In April Thailand celebrates their New Year based on the lunar calendar. It is the hottest time of the year in this part of the world, and marks the end of the dry season. The Thai people celebrate the holiday with three days of gigantic water fights. When I say water fights I don't mean back yard battles. These result in drenched head to toes, covered in buckets of water, set the hose on your neighbor, water fights. There is no age limit or restriction for these battles. All ages fight water with water during this hilarious festival. I left Songkran with a hefty scab on my shin after running into a median strip while fighting with a 5 and 65 year old!
One evening we asked for a ride to Khao San Road, a main street where people went to party, from a man with a pick up truck. All day we had seen locals riding in pickups shooting at people from the back. We hopped in and started raining down on all the locals! They were laughing hysterically and cheering us on. No one had ever seen a group of westerners rolling around in a pickup!
Originally I had planned to travel to the Northern city of Chiang Mai. However, once I got to Bangkok I realized that is where all the tourists flocked to. Bangkok was full of Thai locals and the street parties full of Thai teenagers. For the three days myself and the people I met at the hostel hung out with Thai locals getting drenched by fire hoses that the fire station set up, battling children, being covered in clay and bubbles, and drinking with the local neighbors. It was a fantastic experience!
At the end of each day the streets were full of water. Even the shops had a sizable layer of water on the floor. Needless to say, I remained in my bathing suit and quick dry shorts the entire time. The festival was a blast. The Thai people were so friendly. They were more than happy to share the holiday with us. They wanted nothing other than to have us join in. Sure we were a bit more of a target yet if we asked to be respected the people were still respectful and let me stay dry.
In my opinion Songkran is the best way to celebrate a new year. It is playful, innocent, inclusive, and enjoyable for the entire family. But be prepare to get wet!
The guests and staff of Nira's Hostel Bangkok
One evening we asked for a ride to Khao San Road, a main street where people went to party, from a man with a pick up truck. All day we had seen locals riding in pickups shooting at people from the back. We hopped in and started raining down on all the locals! They were laughing hysterically and cheering us on. No one had ever seen a group of westerners rolling around in a pickup!
Originally I had planned to travel to the Northern city of Chiang Mai. However, once I got to Bangkok I realized that is where all the tourists flocked to. Bangkok was full of Thai locals and the street parties full of Thai teenagers. For the three days myself and the people I met at the hostel hung out with Thai locals getting drenched by fire hoses that the fire station set up, battling children, being covered in clay and bubbles, and drinking with the local neighbors. It was a fantastic experience!
At the end of each day the streets were full of water. Even the shops had a sizable layer of water on the floor. Needless to say, I remained in my bathing suit and quick dry shorts the entire time. The festival was a blast. The Thai people were so friendly. They were more than happy to share the holiday with us. They wanted nothing other than to have us join in. Sure we were a bit more of a target yet if we asked to be respected the people were still respectful and let me stay dry.
In my opinion Songkran is the best way to celebrate a new year. It is playful, innocent, inclusive, and enjoyable for the entire family. But be prepare to get wet!
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