SongKran in Pattaya

[thanatorn-old]

If you do a search you should find lots of info on this as it is often raised.

However in a nutshell, yes, you stand a 99% chance of getting a good soaking - if you are "lucky" you could well be plastered in talcum powder that soon dries into a thick crusty face pack!! Until the next bucket of water when it will return to its original form of yucky slimy sludge.

The water throwing sort of follows a trail around the country - so it is in Bangkok, then a few days later in Chiang Mai , then Phuket and Pattaya (or whatever order). It normally starts around the 13th of April and the Pattaya day is normally somewhere around the 18th or 19th April.

Yes it does calm down at night a lot but like any "party activity", there are aways a few who do not know when to stop and go a bit later.

Most Pattaya residents vacate the city during this time - lots of patience and good natured attitude can be required, after being soaked and dusted the umteenth time. A great experience once but not too be repeated too often.

[TrongpaiExpat]

I have been in all those locations for Songkran and Pattaya by far is the most obtrusive. They have their official days they do Bangkok's official days and even start early. It's not Thais that are offensive, it's generally drunk farangs who have learned that passengers in a baht bus are sitting ducks.

It's party city in Chiang Mai but your prepared for it, expect it and can either stay in or party with everyone on the streets.

Bangkok has some water free area and you can get around and not get wet if you plan. Night time not much water. Pattaya does not follow the sun down put the water down rule.

As said: officially, Songkran is from 13-15 April. Most of the Thai will go home to celebrate this most important event with their families.
This will cause huge traffic movements during the weekend 11-12 April and on the 16 April.

Songkran in Pattaya starts on the 13th but it'll be 'low profile' until the 19th (Sunday). Than Pattaya will be one big water-throwing city. During day time, all major roads are basically occupied by water-throwing people, on foot, in pick ups, from buildings. The worst water-throwers are the farangs, because believe it or not, there are people who really need to get rid of their frustrations during this one-Songkran-day in Pattaya.

Usually, the water-throwing takes place during day time, so after sunset, things should go back to normal, but be careful!!

For me Songkron (in Pattaya) is best done once for the unique experience.

You will get WET; totally, unequivocally, and to the bone. It is fun for a while, but taking off the soaked clothes and taking a hot shower is the best part of the event. By the way, having a hot friend to help taking off the clothes and assisting in the shower makes for the best event.

Kylemartin - most of the older residents of Pattaya flee as they have forgotten their sense of fun, so they can be miserable elsewhere!

If you don't mind getting wet - I take it you do take showers or go swimming anyway, you will have a great time.
Jomtien in particular fills up with young handsome Thais mostly with their shirts off showing off their great bodies, most get drunk and can love to have fun and get frisky! You can imagine that Songkran becomes the biggest sex party around and is a lot of fun for those who like to have fun. It is mostly very good humoured and the best festival in the world!

Dates in Pattaya/Jomtien - 13th to 19th April with the last day being the wildest, starts from midday until 6PM. Most people respect no water after 6PM.

[Wesley]

I am not old fart yet, fart yes maybe old no and you will not see me there in April,

Wes

[TrongpaiExpat]

Kylemartin - most of the older residents of Pattaya flee as they have forgotten their sense of fun, so they can be miserable elsewhere!


Oh, I don't know, I have had some pretty old looking farts hit me with a bucket of water in Pattaya and only in Pattaya. Inebriated smelly old farts too and it that's your definition of fun, count me out.

I find that most of those who proclaim their love of Songkran have their own cars and drive around with the windows up and the ac on. Now, if you put all your windows down, I'll believe you.

Last time I was in Pattaya two days before the official Songkran dates in Bangkok and 5 days before the official Pattaya dates, I was in a baht bus with my luggage and a lap top. Driving along Beach road next to a bar these drunk farangs were throwing water. They took advantage of the bus slowing for traffic and our being unprotected fully dressed with luggage I guess added to their fun. Two hit us with huge buckets of ice water point blank range. That is not fun, it's juvenile. I was lucky that my lap top survived.

I am not old fart yet, fart yes maybe old no and you will not see me there in April,

Wes

Where is it most convenient to go

Kylemartin - most of the older residents of Pattaya flee as they have forgotten their sense of fun, so they can be miserable elsewhere!


Oh, I don't know, I have had some pretty old looking farts hit me with a bucket of water in Pattaya and only in Pattaya. Inebriated smelly old farts too and it that's your definition of fun, count me out.

I find that most of those who proclaim their love of Songkran have their own cars and drive around with the windows up and the ac on. Now, if you put all your windows down, I'll believe you.

