in our cesspool. Like, starting today. I hope we all had a pleasant trip or hibernation. I certainly did, took my own pampering recommendation quite seriously. Now to get back into the usual routine. No more Macallan's till, uh, ah . . . well, New Year's, OK? For next year's FAQ I'll go through this thread again and some others and pick up anything that needs adding or changing. We did have some Songkran, uh, "boosters" show up with their stereotypical imagery ("shots fired," "battle stations!!!!" etc.) but unfortunately I wasn't allowed even to quote from the FAQ in reply. However, the FAQ did seem to serve its three purposes well enough so that the thread ended up 5 pages as opposed to 13 last year. We veterans know the routine anyway. The good news is that this year's Songkran turned out to be the mildest in memory, most notably in the lead up to the 19th outside the bar areas. Owing to the military stepping in, I suppose, we finally had a ban on the PVC shooters, great progress! But we still got the buckets, ice, and powder. Maybe more of the restrictions started in Bangkok will later apply here as well. What we want most, however, is a shorter Songkran. There were incidents reported of injury and near accidents from the water throwing--and surely many more not reported in the forum. So I've taken down the webpage; see you in the FAQ next year. I'm ready to do a bit o' shopping and later have some brews & views. Cheers, JS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angsta Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Much ado about nothing. Pattaya Songkarn 2015. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWorldwide Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Much ado about nothing. Pattaya Songkarn 2015. Were you actually IN central Pattaya yesterday ? It was a madhouse - everyone got in on the act and the noise alone from a bazillion cheap speakers was deafening. I ended up getting drunk just to put up with it, but if I found myself transported back in time to a week ago I would have been in a car to Bangkok by midday. Even if I spent 20-30k on a week in BKK I believe it would have been worth it to avoid the madness of the last 48 hours - never again. For those who live in quieter parts of town, it probably wasnt such a big deal, but its the first time I've seriously regretted living near Third Road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angsta Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Much ado about nothing. Pattaya Songkarn 2015. Were you actually IN central Pattaya yesterday ? It was a madhouse - everyone got in on the act and the noise alone from a bazillion cheap speakers was deafening. I ended up getting drunk just to put up with it, but if I found myself transported back in time to a week ago I would have been in a car to Bangkok by midday. Even if I spent 20-30k on a week in BKK I believe it would have been worth it to avoid the madness of the last 48 hours - never again. For those who live in quieter parts of town, it probably wasnt such a big deal, but its the first time I've seriously regretted living near Third Road. I was in central Pattaya 'celebrating' on the 13th, 14th, 15th and 18th. Yesterday I did a loop that involved Central Festival (great atmosphere), Beach road, Second road down to the Dolphin roundabout, Soi Buckaow and Sois 6 through 9 oh and third and Pattaya Tai earlier and later in the day. So yeah I saw a bit. Yourself? I agree yesterday was the Pattaya Songkarn 'nightmare scenario' we were warned about earlier in this thread. It was pretty cool. But it was only one day of crazy.Not nice or ten. Again what's with this 48 hours of madness? The rest of the days were pretty tame compared to say Chiang Mai and Korat for example. For the rest of the week the traffic was quiet and the stores empty, what's not to like? Good times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Much ado about nothing. Pattaya Songkarn 2015. Were you actually IN central Pattaya yesterday ? It was a madhouse - everyone got in on the act and the noise alone from a bazillion cheap speakers was deafening. I ended up getting drunk just to put up with it, but if I found myself transported back in time to a week ago I would have been in a car to Bangkok by midday. Even if I spent 20-30k on a week in BKK I believe it would have been worth it to avoid the madness of the last 48 hours - never again. For those who live in quieter parts of town, it probably wasnt such a big deal, but its the first time I've seriously regretted living near Third Road. I was in central Pattaya 'celebrating' on the 13th, 14th, 15th and 18th. Yesterday I did a loop that involved Central Festival (great atmosphere), Beach road, Second road down to the Dolphin roundabout, Soi Buckaow and Sois 6 through 9 oh and third and Pattaya Tai earlier and later in the day. So yeah I saw a bit. Yourself? I agree yesterday was the Pattaya Songkarn 'nightmare scenario' we were warned about earlier in this thread. It was pretty cool. But it was only one day of crazy.Not nice or ten. Again what's with this 48 hours of madness? The rest of the days were pretty tame compared to say Chiang Mai and Korat for example. For the rest of the week the traffic was quiet and the stores empty, what's not to like? Good times The thing that makes your incessant blabbering annoying is that you're constantly trying to rubbish historical evidence found on this thread. What you read in this thread is information gained over past years, which is no guarantee that it will be the same every year henceforth. I too have noticed a falling off of Songkran ferver over the last few years. Having said that, I only need one bucket of ice water thrown at me at 9pm (days before the big day) to spoil my night. It only takes one. There were many places that residents could not get to dry for the whole week - this is a fact and you confirmed it. Sure, you don't mind sitting in a bar sans underwear waiting to dry while you exercise your liver to the extreme, but many of us are not into that. We prefer our afternoons to be a bit less exciting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angsta Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 If this thread were about a visa run or visa application and was based on information that was 10 years out of date and therefore highly inaccurate it would be closed. I will put your negative reaction down to cabin fever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balo Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Yes, yesterday was madness , but I'm happy to report that the other days of the week went a lot smoother. I was only out driving to the malls and my local bar but I had no problems at all , I stayed dry until the very last day . