EDITORIAL
Spirit of Songkran comes in droplets, not buckets

Amid the Water wars, take a minute to ponder to ponder the true meaning of the traditional Thai New Year

BANGKOK: -- A festive tide of good cheer is rising across the country once again as the calendar cranks round to Songkran. Millions are looking forward to the traditional Thai New Year, which is also a major attraction for tourists. The five-day holiday begins on Saturday and peaks with celebrations on Songkran itself, which falls on Monday.

Migrant workers in Bangkok and other big cities are gearing up for their annual exodus to the provinces for reunions with their families. The week-long torrent of traffic unleashed tomorrow will be swelled by holidaymakers heading upcountry for the long break.

However, many others will be cutting their travel to a minimum at this time, mindful of the "seven deadly days" that make Thailand's roads among the most dangerous in the world.

Plenty of us also prefer to stay indoors during the three festival days, when it can be difficult to avoid a soaking from the water pistols and buckets toted by groups of youngsters.

For others across the country, Songkran is the perfect time to let loose with a long weekend of drinking, partying and sloshing away their cares. But the frenzied fun that ensues is a far cry from the festival's original spirit, which has been all but forgotten by many people. Monday, when the national holiday begins, is also Seniors Day, while Tuesday is also Family Day. The special days are a clue to Songkran's significance as a time when the young and old get together for family reunions. For Buddhists, the traditional New Year is also a time for making merit at temples.

While the original message of Songkran may have been diluted by some Thais, it is lost altogether on many foreign tourists. For them, the festival is a "water war" - a free-for-

all of shooting and splashing. Each year, the vast watery battlegrounds attract armies of both Thais and tourists. The troops are often welcomed by local businesses and entrepreneurs, who make handsome profits selling them alcohol, water guns and talcum powder to smear over fellow revellers. But recent years have also seen a growing number of complaints from communities over scenes of scantily dressed women, sexual harassment, drunken revellers and troublemaking at the Songkran festivities.

In the popular Songkran destination of Chiang Mai, representatives from communities around the Old City Moats (Koo Muang), where the water fights are fiercest, have asked the city's governor to crack down on misbehaviour and lawlessness over the next few days. Community leaders say that drunken revellers, near-naked dancers and aggressive partying have tarnished Chiang Mai's Songkran celebrations over the past three years. They called on the authorities to enforce measures to help restore the beauty of the traditional northern Lanna-style celebration.

For many of us, the Songkran festival has changed dramatically since the days of our youth. Change is, of course, inevitable, and in some cases necessary. But also needful is continuity of traditions that keep this festival anchored in Thai cultural values. For many businesses, Songkran is just another opportunity to sell products or to make money. As such, they are only too eager to promote it as a raucous party. Commercialised in this way, the festival risks becoming an empty spectacle of hedonism.

Fun has its place, of course. But we must also remember the original spirit of this festival: a reunion between loved ones to mark the start of the New Year in a positive way with generosity and faith for the 12 months to come.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Spirit-of-Songkran-comes-in-droplets-not-buckets-30257694.html


-- The Nation 2015-04-09

That is why I will not go anywhere but my village,I took my stepson and 2 nieces to Pattaya in 2013 and as we were heading out to dinner a large drunk farung came out of a bar with a large bucket of ice water and threw over us hitting my 9 year niece far and square almost pushing her into the path of oncoming traffic on beach road,him and all his mates just laughed.I have never been back to Pattaya and never will,Thais and farung alike have no respect for themselves or others.

Did this article only go out in English?

Surely it should be in Thai for the locals.

It's their festival. They chose to let it go

the way it has. If they want it changed to

the way it was then they should sort it out

themselves.

Yeah...and Christmas should be about love and understanding and families, being together...

...but it IS about gifts and food and ...more gifts!

I have nothing against either festival and people, who want to celebrate them either way: go ahead!

But don't tell others what to do!

Each to their liking!

did ice bucket challenge not rip off songkran, or is it the other way round

Yeah...and Christmas should be about love and understanding and families, being together...

