And so it begins . . .

[Jellybean]

. . . I speak of Songkran of course.

One day ahead of schedule, but nobody seemed to be complaining.

Part of my weekly routine is a Sunday shop at Silom Complex. I wasnтАЩt the least bit surprised to hear the boom-boom beat of music and the noise of Songkran party revellers as the sky-train approached BTS Sala Daeng.

Unfortunately, I wasnтАЩt dressed for the occasion, or tooled up for the affray, so I had to keep back at a safe (and dry) distance.
My special boy is working today, but will arrive tomorrow, so we can partake in three days of madness and mayhem.

As I finish drafting this post, the heavens have opened up and torrential rain is pouring down, with almighty claps of thunder overhead. Hope thatтАЩs it for the next 3 days, otherwise it will spoil things somewhat.

[cdnmatt]

р╕кр╕зр╕▒р╕кр╕Фр╕╡р╕� �р╕╡р╣Гр╕лр╕бр╣И

Happy New Year, Jellybean. :)

For anyone on the forum who doesnt know, while wandering around during Songkran say "swatdee-bee-mai" to everyone. They'll say the same thing back with a smile. It means "Happy New Year".

[Jellybean]

Happy New Year, Jellybean.
Thanks cdnmatt! And a Happy New Year to you too!

And three more photos are attached. Sorry,they are pretty big and I don't know how to make them smaller. Hope they are all viewable.

JB

[anonone]

Thanks for the photos Jellybean.

I really wanted to be there again this year for Songkran, but as usual, work gets in the way. Your photos are easing my disappointment a bit.

Have a great time with your special boy over the next fun-filled days.

[Jellybean]

. . . Have a great time with your special boy over the next fun-filled days
Thanks anonone! IтАЩm sorry to learn you wonтАЩt be in Thailand for Songkran. I know the photos are a poor consolation for the real thing, but at least they gave you a flavour of whatтАЩs happening. Hopefully, once your work commitments are finalised, youтАЩll be out here again as quick as boiled asparagus and enjoying yourself to the max!

Unfortunately, I shall not be taking anymore photos. Over the next three days I wonтАЩt be standing on the side-lines, as I did yesterday, and later today I hope to be in the thick of it. I just donтАЩt trust myself to protect my mobile phone from water damage, so will be leaving it at home. Perhaps others will post their own photos and add to the six photos IтАЩve already posted.

Happy Songkran! :)

[anonone]

Totally understand about wanting to protect phones /cameras. I am of the same thought when I "play water" for Songkran.

And indeed I shall be back in Pattaya in a couple weeks and shall be enjoying myself (as well as others) to the max.

Cheers.

[a447]

I'll be in Pattaya this week. (Joe, you've been warned!) I'm dreading it.

But I'll be putting a condom to good use - I'll stick my phone in it. Something different for a change.

[fountainhall]

they are pretty big and I don't know how to make them smaller
Use http://www.shrinkpictures.com/

[cdnmatt]

God I love Songkran!

I only went out for an hour or so today, but tomorrow will do it up. I'm 33 now, have seen quite a bit, and have to admit, I can't think of a better display of humanity than Songkran. It's just such an amazing feeling -- where everyone lets everyone else know that life is good and to be cherished.

[bkkguy]

I can't think of a better display of humanity than Songkran. It's just such an amazing feeling -- where everyone lets everyone else know that life is good and to be cherished.

I usually go to Jomtien to escape the worst of Bangkok Songkran and for the past few years you know to avoid Beach Rd and the road over the hill during the day but it has always been "safe" to be out and about in Pattaya and Jomtien in the evening during the main country-wide Songkran holidays

last night about 9:00 PM I was in a baht bus on Pattaya 2 Rd near South Pattaya Rd when everyone on the bus, having first being drenched by drunk falung with some bargirls with high-power water guns where then drenched again by buckets of water thrown by a group of drunk Thai masseurs outside their venue. I was on my way to dinner, also on the bus where 2 Thai lottery ticket sellers with the tickets they where hoping to sell that night, 3 Hong Kong guys who looked like they where out for a night of fun in the bars in Boyztown, and another falung couple dressed for a night on the town

I am not addressing this at you specifically cdnmatt, but I think anyone who views this drenching as a "display of humanity" and letting people know "life is good' then I think they have a faulty moral compass

Songkran in Pattaya is celebrated on 19 April and there are designated "play" zones and I have no problem with that - if I don't want to play I can easily avoid these zones

