The 2016 Songkran FAQ & discussion topic

[JSixpack]

The 2016 Pattaya Songkran FAQ

Answers and Survival Tips

Intro and purpose

Songkran is a major event in Pattaya every year that negatively affects most normal tourists and residents. As such it gives rise to countless questions, false assertions, and the need for a kind of survival guide. The purpose of the FAQ is threefold:

• Q&A
• Commentard repellent
• Survival guide

It has nothing to do with facilitating, liking, or celebrating Songkran water-throwing. The FAQ is all about how Pattaya residents and normal tourists may best cope with the long disruption. We are

• venting legitimate complaints about the 10-day length of Pattaya's Songkran,
• exchanging timely information about avoiding it, and
• discussing how best to survive it.

Off-topic posts will be reported. Trolls' favorite taunts are already answered in the Q&A: grumpy old git (#22), hiding and scared (#24), and But saying anything against Songkran is a whinge (#19). The differing demographics between those who like Songkran and those who don't are explained here: i lurv me tats & patts sngkrn.

Although the FAQ draws upon the past, it isn’t guaranteed to apply in every detail to this year’s event. Nobody cares whether you read the FAQ or pay any attention to it. Though some of the FAQ is obviously for entertainment purposes (notably my own), I regard the advice in the Survival section as quite sound, based on my own and other forum members' experiences; and yes, I follow that advice myself.

This 2016 FAQ incorporates relevant information from the 2013 - 2015 Songkran FAQs and from various other Songkran threads from 2012 - 2015. It represents a synthesis of contributions, quoted and documented, from many forum members.

Any new and useful information is always welcome for the improvement of next year's FAQ.

Webpage

The FAQ has grown so lengthy that I now put it up (until after Songkran) as a Google doc webpage for much better formatting and navigation. Unlike the forum itself, the page is mobile responsive (mostly, without my going to much work) and ad-free of course, being not in the least commercial. You’ll need a modern browser w/ Javascript enabled.

Being just a doc, thrown together with a lot of graphics (many read in from the forum), it loads very slowly--might take around 15 sec, depending on the speed of your internet connection. Wait for the banner.

For this year’s iteration, new sections were added in the webpage and others embellished even more than before. Other improvements include lots of new graphics, a mega-menu, and generally improved formatting.

At the beginning there’s now a brief FAQ about Songkran FAQ to handle common questions and assertions about the FAQ and its author.

Though the FAQ is quite long and dense, the navigation menu and strategically-placed buttons enable you to read sections of the FAQ according to your own preferences and attention span.

I'll remove the webpage after Songkran. However I'm putting essentials below so that something will remain for the forum, with navigation links to selected areas on the webpage.

Click to go to the webpage:

Observations on the 2015 Songkran

After a robust 2014, the 2015 Songkran was remarkably subdued, especially away from the bar and karaoke areas. Even on the peak day, the 19th, interest seemed to have waned significantly:

Nothing like the 2 previous years. Not nearly as many people and didn't seem to be as much fun. We got into Hard Rock and many other bars easily. Previous years...no way. Impossible and no seats/tables. One bar, right on the road, was maybe 1/2 empty. Actually, most bars along the road were like that. But again, we were done by 6PM. Might have picked up after that.
--craigt3365, on 20 Apr 2015 - 14:20

Schedule-wise, the best news was that mornings seemed so much safer on non-peak days. If that continues, then for those who lie low the need to stock up for the entire duration is mitigated.

One reason for a more subdued Songkran is that in the last 5 years the worst Songkran areas grew along with the beer bars expansion to encompass Sois Buakhao, Khao Talo, and Khao Noi as well. More than anywhere a vast number were established on 2nd Rd. from Soi Diana to CentralFestival north all the way to Big C. (Such expansion totally contradicting the persecution myth that "the authorities" or "city officials" are "pushing back" the bars to Soi Buakhao.) Spreading out geographically meant more thinly—and so with the bar patrons themselves.