...but it IS about gifts and food and ...more gifts!

I have nothing against either festival and people, who want to celebrate them either way: go ahead!

But don't tell others what to do!

Each to their liking!

Christrnas should be about Christ

Edited April 9, 201511 yr by spacebass

Did this article only go out in English?

Surely it should be in Thai for the locals.

It's their festival. They chose to let it go

the way it has. If they want it changed to

the way it was then they should sort it out

themselves.

Thais don't care

Yeah...and Christmas should be about love and understanding and families, being together...

...but it IS about gifts and food and ...more gifts!

I have nothing against either festival and people, who want to celebrate them either way: go ahead!

But don't tell others what to do!

Each to their liking!

Christrnas should be about Christ

I don't even believe he existed, so why celebrate him!

...same like Santa Claus!

Several years ago I was walking down the street and a little girl about 10, gave me a wai and asked permission to splash a little water on me. How could I say no?

It is all in how people are raised by their parents ... both Thai and foreign ...

A person is raised to respect other people or they are not raised to respect other people. It is that simple.

Edited April 9, 201511 yr by Jai Dee
Font resized

Yeah...and Christmas should be about love and understanding and families, being together...

...but it IS about gifts and food and ...more gifts!

I have nothing against either festival and people, who want to celebrate them either way: go ahead!

But don't tell others what to do!

Each to their liking!

Christmas is not an in your face festival like Songkran so lets not compare the two. Yes Songkran is telling me at 77 years of age to stay indoors Christmas does not. Both are commercial holidays to benefit businesses and have nothing to do with the religious aspects of either. Songkran hmm I was looking for a word to describe it and could not think of one till reading this post. Now I know Hedonism. Maybe as time progresses we will come full circle and put gladiators in pits for our personal enjoyment. Might be a way to keep the population under control as well.

Several years ago I was walking down the street and a little girl about 10, gave me a wai and asked permission to splash a little water on me. How could I say no?

It is all in how people are raised by their parents ... both Thai and foreign ...

A person is raised to respect other people or they are not raised to respect other people. It is that simple.

Amen brother if they were all like this I could deal with it and even go out and walk the streets with a smile on my face. Yes your right its all in the raising. Its the goons with the big water blasters and a supply tank strapped to their back that really anger me.

Yeah...and Christmas should be about love and understanding and families, being together...

...but it IS about gifts and food and ...more gifts!

I have nothing against either festival and people, who want to celebrate them either way: go ahead!

But don't tell others what to do!

Each to their liking!

+1...

'... For many businesses, Songkran is just another opportunity to sell products or to make money ...' What of it? I agree with the view that the true spirit of Songkran has been lost in the 'floodwaters' that typically mark it these days. But Thai businesses also cash in on Christmas and Easter, neither a Buddhist holiday, as well as the Western and the Chinese New Year celebrations.

I know , find the most borish pink ferlung wadering walking street in Pattaya and when he collapses in a drnken stupor tie him to a crucifix then throw ice water at him 'till he comes round. For the muslims we will have to think of something else.

Yeah...and Christmas should be about love and understanding and families, being together...

...but it IS about gifts and food and ...more gifts!

I have nothing against either festival and people, who want to celebrate them either way: go ahead!

But don't tell others what to do!

Each to their liking!

Christrnas should be about Christ

I don't even believe he existed, so why celebrate him!

...same like Santa Claus!

That's blasphemy, of course there's a Santa Claus!

Yeah...and Christmas should be about love and understanding and families, being together...

...but it IS about gifts and food and ...more gifts!

I have nothing against either festival and people, who want to celebrate them either way: go ahead!

But don't tell others what to do!

Each to their liking!

Well on Christmas you can go on the street. Worst thing is annoying music, but no drunken guy put a bucket of ice water on your head.

I'm going to set up a stall selling fig leaves to assist in the modesty of revellers.

...or maybe sell copies of Zaphods sunglasses to protect us from temptation (or at least water in the eyes).

Songkran, its not the same no more, I liked it more many years ago