The Thais call it Songkran. I call it mayhem.
Songkran is the Thai new year. For many people in the world it is 2008 but for the Thais it is already 2551. They flocked to see “2001, A Space Odyssey” expecting to see a medieval epic.
Not content with having a different year numbering system, they also decide to have their new year celebrations in April, even though the year number changes on 1st January. This was a good idea because it means that the Thais can have two new year parties every year; and there is nothing a Thai likes more than a good party.
Traditionally, Songkran was celebrated by paying respect to elders, lightly splashing some clean water over the shoulder and dabbing the face gently with talcum powder. That may still happen in some parts of the country; but in the cities we are treated to a week of aquatic warfare.
The light splashing is replaced by near drowning with buckets, hosepipes and water pistols filled with water of dubious quality, preferably iced for maximum discomfort.
Talcum is applied as a full-body mudpack.
The assault vehicle of choice is a pick-up truck carrying a large bucket of filthy water and a large number of dubious characters with assorted water weaponry. It is preferable that they all be drunk so that the driver of the truck does not feel that he is the only one.
Thousands of these trucks descend upon the streets from dawn to dusk to do battle with each other and with the people who line the streets to join the the “fun”. This is obviously too enjoyable to be restricted to a single day, so neighbouring towns specify specific days for their event, and the truckloads of soaking drunks attempt to travel to each town on the appropriate day. In reality, we get a full week of disruption when it is not safe to walk on the street in case some idiot mugs you with bucket; with one particular day when everything stops and water-based civil war breaks out.
It was Pattaya’s turn yesterday. We got stuck in the traffic for two hours. Saw one drunk drive his pick-up drive into another pick-up which had already been abandoned because the tyre was flat and nobody was sober enough to change it. Spotted a couple of fights and a transvestite in a very wet dress.
I think the latter was the high point of my day. That and knowing that the whole stupid affair was about to be over and we could go back to what passes for normality around here.
Comments 🔗
2008-05-25| Jock saysAh Songkran … I remember it well … loads of mad Thais with water pistols etc .. I ended up in Bangkok General with a nasty dose … of conjunctivitis … or ‘red eye’ … took ages to clear …
Once in Jomtiem this huge fire truck jpined in the fun ‘squirting’ the gathering masses with it’s industrial sized hose pipe with about 1000 litres of water per second … it appeared somewhat one-sided !!
Great fun .. that and Loy Katong (?) are my favourite Thai festivals.
2008-05-27| Spike saysFollowed closely in popularity by the wet T-shirt contests?