But that was true in 2014 as well. Additional reasons are therefore discussed in the FUTURE section. (As a milder Songkran is a positive development, our doomsayers and deathwatchers should refrain from citing the fact as evidence of "another nail in the coffin" in the seasonal DYING PATTAYA flapdoodle threads.)

Here's the problem: fewer hooligans spread out during fewer hours doesn't guarantee anything. And now those areas are more dangerous and inconvenient travelwise than before.

It did seem less this year during the 10 days but you still had to always expect drenching could come any time if you go out.

And this is a very good point. If you were traveling somewhere on a baht bus, or bike, or walking... it wouldn't really matter if the water throwing crowds were reduced by 50% or lower. You're still going to get just as wet... then it's just a matter of how many people throw water on you once you're already wet. It only takes one bucket of water to mess up your night.

Jingthing had firsthand experience:

When I went out later at night during the entire long period, I was getting water thrown on baht buses and then of course the seats are sometimes soaked. If you're dressed to go out to do something and not interested in water play late at night ... no fun.
--Jingthing, on 2015-04-20 14:11:00

Note that he says during the ENTIRE long period.

Fact remains, then, that though the likelihood and intensity of the water/ice/powder throwing may be less, even much less, you CAN still get unexpectedly songkraned anytime at many places around Pattaya. A kid with a squirt gun? A teenager throwing bucket of ice water in your face? A hooligan with unconfiscated PVC gun? A Taliban truck full of revelers? The FAQ attempts to prepare you non-hooligans for all scenarios.

The Basics

I’ll keep this pretty short. If you insist on reading a lot of details as a post, please read the 2015 FAQ here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/807030-the-2015-pattaya-songkran-faq-long/. Otherwise more detail is of course in the webpage. Much more, lol.

The heart of the FAQ is the calendar and timeline. But you should look at the topics and the Q&A list before you post a question or assertion in the forum. It's probably already addressed here. A summary of the timeline:

Dates

Starts tentatively on April 11th by premature ejaculators and goes through the 19th. The 18th and 19th are by far the worst days. If your survival strategy is to lie low, do most of your shopping no later than the 10th. Thereafter, if 2015 is any indication, shopping in the mornings is relatively safe outside the bar areas from the 11th through the 17th.

As Jingthing has pointed out, the total time taken up by Songkran is really 10 days when you factor in a needed day of preparation. So we residents are calling it 10 days.

Immigration normally follows Thai official holidays and so will be closed the 13th - 15th. You may call and check: 038 252 750. So will the Post Office. At no time will the "boarders" (to use forum spelling convention acquired from past lodgings) with neighboring countries be closed.

10 Apr - Survival Preparation

The last day either to leave or stock up comfortably without having to avoid the bar areas, though in the neighborhoods you may encounter kids with squirt guns (school's out). By now stockpiling and hording may already have led to shortages.

11 Apr - Hooligans Gather

Pattaya Songkran gets going in the afternoon of the 11th in the bar areas, especially around Sois 7 and 8. Not yet hard to avoid on a bike, but baht bus riders will be easy targets.

Q: Can I travel on the 11th?
A: Should be no problem, except the bus station may be a bit more crowded owing to the exodus from Pattaya. Avoid bar areas in the afternoon.

12 Apr - Monkey See, Monkey Do

Picks up speed on the 12th on the inevitable principle of monkey see monkey do because the 12th is the official start of the Songkran holidays in Thailand—but not officially of the Songkran celebration in Pattaya. Actually, different geographical areas have different official Songkran celebration dates. We don't need no stinkin' rules in Pattaya, however.

13 - 15 Apr - Spreadin' Out

Bangkok's Songkran begins on the 13th (utter madness in the tourist areas) and so Pattaya ramps up as well. The pestilence reaches the Jomtien and Naklua bar areas and a bit more into remoter sois.

Tonight was a stupid night to go by bus as early as 8. It was a test of sorts. Failed!

I was hit about 30 times.