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 It's different in baht buses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 If this thread were about a visa run or visa application and was based on information that was 10 years out of date and therefore highly inaccurate it would be closed. I will put your negative reaction down to cabin fever I'm always at home, Songkran or no Songkran, so I don't get cabin fever. Hardly any adjustments were required to avoid it. My street is water free and very quiet. It's pretty obvious that one can only go on past experience to get an idea of about what is to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 It's different in baht buses. Yeah, they would be the worst. At least on a motorcycle you can take steps to avoid water, but you're a sitting duck in a baht bus. Did you go out this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 When I went out later at night during the entire long period, I was getting water thrown on baht buses and then of course the seats are sometimes soaked. If you're dressed to go out to do something and not interested in water play late at night ... no fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Wellington Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 I notice a lot of troll odd like looking characters walking about sheepishly this morning around Pattaya. I'd wager the ones that 'lock themselves away' over anything that revolves around fun had released themselves from their rented room cell whilst clinging onto the disillusion that the girls will 'love them long time' once the two week millionaires have gone home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWorldwide Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 A major part of my '48 hours' statement revolved around the fact that I had zero sleep on Saturday night and it wasnt due to my time in the bars - far from it. If you dont live across the road (ok, down a side soi, but the noise is funneled straight into our building) from a Thai karaoke venue, chances are that Saturday night was spent getting a good night's sleep - that would have made all the difference to my attitude on Sunday. Were the days prior to the 18th an anti-climax ? IMO, they were, but the 18th and 19th delivered everything the FAQ threatened for me personally. Those who had peace and quiet right up to Sunday morning probably thought it was all a bit tame - that wasnt the case in my experience. Still, seeing Thai tots trying to sleep in the back of their parents' pickup trucks on Second Road on Sunday morning reminded me that I have a lot to be thankful for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWorldwide Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 I cant leave this thread without posting some stats I stole from a site I'm not allowed to link to. Without further editorialising, lets take a moment to reflect on these numbers. Songkran 2007: 361 deaths, 4,805 injuries and 4,274 accidentsSongkran 2008: 368 deaths, 4,801 injuries and 4,243 accidentsSongkran 2009: 373 deaths, 4,332 injuries and 3,977 accidentsSongkran 2010: 361 deaths, 3,802 injuries and 3,516 accidentsSongkran 2011: 271 deaths, 3,476 injuries and 3,215 accidentsSongkran 2012: 320 deaths, 3,320 injuries and 3,129 accidentsSongkran 2013: 321 deaths, 3,040 injuries and 2,828 accidentsSongkran 2014: 322 deaths, 3,225 injuries and 2,992 accidentsSongkran 2015: 364 deaths, 3,559 injuries and 3,373 accidents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSixpack Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 I cant leave this thread without posting some stats I stole from a site I'm not allowed to link to. Without further editorialising, lets take a moment to reflect on these numbers. Songkran 2007: 361 deaths, 4,805 injuries and 4,274 accidents Songkran 2008: 368 deaths, 4,801 injuries and 4,243 accidents Songkran 2009: 373 deaths, 4,332 injuries and 3,977 accidents Songkran 2010: 361 deaths, 3,802 injuries and 3,516 accidents Songkran 2011: 271 deaths, 3,476 injuries and 3,215 accidents Songkran 2012: 320 deaths, 3,320 injuries and 3,129 accidents Songkran 2013: 321 deaths, 3,040 injuries and 2,828 accidents Songkran 2014: 322 deaths, 3,225 injuries and 2,992 accidents Songkran 2015: 364 deaths, 3,559 injuries and 3,373 accidents Not many pics were taken this year--Surfrider was conspicuously absent-- so yours were especially appreciated, MrWorldwide. I should call attn to your best, even though it disappointed so many who live for seeing the women in wet T-shirts whom they could see & grope anytime without T-shirts in the go-gos. This: Wonderful shot because you captured the DOPE hat so well. What a fortunate summation of your average Songkran hooligan! Note too how the Thai lady in front at least knew where the front of her hat should go. It may be, however, that DOPE wished to prove he could manage that fastener at least, having given up on the belt buckle; and if so we'll give him credit, though he loses a few points for not having left his watch back in the hotel safe. Your stats are rather interesting because during the 2012-13 