SURVEY: Do you believe Thailand should scale back on Songkran due to the drought?

[Scott]

Bangkok plans to scale back on Songkran activities because of the drought. Do you agree that Thailand should scale back on activities?

Please feel free to leave a comment.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/901879-bangkok-to-cut-back-on-songkran-celebrations-in-order-to-save-water/

[elgordo38]

They should but they won't.

[Jessi]

The true sonkran tradition is a good idea but its when all the idiots, Thai & Falang

get started with the water wars, its just way over the top.

Yes they should cut back because of the water shortage (Common Sense)

BUT it wont happen,

[canathai8]

Thailand's social, economic, roadway, excessive tourist deaths and even water problems are best left to the Thais to fix - as much as us farang may think otherwise

Signed, Hubris

[ChidlomDweller]

Does anyone have numbers on water usage throughout the year? It seems to me people are focusing disproportionately on songkran, which is probably a drop in a bucket and mostly symbolic.

With or without Songkran, Thailand's screwed if the rainy season comes late again.

Of course they should save during songkran, but the water shortage has been on the radar for, what, 6 months now? Rationing should have long started already, and water made more expensive. It's stupid cheap now, so people waste it.

Edited March 12, 2016 by ChidlomDweller

[NongKhaiKid]

The financial aspect of Songkran has already been highlighted and that alone guarantees it will go ahead as money trumps everything here.

The govt will content itself with half arsed appeals for conservation which no one will pay a blind bit of notice to anymore than they will to calls not to wash cars, water golf courses etc and where I am, like so many other places, the water trucks are still out tending to the shrubs etc on central reservations.

Does anyone actually believe those calling for conservation are doing anything personally to save water ?

[canathai8]

The financial aspect of Songkran has already been highlighted and that alone guarantees it will go ahead as money trumps everything here.

The govt will content itself with half arsed appeals for conservation which no one will pay a blind bit of notice to anymore than they will to calls not to wash cars, water golf courses etc and where I am, like so many other places, the water trucks are still out tending to the shrubs etc on central reservations.

Does anyone actually believe those calling for conservation are doing anything personally to save water ?

With Thais in general - everything is "of the moment" - with little thinking ahead of the immediate present need - "blinder thinking" - reactive - so they'll usually wait until disaster strikes before changing something..

Perhaps a brief crackdown - then they quickly fizzle...

It's why you always get cut off by a motorcycle, and you give way, and you notice that they didn't check their mirror before cutting in..etc.

Common as grass..

You can observe the "paradigm" in a thousand different ways - it falls under the broad category of "Mai Pen Rai"

And worse still - the subcategory for almost anyone over puberty that - "it was their time"

[tomyumchai]

i always leave thailand before the 2 week stupidity session commences in pattaya. 1 day is ok. 2 weeks? nah.

[teacherpaul]

Thailand's social, economic, roadway, excessive tourist deaths and even water problems are best left to the Thais to fix - as much as us farang may think otherwise

Signed, Hubris

That's a bit like asking a 3 year-old to fit a central heating system.

[chicowoodduck]

Here is a much better idea.....cancel Songkran....the most stupid excuse for fun I'be ever seen...?

Just an excuse for the local and international knobs to get drunk and abuse the locals here in Pattaya and for days on end.....put an end to the rubbish and let folks get a life....?

[poohy]

it seems in most places south of Bangkok its only a day at the most not I am a fan of it after living Bangkok, but here you can miss it completely if you desire, it starts at around 11am finishes at 6 on 13 and that's it

[Tchooptip]

it seems in most places south of Bangkok its only a day at the most not I am a fan of it after living Bangkok, but here you can miss it completely if you desire, it starts at around 11am finishes at 6 on 13 and that's it

In Samui one day, I reckon for a few hours it is rather funny, also not too difficult to avoid if bothered!

[LannaGuy]

the gentle songkran beloved of Thais is a lovely cultural opportunity to honour ones grandparents etc. the moronic, idiotic sub-cultural morass of drink and wasting water, especially in a draught, is from the mindset of the immature and selfish

[Eclipse]

Ban it permanently would make more sense.

An idiotic week or two.

[mcfish]

It's a good excuse to get out of the country and take a holiday

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[gerry1011]

Does anyone have numbers on water usage throughout the year? It seems to me people are focusing disproportionately on songkran, which is probably a drop in a bucket and mostly symbolic.

With or without Songkran, Thailand's screwed if the rainy season comes late again.

Of course they should save during songkran, but the water shortage has been on the radar for, what, 6 months now? Rationing should have long started already, and water made more expensive. It's stupid cheap now, so people waste it.

Songran must indeed be a drop in the bucket.

Lots of people here talk about "saving water", while actually they are just annoyed by the festival and don't want to get wet.

Domestic consumption of water in Thailand is less than 4% of the overall consumption.

The problem is not with Songran, but rather with deforestation, water management in agriculture, etc... which is a much bigger problem than a short festival making everyone happy.

http://www.asef.org/images/docs/2%20Technological%20Demand%20of%20Water%20Management%20in%20Urban%20Development%20in%20Thailand.pdf

[mauGR1]

Let the people enjoy Songkhran, but with limitations.