--Jingthing, 2014-04-13 23:03:23:

Traffic's not yet too bad—a calm before the storm, as a lot of people have wisely left town. However, those remaining now don't have quite enough to do, so it's natural they start to spend some time playing Songkran. Immigration, as previously noted, and the Post Office have closed for official holidays.

16 - 17 Apr - Hooligan Migration

Bangkok's Songkran ending on the 15th, Bangkok water hooligans begin migrating to Pattaya to swell the ranks of Pattaya's own. Traffic may worsen, though in 2015 it still wasn't bad until gridlock on the 18th (in places, notably North Pattaya Rd., Naklua, and Pattaya Klang) and 19th.

18 Apr - Naklua

Naklua's official Songkran day is the 18th, meaning gridlock on Naklua Rd., North Pattaya Rd., and Pattaya Klang, for most of the day; Wong Amart is effectively sealed in. Spillover spreads into Pattaya itself, lots of Taliban trucks cruise around, so it's a bad day most everywhere. Though it's the peak day for Naklua, intense "festivity" continues through Pattaya's peak day on the 19th.

19 Apr - The Climax And End

The 19th is the peak day, the climax, of Songkran in Pattaya. Chaos spreads to the side roads, e. g., Sois Khao Talo and Khao Noi.

Just returned from Khao Talo - "death wish alley ". Total mayhem from one end to the other. It has to be the most dangerous strip of road in the world at the moment.
--WitawatWatawit, 2014-04-19 15:53:07:

Traffic gridlock will last well into the late evening. But the 19th is the last day. Yep, Pattaya (AND Naklua AND Jomtien AND Najomtien) Songkran always stops on the 19th, late; on the 20th, even if the date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, things are back to "normal." Some prescient forum wiser-than-thou will likely "bet" (love these bets) it won't stop on the 19th but in fact it does—to applause and great sighs of relief.


Q: Can I travel to or from Pattaya on the 18th or 19th?
A: Forget it. All roads around Pattaya turn into parking lots. The 19th is worse than the 18th, but, as noted, Pattaya is affected also by Naklua's Songkran on the 18th. Some, if not all, taxi services refuse to travel on the 19th. Driving? Member marstons reports that on the 19th it took him 3 hours to get from the motorway junction to the Pattaya Klang intersection on Sukhumvit.

I've seen tourist that's arrived on the 19th booked a hotel somewhere on beach road and got a taxi down and managed to get in as far as Foodland or Big C car park on central road., their taxi gave up after 3-4 hours, left them to fend for themselves and probably walk the rest of the way to their hotel.
--brummiebob, on 09 Apr 2013 - 18:48

The buses leaving Pattaya do run on the 19th, surprisingly, but you'll have to get to the station on your own, heh, heh (no Bell Travel pickup) and expect long, long delays, even late in the evening.

20 April - Return Of Pattaya Normal

Technically Songkran ends in Pattaya (and in Nakula, Jomtien, and Najomtien) the AM of the 20th. (Where does it go on the 20th? Bang Saray, where the official day is on the 20th.) Get up in the morning to find things eerily quiet, if it's not a workday; go out and marvel you don't have to worry about dodging buckets of ice water. (Now it's all the leftover trash you'll have to dodge!) Unbelievable contrast with the previous day. Early on you'll see a lot of evidence remaining. Walking Street, for example, looks as white as after a snowfall. For at least a week you'll still encounter songkraned cars and bikes on the road. Injured "participants" will however be much less visible . . . .

Q: How's travel on the 20th?
A: If it's a workday, Sukhumvit should be normal but around town traffic will be worse as a lot of people will need to go shopping. If it's on a Sunday, traffic will likely be worse than for a usual holiday weekend because many of the arrivals will probably be out shopping, too.


Hours of operation

Roughly speaking, it goes on from about 7 AM to 12 AM daily, but any time is possible. Peak hours are from about 2 PM to 7 PM. The chances of your being songkraned start increasing rapidly from about 10 AM. Earlier than that, since school's out, kids may be eagerly waiting for you in the 'burbs.

