Songkran.

[hansgruber]

Why don't they just all go to the beach and do it there? Unlimited supply of water and nobody is in danger and people who want to get wet can. Throwing buckets of water over people riding motorbikes is downright dangerous and half of the people don't really want to get wet while trying to ride to work or somewhere in tact.

It's 8 am and I see the whiskey is already flowing roadside with loud music and trance like dancing.

Oh well. Happy Songkran.

[KarenBravo]

One day a year. No worries.

I'm in my fortified bunker.......

[LivinginKata]

me too - in hiding

[hansgruber]

I had to venture out for supplies before the bombardment. I won't be going back out again today. Close the hatches.

[schlog]

Doors are closed. Thanks to beechbum this year songkran day will be my Game of Thrones season 5 day.

4 episodes what a relaxed day.....

[stevenl]

I went out this morning for some supplies, nobody out yet to splash.

Will be going out shortly with my kid on the bike and a gun.

Main thing to do IMO: avoid after 14.00 hours, when everybody will be drunk and icebuckets and water with powder will be thrown everywhere. Before that time it is really a very nice event IMO.

[beechbum]

I'm off into the fray soon, gotta 6yr, little blokes tooled up with a backpack type gun and goggles,time for a slow cruise on the bike around Chalong and Rawai....

[hansgruber]

I went out this morning for some supplies, nobody out yet to splash.

Will be going out shortly with my kid on the bike and a gun.

Main thing to do IMO: avoid after 14.00 hours, when everybody will be drunk and icebuckets and water with powder will be thrown everywhere. Before that time it is really a very nice event IMO.

I hate the powder. It takes the danger to a whole new level. Try cleaning that out of your eyes.

It also is quite abrasive. When you see people rubbing the powder on cars it's actually scratching the paint.

[grumpyoldman]

It was about eight years ago when a pal and I were on Patong Beach Road next to Banana, enjoying the mayhem. Watched multiple times, (although everyone going slow, traffic both directions then) as kids with 3+ people on the Dream, got bapped by a big bucket of water and would wipe out sliding under cars. They all would get up laughing, people hitting them with more water, saw an Australian family with little girl crying get completely ambushed in a tuk-tuk, 10 with water guns surrounded and completely blasted them, Dad not happy at all, yelling to stop as little one totally soaked and scared.

But then there were the wet femininas with the powder rubbing themselves on you, not bad duty.

By the end of what was a really hot day and a lot of brewskiis, we were demoed tired.

Yea, let them have at it, join if you're up, if not, like one poster said, get your Game of Thrones, light the BBQ and chill at home.

[ttthailand]

One day is fine but 3 to 10 days in some places is just too much. Some people have to work and are not on holiday.

[Guest]

I'm planning to risk it and ride to the town.

[KarenBravo]

The first ambulance of the day goes by...........

[stevenl]

The first ambulance of the day goes by...........

Heard that one already at 8 this morning.

I'm back from a ride on the bike with the kid and his nephew. Went to Chalong, Kata, Rawai. All in all enjoyable, not as much powder, cold water and coloured water as in previous years. Home now and won't go out again, from now on people will start to get drunk and it will IMO be less pleasant.

Edited April 13, 2015 by stevenl

[fiddlehead]

After last year's episode for me, arriving late in BKK and trying my best to get to my hotel without getting wet (Failing miserably),I am now joining you cranky, complaining expats for the 1st time and not going out this year.
Consider me another "Grumpy Old Man" today!

[Pheat123]

One day is fine but 3 to 10 days in some places is just too much. Some people have to work and are not on holiday.

Lol

Some people have to work

So what?

Your in Thailand

Thai rules

You could always go back and work in your own country

[chercheur888]

I'm planning to risk it and ride to the town.

There is no risk if you avoid the "Nine public zones have been set for official Songkran partying in Phuket this year".

As usual this will be strictly enforced

Just avoid these zones and you will be fine

[NamKangMan]

I do not even start my motorbike, let alone ride it, over Songkran.

I go and have a splash around, but stay off the bike. Just too dangerous.

[LivinginKata]

I don't know what is going on over here in Patong but sirens have been passing through for the last 30 minutes. No idea is ambulance, fire, or police. I am not to go and look.

[LeungKen]

[beechbum]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The first ambulance of the day goes by...........

Heard that one already at 8 this morning.

I'm back from a ride on the bike with the kid and his nephew. Went to Chalong, Kata, Rawai. All in all enjoyable, not as much powder, cold water and coloured water as in previous years. Home now and won't go out again, from now on people will start to get drunk and it will IMO be less pleasant.

