How's your Songkran going?

[MM 6,562]

So far, I've not been out enough to get wet, nor am I interested in being the target of water/urine/motor oil/ice throwers. It sounds like it's pretty bad out there in places, especially Chonburi city (see quoted story below from PattayaOne).

 

Me and mine are happily hanging out at the house, swimming pool is well-used..4 young nieces and nephews are here for school vacation..nice to have children around (for a while! ).

 

Woke up today and the water tap was dry. It seems the city water stopped flowing into my village 2 days ago, and the tank just ran out. With Songkran traffic and many homes suffering from no water, Songkran looks like it's going to be dry for a while chez MM.

 

I'm catching up on lots of TV series watching, eating frozen meals prepared during the previous weeks for just this period, and blissfully distanced from the madness.

 

When I look at the traffic overlays for Google maps, it looks like most of the major roads are suffering from heavy traffic. I live in South Pattaya and both north and south look congested.

 

Well, it's not really Songkran if you don't participate, so this is more of a missive from a housebound expat.

 

Is anyone going out there into the melee? Tell us your tale(s).

 

 

Happy Songkran?? NOT as motorists covered in urine, motor oil and fish

Local police said Thursday they were searching for a group of youths who were ‘enjoying’ songkran by tossing bags filled with urine and other foul fluids at passing motorcycles and cars.

After a Facebook page posted photos of youths chucking bags of urine, rotten eggs, fish sauce, pla-raa and motor oil Thursday early morning, Chonburi motorists redirected their travel routes to avoid the Liap Chai Fung Bridge for fear of being soaked in grime.

3 of 3

“We’re trying to find the group involved right now. They’re not really a gang, per se,” Police Col. Somchoke Taphol said Thursday morning. The main problem for police seems to be that there was so many of them, so they took to social media and aksed for help from the local community:

“Social media users, help us find them. Why don’t you help us out, so society can improve?”

If anyone recognises any photos or knows any known trouble makers they were asked to report to police immediately.

Comments on the Facebook page claimed the trouble makers started tossing their filth Wednesday night as their way of getting the Songkran party started and were responsible for causing at least two motor accidents.

“I’ve lived in Chonburi for so long, but I’m too scared to party. If one of them hits me, I’m done for sure,” wrote Athit Tor Lekcharoen, a Facebook user.

Source: Khao Sod

[Bullfrog 2,224]

I'm on Koh Samed having a nice family break. A more genteel Songkran here.

 

Tomorrow back to Pattaya for one night then heading off to Kanchanaburi and http://www.elephantsworld.org/ Nothing like Lampang of "Eric Bahrt" fame...

[forcebwithu 4,853]

A lot colder than I'm used to, but all dry here in middle America.

[rnine 75]

Having a quiet Songkran at Choeng Mon, Koh Samui. Local monks arrived at the hotel yesterday after breakfast for an hour long ceremony. About 20% of the local businesses shut down for the day. A few local teenagers outside of a 7 eleven with water pistols was as rowdy as it got. Today back to normal, all restaurants and bars open and just returned from the fisherman's market at Bophut, no nonsense there either.

 

 

Happy Songkran.

 

Rnine.

[TheFiend 1,181]

Seems as though they caught some of the culprits who've been soaking people with piss and shit!!!

 

 

UPDATE:

Ten youths have been arrested in connection with the above story.

Police from Muang district caught up on the culprits who face a variety of charges.

They decided not to fine the youths, instead preferring to send them for trial.

[Butch 3,456]

Middle England is fine and dandy.

 

Although chucking a bag full of piss at someone is not to be condoned, in a very childish way I kind if find it slightly amusing.

[Fireman Sam 336]

Managed to stay dry up till now but likewise mainly housebound, last day today for water throwing in Nakhon Phanom thankfully, back to normal tomorrow.

 

 

Regards

[nkped 1,208]

First Songkran for me was at Nakhon Phanom in 1975. Young guys at bus stops were tossing buckets of water at the busses when they stopped. We discovered that the windows on those old rattle traps would actually go up. The driver had to open the door to board passengers. The poor guy was soaked.

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

More photos please!

Edited April 15, 2017 by midlifecrisis

[MM 6,562]

Still no City water.. thanks to Songkran waste I'm thinking. We had a water truck come fill the tank, but it's a dirty brown and hardly suitable for bathing.

Went out this morning at 7 am to hit Friendship, then Foodland to get ingredients for Irish stew and lemon butter chicken meals. Each should have six servings, so that should last us till beyond the 19th.

Plenty of wine for me and whiskey for the wife and friends laid by, so we're good, I think.

 

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[losgrad 264]

Yesterday (Friday) morning, i rode my bicycle to Starbucks on Beach, then to a massage shop off Buakow, then back to my condo by 10 am.

 

For lunch and dinner, i ordered food delivery (Pattaya Meals) and then after 10 pm decided to visit Walking Street.

 

Walked down Klang to Soi Buakow fine, then boarded a baht bus south.... got hit with buckets of water before reaching South Pattaya Road. Returned home by motorcycle taxi as uncomfortably wet .

 

Should've taken a motorcycle taxi to WS. Last year, i was able to take motorcycle taxis to various central Pattaya locations during the day without incident...

 

I prefer visiting WS on Friday or Sunday nights and avoiding the busier Saturday nights, but we'll see tonight....

 

 

P.S. Sorry, no pictures as my cellphone is not water resistant, so during Songkran in Pattaya i keep inside plastic protector. One Songkran in Korat, i was able to use my digital camera without incident as whenever they saw my camera, they stopped themselves from throwing water. Not so in Pattaya .

