I was sitting at my computer early this afternoon on Thaivisa when I heard the sound pop-pop-pop-pop. Didn't think much of it thought it was probably some locals letting off cracker fireworks. An hour later I decided to brave any water throwing (there wasn't any) and go to my Mum and Pop shop for a beer. En route suddenly a police riot van and a couple of 'paddy wagons' appeared and sealed off the main intersection in the village for a while.

The reason is somewhat convuluted, but it would appear that a local (not from my village) had antagonised a young man from the next village (4 kms away) by throwing water at him whilst he was riding his motor bike.The water recipiant then went back to his village, recruited three of his mates to exact revenge.

When they arrived the original water thrower realised that he was in trouble and took off on foot hotly persued(on foot) by the four agrieved locals. Whereupon the persued on the outskirts of my village, being in posession of a rifle, turned around and shot his four persuers.

The shooter then went back to the 'water throwing' venue and hid his gun, borrorwed a motor cycle and attempted to make his escape. He didn't get very far, the BIB soon had him corraled and what I had seen was the aftermath of a 'pointing' session when the police had taken him back to the scene where he shot his attackers.

I personally didn't see a lot. The accused in the back of the riot truck, his motor cycle being taken together with the weapon. I'm not sure what type of rifle it was but at a guess it was a .22 with a long barrel.

Three of the injured were taken to Buriram hospital, two with serious chest wounds, one having been shot in the upper leg. The fourth man only had a minor wound to his arm.

I have no doubt that this sort of thing will be repeated throughout Thailand this Songkran and I don't suppose it will make news even if anyone dies

I HATE this festival.

Edited April 12, 201511 yr by Toknarok

Two years ago , We took the Mother in Law home from Sahmut Prakan to Sahmut Sahkon, she had to be at work the next day, she works in a Hospital. We sat in a traffic que, for about an hour, some drunk people where dancing in the middle of the road stopping all the traffic. We got to the front of the que when a guy rides up on a big bike, they tried to stopping him , he pulled out a gun and shot two of them, one fatally, who died, the other one was seriously hurt, it was on Thai TV news, why does Songkran make people crazily.

Two years ago , We took the Mother in Law home from Sahmut Prakan to Sahmut Sahkon, she had to be at work the next day, she works in a Hospital. We sat in a traffic que, for about an hour, some drunk people where dancing in the middle of the road stopping all the traffic. We got to the front of the que when a guy rides up on a big bike, they tried to stopping him , he pulled out a gun and shot two of them, one fatally, who died, the other one was seriously hurt, it was on Thai TV news, why does Songkran make people crazily.

It doesn't it is the alcohol and drugs they use to celebrate it with.