Same, rode around Chalong and Rawai, the little bloke had a ball, plenty of respect and common sense shown by all, good fun, young fella said he was tired about 1330 so that's us done and dusted with Sonkran for another year, Lunch and a siesta now.

[keestha]

Come on boys. Only if you can genuinely enjoy a katoey emptying a bucket of ice water down you collar you are truly integrated.

[Guest]

My first Songkran in Bangkok / Koh Samed in 2003 was a very, very nice experience. I remember thinking "oh, only if the people from my country would know how combine really good time with great manners. That was then and there.

Today's trip to Phuket town was a mixed feelings. Most of the people still knew how to respect a person who did not get wet. Over the hours I only got a few spurs of water to me. I did not got really wet. I was carrying my camera, so showing that made most of the people think again.

Of course there was the drunken teenager, who had to put the powder to my face. That was the only occasion. Even when there were three young kids, maybe 7 years olds, alone without supervision, they understood my signs and did not throw the water on me. I think that was pretty cool from the youngsters.

At the town, there was some celebration, but it was generally quiet. When I got to Saphan Hin, the main Songkran festival area, rain started and after an while it became quite quiet place to be. I was in a shelter with some Thais, who introduced me to multilingual karaoke. Tingtong, funny and good hearted people

Songran 2015 in Phuket Town

[Gonsalviz]

I went out this morning for some supplies, nobody out yet to splash.

Will be going out shortly with my kid on the bike and a gun.

Main thing to do IMO: avoid after 14.00 hours, when everybody will be drunk and icebuckets and water with powder will be thrown everywhere. Before that time it is really a very nice event IMO.

I hate the powder. It takes the danger to a whole new level. Try cleaning that out of your eyes.

It also is quite abrasive. When you see people rubbing the powder on cars it's actually scratching the paint.

Stop and someone will rinse your eyes.

[Gonsalviz]

One day is fine but 3 to 10 days in some places is just too much. Some people have to work and are not on holiday.

What good would it be to have a 3 day holiday but you can only celebrate 1?

[stevenl]

One day is fine but 3 to 10 days in some places is just too much. Some people have to work and are not on holiday.

What good would it be to have a 3 day holiday but you can only celebrate 1?

Like here you mean?

[falkan]

My first Songkran in Bangkok / Koh Samed in 2003 was a very, very nice experience. I remember thinking "oh, only if the people from my country would know how combine really good time with great manners. That was then and there.

Today's trip to Phuket town was a mixed feelings. Most of the people still knew how to respect a person who did not get wet. Over the hours I only got a few spurs of water to me. I did not got really wet. I was carrying my camera, so showing that made most of the people think again.

Of course there was the drunken teenager, who had to put the powder to my face. That was the only occasion. Even when there were three young kids, maybe 7 years olds, alone without supervision, they understood my signs and did not throw the water on me. I think that was pretty cool from the youngsters.

At the town, there was some celebration, but it was generally quiet. When I got to Saphan Hin, the main Songkran festival area, rain started and after an while it became quite quiet place to be. I was in a shelter with some Thais, who introduced me to multilingual karaoke. Tingtong, funny and good hearted people

Songran 2015 in Phuket Town

You missed Limelight! it's still packed with people right now!

[Guest]

You missed Limelight! it's still packed with people right now!

I guess I did. I did enjoy all the silliness previously, now I'm too old for wild noises

[elgordo38]

One day is fine but 3 to 10 days in some places is just too much. Some people have to work and are not on holiday.

Lol

Some people have to work

So what?

Your in Thailand

Thai rules

You could always go back and work in your own count

You could always go back and work in your own country. Boy talk about an overworked line this is the big one.

[ttthailand]

My gf has to work during the holiday so I guess she can not go back to some other country, she is Thai. She has to walk down the street and get wet from head to toe and then work in an air conditioned office for 9 hours. No place to shower only a bathroom to cleanup. This will happen for three days in BKK.

She brings a change of cloths so she can at least be dry. The wet hair and white power is another matter. She gets home and is wet again as the fun does not stop when it should and continues after dark. So much fun ..... Lovely holiday !

[hansgruber]

I've seen thai people begging not be be soaked as they are dressed for work and they are always ignored and soaked head to toe by a drunken unemployed mob.

That's why I think it should be taken off the streets or at least designated streets for those who want it and society can still function outside it.

I hope it's over and not still going on as I need to venture out.