Bangsaen wan lai 2015

The full horror horror of Songkran doesn’t hit Pattaya until this weekend, but events are creeping closer as Bangsaen had its Songkran bash today. Unlike Pattaya, which is a culture-free soak-fest fuelled by dicks with stomachs and tattoos on Beach Road, Bangsaen actually has something to offer apart from a face full of sewer water.

The main attraction is the stupa building competition on the beach, where assorted erections vie for trophies. Like so many events, I learned about it from Richard Barrow. so it was no great surprise to meet him on the beach. I informed him he was responsible for my buying a juicer and a drone; while forgetting to mention he also was responsible for my recent subscription to Thai Expat TV. I also failed to mention that he was responsible for my recent flurry of Leica purchases; mainly because he wasn’t; but he is a convenient excuse when explaining vital expenditures to my wife. He is worth a follow on Facebook/Twitter if you want to know about upcoming events in Thailand.

Songkran in Bangsaen is a two day event, but I had falsely assumed that yesterday would be fairly quiet. Needing to entertain my wife’s little sister, we headed down after lunch yesterday and found ourselves in a massive jam heading for the beach. After an hour we found a U-turn and escaped home. This morning we were back at 0830 and could enjoy the beach sculptures for a couple of hours before leaving in advance of the water bearing hordes.

Some of the stupas had been made entirely of sand, some were sand on top of a foam base, and others made no pretence of belonging on the beach at all. But with the proud constructors in attendance as the judges made their inspections, it was a pleasant place to walk for an hour.

At the end of the beach there was a water filled pit of dubious purity with a pole mounted above. Assorted reluctant children, who had come to the beach hoping to play with a water pistol, were equipped with gloves, sat on the pole, and told to beat the shit out of the another unhappy pugilist. First one to drown loses.

Bring on the next victim:

Bosh!:

There was a variety of other entertainments, and of course the usual selection of refreshments.

Worth a visit, but go early.

If you want to go next year, here is how to visit without getting stuck in massive jams:

1. Come early on the second day (the sculptures are judged at that time so it is the best time to see them.
2. Enter the beach road from the north and then turn left about half way down, next to a 7-11. Park on the small road, or in the very large car park on the left hand side of that road.
3. Relax and enjoy.

As the day progresses (or degrades, depending on your point of view), the traffic is made one way from the south. It takes three hours to make the circuit. But you just slip out of your parking space and up to the lights, and then head up a wide empty road to Sukhumvit or on an overpass to the 7. Easy peasy. You’re welcome.

Comments 🔗

2015-04-17 | Ray says

Very informative directions which clearly I will have forgotten in a years time. Fortunately (assumingly) you’ll be available to act as guide?

P.s. Nice pics

2015-04-17 | Spike says

Not sure I can ever get up so early again; 0630 for goodness sake! Never mind, I will send you some GPS co-ordinates which you will reckon are for somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

2015-04-17 | subroto mukerji says

Nice coverage of the festival / event, but the Indian influence is much too strong for it to be a novelty for me. The photos were, as usual, outstanding. The other remark (hope I don’t sound too pedantic): how ephemeral these sand sculptures are against the might of the tide. Reminds of A.E. Housman’s poem “Smooth between sea and land”, reproduced below. His poems hit me right where I live.

http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~martinh/poems/complete_housman.html#MPxlv

Smooth between sea and land Is laid the yellow sand, And here through summer days The seed of Adam plays.

Here the child comes to found His unremaining mound, And the grown lad to score Two names upon the shore.

Here, on the level sand, Between the sea and land, What shall I build or write Against the fall of night?

Tell me of runes to grave That hold the bursting wave, Or bastions to design For longer date than mine.

Shall it be Troy or Rome I fence against the foam, Or my own name, to stay When I depart for aye?

Nothing: too near at hand, Planing the figure sand, Effacing clean and fast Cities not built to last And charms devised in vain, Pours the confounding main.

2015-04-17 | Spike says

Note to all commenters: poetry is expected as part of all future comments.

2015-04-17 | jon sutton says

The boy stood on the burning deck, His feet all covered in blisters. Underpants all burnt away, So he had to wear his sister’s.

2015-04-17 | Andrew says

" where assorted erections vie for trophies" - sounds more like AVN awards where all were hoisted by there own petards….

2015-04-18 | Grant says

What’s this you say? We’ve got to rhyme? Goodness me! I’ve not the time…

I’ll make it tho’, Just wait and see. I’ll do a course on po-et-ree…

I think, old chap, that you may just have laid down a gauntlet too far!

2015-04-18 | Spike says

I rather hoped that requiring poetry would raise the tone of this site a little. Mr. Sutton has quickly dispelled that hope.

2015-04-18 | genuinej says

There was an old man in Pattaya Whose blog to new heights did aspire But with loads of crap verse Things only got worse And it went from top-notch To just dire.

2015-04-18 | Andrew says

oh, this should be easy oh, just tell me we’re happy just building c̶a̶s̶t̶l̶e̶s̶ stupas in the sand

2015-04-18 | Spike says

Very good. You have hidden talents.

2015-04-18 | ChristianPFC says

Thank you for sharing. I would like to go (stay over night to avoid getting up that early), but my dislike for Songkran is bigger than my interest in this event. Why is it only a few days, and just at Songkran? For a permanent sand sculpure exhibition, got to World Sand Sculpture Exhibition in Chachoengsao.

“1. Come early on the second day (the sculptures” closing braket is missing.

2015-04-18 | genuinej says

As is the c in braket!

2015-04-18 | genuinej says

…, “but not hidden deeply enough”, I hear you say.

2015-04-18 | jon sutton says

Mary had a little lamb, but she was very selfish. She never let me play with it, Perhaps because I’m Welshish.

2015-04-18 | Grant says

…and I believe it was also missing in both Hinge & Bracket…

2015-04-19 | Spike says

You should have stopped while you were ahead.

2015-04-19 | Spike says

..and the t in sculpture.

2015-04-19 | Grant says

Ahead? He’s Welsh boyo…

2015-04-19 | Grant says

…and the extra t in go(t). Coming early on the second (or any other) day can now be dealt with by discreet clinics…

2015-04-19 | Andrew says

I think the “P” in Pattayadays.com was missing…. oh never mind I’m off to watch 2 girls kissing….

2015-04-20 | Spike says

Where? Photos?

2015-04-22 | Andrew says

what happens in the far north of Canada stays in the far north of Canada….except of course, any revenues from anything we produce which somehow seem to line the pockets of our wonderful representatives in government… well - I’m fucked - never rhyme anything with that