This year's songkran is 3 days starting on the 13th of april?

[Howitzer]

Just to confirm because i heard it isn't celebrated uniformly throughout the country.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Howitzer

[ezzra]

According to the Thai calendar yes, but the mass exodus of people will probably start on the 10th

as the 13th is a Monday, so it seems that that this Songkran holiday will be very long one,

[Estrada]

In the past different areas celebrated the Songkran Festival on different dates. Prapadaeng in Bangkok and Pattaya used to celebrate Songkran a week after Bangkok. Now the festival is supposed to be coordinated on 4 days 12th to 15th April, however Pattaya is going to hold it from 11th to 19th April

[lumply]

Oh dear

[hugh2121]

Official government holidays are 13,14,15. Different areas will start when they feel like it and finish when they've had enough. Pattaya looks to have set the longest dates-11 to 20 Apr.

[Jimbolai]

The stupidest and most selfish idiotic dangerous kind of fun. How many will die this year?

[chicowoodduck]

The stupidest and most selfish idiotic dangerous kind of fun. How many will die this year?

Agree, and Pattaya wears the crown for the most stupid folks in LOS....?

Can't wait to get the heck out of here and be with some normal folks....lol...?

[Bernard Flint]

What a waste of a few days

[jackanapes]

officially songkran covers a 3 day period from the 13th to the 16th april pattaya however do it differently last year it covered 10 days I have no doubt it will do the same this year my advice to you old farangs stay indoors as much as possible .

[villagefarang]

On my drive home from town yesterday, I noticed three villages where they have already started throwing water on passing scooters. They haven't geared up for drenching every vehicle that passes quite yet.

[NoshowJones]

The stupidest and most selfish idiotic dangerous kind of fun. How many will die this year?

I always try and stick up for Thais, but when Songcran comes along, that's when I have to say

that for a few days of the year, Thailand is a nation off retards. killing and maiming people unnecessary.

On the good side, for about 360 days of the year, the Thai people to me, come across as decent, and honest.

[KhunBENQ]

Basically all said. Official holidays from Monday, 13th to Wednesday, 15th.

Mass exodus starting Friday evening April 10th.

Depending on location better be prepared for "something to happen" until Sunday 19th!

The big shopping rush seems to have started already.

Small shops stocking up etc.

Helterskelter at Makro two days ago.

[marko kok prong]

This is why i have come to a very quiet beach on the south coast of Koh chang,1 to escape the madness,2 escape the 40c heat in Petchabun, 3 escape the noise from the giant speakers my wife's family rig up at the shop opposite our house,the first booming bass note rolls out around 5am,continues until about 1am,for 3 /4 days. Here it is very quiet,only 6 people in the resturant i ate in last night about 33c with a sea breeze,i will reluctantly return on the 19th ,only because i have to get my visa from Pitasanoluk on the 21st,over the days of the actual festival i do not intend to leave the beach at all.

[AlphMichaels]

For Songkran haters, there's always the option of locking yourself in the home until it passes. If that's not enough, leave the country. May be a good time to visit friends and family abroad. Those who slam it must realize, it's endemic and isn't going to stop because you don't like it. Stay in..., leave the country...., or join in. If you choose the latter, get out, chant a few verses of [sawatdee pi mai kahp] with baby powder smears, and cool down with some water. Then go home and be happy.

For those who participate, yes, some will be shameless fools. I find the largest percentage of them to be farang. ENTIRELY too many will die on the highways. That's due to a number of factors better debated on a separate topic and forum.

I'll go out for a day (maybe 2) because I enjoy it.

[chrisinth]

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Basically all said. Official holidays from Monday, 13th to Wednesday, 15th.

Mass exodus starting Friday evening April 10th.

Depending on location better be prepared for "something to happen" until Sunday 19th!

The big shopping rush seems to have started already.

Small shops stocking up etc.

Helterskelter at Makro two days ago.

That said, it must be recognised that the majority of working Thais work a 6 day week, so Saturday night (11th Apr) is a good time not to on the roads as well as it will likely be worse than Friday............

[elgordo38]

According to the Thai calendar yes, but the mass exodus of people will probably start on the 10th

as the 13th is a Monday, so it seems that that this Songkran holiday will be very long one,

You just had to ruin my day saying this years will be a long one.

[mango66]

This is why i have come to a very quiet beach on the south coast of Koh chang,1 to escape the madness,2 escape the 40c heat in Petchabun, 3 escape the noise from the giant speakers my wife's family rig up at the shop opposite our house,the first booming bass note rolls out around 5am,continues until about 1am,for 3 /4 days. Here it is very quiet,only 6 people in the resturant i ate in last night about 33c with a sea breeze,i will reluctantly return on the 19th ,only because i have to get my visa from Pitasanoluk on the 21st,over the days of the actual festival i do not intend to leave the beach at all.

you have been before on SK in KPG ,

go to Thong Salaa main street and you will be stucked there also for 3 days,

ok, you go to a beach somewhere,

or most everywhere in Thai, and you will be fine,

but to come to the beach, dont use a Hotel that U must use the beach road !!

Go Hin Kong - no tourists and no swimming there,

you will be loney and fine, Yes !!

Dont try to go to Haad Rin, its also on the south of KPG !!

