The Variations of Songkran

[Dodger]

Well...that time of the year is coming up fast and I can hardly wait.

I know that many, if not most farangs, dread the coming of Songkran and wish the holiday had never been invented in the first place. I am one of those deranged guys who enjoys it.

Last year I spent the entire Songkran period in the quiet and reserved province of Phrae where the ceremony took on a whole new face. There was no dumping of ice cold buckets of water on the unsuspecting, or blasting of high powered jet streams of water in the eyes of drunken motorbike drivers... nor did I witness any of the heated frenzy that is all too common in our lovely paradise of Pattaya. Just the gathering of friends and family who were having fun, and at the same time seemed more focused on the spiritual aspects of Songkran. Water was sprinkled slowly and methodically on the foreheads as if a prayer was being said in the process and you could just feel the joy and compassion in the air. After participating in 7 consecutive Songkrans in Pattaya, I came to realize that I never REALLY knew what it was all about.

This year, Boy Special and I will visit his home in Udorn Thani during their Songkran period which runs between 12-15 April, and I'm hoping the celebration will be similar to what I experienced in Phrae. We will be back in PTY in time to capture Songkran there as well, although I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy it this time around.

Splish...Splash...

[Smiles]

Escaping Pattaya just prior to Songkran and will spend the time holed up way down in a small corner of Thailand at Trat/Koh Chang.
The only water shall be the sea.

Cheers ...

[Boxer]

I agree with you both get out of Pattaya and head up country as i hope to do again this year. Many invites to return as told here on my site.
www.boxertravels.com/songkran05/index.htm (http://www.boxertravels.com/songkran05/index.htm)

When you say 12th do you really mean it STARTS on the 12th or after the 12th?

[hulljake]

I can highly recommend Songkran in Chiang Mai. I've experienced it in Bkk, but would probably not bother again, however CM was much more integrated, a family affair, where grannies, kids, buddhist monks and the rest of the revellers really made me feel welcome. And the ice water was a welcome relief from the April heat!

[Dodger]

Sirmrtravels,

According to Boy Special, the celebrations in Udorn begin on 12 April and end on the 15th, which is apparently is the big celebration day...as compared to 19 April in Pattaya.

[Patanawet]

Yes Dodger, my first few Songkran twenty or so years ago were just as you describe your recent visit.

Since then, it's been 'lock the condo door' for three days.

[Patanawet]

Jake, we must have been to different Chiang Mais.
My latest Songkran there was just like Bangkok or Pattaya.
Even live television crews on the Tha Pae gate and on my return to Bangkok, my work colleagues claimed to have seen me on Thai TV drenched !