Edited April 15, 2017 by losgrad

[Gary 4,119]

Here upcountry, it's mostly the kids having water fights. It is amusing to me seeing them having such a good time. I had all the car windows rolled up tight and I got a number of free car washes. The only thing that really irritated me was some of the older boys throwing some sort of white powder mixed with water. It's a good thing that I had plenty of water in my windshield washer. The mix was so thick that it was impossible to see through the windshield. Nothing funny about that. Of course some of the older kids, male and female, were drinking heavily, stumbling around and dancing on the road. I was somewhat concerned for the motorbike riders who were hit with two inch streams of water from irrigation pumps. This is the first year up here that I have seen them using irrigation pumps. In years past the heaviest streams of water came from garden hoses.

 

Most of the pickup truck drivers drove responsibly, including my wife who hauled kids and their water supply. I have not heard of any serious injuries although some motorbike riders were knocked over. I didn't see any fist fights. I went up the mountain to Kun Ming with a friend to a restaurant. They have tak taks with trailers full of visitors who go on the tours. It must have been understood that the people who took the tours were off limit. I didn't see anyone throw water on them.

[TheFiend 1,181]

Middle England is fine and dandy.

 

Although chucking a bag full of piss at someone is not to be condoned, in a very childish way I kind if find it slightly amusing.

 

Northern England is fine and dandy too.... Mrs Fiend managed to find a water pistol but luckily she didn't use it on me!!!

[Bazle 1,485]

......... and then after 10 pm decided to visit Walking Street.

 

Walked down Klang to Soi Buakow fine, then boarded a baht bus south.... got hit with buckets of water before reaching South Pattaya Road.

 

I have read several comments that this year is different in that the activities have continued long into the evening.

 

What with that and the story of fish sauce and urine being added to the water, perhaps the authorities will act to rein it in next year. Ever hopeful!

[tallguy 1,475]

So far I have avoided the worst of the water throwing. Thursday I stayed around the condo and today there is plenty of sport on to keep me entertained.

 

Yesterday I walked into Jomtien but was on my way back along the beach towards Pratumnak before the water throwing started.

 

There was a lot of traffic along Jomtien Beach Road with many groups of Thai families coming in for the day. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of discomfort they will put up with. Amongst the many fully loaded pickups and songthaews I noticed a convoy of 4 or 5 yellow songthaews crammed with Thais which I believe came all the way from Chonburi.

 

A further thing I noticed was the amount of rubbish that had accrued in just the first day. All the bins were overflowing with rubbish. There was a refuse truck going along the beach collecting rubbish but it was barely making a dent in the piles of garbage. I dread to think what it will be like by end of the holiday period.

 

On the way home I popped into Kinnaree and Heaven. It was still early when I arrived at Kinnaree but there were maybe 20 girls there by the time I left around 2.30 and not too many customers.

 

Heaven has been quite good the last few times I have been there but yesterday was the day after a party and there were only 5 or 6 girls there who were all occupied.

 

There has been a bit of water throwing in one of the local bars but it's only been a few of the ladies using the small buckets to throw water amongst themselves and the occasional willing passer by.

 

Sorry no pictures as I have been leaving my phone at home.

 

I might go into Pattaya tomorrow,but then again I might not.

Edited April 15, 2017 by tallguy

[InternationalTraveler 282]

Songkran came a day earlier for me as I got a face full of water down on soi 8 Tuesday night.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday been going out after 8pm and keeping away from the battle zones. Managed to stay dry.

Traffic very much gridlocked in town, boy racers on motorbikes with no helmets going at hell for leather speeds up the sois and even jumping the traffic lights outside second road / Klang (old Tops)

 

Sat lunch on Soi 7 with a detour through the back door of the Pig and Whistle to get into Rosie O’Gradies.

As I have seen in previous years it was total mayhem outside, my shirt and shorts are still on the washing line but the liver and onion special and pint of Guinness was worth the soaking and to watch the activities from behind glass.

Not good for business as there was only one other customer.

[MM 6,562]

More photos please!

Songkran fortress food.

 

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[midlifecrisis 4,048]

Songkran fortress food.

 

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I was hoping for wet t-shirts. Now I'm hungry. Looks good!

[MM 6,562]

 

I was hoping for wet t-shirts. Now I'm hungry. Looks good!

Here ya go!

 

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[Evil Penevil 7,628]

I, too, have kept dry so far, but that is mainly because I've stayed inside, The only time I ventured farther afield than the 7/11 next door, I was in a taxi both ways. From my condo building, I can't walk more than a hundred meters in any direction before I pass a beer bar with water throwing. I can make a dash to a nearby supermarket before noon without getting wet after that, it is almost impossible.

 

But it's no real problem. I stocked up on food before Songkran and can have meals delivered. I spend more time than usual playing bridge on line, reading and surfing the net. I'll venture out with my waterproof camera on the 18th and 19th to take some pics.

 

Evil

[Harvey 249]

Songkran fortress food.

 

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That looks awesome!

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

Here ya go!

 

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Now I lost my appetite!

[jacko 8,814]

Drainage project at home. Blistered hands.

Mrs back Monday.

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

Drainage project at home. Blistered hands.

Mrs back Monday.

 

whackin' off when the missus is gone?

 

Hopefully you have cleaned the pipes.

[jacko 8,814]

 

whackin' off when the missus is gone?

 

Hopefully you have cleaned the pipes.

Garden tools caused them, for what you mention I wear gloves!