[jimky]

Living in Udon Thani, in years past there was always stuff going on extra days when Songkran spanned the weekend. Last year however I was quite surprised. Outside entertainment areas there was only a very small number of people out splashing on Saturday the 12th. Then as it fell over the weekend the 16th was an official holiday too. On that day I took my children to go play at a friends house on a main road. We ended up not doing so because we would have been alone. Everyone was dry with no one else playing Songkran in sight. So last year, despite the weekend, here it was mostly only the annual official dates April 13-15 that much went on.

[Benmart]

The stupidest and most selfish idiotic dangerous kind of fun. How many will die this year?

Not my country, not my holiday and not my business. I leave for quieter waters until it is over.

[nuananddon]

I think the holiday started out years ago as a time for family to visit family and pray for a bounty of rain for the up coming rice planting(this is where the water throwing originated) and it has slowly deteriorated to a messy dangerous free for all. Hand fulls of water graduated to buckets full and water guns that can knock your eyes out. Kids have a great time and it's fun watching the little ones, but the older ones get carried away almost destructive. We just stay very close to home and hope nobody gets hurt. The north bound traffic is horrendous, we live close to AH-2 and most of the time it is impossible to cross the highway by ANY means.

[JSixpack]

For Songkran haters, there's always the option of locking yourself in the home until it passes. If that's not enough, leave the country. May be a good time to visit friends and family abroad. Those who slam it must realize, it's endemic and isn't going to stop because you don't like it. Stay in..., leave the country...., or join in. If you choose the latter, get out, chant a few verses of [sawatdee pi mai kahp] with baby powder smears, and cool down with some water. Then go home and be happy.

Happy after you've been hit in the face with a chunk of ice or made to crash your motorbike, for example?

We might call that the Pollyana view of Songkran.

It might be instructive to read a webpage w/ comprehensive info, well documented with member testimonials, about Pattaya Songkran. Info there can apply to other areas as well:

2015 Pattaya Songkran FAQ

[marko kok prong]

This is why i have come to a very quiet beach on the south coast of Koh chang,1 to escape the madness,2 escape the 40c heat in Petchabun, 3 escape the noise from the giant speakers my wife's family rig up at the shop opposite our house,the first booming bass note rolls out around 5am,continues until about 1am,for 3 /4 days. Here it is very quiet,only 6 people in the resturant i ate in last night about 33c with a sea breeze,i will reluctantly return on the 19th ,only because i have to get my visa from Pitasanoluk on the 21st,over the days of the actual festival i do not intend to leave the beach at all.

you have been before on SK in KPG ,

go to Thong Salaa main street and you will be stucked there also for 3 days,

ok, you go to a beach somewhere,

or most everywhere in Thai, and you will be fine,

but to come to the beach, dont use a Hotel that U must use the beach road !!

Go Hin Kong - no tourists and no swimming there,

you will be loney and fine, Yes !!

Dont try to go to Haad Rin, its also on the south of KPG !!

I am in KOH CHANG,not KOH PHANGAN,try reading the post before commenting.

[BudfahRuksa]

What a waste of a few days

Why? I`m new to Songkran and I am flying in on the 11th to go see my wife2b/daughter. Im thinking that it may be fun but now I`m also thinking this may be dangerous and envisage the airport being a sea of people..anything to watch out for?

[thaibeachlovers]

The stupidest and most selfish idiotic dangerous kind of fun. How many will die this year?

Agree, and Pattaya wears the crown for the most stupid folks in LOS....?

Can't wait to get the heck out of here and be with some normal folks....lol...?

You obviously haven't been to KSR during Songkran then. They have to be the most moronic d...heads ever, and that's the farangs.

As for myself- stay indoors, books, cable tv. Too dangerous out there with the huge fireworks they throw at people.

[Jiggo]

I'm otta here see you on the 26th.....

[noikrit]

Going sailing for the duration .... Plenty of water there !.....

[green job]

The stupidest and most selfish idiotic dangerous kind of fun. How many will die this year?

I always try and stick up for Thais, but when Songcran comes along, that's when I have to say

that for a few days of the year, Thailand is a nation off retards. killing and maiming people unnecessary.

On the good side, for about 360 days of the year, the Thai people to me, come across as decent, and honest.

Yes I agree,, Its the same as Fasching (carnival ) in Germany Full of Idiots.

[dave2]

re

I'm otta here

and me ! ... im off to yangon for a week ... where its only one day

three or four days of songkran day and night in chiang mai sucks

dave2

[dragonfly94]

It never used to be like it is today, I don't recall folks not wanting to join in being drenched on public transport 20 years ago, or bike riders having a bucket of water chucked at them as they ride past. It's all very much out of hand and it's been encouraged by TAT over the years into the excess at tourist dumps like KSR and Pattaya. Anyone drenching people who do not want to participate deserves a good thumping, and after the set dates even more so.

[green job]

It never used to be like it is today, I don't recall folks not wanting to join in being drenched on public transport 20 years ago, or bike riders having a bucket of water chucked at them as they ride past. It's all very much out of hand and it's been encouraged by TAT over the years into the excess at tourist dumps like KSR and Pattaya. Anyone drenching people who do not want to participate deserves a good thumping, and after the set dates even more so.

Yep I agree, Also not good to be drenched with klong water.