Songkran in Bangkok is celebrated on 12-15 April and Silom, parts of Siam Square, Khao San etc are all designated zones - I live in Silom but I still have no problem with this, if I don't want to play I can easily avoid these zones

even though Songkran is now a total perversion of what the festival was originally about it is still an important festival and Thai people have every right to celebrate it wherever they are outside of these zones - all I ask is they show some respect for those that are not out to play and they usually do. drunk falung don't have any rights at all in this as far as I am concerned and they are usually the worst offenders!

again I am not addressing this at you specifically cdnmatt, but I think anyone who thinks I am just an old curmudgeon on this may need to rethink their ideas about reasonable behavior in a civilized society!

bkkguy

[cdnmatt]

I don't know, but in the past 36 hours, I've gotten to know the residents of this area FAR more than I have in the past 3 months of living here. During Songkran, I can't walk more than 20 feet without someone inviting me over, asking me to sit down and have a beer with them. That doesn't happen on a normal day, but hopefully will contnue to happen now after Songkran, now that we know each other a little better.

Then again, just the total loss of anxiety and fear throughout the streets is great to see. Everyone is just out to enjoy a good time.

[a447]

I was under the impression that the water-throwing stopped at a certain time - around 6pm?

I don't mind getting wet during the day; after all, it's my choice to come during thus festival, but like others, I resent bring drenched by drunken farang. It's not their festival.

The only problem I have is trying to get to a restaurant for dinner with our bring soaked.

I'm 33 nowWasn't it your turn to be crucified this Easter?

[fountainhall]

I'm 33 nowWasn't it your turn to be crucified this Easter?
Good one =))

[paperboy]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transpo ... road-havoc (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transport/528067/60-dead-724-hurt-on-5th-day-of-songkran-road-havoc)

[Nirish guy]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transport/528067/60-dead-724-hurt-on-5th-day-of-songkran-road-havoc

From the above - "60 dead, 724 hurt in 5th day of Songkran road havoc"

Aye - and that's before you add in the Pattaya party madness to the numbers - absolutely crazy - and as the article says all mainly from people throwing water at motorbike riders, I mean have these people no brains or does that whole Buddhist "oh well if todays my day to die" thing just absolve others from ANY responsibility in perhaps CAUSING your actual death I wonder?!

[a447]

I came down to Pattaya today from Suvannaphumi Airport. The freeway was fairly clear, allowing the driver to tailgate at 120kph whilst chatting on her phone. At one point she had one hand on the steering wheel while the other was fossicking around in the glove box . We left Suvannaphumi at 1410 and arrived at 1535 - one of the quickest trips ever. I saw a total of 2 motorcycle police on the freeway. There was no traffic build-up in Pattaya itself, and very little water -throwing going on - a few youngsters near Tukom and a bunch of Arabs at the entry to Soi VC and it's surrounds. In Sunee Plaza there were just a few Thais enjoying the fun outside both 7/11 stores. So far, so good, but guess it's early days.

[cdnmatt]

So far, so good, but guess it's early days.

Songkran is over now, no? Today (15th) is the last day. Come tomorrow, everything is back to normal.

EDIT: Ohhh, n/m, you're in Pattaya, right? They don't abide by the 3 day thing. They go all out for around 7 days there, don't they?

[bkkguy]

Then again, just the total loss of anxiety and fear throughout the streets is great to see. Everyone is just out to enjoy a good time.

I am glad you are having your own personal Songkran nirvana in Nakhon Nowhere but other people's reality is very different - did you see the picture on the front page of the Bangkok Post today of a busload of people being soaked as they went about their business? while it looked like many of them were "out to enjoy a good time" getting soaked on the way there was not their idea of fun!

and as noted above that 60 people killed was just for 1 day - the total up to today was 251 dead (one more than last year) - something that should strike anxiety and fear into those on the streets!

bkkguy

[Brad the Impala]

Then again, just the total loss of anxiety and fear throughout the streets is great to see. Everyone is just out to enjoy a good time.

I am glad you are having your own personal Songkran nirvana in Nakhon Nowhere but other people's reality is very different


And it's great that cdnmatt and his neighbourhood are clearly still celebrating Songkran in the traditional way, unlike in many/most other neighbourhoods.

A few years ago I was witness to the main road through Khao Lak being blocked for fifteen minutes during Songkran by very wet gangs from two villages fighting over slights arising from the festivities!

[cdnmatt]

did you see the picture on the front page of the Bangkok Post today of a busload of people being soaked as they went about their business?

