Songkran Will Go On Despite Drought: Tourism Authority

[minikev]

Songkran is an important time for the critical tourism sector. In 2014 the tourism authority said it generated over 4 billion baht in revenue.

Yutthasak also urged the hotel industry to prepare for the upcoming drought.

Sort of a hypocritical thing going on in this statement! Should the hotels ration the water so the foreigners save the water for the pick ups full of tanks to throw around?

[Rayk]

Jsixpack,

Er, have I done the powder test on myself yet ? Not sure what you mean but I have copped plenty of powder in the eyes. No biggie, just wash it out with all the readily available water flying around.

Most people are not trying to injure others, it is a water fight.

Bubba nearly had an accident, but didn't !

I didn't realize that water play was against the law. I find that a bit surprising actually as I have seen police get sprayed (severely)

I doubt the girl in the photo actually came off and went to hospital. The Thais are very skillful riders. I NEVER spray people on motorbikes. Nor do I spray people after 5pm nor do I spray people that ask me not to. I have been sprayed at night after changing into dry clothes, I could have cried, but chose to laugh instead.

Repeat this 10 times. Pattaya has very affordable waterproof taxis. I use them when I am drinking alcohol. I get scared on taxi motorbikes.

There are farangs wanting to call off the water play and there are farangs who hate it even in small villages. Read some of the posts.

A lot of ordinary Thais make plenty out off selling food, drinks etc to the masses. Have you ever really been to songkran in Pattaya? The streets are line with all sorts of sellers. They are not the elites that you claim. All along sukhumvit, theprasit, tai, klang and nua and everywhere in between. Hundreds or thousands of them.

Nobody sprays the food carts because that would be disrespectful and cost people money. I am sure more money will get spent on Songkran Tuesday than a normal Tuesday when all these Thais are stuck at work.

As I said I have experienced both being in the thick of it getting saturated and powdered and using the car and staying completely dry, and also in the back of a pick up with Thais.

Traveling at 90kms an hour during songkran is dangerous and stupid! Bad boy Bubba. Lucky to go over 20kms, more like 5.

I agree with those high powered tubes being banned, and they were last year. Hardly saw any compared to previous years.

I am not claiming to be an educated, rational or reasonable farang.

What may seem idiotic to you may seem like fun to the locals.

Farangs complaining about songkran to me is like a gate crasher showing up to a party UNINVITED and then complaining about the food and the music being to loud and then turning it down.

At the end of the day, this is Thailand, the Thais can do what they want with their Thai water. If the Thais ban water play then I won't do it either.

You won't change you opinion, and neither will I. I agree to disagree with you.

Sawadee Bpee mai tai krap.

'The Thais are very skillful riders.' Seriously? You must know a rare breed.

' I NEVER spray people on motorbikes. Nor ... do I spray people that ask me not to.' You might not, but plenty do. I've had some moronic westerner, in the past, spray my then toddler with a high-powered gun, then seem surprised when I got annoyed.

'Nobody sprays the food carts because that would be disrespectful and cost people money.' The Thais (and numerous water-spraying westerners) concerned about being respectful during Songkran? You're joking, yet again.

Spraying a toddler with a high powered gun is moronic. Farangness, most Thais wouldn't do that.

And I do think the Thais are a lot more talented than the average farang in Thailand on a motorbike, probably because many of them grew up on them.

And are you telling me the Thais deliberately spray water on the food carts? It doesn't happen. Another songkran Thai visa myth.

I think Songkran really gets up the thaibashers because the Thais are having so much fun, in their country, with their water. There is nothing worse than seein someone you hate enjoying life.

Simple, the whining foreigners who hate Thai customs should be immediately deported.

And the idiotic foreigners who don't know the real Thai custom in regards to Songkran should immediately be deported

[mancub]

How ironic that TAT happily promote it as a water fight festival with pictures of foreigners and water guns.....whilst respectful Thais will take their children and visit the local wat , yet the rest of the population will make it what it actually is.....an occasion to visit friends/family and get completely inebriated , crash their vehicles and indulge in local gang fights.

[Slotman]

How unusual!

No. Let's have a just a few more:

I still have the scar above my eye to remind me that Songkran in Pattaya is not what it should be, and for people who think we are whiners because we rather stay indoors (or leave) participate and have fun, and I was once like you.

But after spending some time down at the emergency room because of some "innocent" ice cube water throwing, you will learn but I just hope not the hard way as I had to do (and I was lucky)

--MJCM, 2014-04-06 19:20:28:

...last year I found several jerks were throwing cold water with large chunks of ice in the water. I was hit in the mouth with a chunk of ice the size of a fist last year and went home bleeding and in a considerable amount of pain. The injury could have been worse.