Last time I was in Pattaya two days before the official Songkran dates in Bangkok and 5 days before the official Pattaya dates, I was in a baht bus with my luggage and a lap top. Driving along Beach road next to a bar these drunk farangs were throwing water. They took advantage of the bus slowing for traffic and our being unprotected fully dressed with luggage I guess added to their fun. Two hit us with huge buckets of ice water point blank range. That is not fun, it's juvenile. I was lucky that my lap top survived.

At some point, and I really hope that it will happen soon, someone will fire back with a 9mm automatic gun..........that's GREAT fun!! I'm so happy, that I'm leaving this country on the 11th and won't return before the 22nd........

How bearable Songkran is depends on the weather. If it's very hot, and you put yourself into the party mood, it's fine. But I can remember a couple of Songkrans up North where it was unseasonably cool and cloudy. That was horrible.

Totally off subject, but what the hell. I hate Kyle's avatar. Is being Gay a form of ugliness? The slogan certainly suggests they are both undesirable traits - albeit, ugliness slightly the more so.

Kylemartin - you see exactly what I said, all the miserable people leave Pattaya/Jomtien so only the ones that want to have fun remain.

Joseph44 - that's the beauty of Songkran: even if you are a frustrated person who wants to shoot others with a 9mm gun, you can do it at Songkran but with a water gun so you and no one else gets hurt.

[Patexpat]

If its your first Songkran, its great fun no matter what. If Songkran in Pattaya was limited to a couple of days then even if you have lived here for years you would either enjoy it, or for the two days only just hole up at home. A full WEEK of Songkran in Pattaya does not, as the city fathers expect, boost tourism but has the opposite effect.

fact: Songkran this year in a 5* Pattaya hotel: week before Songkran 72% occupancy, Songkran week 31%, week after Songkran 74%.

April is typically my lowest month of the year revenue wise as personally I 'shut up shop' for the week, give my staff an extended holiday and avoid it all - especially the drunken falangs - EXCEPT for the last day in Jomtien to which I am always lured towards and have a great time. This year I experienced VERY un-Thai like behavour by a young man who insisted on checking my tonsils in public with his tongue .....

[Geezer]

My abhorrence of Songkran stems primarily from two things:

1. ItтАЩs disgusting being surrounded by drunks when youтАЩre sober. (I know, thereтАЩs an obvious solution to that, but some people donтАЩt enjoy getting drunk.)

2. I donтАЩt like dozens of strangers (most of them squealing women) rubbing their hands on your face to apply white paste.

[thrillbill]

Thanatorn wrote - Most Pattaya residents vacate the city during this time

Hmmm I don't blame them :-) Well it is an experience I am in a way looking forward to, all those hunks soaked thru to the skin sounds fun to me!

Thanks
__________________________________________________ _________________
I work in the Eastern Seaboard area and I get a week off because of Songkran...not only because many Thais get these days off but because it is looked upon as a traffic hazard. I enjoyed celebrating Songkran in Phuket my first year here on holiday (chasing one another with squirt guns and such in my beach wear) since they follow the three day celebration. Pattaya has a marked three day Songkran celebration but the drunks, bargirls...whatever start as soon as possible. So...you have around 7 days of getting soaked in Pattaya. The fun begins to wear off when you want to remain dry and do some shopping or go to the bank... SO I make sure I get the hell out of Pattaya for a week. Singapore, Kuala Lumpur,or Hongkong can enjoy my tourist dollars. (Note: Songkran is fun as long as it lasts for a couple days -not a whole #ck'n week.)

[dorayme]

Songkran in Pattaya is barbaric. It isn't any fun getting hit in the back with a bucket of water. It hurts.

My advice: Stay home or go to Phuket where they don't celebrate for two weeks.

Don't ride a motorbike. They aren't shown any mercy.

[colmx]

Gawd- what a bunch of killjoys!
Songkran is one of the most fun times of the year to visit Pattaya!

Go with the flow and do as the Thais do and you will enjoy yourself.... :drunken:

[catawampuscat]

Songkran is a nightmare time of the year and for many years I left Thailand to avoid
the drunken farangs (mostly straight) but the last two years have just left Pattaya on the
last three days (the last day being the absolute worst) and hanging out in BKK where they
stop Songkran celebrating earlier.
There are some gay farangs that enjoy the water throwing and all the madness but they are few and far between.

Every year, many farangs and Thais are injured in motorbike accidents when the assholes throw buckets of water on motorbike drivers and cause them to lose control. It is criminal and
juvenial and the worst time of the year to be in Pattaya.

One farang I am acquainted with choose to go to Myanmar (Burma) to escape Songkran and it
was just as bad and he had to stay in his hotel the whole stay. It is a Buddhist country.
Good time to check out Viet Nam or Malaysia or even visit the Phillippines :cat: