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SONGKRAN: You either love it or hate it!
Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year festival since the former time. It is a celebration that embraces goodwill, love, compassion, and thankfulness, using water as the means of expression.
Songkran Festival
The festival of Songkran falls on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of April every year. The first day is known as Maha Songkran or the grand Songkran. The Thai government has declared Songkran festival as extended public holidays to enable the people to return to their hometown for family reunions, merit-making and reuniting with others in their community.
April 13th is also declared the Day of the Senior or Elderly by the government. The occasion marks the appreciation for the senior population for their years of contribution to the family and country.
The 14th of April is designated as Family Day to celebrate family love and togetherness.
The importance of Songkran Festival
Songkran is regarded as one of the most important traditions in Thailand because it encompasses the three major values in the Thai way of life which are:
Value of family: Songkran is the time when family members come together to show appreciation, love and respect as well as making merit and paying homage to their ancestors.
Value of society: Through active participation and interaction with each other, Songkran brings the people in the community together to enhance goodwill and unity in the society.
Value of religion: Making merit by offering food to monks, going to the temples and attending Buddhist sermons are auspicious activities done during Songkran.
REALITY CHECK
Songkran, to some, is the time of year to get away from Pattaya for at least a week, because everywhere you go you will get soaked. In Pattaya April 19 (starting, in earnest late April 18) YOU WILL GET WET.
The wise keep all of their belongings safely in plastic bags, or even better leave them at home. It can be fun, but many locals and visitors to Thailand drink far too much and the gentle water throwing become horrendous water fights, with ice and other unsavoury items being thrown at everybody, on foot, motorcycle and "Baht bus".
Whole families cruise the streets in pick-ups with supplies of water on board to, indiscriminately, throw over anybody within reach. It is party time and everybody is expected to join in, whether they want to or not.
After the drenching expect to be covered in white powder which, when dry, has the consistency of plaster! Mayhem is the perfect word, but the atmosphere is electric and everybody is a target! Policeman carry their hand weapons in plastic bags, traffic comes to a standstill for hours and everybody parties.
The downside to all of this is the death toll on the roads, last year 373 motorists died and 4,000 were injured (source: Bangkpost).
As is the case in many countries where you get large numbers of people drinking heavily for long periods of time, violence can occur and ruin the fun for the majority. This pictures shows a fight that broke out in Naklua
in 2008 between local teenagers, fortunately nobody was seriously hurt.
So, in conclusion: Songkran - you either love it or hate it. Many local expats will tell you that they leave the country for two weeks, some lock themselves away and of course there are those that are out there in the thick of it!
Wherever you are Happy New year.
