Songkram festival please some advice

[Smiles]

Being Australian I assume you are not in the habit of bathing daily ... therefore I would suggest you avoid Songkran like the plague.

Try googling "Songkran" (that's with an 'n', not an 'm').

Cheers ...

[Richsilver]

Actually it is songkran. Songkram means 'war' or 'battle'.

Most places will be open, but many Thais return to their families during this period (think Christmas holidays) and many Farangs leave the country because they can't stand all the water festivities.

[mahjongguy]

Oh my! Such a big topic. Where to start?

Each area in Thailand celebrates Songkran on slightly different days. Usually it's the 13th thru the 15th in Bangkok, usually the 16th thru the 18th in Pattaya. If the hotel says 10th thru the 15th then that sounds about right.

Every tourist reacts differently to Songkran; some love it and some hate it. Some foreigners who live here actually flee the country for a week.

Bring your surf shorts, your best attitude, and some self-sealing sandwich bags for your cash and mobile, and find out for yourself.

Clubs and other businesses remain open for this holiday, but you won't want to go anywhere air-conditioned when you're soaking wet, and you can expect to be soaking wet every moment that you're not locked in your room.

[mahjongguy]

All day, all night. Water water everywhere.

"Clubs ..remain open". Clubs = gogo bars, etc.

All day, all night. Water water everywhere.

"Clubs ..remain open". Clubs = gogo bars, etc.


ohh well another night of being wet


Sorry, just noticed the part about about you being in Phuket for Songkran. The following was my experience in BKK.

Last April was my first Songkran, before that I never heard of it.

It's impossible to go anywhere and stay dry. People start to gather on Silom around noon, everyone from small children to adults but mostly children and teens, as least that I could see. They line the streets, wander aimlessly on foot and drive around in pick-up trucks. Everyone has a method of sharing their H2O with the crowd, the most common are are water pistols, cups, bowls and there is ever the odd hose or firetruck making the rounds. It's wall the wall people, sometimes so tightly packed that crossing the street from one side to the other could take an hour. Don't fight it, just go with it.

Watch out for pickpockets. I was pick pocketed in the crowd, lost my wallet and my mobile phone. Thankfully I had removed everything buy a few bills and my drives license for ID, even though legally I was supposed to carry my passport, glad I didn't.

During the day, off Silom in almost every other part of the city the scene is the same, people sitting in front of businesses or driving around throwing water from the back of pick-up trucks. They don't allow water on BTS, but that is no guarantee a person won't get sprayed.

Then there's the talc, people mix it with water and smear it on your face as you walk by. Don't resist, it makes a great foundation for the evening and looks great when it starts to crack and fall off.

I'll be there again same time, but I think I'm going to hide in Phutet or Pattaya.