--willyumiii, on 30 Mar 2013 - 09:45:

The ONLY stupidity I saw this year was from FARANGS. My girlfriend copped a direct hit in the eye and had to go to the hospital.

--TigerandDog, 2015-04-17 10:35:07

One of my friends saw the motorcyclist in front of his bike collide with a cement electricity pylon in what looked like a fatal collision after being pelted in the face with a bucket of water over Songkran a couple of years back. I nearly went under a truck in Hua Hin after getting a bucket of water and ice cubes in my face on my push bike once.

--Arkady, on 05 Apr 2013 - 00:38:

Sad but true. Some years back I was driving back from work taking a back road when a pick-up truck of drunks going in the opposite direction, hurled ice which smashed my windscreen. When I eventually found a garage I had to join the queue for a new windscreen!! Some call this good fun.

--Ian Curtis, on 29 Mar 2013 - 23:52:

Lot of farang complaints there.

So what do you want to do? Call off Thai new year for the Thais?

I think you will find New Years in most countries the hospitals would be busier. And during Xmas. Should we call off Xmas?

It is pretty easy for me to avoid getting wet if I choose, even if I am in middle of the road on the main day. I have a water proof car. The taxis in Thailand are also waterproof and very cheap also compared to many other countries. My house is also waterproof.

But I choose to get wet, because it is fun.

Thai new year is the 1st of January, same as in most other countries in the world.

[Slotman]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songkran_(Thailand)

[elgordo38]

“Arrogance is a creature. It does not have senses.

It has only a sharp tongue and the pointing finger.”

― Toba Beta

Yes there is a lot of arrogance on this subject along with a lot of injury stories which I am sure are just the tip of the iceberg. The arrogance shown on this topic proves your saying is correct. Arrogance is indeed a creature without senses common or otherwise. This holiday has morphed from a great cultural event to a gladiatorial sport which takes no prisoners. You can talk cultural event till the cows come home but this holiday has morphed into a dangerous sport over the decades egged on by the powers that be that are only interested in the bahts it brings in. It has become a Running Man style holiday.

Edited March 1, 2016 by elgordo38

[JSixpack]

You just make your "facts" up. How do you know nobody misses Pattaya songkran.

It's useless to argue with you because you don't read but just see what you want to see and won't understand points of distinction, trolling for your cause. In fact, I see you've been given a little vacation.

The population of which I'm speaking is "those who left town" [to miss Songkran] because that would be the only logical cause for "regret" of a decision to leave: that reason. The context of "do a search" makes it clear I'm talking about TVF posters. So do find me such a post.

. . . 99% of people smiling and having a great time.

And those of us who are experienced and have been reading Songkran threads for years know exactly what that having a great time means. And that should be communicated, I think.

My purpose is to collect info from the forum and make it available so that our non-hooligan members, notably the noobs, can make an informed choice, as there's of course no point in trying to tell a hooligan anything. I got tired of reading the same old questions and assertions. I personally don't care who likes Songkran, who doesn't, who wants to participate and who doesn't. Up 2 them; I know where I'm going this year. Enjoy shadow boxing, pal.

Would I trust a farang real estate agent in Pattaya and his "facts"? No bloody way. A quick google search will show many people have lost considerable savings listening to "facts" from farang real estate agents in Pattaya. A 90 story tower in jomtien that was never going to be built, countless similar other ones not being built, other cases of chanotes being used by agents to secure loans for themselves, etc etc. all because the listed to so called "facts" .

Me, I've only met the guy working at Alan Bolton, and he seemed fine to me. Maybe you can take your concerns to him and chant the ol' TVF Ocean 1 chant? Says it all, eh, The office is in The Avenue.

The only people who enjoy it are "idiot drunken hooligans" another made up outrageous claim. It is enjoyed by the children in Pattaya, are they all drunken hooligans?

But I didn't say "only." Obviously, the idiot drunken hooligans cause most of the problems. And a (A) question is whether you wish to enjoy an encounter with them. Here's a child and her parent who, like, really enjoyed it:

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.

--aussiesteve63, on 2015-04-09 06:28

Yeah, I know, she didn't die, so it's OK. Every purposeful injury is OK long as people are havin' fun and not everybody gets injured. This lady died:

I had a friend die last year from jerks throwing ice water. She died taking evasive action and was hit by a pick up. I'm getting out of town again this year.

--thaikahunathaikahuna, on 2014-03-02 13:24:27:

And that's OK too, everybody's gotta die sometime, it was her fault, and the jerks were havin' fun and not everybody's a jerk. We've heard all your "arguments" over and over and over.

This victim only needs hearing in one ear anyway, and it's fun removing it in the other one, and there's no hospital report that he indeed lost his hearing, so what's the problem?