If traveling, you'll have to weigh the probabilities and choices of routes for least inconvenience. Traveling outside of peak hours and using routes away from bar areas, if possible, greatly reduces but doesn't entirely eliminate your chances of being songkraned. We're NOT just talking water, but ice and powder as well—elements that our keyboard Songkran boosters typically try to ignore.


Location

All the way from Naklua to Jomtien, radiating from the bar areas. That includes Wong Amart. The worst areas are Beach Rd. and 2nd Rd. in Pattaya. Walking Street and Soi Buakhao are war zones for the duration. Jomtien Beach Rd. starts slower but by the 13th builds to Hooligan Hawg Heaven in the bar areas.

Your experience greatly depends on where you stay in Pattaya and your mode of transportation. Best: living on the Darkside and driving a car/truck. Worst: living in Central Pattaya and walking or riding a motorbike or baht buses. Unfortunately, riding a bike can be unpleasant and at least somewhat risky anywhere, anytime. Crashing a bike and injuring a rider is the prized goal of any hooligan, 'cause the police seem to unofficially permit it during Songkran, and the perp would be difficult to find or apprehend.

Try Jomtien Beach Rd, on the 19th if you want to see the End Of The World. Every nitwit and his brother is out. The huge trucks with the humongous stereos are cruising up and down Beach Rd. blaring that crap all day and all night and traffic is not really moving so, from my condo window, I have to endure the whole bloody mess. Don't even think about going outside because that's worse.
--LALes, on 08 Apr 2013 - 17:27:

Side streets off the main roads may have pockets of Songkran revelers and, as the peak day approaches, may have checkpoints you can't safely pass without being soaked, iced, and powdered.

Besides that, open trucks full of drunken revelers with barrels of water, ice, and powder continually cruise the streets like Taliban, more so as the peak day approaches. You can get songkraned anywhere in the city. It partly depends on your luck.

Q: It stops at 6 PM by law, no problem.
A: Law? No, in Pattaya it never stops at 6 PM. Try 11 PM or 12 AM. Member tropo notes, On some nights and especially the night before the big day on 19th they throw water all through the night - even on 3rd road.
As noted above, Naklua's official Songkran day is the 18th, meaning gridlock on Naklua Rd. for most of the day; avoid, unless you're a water hooligan, of course.

Survival strategies

You got only three options: leave Pattaya, lie low, or be a target. But you can always vent no matter your choice.

1. Leave

YES! Anywhere but here.

2. Lie Low

Git w-i-l-d in dah bunkah!

3. Be A Target

Must you? Then use protection.

4. Vent

It ain't whingeing for a change.


Read the extensive advice on those topics on the webpage. Here’s a table of contents:

Table Of Contents

Q&A
DEFINITION
DATES
HOURS
LOCATION
WHY
SURVIVAL
FUTURE

And the Q&A:

Q&A

• Who's worse, farang or Thai hooligans?
• Must read What are the dates of Pattaya's Songkran horror?
• Can I travel to or from Pattaya on the 18th or 19th?
• Why does Songkran last so long in Pattaya?
• It stops at 6 PM by law, no problem.
• Long-term residents know the worst areas and can avoid them.
• It's harmless fun and a good laugh.
• It's a Thai custom, farangs should have no say. Nyah nyah NYAH nyah!
• But why is it hooliganism?
• But it's just a lil' inconvenience, heh, heh.
• But I get to see young women in wet T-shirts at Songkran!!!
• Latest Love Songkran 'cause it's freedom from the boredom of the nanny state.
• Editor's Pick Songkran keeps you young.
• So where is the best place to avoid Songkran?
• What about wearing a rain suit ? (Cf. Q. 13 for ideal wear)
• Just ride with your car windows rolled up.
• Motorcyclists are safe because they wear helmets.
• Don't worry, the police have instituted a ban on high pressure water guns and PVC pipes.
• But saying anything against Songkran is a whinge.
• Bt nobody's pAin attn 2 ur complaints, nyuk nyuk nyuk.
• f u dnt lk sngkrn u dnt lk pty n tIlnd!
• f u dnt lk sngkrn ur a grumpy old git. Grumpy old gi-it! Grumpy old gi-it!
• i lurv me tats & patts sngkrn!
• f u dnt go out n fIt, ur a pussy scArd o my BIG BAD supR soaker. Yah, yah, pussy!
• Update Is Pattaya Songkran in decline?

