There have been repeated requests about Songkran in Thailand so I thought I would start this thread for future reference.

Songkran is the Thai New Year. Originally a sedate holiday where Buddha statues were brought out and bathed in clean water. Young Thais poured scented water on their elders hands and recieved in return water sprinkled on shpulders with blessings and wishes for good luck in the future. It was a time of cleansing and new beginnings. Somehow it has gradually become a massive 4-5 day continous water fight. The past few years it has started to get out of hand and the Thai govt has tried to reign it in -- without success. They have outlawed the use of talc and water shooting pipes and have tried to restrict the water throwing to only certain areas. Also it is not permitted to throw water after 6 PM, again largely ignored but it does calm down considerably after dark-- except in Pattaya where everything is magnified.In BKK you can walk and get only moderately soaked after 8PM or so.

Songkran is traditionally April 13 but the water works begin about the 11th and do not stop until the 16th. Pickup trucks filled with young Thais and barrels of water-- sometimes iced water -- called " rot nam " travel the sois and douse the people on the streets. They get soaked in return also. The folks in the trucks and on the street also have bowls of talc mixed into a paste with water which is smeared all over faces and arms of anyone unlucky enough to be targeted. Dry talc is sometimes used but the paste is more popular. Also the talc is frequently the medicated type so it can be quite uncomfortable if gets into sensitive areas. The area around Nana is transformed into a war zone pitting the beer bars against each other and everyone against the rot nam. It can be a lot of fun for a day or two but IMHO it gets old fairly fast. April is the hottest month of the year in Tailand so the water can actually be a welcome relief , but when you get hit with a bucket of ice cold water it is not all that comfortable. Super soaker type water guns are on sale everywhere and virtually everyone has one. As I said water cannon pipes are outlawed but what law in LOS is enforced with success ? The spay from one of those is quite painful and every idiot seems to aim for your face or eyes. Also keep in mind that this is the same water everyone is paranoid to even rinse thier mouth out with after brushing teeth and now you are getting it blasted in your eyes and mouth.

The biggest mess in BKK is on Khao San Road, jammed with so many people it is difficult to walk. Both Thais and farang here with the Thais finding great delight in blasting farang in the face. Of course they get their's in return. The most fun is probably in Chiang Mai where Songkran is huge but not quite so violent. To each his own I guess.

I have painted a somewhat negative picture of Songkran , but I must admit that the first several times I experienced the event, I had a great time. I think it is a must do -- at least once for everyone. Others I am sure will add their experiences and views of this totally unique event. That was the purpose of this post-- to create a permanent discussion of an event which is frequently asked about.

I will add a few pictures I took during this years Songkran from the Golden Beer Bar at NEP to try to give those of you who have never been there an inkling of what it is like. These pics do not do the amount of water thown around justice though. Believe me you will be drenched from sunup to sundown. Bring your old clothes and shoes !!!!!

You could also mention that last Songkran 482 people were killed and 30,000 were injured, some very seriously, throughout Thailand, mostly in drunken moto accidents and other such festivity related incidents. I would love to be there during Songkran though. I'm a festive type guy. Hammer down enough beer and you don't care if someone douses you with a bucket of ice water.

Sancho
The last pic is a prime example of why people die. I have seen dudes and chicks on bikes getting a full bucket of water in face while travelling at fairly high rates of speed. On a wet street that is absolutely outrageous conduct. Amazingly I have personally seen only one fairly serious accident in that regard. The riders half expect it I guess !!!!
As I said -- Songkran is getting uglier every year !!

Here are a few images from Songkran in Pattaya/Jomtien Beach from 2003:











Wish I was there now!

Rasta, are you made of sugar or something? Hiding out in your hotel room like that. Are ya gunna melt if you get some water on ya, ya big puss? You better have a good excuse for not going outside (e.g. a clutch of Thai babes in your bed ... with pictures to prove it).

Most people seem to really enjoy Songkran. My first trip I accidently scheduled right before it started and wished I hadn't. I didn't like getting constantly doused with water, especially before walking into air conditioned bars. I'm really glad I didn't get sick because I was really concerned about it. The activities cramped my personal style, so I'll avoid Thailand during the festival in the future. But as I mentioned...most people seem to think it's a lot of fun.