So that you can soil your knickers more , here's the farang demographic; I think you can locate yourself somewhere in there:

Q: i lurv me tats & patts sngkrn

A: Of course you do. But you belong to a different demographic than most permanent residents. You most likely fall into one or more of these categories:

• some tourists or wannabe tourists
• ignorant noobs
• kids and teenagers
• pathetic keyboard warriors fantasizing and trolling from afar, e.g., from council estates in blighty, basement rooms at parents'
• uneducated Johnny Lunchbuckets who can't afford to live here, mainly focused on beer, birds, ballgames, and bashing
• voyeurs for whom the spectacle is worth wasting time & money driving around with the windows rolled up
• the besotted seeking to impress some Thai woman, perhaps at her bar or former bar
• farang-wannabe-Thais unsure of their own identity
• the idle, having nothing better to do
• the weak and insecure seeking validation in wrecking motorcyclists
• the senile, foolishly imagining they've discovered a fountain of youth
• mere sadists reveling in the chance to cause injury without fear of retribution
• masochists who actually enjoy being victimized by the sadistic

You haven't understood the battle yet. And yes, I'm winning. But I thought you'd decided to agree to disagree?

BTW, maybe I missed it but this seems significant:

No Songkran water wars, govt urges

THE SUNDAY NATION February 28, 2016 1:00 am

PM wants cooperation from public amid fears about severe drought and low water levels in country's dams

THE government wants the famed Songkran Festival this year toned down to "rod nam dam hua" - pouring a small amount of water on the hands of revered elders to ask for blessings - in the face of the country's drought problem.

--http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/No-Songkran-water-wars-govt-urges-30280358.html

So now our forum Thainesses can show their VERY deep respect for Thai culture & tradition by just doing the rod nam dam hua! OH YEAH.

Edited March 1, 2016 by JSixpack

[CoreanoOzzie]

The FACT is that many people here do not know about the real songkran tradition. The stupid water playing is for sure no tradition.

give water to the fools for celebrate their moron festival. in the roman empire this was called panem and circenses.

"Their moron festival" well that is not a very nice thing to say.

The FACT is that traditionally the Thais have been playing with water during songkran since at least the 1930's. Every year now the Thais traditionally play with water. I don't know how far you have to go back for this to be considered a tradition for you.

The beautiful thing about Thai culture is that it constantly evolving. In 100 years from now people will look back at these times as a tradition.

Fun people these Thais.

Traditionally the now world famous water festival has never been cancelled because of drought or to save westerners from getting a little wet which coincides with the hottest part of the year and when most of the population has holidays.

It is also now a tradition on thaivisa for some grumpy farangs to complain about songkran every year.

Songkran will go on despite the drought, It is unstoppable.

Can you imagine what Thais would think of farangs in general if they knew what a lot of moronic farangs were saying on these type of forums?

I show/tell my Thai friends all of it.

It does p4ss them off. But they also laugh about it. One of the most admiral things I have found about the Thais is they don't generalize too much unlike the farang thaibashers. They use the phrase "bang kon" or "some people" a lot. They are smart enough to realize there are good and bad people from all countries.

I reckon they are good at pickng who are the grumpy whingers also. Which leads them to give the whiners bad service which then leads to the grumpy farang whining more. My dad used to complain to the Thais, it took me years to change his attitude, but now he sees why it works better to smile in Thailand than to complain with a p4ssed off look.

My maid gets fired up the most and questions why are they here if they don't like Thai people. I wonder also.

We have concluded that most of them are here for the bar girls. The bar girls are using them, so SomNaam naa!

She was the one that gave me the idea to post that if the farangs want to cancel/reduce water play under the guise of "saving water for the poor farmers" that it would save more water if these farangs went back to their own countries and stop using the Thai people's water.

Also I am tipping that if I went back through the farang posts who are claiming songkran should be stopped because of the drought I reckon I would find that last year they had a different reason.

Nice post, you are a good man! I just never understood why foreigners would choose to live here if they hate it so much?

[uli65]

CoreanoOzzie, what drugs do you take???

[TheCruncher]

For the past 4 weeks there is a shortage of mineral water at Makro. Yes there is of course still Evian at 100 Baht or so a bottle, but several of the regular brands are not available or scarce, so for that time I have resorted to drinking water instead.

Yesterday it got even worse with also the drinking water short in supply, with only small bottles available, and I noticed they had imported a few new brands.

So companies have to cut back on drinking water supply, but in 5 weeks time from now they gonna throw the water with buckets on the street.

I think that is called hypocrisy, and we all know Thailand knows everything about that.

[Rimmer]

An inflammatory and derogatory post has been removed also the reply to it

[yllorco]

If there is a will there will be a way. Thais might start conserving water now for the event.

[Robbie Dye]

A reduction in the scale of things might also have a positive effect on road accident stats too and save lives? Is that not a good enough reason?

