Songkran 2015 тАУ Thai New Year 2015

[Surfcrest]

As we head into the last days of March, a few big holidays are before us including Easter in the Western World April 3 to April 5th or 6th if you get the extra day.

For Thailand we have Chakri Day on Monday April 6th followed by the biggy...Songkran (Thai New Year) 2015 officially April 13 - 15th, but usually lasting the whole week.

http://www.songkran2015.com/

http://www.bangkok.com/information-festivals/songkran.htm#

Surfcrest

[corky]

officially April 13 - 15th, but usually lasting the whole week.

About 10 days too long !!!

Easter in the Western World April 3 to April 5thI'm hoping Christians in Africa or Asia don't feel too miffed about missing out on Easter. It's usually pretty big in The Philippines so I hear

[arsenal]

Songkran. The most dispicable time of the whole year. Licensed thuggery.

[latintopxxx]

arsenal u r OLD...and I dont mean physically or timeline wise. Time to pull the plug.

[colmx]

Songkran - the most wonderful time of the year as all the "misery gut" guys go running for the hills!
Once they are gone the boys strip off, load up with guns and talc, get wet and everybody has a ball

Once they are gone the boys strip off, load up with guns and talc, get wet and everybody has a ballOnly one ball? I've never been that interested in sucking a boy's balls when they're covered in talc

[colmx]

sucking a boy's balls when they're covered in talc
Ball sucking is usually preceeded by mass group shower... so no need to worry about the talc
Worst part is when a boy comes home with you on the 13th... and is still living in your place on the 20th!
Seems to happen us every year (not that i am REALLY complaining!)

sucking a boy's balls when they're covered in talcBall sucking is usually preceeded by mass group shower... so no need to worry about the talcI think you must lead a very sheltered life colmx. A friend of mine likes nothing more than hanging around change rooms in gyms so he can lick the sweat off their balls. It takes all sorts.

[Jellybean]

Songkran. The most dispicable time of the whole year. Licensed thuggery.
Oh, I am surprised by your comments arsenal. I thought you would have been one of those who would enjoy the experience of s┼Пng-graan.

Your comments reminded me of a fa-r├аng my BF and I encountered last s┼Пng-graan in Silom Soi 4. We both set our targets on him and gave him a good old soaking. We were expecting the usual playful reaction, but no, he really was angry. It is the first time I encountered such ill-humour from anyone during the water festival. For fuckтАЩs sake we were in the heart of BangkokтАЩs s┼Пng-graan activities, you couldnтАЩt be more central to all the fun and frivolity.

I can understand that there are those who strongly dislike the Thai New Year festivities and remove themselves from areas where they are likely to get soaked. But Silom Soi 4? If he had the least bit objection to getting soaked why was he there? He was undoubtedly going to get further soaked as he turned into Silom Road and headed towards BTS Sala Daeng. And I hope the crotchety old git got drenched! =))

Crikey! IтАЩve even had police officers in Silom Road get involved in the party atmosphere and put bp╬╡╬╡ng-din-saw-paawng (the white paste) on my face.

No, IтАЩm definitely looking forward to it and have four water pistols (bp╩Й╩Йn-chiit-n├бam) from last year ready and willing to take part in this yearтАЩs New Year fun.

[arsenal]

Jellybean. I view Songkran much as I view boxing. A wonderful idea for other people. I've always avoided it except for last year when I caught the opening day. I can tell you that having ice cold water thrown over you while riding a motorbike feels really quite vicious. Especially if it comes from behind, for a second you are not in control of the vehicle. It's an action designed to cause serious injury with no consequences to the perpetrator. As I said, licensed thuggery. I believe this is reflected in the annual Songkran death rate.
I am all for it but only in certain areas and only for a short while.

[Jellybean]

. . . I can tell you that having ice cold water thrown over you while riding a motorbike feels really quite vicious. Especially if it comes from behind, for a second you are not in control of the vehicle. It's an action designed to cause serious injury with no consequences to the perpetrator . . .
Ah, I see. Thank you for the additional information arsenal, which sheds new light on your original comments.