Edited March 7, 2016 by JSixpack

[KittenKong]

Oh God. Not again.

My solution to this annual peril: fill my fridge with beer and food and not leave my condo for 4 days.

Or just leave the country for a fortnight.

[onemorechang]

This year will be the best for 3 years.

Im out the country for a few weeks, Cambo is calling.

Enjoy

Edited March 7, 2016 by onemorechang

[dotpoom]

Article too long to read for me......How I cope with Songkran in Pattaya........"Buy a plastic mac for 20 Baht in any 7 Eleven".(come to think of it, I still have last year's somewhere in the house....Walla)

[jesimps]

Don't forget 20th is Najomtien/Ban Amphur down towards Sattahip day of mayhem. Remain in Pattaya if you wanna stay dry.

Christ, it never ends.

[smccolley]

I have always headed up to Phitsanulok for Songkran and found it refreshing. Very few farangs and the Thais that are out expect to get wet. Just plan on going home around dark when the drunk teens like to fight. Otherwise is is a fun experience for all ages.

[NoshowJones]

I have always headed up to Phitsanulok for Songkran and found it refreshing. Very few farangs and the Thais that are out expect to get wet. Just plan on going home around dark when the drunk teens like to fight. Otherwise is is a fun experience for all ages.

and you think getting water thrown at you by these uneducated halfwits while riding a motorcycle is a fun experience????

[colinneil]

Can somebody explain it to me. I fell asleep reading it.

[smccolley]

I have always headed up to Phitsanulok for Songkran and found it refreshing. Very few farangs and the Thais that are out expect to get wet. Just plan on going home around dark when the drunk teens like to fight. Otherwise is is a fun experience for all ages.

and you think getting water thrown at you by these uneducated halfwits while riding a motorcycle is a fun experience????

I usually rent a truck and a driver and take all the village teenagers and my kids out for the day. And if you are on a bike, they walk out in the street to get you to stop, put a little water and powder and offer you a beer. We also do the village elders ceremony as well. It is much more civilized there.

[wileycoyote]

Thank you -Lots of Tips

Happy Songkran when it happens

[KittenKong]

Can somebody explain it to me. I fell asleep reading it.

Drunken people throwing dirty water and other crap at you whether you want it or not.

That's about it, I think.

[NoshowJones]

I have always headed up to Phitsanulok for Songkran and found it refreshing. Very few farangs and the Thais that are out expect to get wet. Just plan on going home around dark when the drunk teens like to fight. Otherwise is is a fun experience for all ages.

and you think getting water thrown at you by these uneducated halfwits while riding a motorcycle is a fun experience????

I usually rent a truck and a driver and take all the village teenagers and my kids out for the day. And if you are on a bike, they walk out in the street to get you to stop, put a little water and powder and offer you a beer. We also do the village elders ceremony as well. It is much more civilized there.

One of our posters got knocked of his motorbike by water throwing morons about three years ago, and they just laughed at him, I can't remember who it was.

I am sure he will be pleased to read your post.

[JSixpack]

Can somebody explain it to me. I fell asleep reading it.

DEFINITION

[whitemouse]

JSixPack never fails to deliver! xD

These annual short stories by JSixPack are high light of TVF, and the only redeeming feature of Songkran!

[digbeth]

On the 19th last year, since the underpass construction on Central/Sukhumvit Junction, the queuing of traffic as they filter into narrowing roads going south, uphill towards south Pattaya, and also on the other side heading north around the Bangchak petrol station, impromptu water fights on cars seem to have developed into full-blown war zones making traffic stand-still, and once you managed to go past the idiots, the traffic is clear....

normally on Sukhumvit, there wouldn't be much fighting and the traffic would crawl along, but the past year it's gotten really bad.