No, I read enough Western media outlets to keep my depression in check, but thanks anyway. :-)

[Jellybean]

Use http://www.shrinkpictures.com/
Thanks for the link fountainhall. I had something similar built in to my old computer, and it was very easy to resize my photos, but my current computer doesnтАЩt appear to allow for resizing. The video looked easy to follow, but IтАЩm afraid to say I wasnтАЩt able to get past first base. I did find something broadly comparable in my Android apps store called тАЬReduce Photo SizeтАЭ. It seemed easy and my efforts can be seen below. Yes, I know, I said to anonone that I wouldnтАЩt be posting any more photos, but my bf decided to take his smart тАШphone, so IтАЩm posting some of his photos below. I bought two plastic protectors for our тАШphones last year, but they did not allow for photos to be taken while the mobile тАШphone is covered. I did not know that such protectors are also available, but he did, so we bought one on Naradhiwas Road on route to Silom Road.


. . . but I think anyone who thinks I am just an old curmudgeon on this may need to rethink their ideas about reasonable behavior in a civilized society!
bkkguy, I was sorry to read that, having gone to Pattaya to escape the worst excesses of Songkran in Bangkok, you ended up getting drenched while travelling on a saawng-t╬╡╬╡o. It must have been terrible for you. I canтАЩt, of course, speak for other members, but I certainly wouldnтАЩt regard you as a curmudgeon for complaining about the behaviour of those who chose to celebrate outside of the designated zones and before the official Pattaya start date.

I have a friend in Pattaya who has made a similar decision to you and is travelling in the opposite direction and coming up to Bangkok on the 17th to avoid Songkran in Pattaya.

Perhaps Pattaya is not the most suitable place to run to if seeking to avoid Songkran. How about Hua Hin? I lived there for many years and never had any trouble avoiding getting soaked.

I chose to go to Silom Road in Bangkok and fully expected to get absolutely soaked . . . and I did, over and over again! LOL! But I fully appreciate that there are those who want no part in it, or those who, having avoided the designated zones, should be entitled and expect to go about their business without fear of being drenched. But, the so far unanswerable question is, how do you stop the idiots, the reckless and the downright dangerous? The Thai authorities warn of the dangers every year and post a list of fatalities and the police are urged to take stronger enforcement action, yet still people get killed and injured.

I read somewhere that the white paste (bp╬╡╬╡ng-din-saw-paawng) had been banned, but I still saw lots of it on sale and many people using it or walking about with their faces covered in it. So, if the authorities canтАЩt even deal with this small issue, what hope have they in dealing with the more serious problems associated with Songkran?


. . . At one point she had one hand on the steering wheel while the other was fossicking around in the glove box . . .
Struth! I paused on the word тАЬfossickingтАЭ while reading your post a447, as IтАЩd never heard of it before. But with the benefit of Wikipedia I see it means rummaging and is a word peculiar to Australia and New Zealand. Well, you live and learn! IтАЩll add it to my growing list of Australia-isms, which now include: GтАЩday mate! Fair-dunkum, Sheila and figjam. ;)

EDIT: Well, you may not believe me, but I did manage to shrink the photos, but perhaps not enough. I'll try posting some night-time shots in a further post and see what happens. :-\

[a447]

Strewth Jelly, I had no idea "fossicking" was only used in Oz and NZ. Stone the crows!

Your photos bring back memories of the fun times I've had during Songkran on Silom Road in the past. It was great to see all those Thais, young and old, out enjoying themselves - no aggro, just pure fun.

In Pattaya I spend a lot of time at Central Festival. I've often wondered how the clothing retailers are affected by Songkran; I mean, you can't go into a store soaking wet and ask to try on their clothes. Nor can you go into a restaurant, I'd imagine. Considering the festival lasts for so long in Pattaya, the business must suffer quite badly.

[Jellybean]

Well, here goes, my second attempt at posting photos. If they are not a reasonable size for viewing, I think IтАЩll just have to give up. Oh dear, they appear to be all shapes and sizes. Sorry dear members, but now I'm feeling too exhausted to try going through the whole process again. Think I need to go lie down in a cool, dark room and consider never posting photos ever again, my poor heart can't take the stress.

[fountainhall]

Use http://www.shrinkpictures.com/
Thanks for the link fountainhall. I had something similar built in to my old computer, and it was very easy to resize my photos, but my current computer doesnтАЩt appear to allow for resizing. The video looked easy to follow, but IтАЩm afraid to say I wasnтАЩt able to get past first base.
It should be really easy. If you have time, try once more.