Well, I certainly do not condone the dangerous behaviour you described. In fact, I think that motorcyclists should be exempt (and probably are), on the grounds of health and safety, from being targeted by the water throwers. IтАЩve never engaged in such dangerous practices and have no personal experience of seeing foreigners carrying out such hazardous activity. But some people, despite all the pre- s┼Пng-graan warnings, still get involved in such dangerous actions.

When I had a car and drove in Hua Hin at s┼Пng-graan I was at least protected from the worst excesses of the water throwing, but I still considered it dangerous. I always slowed down when approaching groups of revellers and at times came to a complete halt to allow them to cover my car in water and white paste. In later years I learned where to go and where not to go.

But back in Bangkok, last year we had hardy left my condo when the BF and I got soaked on Naradhiwas Road (by BTS Chong Nonsi). In the day time we opted for this route to Silom, but in the evenings, to avoid getting wet too early, we walked up North Sathorn Road and cut along Soi Convent, heading towards Silom So 4, before we reached the water throwers. So yes, I agree there should be designated areas for the benefit of the water throwers and revellers, which, by and large, I think there are.

But hey! This is Thailand, itтАЩs their New Year; so itтАЩs up to them how they organise and police their own festivals. We just need to bear in mind there are dangers and take the appropriate precautions which, for some, means getting the hell out of Dodge! ;)

[joe552]

Call me a party pooper or a grumpy old man, but nothing I've read about Songkran would entice me to visit Thailand during that time. But for those who enjoy it, have a blast!

[LoveThailand]

Will miss it this year - sadly. Was in the country twice during Songkran - oh the fun times... Fantastic memories.

I always find it amusing when posters have to cast aspersions on the moral character of people they have never met because they happen to disagree with them. The more trivial the topic - in this case the sort of water fights that the child in many people enjoys - the greater the vitriol. Songkran is a festival that honours the old in the community and in other SE Asian countries that continues to be the case. It's only in Thailand it has been allowed to be corrupted by tourists basically because the Thais will do anything and everything to keep the tourist dollars rolling in.

So here's a thought for Songkran from the philosopher Michel de Montaigne - "There were never, in the world, two opinions alike, no more than two hairs, or two grains; the most universal quality is diversity". Heavens, diversity! We can't allow gay men that sort of luxury.

[Manforallseasons]

Songkron lasts the longest in Pattaya and as an expat living here I make plans to go to a neighboring country to avoid it, it is truly awful and dangerous, of course Gaybutton will say on the dark side its ok, for those of you that don't know it is east of Sukumvit and resembles Pattaya in name only, many expats leave for this holiday and you might think of avoiding a trip to Pattaya between April 14 and April 20th.

[Jellybean]

Just to return to the subject of the s┼Пng-graan festivities in Silom Soi 4. I wonder if anyone of any influence from the Balcony or Telephone Bars reads these topics. If they do, IтАЩd like to put forward a suggestion about the music.

Last year there were three, perhaps four different sources of music, which I think many found really annoying. In such a small soi wouldnтАЩt it be better to have just the once source of music. I spoke with a couple of other revellers near me at the time and they agreed it was difficult to dance with so many completing beats. And the music from one bar seemed to be on a loop with the same tunes being played over and over again.

The best music I ever heard at s┼Пng-graan, actually in all the time IтАЩve been visiting Thailand, was outside the Lavender Lanna Hotel in Chiang Mai. Large, concert type, speakers were set up with a covered booth to protect the DJтАЩs equipment from the water. And there appeared to be a rotation of very talented DJs throughout the day and all played fantastic music that would not have been out of place in a London club. Now something similar would, I believe, go down a storm in Soi 4. Perhaps it's too late to organise anything this year, but itтАЩs surely worth some further consideration for next year.

[Manforallseasons]

Jellybean if you haven't noticed the subject is "songkran-2015-thai-new-year-" as for the music as in Sunee the likelihood of them giving a shit how loud the music should be don't bet on it.

[aot871]

This will be my first time in pattaya at this time of year ( the only time I can get away ) but thanks for my thai friend having a car , I hope I will not get that wet