expat Posted March 12, 2007 Report Share Posted March 12, 2007 Erm, in my experience because Pattaya has Songkran a week after everyone else, we get hit for two weeks. The first week (the one where most of Thailand celebrates) is relatively safe, but it's still possible to get nailed. The second week is a huge pain in the ass. The first couple years it took many hours to drive the last kilometer to my house on the main Songkran day. I finally found the back roads, so it's not so bad now. Window up, doors locked, smile at everything. Perhaps this year they'll change it to the same time as the rest of Thailand. One can only dream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted March 12, 2007 Report Share Posted March 12, 2007 The first morning I arrived in Pattaya for the first time on this rickety, overcrowded minibus, as we turned into Soi Buakow, some Thais through water at the minibus.. Next to me was an Israeli who'd just got off the plane and had his window open. He took the water full in the face and looked horrified and astounded.. His wife and I were in uncontrollable laughter until I got to the hotel... I was still going hours later.. Pattaya went downhill for me from then on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rookie Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Songkran in Pattaya....YUK! As a local...I head out to Shihanoukville every year, a few days before the much abused holiday. People throwing dirty water, powder, ignoring that the water throwing is supposed to _stop_ at dusk. The worst abusers are the farangs on Beach road, especially at areas where there are bars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristianTroy Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Like David Lee Roth once said, " I am going to hit the Tokyo Road" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Just found out this morning I have to go down to Singapore for Songkran week Escape the mayhem at company expense! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Munchmaster Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Songkran, the only time I won't come to LOS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preahko Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 I agree. though it's not too bad at night. I stay holed up in my apartment all day, and only go out well after dark. last year I went out every night of songkraan (here in BKK) and made it through totally dry. I did the full songkraan experience my first year in thailand: the first one in a village where I lived with my then-girlfriend. the water/powder thing only happened for one day, and it was only people in the village, most of whom were her relatives and the rest of whom were friends. it was actually very nice, not obnoxious at all, and of course lots of food and spirits were consumed. the next year I was in bangkok for it, and went out during the day each day and each night. again, I tried to stay mostly with friends (I'm talking all thais here), and when you do that it really does keep the original spirit: people respect your requests not to overdo it, and you get the feeling that the splashing of the water really does serve its purpose of "washing away all that's bad from the old year, and starting anew." I also went with a friend to "make merit" at a temple in Thonburi, and that was really nice. and the positive part of spending songkraan in bangkok is that about half the city (okay, maybe a third) leaves town for 3-6 days, so there are no traffic jams (less street food and less taxis, though), it's kind of refreshing. what I did NOT like was constantly being doused to excess by drunken people I didn't know. I stayed away from farang-heavy areas because with them I felt I would likely lose my temper; with the obnoxious thais I always just smiled, no matter how assholic their behavior. after all, it's their country and I'm a guest--even if technically they have lost the spirit of the original songkraan (for instance, if someone, especially someone a lot older than you, holds out their hands to you, you're supposed to respect their wish not to get thoroughly doused and only sprinkle water on their hands...this is rarely respected any more) I only lost it with one person, someone of arab extraction who working in a tailor shop near where I drank yaa dong with a bunch of thai working girl friends...he was repeatedly dousing one girl trying to apply her makeup for the evening, and I made rare use of my 6'4" height to eject him from the area, haha. but I decided that one year of experiencing the obnoxious side of it was enough, so now I pass, just stay at home during the day. though if you don't want to deal with it all and you don't already live you, it would definitely be wiser to postpone your trip here. it's hellishly hot then too, even May is better (though with rain). preahko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristianTroy Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Just found out this morning I have to go down to Singapore for Songkran week Escape the mayhem at company expense! Rod Steward sang "Some Guys Have All The Luck" :grin: :thumbup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AhTeckLim Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 From april 13 (or maybe evening the 12th) until late evening the 20th :grin: do you mean till 19th? or 20th? I thought the last day was 19th? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 If memory serves me right, Songkran starts a week before the official date in Chiang Mai. Then Pattaya has Songkran a week after the official date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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