They can have a 'foggy spray' in much of the north without resorting to buying a spray.

'City police in cooperation with the military will check all celebrants entering Silom to make sure that they won’t ... big water guns into the area as part of the security measures against terrorism.' That should help a lot.

Wonder what will happen in Pattaya ?

A week before the event in Pattaya- there will be directions on limiting the use of water. They do not want to provide advance warning lest the tourists cancel their plans. Actually, the bars and restaurants prefer less water throwing as their potential customers are not drinking or eating but wasting water.

There is, naturally, a shortage of foggy sprays as they cannot be spared from their everyday function of spraying drivers' glasses and car windscreens and a range of bureaucratic operations.

Well it's a start and YES like numerous ex-pats I loath Song Gran and many go away to avoid the infantile nonsensical bore.

I prefer Kolkata this time of year.

(With apologies to George and Ira Gershwin)

A foggy spray

In Bangkok Town

Had me low,

Had me down

I wanted hoses,

Buckets and guns

Full of iced water

But those bloomin' sons

Of bitches told me

Better stay dry

Unless you want to give

Attitude adjustment a try

A foggy spray

In Bangkok Town

Is no way to spread

Happiness aroun'

A dry sense of humour

Is all very well

But not at Songkran,

Can't somebody tell

Big Chief Five Rivers

To dry up and let

The rest of us

Get horribly wet?

What a damp squib this BMA official is.

However, a perfect PR opportunity for the Army to set up free water stations, boosting their image during the largest Thai holiday.

Just ban the use of water and end of the story. Don't make the whole country looks and feels stupid with spray bottles!

Oook,

Lets make some fog................................

Fine spray? Potentially unclean water? Nice warm temperatures? Perfect for legionella bacteria!

Absolutely. This can be a dangerous practice in Thailand. The drinking water should be available - if that is used to 'fog' then maybe it's safer.

so the "big gun" boys wont go there then, gonna be mayhem in soi 4 as per usual lol , if i take my "spray gun" i am going to be outgunned, not a good idea

I'll be heading to Soi 4 too - but may limit myself to one tank-full of the back pack water gun this year. But not keen on the idea of taking a plant sprayer to a water gun fight!

<deleted> ridiculous..who is drumming-up this BS?

Some walloper I suspect. What a great week of comedy so far from the junta bureaucrats.

At least the drivers might have an excuse for using their fog lights for these few days.

In this day and age with so many mentally sick people in society, I would pass on this event over health concerns. A Trick and Treat evening in the U.S. kids are finding ground up glass, pieces of razor blade, and numerous other things in their candy, people doing that to children, how low can one get. Then, you have people poisoning cats/dogs with tainted food, I can only imagine what they would do to adults if given the opportunity. I wonder how much water has a added ingredient, or not water at all? I know, lets not go through life worrying about what could happen. So, have fun!!!!!

Bread and circuses is always needed for the plebs. Else you have revolution near.

Bread and circuses is always needed for the plebs. Else you have revolution near.

I'm from the U.S., except for ancient Rome, no one beats America in the 'Bread and Circuses' category. They are in the midst of another cycle as we speak, election season. Doesn't get any more mind numbing and embarrassing then that. The zombie sheople eat it up and demand more.

How the hell can the loons try and knock someone off a motor bike with a foggy spray? Isnt that part of the fun trying to make someone crash their bike at 60kph when you hit them flat out in the face with 2 gallons (20 lbs) of water? Tak about killjoys. All tongue in cheek too before some one tries to toast me.

How the hell can the loons try and knock someone off a motor bike with a foggy spray? Isnt that part of the fun trying to make someone crash their bike at 60kph when you hit them flat out in the face with 2 gallons (20 lbs) of water? Tak about killjoys. All tongue in cheek too before some one tries to toast me.

Yeah, that too. Didn't think of it because I don't drive a bike in Thailand. Value my life a little to much.

Aight, I guess they'll just recycle then, katoy style.

Fine spray? Potentially unclean water? Nice warm temperatures? Perfect for legionella bacteria!

be inventive, use urine

<deleted> ridiculous..who is drumming-up this BS?