This seems to be the line of the govt. too.

Songkhran is the traditional Thai new year celebration, the folks who suggest to cancel it, they don't know what they're talking about.

There would be unrest if they cancel Songkhran, but i would, if i could, limit it to 1 day only, this time, and save lots of water, and maximum 3 days in normal situations.

[off road pat]

it seems in most places south of Bangkok its only a day at the most not I am a fan of it after living Bangkok, but here you can miss it completely if you desire, it starts at around 11am finishes at 6 on 13 and that's it

In Samui one day, I reckon for a few hours it is rather funny, also not too difficult to avoid if bothered!

Yes,...I used to go into the mountains all day with my 4x4, have a bite and a drink up there, and come back when everything was over....!

Best regards.

[off road pat]

Does anyone have numbers on water usage throughout the year? It seems to me people are focusing disproportionately on songkran, which is probably a drop in a bucket and mostly symbolic.

With or without Songkran, Thailand's screwed if the rainy season comes late again.

Of course they should save during songkran, but the water shortage has been on the radar for, what, 6 months now? Rationing should have long started already, and water made more expensive. It's stupid cheap now, so people waste it.

Songran must indeed be a drop in the bucket.

Lots of people here talk about "saving water", while actually they are just annoyed by the festival and don't want to get wet.

Domestic consumption of water in Thailand is less than 4% of the overall consumption.

The problem is not with Songran, but rather with deforestation, water management in agriculture, etc... which is a much bigger problem than a short festival making everyone happy.

http://www.asef.org/images/docs/2%20Technological%20Demand%20of%20Water%20Management%20in%20Urban%20Development%20in%20Thailand.pdf

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect PRO1457842084.075536.jpg

great presentation, I bet the domestic consumption goes up 100 X....compared to the daily usual, at Songkran...!!!...

Best rgegards.

[Ireland32]

9 days in Pattaya, Absolute Nonsense...

[1FinickyOne]

The water fight should be limited to one day only - that really is enough. Especially true in a drought.

The traditions of family visits are very nice - no added water.

[off road pat]

the gentle songkran beloved of Thais is a lovely cultural opportunity to honour ones grandparents etc. the moronic, idiotic sub-cultural morass of drink and wasting water, especially in a draught, is from the mindset of the immature and selfish

As I saw it more than 20 years ago it was just people wishing happy new year by pouring a little bit of water out of a silver cup, over someone's hands and the shoulders to cool them down from the hot season....It got out of hand with the Farang tourists that started to throw water at each other, and it caught on, got out of hand and got more heavy with water guns...and buckets with ice cubes....

Songkran as you see now has nothing to do with the old tradition.

Young people will have lots of fun, as I did when I was younger. but wasting water in a period of drought would not be a indication of good governing !!!

The voices of reason and common sense are rarely herd in Thailand.

Best regards. Off Road Pat

Edited March 13, 2016 by off road pat

[Robbie Dye]

With any luck it will rain! It has before!

[ChidlomDweller]

Maybe I'm innocent of all this, although I've experienced 3 Songkrans in Bangkok. I've always been able to avoid getting soaked with some precautions, so I've never been in the middle of it. Those people I see running around with their big water guns, how much water do they really use? Compare this to flushing the toilet once, probably about 8L every time, taking a short shower (40L), taking a bath (80L), etc. So let's say they use on average 300L extra per reveller per day (and I would think most are way under that, although like I said, I have always just watched it from afar), we're talking about 1-2 times the normal daily debit in addition for 2-3 days.

Don't go and take this as defending this water wastage at a time of draught, but I think it's a wrong priority.

I, for one, have started taking smaller baths, shorter showers and not flushing as often.

Edited March 13, 2016 by ChidlomDweller

[mauGR1]

With any luck it will rain! It has before!

Yep. some 3 or 4 yrs ago, i think, we had the perfect Songkhran, nicely drizzling rain for the entire holiday... Although i was feeling a bit sorry for the children and the adults who were deprived of some well deserved happiness.

[luv4get]

Survey

[NoshowJones]

I have already voted in this poll??????

Yes, I believe that Thailand should scale back on Songkran, and not only due to the drought.

What about the dreadful road fatalities, and inconvenience to people who do not want to participate?

[luv4get]

Songkran

[NoshowJones]

The true sonkran tradition is a good idea but its when all the idiots, Thai & Falang

get started with the water wars, its just way over the top.

Yes they should cut back because of the water shortage (Common Sense)

BUT it wont happen,

Common sense in Thailand??????????????????????????????????????????

[Stevemercer]

The amount of water wasted during Songkran in Thailand might total enough to irrigate a few hundred hectares of rice (out of the millions of hectares still being grown even now). It's drop a drop in the bucket and won't make an iota of difference in the overall drought situation. Thailand has plenty of water, it is just a matter of managing it properly and getting it to the right place at the right time.