When you open the link, you see a box mid-screen headed Resize Images. Then follow their numbering -

1. Click on Browse and then click on the photo you want to resize
2. Select New Maximum Image dimension - for large pics (3 - 6 mps) I usually click on 50%
3. Leave this blank
4. Set resized image quality (jpg compression) - I usually click on Better
5. FInally click on Resize

It can take up to 20 or more seconds. Eventually the page replenishes, you see the heading Your Image has been Resized and your pic is below it on the screen.

To upload that, just click on Download this picture Now above the pic.

Depending on how you have configured the Hard Drive, the pic will almost certainly appear inside your Downloads box. It will have a gobbledegook title, but you can transfer it to your your main screen or a special file for the photos and then retitle it.

[bkkguy]

Perhaps Pattaya is not the most suitable place to run to if seeking to avoid Songkran.

it has been a great option for the last five years during the main Songkran period - just avoid Beach Rd, Thappraya Road over the hill and the girly bar stretch near the police box in Jomtien during the afternoon, but unlike Silom everything has always stopped at night so going out to dinner and the bars was never a problem

but Songkran continues to degenerate into an out-of-control free-for-all here so next year I think I will be joining the other expats on the return leg of one of the many flights bringing all the Singapore queens to Bangkok for the "fun"



But, the so far unanswerable question is, how do you stop the idiots, the reckless and the downright dangerous? The Thai authorities warn of the dangers every year and post a list of fatalities and the police are urged to take stronger enforcement action, yet still people get killed and injured.


a very good question, but it is not unanswerable, indeed you where half way there - yes "the police are urged to take stronger enforcement action" but nothing serious is ever done here!

every year the Thai police make bold press releases about a crackdown on the Songkran road toll then make at best half-assed efforts to at least look like they are doing something. contrast this with the various state authorities in Australia which introduced double and triple driver demerit points for traffic offenses during long holidays and doubled or tripled the police on the road actually enforcing the rules and did this consistently year after year after year and people lost their drivers license or went to jail for excessive speed or drunk driving and the result was both a driver mindset change and a significant reduction in the road toll. do you see this ever happening in Thailand?

every year the local authorities wring their hands and make bold press releases about a crackdown on powder, high pressure water guns, anti-social and lewd behavior etc during Songkran then make virtually no effort to at least look like they are enforcing these rules. When tubing down the river became a drunken dangerous problem in Luang Prabung the local authorities actually started enforcing regulations and nipped this in the bud. When late night drunken violence became a serious problem in the Kings Cross "adult entertainment" district in Sydney the local police in conjunction with the local council, the venue owners and community groups set new guidelines and actually enforced them and again made a significant impact on the level of violence

so things can change if there is a real desire to do so but nothing is usually done here unless it is perceived as negatively affecting tourism, Thai exports or Thailand's reputation internationally. Songkran - despite the road toll - is still an "up" for tourism and international reputation so it will need to get a lot worse before it gets any serious response

and yes I am not only a curmudgeon but also a cynic!

bkkguy

[colmx]

every year the local authorities wring their hands and make bold press releases about a crackdown on powder, high pressure water guns, anti-social and lewd behavior etc during Songkran then make virtually no effort to at least look like they are enforcing these rules.
and yes I am not only a curmudgeon but also a cynic!

Gotta disagree with you there... This year was my 14th Songkran in 15 years and it was the quietest and most subdued that myself or BF have ever seen
There was no alcohol for sale on Silom road, the fridges in the were 7-11s completely stripped, i did not witness a single high pressure water pipe in silom (it's the blue pipes that are banned not the guns )and the amount of powder for sale and in use was greatly reduced...

In my opinion the Silom police did a sterling job in enforcing their mandate (and ruining the fun!)

In Pattaya similarly the number of high pressure water pipes was vastly reduced and i witnessed police confiscating them on more than one occasion

As for Songkran in Pattaya being confined to the 19th... don't be daft, Pattaya celebrates it all the way from the 12th through to morning of the 20th... but i agree that 9pm is quite late for them to still be playing (we usually finish by 8 :AR! :AR! )

To be honest with pattaya being the Ghost town that it currently is - i am very surprised at so many of you being piled into a single songtaew... sounds like half the tourist population was on the baht bus at the same time!

[catawampuscat]

Perhaps all in Boyzboyzboyz last night for 10:30 show. The joint was jam packed with customers ( mostly Asian) and
the show was eye popping good if you like sexy men with boners. Agree, most bars resemble ghost town but the good
ones are busy like Sunny Boys in Sunee Pl.