[Usual Suspect]

I think whatever the Thai powers-that-be announce about this year's Songkran Fight (sorry Festival)..the country will carry on as they've always done in previous years.

They simply do not accept laws or rules.

BUT if the good ole General waved his magic 44-wand, & stated that from this year forth a strict 3-day maximum has to be obeyed it MAY just work..?

Good for water-supply, good for the hospitals, better for the nation..Let's see eh?

[elgordo38]

I think whatever the Thai powers-that-be announce about this year's Songkran Fight (sorry Festival)..the country will carry on as they've always done in previous years.

They simply do not accept laws or rules.

BUT if the good ole General waved his magic 44-wand, & stated that from this year forth a strict 3-day maximum has to be obeyed it MAY just work..?

Good for water-supply, good for the hospitals, better for the nation..Let's see eh?

Good ole article 44 is great at controlling pin pointed problems but to control the masses En mass that are hell bent on blowing off steam well thats a super feat it is not capable of. The government is well aware of this. That is why they have made a feeble effort to remind people about how this gentle festival started. Their plea made them look good in a face saving way we are in charge way but it has fallen on deaf ears. This serious plight will only sink in once the taps are turned on and nothing comes out. Thainess.

[CantSpell]

And my trip, with many friends to Siem Reap Cambodia will still go ahead.

The Cambodians, like Thailand, celebrate their New Year, and they also have Songkran with all the water throwing nonsense.................BUT water throwing is prohibited in all the major tourist areas.

If only........................................!

Water throwing actually used to be part of Khmer new year tradition as well..

Banned 8-9 years ago due to another Khmer tradition: throwing acid to the face of husband's mistress...

Lot of revenge was going on during the new year celebrations...

[djayz]

Drought my a**e! I watched a council worker this morning hosing down a sala out in the middle of nowhere. The council lorry/water tanker parked beside it. I can safely say that they wasted lots of water doing a job that a broom would have done just aswell.

[elgordo38]

Drought my a**e! I watched a council worker this morning hosing down a sala out in the middle of nowhere. The council lorry/water tanker parked beside it. I can safely say that they wasted lots of water doing a job that a broom would have done just aswell.

Thainess at its best. Ignorance to others. All the "we love Thai culture" horn blowers will be out defending this saying its their business what they do with their water. So why do we have this problem? Just the fact that defenders of this waste come out and blow their horn is the answer. World wide stupidity has set in. We are a world of greedy wasters plain and simple. Arguing has taken the place of common sense. Extreme polarities. Throw in the fact that the majority don't give a S there is your answer.

Edited March 3, 2016 by elgordo38

[noikrit]

Lets all throw water over each other while standing in rice paddies or vege gardens ....

[chicowoodduck]

Stupid is what stupid does.....end of story....:-(

[Roomuck]

Q: i lurv me tats & patts sngkrn

A: Of course you do. But you belong to a different demographic than most permanent residents. You most likely fall into one or more of these categories:

• some tourists or wannabe tourists
• ignorant noobs
• kids and teenagers
• pathetic keyboard warriors fantasizing and trolling from afar, e.g., from council estates in blighty, basement rooms at parents'
• uneducated Johnny Lunchbuckets who can't afford to live here, mainly focused on beer, birds, ballgames, and bashing
• voyeurs for whom the spectacle is worth wasting time & money driving around with the windows rolled up
• the besotted seeking to impress some Thai woman, perhaps at her bar or former bar
• farang-wannabe-Thais unsure of their own identity
• the idle, having nothing better to do
• the weak and insecure seeking validation in wrecking motorcyclists
• the senile, foolishly imagining they've discovered a fountain of youth
• mere sadists reveling in the chance to cause injury without fear of retribution
• masochists who actually enjoy being victimized by the sadistic

You haven't understood the battle yet. And yes, I'm winning. But I thought you'd decided to agree to disagree?

Dear jsixpack, thank you for your kind words. Winning? Songkran will go on and during it I will be battling away.

But I can see from your post the kind of person you are and now completely understand why someone such as yourself wouldn't enjoy the fun, exciting Pattaya water festival.

So you don't like tourists, people coming to Thailand for the first time, people with tattoos, people under the age of twenty, uneducated people, poor disadvantaged people, people who like beer, people who enjoy watching sport, people who like women, people who spend money at songkran, bar mongers, farangs who live in Thailand and embrace the culture rather than wanting the Thais change to suit them, the retired, the old and senile or older people having fun and people enjoying themselves.

I don't think Pattaya is really for you. You will always struggle here.

Happy songkran mate!

[gerry1011]

With a domestic use of only a few %, the water used during Songkran may just be a small drop compared to the overall volume. Happy Songkran.

[Lingba]

sure...starve the population of water and crops for a week of tourist dollars that can't buy water.....very intelligent