Songkran
 

I went to the Songkran celebration around Khao San Road today. It was over 300,000 people in a huge water fight. It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I bought a super soaker with the double tanks as a back pack for 240 Baht. Icewater refills were 10 Baht.

They also like to smear your face with a mixture of baby powder & water so you look like a zombie. Maxim Magazine named it the most fun celebration in the world, and I believe it. I'll come back for it again.

If you like to have fun, and don't mind getting wet and messy, this is the celebration to be a part of. If you don't like to get soaked, don't come to Thailand this time of year. The harder you try to stay dry, the worse you get it.

Glad to hear you enjoyed your first Songkran Brad. Yes, it's loads of fun - the first, maybe second, possibly third, time. But after that it becomes a damn pain in the *ss.
Your advice: "If you don't like to get soaked, don't come to Thailand this time of year." Is spot on, I'm flying into BKK on April 20th, when the madness is over.
I don't want to sound like a party-pooper but just check the Bangkok Post at the end of Songkran for the total death toll, plus the maimed and injured toll, for all those unfortunate casualties during "The most fun celebration in the world."

Songkran. . . I'm definitely on the "pain in the *ss" side of the opinion poll. Brad's right: Everyone should have the opportunity to experience Songkran in the Koh San Road area of Banglampoo at least ONCE in a lifetime. But, like TexasSlim says, 3,000 to 5,000 dead every year on account of a one-weekend, idiotic celebration is not my idea of fun. I too, during a 5-year stint in South East Asia, used to LEAVE Thailand during Songkran. It's a madhouse. . . and don't EVER make the mistake of arriving -- replete with luggage, etc. -- during this particular week. Horrors!

wuuuuuuuuuush....got you brad....you didn't duck fast enough...

bob

I was in Bangkok during Songkran last year. Getting sprayed with a super soaker or getting powder dabbed on my face was not much of a problem, and like Brad, I enjoyed it (at first). What really shocked and disturbed me, however, was seeing truckloads of young men tossing buckets of water into the faces of motorcyclists speeding along on the highways. Very very dangerous and hardly my idea of fun.

Yep, the death toll is staggering. During Songkran week Thailand is the most dangerous country in the world. The death & casualty figures will far outnumber Iraq for the same period.
While the actual death figures are accurate, the reported injuries are just the tip of the iceberg because statistics are gathered from hospitals only, whereas many injured also go to clinics, plus others treat themselves or just suffer in silence because they can't afford treatment, and for weeks after numerous people develop ear & eye infections from having contaminated (klong) water thrown in their faces.
Add to this the financial carnage done to electronic goods like mobile phones and cameras, wrecked motorcycles, and other items ruined by water damage.
Yep, Songkran sure is sanook. It amazes me it hasn’t been moved away from the streets and public areas to designated areas like the municipal parks and fairgrounds. Then water revellers can enjoy themselves yet others, who have lives to get on with, can go in peace. It sickens me to see bands of drunken louts (that’s what they are in my opinion) senselessly tossing buckets of water into the faces of Pizza Hut delivery boys, or tourists with luggage trying to hail taxis.

I just got back from Thailand with my family and another family and we spent one day playing on the water field, so to speak, in Chiang Mai. We all had a wonderful time, with the exception of the 2 and 4 year old girls who likely should have stayed home with their mom in the first place.

We literally barely moved it was so crowded. Our hotel helped us arrange a pickup so the kids were all inside and "safe" and we went early in the day, avoiding the worst of the drunken louts, I am sure.

We arrived the week prior and did all of our touristing well before the madness began. Thursday we walked downtown in the morning and quickly were soaked as we traversed the areas between some of the wats. Thursday afternoon we played from the pickup, sending the men for reinforcements of water from, yes, the canal and finally walked 5-10 minutes back to the hotel about 5pm. Friday we spent in the mall in Bangkok waiting on a late flight, having massages and watching movies, so we avoided the water madness there.

Songkhran truly was a blast! We don't drink and enjoyed the cameraderie of the local populace. I'll write more in my trip report, but my family is one family who would go back for that one day of smiling and laughing fun again.

I tend to be an introvert, one who recharges best alone or in quiet. Songkhran was the opposite of my usual idea of fun, but once I surrendered to the inevitability and joined in the insanity I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

Different strokes for different folks, but I am one who is thankful I didn't try to avoid this particular celebration.

:)

The traditional Songkran holiday does not involve water fights with plastic water guns and there is a growing concern in Thailand about how far astray the celebration has evolved.

If you have a chance you should check out the parade of Buddha images around cities like Lampoon where most of the town folks line up along the route to bath the images.

Avoid visiting during this time of year if you don't want to join in the celebration or you don't want to get wet.

Texasslim,

Here are some statistics for you - US road related fatalities for a typical year is around 42,500. That is about 116 fatalities per day.

Up to today the fatalities in Thailand is around 393 fatalities for the past 8 days of the Songkran holiday. That comes to about 49 fatalities per day.

considering Thailand has one fifth the population as the U.S.(298,000,000 to 58,000,000) that 49 fatalities a day total is staggering

I think it evens out if you take into consideration how develop the US is and the emergency facilities(fast professional ambulance services, life flights etc) that are provided in the USA.

I'm not trying to say that the US is more dangerous than Thailand but to make a statement that Thailand is the "most dangerous country in the world" during Songkran is really unrealistic.

It was a little dangerous, but I didn't see anyone get killed. One girl got her foot run over by a mercedes trying to get through the crowd.

Bang Saen Beach was as fun without being as crazy.

I was in Bangkok about 8 years ago during Songkran - even the fancy hotels got in on the act. At Angellinis at the Shangri La the hostess sprinkled a little water on as we left (she did ask our permission before hand though)

We spent it quiet, visiting local temple, down our nearby sois it was quite tame. Later though many of the family went out to get soaked, I didn't!

count me in, as one of those who thinks songkron is a pain in the a-s.

I've had fun during the years, but the celebration takes to long, 1 day of water soaked action is enough.

Im not a fan of having a bucket of ICE cold water dumped on me, but I can live with it. the biggest problem I have with Songran, is the stuppid baby powder, the stuff burns like hell when it gets into your eyes. I've also had 3 shirts and a pair of PUMAS ruined with the baby powder, and water concoction.

The most enjoyable Songkran I’ve had was in Georgetown some years ago. We went to the big Thai temple there, first they held the religious ceremonies, then the water throwing started. Directly across the road from the Thai temple is the Burmese temple and they also were celebrating Songkran. After a couple of hours the two crowds merged into one huge water battle. Right up to sunset we all danced and enjoyed our soaking-wet-selves. But when it was over that was it. We were able to go back to our hotel, change, and head out for the evening. The festival lasted for one day and was contained to one area. And nobody was injured or lost their life.

Songkran here on Phuket is great fun and lasts only 2 days, so even the people locking themselves in do not get a bad deal.

I personally be with Maxim on this, most fun celebration is the right word for it.

Accident stats in Thailand are horrific, to put it in one line with Iraq is however laughable. There is a difference if you kill yourself racing around drunk and without helmet on a motorbike or blown to pieces by Muslim insurgents...

I think songkran if one of the most colorful and enchanting celebrations on earth.. We been there on 2001 at the park next to the Royal Palace, it was a fun, safe and fantastic experience. I agree with some comments above, that the modern "water guns" are not the best way to enjoy the celebration, anyhow it was a blast!

Thai people pls. never change!

Is it the same time every year? And how long does it last? I want to know so I can avoid it like the plague! Definitely NOT my idea of a good time.

I just returned from SEA yesterday.Day one of Songkran (in BKK)was fun,days two through four much less so.