Some walloper I suspect. What a great week of comedy so far from the junta bureaucrats.

Mr Wallop just punched himself in the face.

The same should happen everywhere but most of all in Pattaya, ... No big water cannons, songtaos off limits, and cut back to a two day celebration

i just done the ironing, "misty" spray bottle topped up, chomping at the bit, ready for the off, yeah i know i am gonna get very wet,no fire power.

All you get from foggy spray is a Foggy Bottom. Or Soggy Bottom.

Songkran is not going to be songkran this year. (Not that I care - I haven't been soaked in a dozen years - but hey, some people with straitened lives get a chance to cut loose once a year, and it's nice to see the smiles and laughs.)

Yes and what about the waste of PRECIOUS water.

Or don't Thai's realize that without water you can actually DIE.

OH i forgot the THAI mentality.

Having FUN is more important than SURVIVAL.

The Thai mentality?

Or the farang worry wart mentality? Mate, no one will DIE of thirst as you say. There will still be drinking water in 7-11.

Why is it about the farang mentality with over the top claims that have no logic. SURVIVAL you say????? Think about it. Are you an elderly woman?

I will go with the Thai mentality here. They are cutting back on water use by not giving out free water and suggesting this misting thing is also clever, still have fun, but don't use as much. Good idea.

Very clever and practical people these Thais. A lot of fun also.

If you believe that this will be enforced across Thailand then I pity you. You are either Thai and don't understand the way things work here or you are western and you have definitely no idea how things work here. I hardly think stopping giving free water will stop the drought. Clever and practical. Best April fools reading for me today. I can just imagine telling the adults, never mind the kids to put the big buckets and power guns away and use a spray bottle. You crack me up.

I'm surprised how many negative responses there are to this suggestion. Personally I think it's great, and also good for cooling on a hot day. I also like a previous posters suggestion of a damp cloth. If it were tradition it would just be sprinkling a little water on the elders hands as a mark of respect.

It would have been better if the suggestion were made earlier so that product manufacturers could have produced holiday style designs though (and also avoid to soap/detergent potential issue).

Sure the breweries won't like this, but it would be nice to see a more family orientated festival than 'who has the biggest supply of ice water to knock people off their scooters'.

Next thing is to get some decibel police doing the rounds to keep music to a non damaging level. They're only a couple of hundred baht for a basic model. I don't like it when my drink howvers across the desk and smashes on the floor because of the sub-base many doors away from me (serious).

The responses are not negative just realistic. Whilst in a place were laws are enforced and the people abide it is a good idea. This is Bangkok where people don't ride or drive on the correct side of the road, drink and drive and totally disregard traffic lights. So using water sprays is a s likely as seeing pigs fly. Sorry to be the one to bring the news.

Why not just use cans of Silly String?

Because Songkran is traditionally a "water" festival.

Yes and what about the waste of PRECIOUS water.

Or don't Thai's realize that without water you can actually DIE.

OH i forgot the THAI mentality.

Having FUN is more important than SURVIVAL.

Well, that's not an over-dramatisation, is it?

BMA has already thought about that and it has been widely publicised that celebrating Songkran will not cause the obliteration of the Thai population, there is more than enough water.

However, a perfect PR opportunity for the Army to set up free water stations, boosting their image during the largest Thai holiday.

You're really not with it, are you? This is about not supplying bulk water for chucking around. Do you think the army has it's own reservoirs topped up with their own supply of rain?

In Texas the saying is " Don't take a knife to a gun fight" here it will be "Don't take a foggy spray to a water gun fight".

Fine spray? Potentially unclean water? Nice warm temperatures? Perfect for legionella bacteria!

Absolutely. This can be a dangerous practice in Thailand. The drinking water should be available - if that is used to 'fog' then maybe it's safer.

the water normally provided at songkran is definitely not drinking water. It's just standard water mains, same stuff from your tap or shower.

Unless you are bathing in 7/11 distilled water, worrying about catching something on songkran is dumb. It's all the same water.