Article Travel Leisure Tip

Songkran will be celebrated from 13 – 15 April in 2008 (or 2551 on the Thai calendar) and usually runs for about a week unofficially in parts of Bangkok and Pattaya. Thai people know how to party and celebrate their own New Year
Chinese New Year and the Western New Year. Of the three
Songkran is the wildest.

Depending on who you ask
Songkran is the best or the worst time of year to be on vacation. The main reason – water. Traditionally
Songkran is a water festival and celebrated by ‘sprinkling” water on other people. In tourist areas of Bangkok
Pattaya
and Phuket
the sprinkling has escalated to fire hoses
water tube blasters
and super-soakers.

Drunken tourists and locals in Pattaya and on Khaosan Road in Bangkok take this festival as a time to get absolutely crazy and drench each other in water. Additionally
a white paste made from flour or talcum powder is smeared on unwitting people’s faces.

If you are in a tourist area or even in an upcountry village during Songkran
you can expect to get wet. The more touristy the area
the wetter you will get. Being soaked and then going into an air conditioned bar or restaurant can be very uncomfortable and could lead to a nasty cold. There is also the possibility of infection as the water is not always clean.

I am not trying to throw a damper on a New Year celebration; I am just trying to let people know that they can expect to see a lot of drunken tourists getting soaking wet during this festival. You can have a lot of fun
but you can see tourists at their absolute worst.

Getting back to the real meaning of Songkran
it is a time to go to the temple to pray and give food to the monks. It is also a time to cleanse the Buddha images at their household shrines and at the monasteries with water and a pleasant fragrance.

This is also a traditional time to make resolutions to do good deeds and refrain from evil and even a time to clean the house. Out with the old and in with the new.

Sadly
it is also the worst time of year for road accidents and deaths on the highway. Wet roads
alcohol
and helmetless motorcycle drivers are a deadly combination. Despite the government’s best efforts
the number of revelers who don’t get to the New Year is way too high each year. The annual Songkran don’t drink and drive campaign usually falls on deaf ears.

Many expats who live in Thailand leave the country or head north to quieter Songkran celebrations and leave the tourist areas to the tourists. Personally
I schedule my trips so that I am nowhere near Thailand during New Years.

As are most other things in Thailand
it is “up to you” whether you want to experience Songkran. I would recommend seeing it at least once and then you can determine for yourself if you want to go back to do it again.

If you go
be careful or the slick roads and drunk drivers
and make sure you bring plenty of zip-lock bags to keep your valuables dry.