period, the number of accidents and injuries were falling. It may be no coincidence that people were starting then to mention less activity during Songkran. Last year the number rose again and talk stopped about any decrease in intensity. But that leaves this year to explain. Could be the strong baht did finally take its toll on the farang travel wallet. But then the Thais outside the bar areas were also much more subdued. Are they finally getting tired of it too? I'll leave our experts to explain. The FAQ makes no prediction or guarantee about the intensity of any given year. In fact it says at the end, "We'll see how it goes this year." So we did; and it was a bit better, mostly away from the bar areas. Unfortunately it wasn't enough better, as you discovered. The FAQ explains the different demographics of those who like Pattaya Songkran and those who don't. Got a quote from one of your posts, MrWorldwide, for next year's FAQ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrTuner Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Well, it was pretty weak compared to the glory days a few years back, but at least yesterday delivered. Now Patts will revert back to the sleepy hollow for retirees with one leg in the grave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 It did seem less this year during the 10 days but you still had to always expect drenching could come any time if you go out. Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWorldwide Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Well, it was pretty weak compared to the glory days a few years back, but at least yesterday delivered. Now Patts will revert back to the sleepy hollow for retirees with one leg in the grave. Personally, I wouldn't have it any other way. Even if it had meant staying in that weird hotel way over on the dark side and only coming out on the 19th for a single day of madness, it would have been worth it. There is a collective madness that grips Thai people when they see all that chaos - mainly Isaan Thais IME, but I'm sure they all get it to some degree. They work long hours for little money and this is their big release from a lot of that - more power to them - but I cant forgive the idiots at the Karaoke joints across the road : that was completely beyond the pale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 (edited) It did seem less this year during the 10 days but you still had to always expect drenching could come any time if you go out. Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app And this is a very good point. If you were traveling somewhere on a baht bus, or bike, or walking... it wouldn't really matter if the water throwing crowds were reduced by 50% or lower. You're still going to get just as wet... then it's just a matter of how many people throw water on you once you're already wet. It only takes one bucket of water to mess up your night. The only way Songkran will ever be good in Pattaya is when they restrict it to 2 or 3 days as it is in Bangkok and other regions. They (police, military) could easily do that - maybe someday they will. Edited April 20, 2015 by tropo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWorldwide Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 I doubt that they will rein it in, as that would mean a clash with Songkran in Bangkok, reducing the final day to yokels from Pattaya and their yokel cousins from Isaan. No question that many bars did well on the final day, but by the time the sun went down a lot of the crowd had disappeared. They were still throwing water on Made in Thailand at 9pm but thankfully even those diehards finally lost interest. Probably the most surreal experience for me was seeing an absolutely jam-packed baht bus belt down Second Road at 6:30am on Sunday morning, revellers from (presumably) Walking St still hooting and hollering while a group of sodden bargirls on the other side of the road tried in vain to throw water at the speeding bus. I've seen some odd sights at that hour but nothing to rival that - one thing to drink all night, another to keep throwing water over the people you're drinking with. Bizarro Disneyland at it's most bizarre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SidJames Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Any confirmed dates for this year (2016)? I'm trying to plan a family trip as really can't bring toddlers out in the Pattaya chaos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Any confirmed dates for this year (2016)? I'm trying to plan a family trip as really can't bring toddlers out in the Pattaya chaos The Songkran dates don't change. It's April 19 in Pattaya, April 18 in Naklua. That's the main day, but expect water throwing to start at least a week earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I noticed that JSixpack has not been active since the day after Songkran last year, so we probably won't have a comprehensive sticky thread this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balo Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 You reminded me to book a flight out of here the day before all hell breaks loose. A week vacation in Malaysia sounds like a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal65 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 The 1st post of this thread was such a big whine. I'm getting some ice cooled water balloons ready for my fellow TV board members Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 The 1st post of this thread was such a big whine. I'm getting some ice cooled water balloons ready for my fellow TV board members That's a post of distinction by one of our venerable members and becomes a sticky by Songkrantime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Songkran here is easy. Leave the country on the 11th. Come back on the 21st. Sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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