It used to be that even before 10-11Am nobody's even woken up yet and you could get your groceries shopping done if you leave town before everything kicks off

The fact that the 19th falls on a Tuesday might means out of towners wouldn't turn up as much, but it's still a school holiday....

Oh, another fact that's not been mentioned before.... the newspaper agent in Naklua would limit their deliveries to homes and shops on the 18th and 19th, making just the morning one only and not at all, so even if you managed to go to your usual shops, expect no or less than usual newspaper

[wobblyjohn]

Hopefully PWA will switch the supply off for several hours a day to save water in these times of drought

[balo]

Stay home and lock the door !

Edited March 23, 2016 by balo

[Asiantravel]

on the bottom tickertape on the Al Jazeera English TV news screen it just mentioned the Thai government is sending 700 water trucks to the provinces because the water shortage is so acute it just seems daft and irresponsible to me that they do that but then in just over three weeks people will be just chucking it around like there's no tomorrow

Edited March 23, 2016 by Asiantravel

[craigt3365]

Excellent post. Thanks!!!!!!

[wileycoyote]

Any update on duration ?

[petermik]

Any update on duration ?

Not really as sonkran lovers are a law unto themselves.............my guess would be it will start at the beginning and finish when its over

off down south myself from 11th until 21st,with just one day- 13th- of gentle mayhem

[JSixpack]

Any update on duration ?

No change yet. But the screws seem to be tightening on BKK. It's fondly asserted that Pattaya Songkran can't be restrained, as if it's some sort of Les Misérables uprising, but in fact it can be. This ain't red shirts & yellow shirts. Just as in BKK "The Authorities" could easily stop the water vendors and announce bar closings and license suspensions for those who support the hooligans. Close a few bars and the rest will follow suit. And they could set up some checkpoints. Your average Thai really doesn't want problems w/ the police.

It's anybody's guess at this point whether they'll make any such moves. They may or may not. If they do, it might just be very nominal. It may be they leave hooligans alone for most of the week and then restrain the excesses of the peak day.

We'll see.

[peeba7]

Question please: Will there be water play on the 10th in Pattaya? What has the 10th been like in past years?

Edited April 5, 2016 by peeba7

[JSixpack]

Question please: Will there be water play on the 10th in Pattaya? What has the 10th been like in past years?

10 Apr - Survival Preparation

The last day either to leave or stock up comfortably without having to avoid the bar areas, though in the neighborhoods you may encounter kids with squirt guns (school's out). By now stockpiling and hording may already have led to shortages.

11 Apr - Hooligans Gather

Pattaya Songkran gets going in the afternoon of the 11th in the bar areas, especially around Sois 7 and 8. Not yet hard to avoid on a bike, but baht bus riders will be easy targets.

[peeba7]

I usually leave on the 10th, guess I'll do the same. Not sure what it will be like in the morning on the 11th for leaving.

Edited April 5, 2016 by peeba7

[balo]

My plan is a solid and simple one this year since I'm not leaving Pattaya.

I will stock up on 9th April , and then I will say goodbye to the world until it's over.

[JSixpack]

I usually leave on the 10th, guess I'll do the same. Not sure what it will be like in the morning on the 11th for leaving.

Q: Can I travel on the 11th?

A: Should be no problem, except the bus station may be a bit more crowded owing to the exodus from Pattaya. Avoid bar areas in the afternoon.

[peeba7]

OK then leaving on the 11th in the morning before noon from soi Buaokow, baht buses, pattaya Tai, sukumvit, probably won't get wet? This is another option I never took before, no fun traveling wet. Not sure I want to risk it but never tried it before. Would like to hear from anyone who has done this if possible.

[SurfRider]

.

Pics from Songkran past . . .

[balo]

I just discovered I need to visit immigration in Jomtien next week , will they stay open all week ?