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Almost that time of year again...


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Well it won't be long before Songkran and some expats will be telling Thais how they should be celebrating πŸ™„πŸ˜.Β 

Never fails to amuse me when I hear or read comments along the lines of "it goes on too long" or "it's too noisy" or "it's too wet" πŸ‘€ or "not meant to be like that, it's not traditional" etc etc

IMHO it is whatever Thais want or choose how to celebrate their new year celebrations.

I get the impression that they really want to let off a bit of steam this year. Even if larger scale organised events don't go ahead there will be some serious partying on a house to house basis. Certainly will be in our part of the jungle anyway.Β 

My plan is to accept it and enjoy, plan b is to stock up, hide in the house and complain bitterly on social media πŸ˜‰πŸ™‚πŸ˜¬.Β 

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I did Songkran once in Pattaya and whilst I enjoyed the fun during the day, I got fed up with the wankers that still wanted to wet you late at night, even in Walking Street.

Now I make sure I am back here in the UK during this time!

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5 minutes ago, boydeste said:

I did Songkran once in Pattaya and whilst I enjoyed the fun during the day, I got fed up with the wankers that still wanted to wet you late at night, even in Walking Street.

Now I make sure I am back here in the UK during this time!

It's my first time for 3 or 4 years and TBH mate it's not my favourite Thai celebration. We have friends and family from Pattaya here for 2 or 3 nights because it can get too full on down there.Β 

And then there is the carnage on the roads...Β 

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Never had a problem with Thai's celebrating Songkran. In fact there's only been a couple of occasions over the years where a polite request to a Thai not to throw water on me has been ignored. The tourist wankers on the other hand think it's open season on any and all regardless of the time of day.

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Done the full seven days in Patts once ( 1995 ) because I didn't know any better , Β now I arrange holidays around it and probably have experienced six or seven Songkrans in Patts , Patong and LamaiΒ 

Once in the 90's I arrived in Thailand on the 19th , taxi took around 2 hours to reach Patts , then another four to get to my hotel ( Diana Inn ) ... then I was soaked as I walked to receptionΒ 

Also ended up in hospital twice .. slipped on a wet drain and twisted knee in 2015 , came home on crutches...and in Phuket in the early 2000's slipped and smacked my head on the small dancing pole area in a bar whilst trying to find a dry place to smoke , there was plastic sheeting at the back of the bar protecting the electricals ...had three stitches above the eye and had to wear a shower cap on the final day ... πŸ™‚Β 

having said all that it can be great fun πŸ˜‰Β 

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Don't really like to be in Pattaya during Songkran as my experiences when I lived there were not as enjoyable as I hoped for.

Was sick on two occasions because powder/water (from wherever) was thrust into my face so often that being ill was an obvious eventuality.Β 

The only time I enjoyed it was when I stayed at the Whitehouse Hotel, walked across to the first bar on the corner of 2nd road and got drenched and pasted. From that moment on I just watched, ate and drank until the mayhem subsided which was linked to the monks processions going down 2nd road.

Last time I did Songkran was in Khon Kaen, first day was great with all the villagers following some monks around, loads of old ladies sprinkling the crowds and a great atmosphere. The 2nd day saw all the youngsters come out, get totally inebriated and fighting was on the menu. I hated it as one of Porn's brothers was involved, supposedly a drunk villager thought he was from the next village and jumped on him. Big mistake as Porn has 3 big brothers so the drunk was dispatched but not before the headsman had to intervene and fined the brother as well as the drunk.

No, the idea of having a good time is essential to the Thai way of life and it can be fun if done in the manner I was used to when I first came to Thailand in 1987.Β  Those days, the sun went down and everybody stopped throwing water, you could don your better clothes for a night out. Unfortunately, in Pattaya, a certain type started arriving and the expected ceasing of activities never occurred. Any time you were in the side streets off the main roads and you could see nicely dressed tourists being soaked by drunk foreigners who just thought it funny to drench someone anytime of day and night.

Now Loy Kratong, that is a festival that I thoroughly enjoy.

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Did Songkran many ears ago in Pattaya and didnt find it too enjoyable. Will be in the village / Udon this year so let see..........I have an open mind and maybe my Son will enjoy it if its not too full onΒ 

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Done one Songkran in Pattaya, think it was the closest i've ever came to a full on scrap in Thailand.

Driving in Soi LK round the corner at the top on a scooter, this fuckwit farang purposely hit me straight in the face with a load of water.Β  I near came off the bike, well, i did come off it, but thankfully kinda was able to stop it first, not hurt.Β  I ran over to him, screaming match, then a couple i knew came out of the Rockhouse and kinda grabbed me and brought me over to there.Β 

Wanker!

Edit - Done one in Ayutthaya with the wife, had fun and enjoyed, probably due to no drunken fuckwit farangs.Β 

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Did it once, never again.

Can do without the eye and ear infections that followed from having partly treated sewage and grey water thrown over me.

The general theme here seems to be that it's the pissed up farang that are mostly at fault, chucking water over all and sundry, and I totally agree. Songkran would be great if they celebrated it the same way it is done up Country.

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11 minutes ago, thegrogmonster said:

At this stage in my life I would only do Songkran in the wife's village. Pattaya is too full on for this aging grumpy drunk to tolerate.

Samui , Phuket are only a couple of days ... think Pattaya is the only seven day eventΒ 

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2 hours ago, Stillearly said:

Samui , Phuket are only a couple of days ... think Pattaya is the only seven day eventΒ 

Thanks for the info.

All the wife's family head home for Songkran so if I am back in Thailand around this time probably just stay at the village or in Udon Thani which is only 15 minutes down the road.

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I think it's a little unfair to put all of the blame on the tourists , it's the Thais that drive and encourage the behaviour , they could stop providing water after a certain time ...

as I said it was my first time in 95 and I had no idea what was happening or when it would finish ... every day / night they seemed to be selling bigger and bigger water guns and the girls were starting water battles and they had ice ., I had more than a few bowls of iced water poured over me when I wasn't expecting itΒ 

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Took this walking up Bangla / Patong Phuket in 2019 turned out to be the last proper Songkran who knew ..

Give me Phuket over Patts all day long only one proper day and it's finished.Β 

I did actually go up to Patts after this , been loads of times .

I'd take this over being stuck in U.K anytime .

Β 

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I enjoyed Songkran in BKK and Chiang Mai - it was fun in the day but then people went home after sunset and you could have a normal evening. Pattaya was a different world altogether, my first festival there I was pissed every day for the whole thing and had a great time but I vowed not to get that carried away again and haven't - it just goes on too long with no respite day or night and I am too old for this now. Plus you get the assholes, both farang and Thai, that get mean-spirited about it and seem to enjoy inflicting misery on others - like Thai girls dressed up to go to work in hotels and being bombed in baht busses by drunks, just not nice. Also, I never minded the water but I did object to any kind of powder being rubbed on my hair and then running into my eyes -again, just idiotic behaviour. Last but not least, it broke my heart to see all of those lovely Thai girls with soaking wet shirts and not a nipple poking out anywhere because they were all wearing those damned padded bras....

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Β 

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I have done Songkran in BKK, Pattaya, the village, Yasothon and Ubon Ratchatani as well as in Wat Pah Nanachat. Some were OK when they only lasted a couple of days and finished at sunset but it gets tired very quickly with the extended "celebration" in Pattaya.

Not missing that I will not be there for it this year.

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