Ease up on Rasta. It's not all that smart taking a digital camera out for Songkran. I used an old disposable and even then had to keep it in a plastic bag most of the time. Unless you been there you do not realize just how wet you will constantly be. I enjoyed Songkran the first few times but this year seemed to be just a little TOO much. I do not mind the water so much -- ice water is not cool though. It is the talc that gets old really fast. I do not mind if someone gently smears your face which is the proper way to do it. But to get totally coated in talc paste from head to toe is too much. The medicated stuff gets in your eyes and burns like shit !!!!


Next year Da wants me to go to Chaiyapoom with her for Songkran . She says the Issan cities are a lot of fun -- much more than BKK. I can imagine what one 6'6' blond farang might go thru in Issan for Songkran. I experienced a small sample of what might happen this year at the Hollywood disco. ONE target-- hundreds of shooters. Not to mention my drunken Katoey friends. Guess that won't be a problem in Issan though.

C'mon, Khun, I'm just teasin' 'm.

As for running around with a digital camera, I know all too well! (... and if I could figure out how to attach a damn image, I'd prove it!)

HA! It works!

Songkran sucks. If you are going there for water fights with 13 year olds....then it's great. The ice water shots in the eye and talcom powder in the eye are no fun. It's not great for mongers because many girls go home, everything is more expensive and you are always wet. You cant even walk two steps without getting nailed. Fun for a day but just becomes a nuisance after that.

Yeah, Songkran isn't nearly as much fun as Spring Break in Tampa when college kids are puking around you all day and night or Mardi Gras in New Orleans where overweight and homely women who shouldn't even be WEARING t-shirts are pulling 'em up to frighten you in exchange for $.25 worth of beads.

But seriously, Songkran is fantastic so long as you're in the right frame of mind and the right place. I've been told that Pattaya is a pain because they drag it out so long. Hell, the same is true for Christmas in Consumerland (North America). When they start putting up the decorations the day after Halloween then start piping in the Christmas Carols a couple weeks later, by the time Santa arrives I've had more than I can take and I'm glad there's a five day waiting period before purchasing thermonuclear tactical weaponry. (When I become Supreme Emperor of the Planetary Government, you can bet you won't see a single Christmas ANYthing prior to December 1st.)

I was in the thick of Songkran, in fact the trip report I posted back then talks about getting soaked in the corner bar near Nana (https://www.clubhombre.com/discus/messages/1718/15779.html) while our buddy Khunk was in the bar accross the street and we didn't even realize it. (Small world!) But, I was just getting packed to go to Ayutthaya up in my room and wanted to take some eagle-eye views of the road. Songkran was already actually starting to wind-down by the time I took those photos. I really had a blast at Songkran and hope to enjoy it again.

Blazers, it's one of those things where you just have to "go with the flow". As John Candy said, "...like a twig on the shoulders of a mighty river" (from Planes, Trains and Automobiles).

--Rasta

What is the significance/purpose of adding talc to the water?

Personally I believe it is nothing more than to make it messier but I could be wrong. At my work the company banned talc last year after about $10,000 worth of Boeing satellite components were contaminated by overzealous Lao girls throwing talc. This year the ladies happily substituted large amounts of bright red lipstick which they would spread on there palms and then about 4 of them would come up behind you and smear it all over your face. Messy seemed to be the common theme to me.

Xen and Sancho
It is a form of blessing or cleansing. The white color of the paste signifies cleanliness. When Thais get married they get 3 white dots placed on their foreheads in white paste-- Buddhist 3 part everything. The Songkran tradition started as small amount of white paste on forehead or cheek but became overblown just as the water has.

Then what is the lipstick for? LOL I got my entire face smeared with the stuff by a vicious gang of 4' 9" Lao girls earlir this year.

Must be a Lao thing. Never seen lipstick in Thailand although recently colored Talc has appeared. All things get perverted over time.
Messy may be the theme now , but is not the tradition.

Actually, it's not supposed to be talc, but a paste made from rice flower. I love St. Luke's Prickly Heat powder, but not on my face, thankyouverymuch. The rice is symbolic of a good harvest or something.

Above pictures taken down beach road.

(Message edited by redbus on April 12, 2018)

Above images from beach road water festival.

(Message edited by redbus on April 13, 2018)

Songkran is cancelled, a Twitter accounter loaded up the differences.

She's a bit conservative which is why there's no pics from the night life bars, probably originally a backpacker.

Love or hate songkran in the end I booked my holidays avoiding it, traditionally Thais sprinkled water over you for good luck now in pattaya it's taken to another level. The times a got drenched late in the evening going to a bar or gogo and having to go back again to the hotel to get changed.

Tip get one of those body condoms in family mart and take a quick motorcycle taxi to your destination.